Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Jody Adams and David Waters toast the nonprofit Community Servings and enjoy dishes such as foie gras on panettone toast at Adams's restaurant Rialto. PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYCE VICKMARK ON THE MENU What: A brainstorming session between two seasoned pros. When: A happening weeknight. Where: Jody Adams's acclaimed eatery Rialto, 1 Bennett St., Cambridge, 617-661-5050; rialto- restaurant.com It Takes a Kitchen AS COMMUNITY SERVINGS PREPARES FOR ITS LIFESAVOR GALA ON MAY 8, CEO DAVID B. WATERS AND JAMES BEARD AWARDWINNING RESTAURATEUR JODY ADAMS SHARE THEIR PASSION FOR FOOD AND NURTURING. BY LISA PIERPONT F or Jody Adams and David B. Waters, food is much more than a necessity. It is art. It is family. It is love. Adams, the James Beard Award – winning chef and owner of Rialto and Trade, has spent her career perfecting a restaurant sensibility that combines culinary trends with cultural history. Waters, who is CEO of Community Servings, a non- profit providing free meals to people with life-threatening illnesses, began his career, like Adams, in the restaurant industry, at the former Upstairs at the Pudding. ("My claim to fame is that I was promoted from dishwasher to general manager without ever waiting tables.") What he didn't realize was that—just like Adams—he possessed an entrepreneurial streak. Since joining Community Servings, he has grown the organization into one of Boston's most supported causes, delivering lunch, dinner, and snacks to 875 people every day. The city's restaurant community will show its loyalty again this year at the 22nd annual LifeSavor Gala on May 8, with a recep- tion at The Langham Hotel followed by five-star dinners at 75 restaurants across the city, including, of course, Rialto. Adams invited Waters to din- ner for a brainstorming session about the menu, but the two soon were chatting up the good ol' days, along with a proper lesson on how to eat her grilled oysters. David Waters: How did you find your life path? Jody Adams: I came from Rhode Island and then moved to Boston [after graduating from Brown University]. I met Julia Child, and she said, "You must work for Lydia Shire." Lydia was the chef at Seasons, and Gordon Hamersley was the sous chef; they didn't hire me at first because I didn't continued on page 78 76 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM ON THE TOWN 076-078_BC_ST_OTT_LteSpr14.indd 76 4/4/14 5:54 PM