He Wished Upon a Star(s)—and Got Them

“What I wanted to build was a very contemporary, classic restaurant,” says Ryan McCaskey, chef/owner of Acadia restaurant in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. “I wanted something that had a great level of service and detail. We change out napkins when it’s time for dessert. … Those type of touches you don’t see anymore. I always wanted to build a timeless restaurant.”

On this episode of #restaurantinc, the Michelin two-starred chef candidly discusses it all: his darkest days as an unemployed chef, the struggles to get Acadia up and running, the wild success story of his new seasonal restaurant, Acadia House Provisions in Maine, and much more. With Acadia, he’s worked hard to earn so many accolades, including a five-star rating from AAA (since 2013), four stars from the Forbes Travel Guide (2019), “Best New Restaurant” honors from the Jean Banchet Awards (2012), and six semi-finalist nominations for “Best Chef Great Lakes” by the James Beard Foundation.

Tune in—you don’t want to miss it.

Listen Here