Hotel Revival, a boutique hotel located in the heart of Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon neighborhood, is pleased to announce Justin Vaiciunas as its new executive chef. With a culinary background spanning 16 years and five cities, Chef Vaiciunas brings a wealth of experience and an award-winning culinary perspective to the hotel’s food and beverage establishments. Chef Vaiciunas’ debut menu at Topside will launch when indoor dining is permitted to resume in Baltimore City.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Chef Vaiciunas to the Hotel Revival family, particularly at this time when the hotel is navigating the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and looking to welcome back diners,” said Donte Johnson, general manager of Hotel Revival. “Chef Vaiciunas’ creative eye for presentation and artistic culinary point of view is unmatched, and we look forward to working with him to further expand and elevate our food and beverage operations at the hotel.”
In his new role, Chef Vaiciunas is responsible for directing and overseeing food service operations throughout the property. He develops menus for the hotel’s food and beverage establishments, as well as special events, private events and in-room dining options while ensuring quality assurance in culinary operations. With an impressive resume working at establishments across the country, Chef Vaiciunas will manage the food and beverage team, oversee budgets and provide an exceptional experience for guests.
“I have always wanted to experience and, ultimately, live on the East Coast, and Hotel Revival is the perfect fit for me. I love the sense of community and creativity that comes from this City and am excited to be part of it,” said Chef Vaiciunas.
Chef Vaiciunas began his career at the distinguished Detroit Athletic Club, widely recognized as home to several certified Master Chefs. During his time in Detroit, he was awarded “Best Chef” by the Detroit Metro Times, “Up and Coming Chef” by Metro Detroit and “Best Restaurant for Top of the Pontch” by the Detroit Free Press. After venturing from his hometown of Detroit, Chef Vaiciunas moved to Chicago for a corporate chef position with Whirl Management, LLC and subsequently worked in Salt Lake City. He then accepted a position as executive chef at The Local House, a boutique hotel located in Miami Beach. Most recently, in 2018, he opened and created the entire food and beverage program for The Guild Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio hotel in downtown San Diego, leading the establishment’s restaurant to being named “Hottest New Restaurant” by Eater San Diego.
In 2015, Chef Vaiciunas competed on the Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” with celebrity chef Alton Brown. Chef Vaiciunas graduated from the Schoolcraft College Culinary Arts Program in his hometown of Detroit.
Upon his arrival to Baltimore just over a month ago, he began testing menu items and incorporating his style and flavors into Topside’s to-go and in-room dining menus. He simultaneously developed a new menu for the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, Topside, which features a distinctive, flavorful array of fresh, local ingredients and gluten free and vegetarian options. From small plates such as the Cured & Toasty ($12), featuring prosciutto, lemon mascarpone, fennel and parmesan on crostini; Bonafied Marrow ($17), incorporating steak tartare, black garlic and parmesan; and Deviled Eggs ($9), containing smoked salmon and topped with pea foam, truffle and caviar, to entree-size plates including Crab It Up ($22), a black pasta featuring 100 percent colossal crab, smoked gouda cream sauce and truffle oil; Seduction ($27), a pork tenderloin decorated with chocolate mushrooms, fine herb pesto and goat cheese; and The Farm ($25), a toasted kale and quinoa salad completed with roasted chicken and squash and an almond vinaigrette, Chef Vaiciunas’s debut menu offers customers a variety of options.
Once open, Topside will offer breakfast daily from 8:00-11:00 a.m. An all-day menu will be offered Sunday-Wednesday from 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. (bar open until 10:00 p.m.) and Thursday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. (bar open until 11:00 p.m.). In the meantime, the restaurant’s brunch and lunch/dinner to-go menus have been revamped by Chef Vaiciunas and will continue to be available for carry out and through Uber Eats. In-room dining is also available for overnight guests and through Hotel Revival’s Cabin Fever package, an offer including a one-night stay and in-room dining for breakfast and dinner. For more information about the menus and the Cabin Fever package, visit www.jdvhotels.com/revival or @revivalbaltimore and @topsidebmore on Instagram.
