COMING SOON
Paris Baguette: The K-Wave in Towson—which boasts Korean-inspired hotspots including Bonchon, KPot, and Chicken Lab—isn’t stopping anytime soon, with Paris Baguette set to open its first Baltimore location in the Towson Row development on June 14. For those familiar with Korean bakeries, Paris Baguette is a rival to Tous Le Jours, which currently operates stores in Ellicott City and throughout the DMV. The 3,500-square-foot cafe will offer French-style Korean baked goods, including egg salad sandos, mochi donuts, cream breads, fruit tarts, and the airy mousse cakes that have gone viral on social.
BaoDi Restaurant & Bar: The Highlandtown community has been aflutter with the announcement of a new Chinese-American restaurant set to debut on Eastern Avenue in the coming weeks. Named BaoDi, the family-owned spot comes from Baltimore transplant Lucy Wang and her father, who was formerly a chef in Kentucky, where the family immigrated after Wang’s birth in Shenyang, China.
Diversifying the city’s Chinese cuisine—NiHao in Canton and Peter Chang in Upper Fells both serve Sichuan recipes—BaoDi will focus on dishes from Northern China, where noodles and carbs reign to fend off cold climates. But diners should also expect some fusion. (“Chinese Comfort Cuisine x American Chinese Classics,” reads Bao Di’s Instagram bio.) Stay tuned for updates.
ICYMI
Empa511: From chef Jose Victorio Alarcon of downtown’s Peruvian prix-fixe restaurant, Puerto 511, comes this new empanada spinoff in Fells Point. Taking over the former Sofi’s Crepes on Thames Street, the fast-casual concept is now operating in full force, serving seven classic empanada fillings baked with a dough recipe passed down from Alarcon’s grandmother. (Among favorites is the Lomo Saltado, a take on a popular Peruvian and Asian-fusion beef stir fry dish, as well as the Tradicional—filled with meat, caramelized onions, olives, and raisins.)
There are also Peruvian drinks, like a housemade chica morada (a corn-based sip that’s light and refreshing) and the national soda of Peru, the Inca Kola. Read more about Alarcon’s journey to opening the spot, and his mission to keep the operation as sustainable as possible, here.
Arepas Are Back at Alma Cocina Latina: Just in time for major neighborhood events this weekend—including Baltimore Pride, the Charles Street Promenade, and the Inviting Light opening—Station North’s Alma Cocina Latina will unveil a new takeout window specializing in arepas, the stuffed corn pockets of co-owner Irena Stein’s native Venezuela. The to-go service is a temporary way to hold over diners—who have long been asking for arepas to return to Alma’s menu—until the official opening of Candela, a standalone arepa spot adjacent to the restaurant, which is slated to open “very soon.” Get the full story, here.
NEWS:
Good Karma Creamery: A self-proclaimed “passion project from a mid-life crisis” by founder John Williams, Good Karma Creamery currently operates using a pick-up and delivery business model, releasing hand-made pints every two weeks. Now, the small-batch business is expanding its output with a new production facility in Columbia. Per a recent Instagram post, Williams is moving from 300 square feet to a 2,000-square-foot production space off of Red Branch Road, which means one thing: way more ice cream. If you aren’t familiar, some of Good Karma’s recent releases include: Full Court Pretz (pretzel ice cream with pretzel gravel, crunchy cookie, M&Ms, and salted caramel) and Sublime Key Lime Pie (vanilla bean ice cream with a Key Lime swirl and honey graham gravel).
EPICUREAN EVENTS:
6/16: Spilled with Zev Rovine at Clavel
On the heels of celebrating 10 years of elite Sinaloan tacos and a nationally recognized Mezcal program, Clavel, along with Baltimore-based wine distributor Genin Selections, is hosting a book launch, Q&A, and a wine tasting event on Monday at 6 p.m. The book, Spilled: Stories & Recipes from Natural Winemakers, is a look into the lives of 25 influential natural winemakers in France and Italy, co-authored by Stephanie Mercier Voyer, chef David McMillan, wine importer Zev Rovine, and photographer Xavier Tera.
Rovine—who started Zev Rovine Selections in 2007, shaping the way the U.S. imports natural wine—will be in Baltimore for the event, which will include a discussion moderated by Mickie Meinhardt, who owns The Buzzed Word bar and bookstore in Ocean City. Tickets are $28 and can be found on Eventbrite.
6/25: Di Pasquale’s Chicken Cutlet Showdown
At Di Pasquale’s new speakeasy, Forno, in Highlandtown (their original location since the ’80s), the team’s chefs are going head-to-head to find out whose cutlets reign supreme. For the $50 price of admission, locals can sample five different chicken cutlet sandwiches—plus apps and two beers or glasses of wine—from 6-9 p.m. “It’s a fun way to refresh the menu and have our customers involved,” says owner Domenico Santino Di Pasquale. Be sure to tell it like it is when you cast your vote—the best cutlet will become a permanent item on the Brewer’s Hill menu.
6/25: Bourdain Day at Sally O’s
In the wake of Anthony Bourdain’s passing in 2018, celebrity chefs Éric Ripert and José Andrés officially declared June 25—the birthday of late chef and famed world traveler—as a day to commemorate the legacy that their friend left behind. Chef/owner Jesse Sandlin and her team at Sally O’s in Highlandtown are honoring Bourdain’s legacy with “food specials, culinary delights, booze, and good times” throughout dinner service on Bourdain Day. A $25 ticket will get you complimentary bubbly and oysters shucked by The Local Oyster.
SHUT
3 Bean by Vagrant Coffee: After rebranding Key Highway’s 3 Bean, which originally opened its doors in 2015, six years ago, local roaster Vagrant Coffee has decided to shutter the shop. In fact, no more brick and mortar stores are in the future. According to a statement from CEO Josh Drew, the team is going back to its roots as a mobile operation. “This is the end of the cafe—but not the end of the vision,” the veteran and Black-owned business posted on its Instagram. Their mobile espresso bars are available for booking.