Tiffani Faison
Tiffani Faison
Chef and Restaurateur of Big Heart Hospitality
Sweet Cheeks Q, Fool’s Errand, Orfano,
Dive Bar, Tenderoni’s and Bubble Bath
Chef and Restaurateur Tiffani Faison of Sweet Cheeks Q, Fool’s Errand, Orfano, and opening in March 2022, Dive Bar, Tenderoni’s and Bubble Bath, has made a name for herself nationwide for her dynamic personality, culinary prowess and fierce work ethic. Under Big Heart Hospitality, her Boston based restaurant group, she creates restaurants that are warm, inspired and instantly loveable.
Tiffani began her career working under world renowned chefs as Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse and Todd English. Early in her career she was cast on the inaugural season of Bravo’s Top Chef, and placed as runner-up. From there she worked in prestigious kitchens in Nantucket, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and San Francisco before returning to Boston in 2010 to become Executive Chef of Southern Italian restaurant, Rocca Kitchen & Bar. After transforming Rocca into a critically acclaimed dining destination with a three star review from The Boston Globe, Tiffani set her sights on creating her own restaurant.
She opened Sweet Cheeks Q in 2011 during the very early stages of Fenway’s revitalization. Drawing inspiration from her love of Southern barbecue and extensive travels in Texas, Sweet Cheeks became an instant hit for its laidback Southern charm and addictive offerings: Heritage Pulled Pork, Brisket, Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Biscuits with Honey Butter. Shortly after opening, Sweet Cheeks garnered a three-star review from The Boston Globe, and it has been awarded “Boston’s Best Barbecue” numerous times by Boston magazine. Nationally, Forbes deemed Sweet Cheeks’ biscuits the “Best Biscuits in the World.” Most importantly, Tiffani created a restaurant that is both a neighborhood gem and a dining destination attracting guests from near and far who are simply seeking the city’s best ‘cue.
In December 2015, Tiffani expanded on her culinary skills, creativity and business savvy with a new restaurant: Tiger Mama, found on the same block as Sweet Cheeks in the Fenway. The seeds of Tiger Mama formed during Tiffani’s travels to Southeast Asia and the restaurant set a new benchmark, both for her career and Boston’s dining culture. In its April 19, 2016 review, The Boston Globe agreed, calling Tiger Mama “a spectacular restaurant” with dishes that you’ll “take to the grave” and hospitality that “feels generous and natural.” In October 2021, Faison closed Tiger Mama to make way for an exciting new restaurant concept she’s excited to debut in the same space sometime in 2022.
In August 2018, Tiffani opened her third restaurant – an adult snack bar called Fool’s Errand. With an irreverent menu and intimate atmosphere, Fool’s Errand neighbors Sweet Cheeks Q and on Boylston Street in Boston’s Fenway. The snack forward menu works with top quality, luxurious ingredients to deliver irreverent bites. Classic American cocktails, done beautifully and with care, join a rotating list of internationally sourced wines and aperitifs.
In August 2019, Tiffani opened her fourth restaurant, Orfano, an Italian American restaurant, also located in the Fenway. Guided by the whimsy of “sorry Nonna,” Orfano is Tiffani’s most upscale restaurant to date featuring next level Italian – delicious, elegant, humorous, and distinctly different than anything else in Boston. Food & Wine included Orfano as one of its “19 Biggest Restaurant Openings of 2019” while Boston Globe Magazine named Orfano as one of the “best new restaurants in Boston”. In its Feb 2020 review of the restaurant, Boston Magazine proclaimed Orfano “a triumphant modern take on Italian”.
In March 2022, Tiffani will open three distinct concepts within High Street Place, the much anticipated food hall in downtown Boston: Dive Bar, a raw bar featuring a menu of both northern and southern Atlantic classics, Tenderoni’s, an old school pizza and grinder shop, and Bubble Bath, a Champagne and wine bar that cheekily pairs its pours with gourmet hot dogs and popcorn.
Marking her many culinary achievements, the James Beard Foundation nominated Tiffani as “Best Chef: Northeast” three years in a row (2018, 2019 & 2020) and Boston magazine awarded her “Best Chef: General Excellence” in its 2016 “Best of Boston” issue. In November 2016 and 2019, the Boston Business Journal named Tiffani to its “Power 50” list, celebrating individuals from Boston’s multiple industries and professions who are making a difference in their business communities. In December 2019, The Boston Globe named Big Heart Hospitality as “Restaurateurs of the Year” and Eater named Tiffani “Empire Builder of the Year.”
Outside of the kitchen, Tiffani is currently a judge on Food Network’s Chopped. After placing as runner-up on Top Chef Season One, Faison later competed on Top Chef All-Stars and Top Chef Duels. She’s also previously been a judge on Food Network’s Chopped Grill Masters and Cooking Channel’s Fire Masters. Tiffani has made frequent appearances on NBC’s TODAY, CBS This Morning, PBS’s Simply Ming and was the host of “Tiffani’s Taste” and “Food Truck Fridays” on New England Cable News. She has been a contributing chef to numerous cookbooks and has been widely featured in such national outlets as People, SELF, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated and Food & Wine. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors for Women Chefs & Restaurateurs and also BAGLY (Boston Alliance of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Youth). In September 2019, Tiffani was appointed to The Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Restaurant Promotion Commission for her commitment to the states restaurant business as a whole.
Tiffani lives in Boston and is a tireless advocate of LGBTQ human rights.
