Madison Native Brings His Own Flavor To The Town Center

Jeff Allen is a man of many talents.

A cook, a baker and a musician, he sings and plays the guitar, Allen also is fluent in the Tibetan language. A Buddhist who has lived in India, he continues to translate for a Buddhist monk, who retired as abbot of a monastery in India and now resides at the Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Center in Middletown.

Although translating remains his passion, and he devotes Sundays to that work, Allen draws on his culinary talents for his livelihood. A Madison native, he opened the Madison Beanery Beyond in October, 2009, and recently renamed the shop “Flavor for Madison.” The shop has seating for in-house eating but also does a brisk take-out business.

Eclectic selection attests to years spent in India and quest for perfection

Open Monday through Saturday, Allen serves an eclectic mix of egg dishes, sandwiches, salads and soups.  Dishes such as the Indian dal – orange lentils seasoned with garam masala and ginger – authentic Chai tea and curried chicken salad attest to the year Allen spent in India where he worked in Indian kitchens and Chai huts.

A personable man with a quick smile, Allen could use the word “perfectionist” after his name the way a doctor uses M.D. “If the avocados aren’t ripe that day, then we don’t use them,” he says. Even his menu board lists 11 promises to his customers, among them to use local and natural products, free-range eggs, and hormone-free chicken. When the list vows, “Only use produce thoroughly inspected by the chef,” that means a 5 a.m. trip to Orange to select the fruits and vegetables. 

“I’m so picky,” he says, adding that he drives to Meriden to buy spices at his favorite Indian food shops. “I like to pick out my own things.”

"Baking is scientific ... I prefer cooking"

Allen grew up in the restaurant business. Like many chefs, he began as a dishwasher and basic prep cook at Ken’s Pizza with Pizzaz, now the Red Tomato, when he was 13 years old.  At 14, he was making pizzas on Friday nights.  He also worked in Middletown, at a pizza parlor and an Italian bakery, where he learned about proofing dough and baking bread. “Baking is very scientific, but I prefer cooking, if I have a choice,” he says.

Trips to India, first in 1998 for a month and then for about a year in 2000, expanded his culinary repertoire. Indian cuisine “has so many styles,” he says. “I call it ‘no-boundary cooking’.”  While in India, he studied Buddhism, the Tibetan language and Indian cooking and did some teaching of his own. “I taught a group of Nepalese how to hand-toss pizza,” he says, pulling out photographs to show a visitor.

 When Allen returned to the U.S. in 2000, he says he thought about what direction he wanted his life to take and had an “epiphany.” “In the back of my mind, [cooking] was something I knew was one of my main talents,” he says. “If it’s food I’m good at, why don’t I go off and do it?”

A vow to do it right

Allen began looking for a restaurant location. When the space in Madison center opened up, he worked with the Small Business Administration to open his dream. “After 25 years in the business, I saw what works and what doesn’t work,” he says. “I vowed that I’d do it right.”

 “Do it right” stands for preparing almost everything from scratch. “I make all of the soups from the empty pot up. I make the olive tapenade and the hummus and almost all of the salad dressings.” For some items, like the sandwich breads and bagels, he tested and sampled until he found baked goods that met his standards. He knew that he couldn’t produce all of the different varieties of bread needed for a sandwich shop, but he still turns out breakfast scones in flavors such as blueberry, raspberry and chocolate chip.

As a vegetarian, Allen developed a variety of meatless recipes but realized that he had to include meat on the menu to attract a broader customer base. However, he made a decision to learn about the production practices at the farms where he buys his meat and dairy products. “To the best of my ability, I research farms to make sure that animals are humanely treated.”

“I want to offer the best of both worlds here,” Allen says. “I’m very mindful of people’s requests, especially since I’m a vegetarian. I want everyone to be happy.”

Flavor for Madison, at 712 Boston Post Road, is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Telephone: 203-245-7777; web site: www.flavorformadison.com