The big event this month is the Second Annual Foodie Experience at the Hippodrome, featuring Alton Brown. That's on Saturday, March 19th. Check out the photo gallery of this year's participating restaurants.

But there's more. 

Frederick Restaurant Week begins next Monday, March 7 and runs through the following Sunday. Here's an earlier post.

Just announced - the First Annual Baltimore Greek Week, March 20-27. The theme is "The Mediterranean Diet -- A Journey through Food"

Talbot County Restaurant week is March 21-27. The dining promotion concludes on March 27 with An Evening with Julie & Julia a fund-raising dinner and movie screening featuring Amanda Hesser and Julie Powell. 

St. Patrick's Day falls this year on a Thursday. Expect bars and restaurants to expand one day into a four-day drinking weekend.

Mardi Gras comes first, though, on Tuesday, March 8. Pazo's Big FAT Tuesday will feature live entertainment and a $59 "Seven Deadly Sins" fixed-price menu. The full a la carte menu will also be available. Paladar Kitchen & Rum Bar has already started its Carnaval celebration with Brazilian-inspired menu specials and half-off bottles of South American wine. The March 8 event will feature live music by Mambo Combo and heavily discounted mojitos and caipirinhas.

(Restaurant owners and managers, send your St. Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras promotions and menus to richard.gorelick@baltsun.com) 

Also:

Wednesday, March 2, at V-No in Fells Point, Chris Kern returns to Baltimore to host Getting Friendly with Forgotten Grapes: An Evening of Uncommon Wine Tasting. The event's flier reads, What do Helen Mirren, Beyonce, Joey from “Friends”, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Major League Baseball have to do with wine? And Kern provides each wine and its pop culture doppelganger through songs, jokes, skits, costumes and interactive games.

Baltimore Green Works welcomes the arrival of spring on Friday, March 18, with the 3rd annual EcoBall at the Frederick Douglass-Isaas Myers Maritime Park, featuring a Top Chef-style cooking competition and live music by Mambo Combo.

Beginning on Saturday, March 19, the Evergreen Museum & Library hosts a five part kitchen and garden series hosted by John Shields and his restaurant, Gertrude's. The series includes gardening workshops, cooking demonstrations with chef John Shields, an optional chef's tour of Baltimore's 32nd Street Farmers' Market and a fall harvest luncheon at Gertrude's Restaurant. More information here.

Baltimore Sun photo/Kenneth K. Lam

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The biggest opening so far this year -- the new Mari Luna Bistro, across from the Meyerhoff.

The biggest chef move -- Jesse Sandlin left Vino Rosina on January 24.

The biggest happy story -- local franchisees found for Gino's Burgers & Chicken

Closings -- Mi Viejo Pueblito, in Brewers Hill, replaced by Fiesta Mexicana; Sander's Corner .

Also, a concept change at Luminous, now with an all-American menu; and a refresh at XS

But the biggest local restaurant story so far in 2011 may be about good breaks. Mild weather, compared to last January and February, successful restaurant-week promotions and a stellar four-day Valentine's weekend have been a shot in the arm for area restaurants, still reeling in a sluggish economic climate.

One restaurant owner, describing the crowds he saw in his dining room over Valentine's Day weekend, said "It was like we were back in 2005."

Valentine's Day actually spilled over beyond the four-day weekend. Donna's at Cross Keys, for instance, had its busiest winter dinner ever the Saturday before Valentine's Day.

The organizers of the restaurant week promotions are still tabulating the final results of their member surveys. I did talk with Howard County Tourism & Promotion Director Rachelina Bonacci. She told me that Howard County's promotion stays successful by keeping the same dates each year, always beginning on the Martin Luther King Holiday.

Bonacci also told me that restaurants and diners respond to the themes for the winter ("local global flavor") and summer (farm to table") promotions, which are designed to set Howard County's promotion apart from the ones put on by its neighboring counties. And by allowing individual restaurants to set their own prices, a roadside tavern like the Woodstock Inn, a favorite of bikers, can participate alongside fancier places like the Elkridge Furnace Inn. 

My insight is this: Good promotions and good weather tend to help successful restaurants and to have less effect on less successful restaurants.

In Baltimore, City Cafe reported an enthusiastic response to the $10 gift certificates handed out during Restaurant Week. Aldo's reported one of its busiest restaurant weeks ever, with some customers returning "3 or 4 times" for one particular dish -- a Tuscan-grilled rib eye with black truffle sea salt. 

Restaurant weeks are here to stay, at least for a while, because they work.

The Baltimore Sun photo accompanied a 2005 review of the Woodstock Inn

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

In this year's Best Restaurant issue, the restaurants have been divided up into eight categories -- fine dining, New American, seafood, urban gourmet, Italian, foreign affairs, tapas and wine bars. The feature's introduction calls it "comparing apples to apples."

You can look at the Italian rankings online.

Who wants to guess how some other restaurants were categorized and ranked? 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

From Daily Cognition, a list of 83 places where you can get your meal free if you eat the whole thing. You know, a 5-pound hamburger, a 28-inch pepperoni pizza (that you have to finish in less than an hour), that sort of thing.

To quote Cate Blanchett, "Gross."

Anybody ever try one of these things?

What's the biggest thing you ever ate?

Related story: The University of Maryland's competitive eating team

Baltimore Sun photo/Lloyd Fox

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Shrove Tuesday (aka Pancake Day) isn't until March 8, but IHOP National Pancake Day is tomorrow, March 1.

From 7 a.m. - 10 p.m., receive one complimentary short stack (dine-in only, etc. etc.)

In return for the free flapjacks, donate something to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other designated local charities.

According to its website, "IHOP began its National Pancake Day in 2006, and since then, has raised $5.35 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities and given away more than 10.1 million buttermilk pancakes." 

Thanks for the tip, Eli!

Speaking of Pancake Day:

I Googled up a handful of March 8 pancake dinners at various churches and lodges around town, but I wasn't sure which ones were open to the public. If you know of a pancake dinner that's open to the public, or have any thoughts to share about Shrove Tuesday pancake dinners, I'd love to hear about them.

And where do people go for good pancakes these days?

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I liked Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar, and I recommend it.

Here's the review.

I almost said I liked Paladar in spite of myself, or in spite of its being industrial-sized and programmed.

it's too easy, in my position, to be biased always in favor of the small, the local and the idiosyncratic. I'm for whatever works.

I like to take things as they come. I thought the food at Paladar was persuasively wholesome, freshly considered and creative, and I felt valued as their customer.

Everything comes from the top; management and ownership either care about you or they don't. An angel can operate a mall-anchor restaurant, and a monster can run a quirky, neighborhood bistro.

Baltimore Sun photo/Lloyd Fox

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 8:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
        

Anyone make it out for Annapolis Restaurant Week? How about the  Rockfish Celebration, which  concludes tonight?

Who bought what at the American Craft Council show this weekend? Who took in the Monster Jam at the 1st Mariner Arena?

How about all of you Jersey Boys fans; where did you eat before the show? 

And how did you do on your Oscar pools? 

Sleeping Dog of the Week: Elvis Reamer-Gorelick

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Categories: Your Weekend Dining PLUS
        

Here's John Lindner's Monday lunch review of Zhong Shan.  

I recently went to Zhong Shan for New Year's dinner. It was a wonderful meal, but hardly anything served that night shows up on Zhong Shan's regular menu.

That's too bad. On a typical day, it can be very difficult to coax out the best food from Zhong Shan's kitchen, which seems reluctant to give customers anything remotely authentic. 

Let's see how John fared.

Baltimore Sun photo/Colby Ware 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Dangerously Delicious Pies posted this message on its Facebook page about its Federal Hill location, which has been closed for the month of February.

One week until the New Dangerously Delicious Pies and Novelty Haus opens up. March 1st. It's going to be something else. Come on out and check out the new and improved spot. Books, records, magazines, guitars, amps, really killer toys, and PIE ! Come on out and Hang. (Opening) March 1st and a Grand Opening Party in April. Stay Tuned.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

....you get Gleep Chef

Or, you get the 7th annual Maryland ProStart® Student Invitational, a culinary and management competition hosted by the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation for students in high school culinary and management programs.

Students from 22 such programs will be competing Tuesday, March 1, at the Baltimore Convention Center in a Top Chef-style competition for the chance to represent the Old Line State in the national invitational in Overland Park, Ks., in April.

Teams are judged and scored by industry professionals on cooking methods, taste, menu difficulty and teamwork but also on proper food safety and sanitation procedures. Closest to home, Baltimore City will be represented by Edmondson-Westside, Mergenthaler and the National Academy; and Baltimore County by Western, the Carver Center and Sollers Point Tech.

Here's a cool (10-minute long) video from last year's national invitational.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

It was tough enough losing that divisional playoff game, but now Pittsburgh has beaten the stuffing out of Baltimore in the the battle of clever-burger-concept wits.

Burgatory Bar, featuring a "helluva burger and heavenly shakes" is now open in Pittsburgh. My  friend who lives up there says this new place is still too busy to get into, but he likes the looks of the menu.

Shakes!!

Not Fair!

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

In that order.

Jessica Anderson has the story.

plastic shotglass memorial photo by Mary McCauley

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

An "authentic French creperie on wheels" started rolling on the streets of Baltimore last November.  

Its name is Creperie Breizh -- Breizh is the Breton (Celtic) name for Brittany.

The owner are Missy and Eric Coatrieux. He is from Brittany, she is from around here; he trained racehorses in the United States in Canada, she was an equestrian. They met, working for the same trainer, in Florida.

The crepes are made with all fresh ingredients -- early favorites include the Normandy, with apple, brie and chicken, and a sweet crepe with raspberry and white chocolate.  

Getting a food truck rolling is tough -- the City and the County have different, and sometimes daunting, licensing and regulation procedures.

But the Coatrieux had a leg-up. The happen to be neighbors, just outside of Reisterstown, with Christine Richardson from the Iced Gems cupcake truck. "She went out of her way to help us" Missy Coatrieux told me. 

Creperie Breizh parks on Chestnut Street in Hampden on first Fridays -- there's one of those coming up.

The best way to get information about the whereabouts of Cafe Breizh is to friend them on facebook or follow them on Twitter (search for CreperieBreizh). But a typical schedule looks like this:

Monday, near Loyola University, on East Cold Spring by the Geppi-Aikens athletic field

Tuesday, near Towson University, on Cross Campus Drive

Wednesday, near JHU, at Charles & 34th

Thursday, near MICA, at Mt. Royal and Lafayette

Friday, in Hunt Valley, at 200 International Circle

The phone number is 443-769-7516

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Food Trucks
        

My Sunday review of Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar is up online.

Pictured is the crispy calamari with julienned mango, crunchy jicama, fresh cilantro and housepickled jalapeno.

In the review, I said that I liked this appetizer but would have liked it better if the ingredients had been more finely chopped and integrated with the calamari.

See what I mean?

Baltimore Sun photo/Lloyd Fox

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Here's the trailer for a new web series named Foodies, which "follows the adventures of a group of L.A. culinary enthusiasts whose passion for food spills off the table and into their personal lives." 

I saw it on Eater; Eater saw it somewhere else.

I think I think that it's maybe not so funny. What do you think?

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 6:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Done, and done.

Today on the Today Show, the Today Show had a segment about the new compostable SunChips bag Frito-Lay has come up with in response to consumer outrage over its original SunChips compostable bag, which was louder than heck.

Just how much more quiet is the new compostable bag?

Listen for yourself as Ann Curry and some guy with a much better hairline than Matt Lauer conduct a scientific test on the new compostable bag.

The video won't work on a mobile device.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Cafe Spice owner Rani Garf confirmed that Sunday is the last day at its current location, across from the Towson Library. The Indian restaurant will move into its new Cockeysville location, Yorkridge Center North, sometime in mid-spring.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Let' see. Annapolis Restaurant Week continues through Sunday. The Rockfish Celebration continues through Monday. I'm hoping to work my way through at least part of the offerings.

The American Craft Council show is this weekend -- who has a game plan for finding good food around the Convention Center?

Here's a round-up of other things to do around town this weekend.

And here's Sam Sessa, in a new weekly video feature, telling you about your weekend options.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Your Weekend Dining PLUS
        

This Sunday's review is of Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar in the Annapolis Towne Centre in Parole.

Is Paladar a chain? Depends what you call a chain. The only other Paladar is the original, outside of Cleveland.

Does it matter to you either way?

Baltimore Sun photo/Lloyd Fox

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Review Preview
        

I thought the opening restaurant scene in Social Network was the scene of the year in the best movie of the year.

I think it's also one of the best restaurant scenes ever.

Also in 2010, there was the great erotic, food-as-sex, restaurant scene in the Tilda Swinton movie I Am Love. The Kids are All Right had plenty of restaurant scenes -- the Mark Ruffalo character owned a hot L.A. restaurant -- but there was something unconvincing about them.

A few actors won Oscars for playing characters that owned worked in, or habituated restaurants, inn, clubs or diners: Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce, Ben Johnson in The Last Picture Show, Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Wendy Hlller and David Niven in Separate Tables, Helen Hunt and Jack Nicholson in As Good at Gets, and Halle Berry in Monster's Ball. Others?

It might be fun to make a list today of the all time great restaurant scenes, or greatest scenes set in a restaurant. Maybe we can arrive at a Top 10 list by the end of the day.

I was tempted to exclude scenes from movies that are actually set in, or about restaurants. But that would mean leaving out the closing kitchen scene in Big Night.

Here are few for your consideration; what are your favorite movie restaurant scenes?

The diner scene from Five Easy Pieces

The bravura opening tracking shot from Goodfellas

Michael's killing of Sollozzo and McClusky in the Godfather

Sally proves at point at Katz's Deli in When Harry Met Sally

The haff-blind date between James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan in A Shop Around the Corner

The spaghetti scene from The Lady and the Tramp

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 6:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

I am WAY behind on this one. Dara Bunjon had the goods on it. I called, and it's true -- the new Mari Luna Bistro opens tonight. (This is indeed the location of the old Robert Oliver, along with at at least a handful of other restaurants, including, Spike & Charlie's)

So, if you're headed to the Meyerhoff tonight to hear F.W. de Klerk, you can be part of opening night at Mari Luna.

The new phone number is 410-637-8013. I just called and spoke, very briefly, to Jaime Luna, the owner of the new restaurant as well as very popular Mari Luna Latin Grill and Mari Luna Mexican Grill. He sounded out of breath. You would be, too. Maybe you should wait a few weeks.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Joshua Distenfeld is the new executive chef for Oriole Park at Camden Yards. And the new sous chef is Randallstown native David Friendlich (left), Delaware North Sportservice and the Baltimore Orioles have just announced.

Friendlich, who now lives in Owings Mills, was a sous chef at the Brass Elephant back in the day, and, more recently, the chef at Remomo Cafe Italia at Arundel Mills.

I'll have more on Friendlich and Distenfeld later, and will leave you now with this press release boilerplate:

"In November, Sportservice received a 12-year contract from the Orioles to operate food, beverage and retail merchandise services at Camden Yards. Since then, Sportservice has been assembling its culinary team and developing new menus for the ballpark’s concessions and premium areas. For inspiration, Sportservice President Rick Abramson led several of the company’s regional chefs and Orioles officials on a Dec. 1 tour of Baltimore restaurants."
 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Sounds like Gino's is in good  hands.

The new Gino's franchisees are Scott Autry and Jared Miller (not Jared Smith, as was reported in the paper). I just got off the speaker phone with them. They were on their way to a meeting with a real estate agent. Autry said that he and Miller should have an announcement about their first franchise location in the next few weeks.. "We're focusing on Baltimore County," Autry said.

As reported, Autry and Miller's deal with Gino's gives them protective rights to develop stores in Howard, Carroll and Baltimore counties. But the deal also gives them development rights to  the Hanover area of Anne Arundel County, where Arundel Mills is located.

Autry has burgers in his blood. His father, Harold, and mother, Julie met when at the Gino's on Rockville Pike in Gaithersburg -- he was the general manager, she was the hostess.

(Harold Autry continued working for Gino's after it was purchased by the Marriott Corporation -- he was the company's East Coast regional manager until the late 1980s, when Marriott dissolved its restaurant holdings. He now operates all of Cheeburger Cheeburger franchises in Maryland.)

Miller was in the food business, too, with Burger King. At 16, he was one of the store's youngest managers.

Miller and Autry, who live next door to each other in Woodbine, in western Howard County, have met Gino Marchetti at the King of Prussia store, the first and only location in the relaunched Gino's franchise. "He made us onion rings," Autry said, who added that he and Miller are determined to practice Autry's hand-on approach. "We'll be in the stores every day," he said.

"Every time we've been there," Autry said about this trips to King of Prussia," there have been people from Maryland there who have made a special trip for a Gino's Giant."

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

In my post and news brief about the recent announcement of the semi-finalists for this year's James Beard Foundation Awards, I said that Cindy Wolf, to my knowledge, was the only Baltimore-based chef to make it to the finalist (aka nominee) level.

True for the chef awards but there are other James Beard awards. Nancy Longo was a nominee for the James Beard Humanitarian Award in 1995, losing eventually to Paul Newman. As Longo says (on a facebook post I happened to see), "If you're going to lose, lose big"

That's Pierpoint's Longo with her beloved Cuisinart, from this recent story about chefs' favorite things

Baltimore Sun photo/Monica Lopassay

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

GQ's Alan Richman thinks he's found the best burger in the whole United States. Hint: It's not in this time zone.

Who has the best burger in Baltimore, do you think?The one in the photo, maybe?

Baltimore Sun photo/Algerina Perna

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Today's Table Talk column reported on a new series of culinary events being launched by Harbor Magic Hotels, the management group for the Pier V Hotel, the Brookshire Suites and (I neglected to mention in the story) the Admiral Fell Inn.

The culinary series, which is in part a showcase for Harbor Magic executive chef Bryan Sullivan, kicks off on Saturday, March 5 with the Best of Baltimore Food and Wine Dinner at the Pier 5 hotel.

Baltimore Sun photo/Algerina Perna

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

We're in the middle of Annapolis Restaurant Week.

One participating restaurant, Yellowfin, is going a little Icelandic.

Beginning tomorrow, and continuing through Sunday, Yellowfin will welcome Victor Viktor örn andrésson, head chef at the Reykjavik-area Blue Lagoon's Lava Restaurant, who will be presenting a special Icelandic menu. On the special menu -- Arctic fox and lava. Nope, I made that up. The menu features lots of Arctic char and Skyr.

The Yellowfin collaboration is part of "A Taste of Iceland," a four-day promotional event presented by Iceland Naturally, a partnership that includes Icelandic USA Inc., Icelandair, 66 North, the Blue Lagoon, Reyka Vodka and the City of Reykjavik, among others.

Over in D.C., another Icelandic chef will be guesting at DC Coast restaurant.

And closer to home -- a free screening tomorrow night at the Charles Theater of the Icelandic film Mr. Bjarnfredarson. That's at 7 p.m. And on Saturday at 10 p.m., The Windup Space will host the Icelandic band For a Minor Reflection

Patrons to any of these events can enter a sweepstakes to win a three-night trip to Reykjavik. Second prize is five nights in Reykjavik. Again, kidding.

More information here www.icelandnaturally.com.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Who's been to Umi Sake in Cockeysville? Here's an early look at Rob Kasper's review. See if he liked it. I like looking at Lloyd Fox's photographs.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

I got a good tip about a handsome new blog, The Baltimore Food Rag, which is maintained by Elizabeth Laseter, a senior at The Johns Hopkins University.

Elizabeth's most recent post is about a food truck named Creperie Breizh, which has been on the roads of Baltimore since last October. (News to me, I'm embarrassed to admit)

I'll follow up on this myself, but now I'm going to make a point of visiting Laseter's blog to see what else I'm missing.

Baltimore food bloggers, please give Elizabeth a nice Baltimore welcome.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

When staff members from RA Sushi visited Garrett Heights Elementary School in Lauraville last week, Baltimore Sun photographer Algerina Perna showed up with a video camera. Here's her video, edited by intern Hyun Chung.

The visitors introduced a gifted class of 5th and 6th grade students to the finer points of sushi history, Japanese etiquette and sushi-rolling

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Here's the story on today's announcement by Gino's Burgers and Chicken (King of Prussia, Pa.) concerning its first franchisees, a partnership with exclusive rights to develop restaurants in an area comprising parts of Howard, Carroll and Baltimore counties.

A new Gino's should be opening in these parts by this fall, it looks like.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 7:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The Columbia-based Charm City Hospitality has been awarded the food and beverage concessionaire contract for Artscape, according to the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA, Inc.). Charm City Hospitality has served as the festival's beverage concessionaire for the past seven years.

The official announcement is scheduled to be made during a Wednesday morning press conference.

Jerry Gottlieb, the owner of Charm City Hospitality, got the news of the award last week. "I'm very excited. I've been part of Artscape for many years," Gottlieb said. Artscape celebrates its 30th anniversary on July 15-17.

When BOPA announced its decision to move to a single-vendor system last October, it listed as a partial reason the difficulty of managing the 60-some individual food vendors and coordinating such details as "menus, pricing, electricity, water access, sanitation/recycling, grease and gray water, truck parking, vendor fees, deposits/payments, neighborhood impact, overall presentation, etc."

Gottlieb talked shoring up the festival's green component and instituting better practices for composting and waste disposal.

The contracting of a single vendor does not mean that Charm City will be squeezing all of the festival's lemonade. Familiar vendors will return, but in the role of sub-vendors, and under the watchful eye of Charm City Hospitality. "My goal is to incorporate local flavor and eclectic vendors and to start locally before I go elsewhere." Asked whether veteran vendors would return, Gottlieb said, "definitely."

"We'll be bringing a more uniform look to the event," Gottlieb said. He offered, as examples of Charm City's coordinated approach, the recent Virgin Festivals, at both the Pimlico Race Course and Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Gottlieb said that part of Artscape's overall look might find its inspiration from local artists, who may be asked, through BOPA, to contribute ideas for the booths' signage and backdrops. A call for entries for this new visual arts project will be posted on www.artscape.org by next Monday.

As the official Artscape concessionaire, Charm City Hospitality has exclusive alcohol and soft beverage, water and food sales rights, according to a BOPA press release. The multi-year contract carries through 2013.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Here's Laura Vozzella's story on the annual Small Foods event, held this year at the H&H Building.

And here's a photo gallery of more ingenious small food.

Photo courtesy of Maria Matveeva

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It's been almost 40 years since anyone in Maryland was licensed to distill spirits.

Coming very soon, though -- Sloop Betty vodka.

Jill Rosen has the story about the fledgling Blackwater Distillings, over in Stevensville.

And after vodka, what's next for Blackwater? Gin, flavored vodkas, and, down the road, rye, Rosen tells me.

Baltimore Sun photo/Karl Merton Ferron

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

The reader who wanted to know where to get good Dover sole found it.

"I found a wonderful source for the dish at The Milton Inn. Cooked perfectly with lemon butter caper sauce. If you decide to try it also order the clams casino best in the area.

Happy endings are the best I always think.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Angry Asian Creations makes Hello Kitty Cake Pops. I love them (and have a birthday coming up).

Alexander D. Mitchell IV's Beer in Baltimore has full coverage of the the Belgian Beer Fest at Max's; This entry is really funny. Hey, we've got our own photo gallery from the long, long weekend.

Black Coffee and a Donut rediscovers the pizza at Scittino's Italian Market in Catonsville

Eli reviews Towson Diner on Adventures of a Koodie.

...and, as Eli says, Well, that's all. Bye!

Photo with permission angry asian creations

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Algerina Perna's photograph shows Andy Gaynor of RA Sushi with Zereda Farhat, a student from Garrett Heights Elementary School. RA staff visited the school last week to expose students to the finer points of sushi history, Japanese etiquette and sushi-rolling .

RA Sushi is celebrating its third anniversary on Thursday, February 24.

Starting at 7:30, the staff will drop a plinko chip every hour to commemorate the occasion -- prizes will include gift certificates, food, drink specials and more. I'm sure they mean to ask me to the celebrity plinko-chip dropper.
 
Food will be served until midnight and specials during the party include the Triple Threat Roll ($12), Third Time’s a Charm Roll ($8) and the Anniversary Cocktail ($6). 

$3 from the sale of every Viva Las Vegas Roll for the entire day will benefit the Living Classrooms Foundation.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

How was your weekend? Mine was very quiet. The newsroom is quiet today. I think some of staff is taking the day off because their kids are off for Presidents Day, which is what the State of Maryland calls the holiday. The official Federal holiday is Washington's Birthday. I've still never been to Mount Vernon. I mean the one in Virginia.

Baltimore Sun photo (1999)/Elizabeth Malby

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Your Weekend Dining PLUS
        

Roy's is calling its new dining promotion "My Prix Fixe Mondays"

Pretty simple. On Monday evenings, guests can create their own $35.95 menu by selecting one appetizer, one entree and one dessert for from the regular menu.

The promotion starts tonight and runs through April 18. 

And here's a round-up of other ongoing Monday dining specials. If anything looks funny on that list, drop me a line.

Baltimore Sun photo/Barbara Haddock Taylor     
 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Here's the link to the review of Demi, the new restaurant on the lower level of Crush in Belvedere Square.

I had asked in the preview post if readers could think of other instances of restaurants sharing the same address, even the same kitchen. I liked the Tusk Lounge/Brass Elephant example, although one could always order from the Brass Elephant menu when you were in the Tusk Lounge, as I recall.

I didn't even think to try ordering from the Crush menu at Demi. I wonder if you could if you wanted to.

I obviously enjoyed my evening at Demi. The people I saw dining at tables were enjoying themselves, too. I always make  a point of looking around to check), but if I went back I'd want to sit at the chef's counter again.

Baltimore Sun photo/Lloyd Fox 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I received an email this morning regarding a short post I made on Wednesday, basically just a link to a post by Eddie Gehman Kohan on Obama Foodorama.

In that post, Kohan questioned the Hammons Products Company's posting on its website of a "White House recipe" that was not technically a White House recipe.

The email is from David Hammons of the Hammons Products Company, reprinted with his permission. I've added some bolding and linkage.

Mr. Gorelick:

Thank you for bringing to light an issue with our January press release regarding the state dinner that featured American Black Walnuts. Hammons Products Co. was thrilled that the president chose to serve a dish featuring this “quintessentially American” ingredient.

Unfortunately, it seems a blogger you promote as a source is claiming that this is somehow in violation of a legal restraint. It seems the primary issue is that the writer believes we are stating that the recipe we provided to media sources was the actual recipe created by the White House chefs. This is, however, not true. As you can see in the press release below, originally released on January 28, 2011, we clearly state that this is a recipe adapted by Chef Rob Corliss and not the same recipe served at the White House.

It seems the confusion came from an article printed in the Springfield News-Leader. In that paper, the story makes no statement as to where the recipe originated. We have contacted the Springfield News-Leader and they have since printed a retraction. You can see it on their website here: http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110216/LIFE02/102160367/1007/NEWS01/?odyssey=nav|head

Our website also clearly states that this is an adapted recipe and always has: www.blackwalnutrecipes.com

I appreciate the blogger’s enthusiasm for the integrity of the White House kitchen. However, working off of a story that has incomplete information is not the best way to spread news. Had this blogger seen the same news release that the Springfield News-Leader did, it would be clear that we are simply spreading the word about Black Walnuts being a featured ingredient and desire in no way to deceive anyone.

The goal of this recipe was to enable American men and women to share with their families the same dish that was served to our president. Our customers are avid cookers and we wanted to help them have a “quintessentially American” meal. Hammons made attempts to contact the White House to get a recipe but were not provided one. Since we wanted to “spread the wealth around” we decided to take the ingredients listed on the White House menu and adapt the recipe ourselves. Rob Corliss is a chef who has served many heads of state in his long, global-spanning career and adapted the recipe as precisely as could be done with a simple ingredient list. That’s why it is an “adapted” recipe and not the actual recipe. It is unfortunate that the News-Leader failed to mention that.

I hope I have shed some light on the truth of this situation. While we certainly appreciate the Baltimore Sun discussing Black Walnuts the last thing we want is damaging, misinformation being used as fact in what could be a difficult situation for our company. We are a fourth-generation family-owned business and it is clearly stated in our mission statement that we act with the highest integrity in all that we do. I would be happy to share with you any and all further information regarding this subject. You can learn all about my family’s business by seeing our corporate website at www.black-walnuts.com

 

Here is the text of the press release:

"Quintessentially American"
Black Walnuts on Menu at
White House State Dinner 

Stockton, Missouri.  American Black Walnuts recently answered the call to serve their country by being served at the White House State Dinner honoring President Hu Jintao of China. The Chinese delegation requested a 'quintessentially American' menu of native fare. The beginning course, a D'Anjou Pear Salad, featured Black Walnuts, Farmstead Goat Cheese, Fennel, and White Balsamic.
 
White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford selected the all-American ingredients on attributes of "affordability, sustainability, health, and delicious foods," mirroring the agenda set by First Lady, Michelle Obama.
 
"The president of China requested a meal that reflects the best America has to offer-and nothing embodies that better than the bold flavor of American Black Walnuts," comments Brian Hammons, president of Hammons Products Company, the primary producer of Black Walnuts.
 
Cooking with Black Walnuts dates back to the earliest days of America when Honey Black Walnut Bread was on the menu for explorers Lewis and Clark. Today, interest in Black Walnuts is growing along with America's taste for distinctive, full-flavored, natural ingredients that have a regional or heirloom story to tell. Black Walnuts are showing up everywhere from trendy urban menus and bakeries to home-style family gatherings. Unlike regular (English) walnuts, Black Walnuts are a totally wild crop, grown free from orchards and pesticides, and hand-harvested by local residents across the Midwest.
 
 
###
 
White House State Dinner Salad
With D'Anjou Pears and Black Walnuts
 
(Recipe for the salad served at the State Dinner honoring President Hu Jintao of China. Adapted by Chef Rob Corliss of ATE-All Things Epicurean)
 
Serves 4
 
Pear and Black Walnut Salad


Black Walnuts were chosen based on affordability, sustainability, health, taste, and American heritage

Ingredients:
•    ¼  Cup  Black Walnuts, toasted
•    4 Cups (1 large bulb) Fennel, fresh, chilled, cored, tops removed, sliced into thin strips
•    ½ Red D'Anjou pear, quartered, cored, cut crosswise into thin slices
•    ½ Green D'Anjou pear, quartered,cored, cut crosswise into thin slices
•    ¼ Cup White balsamic vinaigrette
•    1-2 oz. Goat cheese, farmstead, small crumbles
Directions
 
1. Place fennel, Black Walnuts, and vinaigrette in mixing bowl. Gently toss with your fingers to evenly combine and coat ingredients.

2. To assemble: Arrange equal amounts of red and green pears to form an overlapping ring in center of each chilled salad plate. (The ring should be hollow in the middle, allowing room for fennel to be placed inside.) Divide the fennel/Black Walnut mixture into four equal portions; then artistically mound each portion in center of the ring of pears. The presentation should look natural and somewhat loosely stacked, allowing the ring of pears to be seen.
 
3. Garnish by sprinkling goat cheese crumbles over the salads.
 
4. Serve immediately (this should be a cold salad), and enjoy!
 
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
 
Ingredients: 
•    ¾ Cup Olive oil, extra virgin
•    ½ Cup White balsamic vinegar
•    1½ Tbsp. Honey
•    To taste Kosher salt and black pepper
Directions:

1. Place ingredients in plastic container; cover with lid and shake vigorously to evenly blend.
2. Reserve for service. Yield: 1 1/3 cup.

For the recipes including the White House Sate Dinner Salad as well as Honey Black Walnut Bread, visit www.BlackWalnutRecipes.com. Harvesting, processing, distribution, and marketing of Black Walnuts is performed primarily by Hammons Products Company of Stockton, Missouri.

 
 

 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

My review this Sunday is of Demi, the new restaurant in Chinquapin Park-Belvedere.

Where exactly is Demi? Why, it's right under Crush.

Crush and Demi share a kitchen (and the bar), but there is zero overlap between the menus. 

Is Demi really a separate restaurant?

Other examples from around here? Linwoods/Due? Kali's Court/Mezze?  

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Review Preview
        

Rob Kasper has this review of Chops Restaurant and Lounge, a new restaurant in Phoenix (or is it Jacksonville?) where Mark Hofmann's Henry's Bistro used to be.

That's the "Sweet Air sushi" in the photograph.

Kasper concludes his review with this anecdote:

As we left Chops, a teenager and her family were also departing. The girl was mortified that her dad had spoken in the restaurant to a boy whom the family had once known. "I knew he wouldn't remember me," the teenager complained to her dad, "I hate you." Her father laughed off his daughter's embarrassment. "That," he explained," is what fathers do."

Baltimore Sun photo/Kenneth K. Lam

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

What are the plans this weekend, what with 50 whole degrees to play with?

Anyone checking out the Rockfish Celebration, or the Belgian Beer Fest at Max's?

Sleeping pet of the week -- Buca

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

The James Beard Restaurant and Chef award semifinalists were announced today.

On the list:

Best Chef (Mid Atlantic) -- Cindy Wolf (Charleston)

Charleston is also a semi-finalist in the Outstanding Service category, competing on a national level.

Also a national-level nominee, Tony Foreman, in the Outstanding Wine Service category, for Charleston

I'll have updates and links as soon as I can.

Baltimore Sun photo/Kenneth K. Lam

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

On Thursday, February 24, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Science Uncorked, the Maryland Science Center's popular wine sampling and food pairing event, returns with a new in-depth discussion of grapes from around the world.

The February event is called (ahem) Que Syrah, Shiraz, and will feature wine and food experts from the Wine Market. Participants will compare Syrah and other grape varietals grown in different parts of the world and discover how and why the wines differ.

Tickets for Science Uncorked are $50 and are all inclusive — wine, food, and program. Phone 410-545-5980 to reserve seats today.

On Monday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m., Woodberry Kitchen will host a "feasting style" Beer Dinner featuring seasonal and limited brews from Frederick's Flying Dog Brewery. 

The flier for the event says that Flying Dog "wins fans and awards with its gonzo attitude, dog-themed (and possibly NSFW) labels and a full pack of carefully crafted beers."

I had to Google NSFW

Baltimore Sun photo/Kenneth K Lam

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Serious Eats just posted this piece on the best fried dumplings in Chinatown.

Look at them. Then post about what you like in a dumpling. Where do you get the best dumplings around here? 

Do you prefer your dumplings fried (YES!!) or steamed (NEVER!!)?* 

I have a lunch interview (very excited about it), so please enjoy the dumplings. And the Girl Scout Cookies.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

This nutty story on Obama Foodorama

A Missouri food company that processes and distributes American black walnuts has posted what it purports to be a White House recipe on its website, a recipe used at the recent State dinner for Kolak from Twilo China's resident Hu Jintao

White House says, hmmmmm.

Better look at that link quick - the White House is not thrilled, apparently.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

From Eater, see the funny thing the Chicago restaurant Longman & Eagle did with one of those one-star Yelp reviews.

Good graphic design deserves credit. I called Longman & Eagle to see who's earned them for this piece. One of the restaurant's partners, the Chicago-based artist Cody Hudson has, it turns out. Here's some more of his work www.struggleinc.com

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

A little bit more from my lunch at Iggies with Second City Does Baltimore ensemble members Tim Sniffen, Megan Wilkens and Dana Quercioli.

All three have worked in restaurants at one time or another, and all have either had a hand in developing a restaurant sketch or talked about their service experiences in their stand-up routines.

Quercioli talked about her favorite server trick. If she forgot to put in an order, she'd come to the table and say, "the kitchen overcooked your steak. I'm not going to serve it to you." They fell for it every time.

Sniffen tells this story about his first real waiting job, in San Francisco. 

He had forgotten, when picking up his appetizers, to tell the kitchen (already very cranky) to start the entrees. He'd have throw himself on the mercy of either the kitchen or his customers.. His solution -- he did nothing. He simply never returned to the table, and he was careful never to make eye contact with them again.

Eventually, the table called over a manager and said, "Yeah, our waiter has stopped speaking to us."

Amazingly, Sniffen wasn't fired.

We talked mostly about crazy customers and nightmare shifts (Quercioli had a memorable one at the Hard Rock Cafe -- "I thought at the time, 'this is the worst day of my life.'")

When the ensemble asks audience members, toward the end of their shows, to suggest specific settings for improvised bits, they very frequently get names of local restaurants throw at them. Just the night before, the setting for such an improv was the City Cafe.

"Wherever you find tension," Sniffen suggested, "comedy is nearby."

Who's got a funny restaurant story? 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

1) From the Economist's Gullliver blog on business travel, this post on the increasing practice in Great Britain of tacking service charges on the restaurant bill. The comments are fun to read (and you thought we were cranky) -- nineteen pages of them and counting. 

(You know how in the United States the custom is to post prices, in stores and restaurants, without the tax figured in -- apparently that drives Brits right up the bloody wall.)

2) From Epicurious, an Oscar party planner, complete with food and drink recipes inspired by all 10 nominated films. My favorite, the Ozark feast inspired by Winter's Bone -- roasted venison, horseradish mashed potatoes and wild blueberry pie with almond crumble topping. The menus are all pretty thoughtful, I think. 

3) From the daily entry in (the wonderful) Foodimentary, the "food lover's notebook" -- this tidbit: today, in 1933, Prohibition was repealed. 

Also, today is National Almond Day, which give you a double reason to go to Centro Tapas Bar and order the Churros de Pescado -- crispy rockfish fritters with Estrella Damm beer coating and sweet almond aioli. Rockfish AND almonds.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Dine Downtown Baltimore starts its rockfish celebration tonight. The event, which runs through Monday, Feb. 28, features striped bass on the menu of 20 downtown restaurants.

The rockfish, of course, has been in the news. 

Behind?

Start here with Candy Thomson's excellent introduction to the issues behind this story.

And just yesterday, Thomson had this story about the concerns of rival watermen associations.

In his editorial, Rob Kasper suggests that the illegal hauls is not a front-of-mind concern of area restaurant-goers.

Follow the story on Thomson's Outdoors Girl blog

Here's who's got what, rockfish-wise, starting tonight:

Centro Tapas Bar -- Churros de Pescado; crispy rockfish fritters with Estrella Damm beer coating and sweet almond aioli

Charleston - Pan-roasted with oyster & white button mushroom fricassée, lemon beurre blanc

Cinghiale -- Pan-roasted with cauliflower puree, hazelnut and anchovy brown butter

Diamond Tavern -- Appetizer - rockfish cakes with saffron cream sauce; entree -- soy glazed with edamame salad and baby bok choy

Grille 700 -- Pan seared fillet over a cardamom carrot puree finished with jumbo lump crab meat and fried leeks

Lebanese Taverna -- Farm-raised rockfish, saffron couscous and chickpea pilaf, grilled vegetables, crispy onions and citron sauce

Maisy's  -- Appetizer -- rockfish croquette with squash spaghetti and a lemone beurre blanc sauce; entree: pan-seared rockfish with a wild mushroom medley, cauliflower and feta puree

McCormick & Schmick's -- Pan-seared rockfish served over a mushroom and lobster sauté, topped with a creole mustard buerre

Oceanaire Seafood Room --Four menu items: pan-seared Maryland rockfish cakes served over baby arugula with herbed lemon aioli and oven-roasted tomato & caper relish; grilled Maryland rockfish salad with baby spinach, pickled shallots, & warm bacon dressing; Maryland rockfish bouillabaisse, with sourdough crouton and tarragon oil; and grilled Marland rockfish with warm Mediterranean salad

Phillips Harborplace -- Appetizer -- rockfish & crab ceviche with avocado & topeko wasabi caviar; entree -- Roast rockfish with lobster mashed potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas & lemon butter sauce

Pickles Pub -- Rockfish/Soft Shell "Fat Boy Club," a triple-decker club featuring fried rockfish, soft shell crab, bacon, American cheese and Old Bay ranch dressing

The Prime Rib -- Four preprations of Chesapeake rockfish: broiled with wine, lemon and butter; blackened; stuffed with crab imperial; or Vielle Maison, broiled and served with tomato, caper and onion sauce

Regi's -- "Dynamite Style" -- pan roasted wild rockfish topped with jumbo lump crab imperial over red bliss parsley potatoes and grilled asparagus. -- see Alan Morstein's much nicer description below!

Roy's has prepared a $55 three-course rockfish menu. Appetizer -- "Crab Dynamite"-crusted grilled rockfish; entree -- parmesan-crusted rockfish, with lobster potato rissotto and crab bique; dessert -- cold-smoked rockfish served with chef’s selection of cheeses

Ryleigh's Oyster -- Four menu items: trio of rockfish tacos; pumpkin-seed encrusted rockfish with fried rice and beer-braised  brussels sprouts; pan-seared rockfish with fried mashed potatoes; and grilled rockfish Romanesque

Sotto Sopra -- Appetizer -- rockfish ceviche served on potato crisps; seared Maryland rockfish with fennel-basil sauce, vegetable ragu and blood-orange brown butter

Talara -- Pan-seared rockfish served with sweet plantain-chorizo Hash, salsa fresca, and scallion creme fraiche

Taverna Corvino -- Flash-fried rockfish croquettes; cornmeal-encrusted and pan-seared, and topped with diced tomato and onion; or pan-seared and served with mixed citruses and white wine.

Tio Pepe -- Prepared five ways: Cordobesa style, sautéed with garlic, Serrano ham, artichokes and olive oil; A la Malagueña, with pinenuts, raisins and grapes; Marinera style, with shrimp, mussels, and green peas; stuffed with crabmeat; or "a la Vesca," in a garlicky green sauce, with asparagus, peas and boiled egg

Baltimore Sun photo -- Kenneth K. Lam

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

I was waiting for Valentine's Day to pass before I reminded you that next week (Monday, Feb. 21 - Sunday, Feb. 27) is Annapolis Restaurant Week.

The set-up is simple -- 3-course dinners for $29.95, 3-course lunches for $15.95.

Contact information for each of the participating restaurants can be found at annapolisrestaurantweek.com, where menus are being posted as they become available.   

Here's the line-up:

Acme Bar & Grill, Annapolis Seafood Markets (carry-out only), Aqua Terra, Azure Restaurant at the Westin Annapolis, Breeze at Loews Annapolis, Buddy’s Crabs & Ribs, Café Normandie, Cantler’s Riverside Inn, Carpaccio Tuscan Kitchen, Carrol’s Creek Café Chart House, Fado Irish Pub

Galway Bay, Harry Browne’s,  Hell Point Seafood, John Barry Restaurant at the O’Callaghan Annapolis Hotel, Lemongrass, Level Small Plates Lounge, Luna Blu Ristorante Italiano, Lures Bar and Grille, McGarvey's Saloon & Oyster Bar, The Melting Pot, Middleton Tavern, O’Brien’s Oyster Bar, O’Leary’s Seafood Restaurant, Paul’s Homewood Café

Pusser’s Caribbean Grille, Rams Head Tavern Annapolis, Reynolds Tavern, The Rockfish, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Sam’s on the Waterfront, Severn Inn, Treaty of Paris at the Maryland Inn, Tsunami, Wild Orchid Café, and Yellowfin Steak & Fish House.

Baltimore Sun photo/Lloyd Fox

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Over on the Consuming Interests the talk is of Whoopie Pies.

Which state gets to claim the Whoopie Pie -- Maine or Pennsylvania?

I'm rooting for Maine.

Have you ever noticed that no one who is from Pennsylvania will ever tell you where in Pennsylvania he's from. You have to drag it out of him.

Me -- Where are you from?

Pennsylvanian -- Pennslvania

Me -- Oh, really, whereabouts?

Pennsylvanian -- It's a small town

Me-- Maybe I've heard of it. Pennsylvania borders Maryland.

Pennsylvanian -- It's near Harrisburg.

Me -- What's its name?

Pennsylvanian -- You've never heard of it.

Me -- Maybe I know someone from there.

Pennsylvanian -- Not likely.

Me  -- Please say the actual name of the town where you are from.

Pennsylvania -- Dillsburg

Me -- Isn't that where they drop a pickle on New Year's Eve?

Pennsylvanian -- Yes. 

Californians never tell you where in California they're from either. They just say "California"

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Here's the first batch of restaurants that have committed to this year's Foodie Experience event at the Hippodrome. Thought I'd throw in a video of headliner Alton Brown, too. Because I know how.

See pictures of participating restaurants.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I bumped this comment thread up, because I like hearing about Valentine's Day dinners.

I also replaced the sleeping-pet photograph. This is Max. Not five minutes before I received this photograph of Max, I received another one of another dog named Max. But this Max photo was in format that was easier to work with. Send in more sleeping pet photos to richard.gorelick@baltsun.com. I never know what to use for the "Weekend Dining" posts, so maybe I'll just start using photos of our sleeping pets.

As I was calling around yesterday, asking about reservation availability, I also asked a few restaurateurs how their weekend had gone so far.

They all said it was a great weekend: The weather was a big reason why, and so was Valentine's Day falling on a Monday, which extended the good times over four days.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Your Weekend Dining PLUS
        

Joe's Bistro, Jimmy Speaking 

-or-

Superior Steak House, Samantha speaking, how can I direct your call?

-or-

Corner Bar, Wally

but you have to have to have to have to have to have to have to say your name, or a name. You just have to, and if you don't understand why, don't answer the phone.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

B, usually closed on Mondays, will be open on Monday, February 14 and serving both a fixed-price and a la carte menu. Still room as of 1:24.

Cinghiale is offering a $76 (or $116 with paired wines) fixed-price menu on Monday, February 14th. Complimentary valet parking. Availability tonight at 5 and 5:30 p.m. and again at 8:30 (in the Enoteca) and 9 p.m. (in the bar)

Charleston is offering a $109 (or $159 with paired wines) fixed-price menu on Monday, February 14th.Complimentary valet parking. Openings after 9 p.m. or 8:30 at the bar.

Chef's Expressions at the Gramercy Mansion is hosting a Romance With Bubbles Wine Dinner on Valentine's weekend. $99 plus tax and service. Still openings as of 1:26 p.m.

Clementine, typically closed on Monday, is opening its doors on February 14, and will be serving a special a la carte Valentine's Day menu. Message promises a call-back

Crush is is offering a $50 3 course fixed-price menu at $50 for Valentine's day. There also will be a limited a la carte menu available to diners. Extremely limited availability.

Da Mimmo  Long-stem red roses will be presented to women diners on the 14th. Still good availability.

The Falls in Mt. Washington is offering a fixed-price four-course Valentine's Day menu -- $75 includes a bottle of wine. Still good availability.

Feast @ 4 East -- The Mt. Vernon restaurant is not usually open on Monday nights, but it will be on February 14, with a special $48 four-course menu, featuring roast ducking, wild rockfish and bison tenderloin among other entree choices. Feast @ 4 East is BYOB. Completely booked.

Frank & Nic's West End Grille is taking reservations for its romantic, candle-lit Valentines Day dinner, which will feature a $35 three-course menu. Complimentary glass of sparkling wine included. Still good availability.

Gertrude's is running a special fixed-price Valentine's Day "Amour" dinner on Monday. A three-course menu is $49 ($42 for vegetarians) and a four-course menu is $59 ($52 for vegetarians). Still early (5:30 p.m.) and later (8:30 p.m.) availability.

Grano Chestnut (the big one) in Hampden is offering a specially created a la carte menu in addition to its regular menu on Monday, February 14. Good availability

Pazo will have its full menu available along with two fixed price menus "created especially for the romantic." The special options are available for $35 and $55 per person. Complimentary valet parking is available to every guest. Availability at 5 and 10:30 p.m.

Pazza Luna is postponing its regular Monday night pasta night for a fixed-price Valentine's Day menu on Monday, February 14. Booked!

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis is running dinner specials tonight. Spaces are filling up. An "Anti-Valentine's Day" party in the pub, on Monday, February 14, will feature fortune telling from 8 to 10 p.m., along with discounts on selected spirits. 

Rams Head Roadhouse will be featuring dinner specials on Monday, February 14th and half-price bottles of wine (with a purchase of an entrée for the couples) from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. "Anti Valentine’s Day Party" in the Bar from 9pm-2am, along with discounts on selected spirits. Filling up fast.
 
Rams Head Shore House is offering fireside dinner specials on Monday, February 14th

Rams Head Tavern Savage is running dinner specials on Monday, February 14th, and an Anti-Valentine's Day party in the RATH on the same night

Regi's American Bistro is offering half-price bottles of red wine and complimentary bittersweet chocolate bark for dessert. Availability after 8:30 p.m.

Roy's will be offering a fixed-price option on Valentine's Day, with prices depending on the entree selected. Fully booked!

The Prime Rib is business as usual over the four-day weekend, with live music and free valet parking. Fully booked!

The Rumor Mill in Ellicott City, usually closed on Monday, will be open on February 14 and will be running Valentine's Day specials throughout the four-day weekend.

Rusty Scupper -- Taking reservations for tonight via phone or web.

Ruth's Chris Steak House, at all of its area locations, is running a special Valentine's Day menu. Diners can put together their own meal (entree, soup or salad, and potato or vegetable), with prices ranging, depending on the entree, from $44.95 to $82.95. Availability very early (around 4 p.m.) and relatively late (after 9:30 p.m.) at all area restaurants.

Ryleigh's Oyster is offering a menu of $7 Chef's "Secret" Small Plates, featuring a dozen or so aphrodisical ingredients, along with $20 Domaine Chandon splits.

Slainte has come up with a special a la carte Valentine's Day menu that it will be running over the four-day weekend. Good availability.

Sullivan's Steakhouse is running an $89 dinner-for-two from 14. Entree choices include filet Mignon, crab-stuffed shrimp and triple-cut lamb chops. Availability before 5:30 or after 10 p.m. Lounge seating, with full menu, first-come, first served. Great phone manners!

Waterstone Bar & Grill in Mt. Vernon will be offering a $42 four-course menu, heavy on Greek specialties. Wine pairings are available for $25 extra. Complimentary champagne toast at midnight.

Wild Orchid Cafe in Annapolis is offering a $65 four-course fixed price menu. 

The Wine Market is offering a four-course, $49 per person menu for Valentine's Day, with optional wine pairings for an additional $28 per person. At 1:30 p.m. there was one table for four left. Chris Spann said he'd be willing to give it to a deuce.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Second City Does Baltimore is winding up a very successful 8-week run at Center Stage this Sunday. All of the remaining performances are sold out.

I had lunch at Iggies last week with ensemble members Dana Quercioli (front row, left), Megan Wilkins (front row, second from right) and Tim Sniffen (back row, second from left) and stage manager Josh Miller.

I had been thinking lately about how restaurants have been the source for so much memorable sketch comedy, and I wanted to talk with experts about that. I'll tell you what I learned in part 2.

We talked, too, about where the ensemble has been eating and drinking during their long stay in Baltimore, one of the longest in Center Stage's history. They've had a chance to do a lot of exploring but not as much as they'd have liked. A few of the cast members, Baltimore will be flattered to hear, are extending their stays a week beyond this Sunday's closing date so they can do all the things they haven't had time to.

Hands down, their Baltimore food hero is Cindy Wolf, of Charleston, who appeared as one of the six celebrity walk-on guests that joined the ensemble during their Baltimore run. As thanks, Wolf hosted and treated,the ensemble to dinner at Pazo, guiding them through their meal. They loved it and her.

Iggies is just across the street from Center Stage's artist housing, and the ensembles have become regulars. (When Wilkins' father was visiting and stopped in, for the first time, the counter person said, "oh, you must be Megan's dad!")

They've come to like City Cafe, too, and the Owl Bar but they're more likely to turn up at the Midtown Yacht Club and the Mt. Vernon Stable, which have long been haunts of Center Stage's visiting cast and crews, in large part because of their late serving hours. 

When we were talking about waiter's dreams and nightmares, Wilkens said, "I just realized, I dreamed last night of the polenta at Sotto Sopra!!!" (She was talking about the polenta,  sprinkled with truffled sea salt, served with lemon-caper aioli. I love it, too.)

Still on their list -- Woodberry Kitchen and G&M. The ensemble is free tonight -- Mondays are dark at Center Stage. So, if you've got room in your restaurant, and would like them to stop by, let them know here. 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

This is my gift to you, Bert Parks singing "Let 'Em In"

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Arrrghh. I spent like an hour yesterday looking for a good photograph of a sleeping dog or cat to illustrate this post.

And this landed in my Google Reader today.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

On the Original Beer in Baltimore Alexander Mitchell IV has the final beer list for this weekend's Belgian Beer Fest VII at Max's on Broadway.

The Eat. Swim. Shop. blogger gets a hankering for Eastern Carolina barbecue sauce and so makes a batch of it and some Memphis style sauce to boot.

And Maryland Reporter.Com has this video interview with Joan Carter Conway about the direct-wine shipping legislation that her senate committee has responsibility for. If direct wine shipping doesn't happen, the senator says, it won't be because of the senator.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Pazza Luna is postponing its regular Monday night pasta night, and will offer a special Valentine's Day menu on Monday, February 14.

Pictured: From Dunkin' Donuts, the new Cupid's Choice heart-shaped donut, a heart-shaped yeast shell donut filled with Bavarian Kreme, topped with strawberry icing and a festive mix of pink, white and red heart-shaped sprinkles. I'd like one. -- Update, Monday, Feb. 14 -- readers, I ate one!

Restaurateurs, send your restaurant's Valentine's Day offers and events to richard.gorelick@baltsun.com.

And, civilians, post your Valentine's Day plans here, along with your past delightful experiences celebrating this most beloved of all holidays.

Here's what I have so far:

13.5% in Hampden is offering a Valentine's Day fixed-price menu on Monday, February 14-- there's a 3-course version for $55, and a 4-course option (to be shared by two) for $95. 

B, usually closed on Mondays, will be open on Monday, February 14 and serving both a fixed-price and a la carte menu.

Cinghiale is offering a $76 (or $116 with paired wines) fixed-price menu on Monday, February 14th. The full a la carte menu will be available the remainder of Valentine's Day weekend. Complimentary valet parking. Availability at 5 and 5:30 p.m. and again at 8:30 (in the Enoteca) and 9 p.m. (in the bar)

Charleston is offering a $109 (or $159 with paired wines) fixed-price menu on Monday, February 14th.Complimentary valet parking. Openings after 9 p.m. or 8:30 at the bar.

Chef's Expressions at the Gramercy Mansion is hosting a Romance With Bubbles Wine Dinner on Valentine's weekend. Room is still available on Thursday, February 10 and Monday, February 14. $99 plus tax and service.

Clementine, typically closed on Monday, is opening its doors on February 14, and will be serving a special a la carte Valentine's Day menu.

Crush is is offering a $50 3 course fixed-price menu at $50 for Valentine's day. There also will be a limited a la carte menu available to diners.

Da Mimmo in Little Italy is promoting a four-day Valentines weekend. Diners making reservations on S Sunday night will receive a $25 gift certificate for use on a return visit. Long-stem red roses will be presented to women diners on the 14th.

The Falls in Mt. Washington is offering a fixed-price four-course Valentine's Day menu -- $75 includes a bottle of wine.

Feast @ 4 East -- The Mt. Vernon restaurant is not usually open on Monday nights, but it will be on February 14, with a special $48 four-course menu, featuring roast ducking, wild rockfish and bison tenderloin among other entree choices. Feast @ 4 East is BYOB.

Frank & Nic's West End Grille is taking reservations for its romantic, candle-lit Valentines Day dinner, which will feature a $35 three-course menu. Complimentary glass of sparkling wine included.

Gertrude's is running a special fixed-price Valentine's Day "Amour" dinner on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. A limited edition of the regular menu will be available on Saturday and Sunday, but only the fixed-price menu will be available on Monday. A three-course menu is $49 ($42 for vegetarians) and a four-course menu is $59 ($52 for vegetarians).

Grano Chestnut (the big one) in Hampden is offering a specially created a la carte menu in addition to its regular menu on Sunday, February 13 and Monday, February 14.

Henninger's Tavern, which is usually closed on Mondays, will be open for Valentine's Day, February 14, serving from the regular menu. Reservations accepted.

Kooper's Tavern has come up with a special three-course Valentine menu for the long weekend. Depending on the entree ordered, the fixed price ranges from $29 to $49.

Mr. Rain's Fun House is running a "Go All the Way" Valentine's Day menu, based on the classic "bases" system on Monday, February 14. The four-course menu will be available all weekend.

Mortons The Steakhouse is celebrating the four-day weekend, February 11 – 14, with a special three-course menu for two, as well as a Valentine’s Day cocktail, The Red Velvet. The menu for two consists of a choice of two salads; two single-cut filets (or upgrade to a double cut filet mignon, prime ribeye steak, or single cut prime New York strip for an additional cost); choice of two seafood options (Morton’s jumbo lump crab cake, colossal shrimp Alexander, broiled sea scallops, or chicken Christopher); two side dishes; and two desserts for $109.99.  

 

Pazo will have its full menu available along with two fixed price menus "created especially for the romantic." The special options are available for $35 and $55 per personComplimentary valet parking is available to every guest. Availability at 5 and 10:30 p.m.

Pazza Luna is postponing its regular Monday night pasta night for a fixed-price Valentine's Day menu on Monday, February 14.

Petit Louis --is offering a $59 (or $89 with paired wines) fixed-price menu on Monday, February 14th. The full a la carte menu will be available the remainder of Valentine's Day weekend. Complimentary valet parking.

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis is running dinner specials from Friday, February 11 through Monday, February 14. An "Anti-Valentine's Day" party in the pub, on Monday, February 14, will feature fortune telling from 8 to 10 p.m., along with discounts on selected spirits. 

Rams Head Roadhouse wiil be featuring dinner specials on Monday, February 14th and half-price bottles of wine (with a purchase of an entrée for the couples) frrom 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. "Anti Valentine’s Day Party" in the Bar from 9pm-2am, along with discounts on selected spirits.
 
Rams Head Shore House is offering fireside dinner specials on Monday, February 14th; Cupids Stupid Party in the bar on Saturday, February 12th, 2011, 9pm-2am, along with discounts on selected spirits.

Rams Head Tavern Savage is running dinner specials on Monday, February 14th, and an Anti-Valentine's Day party in the RATH on the same night, featuring live music and discounts on selected spirits.

Regi's American Bistro is offering half-price bottles of red wine and complimentary bittersweet chocolate bark for dessert.

Roy's will be offering a fixed-price option on Valentine's Day, with prices depending on the entree selected.

The Prime Rib is business as usual over the four-day weekend, with live music and free valet parking.

The Rumor Mill in Ellicott City, usually closed on Monday, will be open on February 14 and will be running Valentine's Day specials throughout the four-day weekend.

Ruth's Chris Steak House, at all of its area locations, is running a special Valentine's Day menu. Diners can put together their own meal (entree, soup or salad, and potato or vegetable), with prices ranging, depending on the entree, from $44.95 to $82.95

Ryleigh's Oyster is offering a menu of $7 Chef's "Secret" Small Plates, featuring a dozen or so aphrodisical ingredients, along with $20 Domaine Chandon splits throughout the long Valentine's Day weekend, from February 11 through the 14.

Slainte has come up with a special a la carte Valentine's Day menu that it will be running over the four-day weekend.

Sullivan's Steakhouse is running an $89 dinner-for-two from February 11-14. Entree choices include Filet Mignon, crab-stuffed shrimp and triple-cut lamb chops.

Tapas Teatro usually closed on Mondays, will be open on Monday, February 14 and serving its regular menu plus a few special dishes made for the occasion.

Waterstone Bar & Grill in Mt. Vernon will be offering a $42 four-course menu, heavy on Greek specialties. Wine pairings are available for $25 extra. Complimentary champagne toast at midnight.

Wild Orchid Cafe in Annapolis is offering a $65 four-course fixed price menu. 

The Wine Market is offering a four-course, $49 per person menu for Valentine's Day, with optional wine pairings for an additional $28 per person.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

I told a friend I was going to review Caesar's Den.

He happens to volunteer for the Tuesday homeless outreach program of Little Italy Hands and Hearts, which coordinates that and other outreach ministries.

Each Tuesday, members of the group coordinate, prepare and deliver meals to over 72 homeless men and women along Central Avenue. The donations are made possible from local restaurants and merchants, particularly the restaurants of Little Italy.

The friend said that all of the restaurants are generous but Caesar's Den particularly so -- "above and beyond" was the phrase he used.

There was no place for that in the review. I tried, because I don't think it's completely irrelevant information.

So, here...a toast to Tina and Guido De Franco - Cent'anni!

I had some observations about the Caesar's Den menu, which I faulted (gently, I hope) for treating all of its dishes equally.

That black linguine and arugula looks divine!

Baltimore Sun photo/Kenneth K. Lam

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
        

John Lindner reviews lunch at Dick's Last Resort in the Inner Harbor.

Insults from the staff are part of the fun at Dick's.

No one talks so much about the food. 

Go read what that jerk has to say about the the shtick and the food at Dick's in his Lunch Timed review.

Baltimore Sun photo/Barbara Haddock Taylor

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 4:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

The indefatigable Baltimore Snacker posted today in his Snacking State by State series with this post on the Nutmeg State. Go visit and see what the Baltimore Snacker has to say.

Then come back here and share your Connecticut food memories. And then send a link to your friends in Connecticut, and I'll check tomorrow to see how much increased Connecticut readership this blog got as result.

Can I tell you how much I love this logo?

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Here is the Sunday review of Caesar's Den, which might take the High Street sweetness prize. Nice people, but I hardly knew it growing up here.

I think most people grew up in either a Sab's family or a Chip's family. 

We were a Chip's family, but our cousins were a Sab's family. So, sometimes...

When I got older, I stuck with Sab's for the longest time. I wonder what happens when someone from a Sab's family marries someone in a Chip's family.

But surely there were Caesar's people, too -- were you one of them?

Baltimore Sun photo/Kenneth K. Lam

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 3:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

I told the Jones people to send some over, and they did.

The bottles are cool, and, for a moment, there was something like joy in the newsroom. 

The sodas -- sold in a $12.99 complete-set 6-packs -- feature Jones’ Green Apple, Root Beer and Strawberry-Lime flavors.

More info here.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Its fans will be sorry to hear about the recent closing demise of Mi Viejo Pueblito in Brewer's Hill.

The good news is that restaurant space at 901 South Conkling Street is now Fiesta Mexicana, and the owner, Federico Lopez also owns the Fiesta Mexicana on Philadelphia Road in Rosedale.

I spoke very briefly with Lopez who told me to check out the online reviews of Fiesta Mexicana on Yelp!  (Well played.)

"This locations is big challenge," Lopez said, "but we're going to be fine."

Who's been to the other Fiesta Mexicana?

Thanks, Elizabeth for posting this link to a D@L discussion about Fiesta Mexicana.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Rob Kasper's review in today's Live! section is of Trattoria Alberto in Glen Burnie, one of those restaurants that folks are always discovering and recommending (often on this blog).

The blogger 1000yregg says on This is Gonna be Good that the chef-owner Mi Viejo Pueblito in Brewers Hill is moving on. It's unclear what the future is for the owner, whom the blogger calls Iveth, or the restaurant space. I'll work on this today (but if anybody knows, please tell me.)

Update, 11:35 a.m.: the restaurant location at 601 S. Conkling, until last week Mi Viejo Puelbito, is now  under new ownership; the new name is Fiesta Mexicana. 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

The four-day Valentine's Day weekend starts tonight -- are you ready?

It's supposed to get up to 50 degrees on Sunday. Pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota on Sunday, too.

I'm going to spend the weekend dodging crocuses -- look out, there's another one!

It's spring!!

What are your plans this weekend?

Also see more Valentine's Day coverage.

Baltimore Sun photo/Algerina Perna

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 8:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Your Weekend Dining PLUS
        

Patricia Talorico, the food writer for the Wilmington News-Journal, has just revealed this juicy bit. Anthony Bourdain told her in an interview that he will be contributing to David Simon's current HBO show Treme. UPDATE: The Times-Picayne and other outlets had reported this news earlier today.

Bourdain's man-crush on David Simon is common knowledge.

When he appeared at the Hippodrome last May, as part of the theater's inaugural foodie experience, Bourdain wouldn't shut up about David Simon this and The Wire that.

Of course, when his show No Reservations visited Baltimore, cast members of The Wire were his dining companions.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

A reader phoned into say that a new restaurant called Hibachi Grill is set to open in the Liberty Court Shopping Center in Randallstown, near the library.

I haven't heard anything about that, but I did find an online listing on Super Pages.

Keep your eyes open, Randallstown, and let us know if and when the Hibachi Grill opens.

I called the Hibachi Grill in Parkville (see comment below), and the woman who answered the phone said the Hibachi Grill in Randallstown would be opening in a few weeks.

We had a bit of trouble communicating, but the fact that she knew what I was referring to implies to me that the two Hibachi Grills are related by ownership.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

A reader writes:

Do you know the status of The Bamboo House? They've been around for a long time in The Yorktown shopping center. There is a handwritten sign on the door that the kitchen is on vacation while they renovate but it doesn't look like anything is happening there.  The # on their carry out menu is "not in service".

In case you didn't know, in addition to being a Chinese and sushi restaurant they also had a very interesting nightclub (for lack of a better term) that was frequented by an older crowd (way older than us!!).  We were having a late dinner on a Saturday night a while back and witnessed quite a scene as the music got going. Kinda like driving by a car crash where you couldn't look away.

 

I tried calling the number just now. No one answered. Anyone have some light to shed?

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

A reader writes:

several weeks ago Sanders' Corner restaurant on Cromwell Bridge Rd in Balto Cty seemed to have suddenly closed with a handwritten "Closed for Winter" sign in the window. They have never done this before so I was wondering what the story was as I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere. I thought you might have some info..........      

I tried calling the number just now. No one answered. Anyone have some light to shed?

Thanks to Reader (see comments below) for shedding light. Here's the Towson Times article about the sudden, and mysterious, closing of Sanders' Corner.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Serious Eats posted this recipe for salted caramel and walnut slices. The recipe is from a new book, Not Your Mother's Casseroles, by Faith Durand, published by Harvard Common Press

I linked it on my Facebook page and it's gone viral. Well, three comments anyway.

I'm trying to figure out how to get someone out there to bake up a batch and drop them off tomorrow at 501 North Calvert Street, with a card attached that says, "To Sir With Love"

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

A short one, with an advert (sorry), but 60 seconds of John Cleese is worth it, I think.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

This message appeared about ninety minutes ago on the Bolton Hill email Network (BHEN) about a robbery last night at On the Hill Cafe in Bolton Hill.

On the Hill was robbed last night at gun point at 9:10, just after closing. The staff did not resist the demand for cash and no one was hurt. The robber was completely concealed with a hoodie and no identification was made. A neighbor saw a suspicious black car driving very slowly in the alley behind the café just prior to the robbery.  A full report to the Police and MICA security was made. 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

This from City Cafe's Twitter feed:

How are we celebrating Joe Pesci's 68th you ask? With our delicious Toasted Italian Sub special. Happy Birthday ya' filthy animal!

That's funny.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I've talked here before about bad restaurant websites. A few sources either sent along or posted this clever cartoon critique of bad restaurant websites (it includes a gratuitous four-letter word):

What I want from a restaurant website

One of those posters, Alexander D. Mitchell IV of the Original Beer in Baltimore blog, also posted about the debut of the new Bistro Rx website.

What do you think?

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws, one of the groups working to get corkage laws changed in Maryland, was in touch today.

Corkage's chances in Virginia got a major boost last night, when SB1292 passed the Virginia Senate by 27 to 12 vote. Corkage is allowed in Washington, DC, and in Pennsylvania but not in Virginia or Maryland.

The MBBWL email quoted the following statement by Lynne Breaux, the president of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. SB1292 is the bill being advanced in the Virginia Legislature -- it passed the Virginia Senate last night by a 27 to 13 vote. (Update: I just spoke with Breaux, who talked about her experience with corkage as a D.C. restaurant owner: "It worked. And, talking with our members, it works for them, too. And if you don't want to do it, you don't have to do it. It was never a problem."

“As a northern Virginia restaurateur, and a member of Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, we wish to inform you of SB1292, which allows patrons to bring wine into an ABC licensed establishment for consumption on the premises for a fee.

We support the rights of consumers to have a choice, and we see no evil in allowing patrons to BYOB, so long as there is no restriction on a restaurant’s right to charge a service fee or so called corkage fee. Restaurant operators can assure payment of costs incurred and a profit through the imposition of such fees. No establishment should be required to allow BYOB, but it should be an option, just as it is in the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions. Not having such an option puts Virginia restaurateurs at a competitive disadvantage in locations that are in close proximity to areas that allow BYOB, thereby depriving Virginia of sales, and the attendant sales tax and revenue. The availability of this option allows restaurants to attract the high end wine aficionado who enjoys dining out, but prefers the option of bringing wine from their own collection, or from other sources. It represents a marketing opportunity, and a way to stay competitive."

Choice for consumers is a positive for all, and should be encouraged.  SB1292 allows another choice for consumers. SB1292 passed the Senate today and is going to the House for consideration, and we urge you to weigh in on this issue by contacting your State Delegate.”

The MBBWL email points out that corkage in Virginia was opposed by the Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association (VHTA), just as corkage in this state has been opposed by its counterpart in Maryland, the Restaurant Association in Maryland (RAM).

One reason why VHTA opposes corkage:

"SB 1292 will create confusion among customers when restaurants set different policies and corkage fees!  Some restaurants will allow and others will not.  Some will charge corkage fees and others will not. Corkage fees may vary widely from restaurant to restaurant."

One reason why RAM opposed corkage:

"Our member restaurants fear that, as a result, the law change will...create confusion about serving control and regulatory compliance."

I'm sorry, but this this one particular objection is so lame that it makes my eyes cross. It pretends, among other things, that the Internet doesn't exist. I previously posted this one guide to varying policies in Washington, DC, published by one district wine shop. There are many such online guides -- it takes about three seconds to Google up one of them. Granted, they not be all continuously updated --

So, today, I say, if anyone in the Maryland legislature asks:

I  will maintain and publish the complete guide to varying corkage policies at Maryland restaurants. Seriously. Hell, I'll do it for Virginia, too. 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Eat 52 has this piece about the new generation of food co-ops, which it is terming techno-locavorism. These are web-based buying clubs or produce-alerters.

Closer to home, you may have heard about the Baltimore Food Co-op that is being readied for a spring opening in the former Mill Valley General Store in the Jones Falls Area.

The co-op is now taking $100 membership pledges -- only when the number of pledges reaches a predetermined level will the pledge money be activated and the co-op a reality.

I spoke last week with John Segal from the co-op's board, and he especially wanted people to know that the Baltimore Food Co-Op was not going to be like the earthy-crunchy food co-ops you remember from the 1970. You know, the one where everyone was so GROUCHY.

I did tell Segal that the BFC logo looked pretty "earthy-crunchy" to me. He was surprised. He said, "earthy, yes...but crunchy?!

A few of my friends disagreed with me. They really like the logo, although they didn't get the subtlety of b f c = beet, fennel, carrot

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

You want to give a restaurant owner a real thrill? Insist on bringing in your own cake.

I spoke to handful of restaurant owners about this. Their responses were all over the place. One patently refused to allow customers to do it and has lost business over it. Another few allowed it all the time. In between, there were a few that allowed it, reluctantly, but charged a plating fee for it.

I had thought, incorrectly, that bringing in your own cake was  something that was actually forbidden by health-code regulations. Not exactly.

What you may not do, what is expressly forbidden, is this: You may not bring a cake that you've made yourself into a restaurant. (For that matter, you can't bring in any food you've made yourself into a restaurant.)

You may, however, bring in a cake from an approved food provider (approved, that is, by the State of Maryland and/or local municipality) At least you can legally do this -- individual restaurants will have their own policies.

This is all according to David Paulson, the communications director for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Local municipalities are responsible for enforcing the State code and can, if they choose, take an even stricter stance. The city of Baltimore's policy is aligned with that of the state's, according to Brian Schleter, Paulson's counterpart in the Baltimore City Health Department, who found the appropriate language for me in the Code of Maryland Regulations (known and loved as COMAR):

"The person-in-charge [restaurant owner] shall ensure that food served to the public is wholesome and free from contamination, not adulterated, safe for human consumption, obtained from an approved source...."

The truth is that cake-smuggling is seldom (never) enforced.

The code clearly places the matter in the hands of the restaurant owner, and it is reasonable to expect a restaurant owner to exert control over what is brought into the his or her restaurant. It is unreasonable, or at least tacky, for a customer to throw a fit when told otherwise.

There are good reasons, apart from health concerns, not to allow in an outside cake, and, as always, so mcuh depends on what restaurant we're talking about. A pizza parlor probably wouldn't mind your doing it; a restaurant with its own pastry chef would.

It depends, too, on whether you've rented out a private room for your party. I think it's perfectly reasonable for a restaurant not to control cake-importing simply on aesthetic grounds. Who knows what dreck someone will show up with!!

It's like I always say -- unless it's a Mylar balloon, nothing brings down a room faster than a sheet cake.

Recently I wrote a little bit about proposed corkage legislation. I wish it well, but the legislative process is awfully frustrating to look at, what with all the rampant venality and stupidity.

And then it occurred to me -- I could make laws myself!!

Or at least rules.

Here's my first draft on a list of rules for bringing cakes into restaurants:

I. Call first, every time, at least two days in advance, but preferably further.

IA. If the restaurant advise you that it does not allow patrons to bring in cakes from outside but that one can be produced for you by the restaurant's in-house baker or provider, you should either accept that option or look for another venue. Or don't have cake. 

IB. Similarly, if the restaurant advises you that a cake can be procured for you by the restaurant from a list of approved providers, that is what you should agree to, or look for another venue. Or don't have cake.

IC. And again, if the restaurant provides you with a list of acceptable providers and dimensions and other criteria for you to order from, you must accept this or look for another venue. Or don't have cake.

II. If the restaurant advises you, in this planning conversation, that it will charge you a reasonable fee* for cutting, plating and serving a cake you've brought in, you must pay it. You may negotiate the fee in advance if you like. (For its part, the restaurant must advise customers who call in advance about the fee; if it doesn't, you could reasonably be annoyed for not having been alerted to it in advance. I'm a terrible negotiator but even I could make that go away. Or don't have cake.

III. Bringing in a cake without calling in advance is strictly prohibited.

* reasonable fees are reasonable

REUTERS/Enrique De La Osa

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

Speaking of love, did anyone fall in love with a new restaurant during the big big snows of a year ago? Maybe it was a neighborhood joint, one you'd never been to, that came through for everyone.

But I'm interested in hearing about all of your memories of the week that was, in and out of restaurants, with or without love. 

Karl Merton Ferron

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Do you have an interesting story about how you fell in love? If you’re not (video) camera-shy and are willing to share it with us, email leeann.adams@baltsun.com.

You know the kind of thing we're looking for. ("I knew it was meant to be when used his turn signal even when there was no other car around." "We lived one block from each other but we met in a Marrakesh souk.)

I was thinking how nice it would be if we had a few food-related love stories to tell.

Think of it this way. It'll be something you can show your grandchildren. Or, think of it this way. You can promote yourself if you're really slick about it.

Alejandro Perra/Bloomberg

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

From the Washington Post, via Baltimore Crime, a story on how Maryland's current wine-shipment laws have created smuggling routes through D.C. and Virginia. Maryland wine-lovers who work in the district are having wine shipped to -- their offices -- and then driving the wine across the state/district border!

My pal Dara Bunjon at Dining Dish reminds us that today is World Nutella Day.

Nutella has been messing with its basic formula, at least in the U.S. The classic recipe used an oil that fell into the partially hydrogenated category. I remember Whole Foods didn't sell Nutella (it may now?) because of this, or maybe because of the artificial vanilla. Anyway, Whole Foods Market used to promote this other kind of chocolate hazelnut spread that was a much better-made product -- not hydrogenated oils, nothing artificial. And it was completely without appeal.

Nutella is so good because it's bad.

The old U.S. formula, which I think was much closer to the European formula, was also good/bad. The European original is good/bad, too, although it's easy to find comments on blogs about how the U.S. version is artificial and synthetic while the European version was authentic and artisinal.

And Obama Foodorama talks about the impact of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign on the occasion of it first anniversary. The post talks about the criticism of the campaign, too, as well as the public-awareness campaigns of former wives of presidents and manages to omit Nancy Reagan, which is just tacky.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

In my review of Roy's, I talk naturally about the stigma attached to being a chain.

I have been persuaded that that the individual chefs (like Opie Crooks, pictured here) at Roy's restaurants have been granted a great deal of autonomy. That's what I've been told, I mean.

I'll be speaking on Monday morning by phone to Roy Yamaguchi, the founding chef of Roy's. 

Is there anything you want me to ask him?

Baltimore Sun photo/Barbara Haddock Taylor

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
        

I'm writing this only hours before kickoff!!!

Some of you told us about your weekend dining plans and escape routes. I hope your team won. I wonder who won the chili cook-off at Captain Larry's!

I am both thrilled and not about Liz S.'s description of the savory bread pudding at the Brewer's Art -- see comments here. Thrilled because she made it sound so good and not thrilled because I thought about it all the blamed weekend.

Jennifer Aniston is in this blog post for no reason, but I'm sure there was a really good reason she was at the Super Bowl.

REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Your Weekend Dining PLUS
        

A friend got in his head that we should all pile in a car and take a day-trip up to Philadelphia to eat at Amada, just one of the jewels in the crown of restaurants that Jose Garces (James Beard Award winner, Iron Chef) owns in Philadelphia.

Worth it.

The menu, previewed online, looks commonplace, like something you've seen before.

But there are many moments of great pleasure and delight, not one of which seems forced or gimmicky or anything but right.

Many hours later, we were woozy.

Everything is bright, shining, packed with flavor. Cured meats are shaved to parchment thinness --- you can pick up a piece of serrano and look right through it. Cheese are with one of Garces' home-made condiments -- truffled lavender honey goes with aged manchego; garlic dulce de Leche with Garrotxa and a currant-pistachio "Salbitxada" with La Peral. Pairing this with strong, vinegary Isastegi cider -- just brilliant

An ensalada verde composed of greens, asparagus, avocado, green beans and favas makes you angry about almost every other salad you've had in a restaurant. A ridiculously good warm fava and lima bean salad is the kind of thing that can go so badly -- the beans can end up as pebbles or mush.

Something simple like lamb meatballs with shaved Manchego are allowed to be simple, fuss-less and delicious. Shrimp, from the grill (a la plancha) are aggressively, wonderfully salty. Maybe the table's favorite of the day, grilled wild mushrooms are a feast of butter.

Those olives. Simple, perfect, glistening. Judgment -- knowing how much or how little to intervene feels essential to Garces' talent.

Cured meats, sliced thin as parchment The photo doesn't show the caperberries, mustard, and cornichons, but it does show -- hey, you gave us enough bread! I know it's silly to reduce such an exquisitely considered meal to a bread-to-meat ratio, but it kills me how many restaurants are willing to stoke ill will by flubbing this.

Look how nicely the scallops are presented, skewered with wood. tasted great, too.

Thanks to the friend who took these photos. 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

John Lindner reviews the Artful Gourmet in Owings Mills and has some fun exploring the connection, if any, between the restaurant's fancifully named menu items -- Dali Calamari, Kandinsky Quesadilla, Surreal Caesar -- and the food itself.

Rob Kasper had similar fun with the menu items at Hollywood Burger Bistro -- where a sandwich with fried green tomatoes is called The Kathy Bates and one served on an English muffin is called...it hurts to type this...the Princess Di.

I feel a contest coming on. I'm thinking it'll be having to come up with both a new theme restaurant and the eponymous menu items. Maybe we could split it up into the sublime and the ghastly. Who has some ideas about to refine this one?

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Back in early December I wrote a post about a possible new Bryan Voltaggio restaurant and titled it, Soon Volt will have a little brother or sister.

I was, of course, talking about the new Frederick restaurant that the chef is planning as a casual companion to Volt.

But this is much better!

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

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Posted by Richard Gorelick at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

I was simply trying to write this sentence for the print edition: "Valentine's Day falls on a Monday every ___ or ____ years."

Then I fell into a rabbit hole. 

I think I have the right answer now but it took me MUCH LONGER to retrieve it than I should have. (Of course, if you're really smart, you could figure it out without consulting a reference at all.) That's a bad habit -- I can pick at a loose thread until the whole blanket's unraveled.

How many years are there between Monday Valentine's Days?

Show your work, and GO!

Eric was right, in general, Valentine's Day will bounce back in five or six years, depending on whether there are one or two leap years in between. But leave it to OMG...!

Yes, when Valentine's falls on a Monday in the year before a Leap Year, it takes 11 years before Valentines falls on a Monday again.

2012 -- Tuesday

2013 -- Thursday

2014 -- Friday

2015 -- Saturday

2016 -- Sunday

2017 -- Tuesday

2018 -- Wednesday

2019 -- Thursday

2020 -- Friday

2021 -- Saturday

2022 -- Monday

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

I'm declaring this a good weekend to go out dining. The weather system seems stable and all of the restaurant week promotions are over. Seems too like a good idea to get out now before next week's four-day Valentine's Day extravaganza.

Is anyone planning a Lunar New Year's outing?

Of course, it's the Super Bowl on Sunday. Take a look at this post on places to go to avoid having to watch the Super Bowl.

But if it's the Super Bowl you want, you might also consider the big event at Captain Larry's (pictured) in Riverside.

Contestants must bring a crock pot's worth of chili, power will be provided to plug in crock pot, judging starts at 4 p.m. and winners will be announced at half-time.

All Contestants should register by emailing captain@captainlarrys.com.

Baltimore Sun photo/Jed Kirschbaum

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Your Weekend Dining PLUS
        

Here is Rob Kasper's Live! review of Hollywood Burger Bistro, a new restaurant that's taken its fair share of brickbats on this blog. See if the assumptions folks made about HBB were warranted.

Baltimore Sun photo/Algerina Perna

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Here's Jill Rosen's report from last night's event.

Let’s just say right up front that the food police could have made multiple felony arrests at this event. But who counts calories in the name of charity?

Linwood's chocolate meringue batons. The Brewer's Art's milk chocolate and vanilla salt cookies. Lique Chocolate’s truffles in flavors like bold coffee, chai tiger and raspberry walnut. Chef’s Expressions’ white chocolate soup.

If folks were feeling any guilt as they reached for seconds and thirds, they hid it well.

Local restaurants and caterers didn’t have to use chocolate — but most did, and at some of the booths that had folks lining up, they found ways to meld the sweet with the savory.

Often, they did it with bacon.

Gypsy Queen Café offered chocolate covered bacon on a stick. People couldn’t get enough. B&O Brasserie had dark chocolate cups filled with peanut butter mousse and topped with a smoked bacon and banana jam. Sofi’s Crepes was making bacon and chocolate crepes for folks right on the spot. Charles Levine’s chocolate-covered cheesecake lollipops.

Not surprisingly, Gypsy Queen and B&O Brasserie brought home the award for Most Creative Use of Chocolate.

One booth offered milk and dark chocolates shaped like little crabs and flavored with old bay. Another, Chesapeake Food Works, had actual crab quesadillas with chocolate and cocoa chili corn cream salsa.

Two other awards went to the booths that had Best Visual Presentation of Food and Best Booth Display. Intercontinental Harbor Court Hotel (that's chef Manuel Acim in the photo) won best presentation — they planted a tree at their booth and hung pieces of chocolate from it like holiday ornaments. Chef’s Expressions, which won best display, set up a multi-tiered winter-themed table, offering desserts on an ice luge.

Other winners:

Tastiest Chocolate Treat: A tie between The Maryland Club and Mr. Charles Market.

Best Candy Creation: Mr. Charles Market (honorable mention for Pecan Yummies)

Tastiest Non-Chocolate Treat: House of Audre (with honorable mention for Miguel’s Cocina y Cantina)

Best Beverage: City Café's chocolate-raspberry martini, with a tie for honorable mention between Patron vodka and Testimony Tea

Apprentice Award (which is judged based on originality, creativity, taste and overall look): Clementine. (Winston Blick from Clementine told me he served a "deconstructed molé," consisting of chocolate-chipotle stuffed liver pate finished with a red-wine sauce with dried grapes and plums (aka, raisins and prunes. -- RG)

Connoisseur Award (which goes to a vendor that’s participated in the event for at least 5 years): Charles Levine Caterers.

Baltimore Sun photo/Colby Ware

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

A few things from the blogs for you to read over while I'm making some phone calls.

The Baltimore Snacker published this exhaustive post on his travels through and around Exits 7B, 8A and 11A. There's a mournful quality to the post that seems to come with the territory. Worth reading especially for the musings on the mystery of the Castle Restaurant:

One spot I have never seen appears to be a Brooklyn Park institution - the Castle Restaurant. Then again, I cannot find anything about it. I know of no one that has eaten here. Urbanspoon doesn't even know about, and the City Paper has asked readers for more information. No cars were in the lot (granted, the info I found online says it opens at 4PM), but there was a big "OPEN" sign above the door.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Thanks to Alexander D. Mitchell IV for sending in this Monty Python sketch satirizing the authentic yearnings of American tourists. Mitchell, of the Original Beer in Baltimore blog, thinks the woman in the sketch looks familiar.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

The 35th annual American Craft Council Show, February 24-27, at the Baltimore Convention Center will include a display of craft-inspired cakes made by cake designers and bakers from the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area.

Bakers or cake designers interested in designing a craft-inspired cake in honor of the Craft Council’s 70th birthday, should contact Jamie Watt, Profiles, Inc. at (410) 243-3790 or via email at Jamie@profilespr.com

The cakes will help celebrate the American Craft Council's 70th birthday, and the cake designers will take their inspiration directly from a selection of handmade objects that will be on display at this year's fair.

Shown here are Sue Sontag's (Cakes by Sue) cake and its handmade inspiration, multi colored plates by Mary Johannessen (Bedford, Mass.)

Participating bakeries and cake designers lined up so far are:
•    SugarBakers Cakes (Catonsville, MD)
•    Sweet Bakery (Baltimore, MD)
•    Art & Cake (Baltimore, MD)
•    Bakers Park (Catonsville, MD)
•    Herman’s Bakery (Baltimore, MD)
•    Cynthia Knox (Baltimore, MD)
•    Sue Sontag (Elkridge, MD)

 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Just added: Porters in Federal Hill will be running a "traditional yet fun" Chinese menu tomorrow night, Friday, February 4, for the Chinese New Year! The menu includes egg drop soup, shrimp egg rolls and steamed fis h, among other classic and interpretative dishes.

No, it's not traditional to eat the incoming beast. I mentioned in an earlier post that the folks at Mr. Rain's Fun House had introduced a new entree for the New Year celebration, a braised rabbit collard greens, marjoram sauce. Just this past Saturday, Woodberry Kitchen introduced, coincidentally, a majorly wonderful fried rabbit loin dish to its menu. It might not be traditional, but is it actively insulting?

If it's tradition you want, consider Zhongshang on Park Avenue, which is advertising a 12-course Chinese feast through February 13. Here's the menu.

Rabbit might show up on a special New Year's menu created for Joe Squared by owner/chef Joe Edwardsen, which will be available at the Charles North (or, Station North, if you will) restaurant from February 4 through 10.

“Rabbit is one of my favorite ingredients,” Edwardsen admits, "but we’re checking to see if it
is culturally acceptable to eat rabbit while celebrating the Year of the Rabbit.” 

Joe Squared's Year of the Rabbit menu was still being developed, Edwardsen says, but it combines ingredients that are believed to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune such as fish and oranges (or pomelos, I've seen it said). The color “red” will be featured, Edwardsen adds, since it symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck.

The week-long food celebration at Joe Squared is also a fundraiser to help rural students in China; a portion of Joe Squared's Year of the Rabbit sales will got to scholarships.

There are tons of websites out there for anyone wanting to learn more about the traditional foods eaten for the Chinese New Year's celebration. I couldn't settle on any one source. The Wikipedia page for Chinese New Year, naturally, starts at the Dawn of Time.

So, if there are any experts of semi-experts out there, please share.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

The 20th annual Chocolate Affair is tonight at M&T Bank Stadium. The event, a benefit for Health Care for the Homeless, has become the unofficial "big first thing to dress up for of the year," kind of like Baltimore's version of the Golden Globes.

There are still tickets left, available both on the event's website and at the door.

More than 60 vendors are committed to tonight's event. Most of them are chocolatiers and bakeries  showing off their chocolate creations, but a good dozen or area restaurants show up there, too, with savory offerings.

And it's competitive -- awards are given in these seven categories,

Tastiest Chocolate Treat
Tastiest Non-Chocolate Treat
Best Candy Creation
Best Booth Display
Best Visual Presentation of Food
Most Creative Use of Chocolate
Best Beverage

Plus these two:

Apprentice Award
Judging criteria include originality, creativity, taste and overall look.

Connoisseur Award (Vendor participating for at least 5 years)
Judging criteria include originality, creativity, taste and overall look.

Here's how a colleague describes the event to me, which she said is her favorite of the year -- "you stand in line and get lots of yummy treats, and then you get in your another line and get some more, and you keep doing it until you can't do it anymore because you're on a sugar high." See how happy these attendees at last year's event are?

Anyone going?

Baltimore Sun photo/Colby Ware

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Tonight at 6 p.m., the Maryland Historical Society is inaugurating its series of Francis Scott Key lectures with Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate – the history and demonstration of chocolate from bean to drink and the silver implements used

The presenters are Susan Susan McLellan Plaisted of Heart to Hearth Cookery, who will focus on the history of chocolate in Maryland and demonstrate the oldey-timey method of making hot chocolate; and the society's Mark B. Letzer, who will show off some of the silver pots in the museum's collection. That's one of the museum's chocolate pots in the middle of the photograph.

The press release says that guests will taste hot chocolate decanted from historic silver pieces that art part of the collection.

THAT MAKES ME NERVOUS! 

The whole event costs $50. RSVP to Elizabeth Stafford, estafford@mdhs.org, and 410-685-3750 x 337.

photo of Hollyday Silver in the Maryland Historical Society's collection by Jeff D. Goldman
 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 3:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

I never got my water.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Here was my original breakdown of Restaurant Week extensions.

But check the official website for updated information. 

I didn't have The Black Olive on my list, but the Fells Point restaurant let me know that it will be extending its fixed price menu through February 6.

Baltimore Sun photo/Barbara Haddock Taylor

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

I just received the weekly email from Jack's Bistro, which included this intrusion from chef Ted Stelzenmuller, who typically leaves the restaurant's correspondence in general manager Christie Smertycha's capable hands. Here's Ted:

Because I am so excited about this Sunday's specials; I (Ted) wanted (was coerced) into writing part of this week's email!  Since the local football team is not playing this Sunday, we decided to go all out in the kitchen to relieve the blues & transport you to a fun culinary dimension.  Here's what we are cooking up for Sunday: crispy skin suckling pig served as it should be...by itself with spicy Chinese mustard, roasted turkey legs, massive chicken wings, Asian pancakes with sweet soy + chicken (they're kind of like Chinese breakfast pancakes), an amazing clam soup inspired by our trip to Hong Kong, and what I call Wan Chai dumplings.  We are also going to be serving our normal Sunday night $12 entrees at the bar.  I promise they will be to die for as well.  The culinary juices are flowing and I want you all to stop in and have a taste. 

That's going to be hard to top, but if you know of any other television-free zones, especially places that are doing something special this Sunday, post them here. Here's a list of places we came up with for avoiding Sunday afternoon Raven's games -- some, but not all of them, would still apply to Sunday evenings, too.

The worst place to go not to watch the Superbowl is the Brewer's Art -- it's staying shut on Super Bowl Sunday as it has been doing for the past few years.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Westminster's A Little Bit of Tuscany will reopen on Friday, February 4 as Café Tuscany. The name change comes with renovations, including a new bar with seating and an expanded dining area. 

Rose and Kirk Seaman opened A Little Bit of Tuscany on Main Street in 2008 as an informal cafe and Italian home furnishings shop. As Cafe Tuscany, it will be all cafe, all the time.

The Seamans are holding a grand opening for Cafe Tuscany on Friday, February 4, 4 to 7 p.m., with complimentary food and live jazz.

I talked with Rose Seaman, who said her mission is to bring affordable food and wine to the community. Cafe Tuscany, she said, will be "an everyday-person kind of place -- unpretentious, but with really good food." An Italian wine lover, Seaman added, "I want everyone to experience really great wine, and you'll be able to get it here five dollars a glass, or thirty dollars a bottle."

Sounds good to me. Anyone been there?

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Not huge changes, but Luminous, the restaurant at the Westin Baltimore Washington Airport, has replaced its original (since 2007) Pan-Asian and tapas concept with a full-on American menu.

Edward Kim, the much admired chef from Soigne, and later Saffron (as seen in this photo), is still executive chef, and Ed Evans is still in place as the food and beverage director.

On the new menu at Luminous--things like “72 Hr” short ribs with "too-much-garlic" mashers, micro-green salad, and open- flame bourbon reduction; pan seared sea scallops with smoked bacon, green onions, and lemon cream tossed linguini; and lobster with fried-apple risotto.

Meanwhile, a sister restaurant, Old Line Grille & Bistro at the Sheraton Baltimore Washington Airport, debuted a new menu just a few weeks ago. 

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 6:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Beginning today, and continuing indefinitely, I am going to post, when I can, each weekday at 2 p.m., a video of a classic restaurant comedy sketch. I'll look for classics and new stuff, and please send me your favorites. Or make your own!

First up from Season 3 of Saturday Night Live, what I'm pretty sure is the first edition of what would become (for no good reason) a recurring SNL sketch. They're all so young!!

I am hoping to get some curatorial help for this from the Second City cast performing at Center Stage.

Source : Hulu

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Grace Garden, the darling of the food blogs and boards, gets a fresh, picture-laden post from Tasty Trix

I just called Grace Garden to ask if they were doing anything for Chinese New Year. They said no; don't that let that keep you from going.

Pictured here are the famous fish noodles.

Baltimore Sun photo/Gene Sweeney, Jr.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for America, "the federal government's evidence-based* nutritional guidance to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity," is here, as a big PDF.

Here is the Dietary Guidelines for Americans website, and here, on Obama Foodorama, is a lucid breakdown of some of the report's highlights and implications.

Sodium gets roughed up in the recommendations. "Poor salt," I thought, without a strong industry lobby to defend it. The salt industry does have a lobby, though -- the Salt Institute. The institute's reaction to the guidelines is on its website's front page.

* My posts may be full of typos, wrong words and lousy grammar but they are all evidence-based.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)