For many, food is a wonderful means of dealing with stress, mental blocks, illness, and other woes.
Few may understand this better than Jeanie Gruber, proprietress of Miss Jeanie’s Catering Company and The Improv Kitchen in Newtonville (http://missjeanies.com).
Combining the hospitable charm (and food savvy) of her native Louisiana, the supportive mien of a psychotherapist, the business sense of a successful entrepreneur and the flair of a born entertainer, Gruber has turned an avocation into a vocation and is eager to bring others along. While many other chefs and small business owners are protective of their ideas and secrets, Gruber is all too happy to share! Her acclaimed book Make Food Work and her popular Cater Prep School have inspired and encouraged many others to take up a ladle, hang up a shingle, and make a go at the pressure cooker food business. More recently, the former caterer at Russo’s famed food emporium has invited her customers and friends (often the same people) to contribute to an improvisational cookbook. While her smile pleases the eye as much as her creations please the palate, it is this creative and cooperative style that makes Gruber’s Improv Kitchen stand out the most.
In her tiny shop on Adams Street, Gruber and long-time friend and artistic partner Deb Wyler take whatever fresh local ingredients come to hand and then challenge themselves and their customers to come up with the most imaginative improvisational edibles ever. While the menu always offers such “staples” as chicken, tuna, bacon, and fresh veggies, soup, and salad, what happens next is often completely unexpected, even to the creators!
While the menu is limited, with only three price points and a few explicitly-offered options for main courses, the possibilities are endless! No matter what ingredients Gruber has gathered from local farms and foodie friends, there is more than enough room for originality and inspiration, In fact, they are preferred! And if the Kitchen’s cutely crowded kitchen does not hold a desired ingredient, rest assured it will appear in days to come (so return visits are also encouraged and, especially with the buy-nine-get-one-meal-free cards that Gruber will happily file for you at the Kitchen so they are on hand and up to date, always worth it!).
Though the Improv Kitchen is a great place to grab a bite (and a smile), it is also a fun hang. With its bright colors (some of which are provided by Wyler), fun music (to which the meals are often themed, such as “Sinatra Brunch”), and somewhat kitschy kitchen accouterments (e.g., hand-made dish towels, recipe packets with spices included and, of course, autographable copies of Gruber’s gourmand guide), the Kitchen is a great spot to pull up a wicker chair, plop in the cozy corner couch or sit at the slender window-side counter and watch the world parade down the Italian flag-lined street. If that view does not intrigue, a peer into the narrow wide-open kitchen surely will, as Gruber and Wyler dance around among shelves of spices and old-fashioned appliances to make their latest flavor fascination, smiling and chatting all the way. While you wait, there are plenty of food-friendly publications available and also plenty of the Improv’s famous baked goods, which also make for a memorable movable munch to take with you.
For those who want to enjoy Improv away from the Improv or those who have larger spaces (and more stomachs) to fill, Gruber is still all for catering and has helped host many of the most successful events in the area. Gruber brings the Kitchen’s customer-focused perspective and passion for pleasure to each and every plate. She also handles every element- from soup to nuts and tables settings and themed cocktail menus to dance floor accompaniments and Wyler’s expert floral arrangements. From an intimate cocktail party to a family celebration (her side site, http://thekiddushspecialists.com, specializes on mission-minded simchas) or corporate event, Gruber’s inspired (and inspiring) improvisation can make even a black tie event colorful.
So whether you want a quick and creative snack or a whole theme for your wedding, reunion or annual meeting, eschew the common and go for the delicious fun of The Improv Kitchen.
Your event will be sure to make a….scene!