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Chris Coombs
The Man of the Kitchen in dbar and Deuxave
By the time he was tall enough to reach into a kitchen’s sink Chris Coombs was working at a neighbor’s seafood restaurant washing dishes, chucking clams and peeling shrimp. While attending his hometown’s Peabody High School Chris applied himself to the school’s vocational program focusing on cooking and also managed to work 40-60 hours a week around his class schedule. From the get-go Chris knew what he wanted. He applied to only one college, the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and was accepted and enrolled at the ripe age of 17.
He graduated by age 19 and was off to work. While many chef-hopefuls would wait out front, resumes in hand, Chris went knocking on the back door. Coombs felt that going straight into the kitchen and showing what he could do was his best chance on being hired. And he was right.
Coombs is only 26 years old and is lauded by the press as a “boy wonder” of Boston’s cuisine-scene having found success as dbar’s Executive Chef and with a new restaurant set to open this summer. Chris’ soaring trajectory began with him taking on every opportunity he could find. In 2002 he cooked in Wellesley, MA at Blue Ginger’s kitchen, the same year they were awarded the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef Northeast” award. He also spent a year-and-a-half cooking with Patrick O’Connell at his restaurant The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia. “It was the most defining year and a half of my life because Patrick is the most brilliant chef I’ve ever
encountered.”
While working under the tutelage of fantastic chefs was a vital part of Chef Coombs’
success, he himself deserves plenty of the credit. Since taking over as Executive Chef at dbar Chris has won customers over with dishes like Gianno Chicken Under a Brick and Seared Diver’s Scallops. The menu’s exceptional level of freshness can be attributed to the roof-deck garden that Coombs handgrows and hand-picks himself, a practice in self-sufficiency he picked up while in Virginia.
With his young success as a partner at dbar Chris will now work on future success with the opening of his and co-owner Brian Piccini’s new restaurant Deuxave opening in late Summer 2010. The name, which Coombs and Piccini invented, even sounds delicious, (pronounced: doo-aahve). With Chris Coombs’ track record it will be no surprise when Deuxave is rolling off the tongues of Bostonians as a Restaurant of the Year candidate.
Deuxave aims to be “refined casual” as Coombs describes a menu that will be “nouvelle French technique married with the splendor of local, seasonal American ingredients.” While the menu will be chic it will be very approachable as Chris hopes to knock down the wall of pretentiousness that upscale restaurants are known for.
While speaking with me Chris even revealed the surprising secret behind his phenomenal success, “just give people what they want. I mean, ultimately that’s my job.” And he does his job well. Watch for Chris Coombs on the Food Network’s “Chopped,” or just go down to Dorchester’s dbar.
Andy Husbands And Tremont 647 Host Annual Grilling Social
Street Food from Around the World
WHO: Andy Husbands will be hosting the 7th annual 'Grilling Social' with friends. Join Husbands along with Boston’s own Harpoon Brewery and special guest chefs including Chris Coombs of Dbar (Deuxave opening soon), Mark Orfaly of Pigalle,
Isadora "Izzy" Sarto of Tremont 647, and Brian Poe of Poe's Kitchen at the Rattlesnake.
WHAT: Join the summertime tradition at Tremont 647 where guests will be encouraged to walk around and sample 'street food' themed foods from the grills outside, as well as from Tremont’s indoor wood fired grill, while chatting with friends and neighbors, and enjoying pints of fresh Harpoon beer.
The cost of this special event is $35/per person, $30 for Friends of Harpoon. Price includes all food and two beer tickets per guest, and also includes tax and gratuity! A full cash bar will also be available throughout the evening.
WHEN: On Monday, July 19th from 6:00 PM till--(about 9 PM)
WHERE: Tremont 647 -- on the patio! (Located at 647 Tremont Street in Boston's South End). Valet and on-street metered parking.
Please call Tremont 647 at (617) 266-4600 for information and reservations. Reservations are strongly suggested as this event often sells out! Put on your shorts and sandals and get ready for a fun and festive urban patio picnic!
Lisa Hare the National Ambassador for Sailor Jerry’s Rum
Sailor Jerry Is Hoisting The Sales
AS YOU BELLY UP TO the bar and scan the row of liquor bottles with thirsty eyes there is one flashy label that catches your attention; the infamous Norman Collins tattoo girl on the Sailor Jerry’s Rum. Upside down she dances on the label as your bartender swirls the full-bodied rum into your glass. While you drink, responsibly, you wonder what the story is behind this new rum. Well if Lisa Hare was there she could tell you.
Lisa is Sailor Jerry’s National Ambassador, a.k.a. the world’s best job. She was approached with details for the job one night when she was bartending. A pretty girl with sleeves of tattoos, she is an ideal embodiment of the rum. As she rattles off more rum-based cocktail recipes than you knew existed and passionately tells you histories behind the brand you realize that this woman knows her rum.
Miss Hare will tell you that unlike your average liquor brand, Sailor Jerry’s Rum is tied to a subculture. The brand got its name from legendary American tattoo artist Norman Collins, the guy who taught Ed Hardy how to hold a tattoo machine. As Lisa explained to me, Collins was nicknamed “Jerry” by his father because he said his son was as stubborn as the family mule named Jerry. Collins enlisted in the Navy at 19 and after years of travel he settled in Honolulu’s Chinatown neighborhood to open up his first tattoo shop known to the locals as Sailor Jerry.
As the brand Ambassador Lisa will attend events and stop by bars on her mission to spread the tale of Sailor Jerry. As Ambassador she must convince some narrow-minded drinkers that Sailor Jerry’s is more than just a compliment to Coke, its mixability is seemingly without bounds. She adds Sailor Jerry’s to her margarita to give the cocktail more depth and body, noting that sour mix is a particularly good match with SJ. She even introduced me to her “Shave and a Haircut” which is Sailor Jerry’s and Coke topped with Guinness. The day after Lisa told me about the Shave and a Haircut I served it to an adventurous bar patron who told me it tasted like a creamy Vanilla coke. And he ordered a second.
Lisa was recently in Boston at WFNX’s Clambake and stopped by the FNX studio to make a quick appearance on-air. If you didn’t catch her then she will be returning to Boston to give us some more recipes in the near future. Look for her at some upcoming Sailor Jerry’s Rum events.
