Without Jason, Josh wouldn’t have Juliet.
In 2010, when Josh Lewin took a gig as Jason Bond’s sous-chef at Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro, he was fresh from military service and doing a lot of “soul searching” about his future. Lewin had spent much of his life in the food industry, but 80-hour workweeks in other people’s kitchens were stifling the creativity and self-expression that attracted him to cooking. “I wasn’t sure these careers were healthy and viable,” Lewin says.
Bond presented him a different path. Field trips together to local farms underscored the older chef’s personal engagement with his culinary craft, and his secondary artistic passion—Bond is also a trained classical musician—showed Lewin there could be a life outside the kitchen. When Bond opened Bondir, his acclaimed, intimate Cambridge restaurant, he offered motivation and guidance from afar that helped Lewin fill his shoes at the bistro. And when Lewin and partner Katrina Jazayeri launched Juliet, their chef-driven European-style cafe in Somerville, Bond offered encouragement and commiseration while Lewin navigated the daunting waters of starting a self-owned biz.
Paying it forward, Lewin has emerged as a vocal advocate for building sustainable long-term career models for industry workers. For instance, Juliet has a service-inclusive pricing structure and offers its staff unique profit-sharing opportunities.
His most poignant personal reward arrived last year, when Juliet landed on Bon Appétit’s annual list of the country’s 50 best new restaurants, the same honor roll his mentor made with Bondir in 2011. Bond was “instrumental in reshaping my passion for the industry,” Lewin says. When passion leads, foodie fame follows.
Perfect Pairings
By Scott Kearnan | Photo Credit: Holly Rike | Feb. 10, 2017
Jason Bond & Josh Lewin
Without Jason, Josh wouldn’t have Juliet.
In 2010, when Josh Lewin took a gig as Jason Bond’s sous-chef at Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro, he was fresh from military service and doing a lot of “soul searching” about his future. Lewin had spent much of his life in the food industry, but 80-hour workweeks in other people’s kitchens were stifling the creativity and self-expression that attracted him to cooking. “I wasn’t sure these careers were healthy and viable,” Lewin says.
Bond presented him a different path. Field trips together to local farms underscored the older chef’s personal engagement with his culinary craft, and his secondary artistic passion—Bond is also a trained classical musician—showed Lewin there could be a life outside the kitchen. When Bond opened Bondir, his acclaimed, intimate Cambridge restaurant, he offered motivation and guidance from afar that helped Lewin fill his shoes at the bistro. And when Lewin and partner Katrina Jazayeri launched Juliet, their chef-driven European-style cafe in Somerville, Bond offered encouragement and commiseration while Lewin navigated the daunting waters of starting a self-owned biz.
Paying it forward, Lewin has emerged as a vocal advocate for building sustainable long-term career models for industry workers. For instance, Juliet has a service-inclusive pricing structure and offers its staff unique profit-sharing opportunities.
His most poignant personal reward arrived last year, when Juliet landed on Bon Appétit’s annual list of the country’s 50 best new restaurants, the same honor roll his mentor made with Bondir in 2011. Bond was “instrumental in reshaping my passion for the industry,” Lewin says. When passion leads, foodie fame follows.
3 of 6
NextView All Events
Related Articles
A Final Bow
If you’ve ever had a Hoodsie Sundae Cup...
Tigers Love Pepper, They Hate Cinnamon
Artisan Approach
Building Something New in Allston...
Comfort, Enjoy
A stalwart expands to a neighborhood in transition...
28 Days Later
The evil genius behind jm Curley’s foie gras-glazed jelly donut may not seem the likeliest candidate to co-found a wellness app...
Ports to Call
Whoever loves chocolate (and who doesn’t?) needs to know about port...
Architect of a Meal
Scelfo's Designs for Alden & Harlow...
Spice Route
With bold Turkish fare, Sarma makes an impressive debut...