Cosmos Reinvents the Meal

Speed, good communication, focus, and creativity – that’s what makes a great chef. Add Locust gum, a vacuum sealer, dried black garlic, and a Swedish accent – and you’ve got Hakan Lundberg, the culinary artist and Chef de Cuisine at Cosmos Restaurant in the Graves 601 Hotel. He’s even been called a magician.



Cosmos, a Four-Diamond Restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, prides itself on its quality ingredients, intriguing menu selection, cutting edge presentation and creative plating. This is no surprise, given that its chefs constantly seek new ideas through food blogs, stay after hours to experiment with new culinary ideas, and are dedicated enough to plan an herb garden on the hotel’s roof.

The concept that makes Cosmos distinct sounds a bit scary, but we must pay it a visit - molecular gastronomy. (Stay with me, I’m not going to give you a science lesson.) Molecular gastronomy is a method of cooking that has nearly transcended the notion of traditional cooking. Ultimately, molecular gastronomy is a combination of art and science, even though you won’t find the chefs trading in their whites for lab coats, hovering over solutions, which would eventually become a reduction sauce. It’s a process of taking ingredients, and changing their shape, consistency, and texture with various compounds, mixtures, and methods. (If you’re really interested, watch this video.)



Similar to Chicago’s Alinea and, arguably the hottest restaurant in the world, el Bulli, (rumor has it they are booked for the next 3 years), the chefs at Cosmos reinvent ingredients by creating things like pineapple noodles, celery terrine, exploding lingonberries, and edamame sheets. Frothers, foams, compressions, and vacuum sealing are usually involved in the mix. Molecular gastronomy turns food into an art medium that stimulates the mind as easily as the palate.

The kitchen at Cosmos puts all of the gruff imagery associated with chefs at bay - those that bad-boy chef Anthony Bourdain would love us to believe. Not only does Lundberg manage the execution of well-planned menu items, he has created a kitchen culture in which chefs actually like to come to work, play their own version of Top Chef together (hence, their ‘Spam Off’), where customers are invited to dine IN the kitchen, and a 20-year-old line cook learns the ropes without culinary papers because Lundberg believes in hiring based on attitude versus papers. It’s these details, matched by the culinary details such as rosemary-scented smoke that is captured under a bowl and puffs up when the waiter lifts it and presents you with the lamb bacon, that makes Cosmos so strong and unique.



Chef Lundberg wants each plate leaving the kitchen to look mysteriously sexy. Interesting plating intrigues the diner, inviting them to be more present in their eating experience, he said. Matching cold items with hot, and crispy with soft, the chefs never stack the food on-purpose because it eliminates the option to eat it all at once. This way, the diner can follow a trail, or make their own mixtures so each bite will taste different.

Don’t let the Four-Diamond Restaurant label mislead you about the prices - a 3 course tasting menu is comparable to a large dinner at any steakhouse in town. More than food-costs themselves, value is added through the experience of the chefs and the attention to detail they put into your sensory experience at Cosmos. Not interested in their new lab experiments? They’ll be glad to flip you a burger.

Reinvention - it’s what we’re all trying to do in these tough financial times. Re-envisioning new futures, new careers – we’ve got to work with what we’ve got. And that’s exactly what Chef Lundberg and his crew are doing at Cosmos, maximizing the use of ingredients by envisioning new twists and nuances to their original uses. Resulting in new sensory experiences for the eyes, nose, mouth, and mind – the food at Cosmos is a refreshing look at the world of possibilities. Maybe these chefs are doing more than giving us foie gras and pineapple noodles and teaching us a thing or two about life.

-Melinda Feucht

restaurant Max at the hotel Minneapolis

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

The hotel Minneapolis has truly grand entrance. A perfect balance of historical charm and modern design makes it memorable. The stately marble columns draw attention to the lofty ceiling height and the garnet red accents pop against the organic materials used for the floors and wainscoting.

The restaurant Max housed the event in the main dining room. Guests admired the stunning custom, ruby-toned light sculpture that hovers above the room of a slightly deeper color red. Tall espresso-colored, contemporary privacy booths ran down the center of the dining room and lined the sides offering ample seating to Sample Circuit guests as they settled in for their first tastes of Chef Kevin Kathman’s sneak preview menu.

Greeted by servers with trays of Duck Confit “Crème Brulee” and Rabbit and Foie Gras Terrine with Celery Root-Apple Slaw on Grilled Bread, guests started the event off right.

Some of the favorite first flavors were the Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Sevruga Caviar and a Little Brioche on polished stainless spoons – one perfect bite, the two soups, Asparagus Soup with White Truffle Cream and Sweet Pepper Soup with Basil Cream, beautifully presented and piping hot, and Salmon Tartar with Wasabi Emulsion, Wakame Seaweed and Crisp Tarro Root – salty, savory deliciousness.

Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Sevruga Caviar and a Little Brioche
Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Rabbit and Foie Gras Terrine with Celery Root-Apple Slaw on Grilled Bread
Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

But that was just the beginning, Chef Kathman and his team created an amazing spread of entrees. The Lamb Breast with Porcini Stuffing, Polenta and Thyme Infused Jus almost makes a person pray for the brisk autumn air, the perfect complement to such richness. Also among the offerings were the Lobster “Mac n’ Cheese”, Carolina Style Smoked Pork Shoulder with Mustard Sauce, Slaw and White Bread, and the Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Potato, Green Bean and Crispy Onion. One dish that it seemed everyone in the room was buzzing about was the Miso Marinated Sea Bass with Smashed Parsnips and a Shiitake Salad a delicious tour of the flavors sweet, salt and earth.

Lobster “Mac n’ Cheese”

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Carolina Style Smoked Pork Shoulder with Mustard Sauce, Slaw and White Bread

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Potato, Green Bean and Crispy Onion

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Miso Marinated Sea Bass with Smashed Parsnips and a Shiitake Salad

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Ketel One and restaurant Max mixologists pour the “Max Cosmo” the light, sweet flavor was an excellent apertief.

Z Wines USA poured wines perfectly paired with the menu. The Heron’s Nest Un-Oaked Chardonnay paired perfectly with the Salmon Tartare.

Lehmann Farms was present, pouring tastes their famous Peppadew Bloody Mary finished with the guests choice of their gourmet garnishes. My personal favorite was the Hot Pickled Brussels Sprouts.

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Chef Kevin Kathman

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Even though several of our guests had visited the restaurant before, it somehow seemed to be filled with a new energy, a new excitement. Chef Kathman has already made a mark in the short time that he had been at the helm. With his new menu launching later this fall – I highly recommend paying him and restaurant Max a visit. The evening seemed to end too soon – now that it’s September, the sun is setting earlier and when we walked out to the night air it was already dark. It is the best time of year to dine in this great state with a plethora of local harvest foods available and a culinary artist such as Chef Kathman - you can’t go wrong.

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Meet the Chef: Kevin Kathman - restaurant Max

photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Childhood memories of running around his back yard, playing in his family’s large garden and popping cherry tomatoes in his mouth straight off of the vine is where the colorful tale of Chef Kevin Kathman’s culinary journey begins. Born and raised in Cold Spring, Minn., Chef Kathman developed his taste for fresh “dirt to door” ingredients as a young kid, whether it was shucking sweet corn in the driveway or sitting down at the dinner table for his Mother’s Roasted Artichokes (braised slowly with fennel, onions and herbs grown right outside their door). “I could get in a lot of trouble growing up, but I had to be at the dinner table on time,” reflected Chef Kathman. He had the good fortune of two talented cooks for parents, sharing descriptions of his favorite comfort foods growing up, from Beef Bourguignon to Cassoulet, with such detail that I could almost taste the warm, rich flavors. In High School, Kevin was known as “the breakfast guy” in his family. “I went through a phase where I cooked everything in bacon fat – I mean everything!” His specialties included the normal Midwestern breakfast fare including eggs over-easy and corned beef hash. After High School, Chef Kathman took some time off from school, encouraged by his family to get a job, explore and find his passion before attending college. His first culinary job was as a dishwasher in Door County, Wisc., which quickly turned into an opportunity as a line cook. “I wasn’t fast enough to work the breakfast rush, so they stuck me on dinner.” Following friends, Chef Kathman moved to Steamboat Springs, Colo. He accepted a position under Chef Paul “Rocky” Lebrun (of Chanticleer Restaurant in Nantucket fame). Chef Lebrun turned out to be a tough chef, but Chef Kathman learned a lot in a very short amount of time, working each station and even baking. “I went from a kid dabbling, to being suddenly immersed in a world of French culinary techniques.” Accepted as an AP student at the New England Culinary Institute, Chef Kathman made the journey east. “I loved it [culinary school], I couldn’t get enough.” On the fast track he graduated just before he turned 20, but found himself without an internship. After searching for a time, a friend from culinary school informed him that he was going to have to give up his position in Napa Valley, Calif., for a medical reason. Eager to take advantage of the opportunity, Chef Kathman called the chef/owner, who happened to be world renowned Chef Thomas Keller. The restaurant was the famed French Laundry, then in its infancy, having only open for a few short months.

photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

It was there that his tenure at the French Laundry began. “I was there for a six month internship; it lasted for three years. I worked side-by-side on the line with Chef Keller for the first seven months and learned about his philosophy on food.”

“He taught me to preserve the integrity of the ingredients, the product [ingredients] does not work for us, we work for the product [ingredients].” Chef Kathman described the experience as one of the hardest things he ever did. “There were only five of us in the kitchen, so we did everything. I learned so much in that time and it shaped much of my own [food] philosophy.” Chef Kathman’s experience is impressive, including stints as sous chef of Napa’s Pinot Blanc and stagier at Gordon Ramsey in London (Three Michelin Stars), Arpege in Paris (Three Michelin Stars), and the hotel Veluous in Venlo Holland (One Michelin Star). Returning to the States he also cooked at Danielle and Gramercy Tavern, finally finding a home at Christopher’s, in Phoenix, as the Chef de cuisine. Two years later, wanderlust and opportunity brought him to the All Seasons Bistro and Wine Shop, in Napa, where he had the privilege of working beside a group of talented sommeliers. “It was there I gained an appreciation for the whole dining experience: food, wine and service. It was incredible working alongside a very talented team of service professionals.” Chef Kathman knew that the time for him to go out on his own had come. He developed a business plan with his then fiancé, Kori Jacobson to raise capital for their own restaurant by catering movie sets. In the fall of 2005 Chef Kathman and his wife opened Blend, in La Quinta, Calif., to critical acclaim on both a local and national level. “We never left the restaurant. I guess that is the price you pay for being successful. We were able to do it our way and Blend really became an amazing machine.” Tragically, Chef Kathman’s wife passed suddenly in the December 2007. Devastated, he returned home to the Twin Cities in the spring of 2008. But, his hiatus was brief and he joined the Morissey Hospitality team in January 2009. After several months of consulting on several properties, he arrived at his current home as head chef at Restaurant Max. “I am so happy to be in this kitchen, and blessed to have a good core of people.” He mentioned his sous chef, Nick O’Leary by name. “He is integral to this operation, we are lucky to have him.”

photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Chef Kathman informed me that the new menu should launch before November, but Sample Circuit attendees on September 16th will get a sneak preview. The Twin Cities has a lot to look forward to from this chef. By traveling the globe and working with many international culinary talents he has developed his own food philosophy. “Food has the power to invoke thoughts and memories. I want to make food that makes guests smile when they try it, or makes their eyes light up because it reminds them of their childhood or a great vacation or any happy time. It needs to be true to the product. Dirt to Door.”

photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Sample Circuit Presents: The Entertaining Home, Vol. 4

Turn the Kitchen You Have into the Kitchen You Want
Full-Service Design Creates One-of-a-Kind Spaces

Combine functional features with extraordinary design and custom detailing to create a one-of-a-kind kitchen environment. An experienced kitchen specialist offers design and installation services that can transform your run-of-the mill kitchen into a gourmet cooking domain fit for amateur cooks and professional chefs alike. The average construction company lacks the type of in-depth knowledge it takes to complete a unique kitchen remodel. For a space that goes beyond the cookie-cutter designs found in the average home, choose a specialized kitchen designer that has extensive experience in everything from custom cabinetry solutions to appliance manufacturers.

A full-service design approach incorporates the belief that the kitchen should be as functional and as beautiful as a piece of fine furniture. Respected cabinet manufacturers like WmOhs, Downsview, Quality Custom, and Seville offer a wide range of cabinet selections to fulfill the needs of discriminating homeowners looking for high-end appeal and exceptional value. WmOhs translates the elegant charm and practicality of traditional European and American kitchens into contemporary designs for modern homeowners with a range of styles from French Country to Tuscan. They transform built-in cabinetry into kitchen furniture with remarkable quality and antique styling. For homeowners looking for innovative transitional styles, Downsview offers an appealing frameless line as well as a selection of exotic veneers and high- and low-gloss paints to coordinate with your décor. Experienced professional manufacturers such as these allow homeowners to select from thousands of color and finish combinations, custom-matched stains, and paints that reflect your unique tastes.


The real appeal of modern kitchen designs is found in the details. The perfect complement to professional ranges from trusted appliance manufacturers like Sub-Zero, La Cornue, and Wolf, custom handcrafted hoods dramatically transform a dull space and bridge the gap between function and aesthetics. Hand-painted faux metal or monogrammed to personalize your cooking space, this one-of-a-kind piece acts as a focal point that showcases custom moulding or intricate detailing by local artisans.

Using Auto-CAD, designers can create floor plans, perspectives, and elevations of your project to provide an idea of what the finished kitchen will look like before construction even begins. A team of precision installers committed to providing uncompromised customer satisfaction backs every design concept. A kitchen specialist takes uncommon pride in the design and craftsmanship invested in every kitchen and can even extend their expertise and passion into other rooms in the home.

For more information, you can call North Star Kitchens, LLC at 612-375-9533 or visit them at International Market Square. Serving homeowners since 1972, North Star Kitchens has consistently won first-place awards in the NKBA state and national design competitions. You can also visit North Star Kitchens online at www.northstarkitchens.com.

The Living Room at the W Hotel

From Left: Brian McElrath, Christine Walthour (BT McElrath Chocolatier) and Friends

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

I have struggled to find the words to appropriately describe the many elements that made the Sample Circuit event at the Living Room last week so wonderfully memorable.

First, the setting…

Formidable is one word that comes to mind, and so does comfort. Picture if you can, this grand location with double-sized, corset tied wing-back chairs that are spacious for one and “cozy” for two. Sofas and loveseats that are wrapped in sumptuous fabrics – literally embrace the fortunate guest to find a seat. Perfect lighting that created the illusion of mystery and intrigue on all of the subjects present. The final touch was the food – no, cuisine- that is best described as, inspired.

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Truly, Chef Josh Hill created an experience to remember, featuring delectable bites of culinary perfection. Among the favorites, were the melt in your mouth and surprisingly, elegantly presented, Pigs in a Blanket, featuring Fischer Farms sausage, pure maple syrup and the subtle flavor of fresh chives. The Sugarcane Skewered Tamarind Prawns and the Kobe Beef and Scallop Sliders were also among the most talked about items. Not to be forgotten, the Truffle Devil Eggs with Dry Cured Chorizo, Curried King Crab Sushi Roll, and Lobster Bisque Shooters were very popular as well. There were several stations of unique items and servers were around every corner, offering each guest their fill of savory satisfaction.

Rare Seared Beef Tenderloin with Roquefort and Smoked Tomato Marmalade

Truffled Deviled Eggs with Chorizo

Curried King Crab Sushi Roll

Photos by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Sous Chef Miguel Medina – Castillo created a piece of edible art, a tower of cream puffs wrapped in spun sugar as an eye catching centerpiece at the dessert table. Rich, silky dense triangles, also known as Bitter Chocolate Caramel Marquise, were the favorite of our chocolate loving guests. The perfectly airy cream puffs with just a smudge of caramel were my personal heaven.

Cream Puff "Tower"

Bitter Chocolate Caramel Marquise

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Across the way, Roy Goslin and Dianne Ferrandi of Z Wines USA were pouring perfectly paired wines for each of the culinary creations.

Leinenkugel’s poured the Classic Amber, a wonderful complement to the “Pigs in a Blanket” and the other meat dishes offered.

Finally, Ketel One was featured in a Pomegranate Martini created by the Living Room team – welcoming the end of summer with a promise of the richer flavors to come.

Johanna Schussler (Rt) and Friend

Photo by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Special thanks to the Living Room team for being such gracious hosts and to David Abele of Sotheby's International and the Living Room for offering the grand prize of the evening!

We hope to see everyone at Restaurant Max next week, September 16^th!

Todd Walker (Fox-9) and Jacqueline Hanson (Hanson PR)

Photos by Chris Bohnhoff Photography

Fitness Together

Whether you find yourself in Uptown, Downtown, or Highland Park – Randy Zarecki, owner and chief fitness officer of Fitness Together, has something powerful to give. Being in the health fitness industry for over 25 years, Zarecki has been in helping others reach their fitness goals before the industry officially existed.



The alphabet soup that trails his name hardly does justice: AFPA Advanced Certified Personal Trainer, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and ACSM member. These only give a glimpse of the expertise Zarecki brings to both the field and the gym. Fortunately, this local talent hasn’t been kept under the radar too long as he’s easily found on the KARE 11 Today Show as the fitness expert and also has produced his own DVD, ‘50 exercises for 50 bucks.’ Plus, who wouldn’t want to be trained by Wisconsin’s 1982 Teenage Mr. Wisconsin, 1984’s Mr. Palm Springs, 1985’s Mr. Madison, and 1992’s Mr. Santa Cruz?

Anyone with these credentials and experiences is sure to run a tight ship. That’s where Fitness Together comes in. 3 studios may be daunting for any business owner, but he is committed to operating by a singular model: 1 client, 1 trainer, 1 goal.

The trainers at Fitness Together focus on three elements to streamline the path to fitness: customized, fast-paced sessions, consistent measurement of output, and rigorous analysis of one’s diet. Speed, numbers, and advice. How much more simple could it be?

Not the gym-type? Time to rethink. Fitness Together offers an environment free of distractions with private attention. It’s quality and the depth of experience that Fitness Together focuses on, rather than the number of people coming in and out the door.

There’s a reason it’s called ‘Fitness Together.’ Training is client-focused, yet teamwork-driven. His trainers assist more clients in his 3 studios than any other single training facility in town, including the busiest Lifetime Fitness facility. Fitness Together franchises can be found throughout the Twin Cities and around the country. Currently it is the world’s largest personal fitness training organization. As a franchise, Zarecki gets to call many important shots - his staff trains nearly 1500 personal training sessions each month – more than anyone else in Minnesota.

Their Web site is a complete resource in itself. One can find health tips for doing hotel workouts, city-biking tips, as well as explaining dietary information. And not to mention, Zarecki blogs.



1 client, 1 trainer, 1 goal – that’s not all. 25 years experience, 3 locations, and a limitless passion and drive for achieving your health goal – that’s Fitness Together.