About Forklift
Forklift Catering is a chef-owned and operated catering company based in Boston, Massachusetts. For chefs Jamie and Dennis, the food comes first. A great event is built around great food. All the planning, beautiful decorations, and carefully-selected music can come crashing down under the weight of a tough and flavorless beef tenderloin or a soggy salad. With Forklift, the food is never an afterthought.
Your tastes and desires will be considered, along with the best that our local farms offer during the season of your event. We will come up with an exciting and distinctive menu; a menu that will please foodies and locavores, but won't scare away the meat and potatoes crowd. With our vast food knowledge, creative menu suggestions, and attentive service, we make planning and executing an event easy and delicious.
The sample menus and photos on this website provide a small glimpse of what we offer. We can work within a fixed budget or accommodate the most lavish desires. We love working with our clients to draw out those details and special touches that will make your meal or celebration one to remember, a philosophy that continues to make Forklift stand out among caterers in Massachusetts.
Meet the Chefs
Dennis Tourse
Growing up in Newton, Mass., Dennis's passion for creating food blossomed early in life while watching Julia Child cook on television. It was no surprise that his first job as a teenager was at a local restaurant.
He attended University of Massachusetts Amherst for food service management while amassing experience at the former Cha Cha Cha, an award-winning Latin-fusion grill in Northampton, where he worked under renowned Chef/Owner Unmi Abkin.
Dennis returned to Boston and assisted then-up-and-coming Pastry Chef Joanne Chang at the fledgling Mistral, celebrated Chef Jamie Mammano's French and Mediterranean restaurant, working there during its rise to become one of Boston's premier fine dining destinations.
Dennis concluded his formal training at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Prior to co-founding Forklift Catering, he worked for nearly a decade as a private chef in Boston and Martha's Vineyard, providing a panoply of delectable World Foods to varied clientele. He lives in the Boston area, where his bookshelves are brimming with cookbooks and culinary literature from around the world.
Jamie Rogers
Jamie brings a refined palate and an unabashed appreciation for food to your table. Jamie's first restaurant experience was at the former Somerville, Mass. institution Eat Restaurant under chef Pete Sueltenfuss.
Jamie spent time in Italy, hunting truffles in Acqualagna, visiting farms outside of Parma, and touring the central market and restaurants of Florence. Most recently he finished two years as sous chef at award-winning Upstairs on the Square under chefs Steven Brand and Susan Regis.
Also working for four years as a private chef, Jamie has learned an appreciation for the personal touch of creating a customized meal to suit the tastes of individuals and understands the details that go into preparing a thoughtful and well-executed event, whether it is an intimate seven course meal or a large gathering.
He graduated at the top of his class from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. When not in the kitchen or managing the books for Forklift, Jamie plays guitar and mandolin, and loves flyfishing.
Call us to quote your event – 617 838 3234