Lake House

For Joan Ida fans who may be wondering whether her return to the local restaurant scene at Forest Lake’s new Lake House is some temporary consulting gig à la Steven Brown’s stage at Harry’s Food and Cocktails, fear not. Ida was in on the restaurant from the ground up—it’s her menu, and she’s here for the long haul. It’s a large restaurant that can get very noisy at times, and in some places, it looks like a country club dining room. But there are lake views, a beautiful wood-paneled vaulted ceiling, and first-rate service, especially considering it is such a new restaurant. Ida is at the top of her game and has an owner and management who trust her judgment implicitly. She’s rewarded that trust with a pragmatic menu of addictive classic American fare tweaked with her global sensibilities that will impress most foodies but won’t scare Grandma or the kids. The wine list is equally imaginative. Though these “First Impressions” are typically nonevaluative, I was wowed by Lake House, which has not been dumbed down for an exurban/rural crowd in any way. (Lake House is forty-five minutes from downtown Minneapolis under the best traffic conditions, so plan accordingly.) And tell me where else in the Twin Cities you can find crappies on the menu. —Adam Platt

8241 North Shore Trail, Forest Lake, 651-464-3111