our market season
Author: Joshua Lewin
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: 2020
Josh Lewin
Mostly, I am a cook. I am lucky to have had such success and opportunity in a field that keeps me working with my hands and sharing my story in such an active and ever-changing way. I don't think I could have found such success in many other environments. I do my best to share the opportunities I've enjoyed with my staff and our industry on a wider scale, doing my part to be a good mentor and teacher, promoting both the ideals of technical excellence and progress as well as progressive thinking about food supply and the value of people, all people, in the fields of food and service.
In early 2016, I opened Juliet with the help of my invaluable partner in everything, Katrina Jazayeri. Katrina and I also spent years before the opening of our first restaurant producing short term dining experiences ranging from single night pop up events to months long full service "temporary restaurants" everywhere from Boston to New York City, including multiple invitations to cook for the prestigious James Beard House. Prior to this I learned in some of the best restaurants around Boston (Clio, Uni Sashimi Bar, Craigie On Main, No. 9 Park) as well as farther afield (Momofuku Noodle Bar, Charlie Trotter's), before settling in as executive chef at Beacon Hill Bistro, where I met Jason Bond, an early and important mentor, before he left to open his restaurant Bondir.
I owe a permanent debt of gratitude to my late-stage mentors Dominique Crenn, and Vikram Sunderam, two individuals who couldn't be more different in their output but are comparable both in their excellence in their chosen paths and their generosity in inviting me, between running the kitchens of others and building my own, to witness their processes: creative, business development, team building and mentorship, and more. My brief experiences with both of these individuals proved permanently formative.
Casual by day, Juliet transforms into full-service dining approaching immersive theater by night. Our wide open floor-plan virtually eliminates all separation between guests and staff and every bit of the action is on display, at all times. Evening menus are rehearsed as a show, and are accompanied by dynamic design elements as well as original poetry and prose, reinforcing the story that Katrina and I have to share. Unassuming on the surface, Juliet is small restaurant and cafe steps from our home in Union Square, Somerville, just outside Boston. Once you step inside it is readily apparent that despite the size, the scope of Juliet is as broad and surprising as it is excellent and worth making time for.
Outside the restaurant, you can find my writing, when I am lucky enough to see it published, in outlets such as Chefs Feed, Cognoscenti, and more. In October of 2017 I wrote and performed These Wild Apples, an immersive mixed medium theatrical performance, with the help of a great team.
Throughout 2018 and 2019, Juliet began to expand beyond its little neighborhood corner, into Juliet + Company. We added a print magazine, a second restaurant, and our first book.