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America's Best New Chefs
2005

Tony Maws

Craigie Street Bistrot
Five Craigie Circle
Cambridge, Massachusetts
617-497-5511

6 Recipes by Tony Maws

Where are they now?

Maws remains the chef at Craigie Street Bistrot, where he sources almost all of his ingredients from local farms and makes just about everything on the menu-including charcuterie and pickles-from scratch. In Fall 2008 he plans to move the restaurant to a larger location in Cambridge, to be named Craigie on Main Street, with a new bar and bar food menu.

Won Best New Chef at: Craigie Street Bistrot; Cambridge, MA


2005 Best New Chef Award Profile
Restaurant at the time of award
Craigie Street Bistrot
5 Craigie Circle
Cambridge, Massachusetts
617-497-5511

Why Because he's the quintessential hands-on chef who's fanatical about every element in his modern French cooking. "I don't spend thousands of bucks on flowers, but I go bonkers to get the best ingredients," he says.

Born Boston; 1970.

Experience The Blue Room, East Coast Grill and Clio, in the Boston area; La Folie, San Francisco; Larivoire, Lyon, France.

How he got his first food job "I was 15 and looking for a summer job; I had no clue about the business so I sent out a resumé and cover letter. I was hired as a dishwasher on Martha's Vineyard and worked some crazy 15-hour days, eating lobster claws and lamb chops."

Most humbling moment "Working as a chef is always pretty humbling. I can cook the most perfect halibut in olive oil and then someone will send it back and say, 'It's not hot enough.'"

Most exotic menu item "In Boston, it's all relative. Cock's combs? Duck tongues? I have lots of animal parts floating around my kitchen, lots of heads peeking out of freezers."

Most memorable meal Lunch at Michel Bras in Laguiole, France. "I drove five hours to eat there. Bras sent out a roasted chicken and I thought, 'Are you kidding me?' But it blew me away—it was like a dozen chickens in one. After lunch, I just sat in my car for hours. I couldn't get over it."


Featured Best New Chef Recipe

Warm Sweet Grits with Strawberry Compote

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