Farm to Chef 2020

Thanks to all those who joined us for the first ever virtual Farm to Chef Maryland on October 5th as well as all of our very generous in-kind donors and sponsors.

Congratulations to Chefs Jon Kohler of Pairings Bistro and Saon Brice of Copper Kitchen, who were named both People's Choice and Judge's Choice winners in the final competition! We would also like to thank all of the other chefs that participated below - please sample their delicious fare and support the talent that supports TasteWise Kids and our mission.

A reminder that you can still sign up for TasteWise School! Check out mixology, cooking, pasta making and wine tasting classes from some of Baltimore's biggest names here.

Tap to Reveal

Team 3

Jerry Edwards

Chef Expressions at Manor Tavern

Craziest job experience

First night I was hired to train at a Roy Rogers when I was 17. I came in as instructed and the kitchen cook and restaurant manager did not show up. The cashiers kept yelling for food, so I just got started and cooked like crazy. By the end of the night we had 200 pieces of chicken and 100# of beef cooked with no more customers. I think I over achieved.

Favorite place to go to destress

The mountains by a lake.

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Animal House (Showing my age.)

Best date night idea

Dinner at my house: Fine food and great wine.

Anthony Franklin

Cosima

Craziest job experience

Honestly this whole food industry is crazy to me lol!

Favorite place to go to destress

Nothing beats a nature walk or just being around a body of water to feel relieved of stress, but if I can't get to nature a nice workout at the gym is my second go to!

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

If anyone has seen Office Space then you know what I'm talking about. (We've all had a case of the Mondays.) lol

Best date night idea

Hitting a few dance spots on a beautiful city night and eating some amazing food.

Team 7

Jon Kohler

Pairings Bistro

Craziest job experience

I unknowingly caught my chef jacket on fire lighting a baked Alaska in front of a large crowd for charity event -- and I wondered why they were laughing!

Favorite place to go to destress

My garden.

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Caddyshack

Best date night idea

Picnic with good food and wine and with a guitarist playing.

Saon Brice

Copper Kitchen

Craziest job experience

Cooking for Mr. Barack Obama and he said how great the food was and can't wait 'til next time.

Favorite place to go to destress

Church and when I get there I jump on my drums and go for it...

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Will Ferrell "Step Brothers"

Best date night idea

Eating Ceviche on a tropical beach with Beyonce and Rihanna talking about our union together.

Thanks to all of our participating chefs!

Durian Neal

Good Neighbor & Loving Spoon Collective

Craziest job experience

Worked at Roy’s Hawaiian fusion when it was the best in the country Roy spent his birthday with us. We went skydiving.

Favorite place to go to destress

The forest. Any forest will do. Hopefully I can find something to snack on —that’s the best part!

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Friday

Best date night idea

Whatever happens, we have to eat on the water like dinner on the boat —never done that, seems dope.

Doug Wetzel

Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen

Craziest job experience

There was construction being done on Charles Street and something sent water up through our drains in the middle of lunch service. Two other cooks and myself squeegeed water for 3 hours straight out the back of Gertrudes. We closed for dinner that night and the water issue was dealt with by the city that evening.

Favorite place to go to destress

I used to run around Hopkins campus after work to destress.

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Best date night idea

Dinner at home with my wife, snowballs on our porch swing and then work on a puzzle while watching true crime shows.

Zack Mills

True Chesapeake Oyster Co

Craziest job experience

I would say operating a restaurant during a pandemic!

Favorite place to go to destress

Home.

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Coming to America

Best date night idea

Dinner at True Chesapeake of course!

Helena del Pesco

Larder Baltimore

Craziest job experience

Picking ginseng berries on a ginseng farm in Wisconsin.

Favorite place to go to destress

My favorite place to de-stress is the ocean. Ideally riding a longboard.

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Waiting for Guffman

Best date night idea

Blindfold your date and lead them around your favorite neighborhood, describing everything to them in detail. Then have them blindfold you and do the same.

David Zamudio

Alma Cocina Latina

Craziest job experience

Cooking on a cruise ship for 6 months when I was 20.

Favorite place to go to destress

The best place to destress for me as always been the beach.

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Monsters, Inc.

Best date night idea

Anything involving amazing food!

Catina Smith (Chef Cat)

Just Call Me Chef

Craziest job experience

Working at a hotel within a week the executive chef was fired and I was running the place.

Favorite place to go to destress

Canton Waterfront

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Dave Chapelle: Sticks & Stones

Best date night idea

Picnic after tubing.

Ben Lefenfeld

La Cuchara

Craziest job experience

Craziest job experience for me was when I was working for an old school French Chef. His wife worked with us as well and would bring her poodles to work. I needed to make lunch for those dogs most days when I was at the bottom of the totem pole in that kitchen.

Favorite place to go to destress

Favorite place to destress would have to be Druid Hill Park, taking a long walk with my wife Amy and dog Bella.

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Favorite movie to make me belly laugh is Fletch.

Best date night idea

Best date night idea in my opinion is going to the farmers market and making brunch together.

Keith Holsey

State Fare

Craziest job experience

Emptying the walk-in at Portalli’s in Ellicott City after the first flood in the middle of Summer after the power was off for the previous 6 weeks. Easily the craziest and worst experience of my career.

Favorite place to go to destress

The beach. Doesn’t matter which one or time of year. Feet in the sand always helps.

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Its hard to pick just one but probably Dumb and Dumber. Classic!

Best date night idea

One of my first dates with my wife was to an Oriole game on a cool April night. Being outside drinking a beer, eating a hot dog, watching the Orioles win with the most beautiful girl in the Stadium was a perfect date night.

Collin Morstein

Scratch Made

Craziest job experience

Cooking and delivering 150 meals when my two cooks were out of town in early 2019. A cold beer never tasted so good when all was said and done.

Favorite place to go to destress

My backyard. Light the grill, make dinner and enjoy some music and the sounds of nature.

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

Borat comes to mind as the movie that made me laugh the hardest. Has anything good come out lately?

Best date night idea

I think incorporating some kind of walking, be it around the neighborhood, city or wherever else. Something about moving about usually leading to good conversation.

Dana Sicko

Gundalow Gourmet

Craziest job experience

Catering a Light City party in freezing cold blustery weather. We were hoping the tent wouldn't fly away while trying to keep our fingers functioning and serving. We had aprons over our parkas.

Favorite place to go to destress

There is a little spot in my house with a comfy chair, the light shines through the window just right. If I need to to destress in a big way then I take a trip to Ogunquit, Maine.

Favorite movie that made you belly laugh

It's Complicated

Best date night idea

Checking out the stars and sharing a bottle of Old Westminster Wine.