Chef Brian Kiendl And The White Carrot
A garden-inspired restaurant and lifestyle
Brian Kiendl, owner and chef at The White Carrot in Mayville, NY, never wanted to be a chef. Although he grew up in the kitchen and has fond memories of cooking with his family, he never thought much about it. But, after attempting the traditional college route, he moved south at the suggestion of his sister, eventually landing in Gainesville, FL, working for Rolf Weber, chef at Haile Plantation Golf and Country Club.
Weber, a classically trained chef from Germany, opened Kiendl’s eyes to what cooking could be with the finesse of a well-run kitchen. He also learned that one could make a career being a chef. With Weber’s guidance, Kiendl moved on to the French Culinary Institute in New York City graduating at the top of his class.
Chef Andre Saltner, a dean at the French Culinary Institute, suggested Kiendl continue his education in France, and arranged for him to work for Jean Paul Battaglia at l’Affable. The experience changed Kiendl’s life. Not only was he exposed to working 70–80 hours in a kitchen (without any prior knowledge of French), he was immersed in a lifestyle that revolved around a passion for food and bringing people together. Kiendl experienced ingredients in an entirely new way and he learned that you are truly never better than your ingredients.
Returning home from France, a series of culinary employment opportunities took Kiendl from Chautauqua County to New York City and back, where he fell in love and married. Together with his wife, Robin, he invested in a vacant building near Chautauqua Institution that would become home to The White Carrot. The land and location provided the perfect canvas where he could share the passion for food that had inspired him in France and bring his vision of a garden-driven concept to life with a menu supported intensely by an extensive on-site garden.
The property has a half-acre garden and greenhouse, and Kiendl is continually expanding what is grown on-site: this year they’ve added rhubarb, strawberries and bees. A root cellar stores last season’s harvest and Kiendl and his team preserve what they can through pickling, salt-curing or smoking.
For Kiendl, gardening provides balance. He loves seeing what’s ready or what might be coming tomorrow, or how morning dew can sprout something that’s hyper-fresh. He wants his customers to be able to taste a pea sprout that was picked an hour ago. As he says, “You’re tasting life.”
Kiendl strongly believes in the intimacy between the kitchen and the earth, and the benefits of a hands-on relationship with the garden. He looks at the earth like a bank account—we have to consider what we take from it and make sure we deposit back into it with care.
The garden currently provides 70–75 percent of the menu, with a goal of providing 80–85 percent. And aside from a few key ingredients that just can’t be sourced nearby, Kiendl is striving for a 90–95 percent locality rate through strong relationships with local farms and other purveyors. “When you can create or enhance relationships and interactions between farmer and chef, that’s where the best things happen.”
These are all elements Kiendl draws upon to create the connection from garden to table. The White Carrot is not a regular farm; it’s a co-op, it’s a restaurant and it’s a lifestyle. And it all adds to the flavors and the experience.
Kiendl found a new passion during last year’s wine dinners where he would interact with diners, introducing each course and talking about ingredients and preparation. This summer, Kiendl and his staff will replicate this experience for all customers. With two seatings a night (14 seats per seating), he plans to create a menu that highlights the best of what the garden is offering that day. He will talk about every course, sharing the story of where each ingredient came from and how it was prepared.
Kiendl is walking the walk. On any given day, he’s in the garden by 6am After a couple of hours, he heads back into the kitchen and then may take a break to go over menus—but there’s really no separation between life and work (he and his family live on-site). Though he’s the chef and owner, he also mops the floors and tends the garden.
And he is sincere in wanting you to have an unforgettable experience that reinforces the connection to where our food comes from and to let the bounty of the garden be your guide.
It’s an inspiring vision to honor the best of what the earth provides that day. It takes dedication and commitment—and it’s coming from his hands, his heart, his land and his home. “When it’s been a busy night, customers are happy, the kitchen runs on all cylinders, that’s when it’s all worth it. It makes you get up in the morning.”
> The White Carrot: 4717 Chautauqua-Stedman Rd, Mayville, NY; 716-269-6000; whitecarrotrestaurant.com
