Culinary Corner: Culinary Director/Executive Chef Brian Bulzacchelli

Posted by Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

By Phyllis M. Cahaly, CMD, Director of Partnership Marketing, Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

December is a joyful time for gathering with family and friends. It’s a time to relax, unplug, engage with one another, share delicious food and tasty seasonal beverages, and slow things down. Fortunately, we know of at least three locations where you can do just that: the Towne Tavern & Tap in North Attleboro, MA, and Wareham, MA, and the Towne Tavern & Treehouse in Pembroke, MA. All three restaurants are owned by local Dave Barry of the Towne Tavern Hospitality Group and the kitchens belong to his Culinary Director/Executive Chef, Brian Bulzacchelli.

Meet Chef Brian Bulzacchelli, a Long Island native who attended The Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts and believes in: freshness, quality, and consistency. “I’m really into gastro pub and homestyle food done well,” says Chef Brian. “I’m big into seafood, fresh cuisine, and consistency in our restaurants. We move fast in the restaurant business, but consistency in our quality products is one thing we are completely passionate about, and we thrive off of that.”

Chef Brian and Dave Barry had previously worked together. When Dave decided to open his restaurants, it wasn’t long before he and Chef Brian reconnected and planned their restaurant journey. Dave opened his first Towne Tavern & Tap in North Attleboro, in May of 2021, then he opened the Towne Tavern & Treehouse in Pembroke in June of 2022, followed by the Towne Tavern & Tap in Wareham in September 2023. Moving that quickly might scare others in the restaurant industry, but Dave was confident in his team and vision for the three restaurants.

“Even though each of our restaurants has a different personality, they are very similar in all ways,” says owner Dave Barry. “Each restaurant welcomes you with a comfortable atmosphere, shiplap décor, eclectic floors, navy blue booths and walls, cool ceilings, and logos; when you enter Towne Tavern & Tap,, you know where you are. Not to mention that 95% of our food products are all scratch; nothing comes from a can, a bag, or the freezer.”

“One thing that stood out to me when I teamed up with Dave was that we really had the same vision for developing the three restaurants, and it’s a plan that guides us in all that we do. Our scratch kitchen produces top-quality products, which our patrons know and expect when they come to Towne Tavern & Tap,” says Chef Brian proudly. “Freshness, quality, and consistency in everything we do is key and sets us apart from other restaurants. Both new and returning patrons recognize the difference.”

After graduating from culinary school, Chef Brian worked his way up the eastern seaboard through Maryland, Connecticut, and Rhode Island on his way to Massachusetts.. His experience includes being a line and sous chef and working in a various venues and banquet kitchens, including Foxwoods in Connecticut. Chef Brian is of Korean descent and was adopted into a Sicilian family that leaned heavily on Italian cooking. Both sets of his grandparents were focused daily on cooking, creating delicious meals, and teaching Chef Brian the intricacies of Italian cooking. “From my earliest memories, I always loved to cook,” says Chef Brian. “As a young boy, I was either outside playing sports or in the kitchen cooking with my family and just loved cooking, so I chose the culinary route. I love the products that each season in Massachusetts brings, and I like to tweak our menu to use whatever the trends of the season produce.”

Towne Tavern & Tap and Towne Tavern & Treehouse use all Massachusetts -based delivery companies and products from Cape Cod, Taunton, and all local farms. At this time of year, they tap into (pun intended!) local breweries like Angle Tree Brewing in North Attleboro for unique, seasonal brews such as their Brewlee, Crème Brulee Cream Ale, or their Everything Nice Spiced Ale. The restaurant group prides itself on its Brunch Cocktail menu with outstanding Liquid Flights of either Mimosa, Margarita, or Boozy Ice Coffee and their Liquid Brunch selections like Bucket of Bubbles, Pamplemousse Spritzer, or Peanut Butter & Jelly Old Fashion!

You’ll have several menus to choose from at Towne Tavern & Tap like their Main Menu offering Small Plates like Korean Sticky Ribs, Turkey Croquettes, or Stuffed Quahogs or their Starter Menu featuring Bavarian Pretzels, Steak & Cheese Eggrolls or their Burrata Board. Soups follow along with a great warming selection of French Onion, Seafood Bisque, the Triple “T” Chili, and their Soup DuJour – and we haven’t even moved on to the salads or main entrees yet!

Come hungry to the Towne Tavern & Tap because you’ll want to try a Cobb, Caesar, or Tavern salad before you dig into your main entrée. Towne Tavern & Tap’s Main Menu separates your choices into Handhelds with mouthwatering sandwiches like juicy Burgers, Fish or Chicken Tacos and Pastrami sandwiches to name a few, then on to the Towne Pizza selection with any combo you desire, next to the Beef selections including 12-hour slow braised Short Ribs & Mashed, then the Seafood menu with Beer Battered Fish & Chips, Maple Dijon Salmon, Seared Scallops and lastly, the Chicken menu with delights like Buffalo Mac ‘n Cheese with fried chicken tenders, Chicken & Waffles, Chicken Pot Pie, and more! Save room for the Dessert Menu, which offers cheesecake, blueberry strudel, and apple crisp, to name a few.

As if that wasn’t enough deliciousness from which to choose, you still have other menu choices, like the Sunday Football Specials, the Brunch Menu, and the Sushi Menu! Towne Tavern & Tap has you covered for any food desires and offers gluten-free choices. Owner Dave and Chef Brian want you to stay as long as you like, linger over this great menu, and try new recipes.

They also offer daily and weekly specials created by Chef Brian and his staff chefs, sous chefs, and line cooks. “Everybody here has a voice,” touts Chef Brian. “We love to get our chefs involved, and everyone here has a hand in developing the specials. We always feature specials with two appetizers and four entrees, and when we put our heads together, we come up with some great menu offerings. I love the R&D side of the business, Recipe & Development. Each season, we offer standards like stuffed avocados in the summer, butternut squash in the fall, baby veggies in the spring, and pot pies in the winter – and maybe even bacon-wrapped meatloaf this winter, too!”

The Towne Tavern & Treehouse in Pembroke is similar to its sister restaurants but has a twist. Open 365 days per year as well, this ‘little piece of heaven’ offers a serene setting on Furnace Pond. Stroll the grounds, settle into an Adirondack chair, or walk along the dock. This venue offers the same great menu, which will enjoy even greater enhancements next year when owner Dave includes a private function space, a fourth bar, and an on-site food truck for pop-up menus.

Towne Tavern & Tap’s friendly servers work in teams so your food is delivered hot as ready. They are super friendly and super attentive, and you never feel rushed for time. All areas work hard in tandem to please their patrons, make you feel comfortable, and help you forget time limits. Before, during, and after your meal, there’s likely acoustic entertainment, comedy shows, musical bingo, trivia, and even a night with psychic mediums. Did we mention big-screen TVs everywhere? This month, you can bring the kids for Brunch with Santa in North Attleboro on December 15 and Pembroke on December 22.

Chef Brian finds the most joy in his job, knowing that all aspects work together, from menu development and preparation, to cooking to service, as one effort to ensure that their guests have a fantastic meal and a wonderful time, leaves happy and can’t wait to return. He and his wife and their three children are residents of North Attleboro, and he loves knowing that he is feeding his neighbors daily. Chef Brian loves Massachusetts and looks forward to visiting the beautiful Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket islands soon. He would like to try the amazing fresh seafood he keeps hearing about!

Luckily, his father-in-law is also a chef who makes a great prime rib. “His prime rib takes the cake; I could literally eat it all day, every day; it tastes that good to me,” says Chef Brian. “I do have a favorite snack or munchie, and that is hard-boiled eggs dipped in Dijon mustard. If you like eggs and mustard, I highly recommend you put them together and give it a try.” Keep an eye out; Chef Brian may just put prime rib or boiled eggs on the menu soon!

---

Recipe of the Month: Whipped Ricotta

Courtesy of Culinary Director/Executive Chef Brian Bulzacchelli, Towne Tavern & Tap and Towne Tavern & Treehouse

• Plate: long wood (burrata board)
• 4 oz smear whipped ricotta
• 2 oz pomegranate seeds
• 2 oz hot honey
• 1 TBL toasted/chopped rosemary
• Pinch salt and pepper
• 4 ea. 1” thick toasted garlic ciabatta bread

Spread garlic butter on to ciabatta and toast until crunchy and golden. Smear ricotta across left side of board. Garnish with toppings. Shingle toasted bread on empty side of the board.

Download a PDF of this recipe

TOPICS: Culinary Corner, North Attleboro, Pembroke, Recipe, Wareham