The Kitchen

The Kitchen sits in the old Stone’s space off Stillwater’s main drag. It’s not well signed (as of July), so you have to hunt for it. The room still has the dark, nightclubby vibe it did as Stone’s, but major changes are afoot in the kitchen. Jim Kyndberg, who ran Bayport Cookery for years, closed his baby in spring and now has a piece of this Kitchen. I was there 11 days into the opening madness and the vittles coming to my table were impressive indeed. The menu is a collection of spiffed-up American bistro fare from burgers to scallops to mussels to mac and cheese, but with enough of a foodie slant to make you take notice. Kyndberg has partnered with Erick Harcey and Ben Hiza (who opened Victory 44 this spring and plan to open Gastronome on East Hennepin later in summer). They seem to want it both ways here, maintaining the big drinking and daytrip crowd that descends on Stillwater each summer weekend, while cultivating a foodie audience as well. (For it to work the servers will need to better understand the food—right now they talk as if they’re trying to translate a foreign language.) It’s a shotgun marriage that doesn’t usually take, so it will be interesting to see what this eclectic and ambitious trio can pull off at this eclectic and ambitious restaurant. 324 S. Main St., Stillwater, 651-342-1556,