The Chef Who Once Banned Black Pepper & Lemons: Spike Gjerde

Spike Gjerde has long been one of the most committed regionalists in American cooking — so committed that for a while his Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore didn’t serve lemon, black pepper, or vanilla because they don’t grow in the Chesapeake Bay region. Instead he used local vinegar, fish pepper, and other ingredients from Maryland and Virginia.He has modified his stance on that and expanded his business into what he calls the Ecco Project, a group of restaurants that reflect food trends but with a regional accent. Woodberry has been transformed from a large restaurant with a small private dining room to an event space with a small restaurant. La Jetée — French for “jetty” because of its location — reflects the cuisine of the French region of Provence, but with Gjerde’s own approach to local sourcing. Next up: Bar Dalí, a tapas concept with Baltimore flair. He’s also teaming up with Johns Hopkins Medicine and University, substantially expanding his buying power and ability to support even more local producers than he had been. This could possibly move the needle on regional food systems — not just one chef buying from local farms, but a major university and hospital doing it too.He recently discussed his approach to running restaurants and his plans for the future. Menu Talk is a podcast collaboration between Restaurant Business and Nation's Restaurant News, hosted by Pat Cobe (Senior Menu Editor, Restaurant Business) and Bret Thorn (Senior Food & Beverage Editor, Nation's Restaurant News).Subscribe for more chef interviews and restaurant industry insights:Restaurant BusinessNation's Restaurant News