Jason King Appointed Executive Chef, The Tuscan Grill, Waltham, Ma

Tuscan Grill
361 Moody Street
Waltham, MA
781.891.5486
www.tuscangrillwaltham.com

Jason King Named
Executive Chef, Tuscan Grill

Back to Basics & Better Than Ever
Fresh, Clean, Flavorful Tuscany Cooking

Tuscan Grill celebrating its 15th Anniversary


Waltham, MA.....Bonnie Burke, proprietor of Tuscan Grill, announces the appointment of Jason King as the restaurant's executive chef. A native of Boston, and half Italian and half Irish himself, King is familiar with the heart and soul of Tuscany-inspired cooking. "I grew up with it" he explains, "going over to my Nana's house every Sunday. She was Italian, everything was made from scratch, and I loved the smells of her kitchen. I was underfoot in there from very early on. I am a twin, and my family says my brother is the Irish side of the family, and I'm the Italian. It's a perfect fit for me here at Tuscan Grill" he says with a smile.


Tuscan Style Cooking
King is in heaven with Tuscan Grill's original wood-fired spit. "It's the root of authentic Tuscan cooking" he says. With the wood-fired spit, King is slow-roasting chicken, lamb, pig, and boar to bring out the inherent savory flavors. It's back to the basics for Tuscan Grill. A trendsetter when it opened as Moody Street's restaurant anchor in 1991 it was known for its simple, clean dishes bursting with flavor. "We're going right back to that" explains King. "It's what I know, and it was the cornerstone of this restaurant. People don't want heavy cream sauces and crazy rich food.. They want really authentic, clean dishes that let the flavors speak for themselves. I just add a little oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and select top quality meats and vegetables, and that's it." Simplicity is the core of Tuscan cooking; everything must be made from scratch, starting with fresh, fresh, fresh ingredients of the highest quality.


Tuscan Grill
Tuscan Grill burst onto the scene in 1991, surprising Waltham and Greater Boston audiences with its flavorful dishes, top rated service and highest integrity of ingredients. From Day One the tiny restaurant was packed every night. And it still is today - although fortunately a bit larger, now featuring a 10 seat bar with tables for 20 more diners, in addition to the dining room. It was the key to Moody Street, Waltham's growth as 'Restaurant Row' as more chefs and restaurants followed to the neighborhood. With easy accessibility to both Boston and the 'burbs, Waltham became a dining destination and still is today. Tuscan Grill is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, a huge milestone for any restaurant. "And we're celebrating by going back to the heart and soul of Tuscan cooking" agrees Burke.


The New Menu
King presents his first menu at Tuscan Grill this week. Early reports concur that he is indeed bringing Tuscan Grill "Back to the Basics and Better Than Ever." Stand-out dishes include

Crab cake and sweet corn roasted red pepper marmellata
Heirloom tomato Caprese salad
Mussels with house-made Tuscan sausage finished with Pernod and sourdough bruscetta
Garlic rubbed veal cutlet, sweet tomato cream and a ragout of applewood smoked bacon, white bean and artichoke
Spit roasted organic half chicken and crispy corn polenta
Involtini de Melanzane, warm tomato basil relish and shaved Pecorino


The crabcakes are the best-tasting crab cakes in the city, according to guests, because they are, quite simply, all crab. "These are all crab, all the time. There is just tons of crab in these things" says King. And the mussels appetizer brings a new combination of flavor, with the Tuscan sausage and Pernod Sauce enhancing the beautiful flavors of the mussels. King reports "I love this c