Restaurant Row

The familiar Midwest urban decline began along Selby during the Depression, accelerated after World War II, then hit its nadir with two nights of violence after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968. Several Selby Avenue businesses were firebombed; a year later one remaining merchant pronounced Selby commerce near death. A street that had once thrived with hundreds of business was reduced to a few straggling survivors.

A slow revival began in the mid-1970s; it is still going on today, exemplified by “restaurant row” between Western Avenue and Dale Street.

Moscow on the Hill – 371 Selby

Solo Vino – 517 Selby

French Hen - 518 Selby

W.A. Frost - 374 Selby

Cheeky Monkey – 525 Selby

Nina's Coffee Cafe – 165 Western

Great Harvest Bakery – 534 Selby

Costello's Bar – 393 Selby

Chocolate Emporium – 579 Selby

Fabulous Fern's – 400 Selby

Mango Thai – 610 Selby

La Grolla – 452 Selby

Louisiana Cafe – 613 Selby

Bon Vie Bistro & A Piece of Cake – 485 Selby

Muddy Pig – 162 Dale St.

The Happy Gnome, 517 Selby

Sweeney's – 96 Dale St.

Except for the old Angus Hotel building (Nina's), the showiest of these buildings is the former Trott-Birch house at 579, a rare four-story double house in the Chateauesque style. It catches the eye, but its size makes it a challenge to sustain as a commercial building. Contrast it to the low brick structures occupied now by French Hen and Cheeky Monkey; these adaptable spaces have been home to dozens of cafes and shops over the decades.

Selby now rivals nearby Grand Avenue as St. Paul's “eat street.”