Cuisine: Bakery
Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Addresses: 2184B 4th St White Bear Lake, MN 55110 (651) 762-2900

Commercial Bakery- 1765 Buerkle Rd  White Bear Lake, MN 55110 651-779-0707
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am – 6pm * Sat 7am – 6pm * Sun. 7am – 2 pm
Links: Grandma’s Bakery Website * Grandma’s Bakery on Facebook * Google Map

Atmosphere: Grandma’s Bakery is located on 4th Street, in Downtown White Bear Lake.  This location sells freshly baked goods that are produced at the Grandma’s commercial bakery at 1765 Buerkle Rd.  It is warm and inviting and smells great from the freshly brewed coffees.

Menu: Donuts include Cake Donuts (plain, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, chocolate iced, vanilla iced, sprinkled, peanut, buttercrunch), Glazed Old Fashioned, Chocolate Donuts (glazed, double chocolate, sprinkle, coconut, german chocolate, peanut), Raised Donuts (glazed, chocolate iced, sugar, maple iced, buttercrunch, vanilla iced sprinkled, raspberry glazed), Bismarks (powdered lemon, lemon iced, powdered jelly, raspberry iced, boston creme, and flavor of month), French Donuts, Chocolate Iced or Maple Long John, Peanut Long John, and Apple Fritter.

“Fancies” include Cinnamon Twist, Chocolate Hockey Puck, Cream Cheese Crowns, Apple Fritter, Glazed Cinnamon Roll, Maple Iced Cinnamon Roll, Caramel Roll, Cherry Flip, Apple Flip, Cinnamon Crispies and Bear Claw.

Danish include Apple, Brown Sugar Pecan, Cheese, Lemon, Raspberry, Strawberry Cream Cheese.

Muffins include Blueberry, Cranberry, Lemon Poppyseed, Banana Nut and Double Chocolate

Cookies include Chocolate Chip, M&M, Sugar, English Toffee, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal raisin, Snickerdoodle, Monster, Double Chocolate, Iced Sugar Cookies, Smile Cookies, White Bear Cookies, Jumbo Macaroon, 10″ Chocolate Chip.

Bars are sold by the pan, 8×8 or 9×13 and include Brownies, Brownies with Nuts, Snicker Brownies, M&M Brownies, Butterfinger Brownies, Apple Brown Betty, Lemon Crumb, Lemon Cream, Peanut Butter and Raspberry.

There are also Apple, Cherry, or Blueberry Turnovers and Raspberry White Chocolate Scone, Twin Berry Scone, or Cranberry Orange Nut.  Coffee Cake varieties include Bee Hive, Cinnamon Crumb, Philly Cream Cheese, Apple Fritter, Strawberry Cream Cheese.  Filled Croissant Varieties include Almond, Butter, Chocolate, and Strawberry Cream Cheese.

Fruitbread options include Banana Nut, Butter Pound Cake, Cranberry, Blueberry, Sourcream Crunch, Lemon Poppyseed.

Grandma’s also bakes fresh bread.  Varieties include White, Honey Oatmeal, Buttercrust, Cinnamon Raisin, Chunky Cinnamon, Whole Wheat, Light Rye, Dark Rye, Vienna, French, Garlic, English Muffins, Bread Bowls, Dinner Rolls, Hot Dog Buns, Hamburger Buns, Onion Buns, Wheat Buns, Steak Buns.

Bagel flavors offered are Plain, Sesame, Poppyseed, Blueberry, Crunchy Cinnamon, Cinnamon Raisin, Jalapeno Cheddar, Whole Wheat and Everything Bagel.

Grandma’s also makes Cupcakes, Sheet Cakes and Decorated Cakes.  Cake Fillings include Bavarian Cream, Raspberry, Chocolate Fudge, Strawberry, Lemon, Key Lime, and Tropical Sensation.  Mousses include French Mocha, Hazelnut, Raspberry, Strawberry, Chocolate, Caramel, Irish Cream, Peanut Butter, Mint, Strawberry Almond, Lemon and Amaretto.

What I’ve ordered:
Of all donuts, I think I love fritters the most.  The Apple Fritter at Grandma’s is over an inch thick, with a decent amount of apples and cinnamon.  The inside is soft yet dense and the outside has a slight crust and just the perfect amount of glaze.

They have a handful of  Kruller varieties at Grandma’s, I have tried the glazed.  Great, eggy texture while still being somewhat firm.

The Maple Long John with Bacon made my Food Spotlight a few months ago. This raised donut was light and airy, soft on the inside with a slightly crunchy golden crust.  The maple icing was sweet and when paired with the crispy, salty bacon crumbles, it tasted like classic breakfast with every bite ;)

I rarely eat jelly or custard-filled donuts but was intrigued when I saw the bright neon green frosting and then sold when I was told they were Key Lime.  The filling was tangy and delicious.

Another Donut Grandma’s offers is a Chocolate Cake Donut with Coconut (natural or toasted).  Very good

Service: The ladies who work at the bakery are incredibly sweet and patient, your order is prepared with care.
Overall Impression: Great place to pick up any bakery item that you could want or need.  I recommend stopping for breakfast and getting something sweet with a coffee.

Here are my current picks for Best Ribeye based on the restaurants I have personally visited and reviewed.  I admit this list is limited but it will grow and change as necessary.   If you know of other tender, succulent ribeyes that I need to try, please leave me a recommendation in the comments of this post.  I plan to add Manny’s, Wooley’s, Seven, St Paul Grill, Pittsburgh Blue, Capital Grille, Kincaids and many others as soon as I have a chance.  Not all steakhouses offer ribeye steak but since it is my favorite cut, I will certainly find the ones who do!

#1 Porterhouse Steaks & Seafood ~ They had two size options: 18 or 24oz.   This 24oz steak was boneless and absolutely huge, a great value in comparison to other fine steak houses.  Every bite was extremely  juicy and tender.  I was happy I ordered it medium minus, it was much more red than I usually eat it, but I found that I really enjoyed it like that.  The bleu cheese that was melted on top was flavorful but not too overpowering. So good!  Another of my companions ordered this same steak and also enjoyed the extremely tender cut.

#2 Murray’s Restaurant ~ One bite had me declaring this the best steak of my life! The ribeye was huge; 20oz without the bone.  I ordered it medium and it was cooked just the way I like it.  I could tell that the quality of this steak was excellent, it was extremely tender and seemed to be completely gristle free.  The fat was barely noticeable except for the delicious flavor it added.  The aged beef had a robust flavor and was really well seasoned while also being served atop a small amount of au jus.  Magnificent!! Worth every penny of the $42 price tag.  It was served with choice of potato or salad.  I had baked potato which was also very good.  I have been to Murray’s a few times now and the steaks are consistently wonderful.

Lakeside Club ~ They offer two sizes of Ribeye at Lakeside: 12oz & 16oz.  I usually order the 12oz Ribeye, medium temperature.  My steak was phenomenal; it was cooked perfectly and was incredibly tender and juicy.  It was only lightly seasoned with salt but the flavor of the aged meat was wonderful.  It is served with a side salad and choice of potato.  I chose the Shoestring fries

Manitou Station ~ This ribeye is actually prime rib, roasted and then finished on the grill.  Extremely tender and juicy, served with mashed potatoes and steamed veggie.

Gordy’s Steak House ~ My companion and I both ordered the 18 oz Delmonico Ribeye Steaks. My steak was a very tender cut, grilled to a perfect medium. The steaks at Gordy’s are said to be aged for 28 days; I could taste just a hint of the aged flavor. The steaks were seasoned very mildly (if at all?!), emphasis was purely on the beef. I dressed mine up with raw horseradish and my companion ordered a side of bearnnaise. Unfortunately my companion’s cut of ribeye was not nearly as tender as mine, unsure of consistency since I have only visited there one time.

Cuisine: Bakery
Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Address: 1640 County Rd E E   St Paul, MN 55110
Links: Donuts Deluxe on Facebook *  Google Map

Atmosphere: Donuts Deluxe is located in a strip mall on County Rd E (just east of Hwy 61) in White Bear Lake.  The front of the space looks like someone had once tried to spruce it up a little and offer a cute little eating area and a coffee station adjacent to the bakery case. Despite this effort,  there isn’t a wall dividing the front from the back so you can see stainless steel bakery equipment and everything else that is going on in the back of the shop.  That seemed a little strange to me but I do know that Donuts Deluxe produces a ton of donuts every day that they supply many convenience stores with so maybe the front was just an after thought??

Menu:  There was a big menu board displayed above the coffee station that advertised donuts and muffins, but there weren’t any muffins available on the day of my visit.

The Donut selection included Old Fashioned, Bismarks, Apple Fritter, Cinnamon Pinwheels, Long Johns, Glazed Raised Donuts, etc.

What we ordered: My companions and I picked up a box of Assorted Donuts to try including the Fried Cinnamon, Long John, Bismarks filled with cherry and lemon jelly, Old Fashioned, and Bear Claw.

I had the Apple Fritter, which has always been one of my faves.  This one was wonderful! It was actually somewhat crispy on the outside but the inside was soft and filled with many big pieces of apple.  I loved the contrast in textures.  The dough of this fritter was spread out so it was less fluffy than most apple fritters but it was very big and very filling.  It was glazed with the perfect amount of sweetness. Donuts go great with coffee, don’t they? I snapped this pic with my iPhone ;)

Bear Claw

Overall Impression: Donuts Deluxe has a handful of common donut varieties and they are all very good and made fresh daily.  The selection wasn’t impressive but I was perfectly content with my apple fritter.

Here are my current picks for Best Fish ‘n’ Chips based on the restaurants I have personally visited and reviewed.  This list will grow and change as necessary.  If you know of  other great fish & chips at other restaurants  that I need to try, please leave me a recommendation in the comments of this post. Restaurants, if you were named here, please feel free to use the badge to display on your own websites.

#1 Charlie’s Restaurant ~ This basket of crinkle fries was topped with one large fillet of walleye that was beer-battered and fried.  The fillet was impressive; not only was it long, it was also thick and meaty.  It was served with a homemade tartar that had dill rather than the traditional pickle.  Seriously good fish!

#2 Stella’s Fish Cafe ~ These thick pieces of flaky cod were very enjoyable; the batter that was used had a pleasant mix of seasoning and the perfect amount of golden crispiness without being too greasy.  There were three pieces of the cod which didn’t seem like an overly big portion for the price but it was truly excellent fish.  The fries were fresh-cut and also very good, as were the tartar sauce and coleslaw.

#3 The Anchor Fish & Chips ~ The cod filet was served in one large piece, battered and crispy with a sprinkling of sea salt.  The fish was light and flaky and the addition of the salt was a really nice touch.  There was a generous amount of chips in the basket, thick-cut fries lightly fried.  The curry sauce was a nice accompaniment to the fries and kicked up the flavor  few notches.  I also enjoyed the mushy peas, which were mushy and buttery.

#4 Patriot’s Tavern ~ The Fish N Chips at Patriot’s Tavern come with two pieces of beer-battered cod. The fish is thickly cut and flaky, with a very crispy battered and fried crust. Served with steak cut fries and homemade tartar sauce

Need to Try:
Mac’s Fish & Chips

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

Hours: Dine-In /Take out  Mon-Sat 11am-8pm Lunch Buffet M-F 11-2pm

Links: Sam Thai Cuisine Website  * Sam Thai on Facebook *   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: Appetizers include Butterfly Shrimp, Thai Style Beef Jerky, Chicken Wings, Thai Spicy Wings, Cream Cheese Wontons, Steamed or Fried Dumplings, Egg Rolls, Fresh Spring Rolls, Fried Tofu, Thai Style Fried Wontons, Pork Toast, Chicken Satay, Tawd Mun (fish cakes), and Ka Nom Bueang (shrimp and coconut wrapped in an omelet).

Soups offered Egg Drop, Chicken Rice, Hot and Sour, Silver Thread Noodle, Spinach and Thai pork, Won Ton, Tom Kha (with choice of meat),  Tom Yum (choice of meat), Baa Mee Hmo Dang (noodles with BBQ Pork), and Rice Noodle Soup.

Salads offered at Sam Thai Cuisine include Laab, Steak Laab, Som Tum (shredded papaya with peanuts and dried shrimp), Yum Nua, and Yum Woon Sen.

Thai Curry Entrees include Gang Dang (red curry, coconut milk, basil, veggies), Gang Keow Wan (green curry), Gang Pah, and Pa Nang.

Thai Noodle Dishes include Pad Thai, Rad Na, Pad See Yew, and Pad Khee Mao.

Thai Entrees at Sam Thai Cuisine include Rama Long Srong, Pad Him Ma Parn, Pad Hoo Raa Pha, Pad Khing, Pad Priew Wan, Pad Prig, Pad Prig Khing, Pla Rad Prig.  Thai style rices include Thai Fried Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice, and Thai Curried Fried Rice.

Chinese Entrees include Fried Rice, Chow Mein, Subgum Chowmein, Egg Foo Young, Lomein, Chop Suey, Chicken Almond Ding, Chicken Cashew, Chicken Hung Shiu, Lemon Chicken, Chicken with Pea Pods, Sweet & Sour, Kung Pao, Mongolian, Sesame Chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan, and Szechuan Beef, Chicken or Pork.

Price guide: Appetizers $4-8  Thai Entrees $9-15  Chinese Entrees $5-10
What we ordered: We started with an order of Chicken Wings which were excellent; lightly breaded and crispy but juicy inside.

We also tried the Pineapple Fried Rice, which might be one of my new favorite dishes.  The rice was seasoned perfectly and was much more savory than I expected.  The pineapple and raisins added a little bit of sweetness but perfectly complimented the savory.  An extra bonus in both texture and flavor were the cashews that topped the dish.

We also ordered the Pad Woon Sen with Beef, which is another of pur favorite Thai dishes.  The base of this dish is the translucent, skinny fat-free rice noodles that is piled with steamed broccoli, tomato, onion, egg, and thin slices of beef.  This dish is so simple yet packs so much flavor.  It is tossed with spicy red chili and Thai seasonings.

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.

The rice that accompanied our entrees was served in the form of a heart which I thought was a nice touch.

One dish I tried that I have never had before was the Pad Khing.  This dish was very flavorful, with a blend of sliced peppers, onions, to different varieties of mushroom and tangy ginger in a ginger-based sauce.  The Pad Khing comes with choice of meat and I ordered shrimp.  There were 6-8 large shrimp in the order and they were perfectly cooked.  We both liked this dish very much and would definitely order it again.

Service: You can expect to be greeted by Sam, restaurant owner and sole server, who is friendly and personable with his customers.  All dishes are made-to-order but prepared in a reasonable amount of time.
Overall Impression: Sam Thai Cuisine is some of the best Thai food that you will find in the northeast suburbs, it is always a treat to eat there (dine-in or take out!).  Great lunch buffet

This is an original review of Sam Thai Cuisine on Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

Cuisine: American, Italian, Pizza, Pasta, Ice Cream, Dessert
Restaurant Features: On-Site Parking, Gluten-Free Menu
Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Address: 2692 East County Road E  White Bear Lake, MN 55110 651-777-9199
Links: Donatelli’s Website * Donatelli’s on Facebook *  Google Map

Atmosphere: Donatelli’s is a popular family restaurant located within a strip mall on the south end of White Bear, right next to JJ’s Bierstube.  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: Appetizers include Bruschetta, Chicken Strips, Chicken Wings, White Cheddar Cheese Curds, Onion Rings, Donatelli’s Caprese, Cheesy Fries, Bread Sticks, Garlic Toast, Donatelli’s Haystack Fries (covered with cheese and bacon), Fried Ravioli, Hot Chips, Seasoned Fries, Meatball Sliders, Italian Fries and Italian Dunkers.

Salads at Donatellis include Antipasta, Chef Salad, Oriental Chicken, NLT Grilled Chicken Breast, Spinach Salad, Caesar, Blue Apple, Blue Burger, Grilled Veggie Salad, and Crispy Chicken Salad.

Soups offered are Chili and Minestrone.

Donatelli’s also has a number of Sandwiches, all are served with chips or you can upgrade to seasoned fries for $1.  Options include Chicken or Veal Parmigiana, Meatball, Italian Sausage, Hot Dago, Submarine Sandwich, Grilled Chicken, Beer Battered Fish, Turkey, Donatelli Reuben, Grilled Ham and Cheese, BLT, Turkey Club, Club Wrap, Steak or Chicken Caesar Wrap, BLT Chicken Wrap, and Grilled Salmon Caesar Wrap.

Donatelli’s also has a number of Specialty Burgers  including Plain Burger, Luigi Burger, Cheeseburger, Pizza Burger, Mama Mia Burger, Honey Mustard Ham Burger, Jack Burger, One Eyed Jack, Patty Melt, Chili Cheese Burger, Donatelli Burger, Philly Burger, Blue Bacon Burger and Red Portabella Burger

Pasta selections are numerous and include Spaghetti, Spaghetti Supreme, Rigatoni, Linguini with Marinara, Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken or Veal Parmigiana, Baked Mostaccioli, Baked Manicotti, Baked Tortellini, Baked Ravioli, Baked Gnocchi, Baked Spaghetti, Baked Lasagna, Baked Rigatoni,  and Baked Linguini Carbonara, Tortellini Alfredo, Butternut Squash Ravioli with Asparagus, Spinach and Roasted Garlic Tortelloni, Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli, Chicken and Spinach Cannelloni, Stuffed Shells, Seafood Cannelloni, Linguini with Shrimp and Pesto, Cajun Chicken Alfredo, Fettuccine with Steak and Alfredo, Italian Jambalaya, Linguini with Chicken and Pesto, and Spaghetti Pie.

Donatelli’s also has a variety of Pizza Turnovers (stuffed pizza pockets) and Specialty Pizzas (deep-dish or thin crust) including Fresh Mozzarella and Roasted Tomato, Veggie Delight, Heartburn Deluxe, Super Heartburn Deluxe, Heart Stopper, Bacon Cheeseburger, Taco, Donatelli’s White Pizza, Margherita, BBQ Chicken, and the Upside Down Pizza.

**Gluten-Free Menu*** Items include Gluten Free versions of all of the following: Caprese, Italian Fries, Blue Apple Salad, Spinach Salad, Chicken and Pesto, Baked Cheese Ravioli, Stuffed Shells, Ravioli, Baked Rigatoni, and Gluten-Free Pizza.

Donatelli’s also has a selection of Old-Fashioned Ice Creams.  Other Desserts include Milk Shake, Malts, Ice Cream Soda, Turtle Sundae, Root Beer Float, Hot Fudge Sundae, Scrumptious Sundae, Old Fashioned Banana Split, Hot Fudge Cake, Turtle Fudge Cake, Black Forest Cake, Tiramisu, Berramisu, Chocolate Flourless Torte, and Death by Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Price guide: Appetizers $7-11 Sandwiches $7-12 Pasta $8-17 Desserts $3-7

What we ordered: Our party was dining on borrow time on the night of our visit, so we went straight to our entrees instead of ordering an appetizer as I normally would. Although I didn’t order Italian Fries on this visit, I highly recommend them.

There are so many awesome past choices at Donatelli’s and I have had the pleasure of sampling many of them over the years but on this night I ordered the Spaghetti with Meatballs.  I typically never order spaghetti at restaurants but Donatelli’s makes their spaghetti from scratch and it is perfect.  The noodles are fresh and cooked slightly al dente with a generous amount of the hearty house red sauce.

One of my companions had the Seafood Cannelloni.  This was delicious, but extremely rich.  There were three shells stuffed with a blend of lobster, scallops, and shrimp in a lobster sherry cream sauce.  It had several cheeses baked on top until just melted.  It was served with a slice of garlic toast that was great for dunking in the sauce.  Take the cannelloni shells out of this dish and you have yourself a wonderful seafood dip.

Another companion ordered the Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, which was fettuccine mixed with several bite sized pieces of grilled Cajun chicken breast, and sauteed green and red bell peppers.

Another companion started with the Antipasto Salad followed by the Rigatoni.  The Antipasta salad looked wonderful with ham, pepperoni, mozzarella, cheddar, onions, mushrooms and black olives.  Tossed in Donatelli’s homemade Italian dressing.

The Rigatoni was a bowl of standard rigatoni topped with Donatelli’s red sauce.

One person in our party had the Steak Caesar Wrap.  This wrap had a substantial amount of beef in relation to lettuce.  Tasty and filling.

Service: Our visit was early evening on a Saturday night and it was already busy at Donatelli’s.  We were able to get a table big enough for the six of us with a few minutes of arriving and were greeted by our server shortly thereafter.  Drinks were refilled quickly and food was prepared reasonably fast for how busy it was. Six of us were in and out in about an hour.  Our server, as well as the staff in general,  seemed very friendly.

Overall Impression: A true institution in the White Bear Lake area, Donatelli’s has something that will appeal to everyone.  The menu is huge and the service is very friendly.

This was a review of Donatelli’s Restaurant originally published on Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

Cuisine: Pizza
Restaurant Features: Delivery, Gluten-Free Menu
Location: White Bear Township, MN

Address: 1011 Meadowland Drive Suite 7B, White Bear Township, MN  55127  651-653-7711

Hours: Sun 11a-9p  Mon-Tues 3p-9p  Wed-Thur 10a-9p Fri-Sat 10a-10p

Links: Criss Cross Website * Criss Cross on Facebook * Google Map

Atmosphere: Take Out & Delivery Only

Menu: Appetizers include Garlic Bread, Cheesy Bread, and Breadsticks.

Pizzas are 16″ one size-fits-all.  Build your-own or try any of the Specialty Pizzas including the Hawaiian, Hawaiian Extreme, Beef Sausage, Criss Cross BBQ, Italian Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Bacon Ranch, Extreme, and Vegetarian.  There is also a Gluten-Free Pizza option, on a 9″ crust.

Sandwiches include the Hot Momma (hot Italian sausage patty) or the Big Daddy

Criss Cross also offers a Gourmet Italian Salad

Pastas include Three Cheese Ravioli, Braised Beef Ravioli, Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli, Spaghetti, Spaghetti & Meatballs.  Red, Alfredo or Butter Sauces.

Desserts include Gelato (dark chocolate, vanialla bean, pistacchio, and raspberry), and Dessert Crusts (apple or cinnamon crumble)

Price guide: Pizzas $10+  Pastas $5-7

What we ordered: We ordered several 16″ pizzas, including this Criss Cross Extreme piled high with green pepper, mushrooms, onions, black and green olives, pepperoni and sausage.   There was a decent amount of sauce under all the toppings, atop a soft hand-tossed crust.

We also tried the Chicken Bacon and Ranch Pizza. This was delicious! Big strips of chicken breast and bits of crunchy bacon.  I detected something peppery that gave it a little kick but it was countered by the creaminess of the ranch and cheese.

We also ate a couple of Pepperoni Pizzas.  There was a standard amount of pepperoni on the pizza, with a lot of sauce and cheese.  Soft, hand-tossed crust.

Pepperoni Pizza at Criss Cross ~ Vadnais Heights, MN

Service: Delivery is available up to five miles….. in any direction!

Overall Impression: Tasty hand-tossed pizza at a great value.

Manitou Station: 2171 4th Street White Bear Lake, Minnesota 55110 651-426-2300

This past Wednesday night a few friends and I stopped in to Manitou Station for drinks and a bite to eat.  I have been there many times before (read my  review from March 2010) and have had a great experience every single time.  We were pleased to discover live music by John Evans, owner of Evans Music downtown White Bear.  John will be playing every Wednesday night from 8-11pm. If you like Clapton-sounding guitar music, you will love John Evans and Dan Perry, they are great!

Our drinks…..

I had the Spicy Hot Cocoa, which I thought was really good.  The cocoa is mixed with Goldschlager to give it a bite of spicy cinnamon then some cayenne is added to give it some heat.  I liked this a lot, it warmed me right up on a very chilly night.

One of my companions had the Irish Bulldog with Coke, Baileys Irish Cream and vodka.  This drink was tall and very tasty.

Another companion had the Dirty Blu Martini with bleu-cheese stuffed olives, which were a big hit.

We also ordered food. I was craving a good reuben which is part of the reason I chose to eat at Manitou that night. This sandwich is so darn good!!! They use real corned beef brisket and pile it on the thick slices of  pumpernickel along with tangy sauerkraut and creamy Russian dressing then grill it until toasted.  I could go for this again right now as I think about it!  I got a giant pile of thick cut steak fries with the sandwich, with a side of curried mayo. Oh dear goodness, you must try this curried mayo with the fries, so heavenly and sinful!

One companion had the Prime Rib Dip with added mushrooms. This sandwich is also outstanding, one of the best beef dips out there. The meat is lean, juicy and and tender and even more delicious with the addition of the sauteed mushrooms.  Careful consideration was made when Manitou Station selected the roll, which is substantial enough to hold up against the pile of meat.  The au jus is also thick and delicious.

Another companion had the Parmesan Encrusted BLT with avocado added-on and cottage cheese for a the side.  I didn’t try this but it looked amazing and my companion declared it the best BLT.  The bacon was the thick-cut smokey variety. Yum!

Manitou Station is one of my favorite places to go within a 10 miles radius of my home.  You can’t go wrong whether you order a steak, sandwich, salad, burger, fish etc. I’ve tried almost everything on the menu in the past year that it has been opened and have enjoyed it all.  I’ll be back again soon to get my corned beef and Scotch egg fix ;)  Check out the menu and my original review of Manitou Station