Lunch is served: The best Latin meals in Baltimore may be the ones served before restaurants open their doors for dinner

Dressed in a light brown chef’s apron, a white T-shirt, black pants, and black and brown boots, Juan David Zuleta moved with surgical precision through the kitchen of Cinghiale. “Lunch is served!” he repeatedly shouted amidst the hiss of steam, the clatter of metal utensils meeting pots, and the constant buzz that typically fills a bustling kitchen.

One by one, employees of the Italian restaurant and wine bar in upscale Harbor East began to fill the kitchen. The feast that awaited them was impressive. Cast iron skillets held deep caramel-brown pools of cornbread. A tray of 30 crispy-skinned whole chickens beckoned. A massive pot of beans, seasoned with various vegetables, steamed with each swirl of the ladle. Slices of fresh avocado sat next to a lush mixed greens salad dotted with citrus and cucumbers.