Restaurant & Retail Trends – New Stars Talk Shop

My guests this week are from two new hot spots in Boston – The Russell House Tavern and The Urban Grape. The Russell House Tavern is located in an historic 1820′s property in Harvard Square. We will talk with Chef Michael Scelfo about what it takes to open a new restaurant in this economy and how he decides on what classic American tavern fare to feature. We’ll chat with Bar Manager Aaron Butler about their wine and cocktail program and how they use social media effectively. Then we’ll speak with TJ Douglas, Owner of the recently opened Urban Grape, a sophisticated wine shop located in Chestnut Hill that arranges its 850 bottle selection of wine by weight, rather than varietal or region, similar to a restaurant wine list. TJ & I will talk about the store’s philosophy and goals, their Enoline Elite Wine Tasting machines, how he selects and ranks the wines he offers, their Urban Samplers, Tuesday Tweets social media and more.

Guest Bios:

Michael Scelfo, Executive Chef, has been drawn to the kitchen for as long as he can remember. A Western Culinary Institute grad, Michael received a 2 ½ star review in The New York Times at age 25 while at the helm of Long Island’s Blond. He has since overseen kitchens with cult-like followings, including Dedo, North Street Grill and Tea-Tray in the Sky. His most recent post as executive chef at Good Life resulted in a Stuff@night dining award. In his spare time, he can be found smoking a wide variety of meats and spending time with his his wife and three children.

Aaron Butler, Bar Manager, created the bar program entirely from scratch—
focusing on hand-crafted cocktails and all-American wine & beer offerings. Prior to RHT he tended bar at Barbara Lynch’s acclaimed Drink in South Boston, where he honed his craft under the tutelage of John Gertsen. An arbiter of craft cocktail history and execution by trade, Aaron also possesses formal training in the alcohol industry through an Intermediate Certificate from the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust and completion of the BarSmarts training and education program.

An entrepreneur at heart, TJ Douglas, a recent top wine salesman for Massachusetts distributor Ruby Wines and a former General Manager for The Aquitaine Restaurant Group believes that focusing on unparalleled customer service and a vast selection will truly differentiate The Urban Grape. “With two young children at home and the economy in a downturn, my wife & I knew it was a risk to leave secure jobs and strike out on our own, but research showed people were still enjoying good food & fine wine, but were now doing it at home”.