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MacKinnon's goes 'over and above'

Chris Azzopardi

A salad isn't just a salad at MacKinnon's. Set in the heart of Northville, the 25-year-old fine-dining restaurant takes pride in the quality of its roasted duck, Atlantic salmon and Kobe steak.
But it's the classy, artistic presentation – a house salad with crisp lettuce kept intact by thin cucumber slices and rolled with mustard vinaigrette – that raises the bar. Owner Tom MacKinnon's son Ian and long-time employee Kevin Richards, who runs the dining room, manage the restaurant, which serves country French cuisine European-style.
"Since I don't cook, I don't belong in the kitchen," Richards says, laughing.
It's Richards' warm smile and friendliness that keeps people like George O' Leary, who has frequented the restaurant for its cuisine and extensive bar for six years, returning. "[The staff is] very sophisticated, hardworking and friendly," O'Leary says.
To enhance MacKinnon's service, the management has fine-tuned the staff. "When we first kind of took over we had to sort of weed a few people out and bring a few people in, and now they're stellar," Richards says. "They're like the best staff I've ever worked with. We all have the same goal: to make this the best place."
But still the elaborate décor – classy paintings, Tiffany lamps, a baby grand piano and intricate stained glass with a duck motif – remains the same. "The dining room is exquisite," O'Leary says. "It's a work of art."
As warm weather trickles in, MacKinnon's garden-like patio, decked out in plants, sunflowers and a fountain, becomes a popular place to dine. On the deck, MacKinnon's features live music from a young woman composer/singer and a guitarist on alternating nights, playing into the wee hours of the morning.
"We think of this as our home and when guests come in we want them to feel like they're guests at our home," Richards says. "We go over and above to make sure they're comfortable and make sure they have everything and anything they need. And if they don't we try to make sure they get it or make up for it in any fashion."
From the divine food to the serene ambiance, Richards wants every customer's experience to be memorable. "We're not like a straight restaurant or a gay restaurant. We're just a restaurant," Richards says. "We want everyone to come in and have a good time."
Richards' customer-staff relationship extends outside of MacKinnon's for patrons who might've thrown back a few too many beers. "Sometimes they don't have all their dinner and drink a little more so we're careful," he says. "If they need a cab or a ride we definitely take care of that."

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