Beard best chef in the Midwest goes to Minneapolis' Gavin Kaysen

A Minneapolis chef was named best in the Midwest Monday night, during the James Beard Awards.

Gavin Kaysen of Spoon and Stable won the honor after being nominated in March, along with two other Minneapolis chefs, Steven Brown of Tilia and Ann Kim of Young Joni.

Kaysen has been lauded with accolades since his North Loop eatery opened in late 2014. The restaurant, housed in a former stable, serves up American fare inspired by French cuisine. It is also known for its impeccable hospitality and service.

In 2015, Kaysen was head coach for the American team that won the Bocuse d'Or — an event that's been called the world's most prestigious competition.

Kaysen, who is from Minnesota, also won Beard's Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2008 when he worked at New York's Café Boulud.

"Cooking is very emotional for me; I have to cook how I feel," Kaysen said on his biography page on the restaurant's website. "There's something to be said for how you feel emotionally as one season gives way to the next, when it snows, rains, or is sunny. I never thought about that growing up here, but coming back, I see that now."

The James Beard Foundation, which aims to promote food culture and honor chefs, announced the winners Monday evening at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.