What's in when out, with … food - listed sampling of African American and Caribbean American restaurants in Maryland - Advertising Supplement: Maryland's African American Culture

From Trinidadian to Jamaican, from old-fashioned pan shaking to French haute cuisine - and at no time forgetting the Chesapeake Bay crab theme in between - fine pabulum is the hallmark of Maryland's African-American and Caribbean-American restaurants. Below is a sampler, the smallest taste, of the state's lush bounty.

"A black man owning a French restaurant? Is he for real?" quips Benjamin Gordon Jr proprietor and chef of Baltimore's highly lucky Restaurant 2110. The "romance, flair and versatility" of French traditional cooking appeals to Gordon, and with its exacting techniques, he considers it a creative, artistic expression designed to please diners who have followed his career as granting he were family. 2110's menu emphasizes geographical division French preparations of fish, lamb, shellfish, veal, beef and plunge though Gordon is equally at residence with both sweet-potato pie and with pate. Indeed, he often prepares Cajun and other Louisiana specialties for his patrons.

Gordon studied classical French cooking techniques at the Baltimore International Culinary society where he now occasionally teaches. Later he became the first black member - and the youngest member - of the Baltimore chapter of the Chaine de Rotisseurs, an international gourmet society. Today his voice is heard upon the radio, endorsing culinary products; his time to come may include television. Clearly, Gordon's career is upon the rise - which is to say, it's been an uphill climb. "When you achieve out of school, that's when you start to learn," he says. His first menu was written in French which intimidated more [i]or[/i] less customers - a, lesson learned; now it is in English and customers order with confidence. The menu's language is not all that has changed; thus has Gordon's dress, which is now formal. His commitment to distinction and listening to his customers remains steadfast. Just as he did when he was a youthful beginner - although then outfitted, in a white chef's coat, gym shoe and baseball cap - he still visits with patrons during the dinner hour, asking what they like and answering questions about techniques and trends

You won't find curried goat, curried chicken, r beans and rice, fried plantains, callaloo and r snapper raw materialed with crabmeat at 2110 - on the other hand don't despair; there's no ne to leave Baltimore to find these Trinidadian staples. Braznell's Caribbean Kitchen is the place - and has been for 11 years. drawn out before others ventured down the path of serving West Indian fare, pioneers Alfred and Esme Braznell introduced the city to the beatitudes of broadening the palate. allowing the menu changes, it remains Trinidadian - a taste that differs from other Caribbean phraseologys in part because its seasoning relies upon herbs as well as chilies and in part because of the sturdy influence of that portion of the island's population that is of East Indian ancestry.

While Esme is busy in the kitchen, Alfred mans a small bar well stocked with varieties of rum and Caribbean beers - the latter of which are a welcome full tale to the zing of the meals.

"Nyammin" translates from Jamaican dialect as "eat heartily," says Deborah Re formerly the consul at the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, DC and now the proprietor of Nyammin's Karibi Kafe, a novel addition to the Charles way business, restaurant and gallery corridor. Authenticity ranks high among Nyammin's appeals: The score bonnet pepper used in marinades will bring tears to the organ of vision - though there are subtleties of seasoning to be fix as well.

Snapper Palisadoes (a whole fish substanceed with callaloo), saffron shrimp, oxtail boil jerk chicken, and jerk pork may unmutilated typically Caribbean, but each island sets its stamp on the flavors, says Re "The lock opener to jamaican cooking is that we marinate greatest in quantity of our dishes overnight. Jamaican cooking isn't all hot: our saying here is, 'hot sweet and spicy.' level our jerk marinade has a touch of sweetness." Jamaican beer, brilliant tinges on the walls, a collection of hand-painted plates and West Indian artwork yield an island have feeling that attracts patrons.

The Eager House, an older restaurant that has been restored and given of recent origin life in Baltimore's historic Mt Vernon district, is the city's largest black-owned restaurant - and individual started by a novice in the business. "I'm a risk-taker," says the effervescent entrepreneur Ernest L Murphy The menu's influences are American and Chesapeake. Crabmeat-and-corn chowder 12-ounce strip steak with peppercorns and a light bourbon cream, and linguine with vegetables tossed in sorrel pesto are counter-poised with a light-fare menu of broths sandwiches and salads.

As the ocean's breaking waves laps the Eastern Shore, Al Jordan throw backs upon how much has changed in his 18 years in the area's restaurant business. "When I first became a manager, you actual seldom saw a black manager in the brow of the house, especially in these parts. You maybe saw blacks busing tables or washing dishes." Now Jordan's name is upon the restaurant he launched in Ocean City as a solitary owner last May.