of Pacific‘O, I‘O and The Feast at Lele
 Chef James McDonald began his culinary career very much the same way most great chefs do, at a young age, and unaware of their future. He began close to the steam of the dish machine, and the whine of the slicer in the prep room of his best friend’s dad’s truck-stop diner, in his native Philadelphia. Ultimately after high school and the completion of an in-school vocational cooking program, James ended up joining the army, where he served for five years. Ironically in 1980, it’s the army that brought him to Hawaii, his future home, and the site of his gastronomical destiny.
After the army, James returned to the kitchen. He signed on as a breakfast prep cook at the Royal Lahaina Resort in Ka‘anapali. After a time, and ready for a change, he moved on to participate in the opening of the Westin Maui Resort, also in Ka‘anapali, and enrolled in Maui Community College’s Culinary Arts Program, eventually earning his degree. It’s notable that since graduating, despite his successes, he continues to be active in his support of the MCC’s culinary arts education program lending his name, skills and time to benefits and ad campaigns.
 After graduation, helping to open the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua, and an international stint at the Hotel Bad Ragaz in Switzerland, Chef James returned to Maui. With a sizeable resume under his belt and a persevering desire to open a restaurant of his own, he networked and found his current partners; this winning collaboration has hatched the series of highly regarded West Maui eateries known as Pacific‘o, I‘o and The Feast at Lele. More recent to the fold is O‘o farms, situated in Kula’s cool, fertile countryside, which not only hosts gourmet lunch tours but also supplies the restaurants with high quality, organic produce. Chefs across the globe drool on their pillows at night dreaming of owning a local farm that supplies them year-round with fresh juicy organic tomatoes, or salad greens hand picked early in the morning. Another project in the works is a gourmet deli in Ka‘anapali which will focus on room-ready, fine-dining meals for guests in the surrounding resorts and condominium complexes, as well as residents in the area.
Chef James’s interpretation, and use of island ingredients has earned him a laundry list of accolades including best chef on Maui in 1998, Best Seafood and Best of Show in the 2001 Taste of Lahaina, and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence from 1999-2002. Also, Pacific’o and I‘o restaurants have earned nods from Gourmet Magazine as two of the top ten U.S. restaurants for farm-to-table dining. With this type of dedication and passion, James McDonald is sure to be a key player in Maui’s competitive restaurant world for years to come. Also his continued commitment to showcasing the wares of local farmers helps to perpetuate islands rural roots, small businesses and good health. To sum it up it his own words, “keep it fresh, keep it local, and keep it coming!”
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