Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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92 great experience." Many restaurant owners have called to express an interest in being part of the series. How- ever, with just seven nights available, Smolak Farms is in the enviable position of being able to pick and choose chefs. "We try to mix up the talent each year," notes Small. "Although some chefs have been with us for the whole five years, others are brand-new." This year's lineup includes Burtons Grill, Davio's of Boston, Grill 23, The Langham, Henrietta's Table, The Butcher Shop, and Post 390. Many chefs, includ- ing Danny Azzarello and Eric Brennan, return for the sheer pleasure of the experience. What chefs seem to enjoy most about it is the challenge of working with the ingredients they are given and coming up with dishes that aren't on their regular menus. "We deal with the same challenges day in, day out," says Azzarello. "It's nice to get out of the restaurant and get creative, and that's what the Whim dinner does—it offers the chance to come out of your box and be someone different." For his night last summer, Azzarello gathered all the chefs from the 10 Burtons locations to collaborate on a meal. "It was probably one of the best experiences I've ever had, and my chefs will say the same." Fourteen chefs were in action that night. Together, they came up with the idea for pork with apple cider donut stuffing. "It was completely outside the box—something I would never think of," notes Azzarello. In fact, people are still talking about that pork dish today. He even added it to his regular menu for a time. in-depth DINE Sherie Smolak (left) and Kelley Small are the planners behind Whim. Photograph by Sarah Jordan McCaffery