Even before the crab dip bagel made its way onto the lineup at Café Dear Leon, the Canton bakery had legions of fans who needed no extra encouragement. Since its opening in the summer of 2020, the micro-sized Canton cafe has consistently drawn a line along O’Donnell Street, with customers willing to wait for its Japanese-style tamago egg sandwiches, marvelous muffins, pain au chocolat, and various Japanese-Korean-French fusion pastries.

But thanks to local food influencer Giovanna Poscé, who made a video praising the bagel’s “creamy crabby goodness” and named it one of the best things she’s eaten in Baltimore, the item—stuffed with crab dip mixed with sweet corn, Cajun butter, and Old Bay went viral and has since been featured in Bon Appétit and People.

It’s also tipped the bakery’s scales from popular to off the charts. To date, Poscé’s post on Feb. 1, 2025, has garnered more than 52 million views, solidifying it as a must-eat item in Charm City.

It’s even on the radar of superstar artist SZA, who DMed the bakery to ask them to keep the bagel on the ever-changing monthly menu until the next time she’s in town.

Poscé says she never meant to create a social media storm—she was simply sharing her love of food.

“I have fun eating and I have even more fun sharing my feedback on food, so I’m always tickled when anyone is listening,” she says. “Whether it’s one person or a million people, I am still surprised when anyone goes out of their way to try a spot just because I said so.”

In an age of social media, food influencers chasing the next viral post—and users perpetually hungry for food content—can propel an unsuspecting eatery to overnight fame. Charm City boasts countless examples of items that have become phenoms thanks to exposure from Instagram videos, TikTok reels, and national press.

There’s Frank’s Pizza & Pasta in Hamilton, which got a major bump in business when Barstool reviewer Dave Portnoy stopped by for a cheese pie. There’s the double-fried haddock fish sandwiches at the small, family-run restaurant The Gift in Northeast Baltimore, which went viral thanks to a TikTok video. And the shrimp and corn patties—named by The New York Times as one of the “Best Dishes Across the United States”—at Hampden’s The Duchess, which led to an uptick in sales.

Ironically, the crab dip bagel was created as a one-off specialty item and was never meant to be part of the regular rotation of offerings. Dear Leon co-owner Min Kim was getting ready to take the bagel off the menu permanently when lightning struck.

“It was our manager’s birthday and they asked us to make crab pretzels,” says Kim, explaining the bagel’s origin story. “We don’t make pretzels, so we put the crab dip on top of our new bagels and combined the idea with this cheese garlic bread they make in Korean bakeries—all of these things met in a perfect place and became the crap dip bagel.”

While a viral moment might feel like a dream come true, sudden fame can be something of a double-edged sword. At Dear Leon, the lines ballooned from 20 minutes to a whopping hour and a half after the video blew up on social media.

“Some people were getting in line without even knowing what it was for,” says Kim, laughing. “When Saturday Night Live came out with their song, ‘Big Dumb Line,’ it felt very personal. It was very challenging—we have limited baked goods, and we follow a baking schedule to keep everything as fresh as possible, so once we’re out of an item, we can’t make more.”

Even so, says Kim, the need was so pressing that he and his staff decided to meet demand. “At the end of the day, we are in a hospitality business,” says Kim. “Everyone, including our chefs and front-of-the-house managers, understood—we wanted to deliver to our guests what they want. If there’s a clear need for our guests, we’re going to do everything in our power without sacrificing quality, so that’s what we did.”

“SOME PEOPLE WERE GETTING IN LINE WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING WHAT IT WAS FOR.”

To ramp up production from some 100 to 1,000 bagels a week meant more work for the entire staff. “All the chefs spent extra hours and extra days to up the production,” says Kim. “And all the front-of-the-house staff went above and beyond to communicate when the bagels would be available. We have them at 6 a.m. now because the line for them would start even before that.”

In fact, the crab dip bagel was largely the catalyst for the bakery’s expansion to Remington with sister spot La Maison. (Call it the House that Bagels Built.) And while it’s hard to say for sure, the bagel might even have had something to do with their recent James Beard nomination for Outstanding Bakery, which helped get the sweets shop, and hence James Beard judges, national attention.

“We always talked about growing and expanding,” says Kim, “but that has really accelerated the process, because we needed a bigger team to produce all the crab dip bagels. We had to hire more people and more chefs to work at our tiny Canton location.”

Going viral on social media is a different experience than getting national press, notes Ekiben co-owner Steve Chu, whose Asian-fusion restaurant has had more than its share of both.

When Ekiben opened a decade ago in Fells Point, the speck of a spot, which got its start as a hot dog cart, soon became a bold-face name in Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, and Bon Appétit through word of mouth. “The press attention always gives you a small boost in business but it’s your job to keep it up and maintain,” says Chu.

But going viral is a whole different story, says Chu, whose own recent crabby creation for his Locust Point location, the Maryland Softie sandwich—an Old Bay-dusted soft-shell crab on a bao bun topped with a crab cake, melted cheddar, and remoulade—had almost 10 million views across social media.

“With magazines and newspapers, there’s a paywall, but with social media it just shows up in your feed—whether you asked for it or not,” he says. “There’s no paywall—everyone has access. It’s a million times more in your face.”

Little Donna’s owner-chef Robbie Tutlewski has also experienced what 15 minutes of fame feels like, especially for such a small operation. When The New York Times reached out to speak with him about his Fells Point restaurant in 2023, “I thought it was something bad like, ‘the worst of,’” he says now, laughing at the memory. “That’s just my personality. I always think something bad is going to happen.”

Of course, it was exactly the opposite. Only a year or so after opening, Tutlewski soon learned that the restaurant had landed on the list as one of America’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023; the following year, it was named one of the best pizza places in the country. The unassuming chef wasn’t seeking the limelight. “We didn’t want it but we needed it,” says Tutlewski.

As much as sudden celebrity can boost a business, it can also come with its own pressures and challenges, says Martha Lucius, a veteran restaurant consultant and former owner of Chesapeake Bagel Bakery and Boheme Cafe.

“As a restaurant owner, you theoretically wish for this, right? But you only have a capacity for a certain number of staff members and you can’t go beyond that size because you literally only have seven days a week and so many seats. You’re going to have to turn people away. The key is to make your place strong and good in that moment.”

That’s exactly what Tutlewski did when the first New York Times list came out. “I was like, ‘We have to do a really good job—if we work harder the next six months, it will help us in the future,’” he recalls saying at the time. “It forced me to ask myself if I wanted to expand the menu or keep it as it was. I was also like, ‘We can’t run out of pierogies.’”

When the second list came out, the pizza oven broke the day before the article was published. “People were calling to order all these pizzas and we couldn’t even serve pizza,” says Tutlewski. (The restaurant contacted patrons via email and phone calls to avoid disappointment, likely impressing them even more.)

The Wren owners Will Mester and Millie Powell had a particularly banner week last fall when they were named one of America’s Best Restaurants of 2025 by both The New York Times and Bon Appétit, all within days. After that, they were understandably inundated. It was somewhat of a mixed blessing given that the tiny Irish pub in Fells Point has some 20 barstools and just a few tables in a back dining room. Still, the couple is more than grateful for all the attention.

“If those pieces didn’t come out, we just wouldn’t have made it,” admits Mester looking back, especially since the food he serves is somewhat idiosyncratic. “It’s not for everyone,” he says of his elevated pub fare such as ox tongue, blood cake, or a whole roast pigeon. “But when The New York Times decides that it’s for everybody, suddenly it is. And people just get comfortable, because they walk in and the place is pretty busy and that gives them confidence and curiosity beyond having to navigate it entirely on their own.”

Business is now booming, necessitating the need for Mester and Powell to work longer hours. They’ve also had to pivot from their initial mission of having a humble pub that emphasized drinks over food. “We’re no longer stressing that we’re going to have to shut the door,” says Mester, so he’s not complaining. “But we had hoped that we could be a little bit more of a bar and that it wouldn’t be so food-centric.”

Having to switch gears is not uncommon, says Lucius, and finding your identity as a restaurant takes time.

“You don’t know your own brand for a while,” she says. “You think you do—you craft it a certain way, but then those sneaky customers come in and they make you realize it in a slightly different way than you thought it would be.”

Hospitality experts emphasize that getting unexpected press or going viral is not something you can plan for—and it should never be a business plan, says veteran consultant Dave Seel of Blue Fork Marketing.

“People latch onto something and get excited about it—and it goes gangbusters,” says Seel. “But you can’t be shooting for that. You’re not going to sustain your business with a viral hit. You have to be a well-rounded, all-encompassing business that has more than just one viral thing.”

“PEOPLE LATCH ONTO SOMETHING AND GET EXCITED ABOUT IT—AND IT GOES GANGBUSTERS.”

When Rooted Rotisserie’s chicken went viral, it was, in part, because owners Joe and Amanda Burton invited influencer Keith Lee to visit their restaurant in historic Hollins Market.

“I had heard about him through friends and started following him on TikTok,” says Amanda. “His account aligned with the same values that our business aligned with, as far as faith, family, community, and hospitality. He seemed like a genuine connector, and it felt like he really wanted to give exposure to the businesses he visited.”

At the time, Amanda knew that Lee was visiting the D.C. area, which increased the likelihood that he just might stop by. She was also aware that a visit from Lee, which almost always leads to increased exposure, often came with a be-careful-what-you-wish-for caveat:

“He tells people, ‘You have to know what you’re getting into when you ask me to come,’” says Amanda.

Before reaching out, she made sure that her husband, Joe, who is the restaurant’s chef, was ready for the inevitable onslaught of customers who would follow. “Joe, who is a go-by-faith kind of guy, said, ‘Yes, tell him to come,’” recalls Amanda.

So, Amanda reached out to Lee to plead her case. “I said, ‘We’re a small business. We’re not backed by some venture capital. We’re not some big restaurant group—we’re completely independent. Those types of businesses are the types of businesses that deserve exposure.’”

Her pitch worked. Lee did, in fact, drop by unannounced, calling the restaurant “one of my favorite restaurants I’ve visited in a while,” in his review. He was so impressed, he left a $4,000 tip and paid for the other customers.

“He dropped his review on a day we were closed, which we were so grateful for because we watched the reservations pop up in real time—they were going up and up and up,” says Amanda. “That gave us some time to prepare for what he already said was going to happen.”

Sure enough, on the week the review was posted, the restaurant ran out of chicken two hours before closing and there were lines down the block with orders to-go, forcing them to temporarily stop doing to-go orders. “And we went from seven to 10 reservations to 25 reservations, which is pushing 75 to 80 covers a night.”

Now that business has leveled out after several months, the restaurant has started doing to-go orders again. For his part, Joe feels the exposure worked in their favor. “It was a lot of pressure to keep up with the hype, but my motto is, ‘If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.’”

Before Lee’s visit, Joe made some eight to 10 rotisserie chickens a night. “But after Keith Lee came, we had to reload our rotisserie, maybe two or three times a night, about 30 chickens, to keep up with the rush. I was really happy to receive this new influx in business because it meant product wasn’t sitting around—the faster I can move the product, the fresher the product is in the end.”

And while their business has increased, the important things have stayed the same.

“We’ve stayed true to who we put ourselves out to be when we originally opened,” says Joe, though Amanda admits that sudden success has also had its downside. “There’s this expectation from some customers that it’s going to be the food of their dreams,” she says, “but we are one restaurant that makes one type of food. It’s not going to satisfy everyone.”

While gaining surprise positive press or social media virality can be a mixed bag—both thrilling and stressful—those we interviewed say it’s worth it.

“The food and beverage world is full of rocky seas,” says Dave Seel. “You just try to set yourself up in the best way possible and rely on your skills and your community. Be grateful for those highs because the lows are definitely going to come.”

Time was, ordering bagels was easy: You’d pick your flavor (usually poppy, sesame, or plain), add a schmear, and maybe top it all off with a layer of lox or a dollop of whitefish spread. Ah, simpler times.

Bagels were first introduced to New York’s Lower East Side by Jewish immigrants in the early 1900s. For a while, the bagel’s appeal was limited to the New York area, until the ’60s and ’70s, when mass production (hello, Lender’s!) turned them into an American breakfast staple.

Since then, their popularity—and the many ways people consume them—has only grown. It’s safe to say that today’s versions are a far cry from what was found in your Eastern European grandmother’s breadbasket.

From the crab dip bagel at Café Dear Leon in Canton to the brisket, pastrami, sofrito, cheese, and jalapeño sandwich on a cheddar bagel at Call Your Mother Deli (in Annapolis and other locations), the humble breakfast food has gotten a glow-up.

“People are opening their minds and going way, way beyond the classics,” says Lauren Kistner, owner of Good Boy Bagels. “There are so many different flavor combinations that people never put together before.”

Her canine-themed Canton bagel shop is right in on the trend. Take their signature 40 Gold: a bagel stacked with house-made pit beef, fried eggs, onions, and cheddar-horseradish cream cheese.

“In addition to being delicious, it’s our ode to Maryland,” says Kistner, a New Jersey native who opened Good Boy because she missed her hometown’s hand-rolled boiled-and-baked bagels.

It’s also an homage to another Baltimore legacy. “The name is an ode to Chaps, whose original location is on Route 40 in the Gold Club parking lot,” says co-owner Ben Sawyer.

Another new-fangled nod to Baltimore is the shop’s honey Old Bay cream cheese. “My husband owns Mahaffey’s Pub and we were talking about the most popular flavor of wings at the pub,” says Kistner. “The honey Old Bay wings sell well, so we decided to do a version of that with cream cheese.”

While the classic combos are still popular, patrons have also been known to improvise. “Bacon, eggs, and cheese are always going to be at the top of the list when it comes to biggest sellers,” says Kistner. “But we’ve seen quite a lot of people even going beyond what we offer. They’ll order a bacon, egg, and cheese, but they’ll put it on our French toast bagel with maple glaze or they’ll add cinnamon raisin cream cheese. The other day, a patron requested cream cheese and peanut butter on a bagel.”

Clearly, it’s a brave, new bagel world.

Move over cronut, cruffin, and brookies (a brownie and a cookie), there’s a new so-called “Frankenpastry” in town.

The crookie—what happens when a chocolate-chip cookie melts inside a croissant—is the latest “It” pastry to hit Baltimore.

And it’s a buttery, salty, sweet sensation. The innovative treat was first invented in 2022 by baker Stéphane Louvard, owner of Maison Louvard in Paris, who decided to experiment at work one day while making croissants next to his kitchen crew who were toiling over a batch of chocolate-chip cookies. He put the two together and—voila!—the crookie was born.

Louvard sold several dozen crookies that day, but the treat really took off when it went viral on TikTok, with more than 43 million video views to date. Ever since taking social media by storm, crookies have sprung up in bakeries across the world—including Baltimore where La Masion by Café Dear Leon (and their Canton sister spot Café Dear Leon) is believed to be the first local bakery to sell the creation.

Min Kim, owner of La Maison in Remington decided to add crookies to his pastry lineup as a favor to a patron.

“One of our regulars who has been coming to the store since it opened had been asking us to make crookies. He was sending us Instagram videos and posts like, ‘I know you have a great croissants and great cookies, can you put them together?’” says Kim.

The bakery’s creation is a classic croissant with their French-style brown butter chocolate-chip cookie dough folded inside in the laminated pastry. The top of the croissant is blanketed by a salty caramelized melted chocolate.

“I’d seen crookies before,” says Kim. “We try to stay on top of pastry trends and see what’s out there. Last year, I was like, ‘Let’s just to make this as a gift to our regulars.’”

Of course, other fans have followed, says Kim, and crookies are especially popular with the moppets.

“Not every trend is great,” says Min, who sells some 60 crookies a day, “but this is one that people really wanted to see here in Baltimore.”

When we took our seats at the bar at Love, Pomelo, the charming new Roman-inspired aperitivo bar and restaurant on O’Donnell Square in Canton, something felt…off. The cushioned, backed stools were quite comfortable, the granite bar itself immaculately clean, and the people on the other side tending it attentive and cheerful. So what was it?

“It’s much lower than a typical bar height,” co-owner Min Kim explained a few days later. The bar stands just 38 inches tall, about four inches shorter than a standard one.

“In Italy, even when you’re sitting at the bar, you truly get a full dining experience. You’re not just eating bar food. We want people to feel comfortable whether they’re having a quick dinner or sitting for two or three hours.”

Having done both, we can say that Kim and his business partner, Charles Lee, have achieved their goal—and that level of attention to detail permeates the place.

The 28-seat restaurant has been a welcome addition to the neighborhood—which lacks not for regular-sized bar stools on which burgers, wings, and beer are consumed—since it opened in April. That the partners’ excellent bakery two doors down, Café Dear Leon, remains wildly popular only raised expectations for Love, Pomelo. The names of the establishments are a nod to the opening and closing of a letter—Leon is the name of Kim’s son and Pomelo is Lee’s wife’s nickname for him, derived from the grapefruit-like fruit.

“When someone writes you a letter, they’ve thought about you and they want to make you feel loved and cared for,” Kim says.

That sentiment shines through in every aspect of the restaurant. During both of our visits in May, our service couldn’t have been better. In the dining room, simply decorated in dark walnut tones, a server accidentally touched one of our forks, then without being asked, replaced it with a clean one. After finishing our pre-dinner cocktails, a well-executed house negroni and a tequila-based drink with honey, genepy liqueur, lemon, and chile oil (there are also several mocktails and low-ABV options), we asked for a wine recommendation to pair with the meal. Not only did our server offer one, he reappeared with two bottles and offered everyone at the table a taste.

The kitchen is led by chef and co-owner Ermal Mirtaj, who grew up outside of Rome, where he attended culinary school before moving to New York. That’s where he met Kim, when they were both working at Marta, a Roman trattoria owned by the famed Union Square Hospitality Group (not the restaurant of the same name in Butchers Hill).

Mirtaj has crafted a small menu that focuses on fresh seasonal ingredients like watermelon, which that day was paired with shishito peppers and goat cheese and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil to create a refreshing appetizer that could double as a light dessert. Squash stuffed with eggplant and tomato wasn’t overpowered by the ricotta, which only added to the flavor. Stracciatella, made in-house, and focaccia, baked at Café Dear Leon, is on a happy hour menu that’s available in the dining room as well as the bar from 4 to 6 p.m. As anyone who’s been to the bakery—and based on the permanent line on weekends—would guess, the bread is spectacular. It’s also addictive. Be forewarned.

Of the three pastas available on the nights we visited, the rigatoni Norma stood out. The house-made noodles were al dente, and combined with eggplant, ricotta salata, and pecorino to create a dish best described as Italian comfort food. Curiously, a plate of spaghetti with crab and ramps—a vegetable similar to spring onions—fell flat. Not enough crab and a lack of seasoning rendered it bland.

Arctic char is not a fish seen on many menus, and here it’s treated with the needed simplicity. The filet was cooked perfectly and served atop a bed of fava bean, tomato, and cucumber panzanella. It’s a worthwhile light and healthful option. The star of the menu is the 10-ounce grilled strip steak, served sliced with purple potatoes and an excellent salsa verde. Squeeze the grilled lemon over the meat to add a bit of acidity, and you’ll have one of the best takes on steak in town.

Our meal was capped with a slice of tiramisu, a version that’s exactly what you’d expect from the iconic dessert: in a word, decadent.

We couldn’t finish all that we ordered, so we asked to take it home. When the server returned it in a box, the date and contents were written on the outside, along with a closing salutation: “Love, Pomelo.”

ON WEEKEND MORNINGS beginning in August, mysterious long lines began to stretch around Canton Square. Those at the front entered a store with no sign above it. When they left, whether they were carrying chocolate babka, a Tamago Sando (a Japanese egg sandwich), or a simple cup of coffee, they seemed blissfully unbothered by the wait.

When Café Dear Leon opened, co-owner Min Kim had no idea what to expect. He and two partners had been discussing the concept since September 2019, and they took over the building in February. Then…well, you know what happened next.

“Initially, we were going to open sometime in May,” Kim says. “We figured since things were not going to be opening at the regular time, we were going to do some of the work on the building ourselves, which saved us money.

OPEN

Café Dear Leon: Canton locals have fallen for this new coffee-and-pastry spot that opened earlier this month in the former home of Holy Crepe Cafe on O’Donnell Square. From the wooden benches and countertops to the almond croissants and oat pecan chocolate chip cookies, everything is made by the owners from scratch. Named after co-owner Min Kim’s son, Leon, the bright and airy shop offers a coffee and tea program with blends sourced from Ceremony Coffee Roasters, as well as morning pastries, house-made granola bars, loaf cakes, and traditional Japanese egg sandwiches.

Snow Cone Sisters: Perhaps one of the most creative COVID-19 pivot projects we’ve seen yet comes from chef John Shields and his team at Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen at the Baltimore Museum of Art. While the museum is still closed, last week, curators debuted a mobile audio tour for visitors to browse its exterior buildings, sculptures, and exhibits. And to ensure audiences have a spot to grab some sustenance while taking in the works, Gertrude’s is launching an outdoor snack kiosk on Saturday, August 15. Snow Cone Sisters—aptly named after the BMA’s famous Cone Collection of early to mid-20th century works gifted by sisters Etta and Claribel Cone—will be open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to dusk, serving gourmet hot dogs and kielbasa on housemade milk bread rolls and, of course, the namesake snow cones. Cool off with flavors such as Tutti Frutti, birthday cake, chocolate-covered cherry, and Key Lime pie. Gertrude’s is also open for outdoor dining and carryout if you’d like to enjoy a more filling meal on the grounds or grab one on your way home.

Hungry Like the Wolfe: Cleverly named after its location on South Wolfe Street, this new pop-up from former Fork & Wrench chefs Cyrus Keefer and Adam Scanlon has taken over the Red Star in Fells Point. Available for outdoor dining and carryout, the menu of riffs on classic tavern fare makes use of produce from Monkton’s Karma Farm. Highlights include a cherry tomato and sourdough salad with fresh basil, maple-sriracha fried chicken wings, a Juicy Lucy burger stuffed with bleu cheese, and a French bread pizza topped with mushrooms and gruyere.

Cafe 1908: This seafood-centric spot has received a warm welcome from the Mt. Vernon neighborhood, thanks to its drool-worthy crab cakes, lobster rolls, seafood salad wraps, turkey burgers, and vegan options. The longtime caterer now offers daily specials—expect mix-and-match cauliflower, shrimp, jerk chicken, or fish tacos on Tuesdays, for example—out of its new permanent storefront at 7 W. Preston St.

The Periodic Table Restaurant & Bar: If you’re in search of an al fresco spot to try in Howard County, add this new Columbia restaurant to your list. Equipped with distanced outdoor tables, as well as indoor seating, the restaurant off of Centre Park Drive is officially open with a menu of seasonal cocktails, local beers (look out for the likes of Diamondback Beer and Denizens Brewing Co.), small plates, and burgers. Plus, hearty main dishes include Gochujang-glazed pork belly and grilled swordfish with lump crab and Thai basil cream.

NEWS

The Urban Oyster: Loyalists were heartbroken when chef Jasmine Norton announced that she would be closing her brick-and-mortar restaurant at McHenry Row in Locust Point last month. But luckily, the chef assured this wasn’t the last we’d see of her. And as she continues her search for another permanent home, Norton will be operating out of the Hyatt Baltimore Inner Harbor just a few miles away. Beginning August 20, fans will be able to enjoy The Urban Oyster’s signature oysters, tacos, sandwiches, and fried seafood baskets for curbside carryout and delivery via Grubhub and Doordash.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

8/14: Courtyard Cocktails with Cane Collective

If you haven’t had the chance to stop by Old Line Spirits’ new outdoor courtyard in Highlandtown, now’s your chance. Aaron Joseph of Cane Collective is taking over the bar this Friday night to showcase refreshing summer cocktails that fuse his handcrafted mixers with Old Line’s whiskey, rum, and brand new vodka. Cane Collective’s Tropical Green Orchard mixer (green apple syrup, lime, and Wight tropical tea), for example, pairs perfectly with the distillery’s single malt whiskey. Plus, Ekiben will be on site slinging steamed buns and rice bowls to accompany all of the drinks.