Best Restaurant in the Far-Northern Suburbs?
Sara wrote in: “It is our six-month wedding anniversary—celebrating makes us as giddy as Jr. High kids! We want to go out and have a nice dinner. Both of us work in the city, but call Forest Lake home. While we enjoy the lake and our cozy little apartment, the area seems to offer nothing in the realm of culinary excitement. The best we've found so far is a little Mexican place called Dun Julio's, which is cheap and fast, but that's not quite what we have in mind. People around here rave about Za! and Norman Quacks, but they just don't do it for me. Have I missed some great gem in all of my fussing that there isn't any good food in a 30-mile radius? Am I just too spoiled having lived in NE and South Minneapolis with the 112 Eatery, Azia, Red Stag, and Al's Breakfast only a short jaunt away? My only thought was that maybe we could drive up to Taylors Falls and check out the Tangled in Blue restaurant I'd seen last summer, but I just called and was informed that they are under new management and have not re-opened yet. Any ideas?”
This immediately made me wonder: Where is Forest Lake again? Answer: Due west of Scandia, right off I-35, about half an hour north of St. Paul. I wrote back to Sara to tell her that I could think of a few places within her 30-mile radius that might fit the bill. To wit:
Restaurant Cru: The fine, but casual dining Blaine restaurant is helmed by Robert Moore, the longtime sideman of Lenny Russo, the chef best known for his pioneering work at local cooking standard-bearer Heartland. I went to Cru a few months after it opened and was just blown away by the fineness of the cooking.
For something less locally focused, and more Italian, why not Acqua in White Bear Lake? It was opened by two veterans from Uptown Minneapolis’ lost and lamented Campiello. (I can’t help but notice that, like Sara, these are fellow south Minneapolis food-lovers who headed north.)
Then of course there’s Tria, sister to the St. Paul Hotel, Pazzaluna, and Restaurant Max, and, in another vein, Minnesota’s most resolutely and adorably old-school steak house, Lindey’s.
So, I sent those to Sara and she told me one would fit the bill for a newlywed’s anniversary dinner. However, in the middle of the night the question came to haunt me—what am I missing? People always know their own neighborhoods better than any roving restaurant critic. So, residents of the northland, share your secrets: What’s your favorite restaurant up in that neck of the woods?
Posted on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 in Permalink
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Reader Comments:
I moved to White Bear Lake from Minneapolis about five years ago - I still miss many of my Minneapolis haunts - especially Broder's Deli for their perfect East Coast pizza. My favorite local spots are Ingredients on Hwy. 61 and Washington Square Grill. I've wanted to check out Margaux's latest incarnation, but it's tucked away and I keep forgetting to go there. I've never been to Ursula's and have heard mixed reviews. The menu changes often, and I sometimes check it out while eating my ice cream from Cup 'N' Cone, a neighborhood hotspot in the warmer months. And, there's a new restaurant, Manitou Station, that I've been to once. It was fairly good at lunch time, although I'm not sure how I feel about the waitstaff. Our server was not very friendly and even rudely dropped something on our table, but I kind of liked not having all the chattiness one can run into in many MN restaurants. I'd sure love to know more about any of the independent spots up in my neighborhood. It seems so hard to find them in the outer 'burbs.
I haven't been there in a couple of years, but Ursula's in White Bear Lake has been a pretty nice northern suburban restaurant experience for me in the past.
This may be a bit out of the way, but The Kitchen in Stillwater would be a worthy anniversary location. I ate there this past Friday and the food was very good. I have some photos on my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/90465639@N00/4314657067/in/photostream/
Tara's Hideaway is also in Stillwater, but not as far. It has great Greek food, steak and seafood. It's not as formal but is ALWAYS packed and the food is great.
The Sassy Pig BBQ in Blaine is outstanding.
SAVORIES BISTRO on North Main Street in Stillwater is a great spot for celebrations. Their local, organic menu changes seasonally; their kitchen's creativity has been honed during their almost 20 years of cooking in Stillwater. Urban deprivation should not be an issue!
I live in Wyoming and my parents live in White Bear Lake. We met at Ingredients Cafe for my mothers birthday and it was very classy but yet comfortable. The food was really good. It would be perfect for your sixth anniversary.
We live in Marine St Croix and love it, but the food scene is yes, a bit quiet; except for Ingredients Cafe in White Bear which needs to be touted more than it is! I'm glad someone is finally noticing that we have incredible options on the east suburban side of the cities. Had the seafood chowder with seared scallops on Saturday and it was, as it always is, incredible. The size of the scallops is crazy and the food is consistently fabulous. Service is key and it seems we've seen the same faces there for years, which makes it a comfortable and fun environment. For a small place that hasn't had enough attention, the chef is amazing at what he does. We also enjoy Acqua in White Bear, italian driven, small with great views of the lake and high-end service; and the Kitchen in Stillwater; hard to get to but worth it!
Stella's on 97 has excellent food, generous serving sizes!~ The new chef has made great improvements on the menu.