In Food as in Life, When One Door Closes, Another Opens. Harvest: The Dawning of a New Season of Food for McKinney

Photo Credit Paul Ernest Photography

ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER ONE OPENS
Since I started this blog last month, one of the adventures I've been excited about is food.  While I can't claim the "foodie blogger" status in the slightest, I can, however, claim that I am more of an "appreciation blogger" when it comes to local, up and coming chefs on the rise with a passion for culinary excellence, and restauranteurs who do good for the community. 

The old saying that comes to mind as I write this blog is "when one door closes, another door opens." As McKinney restauranteur Rick Wells closes the doors to Sauce on the Square and neighboring Grotto, in a week, he will reopen those same doors with a brand new and exciting Farm-to-Table concept: Harvest Seasonal Kitchen. Sauce's Andrea Shackelford will take the helm as Executive Chef.

Photo Credit : Paul Ernest Photography

THE CHEF
I sat down with Chef Andrea recently to get in on the excitement of this highly anticipated new restaurant and learn about her journey. Originally from the Houston area, she relocated to Dallas where she graduated from Lake Highlands High School and got her start working in a local bakery.  After graduating from SMU in 2007, she worked under the guidance of her mentor, Tim Bevins, at Dallas' own Dragonfly and Craft restaurants for 5 years before emerging on the McKinney culinary scene.

Chef Andrea brings an incredibly refreshing energy to this highly anticipated restaurant, choosing to work with local farms from Texas and Oklahoma as providers of fresh local meats and vegetables, and wild caught seafood from the gulf.  This energy spills from her kitchen out into the field where she works with these farmers, building relationships, and getting to know their processes, as well as participate in their adventures.  She rolls up her sleeves and farms with them. With this in mind, we're far more likely to see a farm truck pull up at the back door of Harvest than one bearing the name of a larger food distribution company.  This deepens the sense of community that anyone with an appreciation for the Farm-to-Table movement can expect to feel.

THE RESTAURANT AND THE FOOD
In addition to the Farm-to-Table element patrons have to look forward to, Harvest will also have a resourceful and Green element to it.  The space will be constructed and fitted almost entirely from recycled and repurposed materials from Sauce, and will accommodate 90 guests in the main room, with a private dining area in the former Grotto space, set to accommodate up to 60 guests. 

When it comes to the food there is one thing I can really appreciate from Chef Andrea, and that's simplicity.  While precise preparation is a culinary standard, she takes the approach of focusing on not overcomplicating the menu, and just focus on making good food.  What we have to look forward to is an adaptable seasonal menu consisting of traditional American choices such as Collard Greens, Fried Chicken with corn meal derived from heirloom grains from Waco, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Cajun dishes such as Boudin fritters, as well as common fish selections from the Gulf, one of Chef Andrea's favorites.  To top it off we have a flat iron steak option to look forward to and finished off with old school desserts such as a spice cake with a tomato soup base! Before I get too Rolling Stone about it, I'm going to stop there.  As someone who likes surprises, I don't want to ruin the fun. I hope to see you next Friday night for the Harvest grand opening.

Harvest Facebook Page

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen