bb bistro has been recognized as one of the first restaurants in Annapolis to receive the Environmental Stewardship Certification.

A LOCAL story begins with two local girls, working at a local grocery store, building a dream…

Carla Lucente grew up in Fort Washington, Maryland.  Her love of food began at a young age while working in her parent’s Italian restaurant.  After several years working in finance and construction, Carla decided to follow her dream and attend culinary school at Baltimore International College.  Following graduation, Carla started her own catering business and began working part time at Trader Joe’s grocery store in Annapolis. 

While working at Trader Joe’s, Carla met Stacey Jackowski, a Gambrills, Maryland native.  From a young age, Stacey also showed an interest in food.  She was always curious about what was going on in the kitchen and found herself helping her mother cook at every chance she was given. Seasonal food was a part of her life at a young age because of her parents extensive “backyard garden”.   The culmination of these experiences eventually led her to Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island.  While still attending college, Stacey worked at Trader Joe’s and began helping Carla with her catering business. 

After a few years of cooking together, they decided to open a restaurant of their own.  They called it b.b. Bistro – the best of the best Annapolis had to offer.  Carla began searching for the perfect place.  Stacey began designing the logo.  They printed a few commercial real estate listings in the Annapolis area.  They looked at several potential locations, but when they pulled up to the big yellow house in West Annapolis, they knew they had found the perfect spot.  Stacey exclaimed, “I’ve always dreamed of having a restaurant in a little yellow house!”  They both jumped out of the car, and ran to the huge glass front to peer in.  “It’s perfect!” said Carla.  Within three months, they signed a lease, and b.b. Bistro was born.

Stacey and Carla’s strengths complemented each other perfectly.  Stacey’s background in art coupled with Carla’s background in construction enabled the pair to act as the general contractors as well as the designers of their own restaurant.  With help from “handy” friends and family, they constructed the kitchen and coffee bar area.  They repaired drywall and painted.  During the several months of working with the City of Annapolis on the restaurant’s grease trap requirements, they began the arduous process of locating food purveyors and equipment.  While searching for items in a local antique store, they spotted a 1950’s grey diner table and chairs, and the decorative motif was decided.  They began bringing in family heirlooms and collected a variety of diner tables.  There are shelves on the wall which are from a tree planted by Stacey’s great grandmother.  Carla took her grandmother’s buffet, tiled the top, and it is used as the cream & sugar area of the Bistro.

Carla and Stacey wanted to use as many local vendors as possible.  b.b. Bistro features Caffe Pronto coffee, American Hearth Bakery,  Mumsie’s Gourmet, Mystic Acres Farm, Nicholson Farm, Annapolis Produce and Seafood Markets and Local neighborhood produce. They purchase from the local Farmers Markets.  They compost their coffee grounds.  All of their kitchen scraps are fed to the chickens at Mystic Acres Farm and Nicholson Farm which produces their eggs.  They recycle all of their bottles and cardboard.  They produce only one large can of garbage per week.  They support their neighbors by purchasing locally grown produce and herbs.  They grow their own herbs, peppers and tomatoes in a garden in the front of the Bistro.

b.b. Bistro’s menu is a blend of home-style, diner, Mediterranean and vegetarian cuisine.   

Stacey and Carla make all of their soups, salads, sandwiches, quiche and salad dressings from scratch each day.  Stacey’s Granola Bars and Carla’s Flourless Chocolate Ganache Cake are customer favorites.  They bake fresh muffins and make their own croutons.  Everything is fresh - the restaurant does not have a freezer.