WINTER PARK, FLA.—Ask Executive Chef J. Christopher Windus of Hamilton’s Kitchen at The Alfond Inn to define his culinary style and he’ll use the phrase “refined rustic.”
What that means, clarifies Chef Windus, is that, “I’m taking comfort food and trying to refine it a little bit. The dishes may seem simple but there are a lot of things going on to layer the flavors.”
His efforts in the kitchen of the three-month-old restaurant have quickly earned him the title of “Best New Chef” in the Silver Spoon Awards from Orlando Magazine. At Hamilton’s Kitchen, Chef Windus works against a dining backdrop of exposed beams, brick walls, fanciful light fixtures and Dutch oak floors, the stage set for his Floridian-inspired cooking at breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The same fare is served alfresco in the hotel’s courtyard, as well as in a private dining room that can accommodate up to 25 guests. Chef Windus also oversees The Alfond Inn’s extensive catering menu for weddings, social affairs and meetings.
Chef Windus, a Winter Park native and former executive chef of Todd English’s bluezoo at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel, credits much of his culinary success to his work outside the kitchen, personally visiting local farms and suppliers and establishing relationships with growers.
A Fixture at Farmer’s Market
“I put a lot into researching products and I like seeing things from every stage,” he says, mentioning how he visits a farm in nearby Ocala to choose his grass fed Wagyu beef, ducks, and even lend a hand preparing the turkeys for Thanksgiving. Chef Windus is a fixture at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market, where the bounty of Central Florida’s small farms is on display. The market, in Winter Park’s historic old train depot, is just a couple of blocks from The Alfond Inn. Every Saturday morning, Chef Windus takes a cart and goes from stall to stall, visiting, tasting and talking with local purveyors who come from some of the best small farms in the state.
“I like to know the story of where everything comes from,” says Chef Windus. “It’s all about building relationships with the farmers. There are a couple of guys we see pretty regularly. Lake Meadows Naturals is where we get all of our eggs from. There’s a local honey purveyor and another farmer who has the best citrus, things like pink tangerines and giant pomelos. I also purchase from a couple who have a farm in Georgia and they bring down amazing persimmons. These are all small farmers who are proud of their product, and should be.”
Items Purchased at Peak of Freshness
Chef Windus is keen to buy at the peak for freshness, and during the fall. That means baby cucumbers with blossoms attached, squash blossoms, tomatoes, okra and beans. The market is where he gets fresh kale for his Kale Caesar Salad, broccolini for Charred Broccolini with caramelized onion and locally raised pork for his Pulled Pork Shoulder. Those Lake Meadow Naturals eggs appear in his soft scrambled eggs with a side of House Berkshire bacon and buttered rye toast. A recent special was a classic taste of the south, Pearlo Chicken, “a dish that originated in South Carolina that we make in a cast iron kettle with chicken, baby turnips, baby radish and Carolina Gold Rice, the best rice that you’ve ever had.”
Sourcing flounder from Cocoa Beach, red shrimp from Cape Canaveral and sturgeon from Sarasota, Chef Windus aims to keep it as local as possible.
“My work in the kitchen,” he adds, “really comes down to finding like-minded people who can help us highlight what’s in season right now.”
Go to The Alfond Inn.
