Meet CULINARY DIRECTOR ANDREW SHEDDEN

At Marrow Detroit, our commitment to sustainable, locally sourced dining is brought to life by the vision and dedication of our team. We believe that knowing the people behind your food makes every bite more meaningful!

We recently caught up with Andrew Shedden, Marrow's Culinary Director—a leader whose culinary expertise spans over 25 years and some of Chicago's most acclaimed restaurants. Drawing from his extensive experience at establishments like Café Baba Reeba, Mon Ami Gabi, and Maple & Ash, Andrew brings a deep understanding of hospitality, creative menu development, and team leadership to Marrow's mission. Since joining our team, Andrew has been instrumental in developing exciting programming while focusing primarily on the culinary vision for Marrow in The Market. In this interview, Andrew shares insights into his culinary journey, his approach to creating memorable dining experiences, his philosophy on sustainability and local sourcing, and his role in bringing Marrow's vision for social, family-style dining to Eastern Market.

Q: How did you get into the culinary world, and what drew you to Marrow initially?

A: I started cooking in high school and just fell in love with food. I was creating food I hadn't even seen or eaten before and that just blew my mind and I just dove head first into the industry. What drew me to Marrow is the beef. I grew up in the Midwest eating steak and potatoes my whole life and the quality of beef Marrow sources is remarkable.

Q: What's your favorite food memory that influences how you cook today?

A: In 2010 I started working at Cafe Baba Reeba in Chicago and I was fortunate enough to be there when Chef Gabino had a chef from Spain named Carlos Palomar come and teach us about paella. He was renowned at the time in Valencia. It was the most inspiring experience I've ever had. We weren't able to even communicate in the same language but we were able to connect through food and watching him work was the most inspiring thing I've ever seen. It just really showed me how food can connect people on so many levels.

Q: When you're not in the kitchen, where might we find you?

A: At the gym climbing or on my bike all over Detroit.

Q: What are you most excited about for Marrow in The Market?

A: We are aiming to have this concept really get into creating experiences for guests. Cooking classes, demonstrations, tastings, tailgating, community pop ups etc. We want to bring the diners into the space and create with us. We want to give more than just a dining experience with an intense schedule for all types of events. There will always be something new happening at the market.

Q: What's the culinary vision for Marrow in The Market's menu?

A: We bring social dining through the lens of a midwestern supper club meets a french brasserie. We want people to come in and order a bunch of dishes and share them as they would eat at home with their families. We aim to strike nostalgia in flavors with seasonal Michigan bounties.

Q: How do you decide what dishes make it onto a menu?

A: It usually starts with a walk around the local farmers market. It's a great place to feel the seasons and let inspiration strike. We want to showcase Michigan's best offerings and keeping a hyper seasonal menu changing every 2 months we feel is the best way to celebrate each ingredient as they come into peak freshness.

Q: What does a typical day look like for you as Culinary Director?

A: Depending on the day but I break my week up between the locations and try to get programming goals and plans in place. I can wear many hats on any given day. Sometimes that looks like cooking on a line and other days it's planning the next dinner or special dish. We have an outstanding staff and they are really driving their prospective store's programming. I try to support and help get their goals and visions brought to life through collaboration and support.

Q: Your paella pop-ups at Marrow Detroit were a huge hit, tell us about your plans for similar programming at MITM.

A: We had a ton of fun putting together a paella night and plan to expand its offering with a larger paella menu and a few more pintxos and tapa for guests to enjoy. I was fortunate to learn about paella from a great chef and it really changed the way I looked at food/rice and sharing that with people is such a great experience. We also have plans to do Sunday night prime rib dinner as well.

Q: How do you approach developing special events and culinary programming?

A: We really have a great team that comes from all different walks of life and have different passions they pursue and we really let that drive our programming of events and classes.

Q: What's your approach to leading a kitchen team?

A: Giving the people working on the team a voice and a seat at the table. If you hire great people and empower them special things will happen. The team just gels together and becomes a cohesive unit.

Q: How do you collaborate with the other chefs in the Marrow family?

A: By learning who they are as a person and where they have been to get where they are today. I try to get to know them on many levels, not just a professional one. What motivates them and by learning this it becomes easier to lean into each other's strengths and create something special and speaks to the personality of the individuals. Keeping things jovial and focused is a big part of collaboration for me.

Q: What's a dish you're particularly excited to put on the menu?

A: Prime rib night on Sundays is really something I am excited for and would go to. I haven't had it in a restaurant since I was young in my culinary career and genuinely love to eat. With our aged ribeyes and slow roasted for hours in an oven, it's game over.

Q: What inspires you most when you're developing new dishes?

A: It really starts with things I want to eat or come from a memory that may strike at any given time. Sometimes it's smells, or music will remind me of something I ate before and then I try to recreate it. It's like scratching an itch. Until I can put it on a plate I won't be able to think about anything else.

Q: How do you want people to feel when they dine at Marrow in The Market?

A: Invited, welcomed and valued. We want them to be loud and have some fun and eat some great food.

Q: How does sustainability influence your cooking?

A: Sustainability profoundly shapes the way I approach cooking. It inspires me to be mindful of where my ingredients come from, favoring locally sourced and seasonal produce whenever possible. By embracing root-to-stem and nose-to-tail cooking, I strive to minimize waste and honor the full value of every ingredient. Sustainable cooking also leads me to explore plant-based dishes and support small farmers who use eco-friendly practices. Ultimately, it's about making conscious choices in the kitchen—choices that not only nourish those at the table, but also safeguard the planet for future generations, ensuring that the joy of sharing a meal can endure for years to come.

Q: What excites you about being in Eastern Market specifically?

A: The energy of the market is unmatched. Walking around on a Saturday has a certain electricity about it. You can feel the history and to be a part of its story is humbling. We want to carry this into the restaurant and make this a fun and loud place to be.

Q: What are you most focused on as we approach opening?

A: FOOD. Menu development and working with our great product keeping it simple and straightforward comfort food through the lens of Michigan's finest ingredients.

Q: How do you see Marrow in The Market being distinctive within Detroit's food scene?

A: We want to be a source of education for our guests. We plan to offer all sorts of programming in the pipe right now. We plan to be a space that always has something new to offer guests and changing curriculum to keep things fresh.

Q: What's something about cooking with quality ingredients that you wish every home cook knew?

A: Simplicity is key and also very hard. Great food is simple but you need to know the fundamentals and execute them as best you can and the ingredients will do the rest of the work.

Q: What do you want first-time diners to walk away understanding about our approach to food?

A: I want them to feel the nostalgia of timeless flavors prepared with solid classic cooking techniques. It should feel familiar but also new at the same time.

Q: How do you see food bringing the community together?

A: Food has a remarkable way of uniting people, transcending backgrounds and differences to create shared experiences. A simple meal can spark conversation, foster understanding, and build connections among neighbors and friends. Whether it's a community potluck, a family gathering, or a local festival, coming together to prepare and enjoy food allows individuals to celebrate traditions, exchange stories, and strengthen the bonds that make a community feel like home. In this way, food is much more than sustenance—it's a bridge that brings hearts and minds closer together.

Q: What's your favorite Marrow menu item or Marrow Detroit Provisions product and how do you like to prepare it?

A: Dry aged Ribeye is the thing I personally buy the most of. I like it simply seared rare and basted with butter and herbs.