Category: Eats

Ken Duckworth at Duckworth’s Bistrot, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

Ken Duckworth’s love of eating began while he was a child growing up in Chicago. The only son born to a Cuban mother and American father, he was fortunate to have his maternal Grandparents, Great-Grandparents and aunts all living on the same street as him. During elementary school lunch break he would hurry to his Great-Grandmothers table to find a home cooked lunch waiting for him. Young Ken loved to eat and Mama (Great Grandmother) loved to cook for him. Later the entire family moved to Tampa/Clearwater Florida and Ken continued his love of eating.

Ken’s love of cooking began at the age of 16 when he took his first restaurant job; he has been cooking ever since. At the age of 19, with a deep passion for food, Ken decided to make a career in the restaurant business.

While honing his skills at for five years at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Ken met his future wife Nicole and the two began their culinary journey. From Tampa, Ken and Nicole headed to Saint Simons Island, Georgia where Ken went work at the world- renowned 5 star-five diamond resort The Cloister. Ken began at the Cloister as a lead cook at one of the Cloisters outlets specializing in world cuisine with a southern flair. He went on to become a butcher for the resort; practicing what he considers a lost art. Finally, he helped lead the resort’s Garde Manger in the Main Dining Room.

In 1998 Ken’s desire to work in a city with a great restaurant reputation and Nicole’s New England roots led the couple to Boston. There Jacky Robert took Ken on as sous chef at nationally acclaimed Maison Robert. At Maison Robert Ken built on his knowledge of French Classics and learned the nuances of working in a family run business. Ann, Lucien, and Andree Robert sent Ken to Paris to work at Le Relais De Auteuil, a two star Michelin restaurant.

In 2000, the Robert family gave Ken the opportunity to head up the kitchen as Executive Chef, where Ken truly came into his own. While running the two kitchens at Maison Robert, Ken developed menus according to the seasons, learned the business side of running a restaurant and developed an understanding of balance. The bittersweet closing of Maison Robert in 2004 led Ken and Nicole to a small restaurant with a rich history in the beautiful port city of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

In October of 2004 Ken and Nicole opened Duckworth’s Bistrot. Duckworth’s Bistrot quickly caught the attention of local and national diners. In 2005 Duckworth’s Bistrot earned a rating of three stars (excellent) from Alison Arnett of The Boston Globe and Best of the New in The Boston Globe Magazine. In 2006 Duckworth’s Bistrot received a Best of Boston, Best Restaurant North award from Boston Magazine. Duckworth’s Bistrot is Zagat rated and has been mentioned in Yankee Magazine as well as Food and Wine magazine.