With shelves lined with freshly baked bread, vibrant fruits and vegetables, international ingredients, and home decor, shopping at Culinary Architecture is anything but ordinary.
The storefront operates as a miniature grocery store, catering kitchen, bakery, bar, and private indoor/outdoor event space. Founded in 2015 by Sylva Lin, Culinary Architecture has become a catch-all for all things food and community, and one of the locally owned businesses that is breathing life into the Pigtown neighborhood in Southwest Baltimore.
Lin’s efforts gained national recognition when she was recently named to the inaugural list of the SPARK 10, a new honor bestowed on women who are sparking change through small-scale community-based manufacturing.
SPARK 10 commended “Chef Sylva” for what it said is her pivotal role in incubating food-related businesses, noting that she creates opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals, immigrants and seniors, training them for roles in food-product ventures. Notably, one mentored company recently earned the state championship for Best Seafood Chowder, while another achieved gold for Best White Chocolate at The National Chocolate Awards.
“Chef Sylva is a true catalyst” in Pigtown, said Ilana Preuss, the founder and CEO of Recast City, an economic development venture that created the SPARK 10 award. “She is building community in the process and hopes to make Culinary Architecture a must-see tourist destination for Baltimore.”
Lin explained how her upbringing influenced her to pursue this path. Her parents, immigrants from Canada and Taiwan, showed her the importance of growing food and cooking organically.
“I became interested in cooking for people my entire life. My parents are both avid cooks but also people who have always grown things. I call them the original ‘urban farmers,’” said Lin.
With parents who were botanists, Lin recalled growing up with plenty of fresh ingredients at home. She taped maple trees, foraged for mushrooms, gardened, and made apple cider, beer, jams, and jellies from scratch.
“As a kid, growing up with that type of background, I naturally always liked cooking and was always very curious,” she said. “The mindset of being a cook came from like never really being scared to try anything, because the worst we can do is have it taste really, really bad.”
After graduating from culinary school, Lin worked as a chef and nutrition expert in Washington, D.C for the NBA’s Washington Wizards. She then went on to try to conquer a new market—Baltimore.
“When I came here, I quickly found a very, very different food environment. One that was not as plentiful as D.C., and Baltimore is just a smaller city,” Lin said.
Eventually, Lin founded Culinary Architecture at 767 Washington Boulevard in Pigtown and focused on catering international and healthy food. Lin takes pride in being able to provide, ship, or cook very niche food options for customers. This includes providing international ingredients that customers may not find in a chain grocery store, such as spices, teas, and condiments.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Lin pivoted from catering. She was able to package orders for food and allowed customers to shop in a smaller space with fewer people, which provided comfort for those who were anxious about their safety and health.
The store has become a popular destination for both locals and visitors.
A Destination Location
Pigtown Main Street is a a non-profit organization within the neighborhood that works to ensure success in historic Pigtown. Executive Director Carrie Baniszewski, has had positive experiences with Culinary Architecture.
“Pigtown residents and the community love to support small local businesses,” said Carrie Baniszewski, Executive Director of Pigtown Main Street. “I don’t know of any other store like Culinary Architecture in the city. It’s also a destination location, so it draws people from outside of Pigtown or even outside of Southwest Baltimore.”
Online reviews illustrate its popularity. “Sylva is awesome,” raved customer Kate Cambell in a Google review. “She’s always gone above and beyond on our catering orders.” said Cambell. Cambell said the storefront was “a Pigtown staple.”
“If you’re a foodie, Culinary Architecture is worth a visit,” wrote Austin Graff in an online comment. “This market has interesting finds from pastries like roasted grape and cheese danishes, to a shelf of hot sauces… if they don’t have it, ask the friendly workers and they’ll let you know if they plan to carry it. They can’t be stumped.”
Lin is proud of the SPARK10 recognition she received for micro-level manufacturing. Micro-level manufacturing refers to the process of creating, packing, and storing products on a smaller level than mass manufacturing.
“We produce bread for other restaurants in the city. We manufacture food every day, and we see the opportunity to sell local products…It was like a really great honor to be recognized for the work that we do,” said Lin.
Lin emphasized that Culinary Architecture tries to do its part for the city by hiring employees representing immigrants, seniors, and those returning from incarceration.
“We help where we can,” she said.
Lin explained that each day, she strives for her business to provide people with opportunities to connect with others. Her philosophy continues to distinguish Culinary Architecture among other businesses.
“We are a gathering place for people. People feel comfortable here. We’re not a branded place, and we’re slightly cluttered—we make people feel at home,” said Lin.
Although Lin is still faced with many challenges that come along with being a small business, she is confident that Culinary Architecture will continue to act as a pillar for the Baltimore community. Lin explains that Culinary Architecture is so much more than a business, but a place that uplifts, supports, and celebrates community.
“Shop not for convenience, but for community,” Lin said.
