Sean Griffing- General Manager

While attending Northeastern University and attaining a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry, Sean held various positions in the restaurant industry.  Soon after graduating, Sean managed boutique restaurant and late night lounge, Trio, one of Boston's first New York style lounges.  After three years at Trio, Sean moved across the river to Harvard Square’s Charles Hotel where he took the position of General Manager at the trendy bar and lounge, Noir.  In 2007, Sean oversaw the opening one of Burlington’s first high-end fine dining restaurants, L’Andana.  Currently, Sean is the Managing Partner of The Hen House and has been instrumental in perfectly positioning and working the prototype to its current state.  Sean returned to  the Charles Hotel in May of 2009 as General Manager of Rialto.  

Brad Nugent- Beverage Director

At the ripe old age of eighteen, Brad embarked upon a New York City restaurant career quickly working his way up from bus boy to waiter to bartender.  An inspirational meal at Alfred Portale’s Gotham Bar & Grill was enough to ignite the wine bug and send Brad straight to Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) for one full year of formal, intensive wine training. He promptly took a job in the wine department of Keith McNally’s SOHO staple Balthazar. In 2006 Brad signed on with Chef Michael Lomonaco as a Sommelier to open Porter House New York in the Time Warner Center and soon after was promoted to Wine Director.

Brad has continued his wine education completing Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World Wine School as well as his Sommelier Certification with the Court of Master Sommeliers. He has worked as a Sommelier for Wine Spectator’s Wine Experience (2007-2009) and The Pebble Beach Food & Wine Event (2008-2009). He has been featured in The New York Times, The Minimalist with Mark Bittman and Business Week. 

Annie Sarkis- Special Events Manager

Annie joins Rialto with a background in special events. A graduate of Suffolk University, Annie parlayed her education and innate hospitable qualities into a position at the prestigious Boston advertising agency, Hill Holliday. While at Hill Holliday Annie represented the company and delivered their strategic goals and messages through all points of customer contact, ranging from corporate gifts and client meetings to the flawless execution of elegant, creative and customized events for top executives and high level dignitaries.  Annie then moved her creative vision, to CMT Entertainment where she worked with a team of experienced event specialists by providing unique concepts and themes and accruing sponsorships for many non-profit agencies across the city.  In 2007, Annie joined Longwood Event, in detailing and executing the social side of events. Helping to implement the highest level of service Annie has focused in facilitating more than 100+ weddings at State Room.  Annie moved her talent, strong comprehension of special events to the Rialto team in August 2009.

Rebecca Fetner- PR & Marketing Manager

Born into a family of foodies and cooks, since childhood Rebecca has been immersed in a world that is expressed through food.  She is a firm believer that food brings people together and helps build strong relationships. Rebecca received a Bachelors of Science in Communication from Boston University, majoring in Public Relations.

Andrew Hebert- Sous Chef

Hailing from Yorktown, Virginia, Drew hit Boston in 2005 after graduating from Johnson & Wales with a culinary degree. He has worked as a line cook at Blu in The Sports Club/LA in Boston as well as a sous chef at The Trellis in historic Williamsburg, VA. Drew grilled, fried and chopped his way up the line at Rialto and is now a sous chef. With an Italian Mom pulling on his heartstrings, Drew feels particularly fond of the classic Italian cuisine served at Rialto.

Brian Rae-Sous Chef

Brian grew up in Ridgefield,  Connecticut.  After high school, he went to The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, graduating in 1997. Rae then worked in restaurants in his Connecticut hometown, at Bernard’s and The Elms Inn. The zealous young chef’s introduction to serious seafood was with Chef Steve Cavagnaro at Nantucket’s long-standing seafood institution Straight Wharf. Cavagnaro’s simple approach to food taught Rae how to best utilize and highlight ingredients.  Seeking more experience in a culinary city, Rae joined the opening team for Rick Moonen’s first Vegas restaurant, RM Seafood, as sous chef. After a year, Moonen promoted Rae to chef de cuisine of the fine dining arm of the two-in-one restaurant. Under Moonen, Rae has continued his extensive training in seafood, with a focus on sustainability, and further developed his ingredient-driven sensibility.  In 2008 Brian won a rising StarChefs award. Brian joined the Rialto team as sous chef in November 2009.

Susan Abbott —Pastry chef                                   
After receiving a B.S. in Conservation of Natural  Reserouces from the University of California, Berkeley, Susan took a turn into the food world. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, Susan has worked as a pastry chef at Shelbourne House in Shelbourne, VT, Sherborn Inn in Sherborn, MA, SuSu Bakery Boutique in Wellesley, MA and Foley's Bakery in Portland, ME, among other restaurants and bakeries. The Boston Globe restaurant critic Alison Arnett, in her recent four-star review of Rialto, proclaimed, "Rialto's dessert is a good course to linger over." She went on to say, "the buttermilk sherbet with mascarpone tart in a cornmeal crust, offset with blueberries soaked in grappa, really steals the show."