Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian McDonald.
Brian, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It all started in the Charlestown projects, just outside of downtown Boston. I grew up in a large family, with six brothers, and a house always full of family and food. My parents loved to cook, and loved having anyone and everyone over for dinner. My parents loved all cuisine and were constantly learning new techniques and dishes. There was a connection to food, that one can only have when one has experienced food insecurity in your life, and it showed in how much care my parents took with every ingredient.
We didn’t eat much fast food, instead, we spent a lot of time at Haymarket in downtown Boston. The farmers, bakers, and fishers all knew my family by name, and so did we. Once again, there was a deep connection between our food and those who provided it. As a child walking through the market, seeing people from all walks of life coming together around food was one of the most significant memories of my life. Food meant people, happiness, care, and love.
We knew where our food came from, we knew who caught or grew it, and we thought about them as we prepared it. Whether it was the comical moments of the locally caught lobsters slipping and sliding in our bathtub before dinner, or my mother making Tom the turkey dance in the kitchen sink, food meant joy in our home, and we treasured our meals and those we got to share it with.
Fast forward some years, and many careers later, and I found myself back in a kitchen professionally. At the bottom of the chain, I was once again starting over, I was a dishwasher again. And I had just started dating a woman who I think loves food more than anything this world has to offer, a Pastry Chef, and one of the most passionate and hard-working people I have ever met. She reignited my passion for food, through osmosis, and I started to push and hone my skills again. Our chef left for a new challenge, and I spent years transforming the menu into a fresh, healthy, and scratch cooking kitchen focused on quality and lowering food waste. I grew immensely, and quickly, and remembered why I loved it so much.
My passion for food overtook everything in my life, and I made it my goal to learn where our food comes from, and who it was that grew it. Be it for nostalgia, or whatever the reason, food brought me happiness again. The more I grew as a cook and launched my Instagram account the more people asked where they could get my food, and I found a fire inside of me to launch this project, then Covid hit. I was unsure of the timing, and if it was going to be the death of this project, much like the rest of our industry, we simply didn’t know if we would survive what Covid did to the industry. But after talking to several of the chefs that have reached out to me over years, lending encouragement and an open ear. I knew I had to at least try.
The pandemic taught us the value of life, and how quickly everything can completely change.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Nothing comes easy, ever. The biggest obstacle is almost always fear, especially when doing something that spotlights you individually. But I have found comfort in passing the light to the farms, farmers, and my team as I couldn’t do it without every one of them. The biggest struggles I have faced are in my own personal growth as a chef, when you begin to cook with the seasons, you have to learn how to leverage what is available to create memorable dishes in the short time you have in each growing season. A challenge that has been as fun, as it is difficult. And I couldn’t do it without the team I have around me.
We’ve been impressed with Mac’s Kitchen & Bar, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Mac’s is an idea, it’s a vision that is inclusive, and one that showcases the village it takes to get from the seed to the plate. We aim to create a restaurant that gets people excited about locally grown produce, and the farms that produce it, and help build a community that nurtures the growth of both the farmers and the local food scene. All the while lowering our impact on the environment by working with farms that practice regenerative farming techniques, and are community-driven.
The project has been an overwhelming success, and we have built quite a following very quickly. The support from the community, the farmers, and the food scene has meant more than I can put into words. Thanks to the overwhelming interest and support in this project, we have begun working towards a brick & mortar with hopes to open by the end of summer 2022. We are excited to continue to build our relationships with the farmers and help create a demand for local food. In hopes that it will strengthen our local economy, and nurture the mutual growth of both our business, the people we employ, and the local agriculture scene.
I believe in people, more than ever. We are all connected, and it truly takes a village to make it all happen.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Most people are incredibly shocked that I am from inner-city Boston. Long gone is my accent, and my love for the mountains, water, and everything that makes this region spectacular makes most people think of me as a local. But I love the city, the hustle, and the bustle just as much as I enjoy cooking over an open fire lost on a mountain somewhere.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.macskitchenandbar.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macs_kitchenandbar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/macskitchenandbar
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/mac_cookz
