When Brad and Lesa Wood opened Eighth and Roast in Melrose, they knew that they wanted to offer lunch to complement their outstanding varieties of in-house roasted coffee beans. But unfortunately, the Woods’ kitchen space was miniscule, and half of it was occupied by bags of coffee beans both roasted and green. Fortunately, the Woods found a chef who could operate in the cramped space yet concentrate on inventive fare that reflects their commitment to quality ingredients. Chef Mike Arnold is an alumnus of several local kitchens, including the Viking Cooking School and Cafe Fundamental, and he was up to the challenge.
When Arnold started his new gig, he encountered an assortment of cooking equipment that looked like a recent college graduate’s first apartment kitchen: an oven, a double-sided cooler, a sandwich prep station and a microwave. “We didn’t even have a toaster oven,” Arnold recalls. “I saw a staff member pull a Caprese sandwich out of the microwave and a little piece of me died inside.”
