LEXINGTON, Ky. — Overnight snow blanketed Kentucky, its rolling farmland and hillsides like a starched white tablecloth. The recent scene captured the gentle beauty, long-standing tradition and unique character of the Bluegrass State — things chef Jonathan Lundy has come to love.
Lundy, owner of the upscale Jonathan at Gratz Park in Lexington, is determined to share those qualities with the world.
Lundy’s foray into publishing — “Jonathan’s Bluegrass Table: Redefining Kentucky Cuisine” — is an homage to the Bluegrass region. His 240-page narrative is filled with recipes and images of the countryside and kitchen.
Lundy’s feelings for Kentucky weren’t always this way. There was a time when he was looking for a one-way ticket out of town. Direction didn’t matter.
“I grew up here ... I didn’t want to be here ... I didn’t care about here,” said Lundy, 39. “But as I got older, I traveled a lot and lived in different places, and then I came back, and I love it here.”
Lundy was raised in the privileged circles of Kentucky’s horse racing community, but the idea of working in barns with million-dollar thoroughbreds was unappealing.
Even as he strayed, two powerful forces made him dream of his Kentucky home. One was a grandfather who instilled a pride and fascination in cooking. The other was a young lady he could never forget.
John Henry Lundy, his grandfather, wasn’t a famous chef, but watching him prepare biscuits and sausage gravy inspired a youngster who was eager for attention and a tasty meal. Their shared moments also gave the younger Lundy a lesson in the essence of Southern hospitality.
College was a social success for Lundy but a classroom failure. It wasn’t so much that he was a troubled kid, just “underachieving” by his own description.
Soon he was on his way out of town, but he never forgot Cara, who seemed to give meaning and purpose to his life, which was more wayward than planned.
Then Lundy got a big break. A family friend got him an interview with New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse. It wasn’t that Lundy had much experience working in a restaurant, and the internship didn’t pay. But it was a great opportunity.
The rules were simple: Show up on time, and do your job. Six months later, Lundy still wasn’t getting paid, but with help from Lagasse, he was set to enroll in the culinary program at Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island.
The man who returned to Lexington was much different from the boy who left. Cara, the woman who remained behind but always stayed on his mind, would become his wife and business partner. He had the ideas, she had the acumen. “She is the backbone that allows this to work,” he said.
They pursued his mission and have now spent 11 years identifying and improving upon those things that make Kentucky’s cuisine unique.
“I have the utmost respect for the heritage and traditions that exist here,” he said. He cares not only about good food, he said, but perception.
Simply, he wants Kentucky’s prepared food to be known for more than “possum and squirrel.”
That determination led Lundy to tackle a new challenge – publishing. If everyone can’t get to his upscale Lexington restaurant, perhaps he could reach them with a book.
He was undeterred by several years of planning and hard work, and numerous publishers’ rejection letters. Despite long odds, he published a book of exceptional photography from Kentucky’s countryside and kitchens, alongside recipes for enticing items such as Fried Green Tomato Salad, Grilled Rack Lamb with Mint Julep Jelly and Flaming Butterscotch Bourbon Crème Burlee.
Lundy’s work in the kitchen follows a traditional path, drawing upon local suppliers and authentic ingredients. His reputation comes from his ability to produce a “unique finish or striking pairing.”
And he’s not afraid to experiment.
“What I want to do is present Kentucky in a way that you don’t automatically assume to see it,” he said.
Southern cooking is big. Savannah, Charleston, New Orleans and Atlanta are must-visit cities with great restaurants. Lundy wants Lexington to join that select stage.
He’s doing his part. He recently was named as a semifinalist for the 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards. The prestigious recognition is just one of the recent honors coming his way.
This summer, when Lexington hosts the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, he will join with other celebrity chefs in a series of dinners at the Kentucky Horse Park. Chefs from across the country will draw upon Kentucky-grown food to prepare their exotic meals.
Lundy’s book is also winning praise. One reviewer said it reads like a love letter to the Bluegrass. Another refers to Lundy as the culinary ambassador of the state.
Soon winter’s drabness with give way to a rebirth of green pastures, blue skies and colorful wild flowers. Kentucky’s rich Bluegrass will produce a new season of bountiful crops for Lundy’s kitchen.
The tradition will continue, and Lundy, who always thought something good was going to happen, will once again be inspired.
What else would you expect from the conscience of Kentucky cuisine?
“Jonathan’s Bluegrass Table: Redefining Kentucky Cuisine” is available at most bookstores or may be ordered online at www.jagp.info.
