Ernest cutting some thick steaks for the nights special.
Chef Ernest Tautkus the former chef from Miacomet Golf Course.

 Whipping some sauce in the kitchen of the restaurant.
Chef Ernest Tauktus

Name: Ernest Tautkus [No longer the chef]

Age: 31

Born & Raised: Clinton Ct..

Restaurant Name: Miacomet Golf Course

Location: Miacomet Golf Course, 12 W. Miacomet Rd.

Phone: 508.325.0335

Open: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

When did you first become interested in food?
I started cooking at a young age because I was the youngest of five and I had to fend for myself. Both my parents worked, so I did a lot of cooking. After high school I moved to Colorado to snowboard. As a kid growing up I occasionally worked at restaurants, so when I moved to Colorado I wanted a job at night so I could snowboard during the day. I started working in a restaurant in Steamboat Springs as a prep cook/dishwasher. I worked at a Japanese restaurant called Yamachans. A super strict, crazy Japanese guy owned the place.

What inspired you to become a chef?
As I graduated through the restaurant learning more skills, I did more and more cooking. I went from being a prep cook to a lead line cook. As time went by I got a lot more serious and decided to go to cooking school.

Where did you go to school/train?
I attended Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island. It was a two year program. During school I worked at Potaufeu in Providence, a classic French restaurant with a bistro downstairs and a formal dining room upstairs. It was a really tough job and a very busy restaurant. I learned a lot working in the restaurant and my real first experience in French cuisine.

Years in cooking business:
I’ve been in the restaurant business 12 years.

When did you come to Nantucket?
My friend Shaun Curry was working here and needed a hand at the Bluefin. Then I ended up being hired as the sushi chef and in the fall I was hired chef de cuisine. I worked there for 2 years and then came Miacomet Golf Course.

What style/culture influences /inspires you?
I enjoy Japanese food. But I think my favorite is American cuisine, because there are so many great chefs here. Chefs and customers are my apt to try anything. We also get produce and the availability of anything to cook with. Of course French technique is also an inspiration and the beginning of everything, the foundation.

Who are your mentors?
A few chefs I worked with Trad Dart, he was a graduate of Green Brier a 5 star resort in Virginia. Yamachan was also another because he was a traditional Japanese man and there were no variations. Another owner of a restaurant Charles Baxter owned the Seamen’s Inn in Mystic CT. He was a guy who invested in a person and I have always respected and appreciated him for doing what he could to help me along.

What do you enjoy doing besides cooking?
A lot of things I haven’t done lately… mountain biking, motorcycles, snowboarding, golfing and spending time with my fiancé Libby.

How would you describe the restaurant to someone who’s never been?
It’s a public facility open to the public and very affordable for Nantucket. It’s a traditional golf course menu. Burgers and wraps for lunch. We are open for breakfast lunch and dinner. Dinner is served Friday Saturday and Sunday. Dinner is a mix of American fare. Everything from ceasar salad to seared tuna salad. We offer a prix fix menu that offers 3 courses for $29.oo, which is a great deal

How do you come up with ideas for the menu?
I listen to the customers. We literally put out a survey to see what people like. We people that are here to golf and people that are here to just eat. We want people playing golf to be able to get a quick, good, affordable meal.

How often does the menu change?
The dinner menu changes quite a bit, almost every week. Breakfast and lunch pretty much stay the same except for our daily specials.

What do you try to do that is different from anyone else?
I’m accommodating people that eat here everyday and for people that eat here once in there life. We serve quality food at a reasonable price. We don’t really do anything different.

Do you travel for inspiration? Where have you gone?
For the most part I hit the cities. New York City, Boston and Florida. I often visit the guys that I’ve worked for. I also go to Costa Rica to relax.

Are there any new discoveries in food world?
Everything has really already been done. Availably of ingredients is probably the biggest thing that has happed with cooking and food.

Favorite dishes?
I love simple food and almost anything to do with fish. I love raw fish and sushi. Stews and soups in the wintertime.

Any tips for the cooking at home?
Do all your prep before you start cooking.

Thanks for speaking with Nantucket Food & Wine, any last words?
Thanks for coming down to Miacomet. Come in to the restaurant and give us a try!