The Line
Chef Ryan McCaskey
A native of Saigon, Vietnam and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Chef Ryan McCaskey discovered his passion for cooking at an early age. As a youngster, he would watch his grandmother recreate handed-down recipes, helping her out as he could, and his interest was piqued. He began experimenting and by age 14, McCaskey was the family cook.
Fast forward to 2010: McCaskey began plans for Acadia, fulfilling a lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant. Acadia opened in late 2011 and has since garnered accolades from both local and national sources. The most noteworthy accolades in the five years since opening have been a two-star rating by Michelin in 2016, a one-star rating by Michelin after nine months (retained in 2013, 2014, 2015), 2015 5-Star AAA rating, Best New Restaurant - Jean Banchet Awards 2013, and three Semi-Finalist nominations for Best Chef Great Lakes by James Beard Foundation.
"I think that chefs are built that way: we are never truly satisfied, and there's always going to be some level of push within us. I certainly don't see an end to that, I just go." – Ryan McCaskey