Seeking respite on election night before the results started rolling in, we canvassed for a happy hour spot with top-notch drinks, excellent food, and, most importantly, no TVs. The winner: Cosima, the beautiful Sicilian restaurant in Hampden that recently revamped its menu in hopes of making itself a more attractive candidate for all.

With its location inside an old sailcloth factory in historic Mill No. 1, Cosima feels like an oasis, removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. Owner Judith Golding and concept director Donna Crivello have maintained it as a fine-dining staple since it opened in 2016, but in October it pivoted to add more Italian street food and affordable pizzas and pasta dishes. The new philosophy works especially well at its lovely, large, U shaped bar that faces an open kitchen.

Cocktails here always have been, and continue to be, outstanding. The night we visited, beverage director Aaron Simons was behind the bar. He was a wealth of knowledge and one-liners; when we asked if a certain pasta dish was a small plate, he said, “Every plate is a small plate if you believe in yourself.”

We started with an Arancina, the restaurant’s signature take on an Old-Fashioned. Made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Amaro Sibilla, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur and served with an orange peel, it’s a smooth drink that works before or after a meal. The Il Focolare, on the other hand, is like dessert in a glass. It’s a combination of Baltimore Spirits’ 1904 apple brandy, Aperol, Bigallet China-China Amer, lemon juice, and apple brandy brulée. Perfect for a chilly fall evening.

For round two we leaned on Simons’ expertise. He recommended the Il Fumatore, a mezcal-based cocktail he accurately described as being pleasingly smoky and tart.

Cosima’s happy hour deals are among the best in town. From 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays (that’s right, weekends are included too) at the bar, the Arancina is just $8 (it’s regularly $15). There are $5 Negronis and Spritzes, $7 select glasses of wine, and a high-quality selection of $5 draft beers (including local favorites like Brewer’s Art Resurrection, Monument City 51 Rye, and Diamondback Green Machine).

We ordered arancini and a bowl of fried olives from the street food section of the menu to go with our drinks. Both were nice complements. Tuesday is pasta night, which means half off all pasta dishes. We went with the eggplant ragu, a hearty helping with tomatoes, onion, fennel, raisins, capers, and olives. Contrary to Simons’ quip, this plate was almost too big for even two of us to finish. Wednesdays, bottles of wine are half off, and Thursdays all pizzas are $10. (We’re partial to the Semplice, with rustic tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, pecorino, roasted cherry tomatoes, and basil.)

Shifting courses is never an easy thing for a restaurant that’s been around as long—and been as respected—as Cosima. But if the early returns are an indication, Cosima’s future will be as successful as its past.

While everyone loves their grandmother’s cooking, these nonnas, abuelas, and bubbes have lately been a great source of chef inspiration at local restaurants.

John Shields, chef-owner of Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen at the Baltimore Museum of Art, serves the very same crab cakes he learned to make from his grandma, Gertie. At Little Donna’s in Upper Fells, chef-owner Robbie Tutlewski’s grandmother, Donna Wranich, taught him to make the pierogies, pies, and palacinkes (Serbian pancakes) that now appear on the menu of the restaurant named after her. The granny trend is also in full force at Cosima, where chef Donna Crivello’s menu is an homage to her Sicilian grandmother, Cosima, for whom the Woodberry restaurant is named.

“We’d go to nonna’s house every Sunday for dinner,” says Crivello. “One time, I peeked inside her bedroom—and there was the bed covered with a white sheet. On that sheet were all her perfectly round ravioli dusted with flour—and that’s what we had for dinner.”

While Crivello prefers to rest her ravioli, pictured above, on sheet trays, the recipe is essentially unchanged. “I don’t know what was in her dough—likely egg and flour—which is what I do,” says Crivello, “but the filling was ricotta. I keep it simple, the way she did it. I stick to the basics, starting with flour and eggs for the dough and a filling of ricotta and egg, plus Pecorino cheese or Parm and parsley.”

Sadly, Cosima passed away long ago, so the chef can only guess what she might think of her granddaughter’s culinary shrine.

“She would be honored to know that we named the restaurant after her and are still talking about her,” says Crivello with a laugh. “But she might say, ‘That’s not the way I do it.’”

La Vie En Rose from Dutch Courage

It doesn’t get any prettier than this cocktail designed by Dutch Courage owner Brendan Dorr. “I wanted to create a cocktail that represented Dutch Courage as a gin cocktail bar, and what’s better than a martini?” says Dorr. “I took the classic martini recipe and put a oral spin on it.”

INGREDIENTS
2 ounces Glendalough Rose Gin
.75 ounce Dolin Dry Vermouth
.25 ounce Tattersall Creme de Fleur 1 dash Peychaud’s Bitters
1 dash Rose Water

DIRECTIONS
1. Stir all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with lemon peel and surround with dried rose petals.
Serves 1.

Pretty in Pink: A pink-hued cocktail is perfect for your Valentine. The color represents compassion, nurturing, and love. It also signifies unconditional love and understanding. It’s feminine, intimate, and for any romantic occasion, but especially Valentine’s Day.

Raw Oysters with Beet Horseradish from Dylan’s Oyster Cellar

“Our favorite way to eat oysters is dressed simply with prepared horseradish and lemon,” says Dylan Salmon, co-owner of Dylan’s Oyster Cellar. “For Valentine’s Day, we thought that adding beets for a pop of deep red to the gray color of horseradish would put a sweet, earthy, and colorful twist on an otherwise drab but spicy condiment.”

INGREDIENTS
Fresh horseradish root, at least 4 inches, peeled and cut into small cubes
15-ounce can cooked beets, drained
4 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh-shucked oysters (pick up available at Dylan’s, of course.)

DIRECTIONS
1. Add horseradish chunks a little bit at a time into the feeding tube of your food processor.
2. Pulse several times, scraping down the sides if needed.
3. Add drained beets and pulse a few more times.
4. Add vinegar, sugar, and salt and process for 30 more seconds or so, until you get a nice finely textured consistency.

NOTE: Horseradish sauce will keep in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for three days, but it will lose heat over time. If you like it hot and zingy, eat it within a few hours after you prepare it.

WARNING: Do not breathe in too closely to freshly grated horseradish, as it is blindingly hot. Also, start with a tiny bit when you first taste to ensure you can stand the heat.

To freshly shucked, raw oysters, add 1⁄4 teaspoon of the beet horseradish and a dollop of salmon roe for color, texture, and ocean flavor. Finish by garnishing with a fresh grating of lemon zest.
Makes 2 cups. 

Chocolate Truffles with Powdered Strawberries from Cosima

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like chocolate truffles. Though chocolate has long been believed to be an aphrodisiac—the emperor Montezuma was said to have consumed the cocoa bean in massive amounts to fuel his romantic trysts—science says otherwise. If chocolate has any effect on the libido, it’s likely more psychological than physiological.

That said, this recipe from Cosima exectuive chef Anthony Franklin is sure to make your loved ones feel cherished. “I prefer to make these with my special someone in the early afternoon,” says Franklin, “and enjoy these endorphin-releasing treats for dessert with a scoop of ice cream. Nothing is more convivial than waking up on Valentine’s Day and playing with chocolate.”

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces of pure chocolate
2⁄3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry powder
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Place chocolate in heat-resistant mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Heat heavy cream until it begins to simmer.
3. Once simmered, add butter and sea salt.
4. Pour hot liquid in the bowl of pure chocolate and allow cream to soften chocolate.
5. Add vanilla extract and mix ingredients until you achieve a smooth consistency.
6. Wrap bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.
7. Scoop out desired size of set truffle mix (a tablespoon works well), then roll into a ball.
8. Roll truffles into powered strawberry or desired toppings.
Serves 20-24. 

Fudgy Walnut Cookies from Citron

So many cookie recipes contain gluten, so this dense and delicious recipe for fudgy walnut cookies—by way of Citron’s pastry chef Carlie King—is a particular treat. “My inspiration for this recipe was really just a good chocolate snack everyone without a nut allergy could enjoy,” says King. “This is a great gluten-free cookie that everyone, including gluten eaters, really likes.”

INGREDIENTS
4 1⁄4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 1⁄8 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped
Pinch of salt
1 cup egg whites, pasteurized

DIRECTIONS
1. Sift confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder into a large bowl.
2. Mix cocoa powder mixture with walnuts and salt.
3. Pour in egg whites while mixing. (You can mix by hand or at a low speed with a mixer.)
4. Mix until just combined. (Do not over mix.)
5. Scoop dough with a 2-ounce cookie scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment.
6. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for five minutes.
7. Turn and bake for an additonal five minutes.

Dining devotee Chris Brown wants to get revenue flowing to save local restaurants as they struggle to stay afloat during the COVID crisis.

Inspired by the digital sales hub SavePhillyEats in Philadelphia, Brown—president of Rosedale’s Geiger Pump and Equipment—launched SaveCharmCityEats in Baltimore this week to help hard-hit restaurants recover.

Restaurants, bars, breweries, and grocers can opt in to SaveCharmCityEats.com by offering special experiences, deals, and incentives that customers can redeem after the pandemic subsides.

For the restaurant owners, this means an immediate infusion of capital, with 100 percent of the proceeds going directly to their spots and no hidden fees for the businesses or customers. For the patrons, it means something to look forward to once restaurants reopen and chefs are able to get back to work.

“There are so many great places here in Baltimore, the idea is to reconnect with that joy,” says Brown. “As a consumer, it’s fun to look at these offers. The other side of that coin is that the restaurants and chefs feel the joy that there are people who want their stuff. This is a way to give restaurants some vehicle, some hope so that when we do come back out the other side that little place down the street is open and we can get a great kabob, a great steak, or a great cocktail.”

Experiences (many one-of-a-kind) and incentives include a private Champagne brunch with Chef Cindy Wolf at Charleston, a cooking class with Cosima’s creative director Donna Crivello, a tempura omakase experience at Ekiben, a private whiskey tasting and barbecue dinner at Blue Pit BBQ, and an at-home experience with La Cuchara’s Ben Lefenfeld, who will prepare a seasonal, three-course meal.

The website, up and running for less than a day, currently has some 30 restaurants participating—from Tagliata in Harbor East to Le Comptoir du Vin in Station North. New spots will continue to join in the weeks to come.

“We are trying to be all-inclusive,” Brown says, “and give as much exposure to the little guys as the big ones.”

For his part, Brown says, “I have no financial interest. I’m not in the restaurant business. I’m not in marketing—I’m a mechanical engineer. I don’t want to come out the other side of this with a PR business. It has nothing to do with me other than wanting to help.”

As someone who loves dining out, Brown sees supporting our local restaurants as “culturally required.”

“We have a very unique food story to tell from South Baltimore to Highlandtown, Canton and Harbor East, Remington and Hampden,” he says. “And like many cities, but particularly in Baltimore, it’s a story that’s told really well from the small neighborhood spots to the big spots. What we are really hoping is that people value that as part of the culture just as you would value the Ravens or the Orioles or the BSO. It’s part of what makes living here so great.”

Save the Eats is being replicated in other cities, and also launches this week in Washington, D.C. Similar campaigns in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles will go live in the weeks to come.

CH-CH CHANGES

The Corner Pantry Expands: Since it opened on Valentine’s Day in 2014, many Mt. Washington dwellers have made this breakfast-and-lunch spot a part of their regular routine. Come March, the cafe will offer even more to love by nearly doubling its footprint. The spot will expand into the vacant space next door and add an additional 1,150 square feet. With more room to breathe, husband-and-wife owners Neill and Emily Howell plan to add a second counter for faster service, optional private dining and meeting space, and an expanded kitchen that will allow them to amp up catering. Plus, there will be more opportunities to host events and cooking classes for customers.

“Since we opened nearly six years ago, we have been able to produce some really incredible food out of a 400 square-foot kitchen,” Neill said in a statement. “Our business has evolved based on the feedback and needs from our customers, and we know expanded seating and offerings are what we can add at this point in our journey.” The owners plan to remain open for most of the construction period, which will begin in January.

Cosima Brings Names New Executive Chef: There’s been a slight shift in the kitchen operations at this Southern Italian destination along the Jones Falls in Hampden. Longtime chef de cuisine Jonathan Hicks was recently promoted to executive chef. But, rest assured—Baltimore’s own culinary queen Donna Crivello isn’t going anywhere. She’s stepped into the role of concept director at Cosima, where she will continue the restaurant’s monthly cooking classes, add tutorials for children on the weekends, and oversee private events. “As the granddaughter of Cosima and daughter of a Neapolitan mother, I absolutely love the warmth of Southern Italian hospitality,” Crivello said in a statement. “Those ideals are at the root of the restaurant, and I’m excited to be able to maintain and expand them.”

Bird in Hand Adds Bar Program: Since opening near the Johns Hopkins University campus three years ago, students and neighbors have relied on this collaborative spot—from the teams behind the Ivy Bookshop and Woodberry Kitchen—for a strong latte, espresso, or pastry. Last month, the cafe added to its offerings by launching “Bird Bar,” a collection of wine, beer, and cider to pair with the food menu. In keeping with Bird in Hand’s hyper-local philosophy, the list features Baltimore purveyors including Peabody Heights, Union Craft, and Oliver Brewing Company.

OPEN

Ropewalk Tavern: For nearly six months, Federal Hill revelers have missed the strong drinks and lively piano bar at this neighborhood staple. The McFaul family—who also runs three Ropewalk locations on the Eastern Shore—closed their flagship in July to make some fun upgrades in honor of the bar’s 25th anniversary year. And at the grand reopening party earlier this week, the team unveiled refreshed bars, new arcade games like Skee Ball and basketball shoot-outs, and a bowling alley upstairs. Swing by to play some of the new games, shoot a round of pool, and sip one of Ropewalk’s 150 featured beers.

COMING SOON

Angels Ate Lemons: The weekend before Christmas, Socle—the Old Goucher complex that houses Larder, Sophomore Coffee, and beer garden and natural wine bar Fadensonnen—will welcome yet another attraction. This new weekend concept invites guests to taste some of the worldly wines from Fadensonnen’s storage room in a daytime setting. Named after a line in an Etel Adnan poem, the experience is meant to foster “deep conversation and togetherness,” according to a message posted to Instagram. Angels Ate Lemons marks yet another innovative bar program from Lane Harlan, who also oversees Clavel and W.C. Harlan nearby in Remington.

NiHao Baltimore: We’ve been keeping tabs on this Baltimore expansion from culinary icon Peter Chang, who began his career as a chef at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. He has built an empire serving Sichuan specialties at strip-mall restaurants throughout the DMV, as well as at his fine-dining spot Q by Peter Chang in Bethesda. Earlier this year, word spread that the chef and his family planned to take over the former Fork & Wrench space in Canton. Though the restaurant isn’t slated to open until February 2020, the family was given a warm welcome last weekend when they hosted a pop-up at Artifact Coffee—giving diners a sneak peek at what the menu might look like when NiHao Baltimore officially opens.

Tofu skin salad and Sichuan pickled baked rockfish were among the featured dishes from Peter, his wife, pastry chef Lisa Chang, and chef Pichet Ong. (Ong is the James Beard award-nominated chef behind Brothers and Sisters located inside The Line Hotel in D.C., which also houses Artifact sister-spot, A Rake’s Progress.) Stay tuned for more details on NiHao’s highly anticipated grand opening in 2020.

OPEN

Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls: This Annapolis staple changed the game when it brought its signature lobster rolls to Belvedere Square in 2017. The Northern expansion was so well received, that Mason’s has now debuted a second Baltimore outpost in the Inner Harbor. Founder Dan Beck, a veteran seafood buyer who spent more than 20 years getting to know New England lobstermen, packs Mason’s buttery buns with hearty chunks of meat hauled from the waterways of Maine. The new Harborplace eatery features rolls served both classic (warm with melted butter) or salad (chilled meat with mayo, celery, and lemon) style, along with lobster mac and cheese and classic clam chowder. Mason’s adds a much-needed dining option to the Inner Harbor area, which lost Five Guys, M&S Grill, Noodles & Co., and Brio Tuscan Grill all within the past year. 201 E. Pratt St. 443-453-9664

NEWS

Bmore Licks: As temperatures creep up into the 60s this week, we couldn’t have asked for a better time for this Patterson Park sweets shop to reopen for the season. Bmore Licks took its annual winter hiatus after the holidays to test new recipes and spruce up the interior. Now, it’s back just in time for spring with plenty of soft-serve, snowballs, donuts, dessert nachos, and ice cream scoops to go around. Among the new featured flavors to look out for is the St. Patrick’s Day-inspired “Magically Delicious,” made with a sweet cream base and lots of colorful Lucky Charms marshmallows. 2437 Eastern Ave. 410-732-5425

NextAct Cinema at The Pikes: Pikesville locals were ecstatic when the landmark Pikes Theatre, one of the oldest in the area with roots dating back to 1938, reopened in full force earlier this month. Now operating as NextAct Cinema, the renovated facility boasts two intimate screening rooms, stadium seating, accompanying plush blankets, a full lobby bar, and updated concession areas with digital menu screens. Perhaps the greatest perk: guests who arrive 30 minutes prior to showtime can order wine, beer, popcorn, candy, or a full meal from the adjacent Pikes Cinema Bar and Grill to have delivered straight to their seats. The menu at includes quick-turnaround bites such as sliders, personal pizzas, quesadillas, soups, salads, and chicken tenders. The first wave of showings includes Captain Marvel, Us, and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. 921 Reisterstown Rd. 443-548-3783

COMING SOON

Char’d City: As its name implies, wood-fired fare will steal the spotlight at this new Hamilton restaurant. Expected to open in the former home of Clementine on Harford Road this spring, the neighborhood spot from owners Sindee Gibson and Yassine Rhamdhnia will offer house-made pizzas alongside other gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, and vegan selections. Specifically, the menu will fuse Southern Italian flavors with North African recipes inspired by Rhamdhinia’s roots in Tunisia. A grand opening could be on the horizon as soon as next month. 5402 Harford Rd. 443-760-1501

Pizza Palace: Speaking of pizza, this new spot is slated to open any day now in Federal Hill. The Light Street space will stay open until 2 a.m. on weekends, so we can only expect that it will soon become a favorite of Federal Hill revelers in need of fuel after last call. In addition to hot subs and regular red sauce pies, the menu also lists specialty options like a Philly cheesesteak pizza and a Greek version with tzatziki sauce. 1538 Light St. 410-244-0444

Das Bier Haus: Pizza Palace takes over the former home of Fornicolli’s, an Italian concept that was briefly run by the owners of Das Bier Haus next door. Soon after they closed the pizza shop, management also shuttered the German beer hall while working to resolve structural issues that have plagued the building throughout the years. “A lot of the problems that made the previous businesses in this location fail have come back to haunt the place,” reads a January post to Das Bier Haus’ Facebook page. “It has taken away from our core values as a business of customer service, inventory, and overall consistency.” Here’s hoping Das Bier Haus reopens soon after its new neighbor Pizza Palace joins the scene. 1542 Light St.

CHEF CH-CH CHANGES

Hotel Revival: As Mt. Vernon’s newest hotel approaches its first anniversary in April, the food and beverage team is welcoming some new faces. Chef Scott Hines, formerly of B&O American Brasserie inside the Hotel Monaco, has been brought on as the new executive chef. Simultaneously, Revival has appointed new food and beverage director Lindsay Chapon—a Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts grad who has racked up a decade’s worth of experience at hotels throughout the country. Together, the two will spearhead seasonal menus for the restaurant’s all-day cafe Square Meal, rooftop bar Topside, and private karaoke rooms. 101 W. Monument St. 410-727-7101

Noona’s: This Bolton Hill newbie recently debuted its spring menu highlighting house-made pizzas, abruzzo meatballs, pork belly rillette, and ricotta gnocchi. Not only does the new menu mark Noona’s first seasonal rotation since opening, but it’s also the first to premiere under the helm of new chef Cai Lindeman. The chef is an alum of Michelin-rated The Dabney in Washington, D.C., and also known as the brains behind the Burnt Coat pop-up—which served its locally sourced dishes at spots like R. House and the former New America Diner. The farm-to-table ethos will be translated into the menu at Noona’s, which makes use of baby radishes from Karma Farm in Monkton, local Keepwell vinegars, free-range pork belly from Liberty Delight Farms in Reisterstown, and Lindeman’s own foraged spicebush berries. 410-424-0857

Sagamore Pendry Baltimore: Chef Andrew Carmellini’s NoHo Hospitality Group has brought new blood into the kitchens of this luxe hotel in Fells Point. Now overseeing the property’s Italian-influenced Rec Pier Chop House and whiskey bar The Cannon Room is chef Robert McGrattan. His resume includes 14 years of experience behind the line at acclaimed properties such as Nashville’s Hutton Hotel and The Westin Charlotte in North Carolina. He brings culinary knowledge and skills that have also awarded him the opportunity to cook alongside all-stars Edward Lee, Josiah Citrin, and Ken Frank at multiple James Beard House dinners. 1715 Thames St. 443-552-1400

EPICUREAN EVENTS

3/21: Fogo and Friends
Everyman Theatre is teaming up with Fogo de Chão in the Inner Harbor to host this special dinner-and-a-show event inspired by its current production Dinner With Friends. In addition to parking and round-trip transportation to the restaurant, guests will enjoy one free drink, endless prime cuts of meat, Fogo’s bottomless salad bar, coffee, and dessert before heading back to the theater to see the play. A portion of all proceeds will benefit Everyman’s future productions. 315 W. Fayette St. $95.50. 410-752-2208

3/26: Cosima Turns Three
To celebrate its third anniversary, Cosima at Mill No. 1 in Hampden is hosting a special three-course dinner with three options for each section. Chef Donna Crivello will pay homage to the restaurant’s run with Sicilian specialties, as well as dishes that have been customer favorites since it opened. Offerings to look out for will include baked ricotta gnocchi, grilled swordfish, stuffed eggplant with red peppers and marinara, and the classic Sicilian doughnuts rolled in cinnamon sugar. 3000 Falls Rd. $66. 443-708-7352

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After a 19-year run in The Village of Cross Keys, Donna’s Cafe is closing its doors at the end of this week.

“In dog years, it’s almost like we’re 104-years-old,” says co-owner Alan Hirsch in an exclusive interview. “It’s been a great ride. The hardest part is separating from the employees and customers. Some of our customers eat here three, four, five times a week, and we’ve had so many life events here, from engagement parties, to christenings, to shivas.”

When Hirsch and his business partner Donna Crivello opened the first Donna’s in Mt. Vernon in 1991, Crivello once admitted that at the time, “We had no idea what we were doing. We hired some people to put stenciling on the windows, and that same day we opened for business. We didn’t even know we were doing dinner until 5 o’clock on our first night when a customer asked, ‘Do you do dinner?’” Donna’s mother said, “‘Sure, we do dinner,’” recalls Hirsch.

But despite the seat-of-the-pants approach, Donna’s thrived and other locations followed in Towson and Charles Village, as well as inside The Baltimore Museum of Art, the University of Maryland Medical Center, and four locations inside Bibelot bookstores.

The closing of the European-style cafe, which is known for its salads, sandwiches, and upscale coffees, comes as the space struggled for business. “Emotionally, this is very difficult,” says Hirsch, “but from a business decision, it was pretty clear.”

While Hirsch can’t say for certain why business slowed down, he has his theories.

“Restaurants get old,” he says, “Customers get old, and it can be hard to transition to the next generation. I think that’s part of what happened here.”

The explosion of new restaurants on the scene hasn’t helped, says Hirsch.

“With the way that retail is, brick-and-mortar stores are really struggling,” says Hirsch. “That means that developers turn to restaurants as tenants, and sometimes anchor tenants, when they open a space. That’s, in part, what’s fueling the increase in restaurants. They can’t get a clothing store or a shore store in, so you see more restaurants.”

For now, Crivello will continue to focus on her other restaurant Cosima along the banks of the Jones Falls, while Hirsch, a founder of City Paper, says he plans on helping other area restaurants. “It’s been a great ride,” he says.

Last June was an emotional rollercoaster for Kristen Starks, the bar manager at Cosima at Mill No 1. She had been invited on the trip of a lifetime—to work and study wine for eight weeks at Menhir Salento in Puglia, Italy.

“Shortly after I bought my plane ticket, I found a lump in my breast,” she says. “I actually ignored it for a few weeks. I really didn’t want to interfere with this exciting thing I had coming up. But it became so painful and began changing shape, so I knew I had to get it checked out.”

After undergoing several tests, Starks received a call while doing inventory at Cosima and was told she had invasive ductal carcinoma, or grade 3 breast cancer. Her doctors laid out a very organized treatment plan that included a couple rounds of chemo, surgery, radiation, and ameno therapy.

“I went through two months of Doxorubicin, which is nicknamed the Red Devil, and it’s the grossest feeling,” she recalls. “That’s the one that makes you lose your hair and your appetite—it’s really kind of a nightmare drug. I was down for the count.”

Needless to say, Starks’ trip to Puglia had to be canceled. She said the winery owners could not have been more courteous and they reassured her that she would be able to make that trip someday.

“Keeping in touch with them really put me at ease,” she says. “I had a light at the end of that dark tunnel.”

Though she is still recovering and will be taking hormone suppressors for the next five years, Starks was finally able to make the trip to the Menhir Silento winery this past summer.

As part of her work in Italy, Starks was a sommelier at the winery’s osteria where she was able to pair wine for pre-fixe menus and explain the history, flavor, and terroir of the wines to English speakers from all the world. She traveled to Bologna, Silento, and tiny towns in between to learn about their food and drink culture.

“The food changes every town you go to, but there is a universal language,” she says. “People are very proud of traditions they’ve held onto for generations. You can read about the wine and the land and it might look good on paper. But, being there, you understand it on a much more profound level.”

She hopes to share that understanding in a wine dinner at Cosima on Wednesday, October 24, in which five Italian courses will be paid with wine selections from Munhir. Think curdo paired with a savory Verdeca or a cherry tart alongside a chilled, dry Aleatico.

“I have anecdotes that I want to share, but I won’t be long-winded,” she says. “I just want to share experiences about appreciating these wines in the middle of the countryside under the stars. I want to recreate a picture of real Silento life.”

Though there has been a lot of trials and tribulations these past 18 months, Starks is grateful for the owners at Munhir and Cosima and the overall experience. She is looking forward to bringing that same joy she felt in Italy to her guests at the restaurant.

“Something like cancer really puts you in touch with your own spirituality and gives you a new level of sensitivity,” she says. “I felt like I was more open to new ideas on my trip and just was able to soak it all in. I really want the restaurant to embody that part of the world.”

NAME CH-CH CHANGES

Gnocchetto: After some confusion arose with a restaurant of a similar name in New York City, Gnocco in Highlandtown recently changed its name to Gnocchetto—which translates to “small dumpling” in Italian. “We think it will just be easier in the long run,” said general manager Sam White, in a statement. Despite the name change, the Mediterranean-inspired spot is sticking to its roots with worldly wines, antipasti, and a slew of locally sourced pastas that use milled rye and red wheat flour from Migrash Farms in Randallstown. In fact, chef Brian Lavin recently expanded the pasta offerings to include four options per evening. Be on the lookout for a new red beet tagliatelle with swiss chard or the Semolina trofie with arugula, basil pesto, pine nuts, and summer truffle. 3734 Fleet St., 443-449-6540

Sobeachy Haitian Cuisine: Festival-goers might be familiar with Green Grass Tall Trees, the Haitian-Caribbean purveyor that has served up its authentic eats at large-scale events including Light City, Artscape, and AFRAM. (It also routinely pops up at the Canton Waterfront, Fells Point, and Pratt Street farmers’ markets.) Recently, husband-and-wife owners Leo and Chanel Fleurimond changed the pop-up’s name to Sobeachy Haitian Cuisine to better reflect the vibe to their customers. “Everyone always confused us with a juice bar with wheat grass or a landscaping company,” Chanel says with a laugh. “We wanted to have a name that connects to exactly what we are.” Diners can catch Sobeachy at R. House throughout the weekend to sample signature dishes including smoked turkey sausage with sweet peppers, the “Taste of Haiti” plate with stewed chicken and plantains, and the customer-favorite “Endless Summer” refresher that combines pineapple, watermelon, lemonade, and tropical fruit juices. 301 W. 29th St.

NEWS

16 On The Park: Savor every last second of summer on the patio of this rooftop restaurant on the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus—which switched up its menu earlier this week. The new seasonal menu will be offered all day, and include a special list of late-night eats on Fridays and Saturdays from 10-11 p.m. New items to look out for include a seafood tower for two, a cobb salad with Old Bay ranch, and a house burger topped with cheddar and crispy tobacco onion. Pair all of the eats with new Charm City-inspired cocktails like the “Spirit of B More” (Maestro Dobel reposado, fruit rouge crush juice, and ancho reyes) or “A Little Crush in the Park,” a spin on a classic Orange Crush with house tangerine foam. 800 N. Wolfe St. 443-524-8450

EPICUREAN EVENTS

9/5-12: Chef Wolf’s Special Southern Menu at Charleston
Chef Cindy Wolf is celebrating the end of summer with a special Southern menu at Charleston in Harbor East. For one week only, diners are invited to feast on a prix-fixe menu highlighting buttermilk-marinated chicken, Gambian roasted eggplant and groundnut soup, Creole shrimp with andouille sausage, blackened red snapper, slow-cooked pork shoulder, and drunken peaches in a whiskey sorbet. Optional wine pairings will be available to help wash down all of the Lowcountry fare. 1000 Lancaster St. 410-332-7373. $94

9/12: Kitchen Table Series at Wit & Wisdom
This weekly series of intimate dinners is returning to Wit & Wisdom inside the Four Seasons Baltimore next week. The kickoff will have a family-style Italian theme and feature a menu executed by chef Randall Matthews. Snag a spot at the 12-seat table to indulge in white truffle arancini, wild mushroom polenta, hand-rolled spaghetti with crushed red pepper flakes, Mediterranean bass with San Marzano tomatoes, and chocolate and citrus cannolis. 200 International Drive. 6:30 p.m. 410-576-5800.

9/26: Sicilian Cooking Classes at Cosima
Throw on an apron and join chef Donna Crivello to learn about the flavors and cooking techniques inspired by her Sicilian heritage. The inaugural cooking class later this month will feature traditional Sicilian plates including seared scallops, saffron risotto, and limoncello ricotta cheesecake. The monthly series will continue with an Autumn Dinner in October, a small plates seminar in November, and a classic Feast of the Seven Fishes class to celebrate the holidays in December. Cosima, 3000 Falls Rd. 6:30 p.m. 443-708-7352, $85.

SHUT

The Fudgery: This weekend will be the last for Baltimoreans to hear the confectioners at The Fudgery sing while turning chocolate at Harborplace. After 33 years inside the Light Street Pavilion, the sweets shop will shutter its doors for good this Sunday, September 9. “Unfortunately, time changes things and there is not enough of our customer base to support a profitable operation,” The Fudgery founder and CEO A.C. Marshall said in a press release. Aside from its house-made fudge and colorful candy apples, The Fudgery will be remembered for being the shop that spawned homegrown R&B sensation Dru Hill—whose members practiced their songs while working there in the early ’90s. While Harborplace has seen many vendors close throughout its ongoing renovation process, new retailers including Build-A-Bear and Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls are planning to set up shop in the development in the coming weeks. 301 Light St.

COMING SOON

Sacré Sucré: It’s no secret that macarons are having a moment, and soon, locals will be able to sample the sweet confections at this new shop in Fells Point. Slated to open later this month, Sacré Sucré (which translates to “sacred sugar” in French) will offer delicate pastries including fluffy eclairs, hand-decorated bonbons, and an array of colorful macarons. Set in the Fleet Street shop that previously housed Baltimore Cakery, the pastry studio will boast a modern design with neon signs, custom wallpaper, and an open kitchen behind a glass display case. 2001 Fleet St, 443-873-0020

The Sweet Greek Grill: This migrating Greek food stand has become known for serving its Old World staples at fairs and festivals throughout the state. And now, The Sweet Greek Grill is settling in to permanent digs in Fallston. The new eatery will be a destination for authentic gyros, spanakopita, loukoumades, and housemade baklava when it cuts the ribbon in the coming weeks. 2735 Fallston Road, Fallston, 443-567-1628

NEWS

Cosima Launches Sunday Brunch: Earlier this month, chef Donna Crivello started serving Sunday brunch at Cosima in Clipper Mill. Just in time for al fresco dining season (the restaurant boasts a picturesque patio overlooking the Jones Falls), the rustic Italian spot is now open for brunch every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Menu highlights include brioche French toast with apple compote and candied bacon, corn pancakes with whipped lemon mascarpone, roasted pork belly with pickled pears, and a Sicilian salad with arugula, oranges, and fennel. Beverage manager Kristen Starks has also dreamed up a bevy of brunch cocktails to help wash down all of the eats. 3000 Falls Road, 443-708-7352

The Emporiyum Takes a Break: Local foodies have made attending this culinary cloud nine—a gathering of regional purveyors selling everything from doughnuts and dumplings to craft beer and bubble tea—a spring tradition since it launched three years ago. But the Emporiyum is going on hiatus this year while co-founder Sue-Jean Chun is on maternity leave. Chun assures that the festival will be back in 2019, and is currently in the process of scouting new locations. “The food talent in Baltimore is endless and we look forward to producing next spring’s event to be the best yet,” she tells us. “We can’t wait to start putting together an amazing roster with new artisans, new products, and standby favorites, too.” 

Cross Street Market Update: As Federal Hill’s Cross Street Market continues to trek forward with its major revitalization plans, vendors are deciding whether to close, relocate, or stay put during construction. Dooby’s sister-spot Sundays Bakehouse will close in the market after this weekend, but hopes to make a return once renovations wrap up in 2019. Soup purveyor Prescription Chicken and Gertie’s Yummy Yogurt Bowls have temporarily moved to the Mount Vernon Marketplace until construction is complete. Head to the Mt. Vernon food hall to sample signature broths including matzo ball and meatless veggie, as well as colorful yogurt bowls topped with fruit, nuts, and granola. Barbecue hotspot Smoke—along with Nick’s Oyster Bar, The Sweet Shoppe, Pretzel Twist, Nunnally Bros. Choice Meats, and Cheese Galore & More—will all remain open at Cross Street throughout the construction process. 1065 S. Charles St. 

Wild Kombucha Debuts New Flavor: Homegrown beverage startup Wild Kombucha has been hard at work on a new flavor that is launching just in time for the warmer temperatures. On Wednesday, April 18, the brand’s new Tart Cherry Ginger kombucha will land in more than 300 retail stores throughout the region, including local Whole Foods and MOM’s Organic Market locations. The new release—made with a fermented green tea base, organic cherries, and ginger juice—comes at a transformative time for the company, which started as a small operation in 2015 and is now expanding distribution to five states from a 4,000-square-foot brewery in Timonium. 

EPICUREAN EVENTS

4/18: Eating From the Foodshed Roundtable at Bird in Hand
If you’re thinking about joining a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program this season, Bird in Hand is hosting a roundtable discussion to explore the benefits of eating local. Listen in as Tamara Todd of Monkton’s Wild Peace Farm, local health and fitness blogger Jess Schreibstein, and Briana White of Woodberry Kitchen discuss the ins and outs of becoming a CSA member. Guests attending the BYOB event will also be able to sign up for the Wild Peace CSA, which will use Bird in Hand as one of its pickup locations this season. 11 E. 33rd, Free, 6 p.m., 410-814-0373

4/9-15: The Verandah Pop-Up at R. House
Head to R. House this week to chow down on Indian street foods from Hampden hotspot The Verandah. The eatery returns to the rotating pop-up space for the second time at the market,  featuring dishes like chicken biryani, samosa chaat, and a classic murgh makhani (butter chicken) platter. 301 W. 29th St. 

SHUT

In Bloom: Once again, changes are on the horizon at this cozy Federal Hill restaurant. Just last summer, husband-and-wife owners Kevin Perry and Cecilia Benalcazar rebranded the spot from Liv2Eat to In Bloom—a concept launched in conjunction with local chef Cyrus Keefer. Keefer backed out of the project last fall, and now, the owners have announced that they are closing the restaurant. “Like with the other ‘non-bar’ establishments, there was just not enough business,” Benalcazar recently told SouthBmore.com. “We are looking to sell.” Although the In Bloom space is on the market, the owners’ next-door cafe Blooming Deli remains open for business. 1444 Light St. 

Cooking has changed a lot over the years—a trendy ingredient here, a futuristic technique there—but throughout the ages, one thing has remained the same: our obsession with the ancient element of fire. Since the dawn of civilization, we’ve been roasting, grilling, and toasting food over an open flame, using its smoke and embers to enhance the flavors of our meals. And while heat has never lost its cool in the kitchen, it’s now gaining newfound favor as chefs get back to the farm-to-table basics.

In Baltimore, most of those fires are ignited by Blue Moon Farms off Liberty Road in Randallstown. At this second-generation firewood business, owner Ben Cole provides fuel to more than 50 of the region’s top restaurants, from Cosima and La Cuchara to Linwoods and Cunningham’s. On any given day, he has multiple piles of oak, hickory, and cherry brought in from the forests of Pennsylvania and Western Maryland that are then split down to size, stacked a story high, and seasoned in the sun until the calls come in from local chefs. When they do, whatever the hour, he hops in his Ford F550 and sets off on deliveries, as early as three in the morning or as late as 11 at night.

The restaurant boom began about three years ago, says Cole, who used to focus on residential firewood, and now, he can barely keep up. These days, whether you’re having pizza at Paulie Gee’s or steak and potatoes at Parts & Labor, there’s a good chance that your dish was kindled by Cole’s woodpile. Luckily, though, he has one diehard employee—his 9-year-old son, Will—who happily helps around the yard. “It’s a family operation,” says Cole with a smile. “He would skip school [to work] if his mother let him.”

---

Caveman 101

Your primitive primer for playing with fire.

All woods are not created equal. Whether it’s oak, cherry, or walnut, each comes with distinct aromas and flavors, as well as densities and moisture levels that effect the output of heat and steam. Heavier woods, such as oak and hickory, are best for rich meats like pork and beef, while lighter woods, such as maple and fruit or nut varietals, lend themselves better to chicken and fish. 

License to Grill

Some local eateries that burn
Blue Moon wood.

Cosima
Mill No. 1, 3000 Falls Rd. 

Cunningham’s 
1 Olympic Pl. 

Gunther & Co.
3650 Toone St. 

Handlebar Café
511 S. Caroline St. 

La Cuchara
3600 Clipper Mill Rd. 

Linwoods
25 Crossroads Dr. 

Minnow
2 E. Wells St. 

Mission BBQ
3701 Boston St. 

Neopol Savory Smokery
529 E. Belvedere Ave. 

Parts & Labor
2600 N. Howard St. 

Paulie Gee’s
3535 Chestnut Ave. 

Rye Street Tavern
225 E. Cromwell St. 

Well Crafted Pizza
Locations vary.

Most drinkers like to pair pastas with a nice red wine, but at restaurants and bars all over town, a new Italian star is on the rise: amaro. Meaning “bitter” in Italian, this herbal liqueur is commonly quaffed as an after-dinner digestif, but it’s also showing up in flights and cocktails at places like W.C. Harlan, Aggio, Gnocco, and Cosima. We talked to Cosima’s beverage director, Kristen Starks about the rise of amaro.

What was your first introduction to amaro?
When I started working at Cosima, we sat down and based our bar program on the food, and amaro seemed like a really great start, since we serve southern Italian cuisine. They gave me room to play—I did a lot of research and found different amari. I was stunned at how complex they were, and I became obsessed with it.

What do you tell customers who haven’t tried it before?
I usually say that it’s a botanical liqueur that is made with roots, bark, citrus peel, and flowers. It started off being used medicinally in the 19th century and is now commonly [enjoyed] after dinner. I try not to start them off with the crazy stuff. When describing the flavor, I use words like potpourri, coffee, and cola, because all of those flavors come through.

Can you talk about some of your favorite amaro varieties?
I really like Montenegro, which is a pretty traditional amaro based out of Bologna. I like the citrus flavor, with some baking spices in there. I offer it to people after dinner and pair it with our cannoli because we have candied orange in the filling and it’s just so good together. I also like Lucano. For people who haven’t had it before, it’s a nice introduction—you can have it with a bit of ginger beer and lime juice. It’s really refreshing.

While it’s ideal for after dinner, you also make great amaro cocktails, right?
Yes, it’s great in cocktails. We have one called Citta Vuota with Dell’Erborista amaro, which has hints of grapefruit peel, cinchona bark, and honey. I pair it with rhubarb tea, honey, Barr Hill gin, grapefruit juice, and a splash of Prosecco.

Why do you think amaro has really taken off in Baltimore?
Its intrigue is part of its appeal. Plus, amaro has a lot of versatility and has a broader spectrum than a lot of liqueurs, so everyone is bound to like one variety or another.

From the moment you reach the top of the cobblestone driveway leading to Cosima, you’ll be charmed. While the approach—a hairpin turn that leads toward the whooshing waters of the Jones Falls—can be harrowing, as you pull into the piazza-like entrance under a string of white lights, you’ll marvel that you’re in Baltimore City, not Sicily.

Set inside an old sailcloth factory in Woodberry’s historic Mill No. 1, Cosima is the newest venture for Donna Crivello (of Donna’s Coffee Bar and Restaurant fame) and Alan Hirsch (co-founder of City Paper). And it is enchanting.

After more than two decades of running cafes, the duo decided it was time to set their sights on a fine-dining restaurant focusing on the Sicilian and Southern Italian foods of Crivello’s Boston childhood, where she cooked with her nonna Cosima.

With exposed stone and brick walls, unique architectural details, and spectacular alfresco dining, the multi-level, 150-seat space is simply stunning. And for a spot that only opened in mid-February, it’s fast falling into the category of destination dining.

I ventured out in early March just a few weeks after it opened. One of my three dining companions was a dear friend, whose birth name is Fortunato and whose grandfather was known to turn over the table if he didn’t like his meal. Fortunato had an instant affinity for the place and welled up while reading over the menu. “Smelts! Like my grandmother and aunt used to make!” he said as he perused the offerings.

Here, you’ll find delectable combinations of salt (capers, anchovies, olives), citrus (blood oranges, lemon), and sweet (figs, raisins, and agrodolce, a thick vinegar sauce). Also on offer are dishes with saffron and cinnamon and ingredients like pine nuts and pomegranate that harken back to eras of Arab, North African, and Greek occupation in Sicily.

---

Insalata di Popli:
Cosima features a number of raw, marinated, and cured crudo dishes, but the grilled baby octopus appetizer—complemented by capers, peppers, and celery and tossed in an anchovy vinaigrette—is incredibly flavorful and a unique take on potato salad.

---

In addition to the basket of fried smelts, calamari, and shrimp—fritto misto di pesce—among our appetizers was a small cast-iron skillet of polpette, mini meatballs swimming in house-made “gravy” topped with ricotta that oozed all over the morsels and provided a cooling counterpoint.

Not to be outdone, an order of the grilled baby octopus crudo was also a clear crowd favorite. Simple and sublime, it sat on a salad composed of potatoes, celery, red peppers, and capers, and arrived tossed in a bright, lemony anchovy vinaigrette.

Though I wasn’t overly eager to order the grilled sardines appetizer, Fortunato insisted. To my delight, they were divine. Imported from Portugal, the richness was tempered by a sweet and tangy caramelized onion agrodolce rife with raisins. Another fish dish, the house special, a whole grilled bronzino served with blood oranges, had potential. Unfortunately, our otherwise wonderful waiter had no idea how to filet a fish. By the time he was done doing battle with the bones, it was lukewarm and a bit of a mangled mess. (Here’s one for the server suggestion box: Unless you are an absolute expert, this is best done behind the scenes.)

You also can’t go wrong with a bowl of the elegant grilled half Maine lobster served over a bed of black cuttlefish ink pasta. Served with a charred tomato and sweet lobster sauce, it was a sophisticated interpretation of Sicilian comfort food.

Despite the fact that we had no room left on the reclaimed wood table, we shared one of three wood-fired pizzas on offer. The genius was in the crust—chewy and charred. Despite the weight of the toppings—in this case, prosciutto, broccoli rabe, Gorgonzola, sweet, chutney-like spicy fig mostarda—it was a gravity-defying marvel and we’re still regretting that we left two pieces on the pan.

Fortunato finished his meal with a glass of amaro liqueur, as we polished off our bottle of Sicilian Nero d’Avola and followed our server’s suggestion to move forward with a basket of sfinci (Sicilian donuts) and a dish of pistachio gelato. “You must be Italian,” joked Fortunato. “Everyone is a little Italian, here,” the server responded. “Mangia. Mangia.” And we obliged.

There’s no need to turn over the table here.

---

COSIMA 3000 Falls Rd., 443-708-7352.
HOURS Sun., Tues.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m.
CUISINE Sicilian/Southern Italian.
PRICES Appetizers: $7-16; entrees: $22-38; desserts: $7-9.
ATMOSPHERE Hip, historic rehab.

On a crisp November day, Donna Crivello is dressed head-to-toe in black—“my uniform,” she calls it—but as she stands in her stunning Canton Cove kitchen, the light streaming through the windows reveals that she’s also lightly coated in a layer of white flour. The dust storm extends to most of the surfaces in her black-lacquered and cream-colored kitchen. For the co-owner of Donna’s Coffee Bar and Restaurant, this is all in a day’s work of testing recipes for her new Southern Italian restaurant Cosima. “My cabinets are covered,” she says, while assembling a fig-and-pear pizza with pomegranate glaze and Gorgonzola. “When I cook, I end up touching every one of my kitchen cabinets.”

Despite the fact that she has forgotten her proper pan in the car and has had to improvise by baking the pizza on the back of a panini press in its place, Crivello’s midday feast seems effortlessly assembled. Food arrives magically, masterfully, and fully formed, as the diminutive dynamo (measuring a mere 5 feet in height) oversees a frittata flecked with fennel, feta, spinach, and tomatoes; browns red potatoes roasted with rosemary and sprinkled with her own blend of salt; and pulls chocolate and hazelnut biscotti out of the oven, all in the name of a “simple lunch.”

Indeed, after standing at the stove for most of her 63 years—24 of them professionally at the helm of 10 or so different Donna’s (she has the burns on her forearms to prove it)—Crivello has left her mark on more than her clothes and cabinets. There’s very little of the landscape Crivello hasn’t touched. And while most who have been in the food industry for that long might dream of slowing down, the restaurateur is just catching her second wind with Cosima. It’s named after her beloved nonna and set inside the historic Mill No. 1, one in a cluster of mid-1800s mill buildings that were once the largest manufacturers of cotton duck and sailcloth in the world.

Back in the dining dark ages, Donna was the first of Charm City’s one-name wonders.

So why, after more than two decades, is the coffeehouse queen charting a new course? “I’ve always wanted to do this kind of restaurant,” says Crivello, who is married to educational consultant Peter Adams. “But I got swept up by the coffee bar/cafe thing. The timing of this just seemed right.”

Back in the dining dark ages—as recently as the early ’80s, that is—before Cindy (Wolf) and Spike (Gjerde)—Donna, who moved from Boston to Baltimore to work as the art director and food stylist for The Baltimore Sun, was the first of Charm City’s one-name wonders. “In Boston, there were these little cafes on every corner, but there was really nothing in Baltimore food-wise,” recalls Crivello. “I thought, ‘I have to do something, somewhere, somehow like that here.’”

The opportunity presented itself when, in 1991, friend and co-worker Elizabeth Large, then-food critic at The Sun, introduced Crivello to Alan Hirsch, a fellow foodie and co-founder of City Paper. “When we met, we couldn’t stop talking about food,” says Crivello. “Alan had the coffee idea. I had the fresh European-style cafe concept where you could have salads and great breads and pastries. We felt like there was this major void to be filled. There was the Bun Penny and that was [about] it.”

Later that year, during a period of mass layoffs, Crivello took a buyout from The Sun, clearing the coast for her and Hirsch to act on their idea. On November 5, 1992, Donna’s opened—all 1,200 square feet of it—inside the Park Plaza Building at 800 N. Charles Street in Mt. Vernon. The menu of Mediterranean fare, designer coffees, and fresh-baked bread served with olive oil for dipping was a novel concept and made the cafe an instant hit in the Mt. Vernon ’hood. “I’m not saying that I brought people out of the depths of culinary ignorance,” says Crivello with a laugh, “but, at the time, there were people who’d never heard of tapenade or focaccia.”

At the same time, Crivello and Co. experienced a learning curve of their own. “We had no idea what we were doing,” she admits, recalling that the space was so tight, that the telephone often fell off the wall into the mixer. “We hired some people to put stenciling on the windows and on that same day, we opened for business.” While Crivello was busy broadening Baltimoreans’ taste buds, behind-the-scenes, the operation was completely seat-of-the-pants. “We didn’t even know we were doing dinner until 5 o’clock on our first night, when a customer asked, ‘Do you do dinner?’” recalls Hirsch. “And Donna’s mother said, ‘Sure, we do dinner,’ so Donna ran down the street and bought some pasta and tomatoes—that’s literally how we started doing dinner.” Chimes in Crivello, “From that point on, it was crazy busy, and people lined up out the door to come in.”

Despite the trial-and-error approach, Donna’s thrived and other locations quickly followed in Towson and Charles Village, as well as outlets inside The Baltimore Museum of Art, University of Maryland Medical Center, and four locations inside Bibelot bookstores. But by the early 2000s, after a string of successes, Bibelot went bankrupt, and Crivello and Hirsch fell on tough times. “It was devastating,” says Hirsch. “We probably should have declared bankruptcy, too.” Another blow to the business was a fire in 2010 that severely damaged the original Mt. Vernon coffee bar. “At the time, we thought we would replace Donna’s with something more ambitious in the same space, but it was too expensive,” says Hirsch. “Cosima is, in part, an outgrowth of the original Donna’s burning down—what we never got to do.”

These days, though only one Donna’s remains, and despite fire and bankruptcy, Crivello has never forgotten why she took to the table in the first place. “I love thinking about food,” she says. “When I was doing the food styling for The Sun, there was something so great about letting food show up on its own—the sun hits a berry that’s wet, the olive oil glistens on a fig. Through it all, I never stopped loving it.”

Though she majored in early childhood education at Boston State College and went on to study graphic design, Crivello fantasized about opening a restaurant. “My mother is a great cook, and she always wanted to have her own cafe called Rosie’s Cafe,” says Crivello. “A space became available in Revere, MA, where I grew up, and she said to my dad, ‘Joe, I want to open my own restaurant,’ but my father said, ‘no,’ so she didn’t do it.”

While her mother’s dreams were dashed, Crivello came to share her mother’s passion for the plate. (In a surprise twist, her dad actually worked as a host at Donna’s Cross Keys and other locations for years, while her mother ran the food and helped in the kitchen.) “I got that gene that my mother has,” says Crivello. “For years, I had wanted to open my own restaurant.”

And although she took a few cooking lessons here and there, most of what she gleaned was from watching her mother and Italian relatives cook in their home kitchens. “I watched my mother make the sauces and the gravy and the meatballs, and my father’s mother, Cosima, always made ravioli on Sundays,” she says. “In my head, I have this image of her going into her bedroom on a Sunday. In a dark room, she kept a white sheet on the bed to spread out rows and rows of these little white pillows of ravioli.”

“She watched closely,” recalls Crivello’s mother, Rosemarie, who has passed along old family recipes like pasta fagioli, braciola, and zeppole for Cosima’s menu. “I guess observing made it all sink in.”

With Cosima, Crivello hopes to make more memorable meals, while also helping to interpret a little-known cuisine. “People don’t really know what true Sicilian food is,” she says. “Even the Sicilians in the U.S. don’t really know. Sicily was invaded and occupied by lots of different cultures from the Greeks and North Africans and Arabs, and everyone who occupied the land brought things that no other parts of Italy seemed to have—the agrodolce [a sweet vinegar sauce], the oranges, lemons, and almonds. I hope I can do it justice.”

“People don’t really know what true Sicilian food is. Even the Sicilians in the U.S. don’t know.”

Clearly, Crivello has what it takes to please even the most discerning critics. “She was one of the few people who wasn’t afraid to cook for the restaurant critic,” says Large. “No one else ever invited me over for dinner. I remember two early meals, in particular. One was a pasta with roasted vegetables over it. I had never had anything like it, and it was delicious. The other was a variation of a classic Italian Christmas Eve dinner, pared down a bit, with guests bringing other dishes. But the fresh salmon, huge shrimp, pasta with a light tomato sauce, great bread—those contributions of hers I still remember.”

In late December, prior to the grand opening, the excitement is palpable. Situated on the backside of Mill No. 1, in an idyllic courtyard that resembles a piazza, with the swift currents of the Jones Falls river passing by, the restaurant’s setting could easily be mistaken for a tiny Italian town. When Hirsch initially saw a photo of the spot, he told their business partner, Judith Golding, (also a partner at Donna’s), “That’s bullshit, it’s been Photoshopped.” Says Hirsch: “I said, ‘I’ve been in Baltimore my whole life. I don’t know this space.’” But when Golding encouraged him to go see it for himself, he was impressed. “It’s magical,” he admits.

As the trio gets ready to open in February, they proudly show off the space that’s a great mix of modern and historic. A steel sculpture over the bar made by Woodberry’s Gutierrez Studios echoes the original steel girders. The brick pizza oven has been retrofitted into the site’s original chimney, and the blend of materials—marble counters and stone floors—mingle marvelously with the historic fieldstone walls. At 5,700 square feet, this is the restaurateur’s largest venture yet. As workers ready the 12-burner range and put the finishing touches on the space, for Crivello, it’s the culmination of a career. “You have this excitement about it,” she says, “but it’s like when you want to have a dinner party and you think it’s a great idea, and there’s 10 minutes to go, and you still haven’t taken a shower.”

Regardless of opening-day jitters, Crivello couldn’t be happier about her new spot. “I can’t imagine what else I would do from here,” she says. “This space has the pizza oven I’ve wanted for years and years. I’m with great people, I’m right on the water, I’m in an old building—just like the first Donna’s in Mt. Vernon, which had old brick, and stone, and the original wood. I’ve come full circle.”