| From the Kennedy family kitchen to Orlando
Neil Connolly has earned multiple awards and honors in a
culinary career that has spanned more than 40 years, including a decade
as the personal chef for Sen. Edward Kennedy. Now the distinguished
chef is preparing his creative cuisine at Doc’s Restaurant.
Orlando, FL –
For a distinguished chef with more than three dozen culinary medals and
awards to his credit, getting paid to bake a birthday cake at a family
gathering doesn’t seem like a fitting task. Yet it is the exact spot
Neil Connolly found himself in the kitchen of a house on Cape Cod.
Of course, it was no ordinary event. And the siblings, children,
grandchildren and elders surrounding the table did not compose the
ordinary American family. Connolly was sticking 103 candles atop a cake
for Rose Kennedy at the esteemed family’s estate in Hyannisport.
“I walked into the dining room with the cake – lighted with all
the candles – and everyone started singing Happy Birthday,” said the
58-year-old Connolly, who served as the personal chef to Sen. Edward
Kennedy and his mother from 1984-1994. “When the candles were blown
out, the room quickly filled with smoke. Senator Kennedy said, ‘Neil,
take the cake outside before the fire alarm sounds.’ Needless to say,
the party moved to the living room.”
The charismatic Connolly shares a passion for entertaining
stories and preparing creative cuisine. From his time at the Kennedy
estate, he has a plethora of intriguing tales of festive family
gatherings and grand galas for a who’s who list of politicians,
athletes and entertainers. The Boston native implements his New England
influence with Florida’s bounty of fresh ingredients at Doc’s
Restaurant, the sophisticated dining destination across the street from
the Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Connolly, co-owner of the restaurant with orthopedic surgeon Dr.
Thomas Winters, serves as the executive chef. He never attended
culinary school, instead honing his craft in professional kitchens at
restaurants, hotels and private clubs for more than 40 years. His list
of achievements are many - as evidenced by the plaques, framed
certificates and glass cases decorated with culinary medals on the
walls of his third-floor office at Doc’s.
At the Culinary Olympics in Germany, Connolly earned four gold
medals and a perfect score in the world competition. He was named a
distinguished visiting chef at Johnson and Wales University, sharing
the same honor bestowed upon elite chefs like Paul Bocuse, Jacques
Pepin, Madeleine Kamman, and Emeril Lagasse. He was inducted into the
American Academy of Chefs, Confrie La Chaine des Rotisseurs Society,
Verband der Koche Osterreichs, Landessektion Tirol Innesbruck Austria,
and the Honorable Order of the Golden Togue Society.
Connolly’s career advanced into an unexpected direction one
night when he was executive chef at the Dunfey Hyannis Hotel. The
general manager alerted him that a member of the Kennedy family had
called.
“He said that their personal chef was sick, and they wanted
to see if I could cover a dinner party for 60 that night,” Connolly
explained. “It sounded interesting, so I agreed.”
Connolly learned that the presiding personal chef was suffering
from a serious illness and was no longer able to remain on the job. The
impromptu dinner led to a 10-year stint as personal chef to America’s
version of the Royal Family.
“It was obviously a much different atmosphere than being a chef
at a restaurant,” Connolly said. “You had to be flexible. In the
morning, you would be making plans for a dinner that night for six or
eight people, and then that afternoon the number would be 25 or 30.
“You never knew who you would be cooking for,” he added. “
Sometimes, it would be a casual dinner for a few family members.
On other occasions, it would be an elaborate party for 100 or 200.”
Mostly, Connolly prepared meals at Sen. Kennedy’s home at the
family compound, but he also cooked at the residences of Ethel Kennedy
and the Shriver family. It was the lavish parties that produced the
most interesting stories.
“During wedding week for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria
Shriver, Jacqueline Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy hosted a lunch at the
president’s home, and Jacqueline asked me to create a centerpiece with
cookies and brownies on a tray,” Connolly said. “The Kennedy family
loved cookies and brownies.
“My centerpiece was an American eagle made of white and dark
chocolate,” he added with a grin. “After the lunch was over and most
guests had left, I saw Oprah snap off one of the eagle’s wings.”
Clambakes on the beach at sunset were popular events for the Kennedy family.
“A tent was positioned about 10 feet from high tide, and each
table was illuminated with a ship’s lantern,” Connolly said. “When the
food was ready, we would bring up an old rowboat filled with seaweed,
lobsters, steamers, corn on the cob, potatoes and knockwurst.
“At the end of the night, there would be a bonfire for roasting
marshmallows and a band would play,” he added. “And on the Fourth of
July, they would have their own fireworks display.”
The kitchen, Connolly said, was the center of activity for the Kennedy family.
“Anyone who visited would come through the kitchen,” Connolly
said. “It was a place to hang our over coffee or tea, and grab a bite
to eat on the way to play tennis or go sailing.
“I remember that JFK Jr. would grab a chocolate chip cookie when
he arrived. Then, on the way out, he would ask for a few extra ones,”
he added. “You couldn’t refuse him. He was always polite, and he had a
special way about him.”
At Doc’s, many dishes are prepared using the same recipes
Connolly developed when he was the Kennedy family chef. Cape Cod clam
chowder and lobster stew are examples. So are dishes like Grilled Filet
Mignon and Maine Lobster Tail, clams, mussels and halibut; and desserts
such as soufflés.
Surprisingly, Doc’s represents Connolly’s first restaurant
venture. His son, Sean Connolly, played baseball and graduated from
Rollins College in Winter Park, which brought Connolly to Orlando
frequently. After his minor league baseball was ended by injuries, the
younger Connolly returned to Orlando with his wife, and the couple had
their first child in 2002. When his son introduced him to Dr. Winters,
who was interested in opening a restaurant, Connolly excitedly accepted
the opportunity. He had spent the previous seven years as executive
chef at the White Cliffs Country Club in Plymouth, Mass.
Connolly’s commitment to using the freshest ingredients may be
another reason why the noted chef has already made an impression on
Central Florida’s restaurant industry. Each dish is decorated with
fresh fruits and greens. Even the crackers and ice cream at Doc’s are
made in-house.
“I believe in a fresh product presented artfully on the plate,”
Connolly said. “I think food must look wonderful as well as taste
wonderful.”
Guests at Doc’s who know about Connolly’s former role as the
Kennedy family chef like to hear stories about the legends of Camelot.
In fact, Connolly is preparing to release a cookbook titled, “Recipes
From The Kennedy Kitchen,” which will include photos of the family,
food images, stories and 150 of the family’s favorite recipes. The
cookbook will be available at the restaurant this fall.
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