From Montana fishing holes to the heart of Seattle’s dining scene, Chef Eric Donnelly’s journey is rooted in curiosity, craft, and a deep respect for ingredients. As the Owner and Executive Chef of the award-winning CircleSpey Restaurant Group, home to RockCreek Seafood & Spirits, FlintCreek Cattle Company, and Bar Sur Mer, Donnelly has built a portfolio of distinct concepts united by seasonality, thoughtful sourcing, and bold, globally inspired flavors.

With more than 25 years in the kitchen, Donnelly’s career spans some of the most influential restaurants and mentors in Pacific American cuisine. From his early days at Sazerac under renowned chef Jan Birnbaum, to his tenure at Oceanaire Seafood Room, and later helping bring Toulouse Petit’s French Quarter energy to Queen Anne, each chapter shaped his approach to food, hospitality, and leadership. In 2013, he struck out on his own with RockCreek Seafood & Spirits—named after his favorite Montana fishing spot, earning local and national acclaim, including multiple James Beard nominations. That success led to the opening of FlintCreek Cattle Company in 2016 and the Spanish-inspired Bar Sur Mer in 2022.

In this Chef Series interview, Donnelly reflects on what first drew him into the kitchen, how sourcing and seasonality guide his menus, and what guests might not realize about the work happening behind the scenes. He also shares must-order dishes across his restaurants and the advice he’d give to chefs just beginning their journey, offering a thoughtful look at the passion, precision, and partnership that define his cooking today.

INKIND: What first drew you into the kitchen, and what continues to inspire you today?

DONNELLY: I grew up in the pre–Food Network era, watching the celebrity chefs of the time on TV—mostly on PBS in the ’80s. Chefs like Martin Yan (Yan Can Cook), Julia Child, and Justin Wilson’s Louisiana cooking really sparked my interest at a young age. Outside the kitchen, we spent a lot of time fishing and hunting, so the entire process—harvesting an animal, processing it, and cooking it—had a big influence on me later in my career. That experience gave me an early understanding of seasonality and why certain ingredients are so special when they’re available at specific times of the year.

I was also drawn to the athleticism of cooking—the movement, focus, and energy required, and how all of that affects the dish, the service, and the team. And honestly, I loved the personalities of chefs from that era. They were artists, individuals with grit and passion. I wanted to be that—something different, something driven.

INKIND: From sourcing ingredients to building your team, what principles guide your approach?

DONNELLY: When sourcing ingredients, I pull from a wide array of influences and take a global approach to food—Mediterranean, Asian, classic French. I let seasonal, fresh ingredients pave the way for the dish to shine. Everything should be well-seasoned, well-prepared, and thoughtfully handled at every step.

That same philosophy carries over to building a team. When I look at a cook or someone just starting their career, I ask: what are they good at? What are they passionate about? Just like an ingredient or a component of a dish, how do they become a part of the organization, and how do they strengthen the overall team?

INKIND: For a first-time guest, what are the must-order dishes that capture the spirit of your restaurants?

DONNELLY: As the chef/owner of three completely different concepts with very different menus, this is a bit of a challenge—so I’ll share what I personally order when I dine at each.

RockCreek Seafood & Spirits: I like to start with the baked oysters, cauliflower salad, shrimp and grits, or the grilled octopus with olive aioli, roasted tomatoes, and cannellini beans. For mains, I love the Chilean sea bass with warm herb salad, crispy shallots, and dill, or the jerk-marinated swordfish with yucca frita, bacon-onion mojo, and coriander.

FlintCreek Cattle Co.: Aside from our butcher burger (only available at happy hour), the warm duck salad with lentils, bitter greens, Banyuls vinegar, and Délice de Bourgogne cheese is a must. The venison pâté with hazelnuts, English pickle relish, pickled shallots, and radishes is another favorite.

We’re definitely known for our steaks, so splitting a tomahawk ribeye with all the sauces and a couple of good friends is always a win. In winter, my favorite dish is the rosemary–peppercorn-crusted venison loin with parsnip purée, brandy and cranberry gastrique, and fried sage.

Bar Sur Mer: I always start with one of our signature gin and tonics, followed by the squid and white bean salad with fresh chervil, wood-fired sardines with persillade and lemon, or the steak tartare with olive vinaigrette and potato crisps. Finish with a glass of sweet, mineral-kissed txakoli and our warm Basque cheesecake with yuzu marmalade.

INKIND: What one piece of advice would you share with a chef or restaurateur just starting out?

DONNELLY: If I could rewrite my career story, I would have traveled much more and worked abroad during my formative years as a young cook. Seeing the world through a different lens and experiencing global food culture firsthand is something I wish I had done sooner—and I often wonder how that exposure might have shaped my career differently.

One of the unwritten perks of being a cook or hospitality professional is the ability to work abroad, experience the world, and continue learning through food.

INKIND: What is something guests might not realize about what happens behind the scenes in your kitchen?

DONNELLY: A huge amount of time goes into sourcing and procuring specialty ingredients. We’re about much more than beef, chicken, pork, salmon, and halibut.

When working with farms, fisheries, and foragers, there’s a lot of collaboration—committing to quantities, coordinating deliveries, building dishes around the product, and figuring out price points that work for the menu.

These behind-the-scenes efforts are what make a restaurant’s menu interesting and unique. Guests may not always think about it when they dine with us, but it’s a deeply intricate and essential part of our day-to-day operations.