Michael Scelfo

Chef Michael Scelfo has been drawn to the kitchen for as long as he can remember. A Western Culinary Institute grad, he spent quality time as a young cook in the James Beard award-winning Wildwood Kitchen in Portland, Oregon. During that time, his love for creating vibrant, ingredient-forward dishes was nurtured.

At the age of 25, he found himself receiving a 2½ star review in The New York Times while at the helm of Long Island’s sophisticated Blond. He has since overseen the kitchens of several neighborhood joints with cult-like followings, including Dedo, North Street Grill and Tea-Tray in the Sky at which he landed a three star review in The Boston Globe. His post as Executive Chef at Good Life resulted in a Stuff@night dining award. During his tenure as Executive Chef at Russell House Tavern, Scelfo earned top honors at the 2013 Boston Lamb Jam and at the epic traveling pork competition, Cochon 555.

In early 2014, Scelfo opened Alden & Harlow, where he extended the concept of the domestic kitchen table into his first solo venture. Located in the iconic Casablanca restaurant space in Harvard Square, Alden & Harlow pays homage to its chef’s roots by making each ingredient shine.

The success of this formula is proven in the attention the restaurant has received. In 2014, Boston Globe restaurant critic Devra First awarded Alden & Harlow a three-star review. They were honored to be the Best New Restaurant by Boston magazine and The Improper Bostonian as well as being chosen as “The Best of the New” in the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. Bon Appetit magazine nominated Alden &Harlow as one of 50 nominees for “America’s Best New Restaurants.” They were also highlighted as one of the Best Restaurants in the Northeast by Arrive magazine