Spoon and Stable

I’m sure I will get stoned by all of the local foodies for this review but here it comes: Enjoyable, but a bit overhyped in my opinion. Maybe my expectations were too high given the near-​impossible ability to reserve a table here and the kitchen accolades that have rained down on this place since day 1 thanks to the near-​celebrity status Chef Kaysen. I was really excited to score a table here last weekend and while everything from the greeting at check-​in to the service to the food was good, I don’t think that anything was over the top great with the exception of the fresh bread and butter and certainly nothing that caught my attention to the point of stopping me in my tracks to ponder whether or not this was one of the top dining experiences I have had in the Twin Cities. It was not. The service was pleasant and timely for the most part but there were definite pauses that you would never find acceptable in a top dining spot. The wine list was reasonably broad with some interesting variety but the price points were all steep. Finally, the food was good and the Pasta Nero bordered on great but I would not call anything we had something I would die for as a last meal. My party of 4 walked out of there with a tab just south of $ 400 (to be fair, the wine we had was about $ 100) and frankly I just don’t think it was worth it. For half the cost, I have had some great meals around the Cities and this just wasn’t one of them. I will go 3 stars because like I said, my experience was enjoyable and there wasn’t anything really bad about it (except the expense!) but there also wasn’t anything that memorable either. I will commit to give them another try just to be sure I didn’t catch them on a mediocre night but I am having a tough time understanding what has people so spun up about this place.

Food and service was amazing!!! Best experience ever! Gavin is such a talent, just to watch him work was great! Thank you for the best food ever!

not living up to the hype.
was in Minneapolis for business and stayed for the weekend, naturally, I would love to seek out good restaurants in town since I’m not in Minneapolis much at all so this is one of those rare chances to try the top/​hot restaurant. There are a few components that makes up the whole experience and let me break it down for you:
1. décor/​atmosphere: w/​o a reservation, my friend and I came here sitting at the bar, the bartenders were really friendly and the service was great all the way throughout. no complaints here at all. the restaurant has an open feeling with a mix of cozy and industrial/​modern look to it. very cute space.
2. food: this is the part that left more to be desired. here’s what we ordered
–charcuterie board w/​beef tongue, chicken liver pâté, pâté en croute. the tongue was tender, and pâté was rich and went really well with the fruit compote to pair with. however, the en croute form of the pâté was bland without much flavor.
–bison tartare– tartare should let the raw meat shine instead of masking the flavor of the meat with all the other heavy seasoning, this is where the tartare wasn’t too successful in my book, the meat was coated heavily with harissa aioli and tossed with cilantro, one could easily think they’re eating any other type of raw meat w/​o knowing because the bison wasn’t the star of the show here.
–spaghetti nero: basically squid ink pasta with prawns, oysters, and octopus. it’s nothing to be memorable, while the seafood was cooked nicely on top, the seasoning of the pasta was more on the monotone side, the first and last note were salty. it would’ve been better had they gone a little light-​handed with salt, then I could probably taste more of the seafood and tomato undertone.
–strawberry granite with lemongrass ice cream, pistachios, and rhubarb compote: again, nothing special. I was excited to try the lemongrass ice cream only to find that the flavor was under-​extracted and the ice cream was too icy and not creamy.
although the flavors of the food need somewhat of an improvement, the plating was absolutely beautiful with every dish. they did a very good job at pleasing one of the many senses that contribute to good dining experience, however, as far as taste goes, the restaurant definitely needs more refinement.

A beautifully designed room, excellent service (shout out to Ben!) and mind blowing food made this the best dining experience we’ve had in ages.
We started with the Bison Tartar ($ 16) and the Ricotta Tortellini ($ 14). Both were incredible. For mains we had the Leg of Lamb ($ 28) and the Sea Bass ($ 29). We were blown away. Every bit was a money bite. Get a reservation now. Seriously. It’s that good.

Great place to eat. Out of all the highly rated places (e.g. bar la grassa, butcher & the boar, etc) I ate during the week I was in MN, this was my favorite.
One of my favorite things about trying new restaurant, is the opportunity to be surprised. To be surprised about something that exceeds my expectations. That’s what happened here with the food. Gaven Kaysen (a James Beard award winning chef) definitely showed his skill through the menu and his restaurant.
Opening the menu, I loved the fact that we could order a smaller portion of some of their dishes so i can try more of their food. I ordered the Spaghetti Nero and Foie Gras. I’m always a huge fanatic of Foie Gras and was not disappointed. I ordered the Spaghetti Nero just because it was popular and I was glad I did. As soon as the dish came to my table, the dish looked amazing. I took a bite and was surprised at how well the flavors worked. There was just the right amount of heat/​kick to the dish that complimented all the seafood. It was very flavorful and delicious. I would have ordered another plate if I could eat it! The complimentary desserts were also very good and I wish I had enough room for more food.
The ambiance is also great. When you walk in, you get a swoosh of openness because of the high ceilings. Everything seems very classy and elegant as well… not in a formal way, but more in a relax setting. Servers were very friendly and we were well taken care of. Check this place out and it won’t disappoint! I will definitely be back to try some more :)

Ambiance was good and service was great.
We had a reservation and were early but got seated promptly. Before we sat down a server came to us with a drink menu and she was delightful. The drinks were okay overall.
We all got the snap pea salad which was good. I had the Spaghetti Nero which was a disappointment. The dish was overly salted and the seafood was not cleaned properly because there was a lot of gritty bites. The other person at the table had gnocchi which was mushy instead of tender. The other person had the pork chop but I didn’t try it. She said she enjoyed it. We all split the creamy spinach and that was the best part of the meal. It was pretty delicious.
We tried 3 of the desserts which were actually very good. My friends like the milk chocolate torte while I preferred the cream cake. We also had the poppy seed angel cake which was interesting but a bit too tart.
I wasn’t too impressed unfortunately — also because the price would have bought more across the street for better quality food…

It escapes me how this place continues to receive high reviews.
Atmosphere is great, as is the staff. Top notch, as should be expected in this category of restaurant. However, that is where the positives end. 2 small plates from the bar menu and 4 main dishes from the dinner menu and there was absolutely nothing exceptional. Every item was overly salty, to the point of painful. Presentation was terrific, but that doesn’t warrant the effort of dining at this place. The one notable exception is the braunschweiger off the charcuterie plate (bar menu). I could write poetry about that liver sausage.
We have frequented most, if not all, of the high end restaurants in the twin cities. This restaurant, while not the worst, is undoubtedly the most overrated. After waiting months to experience this spot, it also ranks as the most disappointing.

This is the First-​class restaurant in Twin cities! I had the best dinner experience since I came to MN ever.
It was my birthday dinner, my boyfriend took me to this place. I’ve wanted to come here because I’ve heard the best reviews and reputations from everywhere. And my expectation was not betrayed. Yes, I love this place! The reason why I really like here is (1) interior design and structure, (2) great food, and (3) great service.
(1) interior design and structure
The entrance of the restaurant is relatively small so I was surprised at the expanse of the space after I got in. The ceiling was high and the light from the sun shines in the restaurant, I felt relieved and reluxed.
Our table was at the counter, just next to the kitchen. We could see the process of how they cook, prepare and decorate the plates with their great teamwork. I was just amazed at their professionalism.
(2)great food
I love the way they decorate the dishes, the choice of the plates.
We shared the beet tartine and bison tartar for the appetizers. I loved the beet tartine, it tasted a bit sweet and sour, the toast was crunchy. The bison tartar was good too. The taste was like curry. It was good but maybe I will not take next time. Before these appetizers came, the server brought us rice croquette. There was melting cheese paste inside, it was so good. Maybe I liked it the best.
For the main course, he took lamb, and I got halibut. The lamb as covered with crunchy ingredients such as peppers, salt, and sesame. The smell of them matched with perfect with grilled lamb. He took a glass of Malbec for this dish, this wine was REALLY GOOD. I’ll definitely get one when I’ll come here next time. The halibut tasted creamy and fresh because of the sauteed onions and asparagus. We took the grilled asparagus as a side dish, it came with a peste-​ish sauce, it was really good. The smell of the charred asparagus and the sauce matched great.
For the dessert, I took poppy seed cake with pistachios, rhubarb, and ice
was like a parfe, and tasted ok. He took blackbelly and beewax, it was also ok. Both desserts seemed waited for me, and taste was not bad but not great compared to other dishes. However The macaroon in the petit four was really good, even though I was totally full.
(3) great service
Every server were well-​trained to behave professionally. Yes, their service deserve for the stars of Michelin!
When I watched the kitchen, it seemed like the most popular dishes were pork chop, aged steak, and halibut. I’d like to try the aged steak with a glass of Malbec next time!

I had been waiting for months to go to Spoon & Stable. I wanted to occasion to be perfect because of all the acclaim it has gotten. I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
There are two things here at play that created this 5-​star experience. First, the food. The food was incredible. Simple yet unique. The second is the service. Our every need was anticipated. My partner dropped his fork and within seconds, another appeared. The suggestions given by our waiter were spot on. And we never had to wait for our wine to be poured.
We had many items picked out ahead of time. We told the waiter who very thoughtfully separated them into courses. Our first course was the pea shoot salad and scallop crudo. The pea shoot salad had a texture that really displayed the fresh ingredients. And the dressing was so subtle. A little creamy with a hint of Parmesan. There were also peanuts in the salad but again — very subtle as not to outshine the real star — the crisp pea shoots. The scallop crudo was raw (of course) which is a way I had never eaten scallops. There were green apple slivered on top along with some herbs and a very light sauce. They all played together really well.
Our next course was the spaghetti Nero. Now this was my absolute favorite course. With mussels, octopus, and mussels over ink pasta, i was worried about this dish being fishy tasting. Nothing could be further from the truth. It had a subtle red sauce that was so savory and flavorful but didn’t overshadow the perfectly cooked seafood. The pasta was cooked the way all pasta should be.
Next we had the foie gras tostada. To prepare foie gras with a southwestern flair is very different but it did work. My dining partner liked this dish best but I would have liked a bit of sweetness to it to cut the fatty foie gras. It was still great, though.
Then came the creamed spinach with cheese curds and the lamb. The creamed spinach melted in my mouth with the cheese curds being the best I have ever had. The breading was so delicate yet crispy. The lamb had a charred taste and prepared perfectly rare with a yogurt and herb sauce. Perfection.
This is a special occasion restaurant when you want to have one of the best meals of your life.

This place has been on my list for a while and last night I finally got to enjoy it. It is a warehouse building converted to the restaurant. Cocktails and French inspired cuisine are the passion here. The wait staff is exemplary, I dropped my napkin and when I sat up after picking it up the waiter was waiting for me holding out his hand for my napkin and replacing it with a new one. The wine cellar is in the center of the restaurant and is very unique and eye appealing. The kitchen is open and you can watch the chef prepare food and couch his staff.
On to the food: we went with the squid ink pasta for our appetizer (served to share or you can order as an entrée). The pasta was delicate and moist, sauce filled with pepper and tomato flavor that was intricate and sumptuous to the palate. This dish was not heavy but very light. Served with octopus and prawn. I can’t get the sauce flavor out of my head. Next we went with the duck and sea bass entrees. My sea bass was cooked with a fragile flaky crust and the fish melted on the tongue. The white sauce was served with artichoke and mushroom and worked perfectly with the artichoke. The winner of this meal though was the duck. The duck had a pan fried crust that was flaky and packed with a crispy bacon flavor. It went perfectly with the rich and creaminess texture of the duck that was cooked to medium rare (spot on). The sauce in this dish included rhubarb and was sinfully delicious.
To finish, for my birthday, I received cotton candy which brought back many childhood memories. This place was a charm and a delight. Of all the restaurants I have tried in the metro, this one is one of my top 5… I will back very soon!

You know when you have one of those days, when you know it’s gonna be a good day? When you know that, no matter what life throws at you, you will make sure you will have a great day? Got fried from your job? Got splashed by dirty rainwater by the bus? If you are looking for a culinary panacea to your woes, come to Spoon and Stable.
The place is just one way I know that Minneapolis is due for a food boom. I was recommended to come here by a friend and made a reservation almost a month in advance (for ONE person, I know I know…). This place and the coffee shop across the street were throwing off major trendy hipster vibes at me. I was actually wearing jeans and felt a little underdressed so definitely take that into consideration when you stop by.
I know it’s kind of lame to come to a restaurant alone, but I was on a business trip and the foodie in me has absolutely no shame when it comes to having an amazing culinary experience. I scanned Unilocal for a bunch of reviews and I decided to start off with the bison tartare. Before the bison tartare arrived, however, they brought me the most hipster free bread I have ever seen. It came in this rustic rucksack on a piece of granite and the butter was hand whipped. The bread was a bit hard, but man what an experience it was. It tasted like some farmer had just ground down some ancient grains and hearth baked it in some brick oven with local oak saplings. Even the butter was fantastic and had this great sea salt taste to it. I suddenly came to the realization that this was going to be one of the greatest meals of my life.
The bison tartare that came out moments after, I can just say it was fantastically fresh. It tasted like the freshest bison I had ever had. It came with these weird chips that you break off and take a scoop of. Whatever it was made out of, it tasted like nothing I have ever tasted before. Salty, fresh, meaty. I still dream about it.
For the entrée I went with the half portion of the seafood spaghetti nero and man, if that’s a half portion, I cannot imagine what a full portion looked like. I am not exaggerating when I simply say that the cuisine I was served at this place was life changing. For those who don’t know what spaghetti nero is, it’s spaghetti colored black from squid ink. The presentation on the dish was beautiful and I felt almost bad eating it because it looked so good. It was the perfect amount of saltiness. The noodles were cooked al dente and was so complimentary to seafood and sauce. Probably one of the best seafood dishes I have ever had.
Their layout is beautiful. A lot of wood and marble with bright lights shining from the cooking area where all the chefs are. The open kitchen area lets some of the diners sit in a bar seating style near the food and see all the creations being made. It was fascinating. The chef was super nice and even came over to talk to me because… I guess I looked like a loner. He gave me a bunch of bar recommendations and they even hooked me up with free items from the kitchen (a fried risotto ball thing and free dessert)! Spoon and Stable is taking cooking to the next level with bold creations and flavors. Would hands down come back to Minnesota just to come to this restaurant.

Highly recommend this place.
Had Day Boat Scallop Crudo (green apple, shiso, chilies scallion vinaigrette). This was soooo good. Scallop was very good in quality and loved shiso with it. If you like scallop. You should get this.
Had duck breast for main course. I love duck breast and they prepared it very well. Medium rare, juicy, not chewy, not too fatty. Just perfect.
I was too full for dessert. :-(

2 months out on reservations!!! Get your reservation in NOW! This place has definitely been added to my list of favorites. Everything from the service to the food was superb! I no lie! From the moment we sat down to the moment we left, we felt so welcomed and well taken care of by not just our server, but by everyone. Our neighbors, which was an elderly couple, were super friendly and ooh’d and ahh’d at everything. It was definitely cute. They even took photos of their food and commented, «Not only young folks take photos of their food nowadays.» Adorable elderly couple they were.
We started with the Bison Tartare and Day Boat Scallop Crudo. Both were good and definitely would recommend trying. The tartare had a creamier texture but not too overwhelmng at all and the touch of cilantro (for you cilantro lovers like I) completed it for me. You could definitely taste all the flavors. The Scallops were delicious. They are served raw and sliced thinly and who would’ve thought that pairing it with green apples could taste so good!!! They topped it off with a chilies scallion vinaigrette which was super light and satisfyingly refreshing.
For our entrees, I ordered the Spaghetti Nero because I’ve heard nothing but great things about it. To be honest, it didn’t really have any oomph to it to make it unique. I guess I expected it to taste uniquely, spoon and stable, different for everyone to rave about it except it just taste like spaghetti topped with seafood. I mean it was still good and enjoyable but if you’re a fan of spaghetti and like to try it everywhere you go I would definitely recommend it. My date ordered the Sesame Crusted Lamb Leg. I was not a fan of the sesame seeds but everything else tasted great. He really enjoyed how tender and slightly pink the lamb leg was. It was perfection to him. He especially loved the chickpeas in the yogurt urfa pepper sauce that was served with the lamb. Overall he thinks this place serves amazing lamb.
By this time we were stuffed but I could not pass up the opportunity to try Diane Yang’s amazing desserts. We ordered the Poppy Seed Angel Cake dessert after 5 minutes of debating over this one or the Milk Chocolate Torte. I went with the poppy seed lemongrass because the lemongrass ice cream was just so different that I had to try it. No regrets. NONE. It was just soooo refreshing and did not have a strong lemongrass taste like I was afraid it would. I also loved that it did not leave me feeling so heavy or bloated. The rhubarb and the crushed pistachios at the bottom was really good add ons. AWESOME!
We received really great advice from our server, which was also agreed upon by our neighbor, that you always want to call and check if there are any cancellations because when you book 2 months out, you tend to forget and make other plans and have to cancel. They both suggested that it wont hurt to call if you really dont want to wait 2 months because there are always cancellations. This would work best if you had a small party though. It was definitely a pleasure to dine here.

I’ve had the opportunity to try this place a few times and am finally able to get to review it. Is it worth the 2 month reservation wait hype? Let’s see:
Thumbs up:
–Nice location. I’m a fan of North Loop outings
–Consistent, unpretentious, friendly service with cute server uniforms
–Clean bathrooms
–Modern, clean, crisp décor
–Menu change ups (pro or con, depending on your preference)
–Open kitchen
–Service is consistent with all staff from the GM to the busser, good flow
–Good food, solid. Try a little of many items
Thumbs down:
–Expect small portions, pro or con, again preference & meh Well it’s a trendy place. Pay the price.
–Bartender/​Mixologist not able to make me a drink I like all the times I have dined there. Granted I’m particular with my alcoholic drinks, but parlour can do it. You can do it, because you all up to par standards
–Parking is no fun when it’s busy. Street parking or paid lot parking
–Dessert to size to $ portion-​nope and no wow factor, but good. If it’s a special occasion got to have their complimentary cotton candy
–Starter bread, too hard, but their butter is good though
All in all good. Solid. Not amazing. And don’t listen to the hype and you won’t be disappointed.
Tip: Try eating at the bar when it’s busy and it’s just as good.

This place is going on my list as one of the top places to eat in Minneapolis. It’s located in North Loop. The food is amazing. I ate so well, that I didn’t even finish the treat box at the end of the meal. Completely complimentary, and we still left some behind.
5 stars — Baby beet tartine. Beets on rye toast, fresh goat cheese, shallot marmalade, and bee pollen. There was a mix of golden and red beets and also shaved red beets that were softly pickled. I love beets and this was one of the best preparation combos of beet that I’ve seen.
5 stars — Wild mushroom soup. Barley, leeks, vermouth, and watercress. Very good. I could have eaten two bowls. Not just puréed mushrooms, but while wild mushrooms in this one. The barley added a great chew and substance to this dish making it enough for a meal.
5 stars — Spinach with cheese curds. No question, bets part of the meal. Creamed spinach and deep fried cheese curds on top. I liked the texture difference with the taste of it all. So good!
4 stars — Grapefruit Pavlova. With an olive oil cake and frozen yogurt. I liked that this one was not too sweet. The flavors were not competing but instead complimentary. The grapefruit segments, olive oil cake, and pavlova with a lemon curd like filling worked well together.
5 stars — Small tin filled with treats. The best one of all was the mint chocolate macaron. Tasted just like mint chocolate chip ice cream. There was also a piece of fruit jelly, pistachio biscotti, and caramel.
This is a place not to be missed. Most others know that too because it’s hard to get reservations. We got there right when service started at 5pm, and took a seat at their tables by the bar. First come first serve. I’ll do this again next time I come. And there will be a next time, no doubt!

TAKE MY MONEY. I should give Diane Yang and Gavin Kaysen my account and routing #.
Everything is great here. Nothing is shy on flavor, texture or seasoning. Drinks are also top notch.
Oh and the service ?? (Go Adam!) wonderful.
Doesn’t matter if it’s packed, eat at the bar if you have to. The food is worth it.
You can’t go wrong with anything in the menu and even Unilocal photos don’t do it justice. Play menu roulette and don’t be disappointed.

OH. MY. GOODNESS. Words cannot describe how AH-​MAZING their brunch was. I’m drooling as I’m writing about it…
First of all, the décor is gorgeous! I want whoever decorated Spoon & Stable to decorate my future home. Second, the wait staff were so, so friendly which made the experience all the better.
Last, the food was ah-​mazing, like I said before. It was my friend’s birthday (our reason for going there) and so she ordered a mimosa. We each ordered the croque madame and shared hash browns. The kitchen also sent out a free plate of bacon — bonus points for that! We finished off with pastries, I decided on the pear & almond danish and my friend got the lingonberry citrus tart.
Their brunch and pastry menu aren’t that extensive but it was still pretty difficult to choose from! Everything was delicious and I think my favorite part of the meal were the hash browns, best I’ve ever had!

1. Wait time
We came at around 7 pm for dinner. We didn’t have reservations and the place was packed. Wait was about 45 mins if you want to have a table.
2. Seating
We’ve decided to sit at the ‘bar’, technically we sat in the area which faces the window, we could see the people passing by, it was actually a better seat than the actual table. Full menu is served regardless, so if anything, I preferred where we sat.
3. Service and food
Service was swift, it was way too noisy, people are snobby and food was okay. All in all, it was a positive experience.
4. Really unprofessional hosts
I truly didn’t like the weird attitude and top down stare of my clothes from the hostesses and then turn around and whisper to one another and giggle? Wtf?
I came straight from work, I was in my straight up business attire (black suits and Prada shoes) and so were everyone in that restaurant. Don’t I satisfy their dress code? If so, who does?
I don’t like to be checked out like that, very rude! Or was it because of the person I was gonna have business dinner with? In any case, it was unacceptable!
I am still giving positive review because the actual wait staff and chef/​cooks are doing a good work, just not the hostesses.

Was here for my birthday with my mother… and wow… I will sum it up with one word: AMAZING!
Our table was just perfect as we were seated right up by the kitchen… and wow… how neat it was to see the chefs creating their creations right in front of you!
Got a special treat sitting near the kitchen… we were able to sample some truffle arancini as appetizers and they were sooooo delicious!
The space is beautiful, modern and very open. You can see the bar, kitchen, and a classy wine room in the dining area…
For the appetizer course, we ordered a bison tartare and a scallop carpaccio. Both were fun to eat and absolutely delicious… I highly recommend!
For dinner my mom and I ordered the Spaghetti Nero… which is black squid ink spaghetti… our first time with this delicacy. it was soooo GOOD!!!
For dessert my mom and I shared the honey and crêpe cake… ok, I know it may be getting old… but I will keep saying it again, and again, and again… AMAZING!
And yes… I got the special surprise for my birthday that everyone raves about. a cloud of cotton candy the size of my head… brought out at the end of the meal.
Our waitress was fantastic and even the chef that was super busy stopped by to talk to us at the end of dinner.
The whole experience, from the valet parking, to being greeted by the door by the hostess, to the impeccable service from our waitress, to the most delicious food… was just so outstanding and so, so, so AMAZING!
Thank you Spoon and Stable for such a wonderful, memorable AMAZING Birthday dinner to remember!

5 STARS FOR THE PASTRIES! 3 stars for brunch food.
Best croissants so far for me in Twin Cities — flaky, crunchy, buttery, savory, etc! I have had the chocolate, pistachio white chocolate, and regular. My favorite is the pistachio white chocolate.
Also best fruit tart ever, and I normally don’t like fruit tarts. Passion fruit & lingonberries tart with toasted meringue.
Red wine poached eggs — loved the wild mushrooms. The bread was too charred for me, was pretty hard to cut. Not too crazy over the red wine sauce.
Cornish game hen — nothing spectacular here, but it was decent.
I am not a big fan of the brunch menu food so far. I will probably come back and try the dinner menu though and see how that goes. Note that they do take out for their pastries (they are only $ 3 each!!) which is what I have done for a couple Sundays :)