Ryan realized his passion for cooking while spending his college summers as a candy-maker in northern Michigan. During his third year studying architecture, Ryan quit school and moved to Costa Rica where he landed a job cooking in a small mountain town just south of San Jose. This job helped solidify the desire to make the craft of cooking a life-long undertaking. Ryan studied Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University and, shortly after graduating, moved to Minneapolis. It was here in where Ryan began working with James Beard Nominee Lucia Watson. During his tenure at the locavore haven Lucia’s Restaurant, Ryan learned the importance of finding quality products and how to truly cook those ingredients with care. When Gavin Kaysen came back to Minneapolis, the choice to make a change was as clear as day. Ryan has since been involved with opening every one of Gavin’s ventures. When Ryan isn’t tied to the stoves at Bellecour, he can be found at his south Minneapolis residence tending to his foster pets and pretending to be a carpenter.