Curiocity: Cosmos Restaurant Celebrates 10th Anniversary

It's not often that a downtown Minneapolis restaurant celebrates 10 years in business so when one is lucky enough to do so, it certainly calls for a celebration.

Next month, Graves 601 Hotel and Cosmos Restaurant will kick off a decade of delicious food and excellent service with a big ol' party that honors some of the instrumental chefs along the way.

For the first time in the restaurant's history, Cosmos' previous executive chefs will reunite under one roof on Nov. 14 to create special dishes that give a nod to their personal contributions to the evolving menu.

That includes chef and co-founder of Real Food Initiatives Seth Bixby Daugherty, executive chef of the Minneapolis Club Hakan Lundberg, executive chef of The Commons Hotel Bruno Oakman, chef and owner of Gastrotruck Stephen Trojahn and current executive chef John Occhiato.

"In most towns, in this town for sure, most restaurants don't make it that long or certainly aren't significant still after 10 years, so it's us celebrating the fact that we're here, we're still relevant -- come join us," Occhiato said.

The celebration will include an oyster bar, where patrons can visit with the chefs while they shuck oysters, an open bar, wine service, a dessert display and of course, exceptional food from Cosmos chefs.

"You can see four very distinct styles in the four chefs that have been there," he said.

Occhiato said he has most of the menu figured out, featuring a lot of what the restaurant is known for now plus a revisit to some of the dishes that were popular when the other chefs were at the helm.

"I'm excited for the guests who have been with us a long time to get a chance to see those dishes again," he said. "Food is exciting when you get to relive it. Occasionally I'll bring back a dish that I haven't done in a very long time and it's very exciting. Very exciting."

Can't make the glamorous event? Fear not. Cosmos will feature those special dishes on a tasting menu called "Decade of Chefs," which will be available in the restaurant through the holiday season.

Occhiato said they'll write the tasting menu so the diner will not only see who created it but understand a little of the history behind each course.

While he and the chefs celebrate the present, it's also a chance to think about Cosmos' future -- and where Occhiato sees the restaurant heading, perhaps in the next 10 years.

"My hope for Cosmos is that first and foremost, that more people remember us. Being tucked away in the fourth floor of a hotel, it's easy to kind of forget -- we don't have a street presence," he said. "Ultimately, what would make me most happy is to just be cooking for a lot of people. My style is not to challenge anybody, I like to produce delicious food that's not complicated. But I think you can still be creative, still attract the foodies."

If you'd like to join in on the 10-year celebration, tickets are $50 and can be purchased here.