Who We Are
Chef Rachel Miller
Rachel first fell in love with cooking while working at a small restaurant on the coast of Virginia and spending time in her Moroccan Jewish grandmother’s garden, where her love of the ocean and the region’s terroir began to inspire her to pursue a career in cooking. 18 years later, after extensively training in and managing many types of restaurant kitchens around the country, including a notable role as Chef de Cuisine at Ken Oringer’s flagship restaurant, Clio, she decided to build her own small, intimate and specialized restaurant.
The breadth of unique experiences she gained in this time, from diners to fine dining restaurants all over the South and Northeast, along with her extensive studies in Vietnamese food culture and love of the ocean morphed to create the concept of Nightshade Noodle Bar, a French and Vietnamese inspired blind tasting menu restaurant in Lynn, MA.
Both Chef Rachel Miller and Nightshade Noodle Bar have gained much praise, including the second-ever 5 star review in the Boston Globe, high rankings in the area’s best restaurants lists year after year and scrolls of 5 star guest reviews. Rachel was also a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Chef Award in 2023.
Director of Operations Alex Caruso
Alex was born and raised in Dorchester, MA. Her restaurant career began at the Ashmont Grill, around the corner from home, working as a host while pursuing an art degree. She quickly realized that restaurants offered a creative outlet that art school didn’t and when offered an early management opportunity, she took it and fell fast in love with hospitality.
She spent many years managing in Boston's South End, at acclaimed Myers & Chang as well as through several notable restaurant openings, including The Beehive and Barcelona Wine Bar. Most recently she was the opening General Manager and Wine Director at one of the James Beard Foundation and Food & Wine's Best New Restaurants in America, Fox & the Knife in South Boston.
Alex's passion for service lies where food & drink enhance special memories and occasions, whether it be a clink of a glass of champagne, the pleasure of scraping up socarrat on the bottom of a paella, cutting open a runny egg yolk or filleting a fish for your friends at dinner. She believes in the power of a well-served meal to nourish the soul, as well as the body, and she can't wait to meet you!