Eat, Drink & Be Married

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

My original plan was to write one post, neatly bundling up our food experience from both the wedding and the honeymoon. I know now, that just isn’t possible. Our wedding was, in the words of our friends, more like a food tour during which two people happened to get married (note: this is actually EXACTLY what we wanted). Our honeymoon was a non-stop decadent meal (this is also exactly what we wanted). That being said, a singular post just won’t do. Instead, I’ve decided on a three post series. One post for the wedding, one for France and one for Croatia. Let’s start at the beginning … our wedding day. Continue Reading

Eight Tips to Enjoy Your Local Farmer’s Market

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

One of my favorite things about the summer season is shopping at the local farmer’s markets. There is something to be said about locally sourced food and the experience itself. I like to wake up early, head down to the market, stop at my favorite pop up café and then scope out the scene before I start But first, coffeeshopping. Speaking of scoping out the scene, that’s one of the eight pieces of advice I am going to elaborate on in today’s post. While wandering aimlessly around the farmer’s market is enjoyable, it can help to go in with a plan. Here are my top eight tips (in no particular order) for an optimal summer market experience.Continue Reading

Holiday Shopping in Pawling

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

 

 

I know that some of you are going to run in the opposite direction when I bring this up but … it’s almost time to start holiday shopping. Seriously, this Sunday is November first! Thanksgiving will be here before we know it and we all Holiday Shopping in Pawlingknow how quickly the December holidays are upon us after that. Over the past few years I have noticed a shift in my holiday shopping style. I cannot stand going to the mall. It’s crowded, loud, and stressful. Yuck. But I also hate doing all of my shopping online because I feel like I miss out on so much of the holiday spirit. I have fallen in love with some of the boutique stores in Saint Pete and I was recently reminded that one can have that same experience right in our beloved village. Have you been in our gift shop lately? Good Tidings is the perfect place to find your season’s greetings.Continue Reading

Blast From the Past: M&D Beginnings

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

I know that this blog isn’t McKinney and Doyle centric, but I’ve been getting a lot of great emails lately asking who McKinney & Doylewe are and how we got started. I’m also feeling a little homesick today so I figured it’s a good time to write a little about McKinney and Doyle’s history. The restaurant and bar that many of you know today is much larger than my dad ever anticipated. Isn’t that exciting? Let’s just start at the beginning.

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