By Mario García, for Passionfood.ec
When you walk into McNinch Restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, you feel like you are a guest in the home of friends who have invited you to dinner. This house could be your neighbor’s, a family that has lived there for generations. In the case of the McNinch, the house and restaurant have a proud history. Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, this building is adorned with shingles on top, clapboards on the bottom, and a meticulously designed slate roof. Its exterior harmoniously combines towers, wings, pediments and cozy porches, topped with an elegant arched window. The McNinch restaurant and house represent the best of the American South: the warmth of its people, the ever-present hospitality and good food.
Dining room of the McNinch restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In the purple-floored kitchen, McNinch chef Eric O’Connor is busy preparing one of his signature dishes: seared scallops, ready to delight guests tonight. Their food honors Southern traditions and culture in the same way that the building that houses the restaurant does. Two friends and I enjoyed a magnificent dinner at the McNinch over Christmas, when the Victorian splendor of the house was elevated by festive decorations, all in the spirit of the season the house celebrates. That’s when I first met Chef Eric, who has a habit of stopping by each table, introducing himself, and talking about his dishes with diners.
Nut soup.
He describes his cuisine at the McNinch as “New American Southern cuisine with a touch of French influence.” “Personally, I like making neoclassical American food: taking comfort dishes and elevating them. For example, when I make blackened grouper over Louisiana red beans and dirty rice, I’m doing just that: combining the food that Southerners love and call their own, taking it to the next level in flavor and presentation.”
The cuisine of the American South is Chef Eric’s biggest influence: the food of North and South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana and Florida.
The reputation of Southern cuisine is that it is full of flavor and is homely, rustic. I like to show people that those rustic flavors can be elevated to a fine dining experience.
An example of this is his seared scallops, which he prepares with a roasted garlic and cauliflower puree, stewed and purple cauliflower, chili oil and grated Burgundy truffle.
Seared scallops.
It’s no surprise that Chef Eric, whose inspiration for getting into cooking was his mother, emphasizes how great Southern food can be. The elevation of this cuisine to a level of haute cuisine has been a constant in his career.
My mother was my original inspiration. I always had homemade meals ready, and I learned to show love through cooking.
That stayed with me and remains that way today. However, it took me a while to become a chef. It was in 2012 when I decided to take that step. Until then, he had worked in restaurant operations as a general manager and managing partner. After earning my undergraduate degree in business and having a successful career, I decided to return to culinary school. My first job as a chef was in Fort Worth, Texas, at Winslow’s Wine Café. “It was a perfect place to learn valuable lessons and experiment with recipes,” he recalls.
One of those original recipes, which translates a very Southern dish from comfort food to haute cuisine, is their version of shrimp and grits.
Shrimp and grits.
“Shrimp and grits, that classic of Southern cuisine, was what put me on the map. My recipe won the main prize at an event in Texas,” he says. At that event, Chef Eric took all the awards: Best Chef, Best Dish and Best Overall.
In 2024, Chef Eric arrived at the Victorian house that houses McNinch Restaurant https://www.mcninchhouserestaurant.com/about. If your goal was to elevate Southern cuisine, you had found the ideal place, where that mission is an essential part of the restaurant’s history.
“When I arrived, the previous chef had already left, so I looked at the menu and was free to do whatever I wanted. So I changed 70% of the menu the first day. By that I mean eliminations and some modifications, but within a week we had formulated a plan and the new menu was in effect. The guests liked it,” he says.
But of course, what didn’t change were Ellen Davis’ original dishes, like crab cakes and crab soup. Those favorites stayed and always will.
At McNinch, Chef Eric began experimenting with wine pairings, working closely with the restaurant’s sommelier and highlighting the unique flavors of Southern cuisine.
“I got my wine experience in Texas, and I’ve learned that not all wines pair with Southern cuisine. For example, I sometimes recommend a crisp, acidic white wine because it helps balance the fat in dishes like seared scallops, which have cream and a buttery flavor,” he explains. “The same applies to another of my signature dishes: braised ribs with palm heart puree and asparagus gel with wine on top.”
Braised ribs.
Today, Chef Eric has assembled a dream team. “It’s about sharing your passion with the people who work with you. We learn from each other; Teaching is an important part of my job,” he says. Although he has been an official teacher at a culinary school, he assures that the real teaching happens in his kitchen. He finds great satisfaction in watching his team grow and become innovative creators.
For Chef Eric, the essential qualities of a good chef are clear:
A good chef must have patience and be a master. I like to surround myself with people who are passionate about cooking. I love the process of seeing my team improve. The better my equipment is, the better my cooking will be.” In addition, he highlights the importance of having a fine-tuned palate: “Trying combinations and experimenting with wine pairings is something we do as a team.
Finally, respect for food is essential. “That respect starts from farm to table. In Charlotte, I have access to fresh, local produce. I am a hunter and fisherman, so I understand that every living being that passes through my kitchen had a life before being processed. Respecting food makes the rest easier.”
If there is one ingredient that defines Chef Eric and his creations, it is passion. “I never hire anyone for their skills; contract because of his attitude. If you feel like learning, I can teach you about cooking.”
At 47 years old, Chef Eric is at the height of his career, perfecting dishes and reinventing Southern cuisine.
So how do some of these basic philosophical elements hold up in the face of artificial intelligence? I asked Chef Eric his thoughts on the topic and if it uses artificial intelligence.
“Absolutely,” he said enthusiastically. “Anyone who does not want to recognize the arrival of artificial intelligence has missed the boat. I use AI for research, and it makes things easier for me. For example, I have been researching a possible dessert for Valentine’s Day, a Tartuffe. “I was looking for different ideas, and AI helped me cut my research time in half.”
Image generated in DALL·E, of seared scallops on a base of roasted garlic and cauliflower puree, accompanied by stewed cauliflower and purple cauliflower. Prompt: Passionfood.ec
At 47 years old, Chef Eric is at the height of his career, perfecting dishes and reinventing Southern cuisine. When I asked him about his legacy, he said, “I want to be remembered for my passion for food. Food is the only thing in the world that can touch all the senses. You have the ability to change someone’s day. It is a great responsibility, and I want each dish to convey the heart of the chef.”
As someone who had the privilege of dining at McNinch, I can testify that we definitely felt Chef Eric’s passion in every bite.
Edition: Passionfood.ec
Article and photographs: Mario García
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