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The Basics: Chiara Bistro restaurant information

Chiara Bistro

569 High Street
Westwood, MA 02090
781-461-8118

Chiara Bistro restaurant information
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Named for chef-owner Steven LaCount’s grandmother, Chiara (which means clear in Italian) is Westwood’s answer to upscale cuisine outside Boston’s city limits. The frequently-changing menus feature seasonal selections of authentic Italian, French, Spanish, Greek and other Mediterranean cuisines, as well as a fine selection of unusual wines.

The warm, yet sophisticated dining room with its imported Italian tiles, bright modern art and signature wine wall, can accommodate intimate dinners as well as private parties from ten to 100. It’s perfectly clear why Chiara’s well on its way to becoming a neighborhood favorite.

News and Events at Chiara Bistro restaurant

Sample Spring Wines at Chiara
If all this unseasonably warm weather has thrown your seasonal wine drinking off course, swing by Chiara's burgundy and ...

Chiara's Got the Wines of Piedmont
Hop in the car and head for Chiara on Wednesday, February 29th

Dinnerfest 2012
Before you settle in to watch the Oscars, drop by the Brahmin for an afternoon/evening of do-gooding at the ...

Bret Pelaggi

Chef at Chiara Bistro

Chef Bret Pelaggi at Chiara Bistro

Chef Bret Pelaggi, originally from Norwood, is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont.  As an intern at The Country Club in Brookline, Pelaggi worked alongside and learned his basic cooking skills from chef Steven LaCount.

Pelaggi, who also did an internship in Garmish, Germany, has worked in some of Boston's best kitchens, including L'Espalier under chef-owner Frank McClelland and Kingfish Hall under James Beard Award winning chef Todd English. During his four and a half year tenure with the Olives Group, he was promoted to Sous Chef and selected as culinary trainer for the new Olive Group restaurants in Seattle, Orlando and Boston.

Pelaggi then moved on to help open Sibling Rivalry as a Sous Chef, working for one year with James Beard Award winning chef Bob Kinkead, and his brother David Kinkead. When he heard that chef LaCount was opening Chiara, he jumped at the chance to join him in the kitchen at his new venture.

Pelaggi enjoys his cat, Sage; spending time with his wife, Michelle; and watching sports like hockey and football.

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Dictionary
 
Aïoli
1. noun A blend of ail (garlic) and oli (oil) in the parlance of the Provence region of southern France. Around here, we'd call it a garlic mayonnaise.
Chiffonade
1. noun Vegetables cut in thin strips or shreds.
Chorizo
1. noun Crumbly, spiced pork sausage.
Compote
1. noun Slow-cooked fruit in syrup.
Confit
1. noun Meat (usually goose, duck or pork) that is slowly cooked in its own fat and preserved with the fat packed around it as a seal.
Crème anglaise
1. noun Rich custard sauce, often used as a topping or plating accompaniment to fruits and pastries.
Deglaze
1. noun To dissolve the remaining bits of sautéed or roasted food in (a pan or pot) by adding a liquid and heating. The resultant mixture often becomes a base for a sauce to accompany the food cooked in the pan.
Farro
1. noun Tuscany's mainstay, a small, light brown grain.
Ganache
1. noun A rich mixture of chocolate and crème fraîche frequently used as a filling for cakes.
Gazpacho
1. noun A Spanish soup served chilled, originally a puree of cucumber, tomato, onion, bell pepper, celery, vinegar, breadcrumbs, olive oil and garlic.
Hollandaise
1. noun An emulsion of egg yolks, lemon juice and hot melted butter, the smooth, rich sauce is often an accompaniment to vegetable, fish and egg dishes.
Hummus
1. noun Mashed chickpeas flavored with lemon juice, garlic and oil.
Jus
1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.
Lardons
1. noun Diced bacon that is blanched and fried.
Mascarpone
1. noun Ultra-rich, soft cheese known best for its role in tiramisu.
Pancetta
1. noun Cured Italian bacon.
Panzanella
1. noun Italian bread salad with tomatoes, basil, onion, olive oil, vinegar and sometimes other ingredients.
Polenta
1. noun A slow-cooked cornmeal porridge popular in northern Italy; can be served soupy or firm, sometimes fried.
Porcini
1. noun Smoky, meaty wild mushrooms.
Risotto
1. noun Italian dish made from rice cooked by intermittently adding small amounts of stock or broth. Other ingredients are added as required.
Romesco
1. noun Catalonian sauce of finely ground tomatoes, red bell peppers, onion, garlic, almonds and olive oil.
Semolina
1. noun Very coarse flour used to make pizza and bread. Also refers to rounded parts of wheat used to make a pudding of the same name.
Skate
1. noun Firm, white and sweet-tasting, the wings of this kite-shaped fish are showing up on more and more menus.
Tartare
1. noun Ground or finely chopped, seasoned raw meat (traditionally beef). May or may not come mounded, and with a raw egg.