About Us

Veganism:

A philosophy and lifestyle whose adherents seek to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.  Vegans endeavor not to use or consume animal products of any kind.  The most common reasons for becoming a vegan are human health, ethical commitment or moral conviction concerning animal rights or welfare, the environment, and spiritual or religious concerns.  Of particular concern to many vegans are the inhumane practices inherent in factory farming and the intensive use of land and other resources for animal farming that creates widespread air and water pollution.


Our commitments:

• We acknowledge the intrinsic value of all life and realize that non-human animals are individuals with inherent worth, not to be exploited by humans.
• We endeavor to tread lightly on the planet and be conscious of our environmental responsibilities.
• We will invest in and give back to our community.
• We will create a comfortable atmosphere that welcomes vegan & non-vegans alike.
• We value our customers and will show appreciation for their business by providing exceptional customer service and hospitality.
• We promise to serve extraordinary vegan food created from
  the highest quality and freshest  plant based ingredients.

Michael & Linda are co-owners of True Bistro.  For 5 years they have been questioning why there is no upscale vegan restaurant in Boston to rival those in NYC, San Francisco and Philadelphia. In May 2009, they decided to create that restaurant.  The search for the right location led them to Brookline, Cambridge,  Jamaica Plain and finally to a corner in Teele Square, Somerville.

They believe vegans in the greater Boston area deserve a restaurant where they  feel good about bringing their veg & non-veg friends and family for a plant based meal.

Michael is the general manager for True Bistro.  He was born and raised in Bermuda.  Being an avid sports fan, he would plan trips to the US & UK in order to attend baseball and soccer games.  In May, 1978, he met Linda while she was on vacation in Bermuda.  They married and lived in Bermuda until relocating to Boston with their two dogs in 1990.

Linda is a graduate of Boston Architectural College and specializes in designing healthcare facilities.  She grew up in South Florida but her heart belongs to Boston which she considers her adopted hometown.  She is Marketing & PR Director for True Bistro.  She is most actively involved in the operation of the restaurant on weekends; greeting customers, serving drinks and generally helping out where needed.

Michael has been involved in the financial management of restaurants and catering businesses for a large part of his professional life.  His dream since moving to Boston was to own and operate a restaurant.  That dream merged with Linda’s commitment to veganism and the concept of True Bistro was born.    

Chef Stuart Reiter

Stuart brings to True Bistro over a decade of professional cooking experience and two decades of personal commitment to preparing extraordinary food using plant based ingredients.  His career  includes cooking in the renowned kitchens of Greens, Millennium and Roxanne’s, all located in his native San Francisco.  Over the last six years he has started and led numerous kitchens in Oregon, California and Massachusetts.  His cooking is influenced by these experiences as well as his time abroad.  Chef Reiter has lived in Austria, Japan, Hungary and Ghana and traveled to dozens of other countries, seeking out traditional preparations that are plant based.  His ventures included serving in the Peace Corps in West Africa and living on a family farm outside of Vienna.  These experiences have taught him that there is a wealth of traditional recipes in all cultures that do not rely on animal products and he looks forward to sharing these dishes with the guests at True Bistro.

Sous Chef Giles Siddons

Giles started cooking professionally in Nashville, where he went to classical culinary school as the lone vegan.  Searching for a more diverse vegetarian scene he moved to New York City, where he was fortunate enough to cook in and manage various kitchens, including Counter in the East Village.  After some time spent staging with Chef Eric Tucker at Millennium in San Francisco, he relocated to Boston where he has found a huge potential for vegan fine cuisine that seems ready to explode.  Since moving here he has expanded his knowledge of raw food as Sous Chef to Chef Stuart Reiter and gained further experience in fine dining while staging at Clio.  He looks forward to producing fantastic vegan cuisine for True Bistro’s patrons.