ST PAUL, Minn. — For the first time in seven years, Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday fall on the same day, and that seems like a sign from the heavens for St. Paul's Tavern on Grand as it enters it's final Lenten season serving up Minnesota's favorite fish.
"This is like our Super Bowl," said Tara Padilla, whose stepfather, David Wildmo, first opened the walleye-centric restaurant in 1990. "We have a line out the door every Friday during Lent. Last year we went through more than 3,500 pounds of walleye during Lent."
This year, they anticipate blowing that number out of the water.
"Probably 4,000 pounds, I think that would be a safe bet," Padilla said. "We've sold out of everything. We were down to one case of walleye the other weekend, and it was just like, 'OK, I hope the truck gets here early tomorrow.'"
She's confident because the restaurant has already spent weeks setting all kinds of sales records following the family's announcement that they would be closing their doors in June.
"Our servers might sell during lunch what they previously would sell during a double and do it without a sweat," said Padilla, who has helped staff try to keep up. "I don't think we've been able to truly wrap our brain around it."
Longtime customers who filled the dining room on Wednesday say it's the least they can do.
"We've been here three times since (learning of the closing)," said Roger Anderson, who came for Valentine's Day lunch with his wife Dorothy. "It's the best walleye around. Well, we're probably a little biased, but it is."
"It's busy all the time," said Mary Kay Sprangers, who came following Ash Wednesday mass. "We also came a month ago and hardly could find a seat."
"Even Lutheran's eat fish," joked Don Loe, who came with his wife Judy. "We are also celebrating our 60th year of being married."
But this year the celebration is bittersweet.
"It really is," Done said. "As an old person, we don't like to see old things die."
Which is why they, and so many others say they'll just keep coming as long as they can.
"We'll be coming here right up until 'Grand Old Days,' quite regularly," Anderson said.
"Oh yeah, we'll keep coming," Sprangers said. "We love their fish. Best walleye."
Despite that overwhelming support, Padilla says it won't change their decision, which comes after the recent death of their mother, and out of a desire to find more work/life balance.
"I think that does confuse people," Padilla said. "They say, 'You're so busy, you're going to stay open right?' But that was never the issue, that was not our main focus. Our customers have always been great."
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