Andrew McLeod – Cooking is an Exercise in Practicality

During the pandemic, people are more into comfort food, and the old classics that are on the menu resonate with them.

I don't view a dish as something that I created or that we created as a team, or that comes inherently from a creative place. I really feel that cooking is an exercise in practicality.

My understanding of a chef is that you've sourced the best product that you can from the best place that you can. That's your responsibility to figure out how to translate that into something that somebody wants to eat.

Most people that are serious about cooking have had periods where they really had an inflated sense of themselves. I was certainly one of those people that was really trying to do things that were far beyond my skill set and trying to be in places that I didn't belong to.

Chef Sean Brock always had the PIE theory – Product, Ideas, and Execution. That's something that was really important in our development as chefs and managers working with him.

You can’t properly express anything creatively without proper technique and fundamentals.

I'm a really open-source guy. I don't believe in secrets in the kitchen.

Filled pasta is always my favorite kind to make by hand. That's where I feel like I just have the most satisfaction of working with my hands.

Chef Sean Brock is the biggest influence that I'll ever have. He's the first person that allowed me to come in and see a real kitchen. I was never the same after that day. It just sparked me in the direction that I currently am still in.