By: Clementine Wiley
Looking for a peek outside the mainstream food scene? Need your fix of fried chicken? Then the Barn Bowl and Bistro is right up your alley. With its local, neighborhood-hangout vibe and generous parking, this place is perfect for summer days, birthdays, and Soul Sunday’s (a weekly tradition) alike. A big part of what keeps The Barn authentic is its new chef—the homegrown, talented Chef JJ Johnson, with whom This Week sat down to discuss what has led him to cooking and bowling.
This Week: How long have you been a chef?
JJ Johnson: I’ve been cooking since age 14.
TW: What inspired you to start so young?
JJ: I started with baking. I had sense of urgency of how to put things together, and I really enjoyed it and stuck with it.
TW: Are you from the island?
JJ: I am from the island, born and raised. I grew up in West Tisbury and Edgartown.
TW: So after baking, how did you study?
JJ: I’ve been working in restaurants on MV under really high-quality chefs, so I was able to learn a lot, and now also with the Internet, checking things out. A recipe is a guideline, but as chefs, we like to add our own spin.
TW: Do you have a favorite or signature dish you’ve created?
JJ: Not really. My favorite thing is to keep consistent. Like if it’s the fish dish, I try to make it consistent, out there for the public.
TW: What’s your favorite kind of food that you serve?
JJ: It varies—I like to always learn about new stuff, so that’s pretty much where we (as a restaurant) go with it. We just had Soul Sunday, and the mainstay for that is fried chicken.
TW: Do you use local ingredients?
JJ: My cousin has a fish market up in Menemsha—Menemsha Fish House—so we do get fresh, local seafood in season, which is very crucial.
TW: So what do you think makes The Barn “The Barn?”
JJ: It’s a very casual, upbeat setting. We keep it affordable for the locals, and it’s a benefit for vacationers, too, who are trying to get out of the mainstream Edgartown or Oak Bluffs crowds.
TW: Would you say The Barn has an Oak Bluffs personality?
JJ: Well, we’ve been getting a lot of people who rent and have houses in the camp ground, so there’s a heavy community in Oak Bluffs. (The Barn) is a strange place, because there’s a lot going on, and it’s a lot of fun to work in.
TW: Last but not least, are you a bowler?
JJ: I am in the Men’s League during the fall and I sub in every once in a while. It’s a benefit. If I’m able to make it out of the kitchen, I will be bowling!
