How One Chef Has Changed the Midwestern Culinary Landscape

In 2000, chef Gavin Kaysen picked up a copy of Food & Wine, with 10 of the year’s Best New Chefs smiling on the cover. Kaysen decided right then that one day he would be one of those chefs. He ripped the magazine cover in half, stuck the "Food" part in his wallet and handed the "Wine" side to his colleague at Domaine Chandon in Yountville, California. He said, "Keep this in your pocket until we win."

Seven years later, when Kaysen became a 2007 F&W Best New Chef as the executive chef at El Bizcocho in San Diego, he took the torn cover out of his wallet and gave it to then F&W Editor-in-Chief Dana Cowin. She still has the torn cover framed.

After winning, Kaysen moved to New York City to work for Daniel Boulud, forging a friendship and partnership that carries to this day. He moved back to his hometown of Minneapolis in 2014 to be closer to his family and opened Spoon and Stable, a decidedly Midwestern restaurant informed by French cuisine. It immediately resonated with local diners as well as employees. “I think it changed the landscape of our dining scene,” says Kaysen. “People who worked here have moved on to open, manage, or run great places on their own in the Twin Cities. It has become a family tree of talent.” 

Kaysen now has five concepts in the Twin Cities with his restaurant group, Soigné Hospitality, including Spoon and Stable (which just celebrated its 10-year anniversary) Bellecour Bakery, Mediterranean-inspired Mara, Socca Café, and Demi, an upscale restaurant that was recently welcomed into the coveted Relais & Chateaux family.

In the past decade, Kaysen has maintained a meticulous focus on technique and ingredients, but his approach to food has evolved. “[Since coming to] Minnesota, I have learned to edit my food more,” he says. “It’s more simplified. I think a lot of people expected a show, but I don’t want to cook that way. I’m not interested in following a trend.” 

That's a good thing, because while he's not running a restaurant, bakery, or his sports-focused catering business called KZ Provisioning with chef, author, and TV host Andrew Zimmern, he’s helping the next generation of chefs grow. Kaysen created The Synergy Series, welcoming numerous chefs into the kitchen at Spoon and Stable to collaborate and cook. This eventually led to a speaker series called Dialogue, in which the chefs share their struggles and successes with younger industry professionals.

Both programs will culminate in a book aptly named The Synergy Series, publishing this winter. The book proceeds will support Ment'or, a non-profit founded by fellow F&W Best New Chefs Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud, as well as Jerome Bocuse, that helps young culinarians find inspiring work cooking in restaurants all around the world. “The organization gives us an opportunity to share and give back to the next generation,” says Kaysen. “There is nothing more gratifying than that.”