ANNAPOLIS, MD — As the sun rose over Naples, Ryan Zale headed down to the docks. He cracked a few jokes with the fishers, had a sip of ouzo and picked up the day's meat; it was his daily routine.
Zale's summer as a personal chef in Italy taught him that America's food culture was missing something: fresh ingredients. Italians source their food locally, he says. Americans, do not. Zale wants to change that.
"This is what food culture in America should be like," the Annapolis chef said. "The cheese is from a pasture over. You're drinking wine looking over the vineyard."
A summer in Italy was just the start for Zale. After working in one of America's finest restaurants and opening his own eatery, Zale made his way to Annapolis, where he landed the executive chef job at Level - A Small Plates Lounge.
The newest cook at the West Street establishment has drawn a buzz, but it's not just from his ingredient-sourcing expertise. Zale is most-known for his 2014 appearance on the Food Network. He competed in the channel's popular show called "Cut Throat Kitchen," a contest where cooking prowess meets rivalry and sabotage.
Despite the program's dramatic front, Zale says his episode, named "Welcome to the Jungle," was largely staged. The two days of shooting were not about cooking, he claims. They were about entertainment.
"There's a lot of acting," the native of northeast Ohio said. "There's a lot of times they're telling you what to say. … You want the guy that's burning himself and losing control."
Zale did not take home the top prize, but he earned plenty of attention. He funneled that excitement into the restaurant he owned in Harrisonburg, Virginia, called the Local Chop and Grill House.
Continuing his advocacy for local food sourcing, Zale worked with Virginia farmers to bring the freshest ingredients to his customers and shake up the menu seasonally. All of Zale's fixings came from the Virginia valley, including his meat. In his free time, he even raised livestock on a Virginia farm.
"I was butchering my own beef, butchering my own pork," Zale said. "At some points, I'm picking my own cattle. I'm picking my own pigs."
Though restaurant ownership advanced his appreciation for community farmers, Zale mastered his fine dining techniques years prior elsewhere in Virginia. Two years at The Inn at Little Washington challenged Zale to grow quickly.
The restaurant is world-renowned and truly elite, the chef says. Each year, AAA ranks the top eateries around the globe on their five diamond scale. The Inn at Little Washington is one of 67 restaurants in the world to earn a perfect five diamonds.
"It's a destination restaurant," Zale said of the secluded staple in Washington, Virginia. "They have helicopter landing pads for politicians and celebrities to come and have dinner."
The upscale meal house is so selective that Zale had to audition for his job. He worked two "brutal" and unpaid 16-hour days to show how serious he was. In the end, The Inn at Little Washington grew Zale into the Food Network-worthy chef he is today.
Zale moved to Maryland about a year and a half ago. After a short break from the restaurant scene, he joined the Level team in February. He promises to continue sourcing food locally and tailoring the menu to each season.
"It's a way for me to showcase Maryland agriculture," Zayle said.
Level co-owner Jennifer Sowers couldn't be happier to have him. Aside from his cooking, she says he is such a lighthearted coworker. Zale's nonstop singing and gyrating inspired the restaurant to dedicate a plaque declaring that "This Kitchen is for dancing."
Jennifer Sowers and her husband, Eric Sowers, bought Level in 2017 for $725,000. Eric Sowers' 30 years in the food industry and Jennifer Sowers' time in sales, marketing and real estate make them a dynamic business team.
The family moved to Anne Arundel County in 2013 after Eric Sowers was transferred to a local Cheesecake Factory.
Eric Sowers' 13 years with the company rounded out his cooking skills, but they kept him out of the house from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. That left him longing for more time with his wife and their two kids. Owning their own business allows the Sowers to spend more time together and build a second family with the restaurant staff.
Level fits into the Annapolis family as well, embracing the town's artistic scene. Located at 69 West Street, Level is part of the Annapolis Arts District and proudly displays the work of neighborhood artists.
The restaurant further embraced its artistic roots by adding a mural to the second floor of its brick exterior. Annapolis muralist Jeff Huntington handled the project.
Huntington captures the essence of the town's nautical culture, portraying a blue heron in front of the nearby Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. An orange sunset fades into the piece's cool blue waters, expressing Maryland's dependence on the Chesapeake Bay.
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While artsy vibes surround the restaurant, Level is known for its alcoholic beverages. The magazine What's Up? Annapolis recently recognized the eatery for having the best cocktails in the city.
The most popular drink is the Gimlet, Jennifer Sowers says. Made with vodka, fresh lime juice, sugar cane and foam, the Gimlet is a favorite.
"The best way to describe it is a key lime pie in a glass," Jennifer Sowers said, noting that workers come in two hours early to squeeze the juice. "It's wonderful."
Jennifer Sowers says Level's sense of belonging separates it from other Annapolis restaurants. The LGBTQ+ community swarms to the business for pride nights that feature rainbow Gimlets. Level also accommodates diners with food allergies, serving gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options.
This community kept Level afloat when coronavirus slowed the world to halt. The business scraped by as its March sales plummeted to 18 percent of their normal projections. Staff worried about job security, but Level refused to give in.
"It just hit me how critical it is for us to make it through the next six months," Jennifer Sowers said. "My husband and I would have to start over."
The Sowers family turned to the Paycheck Protection Program for help. The program offered loans to small businesses to pay their workers during the shutdown.
The funding comes from the CARES Act, a federal stimulus package passed in March. Though the aid is technically a loan, it acts more like a grant. Businesses only have to repay the money if they layoff workers or slash their pay.
On April 7, Level secured a loan worth between $150,000 and $350,000, according to government documents. The supplementary income kept the restaurant open and saved 13 jobs.
Level immediately started advertising curbside pickup, and regulars flocked to the doorstep to enjoy their favorite fried brussel sprouts, tuna tartare and crabcakes.
As regulations relaxed, Level brought outdoor dining to its sidewalk and street corner.
Sales returned to 48 percent of their normal clip by the end of June. Indoor dining has since returned at 50 percent capacity, boosting sales slightly. Jennifer Sowers is just happy to see customers return.
"The best thing for me is when I'm in the basement doing paperwork in the office and hearing the laughter coming from the dining room," she said. "I love that."
Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.
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