Brian McDonald

Nothing more summer than heirloom season.

| Big Sycamore Heirloom Tomatoes | Peach | Dill/Habanata/Jalapeno Aioli | House Chili Crisp | Mint | Herb Oil |

Huge shout out to for letting me be a part of their Family Meal series, for their hospitality, and for getting me out of the house after brunch service.

From the very beginning, we truly supported anyone who chose to step out and do something different. Who took the chance to bet on themselves and chase their dreams, because so many did that for us.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without people like this opening their homes to us and letting me cook. As I cooked over the flat top today, I thought about every single one of you, and some of you were even present today showing your support.

When I say “It takes a village” it truly does, and today I feel more blessed than ever. From new additions to our team to ones that have seen us grow from a popup to a brick & mortar, and to all those who lent their time, hands, hearts, smiles, and care to this dream of mine.

Thank you for betting on me. For believing in me.

I will never be able to repay y’all but know that I think of every single one of you that have been a part of this journey every single day when I get to live my dream.

Truly, thank you.

Oh summer, I see you.

| Smashed kimchi cucumbers | Ember Roasted Peach | Local Honey | Ramp Goat Cheese | Radish | Mint | Sesame |

Due for a win.

It’s been awhile since I got to play outside of our home.

I’ll be serving up Trout Poboys off the flat top 3PM-Sellout this Sunday as part of their Sunday Supper. Along with some other stuff, come pop a squat and munch with us.

New for Chapter Eight. 5/9

| Pig Mtn Farms Andouille | Mint & Spring Garlic Chermoula | Mustard Greens | Pawpaw Vinegar | Fennel | Early Tomato | Labneh | Radish |

What’s the one thing that leads to success?

You’d think planning, capital, and talent, would all rank higher. But when talent can’t, hard work will. When capital isn’t there, hustle is. When things don’t go as planned, the will to keep going is still there.

Success isn’t linear, it has the highest highs, and the absolute lowest of lows.

I’ve never been the most talented, I’ve never been the most blessed in terms of money, and plenty of things have never gone as planned in my life.

But man; try to outwork me when I want something.

Because I didn’t hear no damn bell.

I remember when I was 7, and my crooked spine had us going to and from the doctors almost daily, and they told me I might never walk right.

You bought me ice skates to mimic the painful exercises to help straighten my back, and later joined me on the ice to skate together. Every stride led me away from predictions, and towards progress.

I remember wanting to be Roger Clemons, you signed me up for baseball, I was told to man first base. You told me to stay ready, the opportunity came.

My first pitch hit the backstop, I have never felt more embarrassed. I looked over, you were clapping for me. I threw a no-hitter, 19 strikeouts. Your clap was the same. I brought my first trophy to you, and there were so many more.

You taught me to dribble, you taught me Bird’s turnaround; I used it to drop my 40th point one day. Still drop people in pickup games with your sn**ch back.

Every time I cook I see you, every pan flash I can feel your encouragement. I remember when you walked in here for the first time, and I can never un-hear the voicemail of you saying you were on your way here.

I remember sharing a beer at the bar, you told me “this couldn’t have happened to a better man”.

And the whole time it was you, my biggest supporter, my hardest critic, and my biggest inspiration. The hardest times meant we just needed to work harder, and that was more often enough.

I could always look to the sideline and see your thumbs up, your support. And I still feel it, see it, in every single day.

Thank you Dad,

I needed that thumbs up tonight. We rocked the house, alone on the line, but I could feel you next to me, clapping.

Can’t get enough trout. Date night special.

| Pickett’s Trout Ceviche | Lime | Cilantro | Pink Lady Apple | Spring Onion | Dill | House Potato Chips | Herb Oil | Red Bud Flowers |

You can’t be scared of the work.

It’s going to test you every step of the way. Every failure, every service, is a chance to grow, a chance to be better.

Focus on what you can control, and pursue it like it’s the only chance you will ever get to do it, because it might be.

Value it, each and every moment, especially the hardest days. Let it humble you, but also recenter you. Remember when you dreamt of it, touched it for the first time, and especially when you almost lost it all.

It might ask everything if you. First in, last out, and always the last to be paid. You will be paid in seeing something you one day couldn’t touch, now be what touches your heart every night.

Work hard at enjoying the journey, it’s gonna be a hell of a story.

All this pain, one thing is, imma drink good champagne.

One. Fu***ng. Year.

Goodbye friend.

The greatest thing I ever ate, it took 39 years, but I found it.

| Pig Mtn Chorizo | Pickled Heirloom Pear | Flurfetti | Chatt Whiskey Mustard Seed Caviar | Herb Oil |

The most unlikely pairing, and the last of the 23 harvest. Goodbye friend; see you soon.

We ain’t picture perfect, but we worth the picture still.

Trout season is the best season.

| Pickett’s Trout | Lucky Cajun | Local Mushroom Cream Sauce | Local Turmeric & Spring Onion Butter | Herb Oil | Lemon | Trout Roe |

Childhood obsession.

| Pig Mtn Bratwurst | Mash | Brisket Au Jus | Pickled Pink Lady Apples | Kraut | Mustard | Herbs |

The biggest lie I ever told myself.

Was that I couldn’t do this, was that I needed more help, that I simply wasn’t good enough.

Good ole’ imposter syndrome hindered year one. I thought I wasn’t creative enough, strong enough, talented enough. So I gave in to it, bled my buisness on the thought that I needed more help than I actually did.

This coupled with the hardest year of my life with watching my father wither away with cancer, being beside him and watching him fight for his life every single step of the way.

Ending with carrying his casket and opening for dinner service the next night, because it’s what he would have told me “enough, you gotta get to work”.

This showed me my strength, my resolve, my ability to walk through hell and come out smiling. As I’ve done too many times in my life.

I don’t say this for sympathy, or condolences. I say this because you too deserve to know that you can, and will accomplish anything you want in life if you believe you can.

Trust that this is for you, spin the block if you make mistakes, no matter how big or small. Apologize to those affected by them, but especially to yourself, and go back to work.

Knock. Again. And again.

Opportunities don’t come knocking, they answer the door. You just have to believe that the next one will be the right door.

2024 is an apology to myself. I won’t doubt you again.

Your boy old AF, come make me hung the f**k over for brunch Sunday. MF’n Forty-piece.

Your boy old AF, come make me hung the f**k over for brunch the next day. Forty-Piece.

And that’s on bidness. 🤝

From an early age, like father, like son, it would take a lot of negotiation to get us out of the ocean. The amount of respect we both had for the power of the waves, the aggression, and all that made it fun.

I don’t know if it’s the sailor in my father from his days in the Navy or something bigger. Every hard-earned family vacation was to the ocean, and we’d surf and play amongst the waves with carelessness but respect.

My father has had a life of sacrifice, all he did for our family, my brothers, and me. Like the ocean, he tried to teach us how strong you had to be to withstand the waves. Nobody was better at handling whatever wave came crashing through, better than my father.

From a less than 1% survival rate of his double aneurysm to his silent battle with cancer. From walking himself out of the hospital after life-saving brain surgery to driving himself to and from his chemo appointments, he handled the waves.

Smile on his face, and jokes plenty. Through endless setbacks and struggles, his soul, the grit of the city, and belief that he might not have known how but he was still going to get it done.

The world’s tough, but you gotta be tougher.

I am proud to be your son, none of us were perfect, but neither was every wave surfable. But it was ALWAYS fun.

My hero, best friend, inspiration, and most importantly MY DAD. No matter what, I am proud of you.

This was fun. Tasting menu for chapter 6, I pay homage to my childhood favorite, the fluffernutter. Traditionally a white bread, peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff sandwich. Sometimes included jam/jelly if you were feeling spicy.

I used some slow roasted sweet potatoes and tahini that made for the fluffiest little “peanut butter”, meringue, strawberry preserves, and a white bread tuile.

Fluffernutter 4lyfe.

As I sit a little over a month out from the year mark of my restaurant, and after experiencing the dark months of winter not only as a chef but as an owner, I am battered but inspired.

How is it that we tend to appreciate the light, only when we have experienced immense dark? I am renewed, I see what is needed of me clear as ever. But this time instead of looking at the finish line, I am only focused on each hurdle in front of me. Eyes on a single item on the prep list, not the whole page.

And instead of being daunted by it, I’m excited to see myself jump it. Humbled by the journey, blessed by the opportunity to jump again.

I’ve learned that it’s okay to dream, to see yourself at the highest possible version of you. But to remember that there will be pain, disappointment of others, missteps, and oversights that hinder you along the way.

It hasn’t been perfect, and I think that’s for the best. I am more assured through the struggles in my ability to face anything, and find a way through it. I see me now, the Chef I am, and the Chef I am capable of becoming. All those moments taught me to believe in me, to believe I am capable of wearing this apron, and unlocking those doors every single day.

Still learning, still failing, still in love.

An ode to my childhood In Massachusetts, a landlocked Lions mane mushroom “crab cake”, herbed aioli, f**k ton of herbs, Meyer lemon, pickled mustard seed “caviar”.

Not until you’ve risked it all, not until you’ve alienated yourself from friends, family, and neighbors will you understand what chasing your dreams really means.

Not until you’ve lost it all, got it back, just to stand alone. Do you understand the cost of moving with your heart, or the pain when it isn’t reciprocated or it gets taken for granted.

This has cost me everything, as I knew it would. I’m sorry to all who may have experienced this journey negatively, it was never due to maliciousness, but I have to see it through. At. All. Costs.

Entirely. Through.

I wanted all of you here, I wanted you to bask in the sun of doing something meaningful to you. I wanted to celebrate you, I wanted to win together. I did my best, and at times it wasn’t enough. And for that I will always be eternally sorry.

I’m sorry if I let anyone down, it’s the price I pay, to sit alone. But for the first time, truly content with myself.

Learning every day, every service.

And still delusional as f**k.

It’s not just lonely at the top, the views are only outmatched by the pain it takes to sit in that position. And the weight I carried in 2023, for my business, my life, my family, nearly killed me. The only place I’m happy, is when I put that apron on.

Beating the odds since 84’. Excuse me, it’s only gonna get more disrespectful from here.

This time the comeback is personal.

The tasting menu has been a really fun addition to the list of experiences we offer at Mac’s. I really enjoy the playfulness, resourcefulness, and interactivity it forces me to have with the guests.

Having the moment to enjoy discussing, talking about, and teaching the guest what we do and why is something I’m growing better at. And it’s needed.

I’m excited about my growth in cooking, in business, but more so I’m embracing who I am. And being happy with putting myself out there, on a plate, and my personality.

This year has meant everything.

| chai masala watermelon water | pickled pear vinegar watermelon radish | herb oil | watermelon caviar |

Refresher course for Chapter 6’s tasting menu.

Good people are hard to find, consistently great people deserve disco parties for their birthday.

FCHWPO.

"Faith, Consistency, Hard Work Pays Off."

It’s the season.

But this year is special. Seven months into this adventure, and we are only here because of so many amazing folks.

This one’s for you, because without you, we are still in a church kitchen playing with food.

Thank you for believing in my silly little dream.

The most boring thing you could do is not try. You guarantee failure every time you let fear stop you from doing something.

What if it doesn’t work out? What if it does..

If it brings you overwhelming fear, that’s usually your call to try.

Every level unlocks more pressure, more problems, and more fear.

Embrace it and know that you are currently standing where you used to dream about being. And that my friends, is the opposite of failure.

I love the free flowing creativity we get with the date night prefix menu every week.

Top:
| Grits & Greens | Goat Cheese | Roasted Tomatoes | Chili Crisp |

Bottom:
| Plum & Whiskey Braised Beef | Carrots | Blistered Pepper Salad | Roasted Tomatoes | F**k Ton of Herbs | Radish |