Kicking off Sail250 Maryland, the Living Classrooms Foundation is partnering with the James Beard Foundation and Baltimore chef Spike Gjerde to host a Friends of James Beard Dinner that celebrates Baltimore’s culinary heritage and history alongside the semiquincentennial.
The ticketed event will take place on Monday, June 23, at 6 p.m. on the Baltimore waterfront at the Frederick Douglass–Isaac Myers Maritime Park, placing Chef Gjerde at the center of Sail250 Maryland’s kickoff celebrations.
Gjerde, known for his work in eateries like Woodberry Tavern, Bar Dalí and La Jetée, is the only Baltimore chef to win a James Beard Award for “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. Using food to tell the story of the city’s past and present, Gjerde will lead a collaboration with some of the region’s most acclaimed culinary figures. Collaborators for the event include restaurateur Tony Foreman, Clavel chef Carlos Raba, The Urban Oyster founder Jasmine Norton, Burnt Hill Farm chef Tae Strain, chocolatier Jinji Fraser, and La Jetée pastry chef Kaity Mitchell.
Together, the aforementioned chefs will create a menu inspired by the people, traditions, and cuisines that have shaped Baltimore over the past 250 years, while raising money for youth education, workforce development, and entrepreneurship programs through Living Classrooms Foundation, the James Beard Foundation, and the Novella Center for Entrepreneurship.
“As a longtime resident of Baltimore City whose work is inspired by and intimately connected to the Chesapeake Bay, I am excited to support an organization that expertly pairs support for Baltimore youth and communities with preservation of the Bay,” Gjerde said in a statement. “I’m also looking forward to showcasing Baltimore’s culinary talent and traditions alongside the James Beard Foundation.”
The event has the capcity for 160 seated guests, with ticket prices beginning at $250. More about Sail250 Maryland can be found here.
