Next month, you can take a tour of private kitchens in six homes in the tony Greenspring Valley area, and enjoy food at each one, prepared by stellar chefs and caterers — all in support of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's educational work.
Dubbed "Kitchens of Note and Symphony of Chefs," this new venture is being offered by the longtime volunteer/fundraising organization Baltimore Symphony Associates.
A contingent of associates traveled to Philadelphia last fall to check out a kitchen tour given by a support arm of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
"We thought it was an interesting project," said Carolyn Lassahn, the event chair for Kitchens of Note and Symphony of Chefs. "They had seven kitchens, where chefs prepared small tastings for all the visitors. We have been working on our tour since last November."
The tour, which runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 19, will be limited to 500 attendees. Tickets (non-refundable) are $60.
Participants, who will have access to all six kitchens and the goodies being served up in each, will not learn of the venues until the day of the event. The starting point is the Stevenson Village Shopping Center (10415 Stevenson Road), where shuttle buses will be waiting.
The buses will run continually from house to house. People can visit the homes in any order. "In some instances, they can actually walk to the next house if they desire," Lassahn said.
The list of chefs and caterers includes: Jerry Pellegrino, John Shields, Innovative Gourmet, Absolutely Perfect Catering, Oceanaire Seafood Room and Classic Catering People.
Eating areas in the houses will get extra decorative touches from floral designers, among them Simply Beautiful, Radebaugh, Crimson & Clover, Marlow McCrystle & Jones, Flowers & Fancies, and Rutland Beard Florist.
The kitchen tour replaces this year's holiday home tour usually presented by Symphony Associates in early December.
The tour also helps to fill some of the fundraising gap left when the Associates canceled the annual, weeks-long Decorators' Show House last spring — the first cancellation in 40 years.
"We certainly tried to have that event," Lassahn said, "but things became too complicated. We will have a 2017 Decorators' Show House."
The Associates hope to clear at least $25,000 from the first Kitchens of Note and Symphony of Chefs, money that will support the BSO's ever-expanding educational activities.
"We've had a lot of interest already," Lassahn said. "We hope we have a beautiful day."
For tickets and more information, go to kitchensofnote.org.