On the Table With Naked Fish's Exec Chef

Photo submitted

Chef Andrew MacDonald grew up in Burlington, VT, with his family dotting the houses on his street. His aunt and uncle lived eight houses down, and his grandparents lived another 15 houses down.

Often, his grandparents would babysit for MacDonald and his sister, his grandmother a fabulous chef who had a green thumb and a huge garden with fruits and vegetables.

“She taught me the real meaning of ‘from garden to table’ that is a fundamental that I practice to today,” said MacDonald.

MacDonald graduated from Burlington High School and then headed to the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated with an AOS degree in culinary arts. He’s worked at Three Tomatoes in Burlington, Nashua Country Club and is now the executive chef at the Naked Fish in Waltham.

Keeping with the original concept put forth by founder Joey Crugnale, the Natick Fish features top quality seafood with a Latin twist and flare. Menu items include coconut haddock, seafood Paella, Latin spiced ribs, fish stew, and Brazilian calamari.

Most important chef’s tool: Your hands. There are a lot of tools out there to help you out in the kitchen but if you don’t know how food feels on your fingertips, then you really don’t know how to cook. Then second tool would be a wooden spoon; you can do anything with a wooden spoon - stir, whip, and mix.

In his fridge at home? Milk, cheese, mustard, mayo, jelly, fruits, vegetables, juice for my two boys, yogurt, meat, homemade salsa.

Ever cook for anyone famous? When I was a at the CIA, I had the chance to meet Julia Child and had the great opportunity to cook with her in the test kitchen for a demo she was doing at the CIA.

If you could cook for anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? George Washington Carver. I would like to see what his insight is on food today. I think it would blow his mind with what we have accomplished with his bio-science, crops, nature, chemistry and the world as a hole I think he would be blown away with what we are doing in the world today.

Best cooking music: James Taylor or some low-key Mozart

Favorite dish to make: I would have to go with beef stew. That is my favorite, but I love to cook, so really no favorite. It is sometimes harder for me choose what I would like to have, because I have a lot of ideas.

Most inspirational to you as a chef: Paul Bocuse, classic Nuvelle cuisine inventor.

Cooking shows you watch? Classic shows such as Julia Child’s “Bon Appetite” and Julia Child and Jacques Pepin’s “Cooking at Home”

The Naked Fish is located at 455 Totten Pond Road, Waltham

Know a chef who should be profiled? Have restaurant or food news? We’d love to hear from you. Email charlene.arsenault@patch.com.