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All prepping in the kitchen
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Chef /owner All Kovalencik of The Company of the Cauldron.
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All enjoys cooking with local seafood and using locally grown vegetables from Bartlet Farm.
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Chef All Kovalencik of Company of the Cauldron
Name: All Kovalencik
Age: 52
Born & Raised: New Jersey
Restaurant Name: Company of the Cauldron
Reservations: 508.228.4016
Location: India Street
Web Address: companyofthecauldron.com
When did you first become interested in food?
I had an interest in food at a young age. My Hungarian grandmother would bake in the kitchen and I would watch her as a kid. My father and I would gather wild mushrooms, wild burdock, go fishing, crabbing and searching for seasonal ingredients. My brother opened a restaurant in Manhattan. I was 15 years old and was called into work in the kitchen scrubbing pots. Then I moved on to cutting vegetables. That first opened my eyes to working in restaurants.
What inspired you to become a chef?
No single idea. I was basically just working in restaurants to pay the bills. I started working at The Club Car with chef Michael Shannon and learned about good food, good wine and what working in a real restaurant was like.
Where did you go to school/train?
I was self-taught. After working in the club car for 3 years I would travel in the winter to good food destinations and working in restaurants to get experience. If there was an opportunity for advancement I would take it even if it was over my head.
Years in cooking business:
I’ve been cooking for over 30 years.
When did you come to Nantucket?
I moved to Nantucket in 1970 when I was 18. I worked at the Sandpiper Restaurant because it offered housing and started working in the kitchen.
Where you have worked?
Peg legs in NYC, and on Nantucket Sandpiper, Dockside, Shell Steakhouse, Mad Hatter, Road House, old Boardinghouse, Ships Inn, Club Car, 21 Federal, India House, Brotherhood, Summerhouse, Company of the Cauldron for sixteen years and have been the owner of for the past six.
What style/culture influences /inspires you?
I like ethnic foods, my mother was Sicilian and my father was Hungarian. Those two cultures inspire me, because they love food and cooking. My wife Andrea also always inspires me.
Who are your mentors?
My grandparents, Michael Shannon, I like reading cookbooks, one of my favorite is Yule Gibbons the outdoorsman. His cookbooks called Stalking the blue-Eyed Scallop is a great reference to food and plant life, the other is called Stalking Wild Asparagus. I like these books because of gathering local ingredients.
Your wife Andrea is also in the restaurant/food business does she help you run your restaurant?
Absolutely, we’ve known each other for seventeen years and have been married for twelve. She and I traveled to restaurants and the world together. We always explore restaurants together. She edits the menus, does the book keeping , and is in charge of the catering side of the business.
How would you describe the restaurant to someone who’s never been?
It's an intimate, romantic and an individual experience. Each night has it's own unique menu and set of people. I try to keep the restaurant unique and original. It is a communal restaurant. Everyone is eating the same course so everyone has something to talk about.
How do you come up with ideas for the menu?
I work with my sous-chef Matthew Zadorozny. During the winter I do a lot of research and get ideas for meals for the summer. Closer to summer I browse my notes and pass them to my sous chef and we fine-tune my ideas. Matt travels a lot in the winter like I did when I was his age and also helps inspire ideas for the menus. It really is a team effort between us.
How often does the menu change?
Every night.
What do you try to do that is different from anyone else?
Keep the food unique and not the trend of the month.
Do you travel for inspiration? Where have you gone?
Yes, Florence Italy, Boston 4-5 times a year, New York City, out west to Scottsdale AZ. In 1975 I left Nantucket for a year and worked in west Africa in Gambia and I learned very simple cuisine in one pot dishes. I loved the African experience because it's simple food and the gathering of food is a big part of their meals. I also like the southwest United States and its ethnic influence. I like cuisines that have a history and put a spin on that is something I strive for.
Are there any new discoveries in food world?
There’s nothing new under the sun, I think The fun is putting a new spin on what's been done before.
What are some of your favorite dishes?
I love fresh seafood and local foods. I love the vegetables grown on Nantucket at Bartlett farm.
What are your interests besides cooking?
I really enjoy fishing, scalloping, clamming and gathering ingredients. I love to ride my motorcycle around in the moors. I also like walking around the A&P parking lot with my car keys and having people in their cars follow me around. *laughs*
What other projects do you have besides the restaurant?
We just started a catering company called Cauldron Classic Catering. What we are aiming for is gallery openings, cocktail parties, yacht parties, and small intimate gatherings. We are focusing more on the hor'dourve side of the event.
Any tips for the cooking at home?
Read a lot of cookbooks. Extend yourself beyond what you think you can do. Eat out often for inspiration.
Thanks for speaking with Nantucket Food & Wine, any last words?
"Undaka undaka japa gola" means slowly slowly you catch the monkey in African.
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