Lake House

Address

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

The Scene

Although there’s no knotty pine paneling or rough-hewn logs in view, this handsome new supper club is very much the prototypical marina dining spot. Outside is a maze of docks, the ubiquitous ice machine, and a landscaped patio. The cavernous vaulted interior, a design that is being modified to reduce noise, includes a bustling bar and two eating salons fronted by large picture windows that afford a panoramic view of Forest Lake. The décor is minimalist—a canoe here, a paddle there, a few photographs, and paddle fans twirling lazily overhead. And when it turns chilly, there’s a fireplace set to go. The guests represent a potpourri of Docksider–clad cabin habitués, multigeneration families, and even some exurban young professionals checking out the action at the bar.

Our Take

Part of what sets Lake House apart from others of its genre is who’s in the kitchen. The executive chef is Joan Ida, a talent who was Goodfellow’s pastry guru, later cooked at Tria, and worked most recently in Hong Kong. The critical challenge in operating a restaurant of this size—it has some 250 seats—is building a solid supporting staff. According to Ida, it hasn’t been easy assembling a skilled crew in this neck of the woods, and as a result, a lot of greenhorns are working the line. Their inexperience shows. There were rock-hard pear slices, greasy onion rings, and overfried dishes that should have been caught during plating. Compounding the challenge is the ambitious nature of the menu. The global fare ranges from red curry–beef satay with peanut sauce (more spice needed) to thinly filled pulled-pork quesadillas to a signature pan-seared salmon with black bean barbecue sauce (great glaze, but the fish tasted a bit off). More mainstream fare included dishes such as a delightful meat loaf with hash browns and tomato jam, an equally fine maple-black pepper duck breast with cherry chutney and spoon bread, and several steaks and sides. The potato-and-macaroni gratin with four cheeses was stellar. The wait staff is youthful, but seems to be hitting on all cylinders. Their enthusiasm, teamwork, and confidence is impressive.

The Boss Cooks Too

The lead pizza on the menu is “Gary’s Lake House Pizza: Three-Meat with Peppers, Onions, and Mozzarella.” The Gary in question is Gary Mulcahy, who, along with his wife, Elaine, owns Lake House. In addition to being a successful drywall contractor, Mulcahy is well known in the trade for his fully equipped pizza wagon that he drives to construction sites to bake pies for his hungry crews. Although he keeps his recipes for dough, sauce, and pork sausage locked in a drawer, on Friday nights he’s in the kitchen knocking them out for guests.