The passion for great food and wine is what makes the experience at Rialto a memorable one and that passion is everywhere, from the kitchen staff to your servers, managers and bartenders. These are the people that bring Rialto to life every night.

Amber Renberg
Restaurant Manager
The romantic idea of a bed and breakfast had always been a retirement dream for Phoenix native Amber Renberg. But, halfway through a pre-med degree – with notebooks full of menus and recipe ideas instead of chemistry equations – she realized her fate and began the pursuit of a restaurant life. After graduating from The University of Arizona in 1998 Amber attended the Scottsdale Culinary Institute with an emphasis in pastry. Upon completion of the program, Amber was selected to be a part of the culinary team for The American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival, where she prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner for over a thousand people a day. In 2001, Amber was eager for a change of scenery and headed to Boston to be the pastry chef at blu, Rialto’s sister restaurant. At blu she was named “Rising Star Pastry Chef” by StarChefs.com in 2003. However, that summer Amber let her love for people and desire to serve lead her out of the kitchen and into the role of Maitre D’. Shortly after that Amber became blu’s Special Events Manager and directed all private functions. Now, Amber is Restaurant Manager at Rialto, responsible for front-of-house management, private events and ensuring a four-star dining experience for every guest.

Tiffany Taylor
Restaurant Manager/Wine Director
Tiffany Taylor, born in Birmingham, Michigan, got her start in the restaurant world waiting tables in Chicago while a student at the University of Chicago. Around the same time, she traveled extensively in Europe and developed an interest in wine. Combining her fine dining experience and love of wine, Tiffany moved back to her home state and worked as wine director and manager of the Kerrytown Bistro, a small French restaurant in Ann Arbor. Last year, she came to Boston, and after stops at Todd English’s Kingfish Hall and Sauce in Somerville, Tiffany joined the Rialto team in March 2005. As restaurant manager/wine director, Tiffany is responsible for daily operations in Rialto’s lounge and dining room, as well as overseeing the wine list, educating the staff, and planning and executing wine events. Outside of work, Tiffany, now a resident of Somerville, is enrolled in business classes at Harvard Extension School; and enjoys skiing, horseback riding and white water kayaking.

Nuno Alves
Sous chef
Food has always been a central part of Sous Chef Nuno Alves’ life.
As the youngest of 11 siblings, Nuno spent much of his childhood in the family’s Cambridge kitchen, where he learned traditional Portugese cooking from his parents. By age 13, he was adept at everything from making hearty soups and sausages, to pickling peppers and onions. Nuno honed his culinary skills with jobs at a local bakery, butcher shop, and in the kitchen at Cambridge City Hosptial. He joined the Rialto team in July 2002, starting on the line as garde mange. Now, as sous chef, Nuno specializes in butchering, and works with Chef Jody Adams on menu development, incorporating specialties such as Portugese pepper relish into Rialto’s dishes. “It’s an honor and a blessing for me to be sous chef,” Nuno said. “I’m very proud of that.” Nuno, a native of the Azores, lives in Cambridge. Outside of work, he’s still found in the family kitchen.

Carolyn Johnson
Sous chef
A native of northern California who began cooking in her early teens, Carolyn Johnson made her way east to attend Wellesley College. She graduated in 1996 with a degree in economics. But, the kitchen was calling. After a short stint back in California, Carolyn took a job as a line cook at the now-closed Salamander in Cambridge. From there, she headed to Icarus in the South End, and then became a sauté cook at the highly-acclaimed Arrows in Ogunquit, Maine. Upon her return to Boston, she joined the Rialto team in March 2002. “It was important for me to get a lot of experience before I took this step as sous chef,” Carolyn said. “I wanted to see a lot of chefs and how they treat food. I’ve accumulated that experience and knowledge.” As senior sous chef, Carolyn helps oversee all of the operations in the kitchen. She also works to promote the use of seasonal produce from local farmers, and is involved in the Chefs Collaborative group. Carolyn lives in Somerville. She spends her spare time brewing beer and traveling the globe in search of interesting food.

Tal Shofman-Schejter
Pastry chef
Growing up in Israel, Tal Shofman-Schejter was exposed at an early age to the flavors and traditions of the Mediterranean. As pastry chef at Rialto, she draws upon the tastes of her childhood, incorporating ingredients such as figs, rose water, citrus, mint, and honey in her creations. Tal’s introduction to cooking began a young age, when she would prepare simple dinners in the family’s home near Tel Aviv. As she got older, Tal shadowed her mother in the kitchen to hone her skills. After graduating from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts with honors, she was hired at Rialto in June 2002 and has worked her way up to pastry chef. Now, collaborating with Chef Jody Adams, Tal oversees and plans Rialto’s dessert, bread, and pastry production. “I really enjoy combining the flavors of the Mediterranean with American and local New England pastry traditions and ingredients,” said Tal. Tal’s menus offer mouthwatering creations such as an espresso float with s’mores and chocolate hazelnut praline sauce; and a brandied banana and kataifi tart with five spice sabayon and crème fraiche. As a result, Rialto’s desserts were named “City’s Best 2006” by AOL CityGuide. Outside of the Rialto kitchen, Tal is involved in a variety of culinary community events. Highlights include preparing her desserts for the 2005 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards Dinner, and participating in the Ben Gurion University Gourmet Kosher Extravaganza at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. In addition to her pastry experience, Tal holds a Bachelors Degree in ceramic design from the Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in Jerusalem. Tal lives with her husband and two daughters.