It’s late January, the opening day of Carlos Raba’s first solo restaurant, Nana, and the award-winning chef stands in the kitchen, channeling his nervous energy into the preparation of tacos.

In a mixture of English and Spanish, he calls out to his crew, who are busily making orders of tortas, quesadillas, and dogos—Sinaloa-style bacon-wrapped hot dogs paired with caramelized onions and avocado sauce. Behind him, a large rotisserie oven turns slowly, an abacus of golden chickens.

As he moves deftly around the restaurant—checking on the rotating birds, handing plates of tacos to customers, darting downstairs to take inventory of the supplies, and chatting with his staff—Raba’s energy and attention to detail are as apparent as his culinary skills.

What is also apparent is the joy he brings to the proceedings—it’s in his frequent smile, behind his voice, and in the food which is simple and comforting, the kind of fare he grew up with. It’s a far cry from Clavel, the hip Mexican restaurant in Remington that brought Raba to Baltimore and gave him a culinary career.

Located along York Road in Stoneleigh, Nana, named for Raba’s great-grandmother, is a bright, sunny space in a 1924 building that originally housed a pharmacy. It has wide windows, pale wood counters, and yellow chairs built around a big, central kitchen that showcases the rotisserie, a flat-top range and fryer, and a trompo spinning the roasting pork for the al pastor.

A warm pot of beans sits at one corner of the counter, a formation of Raba’s grandfather’s favorite habanero hot sauce at the other. A black-and-white photo of his great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins hanging on the wall is given the place of honor opposite the busy kitchen.

Raba is from Sinaloa, Mexico, and his journey to this Baltimore neighborhood street corner has been a circuitous and unusually dramatic one, an immigration story that involved politics, martial arts, murder—and the healing power of food.

Raba, 40, was born in Mexico City, where his parents lived at the time. His mother was a prominent journalist, his father a successful businessman who was murdered in a home invasion in 1983, two months before Raba was born. After the murder, his mother, Luz Aida Salomón, took Carlos and his older brother, Enrique, to her hometown of Culiacán in Sinaloa to live with his extended family of great-grandparents, grandparents, his mother’s four sisters, uncles, and cousins. Raba grew up in a compound of family houses, a happy childhood built around cooking, his uncles’ restaurants, and trips to local taquerías.

He was often cared for by his grandmother and his aunts while his mother worked. (“You would hear the typewriter all the time,” he says.) But Raba’s mother was a political journalist whose investigations into corruption, and the persecution she faced, eventually led her to seek asylum in the U.S. “They used to break into the house, and I was kidnapped a few times by the police,” says Raba of those days.

With the help of the human rights nonprofit Amnesty International, 16-year-old Raba, his mother, and brother relocated first to D.C., very briefly to Detroit—where they found themselves in a homeless shelter—then to Maryland. His mother, who was struggling with mental-health issues, eventually returned to Mexico, while Raba and his brother stayed in Maryland, where they lived for a time with the lawyer who helped relocate them, and where Raba went to high school and started working.

Over the next few years, he hustled to make ends meet, working on commission at Nordstrom and Safeway, then as a manager at Whole Foods and Giant. “I was a butcher, I was a cheesemonger, I was a store manager, a district manager, a trainer, I put out fires,” says Raba.

Meanwhile, Raba became interested in martial arts, specifically Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which provided a valuable, necessary outlet and re-engineered his outlook toward both his past and his future. In 2009, he met Claudia Carias, a D.C. native from a Guatemalan-Panamanian family, and they married and had a son, Lucas. His brother married and had kids, too, and the two brothers would regularly travel to Sinaloa to visit their extended family, including their mother, who now lives there in a retirement home.

Lane Harlan, who had opened the Remington bar W.C. Harlan with her husband, also became part of that extended family, as Harlan’s sister, Tiffany, married Raba’s brother, Enrique. Eventually, over family dinners in Culiacán, Harlan told Raba about her idea of opening a mezcaleria, and the two started thinking about opening a restaurant together. Not only were they family, but their interests fit perfectly together, pairing as well as, yes, mezcal does with tacos. They would call their restaurant Clavel, which means carnation in Spanish and is yet another hat tip to Raba’s flower-loving great-grandmother.

“We would have family gatherings and Carlos was always the one on the grill,” says Harlan. “He’s an incredible cook. [Both he and his brother] come from a family of people who embrace cooking; you can really tell these are family recipes.” When Clavel opened, “the menu started off with all of the recipes that we just ate together.”

By 2022, the cooking at the beloved Remington taquería would earn Raba a James Beard Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic nomination. The national attention expanded the chef’s growing fan base, and Baltimoreans’ hunger for more of his cooking added momentum to Raba’s quest for his own restaurant.

Back in Nana’s kitchen, Raba monitors his roasting chickens. He’s wearing an Orioles cap and a thick black canvas apron over a T-shirt; his arms are covered with tattoos, including a detailed mauve octopus that winds down from under one sleeve.

“As I get older, food makes more sense to me,” he says. “[There are] flavor profiles that I didn’t see before.”

The great-grandmother for whom Nana is named taught Raba’s grandmother how to make the flour tortillas that are now the foundation of the taquería’s menu, and she in turn taught Raba’s aunts and Raba himself. His grandmother is also responsible for Nana’s roasted cauliflower tacos. “My grandmother was a big cauliflower person,” says Raba.

Though Nana also offers its own house-made corn tortillas, it’s the flour tortillas, a Sinaloan staple that they press and griddle and sell by the dozen, that are the house specialty. “My hands were the ones that always were making flour tortillas,” says Raba.

While Raba borrows many recipes from his family—the tortillas are his great-grandmother’s; Clavel’s barbacoa and cochinita pibil are from Raba’s aunts; the carne asada traces to his uncles’ restaurants—the rotisserie chickens are very much his own.

Brined for 24 hours, then dried for another 24, each two-and-a-half-pound chicken is trussed, then impaled on the metal rods of the French-built rotisserie like some medieval experiment. Marinated in two iterations—smokey al pastor and an herby-garlicky version—they’re then roasted until burnished, crisped, and impossibly flavorful, the rich schmaltz from the chickens in turn flavoring a tray of potatoes roasting in the bottom of the machine. The chickens are sold whole, by the half or quarter, and also deconstructed, chopped, and loaded onto tortillas with salsa, onions, and cilantro.

“The chicken is me,” says Raba. “I love chicken tacos.”

Nana’s open kitchen is cheery, light-filled—and immaculate, the plancha cleaned so pristinely after use that Raba presses his apron on it in the mornings. It took Raba two and a half years to open Nana, thanks to the challenges of rebuilding a location that had stood empty for years (“We had to take out trash from the 1960s”), pandemic delays, inspections, hiring, training, menu development, and the like.

With Nana, Raba wanted a neighborhood taquería, a safe place where families and kids could come for affordable food and community.

“I’m trying to think of this as a legacy,” he says, “because I never met my father. It’s very important for me to have my kids and the people around me, and to show them my passion, and what I do with my passion, and how I handle it.”

How Raba handles his own history is evident in how he runs his kitchens—with both authority and compassion—and also how he runs his other primary project, the jiu-jitsu gym Guardian Baltimore, housed a few doors away from Clavel. Raba, who is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, opened Guardian in 2018 as a nonprofit gym for adults and kids as part of a program founded by a longtime friend in Oakland, California.

Children from 4-17 train for free, and some of the adults who come to work out also bring their kids along to watch and spend time, as the gym is purposely engineered to be a safe, family-friendly space. When he’s not in the kitchen, Raba trades his apron for a black gi, the kimono-like uniform worn by practitioners of the sport.

The same combination of focus and fire that Raba employs in his kitchens is evident on a Saturday morning at Guardian, as he gives pointers to others sitting barefoot and cross-legged on the charcoal mats, laughing and chatting before the group breaks into pairs. Soon Raba is spinning and lunging in a series of intricate training moves, his black hair slicked with sweat.

“Cooking is my culture; jiu-jitsu is a passion,” says Raba.

It’s a passion that extends to his family, as his brother is a frequent participant and his wife is the nonprofit’s managing director. Their children, nine-year-old Lucas and seven-year-old Camila, take classes at Guardian twice a week, though Claudia prefers yoga to jiu-jitsu and practices in the nonprofit’s upstairs studio. Lucas was all of seven months old when his parents relocated from Takoma Park to Baltimore to open Clavel—moving into an apartment above the space that would become the restaurant.

“[We lived there] before it opened, when it opened, and when I was pregnant with my second,” says Claudia of the Remington apartment. After two years of living above a popular bar and taquería, the young family moved, first to a house near Patterson Park and then to another less than a mile from Nana.

“Everyone knows everybody,” Claudia says of the neighborhood, where she now works at the same Montessori school that her kids attend. “It’s just incredible to see everything that’s led up to here,” she says. “I’m really excited to see where this takes him, in terms of the city and the world.”

“Our families got forged together,” says Harlan, “and that’s how Clavel came to be. It wouldn’t have happened any other way.”

As for Nana, says Harlan, “It was a natural progression. It’s this thing where you create a beautiful thing, and then you learn a lot and you’re capable of doing more, and why wouldn’t you want to?”

Clavel has been open nine years now, she notes, Raba’s kids are older, and Guardian has gotten up and running.

“He spaced it out really well,” Harlan says. “At Nana, he’s going to be able to express himself in a way that’s outside the parameters of Clavel.”

“AS I GET OLDER, FOOD MAKES MORE SENSE TO ME. [THERE ARE] FLAVOR PROFILES THAT I DIDN’T SEE BEFORE.”

Nana is intentionally at the opposite end of the culinary spectrum as Clavel: There are no beautifully set tables, no award-winning cocktail program, no late-night bar scene. It’s a family spot, designed for quick, wholesome food and take-away dinners to feed waiting households. Across the street from the Charmery ice-cream shop and a block away from Stoneleigh Lanes—one of the last duckpin bowling alleys in the state—Raba’s taquería is as much like a community center as it is a restaurant.

Many of the staff of 20 are Clavel alums, and there’s a camaraderie in the kitchen that’s deeper than the few months the place has been open, which is also by design.

José Machorro, who runs Nana’s line, is all of 19. He came to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 14 and has been cooking in restaurants ever since. Josh Weinstock, Nana’s manager, came to Nana from jiu-jitsu, and holds a black belt. All the tips at Nana are shared; there’s a 12-percent “taquero service fee” added to all bills.

“Being a taquero is a craft,” says Raba “It’s something that cannot disappear. Food is based on memories. Even though I was kicked out of my country by violence, I am very proud to be a Mexican.”

The word community comes up a lot in conversations with Raba. “Helping them is helping myself. I’m building a stronger community,” he says of his crew, both at the restaurant and in the gym.

Before Nana opened, he was popping up a lot around town—first in a tent outside Ekiben’s Fort Avenue location for an event with Steve Chu; and then in December, at a Ravens’ tailgating party in the M&T Bank Stadium parking lot, serving chile-spiked goat birria hat he cooked on the stoves at the yet-to-open Nana. (The goat was a play on G.O.A.T. and the remarkable career of the Ravens’ retired safety Ed Reed.)

“When we were kids, I’d live vicariously through him,” says Enrique of his younger brother, whom he remembers pushing in a laundry basket down a circular marble staircase when they were children in Mexico. Enrique, who was leaning against a parked car watching his brother grill tortillas outside of Ekiben, lives in College Park and has worked for the Department of Transportation for nearly two decades. “He was fearless. Energy-wise, he’s always been like that. His intensity shows, in jiu-jitsu and in the kitchen.”

“I was a very angry person,” says Raba of his younger years. “You have to calm yourself, have an awareness of feelings and emotions, for mental strength. Jiu-jitsu helped me. It gave me friends and family.”

That intersection of friends, colleagues, students, and family is evident in all the spaces Raba has built for himself. “Baltimore gives chances and opportunities that other cities don’t, which is important,” says Raba, expertly plating a few more tacos, then surveying his crowded, light-filled dining room. “Making a community. What’s more important than investing in your own city?”

Home Again

A love letter to Clavel.

My true love affair with food began while sitting on a sunburnt East Los Angeles sidewalk next to a taco truck—a paper plate of tacos on my knees.

Of course, I loved eating, cooking, and dining out long before that; I went to cooking school and became a food writer. But there was a magic to those tacos, constructed just before delivery and consumption, that stitched me perfectly to that moment. It was a composition of place and dinner that was utterly sublime.

So, when I moved to Baltimore, my mother’s hometown, the first thing I sought out was a taco truck. And after finding that—Tacos Jalisco, parked outside a Catholic church in Fells Point—I looked for a place to stay awhile, which led me pretty quickly to Clavel, Lane Harlan and Carlos Raba’s phenomenal Remington taquería.

Clavel is a Mexican food palace—a taquería, mezcaleria, and nixtamaleria (where corn is traditionally processed for masa) all under one roof. It is as close to driving to Mexico (which I once did, driving from L.A. to Tijuana for chicken-neck tacos and then down the coast to Ensenada, just for a raw clam and uni tostada) as you can get within the confines of this city.

At Clavel, first you will wait in line, not unlike one does at the best street taco stands, talking to the people waiting with you about tacos, itself a kind of appetizer. Then you’ll be seated in the lovely, lofty space, strung with lights like a rowhome alley.

The aquachile, raw seafood torqued with lime and chiles, is transcendent, as is the ooey queso fundido, melted into its own cast-iron pan.

But you’re here for the tacos, so order as many as you can. They come in many iterations: cochinta pibil, carnitas, barbacoa, lengua,  chiles and corn, sirloin tips, mushrooms and huitlacoche, fried cod, and a pile of shrimp and cheese and Anaheim chiles dubbed an al gobernadora. It’s worth filling a table—with people, with plates—so you can try them all.

Sitting inside Clavel—lifting warm, just-made tortillas from a basket, spooning cured fish from a pool of chile-spiked broth, forking up bites of esquites, and then digging into a plate loaded with lamb barbacoa tacos—it feels like the sunburnt sidewalks and beaches where I became obsessed with Mexican food are just outside the front door, metaphorically if not actually.

Of course, outside is not East L.A. or Raba’s home state of Sinaloa, but Remington, where my cousins have lived for two decades. And thus Baltimore, where I chose to live, where my father now also lives, where my great-grandparents came to live over a century ago, and which is now more home than California ever was.

Somehow, eating cochinita pibil tacos while my family orders another round from the mezcaleria, I always seem to fall in love, again, with both food and place. And the tres leches cake doesn’t hurt either.

This is one of five deeply personal Love Letters—reflections on restaurants that hold a special spot in our hearts—from our 2024 Best Restaurants list. View more of our picks, here.

From behind their bars, they’ve seen it all. Blossoming love affairs and breakups. Fights and reconciliations. Joy and despair. They’ve served as amateur psychoanalysts, sounding boards for business ideas, and the voice of reason—some people need to be told when it’s time to go home While many people become bartenders for practical reasons—the flexible hours, the wide availability of jobs—others find the profession a calling.

“It takes a very special human to be in hospitality,” says Amie Ward, president of the Baltimore Bartenders’ Guild. “We enjoy putting other people’s needs before our own. We are creative in our solutions. We can empathize, actively listen to people. There’s nothing easy about that at all.”

Bartending has changed dramatically in the last decade. The dawn of the craft cocktail era has attracted those with creative and even scientific minds to the profession. The ability to make drinks using liquors and ingredients from around the world is finally treated with the respect it deserves by restaurateurs, customers, and critics alike. Although getting the perfect head on a beer is an art unto itself, engineering a cocktail using sous vide shochu with coconut, cantaloupe juice, yogurt fat-washed soju, and egg white, as Gabe Valladares can do at CookHouse, is something different entirely.

In Baltimore, designer cocktail bars like Rye, W.C. Harlan, The Coral Wig, Southpaw, Dutch Courage, and Kenwood Tavern peacefully coexist with beer bars and corner pubs. They are all important parts of our city’s social fabric, as are the people who work at them.

There are more than 610,000 bartenders nationwide, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statitics. We’re lucky to have some of the best of them right here in Baltimore.

Gabriel Valladares

CookHouse

Saturday nights at 10 p.m., Bolton Hill’s CookHouse transforms from one of the best restaurants in the city to one of the best cocktail bars…anywhere. The man responsible for this metamorphosis, Gabriel Valladares, is just 25 years old, but to sample one of his drinks is to taste the work of a wunderkind.

During the weekly three-hour sessions (and of course during  CookHouse’s regular dinner service), the self-taught Valladares’ creativity is evident in every sip. Each cocktail on the menu is a Gabe original.

Take for example The Cilantro. Valladares, CookHouse’s bar director, is a lover of mezcal, and he had begun to experiment with sous viding liquor.

“Mezcal is Mexican, and I wondered what else was in that realm,” he says. “Cilantro popped into my head, so I sous vided cilantro, a little bit of honey, and mezcal for eight hours. My friend Lane [Harlan of Clavel and W.C. Harlan] inspired me to do my own tepache, which is basically fermented pineapple juice.”

But Valladares wasn’t done. To garnish the drink, he added little pellets cleverly dubbed “lime caviar” on the menu. They’re made by combining sugary lime juice and the chemicals sodium alginate and calcium lactate, an idea he read about in a book published by The Aviary, the cutting-edge cocktail bar in Chicago. When the pellets pop in the drinker’s mouth, they add a kick of acidity to the smoky drink.

“It was a one-and-done thing that came together really well,” Valladares says of the concoction. But that’s not the norm. The ability to accept failure, he says, is a key component to being a successful mixologist.

“I’ve done so many cocktails that literally taste disgusting. They never make it onto the menu. Not everyone is going to like everything you do. That can hurt my ego. But putting your creative aspects [forward] brings people in.”

Judging by the crowds that flock to CookHouse, Valladares’ wins far outpace his losses. A former student at Maryland Institute College of Art, he’s also an avid photographer, and his beautiful shots of the restaurant’s food and drink routinely wow people on Instagram.

“I love when new people come into the bar,” he says. “My goal every night is to blow their minds and give them an amazing experience.”

Kim Vo

Dutch Courage

Kim Vo sees potential ingredients for cocktails everywhere. Over the summer, she challenged herself to begin making drinks with zero waste. This she took quite literally. Vo used corn as the backbone for the drink she calls La Cosecha, which means “harvest” in Spanish. Not only did she juice the kernels, but she turned the cob and all of the husk into a stock.

“When you put them together you get the most powerful corn flavor,” she says.

From there she added mezcal and basil to the stock. Next, she put in a little watermelon. She even pickled the rinds for garnish so they too did not go to waste.

In November, Vo tapped into her Vietnamese roots to create the Snug Bug, her take on a Hot Toddy inspired by artichoke tea. She made a tincture using the artichoke heart and charred the leaves. Then she added carciofo, which is an artichoke-based amaro, and mixed in a cane sugar spirit, plum liqueur, and reduced cider syrup.

“It gets wild,” she says. “It’s toasty. It’s earthy. It’s just perfect for the season.”

The drink demonstrates the scientific way that Vo’s brain works. She earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University but gravitated toward the hospitality industry because she treasures the interpersonal relationships.

“Ultimately what I love about cocktail bartending is the connection with people, both the guests and other people in the industry,” she says.

After stints at hotel bars and the late, great whiskey-focused bar Bookmaker’s in Federal Hill, she’s been the bar manager at Dutch Courage in Old Goucher for three years. During her time in the industry, she’s seen the world of upscale cocktails change dramatically.

“Cocktailing was [once] kind of like a very exclusive practice,” she says. “You had to go to a speakeasy or a craft cocktail bar to find a good cocktail. But post-COVID, with Instagram and that whole boom with social media, it’s more accessible.”

She believes that the culture she has helped to create among the staff has contributed to Dutch Courage’s welcoming spirit.

“It’s a completely supportive environment, and it really lends itself to this uninhibited creativity,” says Vo, 33. “The owners are super supportive, and we have a very, very tight staff. And I think, honestly, our guests have the most fun because we’re all very happy.”

Charlie Vascellaro

Clandestino

There’s no mystery as to why people enjoy going to the tequila-centric speakeasy Clandestino in Belvedere or, for that matter, any of the other establishments where Charlie Vascellaro has worked over the course of his 20 years behind the bar.

He knows how to throw a party.

“I’ve always felt like, being the bartender, you are the host of the party, which I’ve had plenty of experience doing at home over the years,” he says. “I was always the kind of guy who hosted the parties, and everybody would come to my house, and I would make the drinks for them. When I first started tending bar and I was worried about my relative lack of experience, I used to coach myself and say, ‘Just make them like you make it at home.’”

That policy has served him well. At Clandestino, which he manages and helped open in 2022, he specializes in preparing cocktails with a Southwestern flair.

Vascellaro, 59, who spent much of his childhood in Arizona, originally started bartending because he liked the hours. They allow him the freedom and flexibility to pursue his other passion: writing about baseball. His work has appeared in The Baltimore Banner, Baltimore Fishbowl, and New York’s Village Voice, for which he writes about “the Mets and all of their travails.”

Each year during spring training he returns to Arizona, where he curates museum exhibits about baseball (one on the history of Japanese-American baseball history eventually made its way to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles) and organizes baseball-themed trips for groups of senior citizens. The groups of 35 to 40 people take in games at the spring training homes of the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, listen to guest speakers, visit museums, and eat all their meals together. It’s intense, Vascellaro says, but his bartending skills often come in handy.

“You’re kind of a public speaker as a bartender,” he says. “You’re a public persona. So if people have anxiety about public speaking, bartending can get you over that. And I think you’re also a peacemaker. You’re creating an atmosphere. I think the skills that you learn as a bartender definitely cross over in real-life situations quite often.”

There’s another perk of bartending, he says, that works out well for his hybrid career.

“I pick up a lot of writing assignments behind the bar, too. Editors, publishers, come into the bar and I get introduced to them not only as the bartender, but as a guy who does some writing. And before you know it, I’m working for people who were my customers at the bar before. It’s perfect.”

Dan Burks

The Prime Rib

Over the course of his dozen years behind the bar at The Prime Rib, one of Baltimore’s most venerable steakhouses, Dan Burks has developed a somewhat simple philosophy of bartending.

“The customers that come in are generally nice folks,” he says. “A lot of them have been coming in for years and years and we know them, and we like them. It’s easy to give good service to people that you like.”

Burks, 47, has been doing just that since he started bartending in the late ’90s on the Eastern Shore. A music performance major in college, he had a feeling that he would gravitate to the hospitality industry. (“With that degree, you’ve got to eat, sleep, and breathe music,” he says.)

When he found his way to The Prime Rib, he knew he was home.

“I’ve had other jobs here and there, but at The Prime Rib it’s not like we’re slinging beers and shots to a rowdy crowd that is out partying,” he says. “It’s a lot of martinis, Manhattans, and Old-Fashioneds. Anything served in an up glass. I’ve made a million Cosmopolitans. We go through a lot of martini glasses.”

The art of being a bartender lies not just in mixing drinks. It’s also knowing how to interact with customers. At an upscale restaurant like The Prime Rib, that’s even more pivotal. The affable Burks has a natural rhythm and intuition that keeps the mood upbeat yet still gives customers space.

“The people that we know we talk to all the time. But with some folks, you have to gauge whether they’re doing something. Are they buried in their phone? But you get plenty of regulars that want to talk sports. Some folks want to talk politics. And some people you can see that they’re with friends and they’re just catching up and bullshitting.”

On a recent night, a customer paid Burks a compliment that stuck with him.

“We’ve been coming here for a long time,” the man said, “and while we love the food and the atmosphere, we come here for you.”

Amie Ward

The Healthtender, Southpaw

Amie Ward loves bartending, and she’s devoted much of her professional life to making sure others in the industry have the tools to love it as much as she does. Ward is the executive director of Safe Bars, a nonprofit dedicated to making bars, restaurants, and other alcohol-serving spaces safe and welcoming for guests and staff alike.

She also owns and runs The Healthtender, a company that provides business owners and those on the frontlines of hospitality with the tools necessary to care for their bodies and minds.

“I started working in bars because those were the kind of people that I liked being around,” says Ward, 42, who has a master’s degree in kinesiology. “I liked talking to strangers for a living. I was taking care of myself, but I saw my peers were not. I created The Healthtender to teach people in the hospitality industry to eat better, take care of their bodies, and talk about the risks, because we have access to excess, we have weird hours, all that jazz.”

Ward started tending bar in 2009, and she says it took her a while to learn to counteract the physical and emotional challenges in the profession. Remembering to hydrate and eat while working a 10- to 12-hour shift (she always keeps nuts in her pockets for a quick snack), avoiding afterwork drinking sessions, stretching, resting—all of it is important.

“Bartenders and people in the industry are like endurance athletes, but we treat our bodies worse than any athlete ever would,” she says.

For Safe Bars, Ward’s work focuses on teaching the staff of any alcohol-serving establishment how to do bystander intervention, deescalation, and intervene in safe and non-confrontational ways to prevent sexual assault, sexual aggression, and other forms of violence.

“My world has mostly transitioned to advocacy work for the hospitality industry, doing a lot of health and wellness for people to make sure that they can stay in this business that we love for so long.”

But because she so treasures the work, Ward still steps behind the bar for the occasional shift at Southpaw in Fells Point.

“I love creating ridiculously over-the-top drinks and really special experiences for people,” she says. “I’m just one of those weirdos who loves the community and loves the job. I still have those moments when I want to be bartending. I fucking love it so much.”

Andre Levon

Clavel

Andre Levon, 37, has been tending bar for nearly half his life. A native of upstate New York, he started working at Turp’s in Mount Vernon before arriving at Clavel nine years ago. After all those years behind the bar, he still savors the relationships he builds with his customers.

“I find myself interacting with lots of different types of people,” he says. “You meet engineers and all these literate people. If anybody in the industry tells you that at this point that isn’t still a part of their job that they dig, they’re [over it] because it still is such a great thing.”

Levon has helped the popularity of the renowned Mexican restaurant’s cocktail list keep pace with its food. He leads mezcal tastings each Tuesday and, along with the team, plays a big role in curating the cocktail list. (He’s also part of the reason that the taqueria has been twice nominated for a James Beard Award in the Outstanding Bar category.)

He starts working on drinks three months prior to a menu change, a process that often includes traveling to Mexico, which is where he came up with the inspiration for the drink Tuba Por Favor. It’s based on the Filipino alcoholic beverage tubâ, which is made from the sap of palm trees and was introduced to Mexico centuries ago.

Levon’s cocktail combines tepache, coconut liqueur, lime juice, housemade kümel, and honey. It’s served shaken in a Hurricane glass.

“It’s a good amount of volume,” he says. “It’ll put a little buzz on but for the most part I designed it to be something that someone could enjoy for a while without getting too drunk.”

Although there’s no mezcal in that drink, it’s clear that the agave based liquor holds a treasured place in his heart.

“Mezcal is, of course, an agricultural product, but mezcal is a cultural product as well,” he says. “We have Mexico so close. We’re on the same continent, you know? And it is so vastly different from us. In a way, being able to drink mezcal connects me to this other culture in a really serious way in language, in art, and in cuisine.

“It doesn’t hurt that it’s delicious.”

This piece appeared in our March 2024 issue. For more great Baltimore stories, consider becoming a subscriber.

Additional fact checking by Jalen McNeil.

When Carlos Raba was forced to close Guardian Baltimore on March 13, 2020, the Clavel co-owner-chef was devastated.

Just a few weeks before the pandemic shut down the city, the new community gym nonprofit, which offers free Brazilian Jiu-jitsu classes to kids, had finally gotten off the ground after years of planning.

“I felt defeated,” says Raba. “I ended up with this beautiful space and started to see the kids and their excitement. When it shut down, the only thing I had was empty walls with no energy. I cried.”

Fast forward to this spring, Raba and his pint-sized practitioners are back in bloom. (He also trains adults who, along with donations, help sustain the gym.) It’s been a particularly emotional year for him, as after 23 years of living in America, he also became a U.S. citizen in March, exactly one year to the date after having to reinvent his restaurant next door due to COVID-19.

When Raba first discovered the martial art, it was nothing short of life-changing. “Playing sports kept me out of trouble in high school,” says the former wrestler and football player. “But after high school, I was missing something. I had so much energy, and when I was grumpy or angry, I’d drink with friends, because we had nothing to do. Until one said, ‘Have you heard about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu?’”

Raba, who now holds a black belt in his practice, has continued to train ever since. Three years ago, he came up with the idea for Guardian, based on a sister dojo in Oakland, California, started by a friend from Bethesda. “What we have in Baltimore is kids with nothing to do but hang out on street corners,” he says. “I wanted to give them a passion that has helped me.”

“I HAVE A KID FROM GILMAN ROLLING WITH A KID FROM EAST BALTIMORE.”

Raba, who was raised in Sinaloa, Mexico, before coming to the U.S. at the age of 16, grew up with his own share of struggles. His mother, an accomplished journalist, fled Mexico with the help of Amnesty International in 2000 after Raba’s father was murdered during a home invasion. Raba and his older brother were offered political asylum, too, although life in America, where they soon found themselves in a Detroit shelter and, later, homeless in Washington, D.C., wasn’t exactly easy either. Thanks to a chance meeting, they were taken in by a young lawyer who worked at an immigration law center in Georgetown, and they stayed with her for several years.

“Without even knowing us, she put us in her car and took us to her home in Takoma Park,” he recalls.

The lesson of giving back—something Raba had also seen as a child in Mexico—is one he’s never forgotten.

“My grandfather was a doctor who gave free consultations to lower-income families,” he says. “My grandmother was a nurse who adopted kids. It’s natural for me to want to help.”

At Guardian, kids ages 4 to 17 can train for free, and Raba gives a free “gi,” or uniform, to every student who enrolls.

“The program is for anyone,” he stresses, being particularly proud of the gym’s diversity. “I have a kid from Gilman rolling with a kid from East Baltimore. Both have struggles, but very different struggles. Both can learn from each other about life.”

In the coming months, Raba hopes to offer not only a safe haven for his current roster of 20-some kids to train and do homework, but a space that will expand their world in other ways. He’s thinking about forming a poetry or photography club, or running a barista class with his friend Kris Fulton, the owner of nearby Sophomore Coffee. He’s also considering offering an incentive to keep kids coming to the mat.

“If you come and you’re consistent, you’re going to get a burrito a week,” says Raba, whose taqueria is mere steps away from Guardian. “The burrito might be the thing that gets you in the door, but I’m hoping they’ll get hooked on Jiu-jitsu.”

We’ve all been pretty much living in T-shirts and sweats lately, so why not wear a stylin’ T-shirt that actually helps some folks who are struggling financially during the pandemic? These local vendors are making helping your fellow Baltimoreans both comfy and fashionable.

Sure, we all wish we were out at our favorite neighborhood bars celebrating Cinco de Mayo with the best of them this year. But thankfully, even during a statewide lockdown, local cantinas aren’t leaving us hanging. From full-fledged Mexican restaurants to trendy tequila bars, plenty of Charm City spots are featuring carryout specials to spice up virtual celebrations at home. Here are a few to choose from:

Bandito’s Bar + Kitchen: Cinco de Mayo, the anniversary of the Mexicans’ unlikely victory over France in the Battle of Puebla in 1862, just so happens to fall on Taco Tuesday this year—and this Federal Hill staple is celebrating accordingly. Bandito’s will be open from 12-9 p.m. with takeout specials such as 16 or 32-oz. cocktails and margaritas, canned beers, orders of three tacos, and DIY taco kits. Orders can be placed online, in-person, or by phone.

Blue Agave: Just around the corner on Light Street, this neighborhood favorite will be open from 12-10 p.m., packing up orders of guacamole fresco, chips and salsa, fajitas, and tacos. To-go margaritas are available in traditional house or Spicy Guavarita flavors. Customers can call ahead for pickup or order delivery via Grubhub and Doordash.

Cane Collective Kits Benefiting CFF Maryland: The bar veterans behind craft spirit company Cane Collective have teamed up with Mr. Nice Guy Cocktails to distribute a special passionfruit margarita kit on Cinco de Mayo—with all proceeds benefiting the Maryland chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The $75 kit includes one bottle of Patron Reposado, one bottle of Cane’s passionfruit-jalapeno mix, and one Patron cocktail shaker. Orders can be placed onlinefor pickup and delivery.

Clavel: The team at this Remington gem is encouraging patrons to decorate their homes with homemade papel picado (Mexican folk art made by cutting designs into tissue paper) and tag the restaurant in their photos. To complete the festivities, Clavel’s new carryout operation, Pisa y Corre, is featuring tamales, michelada kits, special mezcal flights, and frozen empanadas to fry at home. Order online here.

El Bufalo Tequila Bar and Kitchen: Naturally, the Cinco de Mayo celebrations at this Canton stalwart began a few days early. But they will continue throughout the day on Tuesday with 64-oz. Altos margarita pouches for $14, Casamigos premium margarita pouches for $10, and $65 build-your-own taco party kits. Place carryout orders by calling 410-814-0594.

La Food Marketa: Call this Pikesville spot to order a turkey chorizo, Peruvian chicken, and beef barbacoa taco kit that serves four. It comes will all the fixins, but you can also add on guacamole, churros, a pint of margaritas, or even a six-pack of the Mexican beer that shall not be named.

La Palapa Grill & Cantina: La Palapa is a fiesta headquarters in Ellicott City. Though the bar’s holiday celebrations will look a bit different this year, it’s still offering massive margaritas—made with Jose Cuervo or 1800 tequila—for curbside pickup. Additionally, guests can order chips and salsa, as well as 12 pork carnitas tacos topped with grilled pineapple, red onion, and cilantro. Orders can be placed online or by calling the restaurant.

Mezcal Mexican Restaurant and Bar: Celebrate with the full food menu recently made available for carryout at this Baltimore County cantina, which operates locations in Owings Mills and Timonium. In addition to the standout fajitas, burritos, and tacos, Mezcal offers bottled sangria, margaritas, and mojitos.

Papi’s Tacos: Not only is Papi’s offering special fiesta packages from its Hampden location (a bundle for four includes tequila, a mixer, an appetizer, tacos, and two sides), but it’s also hosting a virtual fiesta on Facebook Live. Throw on a sombrero and tune in from home to enjoy mariachi music, raffle drawings, live comedy with Mike Quindlen, trivia with owner Charlie Gjerde, and maybe even a piñata to whack open for good measure. The team is also giving away a $50 gift card to Papi’s and its sister-spots, as well as a Yeti cooler filled with $500 worth of booze. Any to-go order of $25 or more from either Papi’s location in Hampden or Fells Point will come with a raffle ticket to enter to win the prizes.

Taco Bravo: This Timonium newbie is open from 12-9 p.m. for curbside pickup and delivery. In addition to its regular menu, the spot is offering a deal on five chicken or steak tacos for $10. To-go cocktails include $5 margaritas, $10 grande sangrias and mojitos, and $25 64-oz. margaritas.

The Urban Oyster: Typically closed for carryout on Tuesdays, this Locust Point oyster bar is opening up for the occasion with a special menu of surf and turf tacos, guacamole, pico de gallo, elote, tequila lime pie, and seafood nachos smothered in beer cheese. Throw in a spicy grilled pineapple margarita and you’re in for a full-blown fiesta.

Vida Taco Bar: The Severna Park location of this strictly tacos-and-tequila bar is open from 12-8 p.m. for takeout tacos, nachos, guacamole, and cocktails. You can also catch Vida’s mobile margarita vans roaming in the communities surrounding all three of its locations. Upcoming routes are announced daily and orders can be placed online here.

EAT

April 17: The Charmery “Chef’s Signature Flavor” Collaboration with Clavel

Multiple locations including 801 W. 36th St. $11.

If you’re looking for a surefire way to spark a little joy during quarantine, ice cream is the answer. Not only is The Charmery offering its whimsical flavors for delivery and curbside pickup at its Hampden and Towson locations, but husband-and-wife owners David and Laura Alima are continuing to dream up fun ways to give love to their fellow hospitality workers during this time of need. Beginning this Friday, the duo will launch a new series called “Chef’s Signature Flavor,” in which they whip up a limited number of pints of a local chef’s favorite variety. The Alimas’ buddy Carlos Raba of Clavel is up first, collaborating on a Rosac Con Su Mezcal flavor that highlights strawberry, hibiscus, lime, and mezcal. Each pint costs $11 with $1 of all sales benefitting The Charmery’s scooper fund, and another dollar donated to the Clavel employee fund. If you can’t grab a mezcal pint before sellout, stay tuned for the next collaboration with Chef Opie Crooks of A Rake’s Progress.

DRINK

April 17: Union Tour and Taste Live!

Facebook Live. 4-5 p.m. Free.

Switch up your virtual happy hour plans this Friday and join Union Craft Brewing co-founder Jon Zerivitz on Instagram Live for a behind-the-scenes tour of the brewery. Crack open a cold can of Duckpin and follow along as Zerivitz talks through the style, aroma, and tasting notes of fan-favorite brews like the Duckpin Pale Ale and Steady Eddie IPA. Stock up on six packs before the happy hour with delivery, dockside pickup, or by grabbing from your favorite local liquor store.

SEE

April 17-18: MICA MFA Thesis Film Virtual Showcase 2020

7 p.m. http://micafilmmaking.org. Free.

Though MICA’s MFA filmmaking class of 2020 won’t be able to screen their thesis films in front of a live audience for the time being, students remain excited to get the projects they’ve worked long and hard on out into the world. In collaboration with the SNF Parkway Theatre, the films will be screened on three different platforms, including the MICA film program website and the Parkway’s Facebook page, beginning with the first half on Friday, April 17 at 7 p.m. The second half will premiere on Saturday, April 18 at 7 p.m. Kick back and enjoy five documentaries, three dramas, and three horror films, and be sure to stick around for live Q&A sessions with the filmmakers after the broadcast.

HEAR

April 18: Qlub Q Dance Party With DJ Rob Macy

9-11 p.m. Zoom. Free.

We might not be able to go out, but that won’t stop stir-crazy Baltimoreans from attending a DIY dance party. Break out your laptop to break it down at the virtual Club Quarantine with DJ Rob Macy of the famous Save Your Soul Dance Party. After you shimmy, shake, and dance the night away, throw a few dollars in the virtual tip jar and check back each week to see which Charm City DJ is spinning next.

DO

April 17: Earth Treks Virtual Rendezvous

6-10 p.m. Facebook Live and Zoom. Free.

Unfortunately there’s no virtual alternative to bouldering with your buddies at this Hampden climbing gym, but the Earth Treks team has put together a jam-packed evening of online activities that evoke the gym’s communal spirit. After pre-registering, hop on Facebook Live for a HIIT class with instructor Jenna Scott before a dance party with beats spun by Union beertender and DJ dagm, a group trivia game, and a collective watch party of the sci-fi classic Tremors, with commentary encouraged in the Zoom chat box.

Like many area restaurateurs, Clavel co-owners Lane Harlan and Carlos Raba have recently reinvented the business model at their James Beard-nominated taqueria with carryout and curbside pickup due to the COVID crisis. They’ve even gone so far as to give their grab-and-go business a new name, Pisa & Corre, which was inspired by the convenience stores in Raba’s hometown of Sinaloa, Mexico.

“I used to go to a little drive-thru market in my little city in Mexico and it was called Pisa y Corre, which translates to the Stop and Run,” Raba says. “You could go buy beer and groceries and drive through. So I said, ‘Why don’t we do tacos kits?’ People need a meal that not only is affordable, but filling.”

In keeping with this idea, the team also decided to start serving burritos. “You can eat half one day and half another,” Raba adds. “They have a lot of flavor, they are as good the next day, and they make people smile. With Pisa & Corre, we’ve created a totally different business. We are innovators fighting for Baltimore and our community, and making the best of it with what we can.”

It seems as though you’re doing really well with your new carryout model and selling out each week. How’s it going?
Lane Harlan: The first week was traumatic. We were open for brunch with a skeleton crew the day before—we knew it was coming. On March 16, when Governor Hogan closed restaurants and bars, we literally spent 24 hours brainstorming this new business model that we call Pisa & Corre. We didn’t have a website built yet, we put a menu online and people could call in their orders, but you can only process as fast as the speed of answering the phone and confirming payment and then people were showing up without having ordered.

We thought our online website would fix everything, but it created new obstacles. It allowed everyone to order at the same time, which created a backlog and people were having to wait two-and-a-half hours. That single day ended up being the most amount of sales we’ve ever done, and that was with less than 10 people working. We had to apologize to a lot of people that first night. When things have gotten mixed up, we’ve offered refunds, and most people declined to take them.

So, what is working for you?
LH: What is working is that we’ve increased our prices by 20 percent in order to send weekly money to our non-working staff—and not one customer has complained. The tip pool is distributed evenly to nearly everyone, including the working staff on the days that they aren’t working. We laid off people who chose to be laid off so they could apply for unemployment. [Some are opting] out of the tip pool to provide for the people who need it the most—if you’re benefiting from the stimulus, you might not need the tip pool money.

No one should profit during this crisis. Individuals and the businesses themselves shouldn’t be profiting. The people in need are our number-one concern, and we will be endlessly creative about how to keep these people paying their bills and keep milk in their fridge. The speed of the government is slow, and people don’t have time to wait for money to feed their families.

“We are innovators fighting for Baltimore and our community and making the best of it with what we can.”

I noticed you’ve been selling T-shirts, too.
LH: People are buying merchandise like never before—they know it’s going to a tip pool. I went to a local screen printer and spent money on hundreds of shirts and sold out. People truly care and keep buying them.

So, are you making the math work in terms of being able to make ends meet?
LH: The numbers are working because we have higher averages for what people are spending and buying in bulk, and we have less staff. For example, we’re selling six margaritas in bulk at a time. It’s an amazing hustle that doesn’t feel super sustainable. We can afford our payroll and people are being paid right now at least what they were making before, but we don’t know how long this is sustainable. We are in serious survival mode.

How else are you supporting your staff?
LH: We just hosted a back of house meeting with a translator with Maryland CASA. We want to help them get resources, learn how to get unemployment, or get help if there’s a home situation with abuse because children are at home. The flow of information is incredibly important. They deserve the same flow of information as the front of the house.

Any tips on getting carryout? I’ve seen the sold-out signs.
Carlos Raba: The best times to pick up are between noon and 4 p.m. when it’s slow. You can order a burrito at noon and heat it later. It will be perfectly fine. We sell out because there are so many tickets waiting. It’s not that we don’t have the food, but we can’t process more than 150 tickets.

“Why do sushi chefs have tip jars but the people who work in the front of the house make hundreds of dollars in cash? How can we bring those people in the back making tortillas and chopping to the front?”

How are you unwinding?
LH: My first day off since March 15 was March 29. We went on a hike and didn’t work at all. I bought a trampoline to jump on every morning.

CR: I do Jiu-Jitsu in my basement and exercise with my wife, Claudia, and spend the time outside doing stuff we didn’t have time to do. I’m embracing time with my kids and I’m able to put my kids to bed at 9 and then have a margarita with Claudia.

Lane, how are you sustaining your other businesses, Fadensonnen and W.C. Harlan that you co-own with your husband, Matthew?
LH: W.C. Harlan and Fadensonnen are closed. We opened up our wine storage room and created a bottle shop called Angels Ate Lemons. We’re doing wine deliveries within a three-mile radius and offering curbside pickup on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Right now, I’m moving inventory and liquidizing—it’s keeping the manager at W.C. Harlan on salary.

“You don’t have to be wealthy to survive a crisis—if you have the support of numbers of people in your community, then you will weather the storm.”

What will you take with you that will stick once this is over?
LH: The divide between back and front of the house is going to shrink. We are making moves to level the playing field and change the perception. I’ve been working in restaurants since I was 15, but I try not to be a product of that environment. It took me a long time to question why people working in a kitchen make so much less than people making cocktails. Why do sushi chefs have tip jars but the people who work in the front of the house make hundreds of dollars in cash? How can we bring those people in the back making tortillas and chopping to the front? It’s not the publics job to recognize these truths, it’s my job to make these changes and hope that it trickles down to other restaurants.

CR: It has opened our eyes to the issues in the back and the front of the house. Maybe you have a dishwasher you thought was legal and then all of a sudden, he tells you he isn’t and can’t apply for unemployment. There are probably millions of examples of that in our industry. How can we make it fair? What do people deserve? We are going to start to push our politicians and government. We need to open their eyes about what it’s like to run a small business.

What lessons have you learned from this?
LH: We’ve worked it out in a way that was smart and risky, but we have a dedicated following. Whatever we’ve done in the past is coming back to us right now—it’s a lesson for restaurants who are not involved in the community. It’s a wake up call—if you just stand for profit alone and don’t give that back, you don’t have that safety net. And it’s not coming back to you. You don’t have to be wealthy to survive a crisis—if you have the support of numbers of people in your community, then you will weather the storm.

Although National Margarita Day falls at the end of February, it’s never too cold to enjoy a cocktail. There’s no easier way to celebrate on Saturday, February 22 than by enjoying one frozen, flavored, or on the rocks. Baltimore bars ranging from popular hangouts to hidden gems are getting creative with new margarita menu items, and they are offering tons of specials to celebrate. Whether you identify as a tequila connoisseur or a newbie, hit the town on Saturday and indulge in the discounted offerings.

Banditos Bar and Kitchen: This Federal Hill go-to will be featuring happy hour pricing from 12-6 p.m. on Saturday, offering $6 margaritas. With flavors including the “Dita Rita,” “Mezcalita,” pineapple, strawberry, and spicy, there are plenty of options to enjoy the tequila-filled day. 1118 S Charles St.

Barcocina: This popular Fells Point hangout will be serving $5 margaritas all week, and highlighting a different daily flavor to celebrate the boozy holiday. Take in the harbor views and enjoy standard sips like the house margarita, spiced-orange, smoky, or “Margarita en Fuego” topped with a jalapeño-infused foam. Friday’s special will be the “Barcopiña,” made with Espolon reposado tequila muddled in pineapple and basil. Saturday will feature the “Bianca in Oaxaca” with Illegal mezcal and aperol, and the week will end with “Mia’s Tropical Margarita” made with pineapple Don Julio tequila, peach schnapps, malibu, and pineapple juice. that will That last one will take you straight to the beach. 1629 Thames St.

Blue Agave: Federal Hill’s Blue Agave is a favorite for happy hours, girls-night out, day drinking, or grabbing tacos. This Saturday, enjoy $2 off all of the tequila drinks—ranging from pomegranate to red pepper—all day long. Pro tip: If you’re feeling adventurous, split the “Agave Shipwreck,” a 42-oz. frozen house margarita with blue curaçao in one giant glass, between your group. 1032 Light St.

Clavel: Highlighting cuisine inspired by Oaxaca, Mexico, this Remington favorite boasts strung lights, handmade corn and flour tortillas, house-grown ingredients, and tons of margaritas. This National Margarita Day, enjoy $4 off all margaritas during happy hour and see if spicy or bitter fits your palette. 225 W 23rd St.

Holy Frijoles: All day on Saturday Holy Frijoles on the Avenue in Hampden will be serving $5 house and $6 flavored margaritas including the “Velvet Hammer,” “Cucumber,” “Multiball,” and “Jalapeño” varieties. The “Dos Amigos Margarita,” a mini house margarita pitcher with a Coronita bottle added, will be discounted at $10. 908 W 36th St.

La Calle: Modern Mexican cantina La Calle will be serving its famous house and tamarind margaritas for $5 from 4-11 p.m. on Saturday. If you haven’t tried out this downtown spot yet, La Calle boasts cuisine that uses local Maryland and indigenous Mexican ingredients. 10 S St.

Lee’s Pint and Shell: National Margarita Day isn’t only being celebrated at cantinas on Saturday—Lee’s Pint and Shell in Canton is also getting in on the festivities. Known for its American and seafood menu, Lee’s encourages you to drink the day away with $4 margaritas all day long. 2844 Hudson St.

Nacho Mama’s: Both the Canton and Towson locations of this Mexican cantina will be featuring major food and drink specials all day on Saturday. Don’t miss the house “Graceland” margarita for $5 and the famous hubcap margs for $15. If premium is more your style, the spot will be taking $2 off premium margaritas and $5 off premium hubcaps, as well as serving $10 top shelf margaritas. Try something new with the mango-habanero for $8 or the watermelon margarita for $9. Pair all of the drinks with $6 happy hour nachos or a $8 fiesta dip. Two locations including 2907 O’Donnell St.

Papi’s Tacos: Papi’s Tacos in Fells Point and Hampden will be featuring its “Dos Manos House Margarita” for $10 all day on Saturday. This 20-oz. margarita is made with house tequila, Olmeca Altos Blanco, and organic margarita mix. It is available on the rocks or frozen, and with flavors and floaters for an additional charge. Two locations including 1703 Aliceanna St.

Woody’s Cantina: Woody’s Cantina in Fells Point will be doing beat-the-clock house margaritas starting at $4 at 10 a.m. The price increases by $1 each hour, so be sure to get there early to make the most of the deal. Margarita Jell-O Shots will also be available, as well as standard menu items. 821 S Broadway.

OPEN

Taharka Bros. Ice Cream: Tonight, the team from this homegrown sweet shop will celebrate the grand opening of their new R. House location with a lineup of guest scoopers—including 92Q radio personality Pork Chop, rapper and “Secretary of Shade” commentator DDm, and our own New York Times best-selling author D. Watkins. Taharka, which also operates a stall at Broadway Market in Fells Point, will take over the Remington food hall space that formerly housed Little Baby’s Ice Cream, which closed all of its shops last month. “We could not be more excited about this new location, especially given that we make the ice cream at our factory in Hampden so close by,” founder Sean Smeeton said in a statement. “R. House offers a unique venue and a chance for us to host events that help promote a positive image for Baltimore.”

Though Taharka has become known for its scrumptious scoops (Honey Graham, Key Lime Pie, and Coffee Oreo are among its standout flavors), the local business is equally celebrated for its socially conscious philosophy. Since rolling out its hot pink “Change Maker Mobile” in 2015, Taharka has used its ice cream as a vehicle for change—employing Baltimore City youth, hosting events to raise awareness for social justice issues, and creating innovative flavors that pay homage to community leaders.

Sizka: The old firehouse at the intersection of O’Donnell Street and South Linwood Avenue in Canton has a whole new look. The property that was most recently Firehouse Coffee Co. has transformed into this new Japanese fusion restaurant. Now in soft-opening mode, the refreshed space features a black-and-white aesthetic, wooden floors, and a long sushi bar. The menu—from team behind Niwana Restaurant in Charles Village—offers tons of colorful sushi rolls, omakase (chef’s choice) meals, and entrees including salmon teriyaki and barbecue-marinated short ribs.

NEWS

Acropolis Restaurant: Dinner service on Christmas Eve will be the last to savor the stuffed grape leaves, whole branzino, and lamb souvlaki platters at this 33-year-old Greektown staple. Owner George Avgerinos—who inherited the business from his father, the late Dimitrios “Jimmy” Avgerinos—announced last week that the family had sold the restaurant and would be closing for good after the holiday. “This type of business becomes your life,” he wrote in a message posted to Facebook. “And Acropolis and all of you have been such a huge part of ours. We take this step, not to lose a legacy, but to continue it with our loved ones and families.” In keeping with that sentiment, Averinos added that the family is continuing its catering services and he hinted at a possible new location in the future. (Read more about the family business in our upcoming February issue.)

EPICUREAN EVENTS

12/19: Christmas in Mexico
Don’t be surprised if you see a line snaked around the block at The Charmery’s flagship location in Hampden tonight. Master creamer David Alima has once again collaborated with his pal Carlos Raba of Clavel to serve festive fried ice cream to the masses. This year’s treat, “Adornos Navideños,” will top fried scoops of The Charmery’s Pure Vanilla flavor with raspberry sauce and a leche drizzle to resemble an edible ornament. A portion of all the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Guardian Baltimore—Raba’s yet-to-open jiu-jitsu youth center in Remington.

12/23: Navidad en Baltimore
In yet another holiday-themed collaboration, the teams from Fells Point favorites Ekiben and Cocina Luchadoras are coming together to host this epic pop-up next week. Swing by Ekiben on your lunch break to start the holiday feast early with Chinese red-braised short rib tamales, soups, and other Chinese-Mexican fusion fare—which, judging by previous collabs, we can only expect will sell out quickly.

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.

EAT

Aug. 18: Fiesta Del Mar

Clavel, 225 W. 23rd. St. 12-6 p.m. Prices vary.

We’re a sucker for firsts, and this inaugural Mexican seafood festival hosted by hometown chef Carlos Raba of Clavel—and special guest TJ Steele of Brooklyn’s Oaxacan restaurant Claro—is certainly an original. Stop by the Remington staple on Sunday afternoon for an array of ceviches, grilled whole snapper, and head-on prawns, as well as The Local Oyster’s signature bivalves. It’s an a la carte menu that is sure to make a seafood lover out of almost anyone.

DRINK

Aug. 16: World of Beer Block Party

World of Beer, 1724 Whetstone Way. 5-9 p.m. Free.

Summer may be winding down, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the warm weather while you still can. This last McHenry Row bash of the season will have festivities for everyone in the family, including a moon bounce for the kids, Union Craft Brewing glassware raffles for the adults, and a dunk tank for anyone with a good arm. Spend the evening noshing on seafood from Chesapeake Food Works, bopping along to a set by local band The Unofficial, and knocking back a few Duckpins or Skipjacks to celebrate the end of summer.

SEE

Aug. 17: Wet Hot American Summer Staged Reading

Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th St. 5-8 p.m. $10.

If your summer hasn’t been nearly wet, hot, nor American enough for you, no worries, the nomadic Single Carrot Theatre company has got you covered. The avant-garde group will take over Peabody Heights Brewery for a reading of the 2001 cult-classic film as part of their Screen2Stage series, featuring the same wacky antics and secret rendezvous as the movie. Stick around after the performance to participate in group activities and field-day events to become a true member of Camp Firewood.

HEAR

Aug. 17: Hot August Music Festival

Oregon Ridge Park, 13403 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville. 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. $73-199.

The 27th iteration of this hometown throwdown is finally here, and the forecast for this end-of-summer blues and roots festival is shaping up to be just as its name promises. Make the quick trip to Oregon Ridge Park to hear an all-star lineup of acts, including Turkuaz, Billy Strings, Vanessa Collier, and none other than Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (the band, although avian athletes would also be cool). To make a full day out of it, check out the Power Plant Live! pre-party featuring Psycho Killers or the after-party at The Greene Turtle in Hunt Valley.

DO

Aug. 17: Big Sticky Summer Hampden Sidewalk Sale

The Avenue on 36th St. 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Free.

Make the most out of Tax-Free Week and shop local during Hampden’s third and final sidewalk sale of the summer. Whether you’re looking for vintage clothing or vinyl records, you will be sure to find a few steals from shops in the neighborhoods’ business district, including Best of Baltimore-winning places like Hunting Ground, Keepers Vintage, and Six2Six Society. Since the sale overlaps with Baltimore Vegan Restaurant Week, check out nearby participating spots like Golden West Cafe or Harmony Bakery for a post-haul snack.

As Carlos Raba enters Sophomore Coffee in Old Goucher for his second cup of the day—by his own admission, he runs on the stuff—the baristas behind the counter greet him with a hearty welcome. It’s a salute reserved for regulars, and in this area, the Clavel executive chef is a fixture. Just as Raba is about to exit, he recognizes someone sitting on a stool by the cozy shop’s window and stops to say hello.

It’s this type of man-of-the-people, infectious energy that Raba hopes will carry over to his newest project, Guardian Gym—a jiu-jitsu, yoga, and kickboxing center opening later this year in a warehouse space just around the corner from Clavel in Remington.

Showcasing Raba’s investment in the youth of the community, the gym will provide students a place to go after school or to simply get out of the house. In addition to the free kids jiu-jitsu classes, the center will offer snacks, a yoga studio upstairs, and a gathering space to hang out and watch TV. Raba’s hope is that the youth will grow, learn, and develop lasting relationships.

“I’ve always been very passionate and caring about people,” Raba says. “I want to have my own tribe and create a positive and safe place for kids in and out of the Baltimore community. This is who I am.”

Jiu-jitsu as a practice can be pricey, but Raba has a business plan to ensure that cost isn’t a prohibitor. Guardian will offer classes to adults ranging from $90 to $120, as well as membership donations. This money will be used to cover the kids’ classes, and assist with general upkeep and equipment.

Raba compares the dedication and focus required to explain his concept to what is required in jiu-jitsu. He’s been practicing for eight years, and says that the discipline has the ability to get its participants out of their own heads. It’s even helped Raba contend with past struggles with anger and confidence.

He got the idea from a friend in Oakland, who quit his job at Twitter to start the original Guardian Gym—though its only affiliation with Baltimore is a shared name. Raba has developed the concept for the past two years, and things came to fruition when local property owner Robert Harrington of R.E. Harrington Plumbing helped him secure the warehouse.

Jiu-jitsu as a martial art is not something that is learned easily, and with his new venture, Raba hopes to make a long term investment in the kids who commit to the practice. He’ll be the foremost instructor, and hopes to bring in four others, including some of his own jiu-jitsu counterparts. Given his busy schedule, the fact that the gym is merely 100 steps away is extremely convenient for Raba.

“It works out that it’s close,” he says. “I want to bring my bubble closer. I’m trying to be in a place of peace, combine my passions, and show the community what we are about.”

In essence, the gym will be a place that provides children across Baltimore a space and the means to learn a practice that inherently requires discipline and dedication.

“If a kid is exposed to an environment where they are pressured and in danger, they don’t know how to react to it,” Raba says. “That’s where fights happen. If you’re training kids, they’re going to learn how to breathe and defend themselves. The only thing that I want from the kids is a commitment.”

If all goes according to plan, Guardian Gym will be a melting pot—a place that will, as Raba puts it, “show how diverse Baltimore is.”

He hopes to start with 75 kids—a goal that he plans to meet by tenaciously knocking on doors throughout the neighborhood and encouraging parents to get their kids to the gym. It’s an ambitious mark, but anyone who has come in contact with Raba knows that when he puts his mind to something, it’s a safe bet it’s going to happen.

“I want my own kids to grow up and see that their dad wasn’t all about making money, but that he was about helping other kids,” Raba says. “That’s the only reason why I do what I do—why I sat down for hours just thinking, standing in front of a warehouse that was full of trash and rats and envisioning what I wanted to do with the gym. I want to try to change these kids’ lives.”

OPEN

Tiki Lee’s: Fans of Lee’s Pint & Shell in Canton will be happy to hear that this new sister-spot has officially debuted on the water in Sparrows Point. The dockside oasis at North Point Cove serves as an ode to owner Dave Carey’s late father, Lee—an avid fisherman who loved spending time relaxing outdoors. During the official grand opening last weekend, revelers flocked to the long-awaited destination to cool off with frozen cocktails and vodka drinks while enjoying summer fare like crab cakes, shrimp salad wraps, and house salads topped with jerk chicken. Diners can experience the hyper-local feel inside (the dining room includes nods to Old Bay, the Orioles, and Bethlehem Steel) or the island vibe outside, which is equipped with palm trees, strung lights, ample boat slips, and plenty of sand to feel between your toes. 4309 Shore Drive, Sparrows Point. 443-242-6698

COMING SOON

Venice Tavern: In the realm of old-school Baltimore dive bars, Venice Tavern is one of the greats. The Highlandtown hangout has been around since 1933, when original owners Frank and Victoria DeSantis opened it in the basement of their home after the repeal of Prohibition. Soon, fourth-generation owner Damion DeSantis will expand the pub’s legacy by opening a second Venice Tavern on Eastern Avenue next to La Scala in Little Italy, according to liquor board documents. The new Venice Tavern marks Damion’s return to the building—which previously housed his former concept Dego Dames before it closed in 2010. This time around, the new space will take after the beloved cash-only flagship in Highlandtown, which has built a reputation for its $3 pints, well-worn pool table, and walls collaged with portraits of boxing champions. 1018 Eastern Ave.

(RE) OPEN

Bluebird Pub: Just a few days after its grand opening on May 10, this refreshed concept below The Bluebird Cocktail Room in Hampden was forced to close due to a flooding issue that caused significant damage to the subterranean space. But now, after a few weeks of cleanup and repairs, the pub is back at it for take two. Resuming normal hours—noon to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and noon to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays—the bar will highlight a menu of elevated pub fare and a strong lineup of whiskey drinks. Pair eats like a foie gras burger and vegetarian broccoli sandwich with cocktails including an Old Grand-Dad bonded bourbon Old Fashioned or a barrel-aged Cachaça Sour shaken with lemon juice and sugarcane. 3600 Hickory Ave. 667-303-3263

EPICUREAN EVENTS

5/31: Clavel Pop-Up at Union
Chef Carlos Raba is rounding up his team from Clavel and heading to Union Craft Brewing for this Friday-night pop-up in Hampden. Snag a spot on Union’s patio to kick off the weekend by sipping craft beers and filling up on tacos and ceviche by Clavel. The soundtrack for the free event will be provided by DJ Rezzy Ron. 1700 W. 41st St. 6-9 p.m. Free

5/31: Getcha Lechón Pig Roast at Broadway Market
El Tigre, the outdoor bar program at the newly renovated Broadway Market, is launching food service with a Latin-style pig roast on the market’s patio this Friday. Flock to Fells Point to enjoy a plate of slow-roasted Liberty Delight Farms pork with bottomless beans, rice, tostones, and all the fixins’. In keeping with El Tigre’s tiki theme, bartenders will also be pouring plenty of custom cocktails made with rum and Illegal mezcal. 1640 Aliceanna St. 6-10 p.m. $25

6/2: Coffees of Antioquia Tasting at Vent
If you’re in need of a hangover helper come Sunday, Vent Coffee Roasters is hosting this intimate tasting with its direct trade partner from Antioquia, Colombia. Stop by to sample three Colombian coffees while chatting with experts about coffee production and farming. The event is free, but registration is required in advance. 1700 W. 41st St. 1-2 p.m. Free

SHUT

Baltimore Built Bistro: We’re always sad to report the loss of a corner bar in the city, especially when it’s as short-lived as this Fells Point watering hole. B3 took over the former home of Bad Decisions just under a year ago, and shuttered its doors for good last week. “The team at Baltimore Built Bistro would like to thank everyone for their support,” reads an announcement posted to Facebook on May 24. “Unfortunately, we are closing our doors permanently.” Throughout its 10-month run, the neighborhood spot became known for its next-level bar snacks, loaded burgers, and signature cocktails like the Coldbrew Crush with espresso vodka and salted caramel Baileys. 1928 Fleet St.

Gourmet Again: Pikesville locals are mourning the loss of this decades-old fixture best known for its deli counter, salad bar, prepared foods, and kosher catering. Shoppers visiting the store earlier this week were surprised to see a sign posted to the front door announcing the closure. “The food business is very difficult, cutthroat, and competitive,” owner Andy Hoffman told Jmore earlier this week. “I couldn’t compete with the big guys. I just didn’t have that kind of purchasing power.” The closure is yet another hit to the community, which also said goodbye to mainstay Jewish deli Suburban House in 2017. All catering credits and gift certificates are being honored by former Gourmet Again general manager Jerry Schlichting, who now owns Clean Cuisine catering in Owings Mills. 3713 Old Court Rd., Pikesville.

Red Star Charles Village: This weekend will be the last for diners to chow down on burgers in the wood-stained dining room at Red Star in Charles Village. Marketing and operations manager Willy Dely recently confirmed to the Baltimore Business Journal that the extension of the original Red Star in Fells Point will officially close its doors on June 2. The restaurant opened in the Nine East 33rd development near the Johns Hopkins campus in the summer of 2017, offering a menu of burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, and bar snacks helmed by chef Francisco Lopez. It later became known for hosting weekly pint nights, half-price wine specials, and weekend drag brunches. The original Red Star, as well as its Fells Point sister-spot Waterfront Hotel, are both still going strong. 3224 St. Paul St.

OPEN

Raw & Refined: It’s going to be a great summer for dockside dining in Canton. On the heels of the news that the team behind Barcocina and Bond Street Social have taken over the Boathouse Canton, there’s also been a revival in the former home of Button adjacent to Swim Club. Officially opening this weekend, the nautical-themed seafood spot highlights a gallery of local artwork and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the waterfront patio. The worldly menu was inspired by Chef Patrick Morrow and owner Dominic Lascola, who wanted the food to have Latin American and Caribbean influences.

“Everyone labels Baltimore as a seafood town, but everything is overtly crab-centric,” Lascola said in a statement. “We saw this as an opportunity to elevate what Baltimore is known for but feature new and creative flavors within the genre.” Dishes will include wood-fired mahi mahi, tuna tartare cannoli with ancho chili sauce, an open-faced Cubano, elote-inspired grilled oysters infused with chili lime butter and cotija, and a play on a Uruguayan chivito sandwich with steak, ham, egg, and olives. Of course, the spot will also be a go-to for summer sips like fruity Crushes and rum Old Fashioneds. 2723 Lighthouse Point.

Taco Bravo: We’ve seen a number of Tex-Mex spots sprout up in Baltimore County throughout the past few months, but the latest taqueria in the Padonia Village Shopping Center has a more authentic slant. The new Timonium hangout from the owners of Taco Daddy Cantina in Frederick and Gaithersburg opened earlier this week, highlighting white fish ceviche, corn tortillas filled with carnitas and lamb barbacoa, Estrella Jalisco Mexican beer, and smoky mezcal margaritas. Interior touches like hung greenery and bull-riding decor cement the theme. 31 E. Padonia Rd. Ste E. 443-689-7979

NEWS

Ekiben Vending at Smorgasburg in Washington, D.C.: Fells Point’s own steamed bun superheroes are spreading the love to the District this summer. Ekiben is one of 30 food vendors that will set up shop at the recurring Smorgasburg market at the Tingey Plaza in Navy Yard. The outdoor food extravaganza has gained tons of traction since it launched in New York and Los Angeles, and it’s starting its first season in D.C. off right with regional purveyors peddling everything from bao buns and boba to skewers and spiral-cut hot dogs. The market kicks off on June 15 and will continue every Saturday until October.

First Two Stalls Open at Cross Street Market: The day that South Baltimore locals have been waiting months for is finally here. Veteran vendors Fenwick’s Choice Meats and Steve’s Lunch have both officially reopened inside the renovated Cross Street Market. Twenty additional concepts—including a newly announced Royal Farms fried chicken stall—are expected to roll out through the summer. For now, diners can stroll through the revitalized space to check out the upgrades while grabbing some classic diner fare at Steve’s Lunch, or picking up specialty cuts from Fenwick’s. 1065 S. Charles St.

Chef Carlos Raba Featured in Men’s Journal: Don’t be surprised to see a familiar face while flipping through the June issue of this national lifestyle publication. Chef Carlos Raba of Clavel was featured in a piece that discusses some of his favorite things, which include hibiscus flowers, Frosted Flakes, and—unsurprisingly—ceviche and mezcal. “Grateful for my culture and to be able to represent my family, my interests, and my life with everyone,” the Sinaloan-born chef wrote on Instagram. Cheers to Raba on the grrrreat recognition.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

5/30: Evening of Traditional Beverages
Homewood Museum’s annual event delving into the history of local spirits is back for its 23rd year—this time with a focus on Maryland rum. Gather inside Mudd Hall’s atrium on the Johns Hopkins University campus to sample rums from distilleries including Blackwater, Lost Ark, Lyon, Old Line, and Tobacco Barn in Southern Maryland—which ages its barrels on the hull of the U.S.S. Constellation. Plus, there will be light bites from Woodberry Kitchen, live calypso music, and a talk about the trajectory and impact of Maryland rum by historian Kyle Dalton. 3400 N. Charles St. 6-8 p.m. $40-50. 410-516-5589

SHUT

Tiki Barge: Memorial Day Weekend marks the official return of many harborside bars around town, but this outdoor drinking destination won’t be one of them. Owner Dan Naor recently confirmed to The Sun that the Inner Harbor barge, which includes its own bar and swimming pool, is not reopening this summer. Since its debut in 2010, the floating marina bar became known as an oasis to sip tiki drinks while taking in panoramic views of the city. However, soon after opening, it was met with complaints from HarborView residents about noise, illegal parking, and other disruptive behavior. There’s no word yet on whether Tiki Barge will make a comeback in the future, but the property is listed for sale at a price of $1 million and we’ve heard rumors of a possible local buyer. 500 Harborview Drive

While Americans are known to embrace the fake mustaches, noise-making maracas, and massive margaritas that are typically associated with Cinco de Mayo, in Mexico, the fifth of May isn’t as big of a party as one might think.

“Our independence is celebrated on the 16th of September,” explains Cocina Luchadoras owner Rosalyn Vera, whose family hails from Puebla, Mexico. “People have the weekend off and usually there’s a parade for Cinco de Mayo, but it’s not nearly as big as the celebrations on our Independence Day.”

Even so, Vera sees Cinco de Mayo—the anniversary of the Mexicans’ unlikely victory over France in the Battle of Puebla in 1862—as a holiday for Americans to celebrate the contributions that Mexican immigrants have made throughout history. In her case, that means sharing her family’s traditions through food.

“We’re happy to be represented in that way,” she says. “Food unites us—I can always see it in people when they come in.”

This weekend, Vera will climb on board the Wilde Thyme food truck for a collaborative pop-up at Monument City Brewing Company on Saturday before pulling out some of her special recipes for Cinco de Mayo service at her Upper Fells Point restaurant. Among the featured tacos will be shredded tinga de pollo, lamb barbacoa, and cochinita pibil—braised shredded pork with citrus.

In addition to Cocina Luchadoras, plenty of other spots around town are featuring eats and drinks in honor of the holiday.

Clavel: A three-day fiesta is in the works at this beloved taqueria and mezcaleria in Remington. To kick off the holiday weekend, Sinaloa-born chef Carlos Raba will head outside to grill carne asada, al pastor, and cebollitas (grilled green onions) during dinner service on May 3. There will also be a ceviche special, and the bar team plans to shake up cilantro margaritas all weekend long. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the big day, enjoy Clavel’s classic brunch plates, including huevos rancheros and chilaquiles with salsa verde, alongside a selection of tacos from the dinner menu. 225 W. 23rd St. 443-900-8983

La Calle: Chef/owner Valentino Sandoval, a native of Puebla, is offering a pages-long list of specials for his first-ever Cinco de Mayo party at La Calle downtown. Head to the restaurant to chow down on $2 tacos, $4 orders of chips and salsa, $5 nachos, $6 empanadas, and $7 ceviches. Wash down all of the discounted snacks with $2 canned beers, $3.50 bottles, and $4.50 drafts. A signature $5 drink menu includes tequila shots, classic margaritas, micheladas, and red and white sangria. 10 South St. 667-312-2964

La Palapa Grill & Cantina: The doors to this annual blowout in Ellicott City open at 10 a.m. Head to the restaurant early for brunch, or stop by throughout the day to dance to live mariachi music, sip cocktails, and enjoy tacos from an outdoor pop-up grill. A portion of all proceeds from the tent in the front parking lot, which will feature a Red Bull bar, tequila drinks, and DJs spinning all day, will benefit Voices for Children Howard County. 8307 Main St, Ellicott City. 410-465-0070

Nacho Mama’s: Both locations of this Tex-Mex hangout in Canton and Towson will be starting things off early with an “Uno and Dos de Mayo” fiesta May 1-2. From 4-8 p.m., enjoy corn hole, margaritas, and the release of Flying Dog’s Numero Dos dark lager. Swing by throughout the weekend to take advantage of $4 Modelo drafts, $18 Corona buckets, and $15 hubcap margaritas equipped with multiple straws for sharing. 2907 O’Donnell St. 410-675-0898

Papi’s Tacos: This Fells Point staple known for its DIY tacos and antojitos (Mexican street food) is going all out with special sips that will replace its typical all-you-can-drink deals on Sundays. Get in the spirit with $3.50 screwdrivers, mimosas, Bloody Marys, and tequila sunrises. Or, if you’re celebrating with a group, indulge in $17 pitchers of Modelo and Pacifico beer, as well as $23 Corona buckets. As an added bonus, the long-awaited Papi’s location in Hampden has officially opened just in time for Cinco de Mayo—promising plenty of food and drink discounts for a bonafide Sunday funday. Multiple locations including 1703 Aliceanna St. 410-299-8480

Vida Taco Bar: Head toward the massive white tents in Harbor Point for the “Cuatro de Mayo” festival hosted by Vida Taco Bar on May 4. The all-day festivities happening from 12-10 p.m. will include Mexican street food, cocktails made with Sagamore Spirit whiskey and Ilegal mezcal, live DJ entertainment, piñata smashing, and even an outdoor viewing of the Kentucky Derby, which just so happens to fall on the same day. 1401 Point St. 443-835-3474

Woody’s Cantina: Take in the killer waterfront views of Fells Point at this rooftop watering hole, which is celebrating accordingly with a three-day extravaganza. Complimentary Casamigos tequila samples will be flowing on Friday night, followed by bottomless brunch service and Espolon bottle engraving on Saturday. On Cinco de Mayo, show up early to enjoy beat-the-clock specials that start at $2 and increase every hour. Revelers will be able to get in plenty of liquid courage before karaoke kicks off at 2 p.m. 821 S. Broadway. 410-563-6600

EAT

April 26: Clavel + Well Crafted Kitchen Collaboration

Union Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st St. 5-10 p.m. Free.

Nothing warms our local foodie hearts like seeing Charm City eateries team up to create kick-ass menus that combine the best of both culinary worlds. This week in dream collaborations: Acclaimed Mexican restaurant Clavel will collaborate with the pizzeria Well Crafted Kitchen to serve up drool-worthy mashups such as wood-fired pizzas with taco toppings and house-made pretzels served with guacamole. Be sure to get to Union Craft Brewing early to sample items from the pop-up menu—including Clavel’s signature tacos and ceviche—because we can almost guarantee that they’ll sell out before 10 p.m.

DRINK

April 27: Sagamore Spirit Anniversary Party

Sagamore Spirit, 301 E. Cromwell St. 12-5 p.m. Free

On the eve of its two-year anniversary, local whiskey distillery Sagamore Spirit has plenty to celebrate. Last week, its flagship rye whiskey was named the best in the world at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and now the Port Covington-based team is ready to revel in its big win with an afternoon of live music, local eats, and, of course, top-notch cocktails. Find a spot on the distillery’s waterfront lawn to enjoy the sights and sounds of spring and raise a glass to another year of award-winning whiskey

SEE

April 27: Harbor East’s FashionEASTa

Aliceanna Street / Harbor East. 12-5 p.m. Free-$40.

New York Fashion Week may still be a few months away, but, luckily, the streets of Harbor East will be filled with enough runway-worthy looks this Saturday to tie fashion queens over until then. During this annual celebration of all things stylish, grab a street-side cocktail, shop the sales at some of the luxury neighborhood’s best boutiques, and sample bites from area restaurants. At 2:30 p.m., the streets will turn into a high-fashion runway, with locals modeling spring and summer styles from Harbor East shops that are sure to serve as future outfit inspiration.

HEAR

April 26-27: Charm City Bluegrass Festival

Druid Hill Park. Fri. 2-9:30 p.m, Sat. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Free-$72.

Since its inaugural show in Union Craft Brewing’s parking lot back in 2013, this finger-pluckin’ festival has boomed into a two-day extravaganza packed with performances by some of the biggest names in the regional bluegrass scene. This weekend, experience a little slice of Americana heaven with sets by hometown heroes like The Bridge and Charm City Junction, along with out-of-towners such as Steep Canyon Rangers and Jeff Austin. Ahead of the festivities in Druid Hill Park, read up on the history and rebirth of bluegrass in Baltimore.

DO

April 27: Marquee Ball

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 8 p.m.-12 a.m. $50-55.

Follow the yellow brick road, or, as it will be known during this enchanted affair, the majestic land of Oz! Don your best Tin Man or Dororthy-inspired outfit for the Highlandtown arts center’s biggest bash of the year, featuring live music by local band Jonathan Gilmore & The Experience, performances by drag queen Betty O’Hellno, a silent auction, and plenty of food and drinks. Jump into your ruby slippers and prepare to dance the night away.

CH-CH CHANGES

Little Bird: Hampden locals were still getting to know this six-month-old subterranean spot when co-owners Paul and Caroline Benkert recently decided to close it and pivot in a new direction. Come May, the space will be transformed from a European-inspired cafe to an extension of the Bluebird Cocktail Room—which the owners operate upstairs in the same Hickory Avenue building. “Upstairs will remain the cocktail room, and downstairs will be the pub,” explains Paul.

Bluebird’s literary-themed aesthetic will carry over into the pub, which will showcase deep blue walls, built-in banquettes, and dim lighting with candles. The food options will differ slightly, however, highlighting more traditional offerings like fish n’ chips made with whole fish filleted in house. Other pub additions will include a large global whiskey selection, more beer, a daily lunch menu, and brunch service on the weekends.

“The Baltimore community has been incredibly supportive during these first two years,” Paul says. “The Bluebird needs room to grow, and unfortunately, the Little Bird concept doesn’t allow that to directly happen.” He goes on to say that pub will remedy the long wait times that diners experience at Bluebird on busy nights. “In a single weekend, we lose nearly 400 guests,” he says. “We’re very much looking forward to providing many of those guests with a similar experience downstairs while they’re waiting.” 3600 Hickory Ave. 667-303-3263

OPEN

R&R Taqueria: Window signage teasing a new location of this Guy Fieri-approved taco joint has been on display at the corner of Charles and Lombard streets for a while now. And earlier this week, the beloved taqueria finally made its downtown debut. Stop in to see chef/owner Rodrigo Albarran—more fondly known as Chef Rod—serving up the restaurant’s signature tacos, burritos, fajitas, and burgers including the “Fuego” topped with sriracha mayo and ghost pepper cheese. Decorated with colorful dia de los muertos wall murals, the 3,600-square-foot space is a far cry from Albarran’s original tiny location inside an Elkridge gas station. The new digs offer 80 seats, space for live music performances, a mezzanine level, and a full bar with plenty of margaritas and Mexican beers to go around. 30 Light St. Ste 2.

NEWS

Food & Wine Makers Issue Gives Love to Local Producers: Don’t be surprised to see some familiar faces while flipping through the current edition of Food & Wine magazine. The publication’s first-ever Makers Issue spotlights more than 30 “game-changing craftspeople who are reshaping cuisine in America and abroad by redefining ingredients, drinks, tools, restaurant design, and experiences.” Among those people is our own Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen, whose writeup mentions his go-to growers including Colleen and Michael Histon of Shepherds Manor Creamery in Carroll County and Rob Miller of Distillery Lane Ciderworks in Frederick County.

James Beard Nominations: Speaking of representing Baltimore on the national level, in case you missed it, Clavel and Chef Cindy Wolf were both names James Beard Semifinalists this week. The Remington mezcaleria was given a nod for Outstanding Bar Program and Chef Wolf was nominated for an impressive 12th time in the category of Best Chef Mid-Atlantic. The more narrowed list of finalists will be out March 27 and the James Beard Awards will be presented in Chicago on May 6. Hoping that beginner’s luck—as well as patient perseverance—are on our side this year.

Le Comptoir du Vin: After three months of serving non-stop sourdough and swordfish, the team at this new Station North bistro is taking a brief hiatus to rest, recoup, and conduct some culinary research abroad. The staff is going on a winter vacation to eat their way through Montreal, Copenhagen, and Oaxaca, and will return in time to reopen Le Comptoir du Vin on March 5. When dreaming up their plans for the wine bar, co-owners Will Mester and Rosemary Liss were inspired by the intimate spots they encountered while traveling throughout Europe—so we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few new dishes make their way onto the menu after they return from their current trip. 1729 Maryland Ave. 443-297-7384

EPICUREAN EVENTS

3/1-3: Suspended Brewing’s One-Year Anniversary Celebration
In the year since this neighborhood microbrewery opened its doors in Pigtown, it’s released a stellar beer lineup while also educating the masses about the importance of being socially and economically sustainable. To celebrate its big birthday, Suspended is hosting a weekend-long celebration featuring new releases, raffles all weekend, Friday-night trivia, and a sold-out Sunday drag brunch. Stop by the wood-stained taproom throughout the weekend to toast the milestone with a flight of new beers like the “Clockwork Universe” (French saison brewed with oats and orange peel) and “Caterpillar Schemes,” a hazy IPA brewed with 50 percent oats and hopped with azacca and Nelson Sauvin hops. 912 Washington Blvd. 410-926-8847

3/4: Plenty More Fish in the Sea
Salmon and rockfish often take the spotlight in the fine-dining world. But the brains behind South Baltimore staples Minnow and Rye Street Tavern are coming together to host this collaboration dinner in an effort to highlight lesser-known fish that are oftentimes more sustainable. (Think everything from blowfish tails to frog legs.) Rye Street’s chef Brian Plante and Minnow’s Ben Lefenfeld will present a five-course menu including oven-roasted salmon collars, smoked bluefish pierogies with lemon and capers, and wood-grilled Boston mackerel in a red wine jus. Rye Street Tavern, 13 Rye St. 6:30. $79

When Clavel’s head bartender Dre Barnhill heard the news that the Remington mezcaleria had been nominated for a James Beard Award this morning, he was almost speechless. The beverage team is one of only 20 throughout the nation to be named a semifinalist in the category of Outstanding Bar Program, with other nominees spanning from the sophisticated Columbia Room in Washington, D.C. to the tiki-inspired Lost Lake in Chicago.

“My reaction? Oh, man, this is so cool,” Barnhill told us, still seeming to be in a slight daze. “There are such talented people on the list. I love some of those bars.”

Co-owner Lane Harlan was also admittedly shocked: “I don’t even know how this works,” she said. “I messaged the entire bar team. Half of them were awake, the other half were not, but I told them that they are amazing and that I’m so proud.”

Although this is Clavel’s first-ever nomination for the prestigious awards, it isn’t the only Baltimore name that appears on this year’s list of semifinalists. Chef Cindy Wolf, executive chef/owner of Charleston in Harbor East, also received her 12th nomination for Best Chef: Mid Atlantic. This time around, Wolf is up against contenders including chef Jon Sybert of D.C.’s Tail Up Goat and chef Matthew Kern of Heirloom in Lewes, Delaware.

While Wolf—who often quips that she’s the Susan Lucci of the category—has yet to bring home the medal, she remains humbled to be recognized for her unique take on Lowcountry cuisine at Charleston.

“Every time I am up for the award, all I can think is that I want to get up on that stage so I can honor and thank my Dad,” she says, “and all the people I work with who are also my family. Hopefully I’ll get to wear those new red jeweled shoes again that I found for Duff [Goldman’s] wedding.”

Clavel co-owners Harlan and chef Carlos Raba are also humbled by the acknowledgement, both emphasizing how proud they are of their staff.

“Our team works their butts off in the bar,” Raba says. “They have workshops for hours planning beers and cocktails. We never expected this, but it reflects the hard work that they do and the passion for the team—it’s such an honor.”

Since opening in 2015, Clavel has not only gained a reputation for having some of the most authentic Mexican cuisine around, but it’s also become known as the restaurant that put mezcal on the map in Baltimore. The group is so dedicated to the spirit, in fact, that they take routine trips to Mexico each year to meet with farmers and become more familiar with the intricacies of the agave plant.

“Our goal is to make things that are inspired by our journeys and these collections of memories that we have together,” Barnhill says. “Clavel just seems to have this certain kind of magnetism that draws people in.”

All of the on-site research is showcased in Clavel’s new expanded mezcaleria, where Barnhill and his team offer one-hour tasting sessions from their library that is categorized by species of agave plants.

“We don’t do what we do to get an award, that’s so alien to us,” Harlan says. “What drives us is that we push each other and do the best we can. That’s our world, and it’s pretty rad for that to be acknowledged.”

Harlan also mentions that working together creatively is a huge part of the restaurant’s success.

“We do everything collectively,” she says. “From day one that has been the number one driving factor. We’re continually evolving, holding each other accountable, embracing experimentation, and sharing ideas. We all accept criticism and take it as a challenge to be better.”

Finalists in each category will be announced on Wednesday, March 27, and this year’s James Beard Awards Gala will take place in Chicago on Monday, May 6. No matter the outcome (here’s hoping both Wolf and the crew at Clavel medal this year), the nominations are already a huge win for the Baltimore restaurant scene at large.

“When we started people said that it would be impossible to have a good place in the middle of nowhere,” Raba says. “And now to be recognized not only for the hard work that we do, but nationally, it’s amazing.”

COMING SOON

Orto Baltimore: After Bottega owner Adrien Aeschliman recently moved out of state, former Food Market partner Elan Kotz stepped in to take over the Station North restaurant earlier this month. In a quick turnaround, Kotz has transformed the space into Orto—an Italian concept whose name translates to “vegetable garden.” The team also includes executive chef Stefano Porcile and pastry chef Jaime Hacker, who both worked in the space when it previously housed Aeschliman’s French concept Colette. “We were really fortunate to take on a couple of people who love the space and have a passion for it,” Kotz says. “It’s great that they’re able to bring that same energy.”

Orto officially opens this Saturday (it will be closed on Super Bowl Sunday) and will offer dinner service daily. Consisting of everything from small snacks to larger entrees, the locally sourced menu will feature house-marinated olives with fennel, a bibb salad with hazelnuts and radish, sweet onion and burrata flatbread, winter root vegetable polenta, and a whole grilled branzino with charred broccoli and mint salad. Hacker will serve sweets like a blood orange tart and tiramisu creme brûlée.

The Italian slant is also reflected in the interior renovation, which yields classic marmorino plaster treatment, large mirrors, marble accents throughout, and a new bar that has been lowered from standing height. Overall, Kotz is looking forward to being a part of the neighborhood, offering dining options for theater- and cinema-goers and commuters traveling to and from Penn Station. “I’ve always loved this neighborhood,” he says. “I want to make it a place where you can come in for a glass of wine on a Monday and then come back over the weekend on a date or with family.” 1709 N. Charles St.

TigerStyle: Next week, chef/owner Chad Gauss of The Food Market in Hampden is launching yet another spinoff project. In addition to the Mexican-influenced La Food Marketa in Pikesville, Gauss now operates TigerStyle—a wok-influenced carryout located around the back alley behind Avenue Kitchen & Bar on West 36th Street. Named after the popular Wu Tang Clan song, the spot will offer Asian-inspired appetizers (think spring rolls and Korean fried chicken wings) as well as DIY stir-fry dishes with customizable bases ranging from quinoa and salad greens to cauliflower rice and classic lo mein noodles.

Though he’s excited to get creative with the Asian ingredients, Gauss says that the eatery will also feature more local flavors like Maryland corn and crab meat in the summertime. “We’re not trying to be the next Momofuku,” he says. “We just want to have fun, please people, and not take it too seriously.” Expected to open on February 9, the casual spot decorated with old-school, hip-hop posters will offer 16 seats, but mostly focus on delivery service using apps like GrubHub and UberEats.

The project is a partnership between Gauss, The Food Market’s executive chef Nick Pasco, former Food Market general manager Patrick Rainey, and La Food Marketa’s executive chef Johntay Bedingfield—who was recently crowned a Chopped champion on an episode of the Food Network show that aired earlier this week. “He started as a grill cook and worked his way up to being a Chopped winner,” Gauss says. “These guys have all been with me for a long time, and this is a great outlet for everyone to get a little creative.” 911-913 W. 36th St.

Rise Biscuits Doughnuts: Columbia diners will soon get a taste of this chain eatery that has had Towson locals raving since it opened in the 1620 York Road shopping center last year. Coming this March, the new spot will debut on McGaw Road across from the Wegmans in Columbia. Open until 2 p.m. daily, Rise offers its namesake biscuits filled with savory ingredients like country sausage, fried green tomatoes, and buttermilk fried chicken. To satisfy sweet tooth cravings, the shop also features apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, and its famous maple-bacon doughnuts. 8872 McGaw Rd., Columbia.

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

The Corner Pantry: For the second year in a row, this Mt. Washington favorite is celebrating the Chinese New Year in style with a full-fledged Asian pop-up on February 5. Stop in to sample authentic dishes including duck spring rolls, kanpachi tartare, lemongrass pork sausage, miso black cod, and a “pig plate” with pork belly and barbecued char siu. Desserts will include Instagram-worthy bubble waffles and lychee-glazed doughnuts. The event overlaps with a big birthday for the restaurant, which turns 5 on February 14. 6080 Falls Rd. 667-308-2331

Ekiben x Clavel: Take a long lunch for this New Year’s pop-up at Ekiben from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on February 5. Chef Steve Chu (more on him later) is teaming up with Carlos Raba of Clavel to serve up his signature Asian-fusion dishes for the occasion. Though the menu hasn’t been finalized, we can only imagine there will be plenty of pork plates on deck in celebration of the Year of the Pig. 1622 Eastern Ave. 410-558-1914

NEWS

Steve Chu Wins Guy’s Grocery Games: Speaking of Ekiben, co-owner/chef Chu is feeling the love this week after he took home $16,000 on a Super Bowl-themed episode of Guy’s Grocery Games that aired on Food Network Wednesday night. Chu raced around the aisles of Fieri’s makeshift grocery store and won over judges with his tailgate-inspired dishes including a tempura vegetable basket with nacho cheese vinaigrette. After winning, Chu even whipped out a business card for Fieri, which he displayed on-air. (Talk about great promotion for the city.)

EPICUREAN EVENTS

2/2-3: Groundhog Day Sale at Bin 604
Regardless of whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow this Saturday, Bin 604 in Harbor East is making the official prediction that we’re all going to need six more weeks of wine. To help locals stock up, the shop is throwing a massive Groundhog Day cellar raid. Hundreds of wines around the store will be available for $1 over wholesale cost all weekend long. Plus, the tasting bar will offer samples of some of the best discounted bottles. The two-day sale runs from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. 604 S. Exeter St. 410-576-0444

SHUT

Ristorante Firenze: Reisterstown diners were saddened when the Leonardi family announced that their Main Street staple closed for good. “It has been our pleasure to serve the Reisterstown community for the last four years, and we are grateful for the support of our loyal customers,” the staff wrote in an announcement posted to its website. “Many thanks to our fantastic staff for their hard work and dedication.” In addition to its cozy bar with flickering fireplaces, the Italian spot in the former home of Tonino’s was best known for its Boot Country pizzas and pastas. 2 Hanover Rd. Reisterstown

Courtney’s Bagel Cafe & Deli: Breakfast runs in Owings Mills won’t be the same after the closing of this institution across from the Stevenson University campus. Owner Susan Leeming recently told The Jewish Times that, after running the business for 20 years, she decided not to renew the building’s lease in hopes of giving herself some downtime. But we haven’t seen the last of Leeming: “I might end up with a Courtney’s tuna truck, you never know!” she told the JT. “It’s in my blood. I don’t think I’m finished.” As for the shop, the lease has been turned over to the team behind Quarry Bagel & Cafe in Pikesville, and is expected to reopen under new management in March. 11000 Owings Mills Blvd., Owings Mills

OPEN

Milk & Honey Market: It’s been two years since Milk & Honey Market closed its original location in Mt. Vernon, and now, the spot has finally made a comeback in Station North. Located on the ground floor of the artsy Nelson Kohl apartment building near Penn Station, the cafe offers a menu of warm and cold coffee drinks, smoothies, sandwiches, salads, and pastries. The new space is bright and inviting, with white walls, modern light fixtures, comfy couches, and lots of interior greenery. On the heels of the Station North opening, owners Ernst and Dana Valery are also planning to expand with a second location in Pigtown. The forthcoming cafe will be housed in the new Bath House Square project in development on Washington Boulevard. 20 E. Lanvale St. 667-309-3506

Farm to Face: Regulars of the Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar no longer have to wait around until Sunday mornings to get their hands on a seasonal falafel wrap from this longtime vendor. Farm to Face owner Miranda Betts recently moved into her own brick-and-mortar space on Harford Road in Hamilton. The former home of Zeke’s Coffee, which relocated to larger digs up the street last year, is now a permanent shop for Betts to serve her organic falafel in wraps. The crispy chickpea balls are topped with seasonal fruits and veggies (think everything from beets and strawberries to apples and arugula) and signature sauces before being tucked into traditional or leafy lettuce wraps. 4607 Harford Rd. 443-438-5559

Haven Street Ballroom: The owners of the modern-industrial event venue Main Street Ballroom in Ellicott City have launched a second space on North Haven Street in Highlandtown. Sandwiched between Urban Axes and Monument City Brewing Company, the airy space features white walls and high ceilings on the inside, and a bright exterior mural with pops of pink and yellow—which was designed by frequent Monument City collaborator White Coffee Lettering—on the outside. The venue is now booking events being held after May 1, 2019. 1 N. Haven St.

COMING SOON

Döner Brös: After spending a year roaming around on their Oktoberfest-inspired food truck, Döner Brös owners Alex Politsch and Steven Banks are putting the finishing touches on their brick-and-mortar eatery in Charles Village this week. The spot will open to the public on Monday, December 17, serving salads, wraps, and fries topped with authentic döner kebab meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Döner Brös neighbors THB Bagels & Deli, Bird in Hand, and Red Star Bar & Grille in the Nine East 33rd development near the Johns Hopkins University campus. “Hopkins was always a home run for the food truck so it was only natural for us to open our first store here,” Banks said in a statement. “We are excited to add another unique cultural option to the already eclectic and dynamic neighborhood.” 9 E. 33rd St. 844-366-7277

NEWS

Wayward Smokehouse Expanding to White Marsh: Federal Hill locals should prepare to see familiar signage while spending time around The Avenue at White Marsh in 2019. The team behind Wayward Smokehouse on South Charles Street has announced plans to take over the former Don Pablo’s space off of Honeygo Boulevard. The plan is for the restaurant to combine Wayward’s Texas barbecue vibe with The Curious Oyster, a new concept that focuses on sustainable seafood. 8161 Honeygo Blvd. White Marsh

Guinness Partners with Sierra Nevada for Fire Relief: In the wake of the deadly wildfires that recently spread throughout Northern California, Sierra Nevada recently established the Camp Fire Relief Fund to help rebuild communities affected. Doing what they do best, the brewing behemoth also created the Resilience Butte County Proud IPA, with proceeds directly benefiting the fund. Our own Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House is one of 1,200 breweries nationwide that has vowed to brew and sell the beer in hopes of providing more relief.

“I grew up in California and even though I’m now on the East Coast, the wildfire tragedies still feel close to home,” Open Gate brewmaster Peter Wiens said in a statement “Ken Grossman and the rest of the Sierra Nevada family are industry icons, and I’m honored to join their effort to help rebuild the lives of those devastated by the Camp Fire.” The IPA will be available in the Guinness taproom and upstairs 1817 restaurant starting December 13. One hundred percent of all proceeds will benefit the rebuilding efforts. 5001 Washington Blvd., Halethorpe. 800-909-2645

EPICUREAN EVENTS

12/13: 3rd Annual Christmas in Mexico at The Charmery
The Charmery co-owner David Alima and Clavel chef Carlos Raba have been hard at work preparing for their third-annual Christmas in Mexico celebration this week. The duo will be getting into the holiday spirit with fried ice cream treats that resemble adornos de navidad (Christmas ornaments). A portion of all proceeds will benefit Guardian Gym—a California-based boxing and jiu jitsu nonprofit that Raba supports. 801 W. 36th St. 6:30-8:30 p.m.

12/16: Prima Pop-Up at Le Comptoir du Vin
New Station North restaurant Le Comptoir du Vin is teaming up with yet-to-open Old Goucher spot Sophomore Coffee to host a special breakfast pop-up this weekend. Mix up your regular Sunday brunch routine with a traditional Turkish breakfast (think boiled eggs, veggies, cheese, and flatbread) paired with warm drinks provided by Sophomore. The team will be pouring Toby’s Estate coffees, as well as local Sparrowtail Tea blends. 1729 Maryland Ave. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $12

This isn’t the first time Lane Harlan has been a trailblazer in Baltimore. Back before it was trendy, she and her now-husband Matthew Pierce opened cocktail bar W.C. Harlan in Remington before the thought of ordering Old Fashioneds and Fernet Branca was commonplace. And, of course, a couple of years later, they followed just down the street with Clavel and introduced Baltimore to the world of mezcal and Sinaloan cuisine.

Now, they are making new waves in the nearby neighborhood of Old Goucher with Socle at 2223 Maryland Avenue, a complex that consists of three small businesses and an artist residency. The first of those businesses—and the true baby for Harlan and Pierce—is Fadensonnen, a beer garden and natural wine and sake bar that is opening to the public this Friday.

“Back in 2014, before we ever set our sights on opening Clavel, we started looking at properties in Old Goucher to realize our dream of opening a small-scale beer garden,” Harlan says. “After being unable to find a building with enough outdoor space, we moved on to Clavel and kept the vision of Fadensonnen alive in our minds. Two years later, we found the perfect location—an old carriage house facing an open-air courtyard just two blocks from our other businesses.”

For those curious about the name, Fadensonnen is the title of a German poem published in 1968 by Paul Celan and translates into English as “threadsuns,” which gives a nod to both the style of the beer garden and its open-air concept.

The 148-seat courtyard will include a sustainable keg program pouring wild ciders, natural wines, unpasteurized sake, and beer on draft with selections from Union Craft Brewing, Graft Cider, Old Westminster Winery, and Hex Ferments as well as many wines from around the world. Guests will also be able to access a bottle shop to select wine to enjoy at the bar or take home.

Harlan is particularly excited to introduce locals to the concept of natural wine, which is farmed biodynamically or organically without the use of harsh chemicals in the vineyard.

“The wine is produced without additives following a low interventionist philosophy,” she explains. “Fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts and there is no fining or sterile filtering of the wine resulting in a real ‘living wine.’”

Up the stairs and through the carriage house is an intimate 35-seat wine bar (with original exposed ceiling beams and dark, charred wood throughout) that will specialize in more natural wine and Japanese sake. The menu will rotate frequently to reflect the nature of small-scale sake microbreweries.

Other concepts to look forward to in the Socle complex will be Larder, a cafe from Chef Helena del Pesco, who honed her culinary skills in San Francisco and places like Mexico City and Tel Aviv. She’ll be working closely with local farmers to create seasonal lunch options including hearty snap pea salads and slow-cooked shepherd’s pie.

The third business will be the subterranean Sophomore Coffee, run by Ann Travers Fortune and Kris Fulton (formerly of Lamill Coffee in the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore). Their menu will focus on coffees roasted by Toby’s Estate in Brooklyn, New York, as well as a selection of teas and light fare.

“We are a creative nexus of people who recognize that the things we consume to nourish ourselves are a key part of our daily rhythm,” Harlan says, “one that pulses with the bright flavors of farm-grown produce, the wild notes of natural wine, and the complexity of meticulously roasted coffee beans.”

For now, just Fadensonnen will open at 3 W. 23rd Street to the public on Friday, with the courtyard staying open until midnight and the upstairs bar closing at 1 a.m.

OPEN

Gypsy’s Truckstaurant: Diners no longer have to track down the Gypsy Queen food truck to sample its signature wraps, gyros, and crab cake-topped French fries. After months of delays, the owners have officially opened their new “truckstaurant” tucked off of Clipper Mill Road in Hampden. The hybrid concept uses a large food truck kitchen outside to prepare the dishes that are served in the 90-seat dining room—which boasts a large bar, strung lights, and vintage decor. There’s also a greenery-filled patio equipped with a Ping Pong table and plenty of outdoor seating. Menu options include staples from the truck, as well as old favorites from the former Helen’s Garden Restaurant that owners Annmarie Langton and Tom Looney operated in Canton for 15 years. Be on the lookout for internationally influenced eats including San Diego-style fish tacos, Persian mango and feta salad, and a Korean kimchi burger. 3515 Clipper Mill Road. 443-869-5602

COMING SOON

Fadensonnen: This fall, Old Goucher will welcome Socle—an innovative food and beverage complex from the team behind W.C. Harlan and Clavel. Aside from housing Sophomore Coffee and farm-to-fork cafe Larder, the revamped old carriage house will also be home to Fadensonnen, a bar featuring draft beers, natural wine, and wild ciders that opens up to a 148-seat open air courtyard. Named after a German poem penned by author Paul Celan in 1968, the biergarten will also boast its own “wine cave” bottle shop and an intimate bar upstairs specializing in all-natural wine and nihonshu (Japanese sake). While the cafe and coffee shop aren’t expected to debut until December, Fadensonnen is readying for a grand opening next month. 2223 Maryland Ave.

Nepenthe Brewing Co.: With a newly painted facade by local artist Kelly Walker of Artstar Baltimore, husband-and-wife team Brian Arnold and Jill Antos—along with partner Brendan Kirlin—are now one step closer to opening their expanded homebrew shop and taproom on Falls Road in Hampden. After their former supply shop in Woodberry’s Meadow Mill complex was flooded twice, the owners decided to move to a larger space on higher ground. The new digs will not only provide retail space for all of Nepenthe’s signature beer-making kits and supplies, but also include a full kitchen, taproom, and on-site brewing facility. A grand opening is slated for this fall. 3626 Falls Rd.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

10/13-14: Oysterfest 12
For two days, East Cross Street in Federal Hill is transforming into an oyster-lover’s paradise with raw bars, buck-a-shuck tasting tents, and plenty of seafood specialties to go around. The 12th annual festival hosted by Ryleigh’s Oyster will feature classic crab cakes, pit beef sandwiches, whole-smoked fish, and, of course, more than 10 varieties of local oysters served raw and grilled. A jam-packed lineup of local bands will provide the soundtrack for the weekend, which will highlight the eighth annual Baltimore Oyster Shucking Championship on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. 36 E. Cross St. 12-7 p.m., $12-40.

10/16: Smoke Turns 3
Hard to believe that it’s been three years since chef Josh White first introduced us to his smoked chicken wings, “Boss Dawg” sandwiches (pulled pork, bacon, slaw, and crispy onions), and catchy odes to his dishes set to the tunes of popular rock songs. This Tuesday, the Cockeysville barbecue joint is celebrating its big birthday in style with an all-day rager. Stop in for specials like $3 coffees and deals on three of the restaurant’s “greatest hits” from its run. 574 Cranbrook Rd., Cockeysville. 410-891-8515

SHUT

Baltimore Soup Co.: The South Baltimore location of this homegrown cafe shuttered its doors unexpectedly last week. A sign posted to the door notified customers that the eatery was “busier than expected and sold out of soup.” But owners David and Lisa Redmond confirmed to SouthBMore.com later in the week that they had closed the shop for good after only nine months. “We had a good run and loved our guests who supported us, but there just weren’t enough to make it work,” they said. Luckily, the Towson location is still going strong, serving the cafe’s daily rotation of scratch-made soups including Maryland crab, chicken pot pie, sweet potato vegetable, and broccoli cheddar. 2 E. Wells St.

The Nickel Taphouse: Mt. Washington diners are already mourning the loss of the famous beef on weck sandwiches at this neighborhood haunt, which officially closed its doors earlier this week. Owner Robbin Haas took to Facebook to confirm the closure, stating that the team had “made the difficult decision to utilize our resources toward our Baltimore sister locations Birroteca and Encantada. Both of these locations offer more space, as well as private party areas.” Since 2013, the Nickel served as a community gathering spot for burgers, raw oysters, and other gastropub fare. “We wish our Mt. Washington neighbors the best of luck and look forward to seeing you at our other locations,” Haas said. There’s no word yet on what will become of the space, which previously housed other restaurant concepts Blue Sage Cafe and Freda’s Kitchen. 1604 Kelly Ave.

Starving artists? Not so fast. For many chefs, cooking is already an art form—after all, it has been said that the first taste is with the eyes. But while their Insta-ready plates are something to behold, some area chefs take their artistry a step further. When they’re not working in their commercial kitchens, many chefs dabble in other forms of art (from woodworking to sketching). See for yourself—their talents make us wish we could frame them.

ENRIQUE LIMARDO
EXECUTIVE CHEF, ALMA COCINA LATINA

Enrique Limardo comes by his artistic skills honestly. His mother is a fashion designer back in Caracas, and his grandfather was a painter and sculptor. Growing up in Caracas, he says, “I was very restless, so my father put me in art classes, including painting.” Limardo studied architecture, and though cooking became his calling, he never lost his passion for painting. “I paint every day,” says Limardo, “but it takes a lot of time to do nice-sized canvases, so I started doing sketches with charcoal and pencil. I sketch people I admire, like Einstein, Dalí, and Carlos Santana.” Often working well past midnight, Limardo produces a finished piece every day. “I’ve discovered that this gives me more creativity to bring to the kitchen,” he says. “I always keep design in mind when I’m thinking about plating. I think about colors and textures and, most importantly, flavor, but if I can create it in my mind, I can put it on the plate. The plate is a canvas.”

CARLOS RABA
CHEF/CO-OWNER, CLAVEL

For as long as he can remember, Carlos Raba has been a doodler. “The doodles started because I’m a visual guy,” says Raba. “The doodling helps me focus on one element—and that element is the plate.” In fact, Raba often doodles dishes when coming up with new menu concepts for the Remington taqueria. “Drawing is different than writing,” says Raba, who draws mini-masterpieces with his finger on his iPhone. “If I write down the words ‘spice’ and ‘salt,’ it’s not the same as putting black sparkles on the plate. Drawing helps me envision what will go on the plate and how I will decorate it. Do I need some green color with cilantro? Do I need a slice of something or a drizzle? A painter sees it with paint—I see it with food. Anything you present and have a passion for is art, because you are creating your idea, your vision, and your passion.”

ANDY GAYNOR
EXECUTIVE CHEF, AZUMI

With a mother who was a landscape architect and a grandfather who built boats on the Eastern Shore, Andy Gaynor was steeped in the arts at an early age. “As a kid, I was always tinkering with things, and I made knives out of scissors,” says Gaynor, who studied business at Salisbury State. These days, the chef works in multiple mediums—from metalworking to woodworking to painting. He has made the family dining-room farm table, a coffee table in the living room, and even contributed to the design for the logo of the Harbor East sushi hotspot. A recent project was crafting a saya, or knife sheath, for the sword he brought back from a recent trip to Japan that will go on display in the open kitchen at Azumi. “I like using my hands and having a finished product,” explains Gaynor. “Once you get marinated in it, so to speak, you kind of lose yourself in it and lose track of time. I love that art allows you to use the other half of your brain.”

JOSH HERSHKOVITZ

CHEF/CO-OWNER, HERSH’S

Long before going into the food industry, Josh Hershkovitz majored in fine art and philosophy in his undergraduate years at the University of Chicago. While in school, Hershkovitz particularly enjoyed sculpting with construction materials. “I felt the weight of those objects made it seem more real,” he says. “You see a Brancusi sculpture, and it’s polished brass and silver, but it’s behind a rope and you can’t interact with it. I enjoyed working with concrete, metal, and wood and something as proletarian as concrete.” After moving to Baltimore, Hershkovitz did decorative painting and gilding for high-end furniture finishers such as McLain Weisand, as well as cabinetmaking for Artisan Interiors. By 2011, he and his sister, Stephanie, opened Hersh’s. And while he no longer works as an artist, he still tinkers at home, where he has built a library and an entertainment center. And at Hersh’s, where he built the bar—he makes pizza with his hands. “If you’re not working with your hands, you’re not doing it right,” he says.

OPEN

Little Bird Coffee Bar: There is now even more to love about The Bluebird Cocktail Room in Hampden, which debuted a sister concept in the subterranean space downstairs earlier this week. The Italian-inspired cafe offers an array of coffee and espresso drinks, as well as Campari, Negroni, and amaro cocktails. The European flair is also showcased in the food offerings, which include house-made pastries, charcuterie, a French hot dog on a petit baguette, pasta, and a marinara sauce recipe passed down from co-owner Caroline Benkert’s great aunt Holly from Sicily. The 60-seat cafe will be open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays, and stay open until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 3600 Hickory Ave. 667-303-3263

Poke Fish Sushi: Take a trip to Hawaii by way of Owings Mills at this new poke spot that recently opened its doors in the Valley Village Shopping Center off of Reisterstown Road. The fast-casual eatery offers ramen noodles, specialty sushi rolls and burritos, and Hibachi-style chicken and tofu. But the stars of the show are the DIY poke bowls that diners can customize with rice, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and a variety of sauces. The restaurant joins Stanford Kitchen, Suya Spot, and Palio on the list of dining destinations that recently debuted in the Owings Mills area. 9163 Reisterstown Rd, Owings Mills. 410-902-8889

COMING SOON

Man vs. Pho: Patterson Park locals will be happy to hear that a new pho destination is making its way into the neighborhood in plenty of time for soup season. Catonsville favorite Pho Saigon—which was featured on an episode of Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food last month—is opening a spinoff on Eastern Avenue next to Matthew’s Pizza next week. Named after its signature “Man vs. Pho” challenge (diners are dared to slurp down four pounds of meat and noodles in 30 minutes), the Vietnamese spot will feature its DIY pho bowls with add-ins including steak, chicken, crabmeat, and fried tofu. The new location will debut in soft-opening mode on Monday, August 13, and a grand opening is scheduled for Wednesday, August 22. 3133 Eastern Ave. 410-314-8345

NEWS

Salt Tavern: After 12 years, mother-and-son duo Jane and Jason Ambrose have decided that it’s time to take their Butchers Hill tavern—best known for its duck fat fries and goat cheese doughnuts—in a new direction. The owners announced earlier this week that the last evening of traditional dinner service at Salt will be on Saturday, August 11. But they won’t be abandoning the space. Starting in October, the restaurant will be used for special pop-ups and guest chef dinners, as well as private dining events. “As we begin this transition, we want to say thank you to all of our customers, foodie supporters, food critics, suppliers, neighbors, friends, and family,” the duo said in a statement. “We appreciate what you have done for us and hope that you will continue to support us in our new venture.” 2127 E. Pratt St. 410-276-5480

The Dizz: Rest assured, Remington. The Dizz is officially reopening on Friday, August 10. After a routine health inspection late last month, the fan-favorite hangout was closed due to “unexpected mechanical failures in the kitchen,” according to a post on its Facebook page. Since then, the restaurant has taken a short hiatus to replace the equipment and refinish the floors. The spot will be back up and running starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, with plenty of beer, wings, and burgers to go around. 300 W. 30th St. 443-869-5864

EPICUREAN EVENTS

ONGOING: August Happy Hour at Bar Vasquez
With the beginning of a new month comes a fresh batch of $5 drinks and appetizers during happy hour at Bar Vasquez in Harbor East. In honor of the summer harvest, the bar is showcasing a refreshing “La Merienda” cocktail with George Dickel rye, peach and ginger syrup, fresh brewed iced tea, and lemon juice for $5 on weekdays from 5-7 p.m. The happy hour menu features plenty of snacks to pair with the cocktail, including crispy local zucchini, empanadas de queso, and shrimp ceviche. 1425 Aliceanna St. 410-534-7296

8/12: Mercado “No Se” at Clavel
Throughout brunch service this Sunday, Clavel will be hosting a special makers market featuring wares crafted by staff members and other local artists. Sip Sophomore Coffee—which will soon open a shop attached to Clavel’s new beer garden in Old Goucher—while perusing art, ceramics, mixtapes, plants, vintage clothing, zines, and more. To add to the fun, Daniel Reza Barrientos of Mexico’s La Rifa Chocolateria will be hosting an intimate chocolate tasting at 2 p.m. Learn more about the origins of chocolate while sampling truffles, cacao seeds, and a pre-Hispanic cold cacao drink. Admission to the market is free, and tickets to the tasting are $20. 225 W 23rd St. 443-900-8983. 12-4 p.m.

8/23: Battle of the Brands
Mark your calendar for this friendly food competition hosted by B-More Kitchen—the Govans incubator where dozens of culinary startups prepare their scratch-made goods. Stroll around the space to sip Full Tilt Brewing beers while sampling eats from the likes of Woot Granola, Wholesome Nibbles, Hiatus Cheesecake, Gundalow Gourmet, A Friendly Bread, Syriana Cafe, Tablefield Catering, and more. Winners will be crowned with bragging rights and prizes in sweet, savory, overall, and People’s Choice categories. 5609 Hess Ave. 6:30-9 p.m. $5.

We love any opportunity to sample a lot of little things at once—whether that’s tapas, dim sum, a well-crafted charcuterie board, or most recently, some of our favorite spirits. Of course, wine flights had their heyday several years back, but now there are all kinds of things that can be found in flight form, and we’re sure happy the trend is, well, taking off.

Many breweries in town have made their beer available in flights (Oliver, Monument City, and Jailbreak, to name a few), but if your aim is to try a bunch of different breweries under one roof, head to Parts & Labor (2600 N. Howard St.). Though the restaurant recently announced its closing, a pop-up bar will operate Wednesdays through Saturdays through the end of September. Featuring offerings from craft breweries around the region and country—such as Diamondback, Wardaca, and Sly Fox—the oft-rotating draft options are available in three mini snifter classes for $8-11.

There’s an even greater selection at The Brass Tap in Bolton Hill (1205 W. Mt. Royal Ave.), where four samples of their 62-draft selection are often scribbled on a chalkboard, so you can clearly remember your choices no matter how many you’ve had. Sit outside and sample your beers as you watch the Light Rail whiz by.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, look no further than Lane Harlan’s two Remington bars. W.C. Harlan (400 W. 23rd St.) offers flights of the Italian liqueur amaro ($12 for three pours). The liqueur is presented three ways on a beautiful silver serving tray. There’s even one house-made version concocted with local honey.

Just up the street is Harlan’s taqueria Clavel (225 W. 23rd St.), which recently expanded with a private six-seat bar providing special mezcal tastings. For $35 per person, sample four different varieties of the agave treat, while being expertly guided by bar manager Dre Barnhill. The bar offers small bites—nuts, crackers, and traditional orange slices—and a portion of the proceeds goes to the Tequila Interchange Project, an organization that advocates for the preservation of agave-distilled spirit practices.

If you truly can’t decide what kind of flight to try, head to West Madison Craft Beer & Wine Bar in Mt. Vernon (311 W. Madison St.), which offers practically everything in small sizes. There are flights for beer ($12 for 4-ounce drafts), whiskey ($15 for 1-ounce pours of rye, bourbon, and scotch), and wine ($15 for four selections of red and white). And the bar also boasts flight selections for both olives and pickles, which come in a medley of sweet, horseradish, garden, and spicy.

The bar’s vintage telephone booth and open windows overlooking the bustling sidewalk give it a European feel—appropriate for all the “flights” we’ve taken in our travels through Baltimore.

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

 EAT

Nov. 12: Wonders of Damascus

Clavel, 225 W. 23rd St., 6:30-9:30 p.m. $90.67. 443-900-8983.

With the current political climate, seeing the local community unite over food is a breath of fresh air. This Sunday evening, join Mera Kitchen Collective and Clavel for a dinner starring Syrian-style delicacies to support Baltimore’s refugees. Underneath the twinkling lights of Clavel’s cozy space, dine on a five-course Syrian feast prepared by Carlos Raba of Clavel and Iman AlShehab of Mera Kitchen Collective, the worker-owned co-op aimed at empowering women refugees through culinary projects. Plus, owner Lane Harlan will be expertly hand picking natural wines. AlShehab, who was an executive chef at Four Seasons in Damascus before the Syrian War, will be sharing her country’s dishes while talking about her experiences as a refugee. The best part is that 100 percent of the proceeds will go to assist our refugee neighbors here in Baltimore.

 DRINK

Nov. 11: Highlandtown Basement Bar Tour

UN Club and Hall Sunwa, 201 S. Easton St. $20. 

What better way to spend a Saturday evening than meeting people, drinking booze, and hawking the streets of Highlandtown? In its 12th year, Baltimore magazine’s “Best Pub Crawl” is bringing back the opportunity to peruse through Highlandtown’s most unique spaces. For one night, homes and businesses are welcoming strangers at their door—and to their liquor cabinets—to support improvement projects and community growth in the ‘hood. Pick up a map, go on a self-guided tour through game rooms with retro minibars or extravagant basements with kegerators, and mingle over cans of Natty Boh and comfort food. Afterwards, head to the closing reception at DiPasquale’s with your new friends for some good ol’ Italian fare.

 SEE

Nov. 10-12: Charm City Fringe

Locations & times vary. $27-98. 410-682-8902. 

This non-traditional theatre festival has taken the Bromo Arts District by storm once again with its diverse program and captivating performers. This weekend, don’t miss out on the last few days of the eclectic festival featuring enticing performances—from off-kilter comedy and poetry readings to magical productions and an interactive rock opera. With a centralized location, attendees can walk to every venue and witness cutting-edge acts or partake in amusing activities for all ages—from Family Fringe Day’s youth-empowered arts to Fringe After Dark’s dance tournament, comedy jam, and late-night afterparty.c

 HEAR

Nov. 11: Ru-Jac Records & The Legacy of Baltimore Soul

Arch Social Club, 2426 Pennsylvania Ave. 8-11:30 p.m. $8-13. 410-276-1651. 

If you have a hunger for the crackle of vintage vinyl, stop by the Arch Social Club to celebrate Baltimore’s rich R&B history with Ru-Jac Records, one of the nation’s first African-American-owned record labels. Don your best attire and time travel to Baltimore’s vibrant musical past inside the last surviving lounge in the Penn North neighborhood. Start off the night with a panel discussion about Ru-Jac Records and its influence on Baltimore’s ’60s music scene, led by funky frontman Brooks Long. Then, get carried away by Ru-Jac stars Winfield Parker and Joe Quarterman’s soulful crooning, along with Joy Postell, Baltimore’s up-and-coming neo-soul singer, all backed by young Baltimore musicians.

 DO

Nov. 10: Pandora Ice Rink Opening

Inner Harbor Amphitheater, 201 E. Pratt St. 2 p.m. Free-$14. 

We’re still early in November, but the icy temperatures have us giddy for the holiday season. This Friday, revel in a winter-wonderland experience by the waterfront on Pandora Ice Rink. Even if you can’t land a triple axel, bundle up in your warmest gear, lace up your skates, and be the first to break the ice in the heart of Baltimore’s bustling Inner Harbor. After doing a couple figure eights, take a break and defrost with warm cookies and hot cocoa. Veterans and active military will also be recognized for their service with a free skating session the next day.