Bmore Q&A: Dishing with Super Foodie Lars Rusins

It's not a secret that when it comes to seafood Baltimore chefs have it going on. As tasty and delicious as steamed crabs and pan-fried crab cakes are, that's just the tip of the city's culinary iceberg. Over the past 15 years the food scene in Baltimore has matured taking on the sophisticated flavors of a serious food town, evidenced by the recent "Top Chef" TV show appearances by Jill Snyder, formerly at Red Maple, in season 5, and Abacrombie's Jesse Sandlin in season 6 (set to begin on Aug. 19 on BRAVO).

Possibly no one is more convinced of the city's culinary skills than Lars Rusins, founder of Baltimore Foodies, a group of down-to-earth gourmands whose mission is to sample the best of Baltimore's food scene with monthly dinner parties held at local restaurants.
 
"Baltimore is a great food town," Rusins says. "And it's only getting better."

He likes to show off what the city to out of towners whenever possible. In fact at Baltimore Foodie dinners he offers member prices to anyone from out of town who calls and says they'd like to join the group that evening. "And that's why I try hard to not repeat any restaurant the foodies go to. That's right, in five years now, we have repeated, maybe three places.

 "We are so lucky to have this wealth of great, independent restaurants in town. A wealth that is growing every day it seems," he adds.

Seeing as Baltimore's restaurateurs are in the middle the semiannual Restaurant Week (which just got extended to run through Aug. 23), Rusins sat down with Bmore for a chat about the city's food scene.

Q:  Would you say that Baltimore, over the past 15 years or so, has moved beyond its culinary cliches to become a city in which foodies can take great pleasure?

A:  Funny, I was a corporate transfer here 15 years ago and have seen the scene evolve and develop just wonderfully. When I started to explore the city, I went out to find some of the great local restaurants. That is the same philosophy behind Baltimore Foodies. We want to expose people to the great independent restaurants in Baltimore.

Q:  What about our food scene do you think visitors would find most surprising?

A:  Baltimore is soooo much more than just crab cakes.

Q:  Who are the hottest chefs currently in the Baltimore food scene?

A:  Tough to say. You have Jill Snyder, who was on Top Chef last year and is currently at Woodberry Kitchen. You have Jesse at Abacrombie, who will be on Top Chef this year. You have Ted at Jack's Bistro doing incredibly fun stuff. Not sure he's the hottest, but he has been getting a ton of press, and has helped spearhead the buy-local campaign, that's Spike Gjerde at Woodberry Kitchen.

Q: What top trend have you noticed taking hold in Baltimore?

A:  What else -- buy local.

Q: With two local chefs hitting the big time on Top Chef, what do you think attracts this level of talent to Baltimore?

A:  Talent has always been here. I don't think they are attracted here more because of "Top Chef." And there are some great chefs in Baltimore who would never do "Top Chef." We have a James Beard nominated chef [Cindy Wolf] here. We have chefs who have cooked at the James Beard House in NYC. We have some great people here. Always have. Always will. "Top Chef" just helps highlight some of the newer and upcoming talent, I think.

Q: Who are your favorite chefs?

A:  Ninety-nine percent of the guys and ladies in Baltimore. And a couple who should move to Baltimore, like Michael Gettier [former chef at the Orchard Inn currently at Antrim 1844 in Taneytown, MD].

Q: Where do you go for some of your favorite dishes?

A:  Really depends upon my mood. I have always been a fan of classic French fair, but love the Pad Thai from Thairish on Charles St. and would always get the Lengua Tacos from the Taco Truck on Broadway up by the church.

Baltimore Restaurant Week is underway and has been extended to run through Aug. 23. At participating restaurants, three-course dinners are only $30.09, and three-course lunches are $20.09. For more information, check out the Restaurant Week website.

Walaika Haskins is managing editor of Bmore. Have a comment or idea? Send feedback here.