Ursula's Wine Bar and Cafe - White Bear Lake

About Ursula's

Ursula’s Wine Bar & Cafe opened in White Bear Lake in March of 2000  with the goal of creating  a wine bar in the Northeast suburbs.  Since then, it  has evolved into a fine dining restaurant with a focus on wine. It is a small, quaint, intimate, romantic space that promotes conversation. The tables are smaller than average, the ceilings are low and the room is a warm friendly tan that creates an atmosphere of warmth without the loudness that so many restaurants suffer from.

About The Food

Chef H. Chad Carruthers came to Ursula’s in August 2000 and has been creating a menu that is seasonally driven and changes once a month. His influences include Southern French, Spanish and Moroccan. Ursula’s kitchen is very small and the menu is very limited as a result. Entrees have included bouillabaisse, chicken and lavender, beef tenderloin with red wine reduction and nettles, sarrano crusted halibut and sea bass with heirloom tomatoes. Chad trained at the Culinary Institute of America and worked with Tim McKee at D’Amico Cucina and La Belle Vie. His approach to food is keep it simple, keep it fresh and keep it fun.

About The Wine

Ursula's  wine list has been awarded Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence 3 years in a row.  The 140 bottle list, created by owner Kurt Hegland, is designed to pair with Chad’s food,  with  wines from the US, France, Italy and Spain. There are 25 wines by the glass. Prices range from $14 to $400.   Kurt 's  approach to wine is simple, if the wine is good it goes on the list, if he finds something better than what's on his list he’ll replace it. He has a knack of finding hidden treasures before they become popular,  such as  Cline Ancient Vines Mourvedre, Marietta Petite Sirah, Belandrade & Lurton Rueda and Les Terraces Priorat.

The Philosophy

The philosophy behind Ursula's is the idea of having a warm friendly place to spent time with wine and someone who’s company is enjoyable. Patrons are greeted with a smile. The staff is knowledgeable and gregarious while not at all stuffy or pretentious. Kurt even remembers the wines patrons had on their last visit. Minnesota Monthly listed Ursula’s as a restaurant worth the drive. Although we in White Bear Lake don’t think we are that far out, we do think Ursula’s is a well kept secret that the rest of the Twin Cities should discover.