569 High Street
Westwood, MA 02090
781-461-8118
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.
Wines to Grill For at Chiara
Just in time for your Memorial Day cookout, Chiara explores grill-compatible wines from the new world.
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

A Boston native, Executive Chef-Owner Steve LaCount began his career in the restaurant business at the age of fourteen at The Country Club in Brookline. LaCount worked there under six talented chefs, gaining knowledge in Italian and French cooking techniques. In 1983, he became the youngest chef to be named Executive Chef. He held this coveted position for more than twenty years, until 2005 when he and his wife Michelle decided to open Chiara in Westwood.
LaCount, who was also an adjunct professor at Boston University's School of Hospitality Management, continued studies of his craft abroad with work study programs in France, Italy and Switzerland. A graduate of Boston Latin School, he also pursued a business degree from Bentley College while working at the club, graduating with honors.
A strong believer in education, LaCount was enrolled in many classes and seminars related to the study of food and wine. He joined the American Culinary Federation's (ACF) local chapters, where he became involved as a member of the Board of Directors. As an ACF member, LaCount received his designations of CEC (Certified Executive Chef) and AAC (American Academy of Chefs), was invited to become a member of Les Amis d'Escoffier Society, and began to accumulate medals at culinary competitions. As president of The Massachusetts Chefs and the Epicurean Club of Boston (after the two merged) he formed a merger with a third chapter - the ACF Greater Boston Chefs, to form one of the nation's largest and most active chapters of the ACF. He received Chef of the Year awards from both the Massachusetts Chefs and the Epicurean Club in 1994 and 1999 respectively, and also received a chapter President's Medallion from the Epicurean Club of Boston.
Under his leadership, the Epicurean Club focused on the continuing education programs for chefs, established an award-winning junior members' culinary competition team, provided thousands of dollars for culinary scholarships, and established an annual golf tournament that yielded substantial funds for children's charities. During his terms, the chapter received two ACF's Gold Plate Chapter Awards and the National Chapter of the Year Award in 2000. LaCount was also recognized nationally for his efforts at the 2000 ACF convention with a National President's Medallion. He was also a nominee for regional Chef of the Year and for the Chef's Professionalism Award.
LaCount lives in Foxborough, Massachusetts. He and his wife Michelle have two daughters Kristen and Patricia, both graduates of Johnson & Wales University. Kristen is currently Club Manager at The Country Club and Patricia General Manager/Beverage Director at Blue Inc. restaurant on Broad Street in Boston.
