Scott Graden
Chef/Proprietor
In 1999, Chef Graden, along with his Aunt Rita B., bought the small roadside café known to many locals as the Scenic Café. Changing the name to the New Scenic Café marked the beginning of what was to become not only a career for Chef Graden, but a continuous learning experience.
Sourcing many staples from local farmers, foragers, and fisherman seemed appropriate and obvious even back in 1999. Not realizing at the time, that the terms “locavore” and “sustainability” would soon become the new focus underlying and over striking many chefs and restaurants. Chef Graden continues to maintain and develop relationships with Northern community members, sharing in the local bounty. A wonderful example is the relationship with the Rogotzke family. Chef Graden buys maple syrup from the Rogotzke farm just a few miles away from the New Scenic Café, along with salmon and halibut from their annual fishing endeavors in Alaska.
Educating the community about quality and food has always been at the core of Chef Graden’s philosophy. At one point, the notion of serving goat cheese in Northern Minnesota was a far reach. The Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheese Salad was far from Northern fare in 1999; today it’s a café favorite. Chef Graden continues to introduce new ingredients to the Northern palette; from Ostrich en Croute to Tuna Nicoises. Seasonally, you may find Sashimi Tuna Tacos, Black Mission Figs in a warm Brown Butter Maple with Danish Bluecheese, and Talleggio Fondue, and in the Spring, an Asparagus Flan with Morels with English Peas.
Many chefs are commonly asked, “Where did you study?” For Chef Graden, study takes place on a sensory and daily level. Simply experimenting with ingredients, Chef Graden has refined his understanding of ingredients, tools, and technique into an individual style. Chef Graden uses French technique and multi-cultural influences, meshed with his Scandinavian heritage.
Alongside the New Scenic Café, Chef Graden established a full catering business. The New Scenic Café, Catering offers personalized menus created by Chef Graden for all occasions. In this realm, Chef Graden continues to inspire with his creative palette; from eight-course dinners for private parties to large-scale organization events and weddings. Chef Graden is a talented cake-maker, bringing themes to life in design and construction. The Buche de Noel features a life-like log with meringue mushrooms and decorated branches.
Chef Graden plans to publish a cookbook capturing his cooking artistry by 2012. In this unique cookbook, are many of the New Scenic Café favorites explained in step-by-step processes with beautiful photographs, all taken by Chef Graden. Chef Graden captures the art of cooking in his photography as well. His photographic style mirrors the way in which he cooks – breaking boundaries and looking outside the box. The cookbook will capture Chef Graden’s French technique and multi-cultural influences, meshed with his Scandinavian heritage. Chef Graden is not possessive with his ideas and hopes to bring his recipes customer’s homes.
Throughout the years, Chef Graden has shared his culinary knowledge and style by teaching not only in the restaurant with his cooks, but also in the public sphere. He has taught as a featured cook at the Minnesota State Fair, the Blue Heron (Duluth, MN), the Kitchen Window (Minneapolis, MN), and the Whole Foods Co-op (Duluth, MN). In addition, he has taught at corporate retreats, for small groups, and personal tutelage. Chef Graden’s passion for culinary arts, industriousness, and wry humor are revealed in his tutelage. As some have experienced, it is a treat to work with Chef Graden. He teaches in systems and philosophies, shifting the focus away from memory-based methods. Chef Graden’s tutelage is innovative and graspable.
Furthering his interest in educating the community, Chef Graden completed two Master’s degrees; one in Management, the other in Business Administration. With these honors, he extended a passion for teaching from the kitchen to the academic classroom. In the last few years, Chef Graden pursued teaching business courses at a local college. Recognizing his restaurant management approach, Chef Graden parallels this pedagogy within Academia.
