Growing up in Westwood, less than half a mile from where Neroli Ristorante now stands, I never imagined that one day I’d return to my hometown carrying this much experience, perspective, and passion for the hospitality industry. Yet here we are, with three very different businesses each teaching me something new every day, each influencing the other, and all of them shaping the way I serve the Westwood community.
Running a restaurant is never a straight line. Running three very different hospitality spaces – Neroli Ristorante in Westwood, The Clock Tavern in South Boston, and The Ghost Light Tavern in the Theater District – is more like managing three kids with completely different personalities. They each have strengths, quirks, needs, and challenges. Inevitably, the lessons I pick up in Boston directly fuel what we do here at Neroli.
The Clock Tavern: Simplicity, Atmosphere, and the Power of Community
The Clock Tavern is a Boston dive bar through and through. No food. No frills. Just cold drinks, familiar faces, and an atmosphere that feels as lived-in as your favorite sweatshirt. What The Clock Tavern teaches me is how powerful it is when you create a space where people instantly feel at home. It’s all about pace, connection, and consistency.
Those principles show up at Neroli every single day. Whether you’re coming in for a bowl of fresh pasta or a celebration with family, the goal is the same: make it feel easy. Make it feel comfortable. Make it feel like a place you want to come back to. The Clock Tavern reminds me that hospitality doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to be genuine.
Ghost Light Tavern: Energy, Creativity, and the Magic of Nightlife
Ghost Light Tavern, which recently opened in the heart of Boston’s Theater District, is a totally different energy. It’s vibrant, electric, and built for the kind of nights people talk about the next morning. Managing a nightlife spot keeps you sharp. It teaches you to anticipate what people want even before they know they want it. It forces you to innovate, adjust, and elevate the overall guest experience.
That creative spark injects life into Neroli, inspiring new specials, fresh ideas, and an approach to hospitality balancing tradition with innovation. When you’re operating in a high-energy environment like Ghost Light, you learn fast: presentation matters, atmosphere matters, and every detail contributes to the night’s story. That approach – attention to detail – follows me straight back to Westwood.
Neroli: Where Everything Comes Together
Neroli isn’t just an Italian restaurant. It’s my love letter to my hometown. It’s where my Boston experiences, both the simplicity of The Clock Tavern and the energy of Ghost Light Tavern, blend into something warm, refined, and welcoming. Westwood may not have the neon lights or late-night buzz of the Theater District, but I bring a piece of that Boston professionalism, creativity, and drive into every plate we serve.
No matter how busy life gets running all three spots, walking into Neroli always feels like coming home. It’s an honor to serve the community that raised me, and my goal every day is to give Westwood the very best of what I’ve learned from Boston, and the people closest to me at home.
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