Culture
R E STAU R A N T
When Gavin Kaysen returned to Minnesota after seven years as executive chef
A GUIDE TO GAVIN KAYSEN’S RESTAURANT EMPIRE. B Y K AT E N E L S O N
38
Artful Living
Established
2014
2017
2019
Neighborhood
North Loop
Wayzata
North Loop
Pronunciation
spun ænd steɪb(ə)l
bel-kɔr (No, not Bella)
demi (as in Lovato, not Moore)
Format
À la carte
À la carte
Tasting menu
Vibe, According to Kaysen
Like a party, vivacious, energetic
Comforting, the family room
Cuisine, According to Kaysen
Modern American
French bistro
American fine dining
Chef de Cuisine
James Passafaro
Laurence Herbert
Adam Ritter
Seats
123
171 (counting the patio)
20
Price Point
$$
$$
$$$
Difficulty Securing a Reservation
Eat-dinner-at-5-or-9 tough
Eat-dinner-on-a-weekday tough
Eat-dinner-in-June tough
Four hours
All day
The bustling town center of Place Bellecour in Lyon, France, home of two of his friend/mentors: Daniel Boulud and Paul Bocuse.
Short for demitasse, meaning little spoon. As in a diminutive eatery tucked right behind Spoon and Stable. (Of course he did.)
Pre-Meal Fasting Period
Name Inspiration
Four hours An ode to Kaysen’s penchant for swiping spoons from his favorite restaurants and a nod to the space’s former use as a stable.
Bold, creative, free of expectation and full of delivery PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIESA JOHNSON, LIBBY ANDERSON, BONJWING LEE AND JAIMEE MORSE
R I S I N G
at New York City’s acclaimed Café Boulud, no one expected that his empire would expand so quickly — not even him. But here we are, three restaurants deep after just five years. All are part of his Soigné Hospitality group and are overseen by a culinary dream team: Kaysen himself, Chris Nye as executive chef, Diane Moua as executive pastry chef and Robb Jones as bar director. Not sure which eatery is for you? Here’s a guide to his expanding empire to make the decision a little easier. As for snagging a reservation, though — that just keeps getting harder as the supernova’s star continues to rise.