Some people have a way of making a table feel like more than just a place to eat. Esther Capp was one of them. Known for her warmth, hospitality, and the effortless way she welcomed guests into her home, she understood that the best meals were not just about the food—they were about the people gathered around the table. A great cook and a natural host, Esther made everyone feel like they belonged, inviting friends, family, and even strangers to sit, stay, and share in something meaningful.
That spirit lives on at Esther’s Table, created to honor the legacy of the Capp family and their tradition of hospitality. More than a restaurant, it’s a place built on genuine welcome, good food, and the connections that make a meal memorable. Rooted in something timeless, it carries forward the same warmth and generosity that made Esther’s table so special.
The delicious cuisine you’ll enjoy at Esther’s Table reflects the passion, devotion to warm hospitality and global cooking experience of chef Keven Kvalsten, a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis.
Raised in Arizona and Wisconsin, chef Keven embraced the flavors of the Southwest and Upper Midwest before traveling to Europe. Keven apprenticed in Tours, France, at the famed #2 Michelin starred La Roche Le Roy restaurant – working 15-hour days in every station in the kitchen. Since then, Chef Keven has graced the kitchens of a variety of cherished Minnesota restaurants, including Fire Lake, The Twisted Fork, Dan Kelly’s Pub, and Corner Table where Keven served as opening Chef de Cuisine – forging relationships with local farms and meat producers that he still uses today at Esther’s.
Guiding a restaurant like Esther’s Table that’s located inside a hotel takes special skills, which Chef Keven developed as chef at the Radisson BLU Minneapolis Downtown, Emery Hotel, and the Hilton Minneapolis. Keven even opened his own restaurant, The Green Room in Waconia, Minnesota, where he combined Midwest ingredients with European cooking techniques.
An admitted Francophile, Keven brings to Esther’s Table’s kitchen his experience living north of the Savoie region in France. “I have great memories of the food in the bistros of Paris and the mountain villages in the Alps. French cooking is ground zero for me,” Chef Keven said.
One current inspiration for Keven: the legendary hospitality of the restaurant’s namesake, Esther Capp. Keven’s favorite on the current Esther’s Table menu? “The grilled hanger steak is one of my favorites, for its flavor and the accompanying amazing house-made French fries,” he admitted.
“At the end of every guest’s meal at Esther’s Table, I want them to feel nourished and as comforted as the food they might receive in their or Esther’s home,” adds Keven. “But even with a classic, traditional dish, I ask how I can tweak the recipe with a little surprise – such as adding some roasted bone marrow or even pickled carrot. That inspires our guests to say, ‘wow, I wasn’t expecting that!’”
