Spoon & Stable's 2025 guest chef series will feature Emeril Lagasse and others

Spoon and Stable, the Minneapolis eatery that was recently named a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant, has unveiled the guest chefs who will take part in the 2025 installment of its Synergy Series.
The restaurant and chef Gavin Kaysen will bring in five chefs for four dinners, continuing a series of food and conversations that began in 2015.
This series will feature Chef Stefano Secchi of Rezdôra in New York, Emeril Lagasse and his son EJ Lagasse of Emeril's in New Orleans, Gregory Gourdet of KANN in Portland, and Claudette Zepeda of Chispa Hospitality in San Diego.
The series services a collaboration between guest chefs and the culinary team at Spoon and Stable as they work on a menu that embodies the vision of the guest chef.
The dinners are, on a separate night, accompanied by a discussion of stories that shaped each guest's journey in food. The first three dialogues in this year's series will take place at the American Swedish Institute.
The Synergy Series will also celebrate the release of a self-published book from Kaysen about the history of the series.
'When we created this series, I never thought it would take on the life that it has,' Kaysen said in a statement. 'What I have come to understand is that we are all students in life and learning. Staying curious and humble are keys towards success. I am so grateful to work alongside these chefs, all of whom I look up to and respect. Cooking with Chef Emeril and his son will be a full circle moment for me, as I have known him and his family for 15 years.'
These are the dates for each event in the 2025 Synergy Series.
April 10-11: Chef Stefano Secchi, Rezdôra (New York, NY)
July 17-18: Chefs Emeril Lagasse & EJ Lagasse, Emeril's (New Orleans, LA)
September 11-12: Chef Gregory Gourdet, KANN (Portland, OR)
December 4-5: Chef Claudette Zepeda, Chispa Hospitality (San Diego, CA)
Individual dinner reservations, which cost $495 per person, are available on the first of the month prior to each event.
A season pass will become available on Feb. 17 and costs $2,500 per person and includes access to all four dinners as well as the chef dialogue events. That ticket also comes with the full tasting menu, beverage pairings, and a gift at each dinner. Bar and lounge seating, available two weeks in advance of each event, costs $195 per person.
Tickets to the dialogues are available on the same day as individual dinner reservations and cost $10 per event.
Kaysen is also hosting Michelin-starred guest chefs throughout the year in the North Star Series at Demi, which features appearances from the chefs at San Francisco's Mister Jiu's, New York's Saga, and Healdsburg's SingleThread.

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National Geographic

20 hours ago

• National Geographic

Where to eat the best fish and chips in Cornwall

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Come summer, nothing quite hits the spot like a generous serving of fish and chips eaten beside the Cornish coast. Whether wrapped in vinegar-soaked paper — perhaps enjoyed on a harbour wall — or served in a pub garden accompanied by a chilled local cider, this iconic British dish never fails to satisfy. Traditionally made with cod or haddock, deep-fried to a golden crisp and paired with thick-cut chips, tartare sauce and a liberal splash of vinegar, fish and chips is a meal steeped in nostalgia, often evoking childhood memories of summers spent by the coast. Although its exact origins are a source of debate, what seems clear is that the dish first emerged in 19th-century Britain as an affordable, hearty meal for the working classes not only in London's industrial East End but also in Northern English mill towns. Its large helpings and low cost made it a wartime staple, too — one of the few unrationed foods — and over time, it became a cherished Friday-night tradition, rooted in the Catholic culinary custom of meat-free meals on this sacred day. Today, Cornwall's fish and chip scene is more diverse than ever, thanks to greater access to fresh catch and a commitment to quality ingredients not just in beloved local chippies but in a host of restaurants, including Michelin-acclaimed kitchens. Furthermore, innovative chefs such as Benjamin Palmer, at The Sardine Factory in Looe, and Paul Ainsworth at The Mariners, in Rock, are honouring this classic meal while experimenting with creative new twists. To discover the best of Cornwall's fish and chips this summer, here are six must-visit spots. Harbour Lights, Falmouth For award-winning chips and community spirit Family-run and proudly Cornish, Harbour Lights, in Falmouth, isn't just another chippy — it's a local institution. Set above the harbour, this long-standing favourite was a top-10 finalist in the National Fish & Chip Awards 2019 and sources its fish daily from nearby Newlyn. A regular cod costs £17.95, and double-fried chips — made from Cornish potatoes — start at £4.85. Beyond the classics, the team encourages diners to try something new. The menu features Cornish hake and plaice alongside starters such as salt and pepper squid, crispy whitebait and breaded king prawns. Diners who eat in get unlimited chips with their main course. What sets Harbour Lights apart, though, is its strong community presence. The team supports causes such as the Fishermen's Mission through regular donations and hosts the Harbour Lights' Community Hero Awards to recognise civic-minded local residents. They've also taken to the stage with the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide at Falmouth's Oyster Festival and even offer an annual gift card providing 12 fish and chip meals for £170 for their most loyal customers. The Sardine Factory, Looe For Michelin-garlanded dishes At Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded The Sardine Factory, the fish and chips is prepared with all the precision you'd expect of a fine dining establishment. Housed in a restored 19th-century sardine factory overlooking the harbour, this relaxed, award-winning restaurant is the passion project of local chef Benjamin Palmer, who returned home to celebrate Cornish seafood. Benjamin's take on traditional fish and chips (£20) — served with caramelised lemon and a selection of condiments — shares the menu with dishes such as dry-aged pollock ceviche, smoked haddock scotch egg and Cornish crab mac and cheese. The restaurant has a strong focus on local produce, with most ingredients sourced from the nearby Looe market and the surrounding area. Looe's Sardine Factory serves up not just traditional fish and chips, but also other Cornish-inspired dishes such as smoked haddock scotch egg and crab mac and cheese. Photograph by The Sardine Factory Harbour Chippy, Newquay For a classic menu with a modern twist Just a stone's throw from the fishing boats of Newquay's historic waterfront, Harbour Chippy serves succulent, flaky fish and chips with all the charm you'd expect from one of the best traditional seaside spots. Owned by Rob and Jen Randell, this family-run, takeout-only venue is located on one of the oldest roads in Newquay, offering the expected classics with refreshingly inclusive offerings. Alongside freshly cooked cod and chips (small portions from £6.10), there's a dedicated vegan selection — including battered sausages, pea fritters and nuggets — all fried in vegetable oil by the Chippy's vegan fryer. Plus, to cater to those with gluten sensitivities, a separate fryer is used for wheat-free batters and chips. This year, the couple also introduced a touchscreen ordering system, a nod to their forward-thinking ethos. If you've still got room for something sweet afterwards, pop next door to Newquay Waffle Shop, run by their son Matthew. The Mariners, Rock For an elevated, gastropub experience Michelin-recognised The Mariners serves a refined twist on pub classics, including traditional fish and chips. Relaunched in 2019 by Paul Ainsworth — one of Britain's top chefs and a leading name in Cornwall's food scene — alongside his wife Emma, this well-established spot has a terrace overlooking the beautiful Camel Estuary and puts a spotlight on Cornwall's finest produce. Under the direction of head chef Joe Rozier, who previously worked at Ainsworth's Michelin-starred No.6 in Padstow, the menu embraces bold, creative twists — from 'The Dog's Pollock', a pollock hot dog with pickled cucumber and parmesan, to Cornish monkfish served with cockle and clam butter. His elevated take on classic fish and chips (£25) includes line-caught cod, triple-cooked Yukon Gold chips, seaweed tartare, madras sauce and parsley peas. The Mariners is the vision of Paul Ainsworth, one of Britain's most celebrated chefs. Photograph by Chris Fynes (Top) (Left) and Photograph by @ (Bottom) (Right) Rick Stein's Fish & Chips, Padstow For old-time favourites with a premium edge It's hard to visit Cornwall these days without hearing Rick Stein's name — especially in Padstow, where his presence is particularly prominent. For a scenic day out, hire a bike in Wadebridge and follow the Camel Trail along the estuary into town, stopping for lunch at his popular fish and chip shop. Prices lean towards the higher end — with a standard cod costing £19 — but the quality and Stein's enduring reputation keep the crowds coming, so be prepared to queue. Fish such as haddock, hake, lemon sole and cod are fried in beef dripping for a golden, crunchy finish. Unlimited chips are available for an extra £3.95 when dining in, while a standard takeaway portion costs £3.50 and can be enjoyed by Padstow's picturesque harbourfront, just steps away. The menu also features small plates, including honey-drizzled halloumi saganaki, salt-and-pepper prawns and fish tacos. Argoe, Newlyn For a contemporary take that honours local roots Argoe offers a refined take on a fish supper — although not in the traditional sense. Frito misto with aioli is the closest thing this Cornish seafood spot gets to conventional fish and chips. Overlooking the town's busy working harbour, this intimate, wood-clad restaurant features contemporary interiors and a relaxed outdoor terrace. Owned by Richard Adams, a local, the restaurant honours Newlyn's rich fishing heritage with a daily-changing menu that's shaped by chef Angus Powell around the morning's catch. Sharing plates, including grilled piri piri monkfish, hand-dived scallops and smoked whiting roe flatbread, are served with chips or salad and a range of natural wines. Adding to the experience for diners, Angus can often be spotted heading down to the quay to collect fish straight off the boat — a fantastic way to see just how fresh the ingredients are. To accompany your meal, organic wines are poured from taps behind the bar. Since opening in 2021, Argoe has earned a Michelin Guide mention — a status reflected in the premium pricing, with grilled fish typically costing around £43 and chips available as a £6 side. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).

Eater

3 days ago

• Eater

The 7 Most Anticipated Las Vegas Restaurant Openings, Summer 2025

It's been an impressive year for Las Vegas's dining scene. So far, 2025 has introduced restaurants that have immediately soared to must-visit territory, like Jeremy Ford's Michelin-starred Stubborn Seed, a new food hall that not only revitalizes the trend but introduces a slate of big-deal regional fare, the latest in the highly-anticipated James Trees culinary universe, and a lakeside stunner with serious seafood prowess. The back-half of the year is equally exciting, with restaurants on deck attached to famous names, long-awaited restaurants that are finally inching toward openings, and steakhouses with Michelin-recognized talent. Here are seven openings to look forward to this summer in Las Vegas. Projected Opening: July 2025 Major Player: Fabio Viviani Celebrity chef and Top Chef fan favorite Fabio Viviani brings his signature flair to Summerlin this summer with the debut of ai Pazzi, a modern Italian restaurant at JW Marriott Las Vegas. 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Major Player: Gabriela Cámara Chef Gabriela Cámara, celebrated for her acclaimed Mexico City seafood restaurant Contramar, is bringing her celebrated coastal cuisine to Las Vegas with Cantina Contramar at the Fontainebleau. Designed by award-winning architect Frida Escobedo, the restaurant will serve the signature dishes that built Cámara's Mexico City seafood destination into must-visit dining — like tangy tuna tostadas and grilled whole fish splashed with vibrant red and green salsas. Partnering with Bertha González Nieves, founder of Tequila Casa Dragones and the first maestra tequilera, Cantina Contramar will also feature an exclusive tequila tasting room highlighting ultra-premium spirits. The Fontainebleau first announced the restaurant back when it opened in December 2023. While the resort has been stingy with updates, Cantina Contramar is still expected to open this year. 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Buzz Feed

4 days ago

• Buzz Feed

Why Everyone Is Obsessed With The Viral Allison Plates

When 'Girl Dinner' took over TikTok in 2023 — thank you, Olivia Maher — it asked and answered a very important question: 'What if charcuterie boards but all the time?' It makes so much sense. Why limit yourself to one dish for dinner when you can languidly graze over the finest selections of meats, cheeses, breads, and other nourishing snack stuff? There's beauty in Girl Dinner's simplicity. All you have to do is open the fridge, pull out the good stuff, lay it out higgledy-piggledy on a table or counter, and commence to feast. You don't even need to sit down, although I suggest you do; sitting is always better than standing. And lying down is always better than sitting. So, maybe have your Girl Dinner while draped across a satin divan like a Roman aristocrat. As with all of the best TikTok trends, the community took this great idea and ran with it. First, we got the viral sound from creator Karma Carr that was used thousands of times by users sharing their own versions of Girl Dinner. These range anywhere from some of your more traditional-looking, charcuterie-inspired plates to things that are truly feral, like a bowl of elbow macaroni with peas. The latter is my personal, preferred version. There are other creators, however, that went the opposite route. They took the concept of the Girl Dinner and turned it into something you might find on a Pinterest board or on the menu of a Michelin-star restaurant. Enter the 2025 viral food trend: the Allison Plate. TikTok user @ally_wong has amassed quite a following — over half a million followers — by sharing her love of food and art. Her food creations do kind of give Girl Dinner vibes, but they differ quite a lot in spirit. Both are often an assemblage of random foods on a single plate. However, where Girl Dinner celebrates the random chaos that happens when you put all of your disparate favorites onto a dish (or dishes), the Allison Plate is far more intentionally constructed. Each meal places more emphasis on presentation than your typical Girl Dinner. Part of the reason Allison focuses so much on presentation is that she makes her own ceramic dishware. The literal plates used become just as important as the food that they hold. There are even some that seem intentionally made for the kind of food that will one day hold it. Take a look at the example below that has a specific, bagel-sized indentation. It's extremely perfect. Hey, you! Wanna cook 7,500+ recipes in step-by-step mode (with helpful videos) right from your phone? Download the free Tasty app right now. Besides presentation, the other major difference between a Girl Dinner and an Allison Plate is preparation. Several of Allison's dishes involve multiple, intricate steps. Take the TikTok below as just one example. She uses a leftover piece of salmon to make salmon cakes for ten minutes in the oven and "quickly" whips up an entire beet salad to go on her plate. While it looks fantastic, I imagine the average Girl Dinner would take less than ten minutes to prepare in its entirety. Still, there is far less preparation for an Allison Plate than your standard lunch or dinner, and it provides a wide array of nutritious snack foods for those 9–5 girls who don't want to just pick one thing to eat. And the Allison Plate really resonates with a lot of people on TikTok. Fans of hers try their hand at arranging their own platters, even going so far as to announce where they bought their plate. Many of the comments on Allison's videos point out two things. First is her pleasant, soft way of speaking as she gently places food onto her plate. It's like an ASMR version of food preparation. For real, I spent an extra hour just watching her food videos because I was lulled into a pleasant state of peace. See, Mom, TikTok isn't ALL brain rot. The second point from the comments is that her videos inspire the viewer to attempt their own plate and really be mindful of the foods they are choosing to eat. Many comments say that this intentionality helps them to have more balanced meals throughout the day. I want to make it clear that there is space for both Girl Dinner and the Allison Plate at the table. I think the wonderful thing about both trends is that they allow you to eat on your own terms. Some nights, you get home from a long day of work and all you can muster is a Girl Dinner. You get to pick out your favorite things from the big menu of life and just go nuts on them. That's freaking awesome. Maybe on the weekends, you have the time and energy to whip up an Allison Plate. You make a special trip to the grocery store, pick out all your favorites, maybe some things you've never tried before, and make it look like a picture from Martha Stewart's Instagram account. That, also, is freaking awesome. In my opinion, the overall goal of any meal should be that it makes you feel good. And that can look like a lot of different things. Sometimes it's a salad. Sometimes it's four hot dogs from a street vendor. No matter what it is, it should be celebrated. So, I am going to give my own Girl Dinner or Allison Plate a try this weekend. Here are some of my go-tos, no matter which I select: blue cheese, Smartfood popcorn, dried dates, Wheat Thins, shelled pistachios, Pillsbury flaky biscuits with honey butter, and an entire ice cream cake. Don't judge me, and let me know what you're putting on your plate in the comments. Whether you're building the components for an Allison Plate or trying to think of other quick meal ideas, download the Tasty app to browse and save over 7,500 recipes — no subscription required.