McCann keeps a collection of cookbooks on one of his home's bunk beds.

Editor’s note: “In the kitchen with …” features people in the local culinary scene at home in their own kitchens. To suggest someone to profile, contact athome@bendbulletin.com.

When Michael McCann, co-owner and chef of Real Food Street Bistro, was approached to be our foodie of the month, he hesitated slightly, knowing we’d be coming to his home kitchen.

“Well, I sort of live in a cabin. It’s really a dome with a really small kitchen that has a really small stove and oven, and it’s electric,” said McCann.

McCann does indeed live in a geodesic dome (think of a tiny Epcot center with windows).

From a distance, the orb-like home looks like a spaceship, and originally it only had a ladder and a hatch used for entry. But the dome now has a proper front door. As I stepped into the house, my olfactory senses were immediately greeted by the delectable smells of braised lamb wafting from the oven upstairs.

McCann and his dog, Logan,gave us a five-minute tour of the dome home before we headed upstairs to see what was cooking.

Off the narrow staircase are three bunks built into the structure of the home. They resemble sleeping pods. When McCann has guests, he puts them up in the pods, but for now they’re used as a bookcase for his cookbooks and as a makeshift pantry.

At the top of the staircase is the tiny kitchen McCann had described over the phone, and he wasn’t exaggerating. It is small, but there’s no need for apology because it’s clearly designed for maximum efficiency, even if only one person can work in it at a time. The only window that opens in this geodesic dome is a right-triangle portal near the kitchen sink.

“This is the vent,” McCann jokingly said as he opened it. Despite the cozy quarters, the dome home has a million-dollar view of the Cascade Mountains, and the kitchen is no exception.

Don’t be fooled by the size of McCann’s tiny kitchen. This chef can cook in any space. Give him a knife, some heat and spices, and he’ll give you gourmet, whether it’s in his tiny dome home kitchen or at his large food cart on Columbia Street in Bend.

“The kitchen in our cart is actually a lot bigger than this kitchen. I have all the best commercial appliances in there because we wanted to do it right,” said McCann as he chopped up some fresh Brussels sprouts.

McCann co-owns Real Food Street Bistro with partner Jay Miller. The two have turned the cart into a gourmet lunch and dinner stop for local foodies.

“We try to do a seasonal menu, using the freshest ingredients possible, and I do try to use as much local produce as possible, too,” said McCann. “We make everything from scratch, from the ketchup and mustard to our pickles and even kimchee.”

The big sellers for the food cart are his gourmet sandwiches and homemade soups.

McCann and Miller have been open for one year, but word of mouth has put his cart on the map. McCann says they recently renovated a smaller cart that they can take to festivals.

Though McCann was apologetic about the size of his home kitchen over the phone, he realized that he’s a master in small kitchens.

“I think the first thing to remember is that we cook for hundreds of people in an hour, in some cases out of a 20-foot trailer, so I’m well-practiced at cooking in tight spaces,” said McCann. “A small kitchen doesn’t limit a talented home cook. If anything it makes them more creative, and it’s easier to keep an eye on everything. This past year, I had 13 guests in my home for Thanksgiving dinner. In order to compensate, we just set up more cooking equipment out in the driveway. Food is all about bringing people together.”

McCann checked on his lamb chops braising in a stock of garlic, cherries and crushed red peppers.

“They’ve been braising for a couple of hours on low heat, and when the shanks are tender, I’ll strain the stock and make a reduction sauce,” explained McCann, who will serve his braised lamb with the Brussels sprouts.

If McCann sounds like a man who knows his way around a larger kitchen than his food cart, you’re right.

McCann attended culinary school in Grand Rapids, Mich. After graduating, he worked as an executive chef at several Michigan restaurants, including a fine dining establishment, Blue Water Grill, in Grand Rapids.

Despite his successes at the large restaurants, McCann wanted to challenge himself, so he packed up his treasured knife set and moved to Bend, where his sister lived.

“I came here sight unseen,” said McCann. “I looked at moving to Italy, Santa Fe, N.M., and Chicago, but I ended up here. I took my first job in Central Oregon cooking for the base camp of the Outward Bound program. I lived in a 12-by-12 shack along the Deschutes River.”

After working for Outward Bound, McCann honed his culinary skills working for several other food businesses around town, including baked. and Primal Cuts,all the while hatching a business plan for his next venture. He says he extensively researched what food carts in Portland were doing.

“It’s a hard business — staying in business with a food cart in the winter is difficult,” said McCann. “I would love to have a full restaurant some day and show people what else I can do. But the cart has its own purpose, and it’s at a price point people can afford.”

The lamb shanks were just about finished braising, and right on cue McCann’s friend drove up, ready for her gourmet meal. It’s always great to have friends who can cook.

What are the three ingredients you’ll always find in your home kitchen cupboard or refrigerator?

Fresh garlic, crushed red pepper, a nice EVOO (extra virgin olive oil).

Favorite home meals you like to prepare?

Well it’s just me and my dog, so things are kept very simple; pasta or stir-fry or just something nice to throw on the grill.

What is your favorite home appliance in your kitchen?

The same as my favorite appliance in the restaurant: an immersion blender.

What is your favorite hand tool/cooking utensil in your home kitchen?

There is only one answer any chef should give to this question: a good sharp knife.

I have a strip of tape on my knives’ handles, so when I take them to the restaurant no one else will use them. I’m sort of protective of my knives. My most expensive knife is from Japan — it’s a Misono knife (and) it cost $450. You should always use a whetstone to sharpen your knife.

Is there any appliance you disdain having in a kitchen?

Well, you will not find a microwave in my restaurant or home kitchen.

Also, I can’t stand going into someone else’s kitchen and finding all of those gadgets that can accomplish the same goal as a knife — egg slicers, garlic press, etc.

What chefs do you admire most?

Thomas Keller, who owns French Laundry in Napa (Calif.). My mother is a wonderful chef, too.

What restaurants do you enjoy, other than your own?

If I need a place to kick it amongst friends over a pint after work, you will usually find me at Brother Jon’s Public House.

I also enjoy a good braised tongue, and there’s a good little Mexican place in Redmond, The Great Taco Shop, and I think that’s pretty authentic Mexican food.

Does your family have a regular dinner or meal together?

I am Sicilian, so if I’m home in Michigan, dinner is almost always eaten around the table together as long as we can get everyone in the same city at once.

Guilty food pleasure?

Fried chicken wings and beer! Mmmmmmm!

What is your ideal dream home kitchen?

I would love to have an outdoor kitchen as long as it includes a wood-fire oven.

What do you do outside of the kitchen? In other words, what happens when the chef’s toque comes off?

If I can find the time, I enjoy getting out and rafting, climbing or hiking, and always enjoy a good weekend of car camping. But most of the time I am just kicking it with my best friend Logan (my dog) watching movies at home.

If you couldn’t be a chef, or in the food industry, what profession would you have chosen?

I am a movie buff, so I think I would like to do something in film. Not an actor, but something in production.

Favorite food quote or philosophy?

“Part of the secret to success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” — Mark Twain