Chef David Welch on Finding His Place (and Purpose)

David Welch

Private Chef, (Soon-to-be) Restaurateur, Pig Roaster, Cigar Enthusiast, Boston Legend

What’s your G.O.A.T?

I got to cook for Julia Child when she donated her kitchen to the Smithsonian. There have been other special occasions that I can’t discuss publicly, but cooking for Julia was pretty great.

I refuse to give an F about _______________.
What people think about me. If I stop to open myself up to what others think, it could prevent me from moving forward on my journey.

What would you take from your kitchen to a desert island?

Without a doubt, my knives. I don’t have one specific brand that I am religious about, but I would want my knives with me. I might need them to make Osso Buco—which I would choose for my last supper.

Finding a new season, in food.

I am from Boston, though my family is from Montserrat, and I was the first to fully grow up here. Early in my career, I worked as a stockbroker until the market crashed, and then I decided I should find something else to do. I got a job at a place called Cremaldi’s, which was an amazing specialty food shop in Cambridge (even Julia Child herself shopped there). I was working at the register, but soon I was asking to take on more. I ended up helping a wonderful woman named Rosie make the eggplant parmesan and before long, I was making pastas and sausages. I was able to parlay this into a job at Formaggio Kitchen.

I spent a wonderful twelve years at Formaggio. I learned a lot and even got to spend some time at Chez Panisse with the legendary Alice Waters, who really taught me so much about the process of procuring high-quality ingredients directly from growers. In my last few years with Formaggio, I was getting restless to do more with my skills. They supported me in setting up a BBQ stand adjacent to the store, which still stands today, but I knew it was time for me to leave the nest. Once I got the courage to go out on my own, I decided that I never wanted to work for someone else again. 

I would like to say my first attempt at running a private catering business was a huge success, but the truth is I failed at it. I have had to sacrifice a lot, but have now built my business back over the last ten years, and I am really excited about where I am. The key for me was to stop second guessing myself. I charge prime prices—but I give my clients a prime product. I had to trust that people would value what I am doing—and if they don’t, I am not the chef for them. 

I approach entertaining people as a holistic experience. I think hard about how I can deliver a lifestyle—meaning I am delighting all your senses. Flavors are meant to be layered like clothing; they have to have balance. I think it is also important to think of wine as part of the seasoning for a dish. It is meant to be an evolving experience. When someone wants to work with me, I usually suggest that we meet first, so that they can get comfortable with me and my approach. I appreciate that I will be entering their private space and I want them to know not only will they have an amazing meal, but their entire house will be put back in order. I can’t think of anything that would ruin a wonderful evening more than finding your kitchen in total disarray. It is why people hire me again and again—the whole experience is magical.

I love being able to touch people in different ways—with food, with wine and good service. This fall, I am going to be opening my first restaurant in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. I really see it as a way of scaling what I already am doing for so many of my clients. One of the things that excites me the most is that our location only has about twenty seats. To me, this is the future of dining out. I think that after the last eighteen months, we are really craving intimacy and being fully present in the experience. I sincerely hope that I get to host all of you at some point (you can follow me on Instagram for updates at @chefdaveofboston).