Cassie Piuma

Cassie Piuma is a native of Duxbury, Massachusetts. She graduated from Johnson & Wales University where she met her husband and now business partner. She honed her skills at Al Forno in Providence, RI, and then moved back to Boston where she worked at the French bistro, Sel de la Terre and as a sausage maker for Barbara Lynch at the Butcher Shop. She spent the next 11 years with Ana Sortun at Oleana learning the nuances of Middle Eastern cooking and working her way up the ranks.

In 2013 Cassie opened her dream restaurant, Sarma, in Somerville where she cooks her version of modern middle eastern meze in a casual, upbeat neighborhood setting. Sarma has received numerous accolades and was the first restaurant to receive a 5 star review from the Boston Globe. Cassie has been a James beard nominee for best chef: northeast seven times and was mostly recently nominated in 2025 for the category of outstanding chef.