ACQUA RESTAURANT & BAR In 2004, Ben Pratt opened Ingredients Café with a vision: ereative, local, sustainable, high quality and unpretentious food in a casual environment. They have been a serious player in the local restaurant seene ever since. "We take food seriously," says Ben. They also offer a great wine by the glass selection, which isn't always easy to find in the area. local charitable organizations. Before Covid-19 they were doing a very robust lunch trade and their themed the past two years they have scaled back a When you look up the word "success" in the restaurant dietionary, you will find Acqua White Bear Lake. Husband and wife team Daron and Nicole Close met and managing Cabin 61 and Admiral D's. fell in love while working for the highly successful D'Amico Group in Minneapolis. establishing curbside take-out, delivery After managing several D'Amico properties successfully, they searched for the right location to open and operate their own restaurant. In 2009, their dream became a reality when they came across the quaint old house for rent on Craigslist community rallied with support, raising wherein the restaurant now operates in the Marina Triangle. Growing up in Roseville and White Bear Lake, Daron was grateful for their opportunities. They well aware of the need for a higher quality credit the city's investment in the Marina of dining in the area they decided to take the risk. bit to maintain their quality and focus on their White Bear Lake brands including Wine Dinners were extremely popular as well. They recently opened back up for lunch (11 a.m. daily) and hope to continue offering the Wine Dinners once they feel it's safer to do so. Live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday is still a staple for the restaurant, with local favorites like Joe Cruz and Jennifer Grimm (every Thursday), Tim Brown and others. The restaurant is open Tuesday thru Sunday at 11 a.m. Curbside pickup is available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visit ingredientscafe.com for information. When Covid-19 hit they pivoted quickly and grocery to help generate the revenue necessary to keep them afloat. A Server Relief Fund was created, and 10% of all gift cards sold was donated to help their staff through the transition. The "Our employees are like family," says Ben. There is no front or back of the house, they're all one team. Regulars will all recognize the smiling face of Rebecca greeting you from behind the bar when you arrive. In fact, Rebecca operates a over $15,000. Nicole and Daron are immensely small farm north of White Bear Lake Triangle district as well as the incredibly supportive community as keys in achieving growth and maintaining their that supplies a lot of the fresh produce the restaurant uses. Many of the staff has been with Ingredients since the beginning, a testament to their passion for the restaurant and its vision. The restaurant has been a loyal supporter of the community over the years with regular participation at the annual Taste of White Bear Lake and other festivals, along with many donations of gourmet dinner parties to With creative Italian fare, unique craft cocktails and an imaginative wine selection, it wasn't long before Aequa was the hottest restaurant in the area success. ingredients cafe even recognized among the Top 50 Italian Restaurants in the country. Deciding to build on their success, the couple opened a second location in Forest Lake along with three Meet Markets, Pi Pizzeria, The ACQUA FOOD MUSIC DRINK Ingredients Cafe ingredientscafe.com I (651) 426-6611 4725 Hwy 61 N, White Bear Lake Acqua acqua-restaurants.com I (651) 407-7317 4453 Lake Ave S, White Bear Lake Grill at Forest Hills, MIZU Japanese. Over Written by Ken Galoway Ken has been a hospitality executive and professional chef in the Twin Cities for many years and has been a long-time supporter of the local hospitality scene, ReGrow White Bear We want to stay open for you. Have you supported your favorite restuarant this week? As many businesses re-open following efforts to slow the COVID-19 pandemic, they need the community's support now more than ever to survive. Join the effort to ReGrow White Bear as we cultivate growth, community and awareness to create a vibrant, bright and thriving White Bear Lake area. ReGrow-WBL.com ReGrow Dining White Bear Lake ACQUA RESTAURANT & BAR In 2004, Ben Pratt opened Ingredients Café with a vision: ereative, local, sustainable, high quality and unpretentious food in a casual environment. They have been a serious player in the local restaurant seene ever since. "We take food seriously," says Ben. They also offer a great wine by the glass selection, which isn't always easy to find in the area. local charitable organizations. Before Covid-19 they were doing a very robust lunch trade and their themed the past two years they have scaled back a When you look up the word "success" in the restaurant dietionary, you will find Acqua White Bear Lake. Husband and wife team Daron and Nicole Close met and managing Cabin 61 and Admiral D's. fell in love while working for the highly successful D'Amico Group in Minneapolis. establishing curbside take-out, delivery After managing several D'Amico properties successfully, they searched for the right location to open and operate their own restaurant. In 2009, their dream became a reality when they came across the quaint old house for rent on Craigslist community rallied with support, raising wherein the restaurant now operates in the Marina Triangle. Growing up in Roseville and White Bear Lake, Daron was grateful for their opportunities. They well aware of the need for a higher quality credit the city's investment in the Marina of dining in the area they decided to take the risk. bit to maintain their quality and focus on their White Bear Lake brands including Wine Dinners were extremely popular as well. They recently opened back up for lunch (11 a.m. daily) and hope to continue offering the Wine Dinners once they feel it's safer to do so. Live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday is still a staple for the restaurant, with local favorites like Joe Cruz and Jennifer Grimm (every Thursday), Tim Brown and others. The restaurant is open Tuesday thru Sunday at 11 a.m. Curbside pickup is available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visit ingredientscafe.com for information. When Covid-19 hit they pivoted quickly and grocery to help generate the revenue necessary to keep them afloat. A Server Relief Fund was created, and 10% of all gift cards sold was donated to help their staff through the transition. The "Our employees are like family," says Ben. There is no front or back of the house, they're all one team. Regulars will all recognize the smiling face of Rebecca greeting you from behind the bar when you arrive. In fact, Rebecca operates a over $15,000. Nicole and Daron are immensely small farm north of White Bear Lake Triangle district as well as the incredibly supportive community as keys in achieving growth and maintaining their that supplies a lot of the fresh produce the restaurant uses. Many of the staff has been with Ingredients since the beginning, a testament to their passion for the restaurant and its vision. The restaurant has been a loyal supporter of the community over the years with regular participation at the annual Taste of White Bear Lake and other festivals, along with many donations of gourmet dinner parties to With creative Italian fare, unique craft cocktails and an imaginative wine selection, it wasn't long before Aequa was the hottest restaurant in the area success. ingredients cafe even recognized among the Top 50 Italian Restaurants in the country. Deciding to build on their success, the couple opened a second location in Forest Lake along with three Meet Markets, Pi Pizzeria, The ACQUA FOOD MUSIC DRINK Ingredients Cafe ingredientscafe.com I (651) 426-6611 4725 Hwy 61 N, White Bear Lake Acqua acqua-restaurants.com I (651) 407-7317 4453 Lake Ave S, White Bear Lake Grill at Forest Hills, MIZU Japanese. Over Written by Ken Galoway Ken has been a hospitality executive and professional chef in the Twin Cities for many years and has been a long-time supporter of the local hospitality scene, ReGrow White Bear We want to stay open for you. Have you supported your favorite restuarant this week? As many businesses re-open following efforts to slow the COVID-19 pandemic, they need the community's support now more than ever to survive. Join the effort to ReGrow White Bear as we cultivate growth, community and awareness to create a vibrant, bright and thriving White Bear Lake area. ReGrow-WBL.com ReGrow Dining White Bear Lake