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As the saying goes, if you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. No one understands that better than Scott McKinnon. Fresh off of launching his new private chef business, one of his first large-scale gigs was cooking for a big annual gala where he served over 320 plates to hungry patrons. To make it even harder for himself, two of those dishes were notoriously finicky handmade ravioli, one stuffed with brisket and the other stuffed with spinach ricotta.
By the end of the meal, the Southlake chef was sweaty and exhausted, but completely elated. With hundreds of visibly satisfied and happy diners, the effort ended up being well worth it.
“It was a lot of work, but I can say that we did that,” Scott states.
Every chef’s culinary journey starts somewhere. Whether it’s Emeril Lagasse at his neighborhood bakery, Bobby Flay at a local pizza parlor, or Gordon Ramsay washing dishes at an Indian restaurant, humble beginnings often foster a shared love of handmade cuisine.
Scott’s upbringing is no different, first learning to cook in his parent’s kitchen during his teenage years. But unlike many chefs who honed their skills at prestigious culinary schools, his education came from a different teacher — TV.
“It was a lot of trial and repeat, and quite a bit of ‘Food Network’ too,” he remarks.
Today, Scott has shifted from watching chefs on TV to competing alongside them on “MasterChef Generations.” Whether it’s his penchant for authentic flavors or his affinity for creating curated dining experiences at home, this self-made chef proves that passion is the secret ingredient behind every dish.
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
Growing up as a latchkey kid in Dallas, Scott juggled multiple sports in high school and often came home hungry after practice. But with both of his parents busy working full-time, he frequently found himself alone at dinnertime.
“I always came home starving, so I quickly realized that I gotta figure this out and get functional, because nobody else was going to do this for me,” he says. “It kind of started out of necessity.”
Starting with simple recipes like grilled sandwiches and spaghetti and meatballs, Scott taught himself basic kitchen skills and started getting into a routine of cooking for one. As he continued to work on his palate and pan-frying, he soon discovered that his culinary roots ran deep — his great-grandfather, renowned restaurateur Billy McKinnon, ran five restaurants in Houston and Dallas in the 1920s. He even had a street named after him near Uptown Dallas for his contributions to the food service industry.
“It’s literally in my blood,” Scott says. “He had a high-end, five-star champagne, orchestra, caviar-type venue for those fine dining enthusiasts, but he also had day buffets for the hard labor workers. He catered to every type of customer.”
Scott continued to build upon his culinary repertoire, even after graduating from Texas Christian University, starting a marketing career and marrying his college sweetheart, Kimberly. When kids came into the picture, it was a no-brainer that he would assume the role of family chef, indulging his two daughters with delightful delicacies such as hickory-smoked brisket and ribs, crispy quail breasts and veal caprese.
“Every holiday, every birthday, every event was always at our house,” he recalls. “Everyone always wanted me to cook.”
While he thrived in a 30-year sales career, Scott always felt a pull back toward the kitchen. His original recipes became so popular amongst family and friends that they encouraged him to open his own restaurant.
But his business savvy told him that it wasn’t the right time to establish a new restaurant, especially with rising food and labor costs. So instead, he strategically spearheaded a private chef business, allowing him the freedom and flexibility to cook wherever and however he wanted.
“I wasn’t interested in being a caterer,” Scott clarifies. “I don’t want people serving my food out of a buffet. I wanted it to be a plated, seated thing. I wanted it to be an experience.”
COOKING FOR THE CAMERA
While Scott was excited to launch his private chef business in early 2023, it wasn’t without its challenges.
Business started slow with only a handful of interested clients, and his time was split between his cooking and consulting enterprises.
“It wasn’t by any means paying the bills,” he says. “I was just getting started.”
That all changed just a month into his new culinary venture when he was watching “MasterChef” at home by himself. Debuting in 2010, this popular American reality competition has run for 14 seasons and features chefs participating in various cooking challenges. Their dishes are then reviewed by a handful of highly discerning judges who have already proven themselves in the restaurant industry. Winners of each challenge get to remain on the show in their pursuit of the title of master chef.
As a longtime fan of the show, Scott always wanted to test his skills against similarly talented chefs. With his wife and kids out of town for a vacation, he had the time to research the application process and film himself preparing a show-stopping horseradish-crusted salmon with cauliflower puree.
“I’ve always wanted to audition for ‘MasterChef,’ and this was really the only opportunity I had to do it,” he says. “I decided to just go ahead and do it and didn’t think anything about it.”
A few months later, Scott got a surprise call from the showrunners inviting him to be part of the show. Little did he know that was only the first step to his “MasterChef” journey, as the next several months would be filled with intensive cooking challenges that would continue to push him to the limit.
Fox
“From June until November, I was completely consumed,” Scott recalls. “I was just getting these constant phone calls. ‘We need you to cook this dish.’ ‘We need this video.’ ‘We need this picture.’ ‘Here are five ingredients, make something out of this.’ I did my day job, and I did my ‘MasterChef’ stuff at night. It was crazy.”
Out of 40,000 initial applicants, only 100 chefs, including Scott, were flown out to LA by the end of the year. But the group faced several more rounds of off-screen cooking challenges before the final 40 were selected to appear on the show.
“As we got to the studio, half of the group was motioned upstairs, while the other half was sent down,” he recollects. “You knew that one of those was the right room to be in.”
Thankfully, that was the room he found himself in when the producers told him he made it.
“I thought the floor was going to crash through the ceiling,” Scott expresses. “So many months of hard work went into this. To be finally told that you were going to be on ‘MasterChef’ — it was unreal.”
For the first time in the series, season 14 divided the contestants into four eras of cooking talent for “MasterChef: Generations” — Baby Boomers, Gen Z, Millennials and Scott’s group, Gen X. To advance past the televised audition round, contestants needed to prepare a dish of their choice for judging. If they secured three “yeses,” they earned an apron and got to advance further into the competition.
Scott was ready and eager to impress the judges, but as soon as he fired up his stove, he quickly realized cooking on a TV show was much different from cooking at home.
“There were no less than 20 cameras on me at a time,” he says. “There were overhead cameras at my station, there were handhelds, there were story producers interrupting me while I was cooking. You had to think on your feet, talk and cook all at the same time, and that’s before the judges even came out. It was like an out-of-body experience.”
For his dish, Scott prepared his family-favorite mustard-fried venison backstrap with mashed potatoes and southern cream gravy. While a notoriously tough and lean cut of meat, the kitchen professional knew from experience that it would prove flavorful if properly tenderized and marinated.
His first “yes” came from Gordon Ramsay, who was particularly fond of the breading and texture. Aaron Sanchez gave the second “yes,” calling his venison a “pleasurable bite.” It all came down to Joe Bastianich, and while he complimented the dish, he felt it was underseasoned and gave a decisive “no” that unfortunately ended Scott’s “MasterChef” dreams early.
Despite his disappointment, the go-getter was welcomed by a supporting crowd cheering him on, as well as his family greeting him with open arms. Kimberly reassured an emotional Scott with her usual words of encouragement — “You’re our MVP.”
“The whole experience was amazing,” Scott says. “Even the six months pre-auditioning, all the cuts on the ground in LA, getting to cook alongside all of these amazing chefs — it really gave me the confidence that I was going in the right direction. It gave me the confidence to keep going.”
THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Scott’s 15 minutes of fame didn’t end with “MasterChef.” Upon returning home, he had several new clients waiting for him, eager to taste his creations.
“It’s truly a business where if you do it right, you do more,” he says. “I try really, really hard not to turn down anything. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve said ‘no.’”
Before he even puts a pan on the stove, the culinary expert begins with a one-on-one consultation to clarify what the client is looking for. And by partnering with local wine clubs in Southlake, the food aficionado is well-prepared for any dining experience, be it Texas-Italian fusion, regional cuisine or thoughtfully prepared five- course meals.
“What I enjoy most about it is that we’re building a community of like-minded people that really appreciate high-end cuisine,” he says. “Food’s always been my passion, but I never thought about how rewarding the people side of the business would be too.”
Despite his dashed “MasterChef” hopes, the skilled chef maintains his competitive edge. Not only did he make it to the semifinals for Carla Hall’s Favorite Chef online cooking competition, but he was also selected to cook for the Dallas Cowboys’ main club level on Thanksgiving Day during their game against the New York Giants.
But whether he’s cooking for high-end business executives or a small and intimate engagement party, Scott is proud of every special cooking experience he gets to share with others.
“I’m part of some really important memories in people’s lives,” Scott says. “That’s part of what drew me into the private chef business. It’s more than just cooking.”