• Picadillo peppers with fromage blanc and smoked paprika $4.00 (shared)
• King crab seaweed salad with caviar and sesame seeds $12.00
• Hangar steak with chorizo, mashed potatoes, and red peppers $26.00
• Flourless chocolate torte with raspberries $5.00

Ursula's Wine Bar is a cute place in White Bear Lake. It is set up to be a romantic restaurant and it succeeds. You could not help but feel romantic there, low lights, candles and good wine.

The meal was not too bad either, in fact it was quite good. The only problem I had with it was I think it was a little too expensive for what you got. The appetizer would be the one exception to that. At four dollars it was priced about right, if not a little low, it is hard to find an appetizer that tastes good at a restaurant like Ursula's for under that.

The salad was great and yes all the ingredients were very expensive so the $12 may be justified and I won't argue too much about it. The entrees both seemed to be pretty expensive for what they were. Granted mine was close to amazing, although I will acknowledge that at this point in time, I may have had a bit too much wine. The steak was amazingly melt in your mouth and the potatoes and red pepper were a nice side.

The dessert for the price was good. I thought it was a very good flourless chocolate torte, very nice and smooth and obviously made with a good quality chocolate.

A friend of mine who lives in the area, told me that she thought Ursula's was a good place for wine and appetizers and beyond that she was not all that impressed. And I think she is right, especially if you are on a budget the entrees are a bit expensive for what you are going to get. If the price on the steak came down even six dollars I would have given it an excellent value. On the other hand they were packed the entire time we were there and most people were eating a full meal, so obviously they are doing fine.

• Ham, potato, and leek soup $6.00
• Pipestone pork tenderloin with artichokes and mushrooms $27.00
• Poached pear mascarpone in red wine reduction with macadamia nuts $5.00

The knock on Ursula's Wine Bar is that they’re too expensive. The food is great, but the prices are on the high side. On the other hand, if money is no object and you live in White Bear Lake, Ursula's Wine Bar is a fine place to go.

The Picadillo peppers with fromage blanc and smoked paprika were excellent, and really a bargain at $4. The peppers did not overpower the cheese, and the paprika complemented the peppers and cheese. Another good thing: the pepper was split in half, making it easy to share for two people. The soup was reasonably priced, and I really liked how each of the flavors of the creamy soup was fresh and rich.

Like Renee’s hangar steak, the pork tenderloin was overpriced. That’s not to say it wasn’t good, it’s just hard spending downtown-steak money on a pork tenderloin. Nevertheless, I was impressed with the quality of pork and that it was done medium-rare to medium, leaving it tender and flavorful. I was also impressed with the accompanying artichokes and mushrooms, which brought the whole dish together

I was not as impressed with the poached pear mascarpone. The ingredients were of high quality, but they didn’t go together seamlessly, as one would hope. It’s as if the flavors were paired rather than meant for each other.

One other idea: you could go to Ursula’s for wine and two or three starters, sit at the bar, relax and have a great time.

As for other considerations, it is a rather small space, so reservations are highly recommended. Also recommended: go with a party of four, because the tables for two are high tables with barstool-height seats. After a full meal, the high chairs wear on you. Two good things about the place: the decor was simple and modern, and music covered most of the noise from the adjacent White Bear Bar, which appears to share a common wall.