Michael Serpa

Early Years

Serpa comes from a multi-generational family of Cuban chefs, a fact that gives his cooking a clear point of origin without needing to turn it into folklore. His work in Boston carries that inheritance through a specific lens: bright Latin flavors applied to New England classics. The flavor note is direct, and so is the seasoning habit behind it. “I use a lot of espelette pepper.” In his cooking, that kind of statement fits the larger pattern: color, heat, acidity, and seafood meeting on the plate without losing sight of the oyster-bar frame.

Making a Name

By 2008, Serpa was chef at Neptune Oyster in Boston, Massachusetts. That role places oysters early in the public shape of his career, not as a side note but as a specialty that would continue to define his work. In 2015, he was chef at Select Oyster Bar in the same city. The date matters as a turn in the arc: after Neptune, the next named chapter kept him close to oysters while giving his cooking a setting where New England classics could take on Latin brightness. His signature work makes that direction tangible. Hamachi Crudo with passionfruit, Crispy Ginger, radish, cucumber, and Orange Sea Salt reads as sharp, cool, and citrus-driven. Spanish Octopus with Roasted Tomatillo, Blistered Snap Peas, and cilantro brings a greener edge to the plate. P.E.I. Mussels with Roasted Carrot Romesco, Green Onion, and Grilled Sourdough keeps the seafood focus while drawing flavor from romesco and the char of bread.

The Present

At Select Oyster Bar in Boston, Massachusetts, Serpa serves as chef and partner. That title gathers the earlier points of the path into one role: the Cuban chef family background, the 2008 chef post at Neptune Oyster, the 2015 chef role at Select, and the continuing specialty in oysters. The cooking is not described by a long list of abstractions. Its vocabulary is dishes: passionfruit against hamachi, Crispy Ginger against radish and cucumber, Roasted Tomatillo with octopus, carrot romesco with mussels. Across those plates, the pattern stays consistent—New England classics brightened by Latin flavors, with oysters as the defining specialty.

Signature

Michael's signature dishes include hot and cold lobster rolls and Spanish Octopus, Roasted Tomatillo, Blistered Snap Peas, and Cilantro.

In Their Words “I use a lot of espelette pepper.”