We scoured our archives for the best dishes featured in White Bear Lake Magazine throughout the past year, added some tweaks and updates from these local restaurants—many of which are finalists in this year’s Best of White Bear Lake categories as well—and pulled together one delectable dining guide that crosses all categories of cuisine. Bon appétit!
Chilean Sea Bass
Acqua
Featuring rustic Italian cuisine and seasonal ingredients, Acqua is a great place for a night out on the town. So often, Italian food conjures images of heavy pastas and cheesy goodness. But Acqua features a menu full of fresh fish entrees and even a selection of small plates that are perfect for those wanting something a little lighter. We love the king crab encrusted certified Chilean sea bass ($34), which is topped with a velvety chili buerre blanc, and served with roasted baby red potatoes and broccoli’s daintier cousin, broccolini. Pair it with the roasted beet salad and a trio of Izzy’s sorbet for one meal you’re bound to remember.
4453 Lake Ave. S., White Bear Lake; 651.407.7317
Chocolate Vesuvio Lava Cake
ROMA
For the chocolate lovers who don’t mess around, we recommend the chocolate Vesuvio ($6). Paying homage to the majestic Mount Vesuvius, Roma’s chocolate-filled version is just as impressive. “It’s dense and packed with triple chocolate flavor,” owner Brian Pilrain says. The flourless chocolate cake is served hot with a molten chocolate center, flooding your plate with a pool of chocolate once you dig in. It’s served with a chocolate drizzle, and then topped with vanilla ice cream for the perfect balance of flavors.
460 Stillwater Road, Willernie; 651.653.4733
Maple-Glazed Beet Salad (Seasonal)
Café Cravings
Salad can be a disappointing meal for vegetarians because it’s often the default fallback when there are no other veggie dishes on the menu. Luckily, some kitchens are watching out for us veg-heads: The maple-glazed beet salad ($9) at Café Cravings is no consolation prize but a hearty, vibrant meal. It’s a brilliant, colorful assemblage of sprightly baby greens, roasted beets, toasted walnuts and crumbled bleu cheese sealed with a kiss of sweet-tart raspberry vinaigrette. The beets are blood-red and satisfyingly dense, while the walnuts and cheese deliver the protein you need. Now that’s a little bit of salad nirvana.
1600 County Road E, Gem Lake; 651.482.7742
Shrimp Pad Thai
Sam Thai Cuisine
Called “the national dish of Thailand,” we join multitudes in our love for this one-dish wonder of a meal. Sam Thai’s rendition is stellar: Masses of stir-fried rice noodles suspend clouds of soft scrambled egg, translucent bean sprouts and emerald green scallions. While not dripping, each noodle is generously coated with a sauce that’s sweet/tart with tamarind, a touch of Asian fish sauce and just salty enough with soy sauce. The beautiful mess is topped with crushed peanuts and lime wedges: give ’em a squirt for a bright note of sour. The protein is up to you. We opted for shrimp for its subtly oceanic flavor and aesthetics; the li’l pink guys look darling curled up in the tangle of noodles. Their toothsome texture jibes perfectly with the spring of the noodles and aqueous crunch of the sprouts. $11.60.
4440 Highway 61 N., White Bear Lake; 651.653.9781
Memphis-Style Barbecue Ribs
CG Hooks and Eatery
Pork ribs win the popularity contest in barbecue land, prized for their tenderness, high ratio of meat to bone and inimitable porky tang. Head over to CG Hooks, a veritable mecca for barbecue, for some Memphis-style, Minnesota-grown pork ribs. Breathe in the heavenly aroma as you approach—this place is both smokehouse and restaurant. Slow cooking produces a juicy, meat falling-off-the-bone rib, and the choice of different sauces—Memphis Ghost Sauce, Carolina Gold and Kansas City—are a pleasure to mix and match. What goes with ribs? We like to balance smoke and char with creamy and cooling: here, it’s a side of home made red cabbage coleslaw and foamy 1919 root beer on tap. Full order, $21.95.
4441 S. Lake Ave., White Bear Lake; 651.493.6763
Rudytini
Rudy’s Redeye Grill
There are many ways to spend a hot summer evening in White Bear Lake, but one of our favorites has to be sitting on the rooftop at Rudy’s Redeye Grill with one of their specialty cocktails in hand. For the summertime months, we love the Rudytini ($16). This spin on the classic martini starts out with Stoli Razberi vodka, combined with the fruity flavors of fresh pineapple juice, lime juice and a splash of cranberry juice. Topped off with a dash of champagne, this is one drink that might just be too beautiful to drink. So grab a spot by the outdoor fireplace or belly up to the bar and enjoy your summer in style. 4940 Highway 61, White Bear Lake; 651.653.6718
Wild Rice And Asiago Bratwurst
Kowalski’s Market
Hey, buy some fresh ones and grill ’em yourself. Kowalski’s, our homegrown supermarket, makes sausages in-house and they’re amazing. Of course, you’ll find traditional bratwurst here, too, but exercise your state pride and get the smoked, uncured wild rice and Asiago—wild rice being every Minnesotan’s birthright. This sausage is an inspired invention: high-quality beef, mild and nutty wild rice, and sharp Asiago cheese, which is sort of like parmesan but it’s made from sheep’s milk and special in its own right; a salty funk that puts the “awe” in sausage. $6.99 a pound.
4391 Lake Ave. S., White Bear Lake; 651.429.5913
Apple Cranberry Pecan Pie
Eat!@Banning and 5th
Shawn Smith, the baker par excellence at Eat!, makes everything from scratch, including pies that will make you weak in the knees. He calls them “pie-lets,” and rightfully so: Each one is a perfect serving for one, not to mention cute as all get-out. The apple cranberry pie-let combines sweetened chunks of autumn fruit with classic apple pie spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and clove; it’s sealed with an insanely yummy crumble of oatmeal, brown sugar and pecans. Something this thoughtfully prepared should be thoughtfully—nay, reverently—eaten, so show your respect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. $2.95.
2202 Fifth St., White Bear Lake; 651.653.1225
Maple Bacon Long John
Grandma’s Bakery
This bakery has been open since 1978 but it’s kept up with the trends in the bakery world, jumping into the mosh pit of bacon frenzy with both feet. In case you haven’t noticed, doughnuts are getting crazy; creative new flavor combinations quickly turn into cult favorites. A case in point: the maple bacon long john, a rectangular dandy frosted with maple sugar glaze and sprinkled with crispy chunks of house-cooked bacon. The sweet and savory combination is addictive. When Grandma’s discontinued the long john because of high bacon prices, the ensuing protest brought it back in a hurry; people were willing to pay more for the treat. And at $1.25 for seven inches of heaven, it’s well worth it. So, what are ya waiting for?
2184-B Fourth St., White Bear Lake; 651.762.2900
