Artisan Spotlight: Megan McCoy

Do you ever reconnect with someone and after doing so, understand why the Universe orchestrated a reunion? This is how I feel about Megan Marie McCoy. We worked together at Roister in 2016 as opening team members who were there from Day -17; she was a chef de partie and I was a host. I’ll never forget the first time I got to know Megan, which was over a post-shift drink in the second or third night of the pre-opening days. I definitely had a “deer in headlights” feeling internally after a first taste of restaurant life and as a result, I was taking in the banter of my company (Megan and Hadley, another cook) for whom it wasn’t their first rodeo!

Fast-forward four years and I’m observing via social media Megan doing amazing things and I was compelled to reach out to her. I am so glad that I did! The resounding word that kept coming up for me during and after our conversation, was aligned. As you get to know Megan you will hear about her early struggles in life and how she turned them into her life’s calling. There are warriors among us who have been through some shit and figure out a way to not only overcome stuff but also help others in their journey (hello triple M). Her current work at Althea and Alvo mirror her core beliefs, are professional extensions of herself, and truly showcase her talent. She is also engaged and getting married later this year. I am excited to continue to follow her journey to see the positive impact she makes in our world. I could not be happier for Megan and she’s proof that the fragments of life do connect and add up to something beautiful, meaningful, and profound! 💚

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Homewood, Illinois. The south suburbs of Chicago. My wonderful parents adopted me as a baby, and raised me with my older sister, Kelly.

I was sad to learn that you unfortunately developed an eating disorder as a teenager. What made you turn to cooking as a way of managing it and how did this make a difference?

Yes. This is something that many people are not aware of because I only recently have become comfortable with openly speaking about my experience. It was a very scary and difficult time, but I can give a lot of credit to learning how to cook for helping me through a long recovery. When I started cooking for myself and my family, I not only realized that food is a form of self expression, which started to raise my self confidence, but I also began to pay more attention to how nourishing ingredients can make you feel and function your best in all sorts of ways that I hadn’t fully noticed or appreciated before. I began to see food in a whole new light that actually saved my life.

Why did you aspire to be a chef?

Through my self-taught years of cooking, I found cooking to be increasingly enjoyable and fulfilling. I discovered that it was my favorite way to show people that I care about them. Hardly anything is more rewarding than a loved one’s appreciation for something you made from the bottom of your heart, and knowing that their body and soul are fed and nourished. I decided I wanted to do this on a larger scale. It’s a career that often times doesn’t feel like a “job” to me.

Do you have a philosophy or guiding principles in the kitchen?

Be professional, have integrity, treat coworkers with respect, and most of all put love and care into everything you do.

What did your years at Roister teach you?

It goes without saying that I learned endless technique, methods of cooking a wide variety of both familiar and unfamiliar ingredients, and how to plate artistically and beautifully during my four years with the Alinea Group. But the most valuable skill that I went in without and left with, was learning how to treat people so they know they are appreciated, and how to teach people effectively. I can credit most of that to my time spent with Chef Andrew Brochu and the incredible starting Roister team, who were a major positive influence on my career growth.

What did it mean to you to rise to a sous chef position with The Alinea Group?

It was an absolute honor to be offered a sous chef position with the Alinea Group. To me, it was one of those “I made it” moments. It was a wonderful feeling to have years of hard work pay off. I will always have high respect for the Alinea Group, I was incredibly proud to be part of the management team there, and grateful that it opened a lot of new doors for me.

What’s it like working for Althea, a fine dining + vegan restaurant?

It’s amazing! I absolutely love being a sous chef at Althea, which is a part of Chef Matthew Kenney’s plant based empire. I don’t think I’ve ever worked in a happier restaurant. I think that is largely due to the fact that it is entirely vegan - meaning I believe everyone on the team is extremely passionate about our concept and has a reason (or multiple reasons) for being there. It’s the most passion I have felt in a restaurant setting in my entire career.

Any advice for aspiring female chefs or those already working as one? (What did you wish you were told?)

Be confident in yourself, and never let that falter. Don’t let anyone tell you that you won’t succeed as a chef. Know that you can do it all just as well, if not better. Keep learning, keep trying new things, keep building yourself. You’re going to fail sometimes, but just pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and learn from it. (Failure is, more often than not, beneficial.)  Don't dwell or take anything personally. Being a chef is not for the faint hearted, but that has absolutely NOTHING to do with gender.

Given the hectic pace of restaurant life, did you know what to do with yourself in quarantine? Any silver linings?

I had a lot of time off. I used it to rest, recover, reflect, and get to know myself a little bit better. It was a time to breathe, and take a step back and envision who I really want to be. I took time to indulge in doing things I love to do, but hadn’t made time for previously. I took care of a lot of things that needed tending to and were weighing me down. I changed my perspective on work life balance and self care. When I was ready, I started looking for work opportunities before I returned to Althea. I was offered a head chef position with a start up called Alvo. This was a great experience since I had to figure out a whole lot on my own, as I was running the food side of things solo. I have now returned to Althea, but I am still working with Alvo through recipe development. In a lot of ways, 2020 was a challenging year for everyone including myself. But there were definitely several silver linings, and I am overall very grateful to be where I am and doing what I’m doing today.

Tell us about Alvo.

Alvo is a great concept. It involves smart kiosks located in places where people can conveniently grab fresh, healthy meals with the scan of a QR code from their phone. Most of them are currently located in apartment buildings, but hopefully as the world recovers from the pandemic, Alvo will have the chance to expand locations to gyms, office buildings, campuses, etc. It’s a perfect option for people who need something healthy and quick, when they can’t cook or simply don’t feel like it. Also, all ingredients used are preservative free.

As a chef, what do you want people to understand about vegan food?

I want people to be more open-minded, learn a little bit more about it, and actually try some great plant-based recipes before judging it as “rabbit food” or “lacking in flavor”. Both of these general assumptions are unbelievably untrue. Vegan food has come an exceptionally long way since it first appeared, and there are plenty of restaurants out there to prove that. Also, your body will thank you for incorporating more plant based or veggie forward meals - even if it’s just 1 or 2 days per week.

Favorite vegetable? Fav ingredient?

This is a hard question. I mostly love them all! How about we go with one I dislike - beets. I want to like them so bad because they are so good for you, but I just don’t. They taste like dirt. End of story. I have a special place in my heart for avocados, sweet potatoes, and every form of allium in existence. I also love ginger and all types of chiles.

Top tips for home chefs when it comes to vegetables or vegetarian/vegan cooking?

Don’t be afraid to try vegetables you have never worked with. You may find something new that you love. Also don’t be afraid of adding flavor. Add fat, add spices, don’t fear salt (this is for ALL the home chefs), experiment with sauces..the list goes on. You can make a plant based version of literally anything. And have fun with the challenge.

Why are you so passionate about a plant based or plant forward lifestyle?

I believe a plant based diet is extremely beneficial for our health. It is naturally free of cholesterol and low in saturated fat, and high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It leads to healthy aging and lower risk of common complications like cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure as we grow older. After switching to a mostly plant based diet myself, I noticed huge increases in energy, better sleep, and just overall feeling and looking better. Also, without a doubt, it is significantly better for the environment due to its effectiveness in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing our carbon footprints. As a whole, we need to start taking climate change seriously, and a good way to do that is to reduce meat consumption and start incorporating plant based meals more often.  

You are a talented painter/artist! Have you been into this for a long time? Is it a creative outlet? Any others?

I have been creating art since I was a little kid. It is absolutely a creative outlet. From a young age, any time I was sad or suffering a loss, I would draw. Anytime I didn't understand something, I’d try to draw it out. It just makes things make sense to me. I have continued to draw and paint throughout my entire life to this day. I actually went to Columbia College for a bit to pursue illustration as a career, but then changed my mind due to it feeling a little forced. Also, deep down I knew I wanted to be a chef, so as you know I went forward and pursued that instead, and left drawing and painting to be one of my favorite personal hobbies. 

I’d say the other outlet I have is running. I run daily. It’s my form of meditation. It resets everything and helps me to feel that every day is a fresh start. It gives me time to think, puts me in a good mood, and makes each day feel a little brighter and more optimistic.

What advice would you give young Megan?

Do not take anything personally and do not let others pressure you in any way. How other people act, what they say, what they do, whatever, has NOTHING to do with you. Stop feeling like you’re not good enough or like you need to conform to the ideals of others, because you are beyond good enough. When you become immune to the pressures, actions, and opinions of other people, you will not suffer.

(Can I get an AMEN?!?!)

You can travel to your country of choice….where are you headed…why?

Another tough question, because there are so many places I’d love to visit! At the very top of my list are Japan, Spain, and Greece. Mostly to dive deeper into their individual cuisines and cultures. Also for how stunningly beautiful they all are.

Where can we find you on the world wide web?

You can find me on my personal Instagram account (@meganmarie_mccoy) or some of my dishes featured on Instagram @alvo_co and @althearestaurant. Feel free to follow me and visit me at Althea, and be sure to check out Alvo.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me personally either; if you’re struggling and need someone to talk to, if you’d like to discuss cooking or plant based philosophy, recipes, chef experiences, or even if you just want to say hello, all are welcome 😊

Photos by Megan McCoy