What It's Like To Be... with Dan Heath An Executive Chef
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Sep 23, 2025 Cindy Wolf, a James Beard-winning executive chef and owner of Charleston in Baltimore, shares her culinary journey. She dives into the art of butchering whole alligators and crafting dishes like grilled sweetbreads. Cindy reveals what it was like to cook for the legendary Julia Child and discusses her desire to remove certain popular items from her menu. The conversation also touches on the challenges of managing a fine-dining kitchen, from staff dynamics to precise cost calculations for her signature dishes.
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Always Cost New Ingredients Per Portion
- Cost every new ingredient by calculating product cost per portion before you buy it.
- Include garnishes, batter, and every small ingredient when you compute the plate cost.
Train Hands-On; Use Software For Pastry
- Teach cooks by doing rather than relying on written recipes for every dish.
- Document consistent pastry recipes in software, but train most kitchen staff through hands-on instruction.
Specials As Guest Gifts And Marketing
- Cindy treats high-cost specials as marketing and generosity to guests rather than full-margin items.
- Bringing in rare items like Wagyu can draw new customers even when the product isn't priced to capture full cost.
