Chef Tony Pasquale
This post is part of Stellar Menus’ On Restaurants series, a collection of interviews with chefs and restaurant owners on how they came to discover food in their bones, how they grew their culinary careers, and the mistakes and lessons they learned along the way.
There are exactly two types of chefs in this world.
The first can’t sit still and never stays at a job for very long.
The second treats work as a second home and really loves to settle into a place.
Tony Pasquale is decidedly the second type of chef. For 27 consecutive summers, Tony manned the line at Terra Luna, a seasonal restaurant in North Truro, Massachusetts.
Beginning in the summer of 1997, Tony worked his way from cook to sous chef to kitchen manager for a chef-owner who sold him the business in 2011. Since then, he’s been his own boss, navigating the venerable neighborhood institution through some of the most challenging years the restaurant industry has ever known.
“I have stood in the same spot in this building for 26 years,” he says. “I’ve had moments when it was stressful, but I love doing it. You have to love doing it.”
Tony’s secret to longevity as a restaurateur: Chemistry
An outdoor sign featuring Terra Luna’s logo
Like any longterm relationship, the secret to Tony’s incredible tenure at Terra Luna boils down to chemistry. His relationship with his former boss, Raina, is built on a profound mutual respect that morphed into a lifelong friendship.
“Raina is like the ex-wife you want,” Tony says. “It’s always nice to have another chef to bounce ideas off of, and we still talk every day.”
Setting the tone for his restaurant: Blondie and The Knack
Chef Tony Pasquale speaks about the famous musicians he’s served and advocates for the Payomet Performing Arts Center
When it came time to make the space his own, Tony, who moonlights as a radio station DJ, says music played a huge part in setting the right tone.
“There’s something primal to prepping or cooking on the line to an 8-track of Blondie’s ‘Parallel Lines’ or The Knack’s ‘Get the Knack,’” he says. “The food just tastes better if you have a good groove.”
A signature dish: But it’s not on the menu
Portuguese piri piri pork and clams, chef Tony Pasquale’s signature dish
That food, of course, is what has kept people coming back year after year to see Tony at Terra Luna.
“The dish that gets them in here is the Portuguese piri piri pork and clams,” Tony says of his signature dish. He’s never put it on the menu because the pork has to marinate for three days and is, he says, “a total pain in the ass to make.” Because it’s not on the menu, locals and regulars call the restaurant to ask when he’s making it.
On ceremony and events at your restaurant: Just do it
Chef Pasquale publishes a thanks for his restaurant community
“I don’t think we have enough ceremony in our society,” Tony says. His philosophy is, if you have an opportunity to make something at your restaurant feel like an event, do it.
When a night feels special for the guests, he says, it makes things more fun and interesting for the staff as well. “You can be miserable about work, and make every night hell,” he says, “Or you can try to have a good time. And when you’re having a good time, the guests usually are, too.”
Tony’s ability to have fun while working was put to the test during the pandemic, when many restaurants, even ones that had been running successfully for decades, were forced to close.
“We all know that the margins are so tight in this business,” he says. “And when you’re doing well, everything chugs along. But the pandemic showed how fragile it all really is.”
Advice for restaurant owners: Create an environment that feels like home to people
The interior of Terra Luna
Fortunately for Tony, his loyal client base stayed with him and helped the business ride out those difficult summers. That’s what cooking for people for almost 30 years will get you.
“We really have a community here,” Tony says. “These people are like family to me.” His parting advice to restaurateurs? “Create an environment that feels like home to people,” he says. “Then they’ll always come back.”
Editor’s note: Tony Pasquale closed Terra Luna in October 2023 after losing three long-time employees and dealing with constantly rising expenses, the bane of all independent restaurant owners.
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This post is part of Stellar Menus’ On Restaurants series, a collection of interviews with chefs and restaurant owners on how they came to discover food in their bones, how they grew their culinary careers, and the mistakes and lessons they learned along the way.
