Fabulous Sandwiches & Female Mentorship in Boston

A few months back my husband and I visited Boston for the weekend. It was the first time either of us had been there in years and we went to celebrate our birthdays. On Sunday we decided to walk over to Eataly to have a nice brunch/lunch before heading home. To finish off a fabulous weekend away we chose their lunch tasting menu. The menu itself was chosen by the chefs who were cooking that day, and for added fun, each course was described in detail and served by the chefs themselves. As we were finishing our last course and I was sipping my coffee I saw my friend Rachel, a fellow graduate from the Culinary Institute of America that was in my class. We both stared at each other for several seconds before we broke the silence with "Rachel? Cassandra? OMG how are you?" She her husband Charles, another CIA alum and their children were passing by our table as they were leaving the restaurant to enjoy the rest of their Sunday. We took a few minutes to catch up on where we both had been since we graduated in 2003 and what we had been up to. She told me that she and Charles had opened their own sandwich shop 10 years ago in the village of Brookline, a suburban area outside of Boston. "Stop by when you're in town the next time and let me feed you!" she said and we both parted ways. I did not know when I would be in Boston next, but I knew we would definitely be eating sandwiches for lunch :)

A few months later I when I was back in town for a women's chefs event I stopped over at Cuttys, excited to chat a bit more with Rachel and see her shop.  Cutty's is an 18 seat restaurant dedicated to great sandwiches of all kinds.  The decor is light and the staff upbeat and helpful.  My husband and I perused the sandwich board for several minutes before finally placing our order. I chose a pork, broccoli rabe, and provolone sandwich (only available on Saturdays), while Jim chose a ham and dijon pressed sandwich on a baguette. To complete our order we added a large house made chocolate chip cookie, double chocolate brownie and locally made potato chips.  We then walked through a short hallway and found ourselves seats in the room next door looking right into a partially open kitchen.  In the back you could see several chefs prepping and working on various tasks.  

Our sandwiches arrived in short order and we both dug in! Mine had thinly sliced, slow cooked perfectly seasoned pork butt, topped with freshly sautéed broccoli rabe and shredded provolone cheese.  A lightly toasted sesame roll completed the ensemble perfectly!  Jim's ham and dijon was a classic combination of flavors and again since bread is important when it comes to a sandwich it was served on a delicious fresh baked baguette.  Needless to say, we inhaled our food, each bite being better than the last.  To finish we each shared the cookie and brownie which again, could not have been better. They reminded me of the baked goods my mom would make me as a child, and I could tell they were made with love.

Towards the end of our meal Rachel came and sat down to chat for a bit to talk more about how they came to own their own sandwich shop. She shared with me that growing up her Grandmother, Mother and Aunt were huge influences in her love of cooking.  As a young girl she really looked forward to helping in the kitchen and being a part of the celebration that came with serving good food and enjoying family.  That love of food led to her graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 2003.

After finishing school, Rachel began working at America's Test Kitchen where she met her husband Charles.  They fell in love and got married while working together as editors and test cooks. During that time they both scoured the Boston area looking for great sandwiches and were underwhelmed with what they found. That is when they decided it was up to them to bring great sandwiches to the Boston area. With some tips from Rachels father, who also owned his own business, they opened Cutty's in 2010.  There, they serve breakfast and lunch using local Iggy's bread and as much farm grown local produce as they can throughout the year.  Their mission is simple, to create delicious, artisanal food for their local community at prices everyone can afford. Their hard work and unique approach to sandwich making has paid off in so many ways including being featured in the 'Massachusetts Madness' episode of Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives with Guy Fieri click here for a clip of the episode. He even left his signature, a spray painted stenciled face on their wall! Cool huh?

Even bigger than the following Cutty's has created is the network of chefs they have mentored along the way. Over the years of growing her own business Rachel has mentored several female chefs who now own their businesses as well! One of these women is Mary Ting Hyatt of Bagelsauras. Mary came to Rachel and Charles expressing her desire to open her own bagel shop. They embraced Mary's passion and talent and decided to teach her as much as they could while she was working there. This led to Mary having a weekly pop-up at Cuttys showcasing her Bagels. Pop-ups are excellent ways for local chefs to showcase their talents by using an existing chefs space. This also helps the new chef to get their name out to potential investors and gain notoriety in their local communities. In the process Mary brought more business to Cutty's with her FABULOUS Bagels so it was a win-win for everyone. Mary now owns her own bagel shop in Cambridge with a line out the door everyday of hungry college students and local patrons. I can personally attest to how fabulous her bagels are! On the morning we were leaving town, we stood in line for almost an hour waiting for our egg sandwiches and it was well worth the wait! Perfectly cooked fresh baked bagels of all types are made there, each one being crossed off of a chalk blackboard as they are sold out throughout the morning. Get there early! I promise you won't be disappointed! She also spoke about Daisy Chow, one of her previous employees as well as an electrical engineer turned pastry chef who is now opening her own Breadboard Bakery this fall. Paying Rachels example forward, Mary mentored Sarah Murphy, owner & pastry chef of Vinal Bakery in Somerville, and Dan Roberts of Rabottini's Pizza who has been doing his own pop-ups out of Bagelsaurus and is currently looking for a more permanent location. This aspect of mentorship is so important for women's overall growth in not only the food industry but in every industry and the world as a whole! A recent article I read in Forbes magazine states that women who are mentored have a much higher chance of success becoming entrepreneurs than those that do not, AND that the global economy could see a potential 5 TRILLION dollar boost if women received as much support as men do. Now that's some food for thought!

SO....if you're in the Boston area, looking for some great food and want to support some female entrepreneurs at the same time, please check out Cutty's, Bagelsaurus, Breadboard Bakery, and Vinal Bakery. Also follow them on Facebook at: Cutty's, Bagelsaurus, Breadboard Bakey and Vinal Bakery. We all vote with our wallets and supporting the women who support each other is a great way to do so!