Walk into Midlina, the new restaurant on Boston Street in Canton, and you’ll see a long, well-stocked, and inviting bar, a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor—and a series of metal helmets, prominently displayed, as if in the medieval wing of a museum.

The helmets are from owner Karim Kiriakos’ own collection, sourced over a lifetime of world travels. It’s these travels that are the inspiration for his first restaurant, rather than, say, a reference to jousting, Maryland’s state sport.

Midlina is dark and cozy, with a playlist of retro tunes and a creative cocktail list. There’s also an actual speakeasy upstairs, Poe’s Tower, the entrance of which is a moving bookshelf (that spiral staircase is decorative and not for customers) through which you must be delivered by a staff member. But though it feels like a bar, Midlina is a restaurant, and an experimental one at that.

Kiriakos has hired Cyrus Keefer, a journeyman chef with a long résumé (Fork & Wrench, Birroteca, The Red Star, Kneads) to run his kitchen, though Kiriakos, who has his own long résumé as well as a culinary school diploma, could probably have done it himself. (When the chef recently called out sick, Kiriakos took over the stoves.) The pair have dreamt up an innovative menu of creative, even occasionally odd dishes, which Kiriakos imagines as a kind of itinerary from those travels.

The name of the place, Midlina, is also a signal to this, taken from the name of an actual footbridge between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula. Thus the menu includes dishes as far-ranging as a vegetable tagine laced with the Moroccan spice ras el hanout, gambas a la plancha, paella, fusilli Amatriciana, tandoori octopus, and escargot tacos. Yes, escargot tacos.

“That was my idea,” Kiriakos tells me early one evening just as the dining room is filling up. He explains that he told Keefer, “Make me like escargot.” Apparently, it worked, though I’ve not yet tried them (as not even a good mole sauce would make me like escargots). But what I have tried has been expertly prepared, quite delicious, and definitely novel.

The fusilli Amatriciana is a gorgeous treatment of the famed Roman dish, composed of house-made pasta, a dense red sauce laced with the Calabrian sausage paste N’duja, and topped with both a hefty spoonful of burrata and a branch of roasted on-the-vine cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes are sweet explosions that make the dish next-level good. This is the only pasta dish on the relatively short menu, which seems to have resulted in a concentration of both attention and flavor.

The seafood ceviche is similarly focused, an artful bowl of tender shrimp and octopus—cooked sous-vide then finished on the grill—accompanied by long strips of fried plantain chips. One dish not to be missed is the simplest, an appetizer of rice-paper chips, a pile of sliced jamon serrano, and little bowls of romesco sauce and smoked garlic aioli.

Keefer is very good with sauces, and he zaps most of his dishes with excellent iterations of them. That smoked garlic aioli also makes an appearance with the skirt steak, which comes draped across a mound of thin fries cooked in beef fat and topped with a verdant version of chimichurri sauce. And the gambas a la plancha, which is to say grilled shrimp, is paired not only with crunchy disks of sweet potatoes but with copious amounts of both red and green chile salsas.

The happy-go-lucky approach to sauces is one of the highlights of Midlina’s menu, and works better than Keefer’s sometimes heavy hand with spices. Both the shrimp and the ceviche are a few notes too busy, and the vegetable tagine is so dosed with ras el hanout that it obscures the spring vegetables. Hopefully, he’ll lighten it up, as there are too few tagines on menus these days, especially ones as pretty as Midlina’s.

Midlina has only been open for a few months, so like most new restaurants, it’s still a work in progress. Kiriakos is experimenting with “chef’s table” nights, where Keefer cooks tasting-menu dinners; there’s live music three nights a week upstairs at Poe’s Tower, where diners can order the full menu as well as from that cocktail menu (espresso martinis, smoked Old-Fashioned, Empress gin fizzes); and there are weekly prix-fixe and wine bottle specials. There was even a recent masquerade party.

The often-changing menu also includes a weekend off-the-menu special: an elaborate mixed-grill plate of lamb chops, quail, skirt steak, and kofta kebabs, a dish that Kiriakos says he makes regularly at home.

Kiriakos, who was born in Egypt and moved to Maryland as a kid, is an alum not only of the now-closed Baltimore Inernational College’s culinary program but of years working with the Atlas Restaurant Group. This experience makes for a hands-on approach, as he’s often running the floor as maître d’ or working behind the bar.

Opening his own restaurant, he says, “Has been my dream since I was in middle school.” There’s a kid-like playfulness to Midlina, both on the menu and in the décor, that makes the place a great deal of fun. And after dinner, even if you opt out of a nightcap, be sure to check out the swinging-bookshelf secret door.

MIDLINA: 2206 Boston St., 410-775-4094. HOURS: Tues.-Thurs. 5.-10 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 5-11 p.m.; Sun. 2-9 p.m. PRICES: Appetizers: $19-28; mains: $32-60; desserts: $16; prix-fixe: $60. AMBIANCE: Upscale but fun.

The peripatetic chef Cyrus Keefer can sometimes be as difficult to find as Waldo. But the talented kitchen maestro, who left positive culinary imprints on such restaurants as Birroteca and the now-closed Fork & Wrench and The Alexander Brown Restaurant, is worth searching for as he moves around the city.

These days, Keefer has set up shop at The Red Star in Fells Point, where he’s been turning out an array of pizzas, homemade pasta dishes, and intriguing small and large plates for the past year. Keefer, who is also the restaurant’s GM, wants to “give the place new direction and heart,” he says.

He’s on the right track. At a recent visit, we started our meal with risotto croquettes, a terrific arancini adaptation, before digging into a sumptuous bucatini carbonara, showcasing a nest of long, fat pasta strands, glistening with a delicate cream sauce and studded with crispy bacon chunks. An explosion of smoked pecorino cheese finished the dish.

We also enjoyed the BBQ shrimp and grits, a spicy play on the Southern favorite, and the hot honey fried chicken, which is having a moment right now in the food world. Keefer’s version featured crunchy poultry pieces housing tender meat and served with an elixir of tangy honey sauce.

Another time, we stopped by for one of the restaurant’s pizzas and a burger. Pizza-wise, we chose the tomato and basil pie (there are six choices) and were glad we did. The perfectly charred crust was lathered with a flavorful to- mato sauce and dolloped with fresh mozzarella cheese and fragrant basil leaves.

There was only one burger on the menu, a bacon cheeseburger—and it was a superb one with a Creekstone Farms beef patty layered with romaine lettuce, American cheese, bacon strips, and a secret sauce (a version of McDonald’s Big Mac sauce, the chef says). The fries, enhanced with fresh thyme and rosemary, were an indulgent treat.

The place looks the same as it has in previous years. That’s not a bad thing. The wood-and-brick space with a soaring ceiling offers a stylish setting with low lighting, comfy booths, communal tables, and a long bar.

There weren’t many customers during our visits. One reason could be that some people may not realize that the building, located around the corner from the busy eateries and bars on Thames Street, is a dining establishment.

“It looks like an antique store,” Keefer says. “I’m working on a different marquee.”

He’s also working on attracting families by offering a kids’ menu with toddler temptations like a cheeseburger and pepperoni pizza. He says he wants to get away from the “people falling off the barstools” perception of the restaurant’s previous days. But that doesn’t mean adults can’t enjoy a craft beer, wine, or cocktail while there.

We’re happy we found Keefer. His vagabond days may be over.

OPEN

Café Dear Leon: Canton locals have fallen for this new coffee-and-pastry spot that opened earlier this month in the former home of Holy Crepe Cafe on O’Donnell Square. From the wooden benches and countertops to the almond croissants and oat pecan chocolate chip cookies, everything is made by the owners from scratch. Named after co-owner Min Kim’s son, Leon, the bright and airy shop offers a coffee and tea program with blends sourced from Ceremony Coffee Roasters, as well as morning pastries, house-made granola bars, loaf cakes, and traditional Japanese egg sandwiches.

Snow Cone Sisters: Perhaps one of the most creative COVID-19 pivot projects we’ve seen yet comes from chef John Shields and his team at Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen at the Baltimore Museum of Art. While the museum is still closed, last week, curators debuted a mobile audio tour for visitors to browse its exterior buildings, sculptures, and exhibits. And to ensure audiences have a spot to grab some sustenance while taking in the works, Gertrude’s is launching an outdoor snack kiosk on Saturday, August 15. Snow Cone Sisters—aptly named after the BMA’s famous Cone Collection of early to mid-20th century works gifted by sisters Etta and Claribel Cone—will be open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to dusk, serving gourmet hot dogs and kielbasa on housemade milk bread rolls and, of course, the namesake snow cones. Cool off with flavors such as Tutti Frutti, birthday cake, chocolate-covered cherry, and Key Lime pie. Gertrude’s is also open for outdoor dining and carryout if you’d like to enjoy a more filling meal on the grounds or grab one on your way home.

Hungry Like the Wolfe: Cleverly named after its location on South Wolfe Street, this new pop-up from former Fork & Wrench chefs Cyrus Keefer and Adam Scanlon has taken over the Red Star in Fells Point. Available for outdoor dining and carryout, the menu of riffs on classic tavern fare makes use of produce from Monkton’s Karma Farm. Highlights include a cherry tomato and sourdough salad with fresh basil, maple-sriracha fried chicken wings, a Juicy Lucy burger stuffed with bleu cheese, and a French bread pizza topped with mushrooms and gruyere.

Cafe 1908: This seafood-centric spot has received a warm welcome from the Mt. Vernon neighborhood, thanks to its drool-worthy crab cakes, lobster rolls, seafood salad wraps, turkey burgers, and vegan options. The longtime caterer now offers daily specials—expect mix-and-match cauliflower, shrimp, jerk chicken, or fish tacos on Tuesdays, for example—out of its new permanent storefront at 7 W. Preston St.

The Periodic Table Restaurant & Bar: If you’re in search of an al fresco spot to try in Howard County, add this new Columbia restaurant to your list. Equipped with distanced outdoor tables, as well as indoor seating, the restaurant off of Centre Park Drive is officially open with a menu of seasonal cocktails, local beers (look out for the likes of Diamondback Beer and Denizens Brewing Co.), small plates, and burgers. Plus, hearty main dishes include Gochujang-glazed pork belly and grilled swordfish with lump crab and Thai basil cream.

NEWS

The Urban Oyster: Loyalists were heartbroken when chef Jasmine Norton announced that she would be closing her brick-and-mortar restaurant at McHenry Row in Locust Point last month. But luckily, the chef assured this wasn’t the last we’d see of her. And as she continues her search for another permanent home, Norton will be operating out of the Hyatt Baltimore Inner Harbor just a few miles away. Beginning August 20, fans will be able to enjoy The Urban Oyster’s signature oysters, tacos, sandwiches, and fried seafood baskets for curbside carryout and delivery via Grubhub and Doordash.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

8/14: Courtyard Cocktails with Cane Collective

If you haven’t had the chance to stop by Old Line Spirits’ new outdoor courtyard in Highlandtown, now’s your chance. Aaron Joseph of Cane Collective is taking over the bar this Friday night to showcase refreshing summer cocktails that fuse his handcrafted mixers with Old Line’s whiskey, rum, and brand new vodka. Cane Collective’s Tropical Green Orchard mixer (green apple syrup, lime, and Wight tropical tea), for example, pairs perfectly with the distillery’s single malt whiskey. Plus, Ekiben will be on site slinging steamed buns and rice bowls to accompany all of the drinks.

Sometimes, local chefs connect in unusual ways. Last fall, en route
to Hampden’s The Food Market, chef/co-owner Chad Gauss was driving his
Mercedes-Benz when a Honda Pilot pulled past a stop sign on Keswick
Road, nearly careening into his car. The Honda stopped in the knick of
time, but Gauss was pretty angry, launching a few “F-bombs.” Then, he
realized that the car’s driver was none other than fellow culinary
colleague Chris Becker, chief operations officer for the Bagby
Restaurant Group. “I called him on my phone,” Gauss says, “And all in
one sentence, I’m like, ‘You almost hit my car, and do you have any
cauliflower I can use?’”

The car caper is an apt example of what
happens when two of the area’s up-and-coming toques come head to head—or
in this case hood to hood—in what could have escalated into a tense
situation. But never mind flipping the bird or honking the horn in an
act of road rage, Gauss turned the situation into a quest for sourcing a
vegetable. (To no avail, unfortunately, Becker didn’t have any.)

Unlike
other cities (or at least TV cooking shows) where celebrated chefs may
put a proverbial sharpened cooking knife into each other’s backs, a new
posse of Baltimore chefs has made a conscious effort to become comrades,
not competitors, in the kitchen. They include, in addition to Becker
and Gauss, Jonah Kim of Pabu, Cyrus Keefer of Fork & Wrench, and
Chris Amendola of Fleet Street Kitchen, which is run by the Bagby Group.

“We
definitely have a camaraderie together,” says Becker, whose résumé
includes stints at Wine Market Bistro and The Brass Elephant. “It’s the
first time since I’ve been in Baltimore that we all help each other out.
There’s obviously a competitive spirit since we’re all competing for
the same market, but the food scene is growing, and I think the
partnerships and the friendships have helped it grow.”

One of the
major ways in which the chefs have shown their solidarity is through
participation in promotional events such as restaurant anniversaries and
charity functions. Last summer’s first birthday celebration for The
Food Market was particularly memorable. During the evening, Keefer, Kim,
Becker, Patrick “Opie” Crooks (then of Roy’s, now the chef de cuisine
at Shoo-Fly Diner), Tim Dyson of Bluegrass Tavern, and others worked
together in the restaurant’s open kitchen to prepare hors d’oeuvres and
desserts for the party guests.

“That night never ended as a chef,”
says Keefer, excitement still evident in his voice many months later.
“It was awesome. Chris Becker did pork-belly steam buns. Tim did rabbit
fingers. I made bone-marrow croquettes. We were all on the line and
tasting each other’s food, realizing it was all great.”

Since
then, the various members of the group have joined forces at other
get-togethers, including Wit & Wisdom’s second anniversary and a
fried-chicken “smackdown” at Pabu in December. “The community of chefs
here is tight and growing at the same time,” Pabu’s Kim says. “These
events have helped it evolve. We’re the trailblazers for Baltimore.”

The
chefs also show up for meals at each other’s restaurants. “Chad [Gauss]
came in to eat at Shoo-Fly the other day,” Crooks says. “I sent him out
a plate of some of my favorite appetizers, including hush doggies [mini
corndogs with honey mustard], chili-mac, and chicken nuggets made from
scratch that I knew he would order anyway.
“When the food came out,
he looked at me and said, ‘How did you know I wanted all of these
things, and couldn’t decide what I was going to order?’”

This
informal band of brothers comes from a variety of backgrounds. Some are
Charm City native sons (Gauss and Becker). Others have been around the
(chopping) block—Amendola worked at the prestigious Blue Hill at Stone
Barns in Pocantico Hills, NY, as well as kitchens in Orlando, FL,
Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C.; Keefer has worked in kitchens from
Tampa, FL, to the Delaware beaches; Kim’s résumé includes stops in Las
Vegas, New York, and Austin, TX.

It’s not unusual for chefs to
move from state to state or even within a city as they gain more skills
or seek other cooking goals and responsibilities. Their peripatetic
lifestyles probably explain their connection and loyalty to each other.

The
collaborative spirit makes sense to Dave Seel, the director of
marketing and public relations for the Bagby Group. “In the food
industry in the last 10 years, we’ve seen a focus on chef-driven
cuisine,” he says. “You have more people following chefs, and social
media is a big part of that. That shift . . . has allowed them to be in
the spotlight and have a shared sense of being there and being the
spokespeople for the culinary scene.”

It’s an informal mission the
chefs seem to embrace, allowing them to share a passion for
participating in Baltimore’s culinary renaissance.

Case in
point: In May 2013, both Keefer (who was then a chef at Birroteca) and
Gauss were invited to participate in a dinner highlighting the bounty of
the Chesapeake at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City.

While
Gauss prepared an Eastern Shore buffet comprised of whole shrimp, fried
Maryland drummy, and crispy skin rockfish, Keefer cooked up a sous-vide
lamb chop with artichoke purée. Still, the meal was a team effort.

“When
we both found out we were participating, that was a turning point,”
Gauss says. “We were like, ‘We need to go there and play for Baltimore
rather than as individuals.’”

Though they vie for the same
demographic of diners, these chefs—whose styles range from traditional
Japanese to comfort cuisine—do not view themselves as restaurant rivals.
“There’s no real competition,” says Keefer, who worked at The Food
Market when he was between jobs. “We are all doing our own thing, and we
all want to do better.

You see a whole different craftsmanship if you go to Pabu or if you come to Fork & Wrench—and we love each other’s food.”

While
saying this, Keefer is sharing a plate of fried chicken and biscuits at
The Food Market with Gauss. “Other cities are cutthroat,” he continues.
“They feel that if someone comes in and they’re good, they’re like,
‘Oh, there goes my business.’ But that’s not how it works.”

Gauss,
who has been dubbed the class clown by the group, agrees. “We all play
different roles. I don’t want to be the next Charlie Trotter [an
esteemed Chicago chef who unfortunately died last year]. I’m as
Baltimore as it gets.”

He’s proud of his local roots and career
path, but also appreciative of what the other chefs have done. “Someone
like Jonah [Kim] is more like world class,” he says. “He’s a rock star.”
(Like “royalty,” adds Keefer.)

The chefs are particularly
referring to Kim’s role at the Las Vegas restaurant DJT, which earned a
prized Michelin star several years ago.

The chefs—many of whom
share photos on Instagram—have also come to lean on each other for
particular areas of expertise (and occasional acts of generosity).

Amendola,
having worked at Thackeray Farms in South Carolina and at the famed
Stone Barns, for example, is an expert in searching for foods in the
wild. “He understands foraging,” Gauss says. “Now, if someone brings me a
foraged mushroom, just to cover myself, I send him a picture of it
before I use it.”

Kim and Keefer also have a common interest.
“Cyrus is really big into Asian flavors,” Kim says. “We’ve shared
sources and ideas, and I love that he has Asian influences on his menu.”

Even
food and supplies get passed around. When Becker, who oversees the
cooking staffs at all the Bagby restaurants, found himself with a large
surplus of tomatoes, he heaped nearly 200 pounds of the summer-ripe
beauties on Pabu as well as Wit & Wisdom, also located at the Four
Seasons Hotel Baltimore. And Gauss happily lent Kim his food truck to
park at the Baltimore Museum of Industry when the Pabu chef catered the
wedding of a restaurant co-worker last fall. “I did fried chicken,
numerous salads, some sushi, and ribs,” Kim says. “And Elan Kotz
[Gauss’s business partner at The Food Market] helped out.”

In the
band of brothers, there are sisters, too. “I think we probably all drink
too much and swear more than people are comfortable with,” says Jesse
Sandlin, chef at Oliver Speck’s Eats & Drinks, located around the
corner from Fleet Street Kitchen. “We’re all kindred spirits, and we
understand the daily grind. I consider myself especially friendly with
Chad and Cyrus. Chad and I have even talked about doing a dinner
together.”

Given the constraints of a chef’s schedule, it’s not
surprising that bonds form. “It’s easier to be friends with chefs.
They’re the only people you can call at 11:30 at night or 6:30 in the
morning,” says Gauss. Adds Keefer, “We speak the same language. We talk
about the same stuff, like all the new cookbooks that are out. In fact, I
can tell you about all the cookbooks that are out right now that are
worth paging through.”

Gauss can’t help teasing his friend. “If chefs had baseball cards, you’d have every one,” he jests.

The
idea of a chefs’ friendship circle came about in 2005 when Waterfront
Kitchen’s consulting chef Jerry Pellegrino (“He’s like the Papa Bear
overseeing all of us,” quips Kim) founded the Secret Chefs Society—a
monthly supper club for area chefs, including Woodberry Kitchen’s Spike
Gjerde and Rey Eugenio of Ouzo Bay.

Each chef was expected to
prepare a dish using the same list of basic ingredients. From the first
dinner, Pellegrino saw the potential. “We started prepping at around 11
p.m. after a cocktail at the bar and finished dinner sometime after 5
a.m.,” he says. “What I remember was how the same ingredients produced
five incredibly unique and amazing dishes.

“It was then we all
realized that we could learn so much from cooking and drinking with each
other. I’m happy to see the younger chefs in the city start to do
things together again. It’s imperative to building a better food culture
in Baltimore.”

For some chefs, a culinary friendship is no
different than any other friendship. “The definition of this ‘band’ [of
brothers] to me is people who are willing to support each other no
matter how ridiculous the request is,” Gauss says. “I could probably say
to Cy [Keefer], ‘Hey, come cook hotdogs with me at my kid’s baseball
league,’ and he’d be out there with me grilling the buns.”

As the saying goes, that’s what friends are for.

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What music do you listen to while cooking?

Sometimes silence is golden.

1. Classic hip-hop, rap. I like it upbeat in the kitchen. —Chad Gauss
2. Something that’s a little softer when I’m working behind the line—Keane, Fleetwood Mac. —Cyrus Keefer, pictured, center
3. I try not to listen to music in the kitchen. But if I do, it’s Empire of the Sun. It’s super poppy. —Patrick “Opie” Crooks
4. Depends on what and where I am cooking—anything from Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye to Tool. —Chris Becker
5. Honestly,
   the music I like to listen to most when cooking is classical music. In a
   high- stress environment, it’s nice to listen to something relaxing.
   —Chris Amendola
6. Whatever I have on my iPod. If it’s prep, I want
   something upbeat like Mastodon. I’m all over the place. Other times, it
   could be the Zac Brown Band. —Jesse Sandlin
7. We don’t listen to any music. It’s a focus thing. If we did, it would be ’80s music. —Jonah Kim

What’s your favorite cookbook?

Joy of Cooking is no longer the coolest cookbook on the shelves!

1. My Little Amish Cookbook. My grandmother gave it to me. It’s down to earth. The recipes are easily adaptable. —Chad Gauss
2. Eric Ripert’s A Return to Cooking. There is soul in the book about his coming back to cooking. —Cyrus Keefer
3. Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey by John Currence. It’s real, down to earth. —Patrick “Opie” Crooks
4. I go through phases. Now, probably The River Cottage Meat Book [by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall] and Daniel Humm’s I Love New York. Another all-time favorite is probably Thomas Keller’s Under Pressure. —Chris Becker
5. It’s either The French Laundry Cookbook
   [by Thomas Keller] because, when I was just starting out, I read that
   book 100 times it was so inspiring to me, and the other is On Food and Cooking [by Harold McGee]. To me, it’s still one of the greatest books ever written for a chef. —Chris Amendola
6. Right now, John Currence’s Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey and Edward Lee’s Smoke and Pickles. —Jesse Sandlin
7. Michael Bra’s Essential Cuisine. It’s amazing. It was a prized cookbook going through my career. —Jonah Kim

What do you like to cook at home?

We’re not the only fans of the crockpot!

1. One-pot dinners and breakfast for my kids (ages 11, 5, 2). —Chad Gauss
2. I braise. I like the one-pot wonders, everything in the same pot. We let it cook ’til we’re hungry. —Cyrus Keefer
3. A simple roast chicken. —Patrick “Opie” Crooks
4. Super simple dishes like whole roasted black bass and roast chicken. However, my wife would tell you nothing. —Chris Becker
5. I
   don’t tend to cook much at home. I will order a pizza or eat a bowl of
   cereal or a good ol’ PB&J with a glass of milk. . . . It all changes
   if I am dating someone or trying to impress someone. —Chris Amendola
6. I don’t cook a lot at home. I do cook breakfast, and I just got a juicer. —Jesse Sandlin
7. Pasta. I worked in an Italian restaurant before Baltimore. —Jonah Kim

Who’s your bff?

One of them has a curly tail!

1. My wife, Wendi, and my work wife Elan [Kotz, his restaurant partner]. —Chad Gauss
2. My wife, Angela. —Cyrus Keefer
3. Asher Baskett. He lives in Nashville, TN. We’ve been friends since high school, 10 years. —Patrick “Opie” Crooks
4. My wife, Alison. —Chris Becker
5. It would probably be between my brother or a guy I grew up with, Christian. —Chris Amendola
6. Obviously, my pig Ollie. —Jesse Sandlin
7. My wife, Carly. —Jonah Kim

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An Inside Look at Cunningham Farms

Restaurateurs David and
Jane Smith take their locavore mission seriously at their Cockeysville
property. The working farm provides produce, eggs, lamb, and pork to
their restaurants—Cunningham’s, Fleet Street Kitchen, Ten Ten, and Bagby
Pizza Co.