Kaysen has built a distinguished career by blending his deep passion for traditional Heartland cuisine with extensive experience in top US and European kitchens. After graduating from the New England Culinary Institute in 2001, Kaysen honed his craft at prestigious establishments, including Domaine Chandon in California, L’Auberge de Lavaux in Switzerland, and L’Escargot in London. His role as Executive Chef at El Bizcocho in San Diego earned him recognition as one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs.
In 2007, Kaysen joined chef Daniel Boulud as Chef de Cuisine at Café Boulud in New York City, where he remained for seven years, evolving into the chef he would become. He helped the restaurant win a Michelin star and won the James Beard Rising Star Chef award during that time. He also formed a lasting relationship with Boulud, with whom he continues collaborating professionally and through Ment’or, the foundation that coaches Team USA for the Bocuse d'Or competition.
In a move that sent shockwaves through the industry, Kaysen returned to Minneapolis in 2014 to open his debut restaurant, Spoon and Stable. The restaurant quickly gained a name for itself and was a nominee for the 2015 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. In 2018, Kaysen was named James Beard’s Best Chef: Midwest.
Kaysen is also a prominent mentor and leader in the culinary world. As President of the Mentor BKB Foundation’s Team USA, he has guided the US to gold in the prestigious Bocuse d'Or. His dedication to nurturing the next generation of chefs is matched by his advocacy for a more professional work environment in hospitality. He co-founded the Heart of the House Foundation and serves on the board of the Fastbreak Foundation.
Restaurants
Kaysen is also the founder of Soigné Hospitality Group, a nationally recognized group of restaurants in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. His other notable ventures include Demi, ranked third on Robb Report’s 10 Best Restaurants in North America, Bellecour Bakery, Mara, and Socca Café.
Spoon and Stable, Kaysen’s first solo venture, was where he realized his dream to bring his talents back home to Minneapolis, where he grew up. Supported by chef investors like Boulud and Thomas Keller, it remains a deeply personal and renowned project that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a design refresh.
Since its conception, the Midwest restaurant has been showered with accolades, including being named a 2015 Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year. It also earned nominations for Best New Restaurant from the James Beard Awards and Bon Appétit. Additionally, it became one of Eater’s America's Essential 38 Restaurants.
Kaysen also created the Synergy Series, a charity-focused initiative at Spoon and Stable that has been a sell-out success and brings renowned guest chefs like April Bloomfield, Sean Brock, and Grant Achatz into his kitchen to cook.
Recipes and dishes
Kaysen’s cooking celebrates the Midwest's seasonality, rooted in local culture, and is enhanced by the French culinary techniques he mastered under Boulud.
Much of Kaysen’s cooking is also inspired by memories of his grandmother’s meals, which brought the family together around the table. The pot roast, a warm, comforting, and technically refined dish on the menu since the restaurant's opening, is a direct tribute to her.
As part of the restaurant's 10-year-anniversary remodel, the menu has also evolved, retaining traditional favorites alongside a crop of new dishes, which might include appetizers like hakurei turnip or a crisp endive salad, mains like fresh Arctic char, and sides including grilled mushrooms.
Kaysen is also keen to teach home cooks traditional Midwest dishes and explores his culinary roots in his debut cookbook for home cooks, At Home, sharing his vast repertoire of over 100 comfort dish recipes.
Ever the educator, Kaysen also teaches his favorite recipes in his online virtual cooking class, GK at Home, an idea born during the Covid pandemic.
Beyond his work in the kitchen, Kaysen is a natural in front of the camera. He has appeared on numerous cooking shows, including Chopped All-Stars, and competed on The Next Iron Chef (2007) and Iron Chef America (2009). He also served as a guest judge on Top Chef (Season 6, 2009) and was the Executive Culinary Producer for the 2022 reboot of Iron Chef on Netflix.
