Vote Now - 2022 Star Tribune's "Minnesota's Best" Wine Bar

EXCITING NEWS: We were nominated for the Star Tribune’s ”Minnesota’s Best” in the Wine Bar category!! If you have 9 seconds, please consider voting for us (no registration required). Simply click the link, navigate to the Eat & Drink category, then find the Wine Bar subcategory, select Ambi Wine Bar and submit your ballot. That’s it. You may vote once a day now through May 18, 2022.

VOTE HERE https://www.votemnbest.com/

Results will be published in the Minnesota's Best Winners Magazine, which will be inserted in the Star Tribune newspaper on Sunday, September 25th. They will also be featured at VotedMinnesotasBest.com.

City of Anoka Explores Social District

The idea of a “social district” in The City of Anoka, Minnesota is centered-around community, not drinking.

Anoka is a hidden gem and this is a big idea that will attract more people to our great city for outdoor events, entertainment, and recreation that we simply haven’t been able to host in the past.

Read more on KARE 11

Meet Jess and Ythan Pratt of Ambi Wine Bar

Charcuterie Board at Ambi Wine Bar in Anoka, Minnesota

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess and Ythan Pratt. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Jess and Ythan Pratt founded Ambi Wine Bar with a shared vision of contributing to the growth and development of our community. They aimed to offer a one of a kind wine bar experience in Anoka with a warm ambiance. Centered around community partnerships, Ambi Wine Bar pairs the world’s greatest wines with local flavors from Main Street businesses in Anoka including Truffles & Tortes and Lyric Arts Main Street Stage.

When opening their doors in the Spring of 2019, Ambi Wine Bar aimed to maintain the “Classic Anoka” vibe but with a modern twist. More importantly, the wine bar complements Anoka’s existing lineup of local businesses while filling a void in the historic downtown entertainment district – a destination for you to discover wine!

Today their goal remains to help cultivate Anoka’s forward progress, bringing more people into the area and ultimately introduce more people to the town they love. For tourists, Ambi provides respite after a day of shopping the city’s many antique and boutique stores or after a night at the theater. For locals, Ambi Wine Bar is a meet-up space for friends taking part in the city’s many traditions and a front porch for Anoka’s downtown events

Read More on Voyage Minnesota

Looking to branch out from hard seltzer? Food-friendly Lambrusco wine is cool again

Source: Star Tribune

Fans of hard seltzers should try this affordable wine, which comes in a variety of price points and levels of sweetness.

My absolute favorite food-wine pairing is any of Red Table Meat Company's salumis with any Lambrusco, from a lighter Sorbara rosato to a darker Salamino.

Semisweet, semi-fizzy renditions are popular in pizza parlors, while Sorbara has found great favor at casual eateries, wine bars such as Ambi in Anoka and Italian outposts such as Terzo in Minneapolis.

Other versions at varying levels of sweetness and price points (almost always under $25) are taking up more shelf space than ever at wine-centric stores such as South Lyndale, Zipp's, North Loop, Thomas, France 44 and Central Avenue.

Read More on the Star Tribune

Ambi Wine Bar Voted Best Wine Bar in Anoka County

Thank you readers of the Anoka County Shopper for nominating, voting, and selecting Ambi Wine Bar as the Best Wine Bar in Anoka County in the 2021 Readers’ Choice awards. We’re honored and humbled by the recognition and appreciative of our incredible customers and staff that make Ambi Wine Bar so unique. Cheers!!

To view the Anoka County Shopper’s full list of 2021 winners, please visit the following link - https://view.joomag.com/abc-newspapers-2020-acs-readers-choice/0717043001496853414

KARE 11: Valentine's Day date ideas in communities near the Twin Cities

KARE 11 - This Valentine's Day may look different with the coronavirus pandemic still at large, but there are still plenty of fun date ideas locally in the Twin Cities Gateway.

The Gateway is a group of nine cities just north of the metro: Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids, Fridley, Ham Lake, Lino Lakes, Mounds View, New Brighton and Shoreview.

Natalie Conrad of Twin Cities Gateway said the area offers outdoor fun, events, and some great eateries. So if you're looking for a fun way to spend Valentine’s Day with your special someone, close friends, or family, check it out.

• Outdoor fun – Skiing and skijoring at Bunker Hills Regional Park in Coon Rapids and Chomonix Golf Course in Lino Lakes, snowshoeing at Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley and Wargo Nature Center in Lino Lakes, and fat-tire biking at Rice Creek Park Reserve in Lino Lakes.

• Events – Galentine’s Day in Downtown Anoka, Bestie Bash at Northtown Mall in Blaine, Winterfest in Anoka.

• Treats/food - Ambi Wine Bar in Anoka – half price bottles of wine and fondue special on Feb. 14; “Strawberry Shortcake” at Oliver’s in Shoreview; Valentine’s Day donuts and treats at Hans’ Bakery in Anoka.

For more fun ideas, visit tcgateway.com.

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WCCO: Minnesota Restaurants Offer Valentine’s Day Menus & Take-Out Meal Kits

WCCO — Valentine’s Day is typically one of the busiest days of the year for Minnesota restaurants, but COVID-19 and occupancy restrictions will change that for 2021.

While Minnesota restaurants are open to indoor dining at 50% occupancy, many are offering meal-kits and virtual experiences to serve customers who would rather stay home.

Dine-In

Ambi Wine Bar
Fondue special and 1/2 off select bottles. Hours on Feb. 14 are 3 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Amore Uptown
4-course prix-fixe menu Friday 2/12, Saturday 2/13 & Sunday 2/14 for $100 per couple. Menu includes a bottle of wine, salad, appetizer, entree & dessert. Full menu and reservations.

Axel’s, Roseville
Valentine’s Menu on February 12th, 13th, 14th from 3 – 8:45 PM. Popover, salad, choice of ribeye, chicken breast, squash ravioli, or surf ‘n’ turf, as well as two sides. Reservations can be made by calling 651-636-4567 or through Open Table.

Borough
(Feb 13 & 14)
Five-course prix fixe menu, $95 per person.

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ABC Newspapers: Anoka natives launch wine bar downtown - ABC Newspapers

A wine bar slated to open in Anoka this month is about more than tannins and tastings; it’s about community. Three Anoka area natives are launching Ambi Wine Bar at the corner of Second Avenue and Jackson Street, in the space once occupied by Herr Schmidt’s Inn and more recently by the Redrum smoke shop.

Ambi’s founders grew up in Anoka and Andover and were looking for a business opportunity that built on the momentum they saw growing in downtown Anoka. They wanted to complement the existing businesses and draw more people to their hometown.

“Through market research we found that wine as a category was growing, wine consumption was growing, both in bars and liquor stores, and we noticed that downtown Anoka didn’t really have something in that space,” said co-founder Ythan Pratt, of Blaine. “ And so it fit really well with our objective of getting people down here without pulling from other businesses.” Pratt, who has a decade of experience in advertising. With experience as a small business owner, Jess Pratt will lead operations, and Good will focus on public relations and building relationships with other local businesses.

Ambi already has plans to offer food pairings through partnerships with other local businesses, such as Truffles & Tortes and Anoka Meat & Sausage. It will feature work by local artists as well as regular live music.

The business will focus on creating a comfortable atmosphere for wine drinkers of all types.

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