Dishing with Wine Train Chef Kelly Macdonald

I’m as guilty as the next person of becoming anesthetized to my own surroundings. I was reminded of that on a recent three-hour excursion on the .

I’ve driven up and down the valley so many times that I sometimes forget to really look. But rolling along at 12 miles per hour, the brilliance of the vineyards at the height of fall astounded me.

After appetizers in the lounge car, I lunched in the Gourmet Express Dining car. Built in 1917, it was originally a Pullman Sleeper Car. It has been beautifully restored to its original old-fashioned splendor, and my Salmon Hash Brown in Orange Beurre Blanc was classic Napa cuisine. It’s a great combination.

Executive Chef runs the kitchen, as well as front of the house. His message to Wine Train employees is straightforward: We’re in charge of this one experience in the life of our guests. It’s our responsibility to make it the best it can be.

I sat down with Kelly to talk about the challenges of cooking and serving on a train that requires good balance, focus, and a dedication to the ultimate Napa Valley experience.

Julie: You’ve been on the train for 17 years. Have you worked in stationary restaurants?

Kelly: I went through culinary school and was chef in a few places up in the Sierra foothills, where I’m from.

Julie: What’s different about working on a train?

Kelly: The biggest issue is a space thing. It’s easy to say, "that’s too hard to do on a train." But I try to do what is difficult even in a normal stationary setting and make it work here.

Julie: It must be physically demanding.

Kelly: Once you get your balance, your legs get stronger. You don’t think twice of it. Of course, we accidentally nudge each other once in a while.

Julie: What’s the one thing you can’t do on a train?

Kelly: A traditional soufflé. Too much rocking.

Julie: Your biggest overall challenge?

Kelly: Getting people to understand that we’re not just a train ride. I have the ability to taste wine as food. Everything is a food and wine marriage.

Julie: Do you do a lot of your food prep off-site? It seems like the knives could be dangerous.

Kelly: We cut on the train. But we do all our butchering, soups and desserts at my stationary kitchen.

Julie: How does the “open kitchen” concept work in such tight quarters?

Kelly: I like to embrace the fact that this is a real kitchen. It’s an intense situation back there and I don’t hesitate to be the chef I need to be, even when people are walking by.

Julie: You’re not cooking for show.

Kelly: We had a comment card once that said, “The red-head chef should simmer a little closer to the stove. He’s out of control.” I actually framed it. Everything matters. We’re in charge of your day.

Julie: You’re involved in every aspect of the experience.

Kelly: Anybody can cook. It’s what level you want to take it to.

Julie: And what level is that?

Kelly: The other day I found a WalMart shopping cart in the parking lot. I had an “aha” moment: I’m standing here in a chef’s uniform and calling WalMart about a shopping cart.

Julie: This has been a lot of fun. I get why you’re still here.

Kelly: It’s been a great ride. No pun intended.