Client Spotlight: McKendrick’s Steakhouse
A true steakhouse hearkens to a seemingly bygone era of glamour, charm, swank, and swagger. McKendrick’s Steakhouse in Atlanta is such a steakhouse, the kind of place where Ingrid Bergman would walk in just to rock Humphrey Bogart’s world. “Play it again, Sam” indeed. McKendrick’s Steakhouse was established in 1995 and has consistently been one of the best steakhouses in the country owing largely to its high standards for quality and consistency, its generosity, and its genuine spirit.
Only the Best for McKendrick’s Guests
The current head chef of McKendrick’s, Thomas Minchella, was the original chef when the restaurant opened in 1995; he briefly departed in 2001 and returned in 2007 to run the kitchen under Doug and Claudia McKendrick.
Throughout its 22-year legacy and with Chef Minchella at the helm, McKendrick’s abides by a philosophy of freshness and consistency.
- Organic fruits and vegetables are sourced from local farmers. “I have been on this kick to get the freshest produce in the peak of the season,” Chef Michella says.
- Steak and seafood are sourced from around the world at peak season to guarantee impeccable quality. Nantucket bay scallops, Japanese Wagyu, Alaskan day boat halibut with snowy white flesh, and Alaskan wild kind salmon from the Yukon are just a few items (in addition to South African lobster tails) that grace McKendrick’s Steakhouse’s diverse and ever-updated menu.
- The Zagat-rated restaurant’s extensive wine list has also been a winner of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence every year since 2003.
McKendrick’s Gets into the ‘Spirit’ of Giving Back
Part of what sets McKendrick’s Steakhouse apart from other steakhouses is its use of resources to engage and to give back in a meaningful way. The story goes that like many Atlanta locals, those at McKendrick’s also enjoy taking vacation time on the beautiful Florida Gulf Coast.
McKendrick’s recognizes that despite the perfection of the Emerald Coast’s sugar-white sands, not everything in South Walton County is ideal. There are many children and families along the Florida Gulf Coast who suffer from hunger, lack of resources, addiction, and other problems.
For this reason, McKendrick’s gave the best way they knew how—with food and wine donated through the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF), an organization that has raised tens of millions of dollars to benefit 15 local charities. Last year, McKendrick’s participated by offering a private chef dinner in the silent auction, an item that helped to raise funds among the wine-loving philanthropists who attend.
McKendrick’s is Genuine
The other reason McKendrick’s stands out is because they are a steakhouse led by people with a genuine passion for food and family. For example, Chef Minchella learned to cook with his mother at his childhood home in New Jersey. Now, Minchella honors his mother’s influence through his selection of favored Italian ingredients (fresh garlic and Tuscan extra virgin olive oil).
Chef Minchella also treats those he works with as family stating he’s “only as good as his staff.” He believes in the value of every member of the team (there may be an ‘I’ in foie gras, but there’s no ‘I’ in team).
These passions and attitudes are reflected throughout McKendrick’s Steakhouse making something special and iconic, something classic…something of quality, to be valued and revered.
Our favorite clients are those who are real people. McKendrick’s Steakhouse might seem like old Hollywood glamour on the outside, but on the inside, they’ve got huge hearts. We love sharing their stories. If you’re looking for a storyteller marketing company in Santa Rosa Beach (or beyond!) that’s sincerely interested in helping you tell your story, contact us, and let’s see what kinds of stories we can tell.
