Mimi Cooper and her friend Steve Stegner had never eaten at Birroteca, the popular pizza and pasta restaurant in Hampden, so they decided to drop in on a cold night in January. Although their stomachs were growling after seeing Macbeth at The Charles Theatre, they didn’t feel like fussing with the formality of being seated then served at a table in the dining room, which was sparsely occupied. So, to glean the true flavor of the place, they grabbed two stools and bellied up to the bar.

“When we go out, we like to sit at the bar,” Cooper, 79, says. “It’s fun to be close to each other. I think bartenders are sort of fun. They give you quite a bit of attention. It’s cozy.”

After the bartender offers Cooper a taste of a lager she was considering, a courtesy that comes from sitting at the bar, Sam Frank, 31, joins the conversation. He and his fiancée, Grace Jacoby, are sitting catty-corner at the bar sharing a mushroom pizza—the same variety Cooper and Stegner are splitting. The four begin an impromptu chat.

 

“ALL THE GREAT CULTURES OF HISTORY HAVE HAD A VERY STRONG BAR CULTURE.”

 

“That is a testament to eating at the bar,” Frank says. “Isn’t it wonderful?” replies Cooper, who dives headfirst into a conversation with her fellow patron. “I love it. I just talked with the couple that preceded you. They were going to Seattle, and we were talking about their trip out West. I love talking to people.”

“You’re not going to have this experience if you’re sitting at a table,” Frank says. “This is why we eat at the bar.”

Ask a person chowing down at a bar why they prefer their perch to a seat in a dining room and you’ll hear a surprising array of answers. My first drink arrives faster. So does my second one, for that matter. The food is served a tad bit quicker. I’m closer to the action. Bartenders make fascinating conversation. It’s a more relaxed setting. As for Cooper and Stegner, they say that when they sit side by side rather than across from one another, they hear each other more clearly.

But after these practical advantages are rattled off, almost always another, more primal idea is expressed: Eating at a bar is a communal activity.

“It’s at the very core of what we do as humans, which is be together,” says Enrique Pallares, owner of The Wine Collective in Hampden. “This has political, social, and cultural implications. All the great cultures of history have had a very strong bar culture. They create community.”

Although eating at a bar has been a practice for decades, its popularity has exploded in the last generation, says Gino Cardinale, co-owner of Tark’s Grill & Bar in Lutherville-Timonium and former owner of the late great City Café in Mt. Vernon.

“I think it goes to how dining has evolved…it’s very social now,” he says. “A couple comes in for dinner, they’re not necessarily looking to be by themselves. They like to strike up conversations with other people and interact with the bar staff. I think it has a lot to do with that conviviality of being among other people. I saw this at City Café over the years. The bar was once a place just for drinking, maybe after-work happy hours. It started to segue into [being] more about actual dining. We sell a lot of bottles of our finer wines at the bar. You never used to see that. It’s really taken off.”

Brad Barnes is director of consulting and industry programs at the Culinary Institute of America. The Baltimore native has worked in the business for decades and is bullish on the future of eating at the bar as the pandemic (hopefully) wanes.

“As we come out of COVID, the blending of social and food opportunities will be more and more powerful,” he says. “So I think it’s worthwhile for people to have [the option to] eat in less formal settings.”

From the fanciest of white-tablecloth bistros to a hyper-casual neighborhood joint, walk into almost any restaurant in town around dinnertime and you’re likely to see people with plates, not just glasses, in front of them at the bar. It’s the perfect way to try a dish or two at a new restaurant without committing to multiple courses. The sense of pressure to order, eat, pay, and promptly leave is decidedly lighter at the bar than in the dining room.

They’re different ecosystems coexisting in the same world.

“If you’re going to go to a decent restaurant, when you have a table, you’re kind of buying that table,” says Jackie Pestka, a chef instructor at Stratford University’s Baltimore campus. “If you’re sitting there and you’ve got three people, and two people order something and one doesn’t, that’s not really a good thing for the restaurant. You can feel self-conscious. You’re almost pushed to get more than you normally would. If you’re sitting at the bar, you can just have an appetizer. I can go to three or four different restaurants in an evening and just grab an app or a small entree and not feel guilty about it.”

Eating at the bar, which has always been a popular option for solo diners, provides a radically different spatial orientation for parties of two or more than sitting around a table. It can create a more casual context for conversation or make periods of silence less awkward. A bartender mixing a colorful cocktail makes for intoxicating theater. A stranger can be invited into a discussion (just don’t talk politics) or you can veg out and watch a game.

T. Cole Newton is vice president of the United States Bartenders’ Guild. The Washington, D.C., native now lives in New Orleans, where he owns two bars. He’s spent countless hours on both sides of bars.

“When you’re at a table, especially if it’s just one or two people, you’re very much alone for the duration of your meal,” he says. “To dine at the bar, not only are you sharing the bartender’s space, but you’re also sharing that space with everyone else at the bar. It’s essentially like being at one really long table. So there’s a lot more opportunity to have a shared experience. If you’re sitting at a table and you talk to somebody at the table next to you, that’s a very strange thing to do culturally. That’s not the expectation, to lean over to the person at the next table and be like, ‘Hey, what are you eating?’ But if you do that to somebody at the bar, that’s part of what the expectation is.”

That’s exactly what happened at Birroteca. A spontaneous interaction between a young couple and strangers at least a generation older left all with a warm, however brief, memory. It never would have happened in a dining room.

“The bar provides an opportunity to connect with people,” Newton says. “Bars are one of the very few places where those types of random human connections are encouraged.”

Baltimore has no shortage of fantastic restaurants where dining at the bar is welcomed, and provides an entirely different experience than eating in the dining room. Here are eight of our many favorites.

→ Birroteca

Hampden

When it opened in 2012, Birroteca became an instant draw for people in Hampden and beyond. Diners flocked there for its terrific pizzas, pastas, and cocktails, but also because of its inviting atmosphere. Full meals are often enjoyed at its large, four-sided bar.

“We have a pretty regular crowd that comes in and doesn’t even entertain the option of sitting at a table,” owner-operator Mike Moran says. “The bartender often forms a connection with the person they are serving.”

Frank and Jacoby always sit at the bar when they eat at Birroteca. “We don’t like sitting across from each other, it feels like an interrogation,” Jacoby says. “I like touching knees and cuddling up, and the conversations you can have with your neighbors and your bartenders are special.”

Birroteca serves pastas, risottos, and inventive appetizers like beet bruschetta, but it is best known for its pizzas. The Duck Duck Goose, with duck confit, fig-onion jam, fontina, Asiago, balsamic, and duck egg is particularly delicious. Eating one at the bar is a breeze.

Pizzas arrive on elevated metal trays with a spatula that makes helping yourself to a slice easy. There are two TVs, one of which usually is tuned to a (muted) movie. Moran is not a sports fan, and when he eats elsewhere at a bar, he appreciates some non-ball-related programming.

On that recent Wednesday night, Frank and Jacoby were sitting with their backs to the screens, engaged in conversation with each other and occasionally their bartender and their neighbors.

“We had our first date at a bar,” Frank said, “and I’m hoping that even when we get old, we will never get away from sitting at the bar.”

→ Charleston

Harbor East

Eating at the bar is not an option that most people consider when they think of a renowned fancy restaurant. This Harbor East legend is certainly that, but dining at its smallish but attractive bar is a popular pick for regulars, says co-owner Tony Foreman.

“It’s a different social engagement for sure,” he says. “You have dedicated staff that’s not out of your eyesight, and that’s comforting to some people. People have strict rules about whether they want to sit in the dining room or not. There are some that never do. There are some that only do with their spouse. Some guys, when they come in with their spouse, they eat at the bar, but when they come in with friends, they sit at a table.”

Regardless of where you sit, Charleston is not cheap. But whereas in the dining room there is a three-course minimum, at the bar dishes are available a la carte. In theory.

 

IN THE DINING ROOM AT CHARLESTON, THERE IS A
THREE- COURSE MINIMUM. AT THE BAR, DISHES ARE AVAILABLE
A LA CARTE.

 

“Most people have the full menu at the bar,” Foreman says. “The reality is once you have one dish, it makes you want another.”

Service is just as polished at the bar as in the dining room. After ordering, folded napkins and tableware are placed on the bar and a complimentary snack—pastry puffs with artichoke and Gruyère soup on a recent night—is served.

Foreman often encourages people who haven’t been to the restaurant to sit at the bar and enjoy a glass of Champagne and a plate of cornmeal-fried oysters during their first visit to acclimate themselves to the kitchen’s style. Although we’ve eaten there often, we took his suggestion on a recent Thursday evening.

His advice—like everything at Charleston—was spot on.

→ Costas Inn

Dundalk

The term “crab feast” usually conjures images of people seated at picnic tables, booths, or long communal tables cracking Maryland’s favorite crustacean. But at this Dundalk restaurant, many people prefer to take mallet to shell while sitting at the bar.

“It’s very common here,” says general manager Peter Triantafilos, whose father, Costas, has owned the place for more than 50 years. “We’ve got a lot of regulars that prefer to eat crabs at the bar. It’s like second nature. Eating crabs is always a social thing. We lay the paper down, give them a couple mallets and they’re good to go.”

Costas Triantafilos estimates that about 10 percent of his customers eat crabs at the bar. That may not sound like a lot, but when you consider that 40 to 50 people can comfortably sit around the massive 12-foot-wide, 42-foot- long wooden bar, that adds up to a lot of blue crabs. The restaurant serves crabs from Louisiana and Texas virtually year-round (just to be safe, in the winter call to check availability before you go), and in the summer can steam 11,000 crabs in a week.

“You might have somebody eating a filet mignon and the person next to them is cracking crabs,” Peter says. “Everybody is going with the flow.”

→ Maggie’s Farm

Hamilton

Want proof of the popularity of the small bar in the back of this Hamilton favorite? When it’s full, regulars often choose a table within eyeshot of the eight stools.

“[They] have a couple drinks and maybe an appetizer, and they wait until it’s empty and then they move,” says chef Abdul Saeed, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Dana.

Tristan Gilbert and his girlfriend, Erin, took friends from out of town to Maggie’s Farm on a Friday night in January. They sat at the bar, where they all devoured Saeed’s delectable Korean pig wings. The appeal is multifaceted, he says.

“It’s quicker to get seated. We can see the taps. We’re beer lovers, so going into a place and being able to shop with your eyes before you even see the menu, that’s always appealing. If I have a question about something, the bartender is usually much more readily available than a server would be.”

And Gilbert just likes the vibe. “It’s definitely a cozy bar,” he says. “It feels like you’re hanging in somebody’s living room.”

THE PRIME RIB HAS A MENU WITH ITEMS, INCLUDING A PRIME RIB SANDWICH, ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE SITTING ON STOOLS.

 

→ The Prime Rib

Mt. Vernon 

Don Ervin and his wife, Lachele, arrived at their favorite downtown steakhouse at precisely 5:01, a minute after it opened. As regulars, they know the popularity of eating at its elegant bar, and they were determined to secure their favorite two stools in the corner.

“You meet some interesting people sitting here,” Lachele says. “People that like to eat at the bar are interested in people. Not that you’re looking to meet them, but you’re a little more open to engaging.”

The Prime Rib serves its full menu at the bar, but also has a special menu with items, including a prime rib sandwich and burgers, that are available only to those sitting on stools. Mark “Chavez” Linzey has been bartending there for 15 years.

“We have some people who come in five nights a week and eat at the bar,” he says. “It’s nice having people eat at the bar. They talk to me or watch a game. They talk to the couple next to them. There’s a camaraderie at the bar.”

On one weekday night in January, roughly half the restaurant’s food orders stemmed from the bar, assistant manager Dan Buceti says. The Ervins enjoyed cocktails while they waited for their butterfly shrimp and oysters casino.

“This is our spot,” Lachele says of the restaurant and their regular perches. “It’s a fine dining experience at the bar.”

→ Rec Pier Chop House 

Fells Point 

Anyone who’s traveled for business knows that the road can be a lonely place. Perhaps that’s one reason why many solo diners choose to eat at hotel bars.

“Because it’s a hotel we do get more individuals that come in and eat at the bar,” says Rec Pier Chop House manager Gabriella Taylor.

The upscale steakhouse is located inside the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore hotel in Fells Point. Some get the tasty, pricey steaks that emerge from new executive chef Colin King’s kitchen, but others order lighter.

“We do get a lot of people that won’t eat a full three-course meal,” Taylor says. “They’ll order a couple [antipasti], or a side and an entree.”

There are two TV screens behind the gorgeous Patrick Sutton-designed bar, but often solo diners are in the mood to chat, says bartender Daniel Summers.

“A lot of times they might be interested in something they can do [in the area], or they’re just blowing off steam because they’re finally getting away,” he says. “It doesn’t bother me at all. Personally, when I go out to drink, I want to be able to eat something. I think they go hand in hand. It’s a better experience overall for the guests.”

→ Tark’s Grill & Bar 

Green Spring Station

As it is almost every night, the bar at this wildly popular restaurant in Green Spring Station is bustling. Every seat at the bar is taken, and almost everyone has both a plate of food and a glass of wine in front of them. Conversations, among other things, are flowing. The crowd skews older, and couples who look like they’re dating sit intertwined with those who seem as if they’ve been married for decades.

“Tark’s is a very approachable restaurant still with an upscale nature, so a lot of people do come there for first dates. We hear that a lot,” co-owner Gino Cardinale says. “It’s a little more relaxed. Bar dining is good for that. You can have a nice dinner and a drink and interact, and you still have other people around you, and it doesn’t seem like you’re too formal.

“Bar dining also works for people who have been together for a very long time. They want to come out and have a good time. They’ve been together for 30 years and they’ve already done all the romantic stuff.”

The restaurant is a favorite of WJZ anchor Marty Bass and his wife, Sharon, who live about 10 minutes away and eat at the bar once every week and a half or so.

“It’s a very relaxed way to dine,” he says. “Generally speaking, you meet like-minded people, people who like the casual ambiance of a bar. Bartenders are fascinating people. You always get into great conversations, whether it be about craft cocktails or whatever’s happening that day.”

Although the bar is first come, first served, the restaurant will accept reservations for the high-top tables in the bar area. They’re quite popular, Cardinale says, because they combine elements of both the bar and the dining room.

The restaurant features a large and diverse menu. Among Bass’s favorites are the French dip sandwich and the seafood Cobb salad, which he calls a Cobb salad “on steroids.”

“Back that up with a cold beer and you’re living large,” he says. “Tark’s is beautiful because it’s organic. We don’t really plan [our visits] there. It just happens. And that’s another joy of eating at the bar.”

→ The Wine Collective 

Hampden 

Does any food pair better with wine than a charcuterie board? At The Wine Collective inside Union Collective in Hampden, plates of sliced meats, cheeses, and smoked fish are the top-seller, and many people enjoy eating them at the bar.

“One of our ideas behind the menu is we are inspired by Spanish [restaurants],” says owner Enrique Pallares. “All the food we serve is trying to bring the octopus and the Iberico ham from the white tablecloth to the bar top, to make it a casual activity that doesn’t sacrifice quality.”

The restaurant serves some of the best tinned fish in the city. Many of its foods are imported, while others are hyper-local. The torched bread on the charcuterie plate is made at Cunningham’s Bakery a few miles away.

The actual bar in the cavernous, warehouse-like space is a beauty; it’s copper-topped, and its face is decorated with green tiles imported from Portugal.

“The paradox of the outdoor being a very industrial, somewhat grungy feel, then you come inside and see all this stainless steel and wood and copper, it’s sort of a metaphor for the heart of gold of Baltimore,” Pallares says.

Rules for Eating at the Bar

• Don’t be a space invader: If you’re seated at the bar, the stool next to you isn’t for your purse or jacket. Keep your personal belongings in your dedicated space or look for a handbag hook under the bar.
• Mute your phone: Even if you’re dining by yourself, your phone should always be muted. If you need to make or take a call, step outside.
• Be cordial: You’re in closer quarters with fellow patrons than you are in the dining room, so this is not the time to spout off your political opinions.
• Hands off: Not everything on the bar is yours to touch. If there’s a garnish or fruit bowl, don’t reach into it and help yourself to an olive. If you want something, ask your bartender.
• Gauge your gab: Don’t assume that the person next to you wants to talk. Gauge their desire to gab and go from there.
• Don’t loom: Whenever possible, if someone is eating at the bar, don’t stand behind them and try to order a drink. Respect a diner’s personal space.
• Make room: If you’re in the middle of a row and two people are looking for stools together, slide down one if you can.
• Tip big: Tip your bar staff as generously as you would a server in the dining room.

The dining scene continues to soar, and, oh, what a year it was to eat—and drink—in Baltimore. What didn’t I eat this year? From foie gras and snails to matcha ice cream and crab cakes with succotash, I enjoyed it all. But a few things stand out, and there’s a theme to my picks here. Life is complicated enough—when it comes to dining out, this was the year I craved simple sandwiches, comfort food, and mezcal-based cocktails to wash it all down. In looking back, who knew that celery—a vegetable of last resort—would play a starring role on my best bites list?

The Mezcalita at Clavel

I eat in restaurants for a living, so I try not to order the same dishes (or drinks) again and again when I’m dining out. That’s how I came to discover the mezcalita. The margarita at Clavel is likely my favorite liquid on the planet, but I branched out this year and moved on to the mezcalita, an impossibly smoky, sweet, and spicy concoction that should be savored with every sip. If I’m being completely honest, I originally ordered my go-to margarita at this Remington hotspot, but the mezcalita was brought to the table instead. Talk about happy accidents.

The Clam Dip at True Chesapeake Oyster Co.

It’s hard to find a good clam dip—or any clam dip for that matter—outside of New England, so I couldn’t resist trying this offering at the seafood-centric True Chesapeake in Whitehall Mill. This version, an old family recipe that comes from owner Patrick Hudson’s grandmother, was loaded with fat and luscious clams. And the house-potato chips, impossibly crispy and nicely salted, were the perfect foil for dunking and cutting the richness of the creamy dip.

The Fried Chicken Sandwich at The Choptank

Who gets a fried chicken sandwich at a crabhouse? I do. Making good fried chicken is an art form, and chef Andrew Weinzirl has demonstrated it at this new upscale crab house in Fells Point. An air-chilled, buttermilk-brined breast allows the meat to stay moist and stand up to the coating. A tangy mumbo sauce adds heat and a house-made slaw adds crunch. Think heaven in a bun.

Cornmeal Fried Oysters at Charleston

No one knows how to fry an oyster better than James Beard-nominated chef Cindy Wolf at this Harbor East gem. With six to an order, and accompanied by a kicky cayenne mayonnaise, they’re all too easy to eat like candy. Learning some restraint takes willpower, but I’ve learned to savor each and every bite—it leaves me with less longing between visits.

Falafel Salad at The Corner Pantry

This sweet spot in the Lake Falls Village shopping center is one of my favorite stops for creative and always fresh salads. Chef Neil Howell is a Brit, but it seems he’s also mastered Middle Eastern cuisine. His house-made falafel on a bed of green with tahini dressing is delicious. No shortcuts are taken here, even the pita chips are house-made.

Pesce al Brodetto at Limoncello

This Locust Point newcomer that celebrates the treasures of Southern Italian coastal cooking has been great straight out of the gate. To wit, the pesce al brodetto, a beautiful bowl rife with Manila clams, calamari, head-on shrimp, scallops, fish, tomatoes, and saffron broth. Given the different cooking times for each type of seafood, it’s a dish that can be easily overcooked, but is cooked to perfection here. The accompanying grilled bread adds the final grace note.

The Tilted Burger at The Tilted Row

When is a cheeseburger more than a cheeseburger? When it’s the cheeseburger coming from the kitchen at Bolton Hill’s new gastropub The Tilted Row. Hard to say whether it’s the addition of pimento cheese, the smoky bacon or mile-high mound of onions, the crunchy pickles, or the proprietary sauce that makes it work so well. Or maybe it’s just the alchemy of it all.

The Brussels Sprouts at Birroteca

Just when I thought that I’d eaten enough Brussels sprouts for the rest of my life, I went back for one more serving at Birroteca. This dish, flash-fried Brussels drizzled with chili oil, sitting in a swirl of black garlic aioli and topped with coppa, was my go-to appetizer at this artisanal pizza spot for many years, but I hadn’t been in some time. After the recent passing of its owner Robbin Haas, I went as an homage. It was as good as ever and a fitting legacy of a beloved restaurateur.

Raspberry Macarons (Or Any Macarons) at Sacré Sucré

Everyone and their uncle likes to call a cookie a macaron, but very few are the real deal. These are. Spouses Dane Thibodeaux and Manuel Sanchez use real fruit fillings and no artificial ingredients for their confections, which come in a variety of delectable flavors including salty caramel, vanilla, chocolate, and lemon. I love the burst of tangy raspberry to offset the sweetness, plus, I’m pretty sure it counts as my daily fruit serving.

The Celery Salad at Le Comptoir du Vin

There’s a reason that Station North’s tiny boîte, Le Comptoir du Vin, became an almost overnight sensation, landing on Bon Appetit’s Hot 10 List and earning a spot on Esquire’s list of Best New Restaurants in America. It’s that good. But likely its star status came from, of all things, this celery salad, flecked with pistachios and dates and coltura (anchovies). It’s a study in salt and sweet—a humble salad that’s also incredibly refreshing. Really, the best of my best bites.

This month’s Baltimore Restaurant Week is going to be a bit different for chef Donna Crivello, who shuttered her 19-year-old neighborhood outpost Donna’s Cafe in the Village of Cross Keys last month. Instead of overseeing two kitchens during the annual dining-out promotion, she is now solely focused on her work at rustic Italian spot Cosima inside Woodberry’s Mill No. 1.

“I have so many mixed emotions about closing Donna’s,” Crivello says. “It was the end of an era for us. But moving forward, it’s nice that I have a lot more time to spend at Cosima.”

Though Donna’s was one of last year’s record-high restaurant closures—among others including Aggio, Parts & Labor, and Wit & Wisdom—the industry is ready to wipe the slate clean. And Baltimore Restaurant Week, which returns January 11-20, will kick off the year on a high note.

“I always like to look at the glass half full,” says chef Robbin Haas, who closed The Nickel Taphouse in Mt. Washington due to financial struggles last October. “Even though there may have been some setbacks, you still have to keep moving ahead. And Restaurant Week is a way to really bring some energy into the restaurants.”

Haas remains a partner at Birroteca in Hampden and Encantada at the American Visionary Art Museum in Federal Hill. Both spots will be participating in Restaurant Week, which offers multi-course lunch and dinner menus at fixed price points ranging from $12-35. The idea behind the winter promotion is to generate business during a season that is notoriously slower for the dining scene.

“You have this natural doldrum after the holidays where people are not going out because they’re watching their weight or their credit card bill,” says Steven Rivelis, co-owner of The Elephant in Mt. Vernon. “It’s a great opportunity to reset things and start them in a positive way.”

Though the dining deal makes it easy to explore restaurants in unfamiliar neighborhoods, Rivelis also stresses the importance of supporting the spots in your own backyard.

“Businesses need our neighbors,” he says. “And neighbors need the businesses, or else you don’t have a thriving community. It’s a reciprocal responsibility, and I think Restaurant Week provides an opportunity for folks to get out and spend money in their own city.”

Crivello agrees, mentioning that Cosima typically sees a spike in reservations throughout the event: “It’s a real boost for January sales,” she says. “If you can get 11 really good days, it makes a huge difference.”

While some might be quick to pass on Restaurant Week because of the increased crowds or limited menu, Crivello assures that most teams anticipate the high demand and plan ahead.

“I think that’s part of the fun of Restaurant Week—that’s it’s always busy and energetic,” she says. “Most of us who run restaurants streamline things so that you’re not going to have to wait a long time.”

From a chef’s perspective, Haas says that the week gives him a chance showcase highlights on the regular menu. Birroteca will feature the signature mushroom bolognese cavatelli and burrata bruschetta, while Encantada will offer dishes like crispy Brussels sprouts and steak frites with onion butter.

“Sometimes some of our dishes get lost in translation a little bit,” he says. “So the Restaurant Week menu is something that we have a lot of fun with.”

Rivelis is looking forward to debuting a few new items, including a lemon-caper chicken with house-made fettuccine and herb butter sauce, which will remain on The Elephant’s worldly menu even after Restaurant Week ends.

As for Crivello, her special prix-fixe features ricotta meatballs, butternut squash soup, roasted pork belly, and the signature spit-roasted chicken with roasted vegetables and saffron couscous. Overall, she hopes that the upcoming event ignites diners to support the industry as a whole.

“When Donna’s closed, I had a lot of people say to me, ‘Well I guess I didn’t come often enough,’” recalls Crivello. “You don’t want people to feel bad, but it’s true. You have to get out and support the places that you like, and visit the places that you haven’t been yet. Our city needs that energy.”

Sure, a stiff bourbon hits the spot during the colder months. But in the summer, it’s all about the slushies, daiquiris, and drinks on the rocks. As temperatures continue to rise, area bars are offering plenty of libations to help survive summer scorchers. From tiki drinks and kombucha cocktails to frozen wine and boozy slushies, there are plenty of pours to choose from. Here are a few options to catch a buzz while keeping cool:

Absinthe Frappe at The Bluebird Cocktail Room
When dreaming up the summer cocktail menu at this literary-themed haven in Hampden, bar manager Ben Poole thought about ways to incorporate classic elements, while also adding some fun summer flair. Thus, his frozen Absinthe Frappe was born. “Absinthe is sweeter than most, but doesn’t take itself too seriously,” Poole says. The simple refresher mixes absinthe with sugar and mint extract, gets mixed in a slushie machine, and arrives garnished with star anise. 3600 Hickory Ave., 667-303-3263. $12.

Bed of Roses at Sandlot

Step up to the shipping containers-turned-makeshift bars at this beachfront hangout in Harbor Point to see rows of slushie machines mixing up frozen drinks behind the counter. Among the most popular sustainable summer cocktails—which are all made with ingredients from local purveyors—is the “Bed of Roses,” Sandlot’s sweet spin on frosé that blends rosé, rosé vermouth, strawberry juice, honey, and watermelon juice. In keeping with the farm-to-table feel, the Instagram-worthy drinks come garnished with fresh herbs and local flowers. 1000 Wills St. $10

Sack Lunch at R. Bar

The team behind R. Bar in Remington is getting nostalgic about summers past with a camp-themed menu that nods to childhood snacks and recognizable pop-culture references. (Think sips inspired by Wet Hot American Summer and ’90s Nickelodeon series Salute Your Shorts.) Highlights include a s’mores-flavored dessert cocktail, the gin-based “Camp Granada,” and the “Sack Lunch”—a mixture of sesame-washed bourbon from R. House neighbor BeBim, Falerna Carménere wine, Shrub District blueberry basil cocktail vinegar, strawberry purée, and a Teddy Graham wrapped in a Fruit Roll-Up sleeping bag. 301 W. 29th St., 443-347-3570. $10

Mars Red Sky at Birroteca
Nothing says summer like watermelon—whether it’s cubed, pureéd, cut into triangles, or liquified into a cocktail. Snag a seat on the outdoor patio at this Clipper Mill spot to sip the “Mars Red Sky,” which combines Wild Kombucha’s Watermelon Hops flavor with aperol, rosé, and a summery watermelon shrub. 1520 Clipper Mill Rd., 443-708-1934.

Carmen Miranda Slushie at Wet City
You know that a bar is serious about frozen drinks when it’s slushie machine has googly eyes and its own Instagram account. At Wet City in Mt. Vernon, the personified blender—more fondly known as “Blinky”—rotates three seasonal frozen drinks, and even throws in a wildcard cocktail every once in a while. This summer, Blinky is blending a watermelon pisco sour slushie, the “Painkillaz” slushie (rum, coconut pureé, pineapple, and orange juice), and the fan-favorite “Carmen Miranda” that fuses Vizcaya & Santa Teresa rums, house orgeat syrup, fresh juiced cantaloupe, lime, and chocolate mint. 223 W. Chase St., 443-873-6699. $9

Oaxacan Colada at The Regal Beagle
In keeping with the vibe at this ’70s-themed hangout in Canton—named after the neighborhood pub in Three’s Company—Ryan Sparks devotes an entire portion of the drink menu to timeless tiki drinks served in vintage vessels from thrift stores. (Some of them are even shipped in from the consignment shop that Sparks’ grandmother works at in Michigan.) “You could come in with friends and all order the same drink, but have them come in different glasses,” Sparks adds. One of his summer picks is the Oaxacan Colada, which combines Ilegal Mezcal joven, green chartreuse, coconut cream, lime, and pineapple juice over crushed ice. 3123 Elliott St., 410-878-6542. $12.

Melon-Peach Frosé at Swim Club Baltimore
Scott Plank’s luxe pool in Canton debuted to the public earlier this summer, equipped with cabanas, beach chairs, Ping Pong tables, corn hole, and, of course, a full food and beverage program. While catching rays, cool down with the bar’s melon-peach frosé—a blend of fresh melon and peach purée, agave nectar, and rosé. 2780 Lighthouse Point., 410-675-8888.

Baltimore Mai Tai at The Island Room
Lyon Distilling and The Baltimore Whiskey Company (BWC) are collaborating to host a monthlong pop-up at Pen & Quill in Station North. Starting on June 29, the restaurant’s event space will transform into The Island Room—a tropical-themed concept featuring food specials, island music, greenery curated by B. Willow, an ongoing limbo competition, and, of course, a menu of tiki drinks that highlight Lyon and BWC spirits. In keeping with the theme, bartender Sam Kessler has created a Baltimore Mai Tai that mixes Lyon’s black rum and curaçao with BWC’s fernet amaro, lime juice, orgeat, and tiki bitters. The pop-up will wrap up with a special Christmas in July celebration on July 22. 1701 N. Charles St., 410-601-3588

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

August 24-September 4: Maryland State Fair

Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium. Times vary. $3-8. 

Whether you’re 8 or 88, this quintessential summer ritual will make you feel young at heart, with amusement rides, carnival games, live animals, big-name blowout concerts—this year by hard-rock quartet Halestorm and Disney star turned pop singer Sabrina Carpenter—and best of all, fried fair food. While cotton candy, corn dogs, and caramel apples abound, head to the Maryland Foods Pavilion for crab cakes, soft-shell crabs, catfish salad, fried clams, pork barbecue, corn-on-the-cob, ice cream, and fresh fruit from Land of Pleasant Living farms or the Chesapeake Bay. 

 DRINK

August 26-October 22: Maryland Renaissance Festival

1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis. Times vary. Free-$25. 

Hear ye, hear ye! For nine straight weekends, the country’s second largest renaissance festival will post up in the Anne Arundel County countryside for all the jousting, flower crowns, turkey legs, and mead-fueled merriment your heart could desire. Settle into one of the long beer garden tables and enjoy beer, wine, and mead. Drink like you’re on Game of Thrones and soak it all up with ye old English turkey legs, crab cakes, and hot apple dumplings. Coming with the family? There will also be root beer floats for the kids. 

 SEE

August 25: Little Italy Open Air Film Festival

Da Mimmo Ristorante, 217 S. High St. 8:30 p.m. Free. 

You know summer is coming to a close when the last flick graces the Formstone walls of Little Italy. For one more hot summer night, grab a seat under the stars and join hundreds of Baltimoreans for this Charm City tradition. As it has been since the very beginning, the season finale screening will be Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso, projected onto the outside of Ciao Bella Restaurant, with free popcorn and live music for early bird cinemaphiles. 

 HEAR

August 24-26: J. Roddy Walston & The Business

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 8:30 p.m. $25-$65.

At Baltimore, we believe good things come to those who wait, and after four long years, we are thanking the music gods for the new music of J. Roddy Walston & The Business. On the eve of the music venue’s 20th anniversary, the once-local riotous Southern rock band returns to the Ottobar for the first time in several years, unleashing their brand-new album, Destroyers of the Soft Life, and hopefully some old favorites like “Used to Did” and “Brave Man’s Death.” Revel in Rod’s hair as it flips and flies in all its glory, and prepare to leave Remington soaked in sweat.

 DO

August 27: Dog Days Of Summer

Birroteca, 1520 Clipper Road. 12-5 p.m. Free. 

Calling all dog-lovers: this Sunday, collect your canine companions and head to Hampden-Woodberry border for an afternoon celebration of man’s best friends. At Birroteca, the pizza palace will be teaming up with BARCS and The Buddy Foundation of Maryland for a fete full of breweries—Dogfish Head, Monument City, Evolution, and the neighborhood’s own Union Craft Brewing—food from Birroteca, Encantada, and The Nickel Taphouse, and pet-friendly pop-up shops. Dress your pooch in his finest duds for the Best Dressed Dog Contest and be sure to snap a pic together in the Doggie Photo Booth. 

The sharing economy isn’t going away anytime soon—in fact, it’s making its way to our plates. Though the ritual of sharing a meal is ancient, restaurants are now bringing it to the forefront, offering specially curated, large-format meals for two or more on their menus. 

Experiencing a shared meal “is the way you should eat,” says Birroteca owner Robbin Haas. “You should eat where you can engage with everyone at the table. And food is a great denominator for breaking down barriers and making it easy to open a conversation.”

According to a new study in Appetite, a behavioral science research journal, sharing food makes you a better person. Those who share meals more often may be more likely to exhibit altruistic behaviors, like volunteering and giving up your seat on public transportation. So go ahead and grab dinner with friends—it’s your civic duty.

Samos Restaurant
This Greektown taverna gives diners a feel for its namesake island with a Tour of Samos so massive that it will have you saying “opa!” at your table. Think: Greek salad, tzatziki and pita, fried calamari, spinach pie, chicken souvlaki, dolmades, lamb chops, garlic shrimp, gyro, and roasted potatoes. 600 Oldham St., 410-675-5292

Birroteca
At this Hampden hangout, the menu of small plates, bruschettas, and pizzas gives even more ways to share with family-style platters like Crispy Duck Agro Dolce, whole fishes, and classic Spaghetti con Polpette (meatballs). 1520 Clipper Road, 443-708-1934

Gertrude’s at the BMA
For a sweeter way to share, check out Gertrude’s afternoon tea, complete with crab beignets, apricot scones with Devonshire cream, lemon curd, and strawberry jam, as well as chocolate mousse with salted caramel. 10 Art Museum Dr., 410-889-3399

Rec Pier Chop House
The Rec Pier Chop House inside Kevin Plank’s Sagamore Pendry Baltimore hotel is getting in on the act with a whopping 44-ounce porterhouse and a 38-ounce Tomahawk Chop for two. 1715 Thames St., 443-552-1300

Thames Street Oyster House
Both the 5-pound stuffed Maine lobster (stuffed with scallops, shrimp, and crab) and the New England clam and lobster boil bring diners together for an experience reminiscent of a sandy clambake on the coast of Rhode Island, where executive chef Eric Houseknecht spent his summers while still in culinary school. Don’t miss Meat Monday, when Houseknecht prepares family-style dishes for those who prefer land over sea, including 3 pounds of braised meat, and even a whole pig leg. 1728 Thames St., 443-449-7726

Tio Pepe
Fans of this old-school Spanish eatery won’t be disappointed with either of its Para Dos selections, including a roasted rack of baby lamb served with mint jelly, or the Paella a la Valenciana, brimming with fruits of the land and sea. 10 E. Franklin St., 410-539-4675

Wicked Sisters
The Meals for Two dishes at this Hampden newcomer take a nod from a traditional, family-style American Sunday dinner, such as a half-roasted chicken with potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions. “The plate is put between the two of you and then you can fight over it to get the part of it you want,” explains co-owner Charlie Gjerde. What’s a good family supper without at least one argument? 3845 Falls Road, 410-878-0884

The first time Neill Howell stopped by Banksy’s Cafe to get a bite to eat was also the last time. “It took 25 minutes to get a simple sandwich,” he recalls. In a twist of fate, though, when he and his wife, Emily, moved away from her hometown of Baltimore then returned in 2011, Howell again found himself standing in the space—not to eat at Banksy’s, which had closed, but to consider renting the location for a cafe concept of his own. Although the spot at the corner of Falls Road and Lake Avenue had changed hands a few times through the years—from Glas Z Café through to Banksy’s—Neill and Emily weren’t daunted.

“I never thought of this spot as being cursed,” says Howell of The Corner Pantry, his now-two-year-old British-influenced cafe, though he knew that was the talk at the time. “I have to admit that in the beginning, there were days when we’d see tons of cars going up Falls Road, and yet it would be empty in here. And I would wonder.”

Opening a restaurant is risky business under any circumstances. In a typical year, about 60,000 restaurants open and 50,000 close, according to the National Restaurant Association (though restaurants close for many reasons and that number can’t be attributed completely to failures). Restaurateur Robbin Haas, co-owner of Birroteca, The Nickel Taphouse, and Encantada, sums up the obstacles like this: “Opening a restaurant is like getting a root canal with no anesthesia.”

Ned Atwater has had his share of pain. When he opened a stall in July 2010 inside the Annapolis Market House, the historic structure with throngs of tourists, water views, and old-town charm seemed like the ideal locale for his soup-and-sandwich cafe concept. But despite his rapidly expanding empire, with six outlets to date, the harborside space never took off. By December 2011, after trying to stick it out, Atwater decided to pull the plug. “We went in during one of the many attempts to revitalize,” says Atwater. “From a distance, it seemed like a perfect fit, but there was just something about it—restaurant owners do have their superstitions about things.”

Some industry experts pooh-pooh the concept of a hex. “There’s no such thing as a cursed space,” says Pierpoint’s Nancy Longo, who has had a restaurant in Fells Point for 27 years. “But what can happen is that the demographics of a neighborhood change and people stop going to a particular place.”

Once there’s a perception that a place is “cursed,” however, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. “There’s a halo effect that can occur—and it’s hard to overcome that,” theorizes industry consultant Dean Haskell, a founder of National Retail Concept Partners. “There are a lot of variables that restaurant locations need before a successful one is chosen, and sometimes, for the sake of price, restaurateurs will choose a less-than-optimal site and it will get a reputation as being a bad site for a restaurant.”

So why do some restaurants succeed while others flop?

Restaurant and hospitality consultant Arlene Spiegel of Arlene Spiegel & Associates works with restaurants across the country, including Grillfire at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve in Hanover. She says what’s critical to opening a successful eatery is to try to “understand the demographics and the psychographics of the population you’re trying to attract.

“Opening a restaurant is like getting a root canal with no anesthesia.”

“Whether there’s a failed restaurant in the space or a from-scratch, brand new build-out, it’s important to figure out the people you are serving,” she says. “What has worked and what hasn’t worked, and why? If you’re a doughnut and coffee shop, for example, are you on the right side of the highway? Is there a burning void for great bagels and pastrami that no one else is doing that will have people going out of their way because you’re the only one doing it in an authentic way? In cities, in particular, where there’s competition and occupancy costs are high, there are always some that will do well even on the same block where others are going to fail.”

Bottom line, says Spiegel: “There really aren’t any bad locations, there are just bad fits.”

That said, it doesn’t take a degree from the Culinary Institute of America to know that bad parking, a flawed concept, or poor location can lead to the demise of a restaurant. But other times, the reasons can be harder to explain.

Case in point: the Hess Shoes store in Belvedere Square. For generations, customers flocked to Hess Shoes for its hair “snippery” and sliding board. But transforming the space into a restaurant concept has yet to work. (The verdict is still out on The Starlite Diner, which had yet to open at press time.) After Belvedere Square was redeveloped, Taste opened there in 2004, followed by Crush in 2008, which met its demise in 2012. Even the James Beard-winning Spike Gjerde couldn’t make a go of the space with Shoo-Fly Diner, which opened in October 2013 and had served its last order of “hush doggies” by May 2015.

“That place has been tough,” observes Atwater, who has a cafe in Belvedere Square that has taken over much of the shopping center. “You might say that its soul was that old Hess shoe store and that changing the concept was too much. That place was an institution in that neighborhood. When you were a kid, you’d go there to get your really cool sneakers when you turned 12. People still miss it. It’s like a wound that takes time to heal.”

Spike’s brother, Charlie, is no stranger to restaurant spots with a spell. In his 25 years as a restaurateur, Gjerde has owned and operated many eateries. “When we opened Spike & Charlie’s, we heard that it was a cursed location, a cursed corner,” recalls Charlie. “Before Spike & Charlie’s, it had been like three things—Ethel’s Place, Blue’s Alley, a reggae bar—and none of them stayed opened for very long.” Spike & Charlie’s, on the other hand, remained in business for 13 years, closing only when Charlie decided he wanted a break in 2004. And though the spell seemed to be broken, the so-called “curse” started all over again after the closing of Spike & Charlie’s, with 23rd Degree Restaurant & Wine Bar, Robert Oliver Seafood, and Mari Luna having notably short runs. (Ryleigh’s Oyster is there now and seems to be thriving.)

“There’s a formula to running a restaurant,” believes Charlie, who now co-owns Papi’s Tacos and Alexander’s Tavern in Fells Point, as well as Huck’s American Craft in Brewers Hill. “But there’s also this intangible element that plays into that formula. Most of it I know—location, parking, good food, good service. But that last piece I don’t.”

About 60,000 restaurants open in the U.S. each year and 50,000 close.

Gjerde’s Papi’s, which opened in March 2014, is at another supposedly troubled spot. Prior to Papi’s, the taco joint was a few different bar-restaurants. Before becoming Papi’s, business was so bad at J.A. Murphy’s that it was featured on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue. Even with the advice, some sprucing up, and a name change to Murphy’s Law, the Fells Point place shuttered its doors only a few months after the makeover. Yet, with Papi’s, Gjerde has had a hit on his hands.

“That’s my best restaurant,” he says. And while he believes the reasonable price points and popular DIY tacos concept help explain the success, Gjerde says that’s not the whole story. Sheer serendipity has also been a factor. “Kevin Spacey [who films in Fells for House of Cards] latched onto us and came in several times,” says Gjerde. “You go into a little restaurant like Papi’s and see Kevin Spacey, and business really starts to build. You can’t plan for that.”

Other area long-suffering spots also seem to have found more permanent tenants. To wit: Birroteca, which was the dank and dingy Kolper’s Restaurant & Tavern (the site of a double stabbing in 2009, no less), then the short-lived Mill Steakhouse before Haas opened his brewpub there. He got a good deal because the space sat empty for a long time. “I didn’t know anything about the history of the spot when I came from Miami,” says Haas. “I was like, ‘This is great. We will get it for next to nothing.’” Haas’s ignorance-is-bliss approach has worked in his favor. “The equivalent would be that you bought a house in Guilford, and it’s a 100-year-old home, and someone died in there 50 years ago,” says Haas. “You might not know. I’m not freaked out about stuff like that—the past is past.”

That’s been true for The Corner Pantry as well. One Monday morning, it’s clear that the curse—if there ever was one—has been broken, as patrons queue up for Cornish pasties. The dark, unappealing space that once was is long gone. Emily Howell, who helped redesign the area into a light-filled bakery, carries plates of the cafe’s signature “pop tarts” from the kitchen. “Before this, nothing lasted,” says Howell. “We transformed it.”

For now, the verdict is still out on Haas’s newest restaurant, which has also opened in a long unsuccessful location. Back when Joy America Café opened at the American Visionary Art Museum in 1998, it was highly hailed. (“Run—don’t walk,” said then Sun dining critic Elizabeth Large.) By 2006, it had run its course. Three years later, Mr. Rain’s Fun House tried to make a go of it, but in 2014, it, too, served its final meal. In July 2015, Haas moved in with Encantada. “It’s a tough space,” he says. “It’s a work in progress.”

But Haas is not concerned about a curse. “I’m not spooked at all,” he says. “I had a black cat. I walk under ladders. As long as you don’t drop a paint can on me, I’m just fine.”

Dressed in a sweat-soaked gray T-shirt, blue plaid shorts, and red Croc-like chef shoes, Robbin Haas is rendering fat from duck breasts. In another pot on the 12-burner stove in the kitchen of Encantada, his new “vegetable-centric” restaurant on the third floor of the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM), buckwheat gnocchi boils away. Nearby, line cooks are busy plopping slices of jalapeño peppers on chunks of yellow watermelon, as racks of pork belly, zucchini, and chanterelles await broiling, roasting, and sautéing. “Did anyone bring up the ice water for the radishes yet?” Haas shouts to no one in particular. “We need to make them sparkle.” Then, to a line cook, “Cut these fennel bulbs in fours. Neatness counts! That’s right, everything you learned in kindergarten applies in the kitchen as well.”

Haas isn’t normally behind the stove these days. At 60 years old, his chef-ing days are mostly a thing of the past. He’s a restaurateur now, the operator of four restaurants in the area—The Nickel Taphouse in Mt. Washington, Birroteca in Hampden and Bel Air, and now Encantada.

But Haas—who as a hard-partying, thirtysomething cook in Miami helped define Southern Florida cuisine and was named one of the best new chefs in America by Food & Wine in the process—glides back behind the stove as if he never left. “He tries to find any excuse to get in the kitchen,” says Melanie Molinaro, Encantada’s 24-year-old executive chef. “It’s just who he is.”

Haas has enjoyed enormous success with his other restaurants, which have become stalwarts of the county and city dining scenes. Three years after its 2011 opening, Birroteca’s original location in Hampden still draws crowds for its chalkboard full of craft beers and duck-confit pizzas, while The Nickel Taphouse, an upscale take on the working-class pubs in Haas’s native Buffalo, NY, has been luring some regulars away from the neighboring Mt. Washington Tavern.

With Encantada (which means “enchanted”), he knows the stakes are higher and the risk is greater. The restaurant is sited in a very visible building, but its top-floor, tucked-away location makes it out-of-sight, out-of-mind for many looking for a night on the town. For Encantada to have staying power, Haas knows he must attract both museum visitors and, more importantly, a core of regulars from the neighborhood and beyond. And will diners pay in the double digits for a plate of cauliflower?

Since opening on July 1—Molinaro’s birthday—early reviews of Encantada have been strong, and Haas says things are coming along. But business also looked rosy at first for the building’s previous tenants. In its early years, the space went through several incarnations most notably as Joy America Cafe, with now-James Beard Award-winning Spike Gjerde and his brother, Charlie, running the show. More recently, Mr. Rain’s Fun House limped along for five years, serving contemporary cuisine and some of the most creative cocktails in town, but rolled its last lumpia last summer. “Even with wonderful press . . . our pursuit of culinary excellence was not rewarded with the business we expected,” read a statement from the restaurant upon its closing.

Haas was named one of the best new chefs in America by Food & Wine.

Haas is well aware of the location’s up-and-down history, but this is a guy who seems to have a knack for taking on challenging spaces and forcing them to work. The Nickel Taphouse housed a string of short-lived restaurants and businesses. Birroteca, in Bel Air, was home to a nondescript Bill Bateman’s, while the original Birroteca, located in a no-man’s land along Clipper Mill Road, was infamously the site of a double stabbing back in 2009, when it was known as Kolper’s. Even the restaurant’s name was a risk. “I wanted to name it Birroteca and people told me nobody knows what that means,” says Haas. “Now I look on the Internet and there are like 35 birrotecas.

“Look, I’m not afraid of challenging spaces,” he continues. “AVAM is going to be challenging, but it’ll have its concept in its favor. There’s not another restaurant like it in Baltimore.”

Robbin Haas has spent nearly his entire life in restaurants. Before he was 10, he was scrubbing dishes at small hotel restaurant where his mother, sister, and brother also worked. He spent a good part of his teen years and early 20s at a big Italian eatery toiling for a man named Russell Salvatore, a no-nonsense, hard-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside taskmaster, who fired (and rehired) Haas as often as the menu changed. But Haas says he picked up nearly everything he knows about the restaurant business from Salvatore: the importance of good service, how to treat your staff, the proper way to run a kitchen. “He was the best restaurateur I ever worked for,” he says.

During his late 20s and 30s, Haas crisscrossed the country cooking for a series of ever-larger hotel restaurants. And then came Miami. When Haas arrived at Colony Bistro, the restaurant of the iconic, Art Deco Colony Hotel in South Beach in 1993, it was a tired affair, resting on its laurels. But within six months, the then 38-year-old chef revamped its menu, retooled its beverage program, and captured the admiration of Food & Wine, as well as a host of other publications. “Superlative food from start to finish,” opined the Miami Herald in its review of the restaurant. “Not since Norman Van Aken first hit at A Mano has there been a chef of such star quality on Ocean Drive.”

Haas found himself a celebrity chef in the days before Food Network made every toque with a catch phrase a household name. “I had some pretty wild times,” he admits. “You’re a local celebrity in South Beach. You get to bypass all the lines and be taken to the VIP section.”

He hung out with a group the press dubbed the “Mango Gang,” a cadre of local chefs who put the bright, snappy flavors of South Florida cooking on the culinary map. “It was the beginning of the American regional food movement,” says Haas, who counts celebrity cooks Van Aken, Aarón Sanchez, and Chris Consetino among his friends. “There was Southwestern cooking, California cooking, but there wasn’t any other cooking around. They tried to put a handle on us. Everybody had mango trees in their backyard.”

And then, after running several successful restaurants in South Florida, he says he was ready for a change. So he packed up his chef knives, and moved to Guatemala with his third wife, Tanya, to “do the ex-pat thing.” When he left South Florida, the Miami New Times dubbed him “Best Chef to Go Away” and lamented: “Mr. Haas was a wild one all right—rarely got enough sleep, if you know what I mean. But he was talented, and the flavors of his food jumped off the plate like a frog from a frying pan.”

Seven years—and two successful restaurants in the Colonial city of Antigua—later, he and Tanya were ready to move back to the States. Shortly after, he partnered with an old buddy, John Knorr, co-founder of Evolution Craft Brewing Co. in Salisbury, and eventually helped him open a restaurant in Maryland. When Haas saw the beat-up stone building that would become the first Birroteca, he thought it had good bones. Most importantly, it was cheap. He spent three days power-washing away all the grime.

Today, Haas insists he has mellowed with age—and no longer parties as hard. With his stocky stature, gray Berber carpet hair, and raspy voice from a pack-a-day habit, he’s more Buffalo than South Beach. His employees call him “the Old Man” or simply “Dad.”

“He comes through you like a force,” says Jon Hicks, Haas’s executive chef at The Nickel Taphouse. “It’s like a father force. He makes you pay attention to things you might not have paid attention to before. He walks in the room and it’s like Dad came home. Better straighten up.”

“He’s a hard-ass, which is the nicest way to say it,” says Chris Rivera, Encantada’s general manager. “He’ll hold your feet to the fire. But it works for him. He’s the same person 100 percent of the time, and I respect that. Once you get through the ringer and he trusts that you’re doing a good job, he takes care of you.”

“I see this as the future of 21st-century dining,” says Haas.

Those who drink the “Robbin Haas Kool-Aid,” as he calls it, are a devoted lot. A few have festooned their bodies with Birroteca-themed tattoos, including a former general manager who inked his ankle with “Don’t Hassle the Haas,” a play on David “Don’t Hassel the Hoff” Hasselhoff.

“He’s an old-school chef, no bullshit, take-no-prisoners,” says Molinaro. “When I tell people he’s 60 years old, they’re like, ‘Holy hell!’ He’s always firing, always ready to go. . . . He’s very innovative and always thinking ahead. He lets the chefs and general managers take the forefront. He’s given us all the tools we need to succeed and now it’s up to us to do it.”

As requests for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals became increasingly regular at his restaurants, Haas, a recovering meat-and-potatoes guy, says it was time to rethink the very idea of what an entree could be. And after Molinaro dined at Philadelphia’s James Beard-nominated vegan restaurant Vedge, she and Haas began batting around ideas for a Baltimore-based restaurant with a locally sourced menu, heavily driven by vegetables.

“I really see this as the future of 21st-century dining,” he says. “I think things are going to become a lot more vegetable-centric, a lot more grains. A traditional chef looks at what we call the center of the plate and sees a protein, whether it’s quail or a piece of salmon or chicken breast. But we’re trying to make it where vegetables are the center of the plate. [In many dishes], animal protein becomes the secondary or tertiary item on the plate.”

In creating the menu, Molinaro, who worked her way up from pastry chef to executive chef at Birroteca, wanted to present vegetables in revolutionary ways. “I thought, ‘How can I make them sexier, more chef-like, have them in ways you would never even have thought of before?’”

So she brainstormed unlikely pairings, such as watermelon with whipped lardo and soy-marinated cucumbers. Or sea urchin with cauliflower custard, Granny Smith apples, and Meyer lemon. Dessert means beetroot meringue with white and dark chocolates and blackberry. It’s food that skirts unconventionality, like the art on the walls of the museum. “I want customers and employees to have fun with what we’re trying to achieve here,” says Haas. “There’s definitely a niche for this kind of restaurant.”

Its uniqueness, Haas thinks, will help Encantada thrive in the AVAM space where other restaurants have faded away. Rebecca Hoffberger, founder and director of AVAM, believes this time she’s found a keeper. “He’s the best restaurateur I’ve ever had,” says Hoffberger, who sought out Haas for the space. “To have someone whose food I adore, and who has never had an unsuccessful restaurant, that’s bowling strikes.

“I don’t think it’s the space that’s so difficult. Restaurants in general are challenging. There were other issues more personal to the people we’ve had there. . . . I wish all the chefs that have come through the best, but after 20 years, I really think that this is it.”

Hoffberger and Haas worked closely on trying to make the cafe look like an extension of the museum. Hoffberger picked out the colorful Suzani fabric for the chairs and the artwork for the walls. David Hess, who designed the sweeping iron handrail in the museum, created several of the restaurant’s tables from fallen wood. Sometime next year, Haas plans to convert the museum’s glittering art bus into a sort of permanent food truck and open an outdoor bar, furthering the museum-restaurant connection.

For now, Haas says he’s as excited about Encantada as he has been for any restaurant he’s ever opened. He insists he’s committed to Baltimore for the long haul and has ideas for other ventures in the Mid-Atlantic. “I really like the Baltimore restaurant scene,” he says. “There are a lot of great restaurants, but Baltimore is still missing a lot of things. I just have to find the right space to do it.”

Kathy Wielech Patterson’s Baltimore Chef’s Table celebrates Charm City’s restaurant revolution, from farm-to-fork fare at Fleet Street Kitchen to seasonally inspired cuisine at Liv2Eat and old standbys such as Pierpoint Restaurant (see recipes below). 

For Patterson, there were few food choices when she was growing up. “I lived around the corner from Broadway Market,” the Fells Point native explains, “but other than that, it was a lot of noisy bars.” 

The author’s culinary education came at the age of 13. “I loved to read Gourmet magazine,” recalls Patterson, who co-authored the book with her husband, Neal. “We always had it in our home. If I couldn’t experience it, I wanted to read about it.”

When did Baltimore become a food town?
About eight years ago, there was this explosion of these modern American-style restaurants using fresh ingredients and putting a twist on classic dishes. I was like, ‘Wow, who would have thought Baltimore is a food town?’

Where did your interest in food come from?
I’ve always loved eating. We had a French-club party in my high school and everyone brought something. I made riz à l’impératrice, a complicated rice pudding that I poured into my mother’s elaborate copper mold. We put it in the high-school cafeteria refrigerator, and when the day was over, I unmolded it. Everyone was impressed.

Is there one person, in particular, who helped get the scene started?
Cindy Wolf started it all when she opened Savannah in Fells Point. It was luxurious, yet more modern than what we were used to. Then she moved to Charleston in Harbor East and that exploded. Suddenly, there were high-end restaurants in neighborhoods where you would never have found them before.

Do you have a favorite recipe in the book?
One of my favorites is the hriby dip from Ze Mean Bean Café. Whenever we go, we fight over who gets the last scrap out of the bowl—it’s pretty delicious stuff. I’ve also made Gypsy Queen’s chipotle aioli numerous times—it tastes great on everything.

What do you want readers to get out of this book?
I want them to learn about the Baltimore restaurant scene. Even if you’re not interested in cookbooks or making the recipes, you can read about the history of the restaurants and the chefs. There’s a lot going on here food-wise.

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Slow Cooked Calamari “Birroteca Style”

(Serves 4)

“Slow-cooking the calamari in oil makes them exquisitely tender.”

• 1 1/2 pounds calamari, cleaned and cut into 2-inch rings
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil blend
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 275°F. Place the calamari, garlic, oil blend, and salt in an ovenproof casserole. Mix well. Cover with aluminum foil and braise for 21⁄2 hours, or until the calamari are tender and soft. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool, drain off oil. Calamari can be refrigerated at this point or used immediately. When ready to serve, heat a 14-inch sauté pan over medium heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and lemon and toast them in the oil. The garlic will turn light brown and start to smell nutty. Place the calamari in the pan and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the capers and parsley and, if desired, salt to taste and olive oil. Serve immediately.

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The Food Market’s Fried Chicken

(Serves 4 if using bone-in chicken, 10 if using boneless)

“Serve this crunchy chicken with gravy, hot sauce, or mornay sauce (a white sauce with cheese). This is great for chicken and waffles, with biscuits, poached eggs, or mashed potatoes and stewed green beans! I like it with hot sauce and watermelon!”

For the brine:

• 1 quart water
• 1/4 cup salt
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 4 ounces dark brown sugar
• 32 ounces National Bohemian beer
• 4 pounds chicken (boneless breasts or 
• a combination of bone-in pieces)
• For the seasoned flour:
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 ounces cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper

For assembly:

• Oil for frying
• 1 quart buttermilk

Directions:
To make the brine: Place the water, salt, bay leaves, pepper, garlic, and thyme in a large pot with a lid. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the sugar and the beer. Allow to cool completely. Place the chicken pieces in the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours, or at least overnight.

To make the seasoned flour: Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk well so there are no lumps. Transfer half of the seasoned flour to a separate large bowl.

To fry the chicken: Add oil to your deep fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Or add about 3 inches of oil to a deep, heavy pan with straight sides (oil should not come up more than halfway). Preheat the oil to 300°F. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Dredge a few pieces of chicken at a time in the seasoned flour. Dip them next in the buttermilk, then in the second bowl of seasoned flour. Make sure the chicken pieces are completely coated. Fry the chicken a few pieces at a time for about 12 minutes, or until the chicken floats. Do not crowd the pan, or the oil will cool down and the chicken will be greasy. Remove the cooked chicken to paper-towel-lined plates to drain.

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My Thai’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

(Serves 2)

Despite their deceptively small size, Thai chiles are very hot. Use fewer if you prefer a milder dish.

• 6 ounces ground chicken
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 whole, fresh Thai chiles
• 1 small bunch cilantro
• 2 ounces minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 ounce diced carrot
• 1 ounce diced red onion
• 1 ounce diced red and/or green bell pepper
• 1 head iceberg lettuce

Directions:
Cook the ground chicken in the oil, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove the chicken to a bowl. Combine the chiles, cilantro, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice in a blender and puree. When the chicken has cooled, add the carrot, onion, and bell pepper. Pour the sauce over and mix well to coat the chicken and vegetables. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl. Cut the lettuce into quarters. Arrange on a serving plate with the bowl of chicken. Present so the diners can tear off leaves of lettuce, place a spoonful of the chicken mixture in the center of each, and fold the lettuce around it.

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Pierpoint’s Maryland Crab Cakes

(Serves 4)

Chef Nancy Longo makes her famous crab cakes two ways: traditionally, with simply steamed crabmeat, or not-so-traditionally, with lightly smoked crab. The method for smoking the crab follows the recipe. We like them either way.

• 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
• 1 pound sweet crab claw meat
• 20 butter-style crackers, crushed into crumbs
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons parsley
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted

Directions:
To make the crab cakes: Pick through the crabmeat for bits of shell, being careful not to break up the lumps. Set aside. Combine all of the remaining ingredients in the order listed and mix thoroughly. Add the crabmeat and gently fold in so as not to break the lumps. Form into eight approximately 4-ounce cakes. The crab cakes can be cooked either of two ways: Broil in a heated broiler in a shallow baking dish with a small amount of water for about 10 minutes, being careful not to burn them, or sauté in vegetable oil until golden brown on all sides.

To smoke the crabmeat: Soak a few fruitwood chips in a bowl of water for approximately 1 hour. While the chips are soaking, prepare a bed of hot gray coals in a charcoal grill that has a lid. Place a small stainless steel bowl of water in the coals in the center of the grill. Remove the wet wood chips from the water and gently drop them on top of the hot coals, which will cause them to smoke. Wrap the grill grate with a sheet of aluminum foil. Poke a few small holes in the foil, put the crabmeat on top, and set the grate in place on the grill. Cover the grill and allow the crab to smoke for approximately 30 minutes. Remove the crabmeat from the grill and allow to cool for 1 hour. Use in the crab cake recipe in the same manner as for plain crabmeat.

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McFaul’s IronHorse Tavern’s Lobster Mac & Cheese

(Serves 2–3)

• 1/3 cup lobster stock
• 1 1/8 cups heavy cream
• 4 ounces fresh Maine lobster, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar jack cheese
• 1/2 cup grated gruyère cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups cooked pasta shells
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour the lobster stock into a saucepan. Reduce to one-quarter of its original volume over medium heat. Add the heavy cream and reduce more. Add the cheeses and stir. Add the lobster pieces and salt and pepper to taste. Combine the cooked pasta with the cheese-lobster sauce in an oven-safe dish. Top with bread crumbs and bake until golden brown, approximately 5-8 minutes.