While the duo originally planned to open a local bakery similar to
their now-closed Brooklyn flagship, they were forced to put those plans
on hold last year. In the meantime, Robicelli has gotten to work
familiarizing himself with the local restaurant scene, most recently
serving as executive chef at Trinacria Cafe in Mt. Vernon.
Earlier
this month, he was brought on to fine-tune the kitchen operations at
Modern Cook Shop, the market-and-restaurant hybrid that opened on South
Wolfe Street in Fells Point last year.
The space, operated by
Fork & Wrench owners Andy Gruver and Jason Sanchez, features
traditional seating, as well as lounge areas, counter service, and a
market up front with local produce and prepared foods to go.
Robicelli
says that the unique setup was part of what drew him to the position:
“It’s basically the restaurant version of create-your-own stories,” he
says.
In his new role, the chef is excited to streamline the
pastry program (think vegan brownies and a pound cake made with
grapefruit bitters), introduce a line of house-pressed juices, expand
catering operations, and present an all-day menu with dinner specials
that rotate based on what’s in season.
Robicelli plans to offer
global dishes inspired by the cultural diversity of his childhood
neighborhood of Bay Ridge, a borough in Brooklyn.
“That’s how I
grew up,” he says. “My neighborhood was mostly Italian and Irish, but
we had kids that were Spanish and Puerto Rican. My best friend was
Guyanese. We went to people’s houses for dinner and had food from around
the world.”
Changes are expected to begin taking shape in the
coming weeks. As the process gets underway, Robicelli is enthusiastic
about connecting with customers to gauge feedback.
“We’re
looking at every aspect of the restaurant to see what works and what
doesn’t,” he says. “We just want people to have a great experience every
time they come in.”