A television newscast the other night about the RNC coming to St. Paul got me to thinking about what a native might recommend to a visitor to fully enjoy the real St. Paul experience. It’s a game we’ve all played, concocting, for example, what meal you might serve to say, a German, so that the German might truly capture the essence of

’s cuisine. I have come up with the perfect meal, incidentally, and I defy anyone to top it.

If you’ve got guests coming in from

or France or Japan or, in the case of Republican delegates, Omaha or Tulsa, here is what you serve them for the perfect Minnesota meal: walleye, corn on the cob, tomatoes and potato salad. Throw in a locally brewed beer, and you have the ultimate Minnesota meal. OK, ultimate summer meal.