Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1532159
64 maconmagazine.com | February/March 2025 In this series, we turn to the passionate Maconites, those who call this vibrant city home, to curate their very own guides to experiencing Downtown Macon. Whether you are a resident seeking to rediscover your city or a curious visitor eager to immerse yourself in the local culture, these guides will open doors to new ideas and lasting memories. Discover what defines Downtown Macon: from feeling the energy of our bustling streets and exploring historic landmarks to savoring the mouthwatering cuisine and engaging with the vibrant arts and music scene. We'll let the insiders share more. M y M a c o n I N P A R T N E R S H I P W I T H N E W T O W N M A C O N I N S I D E R G U I D E S T O D O W N T O W N M A C O N INTERVIEW BY JULIA MORRISON | PHOTO BY JESSICA WHITLEY Jayson Reynolds is an old hand in the kitchen – but a new face to Macon. A James Beard Foundation nominee, Chef Reynolds brings more than 15 years of culinary expertise to Hotel Forty Five in Downtown Macon, where he was appointed their executive chef in 2024. Just as Macon is making headlines, Reynolds arrived after a stint in another hot Southern city, Huntsville, Ala, where he stewarded Revivalist, an innovative eatery paying homage to a historic tavern as part of a boutique lifestyle hotel. The difference here? Reynolds says it's that he got to Macon in time to see its rise. "We're trying to grow," he said. "I'm going to try something different." He started the new year with a bang by rolling out a new menu with his stamp on it for Loom, the New South restaurant within the hotel that aims for soulful sophistication. He's already been featured in Forbes and Southern Living. Now, get to know his flavor before you savor a plate at Loom. WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE TO MACON? It was funny, because – little story, I was going to another hotel in Tennessee. They wanted me to interview and I went there and I got hired, but I wasn't feeling a hundred percent. As I was going through the interview, my phone went off in my pants. It vibrated. It went to my voicemail and it was this place called Loom. And so one thing led to another, and I kind of thought, this was more like me. This is more boutique-y. It's just where I came from, and I thought it'd be a better fit. They invited my wife and I here, and I fell in love with the downtown area in Macon. Huntsville is kind of the same, but it's exploded a little faster. And this will do it, too. BEING A JAMES BEARD NOMINEE MAKES YOU UNIQUE IN CENTRAL GEORGIA. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT NOMINATION AND YOUR HISTORY AS A CHEF? It was called The Cottage. There were two names known in there, Gerald Buster and Carolyn Buster, who knew Jacques Pépin and Julia Child before she passed. [Editorial note: Carolyn Buster Welbon "created a phenomenon" as one of the first female fine dining chefs, according to her Chicago Tribune obituary. An eager reader should learn more about her.] It was a little French restaurant, and it was a bunch of nominees. I love that, too. It's about teamwork and camaraderie, about fellowship of the restaurants and the food quality. Everything was all just very clean, very prix fixe, very small. I was young at the time. Personally, I didn't understand food one hundred percent there. But now I've emulated that and kept on building my experiences, but my focus is on building the team. I find so many restaurants are missing just a little niche. When we came here, it wasn't as good as I wanted to be. It will be eventually. If we really strive to be something, I think we could be a James Beard nominee with this restaurant. SPEAKING OF THAT, WHY SHOULD SOMEONE COME TO LOOM? EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT STAYING AT THE HOTEL OR COMING IN FROM OUT OF TOWN, WHY SHOULD YOU COME HERE FOR SUPPER? I want to be community focused. I hear a lot that [people think] we didn't know we can come here if we don't stay here. And the funny thing about that is, I'm working with a bunch of different farmers. I'm going to try to get my own cattle and pair it with a butcher so I can get the protein