Through his enduring tenure in the kitchen, Tom Berry has continued to impress restaurant luminaries with his drive and single-minded talent.
Coming from rural New Hampshire, young Berry’s first introduction to the kitchen was through a Dijon chicken that graced the cover of Bon Appetit. After feeling the satisfaction of cooking an intricate dish, Berry went on to enroll in Johnson & Wales University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts and a Master of Teaching Secondary Education.
Early in Tom’s career, celebrity chef Ming Tsai tapped the young chef to help open his flagship restaurant, Blue Ginger, in Wellesley, MA. After five years of working as Ming’s right-hand man and helping position the restaurant as a worthy national player, Tom left Blue Ginger to be the Executive/Opening Chef at Bambara in the Hotel Marlowe and later Executive Chef at Temple Bar, both in Cambridge, MA. Drawn to the coastal cuisine of Nantucket, Tom has built a high profile as a chef in several of the island’s lauded kitchens, including Straight Wharf and Great Harbor Yacht Club. Tom’s tenure at the latter introduced him to catering large, prestigious events, laying the groundwork for the ambitious group-format dining he’s conceived for the COJE properties.
In 2013, Tom partnered with Michael LaScola, another acclaimed Nantucket chef, to open The Proprietor’s Bar & Table as Chef/Co-Owner. It was during this time on the island that he discovered the joy in highlighting vegetables and local seafood in his recipes.
Tom’s return to Boston in 2015 ushered in a new era as the Culinary Director for COJE Management Group. Starting his COJE residency with the opening of Yvonne’s, an upscale supper club in the former Locke-Ober space, Berry has since supported the culinary programs of the group’s five additional restaurants; Lolita Cocina and Tequila Bar- a Mexican-inspired tequila bar with locations in Boston’s Back Bay and Fort Point neighborhoods; RUKA- a Nikkei restaurant; Cuban-inspired concept, Mariel; and newest coastal French & Basque-inspired brasserie in the Seaport, Coquette. In 2021, he transitioned into a new role, as Chief Culinary Officer for COJE; continuing to lead on all programs across the group’s portfolio. Berry competed in the 2022 season of Beat Bobby Flay, taking home the win with his creative dish Merda de Can from the menu at Coquette.
Inspired by his worldly travels, Berry combines his signature flare with the traditional cuisines of South American, Cuban, French, Japanese and Southeast Asian cultures to design menus that offer guests an escape from reality with globally inspired, social-style fare.
