Cyrus Keefer wanted the freedom to cook creatively without the risk of owning a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Now he's stepping away from the traditional kitchen to do just that.

Keefer recently launched a business to provide consulting for restaurants, catering for small events, cooking classes and pop-ups.

After doing freelance consulting for a number of restaurants during the last seven years and helping others get off the ground, Keefer decided to make it his full-time gig. He's recently served as executive chef at restaurants including 13.5 % Wine Bar, Fork & Wrench and Birroteca, and worked as a consultant to help revamp others.

“Nine times out of 10, the market for [freelance consulting] is pretty good, but ... the ceiling touches your head very quickly, and if you're not an owner, your chances to expand and do something for yourself are limited,” he said. “It's always kind of been a question mark for me: Why do I keep doing this? It works out for them; it works out for me, too, but only for a minute.”

Last year, he attempted to launch a French-Asian “micro-restaurant” in Hampden called Pique, but those plans fell through.

“The risk of going through all that again seemed to be a little tedious,” Keefer said.

While he'll continue to provide consulting for new and existing restaurants, Keefer also wants to continue cooking the creative food on which he's built his reputation without the limitations of working for someone else.

That's where the catering side of the business comes in.

“I didn't get into it to do that,” he said. “You're not going to learn how to build a Porsche and then build Ford Fiestas all day long.”

He's partnering with his wife, Angela Keefer, in the new venture and said he wants to keep it family-focused.

Keefer plans on offering catering services to parties of 50 or less, for events such as dinner parties and small weddings.

In addition to private events, Keefer is planning a series of pop-up dinners at local restaurants and unusual venues in the area. Coming up, he's working on a pop-up at Artifact Coffee and a private dinner at a Sparks farmhouse. He's also hoping to host events at the Food Market and Waverly Brewing Co., limiting each pop-up dinner to 30 people.

“I think it's a good way to cross-promote and cross-pollinate the idea,” he said.

For now, Keefer is still working with Sotto Sopra in Mount Vernon, where he helps develop new menu items. He's also been partnering with the Atlanta-based branding agency Vigor.

“I'm stretching out far as possible,” he said. “It's scary as hell.”

In brief

Chef Cindy Wolf will have to keep waiting for a James Beard Award. The nominee for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic was bested by Aaron Silverman of Rose's Luxury in Washington. It was Wolf's fifth nomination for a James Beard Award, and she was up against five other chefs from D.C., Philadelphia and Virginia. Those six were narrowed down from 20 semifinalists. Wolf's restaurant, Charleston, also made the list of James Beard Award semifinalists this year for Outstanding Wine Program, but it was not selected among the final cut of nominees. The annual awards were announced May 2.

Smashburger in Fells Point closed its doors after one year in business. The burger restaurant, which was housed in the Marketplace at Fells Point at 616 S. Broadway, shut down because it was not meeting the company's performance standards, according to a Smashburger spokeswoman. The Denver-based chain was among a slew of burger restaurants that opened in Baltimore recently, including Shake Shack in the Inner Harbor and Abbey Burger Bistro's new Fells Point location. Smashburger serves chicken sandwiches, salads, shakes and fries alongside its selection of burgers.

The chain recently opened another Baltimore-area location in Ellicott City.

smeehan@baltsun.com

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