Marcus Samuelsson, Curtis Stone among big-name chefs coming to Minneapolis for Synergy Series

Culinary stars will travel from both coasts to cook alongside Gavin Kaysen at his North Loop restaurant Spoon and Stable as his Synergy Series returns this summer. The popular event includes dinners and a separate dialogue, where the chefs share their stories. This year's lineup of chefs includes Mei Lin, James Kent, Curtis Stone and local favorite Marcus Samuelsson.

The big-ticket items are the two nights of collaborative dinners prepared at Spoon and Stable with dishes from both kitchens. Reservations are available in the dining room for the full experience, while some lounge seats will offer a shortened tasting menu, and bar seats will be available first come, first served with an a la carte snack menu. Ticket prices range from $195 to $595, depending on seating; reservations are available the month before each event for the dining room, two weeks for bar and lounge seating.

A select number of season passes go on sale at noon on May 2 at TheSynergySeries.com. Passholders will get one guaranteed reservation at each chef's dinner, attendance at the dialogue, plus a signed copy of their cookbook (if they have one), and a gift bag from the dinners' sponsors. Cost is $2,500 per person.

As in years past, the chefs will also take part in a moderated discussion on the second day of their visit. Moderated by hospitality professional Alison Arth, the conversations will be held at the new Four Seasons Minneapolis, where Kaysen will operate restaurants Mara and Socca Cafe. The talks, which will also be streamed online, are $10 — a more affordable way to gain access to the chef's thoughts and experiences.

"With each of these chefs, our lives and careers have crossed paths in significant and meaningful ways," said chef Gavin Kaysen in a statement.

Past participants included notable chefs Daniel Boulud, Traci Des Jardins, Missy Robbins, Thomas Keller, among others.

"I recently looked at our website to see who has joined us in the past four years," Kaysen said. "I have a wall in my office where all of these chefs sign after their dinner. I am humbled by who has walked through these doors."

Here's this year's lineup:

Mei Lin, July 21-22: Kicking things off will be Lin, the "Top Chef" season 12 winner who owns the acclaimed Nightshade, which was a James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant, and last year open the Szechuan hot chicken/fast-casual Daybird, both in Los Angeles. She got her culinary start working alongside her parents at their family-owned Chinese restaurant and worked with top-name chefs before opening her own restaurants. Tickets on sale June 1 at noon.

James Kent, Sept. 15-16: Kent represented the United States in the prestigious Bocuse d'Or international culinary competition, which Kaysen has been involved in. Kent has also worked inside some of the most highly acclaimed kitchens in New York, including Jean-George, Eleven Madison Park and NoMad. He's currently the executive chef at Saga and the Michelin-starred Crown Shy. Tickets on sale Aug. 1 at noon.

Curtis Stone, Oct. 27-28: The Australian-born, Los Angeles-based chef has appeared on numerous television shows, including "Top Chef Masters," "Take Home Chef" and "Top Chef Junior" and is a bestselling cookbook author with six titles under his belt. Stone opened his first restaurant in 2014 — Maude in Beverly Hills — followed by Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant in Hollywood and Georgie in Dallas. Tickets on sale Sept. 1 at noon.

Marcus Samuelsson, Dec. 1-2: The series wraps up with Samuelsson, a chef who has actually experienced a Minnesota winter. Samuelsson is the onetime chef of Aquavit (which used to have a location in the IDS Center). He's since become a television personality, cookbook author and memoirist and has restaurants all over the world, including Red Rooster Harlem. Tickets on sale Nov. 1 at noon.

The dinners have always benefited a charity of Kaysen's choosing, usually one he has a personal connection to. "Our last partner was World Central Kitchen," said Kaysen, "Which is a far-reaching international organization. It seems fitting for us to come back this year and focus on a local organization." This year a portion of ticket sales will be donated to The Constellation Fund, a group dedicated to fighting poverty in the Twin Cities by raising the living standards of individuals and families living below the poverty line. The charity was founded by entrepreneur Andrew Dayton (he also was a co-owner of the former Bachelor Farmer).

"The intention for the Synergy Series was to bring chefs to our community who may not have been to Minneapolis before," Kaysen said. "We want to expose them to what is here and offer our team a fresh perspective of how others cook, run a team, work a room filled with guests. It was, and has always been, about the collaboration, the spirit of mentorship, and a moment to show our young cooks and team members that everything you want is achievable, you just have to go and get it."