Area loses two chefs to restaurants they'll own on the shore

Two of Baltimore's most celebrated chefs, Michael Rork of the Harbor Court Hotel and Mark Henry of the Milton Inn, are moving to Maryland's Eastern Shore to run their own restaurants.

Tomorrow will be the last day at the Harbor Court for Rork whose eight-year reign at the Inner Harbor hotel brought its posh Hampton's restaurant national honors, including being repeatedly named as one of the Distinguished Restaurants of North America. Friday Rork will be in St. Michaels running the Town Dock, a 250-seat restaurant that he and his wife, Betsy, purchased.

Henry and his wife, Barbara, are moving from the Milton Inn in Sparks to the Chester River Inn on Kent Island. The couple recently bought the 110-seat restaurant and hopes to have it ready for customers by mid-July. During Henry's 6 1/2 years at the Milton Inn, it was transformed from a quaint eating spot perhaps best known as the site of the former boarding school of John Wilkes Booth, into a nationally known restaurant. Esquire magazine named Henry one of the best young chefs in America. Conde Nast Traveler magazine recently listed the Milton Inn, as well as Hampton's, among the top 50 restaurants in the United States.

Holly Forbes, a longtime member of Rork's staff, has been named acting executive chef at Harbor Court. Stan Levy, Henry's former sous chef, will be in charge of the Milton Inn kitchen.

Rork and Henry, who are friends, said the simultaneous nature of their moves was a coincidence. At first, neither chef knew of the other's plan to relocate. But after the chefs and their wives had independently visited some of the same Eastern shore restaurants, everyone figured out what was going on.

In separate interviews, Rork and Henry said the major factor in their decisions to move was the chance to own a restaurant.

"I am finally doing what I have been getting ready to do for years," said Henry, who is 37 years old and has worked at several Baltimore area restaurants including, Peerce's, Stall 1043, Crystal's, and Samuel Owings. He explained that while he was learning "the back of the house" -- restaurant parlance for the kitchen -- his wife worked "the front of the house," greeting customers and working on the books. Now "Team Henry" as the couple has been dubbed by a friend, is ready to run its own restaurant.