Chef Spotlight
Do the Charleston!
the space to be “rich but simple ... not
overdone,” with the chairs comfy and
When most people hear the word
Baltimore, they think crab cakes (and
the China and silver fine.
rightly so). Well, listen up. Lauded chef
“This should be a place where cus-
Cindy Wolf wants to prove that there’s
tomers feel taken care of,” she says.
much more to this city’s gastronomi-
And this chef, twice nominated
cal charm. Step into Charleston, the
for the James Beard Award, certainly
fine dining establishment Wolf runs
knows something about taking care
with husband Tony Foreman in Harbor
of people. Wolf grew up surrounded
East, and prepare to be wowed.
by food. Some might say cooking is in
At Charleston, the philosophy of
her blood. Her grandparents worked
Southern hospitality prevails. After
in a butcher shop; her mother and
undergoing an extensive redesign in
grandmother were wonderful chefs.
2005, the elegant venue offers three
Though Wolf set out to pursue a busi-
intimate rooms—the main dining
ness degree, she soon realized she
area bounded by an open kitchen; the
belonged in the kitchen and enrolled
Wine Library with floor-to-ceiling cabi-
netry; and the Palm Room, boasting
embroidered Italian silk walls, chan-
deliers and French doors exposing
stunning marina views. Wolf wanted
Charleston
1000 Lancaster St.
Baltimore
410-332-7373
charlestonrestaurant.com
Above left, clockwise:
The bar at Charleston,
foie gras and a cheese plate.
at New York’s prestigious Culinary
Institute of America.
Wolf credits her first apprentice-
ship in the kitchen of Silks in Charles-
ton, S.C., for making her the chef she
is today. There, Wolf found inspiring,
talented mentors who were expressly
interested in her development. In
Charleston, Wolf fell in love with the
South’s “food of the home” and per-
fected her signature style of regional
Low Country cooking done with a
French technique.
A later stint at D.C.’s Georgia
Brown’s gave her a solid footing in the
world of fine dining and changed her
life in another way—it was here
continued on page 83
