One Of Minnesota's Top Fine Dining Restaurants Is Located In A Former Horse Stable

When you think of fine dining, you probably imagine a sleek restaurant oozing with elegance. However, modern chefs have a whole range of interpretations when it comes to the fine-dining experience, and James Beard award winner Gavin Kaysen is no exception. The seasoned chef got back to his Minneapolis, Minnesota roots with Spoon and Stable, a restaurant housed inside what used to be a horse stable (hence the name). First built in 1906, the horse stable was eventually transformed into office space before Kaysen chose it as the home of his first restaurant. The establishment combines rustic reminders from its past, such as antique ladders Kaysen discovered in an underground, Prohibition-era tunnel, with modern decor to create a pastoral yet sophisticated atmosphere.

While Spoon and Stable is Kaysen's first restaurant, the chef has enjoyed an esteemed career prior to founding the establishment. In the past, Kaysen has worked with Daniel Boulud (dubbed the best chef in the world by Dale MacKay in a Mashed exclusive) and Thomas Keller, whose restaurants Per Se and The French Laundry each have three Michelin stars. While a former horse stable might seem like an unlikely place for a chef with this pedigree to set out on his own, it's actually quite in tune with Kaysen's culinary philosophy.

For chef Gavin Kaysen, getting the cultural aspects of Spoon and Stable right was a major factor in his restaurant's development. Originally hailing from Bloomington, Minnesota, Kaysen wanted the establishment to pay homage to his down-to-earth roots by offering a comfortable, unpretentious experience to diners. As for the building itself, some of the original horse stable is still evident in the design of the windows situated above the dining room, while the use of exposed brickwork harkens back to the more utilitarian structure that existed before Spoon and Stable was founded.

While you won't find the cheese-stuffed Juicy Lucy, Minnesota's favorite burger, among Spoon and Stable's offerings, rest assured that plenty of dishes served at the restaurant would be right at home on most Midwestern dinner tables. The menu has a rustic, homey vibe thanks to the inclusion of dishes like creamy spinach, pot roast, pork chops, and potato gnocchi (along with more sophisticated fare like hiramasa tartare and dry-aged duck breast). You'll also find bratwurst with cheese curds and potato salad on the bar menu, which might pair nicely with a classic Old Fashioned cocktail. It's nice to know that the spirit of the original building remains in the decor and menu of Minneapolis' Spoon and Stable.