Zander Café is now in its tenth year of business. During that time it has received the “Best New Restaurant”’98,” Best Restaurant”’98-’99-’00-‘02, “Best Wine List”’99-07, “Best Chef”’04, and “Restaurateur of The Year”’07 awards from the press and the voting public. Dixon would like to acknowledge all of the very talented chefs and service personnel that have made the success of Zander Café possible, especially his current chef, Michael Hart, without whom none of this would have been possible.
Dixon got his start in the kitchen at a small neighborhood restaurant/bar in Denver Colorado at the age of 14. One evening when the chef of “Little Jimmies Kitchen” was too intoxicated to cook the owners called on Dixon then the dishwasher to fill in. This began a career that has spanned more than 30 years and taken Dixon to seven states of residence.
The majority of Dixon’s cooking has taken place here in the Twin Cities where he has headed the kitchens of establishments such as, The New French Café, The Omni Northstar Hotel’s Rosewood Room, Faegre’s Restaurant, Woodhill Country Club, and Giorgio’s Locanda. Dixon has also, and continues to do catering for private individuals at their homes or event venues.
Other experience includes The Chanticleer Restaurant in Siasconset on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, and Café Calamari in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin as well as the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston, and The Omni Park Central in New York City.
As a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York class of ’82 Dixon arrived in the Twin Cities as Minneapolis and St. Paul was emerging from a relatively mono-cultural mid-western town to the cosmopolitan hot spot of the mid-west it now has become. During those years Dixon introduced wary Minnesotans to new flavors and ingredients by applying forward concepts to comfortable old favorites. Due to the wide variety kitchens Dixon has worked in here in the Twin Cities he has played a major role in shaping the palate and style of many talented chefs over the years.
Dixon’s philosophy of food has always been oriented toward fresh local ingredients infused with the bold flavors of fresh herbs and spices. As the food world evolves Dixon evolves with it. Zander Café uses as much organic and local ingredients as possible with emphasis on seasonality. Over the last several years Zander has become interested in gardening and each year tries to grow more vegetables for use in the restaurant during the growing season.