Three generations of Oregon transplants have carved out their own corner of Calvert that combines original artwork and fine fare. While Cast Iron Bistro Chef Carrie Maiorano whips up Southern-inspired dishes in her restaurant’s kitchen, her mother, artist Lorrie Quimby, displays her paintings and sculptures at the front of the building in her art gallery, Gallery on Main. Chef Carrie’s daughter, Hanna Maiorano, also helps with the family business, filling in as needed. “We all definitely have our own strengths,” Chef Carrie says. “My husband, Erik, helps as well with customers and running the front of house. It’s a family business.”
Chef Carrie loves the piquancy that a well-seasoned, screaming hot cast iron pan lends to her dishes, searing flavor into the surface, which seals inside a steak or chicken filet. Chef Carrie puts her own spin on simple classics; for example, she adds tangy Oregon cheddar cheese to her grits and serves her hamburger with a creamy house sauce and chopped bacon on a ciabatta bun. “It's just taking things that people are comfortable with, elevating them, and twisting them a little,” she says.
Chef Carrie makes each dish from scratch, from the hand-rolled mac and cheese balls to the dressings. The chicken strips are hand-breaded and seasoned in-house. She says that particular dish is a customer favorite because it’s not pre-frozen and reheated like at many other restaurants, and diners say they can taste the difference. “You’ve got to treat the food right,” she says.
Cast Iron Bistro is open Wednesday through Sunday and offers a different special each day — except for Friday, when customers can count on fish and chips. On other days, diners may be surprised with
dishes such as beef tips, beer-braised pulled pork, or a Cajun-spiced surf and turf. Chef Carrie says serving daily specials allows her to have creativity and freedom in the kitchen. “It’s boring making the same thing every day,” she says. Hanna jokes that her mother has a talent for improvising her recipes. “She says that about most things that are good that she makes — ‘Oh, I just made it up!’” Hanna says with a laugh.
Inside the gallery and restaurant, diners are transported to the far-flung savannahs of Africa under the watchful gaze of zebras, water buffalo, and songbirds through viewing Lorrie’s artwork. She primarily paints with acrylics and stretches her own canvases, and says she’s been honing her talents for most of her life, painting both interpretively and from reference. The majority of paintings hung on the gray, exposed-brick walls are life-like depictions of animals as well as a few landscapes. “I’ve gone to Africa a couple of times and fell in love with the wildlife,” she says. Lorrie has passed her love of Africa to her granddaughter, Hanna, and took her on a trip to the continent for her 13th birthday so the pair could photograph wildlife together.
Lorrie also creates limited-edition bronze sculptures of human and animal figures, including giraffes and elephants. She first carves her work out of clay before sending it to a foundry to be cast in bronze.
Lorrie especially loves working with birds, she explains, and her affinity for them is evident in a striking sculpture of a crow stealing a real, functioning pocket watch, called “Stealing Time.” One of her latest pieces is a large bear. Customers can see the work in progress.
On any given day, Hanna, who studies molecular and cell biology at Texas A&M University, can be found in the kitchen prepping food, serving in the front of the house, or updating the business’ website. “Her education comes first and foremost,” Chef Carrie says. “For her to learn what it's like to work without sacrificing her education? It’s invaluable.”
Hanna agrees. “I'm very fortunate to be able to work with my family and have the flexibility that I have,” she says.
Cast Iron Bistro and Gallery on Main have been open since Nov. 2020, and already fit well into the fabric of Calvert. “We’ve been so fortunate,” Chef Carrie says. “Not only did our customers welcome us into the community, but they've just shown us love.”
The Ocean Goat Salad
Seared salmon and tangy deep-fried goat-cheese balls are the centerpieces of this main-dish meal. Candied pecans, strawberries, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing add sweetness.
Shrimp & Cheese Grits
The flavors in these stone-ground yellow grits run deep. Rich Tillamook cheddar adds a sharp tang, and the briny taste of shrimp contrasts with a spicy chorizo and poblano pepper sauce.
Bistro Bacon Cheeseburger
This isn’t your average burger. The hand-pressed patty is stuffed with Tillamook cheddar and chopped bacon, topped with a creamy house sauce, fresh tomato and lettuce, and golden caramelized onions, stacked on a ciabatta roll.
Cheesecake
There’s no telling what variety Chef Carrie will think to serve up. Whether it’s cookies and cream, s’mores, or pumpkin and caramel apple-flavored, this cheesecake is a decadent way to end a meal.
