A Charleston native, John Ondo helms the Ocean Course’s restaurant at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
CM: How did you get into cooking?
JO: My love of cooking stems from a love of food. I used to get on my grandmothers’ nerves, following them around the kitchen to see what they were doing. My parents gave me an omelet pan when I was 10 years old.
CM: What got you started cooking professionally?
JO: I worked at the former Beaumont’s downtown in my 20s and that got the ball rolling. I learned the basics of French cuisine. And then I did a backpack tour throughout Europe and staged in a couple places in Italy in the late ’90s.
CM: Your cooking has a strong Mediterranean influence. Where’d that come from?
JO: I like that style—very clean, vegetable-driven, lots of seafood, not a lot of cream. I’ve always thought that simple food is the best food. You don’t need a lot of sauces, just some properly cooked vegetables and a nice piece of fish, no rubs or brines. Let the food speak for itself.
CM: Talk about your other influences.
JO: When I owned my restaurant, Lana [which closed in 2017], I would sometimes sit at the bar after service with Robert Stehling, who owned Hominy Grill across the street. I remember him saying, “You either buy really good ingredients and don’t mess them up, or you buy mediocre ones and spend a lot of money making them taste good.” He was a great neighbor. We bounced ideas off each other. I went to Hominy right before it closed and had a hard time keeping it together.
CM: How has the Lowcountry inspired your cooking style?
JO: I remember going crabbing and shrimping with friends, and you’d go home and boil it all and sit there eating for hours. My parents were “from off”—Mom was from Cleveland and Dad’s from Pittsburgh—so I didn’t grow up eating Southern food. I was introduced to grits by sleeping over at friends’ houses.
CM: What are some of your regional specialities?
JO: We’ve always done a seafood stew at The Atlantic Room, and this spring we’re doing a Country Captain version. One of my favorite ingredients is Carolina Gold rice—you can taste the earth and minerals. I love shrimp creole, too.
CM: Tell us some of your favorite spots to eat in town right now.
JO: SNOB—Russ Moore is doing fantastic food. He’s taken Frank Lee’s torch and run with it. Anniversaries and birthdays are always at The Ordinary. And Bob Cook is doing great things at Edmund’s Oast.
CM: How did you get into cooking?
JO: My love of cooking stems from a love of food. I used to get on my grandmothers’ nerves, following them around the kitchen to see what they were doing. My parents gave me an omelet pan when I was 10 years old.
CM: What got you started cooking professionally?
JO: I worked at the former Beaumont’s downtown in my 20s and that got the ball rolling. I learned the basics of French cuisine. And then I did a backpack tour throughout Europe and staged in a couple places in Italy in the late ’90s.
CM: Your cooking has a strong Mediterranean influence. Where’d that come from?
JO: I like that style—very clean, vegetable-driven, lots of seafood, not a lot of cream. I’ve always thought that simple food is the best food. You don’t need a lot of sauces, just some properly cooked vegetables and a nice piece of fish, no rubs or brines. Let the food speak for itself.
CM: Talk about your other influences.
JO: When I owned my restaurant, Lana [which closed in 2017], I would sometimes sit at the bar after service with Robert Stehling, who owned Hominy Grill across the street. I remember him saying, “You either buy really good ingredients and don’t mess them up, or you buy mediocre ones and spend a lot of money making them taste good.” He was a great neighbor. We bounced ideas off each other. I went to Hominy right before it closed and had a hard time keeping it together.
CM: How has the Lowcountry inspired your cooking style?
JO: I remember going crabbing and shrimping with friends, and you’d go home and boil it all and sit there eating for hours. My parents were “from off”—Mom was from Cleveland and Dad’s from Pittsburgh—so I didn’t grow up eating Southern food. I was introduced to grits by sleeping over at friends’ houses.
CM: What are some of your regional specialities?
JO: We’ve always done a seafood stew at The Atlantic Room, and this spring we’re doing a Country Captain version. One of my favorite ingredients is Carolina Gold rice—you can taste the earth and minerals. I love shrimp creole, too.
CM: Tell us some of your favorite spots to eat in town right now.
JO: SNOB—Russ Moore is doing fantastic food. He’s taken Frank Lee’s torch and run with it. Anniversaries and birthdays are always at The Ordinary. And Bob Cook is doing great things at Edmund’s Oast.
CM: What do you hope to accomplish in your year-long ambassadorship?
JO: Our goal as ambassadors is to bring awareness to South Carolina-harvested products within the state. We are the cheerleaders for the Joseph Fields and other Lowcountry farmers, as well as the guys in the Pee Dee growing beans and those Upstate growing apples. I’ve always championed Abundant Seafood and still do. We’re doing educational events; for example, I’m leading a webinar about oysters with the Smithsonian through the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau.
