Colonnade Hotel Elevates the Guest Series with ‘RoofTOP Chef’

(L to R) Chefs Allen Campbell, Matthew Gaudet, Nick Calias, Chris Coombs and Evan Hennessy on the Colonnade Rooftop Pool. / Photo provided

With guest chef series at Tavern Road, Kirkland Tap & Trotter, Spoke Wine Bar, and certainly other local restaurants this summer, you have ample opportunity to get a taste of the convivial spirit of the Boston restaurant scene. But you don’t have many opportunities to enjoy such collaborations poolside—let alone at a pool 12 stories above the city.

Beginning July 5, the Colonnade Hotel is giving you that chance every Tuesday though September 13. Executive chef Nick Calias has signed on a crew of his industry friends, including Matthew Gaudet (West Bridge, soon-to-open SuperFine Food), recent James Beard nominee Matt Louis (Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s Moxy, Franklin Oyster House), Tom Brady’s former personal chef Allen Campbell, and Boston’s best chef Tiffani Faison (Sweet Cheeks, Tiger Mama).

“Boston’s chef community is pretty strong and part of that strength comes from everyone’s diverse backgrounds and our love of cooking,” Calias says.

The chef has been at the helm of the Colonnade and its restaurant, Brasserie Jo, for nearly a decade, and he’s also actively involved in culinary education and charity organizations like the Massachusetts Restaurant Associate ProStart and anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength.

“I was chatting with a couple of chef buddies about cooking together and potentially doing a pop up on the roof, but it needed to be more than us just collaborating on the roof deck. There needed to be a message behind it,” Calias says.

Those conversations were happening this spring, just after Calias and many of his friends participated in Taste of the Nation, an annual smorgasbord and fundraiser for Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry program.

“As a dad, [childhood hunger is] a topic that particularly resonates with me and along with the fellow chefs, this was the perfect opportunity to make a difference,” Calias says, and 100 percent of the proceeds from each poolside tasting this summer will go to No Kid Hungry.

The chefs—the full lineup is below—are creating their own dishes for their pop-up, and Calias will provide a complementing plate or cocktail. In addition to the food, the $20 ticket also includes access to the pool. The vibe is casual, and the views are exceptional.

RoofTOP Chefs Schedule

July 5: Allen Campbell, former personal chef for Tom Brady

July 12: Greg Sessler, Cava Wine Bar & Tapas

July 19: Matt Gaudet, SuperFine Foods

July 26: Evan Hennessey, Stages at One Washington

August 2: Matt King, Smith & Wollensky

August 9: Chris Coombs, D-Bar, Boston Chops, Deuxave

August 16: Matt Louis, Moxy, Franklin Oyster House (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)

August 23: Ben Hasty, Thistle Pig (South Berwick, Maine)

August 30: Tiffani Faison, Tiger Mama, Sweet Cheeks

September 6: Andy Husbands, Smoke Shop, Tremont 647, Sister Sorel

September 13: Jose Duarte, Taranta

roofTOP Chefs, $20, Tuesdays, July 5-September 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m., the Colonnade Hotel, 120 Huntington Ave., Boston, 617-424-7000, Eventbrite, colonnadehotel.com.