Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassie Piuma.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Cassie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I Attended Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, where I received my bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and met my husband (20years)/business partner (5years, Sarma).
I was extremely fortunate to get in the door at Al Forno, an Italian institution in providence, we’re I worked for the late George German and Johanne Killeen for 4 years. This formative experience made all the difference in my career- It gave me an appreciation for the best products and a desire to learn from the best. Ultimately, it set me up for a journey of discovery to find out who I wanted to be as a chef.
I moved to Boston and worked with some great folks including the team at sel de la terre and the amazing Barbara lynch (the butcher shop) but it was not I until I started working for Ana Sortun at Oleana in Cambridge that I truly found my calling.
I’m half Greek and grew up eating a lot of olives and feta cheese, but had little exposure to the spices used in Middle Eastern cooking. Oleana opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities and I was forever changed. From the point on, I read excessively, traveled a ton and continued my education at Oleana for more than a decade. In 2013, I opened Sarma, a neighborhood restaurant inspired by the meyhane’s of Istanbul, with husband Matthew Piuma and business partners, Ana Sortun and Gary griffin.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We’ve had our share of ups & downs as any restaurant does but I think one of the biggest challenges was getting folks to understand our tray service.
It’s an unusual concept- specials being passed around the dining room at the chefs whim (kind of like dim Sum) but, we kept at it, stayed true to the idea and eventually guests embraced the spontaneity and playfulness of the experience
Please tell us about Sarma.
Sarma is a casual, but conscientious neighborhood restaurant that offers small plates or meze inspired by the eastern Mediterranean.
It’s fun, it’s lively, it’s meant to be a big party that brings people together and embraces the good things in life!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Become a florist. Just kidding, no regrets, but infinite amounts of learning.
Best lesson-pick your battles!
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