Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

Sak's Sport's Bar ~ Vadnais Heights, MN

Cuisine: American, Burgers, Wings, Pasta
Restaurant Features: Bar, Games, Happy Hour, Pull-Tabs, Sports Leagues ( Volleyball, Broomball, Boot Hockey and Dodge Ball)
Location: Vadnais Heights, MN
Address: 1460 Co. Rd. E. East Vadnais Heights, MN 55110  651.484.6119

Bar Hours: Sun-Thurs 11a-1p  Fri-Sat 11a-2p

Kitchen Hours: Sun-Thurs 11a-10p  Fri-Sat 11a-11p

Links: Sak's Sports Bar Website     Google Map

Atmosphere: Located on County Road E just a block from Hwy 61, Sak's Sports Bar is in the location formerly known as Bentley's restaurant.  The space is pretty big, with a couple of different seating areas.  Pictured below is the gaming side of the restaurant, with dart boards, pull-tabs, several large  flat-panel TVs and bar-height tables.  The other side of the restaurant has a large bar separating two additional seating areas, one of which is the main dining room and the other is a row of booths running parallel to the bar.

Sak's is also known for its Outdoor Sports.  Leagues are available to play Volleyball, Broomball, Boot Hockey and Dodgeball.  Sporting areas not pictured.

Menu:  Appetizers include Buffalo Wings, Ranch Wing's, Crispy Chicken Wings, BBQ Ribs, Spicy Pork Sliders, Boursin Sliders (green chile ketchup, boursin cheese and fried onion strings), Hot Dago Sliders, Classic Sliders, Slider Platter, Pulled Pork Quesadillas, Fried Chicken Quesadilla, Nacho Bar (chips with melted cheese and all other ingredients on the side to make-your-own), Garlic Cheese Bread, Bucket of Fresh-Cut Fries, Walleye Fingers, Onion Rings and Tator Tots Bucket, Warm Chips with Charred Corn and Black-Bean Salsa.  They also have Chicken with Wild Rice soup and a Soup du Jour

Salads offerings at Sak's include Asian Chicken, Chopped Cobb, Cranberry Almond, Chicken Club, Red, White and Blue (red onion, bleu cheese), Beef and Garden Salad, Bird of Paradise, and Side Salad.  Any salad can be halved during lunch M-F.

Sandwiches include Hand Craved Butcher Sandwiches (beef brisket, ham or turkey breast), Italian Chicken Hoagie, B.A.L.T., Crispy Chicken, Grilled Chicken, Battered Walleye, Twisted Tuna (on English muffin with guacamole, bacon and melted Swiss), Honey Mustard Chicken Salad, Cucumber Chicken Classic, Grilled Vegetable Melt, Chicago Hot Dog, The Cuban, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, California Turkey Wrap, Chicken Gyro Wrap, The Monster Club and Millionaires Steak Sandwich.  All sandwiches and burgers come with kettle chips but you can upgrade to fresh-cut fries, onion rings or tator tots for $1.59

Burger options are the Classic Ground Chuck, Cowboy (bbq, bacon and cheddar), Bleu Cheese Lover's, Ranch Burger, Cheeseburger, Shrooms and Swiss, Juicy Lucy, The Big Sak (two patties), and The BMFB (18 oz patty with all the classic fixin's!)

Pasta Specialties include BBC Pasta (broccoli, bacon and chicken with penne and chipotle cream sauce), Chicken Al Fresco and Pasta, Big People Mac and Cheese (caramelized shallots and four cheese sauce), Blackened Chicken Pasta, Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti.  Half-sized pastas available for lunch M-F.

Entrees at Sak's are the BBQ Ribs, Grilled Top Sirloin, Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast, Beef & Beach (sirloin and walleye), and Beer Battered Walleye Fillet.

Price guide: Appetizers $ 5-9  Salads $7-10  Sandwiches/Burgers $7-9  Pasta $9   Entrees $13-20
Weekly Specials:
Tuesday- Sliders 3 for the price of 2

Wednesday- $.25/wings

Happy Hour M-F 3-6pm  7 days 9-11pm ~ 2 for 1 on all drinks  Select half-price appetizers

What We ordered: My companion and I visited Sak's during Happy Hour and opted to go with a couple of the half-priced appetizers from the Happy Hour menu.  We started with 2-for-1 Blue Moon draft beers and the pork quesadillas which turned out to be an awesome choice!  The shredded pork was tender and flavorful, nestled up with melted cheddar cheese and sauteed peppers and onions.  In addition to the filling being great, the crisp and flaky, buttery flour tortilla was browned to a beautiful, dark golden brown.  It was drizzled with sour cream and cilantro and served with a unique black bean and charred corn salsa.  Delicious!

 

We ordered another half-priced appetizer (why not at that price?), the Alley Cat's Ranch Wings.  The ten wings were fried then tossed with melted butter and ranch seasonings, and served with ranch dressing on the side.  These wings were pretty good if you like ranch flavor, which I thought was a unique but very smart way to season the chicken.

 

There were a number of sandwiches on the menu that sounded good to me, but I decided to order my standard Reuben from the Daily Specials menu.  I thought the Reuben was very good.  The deli-style corned beef was sliced thin and piled high with tangy sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese on a lightly toasted rye bread.  It came with a generous serving of crunchy, seasoned kettle chips.

 

My companion ordered the Juicy Lucy with fresh-cut fries.  Juicy indeed! The beef was cooked perfectly and inside was a hot cheesey mixture of American cheese, cream cheese and green onion.  The generous helping of fresh cut fries were also very good, not too greasy but just salty enough.

Service: We were able to get a table for mid-afternoon lunch without a problem and were seated at a booth in the bar area.  Our overall service was decent.  The hostess who sat us was friendly and the male server we had was nice but he didn't seem very personable or outstanding in any way.  Drinks were filled as needed and food came reasonably fast.
Overall Impression: Another great sports bar to try in the Vadnais Heights/White Bear Lake area .  Wide selection of appetizers, sandwiches and burgers on the menu all at very reasonable prices.  Great Happy Hour specials!

Ban Thai ~ White Bear Lake, MN

Cuisine: Thai
Restaurant Features: Bar (Beer & Wine)
Location: White Bear lake, MN
Address: 2186 3rd Street, Suite 111  White Bear Lake, MN 55110 (651) 407-8424
Hours: M-Th 11:30a-9p      Fri 11:30-9:30         Sat 12p-9:30p      Sun 4-8pm
Links: Ban Thai Website   Google Map

Atmosphere: Located in the heart of Downtown White Bear lake, Ban Thai restaurant is just across the street from Washington Square.  The dining area of Ban Thai is one big open space, with several simple square tables placed throughout.  The lighting was dim, with lamps softly glowing here and there around the room. 

Menu: Appetizers at Ban Thai include Fried Wontons, Sri Racha Shrimp in a Blanket, Phuket Fishcakes, Chicken Wings, Chicken or Pork Satay, Thai Fried Tofu, Vegetarian Eggrolls, Rayong's Famous Eggrolls, Veggie Springrolls, and Fresh Bangkok Springrolls.

Soups and Salads include Thai Style Salad, Spicy Squid Salad, Tom Kha Gai, Tom Yum Goon, Tom Yum Gai, Gang Poh Tak, Chiang Rai Tofu Soup, and Thai Chicken Rice Soup.

Rice & Noodle Dishes include Thai Jasmine Rice,  Thai Sticky Rice, Mee Siam, Thai Curry Noodle, Seafood Noodle Soup, Pad See Ew, Sen Yai Lard Na, Pad Woon Sen, Pad Thai, Thai Curry Fried Rice, Thai Fried Rice, and Thai Pineapple Rice.

Ban Thai Entrees include Yellow Curry, Gang Masman Curry, Green Curry, Red Curry, Gang Panang,  Laab Khai, Laab Moo, Som Tom (papaya salad), Nua Pad Prik, Tod Kratiam Prik, Pad Med, Pad Khing, Pad Bai Horapa, Pad Kow Pode, Pad Prio Wan, Pad Pak, Pad Prik Khing, Pad Asparagus, Pad Broccoli, and Pra Ram Rong Song.

Specialty menu items include Pla Tord, Pla Tord Rad Prik, Khai Leaw Moo Sab, Ban Thai Khai Yad Sai, Pad Ped Pla, and Pad Ped Talay.

Price guide: Appetizers $4-7   Soups/Salad $4-14      Noodles/Entrees $11-14
What We ordered:  My companions and I started with the chicken satay appetizer, which turned out to be a disappointment.  The chicken was seasoned with curry and then grilled.  I thought the chicken tasted alright but it was slightly dry because the size of each of the four skewered pieces was quite small- together they would not have added up to a full chicken breast.  The peanut sauce that was served on the side was different than any peanut sauce my companions and I had tried before, this was curry-based.  It had a thin consistency and there was a strong flavor (maybe vinegar?) that overpowered any hint of sweetness from the peanut and coconut. I liked the cucumber salad enough but I wouldn't order this again.

 

We also shared the Fresh Spring Rolls, which came in four pieces.  The rice paper wraps were filled with thin noodles, fresh lettuce, carrots, beansprouts, mint, and shrimp.  Standard spring rolls but they were really good and came with a side of peanut sauce for dipping.

 

My companions and I each ordered something different so that we could share our dishes.  We had the Gang Khiao Wan which is the Green Curry.  There were sweet peas, potatoes, zucchini, bamboo shoots, sweet basil, and the meat we chose for this dish was chicken. All of these ingredients were simmered in a sweet delicious broth of coconut milk, green curry and red pepper flakes to make it spicy.  I really liked the flavor of the curry broth, but I think I prefer a different combination of vegetables and it could have been a bit spicier for my taste, we ordered a 2-3 on a scale of 1 to 5.

 

We also had the Pad Thai with Shrimp, which was very good.  The skinny rice noodles were stir-fried to a golden brown with homemade Pad Thai sauce, bamboo shoots, onions, egg and approx. six shrimp.  It was topped with green onions and peanuts.  I thought this dish was very good and had a lot of flavor but the portion was smaller than I expected for $14.

 

One of my companions ordered the Pra Ram Rong Song which is the usual favorite at Thai restaurants, but the version served at Ban Thai was not a big hit.  The presentation of this dish was very nice, with the curry peanut chicken sitting atop a bed of baby spinach.  However, the curry peanut sauce was the same used with the satay; it was almost too runny and not very sweet.  This was unanimously the least favorite of the three entrees.

Service: Our service was very good, but then again it was late on a Tuesday evening and we were just about the only guests eating that late.  Our server was the owner of the restaurant and she was very nice and answered questions we had about the menu.
Overall Impression: Most of the Thai food at Ban Thai was good, but not nearly as good and more expensive than as the other Thai restaurant in the area, Wild Ginger (which I LOVE!).   I had been wanting to try Ban Thai since they opened but now that I have tried it, it may be a long time before I visit again.

King's City Chinese~ White Bear Lake, MN

Cuisine: Chinese,

Restaurant Features: Lunch Buffet, Dinner Buffet, On-Site Parking
Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Address: 3959 Linden Street  White Bear lake, MN 55110 (651) 426-4565

Hours: M-F 11am-8pm  Lunch Buffet 11am-2pm Dinner Buffet 4-8pm
Links: Google Map

Atmosphere: King's City is located on a frontage road that runs along Hwy 61 and has been open since 1982.  The restaurant itself is in a stand-alone building, with one big open space for the dining room.  There isn't anything fancy about the decor, just several square wooden tables arranged throughout the dining room, making it easy to pull them together for larger parties.

The buffet is one of the more popular features of King's City for the dine-in crowd (available 11am-2pm and 4-8pm)

Menu: Appetizers at King's City include Egg Rolls, Fried Wontons, Chicken Wings, Paper-Wrapped Chicken, Barbeque Pork, Fried Shrimp, and Cream Cheese Wontons.

Soups include Wonton, Egg Drop, Chicken Rice and Chicken with Chinese Greens.

Egg Foo Young options are the Vegetable, Pork, Chicken or Shrimp.

Chow Mein options include Regular, Meatless, Subgum, Mushroom, Chicken, Chicken Subgum, Chicken Mushroom, and King's City Special Chow Mein.  Lomein, Chop Suey and Fried Rice options include Vegetable, Pork, Chicken, Shrimp, Beef and Special.

Beef Entrees include Beef with Snow Peapods, Beef Tomato and Green Pepper, Beef and Green Pepper, Beef with Broccoli, Curried Beef, Kung Pao Beef, Mongolian Beef, Beef with Red Sauce and Beef with Cashew.

Chicken Entrees include Sweet and Sour, Chicken with Snow Peapods, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Pineapple Chicken, Chicken Almond Ding, Curried Chicken, Chicken with Broccoli, Twice Cooked Chicken, Chicken with Red Sauce, Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Chicken and Chicken with Cashew.

Pork Entrees include Sweet and Sour, Pork with Snow Peapods, Pork with Broccoli, Curried Pork, Twice Cooked Pork, Mongolian Pork, and Pork with Red Sauce.

Shrimp Entrees include Sweet and Sour, Almond Ding, Shrimp with Snow Peapods, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, Shrimp with Broccoli, Curried Shrimp, Kung Pao Shrimp, Twice Cooked, Mongolian, Shrimp with Cashew, and Shrimp with Red Sauce.

There are also a number of Combination Dinners for either one or two people.

Buffet Includes Regular Chow Mein, Fried Wontons, Egg Rolls, Chicken Wings, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Chicken Lomein, and two Entrees (Changes Daily). *An order of 10 Cream Cheese Wontons can be purchased with Buffet for an additional $2.95*

Price guide: 'Lunch Buffet $6.95 Kids Under 12 $5.25  Dinner Buffet $9.75  ($1 off for Seniors 55+)

Appetizers $4-7  Soups $3-4  Egg Foo Young $5-6 Chow Mein $4-18  Lomein/Chop Suey $7-9  Beef Entrees $8  Chicken/Pork Entrees $7-8  Shrimp Entrees $9 

What I ordered: I had the dinner buffet, as I always do when I eat-in at King's City.  I had Chow Mein, Twice Cooked Pork, Chicken Lomein, Sweet and Sour Chicken, an Eggroll and Fried Wontons.  The chow mein is very basic, celery with a small amount of ground pork (the best chow mein at King's City is the Chicken Subgum which is not offered on the buffet).  The Chicken Lomein was very good, tons of vegetables mixed in with tender pieces of white-meat chicken, and thin.  The Twice Cooked Pork has a nice zing to it, and also has a nice mix of Asian veggies.  The Sweet and Sour Chicken was also good, with bite-sized pieces of chicken breaded and deep fried to a crispy golden brown.  The batter is slightly thick on the chicken, and sweet and sour sauce is served on the side to maintain crispiness of chicken.  The Fried Wontons are very crispy, filled with a mixture of ground pork and spices (green onion?).

Service:  King's City prides itself on excellent service.  The servers are all very attentive so used plates are taken away immediately and drinks refilled with a quickness.  The owner, Sam, is a very friendly guy and is very personable with his customers (many of whom are long-term).
Overall Impression: Fast and friendly; very good Chinese food.  The buffet is somewhat limited, but the quality of food is above average and reasonably priced.  Can't go wrong to order off menu.  Awesome customer service.

J.J's Bierstube Steakhouse & Grill- Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, Oakdale, Red Wing, and White Bear Lake, MN

Cuisine: American, German, Steaks
Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking

Locations: White Bear Lake, Oakdale, Inver Grove Heights, Hastings, Red Wing
Addresses & Maps:
White Bear Lake- 2670 E. County Road E,  White Bear Lake, MN 55110 651-773-5854
Oakdale-  7121 10th Street N. Oakdale, MN 55128 (651) 731-8381
Inver Grove Heights-  6434 Cahill Ave. Inver Grove Heights, MN (651) 451-8073
Hastings-  109 W. 11th St. Hastings, MN 55033 (651) 437-8259
Red Wing-  233 Withers Harbor Dr. Red Wing, MN 55066 (651) 385-8852

Link:  JJ Bierstube's Website

Atmosphere: The White Bear Lake restaurant is located at the far end of a large strip mall on the south side of the city of White Bear Lake.  The restaurant itself is one large open room, with wooden tables throughout and a bar along one side of the room.  I believe there are also a handful of booths along the wall opposite the bar which provide a little more privacy than the other tables.

Menu:  Appetizers include Wisconsin Cheese Curds, Ber Battered Onion Rings, Garlic Toast, Breaded Mushrooms or Cauliflower, Jalapeno Poppers, Breaded Cod Strips, Colossal Buffalo Shrimp, Chicken Drummies, Mozzarella Sticks, Reuben Bites, Brat Medallions, Mini Burgers, and Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites.
Sandwiches offered at the Bierstube include Filet Mignon, French Dip, Ham & Cheese, Pork Loin, Chicken Breast, Buffalo Chicken, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Turkey Club, Weiner Schnitzel, Cof Filet, Crispy Chicken, BLT , Deluxe Grilled Cheese, Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and the Reuben or Rachel.  There is also a selection of specialty burgers.

Authentic German Dishes include the Sauerbraten, Weiner Schnitzel, Schweine Haxen, German Meatballs, Bratwurst Platter, Gebratene Leber (Liver Steak), Jaeger Schnitzel or the Taste of Deutschland sampler platter.

Steaks include quality Sirloin, Angus Porterhouse, New York Strip, Rib Eye, Filet Mignon, as well as a small Hamburger Steak.  Baby Back Ribs are also a popular dinner feature.

Specials include: Half-priced Burgers on Monday, Surf & Turf on Saturday and Sunday is Family Day (Free soda to kids under 16 with purchase of burger or hot dog)

If you're still hungry after your meal, try the Hot Fudge Choclate Volcano Cake  or the Bavarian Rhubarb Pie (both served with Raspberry Sauce), Vanilla Ice Cream served a la carte.

Price guide: Appetizers $ 6-8 Sandwiches and Burgers $6-8.50 (does not include fries) German Dishes $10-18 Steaks $10-22
What I ordered: I am a big fan of Reuben Sandwiches so I decided to start with the Reuben Bites.  I thought they were interesting and tasty with the inside a cheesy mixture of Swiss, Corned Beef and Sauerkraut while the outside was breaded and crispy.  The inside actually reminded me of the Reuben Dip that you often encounter at Potlucks, but much warmer.  The crispy outside was a nice compliment to the inside and I liked that the Thousand Island was served on the side for dipping. I would get these again! Although they aren't exactly gourmet, I think it was a pretty tasty invention....I think I might need to try the Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites next!

 

My visit was on a Monday night, which happened to be half-price burger night! You can order any of the specialty burgers or build your own 50% off whatever you get.  I went with a 1/2 pounder with Swiss, bacon and fried onions.  Burgers and sandwiches do not come with fries, so I got a half-order of onion rings as well.  I was very pleased with the burger.  It had nice texture and rich flavor, without being too charred.  The bun was lightly buttered and grilled, which is always a thumb's up in my book.  I thought the onion rings were also good but at an extra $3.50 for the half-order, I could have done without them.

 

My companion ordered the Wiener Schnitzel, which are breaded pork cutlets.  It was served with German Potato Salad, Fresh Asparagus and Garlic Toast. 

Service: There weren't many guests dining in the restaurant on the evening my companions and I visited, so we had our choice of tables, etc.  The service was good considering we were practically the only ones there, but the server tended to leave us alone.
Overall Impression: I was actually pleasantly surprised at how large the menu was.  I had driven by this restaurant many times without stopping because I was under the false impression that the Bierstube was just a bar serving basic bar food.  It was much more than I expected.  The prices were good and the food was good too, especially the half-priced burgers!

Wild Ginger ~ White Bear Lake, MN

Cuisine: Thai, Chinese, Asian Variety,
Restaurant Features:Lunch Buffet, On-Site Parking

Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Address: 4440 Highway 61 North  White Bear Lake, MN 55110  651-653-9781

Lunch Buffet M-F 11-2pm  Take out  Mon-Sat 11am-8pm

Links: Google Map
Atmosphere: Located within a strip mall, Wild Ginger has just 10-12 tables available in the dining room (seats 24).  It is decorated with a variety of Thai art and sculptures.

Menu: Thai appetizers include  Beef Jerky, Chicken wings, cream cheese wonton, dumplings, egg rolls, spring rolls, chicken satay.  Thai salads include Laab, Som Tum, Yum Nua, and Yum Woon Sen.  Thai curries are Gang Dang (red),  Gang Keow Wan (sweet green), Gang Pah (country curry),and Panang.  Thai noodles offered are Pad Thai, Rad Na, and Pad See Yew.  Thai entrees include Rama Long Srong, Pad Him Ma Pam, Pad Hoo Raa Pha, Pad Khing, Pad Priew Wan, Pad Prig, Pla Rad Prig.

Chinese dishes include fried rice, chow mein, egg fo young, lomein, chop suey.  Entrees include (chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp)  Sweet & sour, Almond ding, Cashew, Lemon grass, Broccoli, Kung pao, Szechuan, Mongolian

Price guide: Lunch Buffet $7.50  Thai entrees $8-10
What we ordered:

Chicken satay I especially loved the peanut sauce and the cucumber garnish that came with the satay.

Thai Beef Jerky

Green Curry (Gang Keow Wan ) A combination of coconut milk, Thai green curry paste, herbs, bamboo shoots, vegetables, and chicken.  This is one of my favorite  Thai dishes! It has a ton of kick and the vegetables soak up the flavor of the coconut milk just perfectly. 

Rama Long Srong- Mixed of gold peanut curry sauce with coconut milk on the bed of steamed young spinach. I love the sweetness of this dish, the peanut sauce is wonderful. 

Chicken Panang-  Chicken in a zesty blend of herbs, kaffir lime leave and coconut milk.

Sweet and Sour Chicken (Thai style)- Mix of pineapple, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, scallions and onions stir fried in Thai sweet and sour sauce.

Service: The owner of Wild Ginger, Sam, is a very nice man and provides 100% of the service at Wild Ginger.  Refills are do-it-yourself.
Overall Impression: Awesome Thai cuisine, decent Chinese. Excellent lunch buffet with a variety of both Thai and Chinese dishes, at a very reasonable price. The small space of the restaurant often is completely filled during lunch buffet hours (11-2pm).

Donatelli's Italian- White Bear Lake, MN

Cuisine: Italian, Ice Cream

Restaurant Features: On-Site Parking

Location: White Bear Lake, MN

Address: 2692 East County Road E  White Bear Lake, MN 55110 651-777-9199

Links: Donatelli's Website  Google Map

Atmosphere: Donatelli's is a popular family restaurant located within a strip mall on the south end of White Bear.  The restaurant itself is long and narrow, with a main dining room and a smaller dining area used for bigger parties or on busy nights.  Along the outer walls of the dining area there are several private booths (topped with seasonal decorations), with tables in the middle of the restaurant which can easily be adjoined for larger parties.

Menu: Start off with Donatelli's famous Italian fries! Other starters include chicken strips, chicken wings, cheese curds, garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, or french fries.  Sandwich offerings include the Reuben, chicken or veal Parmesan, meatball, hot Dago, Italian sub, grilled ham & cheese, turkey club.  You can also order wrap sandwiches- chicken, steak or shrimp Caesar or BLT chicken.  There are also several burger choices.

The Pasta at Donatelli's is where its at! There are five different sauces (spicy marinara, traditional red, supreme red sauce, basic white sauce and Alfredo.  Dishes include spaghetti, rigatoni, linguine, tomato basil fettuccine, chicken cacciatore, chicken or veal Parmesan, Butternut Squash Ravioli with Asparagus & Portabellas, baked manicotti,  ravioli or mostaccioli, lasagna, stuffed shells, linguine with grilled chicken and pesto.  Pizza is also quite popular at Donatelli's, as are the pizza turnovers.

Don't forget ice cream for dessert, Donatelli's has many flavors of old fashioned ice cream, as well as malts, sundaes, chocolate cake and tiramisu.

Price guide: Appetizers $ 5-11    Sandwiches/burgers $7-10   Pasta $6-14 Pizza $5-23

What I ordered: My companion and I shared a medium thin-crust Italian Fry.  If you have never had these before, you must hurry to Donatelli's to try it!  They bake thin pizza dough topped with a light coat of garlic butter topped with mozzarella and cheddar cheese, served with a side of spicy marinara.

After deliberating over the menu, I decided to order the tortellini Alfredo (Cheese filled tortellini tossed with baby peas,portabella mushrooms, prosciutto ham & our Alfredo Sauce, topped with fresh Parmesan cheese.) I am not usually a huge fan of Alfredo sauce (too boring for me), so I took my server's suggestion and ordered the dish with the white sauce instead of Alfredo.  My mistake! I realized with the first bite that the white sauce is even more boring than the Alfredo!  The other ingredients were very good, but I had to get a side of marinara to mix into my dish to give it a little more flavor.  The garlic toast was pretty good.

My companion ordered the Donatelli Burger (Topped with pepperoni, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and smothered with mozzarella cheese; served with a side of our red sauce. )

Service: Always friendly.  Donatellis is quite busy during the dinner hours, so you may need to wait until a table becomes available (very small lobby area).

Overall Impression: Decent Italian food at reasonable prices.  Good place to come with a group or with the kids.  Ice cream is definitely a great value!

Washington Square Bar & Grill ~ White Bear Lake, MN

Cuisine: American,  Mexican, Breakfast

Restaurant Features: Bar, Patio Dining

Location: White Bear Lake

Address: 4736 Washington Square  White Bear Lake, MN 55110  651.407.7162

Links: Washington Square Website Google Map

Atmosphere: There are pretty much two "halves" to the restaurant, both offering tables and seating at the bar.  One side allows smoking, the other does not.  One awesome feature of Washington Square that I was not able to take a picture of at the time of my visit is the gigantic patio area that accommodates a good hundred people or so.

Menu: Breakfast is served WED - FRI : 8:00AM - 11:00AM
SAT - SUN : 8:00AM - 1:00PM

Starters include mozzarella sticks, walleye strips, chicken wings, bruschetta, spinach artichoke dip, quesadillas or nachos, and sausage platter. Sandwich offerings include tuna or Philly melt, Reuben or Rachel, club, BBQ pulled pork, po' boy, portabella melt, walleye sandwich, Cajun shrimp BLT, turkey wrap and several grilled chicken specialty sandwiches and hamburgers.  Also  selection of premium salads.  Dinner entrees are served with either steamed veggies or salad and choice of potato and include the walleye, salmon or catfish platters, BBQ pork ribs, Angus sirloin, spicy chipotle shrimp and pesto pasta. Mexican entrees include steak, chicken or shrimp fajitas, three tacos, two tostadas, burrito (choice of shredded chicken, beef, chorizo, or black bean), mole enchiladas or the spinach cream chicken enchiladas.

Price guide: Appetizers $6-9  Salads $7-10 Sandwiches $8-9 Mexican $10-13 Dinner entrees $16-19 Breakfast $3-12

What we ordered: My companions and I ordered a couple of appetizers before our entrees.  This is the veggie quesadilla....it was loaded with perfectly sauteed peppers and onions.

I was in the mood for Mexican food and the waiter highly recommended the spinach cream chicken enchiladas, so I went with his suggestion and I wasn't disappointed.  I wasn't sure what "spinach cream" meant, but discovered that it was a unique sauce that was a blend of both without tasting too creamy or of spinach.

One of my companions ordered the black bean tostadas. Rather than layering loose black beans across the tostada, Washington Square makes a flavorful black bean paste. There are actually two tostada shells with a layer of sour cream between them. This dish is wonderful! Best black bean tostadas I've ever tried:)

Another of my companions ordered the pecan-crusted walleye, with an extra fillet for an additional $4 (great deal!).  The filet's were very long and heavily coated with the pecan crust, pan fried to a nice nutty crunch with great texture.  It was served with a side of non-traditional tartar sauce that was unexpectedly sweet.  Some people may enjoy this version of the tartar, but my companion preferred the fish without it.

Another companion ordered the southwest chicken salad ( topped with blackened chicken breast, corn, peppers, black beans, pico de gallo, shredded cheese and tortilla chips topped with salsa ranch dressing.)  I did not have the pleasure of trying this salad, but it looked really good and my companion thought it was awesome!

Another companion ordered the club sandwich.  Pretty standard for a club!

Service: It is almost always packed at Washington Square and it isn't always easy to have someone seat you immediately, but you'll usually be greeted by one of the friendly bartenders.  Servers are knowledgeable of the menu and are willing to give suggestions. 

Overall Impression: One of the more expensive places to eat in White Bear Lake, but the food is really good.  Best place to go for patio seating!

Rudy's RedEye Grill ~ White Bear Lake, MN

Cuisine : American, Fish & Seafood, Steak, Ribs & Chops,

Restaurant Features: Bar, Banquet Room, On-Site Parking, Hotel

Location: White Bear Lake, MN

Address: 4940 Hwy 61 N White Bear Lake, MN • 651.653.6718

**Restaurant serves food until 12am

Links: Rudy's Redeye Website Google Map

Atmosphere: Rudy's has a large dining area, as well as a very large wooden bar running along the entire wall with additional bar-height tables.  Several wooden tables take up a good portion of the dining room, but there are also large booths around the perimeter of the room.  Artwork adorns the richly painted walls, and chandeliers provide dim, romantic lighting.

Menu: The appetizers at Rudy's include spinach-artichoke dip, crab stuffed mushrooms, oysters on the half shell, Calamari, crab cakes, bull bites, coconut shrimp and walleye fingers.  Sandwiches include burgers, walleye sandwich or chicken Caesar wrap. 

Entrees include prime rib and other Angus steaks, pork chops, mozzarella stuffed chicken breast, pork tenderloin,  BBQ baby back ribs, fish n' chips, meatloaf, bacon wrapped scallops, walleye and salmon.  Pasta dishes include chicken marsala, baked artichoke and chicken ravioli in a rose sauce, seafood scampi, sun-dried tortellini pesto with shrimp, fettuccine Alfredo and spaghetti and meatballs.

Price guide: Appetizers $7-14  Sandwiches $8-10     Entrees $14-29

What we ordered: To start off, our little group had the spinach & artichoke dip.  I thought it was generally good, with a few big pieces of artichoke blended into the dip.  It was creamy and had a pretty mild flavor. I thought the dip was much better with the french bread than the tortilla chips, and everyone agreed.

I was in the mood for pasta and the waitress highly recommended the seafood scampi, so that is what I ordered.  It had quite a few shrimp and large scallops, both cooked perfectly, and was served on angel-hair pasta, tossed with a buttery sauce of Parmesan, tomatoes and green onions.  It was very light and delicious.  My opinion is that garlic would be a great addition to give it a little more flavor.

One of my companions ordered the 16 oz Prime Rib.  It was a very lean steak and extremely tender and cooked perfectly.  Always goes great with horseradish and au juis!!

Another companion ordered chicken kabobs and crab-stuffed shrimp.  The kabobs had a few pieces of tender teriyaki chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions.  Both appetizers seemed to be a big hit.

Another of my companions had the full rack of baby back ribs with au gratin potatoes.  They were apparently so good, every last one of them disappeared from this plate, despite how large it was! 

Service: Excellent, very friendly.  Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and offered recommendations.

Overall Impression: Trendy and upscale, prices a little high but the quality of food is excellent.  Very good service. Drink to try..the Flirtini.

Keys Cafe & Bakery ~ Minneapolis, Roseville, Spring Lake Park, St Paul, White Bear Lake, and Woodbury, MN

Cuisine: American, Breakfast, Bakery

Locations: White Bear Lake(site of this review), Minneapolis, Roseville, Spring Lake Park, St Paul , and Woodbury

Addresses: Locations with a * serve dinner

*Minneapolis 114 S 9th St  Minneapolis, MN 55402-3308  612-339-6399

*Roseville 1682 Lexington Ave N Roseville, MN 55113-6514 651-487-5397

*Spring Lake Park 8299 University Ave Ne Spring Lake Park, MN 55432-1867

St Paul  500 Robert St N Saint Paul, MN 55101-2246  651-222-4083

St Paul 767 Raymond Ave  Saint Paul, MN 55114-1522   651-646-5756

*White Bear Lake  2208 4th Street White Bear lake, MN 55110 651-426-2885

*Woodbury 1750 Weir Dr  Woodbury, MN 55125-2252 651-731-5397

 Links: Keys Cafe Website 

Atmosphere:  Family dining and a local hot spot, especially at breakfast time!

Menu: Lets start off with breakfast :) Signature breakfasts include a variety of egg/meat combos as well as The "Two Guys" breakfast (named because it is enough food for two!), potatoes with sauteed veggies and cheese, drilled Denver sandwich, egg sandwich, roast beef or Italian hash. Keys is also known for their giant pancakes, french toast and Belgian waffles.  There is also a large selection of omelets, including a "build your own".  Specialty sandwiches include Cajun chicken, BBQ chicken, fish fillet, Monte cristo, grilled Reuben or Rachael, meat loaf, steak, roasted turkey or the club house.  Grilled sandwiches such as the tuna, turkey, bacon & cheese, chicken and BLT are also quite good, as are the homemade soups and salads.  Dinner items include the oven roasted turkey, meat loaf, roast beef, roasted pork, walleye, pork chops and spaghetti.  All dinners are served with mashed potatoes, gravy and bread.

Keys is also famous for their bakery....pies, cakes, scones, muffins, cookies.

Price guide: Breakfast $ 4-9  Sandwiches $ 6-9  Dinners $ 9-11

What I ordered: Combo #2 (two eggs with Italian hash).  Keys famous Italian sausage with mushrooms, onions, green peppers, tomatoes and hash browns.  This is my favorite breakfast!  I love the spiciness of the sausage with the texture of the sauteed veggies and hashbrowns.  The thick sliced homemade bread toasted with keys homemade strawberry jam is also delicious

My companion ordered the farmer's omelet (ham, onions and cheese) with a side of hashbrowns.  This was a very large omelet, stuffed full of ingredients.

Service:  Our visit was at a non-peak hour and was kind of slow.  Took awhile for the hostess to see us and then seat us.

Overall Impression: Large selection of breakfast dishes, reasonably priced.  Good place to meet a group for breakfast (as long as you don't mind waiting to be seated, as it is very busy on Sat-Sunday mornings.)

Jimmy's Food & Drink- Vadnais Heights, MN

Cuisine: American

Restaurant Features: Banquet Rooms, Bar, Games, On-Site Parking, Sports bar

Location: Vadnais Heights

Address:  1132 County Road E E, St Paul, MN (651) 482-1100

Hours: Drink:  10AM - 1AM (Everyday)  Food:  10AM - 12 Midnight (Everyday)

Links: Jimmy's Website Google Map

Atmosphere: There are actually three main parts to Jimmy's: The Restaurant, the Bar, and the Banquet Center.  The restaurant itself is  smoke-free area with several booths and wooden tables, with several large flat-paneled TVs on the walls tuned in to various sports programming.  The large bar area is a very popular happy-hour hangout, with pool tables, dart boards, pull-tabs and other video games.  The banquet area accommodates up to 500 people and is available for wedding reception, conferences, etc. 

Menu: Jimmy's has a large selection of Appetizers including 13 flavors of chicken wings, southwest spring rolls, Italian dunkers, spinach & artichoke dip, walleye fingers (beer-battered or Cajun), coconut chicken fingers, and quesadillas.  Check out the happy hour specials. Sandwich selections include BBQ pork sandwich, chicken Caesar wrap, Beefeater, French dip, Monte Cristo, California chicken, and walleye.  There are also nearly 15 varieties of burgers.

Dinner entrees include walleye prepared 5 different ways, batter fried chicken, champagne chicken, lasagna, alfredo,  seafood linguine, lasagna, spaghetti, battered shrimp, grilled pork chops, New York Steak and baby back ribs.  Jimmy's also has a selection of thin crust pizzas.

Price guide: Appetizers $6-9  Sandwiches $7-10 (fries $1.50 extra) Burgers $6-8  Entrees $12-19

What I ordered: My companion and I took advantage of Jimmy's Happy House appetizer specials.  One thing we tried were the Cajun walleye fingers.  I've had the regular walleye fingers several times, but this was the first time I tried them Cajun-style.  I enjoyed the additional spiciness combined with the crispy batter and fresh tartar sauce.

We also wanted wings but I was debating whether I wanted the delicious teriyaki wings that I've had before or if I would try the spicy sesame.  The waiter recommended the sesame, so we tried those.  They were not at all what I expected, which was something more "Asian" inspired.  The "spice" in these wings tasted very much like their buffalo sauce, which I don't particularly care for, topped with sesame seeds.  Won't be ordering this flavor again, I will stick to the sweet, rich teriyaki.

Our other companion ordered the grilled chicken breast sandwich, served with honey mustard dressing and thought it was pretty good.

Service: Friendly, prompt.  There are usually free games going on for discounts on food or drink.

Overall Impression: Good happy hour specials, good place to meet with friends for happy hour or to shoot a game of pool.