• Grilled Salmon Salad $15

This is in the Embassy Hotel downtown St. Paul, so it is about what one expects from a hotel restaurant. It did have a cool indoor atrium that had live ducks in it, which our 3 year old thought was pretty cool. So that ups the kid friendliness factor.

My salad was average at best and too expensive for what it was. I would not go back.

• Bangers Ôn Mac -- Penne pasta in a cream sauce with smoked gouda and locally produced grilled lamb sausage.) $15

Corks is a funny restaurant in a funny location. It's an Irish pub in downtown Saint Paul, which makes sense if you ignore that it's housed in a multi-story chain hotel. They try, but they do not succeed. I was less than excited about the Bangers 'n Mac, which came across as something that sounds good but is mediocre.