i. Biography
The idea of place can function as a working brief rather than a biographical note. In Ryan McCaskey’s case, the line from Saigon, Vietnam, through training kitchens, Chicago dining rooms, and Maine set up a practice in which Acadia and Acadia House Provisions remained tied to a Maine reference point he had been carrying for years.
Coming Up
Formal training at Harper College preceded a sequence of kitchen roles across Maine, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Ryan McCaskey worked as cook at Goose Cove Lodge in Deer Isle, Maine, cook at Black Locust in Madison, Wisconsin, Chef de cuisine at Vivere in Chicago, Illinois, Chef de cuisine at Rushmore in Chicago, Illinois, stagiaire at Trio in Chicago, Illinois, executive chef at Rushmore in Chicago, Illinois, and kitchen lead at Courtright’s in Willow Springs, Illinois. Restaurant ownership became the place where that Maine framework was tested in a Chicago dining-room context. As executive chef and sole owner at Acadia in South Side, Chicago, Illinois (2011–2020), McCaskey built the restaurant chapter before moving into provisions work as founder of Acadia House Provisions (since 2020).
Where They Are Now
The move from Acadia to Acadia House Provisions did not discard the Chicago period; it narrowed the distance between reference and source. In Stonington, the Maine idea that had informed the restaurant is now carried through Acadia House Provisions, a format McCaskey had been considering for years.
Signature
The lobster pot pie sits as the named signature: a Maine-coded dish carried by Ryan McCaskey’s work without needing to be separated from the place language around Acadia.
In Their Words “I knew I wanted to do a concept like this in Stonington, Maine, the question was just when.” “I've had the Acadia House Provisions idea for a long time.”
Honors
Ryan McCaskey has received Michelin Guide — One Michelin star for Acadia after nine months. Recognition for Acadia came through Michelin’s Chicago guide: One Michelin star for Acadia (2013) and Two Michelin stars for Acadia, five years in a row.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Ryan
What is Ryan McCaskey's current role?
Ryan McCaskey is Founder of Acadia House Provisions.
Where did Ryan McCaskey train or study?
Ryan McCaskey trained at Harper College.
What recognition has Ryan McCaskey received?
One Michelin star for Acadia (2013).
