{"id":577225,"date":"2026-04-11T04:01:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T04:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/577225\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T04:01:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T04:01:09","slug":"abbott-elementary-star-sheryl-lee-ralph-spotted-at-conrads-in-perry-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/577225\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Abbott Elementary\u2019 star Sheryl Lee Ralph spotted at Conrad’s in Perry Hall"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having worked in the restaurant industry for a little over 15 years, having owned a cooking business<\/a> for six and having served at Conrad\u2019s Seafood Restaurant<\/a> in Perry Hall for about three, Brittany Kent sees a ton of celebrities \u2014 some kind, others not. <\/p>\n

But she got a pleasant surprise Wednesday afternoon when Sheryl Lee Ralph, the Emmy Award-winning actress currently starring as Barbara Howard in the hit sitcom \u201cAbbott Elementary,\u201d walked into the restaurant.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t normally busy during that time, Kent said, so only another server, a hostess and she were working. By chance, Ralph and her makeup artist were seated in Kent\u2019s section. <\/p>\n

The star was masked behind a Chanel fitted cap, but Kent instantly knew who she was when she began speaking. <\/p>\n

\u201cI recognized her voice first; then I stooped down,\u201d Kent said. \u201cI was like, \u2018Oh my God, this is Moesha\u2019s mom.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Kent composed herself, though, maintaining professionalism while serving the two. She recommended a selection of raw oysters and the restaurant\u2019s Santa Fe salad with grilled scallops. The pair requested a hard-boiled egg with the salad, Kent said, and a side of jumbo shrimp.<\/p>\n

Ralph ordered a broiled jumbo lump crab cake with sides of saut\u00e9ed spinach and cracked potatoes, Kent said. They took the kitchen\u2019s seafood risotto to go.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to talk them into some dessert,\u201d Kent said. <\/p>\n

Their total came to about $150, and Ralph tipped well, Kent said. The star, whose career spans Broadway, television and film, also treated her with kindness. Kent said Ralph\u2019s class and warmth were reminiscent of her late grandmother, who she believes sends her signs such as this to remind her she\u2019s still with her. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey just kept giving me so many compliments. It was overwhelming,\u201d Kent said, noting Ralph\u2019s makeup artist was particularly fond of the Northeast Baltimore native\u2019s accent. <\/p>\n

Although she maintained her composure while serving Ralph and her companion, Kent said, she couldn\u2019t help but gush over the superstar the 37-year-old said she\u2019s been watching most of her life. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018I\u2019m just out here singing my shoulda woulda couldas trying to make ends meet,\u2019 and she started cracking up,\u201d Kent said. <\/p>\n

The joke was a reference to Ralph\u2019s role as Florence Watson in the 1993 film \u201cSister Act 2: Back in the Habit,\u201d in which she portrayed the mother of choir girl Rita Watson, played by a young Lauryn Hill. <\/p>\n

Kent did her gushing, she said, and snagged a photo<\/a> in the end.<\/p>\n

Ralph\u2019s career has spanned decades after she made her film debut in Sidney Poitier\u2019s \u201cA Piece of the Action\u201d in 1977. Many consider her breakout role to be originating Deena Jones in the Tony-Award winning musical \u201cDreamgirls\u201d in 1981. <\/p>\n

Her other notable performances include Linda in \u201cTo Sleep with Anger\u201d; Beverly Dumont in \u201cMistress\u201d; Dee Mitchell, the titular character\u2019s stepmother, in \u201cMoesha\u201d; and Madame Morrible in the 2016-17 Broadway production of \u201cWicked,\u201d the first Black woman to play the role. <\/p>\n

In 2022, Ralph\u2019s work on \u201cAbbott Elementary\u201d<\/a> earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, the second Black woman to receive the honor after Jack\u00e9e Harry in 1987. <\/p>\n

Ralph\u2019s manager and publicist did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kent said Ralph told her she had visited the restaurant before, though, and enjoyed it. <\/p>\n

Conrad\u2019s Crabs and Seafood Market opened in 2007 and expanded to include a sit-down restaurant in 2014. The business has restaurants in Abingdon and Perry Hall, seafood markets in Bel Air and Parkville and a food truck. <\/p>\n

Ralph isn\u2019t the only celebrity to visit a popular eatery in the Baltimore region in recent weeks. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, visited Charleston,<\/a> a James Beard Award-winning restaurant, at the end of March.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow wow wow,\u201d owner Cindy Wolf wrote in a post on Instagram. \u201cHope to see you again.\u201d<\/p>\n