Newton Chefs Show Culinary Strength at Boston Bites Back

On May 15, 100 area chefs gathered at Fenway Park for Boston Bites Back, an event to raise funds for One Fund Boston and to raise spirits among the attendees (including first responders and victims of the marathon bombings)

On an unexpectedly beautiful night at Fenway Park, 100 of the Boston area’s best-known and most loved chefs and restaurateurs gathered at Boston Bites Back to raise money for One Fund Boston, the charity set up to provide aid to victims (and their families) of the Boston Marathon bombings.  Of course, a few of Newton’s own “celebrichefs” made the scene. Representing New England Soup Factory, Paul Brophy and Marjorie Druker provided a beautiful Minestrone Verde comprised of a plethora of vegetables, ditalini pasta, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese in a vegetarian stock. The soul-warming cup of deliciousness was topped with a crostini and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Chef Michael Leviton of Lumiere (and Area Four) was there with …

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Newton Chef Named as James Beard Award Semifinalist

The winners will be announced on May 6 in New York City.

Newton's hometown celebrity chef Michael Leviton has been nominated once again for a James Beard Award in the "Best Chef: Northeast" category. Leviton, who grew up in Newton Centre, is the man behind the popular Lumière restaurant in West Newton. According to the James Beard Foundation website, Leviton and Lumière have been nominated for the Best Chef: Northeast award six other times (2005-2010).  The list of award semifinalists will be narrowed down to a list of finalists, which will be announced on Monday, March 18, according to Eater.com. The winners will be announced on Monday, May 6. Aside from his James Beard nominations, Leviton and his restaurant have won many prestigious national awards including Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in …

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Newton Eatery Named to Boston Magazine's '50 Best Restaurants 2012'

The annual list looks at "the absolute best restaurants the Boston area has to offer."

The following is a press release from Boston Magazine: A Newton restaurant has made it in to Boston magazine’s respected list of top eateries in Boston in their November issue. Boston magazine’s expert staff visited hundreds of restaurants in and around Boston to present readers with a list of the absolute best restaurants the Boston area has to offer, be it high-end, casual, veteran or upstart dining. Newton’s own Lumière was included in this year’s list. Lumière’s elegant atmosphere perfectly compliments their simple and sophisticated menu. With the use of local sustainable ingredients chef Michael Leviton incorporates bistro-inspired elements to create the favorite Crystal Valley Farm chicken as well as a number of creative desserts. …

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Patch Picks

Patch Picks: Great Service in Newton

The idea that “the customer is always right” seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur. But in Newton there are still places where you can get outstanding service, excellent advice and fantastic recommendations.

The Urban Grape  - TJ and Hadley Douglas are the “power couple of wine” here in Newton. Not only will TJ dazzle you with his encyclopedic knowledge of wine, but he will also spend as long as you need discussing with you with what you are pairing your wine, what you’ve liked in the past and how much you want to spend. Hadley loves to talk about food and wine, and how wine can complement your event or a meal. Newtonville Books  - Did your son adore the Harry Potter series and is now in mourning because of the end of the book and film series? Stop by Newtonville Books for some fantastic and unusual recommendations for what books he can fall in love with next. The amazingly helpful staff will also special order books for you, and they love …

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Newton in the Kitchen

A New Endeavor for Newton Chef

Lumière's Chef Michael Leviton chats about how he's balancing his new spot in Cambridge, Area Four, and what he wants you to take away from dining at his restaurant.

If you were an award-winning chef with a successful suburban eatery who had recently experienced the unfortunate demise of another creative culinary endeavor, the last thing you’d want to do is open a new restaurant, right? Well, clearly you are not Michael Leviton then. “Area Four, at the end of the day, is a simple, casual place where you can go and hang out with your friends,” says Leviton. “You can drink and have a great time.” As he stated in an earlier interview with Patch, Newton native Leviton has seen Lumière evolve throughout its twelve-year history. “The food is not even close to what we did when we started,” he explains. “Things change. No matter what you’re doing, there’s going to be this evolution.” But with the West Newton …

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Patch Picks

Patch Picks: Newton Chefs

You don't have to travel to Boston to sample the cuisine of some truly gifted chefs: we have many right here in Newton. Here are five of the best-known and most popular.

Michael Leviton of Lumieré  - Chef Leviton was at the forefront of the “farm to table” movement, and his restaurant boasts a carefully crafted seasonal menu that emphasizes what is best and freshest from local farms and purveyors. Leviton has also won numerous prestigious national awards for his cuisine, including one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs and a nomination for the James Beard Award (like the Oscars of foodies). Marjorie Druker of New England Soup Factory – Patrons travel from as far away as New Hampshire for a bowl (or quart) of Druker’s famous soups. But she also prepares gorgeous salads and hearty sandwiches and sides. Aware of the perception that soup isn’t a summer food, Druker changes her menu in summer to reflect lighter …

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Newton in the Kitchen

A Culinary Luminary

Part One of a column on Chef Michael Leviton of Lumiere and his upcoming tribute dinner to cookbook author Joan Nathan.

On Monday January 31, Lumiere in West Newton will be hosting a special dinner comprised of dishes inspired by world-famous author Joan Nathan’s newest cookbook Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France. Chef Michael Leviton will be preparing a four-course menu of North African fare, and I will be attending. In preparation for my special dining experience, I interviewed Chef Leviton. He is a “celebrity chef” in the truest sense, famous for his inventive cooking and inspired wine pairings rather than for his media presence. Leviton and his restaurant, Lumiere, have won many prestigious national awards including Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in America (2000), Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurant (1999), and Gourmet’s …

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