Talking with Minnesota's James Beard Foundation Awards nominees: Michelle Gayer

Michelle Gayer at her Salty Tart bakery in the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis.

When Michelle Gayer attends the James Beard Foundation Awards in New York City next month, she'll be the state's first chef nominee in a national category: Outstanding Pastry Chef. It's the second time the owner of the Salty Tart bakery has been nominated at the "Oscars of the food world"; her first, in 2002, was when she was pastry chef at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago (where she wrote, with Trotter, the James Beard Award-winning "Charlie Trotter's Desserts," and where Bon Appetit magazine named her its outstanding pastry chef in 2003).

Since then, the Iowa native moved to Minneapolis, launched the Franklin Street Bakery and then went on to open her own shop, the Salty Tart, plus oversee desserts for Tim McKee's La Belle Vie and Solera (last year, McKee was named the Beard Foundation's Best Chef: Midwest, the first Minnesota chef so honored). I spoke with her last week about her Beard nomination.

Star Tribune: How did you find out that you were a nominee?

Michelle Gayer: A friend of mine told me that Sunday night that the Beard house was going to start Twittering at about 9 a.m. the next morning from this big party they were having in New Orleans. So 9 a.m. comes, the computer is on, and we started watching the live feed from Twitter. They keep pouring it out, and then before you know it, my friend Molly Herman, she does Kitchen in the Market [at the Midtown Global Market], she comes running through the market, yelling "You've been nominated, oh my god." And I'm like, "Oh my god," and then the phone starts ringing. I'm like, "Oh my god," I get like a total girl, I start shaking, I get a little misty, a little faklempt.

Did you call your parents?

I called my parents, yes, and my mother says to me, "Oh honey, isn't that nice, you finally won your little award." [Laughs]. Yeah, thanks Mom, you're right, I did. And then I just I left it that. It doesn't even matter. "Oh isn't that nice," she said. It is nice.

Mindy Segal from Chicago [of Mindy's HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar], who has been nominated I believe four previous times.

And you know Mindy.

I know Mindy. Mindy was the pastry chef at Trotter's when I was the pastry chef at Trotter's in Vegas for a short little stint. And I just know her because we both lived in Chicago for so many years, and the pastry chef community is a small world. We went to the same culinary school together, which is an odd connection. And then there are three other pastry chefs [Amanda Cook from CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C.; Nicole Plue of Redd in Yountville, Calif.; and Kamel Kuechida of Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas], I don't know them personally.

What does it mean to be nominated?

It means that my hard work is paying off, and to keep at it. It's pretty cool. I'm pretty psyched. Working in restaurants is hard work, and the recognition means a lot. I was nominated when I was at Trotter's [in 2002], but it's a whole different ballgame when I'm representing me and my business and not someone else. And I've just amassed so many years of cooking experience since then.

I did. It was amazing. Sherry Yard [of Spago in Beverly Hills, Calif.] won that year, which was fine. She's good people, it's fine, I like her. She was wearing Versace, like red strapless Versace [laughs]. I was pregnant with Isabelle -- really pregnant -- and was wearing some horrible maternity outfit, but that was fine [laughs].

What's it like to be at the awards as a nominee?

It's super-exciting and nerve-wracking, and it's really fun because you get to see all these industry people that you've worked with for so long, and now everyone is out having fun and no one is sweating in the kitchen. Having worked so long in so many different restaurants, I know a lot of people, and it's really great to to see everyone.

Has Mr. Trotter called?

He hasn't called [laughs]. I'm not sure if I should text him, hmmm. The big party that happens after the awards, there are all these food stations, and I guess this year previous [outstanding chef] winners got to pick who they wanted to cook at these food stations, so I guess Charlie picked Nori Sugie, this guy that used to work at the restaurant many, many years ago, so he'll be there, it will be great to see him. I imagine Charlie will be there too. He's super busy. He's already won them all, so he's probably not even paying attention. There were years when we would all go, but Craft New York would always have the most people in the audience. The New York ones always do. And when they announce the Best Chef: New York City, the place goes nuts. It's all about New York.

I didn't, because I didn't think I was going to win. And then literally, they call out the nominations and I go, "Oh [expletive deleted], there really is a chance I could really win." Oh, OK. So then I got super-quiet, and super-nervous.

This time around, are there going to be a few notes scratched out on a 3x5 index card in your purse?

I don't think it's going to happen this year. I think Mindy is going to get it this year.

Really?

I do.

Because she's been nominated four times before, and that's kind of the way it goes. After you've been nominated so many times, then it's finally your turn. And Minneapolis got a big award last year.

It's interesting to hear you say that.

Well, who knows? I guess my chances are greater this time around, because I've been cooking for so much longer now. Before, no one had heard of me, but now I've been baking for 20 years. I guess it could happen. If not, what I think I should do is take Tim McKee's gold medal to New York with me, and then after the awards I'll just wear it around to different restaurants where there is a really long wait and I'll be like, "What up?" and they'll be like, "Can I get you table, James Beard Award winner?" [Laughs]. Don't you think that would be funny?

Yes, but I wonder if Mr. McKee would find it humorous. Have you seen his Beard medallion?

I haven't.

No [laughs]. Can you see it? Like, "Hey Michelle, good to see you," with his award hanging around his neck. If I win, we may all take turns at the bakery wearing it. We could have tan lines during the summer. You know, "Hey, going to the pool?" And I'd be like, "Yep, me and James Beard here."

A typical day at the Salty Tart.

Have you ever cooked at the James Beard House in New York City? What's it like?

Yes, maybe eight or 10 times. It's the smallest kitchen, at least it was back in the day, it was shockingly small, there's like one little oven, it's super tiny. But it's very exciting to be there, because he worked there and he lived there. And there are always great chefs to meet. It's an honor to be there.

You'll be in New York City for five days. Have you already mapped out your dining schedule?

Where will you be eating?

I think we're going Friday night to WD-50. Then there is this new place, Corton. And I want to eat at one of the Momofuku places. And there is this new bakery called the Village Tart, it's owned by a pastry chef who was nominated last year and didn't make it on the list this year. I can't pronounce his name to save my life.

I wonder if it's Pichet Ong.

That's it.

I loved his place, P*ONG, I was so sad when it closed.

So are you working an outfit for the awards?