COMING SOON

Aveley Farms Coffee: Come spring, Harbor East locals will have a new spot to get their caffeine fix. Towson native Corey Voelkel is planning to open Aveley Farms Coffee in 2019, offering global grinds and pastries sourced from local purveyors. Inspired by his time living in San Diego, Voelkel wants the space to have a West Coast feel mixed with touches of Baltimore’s old-school industrial charm. “All of the roastery operations will be visible to engage people to ask questions and get involved,” he explains. The 900-square-foot space will feature high ceilings and large warehouse windows overlooking the neighborhood skyline. Aside from highlighting his own blends, Voelkel plans to collaborate with other local roasters including Keffa Coffee downtown. “If you have a high-grade cup of coffee, you can drink it black,” he says. “I really want to build on that and celebrate the coffee scene here.” 1400 Aliceanna St.

Fenwick’s Choice Meats: Cross Street Market regulars were saddened when this longtime butcher closed up shop last spring as the public market began its ongoing renovation process. But now, meat master Henry Reisinger has vowed to reopen his stall this winter. Since debuting in 1952, Fenwick’s has become a go-to for products such as quality lamb chops to house-made brats. In addition to veteran vendors like Fenwick’s and Steve’s Lunch, the reinvigorated market will welcome a batch of new businesses in 2019. Be on the lookout for Sobeachy Haitian Cuisine, Vietnamese soup and sub shop Phubs, and a burger concept from the owners of Southside Diner in Locust Point. 1065 S. Charles St.

OPEN

Poke Bowl: Poke bowls have become all the rage lately, and Federal Hill diners now have a spot to dig in. This new eatery premiered on Light Street last month, offering colorful bowls filled with rice, raw fish, and customizable toppings ranging from kale and kimchi to pineapple and purple cabbage. The spot also specializes in sushi burritos in varieties like the “Salmon Bomb” (salmon, edamame, scallions, and cucumber) and the “Dancing Jack,” filled with tuna, yellowtail, cream cheese, and sweet corn. Owner Yun Jiang also serves the trendy dishes at Poke Bowl locations in Cockeysville, Lutherville, Bel Air, and downtown on North Calvert Street. A sixth shop in Owings Mills is currently in the works. 1040 Light St. 443-759-6229

EPICUREAN EVENTS

11/1-4: International Stout Day at Guinness
Now that the new Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House is up and running in Relay, the global beer behemoth can officially celebrate International Stout Day for the first time on American soil. Head brewer Hollie Stephenson and her team are toasting the holiday with a new beer, Guinness Small Stout, which will debut on tap on Thursday, November 1. At a 4.5-percent ABV, the beer uses a double-mash brewing method and has notes of chocolate and coffee with a tart finish. Throughout the weekend, $1 of all Small Stout sales will be donated to the Maryland Food Bank. 5001 Washington Blvd, Halethorpe, 800-909-2645

11/6: The Outpost Battle Royale Part One
This late-night chef throwdown series kicks off next week at The Outpost American Tavern in Riverside. Outpost chef Jesse Sandlin will welcome Ben Lefenfeld of La Cuchara and Doug Wetzel of Gertrude’s into her kitchen to see whose dishes reign supreme. The event will feature food and half-off drink deals for all hospitality industry professionals. 1032 Riverside Ave., 10 p.m.-12 a.m. 443-388-9113. Free.

SHUT

Boathouse Canton: Canton neighbors took to social media earlier this week to mourn the loss of this waterfront hangout, which has closed for good. Signs posted to its doors Wednesday indicated that the restaurant had shuttered, and thanked all of the “wonderful guests throughout the years.” Management has not yet disclosed the reasons behind the closure. Since the dockside spot opened in the spring of 2014, it became a go-to for seafood specialties, private parties, and neighborhood gatherings. We’ll especially miss the summer afternoons spent sipping Orange Crushes and swaying to live music on the dog-friendly DockBar. 2809 Boston St.

As dawn breaks over 32nd Street on Saturday mornings, Waverly Farmers’ Market vendors set up their booths and prepare to greet the wave of early risers in search of gourmet goods. Though the market sees plenty of new faces from week to week, one patron guaranteed to be there is restaurateur John Shields.

“He’s there every Saturday morning,” says Joan Norman of One Straw Farm in White Hall. “Those are my earliest memories of him. He would come at 7 a.m. and go shopping. And he still does, it hasn’t changed in 15 years.”

As an acclaimed chef, author, and television personality, Shields has become a local celebrity at the market, where he collects the week’s produce for his restaurant Gertrude’s—newly renamed Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen—inside The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA).

“Going to the Waverly market with him is like walking the streets with the Godfather,” says Gertrude’s executive chef Doug Wetzel, who has worked at the restaurant for 11 years. “People are always coming up to say hi and pay their respects.”

Making use of local crops (including chard, cabbage, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers from Norman at One Straw Farm) has been an essential part of Gertrude’s mission since it opened in 1998. Norman credits Shields as being one of the earliest founders of the farm-to-table movement in Baltimore.

“John was doing it for the benefit of his customers,” she says. “He was very proud of Maryland and the heritage of the food that we had here, and he shares that love through his restaurant.”

Now, as it celebrates its 20-year anniversary, Gertrude’s sustainable mantra is still alive and well—though Shields and Wetzel are also making it a priority to change with the times with a revamped menu.

To celebrate the milestone, the spot is hosting a sold-out anniversary party next week featuring live storytelling by its fans including BMA director Chris Bedford, MacArthur genius Joyce Scott, and our own Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.

Additionally, the team will be rolling out a new fall menu inspired by Shields’ latest cookbook The New Chesapeake Kitchen, which compiles healthy recipes that are also environmentally conscious.

“We need to have a whole new look at the way we eat. A lot of the fish that we used to have in the bay aren’t here,” Shields tells us. “Some of the protein is so precious that we can’t eat it the way we used to. Then we have some species that weren’t here before. We have to take a snapshot of now.”

New items will include a crab-artichoke poutine; all-crab cakes that make use of backfin, claw, and jumbo meat; and a take on classic Baltimore coddies that mix potato with salted Blue Channel catfish—an invasive species that eats crab eggs.

“We’re adding a bunch of plant-focused meals,” Wetzel says. “But also really cherishing the Chesapeake classics and making sure we sell what we know everyone likes.”

Throughout the years, weddings and social events on Gertrude’s picturesque patio, which overlooks the BMA Sculpture Garden, have also become popular with the younger generation.

“It’s really a testament to what John started here,” Wetzel says. “We helped showcase some of these recipes that got lost in the history of Chesapeake cuisine, and I think the younger kids like knowing about the older stuff. They seem to like knowing about the history of rockfish imperial and single-fried oysters.”

Norman says that, in addition to the food (she credits Gertrude’s brunch as one of the best she has ever had), the restaurant’s charm lies in its inviting atmosphere.

“There’s a light, happy vibe that is always there—not intrusive or overwhelming,” she says. “It’s a happy place, kind of like John Shields himself.”

For his part, Wetzel has always appreciated that Gertrude’s has broken the mold of the typical museum restaurant, attracting both art and food enthusiasts alike.

“It’s funny. When I first learned it was a museum restaurant, I didn’t want to apply,” Wetzel says. “But I don’t feel like we’re a restaurant in a museum, really. You have this preconceived idea of what that is and then you come here and you’re like, ‘Oh shit. This is just really good food.’”