Alert! There’s a C.I.A.-Trained Chef in the Midst

Walk into Marx Fusion Bistro in downtown Stillwater on any given night and you’ll find it jammed-packed with happy customers dining on the delectable seafood specials or the signature dishes it’s known for. Patrons crowd around the comfortable and lively onyx bar with its changing colors and imbibe on carefully crafted cocktails that are a must for today’s drink enthusiasts. Marx Fusion Bistro is a chef-driven restaurant with a big city vibe without the big city hassles.

Owner and chef, Mark Hanson is the hands-on proprietor of the popular restaurant. He was classically trained at the legendary Culinary Institute of America (C.I.A.) After honing his culinary skills in New York and St. Thomas and other locations around the country, Hanson decided ten years ago to open a restaurant in Stillwater.

Long time employee and bar manager, Marcus Clark says, “The foundation of this place is the chef. He’s always here. He oversees his kitchen nightly and makes sure every plate looks the way and tastes the way it should. He goes to the grocery store daily to get the small stuff, fresh herbs and the ingredients that need to be as fresh as possible.”

The menu is a fusion of French, Mediterranean and Asian cuisine with complex sauces that have been reinvented and updated with new flavors and ingredients. Over the years Marx Fusion Bistro has transformed from a wine bar with a small dining room to an expanded upscale sleek-looking space with a full service bar.

The cocktail menu at Marx Fusion Bistro is large and varied to reflect the times anything from old-school manhattans to newly inspired drinks, many created by Clark. 

“We use only fresh herbs and fruit juices. I’m a big fan of muddling my drinks. It brings out the flavors. Some bartenders don’t bother with this step but we do here,” says Clark.

If you’re looking for a high-energy vibe with high culinary standards and a big city feel in downtown Stillwater, Marx Fusion Bistro is the place for you. 

Marx Fusion Bistro is open for dinner 7 nights a week and serves lunch Monday –Saturday.

Phone 651-439-8333

Music on Tuesday nights