An American politician can’t rise any higher than the White House. And for an American chef, the White House kitchen is an honor in its own right. So where does a president’s chef go after his time in Washington is up?
In the case of David Macfarlane, he opens a family restaurant. The Scottish-born Macfarlane served as a White House chef under President Clinton—where,
according to CNN, he once cooked a stuffed chicken dish that Clinton described as “the best meal he ever ate.” But after leaving Washington to spend more time with his family, Macfarlane and his wife Christina have finally opened their own establishment.
Called “L’Ecosse,” the French term for Scotland—acknowledging both MacFarlane’s heritage and his extensive French culinary training—the Minneapolis restaurant specializes in British- and French-accented comfort food. Starting with breakfast and lunch (with dinner to follow the liquor license, within the next few months), the morning menu features egg dishes with house-made sausage and omelets topped in Hollandaise; lunches include gravy-smothered savory British pies, as well as fried Atlantic pollock with house-fried chips.
Though the food is simple,
early reviews are positive, and Macfarlane prides himself on low prices—$3.50 pies, $8 fish and chips. He sees his skilled yet straightforward approach as perfectly suited to the times. "President Clinton wasn't looking for any of the fancy frou-frou stuff,” Macfarlane told CNN.com. "And you want to come in and get Bill Clinton's favorite, it doesn't have to be $15.”