What does just a regular kid from just a regular family do when he grows up? If you’re Matt Landry, a self-described “regular kid” from Medway, whose interest in cooking began at age 6 not with a lemonade stand but with a baking contest, you go to culinary school and open a restaurant.

Landry, now 37, chef and owner of Chloe, an American Bistro on Hudson’s route 85 rotary, developed a serious interest in cooking when he was 16, which eventually led to the College of Culinary Arts at the renowned Rhode Island school Johnson and Wales.

Drawing on inspiration from childhood and his mother’s cooking, Landry describes the fare at Chloe as casual, traditional New England dishes in the country French style, where a few simple flavors are the focal point, and where the quality — or inferiority — of the ingredients is noticeable. When you rely on just a few flavors to carry a dish, Landry believes sourcing ingredients becomes as important as seasoning and preparation. In his opinion, “flavor is more important than whether something is organically grown,” and he often frequents local farms for fresh, flavorful produce, which is reflected in Chloe’s seasonal menu.

While he has developed his own adaptation of classic New England dishes, such as roast chicken and cod cakes that are anything but ordinary, Landry shies away from edgy interpretations, or as he says, “too deconstructed” versions of traditional dishes.

Any chef worth his salt knows that eating begins with the eyes and presentation is as much an ingredient as anything you put in your mouth, but, Chloe’s main attraction isn’t ‘food as art.’

“I’ve seen dishes that have been taken apart so much [for presentation] that you end up with just a plate of ingredients,” Landry said.

Nor is the bizarre in Landry’s repertoire. While TV’s The Iron Chef may attract a large audience with its exotic ingredients, when it comes to putting fork to mouth Landry believes most people are drawn to the familiar, to what he describes as “comfort food.” Now in its sixth year, Chloe is proof that the familiar often outlasts the trendy.

“It’s understanding how flavors go together, which is mostly from experience,” he said, which is why traditional dishes are so enduring, “because all that work has already been done. If those combinations didn’t work, they wouldn’t be traditional.”

At Chloe, traditional doesn’t necessarily mean boring. The tried and true may provide a solid base, but it’s Landry’s own touches, such as a drizzle of truffle oil perhaps (one of his favorite seasoning ingredients), or searing rather than roasting, that create a memorable dish.

With Landry’s brand of comfort food as the centerpiece, the warm, yellow-gold washed walls and burgundy drapes lend a cozy, intimate feeling to the dining room. Four years ago, Landry brought in live jazz for added ambience, offering live entertainment to lounge patrons while diners appreciate an unobtrusive background accompaniment to their meal.

As is typical in the restaurant business, the days are long and demanding, but this doesn’t keep Landry from being just a regular guy. When he’s not in the kitchen at Chloe or working on one of the seemingly endless projects on his list, Landry enjoys spending time with his wife Tracey and his 7-year-old daughter, the restaurant’s namesake, Chloe.

His chef’s hours often mean that he gets home after Chloe is in bed, so when he does have time with his family, he prefers to spend it “just being, not doing” though Chloe has been known to accompany him in the kitchen.

Her favorite food? “Chicken fingers.” It doesn’t get simpler than that.

Chloe’s is located at 23 Main St., Hudson, and can be reached at 978-568-1500 or www.chloebistro.com. Nancy Brooks can be reached at mothertown@cnc.com.