In Good Taste

Open & Shut: Thacher & Rye; Suspended Brewing; Hollins Market

The latest restaurant openings, closings, and recent news.

OPEN 

Thacher & Rye: Top Chef alum Bryan Voltaggio has switched things up at his Market Street mainstay in downtown Frederick. The former home of Voltaggio’s Volt recently reopened as Thacher & Rye, offering a fresh twist on the chef’s New American style. Now open with traditional dining room service—as well as outdoor seating on the heated patio with strung lights overhead—the restaurant highlights prime cuts of meat, fish and seafood dishes, and Voltaggio’s signature pastas like a golden sage ravioli with local goat cheese and a smoked brisket lasagna. A lengthy beverage menu offers Maryland beers, seasonal cocktails, and wines from around the world.   

Cowboy Row: Speaking of rebrands, the team at the former Plug Ugly’s Publick House on O’Donnell Square in Canton is finally ready to reveal their new concept, Cowboy Row. The Southern saloon will host an official grand opening party on Friday, October 23 to reveal interior upgrades (think cowhide, black leather booths, red LED lights, and a turf-covered patio) and a brand new menu. Eats to look out for include bacon-wrapped shrimp, beer can barbecue chicken, a veggie burger topped with sliced avocado, and hand-cut steaks. 

Cielo Verde: In the midst of moving Alma Cocina Latina into the old Pen & Quill space in Station North, co-owner Irena Stein has reopened Cielo Verde, her catering space inside the American Visionary Art Museum. Currently, the museum is adhering to safety guidelines and adjusting the capacity for parties based on current restrictions. Stein has officially begun hosting small private gatherings, micro weddings, elopements, and private holiday parties. See more information, here

Hollins Market: After being closed for months due to interior improvements and the impact of COVID-19, Hollins Market in Southwest Baltimore officially reopened earlier this month. And officials with Baltimore Public Markets are celebrating the return by partnering with Bmore Flea to host a series of pop-up craft fairs outside the market every Saturday in October. Inside, visitors will notice upgraded (and socially distanced) common seating areas, as well as new windows that allow for natural light throughout the space. Familiar vendors Eddie’s Lunch, L&R Produce, Lauman’s Meats, Mike’s Breakfast and Lunch, and Taste of the Orient have returned to feed the community, and later this fall the market will welcome new faces including Hollins Poultry, Dancing Potato, and a beer and wine concept from the owners of The Back Yard. Additional tenant stalls and more phased improvements will be in the works throughout 2021. 

Suspended Brewing at Whitehall Market: Just when we thought we couldn’t love Whitehall Market any more—the Hampden food hall has added Pigtown’s Suspended Brewing to its roster of tenants. Starting today, the eco-conscious brewery will set up shop inside the market to pour pints by the glass and offer bottles to-go on Thursdays and Fridays from  3-7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Stop by this weekend to celebrate with a glass of Stanza, the brewery’s new rosé-inspired, lightly fruited release.

COMING SOON

Cindy Lou’s Fish House: The latest Foreman Wolf restaurant is set to open its doors inside the Canopy by Hilton Baltimore hotel at Harbor Point on Tuesday, October 27. Featuring a relaxed dining room and outdoor patio seating, the destination is inspired by the deep connections that co-owners Tony Foreman and chef Cindy Wolf have to Southern cuisine. Among the regional offerings are chicken fried steak, fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits, and seafood chowder. The menu also showcases a nod to the mid-Atlantic with jumbo lump crab cakes and crab fluff. Catch an exclusive sneak peek inside the space, here

NEWS

The Admiral’s Cup: As Atlas Restaurant Group prepares to debut its new French brasserie and dinner theater concept, Monarque, in Harbor East on October 26, its owners have also taken over this centuries-old Fells Point corner bar best known for its nightly live music. The Baltimore Business Journal reports that Atlas CEO Alex Smith is part of a new ownership group that includes Admiral’s Cup general manager Darin Mislan and Eric Mathias, who owns The Horse You Came In On Saloon across the street. Though the menu is in for an upgrade, the bar’s lively atmosphere—including its live music performances seven days a week—isn’t expected to change. 

EPICUREAN EVENTS

10/23: CFF Passion for Food and Wine Chef Masterclass
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has put a virtual spin on its annual Passion for Food & Wine fundraiser this year. Switch up your typical Friday-evening takeout routine by participating in a streaming masterclass led by chef-owner Ben Lefenfeld of La Cuchara. Attendees will pick up a package of ingredients (including a bottle of wine and Tito’s cocktails) from the restaurant and cook along with Lefenfeld to prepare a four-course meal including pumpkin soup with sage brown butter and chicken empanadas with salsa verde. 

10/28: Cheese and Candy: A Spooktacular Evening with Firefly Farms
At first glance, these two foods might not look like a great match. But the experts at Firefly Farms inside Whitehall Market are hosting an entire event that focuses on chocolates as a perfect pairing for its signature cheeses. The safely distanced Halloween celebration will require masks and offer room for 175 participants at tables spaced at least 12 feet apart.

10/29: Pumpkin Party Cooking Class with Gundalow Gourmet
If you can’t get enough of the autumn-inspired tutorials at Whitehall Market, snag a ticket to this pumpkin cooking class led by Dana Sicko of Gundalow Gourmet. The menu for the evening will include pumpkin soup, pumpkin ricotta ravioli, and pumpkin pot de creme. Similar to Firefly’s cheese class, distancing protocols will be in place and masks and gloves will be worn at all times.