Kyle McClelland

Some Dallasites may remember Kyle McClelland from his days at The Cedars Social. He helped start that restaurant with friends he’d known since their early days at Toppers at the Wauwinet on Nantucket, Mass. McClelland was born and raised in Cape Cod and also worked at Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain, N.Y., and Caviar Russe in New York City before starting his own restaurant, Prospect, in Brooklyn. Prospect was a critical success. It received great reviews from all the New York papers and a Michelin rating, and it was McClelland’s dream come true. Lucky for us, he grew weary of paying a large kitchen staff and scraping to pay his own exorbitant rent. “If the restaurant isn’t doing that well financially, whose pay has to get cut? That’s me,” he says. McClelland is working on a program of oysters and absinthe at Driftwood, and he’s hired pastry chef Annika Loureiro from Cedars Social and Prospect.

What is in your fridge right now?

I’ve been living at my friend’s house for a month and a half until my loft is ready, but I actually went to the market the other day. I got some melons — melons are very nice right now — red grapes, Cocoa Pebbles. I love Cocoa Pebbles. Lots of drinks; I’m a drink guy. I got white grape juice, Fresca I bought some of that Blue Bell blackberry cobbler. But yeah, I buy Honey Bunches of Oats and Cocoa Pebbles, and I mix ’em.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My knife.

What is the least-used thing in your home kitchen?

Probably my stove.

What is your ideal comfort food?

Watching Sunday football and eating a bucket of chicken. That’s comforting.

Your significant other has family coming in for the weekend — what do you cook for them?

I’ll go to the market and get what I think looks freshest. Some seafood. It’s grilling season right now. Recently I did some halibut and dry-aged rib-eyes and then grilled vegetables. When I’m at home, I’m not too meticulous; I’m very simple.

If you could cook for anyone, who would it be and what would you make?

My grandfather. He passed away right before I graduated high school. My mother’s father. They lived up in New Hampshire. He would come home with bags of lobsters, and we would whole-boil them and dip them in butter. That was such an amazing thing when I was a kid. I remember having those moments, and I never really got to cook for him.

If you had to eat the same lunch every day for the rest of your life, but it could be anything in the world, what would it be?

I’m a smoothie guy. That’s my lunch and breakfast [pointing to his mango smoothie from Bolsa Mercado], besides Cocoa Pebbles.

What is your favorite neighborhood restaurant for a quick meal?

I like going to Dalat [on North Fitzhugh]. They’re open late, so for me, it’s like I can get out of here and go get a bowl of noodles.

What dish have you created that you’re really proud of?

I’ve been doing the Dover sole since Nantucket. Right now, we do it with fresh pea tendrils, smoky bacon, duck-fat potatoes and whole roasted onions, à la meunière style, garlic-lemon breadcrumbs. It’s a very classic French dish. It’s good.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever cooked?

My ‘Chopped’ experience. I got leftovers. It was horrible.

Has a food critic ever hurt your feelings?

No. Because it’s only one person. We had 144 write-ups in the first year of Prospect. Most of them were very positive. We got all great things, but I guess … it’s only one person. I get the best feedback from my guests.

You just received a $1,000 bonus and two consecutive days o . What’s on the agenda?

I’m pretty close to Mexico. I’d take a couple days on the beach. Just relax. Or I’d just sleep and keep the $1,000.

What’s on your DVR right now?

‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Silicon Valley’ … I watch a lot of series like that.

What is your favorite major-league sports team?

I take a lot of crap for this, but I am a Yankees fan. I am a Steelers fan. For hockey, the Bruins. For basketball, it’s so hard. I’m a Boston Celtics fan, but since half my Celtics team moved to Brooklyn, and I lived in Brooklyn, I became partial to the Brooklyn Nets as well.

What is your Starbucks order?

Grande Hazelnut iced co ee, usually, and sometimes a classic co ee cake.

What is your opinion of reality TV cooking shows?

They’ve made this industry look glamorous, and it’s not. This industry is hard. It’s very, very hard. You’ve got to have a love for food because it can beat you down. I am very work-driven, and a lot of people don’t understand why my life is my work and my job. But I set goals for myself, and I was going to achieve them, and I did. Now I have new goals.

What’s the best advice you’ve received so far in your career?

My mentor, Dave Daniels — I worked for him about eight years in Boston and Nantucket. He definitely showed me the ropes, but he always told me to leave my [baggage] at the door. No matter what’s going on in your life, this is your place where you can let it go and have a little sanctuary. This is the place that you can do what you love to do and not worry about anything else.

Questions and answers have been edited for brevity

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