Staff

Testimonials

See what some of our customers have to say about the experiences we’ve delivered in the past.

Thank you so much! I loved getting to try so many new things and I liked all of them. I like spending a while eating, very european! Fantastic! The pork belly was my favorite, I didn’t even know I liked pork belly. Great Job!

Thank you for a wonderful meal in a convenient location.

So impressed with the quality of the food! It was excellent, everything was so delicious! I love the idea of the tasting menu with all the small plates and desserts. Just what JP needs!

Philip Kruta, Pastry Chef/Owner

Philip Kruta, born in Nurnberg, Germany to Czech Parents in exile. His childhood was spent on a vast Connecticut property surrounded by his grandfather’s gardens. Anything that could grow in that soil and climate was growing on over 60 acres of forest and field. He grew up fishing in a fresh water pond, raising pigs and rabbits and growing fruits and vegetables. The kitchen was always active at home. At Del Ray Bar & Grill he became responsible not only for seasonal dessert menus, monthly wine dinners and daily specials, but he also found his way to the savory kitchen and worked the hotline devoloping daily specials. Both of his parents loved to cook and encouraged their three kids to help with anything they could. Philip’s childhood involved snipping fresh herbs from the herb garden, plucking feathers off of local turkey, cleaning fish from the area’s lakes and ponds and occasionally even praparing an entire pig for a roast. With both parents being active artists in the local community, gatherings numbering up to the hundreds would be held on major holidays throughout the year. With gallery openings, concerts and annual pit firings there was always a perfect reason to make food an important and major focus at every party.  At a young age, Philip helped with the construction of a wood fired brick oven which subsequently became the center of most events. Philip and his family found that most often times parties were formed solely as a reason to fire up the brick oven. Philip was was always eager to use the oven to roast chicken and potatoes, make thin crust crispy pizza, and most importantly, beautifully crusty sourdough bread. It seems as though without realizing it, Philip had all the makings of becoming a chef, and eventually that’s what he did. His first job in the kitchen was as Assistant Pastry Chef. He had read as much as he could about baking between the time he responded to the job offer to the day of his interview. He took the job and with it came an opportunity to seize a world of education. Drawing from his life full of cooking and baking at home, Philip quickly adapted to the professional kitchen. At Del Ray Bar & Grill he became not only responsible for seasonal dessert menus, monthly wine dinners and daily specials, but he also found his way to the savory kitchen and worked the hotline.  He relocated to Boston, Massachusetts to work at L’Espalier as a pastry assistant under nationally acclaimed Pastry Chef, Jiho Kim.Philip knew this was what he wanted to do and relocated to Boston, Massachusetts to work at L’Espalier as a pastry assistant under nationally acclaimed Pastry Chef, Jiho Kim. What L’Espalier had to offer was such an incredible learning experience that Philip could then begin managing a small bakery in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. He turned the business from an outsourced product bakery, to a fully “from scratch” operation. He expanded the kitchen, renovated the dining and counter area and revised the the sandwich menu and coffee offerings. The public responded to the reopening and business almost immediately increased. Since then, the bakery has been steadily growing. Philip formed Whisk, a high-end specialty cake company, in 2011. Whisk offers custom cakes and pastries for weddings, high profile events, and birthdays. Philip offers a one-on-one consult and tasting process that leaves you with the cake you always dreamed of but could never before find. Philip draws from his background in Art & Sculpture to create anything from delicate hand crafted sugar flowers to themed characters and props for custom cakes.