SRV Taps Meghan Thompson As Head Pastry Chef

Gelato at SRV. / Photo provided

Chefs Michael Lombardi and Kevin O’Donnell have already crafted a winning menu at SRV, pumping out plates of seafood and hand-rolled noodles with the help of resident pasta maker Stephanie Cmar. Now, the Venetian bacaro has chosen Meghan Thompson, formerly of Townsman, to give that same care to its pastry program.

The reigning best pastry chef in Boston will take the reigns of SRV’s desserts, and plans to develop a bread program using the restaurant’s house-milled flour. (Currently, breads are sourced from Iggy’s.) Thompson officially joins the team on February 1, a representative from the restaurant confirmed.

“[Thompson] is a true talent and she is exactly what we need at SRV to elevate our dessert menu and pastry program,” general manager Ted Hawkins wrote in a press release. “Her baking expertise, paired with chefs Michael and Kevin’s existing menu, is the perfect complement to the already-talented SRV kitchen.”

Thompson cut her teeth at the Country Club in Brookline, where she worked her way from prep cook to assistant pastry chef. After opening Steel & Rye in Milton as pastry chef, she then joined Townsman to hone her passion for whimsical sweets. She intends to continue along that path at SRV to develop new, Italian-leaning desserts, and add a rotating selection of seasonal gelati.

Before Thompson’s tenure officially starts, she is developing some treats to add to SRV’s new brunch menu, which lands January 22.

Since the South End spot had no designated pastry chef before Thompson (its singular flaw, according to reviewer Jolyon Helterman), it remains to be seen whether Thompson will tweak the current offerings or swap them out for other dishes entirely. Either way, keep an eye out for her handiwork as she transitions into her new role.

569 Columbus Ave., South End, Boston, 617-536-9500, srvboston.com.

Meghan Thompson (seated) with fellow 2016 Best of Boston honorees (from left) Karen Akunowicz, Katie Gilarde, Todd Maul, and Tiffani Faison. / Photograph by Jason Grow, styling by Laura Dillon/Team for “Best of Boston 2016“