Chris Sugrue
Tosca’s “Conductor”
by Stanley Blackmur
Tosca, the crown jewel of Eatwell Inc.’s Hingham Harbor trio of Tosca, Caffé Tosca, and Stars is named after the Italian opera by Puccini. Tosca opened its doors in 1993 as Eatwell’s second restaurant, following the opening of Stars. Chris Sugrue, the General Manager of Tosca, has been the conductor of this renowned eatery since Mother’s Day of 1998.
Since its opening, Tosca has been the premiere fine dining destination of the South Shore having won multiple awards for its design, ambiance, and constantly evolving menu. The menu at Tosca changes seasonally utilizing the freshest locally grown and produced ingredients and making every visit a new journey for your senses. Executive Chef Kevin Long, Chef Brian Hennebury, and Pastry Chef Kristin Beaupre make your experience, from starters to desserts, a memorable experience.
Chris, like Eatwell’s other general managers, has enjoyed a long tenure with Tosca. I asked him to what he attributes the common loyalty and longevity of his fellow Managers Chris Jule of Café Tosca and Wes Baltzer of Stars. First, Chris attributes their longevity to Eatwell’s unique concept of having three restaurants close together, promotion from within the company, openness to new ideas, and the camaraderie with fellow Eatwell employees.
One common theme that I derived from my interviews with Chris Sugrue, Chris Jules, and Wes Baltzer is their mutual admiration for each other and their customers. All three especially like getting to know the regular diners on a personal basis including their likes, dislikes, favorite tables, and preferred wait staff. They mentioned that on most nights better than 70 % of the diners are repeat diners and “regulars.” Being a regular myself I can attest to that! Chris also has the strength of Wine Manager, Errol Joseph’s expertise to round out the dining and special events experience at Tosca. Errol has a long tenure at Tosca and two or three of the expert wait staff have been serving Tosca diners since day one!
What is Chris Sugrue’s favorite moment at Tosca? “Meeting my wife of course!” Favorite current menu item is the wood grilled lobster tails. I second that! Chris also likes to meet the occasional celebs that come to Tosca.
So if you are crazy enough to still think you have to go to Boston for an award winning meal then think again. Your best bet is in your own back yard, right here on the South Shore. Check out Tosca for dinner, a special event, or try the fun cooking classes or wine dinners beginning in the fall.
quote a regular diner from the Tosca website, “Unlike the opera for which it was named, a meal at Tosca never ends in tragedy. Tosca offers an experience so transporting that you may wish that the curtain will never fall.”
14 North Street, Hingham 781-740-0080
Twitter.com/ToscaHingham
