Meal Magazine: The Future is Now

“When Ann Kim, chef-owner of Young Joni, Pizzeria Lola, and Hello Pizza, won the 2019 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest, she was alongside fellow Minneapolis-based finalists Jamie Malone (Grand Cafe, Eastside) and Christina Nguyen (Hola Arepa, Hai Hai). 

Kim's personal speech received a thunderous reception, and post-event, the culinary world turned to take notice of three chefs from the same city who shared a similar goal: to change the culture of the restaurant industry while making great food, on their own terms. 

The media coverage has largely focused on neatly packaged narratives: Women! Chefs! Changing food in Minnesota! And while true—and inspiring—those simple facts obscure the larger story of three chef-owners who have built vibrant, thriving restaurants from the ground up through culinary talent, uncompromising vision, and an unstoppable work ethic.

We popped a bottle of Marc Hébrart Champagne with Kim, Malone, and Nguyen in photographer Bill Phelps’s Northeast Minneapolis studio, and let the conversation flow.”