Chef of Celebration & Fun
by Lena Morgan
Laurie Z Divine Photography
Sweet. Sour. Bitter. Salty. Savor each of those words momentarily. Roll them around on your tongue. They are palpable. There are known. They are expected. Now…Umami. Roll it around on your palette. Consider the word in association with flavor. How does it distinguish itself from the tastes that are well known? Are you familiar with the word? Maybe not. Are you familiar with its fascinating distinction? Yes.
Umami is a flavor added to the palette of lore. It is the falvor of home. The flavor of remembering. Umami has ben described as “savory and rich,” the flavors we yearn for when we think of comfort food.
John Ewing is a chef of celebration and fun. His chosen flavor palette of creation is Umami.
John grew up on the East Coast, where he attended The Culinary Institute of America. In a class of 365, he graduated 16th. There was incredible opportunity for him in elegant restaurants with prestigious titles to follow.
He instead chose to follow his heart and get out into the world.
In the Philadelphia metropolis, John began an apprenticeship at a restaurant called “Wildflowers.” There he learned the pain and beauty of the sauté position in a kitchen. He learned that playing with hot oil and protein sometimes produced beauty and sometimes painful education. It became his favorite station, sought after and coveted in the kitchen.
John learned a lot about perseverance. The chef he studied under had lost a portion of his leg to cancer, yet he led a kitchen, and with only three people to man the line, served up to 400 diners on busy weekend nights.
There were no excuses there, no matter what – a valuable lesson for a young man starting out in life.
John next found himself in the tropical Bahama Islands, preparing food for tourists and pleasure seekers. The tropical weather and allure of the Bahamas were something of a fascination for him.
John returned to the mainland but not home to Philly. His journey in life, food, and discovering his love and passions propelled him forward.
Florida would be his next stop. This state brought more than experience in cuisine and creation. In Fort Lauderdale, John found love. Though we didn’t speak at length about his courtship, love is a palpable ingredient as his journey continued.
Debs, who became his wife, was fond of crisp, fresh snow to ski. Her love of powder brought them to the Ogden Valle in Northern Utah, for vacation and respite. Eventually, the Ogden Valley became their home. The Chef from HEL (Huntsville-Eden-Liberty) became a fixture in the haunts of the valley.
Residency in the off-season sits at about 5,000. With such a small population, it is imperative to know your audience well! Harley and Bucks was the first of his stops along the route to the Blue Coyote Cafe, his regular gig these days. John got to know the area, the residents of this beautiful Valley.
At the same time, Debs learned she had a rare auto-immune disease, systemic mastocytosis. In relocating to Utah, she found relief at Huntsman Cancer Center. The Blue Coyote Cafe holds an annual fundraiser in December to help support the foundation.
The dream of culinary infusion for the valley was put aside while John and Debs navigated the waters of her condition. Food, his greatest understanding, was a side note to the dedication he felt for his wife’s healing. There was not a great breadth to her appetite; she wanted only French fries and strawberry bars.
Coincidentally, potatoes are an Umami food. Comfort. Healing.
John busied himself with the dressing up of French fries and strawberries to satisfy the tastes of his ailing wife. The flavor would become his flagship seasoning. Her healing would lead him right back to his dreams of culinary creation.
As Debs grew stronger and her body healed, John was open to welcoming back his dream of culinary work in the Ogden Valley. Harley and Bucks led him to the Wolf Creek, where he took over the grill, beginning to build steam among the local flavor. From there, John branched out on his own, a path that led to the Blue Coyote Cafe at the Ledge in Huntsville, Utah.
This man’s voice is as welcoming and comforting as the foods he creates and cherishes. His laugh is a low grumble and humble. Our conversation made me feel at home, like the foods he dedicates his energy to create.
Each potato that crosses the threshold of his door is personally inspected for quality, each cut made is by his hand. This is something that sets him apart, distinguishes him among chefs. His greatest communication is the love communicated through his food.
John set the stage for me in describing the Blue Coyote Cafe, beginning with a staff as carefully chosen as the food he serves.
The intention, John says, is not about speed, not about the grind. The intention is fun, family, comfort, community. The thought that fuels the Blue Coyote is, “The day it stops being fun is the day I close the doors.” Without the fun, the food loses the intention behind it, and the customer no longer receives the product John is working to share.
Next, the ambiance…warm, comfortable, like Grandma’s house, he says. Flowers, music, a beautiful view of the Ogden Valley. Even the scenery is delicious.
The sounds of local musicians ring through the air on summer nights, serenading the guests of the Blue Coyote. John works with a local musicians’ organization, Mountain Arts and Music, supporting local talent.
One of the visions for his place revolved around offering as many types of art as possible. Aesthetics in the restaurant itself match that same homey feeling, intended to incite and instill the delicious flavor of comfort in the memory of John’s guests.
Aside from fun, flavor, and comfort, for John the most important tenet of his business which feeds into each nook and cranny, every bite and morsel, is the understanding that success spreads.
MOPS: Making Other People Successful. This is the operating structure that has fueled John’s passion. Sharing success, encouraging success, feeding the success of other people uplifts the success of any venture. When people feel less successful, it shows. You can taste it.
Umami. Home. Comfort. Shared successes. That is the spirit of the Blue Coyote and the Chef from HEL.
Located in the Lodge at Huntsville Square, the Blue Coyote Cafe offers deletable weekend brunch in a warm and inviting atmosphere as well as specialty events, and catering services. You can find them here.