Baltimore’s own Chef Melanie Molinaro will be creating the next generation of farm-to-fork cuisine with the launch of Stall 11, a refined vegetarian concept opening in R. House this fall. Offering eclectic twists on old-world street food inspired by travels around the globe, Stall 11 will source ingredients from co-owner Urban Pastoral’s own high-tech hydroponic growing facility in East Baltimore, Maryland.
A renowned and accomplished chef and food entrepreneur, Molinaro is one out of a handful of female executive chefs in the Baltimore area. Her carefully crafted menu will boast edgy and creatively composed plant-based dishes including Korean cauliflower, sweet corn polenta with a smoked ragu, and a baby kale and black garlic Caesar salad. The changing seasonal menu also will offer desserts like black bean brownies and vegan cookies.
A grab-and-go case featuring a small batch line of products prepared in-house, including fresh, live greens and herbs, vegan pesto, non-pasteurized tonics, live culture yogurts, seasonal soups, and a variety of fermented goods will be available—all of which will incorporate ingredients grown by Urban Pastoral. Stall 11 will also serve fresh-pressed juices, green lemonade, and herbal teas and tonics.
“With subtleties and creative composition, I’ll be elevating vegetable-centric dishes into the main attraction,” Molinaro said. “I compose my dishes based first on what plants are in season, what colors they are, and then what I think would look beautiful paired together. Using a very visual approach, from there I will add delicious grains to complement each menu item and present each as a work of art. As someone who is not a vegetarian, my guests can trust the food served at Stall 11 will be so satisfying they’ll never realize they didn’t eat any meat.”
“We are food entrepreneurs, engineers, anthropologists, and farmers of the future who grow in the city, for the city. In partnership with Chef Mel, and by supplying all of the incredible, locally grown ingredients for this food concept, Stall 11 will be an urban addition to the food ecosystem here in Maryland,” says J.J. Reidy, Urban Pastoral Founder and CEO. “Using food as a catalyst for urban regeneration, Stall 11 will challenge the Baltimore community to redefine their perceptions of farm to fork. We have an ambitious vision for our city, and it starts with our commitment to providing good, honest food.”
Located on the first floor of a 50,000-square-foot historic automobile showroom and garage in Remington (Remington Ave. and 29th St.), Seawall Development’s $12 million food and drink emporium, R. House, will be a launch pad for 10 of Baltimore’s most exciting chefs and their culinary concepts. Chef Dave Sherman announced in February that he is opening Ground & Griddled at R. House.
