OUR TEAM
Our team is our family. We embrace our team’s diverse cultures, joyful spirit and unique stories. We look forward to welcoming you to Alcove!
TOM SCHLESINGER-GUIDELLI
owner
Meet Tom
TOM SCHLESINGER-GUIDELLI
owner
One of the city’s youngest, most innovative and respected restaurateurs, Tom was born into restaurant life. At eight years old Tom was working the coat-check at The Blue Room for his uncle, Chef Chris Schlesinger, and could often be seen running next door to pick up movie tickets for guests. He hasn’t stopped running.
Tom’s hospitality management, bartending and wine knowledge were honed at several of New England’s most acclaimed restaurants, including East Coast Grill, The Back Eddy, Craigie On Main, Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Island Creek Oyster Bar, earning “Rising Star of Boston” and “Best of Boston/Best Bartender, Best Wine List, Best Cocktails, Best Restaurant” honors along the way. Now he shares his vision of Modern Hospitality and New England Coastal Cuisine at his own restaurant, Alcove.
“This is an amazing location, a gorgeous waterfront patio, a contemporary space surrounded by neighborhoods that were looking for that great place to go to for dinner and a drink. Everyone is welcome here at Alcove – from TD Garden fans, to Best of Boston readers, to guests looking for amazing food and wine, to first dates, to families – this is a neighborhood restaurant. I am so proud of our team – we are one of the most diverse teams in the city, and we are excited to share our positive energy and hospitality.”
MELISSA GARCIA
sous chef
Meet Melissa
MELISSA GARCIA
sous chef
If you see a chef with the brightest smile and positive energy at Alcove during lunch and brunch you have probably just met Chef Melissa Garcia. “She leads our team with her talent and cheerful attitude” says Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli. “Every day is a good day when you walk into Alcove and see Melissa.” A native of Cartago Valle Colombia, Melissa was often seen knocking on doors in her neighborhood and selling her home-made meals and desserts as a child. She followed her passion and learned from the best – cooking in the kitchens of Chefs Ken Oringer, Jamie Bissonnette, Tony Messina, Andres Cruz and now Chef Chuck Draghi at Alcove. We know you will share Melissa’s smiles when you taste her amazing handmade churros!
FIDEL RIVERA
sous chef
Meet Fidel
FIDEL RIVERA
sous chef
Fidel grew up in a large family in the northwest of Mexico, watching and learning from his grandmother Lourdes as she prepared delicious dishes of the region. He followed that culinary passion, working in restaurants and eventually moving to Massachusetts. Fidel joined the opening team of Alcove and has risen through the ranks, developing the raw bar and charcuterie stations, and now leading the teams as sous chef.
JENI DELGADO
Director of Private Events, Marketing, and Special Projects
Meet Jeni
JENI DELGADO
Director of Private Events, Marketing, and Special Projects
Jeni is the secret sauce at Alcove. She always finds a way to extend Alcove’s award-winning hospitality one step further while working closely with our team and guests. Jeni helps create amazing and memorable private events in the dining room, bar and out on the patio. Her energy, can-do attitude and commitment to excellence is unparalleled. Jeni’s restaurant heritage is deep and respected indeed, opening the beloved Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square and continuing on with that team to open Island Creek Oyster Bar, Row 34 Fort Point + Portsmouth, The Hawthorne, and Branch Line in quick succession.
Tom and Jeni are our dynamic duo – these two have worked together for years and share a passion for neighborhood hospitality and for family. Somehow Jeni manages to juggle her family at home and her family at Alcove seemingly effortlessly. Jeni hopes to welcome you to Alcove one day soon!
KATIE CRISCO
service manager
Meet Katie
KATIE CRISCO
service manager
Katie Crisco has been surrounded by Hospitality for her entire life. Born into a restaurant owning family, she embraced the life of the restaurant business from an early age. Katie began her career as a hostess at her family’s Ruth’s Chris Steak house franchise in Richmond, Virginia, and then went on to work as a hostess at the Columbia, South Carolina location. After college, Katie moved to Boston and developed her love for craft cocktails as a bartender at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Boston’s Old City Hall. Next stop was The Beehive in Boston’s South End, where Katie helped curate the popular bar program, continuing to expand her knowledge of wine, spirits and craft cocktails. We are delighted to welcome Katie to Alcove’s management team where she continues to pursue her passion for hospitality and share it with our guests.
TARA ORKOFSKY
assistant wine director
Meet Tara
TARA ORKOFSKY
assistant wine director
You never know if you’ll see Tara with a wine bottle or a camera in her hand – she is adept with both! An integral part of the wine team, Tara runs Alcove’s “Wine of the Month” program and assists Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli with the restaurant’s Wine Spectator award-winning wine collection. Tara first worked with Tom at Island Creek Oyster Bar, and prior to that she made a mark in the city’s hospitality scene at Scampo and Bar Mezzana.
If you have seen photos of Alcove’s stunning sunsets over the Zakim Bridge, then you probably have seen how talented Tara is with the camera too. She brings an eye, a spirit and a taste for hospitality by sharing a warm welcome, helping guests select their soon-to-be-new-favorite wine, and capturing photos of our iconic waterfront sunsets.