NEWS
Four Local Spots Clinch James Beard Award Semifinalist Noms: Move over Oscars and Golden Globes—our show is on. The award season for the national culinary scene officially kicked off yesterday when the James Beard Foundation dropped its annual list of semifinalists in several superlative categories. While the foundation has previously recognized local torchbearers like Charleston (a winner last year!) and Clavel, this year, Baltimore’s food and beverage scene has been recognized with four nominations—all awarded to newcomers.
Among them are cult favorite Café Dear Leon—which started in Canton in 2020 and expanded with a Remington sister-location, La Maison, last fall—for Outstanding Bakery; chef Matthew Oetting of Marta Fine Food and Spirits—who spent a long time in New York City with famed groups like Danny Meyer’s Union Hospitality before moving to Baltimore to open Loch Bar in 2015 and starting his own Butchers Hill restaurant, Marta, in the fall of 2022—for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic; Doug Atwell of Southpaw—one of Baltimore’s most well-known veteran bartenders who cut his teeth at spots like Rye, Blue Pit BBQ, and Dylan’s Oyster Cellar before opening his Fells Point favorite in 2022—for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service; and Pink Flamingo—from Dutch Courage owners Brendan Dorr and Eric Fooy, who opened the tiki concept in the former Dizz space last spring—for Best New Bar.
Excitement has quickly spread across the scene, but for the nominees, it’s clear that it might take some more time for the honor to fully sink in.
“I don’t know what to say really,” Nick Pikounis, bar manager at Pink Flamingo reacted to the news. “I’m shocked and honored. We all have worked hard, and to have this makes it worth the struggle and stress.”
As Café Dear Leon co-owner Min Kim shared with us, “It’s surreal. We were flying back from a coffee farm in Brazil, so we got the news a little late.”
For Marta’s part, Oetting says he’s “shocked, blessed, and humbled.” “We’re hoping to make it to the finals, but also just honored to be able to bring the spotlight to the Baltimore dining scene as a whole. I think we are often overlooked, and this is a great opportunity for all of us in the Baltimore hospitality community.”
From here, finalists will be announced on March 31, and winners will be honored on June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
COMING SOON
Marta Fine Food and Spirits: It’s been a big week—and a killer start to the year—for Marta. Just before the Beard noms dropped this week, it was announced that Oetting would be expanding his Italian-inspired gem with a new location at Harbor Point this summer. Named Marta al Mare (al mare means “by the sea” in Italian) the waterfront location will highlight tons of outdoor seating overlooking Point Park against the backdrop of the Inner Harbor. In keeping with the theme, the menu is slated to take a seasonal, seafood-forward approach.
“I’ve been looking for the right opportunity to introduce a new twist on Marta that highlights fresh seafood for some time now,” Oetting said in a press release, “and the waterfront location at Harbor Point is the perfect opportunity.”
Aside from its hand-made pastas and dishes like Lobster Saltimbocca and toro arancini, the new location will offer brunch six days a week. The team teases options like croissant waffles, a “fork and knife” burger, and a posh caviar and martini cart.
The new restaurant is the first announced tenant inside Harbor Point’s new global headquarters for T. Rowe Price, joining the development’s growing dining scene that also recently welcomed Josefina and La Jetee, from fellow James Beard honorees David Zamudio and Spike Gjerde, respectively.
OPEN
Amadeo’s: In the latest addition to the Little Italy dining scene, the longtime Osteria da Amadeo on South Exeter Street has been reopened by couple Brenna and Daniel Lewis as Amadeo’s—a modern Italian spot with a rotating menu of supper and snacks. The couple took some time off last month to address minor renovations, but reopened on Jan. 21 for regular dinner service Wednesday through Saturday. Read more about the New York City veterans’ journey to taking over a tavern in one of Baltimore’s most tight-knit neighborhoods, here.
EPICUREAN EVENTS
1/23-2/1: Baltimore Restaurant Week
It’s been 20 years since this dining promotion became a bi-annual tradition in Baltimore, and organizers with Downtown Partnership and Visit Baltimore are doing it up for the anniversary. More than 75 spots are on board to offer prix-fixe meal deals ranging from $10-65. Browse the full list of participating eateries, here, and consult our list of tips and tricks to plan your dining adventures accordingly, here.
2/4: Jason Hisley Appearing on Is It Cake?
Valentine’s Day will get a little sweeter—and a lot more deceptive—when Baltimore’s own pastry chef Jason Hisley returns to compete on national television next month. The owner of Cake by Jason Hisley in Timonium has built an impressive competition repertoire across Holiday Wars, Cupcake Wars, and Cutthroat Kitchen, and will next compete alongside his partner, Tyler, on Netflix’s special Valentine’s Day edition of Is It Cake? As its name signifies, the show pits top bakers against one another to see who can create the most ultra-realistic, edible works of art. The episode premieres Feb. 4 on Netflix.
SHUT
Don’t Know Tavern: It’s the end of an era for this reliable haunt on the corner of Light Street and East Fort Avenue in Federal Hill, which will close in February after 14 years of beers, burgers, wings, and WVU football parties. In an Instagram statement, owner John Leonard cited longstanding, unresolved building and structural issues with the landlord. However, the building’s owner, David Makarovich, recently told the Baltimore Banner that Don’t Know “was in serious financial distress, was unable to pay rent, and would be ceasing all operations.”
While the bar’s future evokes its name, Leonard stated that Don’t Know may live on if the right space and circumstances present themselves. For now, the team is inviting the community to raise one last glass before the lights dim next month.
Ouzo Bay: Interestingly, another 14-year-old establishment is also shuttering in February. In Harbor East, Ouzo Bay will serve its final guests after its Valentine’s Day service on Feb. 15. The neighborhood fixture, which opened in 2012 as an homage to CEO Alex Smith’s grandfather, was established before Atlas Restaurant Group became its own entity. In a press release, Smith said the decision to close was spark by building issues, stating “the restaurant requires significant infrastructure upgrades, including major systems that are due for replacement.”
Atlas plans to reopen the property as a new concept sometime next year, but no details are available just yet. However, Ouzo Beach, the restaurant’s outdoor sister-bar just across Lancaster Street, will continue to operate seasonally from May through September.