Steven Brown of Tilia & St. Genevieve

A genius in the kitchen, and an inspiration among the Minneapolis food scene, Steven Brown of the two renowned restaurants, Tilia and St. Genevieve, remains an icon among local chefs. Experience his carefully crafted and elegant French-inspired menu at St. Genevieve, or dine at the local favorite neighborhood bistro, Tilia. Brown has made many connections with other buffs in the industry by serving as a mentor and friend. Mike Brown of Travail, Erick Harcey of Victory 44 and Upton 43, Landon Schoenefeld of Nighthawks and Peter Campbell of Red Wagon Pizza all cite Brown as a major supporter. Brown was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's 2019 Best Chef: Midwest Award and the 2020 award (Tilia).

Ann Kim of Young Joni, Pizzeria Lola, Kim's and Hello Pizza

The wildly popular Pizzeria Lola, Hello Pizza and Young Joni have another addition to the family, Kim's. Kim knows how to do pizza, which is a large focus of her other restaurants menu's with unique ingredients like kimchi, preserved lemon, sweet potatoes, and clams. But Kim's is personal, shares her Korean-American heritage with diners and celebrates the foods of her childhood. A former actress, Kim is constantly glowing and full of energy. She brings her creativity to the table, and she’s also one of the most liked chefs in town. Kim was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's 2018 and 2019 Best Chef: Midwest Award.

*Ann was also featured on Netflix's Chef's Table: Pizza!

Sean Sherman of The Sioux Chef, Indigenous Food Lab and Owamni

Founded by Sean Sherman, CEO Chef, Sioux Chef is an indigenous kitchen, caterer and food educator to the area. Co-author of The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen, winner of a 2018 James Beard Foundation Book Award, Sherman's main culinary focus has been on the revitalization and awareness of indigenous foods systems in a modern culinary context. His own studies include Native American farming techniques, land stewardship, hunting and fishing, food preservation, and Native American migrational histories and culture, which all contribute to the opening of Owamni. Sherman's goal is to bring back a sense of Native American cuisine to today's world. The Mississippi riverfront restaurant was nominated for the James Beard award for 2022 Best Restaurant and Sherman himself was up for the Best Chef: Midwest Award.

Thomas Boemer of Revival

Chef and co-owner of Revival, Thomas Boemer is making his mark in the Minneapolis food scene. Boemer appreciates quality over anything, which is why Revival’s fried chicken has become the talk of the town. He states that good fried chicken requires focus and attention. Each piece is made fresh and with a precise technique. Boemer mentions that he used to grow up eating fried chicken at his friends houses, so recreating that warm feel and delicious crunch became a personal endeavor of his. Revival is also known to have one of the best burgers in town (if not the best). Boemer was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's 2018 Best Chef: Midwest Award for Corner Table and in 2019 for another former restaurant, In Bloom.

Gavin Kaysen of Spoon and Stable, Demi, Mara and Cooks | Bellecour

Spoon and Stable might just be the trendiest restaurant in town. Gavin Kaysen has taken seasonal fare to a whole new level. He aims to capture the feeling that each season provides, and dish those feelings out on the plate. He starts with the classics, like pot roast and chicken, and uses his artistic eye to morph the dishes into something that evokes. Kaysen is also an advocate of helping chefs to develop their skills. He’s one of the founding mentors of the nonprofit mentor BKB Foundation, which aims to inspire culinary excellence in young, aspiring chefs through education and mentorship. At Demi, you'll find a two hour dining experience, where a wide variety of tastes accompany a seven or 11-course menu, prepared only a few feet away from your table. Demi was a semifinalist for the 2020 James Beard Foundation's Best New Restaurant Award. Kaysen himself, was the winner of the James Beard Foundation's 2018 Best Chef: Midwest Award (Spoon and Stable). Kaysen opened Mara in 2022 — a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant with the dishes of 22 coastal destinations and countries — and owns Bellecour Bakery, which serves freshly baked viennoiserie and patisserie.

Alex Roberts of Restaurant Alma and Brasa

Alex Roberts has innovated fine dining with Restaurant Alma. Seasonally inspired dishes with locally sourced ingredients and fine-tuned flavor make Restaurant Alma unlike any hotel restaurant you’ve ever experienced. Roberts claims that his approach to creating any dish has three parts: Richness (often the protein, full of flavor), aromatics (something that ignites the senses like tarragon or lemon zest), and the essence of the ingredient (something that reinforces the flavors of the richness in the dish). His flavors are subtle, yet full-bodied. Try Restaurant Alma and taste the difference. Roberts was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's 2018 Best Chef: Midwest Award and Restaurant Alma was a semifinalist for the 2020 James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurant Award.

Christina Nguyen of Hai Hai and Hola Arepa

Christina Nguyen's food is mostly influenced by her travels abroad. This can especially be seen at her Hai Hai restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis where colorful plates inspired by Southeast Asia, including Bali, Vietnam, and Thailand are front and center. This self-made chef likes to browse local Asian grocery stores to put together her latest food ideas. The dishes at Hai Hai are not the kind you find at your typical Vietnamese restaurant, instead you'll get a taste of other traditional recipes and flavors she's discovered on her trips to Vietnam. Nguyen recently won the prestigious 2024 James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: Midwest Award.

Diane Moua, Diane's Place

Pasty Chef Diane Moua has worked at some of the best restaurants in Minneapolis, most recently with Bellecour Bakery. She attended school at Le Cordon Bleu where she became an expert at pastries and cakes. Interning under James Beard award-winning Chef Tim McKee at the four-star restaurant La Belle Vie, she eventually went on to help create dessert menus for top restaurants in Minneapolis such as, 112 Eatery and Bar La Grassa. Moua opened Diane's Place in 2024, which pays homage to her Hmong roots. Located in Northeast Minneapolis, the menu features Hmong comfort breakfast and lunch and superb pastries, like Thai tea croissants and a sweet pork danish. Moua has been nominated for the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Pastry Chef award multiple times.

Daniel del Prado of Martina, Colita, Cardamom, Blondette and Porzana

Daniel del Prado moved to the United States from Argentina and made a name for himself in the Minneapolis food scene. His first project, Martina, mixes Italian and Argentinian flavors to create seafood-driven plates and wood-fire smoked meats. Colita, is known as an upscale Latin barbecue spot, equipped with smoked meats and recipes from Oaxaca, Mexico. Recently he and friend and business partner Shawn Mckenzie opened Cardamom, where the cuisine is influenced by flavors of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. His newest establishment, Porzana, is a beautiful Argentinian steakhouse in the North Loop. He was a semifinalist for the 2019 & 2020 James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: Midwest Award.

Yia Vang of Union Hmong Kitchen and Vinai

Vang burst on the Minneapolis food scene with a pop-up trailer featuring his Hmong family recipes at local breweries. Before that he'd been making a name for himself for while, working in Twin Cities kitchens such as Spoon & Stable, Nighthawks Diner + Bar, and Borough. He now cooks at Union Hmong Kitchen in the Graze North Loop food hall and is planning to open Vinai, the Twin Cities’ first brick-and-mortar restaurant devoted to “the past, present, and future of Hmong cooking" in Summer 2024. Has recently received national attention with his nomination for Best Midwest Chef James Beard Award in 2022.

Jorge Guzmán of Petite León and Chilango

Born in Mexico City, Jorge Guzmán grew up in St. Louis and later trained as a chef at The Culinary Institute of America. He ended up in Minneapolis after finding love and took a job at local woodfired grill restaurant Redstone. Working his way through many other popular Twin Cities restaurants, Guzman eventually found success as the head chef at Surly Beer Hall, where he was a James Beard Award nominee and finalist for Best Chef Midwest. After starting a few pop-ups and a detour in Wisconsin, Guzman returned to Minneapolis and opened Petite León, a neighborhood restaurant that earned a spot in the New York Times' list of America's best restaurants in 2022. Guzmán opened Chilango in 2024, which serves "Mex-Tex," a Mexican-forward version of "Tex-Mex." Enjoy your meal overlooking Bde Maka Ska.

Shawn McKenzie of Cardamom, Cafe Ceres & Rustica Bakery

Shawn McKenzie has taken over the bakery scene in Minneapolis. She is the co-founder of Café Cerés and in 2022 also took on the role of executive pastry chef of Rustica Bakery. McKenzie started off her career working the pastry program of many local restaurants restaurants (Bar La Grassa, 112 Eatery, and Burch Steak & Pizza). Later she partnered with chef Danny del Prado to open Café Cerés, a coffee shop and bakery creating. It’s since expanded to two other locations in Armatage and downtown Minneapolis. The two also opened the Turkish inspired restaurant Cardamom at the Walker Art Center. Mckenzie is know for her innovative takes on desserts, including a sweet roasted banana tart found at Rustica Bakery. Her creativity put her on the national spotlight as she was up for the 2023 national award for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.

Ann Ahmed of Khâluna, Lat14 & Gai Noi

When Ann Ahmed immigrated from Laos to Minneapolis to be closer to relatives, she would spend hours cooking alongside her grandmother in the kitchen and soaking up her grandmother's hospitality wisdom. This seeded her desire to open a restaurant. Ahmed ran a catering business out of her home with friends during college, and by age 25 she opened Lemon Grass Thai in Brooklyn Park, which she just closed to turn her attention to new ventures. Ahmed opened Khâluna (Lao for "please") late in 2021, and her latest venture Gai Noi (named after a short grained rice used to make sticky rice) opened in 2023. Khâluna transports visitors across the ocean with its colorful array of food and dreamy interior. The soft and beachy atmosphere and Lao dishes that Khâluna is known for provides a vacation right in South Minneapolis. Ann Ahmed filled the menu with her precise and imaginative Laotian cuisine, which contributed to her nomination for the 2023 and 2024 James Beard Foundation award of Best Chef: Midwest.

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