Northshore Magazine

Family Food Affairs A few of the North Shore's beloved flavors are found in Boston's South End. By Karyn Polewaczyk B rothers louis and Michael DiBiccari have made a name for themselves as reigning sibling chefs in Boston's hospitality scene, having worked their way up the ranks at award-winning places like L'Espalier, Sel de la Terre, and Eastern Standard, to name a few. These days, the two have their own place, Tavern Road—a modern eatery located in Boston's Innovation District, which opened earlier this year. The DiBiccari brothers surprise and delight guests with a blend of sustainably raised fare, urban design elements, and second-to-none service, thanks to a rigorous training program that ensures each employee—from waitstaff to the chefs behind the line—thoroughly understands his or her role and the importance it plays in keeping the restaurant running smoothly. Despite their successful tag-team approach—Louis in the kitchen as chef and Michael keeping the house and business operations in order up front—neither brother planned for a career in the restaurant industry. In fact, Louis didn't so much as touch a recipe until his early days at Fitchburg State College, where, discouraged by the lackluster selection in the school's cafeteria, he resorted to creating his mother's "gravy" (code for marinara sauce) in his dorm room. Michael's path to a career in fine dining was a bit more linear. photographs by gustav hoiland KJ NBDec13 DiBicarri.indd 105 But, for both, it's food that helped shape the brothers into who they are today. Long, languid family dinners at their home in Lynnfield, prepared by the brothers' mother and grandmothers, featuring classic Italian home-style meals like linguini with white clam sauce, justpicked-from-the-backyard garden salads, fresh fish, lots of "gravy," and lots of family—anywhere from 12 to 15 aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents sat around the table at any given time during the boys' upbringing. The North Shore also plays an important role in the brothers' lives—family dinners still take place on Sundays, though whether or not they attend depends on the restaurant schedule. Both admit to occasionally stealing away to their former stomping grounds for classic North Shore eats. Northshore sat down with the pair to talk about their working-class background, their views on Boston's (and the North Shore's) recent boom in the hospitality industry, and the importance of famiglia. December 2013 nshoremag.com 105 10/25/13 2:21 PM

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