Restaurateurs Bring a Little 'Herb and Soul' To Loch Raven

When executive chef David Thomas and his partners, Brandon Taylor and Yuriy Chernov, decided to strike out on their own and open a restaurant, they knew exactly what they wanted to do.

The three restaurateurs wanted to bring something unique—farm-to-table dining—to an area they felt needed it. For the last eight months, that vision was executed in the form of Herb & Soul, a carryout kitchen operated inside of a convenience store at 1702 Yakona Rd.

But recently, the trio had the opportunity to lease the entire building and turn their business into a sit-down restaurant.

"We always wanted to do something [more than a carryout and] the opportunity just presented itself ... just going through those trials and tribulations, this space opened up for us," said Taylor, a Severn resident. "This is what we knew, where we built our brand. [We decided] we’re gonna do what seemed like the impossible by taking what people associated as the neighborhood sore and turning it into the neighborhood gem in the matter of a week or two."

Open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5-8 p.m. for dinner Tuesday-Thursday, Herb and Soul offers a menu focused on local, organic and gluten free options. On Friday and Saturday, the restaurant still opens at 5 p.m. for dinner but stays open an extra two hours, until 10 p.m., and features live music. On May 18, local guitarist Julian Rosa will perform.

"For right now we're doing live music every Saturday which borders in between jazz, blues, soul, acoustic, all different genres ... indie rock. We have a diverse following, we like to appeal to a diverse crowd—people who love music and great food," Thomas said.

The food, which ranges from chicken and waffles to Indian fry-bread tacos and beyond, is prepared in what Taylor and Thomas call a "Southern Fusion" style.

"We have a lot of different spins, or classic dishes that have a little twist to them. For instance, chicken and waffles, that's a classic southern dish," Thomas said.

But at Herb & Soul they do it differently: cage-free boneless chicken breasts are used instead of bone-in chicken and are served over a Belgian waffle made with sweet potato, with a house-made rosemary maple syrup.

Check out the video attached to this article to see executive chef David Thomas preparing Cajun Chicken Pasta and a Crispy Eggplant burger.

"We just do these little things that set us apart from everybody else," Thomas said. "We don’t do them just to be different ... I get bored with food, I think the conscious consumer does as well. You’re always looking for something different. Why should I try to provide you with things that you can get 20 or 30 other places?"

At Herb & Soul they also cater to vegetarians (a crispy eggplant burger topped with mozzarella cheese) and vegans (a black bean burger made with smoked lentils and local greens) and those with gluten sensitivities (check out the vegetable pave—a dish similar to a vegetable lasagna that uses thinly sliced vegetables instead of noodles.)

"If [someone] comes to Herb and Soul they have the opportunity to get something that's tastefully done in a vegetarian or vegan setting. In lots of restaurants that's a forgotten part of the menu. We try to make those dishes just as tasty and well balanced as the rest of the menu," Taylor said.

And the ingredients in the dishes, vegetarian and otherwise, are sourced locally from a variety of partners whenever possible. Thomas said he works with Richardson's Farm, Roseda Beef, Talmar Gardens and Golden Crust Bakery among others.

"Farm-to-table is just that, we have a relationship with local farmers, purveyors that we buy our products from," Thomas said. "The majority of my menu comes from within 30 miles of this location ... lemons, limes might be coming out of California, but the vast majority comes form Maryland, Pennsylvania or Virginia. I believe wholeheartedly that you should know where your food comes from. People have gotten away from that over the years."

Thomas, 45, said he's been an organic eater for the past two decades and sees his restaurant as an opportunity to bring that style of eating to his customers. Thomas, who previously worked for Aramark putting out meals for huge groups at the Baltimore Convention Center, sees Herb and Soul as a place where he can advocate for "slow food."

And the Loch Raven area seemed like the best place to do it.

"Parkville has that touch of blue collar, that’s what built this country. Hardworking people who go to work every day, try to raise a family, care about each other," Thomas said. "Parts of this area have gotten a bad name, if we can help turn that around that would be exciting for us too."

Thomas, who lives in Baltimore City's Lauraville neighborhood, said that Herb and Soul could easily have been a downtown restaurant but questioned "what would set [Herb and Soul] apart and what kind of impact [they would] have on the community."

"Downtown isn’t suffering for any more restaurants but Parkville is," Thomas said. "Your choices up here are extremely limited."

Since Herb & Soul opened as a carryout in September 2012, Thomas and Taylor said the response has been excellent, both from the local and extended communities—they have regular customers from Lutherville, Timonium, and even Harford County.

"That’s what Parkville needs. When you’re trying to recreate some magic or change the status quo. You need people with the influence to come inside a community and bring the resources back," Thomas said.

"This part of town ... Loch Raven, Yakona, it could be a Main Street if the right companies migrated here," Taylor said. "We could be the catalyst for change in this area, we can show people that you can come in here and run a business and build a good following."