If you ask The Gourmand owner Craig Rinkerman what a to start with-timer need to buy at his new cafe in Towson’s Kenilworth Shopping mall, he can’t limit himself to one particular or two things.
“Start with a great craft cocktail or beer,” he claims, “then go on to the Chesapeake fried inexperienced tomatoes topped with crabmeat and béarnaise sauce or the French onion soup with a roasted onion that lines the bowl…or probably buy the spicy Louisiana gumbo, then get some nachos or new seared tuna or one particular of our six contemporary fishes.”
If Rinkerman seems enthusiastic, that’s simply because he’s worked in hospitality for nearly 50 decades, even now rising early every single working day to do what he loves. And he now shares his enthusiasm with his spouse and children. His wife, Cristina, a short while ago grew to become the day supervisor at his other house, The Catonsville Gourmet, and his son, Mateo (pictured with his father), is his general manager in Kenilworth.
“I have no regrets other than getting informed I’ll be working weekends and holiday seasons for the rest of my lifestyle,” claims Rinkerman, “but at least I operate with my relatives.”
Why did you determine to open up a second location in Towson?
When the home at Kenilworth was available to us by [developers] Greenberg Gibbons, they reported that they required a Baltimore-based mostly loved ones business—they didn’t want to do a chain or a little something professional, and they imagined of The Catonsville Connoisseur. I initially wasn’t interested—you know, large is the head that wears the crown, and I didn’t need to have a further undertaking.
What created you modify your mind?
I am surrounded by a large amount of very good people—I have a terrific chef, Rob Rehmert. My son, Mateo, is extremely active in the enterprise, and my wife preferred to expand in the organization right after carrying out mortgages for a lot of decades. I figured that increasing was the appropriate thing to do for all of us, a thing for everyone to take part in for the subsequent 10 or so a long time.
Are there variances in the menus amongst the two spots?
It’s the very same actual menu, with a handful of extra dwelling specialties that we built everlasting at Kenilworth. We mirrored the menu since that’s our good results. We also have a entire lounge bar at Kenilworth and piano music on Friday and Saturday evenings. We have a liquor license at Catonsville, but it is much more of a desk services license to serve drinks and bottles of wine at the desk.
How did you get your commence in hospitality?
I got a position as a busboy at the Marquis de Lafayette in Cape May well. I always admired what was likely on in the kitchen area. There was a European chef there, and he mentioned to me, “Do you want to do the job in the kitchen area, youthful gentleman?” And I reported, “Chef Paul, I’d like to—I want to master how to make soup.” The to start with two or a few weeks, all I did was mise en put and lower veggies. I experienced calluses on my palms from peeling potatoes, but he taught me the right way. I didn’t go to faculty for it, but I’m a trained chef.
