Business & Tech
Midwest's Best Chef Is In The Twin Cities: 2018 James Beard Award
Gavin Kaysen is the fifth Minnesota chef to win the award.
Gavin Kaysen, chef and owner of the Spoon and Stable restaurant in Minneapolis, was named the 2018 James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef in the Midwest. Winners of the so-called Oscars for restaurants were announced Monday evening at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The Midwest region included chefs from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
"Creating a restaurant is not the impossible. But getting a group of people together to believe in you and your vision is a powerful spirit," Kaysen said in accepting the award. "I moved home to create the restaurant. But my main driver was to be with my family, who are all here tonight," the Bloomington native added.
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"Lastly, let’s just be good to each other. God bless."
"Spoon and Stable"
Find out what's happening in Southwest Minneapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The North Loop restaurant was once a horse stable dating back to 1906.
"The cuisine is focused on the seasonality of the Midwest, the roots of the local culture and technically inspired by the French cuisine Chef Kaysen is known for," according to Spoon and Stable's website.
Kaysen is the fifth Minnesota chef named best in the Midwest, reports the Star Tribune.
Previous winners include:
- Tim McKee, La Belle Vie, 2009
- Alex Roberts, Restaurant Alma, 2010
- Isaac Becker, 112 Eatery, 2011
- Paul Berglund, Bachelor Farmer, 2016
Out of more than 20,000 entrants, 12 semifinalists in the Twin Cities were nominated this year:
New Restaurant
- Grand Café — Minneapolis
Outstanding Chef
- Alex Roberts, Restaurant Alma — Minneapolis
Outstanding Baker
- Michelle Gayer, Salty Tart — Minneapolis
Outstanding Pastry Chef
- Diane Yang, Spoon and Stable — Minneapolis
Outstanding Service
- 112 Eatery — Minneapolis
Best Chef Midwest nominations
- Lisa Carlson, Chef Shack
- Thomas Boemer, Corner Table — Minneapolis
- Steven Brown Tilia Minneapolis
- Gavin Kaysen, Spoon and Stable — Minneapolis
- Ann Kim, Young Joni — Minneapolis
- Jamie Malone, Grand Café — Minneapolis
- Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai — Minneapolis
Thank you Mr. Mayor! Now, can we talk about the parking issues in the north loop please https://t.co/jQx8K1hqfb
— Gavin Kaysen (@gavinkaysen) 8 May 2018
Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
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