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The Basics: Summer Shack Cambridge restaurant information

Summer Shack Cambridge

149 Alewife Brook Parkway
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-520-9500

Summer Shack Cambridge restaurant information
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Inspired by the New England's coastal shacks, Jasper White's Summer Shack has been referred to as "a clam shack on steroids". The bustling, spacious restaurant, with locations in Cambridge, Back Bay, Hingham, Dedham and at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, is a casual, roll-up-your-sleeves kind of place. The menu is laden with New England-sourced seafood with plenty of live lobsters, crab, raw bar, fried and grilled seafood, as well as family favorites like hot dogs, steak, fried chicken and other fun, delicious foods.

The bright, whimsical décor is funky and the music lively, but the food is serious - chef-owner and prolific cookbook writer Jasper White, a pioneer in Boston's once lackluster fine dining scene, hasn't relaxed his standards in the more relaxed environs at the Summer Shack. Exceptionally fresh seafood, procured by the restaurant's own licensed wholesale seafood company, is prepared simply and creatively. Service is friendly with a great selection of beers, wines and liquor.

News and Events at Summer Shack Cambridge restaurant

Feast Your Eyes - Summer Shack
Just as everyone starts craving lobster rolls and friedn clams – Jasper White & Co. spruce up the array of fishy options ...

Cooking Live
Join Ming Tsai as he gathers a gaggle of his chefly friends for an evening of - what else - cooking. 

8th Annual Spoonful of Ginger
A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, but a Spoonful of Ginger can help to cure diabetes.

Timothy Willis

Executive Chef at Summer Shack Cambridge

Chef Timothy Willis at Summer Shack Cambridge

Though he was born in Boston, chef Timothy Willis grew up in New Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia. He spent most of his summers at the Jersey shore with his grandparents tending to their gardens, where he found his love for fresh local produce.

In high school, he spent two years in a culinary arts program.  While in vocational school, he had the opportunity to stage and work for the renowned chef, George Perrier at Le Bec Fin, where he was able to see a four star restaurant in full swing. During those high school years, Willis got his first real job as a cook at Ron Jaworski's Eagles Nest.

After high school, Willis headed to Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island to pursue his career as a chef. While in school he worked at many of Providence's fine Italian restaurants including Bella Vista and Capriccio.

His first internship, part of the Johnson & Wales program, was with Marriott where he was part of the opening team of the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia. During that stint, he participated in catering a party for the mid-Atlantic Emmy's.  His second internship was with Jasper White's Summer Shack during their opening at Mohegan Sun resort and Casino in Connecticut.

Willis loved the concept of the Summer Shack, where the motto is "food is love" and all the food was prepared simply, from scratch, using the best quality seafood and local produce. He flourished in this environment and after starting as a Grill Cook, he worked his way to Sous Chef at the Mohegan Sun location.

Today, after moving to the Boston area, he is the Executive Chef of the original Summer Shack in Cambridge, where he oversees the food operations for both the restaurant and their growing catering division.

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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.
Béarnaise
1. noun A classic reduction of wine, vinegar, tarragon and shallots, finished with egg yolks and butter.
Bouillabaisse
1. noun A Provençal stew of fish, shellfish, onions, tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, garlic, saffron and herbs.
Ceviche
1. noun Raw fish and/or shellfish in a citrus marinade.
Cipollini
1. noun Small, yellowish onions that add sweet and savory accents to cooked dishes.
Crème anglaise
1. noun Rich custard sauce, often used as a topping or plating accompaniment to fruits and pastries.
Frisée
1. noun A curly, mildly bitter member of the chicory family, eaten raw in salads.
Frisee
1. noun French for curly, but usually refers to curly endive, the bitter salad green of the chicory family.
Nage
1. noun This culinary buzzword usually indicates a bouillon with (among other things) white wine, shallots and herbs.
Polenta
1. noun A slow-cooked cornmeal porridge popular in northern Italy; can be served soupy or firm, sometimes fried.
Ragoût
1. noun A thick, seasoned stew of meat or fish, sometimes with vegetables.
Seviche
1. noun See "Ceviche."
Tamarind
1. noun A bittersweet spice made by drying and pressing the pulp from the fruit of the tamarind tree native to Asia and northern Africa.