ABOUT drew

Trust Fall was thrilled to have Chef Drew McDonald of Knoxville’s own Plaid Apron as the captain of our most recent dinner. Drew and his wife Bonni started their business together in 2011 with the intention of adding to Knoxville’s steadily growing food scene. Drew’s passion for food started young in his family’s kitchen, where he learned the true art of southern Cooking, and eventually led him to a business and food management degree from Lipscomb University, followed by a culinary degree at Sullivan University in Louisville. During his time at both locations, Drew got a taste of the food industry by working in some of the area’s best restaurants. Immediately upon finishing culinary school, Drew landed a position at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, where he worked his way up from the breakfast and lunch scene to a year as the assistant baker, before finally finishing up his career in the world-renown Barn at Blackberry Farm.

Shortly after Drew and Bonni got married, they spent a little time traveling around New Zealand, where Drew was able to stage at some of the top restaurants in the country. Drew has a large place in his heart for the cuisine from the South Pacific and his food philosophy has forever been influenced by his experiences there. When it was time to return to the states, Drew and Bonni moved to Nashville where Drew’s work began as a line cook working at The Capitol Grill in the Hermitage Hotel. He quickly worked his way up to Sous Chef, which provided him the opportunity to learn and practice the business and menu development side of the industry. Although Drew and Bonni enjoyed Nashville, they felt Knoxville was the place to create what has become The Plaid Apron. We’re glad they did.