Anna Kent and I have known each other for almost 10 years. We have a very close friend in common, but we really met via my work in food and beverage. Anna was one of the managers at R Bar (inside R House) back in the early, early days. The team there during the first few years really made it a fun and special experience and Anna was a big part of that for me. Fast forward several years and Anna and I reconnected a bit more via our mutual friend (shoutout, Jess Mayhugh!) and also through Anna’s vegan food business, Tom Cat’s Kitchen. Tom Cat’s has a very popular stall at the 32nd Street Farmers Market (Saturdays, weekly, year-round) and Anna has also done several successful dining popups at great places like Dutch Courage and HEX Superette in the last couple of years. I have to say, Anna’s food has opened up a lot of people’s minds to what vegan food can be – mine included.  There are many ways people approach veganism. While many people view veganism through a lens of animal welfare, others see it as choosing a plant-based diet primarily for the health benefits. Often though, people go into it for a little bit of both. Anna decided to go vegan around 2019 when she was having issues with her skin, circulation and more. “It was like a switch went off. Veganism was the thing I needed.” Personally, I am eating less animal proteins these days…ah, aging has definitely made me look at my life and think, “how can I live and feel better?”. I think a lot of people are trying to think more about their choices these days, and luckily for us in Bmore, the options for healthier and more thoughtful eating are getting better and better.  Anna and I sat down at Artifact Coffee (now solely woman-owned) so I could hear a little more of her story. First, I learned that Anna always wanted to have her own business, always being a very hands-on DIY person. But when she thought about how to structure her food business, she knew that she didn’t want a traditional restaurant. Having worked in the food beverage industry for so long, she saw how that world really affects the people who work in it. “It’s not always a healthy environment and I wanted to create something that was a better workspace for me and my team. Better for everyone in it. And with my business being small, I can control the working environment, the quality and systems, as well as the overall experience for both my staff and our customers.”Anna started out testing recipes in Sarah Walker’s tiny kitchen at Vent Coffee in Union Collective and she says that her craft cocktail background really came into play as she approached expanding her vegan cooking. “There are perceived limitations in both vegan cooking and cocktails. So, tasting, playing, figuring out what works, that’s all so similar to making cocktails. Balancing flavors and textures. And the level of care and detail, that for sure comes from my time at places like Le Garage and R Bar. Working with pros like Amie Ward and others are experiences I pull from. I can’t stress that enough. It’s huge.”“Capitalism always says big, big, big. But it’s okay to stay small and serve customers who fit what I want Tom Cat’s Kitchen to be. Our customers are so kind and supportive”, Anna says. And when we talked more about veganism and how divisive it can be, she said, “Being vegan can be seen as very judgemental and harsh. But nobody is perfect. And pursuing an ideal is okay. I always say, do your best, whatever that means to you”.Thank you, Anna, for being a part of this series! Chana masala from Tom Cat’s Kitchen. Cake or pie? And, what kind? Pie! I want savory over sweet and crispy crunchy texture over soft and smooth. I love pumpkin pie, but only at the holidays, and apple pie pretty much any time. If it’s a veggie and herb filled pot pie, that’s the ultimate winner. Your most prized possession? Wow, I have absolutely no idea how to pick just one. I feel like I want to answer this in categories. In the kitchen, it’s my collection of high-heat spoon-ulas. In my home, it’s my vintage art and planter collection. In the utility corner of my office, it’s my cordless, rechargeable Dyson stick vacuum! I’m a Taurus and we tend to have a slight materialistic streak, especially when it comes to the items that ground us and make us feel at home.  What’s your favorite thing to order out at restaurants? Honestly, anything vegan and ideally, novel. I love to experiment with food and experience how other people experiment as well. If there is an ingredient I’m unfamiliar with or an interesting flavor profile, I’m interested. If it’s finished with a generous pile of fresh herbs or something pickled or fermented I’m going for it. Oh but also, fries. I just love fries so much. What’s your favorite thing to cook at home? Tofu, veggies and rice. It sounds boring but it’s so filling and can be taken in any direction. Last night I went for five spice, calamansi lime soy sauce and furikake. The other evening it was tajin mayo, cumin, paprika and cilantro. Today I’m feeling cheese sauce, diced roasted tomatoes, and my garlic and herb cheesy pasta topping. What is your morning beverage and how do you take it? My current obsession is Numi Aged Earl Grey with a splash of oat milk.  What’s your personal motto? If you don’t care enough to do the task in front of you well, find something else to do.  What is your favorite holiday and why? The entire month of January! I’ve worked in hospitality and customer service almost my entire life. I have spent nearly every holiday in the last two decades working extra around holiday time to serve those who have more conventional schedules. About three years ago I decided to close my business down for the entire month of January to rest, recoup and travel. It was an excellent decision and one I’m going to stick with as long as I possibly can. Dishes from Tom Cat’s Kitchen. Best advice you were ever given? And from whom? Never lend money (or anything else for that matter), only give it. That way if it doesn’t come back to you, you won’t be harmed and if it does come back, great. This advice was passed along from my lovely Granny. What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment? No doubt my greatest accomplishment is starting my business and building it to what it is today. While I sometimes feel the pain of burnout, I get such satisfaction from my work. I no longer experience hiding in the walk-in to cry and when I do cry at work, it isn’t about work. Instead, I get to cry in the open if and when I need to, sharing my life with my co-workers and knowing they can feel safe to share their experiences, too. I get such an incredible feeling of pride, gratitude and satisfaction over having built something that serves myself, my co-workers and our customers in a way that feels good ethically and energetically.  The last text you sent? “I feel like Britpop overlaps Indie Sleaze, no?” What is your idea of perfect happiness? Work that feels meaningful without overburdening you, social time that is just as important as work, community that supports and accepts you, regular access to nature and communing with animals, good food, dancing, dirty and espresso martinis, fried potato products. What do you love most about food? We commune over food, we are literally fueled by it. How we eat is a reflection of how we connect with our own physical needs, the needs of the people we share the table with, the impacts of the foods we eat, how we appreciate all the parts and people in the system that feeds us. It is central, integral, so vastly important and yet such a regular part of life. It can be the most special experience in the world or the most utilitarian and it runs the length of that spectrum over and over and over.  Your favorite place in Baltimore? I think wherever my home is tends to be my favorite place. I’ve lived in Waverly for the past 5 years and it’s such a wonderful neighborhood. I love taking walks around Lake Montebello and down into Herring Run, or biking, walking or scootering my way into another neighborhood for food and drinks. I love the azaleas that bloom on Rexmere and that I can take a 10 minute walk to the gym. I felt this way about Remington, which is where I lived for 15 years before moving here, and I look forward to finding this feeling again when I move to Charles Village in a few months. Baltimore is such a city of neighborhoods and I love feeling anchored in whichever neighborhood I’m living in.  Read more Baker’s Dozen pieces and other writing from Amy Langrehr on her Substack, Cream Cheese + Olives. ...read more read less