It has been just over two years since vegan chef and restaurateur Alisha Adibe opened her first ghost kitchen in Baltimore, MD. Now, she has one thriving brick-and-mortar restaurant, the upscale Oleum in the city’s Fells Point neighborhood, and another on the way in the Canton neighborhood.
“Some people would call it confidence,” she says of opening two vegan restaurants in the current economic climate. “Others would call it a little delulu. I’ll take both.”
Indeed, the restaurant industry is tough right now. Rising rents, staffing shortages, and a biting affordability crisis are forcing eateries across the country to close their doors. But there is still plenty of hope out there. Just look at our recent restaurant awards, which drew almost 350,000 votes from eager diners and saw 19 vegan restaurants crowned across the country.
Adibe knows there is an audience for her next venture, a vegan, Mexican-inspired restaurant called Dahlia Cocinita.
“We listen to our customers,” she tells VegNews. “One of the most common questions in Baltimore’s vegan community pages is where to find vegan Mexican food, and right now the answer is nowhere. Baltimore has zero vegan Mexican restaurants, and the vegan options at most omnivore spots are very limited. That’s a real gap.”
Oleum
Bringing vegan Mexican food to Baltimore
At Dahlia Cocinita, named after Mexico’s national flower, guests will enjoy chips and salsa as soon as they sit down, before moving on to a feast of familiar favorites, including vegan fish tacos and ceviche, alongside new, exciting twists on Mexican cuisine.
“I want to be the spot where you wake up on a Saturday or Sunday and grab a café con leche and churro pancakes with friends, or bring family who are visiting from out of town,” says Adibe. “Success is Dahlia Cocinita becoming a staple in Canton.”
The 750-square-foot space, which previously housed the beloved Southern cooking spot Simply Marie’s, needs significant work before the new restaurant can open. But Adibe isn’t in a rush. She wants to ensure everything is just right before Dahlia Cocinita starts welcoming customers.
“Getting people to see food differently, and to realize vegan food can be delicious, filling, and something you keep coming back for [has always been the goal].”
A mockup for the new Dahlia Cocinita restaurant.
“With Oleum, we were flying the plane while still tightening the bolts,” Adibe tells VegNews. “With Dahlia Cocinita, the plane will be fully built before we take off. Recipes tested and vetted, processes in place, and a team ready to deliver exceptional service and an experience our community deserves.”
The restaurateur is also excited to bring more jobs to the community. Oleum employs more than 40 people, and another 16 to 20 will work at Dahlia Cocinita.
Building the right team is essential. After all, excellent hospitality is the secret to a successful business, says Adibe. Alongside the food, it is one of the biggest reasons Oleum has built a loyal customer base across Baltimore and the wider Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, as well as Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey.
Oleum
“Hospitality is the heart of Oleum. We try to take care of people before they even have to ask, and we want every guest to feel welcome, whether they’ve been vegan for 20 years or this is their first plant-based meal,” she adds. “We never preach. We just take care of people and let the food speak for itself.”
Dahlia Cocinita will open in 2027, but fans are already lining up—at least, metaphorically speaking.
“The excitement already feels real,” says Adibe. “Our first Dahlia Cocinita post reached over 35,000 people, and Oleum’s Instagram has about 12,000 followers. Year one is about turning that curiosity into a loyal neighborhood following.”
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
