Chef Michael Scelfo creating his seasonal dish
Everybody wants to serve local and seasonal, but most of the time it’s just lip service. For Chef Michal Scelfo, he doesn’t do it because it’s trendy, he does it because it just makes sense. We made our way into the lower level of Russell House Tavern, a Harvard Square institution, and into the kitchen with the soft spoken and passionate Scelfo. This was easily the biggest restaurant kitchen we’ve been in so far. Today we’re cooking a melange of vegetables, inlcuding parsnips and fiddleheads, and topped with a perfectly poached egg. It’s a quick dish but one that truly encapsulates what this chef is all about; a focused, clean dish that highlights the beauty of the natural favors of the ingredients. Trust me when I say that’s easier said than done. Scelfo jumps back and forth between his mise en place and the saute station, grabbing a handful of ingredients here, and putting the parsnip puree on the heat there, he’s fluid with his movements and completely focused. He speaks about how fortunate he is to finally land in a restaurant where the restaurant’s style totally matches his own and can basically make whatever he wants. He cooks, not because he just “fell into it” like so many other chefs, but it’s a labor of love and you can see it in his face as he hustles to get the dish done, he’s excited to share the dish with us, and naturally, we’re excited to try it.
A small part of the big kitchen at Russel House Tavern
The Skinny Beet 