good life
28 Kingston Street
Boston, MA 02111
617-451-2622
Enjoy the good life in the heart of Downtown Crossing, where the culinary philosophy seems to be “good food doesn’t have to take itself too seriously.” Chef Michael Scelfo, who’s generated a loyal following among Boston’s food enthusiasts, took the helm in the kitchen in December 2006, creating a menu designed to exceed expectations without breaking the bank.
Open for lunch and dinner, good life also features afterlife, a subterranean lounge where guests can get cozy in comfortable booths, listen to live music or DJs spinning tunes of all types, and choose from more than 150 vodkas from all over the world.
Life's Good at the Good Life
In the hands of chef Michael Scelfo, the Good Life goes from after work watering hole to full fledged dining ...
20th Annual Taste of the Nation
In celebration of twenty productive years dedicated to ending hunger, Taste of the Nation returns to the Hynes Convention Center ...
Get a Taste of the good life
Having earned himself a loyal following with his work at restaurants like Tea Tray in the Sky, Dedo, Umbria and ...
Michael Scelfo
Chef at good life
A native of Long Island, New York, Chef Michael Scelfo received his culinary training at the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon. In Oregon Scelfo began his post-culinary school career at the pre-eminent Northwest culinary destination Wildwood Restaurant, where he cooked under James Beard award winner Cory Schreiber. Widely considered to be a pioneer in the Northwest culinary scene, Wildwood was Scelfo's initial exposure to handling local ingredients, cooking as a craft, and kitchen management done in a progressive, thoughtful manner.
Moving east, Scelfo took a position as Sous Chef at La Plage, a staple of the Long Island restaurant scene that featured some of the finest seafood and bounty in the area. Soon after, Scelfo was named Executive Chef of Blond Restaurant. This was his first Executive Chef stint where he earned rave reviews from The New York Times and local press.
A fortuitous meeting brought Scelfo to Boston for the opening of Tea Tray in the Sky in 2001. The critically acclaimed restaurant, which featured a tearoom and art gallery, earned three stars from The Boston Globe.
More rave reviews followed Scelfo to his next two year stint at Dedo in the Bay Village section of downtown Boston. From Dedo Scelfo took a Chef de Cuisine position at Bricco and then at Umbria, the new Financial District restaurant from restaurateur Frank de Pasquale.
After a successful opening at Umbria, Scelfo was ready for his next challenge: a tiny bistro in North End, called the North Street Grille. Scelfo, tasked with creating inexpensive, high quality bistro fare in the strictly Italian North End, built a critically acclaimed foodie hot spot in just two years at the helm.
Working entirely by himself Scelfo performed all aspects of kitchen production and worked alone on the stove for two years. The physically demanding experience tested his cooking skills nightly - every plate that left the kitchen was in his hands.
Scelfo's journey continues at good life. A Boston staple for twenty years, good life is newly remodeled and reinvented in Boston's Financial District. The philosophy is simple: serious food that doesn't take itself too seriously.
- 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.
- 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.
- Hoisin
- 1. noun A mixture of soybeans, garlic, chilli peppers and spices, hoisin is a thick, dark-brown sauce, used as a condiment to accompany Chinese meat, poultry and shellfish dishes.
- Hummus
- 1. noun Mashed chickpeas flavored with lemon juice, garlic and oil.
- Nage
- 1. noun This culinary buzzword usually indicates a bouillon with (among other things) white wine, shallots and herbs.
- Nori
- 1. noun An edible, dark green seaweed frequently used in Japanese cooking for wrapping sushi.
- Pistou
- 1. noun The French version of pesto, a mixture of basil, garlic and olive oil.
- Quesadilla
- 1. noun A flour tortilla filled, folded and then either toasted or fried. The filling usually consists of cheese, salsa, meat and refried beans.
- Queso
- 1. noun Spanish for cheese.
- Ragu
- 1. noun Tomato and meat sauce from Bologna.
- Risotto
- 1. noun Italian dish made from rice cooked by intermittently adding small amounts of stock or broth. Other ingredients are added as required.