Pie and Biscuits Take Center Stage at St. Paul’s New Cafe

On Snelling Avenue, near the construction snarl that’s almost complete at St. Clair, is a brand new shop celebrating all that is wonderful about flakey, buttery pastry. Hot Hands Pie and Biscuit is the work of Tara Coleman, a transplanted pastry chef who has built an entire menu around biscuits and pie. The chef first opened the cafe a few weeks ago in a newly constructed building that has taken the place of the old Rosemark Bakery.

The interior is all blush pink walls with a large, wooden installation on one wall that’s just begging for some Instagram staging. The sweet details make it an ideal stop for Mac/Groveland families and the prices are sure to attract nearby Macalester and St. Catherine’s students.

Coleman has an impressive background. She grew up in a Chicago suburb and worked for Stephanie Izard in the city before making the move to the Twin Cities. For a short time she worked for Rose Street Patisserie’s John Kraus and first operated Hot Hands as a stand at the Midtown Farmers Market.

The new cafe opened a couple of weeks ago and has been quickly drawing a devoted neighborhood crowd. The menu is brief, but focused on the good things that can be done with flakey layers. Biscuits are sweetened with jam and salt-flecked butter, served savory with a dose of creamy breakfast gravy and an egg, or mobile as a breakfast sandwich ready for one-handed eating.

Just in time for the feasting season, Coleman and her team also make an array of pies, even some savory, that can be ordered ahead, purchased whole, or some by the slice in the cafe. On the day we visited, flavors included pumpkin, caramelized peanut butter, cookie, apple, and toasted vanilla cream. Pies are $28 whole, $5 for a slice, and it’s $2 for a “plop of ice cream.” The shop is currently taking orders for Thanksgiving.

On top of the two main attractions, there’s a small selection of other treats like nutter butter type cookies, cinnamon rolls, turnovers, savory chicken pot pies, and more. For office hero consideration, boxes of mini biscuits with fixings can be pre-ordered and picked up in the morning.

The shop is also pouring a selection of coffee and espresso drinks with beans from Bootstrap Roasters.

Eventually Coleman will begin hosting pie making classes, for those anxious to master the butter flake and flour arts.

For now, Hot Hands Pie and Biscuits is open 7 am to 2 pm Tuesday through Sunday, but those hours might shift to slightly later openings on the weekends. Keep an eye on the Facebook page for the most current hours.

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