Intimately scaled
the 143-seat restaurant is framed by walls of glass and capped by a rotunda, dramatically lit by hand-blown glass orb lights.
CHEFS IN THE KITCHEN
Paul Wahlberg
EXECUTIVE CHEF / OWNER
Chef Paul was born in Dorchester, MA one of nine siblings, which include his famous younger brothers, actor Mark Wahlberg & musician/actor Donnie Wahlberg. While Mark & Donnie spent childhood day-dreaming of their inevitable rise to fame as performers, Paul spent his time in the family kitchen with his mother Alma, also his restaurant’s namesake. At the age of 11 or 12, Paul fell in love with food over a simple Eggplant Parmesan sandwich at a friends’ house. According to Paul, his cooking was influenced by the Sunday suppers he shared at home with family & friends.
Today, not only will you find Paul in the kitchen but he has a vibrant presence in the front of the house as he maneuvers his way around the dining room greeting guests. Paul’s hope is that Alma Nove becomes a gathering place for friends & family to come together, break bread & share good times.
Sean Fitzgerald
CHEF DE CUISINE
Alma Nove Chef de Cuisine, Sean Fitzgerald, started in the hospitality industry back in high school, bussing tables at the Legal Sea Foods in his native town of Braintree. He transferred to the Legal Chestnut Hill to help finance his degree (health sciences/psychology) from Boston University.
It wasn’t until he landed a summer job as a food runner at Alma Nove that Sean became truly fascinated with cooking. Over a decade later, he’s CDC, working side-by-side with Chef Paul Wahlberg managing day to day kitchen operations, monitoring quality, testing recipes, writing menus, and creating specials.
Sean embraces the team spirit and commitment to excellence that is the foundation of the culinary culture at Alma Nove. “It's one thing for a kitchen to care about every single aspect that goes into a dish or a dining experience,” he says, “it's another thing entirely for that to translate throughout the entire soul of this place. Its reputation and quality, the emphasis on seasonality and creativity are unlike almost anything you’ll find elsewhere on the South Shore.”
When he’s not behind the stove, reading cookbooks, or monitoring the culinary world on social media, Sean is playing golf and rooting for our local Boston sports teams.