It's Almost Time for Newtonville to Get 'Cook'-ing

The restaurant scene in Newtonville is cranking these days, and it's about to get even busier.

Paul Turano, chef and owner of Arlington's Tryst, will open his second restaurant, Cook, in the former Lam's locations in Newtonville (825 Washington St.) in August. Before then, Turano will head to New Orleans as Masschusetts' first-ever representative in the Great American Seafood Cookoff. 

"So Cook will be a seafood restaurant?" you're probably asking.

Well ... not really.

Check out our Q&A with Turano to learn more about his vision for Cook and what will set it apart in the Newton food scene.

Patch: What is Cook? How is it similar to/different from Tryst?

Turano: When I first decided I was going to open my second restaurant, I really had no idea what direction I wanted to go in. I was over thinking the whole entire thing, and it wasn’t until one night that I was cooking with my daughter that it came to me. She looked at me and said, ”Daddy you cook, right?” That was it. I got it. It’s that simple.

Cook is an approachable, fun and introspective look at the process of being a restaurant. There’s a lot of bells and whistles in the industry, and this is kind of the opposite of that. I really wanted to make it a destination and second home for my customers. I want it to be comfortable and something that they can understand and be a part of. Like the kitchen that you can always come home to for a good meal with friends and family.

That being said, we’ll always be in-flux, changing our offerings, programs, the menus. We’ll always be in ebb and flow with the customers.

It’s different from Tryst in that it’s more casual, and the concept is a little more open-ended.

Patch: Can you describe the cuisine at Cook?

Turano: I think that using terminology such as "electic," and "contemporary American" is really limiting, and that’s the opposite of what we’re trying to do at Cook. It is going to be the type of place that amazing tacos can sit next to amazing flatbreads, seafood, steaks and pasta. And locally sourced produce will be front and center. It’s really going to be about the food and by not limiting ourselves to a particular cuisine we have a lot of freedom and are going to have a lot of fun in the kitchen.

Patch: What brings you to Newtonville? Why this restaurant, in this place, at this time?

Turano: Tryst is doing really well and it was time to expand. I think that the customer in Newton is a very educated, sophisticated and savvy consumer. I think they’ll really appreciate and understand the creativity and operation we’re running, and they’ll accept and welcome us into their community. 

Patch: The Newton restaurant scene is a busy place. How will Cook set itself apart?

Turano: We are doing some pretty cool things. We are working with some notable people on coming up with a craft cocktail program, and we’re going to offer a recipe card section on our site where you can go and grab some of your favorite recipes. We’re also planning on hosting cooking classes – the idea is that we want to be transparent. We want it to be a place where you can come and cook with us. Cooking is communal and done best with friends and family – it’s not a mysterious science. It’ about good food and good people.

Patch: As a chef/owner, what is your restaurant philosophy?

Turano: Flexibility and involvement. I always look to improve things and put myself in the customers' shoes. My team and I constantly challenge each other to come up with a better presentation, improve existing recipes and develop new dishes. I am always trying to come up with the next cool thing, but you have to be willing to let go and change frequently if you want to stay successful.

Also, as a chef/owner you have to stay involved and active. This is my life’s work, and I want to make sure that every employee, customer and vendor feels that. When you’re actively involved in every aspect, it shows.  I really believe that your passion fuels the restaurant.

Patch: What excites you most about opening a new restaurant?

Turano: Everything. The whole entire process and knowing that at the end of this we’re going to be doing what we love to do – cook.