IRON BRIDGE WINE COMPANY 10435 MARYLAND 108 COLUMBIA, MD 21044 (410) 997-3456 IRONBRIDGEWINES.COM OWNERS: ROB WECKER,
STEVE WECKER
CHEF: CHRIS LEWIS When Rob (“Wine Geek”) and Steve (“Idea Guy”) Wecker opened Iron Bridge Wine Company more than a decade ago, they sought to fill the needs of restaurant patrons who wanted a great glass of wine with dinner but didn't want to have to pay for a full bottle to get it. So Iron Bridge offers thirty or so wines from small vineyards all over the world, sold by the glass every day. And if someone is in the mood for multiple glasses, or wants to take some home, Iron Bridge sells wine in bottles too, with more than three hundred wines in stock at about one-third of restaurant prices. There's a small corkage fee if they're sampled in-house. Of course, all of that fancy grape juice needs some good food to accompany it, and that's where Chef Chris Lewis steps in. Chef Lewis, who graduated from the Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts, has been at Iron Bridge Wine Company since 2011. The Carroll County native worked as souschef for both the Milton Inn and Linwood's and was executive chef at an old Baltimore favorite, the dear departed Brass Elephant. In 2012 and 2013 he came in second in the Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament, but at Iron Bridge, Lewis is number one in the kitchen. His menu at Iron Bridge Wine Company is ever changing, which Chef Lewis considers fun. When asked how he comes up with dishes that are meant to be eaten as an accompaniment to a nice glass of wine (or the other way around if, like us, you're more of a food person than a wine person!), he says, “We always create the dish first, then taste it. Then we think about the wine aspect. Is it too sweet? Salty? Sour? If so, we find the balance and create it again.” Chef Lewis's seasonal menu runs the gamut from obvious wine-friendly nibbles like cheese and charcuterie plates that include house-made pâté and brawn (aka head cheese) to something more delicate, like a gazpacho with spiced shrimp. There are also hearty entrees such as lamb ravioli with lamb bacon, and a burger made with local Roseda Farms beef. Much of the product Chef Lewis uses comes from local farms like Discovery Farms and Rebecca's Garden, both nearby in Howard County. “Buying locally ensures we have the freshest ingredients,” he says. “I became a chef for my love of food and respect for animals. It is such a rush to have a busy service and then have so many people leave your establishment knowing that they had a great time.”