In our supportive community, it is still commonplace for a bride and groom to be “set up” by members of their loving families. What may not be so common, however, is for the married couple to go into business together. Even rare still is for both the marriage and the business to be going strong after a decade. There is a great section on their site which you can see once you visit their website.
Such is the story, however, for Jen and Josh Ziskin, co-owners of Brookline’s popular Italian eatery La Morra (www.lamorra.com).
Raised by a pair of friends from Plymouth, the Ziskins were paired off by their respective Bubbes.
“Josh used to attend services with his grandmother in the temple I went to as a child for the High Holidays,” Jen explains.
After college, Jen moved to Boston and began working at a restaurant. Josh was working at another establishment in the area. “Both our grandmothers encouraged us to meet,” says the then-future Mrs. Ziskin. “That was 20 years ago and we have been together ever since!”
As Josh had been raised by an “amazing home chef,” and loved to cook himself, it was a short path for him from his family kitchen to a degree in hotel restaurant management to culinary school to the stoves of many acclaimed public kitchens.
“Opening a restaurant was a life long dream for Josh,” Jen explains, noting that they had both been in the business since their teenage years.
In an effort to focus and perfect their skills, Josh and Jen moved to Italy, where they fell in love with the Piemonte region village of La Morra. They were so inspired that, after returning to the United States and finding a location in Brookline, Jen left her teaching job to work with her husband full time and the restaurant was born!
“La Morra has certainly evolved over the years,” Jen suggests, “but the essence of having a neighborhood restaurant where the ‘regulars’ are known and each guests feels a warm hug when they walk in the door has remained the same..”
When asked how the food has changed, she observes that her husband’s efforts have become “ more consistent and creative each year.”
In addition to being co-owner, Jen also serves as sommelier and has developed personal relationships with all of the major distributors in the region. This allows her list of 100 hand-selected wines to be one of the best in town.
While the food at La Morra is consistently delicious and intriguing and the wine list always appropriate, the Ziskins are even more proud of the contributions they have been able to make to the community over the past 10 years.
“We are constantly giving silent auction and raffle gift certificates,” Jen says, “We also participate in community events held by the Chamber of Commerce and local art non-profits such as the Puppet Showplace and ArtBarn to name a few.”
Another way that Josh and Jen have been able to contribute was rather accidental. After a 2001 fire forced them to close their Boylston Street location, Josh began to take his gastronomical show on the road, cooking on other kitchens and thereby making him a pioneer in the popular “pop-up” restaurant movement.
Even though they are now back at home, however, the Ziskins continue to look forward to new ideas and new flavors. They are also looking to expand their catering business and maybe even to opening a second restaurant.
“We have such a great team at La Morra,” Jen says. “We want to do more!”
To mark their 10th anniversary, the Ziskins have planned a celebration through the month of December that will feature favorite foods and wines from the past decade, as well as a list of 10 new special libations – one for each year of marital and masticational bliss. On December 10, there wil be a special anniversary dinner featuring Josh’s favorite creations and Jen’s famous wine pairings.
“After the dinner,” Jen says, “we are having a cocktails and Cake party open to all of our regular customers, family and friends.”