Meet the Chef: Coquina Fishbar’s Max Leyland

For Max Leyland, the kitchen has always felt like home. Growing up, it was where he bonded with his father, a professional musician, whenever he was home from touring.

“Any time we had the chance to go to the store and figure out what we were going to make and then come home and prepare it together, I always really looked forward to that,” Leyland said.

Leyland recalls his father preparing an Italian feast each year for his birthday, all centered around his favorite meal – a homemade sauce with meatballs and sausage that his father began cooking the night before.

“That’s just the best smell ever to wake up to,” Leyland said.

In addition to cooking together, Leyland and his dad enjoyed watching Food Network programs such as Chopped or anything hosted by Gordon Ramsey.

“I always saw a lot of my dad in Gordon Ramsey,” Leyland said. “The drive for perfection, that kind of thing, and it really resonated with me in terms of finding something you’re passionate about.”

Leyland started out washing dishes as soon as he was old enough to work and kept working at restaurants throughout high school. Upon graduation, he enrolled in culinary school, but soon found he was more challenged by the hands-on learning he had been accustomed to in the trenches of a working kitchen.

“I kind of always knew what I wanted to do, and I was just looking for the next place to grow,” Leyland said. “It turns out that school wasn’t the best option for me.”

Now the executive chef at Coquina Fishbar in Wilmington, Leyland is doing just that: growing a team and a culture.

Leyland first joined the Coquina team as a sous chef, and when the opportunity arose to step into the executive chef role, he was ready.

“It was a chance to build something and to grow a team and create a kitchen culture that thrives on learning and collaboration,” he said.

That culture is one he fosters daily, especially through staff involvement in the creative process.

“I want everyone to feel like they can bring something to the table,” he said. “I definitely encourage suggestions and feedback because it only makes our team stronger.”

Leyland says his best dishes have come from “just taking the leap,” and he encourages that kind of creative risk-taking in his kitchen. Specials often come together the same day they’re served – trialed first by staff, tweaked, then plated for guests.
“You’ve got to be open to learning. I’m still a sponge,” he said.

Before he arrived at Coquina, some of Leyland’s most impactful lessons came from his time working under James Beard Award-winning chef Ashley Christensen at Poole’s Diner.

Now, he credits Coquina’s owners, Scott, Shari and Emme Clemons and general manager Jason Helms, for helping maintain a strong connection between the front and back of house, something he believes is essential for long-term success.

“We’re all on the same page, and it helps keep the culture healthy and the expectations clear,” Leyland said.

As a young executive chef with a long career still ahead of him, Leyland is learning that stepping away from the restaurant occasionally can be beneficial.

“I just took my first real vacation in three years, back to Ohio for my stepbrother’s wedding,” he said. “Disconnecting for a few days reminded me how important that is. You can’t force creativity; the best ideas sometimes come when you’re not chasing them.”

As for the future, Leyland dreams of traveling for culinary discovery. Italy is high on the list, along with Chicago and Austin. But for now, he’s focused on creating memorable meals at Coquina and building a space where guests and cooks feel at home.

“The whole reason I got into this was to make people’s days better. Seeing a table full of family or friends, connecting over something we made, it never gets old,” he said. “That’s why we do it.”