Saints baseball

from page 1 of only three independent professional baseball teams in the country to make the jump to a Triple-A affiliate of a major league baseball league team. Key players this season include infielder

Edouard Julien, outfielder

Matt Wallner, and pitchers

Bailey Ober, Louie Varland, Simeon Woods Richardson and Brent Headrick. The lineup may also occasionally include major leaguers rehabbing from injuries.

Home game opponents in May are Nashville May 2-7, Indianapolis May 9-14, and Omaha May 2328. Each game will have its own promotion. Copa de la Diversion on Friday, May 5, embraces the culture of Latino players in minor league baseball. It will feature Latin foods, samba and tango dancing, and a mariachi band. Players will wear special jerseys that read Santos de San Pablo. Totally Rad Vintage Fest on Sunday, May 7 will feature vendors selling vintage items, everything from records to typewriters to comic books. Knock on Wood night, Wednesday, May 10, features activities geared toward the superstitious. Other home game promotions throughout the season include Pride Night, Star Wars Night, PLAAAAAAAY BALL with actor Patrick Renna (who

Publisher & Editor: Tim Spitzack

Copy Editor: Leslie Martin

Staff Writers: Jake Spitzack

John E. Ahlstrom time, they moved into a house in Minneapolis and began hosting art exhibitions there. It was their attempt to allow the public to view art since so many galleries were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, they displayed artwork in the home’s large picture windows so it could be enjoyed by those who walked by. Then, as pandemic precautions diminished, they featured art in their living room and other spaces, let- ting people come inside for the full experience. They held nine exhibitions over two and a half years, featuring more than 40 artists from Minnesota, California, New York, Canada and even starred in the movie “The Sandlot”), Marvel’s Superhero Night, and All You Need Is Your Birthday Suit. The Saints will also give away shirts, magnets, bobbleheads and other prizes on various dates.

Switzerland. Night Club art gallery is open 1-5 p.m., Fri.-Sun. Admission is free. For more information, visit nightclub. gallery.

While each home game has its own special promotion, days of the week also have their own themes. Tuesdays highlight travel and Wednesdays have activities that teach about Minnesota. Thirsty Thursdays feature $2 beers and two-for-one Bud Light seltzers. Post-game fireworks are back on Fridays, complete with music and light shows. Firework Super Shows are presented May 28, July 3 and Sept. 3. On Saturdays, visitors are encouraged to wear Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts,

Contributor: Roger Fuller

Delivery: Independent Delivery Service and on Sundays, families can let their kids run the bases and get player autographs.

Oh yes, the Saints have a new ballpig. Last year’s pig Chop Gun: MaveRib has stepped aside to allow the confident little piglet named Mud Grant to take to the diamond. This little piggy is from Montreal, Canada, and was chosen in February after the swine tryouts. The name was suggested by Bud Rosenfield of Minneapolis, winner of the Name the Pig contest.

The 8,000-seat CHS Field saw an average of 6,582 fans at each game last season, a 9% increase from 2021. For tickets or more information, visit milb.com/st-paul.

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

The gravy train is flowing at the Big Biscuit Bar, which recently opened in the former Handsome Hog space in the Park Square Court Building, 400 N. Sibley St. The restaurant is owned by Madison Equities’ Madison Restaurant Group, which owns seven other restaurants in St. Paul including the neighboring Noyes and Cutler Steakhouse. The Big Biscuit Bar serves breakfast and lunch with a southern flair. Its signature item is, as you might guess, biscuits baked fresh every morning. Surprisingly, the restaurant is not open on weekends, although that may change in the future. This decision was made to avoid competing with the large brunch buffet offered at Noyes and Cutler on weekends 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Big Biscuit hours are 7 a.m.2 p.m. Monday-Friday.

“We moved the Handsome Hog in 2020 to a building on Selby that had more space,” said Jim Crockarell, owner of Madison Equities. “We’ve been planning on opening a restaurant in place of the Handsome Hog for six to eight months now…. It was just a matter of changing it from a barbeque evening restaurant to a breakfast and lunch one.”

Manager Charice Bakke prepares an espresso at Big Biscuit Bar. The restaurants seats about 80 and has a menu loaded with biscuit sandwiches, biscuits smothered in sauces, and classic southern favorites such as shrimp and grits and country fried steak. Its full bar features specialty drinks such as the breakfast old fashioned and the big smokey bloody mary.

The Big Biscuit Bar seats about 80 and has a menu loaded with biscuit sandwiches, biscuits smothered in sauces, and classic southern favorites such as shrimp and grits and country fried steak. Its full bar features specialty drinks such as the breakfast old fashioned and the big smokey bloody mary. The restaurant offers curbside to-go service on Sibley Street.

Heading the kitchen at both Big Biscuit Bar and Noyes and Cutler is chef Aaron Cave. Jorge Robertson manages both restaurants. Cave and Robertson have both been with Madison Restaurant Group for a little over a year. At the Big Biscuit Bar, Cave will be assisted by chef Matt Running, who was previously a line cook at Noyes and Cutler.

Crockarell is also moving forward with his plan to convert the upper four floors of office space in the Park Square Court building into a 138-unit Marriott Hotel. Madison Equities has owned the building since 2005.

“We had expected to start construction this summer but it’s really difficult now to get construction financing at a good interest rate,” said Crockarell. “The architecture is done, we’ve taken