With 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Dearie's resumé includes manager for the 4 star, 4 diamond, international award winning Conservatory Restaurant atop the Peabody Court Hotel and its allied catering business on Mount Vernon Square for 8 years, and Antrim 1844 in Taneytown, MD, another prestige dining establishment, for 4 years.

A native to Sykesville, Dearie purchased the station in the summer of 1997. He quickly turned the station into a venue to unleash his creative freedom. By hiring Executive Chefs to design the menus and co-oping with Uptown Promotions, Baldwin's Station soon became the talk of the town for its food, service and Thursday night concert series. Busily working away in the old train master's office, atop the station, Dearie barely has time to take in the bird's eye view of the scenic Patapsco River rolling below. As chief of his own promotions, Dearie has quickly wow'd magazines and newspapers afar with the lure of the train station and the revitalization of the sounds of singer-songwriters and jazz music. As quoted in the Baltimore Sun, Dearie says "I want this place to be an experience, not just a meal".

Darrick Granai

EXECUTIVE CHEF

I was raised in Newport, a small town in the northern part of Vermont, located along the Canadian border. At a very early age I was exposed to cooking by my two grandmothers; one of them raised 10 of her own children and 30+ foster children. She was always cooking something for someone, so no matter what time of day you showed up, she would feed you. She still makes the best bread I have ever eaten. My other grandmother was Italian and made the best pasta dishes I have tasted - everyone truly loved her handmade pastas! Her sauces would take several days to complete. The house would smell delicious; the neighbors would stop by in the hopes of sampling some of her fresh pasta. I noticed how people would gravitate to both of my grandmothers when they were preparing food. I could see the excitement and anticipation on peoples’ faces as they waited to be served. I witnessed how food would bring people and families together and comfort people in many different ways. Food was the common denominator between large groups, and it was a good way to break the ice between individuals. My two grandmothers brought comfort and joy to a lot of people through their cooking; people always spoke of their dishes and of them with high regard. I was fascinated by the power good food had over people and began to cook things for my self at a young age.

I am thrilled to be able to share my passion for food with every guest. At age 28, I am young to be an Executive Chef and I am hungry to make a name for myself in this industry. I hope that diners are excited to be here, willing to try something new, and that they thoroughly enjoy their dining experience at Baldwin’s Station. Welcome to my table.

Pictured above are Executive Chef Darrick Granai, Chef de Cuisine Michael Harper, Saucier Andrew Rusnack, Pastry Chef Dustin Heflin, and Prep cooks Kyle Smith and Chris Bjoro, and Nicholas Smith.

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