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

Cuisine: Asian variety…mostly Vietnamese with French-influence, but also some Chinese and Thai dishes.

Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking

Location: White Bear Township

Address: White Bear Township Theater Shops 1190 County Road J White Bear Township, MN 55127 They also do take-out! 651-426-3558

I hadn’t been to Orchid Restaurant in a few years (probably since my original review), but stopped there recently and feasted on a bunch of appetizers.  If you like Vietnamese food, I definitely recommend it!

Steamed Pork Dumplings @ Orchid Restaurant ~ White Bear Township

Fried Calamari @ Orchid Restaurant ~ White Bear Township, MN

Fresh Spring Rolls @ Orchid Restaurant ~ White Bear Township, MN

Spicy Oyster Wings @ Orchid Restaurant ~ White Bear Township, MN

Eggrolls @ Orchid Restaurant ~ White Bear Township, MN

Beef Skewers @ Orchid Restaurant ~ White Bear Township, MN

Cuisine: American, Fish, Irish,  Steaks
Restaurant Features: Bar, Banquet Room, Live Music, On-Site Parking, Patio,
Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Address: 2171 4th Street White Bear Lake, Minnesota 55110 651-426-2300
Hours: Mon-Sun 11a-2a   Kitchen

Links:* Manitou Station Website * Manitou Station Facebook Page * Google Map

Atmosphere: Located in a newly constructed two-story building at the heart of downtown White Bear Lake, Manitou Station is the newest and grandest restaurant in town. If the beautiful gazebo built above the front entrance didn’t catch your eye, one walk through the beautiful space and you can see that fine attention was put into every detail.  At the heart of the main level is a spectacular wooden bar (built by Dick Barth) that is a re-creation of a bar in Galway, Ireland.  The beautiful ceiling is made of tin tiles that were hand-pounded into an intricate design and then painted.

The main dining room is spacious and open, with large windows running the length of the room and brighten it with natural light.  At night the chandelier lights are dimmed and it takes on a while new mood, one that could be either lively or romantic, depending on who you’re with.  There are a number of high-backed large booths around the perimeter of the room, with wooden tables spread out in the middle.  There is also another smaller dining area adjacent to the bar, as well as seating at and around the bar.

The second floor of Manitou Station is where you will find the Grand Station Ballroom.  With gorgeous hardwood floors that stretch the length of the entire building, the large space will seat up to 200.  There is also a second banquet area on the upper level called the Whistle Stop Room, which will hold up to 50.

In the front corner of the banquet space (directly above the front entrance), there is a beautiful Gazebo-style room that overlooks downtown White Bear Lake from several angles.  It’s a very cool view!

Menu: Appetizers at Manitou Station include Walleye and Wild Rice Cakes, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Parmesan Chicken Strips, Steamer Clams, Scotch Egg, Sunny Sandwiches, English Fish & Chips Basket, Window Pane Chips, Brie & Fruit with Crustini, Fries, The Station Sampler and Mediterranean Sampler.

Salads offered are Starter Salad, Traditional Cobb, Steakhouse Wedge, Shrimp Louis, Apple and Walnut, Classic Caesar, Grilled Chicken Caesar, Blackened Chicken Caesar, Greek with Oregano Chicken.  Soups include Beef & Guinness Stew, Clam Chowder, Crab & Whiskey Bisque, Cheddar and Ale, Chicken Wild Rice and French Onion.

Sandwich and burger options at Manitou Station are the Parmesan Crusted BLT, Corned Beef Brisket Melt, Rachael, Deli Style Turkey, Deli Style Ham, Chargrilled Salmon Club, Curried Chicken Salad Croissant, Prime Rib Dip, BBQ Bacon Cheddar, Mushroom and Swiss, Avocado Cheddar Ranch, Cheddar, Swiss or Blue Cheese, California Burger or Chicken.

Entrees include English Fish & Chips, Flat Iron Steak, Beef & Guinness Stew,  Chargrill Finished Prime Rib (12-16 or 24 oz),  Filet Mignon, Roasted Chicken, Parmesan Encrusted Walleye, Sage & Brown Butter Seared Scallops, Peppercorn Ahi Tuna, Salmon Oscar, Pasta Carbonara, Chicken & Artichoke Alfredo, Wild Mushroom Risotto, and Rock Shrimp & Lemon Risotto.

Desserts at Manitou Station include Vanilla Cheesecake with Berries, Peaches Foster over Ice Cream, Apple Crisp and Ice Cream, Chocolate Ganache with Berries, and Bread Pudding with Ice Cream.

Mantiou Station has a wide variety of tap beers and specialty beers including Boddington’s, Magners Irish Cider, Moose Drool, or Matilda.  Some of the Specialty drinks include Mango Cosmo, Absolut Paradise, Summer Vacation, Woodford Manhattan, Dirty Blue Martini, Jameson & Ginger, Manitou Breeze, Chocolate Truffle, Pontoon Ride, Irish Bulldog and Baby Guinness

Price guide: Appetizers $7-11  Salads $9-13  Sandwiches/Burgers $8-12  Entrees $13-25

What we ordered: We started with the complimentary rye bread, fresh from a local bakery.  The thick, dense bread was neatly sliced and had the flavor and slight dryness you would expect from a rye bread.  Caraway seeds too!

Manitou Station is known as the place to go for Scotch Eggs, so we tried these to start.  Delicious! A simple hard-boiled egg that is wrapped with a sausage patty, lightly breaded and then deep fried.  These treats were served with a mustard dipping sauce.  If you haven’t ever tried one, what are you waiting for?!

I had also heard great things about the Steamed Clams so we got an order of these too.  These clams were superior to any others I have had around.  They were steamed open with fresh garlic, white wine and butter; all flavors that go so well with seafood! They were cooked for just the exact amount of time and were soft and tender, easy to extract from the shell.  Squeeze a little lemon on one of those little guys and you will have eaten half the plate before you know it.  Would you believe that this large plate of clams is only $8??!! You can’t even see half the clams in this photo because they were covered by the three large pieces of bread that came with.  They totally under-priced these little gems but you won’t hear me complaining!

The Parmesan Crusted Walleye came highly recommended and sounded like a great choice, so that is what I ordered for my entree.  Fabulous decision! The walleye fillet may have been the biggest I have seen to date and it looked incredibly appealing as well.  The fillet was lightly seasoned and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese, then baked until the cheese was a dark golden color.  The texture was both light and flaky, just as it should be.  I also loved that it didn’t have a thick breading on it like you see at many other restaurants (great for a low-carb diet!).  The wild rice pilaf that was served with it was also on the light side and perfectly complimented the fish.  Another great example of how fish and rice were meant to go together ;)  The steamed broccoli was also very good, with just a little butter and salt to season it.  The order was very big and even after sharing with my companion, my plate was still half full. (Have I mentioned I love leftovers?)

My companion ordered the Filet Mignon with Mushroom Demi Glace (other options included Blue Cheese Butter or Bearnaise Sauce).  The tender cut of meat was aged, giving it that extra-special meaty flavor so many carnivores (like me and my companion) love.  It was mildly seasoned with salt , then chargrilled until it was medium-rare.  The meat was so tender it practically melted in my mouth.  I confess I ate more than a few bites of my companion’s steak, I loved it so much.

With the steak we also ordered a Crock O ‘Shrooms, which is large enough for at least two people to share.  These are a must-have if you like mushrooms with your steak!! Sauteed in a  broth of garlic and butter, these little button mushrooms hold flavor like a sponge.  Yum!

Despite being very full after the appetizers and entree, I ordered dessert as well.  I had never had Peaches Foster but it sounded wonderful and tasted even better! The dish was prepared with fresh, firm, peaches that had been cut into bite-sized pieces and coated with brown sugar, then cooked until they were caramelized.  The peaches were served over vanilla ice cream, giving a whole new twist to peaches-and-cream.  The texture of the peaches was similar to cooked apple,  and they were just the perfect blend of tart and sweet.

They brought us some complimentary truffles, made in-house daily.  These truffles happened to be mint but the flavor changes every day.  Very good!

We also tried a couple of the Specialty House drinks: Chocolate Truffle Martini and the Pontoon Ride.  The chocolate truffle martini was made with Kahlua Mocha, Creme de Cacoa and Bailey’s Irish Creme.  A yummy, creamy, chocolatey treat that is great after dinner (if you still have room!).  It was not only drizzled with chocolate but also had a homemade truffle in the glass.

The Pontoon Ride was made with Finlandia Grapefruit Vodka, Sierra Mist, and a splash of orange juice.  Very cool, refreshing citrusy drink.  Would be great out on the patio in the summer

Service: We had excellent service! The people at Manitou Station know how to treat their customers right.  There are two parking lots available to customers, one in the front and one in the back (general purpose parking), as well as on-street parking so we had no problem finding a space.  We were greeted with a  smile at the hostess stand and were given a nice big booth.  Our server, Nick, was very knowledgeable of the menu and did a great job of giving recommendations.  Our food was paced at a leisurely rate as we ordered different courses, and drinks were served and refilled promptly.  The Management staff (including restaurant owners) seem very considerate of their guests, periodically stopping at tables to ask how everything is. I really appreciate the personal touch… not enough restaurants do that these days.

Overall Impression: We loved everything about Manitou Station: Cool atmosphere for either lunch, dinner or drinks, great service, creative cocktails, scotch eggs, seasoned clams, giant walleye, tender-aged beef, and peaches foster….. need I say more?  I will be back again soon!! Also, Mantou Station is going to be a happening place on St Patrick’s Day with a special menu, event tent and live music.

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 * Sak’s on Facebook * 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 bistro 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!

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 (aka Sam Thai Cuisine 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.