Culinary Architecture Market & Kitchen — Restaurant in Baltimore

Amazing shop! CA is hands down my favourite thing about living in Pigtown, and I'm in there usually at least once a week. The shop is stocked with an eclectic, wonderful variety of food and drink (lots of international imports as well as hyper-local, Baltimore-made offerings, and specialty finds from all over the States), and I always wind up leaving with more than I came in for. They also offer fresh baked goods (cookies, croissants, little pies both savory and sweet, breads, other dishes) and there have been nights where I've eaten a salted oatmeal cookie from CA or a pint of ice cream (they have Cajou, Taharka, Jeni's, McConnells, Van Leeuwen, Boba x Ice Cream, & many more I'm forgetting) as my dinner. The cheese section and frozen meat/seafood is also insane -- my favourite burrata ever (Zingerman's) was a CA find. They also have seasonal produce including staples like tomatoes and lettuce/greens and carrots, as well as things like figs and sugar plums.

In addition, the owners and staff rock. They're friendly and knowledgeable and have offered suggestions for recipes/pairings when I've asked (and they don't hover while you browse, which is very nice). They truly care about what they offer, and the store is full of things that range from accessible (many kinds of ramen, hummus/lentil dip/tzatziki, jarred sauces of all kinds) to exotic (quail eggs, caviar, merguez, pate).

I've honestly never been in another food market like CA, and I consider it a tremendous asset...

This was an frustrating and unprofessional experience. I submitted an event request for a small gathering on their website, received an email confirmation, but never heard back. After calling for an update next day, I was told a manager, Silva, would call me back. When she finally did, she claimed she couldn't find my request, despite my confirmation. The issues only escalated from there. I specifically asked bread bites with further interest about the duck option for my event. Silva promised to call me back at 10 a.m. the next day with an answer. Not only did she fail to call, but when I had to call her again at 2:30 p.m., her apology was weak and she offered nothing but excuses. She stated they couldn't fulfill the order because they only typically handle “corporate orders” and that their bread takes two days to make—information she should have provided during our first conversation. This information is not listed on their website or menu, making the excuses even more frustrating. This is a complete failure of customer service. There was no attempt to offer alternatives, no sense of urgency, and a clear lack of respect for my time. It's evident there was no intention of helping from the beginning. This is not the way to run a business, and I cannot recommend a place that treats potential customers so poorly. The entire experience was unprofessional and disrespectful, and I would give zero...

Absolutely do give these lovely people lots of business when you can! Absolutely do NOT park in the nearby parking lot next to the dollar general store no matter how tempting that may be when your hungry & looking forward to a bite to eat. The spinach pie was delicious even though we arrived late in the afternoon looking for a quick lunch. The hospitality of Sylva & the staff was efficient, warm and engaging. Fortunately the fact we were visiting from out of town & had unknowingly parked in the predatory towing lot came up in conversation. Three older women in central Baltimore without their vehicle could have been disastrous. But Sylva and her husband quickly acted, assisting in locating my car, giving me a ride to the tow yard before it closed for the day & entertaining my mother & sister while I was gone. These folks not only provide delicious food & a variety of beverages. In our conversations I learned they are active in their community working for positive good. I hope the upcoming expansion to Little Italy this winter goes well & many more satisfied patrons enjoy their food & hospitality whether eating in, picking up pastries to go or using their catering services. Thanks again for a great lunch & turning around the horrible end to our fun day with kindness when least expected &...