Talulla

"Conor Dennehy of Talulla was up for Best Chef: Northeast." - Erika Adams

"The name may sound mundane, but this little crunch salad from Cambridge darling Talulla is anything but boring. It’s a collection of start-of-spring vegetables — radishes, snow peas, and snap peas — mixed together with tangy slivers of kumquat and topped off with a dollop of a savory whey sorbet. (I’ve never been served sorbet as a salad component before, and I’m now 100 percent sold on the idea.) The whole concoction tasted like a tiny little explosion of creativity on the plate that I was so grateful for after months of grey, dark, sleepy winter meals. It’s a nugget of hope for the sunny, warm days and the beautiful produce that’s just around the corner in New England." - Erika Adams

"Conor Dennehy is the other Boston-area nominee on the list; he’s a finalist for Best Chef: Northeast for his work leading Talulla, a cozy little six-year-old restaurant in Cambridge that follows the New England seasons across both an a la carte menu and a five-course tasting menu." - Erika Adams

"Located in the former longtime T.W. Food space and run by T.W. alums Conor Dennehy and Danielle Ayer, Talulla has a five-course tasting menu as well as à la carte offerings. Splurge on the five-course tasting menu ($95) with dishes like bay scallop crudo, butternut squash agnolotti, and dessert of poached pear with gingerbread espuma. Ayer’s wine pairings are an additional $65." - Nathan Tavares, Samantha Maxwell, Eater Staff

"Conor Dennehy of Talulla, a tasting menu spot in Cambridge, are first-time James Beard semifinalists this year." - Erika Adams