Chef de Cuisine

Following 20 years at Woodberry Kitchen, James Beard award-winning chef Spike Gjerde ( Woodberry Kitchen, La Jetée, Bar Dali, Cafe Terracotta ) is embarking on a new chapter: the ecco/project evolves WK's intense commitment to direct purchasing from small, regenerative farms in the Mid-Atlantic to create new food businesses that overlay an approach to local sourcing with beloved global cuisines. Our focus is on driving measurable economic value to regenerative, local agriculture– strengthening a regional food system, contributing to positive environmental outcomes, and a vibrant Baltimore city.

We are searching for a culinary professional to lead our kitchen at the brand new Bar Dali, a tapas bar that draws on the traditions of storied pinxtos bars in Spain. The project includes oversight of a small but mighty kitchen, supporting a 50 seat bar & restaurant, and a 60 seat event space in the heart of Mount Vernon.

This right candidate has 2-3 years of kitchen management experience at the Chef or Sous Chef level, preferably in thoughtful independent restaurants, and has a stated interest in working with local ingredients & farmers instead of broad-line distributors. Experience with Spanish cuisine is preferred.

Responsibilities:

• Daily kitchen management for a 7-day restaurant and events operation.
• Supporting Spike's vision for the culinary programs including recipe development and documentation, creating and maintaining kitchen standards, kitchen organization, and constant improvement.
• Ensure nightly service & execution meets established standards.
• Manage a small but effective team of line cooks, prep, and dishwashers.
• Effectively manage labor and food costs.
• Manage purchasing and prep lists to support the operation, including following sourcing rubrics, and working with the variability and availability of our products.

Qualifications:

• Ability to stand for 10-12 hour shifts.
• Experience with kitchen management job functions.
• Ability to use digital systems: Google Suite, Tripleseat, and scheduling platforms.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills.