Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Butland.
Evan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started Cafe Quattro at 4 Somerset Street on Beacon Hill back in 2005. That’s where the name comes from, Quattro/4. The idea was to create a restaurant that served fresh made Italian and Italian-American foods such as Pizza, Panini, Pasta, and Desserts in a “quick service” cafe environment. I grew up in Revere and my mother is Italian, so I’ve always been around great food. It was very important to bring this philosophy to Cafe Quattro. From the beginning, I’ve used fresh breads, local produce, both imported and locally made cheese and meats, and fresh dough for my pizza.
We still continue the same philosophy of using the freshest and best ingredients today. I’m constantly tweaking, and improving, and researching so that we can keep things interesting and exciting for our guests. It truly is a passion. I work 6 days a week in the kitchen with some really great cooks who share that same passion as me. It can be difficult work, but I enjoy it.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At the end of 2012, we lost our home on Beacon Hill to a Real Estate takeover of our building by a large, out of state corporation. To this day, it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever been through. So began the process of moving a restaurant. Eventually, after looking at what seemed to be every available space in the city, all while doing some catering out of my house, we found our current home in the South End. I began the arduous task of building out a restaurant, and in 2015, Cafe Quattro was back in action in our new home.
Cafe Quattro – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We specialize in Italian and Italian-American food. Fresh pasta dishes, panini, and pizza…thin crust, or New York Style, just like what I grew up with. I think what sets us apart from others is the freshness and the authenticity. I don’t sell mozzarella sticks. I sell Fried Ciliegine. That’s breaded bite sized fresh mozzarella that we make every day. We make our own meatballs from scratch, every day. We roll our own arancini. We make our own marinara sauce, pizza sauce, pesto, etc. The prep work being done in this place everyday is an event!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I think the proudest moment of my career has been re-opening in the South End and being received so well. It’s a great feeling when you look at the crowd eating your food, and they are enjoying themselves. It’s very rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Address: Cafe Quattro
817 Harrison Ave.,
Boston, MA 02118 - Website: www.cafequattroboston.com
- Phone: 617-557-9291
- Instagram: @cafequattroboston
- Facebook: Cafe Quattro Boston
- Twitter: @TheCafeQuattro
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