Catalyst
300 Technology Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-576-3000
Catalyst Restaurant is a reflection of Chef-Owner William Kovel's passion for simple, delicious food delivered with warm service in a comfortable, modern environment. The modern American cuisine begins with exceptional products centered on locally grown organic produce and wild and farm raised food from sustainable practices. With an ever-changing menu, Catalyst celebrates each season by featuring the best ingredients from a wide range of farms and food producers in the region.
Reclaimed barn board, hand-blown glass light fixtures and a two-way fireplace give the large restaurant a comfortable, cozy feel. The Chef's dining area gives diners a glimpse into the behind the scenes of the restaurant while the atrium dining takes full advantage of the sweeping floor to ceiling 30 foot windows. In the spring, summer and fall months the covered and heated outdoor patio offers a beautifully landscaped spot for al fresco dining.
Radius Alumni Dinner
There’s been no shortage of talent in the kitchen at Radius over the years, and they’ve got the ...
Nantucket Wine Festival
Kick off the summer season with every oenophile’s favorite reason to get out of town at the Nantucket Wine ...
Eat for a Cause
Cooking for a Cause hits its tenth year on Friday, April 12th at the MIT Media Lab.
William Kovel
Chef at Catalyst
Catalyst Restaurant's Chef-Owner William Kovel's interest in food "sparked" at an early age and led him to travel in pursuit of delicious food. A native of West Hartford, Connecticut, Kovel cooked in a variety of cities and countries before settling back down in New England. He received his degree in Culinary and Hospitality Studies at Southern New Hampshire University prior to moving out West to San Francisco where he was able to broaden his knowledge of cuisine and technique beyond the East Coast. Kovel's culinary career has brought him overseas to London and across the United States before he decided to settle in Boston.
"The food I prepare comes from a passion for fresh, simple flavors cultivated in California, Boston, and Europe, threaded together with classic French techniques," says Kovel. Citing his time at Jardinière and Northern California cooking as his biggest influences, Kovel dedicates himself to using the best and most responsible seafood, produce and other products locally available.
During Chef Kovel's time in San Francisco, he secured an entry-level garde manger position where he learned from one of the best chefs in the country, Traci Des Jardins of Jardinière. Under Chef Des Jardins, Kovel worked his way up to a Chef de Partie position while learning about local and sustainable cooking from one of America's most influential culinary leaders.
Kovel came back to New England and being an admirer of Restaurateur Michael Schlow, he soon joined his team at Radius where he worked his way up to Sous Chef and helped run Schlow's flagship restaurant for three years.
Kovel then yearned for a new challenge and accepted a position abroad at the Michelin-starred Orrery in London. This time overseas refreshed his focus on French technique and the demands of a Michelin kitchen. Most recently, Kovel was in charge of the esteemed and award-winning restaurant, Aujourd'hui. When the Four Seasons announced that they would be shutting the doors of the Grande Dame of the Boston restaurant scene in June of 2009, Kovel was ready for a fresh start. Grateful for his time spent in the kitchen amongst his passionate and talented team, and for the unique opportunities the position provided, he approached the closure with a mixture of melancholy and excitement for what lies ahead. His next focus brought him to his own restaurant, which he has spent the last year planning and building - Catalyst in Cambridge. Catalyst embodies the expertise and cooking techniques that Kovel is known for and is slated to open in August 2011.
During his tenure at the Four Seasons, Kovel was recognized by Boston Magazine and was named one of a talented group of upcoming "Chefs to Watch". He was also honored with Boston's Top Restaurants by Chaine des Rotisseurs and he achieved the revered status of the AAA Five Diamond Award.
An enthusiastic member of the Chef's Collaborative; an organization that promotes sustainable and local cuisine; he's eager to apply his down-to-earth approach to his own restaurant where he can focus on local, sustainable food in a refined, neighborhood setting. His new venture, named Catalyst, opened in late summer 2011 in Cambridge's Technology Square and offers American Cuisine with undertones incorporating French techniques.
Kovel lives in Dorchester with his wife Sara. His interests include reading, traveling and fishing.
- 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.
- Bordelaise sauce
- 1. noun A blend of wine, brown stock, marrow, shallots and herbs.
- Brioche
- 1. noun A soft, yeasty French bread enriched with butter and eggs.
- Chorizo
- 1. noun Crumbly, spiced pork sausage.
- Cioppino
- 1. noun The San Francisco take on bouillabaisse.
- Cipollini
- 1. noun Small, yellowish onions that add sweet and savory accents to cooked dishes.
- 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.
- Coulis
- 1. noun A thick puree or sauce.
- Crostini
- 1. noun The Italian word for "little toasts" (referring to bread, not grappa).
- Emulsion
- 1. noun The mixture of two liquids that cannot normally combine smoothly (e.g., oil and water). Mayonnaise and hollandaise are two familiar emulsions.
- Fondant
- 1. noun A mixture of sugar, water and cream of tartar that can be formed into candy or decorations. If heated, it can also be used as frosting.
- Fumé
- 1. noun French for "smoked."
- Ganache
- 1. noun A rich mixture of chocolate and crème fraîche frequently used as a filling for cakes.
- Haricot vert
- 1. noun A green string bean with French attitude.
- Jus
- 1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.
- Nage
- 1. noun This culinary buzzword usually indicates a bouillon with (among other things) white wine, shallots and herbs.
- Salsify
- 1. noun A root vegetable with oyster-flavored flesh.
- Sambal
- 1. noun A condiment made of chiles, brown sugar, salt and other ingredients.
- Tartare
- 1. noun Ground or finely chopped, seasoned raw meat (traditionally beef). May or may not come mounded, and with a raw egg.
- Verjus
- 1. noun Sour liquid made from unripe fruit; used to flavor sauces and condiments.
- Yuzu
- 1. noun A tangy citrus fruit with flavorful rind.
Follow BostonChefs.com
[ Home ] [ Dining Guide ]
[ News & Events ] [ Industry
Insider ]
[ Recipes ]
[ About Us ]
[ Boston Restaurant
Week ] [ Cape Cod Restaurant
Week ]
Got feedback? We'd love to hear it...email feedback@BostonChefs.com
© 2010 BostonChefs.com | For the Media | Link
to Us | Privacy
Policy | Search | Advertise
with Us
