Charm City Cook
Food is good
Years ago, I interviewed Chef Chris Scanga on a Tuesday morning in an empty dining room at Petit Louis. Sitting amidst stacks of chairs felt so weird and special at the same time. As I sat there, I thought, wow — who gets to do this? (Be cool, Ame, be cool.) That was 2015. We …
I love having parties. It’s so much fun to get people together to share great food and drink. It doesn’t have to be fancy. For me, it’s about the people, not just what’s on the plate. Whether it’s a barbecue, dinner party or holiday soiree, I’m in. So, years ago when I saw Ina Garten’s …
Cindy Wolf is the executive chef at Charleston and was a 2006, 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2016 James Beard Foundation finalist for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic. Chef Wolf’s cuisine is backed by French fundamentals and grounded in preparations that emphasize the natural flavors of the very finest local and regional products. A graduate of the Culinary …
Chef Brigitte Bledsoe of Miss Shirley’s Cafe was supposed to be in school. But, no. She was busy working at Ocean Pride in Lutherville. And that’s where it all started. Born and raised in Towson, Bledsoe attended Dulaney High School and Essex Community College (now known as CCBC) and then, she got bitten by the …
One of my favorite Julia Child quotes: “Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” That’s me and cooking. (I also consider tinkering with cocktails to be cooking…) People who are passionate about what they do really excite me. They inspire me. One such person? Ted Allen. And, recently, I had …
Photo credit: Emily Hall Hugh Acheson is my favorite Instagrammer. Okay, I …
Every once in a while, I meet a Baltimore chef who’s actually from Baltimore. That’s nice. They already know the city, understand the vibe. It has to be hard to come into a city you’re not from and really understand your audience…that takes some time. Chris Scanga of Petit Louis had a leg up. He …
