Rodrigo Albarran is making the most of his star turn. Chef Rod, a Mexico City native whose original outpost is adjacent to an Elkridge gas station and was showcased on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, recently opened his third R&R Taqueria. Unlike the first two strip-mall shops, Albarran’s newest incarnation—a colorful multi-level space at the corner of Charles and Lombard that features original murals, custom-crafted tabletops, and a hodgepodge of modern, eye-catching seating—aspires to transcend Fieri’s triple-D designation. That’s not to say that it hides its high-profile pedigree.

On the front window, there’s a giant red Food Network logo that makes you think the place is actually named after cable’s culinary colossus (until you notice the inconspicuous R&R emblem beside it). Scattered throughout the extensive menu are miniature versions of the logo, strategically positioned next to offerings that co-starred with Albarran on the small screen.

But don’t let the preoccupation with fame fool you—notorious or not, chef Rod’s creations generally hit their mark.

For starters, the house-made guacamole was a perfect blend of creamy and chunky and came with warm tortilla chips that couldn’t have been more than minutes old. (Having lived in Mexico and L.A., guac is my go-to litmus test.)

We paired that with elote (grilled corn) that was tender and well-seasoned. Both that and the sopa de tortilla bursting with pulled chicken were tastefully presented on black ceramic dishes that featured an intricate vine pattern and helped give our Mexican street fare an upscale feel. The expertly mixed margarita didn’t hurt, either.

This being a taqueria, I didn’t overthink the main course. Although the two mainstream tacos that we sampled (steak and shrimp) were solid, it was their specialty siblings that stood out: The al pastor with diced pork and pineapple had just enough kick to make my nose run, while the chicharrón en salsa verde, with its crispy/tangy combo, somehow made me feel good about ingesting fried pork rinds.

My wife went all gringo and ordered the fajitas (instead of, say, a huarache), but as she typically does whenever we dine out, she nailed it—the sizzling cast-iron skillet was filled with ample amounts of zesty chicken, sautéed onions, and multicolored peppers that made for a winning sensory experience.

The churros we shared for dessert disappointed (the burnt finish overshadowed the unique apple filling), but at least they arrived quickly, considering how dysfunctional the restaurant seemed on this particular Saturday night. From the sluggish service (27 minutes to get two waters) to the short staff (our server was actually the bartender, pressed into double-duty) to the broken baño (the men’s room was out of order), it was clear that after seven months in business, chef Rod’s newest joint still has some kinks to work out.

But as far as TV dinners go, you could do a whole lot worse.

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›› R&R TAQUERIA 2 E. Lombard St., 410-244- 7260. Mon.-Fri. 8-9:30 p.m., Sat. 10-a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

There are a few thoughts that ran through Jason Hisley’s mind when he was approached by producers about appearing on Holiday Wars—Food Network’s festive baking competition that pits teams of cake artists against one another in four weeks of winter-themed showdowns.

At this point, he’s competed on many of the network’s televised bake-offs, including Cake Wars, Sweet Genius, and Cutthroat Kitchen, so he’s been added to executives’ national roster of pastry chefs to tap into when new opportunities arise.

For starters, he thought about whether everything would run smoothly at his nearly two-year-old Timonium bakery, Cake By Jason, while he was on the West Coast filming. On top of that, he remembered the pressure and commitment required to put your best foot forward in these types of contests.

“They are certainly stressful,” he says. “You’re not just cooking. There’s people running around you, there’s cameramen, producers are yelling at you. It was one of those things where I was like, ‘Do I really want to do this so early in launching Cake by Jason?’ But, of course, I had to.”

Looking back now, he’s grateful that he did. In the Holiday Wars finale that aired last night, Hisley’s team, the “Bah Hum-Bakers,” took home the $25,000 grand prize after host Jonathan Bennett challenged them to showcase a friendly rivalry between Santa’s elves and reindeer. Their display, which depicted the animated characters sledding down a gigantic ice hill sculpted out of sheet cake, ultimately won over judges Shinmin Li and Jason Smith.

“There’s really no description for it,” says Hisley when asked his reaction to hearing his team’s name in the finale. “On one hand, I’ve been kicked off of shows and it was kind of a relief because it was so physically and mentally exhausting. And then there are the times when you win, and the joy is just insane.”

The final challenge was one of many that tasked Hisley’s team with thinking hyper-creatively throughout the competition. (Others included dreaming up scenarios in which Santa’s holds auditions for a new crop of elves and takes up a side hustle during the off season.)

“Food Network has really come a long way,” Hisley says. “It’s no longer just, ‘Show us your best interpretation of Santa delivering presents.’ It’s, ‘Santa’s off now, what does he do for a side job?’ That’s crazy, because people don’t think about those things all the time. It really allowed us, as artists, to get more creative and not just stick to one lane.”

A selection of Hisley’s holiday treats at Cake by Jason

Photography by Breanna Kuhlmann Lifestyle Photography

Of course, working as a team of four to collaboratively execute these massive dessert dioramas in one cohesive style didn’t come without its challenges. Though most reality television shows have been known to play up the drama for ratings, Hisley asserts that food competitions are just as nerve racking as they seem on TV. Specifically, he notes the struggles of baking in a foreign kitchen.

“There’s little things that people don’t think about,” he says. “For example, this was filmed in California where the humidity and temperature are different and there are studio lights on you. I’m used to baking in a 55-degree room that we control the temperature of at all times. So it’s kind of like throwing people into these entirely different worlds.”

When working as a team, the key to success, says Hisley, is forgetting about the competition. He’s proud of how his group, which was criticized in the first round for “playing it safe”, continued to improve throughout the show.

“For us, it almost wasn’t like we were competing with other teams, we were competing against ourselves,” he says. “In the third round we had a little pep talk and I was like, ‘I don’t care what everyone else is doing. Let’s not look at other kitchens—let’s just focus on ourselves and whatever we produce, we’ll be happy with.’ I think that final moment when they called our name for the win was just overwhelming pride that it worked.”

When it comes to his chunk of the prize money, Hisley plans to invest it into the future of the bakery. He and his business partner, Kelly Sokolis, are looking forward to bringing in some new equipment, while also focusing on continuing Cake by Jason’s internship programs. (His very first intern, Nicole Moran, is now the bakery’s lead cake designer.) Hisley, whose daily routine starts at 2 a.m., is also hoping to treat himself to a well-deserved beach vacation.

With Food Network putting many Baltimore chefs—including Dave Thomas of Ida B’s Table, Johntay Bedingfield of La Food Marketa, Steve Chu of Ekiben, and Jay Rohlfing of Cunningham’s—in the national spotlight this year, Hisley says it feels great to be able to represent his hometown.

“Baltimore has really become such a diverse hub for food and how people view food,” he says. “It’s such a unique city that’s evolving and changing, to bring this win back is insane.”

NEWS

Arba Set to Close Inside R. House: After three years, Arba Mediterranean—one of the original vendors on R. House’s opening roster—is set to close for good inside the food hall on November 26. “It was very special to be a part of the opening of this place,” chef Farid Salloum said in a statement. Luckily, Salloum’s South Baltimore flagship Baba’s Mediterranean Kitchen will remain open for diners to get their fix of shawarma, falafel, fresh-baked pita, and delicious dips. Come December, the Arba stall will transform into a yet-to-be-announced concept from a new owner. Stay tuned for more details.

Jason Hisley Returning to Food Network: Baltimore baker Jason Hisley took to social media earlier this week to announce his return to Food Network this holiday season. Loyalists know the owner of Cake by Jason as a previous winner of nationally televised competitions including Cupcake Wars and Cake Hunters. On December 1, he will appear on the network’s Holiday Wars, a four-episode competition that pits teams against one another in a series of festive baking challenges. We’ll be rooting for Hisley, hoping he brings the $25,000 grand prize—and massive bragging rights—back to Baltimore.

OPEN

Chopt: A number of trendy fast-casual chains have made their way to the area in the past few years, and this DIY salad spot has followed the pack with five locations scattered throughout Maryland. The latest opened in Annapolis earlier this week, offering the brand’s massive salads and bowls made with customizable add-ins and scratch-made dressings. (Think “Moroccan Market” or “Kebab Cobb” varieties.) Stationed at the Festival at Riva shopping center, the 66-seat eatery pays homage to its location with maritime-themed decor. Here’s hoping the brand continues its expansion—next time a bit further north toward Charm City.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

11/03: TasteBuds: A Snack Food & CBD Festival
Coming to Maryland for the first time ever, the TasteBuds Snack Food & CBD Festival is creating a special day of munchies, music, and CBD education at Power Plant Live. From 1-6 p.m., more than 15 local food trucks will be combining the best snack foods with gourmet dishes—including a dipping fountain station with chocolate, nacho cheese, ranch, and cream cheese frosting. There will also be live music by Badfish with special guest Howi of Ballyhoo, Twinkie and Flaming Hot Cheeto-eating contests, and snacks galore.

11/5: Tacos, Etc.
If you’ve been meaning to advance your taco-making skills past the boxed hard shell kits you buy from the grocery store, this special Schola cooking class is a great opportunity to delve into the many facets of the savory dish. Guests will discover the vastness of traditional Mexican delicacy by crafting tacos filled with fried fish, beef tongue, a variety of salsas, and other toppings.

SHUT

The Hot Dry: It’s only been two months since the team behind La Cuchara transformed their former Riverside restaurant Minnow into this spot honoring the Hubei region of Central China. Just as diners began to see The Hot Dry find its footing—serving up soup dumplings, barbecue buns, and spicy Mala Chicken—it shuttered suddenly earlier this week. Chef/co-owner Ben Lefenfeld confirmed the closure to Baltimore, adding that though the team loved making the food and serving diners who came to enjoy, the concept was not “financially viable.” There’s no word yet what will take over the spot on the bottom floor of the 2 East Wells apartment complex, which now has two vacant restaurant spaces after the closure of Baltimore Soup Company many months ago.

*Additional reporting by Emily Kunisch.

COMING SOON

Orto Baltimore: After Bottega owner Adrien Aeschliman recently moved out of state, former Food Market partner Elan Kotz stepped in to take over the Station North restaurant earlier this month. In a quick turnaround, Kotz has transformed the space into Orto—an Italian concept whose name translates to “vegetable garden.” The team also includes executive chef Stefano Porcile and pastry chef Jaime Hacker, who both worked in the space when it previously housed Aeschliman’s French concept Colette. “We were really fortunate to take on a couple of people who love the space and have a passion for it,” Kotz says. “It’s great that they’re able to bring that same energy.”

Orto officially opens this Saturday (it will be closed on Super Bowl Sunday) and will offer dinner service daily. Consisting of everything from small snacks to larger entrees, the locally sourced menu will feature house-marinated olives with fennel, a bibb salad with hazelnuts and radish, sweet onion and burrata flatbread, winter root vegetable polenta, and a whole grilled branzino with charred broccoli and mint salad. Hacker will serve sweets like a blood orange tart and tiramisu creme brûlée.

The Italian slant is also reflected in the interior renovation, which yields classic marmorino plaster treatment, large mirrors, marble accents throughout, and a new bar that has been lowered from standing height. Overall, Kotz is looking forward to being a part of the neighborhood, offering dining options for theater- and cinema-goers and commuters traveling to and from Penn Station. “I’ve always loved this neighborhood,” he says. “I want to make it a place where you can come in for a glass of wine on a Monday and then come back over the weekend on a date or with family.” 1709 N. Charles St.

TigerStyle: Next week, chef/owner Chad Gauss of The Food Market in Hampden is launching yet another spinoff project. In addition to the Mexican-influenced La Food Marketa in Pikesville, Gauss now operates TigerStyle—a wok-influenced carryout located around the back alley behind Avenue Kitchen & Bar on West 36th Street. Named after the popular Wu Tang Clan song, the spot will offer Asian-inspired appetizers (think spring rolls and Korean fried chicken wings) as well as DIY stir-fry dishes with customizable bases ranging from quinoa and salad greens to cauliflower rice and classic lo mein noodles.

Though he’s excited to get creative with the Asian ingredients, Gauss says that the eatery will also feature more local flavors like Maryland corn and crab meat in the summertime. “We’re not trying to be the next Momofuku,” he says. “We just want to have fun, please people, and not take it too seriously.” Expected to open on February 9, the casual spot decorated with old-school, hip-hop posters will offer 16 seats, but mostly focus on delivery service using apps like GrubHub and UberEats.

The project is a partnership between Gauss, The Food Market’s executive chef Nick Pasco, former Food Market general manager Patrick Rainey, and La Food Marketa’s executive chef Johntay Bedingfield—who was recently crowned a Chopped champion on an episode of the Food Network show that aired earlier this week. “He started as a grill cook and worked his way up to being a Chopped winner,” Gauss says. “These guys have all been with me for a long time, and this is a great outlet for everyone to get a little creative.” 911-913 W. 36th St.

Rise Biscuits Doughnuts: Columbia diners will soon get a taste of this chain eatery that has had Towson locals raving since it opened in the 1620 York Road shopping center last year. Coming this March, the new spot will debut on McGaw Road across from the Wegmans in Columbia. Open until 2 p.m. daily, Rise offers its namesake biscuits filled with savory ingredients like country sausage, fried green tomatoes, and buttermilk fried chicken. To satisfy sweet tooth cravings, the shop also features apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, and its famous maple-bacon doughnuts. 8872 McGaw Rd., Columbia.

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

The Corner Pantry: For the second year in a row, this Mt. Washington favorite is celebrating the Chinese New Year in style with a full-fledged Asian pop-up on February 5. Stop in to sample authentic dishes including duck spring rolls, kanpachi tartare, lemongrass pork sausage, miso black cod, and a “pig plate” with pork belly and barbecued char siu. Desserts will include Instagram-worthy bubble waffles and lychee-glazed doughnuts. The event overlaps with a big birthday for the restaurant, which turns 5 on February 14. 6080 Falls Rd. 667-308-2331

Ekiben x Clavel: Take a long lunch for this New Year’s pop-up at Ekiben from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on February 5. Chef Steve Chu (more on him later) is teaming up with Carlos Raba of Clavel to serve up his signature Asian-fusion dishes for the occasion. Though the menu hasn’t been finalized, we can only imagine there will be plenty of pork plates on deck in celebration of the Year of the Pig. 1622 Eastern Ave. 410-558-1914

NEWS

Steve Chu Wins Guy’s Grocery Games: Speaking of Ekiben, co-owner/chef Chu is feeling the love this week after he took home $16,000 on a Super Bowl-themed episode of Guy’s Grocery Games that aired on Food Network Wednesday night. Chu raced around the aisles of Fieri’s makeshift grocery store and won over judges with his tailgate-inspired dishes including a tempura vegetable basket with nacho cheese vinaigrette. After winning, Chu even whipped out a business card for Fieri, which he displayed on-air. (Talk about great promotion for the city.)

EPICUREAN EVENTS

2/2-3: Groundhog Day Sale at Bin 604
Regardless of whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow this Saturday, Bin 604 in Harbor East is making the official prediction that we’re all going to need six more weeks of wine. To help locals stock up, the shop is throwing a massive Groundhog Day cellar raid. Hundreds of wines around the store will be available for $1 over wholesale cost all weekend long. Plus, the tasting bar will offer samples of some of the best discounted bottles. The two-day sale runs from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. 604 S. Exeter St. 410-576-0444

SHUT

Ristorante Firenze: Reisterstown diners were saddened when the Leonardi family announced that their Main Street staple closed for good. “It has been our pleasure to serve the Reisterstown community for the last four years, and we are grateful for the support of our loyal customers,” the staff wrote in an announcement posted to its website. “Many thanks to our fantastic staff for their hard work and dedication.” In addition to its cozy bar with flickering fireplaces, the Italian spot in the former home of Tonino’s was best known for its Boot Country pizzas and pastas. 2 Hanover Rd. Reisterstown

Courtney’s Bagel Cafe & Deli: Breakfast runs in Owings Mills won’t be the same after the closing of this institution across from the Stevenson University campus. Owner Susan Leeming recently told The Jewish Times that, after running the business for 20 years, she decided not to renew the building’s lease in hopes of giving herself some downtime. But we haven’t seen the last of Leeming: “I might end up with a Courtney’s tuna truck, you never know!” she told the JT. “It’s in my blood. I don’t think I’m finished.” As for the shop, the lease has been turned over to the team behind Quarry Bagel & Cafe in Pikesville, and is expected to reopen under new management in March. 11000 Owings Mills Blvd., Owings Mills

On Saturday, our own pastry chef-turned-Food Network star Duff Goldman tied the knot in his new home of California. He married writer Johnna Colbry at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

According to Martha Stewart Weddings, the couple exchanged vows in the museum’s Dinosaur Hall before cutting into five wedding cakes, including a traditional white six-tier, an underwater-themed confection suspended from the ceiling, and a savory, meat-filled groom’s cake with mashed potato “icing” and bacon roses.

Though the wedding was a few time zones away, some important members of Goldman’s Baltimore family were able to make the trip out west to celebrate.

Among them was chef Cindy Wolf, Goldman’s mentor whom he credits with jumpstarting his career: “Cindy is 100 percent directly responsible for my success,” Goldman told us in a 2015 preview of his cookbook Duff Bakes: Think and Bake Like a Pro at Home, which he dedicated to Wolf. “She changed my life. If I hadn’t met her, who knows where I’d be right now.”

Wolf, the James Beard-nominated executive chef of Charleston in Harbor East, took to Instagram to share well wishes after attending. “One of the best weddings ever!” Wolf captioned her post. “Duff—I am so very happy for you and I love you!” In response, Goldman commented: “Thanks for being there chef. You mean more to me than I think you know.”

“Duff’s wedding was just as creative, beautiful and loving as anyone could wish,” Wolf later told us. “It was an honor to be included, and I could not be more happy for him.”

The chefs first met in the late-’90s, when Wolf hired Goldman to bake biscuits and muffins at her now-closed restaurant Savannah in Fells Point. Back then, Goldman’s only relevant experience was working at fast-food eateries.

“I didn’t even know what a pastry chef was,” said Goldman, who later rose to fame when the Food Network decided to produce a show about his Remington bakeshop, Charm City Cakes. “Thanks to Cindy, I started to understand baking fundamentals.”

Goldman’s career came full circle in 2015 with the release of his book, which features an adaptation of the cornbread recipe that he began his career making for Wolf at Savannah.

“She took a chance on me when I really didn’t know how to cook, like, at all,” he writes in the introduction. “She made me bake the cornbread for the restaurant, and it taught me that no matter what you’re doing, do it the best you can. To be honest, every time I open the oven, I’m doing something that Cindy taught me how to do.”

Right after the wedding, Goldman and his new bride jetted off to Thailand. They’ll return so the chef can film for a few weeks before their second honeymoon takes them around the world.

“I’m excited to go on adventures with my best friend,” Colbry told People magazine. “I think that’s going to be fun.”

Though Jason Hisley has been baking confections since he was 5 years old, this spring marked the first time he has truly found his sweet spot.

After adventures in TV and owning few shops around town, Hisley has opened Cake by Jason Hisley in Timonium—offering both tall-tiered cakes and grab-and-go pastries—to get back to his small-batch roots.

“We want to position ourselves as the place you can come and get high-end, insanely boutique cakes, like with rockets coming out of the top or pouring into a teacup,” Hisley explains. “Or you could come and just get a dollar coffee and hang out in the lobby. The most challenging thing is being able to balance those two worlds.”

Combining a modern vision with traditional family-friendly values proved to be easy, too. Hisley himself comes from a family of foodies, he said, and if kids want to come in and smash donuts on the floor, he wants them to do just that.

“As a kid, I just remember always working with [my grandmother] and my aunt, being 5 or 6 up on a table mixing these big bowls of bread dough,” Hisley said. “I just thought it was the most fascinating, coolest thing ever. A combination of a science experiment and food.”

His grandmother was born in Czechoslovakia, and was a baker herself. She would bake for her community and sold bread to locals. Those ideals stuck with Hisley throughout his life.

He recalls first being trained in making heavier, European pastries like those of his grandmother’s. But adapting to people’s palettes has been a task he’s taken on head first.

His passion for baking landed him a job at the high-end Flavor Cupcakery in Cockeysville after high school. While working there, he caught the attention of the Food Network and ended up competing on—and winning—an episode of Cupcake Wars in 2011.

With a newfound confidence, Hisley opened his own boutique store La Cakerie in Towson when he was just 22. Then, the Food Network and the Cooking Channel began to build a narrative around the young baker and business owner—who has since appeared on 10 shows.

Six years after opening La Cakerie, the shop had gained considerable national attention and expanded to a bigger space in Towson, along with two new locations and a food truck venture. But the fame, he says, cost him small city charm.

“What I lost was standing behind a register and saying ‘Hello,’ and giving a customer a cup of coffee every day,” Hisley said. “Or working with a cake designer directly, one-on-one, making a crazy elaborate cake, and then delivering it and getting to see a customer smile ear-to-ear. I missed that.”

And so he set out on a new journey with La Cakerie’s then-wedding and events coordinator Kelly Sokolis. Hisley sold his ownership in La Cakerie, and Sokolis joined him as a co-owner and wedding and event director for Cake, which officially debuted in April.

From there the duo began to form their team, or as they refer to themselves on their site, “the gaggle of misfits, artists, experts, perfectionists, and friends.”

Hisley speaks highly of his staff, like cake designer Elena Fox, who could paint a museum-style painting on a pastry. His production manager Jeff Courtney is “a jokester,” and will have everyone laughing while he’s simultaneously stirring 200 pounds of frosting and mixing chocolate cake batter.

They have a like-mindset, to put out a quality product, which has been well-received by the community, Hisley said. Numbers and sales have doubled what he originally anticipated and customers appreciate the experience of visiting the neighborhood bakery, which hosts frequent workshops and fundraisers.

With help from interior designer Stephanie Bradshaw, Hisley created a homey store, mixing high end elements without being stuffy, as he puts it. A bright neon sign reads, “Celebrate the Sweet Life,” and reclaimed woods tables stretch across a brushed concrete floor.

“When you walk in it’s like nothing else,” he said. “It has this industrial chic vibe.”

From Flavor Cupcakery, to La Cakerie and now Cake, Hisley has watched himself, his co-workers, and his businesses grow. And that reward has been sweeter than anything.

“I love what I do,” said Hisley. “When people talk about work, I feel so spoiled because 95 percent of my day I have a huge smile. I love going into work, I love the people I work with, I don’t know how to put into words how happy I am.”

COMING SOON

The Charmery Towson: Anneslie locals might have noticed the new, custom-made ice cream cone sculpture that towers over the building at 6807 York Road. The storefront is now home to the newest location of The Charmery, the beloved ice cream shop whose flagship sits on the Avenue in Hampden. Owners David and Laura Alima are putting the finishing touches on the larger shop in preparation for its grand opening this Saturday, May 26. Decorated with custom wallpaper, interior greenery, and vintage VHS tapes that pay homage to the building’s history as an old video store, the shop features a 16-flavor lineup including old favorites like Old Bay Caramel, and a new Rocky York Road flavor (chocolate, ice cream, peanuts, and marshmallow sauce) inspired by its new address. 6807 York Rd.

Cinnaholic: Making decadent cinnamon rolls without eggs or dairy might seem like a daunting task, but this vegan bakery has perfected its recipe. The California-based franchise, which was featured on Shark Tank, will officially cut the ribbon at its newest location at the Rotunda in Hampden on Friday, June 8. To celebrate the debut of its first Baltimore eatery, Cinnaholic will be giving out $1 cinnamon rolls from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on opening day. Diners can customize the treats with a variety of frosting flavors and toppings like berries, nuts, marshmallows, and chocolate chips. 727 West 40th St.

NEWS:

Food Network Gives Love to Baltimore: We’re always happy to see our dining scene get some well-deserved national acclaim. Earlier this week, the Food Network published its picks for the best places to eat in the Baltimore—describing us a “way-underrated food town with accessible traditions, strong chefs, and a palpable sense of slightly off-kilter pride.” Among the many spots that received shout-outs include local gems like Ale Mary’s, Matthew’s Pizza, The Chasseur, DiPasquales, Red Emma’s, Clavel, Ekiben, Idle Hour, Wet City, Blacksauce Kitchen, and the aforementioned Charmery.

Andrew Zimmern Gets a Taste of Baltimore: Speaking of national television praise, The Travel Channel star Andrew Zimmern stopped by a handful of local spots on an episode of his show “The Zimmern Project” that aired earlier this week. Zimmern’s first visit was to Lexington Market for a classic turkey dinner at Krause’s and classic crab cakes at Faidley’s. His Baltimore food tour also included sandwiches at DiPasquale’s in Highlandtown, crabs at LP Steamers in Locust Point, tailgating outside of M&T Bank Stadium, and a meal at Rye Street Tavern in Port Covington.

Zack Mills Moving on from Wit & Wisdom: It’s the end of an era for Wit & Wisdom inside the Four Seasons Baltimore. Executive chef Zack Mills took to Instagram earlier this week to announce that he would be moving on from the Chesapeake-inspired restaurant after heading up its kitchen for the past five years. His last night of service will be Saturday, June 2. “It means so much that I got the opportunity to help run a restaurant in my home state for the same restaurant group family that taught me everything,” Mills wrote, referring to his longtime mentor and Wit & Wisdom operator Michael Mina. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported this restaurant over the years.” Mills is looking forward to taking time off before making his next move.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

5/26: Baltimore Herb Fest
Now back for its 31st year, the Baltimore Herb Festival transforms Leakin Park into a plant paradise with more than 50 outdoor vendors, live music, free rides on miniature steam trains, and a lineup of lectures from local gardening professionals. Plus, there will be plenty of food trucks on site for attendees to grab lunch while taking in all of the greenery. Leakin Park, 1920 Eagle Drive, $7, 9:30 a.m.- 3 p.m.

5/28: Red, White, and Blue Crab Feast at Minnow
Nothing says Memorial Day Weekend like picking crabs and cracking beers. This Monday, Minnow in South Baltimore is doing just that with a special holiday brunch featuring all-you-can-eat crabs, frites with smoked red pepper aioli, roasted corn with lime crema, red beans with ham hocks, and Napa slaw. Wash down all of the eats with $12 Bottomless Bloody Marys and mimosas, $2 RAR Brewing Country Ride pale ales, and boozy snowballs. Minnow, 2 E. Wells St., $39, 11 a.m.- 8 p.m., 443-759-6537

5/28: Memorial Day Block Party at Parts & Labor
Spend your day off at this Remington hangout, which will be hosting one of its signature outdoor block parties with eats, drinks, and plenty of group games like Ping Pong and cornhole. Specials of note for the holiday soiree include $2 beers and $6 burgers all day long. 2600 N. Howard St., 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. 443-873-8887.

SHUT

Chick P City: The days are numbered for this Middle Eastern outpost in Mt. Vernon. Last week, owners Majeed and Dina Tamerjan announced on Facebook that their last day in business would be Thursday, May 31. “Thank you so much for all of the love you showed us,” the post reads. “We won’t forget it.” The Read Street spot was best known for its falafel, pita wraps, and traditional spreads. As a thank you to all of its customers, Chick P City will be offering 10 percent off all platters until its last night. 202 W. Read St. 410-244-7009

First, I want to talk about the Edible Inevitable tour coming to Baltimore on February 22.

It’s fun to say isn’t it?

Yeah, it’s a bit of a tongue twister. So what’s in the show? Is this your first tour?

It
is. I’ve done a lot of live shows. But they’ve always been stand
alones, and I’ve always wanted to actually put out an entire tour
together, and this is the first opportunity I’ve had to do it.

What did you want to include that you haven’t been able to include before?

Well
number one, the show is made up almost entirely of things they wont let
me do on TV. I’m not going to lie, the show was strictly made for my
pleasure, and what I want to do, and hopefully what someone wants to
watch. That’s really what it is.

So I’ve always done various
unusual food demonstrations because I don’t believe anyone wants to go
to a theater to watch someone scramble some eggs, so I tend to do larger
more theatrical things. But I’ve never been able to do really big
theatrical things. We’ve never been able to do it on a show-by-show
basis. So I’m finally going to be able to do big flashy demos that
require a lot of special things to be built and that are a lot of fun.
And I’m going to be able to do a multimedia presentation. I’m doing a
shortened version of a lecture series I’ve done over the last 10 years
called, “Things I’m pretty sure of, I’m sure about food.” So it’s more
like an excuse for a 20-minute stand-up routine.

Sounds fun!

The
thing that’s kind of the biggest kick for me is that my trio and I are
going to be performing probably six food songs off the upcoming CD. So,
hopefully, people are entertained by funny food songs. That’s something
that I have not ever gotten to do before.

Well I read that you haven’t been in a band since you were 21.

That’s
true. I am now, by golly. Yeah, it was something I kind of put on the
back burner and thought, “You know what? I’m going to get back to this.”
And I started to write songs, food songs, about a year ago. But I was
writing them much longer than that; I kept a notebook of lyrics and
things and finally looked at it one day and said, “You know what? Now’s
the time”

Is it sort of like a They Might Be Giants kind of situation? You know, funny, clever, satirical songs?

Oh
god, I hope so. I mean they’re a great example. I wouldn’t try to hold
it…but I’ll give you an example of actual lyrics, there’s a country and
western song “Airport Shrimp Cocktail,” which is about getting food
poisoning in an airport. There’s a song called “Pork Chop”, about a guy
trying to eat his wife’s pork chop, which is horribly overcooked.
There’s a song about caffeine, which is always a lot of fun. There’s a
punk rock song called “East Bake,” which is about Easy Bake ovens. So
we’re kind of all over the place. But in terms of style, all the lyrics
are funny songs.

That sounds great. Another thing that I
read about the tour that its also acceptable for all ages? So I was
wondering, when you’re putting together a tour, and you want to do
things that you’re not allowed to do on TV and you want to keep it smart
and sophisticated but you also want to keep it family friendly, how do
you decide what goes in and what goes out?

I don’t have to use too much of a filter on myself for that because my work, at least my TV work—Good Eats—was
always family friendly, and it always strove to be smart across
generational boundaries. We have a lot of kids come to the show, and I
don’t feel that I have to dumb things down for them. But naturally, I’m
not an off color kind of guy, from a performance stand point. I may
occasionally throw in things only the adults are going to get. But its
never going to be anything to offend. It’s just not my style really.

Right, you’re not working blue.

No,
I’m not. I think about the raciest thing in the show is . . . I can’t
think of anything. And its not because I’m trying to make a family show,
it just kind of . . .

That’s your sensibility

It’s
my sensibility about things and, hopefully, it works in a way kind of
like, when Disney cartoons are really good, there’s different takes on
different levels for everybody and it all kind of comes off as being
smart.

Right, yeah, like a Pixar movie.

Yeah, I mean there are layers for everybody but no ones going to be offended by anything. Gosh, I hope not.

No, it sounds like a lot of fun and its pretty rare these days that there are things you can take the whole family to.

I thought about that. Honestly, I thought about that.

Everything is so demographically targeted now that it’s rare right now to go to . . .

Well, I’ll tell you why I don’t have that issue. It’s because I’m not trying to build a show for anyone but myself.

Right.

Honest
to gosh, its two hours of me doing some pretty silly stuff. I mean,
I’ll be really honest with you, we have a bunch of taped segments that
feature puppets. Puppets were a big part of my show Good Eats.
They’re cheap puppets; especially puppets that are supposed to be yeast.
Yeast cells. They’re sock puppets so they did what yeasts do which is
they farted and burped a lot. We have entire segments of video that are
nothing but burps and farts. So 8-year-old boys are delighted at the
show. And hopefully no one’s offended by that. I mean they’re sock
puppets, and at that age, I think that’s pretty mild.

So switching gears now, a couple of years ago I read that you lost I think it was 50 pounds.

Good.
I lost too much, actually. People started thinking I was sick. I got a
little crazy with it, thinking that skinnier is better; it’s not always.

No. Have you gained a little bit back since then?

Yes,
I put on about another 15 pounds. And my dermatologist pointed out to
me like, “You look like a turkey. You need to put some weight on it.”
And I’m like “Oh, crap.” And when people ask you like “Did you just have
chemo?” That’s not what you want.

That’s not what anybody
wants, no. But you did it largely without giving up the southern
cooking and recipes that you love and are known for. So how did you do
that?

I did a whole show about it and you can look this
up on the Internet and it was called, “The Diet of the Five Lists.” And
I made a series of lists. I tried to make the diet on things I had to
eat, not things I couldn’t eat. So I made a list of things I had to eat
everyday. Things I had to eat at least 2-3 times a week. . . . Oh wait,
it was 4 lists, not 5. Things I could only have once a week. And things I
could never have ever.

Okay.

And so I ate
off of that list. And I started exercising a lot. Basically a man
heading into middle age needs to exercise everyday and I do a lot of
weight lifting.

Well, everybody heading into middle age needs to exercise.

Well
you know what, muscle is your friend. Muscle eats, muscle hold up your
skeleton, muscles good and it’s really hard to argue with. When you have
more muscle you can eat more.

Yeah, which is the best thing ever.

Yeah.

So,
I did want to ask you about your tour schedule. It’s pretty grueling.
You’re really doing back-to-back shows, and you’ve lamented the fact
that it leaves little time to explore the cities you’re visiting.

Very
little. I sometimes get an hour or two break time, either around
breakfast or midday, where I can go just walk around. And I think
anything that’s within walking distance of the theater, I’ll find.

Is there anything culinary or otherwise that you would like to see in Baltimore?

You
know what, my fantasy would be that somebody who really knows and loves
the town would just pick me up in a car and just take me someplace to
eat because if it’s what locals are proud of or what locals eat, then
that’s what I want. And very often that’s not something that anyone
could know about. But the thing that I mostly stay concerned about is
getting sick because of the grueling schedule. Like am I going to get
food poisoning? Something like that. And if something happens to me,
we’re pretty much in trouble. So that’s always something I keep in mind.
But, you know, Baltimore is famous for so many things, but I want
someone who is really part of the scene to pick something.

Makes sense.

Something
I might do is I might go on twitter and get people to start making
suggestions. “Give me 15- or 30-minute walking distance around this
location” before I go.

Well, you’re playing the lyric in Baltimore?

Yep.

Well, that’s toward the west side, and I know you didn’t ask me but . . .

Well, I was going to.

Oh,
okay, well, my two cents is, if your going to come to Baltimore, you’ve
got to have a crab cake, right? So probably the most famous place for
crab cakes in Baltimore is Faidley’s in Lexington Market. I would say
it’s like a 10-minute walk from the theater.

Lexington Market has got a bunch of stuff, right? I mean, it’s a landmark all on its own.

It
does yeah. It is a landmark on its own. It’s interesting. But Faidley’s
crab cakes, I mean, I think they’re the best crab cakes in Baltimore,
and everybody’s got an opinion about crab cakes in Baltimore, but I
really do think they’re the best.

And around the area, do you think I could walk there without dying? Also its going to be cold. It’s going to be god awful cold.

It’ll probably be cold, although we’ll be heading towards spring then, so it’s possible it could be in the 40s or something.

Really? That warm? That’s the perfect time. All right what else?

Well,
I’m trying to think of what’s around the lyric. There’s a good
Ethiopian restaurant called Dukem. That’s pretty popular in Baltimore
and very cheap. A lot of people like that. And another thing Baltimore
is known for are these cookies. They’re called Berger Cookies, and
they’re kind of a shortbread cookie with fudge icing on them. And
they’re just sort of like a local staple.

A Berger Cookie?

A
Berger Cookie. And they’re really sweet. So probably one of them will
fulfill all your sugar needs for the day. But they’re pretty good. So I
mean those would be my recommendations.

Cool.

Yeah. But I’m sure Twitter will have a lot of other recommendations.

So, I’ve got one more minute, any other questions?

Yeah.
You were part of the first wave of chefs to become television
personalities. Do you want to take credit or blame for the celebrity
chef wave that followed?

Gosh, no one has asked me that
before. Well I’m certainly not going take credit. Um, blame? Hmmm. I
think I’m a little bit different because I actually came from the
television world. I came from film production and then quit and went to
culinary school. So, I actually know what I’m doing. The job that I have
I have trained for and worked for my entire life. But I came at it from
the world of big art rooms and studios and cameras. So the roles of
commercials, director, cinematographer, it’s all I’ve ever done, and I
took the side trip in order to get the culinary training I would need in
order to do what I do culinarily.

Right.

So
I feel like I’ve always been different from everybody else in that
regard. Whether that means that I require some blame? Sure I’ll take 20
percent blame—and no credit.

On a dreary day in late February, Mary Alice Yeskey attends her first Charm City Cakes staff meeting since going on maternity leave. When she officially returns to work this spring (with two-month-old son Spencer in tow), her new office will be in the former equipment storeroom for Ace of Cakes, the Food Network reality show that was filmed at the Remington bakery.

Now that the show has ended its five-year, 10-season run, there’s a car seat, Diaper Genie, and baby toys littering the floor of the small room that once held cameras, electrical cords, and lights.

“From day one, when Duff [Goldman] bought the building, we joked that this would be the nursery,” says Yeskey, who will share the space with administrative assistant Kerry Dillon and her baby (16-month-old Willow). “Now it is.”

Becoming a mom for the first time isn’t the only change for the 34-year-old Yeskey, who has gone from being the show’s beloved commentator and office manager to the marketing director of Charm City Cakes. The bakery is in a state of transition as Goldman—TV star, bakery owner, and one of Yeskey’s best friends—broadens his brand and opens Charm City Cakes West in Los Angeles in the next couple of months. He’ll still be returning to Baltimore once a month, though.

Yeskey knows the Baltimore bakery will be different without Goldman’s regular presence. “I will definitely miss seeing Duff every day. The place does have a different feel when he’s not there,” she says. “It’s quieter and less frenetic but also feels kind of void of energy without him.”

Goldman, who’s at the staff meeting, stresses that he’s not seeking an L.A. bakery per se. “We are opening a Baltimorean embassy,” he says. “We are going to keep our Baltimore spirit as a company and individuals.”

While several of Yeskey’s coworkers— including art director Anna Ellison and cake decorator Katherine Hill—get settled in the City of Angels, her task is to keep the Baltimore home fires burning. “The trick is not to water down what we have,” she says. “The flip side of the fame and notoriety from the show is all the misinformation that has floated about us locally. I have had local wedding planners say, ‘Oh, I didn’t even realize you did cakes in Baltimore,’ and I’m like, ‘We are a local shop. That’s what we’ve always done.’ My goal is to make sure people know that.”

Fiercely articulate and organized, Yeskey is the natural choice to promote the bakery, whose interior is reminiscent of a trip through Alice in Wonderland’s looking glass with artists, architects, and engineers wielding electric saws and blowtorches to create edible art.

“She’s really good at translating Charm City Cakes in the real world,” says Goldman. “We have our own language in here. We do something very strange and different, and Mary Alice is really good at translating the strangeness of what goes on in here.”

Geof Manthorne, who is taking over the helm of the Baltimore bakery, says Yeskey is like a secretary of state. “Duff is so much the image of this place, but Mary Alice is putting that out there, and she handles everything with grace,” he says.

In addition to continuing to grow the Baltimore business, Yeskey’s mission is to clear up misconceptions. “The cakes are not a million dollars,” she says. (Although the minimum custom order is $1,000.) “And there isn’t an eight-year waiting list. People think we only do cakes for ‘famous people,’ which breaks my heart. I’ve said no to some pretty famous people, including Oprah, because her production company called on a Monday and wanted us to be in Chicago with a cake on a Wednesday. We bake on a first-come, first-serve basis.” (For the record, eventually a cake was made for Oprah when the bakery was given more notice.)

That’s not to say that Yeskey is unfazed by the luminaries who have appeared on the show. She remembers when the Cakes crew was making a cake for George Lucas about a year ago.

“I am this huge Star Wars fan,” says Yeskey, smiling at the memory. “Even though I couldn’t contribute a lot to cake decorating, Duff said to me, ‘You are coming with us,’ because I think he knew if I hadn’t gone, I would have quit my job! When I met George Lucas, I was shaking—the whole thing was surreal. I told Duff, ‘You never have to take me anywhere again.'”

Goldman and Yeskey have been friends since they met as college students at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). When people ask him whether he’s worried about hiring friends, he points to Yeskey. “She knew me when, at two in the morning, we were watching The Lost Boys in the lobby of our college dorm,” he says. “If something is going down, and I’m not there to see it, there’s no question she’s got my back.”

Years ago, it was Goldman who had Yeskey’s back. She was a freshman at UMBC in the fall of 1994, and Goldman was a sophomore, who also worked for the university’s Office of Residential Life. Yeskey had taken her mother’s pearl necklace to school (unbeknownst to her mother) and, one morning, watched in horror as she dropped it down the drain of her dorm-room sink. “It was terrible of me, but I didn’t think she would miss it,” says Yeskey, a Gaithersburg native whose brother Neil is the lead singer for the rock band Clutch. She quickly went to the front desk and filled out a maintenance request.

Ten minutes later, Goldman showed up at her door. “He looked like this college dude with his tool belt and tie-dyed shirt. He was a student, but one of his jobs to pay for his room and board was to be the ‘super’ of Chesapeake Hall,” Yeskey says. “He was like, ‘You’ve got a problem with your sink?’ Two seconds later, he undid the u-pipe and handed me my pearls. . . . Every time I saw him after that, I was like, ‘There’s my hero.'”

By the middle of her sophomore year in 1995, Yeskey had transferred to the University of Maryland, College Park to finish a degree in English and then later pursued a master’s degree in publication design from University of Baltimore. She and Goldman remained friends. “Once I left UMBC, that’s when we started e-mailing each other and became even closer,” says Yeskey. “We would send these giant e-mails to each other.”

By 1998, Yeskey had graduated and was working for nonprofit organizations. But after several years, she was unhappy with her work situation and ready to move on. Serendipitously, Goldman stopped by her office one day in 2005, and Yeskey confided that she hated her job and started crying. Goldman, whose office manager had just left him, recalls the visit. “A girl starts crying, and what are you going to do?” he says. “You need to help, so I was like, ‘Do you want a job?’ I didn’t even know if I could afford to pay her.”

From the start, the duo complemented each other. “We have this relationship that is like brother-sister with a little bit of old married couple thrown in,” says Yeskey. “In my other jobs, I needed work clothes that I had to iron. For one job, I had to take out my nose ring every day and cover up all my tattoos—I felt like I was pretending to be someone I wasn’t. Duff has created everyone’s fantasy, which is to work doing something you love with all your friends. It’s like Disneyland.”

One unwritten aspect of Yeskey’s job is keeping her sometimes overly ebullient boss in check. “One of the reasons my job is so perfect is that Duff needs someone who isn’t afraid to tell him he’s being a goofball,” says Yeskey, fondly. “Usually, this has to do with his desire to put pyrotechnics into cakes, like the time we were making a cake for a military event, despite the fact that the clients had specifically stated that fireworks were prohibited on the military base, but he wanted to do it anyway. I told him I wouldn’t bail him out of military jail!”

Their on-air relationship is no different off camera. “Because we’ve had such a long relationship, we had a really good rapport with each other and can say anything to each other—on and off television,” says Goldman. “We could do a lot of bickering, and it would come across as really funny. The show wouldn’t have done one-tenth of what it did without her. She added a dimension that made the show complete. She was the one who was like, ‘Look at this room full of crazy I’m stuck in.’ She was the voice of the viewer.”

Yeskey says it was a stroke of good timing that the show was ending just as she was about to give birth to her son. At the three-bedroom Mayfield bungalow she shares with her husband Dave, a network engineer, she’s now surrounded by eco-friendly diapers and is content to serve as a human hammock for Spencer, who slumbers blissfully across her chest. While she’s grateful for the show that took her to the set of Lost in Hawaii (where the crew delivered an island-shaped cake) and to Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch (to present an R2-D2-shaped creation), she’s enjoying the new challenges of motherhood. “It’s what everyone says, but you don’t realize until it happens to you,” she says. “Immediately, so much stuff becomes unimportant. This is the priority.”

She’s learned so much from Goldman, she says, as she reflects on the shooting of the final episode of Ace of Cakes—in which the cast made a Back to the Future DeLorean time-machine cake to commemorate the film’s 25th anniversary. “Duff was standing there with Michael J. Fox, and pointing out all the stuff on the cake,” says Yeskey. “And I was just standing there watching. I don’t stand in wonder because I didn’t think he was capable. I’m more like, ‘How did this all happen?’ Duff has taught me to follow my gut. He has shown me what can happen if you close your eyes and leap—I love him for showing me what can happen if you really go for it.”

And while Yeskey will miss her face-to-face interaction with Goldman, she knows they will be in constant communication. “We will be keeping in touch like crazy through e-mails and obnoxious text messages,” she says. “We’re already fond of sending each other goofy pictures from our phones, so I can only see that habit getting more frequent once he’s gone.”