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The Basics: The Blue Room restaurant information

The Blue Room

1 Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-494-9034

The Blue Room restaurant information
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Tucked away in Kendall Square, The Blue Room has been acquiring regulars from near and far by quietly and consistently producing some of the best food in Cambridge. Once part of the American Woven Hose factory, the subterranean dining room features exposed beams and an open kitchen where a wood burning grill sears dishes with Mediterranean, Asian and Latin American influences. By working directly with local farmers and “mom & pop” purveyors, The Blue Room’s kitchen crew is able to put the best and freshest ingredients on their frequently changing menu. Talented chefs have helped solidify its reputation for great, internationally-inspired American cuisine.

News and Events at The Blue Room restaurant

What’s New for LifeSavor 2013
For the 2013 edition of their annual fundraiser, Community Servings moves LifeSavor to the Westin Boston Waterfront for the evening.

Txakoli Fest
We can’t pronounce it either but luckily you don’t have to be able to say it to sip ...

Festa del Boccolo Fundraiser
Taking their cues from the Venetian Festa del Boccolo, the team from The Blue Room and Belly (and Central Bottle ...

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Robert Grant

Chef at The Blue Room

Chef Robert Grant at The Blue Room

A native of Colorado and a graduate of Johnson & Wales, chef Robert Grant was one of the youngest cooks offered a sous chef position ever to work for Chef Thomas Keller. Grant started at Bouchon on an externship and stayed for 3 ½ years. He found it inspiring and felt that he could have stayed at Bouchon forever, but he knew that Las Vegas wasn't his home.

Grant packed his bags and left for Europe where he spent three months working on farms in France and Spain via World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). Learning what it takes to raise animals with respect, Grant experienced the full circle, from raising the animals to butchering and cooking.

He returned to the States and headed to Boston, where he was hired by Chef Barbara Lynch as Executive Sous Chef of The Butcher Shop. After a year, he was promoted to Chef de Cuisine, and his knowledge and understanding of all things butchery flourished. Responsible for creating the Meat CSA program at The Butcher Shop, Grant demonstrated his knowledge and understanding of a retail landscape. After 3 ½ years at the South End restaurant, it was time for Grant to head back to Italy (again via WWOOF) for inspiration, where he spent most of his time in Emilia-Romagna.

When he returned to Boston he didn't realize Cambridge and The Blue Room would be his next endeavor. As Executive chef of the longtime Kendall Square favorite, he becomes a part of a rich culinary heritage that includes the likes of Chris Schlesinger, Stan Frankenthaler, Bridget Batson, Cal Peternell, Steve Johnson, Tony Maws and Bob Sargent.

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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.
Beurre blanc
1. noun A thick sauce of butter, white wine and vinegar.
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.
Cassoulet
1. noun A slow-cooked marriage of white beans and assorted meats such as pork, duck or goose.
Celeriac
1. noun More commonly known here as celery root.
Champ
1. noun An Irish favorite of mashed potatoes, green onions and butter.
Chorizo
1. noun Crumbly, spiced pork sausage.
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.
Gratin
1. noun Any dish covered with cheese or buttered breadcrumbs and baked or broiled.
Gremolata
1. noun Minced parsley, lemon peel and garlic.
Jus
1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.
Pesto
1. noun An Italian sauce traditionally made with basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and Romano and Parmesan cheeses.
Polenta
1. noun A slow-cooked cornmeal porridge popular in northern Italy; can be served soupy or firm, sometimes fried.
Prix fixe
1. noun French for fixed price, a complete meal that features a limited number of selections at a preset price.
Rémoulade
1. noun A cold mayonnaise sauce flavored with mustard, gherkins, capers, anchovies and herbs.
Salsify
1. noun A root vegetable with oyster-flavored flesh.
Sorrel
1. noun A sour, buckwheat-related herb.
Spaetzle
1. noun Tiny flour-and-egg noodles or dumplings.