From seafood towers to pasta towers to cupcake towers, stacked foods served on tiered trays are the newest version of vertical cuisine.

In Baltimore, one tower that soars above the rest is the Taco Tower at La Food Marketa in Pikesville. With three tiers of tacos, tortilla chips, and fixins’, this $125 architectural creation that feeds four is loaded with tacos (level 3), seven-layer dip, queso, street corn, and hot sauce (level 2), and Buffalo chicken taquitos alongside house-made cheese bread (level 1).

La Food Marketa executive chef Johntay Bedingfield invented the concept a few months back—and it’s been a restaurant bestseller ever since.

“[La Food Marketa owner-chef] Chad Gauss and I always like to do fun plays on food,” says Bedingfield, “and we also like to play with words. I texted him that I had this great idea for a taco tower—and he loved it.”

Within days, the duo was on Amazon shopping for towers and soon settled on a metal stand with three tiers. “We plated the first one,” says Bedingfield, “and
people went berserk.”

Bedingfield makes some 70 of these architectural wonders a week, but sales really spiked when food influencer Chris Franzoni of @EatMoreBeMore posted a reel of the creation, which went viral, leading patrons to flock from all over the state to see it—and to sample it—for themselves.

“Everything that’s on that tower has been on the menu for years—it’s nothing new,” says the former Chopped champion, “but when we presented it all on the tower, it became trendy.”

Bedingfield is hardly complaining. Instead, he smiles when he sees it served. “People have their phones out,” he says. “Here, we’re all about hot food, but they spend five minutes taking photos and spinning the tower before they eat it.”

Corn Soup

DAVID ZAMUDIO, ALMA COCINA LATINA

SERVES 4

If you’re not cooking with corn, it just isn’t summer. “Growing up, my grandmother would make me soups,” says David Zamudio, executive chef of Alma Cocina Latina. “This corn cream soup is inspired by one that she often made.” As soup recipes go, this one is incredibly basic, says Zamudio. “Boil all of the ingredients first, then blend and strain. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!” And if you want to turn this simple soup into more of a meal, you can do that, too. “The soup goes great with crispy cassava [yuca] bread,” he says. To finish it off, “Brush the cassava with butter and herbs to complete the flavor profile.”

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 large onion

1 leek (white part only)

1 clove of garlic

4 cups of water

1⁄2 tablespoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder

1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder

1⁄2 teaspoon Old Bay

7 ounces corn kernels, preferably cut straight from the cob
1 bunch cilantro, reserving some for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Dice the onion.
2. Slice the leek.
3. Boil all ingredients for about
30 minutes over medium to high heat, with exception of cilantro.
4. Add the cilantro, blend, and strain. 5. To garnish, add additional
cilantro leaves.

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Hottest Day on Record

CHELSEA GREGOIRE, DRINKABLE GENIUS

SERVES 1

“At first I thought about making a cocktail that
could stretch into fall, but then I remembered: August in Maryland is an absolute swelter!” says Chelsea Gregoire, who grew basil during quarantine. “My basil was immediately gigantic. To use some of that beautiful basil, I crafted this summer refresher.”

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces light rum (or any light spirit: vodka, gin, tequila)

1 ounce peach liqueur or peach juice
3⁄4 ounce lemon juice

3⁄4 ounce Campari

1⁄2 ounce green tea syrup, (see below)
2 large or 4 small basil leaves
3 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters

For Green Tea Syrup: In a small saucepan, bring 16 ounces of water to boil. Once hot, remove from heat, and add two green tea bags. Once steeped, remove tea bags. Put saucepan on low heat, and add 16 ounces of sugar. Stir until dissolved. Cool and store in refrigerator for up to three weeks.

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker
or Mason jar with ice.
2. Close, and shake vigorously.
3. Pour the shaker contents into a Collins glass, adding more ice, if necessary. 4. Garnish with fresh basil.

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Rigatoni with Lobster, Eggplant, Burrata, and Pistachios

JULIAN MARUCCI, TAGLIATA

SERVES 2

For this recipe, Julian Marucci, executive chef at Tagliata, says he decided to focus on the combination of lobster and eggplant. “Eggplant has a natural bitterness that goes well with sweet flavors,” he says. “The remaining ingredients complement the lobster and eggplant.”

INGREDIENTS

Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons shallot, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon celery, minced
2 small eggplants, peeled and medium diced
1 tablespoon capers 1 ounce pistachios, toasted and chopped
11⁄2 ounces honey
11⁄2 ounces aged sherry vinegar
13 ounces rigatoni
2 lobsters, 1 pound each
1 lemon
1 piece of burrata
2 sprigs of fresh basil, small leaves
1 teaspoon chives

DIRECTIONS

1. Sauté shallots, ginger, garlic, celery in extra-virgin olive oil, carefully cooking to just sweat the vegetables without color. 2. Add eggplant to saute pan. Season with salt and pepper stirring frequently, cooking on low to medium heat.
3. Once the eggplant is soft and tender, add capers, nuts, honey, and vinegar. Taste and set aside
to be mixed with pasta.
4. Boil roughly five quarts of water, season with salt. Cook pasta according to package. Strain pasta and mix with eggplant mixture in a large bowl. (Don’t rinse pasta with water). Add some olive oil and stir. 5. Cool pasta in refrigerator.
6. Cook lobster in boiling water
for 9-12 minutes, depending on size of pot and lobster. Once cooked, chill in ice water, then clean and dice meat.

To Serve: Toss pasta with more olive oil, if needed. Add lobster meat, lemon juice. Plate in a large bowl, garnish with torn burrata, a drizzle of oil, basil leaves, and chives. Save tail meat to use as garnish.

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Chipotle Honey Chicken Tacos with Street Corn Salad & Bacon Guacamole

JOHNTAY BEDINGFIELD, LA FOOD MARKETA

SERVES 6

“This is an easy, approachable dish that’s clean and light,” says Johntay Bedingfield of his recipe. “I like to use one ingredient, like cilantro, in more ways than one. You can use stems for marinade and the leaves for the corn salad and guacamole.” And if you want to make the dish a little lighter, he sometimes swaps the mayonnaise for yogurt in the corn salad. “It’s tangy and adds a nice cream component,” he says.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs. chicken (preferably thighs)

Chicken Marinade (yields about 12 ounces)
2 cans chipotle peppers
1 tablespoon adobo liquid (from chipotle peppers)
1 bunch cilantro stems
5 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1⁄4 cup white vinegar
2 limes, juiced and zested
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1. Place all ingredients in blender or bullet. Mix well until smooth.
2. Use 1⁄3 of marinade to coat chicken. (Set aside remainder of marinade.) Cover and let chicken rest in refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours.

TO GRILL CHICKEN:
Heat grill. Oil or spray grill as chicken will stick a little because of the sugar and honey. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill for about 7 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Allow chicken to rest 10 minutes before cutting. Dice chicken and toss with about
1 tablespoon of reserved marinade.

Street Corn Salad
4 ears corn (in husk)
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons chipotle honey marinade
1 teaspoon salt
2⁄3 bunch cilantro tops (minced)

DIRECTIONS
With corn still in husk, place corn in a container large enough to submerge in water. Allow corn to soak as long as the chicken.

TO GRILL CORN:
I like to grill my corn in the husk so it steams and keeps the corn tender while picking up charred notes from the grill. You want to burn the husk when grilling. Grill corn for 12-15 minutes, turning every few minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes to cool down before shucking husk off the corn. Once cooled and shucked, cut corn off cob. In a mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise or yogurt, marinade, salt, and cilantro. Fold in corn. Set aside for assembly later.

Bacon Guacamole
1⁄4 pound bacon

4 avocados

1⁄4 cup small diced red onion

1⁄3 bunch of cilantro tops (minced)
1⁄4 lime juice

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook bacon at 350 Fahrenheit for 14-16 minutes until super crispy, almost burnt! Once cooled, dice bacon into bits. 2. In a mixing bowl, add avocado, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and bacon. Mix well. Cover with plastic wrap.

Tortillas
1. Place tortillas (double stacked) on grill for about 30 seconds on each side. Don’t be afraid of a little color. Wrap tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep them warm until ready to serve.

ASSEMBLY: Start with your tortilla, place a smear of guacamole, add chicken, and top with street corn salad.

Chef Johntay Bedingfield took first place on Chopped in 2019, but getting creative during the COVID crisis has also put his talents to the test.

“Restaurants will survive this,” Bedingfield says. “You go out to eat because you don’t have time to cook or you just feel like getting pampered. People can let go and enjoy the moment and the company of people they are with. That’s not going to go away.”

Bedingfield, who grew up watching his mother and grandmother cook, has been La Food Marketa’s executive chef since 2016. But he didn’t come to cooking right away. He studied psychology at Wesley College in Delaware and became a substance abuse counselor before becoming a childcare worker for the Board of Child Care in Baltimore for several years.

“I was like, ‘School is over. I’m in my 20s and have to figure out a career move. Maybe I’ll just start cooking,’” he says. “I had always liked cooking. I love comfort food and home-cooked meals.”

He decided to enroll at Baltimore International College for a master’s degree in international hospitality management. “I got a job at Sunday River in the Towson mall. I started as a prep cook. Right away, I was like, ‘I love this.’”

And the rest is Baltimore food history.

What has it been like at La Food Marketa throughout the crisis?
On March 16th, the day we officially went into a state of emergency, I worked that day, but we weren’t open for service that evening. We laid off all hourly employees—that was extremely difficult—but with not being able to open to capacity, we had to pull the trigger. We have dedicated management teams, so we just spilt them up between the La Food Marketa, [Hampden sister-spot] The Food Market, and our catering, and it was divide and conquer. That Tuesday, we tried curbside pickup. It was slow that night, but pretty much every week has been different. We’ve tried to stay up on what others states and countries are doing that are ahead of us. Safety has been our first priority. That first week we set a handwashing timer. It was an hourly timer so we could get into the cycle of washing our hands. It was annoying, but it worked. Now we call it “muscle hour.” Since we have no tables now, everyone stops and does 10 pushups in the middle of the dining room and washes their hands. It breaks up the day and its team building.

How is your patio dining going?
We just got through our first week of patio dining. When it was put into effect, essentially, we had only 24 hours to turn over outdoor procedures by that Friday, but we didn’t think it was the right time. There was too much to get moving and execute safely and correctly, so we waited. I think a first impression makes all the difference. There’s a level of accountability there that’s hard to gain back once you lose it. We waited until last Monday and I think it couldn’t have gone better. We had a great night. We sat 60 people throughout the night outside, and carryout was still popping.

“That first week we set an hourly handwashing timer so we could get into the cycle of washing our hands. It was annoying, but it worked. Now we call it “muscle hour.” Since we have no tables now, everyone stops and does 10 pushups in the middle of the dining room and washes their hands. It breaks up the day and its team building.” —Johntay Bedingfield

What safety systems have you put in place?
We shifted gears and moved our pickup to the back side of the restaurant. We are requesting that guests wear masks to the table for the safety and the staff is wearing masks the whole time. We have QR codes at the table for contactless menus and hand sanitizer at each table. We are just trying to stay as up with the trends as possible.

How does this change things for you as a chef?
I could spend hours and hours overthinking what the future is going to bring, but I’ve learned it doesn’t do anything for me. It’s 100 percent under the control of the government right now. We could have 30 ideas on what the next move is going to be, but what I’ve learned over the past 13 weeks is to just wait for them to give the word and then you react. I’ve always been a fan of “the worst decision is no decision,” so once they pull the trigger, we will react to that.

How is your revenue?
Our overall revenue is down. You have three factors when it comes to revenue. You have rent, which is fixed. But you have two things you can control, labor and food purchasing, so we’ve controlled both of those things.

How do you know how much to order?
It’s extremely difficult. My food costs have been at 26 percent each week. The goal is 30 percent to make a 10 percent profit. You get what you need to get in the beginning of the week, and then you have to anticipate what you’re going to need for the weekend and keep spending as tight as possible.

Have you had to change the menu?
As a dish comes to me, I just throw it on the menu and see if we can sell it. One thing that has helped a lot is cross utilization of a product, so you’ll see ground turkey across a few dishes. We have it in our house-made turkey chorizo, or you can add it to queso, or get Turkey chorizo tacos, or get a ground turkey taco salad. So you know that you will always be moving the product, which definitely helps. Other than that, it’s all about seasonal for me—cooking with what the farmers have. I recently got these fresh soft shells from J.J. McDonnell and made soft-shell arepas.

Are you finding that diners are more appreciative now?
The diners have absolutely been extremely grateful. They thank us for being here. That makes our job less stressful to know that the community has us and we’ve made the right move by being there for them.

I know that a lot of chefs have had more time to cook at home. Have you?
The restaurant is closed earlier and opening at noon. I’ve had some more time in the morning cooking breakfast, which is really nice.

Do you think fewer people will want to go into hospitality now that they see how hard a business it is?
I joked with my wife, Alexa, that everyone, including all of those people making their sourdough, is a home cook right now. I’d love some of these people to take their passion and come to the restaurant kitchen. I feel like a lot of people have found the simplicity in life. The hustle and bustle have slowed down a little bit. I don’t know what that will do for the restaurant industry if people are cooking at home more, but there will always be a place for restaurants—no question.

“I joked with my wife, Alexa, that everyone, including all of those people making their sourdough, is a home cook right now. I’d love some of these people to take their passion and come to the restaurant kitchen.” —Johntay Bedingfield

I know that Hoopla Hospitality, which includes La Food Marketa, The Food Market, Quality Snowballs, and Hoopla Catering is very community-minded. Have you done anything in the wake of the recent protests for racial justice?
Last Wednesday, we sold gift certificates and 50 percent of gift card sales went to the NAACP.

On a personal note, you recently lost 50 pounds. Can you tell us about it?
I saw myself on Chopped and didn’t like the way I looked. I had a complete lifestyle change.
I just switched my mind to think of what I enjoyed eating. It was easy as a chef to just throw something in the fryer—it cooks super fast and a few minutes later it’s ready to eat. But I told myself that I get the best fruits and vegetables and meat. We work with these local farmers, and the beauty of being in the restaurant is that everything is already set up—your lettuces and tomatoes and cukes are already cut. I just changed my eating habits.

I have this thing that I call, “walking the line.” I start on the cold side and I’ll grab a bowl and start with a base of vegetables, which is going to be lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Then I walk over to the sauté station and add some onion. And then I throw turkey chorizo on there and add pico de gallo and guacamole. And it’s a one-minute meal. I’ve had this mental switch. I live for a really good salad now.

Bushfires continue to ravage Australia, with at least 28 people dead, more than 3,000 homes destroyed or damaged, and an estimated billion-plus animals lost, according to CNN. Sadly, the unprecedented bushfires have been exacerbated by widespread drought and persistent heat.

In an effort to aid the country and give back, Baltimore chefs are taking matters into their own hands. Both La Food Marketa and Duck Duck Goose will donate proceeds from dinner and brunch service on specific days this weekend in an attempt to help Australia fight the wildfires and rehabilitate.

La Food Marketa, the Pikesville sister restaurant of The Food Market in Hampden, will donate 50 percent of funds from brunch this Sunday, January 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., to the Australian Red Cross. The event will be the spot’s latest “Brunch for a Benefit,” an ongoing series that has previously supported organizations such as The Movember Foundation and The Alzheimer’s Association.

“When we opened La Food Marketa, we wanted it to be a community restaurant,” says Chad Gauss, executive chef and co-owner. “We feel that many people want to give back and have sorrow and empathy for what’s happening in Australia, but they might not be familiar with how to give back. We wanted to create an opportunity for people to do that.”

At La Food Marketa, expect a brunch packed with fun takes on omelets, eggs benedict, and pancakes. Highlights include pancake enchiladas stuffed with turkey, cheese, bacon and topped with syrup, as well as the “El Benedict,” featuring cured ham, cheese bread, and Mexican ketchup. As an added bonus, many brunch dishes can be modified to be gluten-free.

Down in Fells Point, Baltimoreans can dine for a good cause at Duck Duck Goose, where all of the proceeds from dinner this Friday night, January 17, will go toward Ellen Degeneres’ Australia Bushfire Relief fund on GoFundMe. Owner Ashish Alfred’s Bethesda location of Duck Duck Goose and his nearby George’s Chophouse will also donate all Friday-night proceeds to the relief fund.

“What’s happening [in Australia] is real—you can’t make that up,” Alfred says. “As chefs, we get into this business because we want to make people happy, care for people, and nourish them. Restaurants become part of the communities we’re in. And I think this was good opportunity for us to get involved in something important overseas.”

Alfred says he and his team kicked around ideas for how to help, until they saw that Degeneres had set up a relief fund and decided to get behind it.

In addition to the signature cheese boards, dry-aged ribeye burger, and honey-roasted duck at Duck Duck Goose, Friday-night diners can also expect a raffle at each of the three restaurants. Alfred says details are still being finalized, but prizes might include giveaways from other local dining destinations and spa treatments.

“I think it’s going to be a fun night,” he adds. “The feedback online has been huge. It’ll be great to see that many people come together for a good cause.”

When chef/owner Chad Gauss opened his wildly popular The Food Market in 2012, he promised “blue-collar food with a white-collar execution” for ever gentrifying Hampden, where old-style taverns patronized by longtime residents mixed uneasily with hip upstarts. Gauss’ The Food Market offered a delicate balance of old and new: thoughtfully prepared, updated versions of familiar standbys in a see-and-be-seen space that somehow felt welcoming to everyone. The formula worked so beautifully that, along with its neighbor, Corner Charcuterie Bar, The Food Market tipped Hampden’s The Avenue into full-blown dining destination status. There’s genius in that.

Now with his new spinoff—the playfully renamed La Food Marketa at The Shops at Quarry Lake—Gauss faces an entirely different challenge: Bring inventive cuisine to an upscale-food desert populated predominantly by takeout joints. The new enterprise succeeds (mostly), and patrons in the surrounding Greenspring corridor have been flocking to the place since it opened in early September.

Gauss and head chef John “Johntay” Bedingfield are working a different balance here, creating a mashup of North and Latin American comfort foods: Think Reuben empanadas (complete with Thousand Island dressing) and duck breast sided with yucca (the potato-like root) spaetzle. It’s a fun concept, but the place hasn’t yet reached The Food Market-like greatness. With a few tweaks, though, it very well could.

Start with the space, a bright white, noisy dining area with a bar and open kitchen to the side and colorful artwork on the walls. It’s eminently family friendly, as befits a neighborhood teeming with minivans. But at night it feels a little too bright—a little too fast food—for a place serving ambitious cuisine with an equally ambitious price point. Some low lighting and candles would bring the ambiance in line with the menu.

Bringing the price point in line with the food—at least for certain items—would also help. My dining companion, mulling her $18 entree of three small-ish tacos, asked if she could have a taste of beef from my $28 tenderloin tostada, a generous plate of rosy beef and refried potatoes piled with charred vegetables. The size of those tacos—stuffed with mahi mahi, lamb barbacoa, and charred steak, respectively—might not have mattered if they had been exceptional, but they were, in the words of my friend, “soggy and nondescript.” Similarly, a stuffed-squash entree looked beautiful, with its stuffing of roasted corn and burnished pinto beans surrounded by orange squash. But the stuffing lacked the rich play of flavors promised by its presentation.

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Poutino
A passel of crispy fries dusted with spice are striped with mild, creamy “fondito”—a variation on fondue—and an exemplary mole hinting of chocolate and cinnamon. Dotted with fiery-sweet pickled jalapeños and green onions, these fries hit all the flavor points, like the proverbial party in your mouth.

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More pleasing were the small plates we tried, although we puzzled a bit over the distinction between the ones deemed “little” and those that fell under the “small” category. Among the former, we tried a large tentacle of charred octopus with dollops of chorizo chimichurri and grilled onions, and the crispy, spicy street cauliflower with lime chili mayo. Both were delicious, but we wondered how in size or price they differed from our “small” serving of poutino, a variation on the Canadian french-fried concoction known as poutine.

Whichever way they’re categorized, you could make a meal just ordering from this nonentree section of the menu. Among the more intriguing offerings that we didn’t try were mussels vieja in a broth studded with red peppers, olives, and capers, and a pupusa stuffed with duck confit, Brie, and apples. Our favorite part of the meal may have been dessert, as recommended by our accommodating waitress, who’d also turned us on to that tenderloin tostado. She steered us toward the Crazy Banana Milkshake, which did look crazy and tasted crazy good. A banana shake arrived in a mug, its sides encrusted with a corn-flake-popcorn concoction “glued” to the mug with caramel and Mexican chocolate. So although La Food Marketa hasn’t risen to the level of its Anglo cousin, we’re guessing that its enterprising owner will work the formula until it does.

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LA FOOD MARKETA 2620 Quarry Lake Dr., 410-415-0606.
HOURS Sun.-Thu. 5-10 p.m., Fri.- Sat. 5-11 p.m., Fri.-Sun. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
PRICES Appetizers and small plates: $8-18; entrees: $16-32; desserts: $8.
AMBIANCE Family friendly.

Chef Dave Thomas, owner of the modern soul food spot Ida B’s Table in downtown Baltimore wowed judges Ted Allen, Martha Stewart, et al for a Thanksgiving-themed episode of Chopped on The Food Network, while chef Johntay Bedingfield of Pikesville’s La Food Marketa bested the competition for a recent tailgate-inspired episode.

Both chefs took home $10,000 in prize money and plan to travel with their winnings—Thomas and his wife, Ida B’s co-owner Tonya, are hoping to taste test their way through Africa this fall; chef Bedingfield is making plans to take his soon-to-be-wife, Alexa Pancza, on a honeymoon to Italy in May.

The wins were well deserved, as both “cheftestants” trained in their own way for the competition. “I did two training sessions here in my restaurant,” says Thomas, whose dishes included mac-and-cheese with fried turkey liver, deep-fried turkey breast with kouign-amann pastry and spoonbread stuffing, and spoonbread hand pie with port and cranberry reduction.

Thomas invited Ekiben’s Steve Chu (who himself recently won $16,000 on the Food Network’s Guy Grocery Games) to two “training sessions” at Ida B’s. “We did a head-to-head to get ready,” says Thomas. “We brought in some local judges and did a whole competition. For me, the cooking wasn’t the problem, it was the clock. I was more concerned about time constraints than not knowing the ingredients. But practicing certainly helped.”

Thomas also heeded to the advice of Tonya. “She said to me, ‘When you go up there, don’t be anyone other than yourself.’ Often, what seals the fate of some of the chefs who go on is that they try to go above and beyond to impress the judges—and they lose their souls while they are doing it.” Inspired by his grandmother’s soul-food cooking, Thomas kept it real by invoking his ancestry. “I found my calling in southern food,” he told the judges. “You take that first bite and you can taste the history. My grandmother had a 13-acre farm. I grew up watching her cook. I’m chasing her recipes to this day.”

Chef Bedingfield took a different tact. Instead of cooking on the clock, he prepped for the competition by watching episodes of the show. “The night before I went to New York for the competition, I binge-watched a few episodes to see if there was anything that the chefs were doing wrong,” says Bedingfield. “I knew to stay away from the ice-cream machine, for instance—that’s one thing I caught on to right away. Things go really well or really horribly at the ice-cream machine.”

Bedingfield’s father, a fan of the show, also warned him about kumquats—ironically, an ingredient that ended up in his dessert basket. “When I told my father that I was going to New York to be on Chopped, he said, ‘Watch out for the kumquats.’”

Each of three courses presented different challenges for the chefs. “The first round was the most intimidating,” says Bedingfield, whose dishes included potato chip nachos, a red cabbage taco, and soft pretzels stuffed with mascarpone cheesecake. “As soon as I opened the basket, I saw pickled avocado, cheesecake, nachos, and wagyu beef and I assumed that the wagyu was a whole piece of steak, but instead it was ground beef. I wasn’t anticipating having to render it down and the time on that round is only 20 minutes as opposed to the 30 minutes on the second and third rounds—I wasn’t trying to win the first round, I was just trying to get on four ingredients on the plate and not be last.”

The dessert course was particularly taxing for Thomas. “I was struggling with this puff pastry,” says Thomas. “When I went to remove it from the paper, it just stuck. It was warm, but it should have been refrigerated.”

For both cooks, their star turns on the show have left them with a renewed sense of purpose and energy.

“Being on the show made me unafraid to take risks,” says Thomas. “If you’re able to cook on the fly with a bunch of ingredients that you didn’t see before you started cooking, and you’re able to cook a dish with these great chefs from around the country tasting your food and judging you while you’re on national TV, it feels like there’s no risk you can’t take.”

Bedingfield, similarly, says that the experience was a major confidence booster. “I’ve always been fairly confident anyway,” he says. “But it has been heightened. To compete and have a stint on The Food Network, which I’ve watched as a kid, was just so cool.”

COMING SOON

Peter Chang Restaurant: Get pumped, “Changians.” Though details have yet to be announced, devoted fans of cult icon Peter Chang will be happy to hear that the chef’s family plans to open an Asian restaurant in the space that was previously Fork & Wrench in Canton. A former chef at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., Chang started his empire by opening strip-mall restaurants in towns throughout Virginia that weren’t particularly known for their Asian cuisine. While Baltimore boasts some stellar global eats, locals have long been waiting for an authentic Chinese food spot to open within city limits. Here’s hoping we’re next on Chang’s list of places to introduce to his Sichuan specialties—which include dry-fried eggplant, crispy pork belly, and Peking duck. 2322 Boston St.

OPEN

Lyfe Cafe: Experts say that late-January is typically the time when New Year’s resolutions start to go off course. But this new Towson eatery is making it easy for diners to prioritize healthy eating. Local nutritionist and personal trainer Penny Seabolt opened Lyfe Cafe inside The Shops at Kenilworth earlier this week, offering everything from protein shakes and wellness shots to vegan fare and meal-prep services. In addition to the lengthy list of breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes, the daily menu features a “Food for Mood” section with suggestions for specific health concerns. Need a B-12 boost? Try the veggie omelet with egg whites, spinach, and red pepper. For a healthy heart, Seabolt recommends the Summer Salad with grilled chicken, strawberries, and balsamic. The new eatery joins old standbys Atwater’s and Italian Gardens at the shopping destination, which also plans to welcome Felipe’s Mexican Taqueria next year. 800 Kenilworth Drive. Ste. 800, Towson. 410-842-1050

NEWS

The Elephant Building for Sale: Although co-owners Steven and Linda Rivelis and Mallory Staley assure that this fine-dining destination is in it for the long haul, they recently decided to put the historic building that houses the restaurant up for sale. In an open letter sent to diners via email earlier this week, the owners explained their struggles to secure a bank loan to pay back investors who helped fund the multi-million dollar renovation of the Mt. Vernon mansion. “Without even looking at our financials, nine banks told us that they will not make a loan for a restaurant, especially in Baltimore City,” the owners write. “Unfortunately, we have run out of time. After two years, our friends and family who loaned us the gap funds deserve to be paid back.” The iconic North Charles Street property is currently listed at $2.9 million. Although it will soon have a new landlord, The Elephant’s elegant dining rooms, craft cocktails, and worldly cuisine are here to stay. 924 N. Charles St. 443-447-7878

So Long, Esskay Hot Dogs: Don’t be surprised if you can’t find orange-and-black packages of Esskay hot dogs on your next trip to the grocery store. Virginia-based Smithfield Foods recently made the tough decision to discontinue the fan-favorite franks in an effort to reduce expenses and competition with its other products. As a result, Esskay will also soon disappear from Camden Yards. “The Orioles have always offered a variety of hot dogs, including Kosher options, at Camden Yards, and there are many brands that are expressing strong interest in bringing their product to the ballpark,” Orioles spokesman Greg Bader told The Sun this week. Though summertime cookouts will never taste quite the same, we’re confident that the team will soon find a new brand to spark the same kind of hometown pride. Perhaps the only good news to come of the Esskay loss is that officials say it will not have any effect on the famous Hot Dog Races at Camden Yards.

Baltimore Spirits Company Releases Limited Liquor Line: In the very first collaboration between Baltimore Spirits Company and its Union Collective neighbors Union Craft Brewing, the distillery has created a malty, chocolatey liqueur using fermented wort (extracted liquid) from the brewery’s seasonal Snow Pants Stout. Singularity #1 is the inaugural release in Baltimore Spirits Company’s new “E.B. Smith’s Singularities” line, which is named after co-founder Eli Breitburg-Smith. The liqueur will be available in the tasting room starting this weekend. Other Singularity releases, including a pear brandy, are expected to debut in the coming months. 1700 W. 41st St. Ste. 430. 443-687-9099

EPICUREAN EVENTS

1/25-26: Masarap Filipino Pop-Up at Fadensonnen
If you still haven’t gotten a chance to stop by Fadensonnen—the Old Goucher beer garden from husband-and-wife owners Lane Harlan and Matthew Pierce—this weekend is an ideal opportunity. Not only will the spot offer its local beers, wild ciders, and natural wines, but it will also host chef Rey Eugenio in the food truck out front. Authentic Filipino dishes on deck include a braised pork noodle bowl with fried garlic chips, grilled veggie skewers with Jasmine rice and kimchi cabbage, and a beef-and-potato bowl topped with fermented chili paste ketchup. 3 W. 23rd St. 5-9 p.m.

1/25-26: Harry Potter Pop-Up at Order & Chaos
Key Highway coffee spot Order & Chaos is collaborating with Hampden’s Full Circle Artisan Palace to host a Hogwarts-themed pop-up party this weekend. Fans can enjoy butterbeer lattes while sampling a selection of magical sweets crafted by Full Circle. Among them include doughnuts like the chocolate-glazed “Deathly Hallows,” espresso-sugar covered “Floo Powder,” and cinnamon dusted “Potter Spice.” 1410 Key Highway. 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

1/29: Johntay Bedingfield on Chopped
Head to La Food Marketa in Pikesville to watch the restaurant’s own chef Johntay Bedingfield compete on an episode of Food Network’s Chopped. The kitchen will be closing at 8:30 p.m., at which point diners and staff will gather at the bar for drinks and light snacks while cheering on the chef during the episode. 2620 Quarry Lake Drive, Pikesville. 8-10 p.m. 410-415-0606

SHUT

Cafe Andamiro: MICA students were saddened to hear that this cozy Midtown-Belvedere cafe will be shutting its doors for good this weekend. “We appreciate your business and support,” mother-and-daughter owners Ran Yun and Bomin Jeon posted to Facebook earlier this week. “Being able to share food, drinks, and moments with you was special to us.” Since opening in 2016, Cafe Andamiro—meaning “overflow in abundance” in Korean—has been known for its espressos and pastries, as well as Seoul-inspired specialties including noodle bowls, seasonal salads, avocado toasts, and pressed paninis. 241 W. Chase St. 443-453-9314

OPEN

The Red Boat Viet Fusion Restaurant: This Vietnamese-fusion spot is in the midst of a major expansion. The Eutaw Street eatery has plans to open two new locations in College Park and Boca Raton, Florida next year, and it recently debuted a second Charm City cafe in Mt. Vernon. The North Charles Street spot officially opened its doors last week, serving The Red Boat’s signature spring rolls, tacos, and banh mi sandwiches. The Mt. Vernon iteration will also feature a full bar, and kimchi fries with DIY toppings like bulgogi beef, lemongrass chicken, fried eggs, and toasted seaweed. 334 N. Charles St., 443-885-9162

Jazz + Soju: Adding to the city’s Asian-fusion options is this new Korean restaurant inside the Anthem House apartment complex in Locust Point. Now in soft opening mode, the spot will offer dinner service for the next two weeks and begin to serve lunch when it officially cuts the ribbon later this month. As its name implies, the artsy hangout combines live jazz music with a selection of soju—a Korean iteration of vodka. The food menu showcases traditional twice-fried chicken, as well as bulgogi burger sliders, kimchi fries, and garlic fried rice. 900 E. Fort Ave., 410-244-8600

NEWS

Charles Village Pub: This beloved Charles Village dive—best known for its affordable drinks and relaxed atmosphere—suffered a grease fire earlier this week. Luckily, no one was hurt. But the bar will be closed indefinitely as management oversees cleanup efforts and necessary repairs. In the meantime, neighbors have started a crowdfunding campaign to aid CVP employees while they are out of work. The GoFundMe has seen an overwhelming outpouring of support, raising $3,985 of its $5,000 goal in only two days. Stay tuned for updates. 3107 St. Paul St.

COMING SOON

Ceremony Coffee Opening at Cross Street Market: Ceremony Coffee Roasters has become a local go-to for craft coffees and Instagram-worthy eats since it opened in Mt. Vernon two years ago. The Annapolis-based shop later expanded with a second Baltimore location at Harbor Point, and now, it’s planning to unveil a stall at Cross Street Market in Federal Hill—which is currently in the midst of a major overhaul. The market’s renovations are being done in phases, and Ceremony will be located in the portion closest to Light Street that is expected to be finished first. Be on the lookout for seasonal java drinks, granola bowls, and breakfast sandwiches when the stall debuts this fall. 1065 S. Charles St.

The Hoof Cafe: Speaking of coffee shops in South Baltimore, this new spot is preparing to open its doors in Locust Point this spring. A partnership between neighborhood locals Rebecca Friedman and Jason Schiavone, the community hub will offer local Pfefferkorn’s Coffee, bagels, pastries, oatmeal, and other cafe fare. Friedman recently told SouthBMore.com that she is targeting an opening later this month. 1648 E. Fort Ave. 443-961-1039.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

5/5: Brunchin’ for a Benefit at La Food Marketa
Chef Chad Gauss is putting a charitable twist on his Cinco de Mayo celebrations at La Food Marketa in Pikesville this weekend. A portion of all brunch proceeds on Saturday, May 5 will be donated to Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Maryland’s upcoming Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Featured brunch plates include Mexican chocolate pancakes, steak omelettes, and Gauss’ take on a classic croque madame with ham, cheese, flour tortillas, and white enchilada sauce. 2620 Quarry Lake Drive, 410-415-0606

5/3-6: Phub’s Pop-Up at R. House
R. House is kicking off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with a pop-up from Phub’s—a Hanover-based Vietnamese restaurant that specializes in bowls of pho and banh mi subs. Throughout the weekend, the shop will be serving up dishes like fried spring rolls, barbecue pork sandwiches, vegan pho bowls, and organic salads topped with citrus sesame chicken. 301 W. 29th St., 11:30 a.m.- 9 p.m.

SHUT

Corner Charcuterie Bar: Owner Bernard Dehaene has officially closed this small plates staple on the Avenue in Hampden. He took to Facebook to announce the closure earlier this week. “Due to my deteriorating health, I have decided that today will be my last day opening Corner,” he posted Monday. “I need the time to prepare for knee, hip, and back surgery, as well as mind, body, and health.” Dehaene—who opened the business in 2011 and expanded it to include the property next door two years later—goes on to thank his customers, describing the experience as “one hell of a rollercoaster ride not to be forgotten.” 850 W. 36th St.

Modern Cook Shop: In Fells Point, this all-day eatery will also be shutting its doors this week. “Over the past few months, we’ve worked hard to roll out pop-up dinner concepts and new seasonal menu offerings each week, and we’ve seen some traction in patronage,” owners Andy Gruver and Jason Sanchez wrote in an announcement on Facebook. “Unfortunately, the clock has run out though. The costs of operating such an ambitious concept from morning to midnight, along with declining visitation to Baltimore and Fells Point has left costs far outweighing revenues.” The restaurant’s final night of service will be Saturday, May 5. No word yet on what will become of the space, which is equipped Gruver’s handmade designs of light woods, industrial shelves, and furniture. 901 S. Wolfe St.

In true Charm City fashion, local business owners are doing their part to help after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston and other parts of Southeast Texas and Louisiana last week—leaving more than 30,000 people displaced. Among the business owners aiding relief is chef Chad Gauss, who has vowed to donate 50 percent of all brunch sales at his Pikesville restaurant La Food Marketa to relief efforts this Sunday, September 3.

“Any time that there’s a problem that comes out of people’s control, no matter how hard you try to prepare, it’s just never enough,” Gauss says. “We thought it would be a good opportunity to put some good will out there and pay it forward to another part of the country.”

The fundraiser will feature the spot’s signature south-of-the-border-influenced brunch plates including turkey sausage tacos, classic Huevos Rancheros, and griddled French toast with a pineapple-almond crumble.

“A lot of people are looking for a way to give and don’t quite know how to,” he says. “This is a really uncomplicated way for people to support. And they get something in return.”

Here are a few other local businesses doing their part to give back:  

Abbey Burger Bistro: Co-owner Jason Zink is planning a fundraiser to benefit his friends Andrew and Chris Fox (the brothers behind Annapolis hotspots Vida Taco Bar, Fox’s Den, and Level) who opened Baltimore-inspired restaurant 495 Chesapeake Eats in Rockport, Texas only six months ago. The tavern, which the storm devastated in its wake, serves as an ode to Charm City with staples like crab cakes, pit beef, Maryland crab soup, and jumbo shrimp with Old Bay. On Wednesday, September 6, from 5 p.m.-2 a.m., both of Abbey Burger Bistro’s locations in Fells Point and Federal Hill will be donating $4 of every $6 Deep Eddy vodka drink to help the restaurant rebuild, and continue giving Texans a taste of Baltimore. “I’ve known Chris and Andrew for 20 years,” Zink says. “If anybody can rebound, it’s the two of them.” 811 S. Broadway, 410-522-1428

Avenue Kitchen and Bar: The former Le Garage space in Hampden is hosting a special wine tasting to support the cause. Snag a seat at the bar on Tuesday, September 19 to sample 12 worldly sauvignon blancs and a few from Texas. All proceeds from the event will be donated directly to the Red Cross. The ticketed sampling costs $25, and all attendees will be offered a 20 percent-off discount for their meal following the tasting. 911 W. 36th St., 443-961-8515

Becket Hitch and Wee Chic Boutique: These Lutherville neighbors are partnering with local infant support organization ShareBaby to help send diapers to families affected by the disaster. On Saturday, September 2, both boutiques will be donating a portion of their sales to the Texas Diaper Bank, which works to donate diapers and other supplies to infants and seniors in need. Multiple locations including 2360 Joppa Road, Ste. 110, 410-296-4818

The Charmery: In an effort to do their part, husband-and-wife owners David and Laura Alima are recreating one of the signature flavors from their favorite Houston creamery Chocolate Wasted Ice Cream. Swing by the Hampden shop this weekend to sample the spin on a Chocolate Wasted classic, which mixes a cherry and poppyseed base with white chocolate bits throughout. All proceeds will benefit the Chocolate Wasted owners and their efforts to help the community rebuild. 801 W. 36th St., 410-814-0493

Old Westminster Winery: Vigneron Drew Baker posted a video to Facebook earlier this week pledging Old Westminster’s support of the victims in Houston. The winery has set a goal of raising $10,000 throughout the month of September by donating 20 percent of all online and tasting room sales to the Red Cross. 1550 Old Westminster Road, Westminster, 410-881-4656

Parts & Labor: Spike Gjerde’s Remington meat mecca is supporting the cause the best way it knows how—by breaking down a whole prime steer sourced from Southwest Baltimore’s Old Line Custom Meat Company. This weekend, 100 percent of all sales from the cuts—both in the restaurant and its butcher shop up front—will be donated directly to flood victims in Houston. 2600 N. Howard St., 443-873-8887

Relief Show Featuring SONiA disappear fear: Local indie musician Sonia Rutstein, more fondly known as SONiA disappear fear, has organized a benefit show at the Corner Community Center in Roland Park this Sunday, September 3 at 7 p.m. The concert’s lineup also features performers Tret Fure, Tom Prasada Rao, Seth Kibel, Sarah Pinsker, and George Jessup. Tickets range from $10-18, with proceeds benefitting the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund established by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, as well as other charities including the Houston Food Bank and Organizacion Latina de Trans en Texas. 5802 Roland Ave.

Baltimore Ravens Make Sizable Donation: The Ravens announced Thursday that the organization would be donating $1 million to disaster relief efforts in Houston. The funds will be given to the United Way of Central Houston, and divided among the United Way Relief Fund for Hurricane Harvey, the Salvation Army of Houston, and the Red Cross. The organization is urging fans to join the NFL in donating to the Red Cross here. 

Sweet Elizabeth Jane: This Ellicott City boutique—which was hit hard during the flood devastation on Main Street last summer—is no stranger to the concept of rebuilding. “The generosity of so many of you got us through, so we know that any amount is helpful,” the shop posted to its Facebook page. In keeping with this sentiment, Sweet Elizabeth Jane will be donating 15 percent of all sales to relief efforts from September 2-4. 8289 Main St., Ellicott City, 410-465-6400

Chad Gauss might be best known as the brains behind local dining destinations The Food Market and La Food Marketa, but he is also passionate about giving back to the community—whether hosting dinners benefitting No Kid Hungry or serving on the board of the Hampden Family Center.

“All I really want to do is see people happy,” he says. “And food is communal by nature. We like hospitality just as much as we like food and service.”

To further his hospitable mission, the chef is hosting Tacopalooza, an outdoor fiesta at La Food Marketa on Monday, July 3 from 5-10 p.m. The party will benefit ShareBaby, a local organization that collects diapers, clothing, and other infant supplies for families in need throughout Baltimore City. As a father of three, Gauss says that the cause hits close to home.

“When it comes to charities, children are the most important because they’re absolutely helpless,” he says. “You’re born with the demand to have someone take care of you, and every baby should have the opportunity to have those needs fulfilled.”

ShareBaby will receive a portion of the proceeds from the event’s all-inclusive tickets, which offer guests eats, drinks, live DJ entertainment, a photo booth, and fun raffle prizes like a piñata stuffed with gift cards.

The event will be the first of its kind at the restaurant, which opened at Pikesville’s Shops at Quarry Lake last fall. Gauss says that it will have a summer block party-inspired feel, with food stations inside, passed drinks on the patio, and outdoor entertainment on a sectioned-off portion of the street.

“It’s just meant to be a big party,” he adds. “It will be a great time for people to relax and enjoy being outside.”

Guests are invited to dance to Latin house music spun by DJ Tanz, sip house margaritas, mojitos, and sangrias, and, of course, dig in to bottomless tacos. As the event’s name suggests, the evening’s menu will feature tortillas filled with everything from chicken and steak to turkey chorizo and lamb neck. There will also be plenty of chips and dip, and even a charcoal grill cooking whole fish, charred octopus, and other meats.

Aside from supporting the cause, Gauss is enthusiastic about using the restaurant as a venue to bring the community together.

“I’m just excited for everyone to come and hang out, enjoy, and know that life is good,” he says. “It will be a break from the world that night.”