Ben Lacy
Executive Chef

Executive Chef Benjamin Lacy is a fully engaged culinarian who’s diverse cooking talents and passion for food is what inspires the new menu creations and special event dinners at Tastings Wine Bar and Bistro. He is intensely involved in the preparation, presentation and flavor array of all of his dishes. Among his specialties are varied selections of charcuteries, smoked meats, pastas and braises. His favorite meals to prepare and enjoy are hearty comfort foods like stews, cassoulets, and roasts.

Chef Ben promotes the use of locally grown farm fresh ingredients to deliver a premium dining experience reflecting the fresh flavors of New England. He participates in Massachusetts and Rhode Island sustainable food co-ops and locally sources the restaurant’s organic produce, eggs and poultry. He honed his craft as Sous Chef at Sel de la Terre in Natick and more recently as Executive Sous Chef at Union Bar and Grill in Boston. These collective experiences have fueled his unending and colorful imagination in the kitchen.

Chef Ben’s curiosity of food started at the age of four. Being the first to arise in his household, he started experimenting in the kitchen and quickly learned how to make breakfast for himself. His Chinese mother and Irish American father exposed Ben to a wide variety of both conflicting and complementary flavors and cultures. A large multi-cultural extended family and an always-filled kitchen have cultivated in Ben a love of eclectic cooking.

He pursued this culinary interest part-time while attending Providence College, working as a summer grill cook at the Hopkinton Country Club where, his early dalliance with life as a chef took root. While completing his economics degree, Chef Ben maintained an on-campus cooking and bakery position. At the same time, he rose through the ranks at the Country Club during the summers and weekends. When he emerged as a magna cum laude PC graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree, he had acquired valuable hands-on training in both cooking and baking, making him an attractive addition to Sel de la Terre at the Natick Collection.

Chef Ben later moved on to Union Bar and Grill in the South End of Boston where he expanded his scope of experience preparing his premium fare in a fast paced metropolitan environment.

For Chef Ben, kitchen life is learning about good food, preparing it in a way that celebrates its truest flavors and sharing it with his guests.

 

Mike Cicciarella
General Manager

Mike first joined the Tastings team in November 2008, and now as GM, he is taking a fresh, creative approach to service, brand development, and management style. Mike’s passion and love of music, he himself an entertainer, has led to the development of a live music program at Tastings featuring local acoustic artists showcased on Wednesday evenings. Mike’s friendly, outgoing and energetic personality inspires the staff with a sincere desire to serve the guests in a very special way. His ultimate goal is to create a truly warm and inviting environment where he leads our guests into indulging themselves in the memorable Tastings’ experience.

After attending Bryant University Mike began his career in the hospitality industry and moved through the ranks as server, bartender and shift leader, taking his first management role at 21. Mike has worked with many fine dining establishments such as award winning Eddie V’s Edgewater Grille and the Wildfish Seafood Grille, in Scottsdale, AZ as well as having helped with openings of Sel de la Terre in the Natick Collection and the Back Bay, Boston.

Mike has developed a mature palate for fine dining, and a passion for fine wine while learning from Wine Directors and Sommeliers such as Sandy Block, Dave Cicciarella, Justin Weiner and Erik Johnson and hopes to pass on the benefits of his passion and experience to his guests.