mary kurth, owner
Brought up on a small farm in upstate New York, Mary’s passionate views on food and community were forged early on. Raising and showing livestock throughout the Northeast helped build a bond between responsibly sourced ingredients and dedication to quality. Her pursuit of higher education led her from Long Island to Cambridge. Moonlighting in restaurants, she strengthened her relationship with delicious food, exciting beverages and good company. As a bartender at Spoke Wine Bar, Mary was immediately drawn to the environment’s fierce team, inspired menu, and commitment to community. Assuming the role of owner and operator in 2017, Mary has dedicated herself to sharing her passions for food, wine and hospitality.
paul butler, co-chef
Massachusetts native, Paul Butler, took to the kitchen young as the child of a single mother. During his education, Butler focused on Conceptual Art at the School of the Museum of Fine Art, an energy that is ever present in his food. Paul honed his skills at Shepard in Cambridge, learning to work hyper seasonally and with live fire. During his 5 years as Co-chef at Spoke Wine Bar, he has taken food inspired by global wine drinking culture and infused it with his distinct creative style. From savory doughnuts made with sunchokes and xo gouda to beef tongue and octopus terrines, Butler’s food is always challenging and exciting while keeping things tasty.
kelcey rusch, co-chef
Kelcey is a Northern New York transplant who has spent the last seven years rooting herself in the Boston restaurant community. She has been cooking since childhood, and studied Culinary Arts at Paul Smith’s College before jumping in the deep end of professional cooking with two stints at Relais and Châteaux properties. These experiences instilled an attention to detail and providing a complete hospitality experience that she has carried with her to successively smaller and more neighborhood-focused restaurants. After several years of savory-focused cooking experience, she headed the pastry program at Sel de la Terre (Backbay, RIP), and then moved on to be the pastry assistant, and eventually pastry chef, of Bergamot (Somerville). In recent years she has bounced between sweet and savory, including at Italian-inflected Fat Hen (East Somerville), and landed firmly on the side of doing both. She has benefited from the tutelage of chefs who combine New England roots and pride with globally-informed techniques, and strives to emulate those sensibilities while developing her own style. Kelcey was drawn to the earnest community of staff and guests at Spoke, and remains excited to grow as chef de cuisine and share experiences with them.
katie weismann, bar & media manager
After completing her Master's in Fine Art Photography from University of the Arts London, Katie moved to Boston to pursue a career in art galleries. After a couple of years, she decided that sitting in a gallery didn't quite do it, and a job that had always been there on the side started to make more sense as a career. Throughout her time in school and beyond, bartending had always been there as a way to support her artistic endeavors, travel, and the start of her own business. Over time, she realized that the right restaurant could possess the qualities she valued most in the art world: creativity, community, and collaboration. She loves making people feel special and taken care of, and began looking for the right fit. Enter Spoke. Throughout the last 3.5 years, Katie has been able to combine her love of design, curation, and creation through the medium of cocktail making, bar management, and social media management. With the support and mentorship of Mary, Paul, and Kelcey, she hopes to continue to develop and hone her style and grow together as a team.