13 Central Street, Wellesley, MA|781-446-6950

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Reservations

Tables at Juniper are first come, first served.

Our full menu is available for bulk take-out and catering as well. For event/private party inquires, please email Sarah Shaw or call 781-446-6950.

Employment

Our lively atmosphere is what keeps our patrons coming back night after night (not to mention our delicious food!). We think having a kick-ass staff is a key ingredient in keeping that energy up every night. We are always looking for awesome people to help liven up our atmosphere! Hosts, servers, cooks, bussers…if you think you belong at one of our restaurants, click here to get in touch with us via email. We’d love to meet you and learn what you might add to our little family…

If you are interested in hosting a party or event at Juniper, please email Sarah Shaw or call 781-446-6950.

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Dave Becker

Chef/Owner

A Newburyport native through and through, Dave Becker exudes the good-time vibe associated with the “Cape Cod of the North Shore.” As a youngster Dave was, shall we say — slightly unmotivated — and did not always have a passion for the culinary world, let alone aspirations to own a restaurant at the age of 24. Rather, his innate talent was realized through a series of culinary roles, beginning with his first job as a dishwasher at Joseph’s in Newburyport at the ripe age of 11.

In the beginning, cooking was merely a job for Dave — a way to earn money to buy Aerosmith tickets or beer. However, appreciating the instant gratification of cooking a tasty meal for family and friends and seeing smiles spread across their faces, Dave realized at a relatively tender age that cooking was more than simply a job for him. It is this unassuming notion of making people happy that forms the backbone of Sweet Basil, and is a large reason why customers do not mind waiting sometimes as long as two hours to be seated at one of Sweet Basil’s tables.

Still having the incessant curiosity of a kid, Dave is constantly experimenting in the kitchen both with food and the newest culinary gadgets. From making his own pastas (Beet Rigatoni and Rye Bread Gnocchi to name a few) to distilling vinegars in-house (born of Dave’s desire to make use of all the fruits and vegetables Sweet Basil receives, even those that have turned), or brewing his own Kombucha, Dave has fun with food and is passionate about learning as much as he can about the craft.

Dave’s artistic eye appears not only in the presentation of his cuisine, but also in the unique plates and serving dishes used at Sweet Basil, all of which are hand-thrown with local clay and designed by Dave at Brookline pottery studio, Feet of Clay. Dave believes that knowing the potter who creates a restaurant’s artisanal plates will soon become just as important as the farmer sourcing a restaurant’s grass-fed beef, with equal emphasis on local materials and minimal transportation, a trend he has coined the “art-to-table” movement.

In 2014, Dave opened Juniper, a 110-seat Mediterranean eatery in the heart of Wellesley, Massachusetts. Juniper is an extension of Dave’s overall philosophies on work, food and life. With a spirited staff, most of whom “grew up” under Dave’s mentorship at Sweet Basil, Juniper’s menu pulls inspiration from what Dave calls the “feel good flavors” of the Eastern Mediterranean and continues his strong focus on all things local, sustainable and handmade. At Juniper, housemade cous cous, custom spice blends and unique flavor combinations signature to Dave’s generously portioned cooking style stand out on the restaurant’s seasonally changing menu, while dim lighting, lush greenery and colorful flea market finds transport guests to a funky Eastern Mediterranean bistro.

In cooking and in life, Dave adheres to his own motto of “Cook what you like to eat, and never ever listen to anyone who tries to tell you what you should or should not enjoy.”

Tim Fichera

Executive Chef

Growing up in Newburyport, Massachusetts, it could be said that Tim Fichera was forced to join the restaurant industry. When his father made him get a job in high school, Tim wasn’t sure what would suit him best and landed on washing dishes with a group of friends at Glenn’s Restaurant & Cool Bar. What he didn’t expect, however, was to meet a number of likeminded, sarcastic people who loved making food as much as he did. The restaurant industry instantly felt like home.

Tim’s eager, yet slightly snarky attitude led him to ask lots of questions and constantly volunteer to help the cooks at Glenn’s as a way to learn. To Tim’s surprise, his peers respected this enthusiasm and, after trying a few of Tim’s dishes, quickly promoted him to cook, where he was able to master the art of what he calls “making food taste good.”

At just 21 years old, Tim landed his first executive chef position at The Beachcomber, a dive bar-turned upscale restaurant on Plum Island. There, Tim was thrown into the mix with little experience but developed a passion for leading a kitchen. Following this role, Tim spent time working in restaurants like Mezé and The Navy Yard Bistro in Charlestown before moving west of the city to accept an opportunity to work as a chef at Ming Tsai’s Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

While working at Blue Ginger, Tim would chat with his brother’s good friend, Dave Becker (also a Newburyport native), chef/owner of Sweet Basil in Needham, Massachusetts, and bond over all things food and cooking. In 2007, Dave offered Tim a position as Executive Chef and he happily accepted. Tim spent seven years as chef at this popular eatery, where he enjoyed preparing large, crowd-pleasing portions of creative spins on Italian classics.

In 2014, Dave offered Tim the Executive Chef role at his forthcoming restaurant, Juniper, and Tim was eager to accept, looking forward to shaping the restaurant alongside a familiar staff, many of whom also came from Sweet Basil.

In his spare time away from the kitchen, Tim likes to test his hand in new and offbeat hobbies like brewing beer and participating in blacksmithing classes at a local forge.

Ever the artiste, Dave has taken his passion to the page as well, self-publishing two cookbooks with food photographer Nina Gallant. Released in 2008, Thrown Out Of An Italian Kitchen, Recipes from Sweet Basil provides a snapshot of the experience of dining and working at the Italian-inspired eatery. His sophomore effort, Stewed (January 2013), is a coffee table worthy collection of irreverent, handmade takes on classic soups, braises and stews from Sweet Basil.

Thrown Out of an Italian Kitchen: Recipes from Sweet Basil By Dave Becker Published November 2008 Buy Now

Stewed: A Collection of Soups, Stews and Braises from Sweet Basil By Dave Becker Published November 2012 Buy Now