In sider
Jason BoWErs
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Executive Chef
12 Baltimore
Kansas City, Mo.
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What kind of dining experience will guests
have at 12 Baltimore?
Great food and drink in a historic but hip
environment. ( 12 Baltimore was once the
site where Harry Truman’s haberdashery
was located.) Our guests will also
enjoy the fact that everything, even the
condiments and dressings, are made from
scratch in our kitchen.
In what ways do you use local ingredients?
One way that is unique to 12 Baltimore
is that I use locally brewed beers in many
of my recipes. Boulevard Brewing Co.
[Kansas City] creates a fabulous array
of beers, and my Bully! Porter Wings
are a customer favorite, along with the
Boulevard Beer Cheese Soup.
American Academy of Chefs, ACF
Culinary Team USA and Chef &
Child merchandise is also available.
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What’s on the menu?
Since we are in a hotel [Hotel Phillips],
we want to have a wide variety so that all
our guests, along with Kansas City locals,
can find something they’d like. The menu
includes 14 different sandwiches, lots
of appetizers, entrées, from seafood to
chicken to beef—it is Kansas City, after
all—and great salads and desserts. I make
several soups from scratch every day, and
especially in the cold weather, these are
extremely popular. I also do a different
sandwich special every day. Because we
are located in downtown Kansas City, we
get lots of patrons who come in every day,
and they appreciate the variety we can
give them through our specials. We offer
a Stimulus Menu at lunch that includes
an entrée and beverage for $7.95. In this
economy, it has been incredibly popular.
How does a new dish come to the menu?
Maybe I ran a dish as a special and it was
well-received, or sometimes a purveyor will
mention that they have something great,
like a particular type of seafood, and I will
create a dish taking advantage of that.
And then sometimes an idea comes to me
in my dreams.
What’s on your mind while you’re cooking?
When I’m on the line, it is relaxing pushing
out covers at lunch. But I am always aware
of the fact that each dish needs to make
people want to come back to 12 Baltimore
again and again.
Do you have any advice for young people
who are considering a career in foodservice?
Work for as many chefs as you possibly
can so you can gain lots of experience. I
have been lucky to work for many talented
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