Mac's Anniversary Lookback
Take a bow, Brian and Jess.
Food as a verb thanks
for sponsoring this series
What a night. What a restaurant.
Last week, Mac's Kitchen & Bar celebrated its one-year anniversary with a "Farm and Fire" night that contained everything you want in a Saturday night: a long table of friends, cozy lights strung through the trees, warm fire pits, Lon Eldridge on the guitar and, most of all:
Mac's food and drink.
Brian McDonald and Jess Revels are doing some of the most beautiful work we've encountered.
"Thank you for coming," they said.
We wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Mac's is true farm-to-table, with the night full of locally-sourced meat and produce – mostly from Bertus Vandermerwe of Big Sycamore Farms – that was so gorgeously good, I'd fall silent mid-bite, just ... savoring it all.
McDonald grew up in Boston with family meals that had a healing, restful quality to them.
“You could lay down all of your burdens and dine together," he said in our fall feature. "You set down all your differences and your hard days and enjoy comfort food."
Revels was raised just a few blocks away from their McFarland Ave. restaurant, with "five generations of women alive when I was born," she said.
Together, they are creating something indescribably special.
Overhead, a flock of geese flew by and the spring wind blew as the stars came out. The fires grew warm, the conversation richer.
Over Pinot, our end of the table talked about the special and rare beauty that comes when folks find their calling, when work aligns with identity.
Take a bow, Brian and Jess. What you're doing? It's a gift.
"There couldn't have been a more special way for Brian and me to celebrate making it a year," Jess said as the night ended.
Here's to many more.
All photography by Sarah Unger (sarah@foodasaverb.com)
All design by Alex DeHart
All words by David Cook (david@foodasaverb.com)
Story ideas, questions, feedback? Interested in sponsorship or advertising opportunities? Email us: david@foodasaverb.com and sarah@foodasaverb.com.
This story is 100% human generated; no AI chatbot was used in the creation of this content.
Regional Farmers' Markets
Regional Farmers' Markets
- Main St. Farmers' Market
Corner of W. 20th and Chestnut St., near Finley Stadium
Wednesday, 4 - 6pm
- Brainerd Farmers' Market
Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave, Chattanooga, TN
Saturday, 10am - noon
- Chattanooga Market
1820 Carter Street, Sunday, 11am - 4pm
- Fresh Mess Market
Harton Park, Monteagle, TN. (Rain location: Monteagle Fire Hall.)
Every Thursday, 3pm - 6pm, beg. June 6 - Oct. 3
- Ooltewah Farmers' Market
The Ooltewah Nursery, Thursday, 3 - 6pm
Pre-order online for Thursday pick-up between 4 - 6pm at Bachman Community Center
- South Cumberland Farmers’ Market
Sewanee Community Center (behind the Sewanee Market on Ball Park Rd.) Tuesdays from 4:15 to 6:00 p.m. (central.) Order online by Monday 10 am (central.)
- St. Albans Farmers' Market
7514 Hixson Pike, Saturday, 9.30am - 12.30pm with a free pancake breakfast every third Saturday
- Walker County Farmers' Market
Wednesday, 2 - 5 pm, Rock Spring Ag. Center
Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm, downtown Lafayette, Georgia
To include your farmers market, email david@foodasaverb.com
food as a verb thanks our sustaining partner:
food as a verb thanks our story sponsor:
Chattanooga Area Food Bank
Our Mission is to End Hunger for Every Person in Our Region
What a night. What a restaurant.
Last week, Mac's Kitchen & Bar celebrated its one-year anniversary with a "Farm and Fire" night that contained everything you want in a Saturday night: a long table of friends, cozy lights strung through the trees, warm fire pits, Lon Eldridge on the guitar and, most of all:
Mac's food and drink.
Brian McDonald and Jess Revels are doing some of the most beautiful work we've encountered.
"Thank you for coming," they said.
We wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Mac's is true farm-to-table, with the night full of locally-sourced meat and produce – mostly from Bertus Vandermerwe of Big Sycamore Farms – that was so gorgeously good, I'd fall silent mid-bite, just ... savoring it all.
McDonald grew up in Boston with family meals that had a healing, restful quality to them.
“You could lay down all of your burdens and dine together," he said in our fall feature. "You set down all your differences and your hard days and enjoy comfort food."
Revels was raised just a few blocks away from their McFarland Ave. restaurant, with "five generations of women alive when I was born," she said.
Together, they are creating something indescribably special.
Overhead, a flock of geese flew by and the spring wind blew as the stars came out. The fires grew warm, the conversation richer.
Over Pinot, our end of the table talked about the special and rare beauty that comes when folks find their calling, when work aligns with identity.
Take a bow, Brian and Jess. What you're doing? It's a gift.
"There couldn't have been a more special way for Brian and me to celebrate making it a year," Jess said as the night ended.
Here's to many more.
All photography by Sarah Unger (sarah@foodasaverb.com)
All design by Alex DeHart
All words by David Cook (david@foodasaverb.com)
Story ideas, questions, feedback? Interested in sponsorship or advertising opportunities? Email us: david@foodasaverb.com and sarah@foodasaverb.com.
This story is 100% human generated; no AI chatbot was used in the creation of this content.
Regional Farmers' Markets
Regional Farmers' Markets
- Main St. Farmers' Market
Corner of W. 20th and Chestnut St., near Finley Stadium
Wednesday, 4 - 6pm
- Brainerd Farmers' Market
Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave, Chattanooga, TN
Saturday, 10am - noon
- Chattanooga Market
1820 Carter Street, Sunday, 11am - 4pm
- Fresh Mess Market
Harton Park, Monteagle, TN. (Rain location: Monteagle Fire Hall.)
Every Thursday, 3pm - 6pm, beg. June 6 - Oct. 3
- Ooltewah Farmers' Market
The Ooltewah Nursery, Thursday, 3 - 6pm
Pre-order online for Thursday pick-up between 4 - 6pm at Bachman Community Center
- South Cumberland Farmers’ Market
Sewanee Community Center (behind the Sewanee Market on Ball Park Rd.) Tuesdays from 4:15 to 6:00 p.m. (central.) Order online by Monday 10 am (central.)
- St. Albans Farmers' Market
7514 Hixson Pike, Saturday, 9.30am - 12.30pm with a free pancake breakfast every third Saturday
- Walker County Farmers' Market
Wednesday, 2 - 5 pm, Rock Spring Ag. Center
Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm, downtown Lafayette, Georgia
To include your farmers market, email david@foodasaverb.com
Food as a verb thanks our story sponsor:
Food as a Verb Thanks our sustaining partner:
Our Mission is to End Hunger for Every Person in Our Region
