Temple Bar
1688 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-547-5055
Temple Bar, the casually sophisticated neighborhood bistro situated between Harvard and Porter Squares, melds classic dining with quintessential Cambridge cool. The modern American menu, filled with the seasonal flavors of New England, has broad palate-pleasing appeal, at reasonable prices.
Sit down in the dining room where exposed brick walls, oversized mirrors and cozy booths combine to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Enjoy a drink at the copper-topped bar or sink into one of the comfy armchairs in the lounge. In the warm summer months you can vie for one of a handful of sidewalk tables for al fresco dining.
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Tom Berry
Chef at Temple Bar
The deciding moment in Chef Tom Berry's life came at the age of thirteen, when he first discovered Gourmet magazine and the Dijon chicken prominently featured on the cover. After three grueling hours in the kitchen, with his mom standing by, Berry had cooked his first "true" meal. The chicken was so-so, but sharing the meal with his eager friends was an indescribable experience, one that has stayed with him and guided him throughout his career.
After two years of vocational cooking school and working in the dining halls at the University of New Hampshire, Berry attended Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. During his senior year, he accepted a newly created Johnson & Wales position as an Instructional Assistant, mentoring culinary students who found the program to be more challenging than their peers.
In less than a year, he was promoted to evening Sous Chef where his responsibilities included menu creation and chef event planning. Two and a half years later, in June of 2001, he was named Executive Sous Chef. In this role, Berry was responsible for the entire kitchen, including recipe development and testing for the restaurant's menu, as well as Tsai's books and TV Food Network shows. As Tsai's right hand man, Berry had the opportunity to travel and work with many notable chefs, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Nobu Matsuhisa, David Burke and Jean-Louis Palladin.
Berry left Blue Ginger for the opportunity to serve as opening Executive Chef at Bambara, the Kimpton Group's first New England restaurant, located adjacent to Hotel Marlowe. He quickly made a local and national name for himself.
He was one of seven chefs featured at the StarChefs Rising Stars of Boston event, was named Best Up & Coming Chef in the Improper Bostonian's 2003 "Boston' Best" issue, appeared as a guest chef on Sara Moulton's Food Network show, Sara's Secrets, and on Fox and Friends on the Fox News Network. After leaving Bambara, Berry drove cross country, tasting the foods of the country's regions before returning to New England and a summer leading the kitchen at Straight Wharf, one of Nantucket's most beloved restaurants.
In the fall of 2005, Berry joined the team at Temple Bar, one of the Cambridge area's most spirited restaurants. His appointment to Executive Chef promises to cement Temple Bar's reputation as a great neighborhood restaurant serving terrific food at reasonable prices in a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere.
- 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.
- Beurre blanc
- 1. noun A thick sauce of butter, white wine and vinegar.
- Beurre noisette
- 1. noun Butter cooked to a hazelnut (noisette) color.
- Brioche
- 1. noun A soft, yeasty French bread enriched with butter and eggs.
- Carpaccio
- 1. noun Wafer-thin slices of raw beef served cold; named after the Renaissance Venetian painter.
- Ceviche
- 1. noun Raw fish and/or shellfish in a citrus marinade.
- Chanterelle
- 1. noun A wild and nutty mushroom with a trumpet-shaped head.
- Chorizo
- 1. noun Crumbly, spiced pork sausage.
- Chutney
- 1. noun A spicy, fruity, sometimes marmalade-like Indian condiment.
- Concassé
- 1. noun A coarsely chopped or ground mix.
- 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.
- Couscous
- 1. noun Granular semolina popular in North Africa.
- Florentine
- 1. noun A cookie of nougatine and candied fruit brushed with a layer of chocolate.
- Foie gras
- 1. noun Expensive, silk-textured goose or duck liver that has been enlarged by a process you don't want to read about if you're going to eat this dish.
- Gratin
- 1. noun Any dish covered with cheese or buttered breadcrumbs and baked or broiled.
- Infuse
- 1. noun The flavor extracted from herbs, spices, tea or coffee by steeping them in boiling water. The liquid derived from the process of infusing is also called an infusion.
- Jus
- 1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.
- Mousseline
- 1. noun A sauce made airy with the addition of whipped cream or beaten egg whites.
- Noisette
- 1. noun a) French for hazelnut; b) small, very tender round steak, usually of lamb beef or veal, cut from the rib or loin; c) as in beurre noisette: butter heated until it turns nut brown; used as a finishing touch for many dishes, especially fish;
- Pancetta
- 1. noun Cured Italian bacon.
- Pistou
- 1. noun The French version of pesto, a mixture of basil, garlic and olive oil.
- 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.
- Roulade
- 1. noun A French term for a thin roll of meat or cake around savory or sweet fillings.
- Tuile
- 1. noun A thin, crisp, French cookie.