Chef John McDermott

John E. Mac was born in the back of a waiting taxi cab in front of a Jewish Deli on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It was one of those unbelievably hot & humid NYC August nights. While the meter ran on, his father stood on a deli line under the hard shadow of the ceiling fans ordering Pastrami on Rye, lots of fat, and a Rheingold beer. On the back seat of the cab, sitting next to his laboring mother was a white bakery box, tied up with string red and white. Inside the box nestled in the deli paper, was one canoli, one napoleon, and one La Sfogliatella.

Growing up, John E. was enchanted by and would be led away from his home many times by the various aromas that wafted from the kitchens of the most ethnically diverse of locales. Again and again he would turn up at numerous grandma’s tables, hot dog carts, or peering into the rear kitchen door of some “Mom & Pop” joint.

This insatiable curiosity brought him to his first job interview in the kitchen of Lee Ho Fook. He was 14 years old. His feelings of marvel were greater than any intimidation when the manager raised bets playing Mahjong with the cooks and yelled at John E. to “get white shirt!”

John E. has dedicated his life to the craft of the chef. His quest today is to bring together people from all over and unlock the mysteries of each other’s cuisine at a common table.