Two Dinners at the Turtle Café, by Larry Duberstein, 2012

"How many tables did the Turtle have? Six? Seven tables, tops, plus the row of seats at the counter, because it used to be a diner. It was impossible not to make constant eye contact, impossible not to make conversation. Officially the smoke had cleared, outwardly there was peace in the valley, but nobody had bargained on dinner-for-four."

True Love with a Purple Neon Glow, by Ron Della Chiesa, 2012

"[It was a] Friday night [at the Turtle Café,] and the place was booming. A bar full of boisterous patrons, a jam-packed dining room, and Dave already off and getting set up to play his set. A cutting edge restaurant (which became the East Coast Grill), the Turtle featured contemporary regional cuisine, changing its menu every three or four days not only for variety but to continually showcase whatever was in season, a relatively new concept for its time. On weekends they'd feature jazz greats: Teddy Wilson, Scott Hamilton, Sammy Price, and Gray Sargent, a guitarist who these days works with Tony Bennett. I quickly learned it was a great place to hang out and meet these legends, since they'd usually come in to eat before their gig."

A Matter of Taste: A Short, Savvy Menu with Lots of Style, by Robert Levey, Oct. 3, 1985

"The restaurant opened just five weeks ago in the former location of the Turtle Cafe. Owners Chris Schlesinger and Cary Wheaton spiffed up the interior with lots of light green high gloss paint and hints of Deco design in the lighting scheme. The open grilling station that is in full view at the back of the restaurant contributes some enjoyable steamy atmosphere."

At Home with Ron and Joyce Della Chiesa, by Brenda Marchand, July 26, 2001

"Self-described 'foodies' who often hang out with noted chefs, the couple met, not surprisingly, in a restaurant. They married in 1986."

Chef of the Month: Joyce Della Chiesa – Chef / Caterer, by Marge Chryssostomidis and Peter McNamara, November 25, 1992

"Where do jazz greats eat when they come to Boston? The answer can be found at the Della Chiesa residence in Boston's South End, where Joyce Della Chiesa's guests have included Dave McKenna, Dick Johnson, Dizzie Gillespie, Stan Getz and Tony Bennett to name but a few."