Meet the Chef
Chef Andrew Kraft fell in love with the restaurant industry at a young age, starting as a dishwasher and busboy in a small, local restaurant in the Brainerd-lakes area where he grew up. Eagerly, he moved on to becoming part of the line cook crew. During high school, he continued to work in restaurants and, upon graduation, decided to head to New York and attend the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, where he graduated with honors. Following the CIA, Kraft moved into New York City to join the opening crew of Irving Mill, where he worked for two years with Chef Ryan Skeen. Chef Skeen brought Kraft with him to Allen & Delancey as his Sous Chef, where they held a 1 Michelin Star rating. Kraft continued to work with Chef Skeen for several years on various restaurant and consulting projects.
Chef Kraft took the position as Executive Chef at 6th Street Kitchen in the East Village of Manhattan, where he truly found his voice in food - cooking very approachable, rustic food with strong Southern European influences. In 2011, Chef Kraft had the opportunity to be the opening Executive Chef of Osteria Cotta on the Upper West Side. The restaurant opened with great success and solidified his passion for fresh pasta and Italian cuisine.
After eight years of experience in New York kitchens, Kraft longed for home. He returned to Minnesota in 2013, bringing with him a seasoned culinary vision. Since then, he has cooked in various restaurants in the Twin Cities area, including Grand Cafe in South Minneapolis and Chilkoot Cafe in Stillwater. Chef Kraft opened The Bungalow Club in April of 2018. He and his staff are committed to offering a simple, technique-driven food and drink menu, focusing on house-made pastas.
In the Press
"Terrific pastas, a lively (and wonderfully lemony) gem lettuce salad, a hits-the-spot dark chocolate tart." — Rick Nelson, Star Tribune
"We didn’t think the Mike Phillips-era Craftsman charcuterie plate would ever have a worthy successor, but here it is. " — The Heavy Table