Comings and Goings

The fire that destroyed the Mount Washington Tavern last Halloween has resulted in a phoenix-from-the-ashes scenario. The doors to the refurbished tavern are scheduled to open any day now on a whole new space. Instead of a choppy passage up and down stairs from the dark front bar to back dining room, the first floor will be on one level, owner Rob Frisch says, with the plantation decor of the latter more integrated into the whole. The rooftop “sky bar” has been transformed into a four-season space, and the upstairs Pimlico room has been upgraded with coffered ceilings and built-in cases to display vintage jockey silks. Salvaged beams from the original building are repurposed in the bar, and reclaimed barn siding from Montana and Idaho combine with a zinc bar and steel for a look both rustic and contemporary.

Some things, however, will remain the same: Frisch says more than 80 percent of the Tavern’s former staff will be returning, with veteran chefs Steve Johnson and Sam Shivers in the kitchen, along with Shannon Maddox, a longtime manager who had started crafting the Tavern’s homemade desserts before the fire. Food-and-drink upticks include 10 draft microbrews (up from five), a cocktail menu, and a new emphasis on seafood. “We’re taking baby steps” with menu changes, Frisch says. “People have been coming to the Tavern for so long, we don’t want to change our concept.”

Neapolitan Pizza comes to Canton

Edward Bosco grew up in New York, and he and wife and business partner Marianne Kresevich moved here from Chicago three years ago—which begs the question: what kind of pizza will Verde serve? The couple’s Canton spot avoids both the foldable, thin crust of a New York pie and Chicago’s deep-dish style for something “strictly Neopolitan,” Bosco, a former commodities trader, says.

In developing the menu, the couple sought advice from Roberto Caporuscio, whose A Mano in New Jersey and Keste Pizza and Vino in Manhattan (which offers pizza-making classes) have helped define the pizza of Napoli stateside. “We use only imported Italian flour, prosciutto de Parma, imported buffalo mozzarella,” says Bosco. Kresevich—an IT consultant and CPA—and Bosco came to town with the idea of opening a pizzeria. A $450,000 grant from the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development helped fund the build-out of the former Birches space on Montford Street.

Four-star cooking class

The takeaway from a holiday cooking class at the Four Seasons Hotel isn’t just chef Oliver Beckert’s opinion on the relative merits of brining or deep-frying the bird, or even the recipe booklet and apron embroidered with the words “Today I am the Chef!” The real attraction may be a chance to hang out in the hotel’s luxurious $6,000-a-night Serene Suite, with its fully appointed kitchen and views of the harbor. A mere $60 could have you sipping champagne laced with cinnamon bitters and nibbling on the chef’s holiday hors d’oeuvres. Of course, it’s not the 2,800-square-foot Presidential Suite ($10K a night)—but you won’t be taking chances on who will show up to claim occupancy. For information, e-mail vaughn.allen@fourseasons.com.

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