COVID-19 cannot cancel Bob Sendall. In spite of the obstacles and the challenges, he helms his Northside crew merrily forward with the same sunny certainty that he has brought to his company, All in Good Taste Productions, for decades.  When the crisis canceled his always-full calendar of weddings and social and corporate events, they pivoted quickly to a take-out format, publishing special menus for customers to order in advance. 

“With the current changing landscape in the catering business, our team has seamlessly transitioned to boxing up our fabulous food.  Sometimes it’s for a romantic, candle lit dinner, and sometimes for a casual family-only meal. Either way, it is food to be enjoyed by all. Yes, we miss catering parties, but we are thrilled we can still continue to cook and provide meals with the same standard AIGTP is always known for,” comments Sendall.

Delivery and curbside pick-up are both available. Visit the All in Good Taste website for current options, including Memorial Day cookout menus, and Sendall’s famous (and fabulous) gourmet flatbread Pizza Party.  

We recently picked up a take-out order, followed the simple finishing instructions on the lid of each dish, and dined very happily. 

The first course was house-made ravioli filled with sautéed spinach and leeks with ricotta cheese and topped with roasted tomato sauce and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Longtime chef de cuisine Kim Leo is the source of this dish, which was handed down by his grandmother, who used to make the recipe for big family gatherings. Leo’s nonna would be proud of his pasta’s balance of toothiness and tenderness, and the bite-size love affair between the simple tomato sauce and the creamy filling.

Next up, Sendall’s jambalaya. Drawing upon fond memories of his many trips to New Orleans and his many encounters with Creole cooking, he prepared it in his open air kitchen in a massive paella pan. Jambalaya is traditionally made in larger quantities, which seems logical: this crowd pleaser needs to be made in crowd-worthy heaps! Sendall enjoys making this dish at a big event because “what is more fun than watching the chef cook right in front of you?”

There is perhaps one thing more fun than watching the cook: eating the jambalaya.  The interplay of ham, peppers, andouille sausage, shrimp, and gorgeous crawfish against a well-seasoned base of rice keeps the taste buds engaged. Each element delivers its own flavor and texture, all of which are unified with gumbo file seasoning, which is made of the dried and ground leaves of the sassafras tree. First used in stews by the Choctaw Indians, it brings a unique flavor profile to the dish. 

Accompanied by the jambalaya were light and flaky sea bass cooked on a nest of fresh herbs, and a chunky, modern kale and cabbage slaw, tossed with a light olive oil dressing and dotted with walnuts and dried cherries.

How do you follow up this procession of top-notch dishes? Sendall added a chocolate ganache tart with pecan crust and white chocolate drizzle. Completely gluten-free, its velvety depths made us linger a little longer over dinner.

Sendall is making sure that as many people as possible are eating well during these complicated times. Thanks to generous donations from his patrons, All in Good Taste has been preparing and delivering fantastic meals for two area women's shelters. 600 meals are on the docket in the coming weeks.

allingoodtasteproductions.com

Story and styling by Keith Recker  //  Photography by Justin Matase // Food by All in Good Taste Productions, Bob Sendall, Kim Leo, and Crew

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