What's Cooking: Sample the flavors along St. Paul's Green Line on the Heavy Table/MN Historical Society tour

The Minnesota Historical Society is teaming up with the Heavy Table, the online food magazine, and the Asian Economic Development Association on a new tour series: the Green Line Checklist Food Tour.

The series will lead attendees through the unique culture and flavors along the light-rail corridor's Little Mekong area in St. Paul. Two tours are offered: Bakeries and Buns, which takes people to Trung Nam French Bakery and Silhouette Bakery, and a happy hour tour with stops at Family Lao-Thai, Thai Cafe and Mai Village.

The tour series is based on the Heavy Table's Green Line Checklist blog series (heavytable.com/category/stories/green-line-checklist) exploring the restaurants, shops and food trucks of the light-rail corridor.

Visit the below links to purchase tickets.

Bakeries and Buns: (mnhs.org/event/1945) Sept. 24 and Oct. 1; $40, $30 for Minnesota Historical Society members.

Happy hour: (mnhs.org/event/1943) Sept. 22 and Oct. 6; $50, $40 for MNHS members.

Both tours start at Mai Village, 394 W. University Av., St. Paul, and include some stairs and up to 2 miles of walking on uneven terrain.

The inaugural St. Paul Food Truck Festival comes to Mears Park Sept. 24 — that's Saturday! — with more than 30 trucks selling cuisine ranging from Indian to British to Japanese to locally raised pork.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with live music, an 11 a.m. yoga class, handcrafted beers from Lift Bridge Brewing Co. and family-friendly games. Located around the perimeter of Mears Park along 6th, Wacouta, 5th and Sibley streets, the free event will donate proceeds from a $2 beer drinkers' wristband to Feed My Starving Children. Other beverage options will be available.

All participating food trucks also will feature a $5 Pair Share deal, with at least one signature dish at $4 or $5.

KIM ODE

Zeitgeist, composer Ben Houge and top St. Paul chefs are teaming up to mix the musical and culinary arts in the St. Paul Food Opera from Oct. 6-8 in Studio Z in Lowertown. Houge will create a collection of musical works for Zeitgeist designed to pair with dishes prepared by chefs from Tongue in Cheek, Saint Dinette, the Handsome Hog, Golden's Lowertown, Izzy's Ice Cream and Brake Bread.

Houge is a former Minnesota resident whose eclectic projects include electronic sound installations and music for video games in addition to traditional chamber and choral music. In recent years he has turned his attention to the indeterminate timings of the dining room, working with chefs around the world on multisensory dining events he calls "food operas."

There are several lunch and dinner seatings over the three days. Lunch is $35; dinner is $70. For more information and to make reservations, visit zeitgeistnewmusic.org/foodopera or call 651-755-1600.