COMING SOON

Bullhead Pit Beef: A new spot to grab pit beef sandwiches on the way to Camden Yards is expected to open inside Cross Street Market before Opening Day. The operation that Bullhead owner Larry Jackson started with a grill and a pickup truck in 2010 has grown to become one of Howard County’s favorite food trucks—frequently stationed at Hysteria Brewing Company in Columbia. Now, Jackson is opening his first brick-and-mortar pit palace inside the newly renovated market in Federal Hill. Expect sandwiches stuffed with classic pit beef, turkey, and requisite horseradish sauce, as well as garlic fries and mac and cheese. Bullhead will add to the Maryland favorites offered at the market, which also features Berger cookies at The Sweet Shoppe, local corn and tomatoes at Rooster & Hen, Taharka Bros. ice cream, and, of course, Royal Farms fried chicken.

Gourmet Girls: Despite the similar names, Owings Mills cafe Gourmet Girls and now-closed Pikesville market Gourmet Again are, in fact, two separate entities. But they will soon share a connection as Gourmet Girls owners Barbara Collurafici and Lisa Honick prepare to take over the former Gourmet Again space on Old Court Road. The expansion will allow for the popular lunch spot to add to its menu, offer customized catering, and restore the neighborhood gathering space that locals frequented before Gourmet Again closed last spring. “It is our hope that we reconnect with old friends, welcome new ones, and host our neighborhood and community,” the owners wrote in a post to Facebook. “We are so grateful to our customers who encouraged growth and always provide support.”

(RE)OPEN

L.P. Steamers: PSA for seafood lovers in Locust Point—this neighborhood landmark is expected to reopen today after being closed for renovations the past two weeks. According to a notice posted on the restaurant’s website, the project ran into a few “unforseen hiccups,” but management has been assured by contractors that they will be cleared to reopen on Thursday, February 20. With warmer weather (hopefully) on the horizon, we’re happy to hear that the go-to for crabs and Crushes is resuming normal business hours.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

2/24: Ambrosia Dinner Series
Ever wonder about the healing properties of mushrooms? At the latest installment of this wellness-focused dinner series—which aims to nourish the mind and body—chef Chris Amendola will prepare plates featuring Lion’s Mane, Oyster, and Shitake mushrooms at his restaurant Foraged in Hampden. While sampling the bites, hear from guest speakers including herbalist Mae Wright of Mission Dispensary Baltimore, Charlotte James of The Sabina Project, and mycologist William Padilla-Brown—who is featured in the new film Fantastic Fungi. The $45 ticket price includes small plates, non-alcoholic herbal beverages, and the chance to win door prizes.

2/26: Origins Speaker Series with Jinji Fraser
It’s only fitting that this recurring food event would focus on chocolate to celebrate the month of love. Cozy up at Artifact Coffee for a post-Valentine’s Day panel discussion in which local chocolate connoisseur Jinji Fraser will chat with Spike Gjerde about the raw cacao products she uses at Pure Chocolate by Jinji in Belvedere Square. As always, the event will feature drinks, appetizers, conversation, and a family-style dinner—which will feature plenty of chocolate this time around.

SHUT

Food Plenty: In a heartfelt message posted online earlier this week, the Marriner family—which operates Victoria Gastro Pub, Manor Hill Brewing, and Manor Hill Tavern in Howard County—announced that they had closed their comfort food concept in Clarksville. The decision came after CFO Rachael Marriner was diagnosed with colon cancer two and a half years ago. Luckily, Rachael has defeated the disease, but the family has shuttered the restaurant in an effort to take a step back: “At the end of Rachael’s two-year fight, we as a family gained a new perspective on life, and more specifically, a need to reduce stress in her and our lives,” the post reads. Though Food Plenty has closed, fans can still savor the Marriners’ dishes at Manor Hill Tavern or Victoria Gastro Pub—which are both going strong.

Though Randy Marriner has looked to expand his restaurant business beyond Howard County in the past, there’s just something about the tight-knit community that keeps drawing him in.

Five years ago, after opening Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia with his wife, Mary, and daughters Rachael and Tori, Marriner started his search in the Annapolis area—but couldn’t find the right spot to open a second location. Later, a real estate partner told him about the plans for Clarksville Commons, an environmentally sustainable, mixed-use center from local developers George and Holly Stone.

“I told him, ‘I can’t do a Victoria Gastro Pub number two in Howard County. That makes no sense,’” Marriner recalls. “And he said, ‘So do something else.’ That got me thinking.”

In keeping with the developers’ green focus (the commons feature solar panels, cisterns for rain water, and a living green wall), the Marriner family dreamed up a comfort food concept that makes use of locally sourced ingredients—some from their 54-acre working farm located 10 minutes away in Ellicott City. That property is also home to the taproom and production facility for the family’s farm brewery, Manor Hill Brewing.

They decided to name the Clarksville restaurant Food Plenty, after an old Windsor Mill farm of the same name that Randy and Mary raised their daughters near. Slated to open in December, the eatery will highlight breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes, Manor Hill brews, and an interior that is meant to pay homage to the Food Plenty property.

Local artist Linda Roberts—Marriner’s former neighbor who still owns the Windsor Mill land—was commissioned to paint a six-foot-tall mural of the Food Plenty grounds that will welcome guests at the entrance of the new restaurant. To further the farm feel, the 280-seat spot will emphasize century-old reclaimed barn wood throughout the interior.

“It’s going to be stunning,” Marriner says of the space. “It really tells the tale.”

Under the helm of corporate executive chef Chad Wells—who oversees restaurant operations for Victoria Gastro Pub and the Marriner’s Ellicott City eatery Manor Hill Tavern—the kitchen will offer all-day service, as well as curbside pickup options.

“The menu won’t have anything out of a bag,” says Marriner, listing offerings like classic fried chicken, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese, and Mary’s banana cream pie. “It’s going to be everyday comfort food, but all made from scratch.”

Food Plenty joins other local food businesses in the mixed-use development, including DIY spot You Pizza (a spinoff of Facci Italian Restaurant in Howard County) and a second location of Elkridge bakery Kupcakes & Co. Although construction saw multiple delays with permitting and county approvals throughout the five-year process, Marriner says he is excited to “sprint toward the finish.”

Next month’s opening comes at a joyous time for the owners, who will celebrate Victoria Gastro Pub’s 10-year anniversary on December 10. They are also planning to expand Manor Hill Brewing’s facility in the coming months. Though details are still in the works, Marriner assures that the expansion will, of course, remain in Howard County.

“We’ve really focused our energies into this one geopolitical universe,” he says of the community. “And the cool thing is, we’re not finished.”