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Flaming cheese dish sets off restaurant's sprinklers

By Ben Hooper
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April 24 (UPI) -- A diner at a Greek restaurant in Baltimore captured video of the moment a flaming cheese dish triggered the eatery's sprinklers.

James Hughes, who posted the footage to YouTube, said he and a large group of colleagues from digital media company Oath were at Cava Mezze last week when they ordered the saganaki, a cheese dish that is commonly ignited at a diner's table.

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The group ended up ordering several of the dishes, and Hughes' video shows servers igniting four cheeses at once, immediately causing the ceiling sprinklers to spray fire retardant.

"When the sprinklers initially went off, we couldn't stop laughing. It was just so shocking, and we were having such a great time all night that we couldn't help but laugh," Hughes told the Baltimore Sun. "The staff treated us amazing all night, very attentive, and made for a memorable night, even without the sprinkler fire."

Ted Xenohristos, who founded multiple Cava Mezze locations in Baltimore and the Washington, D.C., area, said saganaki is one of the eatery's most popular dishes, but the incident last Tuesday was the first time the sprinklers activated.

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"We've always preached safety first with that dish," he said.

Xenohristos said damage from the sprinklers was minimal and the viral video has actually been good for business.

"We've gotten people coming in and asking for it, they're bringing it up, they're talking about it," Xenohristos said.

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