Farm to Chef 2020
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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
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.