Macon Magazine

February/March 2023

Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1492931

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 43 of 123

Seasoned in service MACON'S VETERAN FOOD SERVICE AMBASSADORS BY SIERRA STEVENS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DSTO MOORE M acon has recently been featured as a top tourist destination in the United States – even globally – by publications like The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Forbes. This heightened exposure is in large part due to the preservation efforts of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, partnered with local and federal officials, to make the Ocmulgee Mounds a national historic park. Revitalization efforts in city planning, architecture, and the arts are making our city more vibrant than ever. The Cherry Blossom Festival and internationally-important music history have also attracted visitors for generations. But you can't travel without eating. If you see an incredible sight, then have an abysmal meal, you'll leave town with a sour taste in your mouth. Without a robust food scene, visitors won't stay long. And there's nothing to eat unless someone's cooking it and someone's serving it. When people visit Macon, the only Maconites that visitors may interact with are o en their servers or bartenders when they stop for lunch a er, say, hiking the trails at Ocmulgee or go out for cocktails a er touring Capricorn Records. What our hospitality and service industry people are doing is not only being Macon's welcoming committee but also our goodbye, and then sometimes every local contact in between. Luckily, Macon's service industry delivers incredible food and service, from veal and Opus One with Valley (Valentine Fernandes) at Natalia's, grownup milkshakes and homestyle pot roast with Leilani Rodriguez at the Rookery, and fried chicken and dressing so good that Dawson's Kitchen's kitchen manager Patsy Bevins has received marriage proposals, to margaritas and chunky guac with Lalo (Eduardo Hernandez) at El Sombrero, paella or prime rib with Julio Rosas at The Back Burner, and shrimp and grits waffles and vintage bourbons with Mike Reynolds at Downtown Grill. In this food issue, we knew we had to highlight some of the service industry professionals who have been doing that good work, so we sought out those who had been Macon's food service ambassadors for a decade or more. Here are some of their names, faces, and the number of years they've been representing the best of Macon. We want to give these local legends their due space and can't fit everyone in a single issue, so this will be a recurring series in the food issue. To recommend someone, email hello@maconmagazine.com. Learn more about each veteran by reading their interviews at maconmagazine.com. To those featured: We thank you for serving us all so well. 42 maconmagazine.com | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Macon Magazine - February/March 2023