Southlake resident Scott McKinnon built his passion for cooking at a young age. His great-grandfather owned five restaurants between Dallas and Houston from 1914-1930, and growing up, Scott spent time cooking with his grandmother, preparing the favorite family recipes that had been passed down from generation to generation.
You might have seen Scott on Fox television’s Season 14 MasterChef cooking challenge with the renowned Gordon Ramsay. Scott’s become quite the VIP lately, also recently making it to the semi-finals of celebrity chef Carla Hall’s online cooking competition, Favorite Chef, in which more than 86,000 chefs from around the world vied for the title. The competition raised over $4.7 million for the James Beard Foundation, one of the food industry’s largest charities.
Born in Houston, Scott moved to the Dallas area around age five. This local boy played football at TCU and met his TCU cheerleader wife there. His family moved to Southlake about 15 years ago. Scott’s daughter, Molly, who’s now a professional dancer, was captain of the Southlake Carroll Emerald Bells drill team that made it to the America’s Got Talent competition. His other daughter, Macy, is a food industry sales consultant who loves that her dad is now making a career of his lifelong passion for cooking.
Scott’s path to the TV screen goes back to early 2023. He had always been a fan of the MasterChef program and started researching how to apply. He made a video and sent it to the show. Within a few months, he was called by the MasterChef team. They were very interested.
Each day for six-months, Scott had to create a new video preparing a special dish, competing against tens of thousands of other MasterChef hopefuls. With the heat on, he was also running his own two businesses, as a sales and marketing consultant to large companies and as a private chef for events, corporate dinners, weddings, parties and more. What started as a fun side business has now grown into a major venture that fulfills both his cooking passion and his delight in sharing his personal creations with others.
Scott says his best moments happen when things are a challenge. He thrives on pressure, intensity and what he calls “walking a tightrope,” and what drives him is seeing people take that first bite as they savor the moment and great flavors.
In late October 2023, Scott received the news that he would be among about 100 cooks traveling to Los Angeles to compete in person for a spot on the show. He was one of 40 who made it onto the actual program. The season’s theme was “MasterChef Generations,” divided into millennials, baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Z, with Scott scoring in the top 10 of his category.
“I haven’t felt so alive since college football,” Scott said. “It was like pregame jitters and butterflies when the lights came on and the clock started ticking. To have Chef Ramsay tasting your food on national television was such an amazing experience.”
The show’s team loved that Scott is a Texas guy, and his signature dish - mustard-fried venison tenderloin, mashed potatoes, green greens and Southern cream gravy - was very well received.
Going on the show and gaining the momentum, confidence and experience of that awesome opportunity has shown Scott that he’s on the right track and has been a launching pad to grow his culinary business into a full-time venture.
On Thanksgiving, he’ll be the Celebrity Game Day Chef at the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest game of the year, against the New York Giants at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium. He’s working on a menu now that will provide an elevated experience.
“I’m so excited to combine my love of food and football on such a special holiday,” Scott says enthusiastically.
He’s also taken on another new opportunity, curating and serving a special menu two to three nights a week at Southlake’s Roots & Water private wine club.
Scott’s passion for cooking comes naturally. Dallas’ McKinnon Street, near the Crescent Hotel, is named for his great-grandfather, who ran a restaurant there long ago. As a latchkey kid growing up in the 1970s and 80s, Scott would come home from school and whip up his own meal. Eventually, he took over preparing holiday dinners and special gatherings for the entire family.
Today, Scott says he will “go anywhere” to provide curated culinary experiences.
“Have knives, will travel,” he jokes.
He’s traveled as far as Las Vegas and Santa Monica to provide his culinary expertise, and one of his most unique experiences was preparing a corporate dinner at a ranch where he was greeted by two giant Texas longhorns and cooked from an enormous, open-flame grill.
Preparing for these types of culinary experiences takes time, and Scott personally shops for all the ingredients. He offers unique experiences with wine pairings, themed and seasonal dinners, and even hosts events in his own home.
“Private dinners offer a chance for a unique ‘chef theater’ experience. While you’re cooking, people are interacting and asking questions,” he says.
Scott hopes to get more involved in television in the future, even though his current schedule is fast-growing. Bookings are running several months ahead.
“I love it, and I can’t wait to see where it all goes from here,” he says.
For more information, visit https://chefscottymac.com/.