OPEN
Bar Alice Anne: Paying homage to the welcoming neighborhood feel of its former inhabitant, Lobo, is this new concept on the corner of Aliceanna and Wolfe streets in Fells Point. The Local Fry owners Kevin and Liz Irish, along with their new business partners Katie Schlaffer and Chris Richards, quietly opened Bar Alice Anne last week.
They were big fans of Lobo, and used the initials BAA as an acronym for “before and after,” as they implemented modern upgrades like refurbishing the bar and repurposing old glass blocks. (Fun fact: “BAA” is also an onomatopoeia representing the bar’s logo, an Irish sheep.)
The menu is inspired, in part, by the Korean-American dishes that the Irishes featured at their former restaurant Toki Tako in Hampden. Expect shareable banchan (including a house kimchi) plus dishes like pork belly bossam, shrimp toast, tuna melts, and a Japanese Caesar with sesame dressing. As the signage on front door teases, it’s also “a nice place for a drink,” with options ranging from beer, wine, and tea-forward NA sips to the lemongrass gin-infused Cry Wolfe and pineapple and vanilla vodka Jinju Pearl.
The Fishmonger’s Daughter: Aptly named after Damye Hahn, fourth-generation owner of the famed Faidley’s Seafood, this Catonsville restaurant is finally in soft opening mode, taking limited reservations (no walk-ins) with official hours slated to start in June.
Hahn has been working at her family’s anchor Lexington Market stall since she was old enough to pour sodas, and she’s now at the helm of the 5,000-square-foot restaurant, market, and private events space that locals have been waiting for since it was announced in 2020. Similarly, her son, Will, also operating the new spot, started shucking oysters at the market when he was a teenager.
The Fishmonger’s Daughter will serve Faidley’s favorites—including oysters, Maryland crab soup, and the classic colossal crab cakes—in a sit-down setting, while also introducing new recipes like lobster pasta, chorizo beer mussels, and Chesapeake chicken milanese.
Poke Taco: Hunt Valley-born poke chain Poke Bowl introduced a trendy spinoff on Boston Street in Canton last month, and it’s received a lot of love (prompting multiple sell-outs) in its first few weeks. You can, of course, customize your own bowl, but the menu centers on decadent poke creations (think: spicy tuna or mango-avocado salad) stuffed into deep-fried seaweed taco shells. Wash it all down with boba teas and fruity yogurt drinks.
COMING SOON
Hannah’s Cafe: It’s been four years since Hannah Seidman opened her 18-seat Towson cafe with her family by her side—dad in the kitchen on weekends, mom in the front of house, and sister running social media. Now, the chef/owner, who got her start as a line cook at Pierpoint Restaurant under chef Nancy Longo when she was in middle school, is expanding with a second location at Hunt Valley’s North Park business community.
Expected to open by the end of the summer, the new cafe will serve Hannah’s signature breakfast and lunch comforts including challah French Toast, bagels, omelets, creamy tomato and matzo ball soups, and an array of wraps and sandwiches.
Urbano Tex-Mex: This Baltimore Peninsula taqueria is one step closer to opening in the Rye Street Market building after receiving its liquor license in March and hosting an private pre-opening event in April. Opening in the 4,500-square-foot space, the latest location of the D.C.-area chain will highlight burritos, chimichangas, tortas, tacos, enchiladas, and Mexican desserts, plus six margarita variations.
EPICUREAN EVENTS
5/17: Cherry Street Pop-Up at Ice Queens
As chef Catina Smith—lovingly known as Chef Cat—continues working on her forthcoming concept Cherry Street Diner, she’s partnering with the dessert icons behind Ice Queens in Locust Point for a one-day-only pop-up collab. From 3-7 p.m. on Sunday, pull up to the Fort Avenue sweet shop to catch Chef Cat scooping up ice cream sundaes, topped with namesake cherries, of course.
5/17: Gin Fling at Dutch Courage
After a two-year hiatus, the Old Goucher gin bar is bringing back this spring sipping party from 1-5 p.m. The event will feature 30-plus gins to taste, plus oysters, cheese, charcuterie, and DJ Surf & Turf behind the decks—all for $50. Pours span everything from local McClintock Distilling out of Frederick to Japanese, Australian, Irish, and Mediterranean expressions. Full-sized cocktails and discounted bottles of gin will be available for purchase. Get your tickets via OpenTable.
SHUT
Dulceology: A bittersweet ending is in store for this Salvadoran bakery in Federal Hill. Sisters Nicole and Alejandra Leiva started selling their dulce de leche-filled alfajores on Etsy in 2013 before finding their rose-colored South Charles Street storefront in 2020. Six years later, they’re closing on May 17.
Nicole is relocating to Southern California to work as a pastry chef at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino. Thankfully for regulars who came to rely on Dulceology for their sugar fixes, the sisters’ online alfajor shipping business will continue. “Perhaps one day, in a new place, on new soil, maybe a new name, another chapter will arise,” they wrote on Instagram.
Wico Street Beer Co.: Cousins Jordan McGraw and Mike Richardson first opened their Pigtown taproom at 1100 Wicomico St. in November 2022—with McGraw bringing 15 years of local brewery experience and Richardson coming from a wealth management background. Rather quickly, they built a community-rooted establishment known for its craft beers, old-school arcade games, and camaraderie with the surrounding South Baltimore Brewery District.
Sadly, the cousins will pour their final pints soon, citing “rising costs, changing consumer habits, and an increasingly difficult sales landscape.” In an Instagram post announcing the closure and encouraging the community to support local, McGraw and Richardson thanked everyone who made Wico Street’s run so special.
“We met so many amazing people along the way,” the post reads. “Folks who started as customers and became regulars. Regulars who became friends. And friends who we now consider family. That part will never go away.”
The brewery will be open on weekends throughout the month until the taps run dry.