5 Courses with Michael Scelfo of Russell House Tavern

Michael Scelfo is a rock-solid New Englander with three little kids, a nice wife, and a colonial in the far 'burbs. This guy could be living next door, and you'd never guess he was a top-tier chef. When Russell House Tavern (14 JFK Street, Cambridge, 617.500.3055) first opened about two years ago, Scelfo described himself as a "good cook, not a special one. Not one of the chefs Boston would know." But today Russell House is packed nightly with Harvard-area faculty, foodies, tourists, and industry people coming in for a meaty fix. Indeed, Scelfo has hand-carved (literally) a name for himself in the local restaurant scene, particularly on the shortlist of stalwarts of the local, sustainable meat movement. (Interestingly enough, he once practiced an almost entirely vegetarian diet.) On Wednesday, January 18, Russell House hosts its annual nose-to-tail, seven-course dinner: this year it's Brambly pork, whiskey, and Island Creek oysters for $95 per person. We caught up with Scelfo just before his newest Brambly pig came in the door.

How do explain what's happened to you in the last two years? I did a lot of time in small, empty restaurants where I was the only cook in the kitchen. This is the first time I'm not hidden away. Opening Russell House gave me a chance to reboot, literally restart my career. At first, my gut was telling me, "Play it safe, Mike," but then I ignored my insecurity. I'm like a kid in a candy store! After years of cooking lighter food, now I'm known for being a blood-and-guts guy. No pun intended.

How does veggie cooking compare to preparing such a meaty menu? In a way, cooking sustainable vegetarian meals is a lay-up; finding locally sourced vegetables is easy. But in New England? Getting local meat? When I told local farmers how much meat I needed to source, they laughed at me. The Chefs Collaborative helped me find local farmers. They are an immeasurable resource.

Where do you get your meat? We get all our pork from Brambly Farm in Norfolk, Massachusetts, a full-service farm with ducks and eggs, and chickens running around. It breaks Sandra's [pig farmer Sandra O'Harte's] heart every time she has to take a pig to market. We get about a pig a week. When it comes in, the chefs attack it; their eyes light and fight over who gets to break it down. We get all our ground beef from a farm in Vermont, over 500 pounds a week. And I'm really proud that we sell our burgers at 10 bucks!

Is there a downside to being Mr. Sustainable? The logistics can be hard. First of all, it takes time to break down an animal. You have to have a game plan for your entire menu for when the animal comes in. Secondly, you have to make compromises. I can't get everything I need for a volume restaurant locally. If I have to give up something, I'll compromise on the length of the supply chain, rather than on the quality of the product. Think of this: there are only two strip steaks on a 1,200-pound side of beef. We serve strip steaks as our steak frites. And we're just one place in Boston. We're one little restaurant in Boston. Just think of the numbers.

So it's a lot more work to be sustainable? God yes. You can't just phone in your order the night before. You have to put a lot of time into building your relationships with the farmers. And sometimes you just have to scramble.

Louisa Kasdon can be reached at louisa@louisakasdon.com.