DINING TASTE
Cutting Edge Experience By Tom Worgo Photography by Stephen Buchanan
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lackwall Barn & Lodge’s menu is as big as the vast space the restaurant and event center occupy. The expansive menu, in the eyes of owner James King and executive chef Neil Langermann, is a recipe for big-time success. “We don’t really have bad nights here,” King says. “No question, the quality of the food is better and its more consistent.”
Enter the 57-year-old Langermann, who joined the restaurant in April, with his impressive culinary background and achievements. Langermann earned Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.’s Chef of the Year in 2001 and is a three-time winner of Baltimore Restaurant Week’s Appetizer Challenge. He owned his own restaurant, Langermanns, in Canton for eight years and worked 14 years in Washington, D.C., including 10 at the four-star Georgia Brown’s.
At Georgia Brown’s, King says Langermann put out consistent dishes for a 175-seat restaurant. Blackwall Barn, part of the local Blackwall Hitch group, seats 200. “I have worked with some incredible chefs who do some incredible things when they are serving 25 seats,” King explains. “They have all night to do it. These same guys crumble on a Friday night when they have to put 300 plates out. Neal doesn’t.” We recently talked to Langermann, a Bowie resident, about how he became an executive chef, his favorite dishes to cook, and impact at Blackwall.
BLACKWALL BARN & LODGE 329 Gambrills Road, Gambrills 410-317-2276 | barnandlodge.com
Why did you choose to work at Blackwall? What was so appealing about the opportunity?
I have a mutual friend (Greg Casten) with James King and he put us together. It started off as a farm-to-table concept. James told me, “I need you to do Greek or things on the fly. It’s not going to be an American menu all the time.” I have a very well-rounded background. I am able to adapt to different cultures and cuisines. I liked what they were doing. James gave me his vision and I like what he’s trying to achieve. I feel we can get there. I think my talents fit in well. You have won several awards. Which one meant the most to you?
The Chef of the Year was the biggest one for me because it was voted by peers. It is very rewarding. That’s recognition in the industry by people who know what we do and how we do it. For them to pick me, showed that all the things I have been taught and was teaching were valid. 80
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What kind of impact do you feel you’ve made with the restaurant?
The biggest impact has been the consistency of the operation. You have to have a personality, be a leader, and have everyone buy into it. That’s why the relationships are so important. You have to earn everyone’s respect. People follow when they are being taken in the right direction. How do keep up on the latest trends?
When I am not at the restaurant, I am online constantly, googling things for new ideas and talking to people. I am trying to find the next great thing. You have to stay current. What do they say about college? You spend one hour in class and two hours studying outside class. It’s the same in the restaurant business. When you get home, you have to keep pounding the pavement. I’m here 60 to 65 hours a week, then I’m working at home another 15 to 20 hours. As an executive chef, there’s really no day off.
