Chef Brendan McGill
Image: Hitchcock Restaurant

Local = regional, native, topical

He may not be a native of the Puget Sound area, but chef, Brendan McGill has given a new meaning to local. To Brendan, it means sourcing products from area farmers, fishers, and producers. Here at Macrina, we are honored to be one of those local sources.

We’ve been a fan of his restaurant Hitchcock on Bainbridge Island since it opened in 2010. Not because they use our products (sure, it’s a plus), but because they make beautiful food. It’s no wonder that Brendan was voted by Food & Wine Magazine readers as “People’s Best New Chef”. Our sales manager, Rebecca Early rattles off reasons why Hitchcock is so unique: Brendan is an innovative chef who’s “very creative and very committed to hands-on”, he cures his own meats, his plates are beautiful, and he offers a “name your price” tasting menu.

Even before Brendan opened Hitchcock, he was a Macrina devotee. First introduced to our breads and pastries as a diner at Macrina’s Belltown café, he appreciated the quality of our products. Then as the newly-minted chef at The Apartment in 2005, he chose Macrina breads to be part of his menu. With the café down the street from the restaurant, the staff would walk over to pick up their wholesale order. He moved on but remained a fan. “I used different breads at different restaurants, but I really like the quality of Macrina,” he said.

Fir tip ice cream with brioche croutons
Image: Hitchcock Restaurant

When he decided to open his own restaurant, he talked to Rebecca about having Macrina bread on the menu. With two locations – a restaurant and a new deli next door – Macrina products play an even larger role. Our baguettes, potato bread loaves, and Giuseppe rolls, among others, make the trek on the ferry to Winslow to be part of his handcrafted, creative fare.

A native of Alaska, Brendan came to Seattle in 1999 for a culinary degree at the Art Institute of Seattle. His food is inspired by the Pacific Northwest and Europe, where he spent time traveling and cooking in Spain, France, and Italy. This marriage of European cuisine and Puget Sound’s seasonal bounty makes for a menu filled with personality. Starting this summer, he will use produce from his own farm on Bainbridge Island.

Local indeed, AND a national favorite.