Inspiration

Months before the McHenry County College Board of Trustees approved my position, I walked the halls with executive Dean, Jim Falco. My first impression was a feeling of warmth and of being part of a family. People who now are my colleagues jumped from their office chairs to say hello. They shook my hand, welcomed me, and of course, many volunteered to be a taste tester for a culinary class not even developed yet. The buzz about this new program was resonating through the halls of MCC, and I was as excited as my new family members were.

During this walk, I picked up many Scottish names and references. The Tartan, which is the student paper; the Scots for our sports teams; and Bagpipes, our employee newsletter. Jim answered my question about all these references in a perfect Scottish accent: "But Thomas, we are here in McHenry County!" I tried to mimic his accent and failed miserably, but it was this exchange that provided a spark of inspiration. I wanted to follow this tradition, this heritage, and contribute to it for community, colleagues and students. And that contribution would be a student-run restaurant.

As we developed our restaurant class, thoughts turned to naming. What would we call it? Online research gave me ideas that included Drammlicks, which translates to "small pieces"; Soop, which means "soup"; and finally the Scottish toast, Slàinte, which means "to good health."

I fell in love with the idea of naming our student-managed restaurant Slàinte, which represented MCC’s connection to the Scottish roots of our community. To good health also encompassed what my values and vision as a chef and educator are about: integrity of food, use of local producers, sustainability, and a strong foundation in business to provide a healthy look at financial management and restaurant operations. Our ultimate vision is to create a program that emphasizes best practices, but is also open to innovation and is just a little bit ahead of trend setting.

--Chef Thomas