Liv Creative Cuisine: A Culinary Work of Art
- Jill Stoodley
- May 14
- 8 min read
Updated: May 23
It started with a journey for frozen yogurt and ended with a totally unexpected hidden gem.
During Covid, we were desperate for something new and different to jolt us out of our collective funk. It was a Saturday afternoon in November 2020. We were particularly down that day — we knew the winter was approaching, which would hinder the social interaction we'd enjoyed over the summer. There was a sense of mourning as the weather grew colder, a mounting fear of going back to the isolation of the early months of the shutdown. Bored and restless, we'd spent a good chunk of the afternoon trying to convince our daughter (who was 13 at the time) to get up off the couch with us and get out of our horrible headspace.
On vacation a few years before, we found a little frozen yogurt chain we loved, so we Googled their nearest location, thinking maybe it would provide new motivation. An hour from Framingham to Marshfield. Why not? We had nothing better to do.
And thus, our Covid excursions began.
With Allie in the back seat with headphones and her favorite music, road trips became a great way to spend time together and get us the heck out of dodge while also giving her some space. Among the few good things that came out of the pandemic for us, we found some of our favorite spots on Earth this way.
It was a long trip just for frozen yogurt, so my husband looked on Yelp and found a new restaurant — the write-up said it had an outside patio and the menu pics on Yelp looked amazing, so we decided to be spontaneous and try it out.
When we arrived, we weren't sure we were in the right place at first. The restaurant is a bit camouflaged in a quiet shopping plaza. At first glance it didn't look like it had a patio (which was a necessity for us at the time).
But when the hostess took us around the back for our seats, we were so surprised.
Can't Wait to Check Out Liv Creative Cuisine? Here's all you need to see for yourself!
Liv Creative Cuisine
1849 Ocean Street, Unit 10
Marshfield, MA
781-837-2900
It was absolutely beautiful. Warm, intimate, upscale. A small fenced-in area housed an amazing full-service bar with soft lights strung above, beautifully set tables with cozy space heaters, great music, and a stunning stone fireplace reminiscent of something you'd find in an old Italian villa. Someone clearly paid attention to the details. Our moods picked up instantly.
This felt like we were out, really out. Somewhere nice — and social — like life as we knew it hadn't come to an abrupt halt. Honestly, the atmosphere alone would have been enough to reset our batteries. We didn't need anything more.
But then the food came...
Our meals, the apps, the cocktails were absolute works of art. And they were truly as amazing as they looked. I ordered a burrata that was so colorful and fresh I literally had to fight my daughter off, her elbow was parked on my plate the entire night, boxing me out. (She'd never seen a burrata before, and it's now become a staple when we go somewhere special, though very few even come close to Liv's.) In addition to the bites she stole from me, she thoroughly enjoyed her quesadillas. My husband's steak frites were incredible. We were seated at the bar, the sun had just set, she was smiling, and we were loving the music. It was so nice to just breathe, relax, and enjoy, especially when this had definitely not started as a smiling kind of day.
The wait staff was so friendly and helpful, and it was one of those moments that was so unexpectedly perfect you spend years trying to recreate the feeling.
And that was before we even ordered dessert.
Keep in mind, we'd already had frozen yogurt earlier that afternoon. But they had a rustic peanut butter s'mores skillet, and my husband (a diehard s'mores fan) could not leave without trying this masterpiece. Allie doesn't even like peanut butter but the three of us devoured it.
While we sat at the high-top bar we chatted with the bartender. We learned that the owners, Tom and Maureen Coleman, had just opened the restaurant in 2019. And when everything shut down, they impressively pivoted to revamping the backyard space — which thankfully already had "good bones" and a beautiful outdoor fireplace — they expanded the fenced-in area, added a bar, heaters, more tables outside the perimeter, and live music.
It felt like a space that had been carefully crafted over years, not something that was partially tarmac mere weeks before. We'd already seen so many places we loved close, so we felt very drawn to this beautiful little restaurant. My husband had just made the big move to open a private therapy practice in January 2020. Within a few months of the shutdown, he'd given up his newly decorated office and moved online, so we bonded with their staff over the bittersweet anticipation of all that had happened during the prior eight months, pivoting to new realities, and what was to come.
Giving Back to the Community that Supported Them
During the backyard revamp, the Colemans (and many of their peers who were also forced to create outside spaces at the time) learned liability risk skyrockets for temporary spaces when it comes to customers drinking alcohol outside. While petitioning for a license to make the outside space permanent, they learned the town owned part of the space, which could have been a devastating complication to their livelihood. But in a truly supportive gesture, the town let them lease the land for only one dollar. "Marshfield is such a supportive community," says owner and chef, Tom Coleman.
And the Colemans do their part in giving back. Even before the pandemic, the restaurant's mission has always been about supporting other local businesses, partnering with nearby farms and vendors for organic farm-to-table ingredients. They also support the community and the arts by hiring talented young singer/songwriters who are trying to make a living locally. The live music adds so much to the backyard space, and it's a big draw to their loyal customers.
Among their loyal customers, the Colemans fondly remember a group of older women who used to come to the patio frequently during the pandemic. The only way they could spend time together was during their walks, until they found Liv's backyard space. As the cold weather approached, they knew the patio would be closing and were devasted to lose their safe place to connect. But Tom and Maureen went the extra mile for them. "It was the middle of winter, and we'd come out and put the fire on for them," said Tom. "Covid was so isolating. They had no way to connect with each other. When we offered to keep the patio open for them, they said they'd never dreamed of this ... we gave them a place to gather and be." The women wrote the restaurant a beautiful letter that still hangs on the couple's bulletin board at home, five years later. Per Tom, "These are the experiences that make you realize there is something more."
More About the Restaurant's History
Owners Tom and Maureen Coleman named Liv Cuisine after their daughter Oliva, whose birth reignited their dream to bring people together with delicious organic food. With 25 years of experience in food services (Tom was a cook, and Maureen a bartender), the couple had spent their careers reinventing the way restaurants invite and inspire customers through creative cuisine. As Olivia grew and Maureen taught her to cook, they realized their family and friends were already gathering around their table — the dream was reignited and soon became a reality.
Olivia is now 12 — about a year younger than my daughter was when we made our first trip to Liv.
The Patio Is Still Hopping!
Years later, with a few new updates, including radiant heaters installed at the bar, the backyard space still drives business. Per Chef Tom, while New England hasn't always embraced eating outside, the pandemic helped paved the way, and now people still love to come to eat al fresco. "You can tell when the backyard is opened again, the whole vibe is different," he says.
While our family has always gravitated toward the patio for all our visits, the restaurant itself is also absolutely beautiful, and we can't wait to return to try it out this summer.
Amazing Things on the Horizon
The couple recently launched Liv on the Road, their catering vehicle for local residents. And they're in the process of rehabbing a new business next door to the restaurant — South Shore Provisions, a grocery store with the same organic, locally sourced mission as the restaurant.
And a New Menu, Up Next!
To keep things fresh and exciting, every June the restaurant creates a new menu, and then rewrites it again in September. If you follow their Instagram account, you'll see the incredible variety of options they've offered over the years, each item a magazine-worthy work of art.
But despite its upscale look, Liv Cuisine's food is accessible, comforting, delicious, appealing even to my family of picky eaters. Both inside and outside on the patio, the spaces are warm and welcoming for families, even those with young children, and we couldn't recommend it enough.
No matter what the menu or the season, they promise to treat you like family... "We're ready for our family to host yours."
See for Yourself!
Liv Creative Cuisine
1849 Ocean Street, Unit 10
Marshfield, MA
781-837-2900
More About Maureen, Tom & Olivia Click to see their bios & fav Liv meals!
Owner & GM, Maureen Coleman
After realizing the corporate world left little time for delicious dishes, Maureen took a leap of faith behind the bar. She is a successful mixologist and events manager, while her greatest joy and passion is raising their daughter Olivia.
Favorite LIV drink to enjoy: business class/Bruto Americano, aperitivo cappelletti, grapefruit, prosecco, rosemary sprig
Owner & Executive Chef, Tom Coleman
With over 25 years in the foodservice industry, Chef Tom focuses on local ingredients as the center stage for his cooking. He trained at Johnson & Wales University before embarking on various successful restaurant endeavors in the South Shore. His passion for quality ingredients and creative cuisine can be best seen in any meal he prepares for his wife and daughter Olivia.
Favorite Liv dish to devour: burger salad, organic lettuce, red onion, heirloom tomatoes, Great Hill blue, french fries, house pickles, bacon mustard vinaigrette & special sauce
Olivia “Liv” Coleman
Rizzing through 6th grade!
Favorite Liv foods: salmon, roasted broccoli, truffle fries, and s’mores.
We're Not the Only Ones Who Love Liv Creative Cuisine!
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Jill Hodgson Stoodley
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