This week was all about business meetings and dining with friends.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m meeting with someone for work or a project, I prefer it to be over a meal — or at least some good snacks!

I hit up some of my favorite spots in St. Paul for each of these get-togethers.

And bonus: Some Pi-day fun!

Waldmann Brewery

After a nearby travel meeting, we hit up this gem of a St. Paul brewery for some hearty German fare.

The slightly spicy, dry, quenching Czech pilsner here is one of my favorite beers, period, so we started with a round of those before moving on to some crispy potato pancakes that are just like grandma used to make — they’re served with applesauce and sour cream, too, which is how I remember them from my childhood.

I love Waldmann’s spätzle — and they are one of the few local restaurants that make it — so I ordered the jagerschnitzel (pork tenderloin), which comes on a pile of the little dumplings. The whole thing is bathed in a comforting mushroom gravy, which was perfect on a chilly night.

My husband’s smoky kielbasa, mashed potatoes and stellar, tangy red cabbage was a stick-to-your-ribs delight, and a friend’s meatloaf was tasty, if a little dense.

Some live acoustic music added to the charm. It had been a while since I visited, but I’m going to make an effort to get to this historic brewery more often.

Waldmann Brewery and Wurstery >> 445 Smith Ave., St. Paul; 651-222-1857; waldmannbrewery.com

— Jess Fleming

Ruam Mit

I am enamored with the second incarnation of Ruam Mit. The space itself, the former downtown Dunn Bros. on the corner of Wabasha and Fifth streets, is open and inviting, and the decor features lots of greenery and flowers.

The noise level is reasonable for meetings, but it’s also a stellar spot for pre-event dining. I love that they take reservations so you can perfectly time your evening.

We ordered a wide variety of dishes to share, starting with the empanada-adjacent curry puffs, which I cannot believe I had not tried before! Handmade pastries are stuffed with coconut curry potatoes and chicken and fried to a deep golden brown. My fellow diners and I agreed that they look great and taste even better. They’re served with a little fresh cucumber salad on the side, which makes an order of three almost a complete meal.

But I cannot resist the curries here — my favorite being the vegetable-heavy green curry, which at medium spice is absolutely perfect. A pad-Thai loving friend found her tofu version to be excellent, and the gluten-free bung bo, consisting of a generous portion of rice noodles and fresh vegetables topped with a yellow-curried protein of choice, was also a hit.

The restaurant serves wine and beer, and they even have a few saké-based cocktails on the menu now.

If you haven’t been yet, I can’t recommend it enough. I’m plotting a return before a downtown concert in May.

Ruam Mit >> 367 N. Wabasha St., St. Paul; 651-222-7871; ruammitmn.com

— Jess FlemingSunday specials at Brunson’s

I had been meaning to get to this East Side pub for its chopped cheese Sunday special for quite a while, so when friends were looking for a place to eat for our occasional Sunday Funday, I suggested we hit Brunson’s. No one objected.

What is a chopped cheese? So glad you asked. It’s basically a burger patty cooked most of the way through, then chopped up on a griddle. It’s smothered with American cheese and served with lettuce, tomato and griddled onion on a hoagie roll. The sandwich, which originated in New York City bodegas, isn’t easy to find in these parts. I highly recommend trying this one, which is a juicy, savory masterpiece. Just don’t unwrap it all the way before trying to eat it. Trust me on that one.

They also had a shrimp and grits special to honor Mardi Gras, so we ordered that as well. Cheesy, salty grits, fresh shrimp, smoky andouille sausage and a slightly spicy tomato sauce kept our forks busy until the plate was empty.

The menu at Brunson’s has remained relatively unchanged since its 2017 opening, and I love much of it, but chef Torrance Beavers’ specials keep the regulars coming back.

Beavers, who has been with the restaurant since the beginning, has a way with bar food, and I’m always shocked at what comes out of that tiny little kitchen. The drinks are great too — my favorite is the Bad Hombre, a spicy mezcal/tequila cocktail, but they also serve what my husband swears is the best old-fashioned in the Twin Cities.

The chopped cheese is available every Sunday starting at 4 p.m.

Brunson’s Pub >> 956 Payne Ave., St. Paul; 651-447-2483; brunsonspub.com

Pies at the St. Anthony Park Branch Library Association’s contest

Math classrooms aside, St. Anthony Park was the place to be last week on Pi Day (March 14, aka 3/14 — get it?).

I had the delicious honor of being invited for a second year to judge the St. Anthony Park Branch Library Association’s annual Pi Day pie contest, emceed by local musicians Adam Granger and Dan Chouinard. And I hope the Minnesota State Fair is paying attention, because there are some skilled pie bakers in this neighborhood.

Rita LaDoux took first place for her Mediterranean quiche with mushrooms and goat cheese. Savory, yes, but certainly a pie — and a well-made one that managed to be light and airy but still assertive. (LaDoux is the library association’s board chair, but don’t worry: Pies were identified only by number to keep the judging process fair.)

Dan Marrinan took second place with a tart, fresh strawberry-rhubarb pie in a flaky double crust (and “SAPLA” carved into the top crust, in honor of the library association), and Joy Albrecht won third with a pecan pie that judges (me) appreciated for both the spot-on texture and the caramelized but not too sweet flavor of its interior. And Laura Gillott and family earned the people’s choice award for their decadent chocolate pudding pie.

Other highlights I have to mention: A “schmaltzy pie” — a delicious twist on a chicken pot pie with cabbage and sweet potatoes, made by Chris and Ryan Courtney, will probably be replicated sooner rather than later in my own kitchen. And Mike Hvidsten earned kudos for the clever crust design on his blueberry pie that incorporated numbers of pi.

If you think you have what it takes — well, there are 360 degrees in a circle, and that’s about how many days left until Pi Day next year!

— Jared Kaufman