When I asked Ben Lefenfeld to tell me one of his favorite dishes on the menu at the new restaurant Seppia that he is opening with his brother Jake and wife, Amy, he paused for a second and said, “the artichokes” and then he described the cook on them. Whole artichokes are poached in aromatics and served with bagna cauda, a dip traditionally made with garlic, olive oil, butter and anchovies. “It will be a really fun and playful dish for our guests. It was one of my favorite foods to eat when I was a kid. My mom used to make it for me.” Guests will peel the leaves and dip them in the bagna cauda and to me, that sounds like a fun way to eat. I already like the vibe I’m getting here.
The concept for Seppia has been in play—if only in their minds—for many years. Ben and Amy have traveled extensively through Italy and of course, found food inspiration from north to south. With that in mind, Seppia’s menu will shift with the seasons, with lighter coastal fare in the spring and summer and heartier dishes once the temperatures fall.
Like their first restaurant, La Cuchara, the menu will be tight. (Click that link!) I love this because, to me, a smaller menu shows confidence and a clear point of view, while a menu with too many choices completely overwhelms my brain. Seppia’s menu will be sectioned by charcuteries, salads and appetizers, fresh pastas and large plates. I am particularly excited to try the malfadine (ruffled pasta) made with squid ink. When GM and sommelier Mike “Red” Farace took me on a little tour of the restaurant last week, we popped into the walk-ins—by far my favorite part of any kitchen tour—and passed trays of freshly made pasta waiting to be cooked, including the malfadine. (Incidentally, it’s pronounced “mah-fal-DEE-nay.”) It’s something truly special—not only for its soft gray hue, but for the delicate ruffled edges that make it quite striking and beautiful. Here, it’s served with saffron mussels, shrimp, calamari, roasted peppers and lemon.
On the beverage side, there are some very exciting things in store for guests. First, the wine list will be quite extensive at almost 300 bottles. Here’s something fun: on Monday through Thursday nights, the restaurant’s three sommeliers—Mike Farace, Marco Valverde and Austin Carpenter—will each choose three wines that will be priced at 25% off. So, diners will have nine more affordable options to choose from for a little weeknight wine adventure and the somm selections will change every night. Seppia will also offer the beloved La Cuchara Sunday special of 50% off bottles over $100, a great way to treat yourself to a bottle you might not otherwise consider.
And then there are the cocktails, of course, dreamed up and crafted by the wonderful Jake Lefenfeld. There will be five house cocktails—hello, one is the La Cuchara fave Velvet Underground—as well as several non-alcoholic options, including Baltimore’s Tortuga Kombucha. What am I most excited about? The martini menu, featuring five classics: dry, dirty, wet, perfect and reverse. During our conversation, Ben and I talked about how he and Jake really wanted to serve classics over trends, and I really like that. (I do like an espresso martini but it really does not need to be everywhere.) With the martini menu, guests who may not be experienced martini drinkers can learn about the iconic cocktail, try different options and find their favorite. According to Red, Seppia will also have an excellent selection of grappa and amaro and yes, happy hour specials are in the works and will be added later on down the line.
The Lefenfelds purchased the two-level building at 901 W. 36th in March of 2024 and have made some major changes, including completely rebuilding the staircase guests see when they enter and adding two large structural beams. Overall, the restaurant is two floors and seats just under 200 guests. Plus, there are two private dining spaces—one on the second floor and one downstairs in the wine room (which seats 24), just off the kitchen on the lower level. And hallelujah for people like me who prefer to dine at the bar: there are 32 bar seats.
As you may know, in early January, the Lefenfelds’ beloved La Cuchara suffered a devastating fire. As the news spread, Baltimore held its collective breath, hoping everyone was safe and that the restaurant would reopen soon. Now, months later, it’s clear the damage was extensive, and they don’t expect to reopen La Cuchara until later this year.
But there’s a silver lining. The fire allowed the Lefenfelds and their team to shift much of their focus and energy toward opening Seppia, while helping keep most of their staff employed and supported during a very scary and stressful time. So, hooray, we’ll soon have the chance to see and support many of our favorite La Cuchara team members whom we’ve missed so much, working in similar roles at Seppia.
I’ve known Amy, Ben and Jake Lefenfeld for a good little while now. These are very talented, kind and extremely dedicated people and I cannot wait to support their new venture. Get ready, Baltimore. Located at 901 W. 36th St., Seppia opens April 2, seven days a week, and reservations are open on Resy.
