Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/385222
photography courtesy of Bravo (cogswell); By andrew wang (doughnuts) Chefs on fire A new crop of hungry chefs lights up Boston's kitchens. by annie copps More than a few celebrity chefs in this town have climbed to the top of the culinary ladder—people we need mention only by first name, like Barbara, Ken, and Ming. But who are the next hot young turks simmering away in the city, waiting to come to a full rolling boil? Here are their names, where you can find them, and what separates them from the pack. Fish Tale Francisco Millan is making waves as chef de cui- sine at the oceancent ric hot spot Row 34, part of chef- ow ner Jeremy Sewa ll's culina r y dy na st y. Millan's résumé includes time in the kitchens of Ja m ie Bissonet te at Toro a nd Gabr iel Fra sca at Straight Wharf. At Row 34, his specialties are the delicate arts of smoking and curing seafood, such as f luke crudo. "I am very much about letting the ing redient s spea k for t hemselves," M illa n says. This means thinly sliced fish with a light wash of acidity, pickled peppers, a delicate pinch of dried A leppo pepper —a nd not a hint of a chef 's ego. "Fran definitely has all the tools to be a big deal," Sewall attests. "He has a great palate, and his cook- ing sensibilities are rooted in excellent technique." 383 Congress St., 617-553-5900; row34.com Regal Chef Stacy Cogswell of The Regal Beagle in Brookline was the only hometown toque chosen for the Boston f ilm ing of Bravo's Top Chef, a ir ing October 15. W hile t hat a lone won't ma ke her a st a r, t here's plenty of proof to be found. She trained at Johnson & Wales and worked in the kitchen of Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Market in Mexico, before coming to Boston and joining chef Susan Regis at the local favorite UpStairs on the Square, where, Cogswell says, "I learned a different perspective on how to love and respect food." The Regal Beagle is known for comfort food, but Cogswell puts a thoughtful chef 's mark on mac and cheese via braised short ribs. Look for pumpkin and bacon bisque and spicy pepitas on her fall menu. 308 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-739-5151; thebeaglebrookline.com Where She Stops, Nobody K nows We have our eye on chef Stephanie Cmar and her pop-up sensation Stacked Donuts. A lthough she has proven herself as a chef at Stir and No. 9 Park, Cma r a lso dist ing uished herself by keeping her cool during a tough gig on Top Chef. She has shown that innovative cooking doesn't have to be a fancy- pa nt s nine - course t a st ing menu; somet imes it 's fried dough, albeit in completely unexpected iter- at ions like T ha i ba sil a nd lemonade. W hile a per ma nent rest aura nt is in t he works, she uses social media to keep her many fans abreast of where and when she'll turn up next. "We're blessed," she says. "For now, friends are extending their kitchen space." Follow Cmar on Twitter at @stephaniecmar BC clockwise from top: Francisco Millan's whole roasted trout with broccoli rabe and corn salsa at Row 34; Stephanie Cmar's Stacked Donuts; Stacy Cogswell of The Regal Beagle. 90 bostoncommon-magazine.com taste Fresh Faces