As part of her morning routine, Old Goucher resident Rebekah Horowitz starts most days with an eight-block walk to Sophomore Coffee.

“It’s such a nice community place to be,” she says. “The coffee is great and I love that [owner] Kris [Fulton] roasts his own coffee, but part of the reason I go is that my dog, Jacques, walks me there. He is also a very big fan of Sophomore.” (This may have something to do with the Milk-Bones they keep in a jar on the counter.) “If they’re closed for some reason, I have to fight him not to walk me there,” she says.

While Sophomore gets plenty of traffic, Horowitz—and her pit bull/dachshund mix—hold the honor of being the cafe’s top customers (this is a measurable metric thanks to a dining app that tracks customer frequency). Horowitz, who works remotely for a public health organization in D.C., sees Sophomore as not only part of her regular ritual but an extension of her wider world.

“The people who work there are lovely and a lot of them live in the neighborhood or close by, so you see people not just at the coffee shop, but at the pool or walking on the street,” she says. “One of the people who used to work there is even my dog sitter now.”

While Jacques always gets a dog treat, Horowitz has small seasonal fluctuations in her order: drip coffee with a splash of milk in the colder months, iced coffee in the warmer ones, and an ice cube in her hot coffee during transitional periods. Sometimes she gets her drinks to go, other times she sits and stays. Her canine GPS leads her there before 8 a.m. most weekdays and a bit later on weekends.

“They know what I’m going to order, and it’s ready for me right away,” say Horowitz. “And the staff knows about my work, they know when I’m out of town for a few days. If I go on vacation, they ask me how it was. Going to Sophomore just feels like I’m not only going and buying something but having a quick little catch-up with my friends—it’s a touchstone.”

In a city that’s fiercely dedicated to its sports teams, quirky traditions, and all things crab, Baltimore’s loyalty extends just as ardently to its coffeehouses, cafes, bars, and other eating and drinking establishments. And at a time when life feels increasingly isolated and automated, being a regular somewhere can offer something essential: a sense of belonging.

With repeated visits, a restaurant staff gets to know patrons’ predilections, drink orders, names of their children and grandchildren, anniversaries and birthdays, and details about their personal and professional lives.

Sophomore owner Kris Fulton first fell in love with hospitality because he liked the relational aspect of the business. In his first hospitality job at 19, he worked at the now-closed City Dock Coffee in Annapolis. The staff there was encouraged to adopt what they called “the Cheers mentality,” where, as the lyrics to the hit TV ’80s sitcom theme song say, “Everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.”

“The idea was that you should know 70 percent of your customers by name or drink order when they walked in,” says Fulton. “Sometimes you’d see people walking down the street coming toward you and present them with their drink before they even got to the register—it made their day.”

Being a regular also offers the opportunity for patrons to connect not only with staff but with one another.

“The fact that we are a small space works in our favor,” says Fulton. “When people take the time to sit and have a coffee here, they’re right next to each other. And if they start a conversation with me behind the counter, they’re basically having a conversation with the room. It’s exciting to see some of those connections happen.”

“GOING TO SOPHOMORE JUST FEELS LIKE I’M HAVING A QUICK LITTLE CATCH-UP WITH MY FRIENDS—IT’S A TOUCHSTONE.”

Coffeehouses as gathering spots is nothing new—the concept dates back as far back as the Ottoman Empire, where people of different social classes could gather for intellectual and often political debate. Taverns as meeting spots dates to ancient Greece and Rome, white-tablecloth restaurants first became hot spots in Paris in the 1700s, dive bars became hangouts in the late 1800s, and diners turned into social hubs after World War II.

Pretty much anywhere food or drink are served have long been places to gather. But wherever people flock, the reason is much the same: Being a regular gives patrons a sense of camaraderie, community, and connection.

Local coffee shop owner Dave Sherman, of Catalog Coffee in Hampden, has witnessed the bonds that form over freddo cappuccinos and sage lattes.

“We have a ton of people that use us as that third space,” he says, explaining how the coffee shop fills the need to congregate outside home or work (in this remote landscape, it sometimes is the office). “And they’re great customers. They come in and they’ll work on their laptop on our two-tops, and then as soon as we start to get busy, they’ll migrate over to our community table, often networking and just building more community. I’ve definitely seen some friendships form between staff and guests and then between the guests themselves—we’ve seen a couple of romantic connections happening, too.”

Gino Cardinale, co-owner of Tark’s Grill & Bar in Lutherville, says that creating connections is part and parcel of owning an eating establishment.

“Restaurants are not just a place to feed yourself and spend money,” he says. “When they’re working, they’re about connecting with people.”

As much as regulars love their roles in restaurants, restaurants need them, too. Regulars are, if you will, the bread and butter of every restaurant—the patrons who a place can reliably count on to fill seats (or barstools). Through thick and thin (to wit: the pandemic), regulars stay loyal to the brand.

“When you open a restaurant, you have to think past the sizzle of a grand opening and [attention] that you’re bound to get in the beginning,” says Cardinale. “If a restaurant doesn’t find a way to connect with its core community in the location that it’s in, they’re not going to make it long term—the flip side of that is that if you do, you can thrive for decades.”

WHEREVER PEOPLE FLOCK, THE REASON IS THE SAME: BEING A REGULAR GIVES PATRONS A SENSE OF CAMARADERIE, COMMUNITY, AND CONNECTION.

If there’s a formula for how to keep them coming, Cardinale seems to have figured it out.

“Running a restaurant is not always about reaching people who’ve never heard of you before, it’s really about connecting with those who already have,” he says. “There’s no better indicator that you’re doing something right in the restaurant business than when people come back time and again. At Tark’s, we have people who come for lunch, and then hours later, they come for dinner all on the same day—and that’s several days a week.”

For dedicated regulars like that, their favorite haunt isn’t just a place where everybody knows their name—it’s a place that feels like home.

About six months or so per year, some two to three nights a week whenever Hampden/Woodberry residents Melanie and Shawn McMahon are in town, they can be found standing—yes, standing—near the window at the zinc bar at Petit Louis Bistro.

The fact that the bar doesn’t have any seating doesn’t stop them from ordering food and drinks. Given that the McMahons both have desk jobs, they prefer to stand while they eat.

“We used to eat at a table but sometime after the pandemic, we planted ourselves in the corner of the bar and never left,” says Melanie with a laugh. “Now, we’re wearing a hole in that corner.”

The McMahons are diehard supporters of the Roland Park restaurant. They dine at Louis so frequently, they know the menu by heart, have befriended (and socialize with) certain staffers, and can cite chapter and verse of every  aspect of the place, including the daily specials and the names of nearly every person on staff.

“We’ve really developed relationships with the staff,” says Shawn. “The staff is the first thing that draws us here—everyone has been lovely to us from the first time we walked in the door and eating here always feels like coming home.”

In fact, when Shawn and Melanie are away for any extended time, or driving back from a long road trip, it’s often their first stop.

“The biggest testament to the place is that we don’t even drive home first when we’ve been away,” says Shawn. “We drive straight to Louis—that’s our welcome back.”

Even when they’re away, in fact, Louis is never far from their thoughts. “When we were in Paris, [maître d’hôtel] Patrick Del Valle arranged for us to have a meal at Chez l’ Ami Louis,” says Melanie. “That’s the restaurant that Petit Louis was based on.”

Fourteen years ago, when the McMahons started patronizing Louis, they first were lured by the wide-ranging French bistro fare.

“It started because we both work full-time and going out to dinner is often an easy solution after a long day of work,” says Melanie. “We have very different taste in food, so we agreed that whenever we couldn’t agree on what to have at home, we’d go to Petit Louis.”

In the early years that meant having dinner there once a week. These days, the legal marketing partner says it’s closer to three times a week and she and Shawn each have their favorite orders.

Shawn likes the salad verte and the Saturday night beef short rib special; Melanie gravitates to the steak tartare, a Monday night special, and the gravlax appetizer.  He drinks Tito’s with muddled lime, followed by a glass of Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhône; she gets a glass of Champagne or Pinot Noir. If friends join them, they’ll make an exception, grab a table, and order the whole roasted chicken.

“We’ve been eating there for so long, and know the menu so well, that Patrick has joked he’s going to give me the test he gives to new servers to see if I could pass,” says Melanie.

What motivates them to go there now has become something deeper. “For us, Petit Louis is not a just a place eat dinner,” says Melanie. “We’ve really developed relationships with the staff. Going there feels more like visiting family.”

Like the McMahons, John Groopman and his wife, Hilary, have formed deep friendships as dining devotees of La Cuchara in Hampden-Woodberry.*

“We have a standing Sunday night reservation there,” says Groopman, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “We can’t think of a better way to start the week.”

The married couple has been eating at the Basque-inspired restaurant ever since it opened in a historic mill in 2015.

“We’ve known [co-owners] Jake, Ben, and Amy for quite a while,” says Groopman. “We were there in the first or second week after they opened. In the early years, we’d sit at the bar and have pinxtos and we’d go not because we knew a lot about Basque Country cooking but because it was just a wonderful setting and we got to know a lot of people who work there—and we still do.”

Sunday also happens to be half-price wine night—never a bad thing—and they always sit at table 40 toward the back of the restaurant, near the heart of the flaming asador that’s loaded with grilled meat and seafood. The restaurant has also been woven into the fabric of their post-Thanksgiving tradition—they now dine with their whole extended family there.

Though they’ve eaten their way through most of the menu, John and Hilary have their favorite dishes, of course. “If Ben is making tuna-stuffed piquillo peppers, that’s an essential, the shrimp a la planxta and the mussels are always a winner, and the dayboat scallops are pretty good,” he says. “And we always order the chorizo Manchego pintxos.”

Being an insider has its advantages, too. “When the kitchen is experimenting, we get to taste stuff, too,” he says.  “And going to La Cuchara inspired us to visit San Sebastian and learn much about enjoying the wines of Spain.”

The Groopmans have gotten so close with the owners, they’ve even invited them to dinner in their own home, where they were the ones doing the cooking.

Like the Groopmans, Horowitz has found a sense of kindship thanks to her routine rounds.

“Kris and I do a lot of chatting inside and outside Sophomore,” she says. “We run in a lot of the same spaces and same circles.”

In November, Fulton was invited to celebrate Jacques’ “barkmitzvah.” Because Jacques is such a fixture, for a long time, he was even the Wi-Fi password for the cafe.

“People would stop me on the street and say hi to him because they recognized him from his picture on the sign with the coffee shop’s password,” says Horowitz, laughing.

Horowitz considers being a regular a vital part—and perk—of urban living.

“Having that routine is a special part of living in the city,” she says. “People talk a lot about how a city is anonymous, because so many people live there places like Sophomore remind us how much of a community we are living in. Baltimore’s a very livable city, so it’s a real opportunity to be in the big city, but not at all be anonymous.”

*Editor’s Note: As of online publication in early January, La Cuchara was closed indefinitely in the wake of a fire that originated in the building’s ventilation system. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

While La Cuchara chef-owner Ben Lefenfeld is exhausted from working long days, he’s grateful to be busy. “We’re all tired from carrying lots of heavy things and large batches of food,” he says, “but we’re also really happy to have something to do.”

As restaurateurs reinvent their business models, Lefenfeld, along with his wife, Amy, and brother, Jake, have decided to broaden their Basque Country-focused concept and offer prepared foods spanning the globe, from peanut noodles to spicy coconut curry. They have also launched a virtual grocery store featuring basic, but now sometimes hard-to-find, grocery items like sugar, yeast, fresh garlic, and even toilet paper and latex gloves. This week, says Lefenfeld, “We are adding a bunch of seeds to our list, including some heirloom tomato seeds.”

When there is downtime, he and Amy go mushroom hunting with their bull mastiff, Bella, and binge watch FX Networks’ Baskets. “Revamping our business model has had me using the Peloton even less than I usually do because I’m so exhausted,” says Lefenfeld. “I keep telling my parents I’m going to drop it off for them at their house in Columbia.”

Why did you decide to reinvent your business model this way?
The first week-and-a-half to two weeks, we operated with to-go food that was normal La Cuchara food, but I’m not happy with how La Cuchara food travels. When you’re talking about croquettes and things coming off the wood grill, it’s not conducive to being brought home. That was coupled with some of our guests asking for toilet paper, flour, and other items that we don’t typically sell, but we are doing it because these are good clientele trying to support us. We basically sat down and said, ‘We’ve identified that there’s a need in the immediate community for people to go out and procure basic staples,’ and we needed to rethink our business model, including the markup. We wanted to make sure that we weren’t charging a luxury price for the curbside pickup but adding it as a resource instead.

So how is the new model supporting your staff?
We are trying to keep people employed. All the orders have a 10-percent gratuity added. Since day one that’s been going to our hourly staff, along with a percentage of gift card sales, so up until this point we’ve been able to pay our hourly staff a fairly decent wage. In the first four weeks, we distributed $25,000 to hourly staff members.

“At a place like La Cuchara, where the happy hour is very popular and people like to crowd around the bar, we don’t even know if there’s still going to be a desire for that experience.” —Ben Lefenfeld

What does it feel like to walk into the restaurant without guests or most of your staff?
Just to set ourselves up for this, we’ve had to move refrigeration around. We’ve had to come up with a whole system of how we pack bags and we’re truly shocked at how many [regulars] order from us—people with the same first and last name who order on the same day. It has been extremely complicated and outside of our wheelhouse, so we’ve had to figure out ways to double check ourselves and make sure we are accurate.

What will La Cuchara look like when things reopen?
The biggest question is what the rules will be when we are allowed to reopen, because at a place like La Cuchara, where something like the happy hour is very popular and people like to crowd around the bar, we are not going to be able to offer that experience. We don’t know if there’s even going to be a desire for that experience. When we are allowed to reopen, we might continue to do a partial marketplace, so people have that as a resource. It just depends on what is needed at the time.

How are you staying inspired as a chef?
It’s a guilty pleasure being able to cook whatever food I want. That is the one thing that is keeping me going at this point, figuring out what comfort food to make and being able to run with it and offer it at an affordable price. I’ve made jerk chicken and tamales. This week we’ll have lobster bisque and smoked duck breast. It has been fun to look through cookbooks.

Any suggestions for the home cook on getting inspired?

I love going on the internet and researching dishes. Say you want to make tamales, like we are making this week. There are so many different approaches to every dish. You don’t need to stick to one recipe, although you do need to be cognizant of how combining different components can impact the final outcome. But it’s really important to do research and have fun with it and get different perspectives on how to approach a different dish.

“A lot of daily life revolves around the dinner table, but that dinner table isn’t always at your house.”

What items should everyone have in their pantry?
Pasta and rice because they’re so versatile. You should have great olive oil, and I love to have conservas (tinned fish) at my house. I just ordered anchovies for myself from Despaña in New York, though they’re pretty pricey. Whether you’re getting anchovies or mussels in escabeche, it’s all shelf stable, fished at the peak of its freshness, and sustainable. And it’s super high-quality if you’re buying the right stuff.

It’s ironic that your last new concept, The Hot Dry, which closed in October, was centered around the food of the Hubei province of China, which is where Wuhan is located.
It’s just a crazy, crazy coincidence, and it would have been tough to operate a restaurant inspired by the Wuhan region of China throughout this pandemic. It was expensive to get out of that lease when we did and we did pay a lot of money to get out of it, but it would have been really hard to try to operate another set of staff.

“It’s just a crazy, crazy coincidence, and it would have been tough to operate a restaurant inspired by the Wuhan region of China throughout this pandemic.”

What changes need to happen in hospitality?
There needs to be a rethinking of the labor model, meaning revenues need to be distributed more evenly between the front-of-house and back-of-house staff. Tips would not be accepted but prices would have to go up—that’s just one way it could be attacked. Some restaurants have been doing it for a while now, but we are not in a position to be able to do it. Still, it’s something that’s important to the industry.

Also, across the board, restaurants need to try to focus on the needs of their community, rather than the dream of what the owner-chef wants to cook. Just because you specialize in Mediterranean cuisine or have a fancy restaurant, you might not be in a situation or a demographic that really values that.

Are you thinking about what will be on La Cuchara’s menu when you reopen? I’ve been doing lots of research and there are a lot of things in the pipeline. I’m starting to work on testing here, but for the most part, I’m just really excited to get the staff and guests back in here, whom we miss.

“Across the board, restaurants need to try to focus on the needs of their community, rather than the dream of what the owner-chef wants to cook.”

Why do restaurants matter?
Restaurants are really special gathering places in people’s lives to celebrate, and also where they go to unwind and commiserate. A lot of daily life revolves around the dinner table, but that dinner table isn’t always at your house. Every morning I still walk in, turn the lights on, and look at the 86 board [items that have sold out] expecting that there will be things crossed off from the night before. It’s one of those things you can’t shake.

What do you think Baltimore’s culinary landscape will look like post-pandemic?
Out of the Great Depression came The New Deal and a lot of innovation, this is something that my wife Amy has brought up several times. I think that out of the coronavirus you’re going to see a little bit of a renaissance, not just in the restaurant, but in industries across the board. You’re going to see people thinking about different ways to approach the business of owning a restaurant and it’s going to change the overall landscape for the better.

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.

Last week, many area restaurants quickly responded to the COVID-19 crisis, taking precautionary measures by increasing sanitation efforts, printing disposable menus, sanitizing surfaces, and distancing tables.

As concern heightened throughout the weekend, some restaurants announced voluntary closures, including Fells Point businesses Max’s Taphouse, Kooper’s Tavern, and The Horse You Came in On Saloon.

Tony Foreman, whose Foreman Wolf Restaurant Group owns Charleston, Petit Louis, Cinghiale, Bar Vasquez, and Johnny’s, says there was a major downturn in diners over the weekend.

“Saturday night was fine, but you could feel it coming,” he says. “On a typical Sunday at Johnny’s we do 150 to 180 dinners. Last night we did 35.”

And then today, the hammer dropped.

While many restaurants continued to weigh what to do, Governor Larry Hogan ordered the closing of all Maryland bars and restaurants by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 16 to slow the spread of COVID-19. The deadly virus has wreaked havoc on businesses across the state—and nowhere is this more acutely felt than in the restaurant industry, a business based on social contact.

According to figures from Resy, a national reservation platform for higher-end restaurants, as of last Wednesday business was down by 20 percent across the United States from a year ago, by 30 percent in New York City, and as much as 60 percent in Seattle, with the highest reported number of cases and deaths in the country.

At his press conference Monday morning, the governor said the unprecedented steps “may seem scary,” continuing that the state has never faced anything like this before. “This is going to be much worse than anyone is understanding,” Hogan said.

Hogan is allowing for area businesses to stay open for delivery and curbside takeout. Many restaurants have been making the switch in the past few days, including The Corner Pantry, Foraged, Baby’s on Fire, Bon Fresco, Nepenthe Brewing Co., R. House, Stone Mill Bakery and Cafe, Orto, Sobo Market, and Clavel, which is offering its signature dishes along with special batches of spicy mezcalitas to-go.

In Little Italy, Aldo’s chef/owner Sergio Vitale is leading the charge with a new website for patrons to get food delivery and curbside pickup from neighborhood favorites including Aldo’s, Café Gia, La Scala, and Lew Gambino’s.

“Gia [Fracassetti] and I came up with this in response to these challenging times,” says Vitale, who points out that his full menu will be available to patrons. “My own father, chef Aldo, is 75 years old and at risk. We must all do our part to mitigate and combat the spread of COVID-19.” Vitale also points out that purchasing online gift cards to Little Italy restaurants is “another way to support the businesses you love.”

Even restaurants that don’t usually do a big takeout service are encouraging diners to place orders and pick them up curbside. All Foreman Wolf restaurants, with the exception of Charleston, for instance, will offer takeout, as well as delivery services at their Bin 201 and Bin 604 wine shops in Annapolis and Harbor East.

Josh and Stephanie Hershkovitz, the siblings who own Hersh’s in South Baltimore, embraced the carry-out only model over the weekend, even before Hogan’s mandate.

“It was a difficult decision to close,” said Josh, in a lengthy email filled with emotion. “At the end of the day, we both feel that if you believe in the human endeavor of science, you have to live by the practices that bear the best results, with respect to pandemic mitigation.”

This past Friday evening, Hersh’s saw a packed house and hosted a rehearsal dinner in the upstairs dining room.

“This crazy night filled us with joy at our restaurants’ impact on our community, but also a sense of dread as we watched folks waiting for tables, reaching over each other to get drinks, and rubbing up against each other as servers walked by them to get food to tables,” Josh added. “It was this packed night that steeled our resolve and made us commit to closing. We put so much love into our food and our hospitality that we have no doubt that our customers will see this move out of love, as well.”

At La Cuchara in Hampden, chef/co-owner Ben Lefenfeld said he and his team spent the whole morning preparing to shut down well before the governor made his announcement.

“I think that Governor Hogan is doing the right thing,” Lefenfeld says. “As a business owner, it was tough to figure out what to do. I’m glad we finally got some guidance.”

On a good day, the service industry operates on razor-thin margins. As workers scramble to make a living, employers are no doubt facing the tough decisions of laying off staff.

Alex Smith, president of Atlas Restaurant Group, concurs with Lefenfeld. “I agree the governor made the right decision for everybody,” he says, adding that his restaurants tried to stay open as long as possible to support their hourly employees, who rely on a base wage and tips from customers. “As a business with 1200 employees we can’t afford to pay all of them without revenue coming in.”

Lefenfeld adds that he and his team are weighing whether or not they will be open for carry-out next week, but for now they are selling gift cards.

“Twenty-five percent of the sale of the gift cards is going to our staff,” he says. “We are doing all that we can to keep people afloat.”

With regard to his 60 employees, Lefenfeld says that he is attempting to not let anyone go. “Everyone is using paid time off and we are hoping to pay our salaried employees through this entire ordeal,” he adds.

The Hershkovitz’s are trying to create other employment opportunities for their team.

“Being creative, we’ve come with several options for each staff member, from temporary unemployment to being part of our carry out/delivery operation to working at our father’s supermarket, which has no lack of positions for folks interested in working,” says Josh. “We have predicted our temporary closure will last about two weeks, but we will monitor the situation as it progresses.”

Though many chefs and restaurateurs are working diligently to secure employment for their staff, there is still a fear that some might not survive an indefinite shutdown: “This will close a lot of restaurants,” Foreman says. “A lot of places won’t be able to sustain this.”

Adds Smith, “It’s going to hurt.”

While the impact will be felt for some time to come, Lefenfeld points out that Charm City is uniquely resilient.

“The Baltimore restaurant community is a pretty tight-knit group,” he says. “People will rally, not just around the restaurants, but all of the small businesses in the city and support each other.”

NEWS

Arba Set to Close Inside R. House: After three years, Arba Mediterranean—one of the original vendors on R. House’s opening roster—is set to close for good inside the food hall on November 26. “It was very special to be a part of the opening of this place,” chef Farid Salloum said in a statement. Luckily, Salloum’s South Baltimore flagship Baba’s Mediterranean Kitchen will remain open for diners to get their fix of shawarma, falafel, fresh-baked pita, and delicious dips. Come December, the Arba stall will transform into a yet-to-be-announced concept from a new owner. Stay tuned for more details.

Jason Hisley Returning to Food Network: Baltimore baker Jason Hisley took to social media earlier this week to announce his return to Food Network this holiday season. Loyalists know the owner of Cake by Jason as a previous winner of nationally televised competitions including Cupcake Wars and Cake Hunters. On December 1, he will appear on the network’s Holiday Wars, a four-episode competition that pits teams against one another in a series of festive baking challenges. We’ll be rooting for Hisley, hoping he brings the $25,000 grand prize—and massive bragging rights—back to Baltimore.

OPEN

Chopt: A number of trendy fast-casual chains have made their way to the area in the past few years, and this DIY salad spot has followed the pack with five locations scattered throughout Maryland. The latest opened in Annapolis earlier this week, offering the brand’s massive salads and bowls made with customizable add-ins and scratch-made dressings. (Think “Moroccan Market” or “Kebab Cobb” varieties.) Stationed at the Festival at Riva shopping center, the 66-seat eatery pays homage to its location with maritime-themed decor. Here’s hoping the brand continues its expansion—next time a bit further north toward Charm City.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

11/03: TasteBuds: A Snack Food & CBD Festival
Coming to Maryland for the first time ever, the TasteBuds Snack Food & CBD Festival is creating a special day of munchies, music, and CBD education at Power Plant Live. From 1-6 p.m., more than 15 local food trucks will be combining the best snack foods with gourmet dishes—including a dipping fountain station with chocolate, nacho cheese, ranch, and cream cheese frosting. There will also be live music by Badfish with special guest Howi of Ballyhoo, Twinkie and Flaming Hot Cheeto-eating contests, and snacks galore.

11/5: Tacos, Etc.
If you’ve been meaning to advance your taco-making skills past the boxed hard shell kits you buy from the grocery store, this special Schola cooking class is a great opportunity to delve into the many facets of the savory dish. Guests will discover the vastness of traditional Mexican delicacy by crafting tacos filled with fried fish, beef tongue, a variety of salsas, and other toppings.

SHUT

The Hot Dry: It’s only been two months since the team behind La Cuchara transformed their former Riverside restaurant Minnow into this spot honoring the Hubei region of Central China. Just as diners began to see The Hot Dry find its footing—serving up soup dumplings, barbecue buns, and spicy Mala Chicken—it shuttered suddenly earlier this week. Chef/co-owner Ben Lefenfeld confirmed the closure to Baltimore, adding that though the team loved making the food and serving diners who came to enjoy, the concept was not “financially viable.” There’s no word yet what will take over the spot on the bottom floor of the 2 East Wells apartment complex, which now has two vacant restaurant spaces after the closure of Baltimore Soup Company many months ago.

*Additional reporting by Emily Kunisch.

When one door closes, another one opens. Such is the case for the Lefenfeld family (including brothers Jake and Ben, as well as Ben’s wife, Amy), who closed their seafood spot Minnow in South Baltimore last week. Just seven days later, they reopened the space as a new Asian street food-inspired eatery called The Hot Dry.

The menu focuses on the Hubei region of Central China, and specifically the city of Wuhan—where “hot dry noodles” made with Sichuan peppercorns are revered. In addition to two types of noodles, featured offerings include scratch-made soup dumplings, pickled vegetables, and chicken with chilis and peppercorns. Minnow chef Sarah Murray is staying on, though noticeable changes include a new mural, additional high-top tables, and a lower price point—with dumplings for as little as $5. “This is the concept I’ve been wanting to do for years,” says Ben, whose family is also the team behind La Cuchara in Woodberry. “This is kind of food that I love and that I grew up eating in Columbia.”

We sat down with the chef to talk more about the inspiration behind the concept, the importance of culinary authenticity, and his love of noodles.

Why did you decide to open up an Asian street food spot?
When I was growing up, Columbia had a lot of chain restaurants and ethnic restaurants—and it was the Asian restaurants that had the best food in town. In particular, I love noodles. When I go to different cities, I look for soup dumplings at the hole-in-the-wall places. As a kid, I loved going to Chinatown in New York and trying out tons of them.

Why did you decide to open The Hot Dry now?
I started doing research for this menu and concept a couple of years ago. I would have opened this instead of Minnow had I been prepared, but I didn’t feel confident in terms of the research I had done and my familiarity I had with the cuisine at that time.

Your chef C.V. includes stints at Asian restaurants after graduating from culinary school. What did you learn from those gigs?
They were both Asian fusion spots—I learned the wok. I learned how to work with ginger and how to toast chili peppers, how to toast garlic and flavor the oil before sautéing it. I learned how to cook eggs in a wok…I was exposed to a lot of beautiful flavors.

Why did you pick this specific region of China to focus on?
I didn’t want to cherry-pick across this massive continent. Instead, I wanted to focus on a specific region to have that North Star direction and spirit for specific dishes, though we are by no means calling this authentic cuisine.

Recently, there’s been a lot of backlash about Caucasian chefs appropriating Asian flavors and opening Asian restaurants. What’s your response to that and is it something you thought about prior to opening?
It’s a double-edged sword to focus on a specific cuisine because the questions that come up are, “Did you grow up there?” and “How long did you train there?”—which are completely fair if it’s within the context of authentic cuisine. But that’s not what we’re going for here. There’s a lot of eloquence on both sides of this debate, but at the end of the day, I think people should be able to cook whatever they like—as long as they have respect for the journey, they are sourcing correctly and developing correct techniques, and they are doing it with respect for the cuisine, I don’t see a conflict. That said, I do plan on traveling to the region within the next few months.

We know that you recently went to Peter Chang’s Mama Chang in Fairfax, VA, to break bread—we mean, eat noodles—with Ekiben owner Steve Chu and Leandro Lagera, co-founder of the Chinatown Collective and Charm City Night Market. What was the purpose of the meal?
I wanted to learn more about the issues involved with this controversy. I learned that we need to be ourselves with this. If you’re cooking food that you love and trying to do due diligence and learn the history of the cuisine, while not calling it authentic, that’s what it comes down to.

Where did the name of the restaurant come from?
Hot dry noodles separate themselves from other noodles in the country in that they’re not served in broth. The noodles are tossed with hot oil and they’re fun because they can be garnished with lots of different ingredients—ours have black and white sesame seeds, cilantro, and pickled cabbage on the side. There’s a secondary reason for the name, as well. The food is hot, and you get that drying sensation from the Sichuan peppercorns.

Tell us about the menu.
We’re doing noodles, alkaline noodles, knife-cut noodles, three types of dumplings, chilled vegetable salads, and other dishes that don’t involve noodles like twice-cooked pork with Pixian chili paste and dry pot chicken with potato, coriander, and cabbage.

Will there be changes to the bar program, as well?
We’ve added some cooling drinks to the program. Our bar program was already pretty fun, but we’ve featured a larger selection of white wines with a higher amount of the residual sugar to work well with the spice. One drink that Jake put on the menu has almond milk as its base. It’s absolutely delicious and cools the burn as you’re eating the spicy food. We also have a couple of large format cocktails for the table. There’s one called, “This Drink Sucks,” its vacuum-infused whiskey with black tea.

What about sourcing?
We’re making our own lye solution for the alkaline noodles. We are importing Pixian chili paste from Pixia and also using imported fermented bean paste. The cabbage, green beans, and cucumbers for the chilled dishes are all from local farms.

OPEN

Bon Fresco: This homegrown coffee-and-carb chain—which has shops scattered everywhere from Columbia to Beltsville—opened its first Baltimore location in the Inner Harbor last week. Dooby’s owner Phil Han, whose father-in-law founded the chain in 2008, is spearheading the new shop between Pratt and Lombard streets. His team will follow Bon Fresco’s recipes, highlighting stuffed sandwiches on house-baked ciabatta rolls. (Standouts include the Tuscan Chicken with grilled veggies and famous London Broil topped with red onions and dijonaise.) In addition, the cafe offers breakfast sandwiches, salads, soups, DIY grain bowls, house pastries, and tons of coffee drinks.

Bentley’s Restaurant, Bar, and Lounge: Adding to Charm City’s recent jazz renaissance is this new restaurant and live music venue in Mt. Vernon. On the heels of Keystone Korner’s debut in Harbor East, Bentley’s is now officially open on Antique Row—offering a comfort food menu and weekly jazz, soul, and R&B performances. Diners can tap their feet along to the live soundtrack while enjoying dishes such as beef brisket in a red-wine demi glace, filet mignon topped with crabmeat, and crispy skin salmon with sweet potato mash. Bar snacks include Old Bay wings, peach-glazed shrimp, and Baja fish tacos.

DAYTIME DINING:

Noona’s: Speaking of Han, his pizza spot in Bolton Hill is now open for lunch. As MICA students and faculty return to the neighborhood for the fall semester, the restaurant is now open at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Friday. To accommodate those with limited lunch breaks, Noona’s will feature pub-style service during the day (diners pay at the bar and have their food brought to them) with featured dishes including the house burger, a tomato and mozzarella sandwich, and a farro grain bowl with soft boiled egg and late-summer herbs and veggies.

Topside: Hotel Revival’s rooftop restaurant is also launching daytime service this fall. Beginning Thursday, September 19, Topside will open from 7-10:30 a.m. for breakfast and then reopen from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for lunch. Executive chef Scott Hines’ breakfast menu will include egg white frittatas and grilled French toast with chantilly cream, while the lunch lineup will feature classic Maryland crab soup and an ancient grains salad with pickled fennel. The first day of the new service just so happens to coincide with Moveable Feast’s Dining Out for Life fundraiser, which donates 25 percent of proceeds from participating restaurants to feeding locals in need.

COMING SOON

Roll Ice Cream & Coffee: Great news for sweet tooth fiends in Mt. Vernon. Highlandtown staple Roll Ice Cream & Coffee is bringing its customizable confections to the neighborhood with a new stall at Mount Vernon Marketplace. Opening on Saturday, August 31, the spot will offer its made-to-order treats that freeze a liquid ice cream base on a subzero plate before mixing in toppings and rolling it up in a cup or waffle taco. Although add-ins can be mixed and matched, co-owners Jason Werner and Jessica Reyes also offer house creations like the popular “Couch Surfer”—which tops a chocolate base with potato chips and caramel popcorn. In keeping with the local feel, the owners also collaborate with area purveyors like Wight Tea Co. and Ceremony Coffee to create their matcha and coffee flavors. Stop by the grand opening from 2-6 p.m. this weekend to sample signature ice cream concoctions and coffee drinks offered exclusively for the grand opening.

Heritage Smokehouse: Industry insiders know George Marsh as the former head chef and butcher at Parts & Labor in Remington, where he specialized in whole-animal butchery and supplied cuts to sister restaurants (including Woodberry Kitchen) and customers in the retail shop up front. “A lot of people are uncomfortable if their meat doesn’t come in a little shrink-wrapped Styrofoam thing,” Marsh told us back in 2016. “I want people to connect with it, see it, get used to it, get comfortable with it. Everyone’s gotten so desensitized to what meat is and what it looks like.” Now, the chef is bringing those philosophies to a new spot of his own. Slated to open in the former home of Murphy’s Bar in Govans by the end of the year, the York Road restaurant will offer smoked meats, locally sourced sides, and a family-friendly setting with arcade games.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

8/30-9/1: Water Song Pop-Up at R. House
Head to R. House sometime during the long Labor Day weekend to get a taste of Yunnan, China by way of Remington. Water Song will be setting up shop in the food hall’s rotating pop-up stall to serve authentic Mixian rice noodles in a tasty broth with pickled mustard greens, a touch of meat, and lots of chili oil.

SHUT:

Minnow: Last weekend, brothers Ben and Jake Lefenfeld served their last orders of crab toast and crispy tofu at this nautical-themed restaurant in Riverside. Open since May 2017, the La Cuchara sister-spot became known for its fish dishes and weekend drag brunches. Although regulars are sad to see Minnow go, the owners aren’t going anywhere. They recently decided it was time for a change and are planning to reopen the restaurant as a new concept called The Hot Dry this weekend. Stay tuned for more details and an exclusive interview with the Lefenfeld brothers on our Local Flavor Live podcast.

OPEN

Gangster Vegan Organics: A franchise of Gangster Vegan Organics will open in Cross Street Market on August 23. The menu will include items that are organic, unprocessed, raw, soy, and gluten-free. The spot is owned by husband-wife duo, James and Taneea Yarborough. Taneea is a survivor of ovarian cancer who switched to a plant-based diet as part of her wellness regime.

FOOD NEWS

Ekiben Pop-Up at Fadensonnen: Steve Chu and his business partner Ephrem Abibe at Ekiben are launching a new Taiwanese noodle bar pop-up at Lane Harlan’s Fadensonnen in Old Goucher every Wednesday, for the next six weeks. The new project is called Ojichan, which means grandad in Japanese. Look for handmade wheat noodles with ground pork, scallions, and soy egg. The noodles are served cold to retain their bouncy texture and served with a warm broth. “Ephrem and I had a hankering for the super bouncy noodles we had in Taiwan, but couldn’t find in America, so we decided to make them,” said Chu on his Instagram page. The announcement of the pop-up led one Instagrammer to comment, “You guys are public servants.”

New Beer Garden: A beer garden is planned for the 108-year-old American Ice Building at 2100 West Franklin Street in West Baltimore. The space will include an events area and art hub under a proposed $18.7 million project, according to the Baltimore Business Journal. “It is a diamond in the rough,” Washington D.C. developer Ilay Alter recently told the BBJ. Alter has partnered with local developer Bill Struever who has rehabbed many area industrial sites including the Woodberry-Hampden area of Baltimore, where Woodberry Kitchen is now located. Alter opened a similar such space the Dacha Beer Garden on a vacant lot in D.C.’s Adams Morgan neighborhood in 2013.

Tapas Teatro: The beloved tapas spot in Station North is undergoing a renovation. A new bar area will create more space for a communal table, larger parties, and a new look.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

7/25: La Cuchara Farm Dinner with the Maryland Farmers Market Association and Hex Ferments

La Cuchara is hosting a farmer’s market dinner in conjunction with the Maryland Farmers Market Association and Hex Ferments on Sunday, from 5-8 p.m. Dinner will include a map of the Saturday and Sunday Baltimore farmers markets showing where some of the ingredients for the meal are sourced from. Hex Ferments will provide cocktail pairings and a portion of proceeds will support the Maryland Market Money program, which provides matching dollars to low-income families who use their benefit at area farmers markets.

7/25: Col Bol Pop-Up at Grind House Juice Bar

Chef Carleen Goodridge of Le Monade will host a pop up called Col Bol, which means “cold bowl.” The event will take place this Sunday at 11 a.m. at Grind House Juice Bar on Saint Paul’s Street. Carleen is honoring her Liberian heritage with dishes like eggplant stew and cassava leaf and plantain porridge.

7/29: Chez Hugo Collaborates with Sacré Sucré

Chez Hugo Bistro will collaborate with Sacré Sucré pastry studio for a six-course tasting menu with all things sweet and savory. Each kitchen will present three courses. Look for dishes such as a blackberry crisp tuile with buckwheat cream, candied beets, and preserved summer fruit and fromage blanc and corn cheesecake with cornbread crumbs, pepper jam, fermented honey, and glazed fresh corn. The cost of the tasting menu is $50. The event runs from 7-9 p.m.

Happy Birthday to You!

Area restaurants celebrate big numbers.

City Café turns 25 on Sept. 4.

The Helmand turns 30 this fall.

Mt. Washington Tavern kicks off its 40 years in business celebration this November.

OPEN

Little Fig Bakeshop: This passion project from chef Melanie Molinaro can now be found inside Stall 11 at R. House in Remington. The plant-based baking business, which began as an ode to Molinaro’s late grandmother, now fills a huge display case inside Stall 11 with everything from vegan cookies and muffins to scratch-made pop tarts and Meyer lemon bars. Little Fig favorites include a chickun-and-waffles donut and custom cakes that are dairy and soy free. The baked goods will be available Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. until sellout. 301 W. 29th St.

Blue Dog BBQ Co.: Barbecue buffs Sean Stoll, Jon Royce, and Mike Neall are preparing to officially debut their new pit palace during lunch service on Friday, October 19. Set in the former home of Heavy Seas Alehouse in Little Italy’s historic Tank Factory Building, this is the first brick-and-mortar space for the company (not to be confused with the other barbecue joint Blue Pit) and will offer eats like pulled pork shoulder, spare ribs, chicken wings, and locally sourced sausages from Kevin McCormick of High Noon BBQ. All meats are prepared in a wood smoker that is stationed in the building’s adjacent courtyard. “Somebody shows up at midnight the day before to light the fire and start smoking the meats,” Royce says. “We’re not using gas, so we can’t just set it and forget it.” The eatery will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. 1300 Bank St.

MOM’s Bakeshop: Speaking of baked goods, this cafe adjacent to MOM’s Organic Market in Timonium also made its debut earlier this week. The sister-concept will bake all of its own breads using heirloom grains, and use them for an array of vegan and vegetarian sandwiches like a portobello muffaletta, chipotle roasted vegetable panini, and jackfruit barbecue roll. Before grabbing groceries from the market, satisfy hunger pangs with the hearty sandwiches, as well as raw juices, kombucha, soups, and scratch-baked muffins. 20 W. Ridgely Rd., Timonium. 443-921-1390

COMING SOON

AJ’s Deli: Though the official grand opening party for this modern delicatessen inside Mount Vernon Marketplace isn’t slated until early November, owner Alan Morstein is looking forward to debuting in soft-opening mode this Friday, October 19. The stall will harken back to a deli that Morstein, who formerly owned Regi’s American Bistro in Federal Hill, operated in Ocean City more than 35 years ago. But this time around, he is offering updated versions of the classic sandwiches and sides. “It’s part of this new wave of delis,” Morstein says. “It’s not like what my parents used to take me to, and it’s not like what I used to take my kids to. It’s where my kids are taking me now. It’s a whole different style.”

Dishes to look out for include Regi’s famous cranberry chicken salad, potato latkes instead of French fries, and tuna and egg salad made with avocado as a substitute for mayonnaise. There will also be brisket and turkey carved in-house, and bagels brought in from Davidovich Bakery in New York City. Equipped with eight bar seats, a 42-inch flat screen, and a modern-industrial design, the stall will open in the former home of Edible Favors, which recently relocated to another space inside the food hall. 520 Park Ave.

Clean Juice: Locust Point neighbors will soon be able to grab fresh-pressed juices, açaí bowls, and smoothies at McHenry Row. Come January, former NFL safety Anthony Walters and his wife, Kait, will open the first Maryland franchise of this North Carolina-based juice bar inside the mixed-use development. “I first became familiar with McHenry Row while working as in intern with Under Armour,” Walters said in a press release. “I hope people will visit us before and after work, for lunch, and after a fitness session at the local gyms.” Set in the former home of Ruby 8 Noodles & Sushi, the shop will be open all day and highlight customizable fruits, vegetables, honeys, oils, and seeds for the smoothies and bowls. 1702 Whetstone Way

EPICUREAN EVENTS

10/19: Maryland Food Truck Week Kickoff
Dozens of local kitchens-on-wheels are gearing up for the return of Maryland Food Truck Week, which will run from October 19-28 with planned rallies everywhere from Arbutus to Elkridge. The festivities will officially kick off with a free foodie festival at South Point in Port Covington this Friday. Grab a drink and enjoy live music while sampling noshes from The Green Bowl, Kommie Pig, Dizzy Cow Pizzeria, Mexican on the Run, Bistro Lunch Box, Farm to Charm, and Quinn’s Ice. 101 W. Cromwell St. Free. 5-9 p.m.

10/20 & 10/27: Fall Festival at Rye Street Tavern
Rye Street Tavern is welcoming the chilly temperatures accordingly with an all-ages fall festival on its waterfront lawn. Moms and dads are invited to sip whiskey cocktails at the outdoor bar while watching kiddos paint their own pumpkins, jump over hay bales, and dance to live music. Grilled hamburgers and hot dogs will be available throughout the day, and, if you stick around for dinner, try out the restaurant’s new seasonal menu featuring butternut squash lasagna, stout-braised short ribs, and bacon-wrapped rainbow trout. 13 Rye St. Free. 12-5 p.m. 443-662-8000.

10/21: La Cuchara Evenings at the Farm Dinner
Special guest Amy Langrehr of Charm City Cook will be joining chef Ben Lefenfeld for La Cuchara’s final farm dinner of the season. Make your way to the picturesque Zahradka Farms in Essex to enjoy a family-style outdoor meal cooked over an open flame. Special dishes incorporating Zahradka produce will include roasted carrots with chevre, wilted kale with burnt oranges and pumpkin vinaigrette, smoked pork shanks with sauerkraut, and turnip cake with salted-caramel buttercream. 2300 Golupski Rd., Essex. 4 p.m. $73

EAT

Sept. 2: La Tomatina Tomato Fight & Festival

La Cuchara. 3600 Clipper Mill Rd. 1-8 p.m. Free. $18-20 fee for tomato fight.

On the list of ingredients that are synonymous with Maryland summer, tomatoes rank pretty high. This weekend, Basque-inspired favorite La Cuchara is devoting an entire festival to the ripe fruits while they’re still in season. Spend your Sunday sipping Bloody Marys, trying your luck in a tomato-eating contest and tomato-toss games, and partaking in the restaurant’s second annual La Tomatina fight to benefit local youth development program Baltimore SquashWise. Throw on a pair of goggles and pelt the plump fruits at friends and neighbors in the massive tomato war—which mimics the annual end-of-summer ritual in Buñol, Spain. Spectators can enjoy Union Craft beers, Spanish wines, $1 oysters, and signature pintxos (small bites) while watching all of the action from the sidelines.

DRINK

Aug. 30-Sept. 2: Space Camp at The Elk Room

The Elk Room. 1010 Fleet St. 4 p.m.-2 a.m.

Everyone once in a while, The Elk Room in Harbor East likes to shed its swanky speakeasy vibe and switch things up with a pop-up theme. (Who could forget when the cocktail bar transformed into an ’80s ski lodge last winter? Or the SoCal Summer-inspired menu a few months back?) This time around, the spot is running with a space camp theme—featuring a galaxy-inspired food menu and live DJ spinning synth tunes all weekend long. Of course, the drink options will also be out of this world. Bar manager Andrew Nichols has crafted a special selection of cocktails based on how he thinks each planet would taste. Make your way through the solar system with options like “Uranus” (Maker’s 46 Bourbon, blueberry, beet, wildflower honey, horseradish, and saline) and “Mars,” which mixes aperol with Peychaud’s bitters, yellow chartreuse, and sour watermelon. Space suits and alien costumes are encouraged.

SEE

Aug. 30-Sept. 2: Baltimore Art, Antique, and Jewelry Show

Baltimore Convention Center. 1 W. Pratt St. Times vary. $20

If you’re looking for an indoor activity to escape the heat (and predicted scattered storms) this weekend, spend some time strolling around Maryland’s largest antique event. The 38th annual bazaar is a Labor Day Weekend tradition for local dealers and collectors, showcasing more than 200,000 individual pieces from as far as Italy, England, China, and Japan. Highlights to look out for this year will include the iconic Norman Rockwell painting “Boy Graduate” and a vintage Bally Quarter slot machine dating back to 1941. Plus, there will be more than 30 top silver specialists, luxury watches and rings on display from local jeweler Samuelson’s Diamonds, botanical-themed porcelain works by Boston-based artist Katherine Houston, and the return of the captivating Booth Talk series—which allows visitors to hear many of the artists address overarching topics that inspire their work.

HEAR

Sept. 1: The Love Boat Yacht Rock Tribute

Union Collective. 1700 W. 41 St. 5-10 p.m. Free.

Union Craft Brewing is waving goodbye to summer in style this Saturday. Beginning at 1 p.m., the brewery is bringing back its second-annual Fiesta Del Sol—an end-of-season soiree featuring tacos and Micheladas from Clavel, The Charmery’s icy paletas (popsicles), music spun by DJ James Nasty, and plenty of baby pools and sprinklers for cooling off. But it wouldn’t be a proper summer sendoff without a live yacht rock soundtrack to sway to. After the party, stick around to hear The Love Boat—a smooth rock tribute band made up of musicians from local greats Psycho Killers, The Bridge, Electric Love Machine, and Yellow Dubmarine, with special guest vocalist Ms. Sara. Sip a cold one and enjoy the chill sounds (think the likes of Toto and Steely Dan) as the sun sets over Hampden.

DO

Aug. 31: Baltimore Bike Party Purple Friday Ride

St. Mary’s Park. 600 N. Paca St. 6:30-11:30 p.m. Free

In Baltimore, one of the few upsides to saying sayonara to beach trips and snowball weather is the return of the Ravens. And since we’re now well into preseason, this Friday is officially an occasion to paint the town purple. Don your most festive football attire for this evening bike ride around the city that will descend into M&T Bank Stadium for an after party with cold beers and a custom photo booth by Side A Photography. As an added bonus, for the first time ever WTMD will be broadcasting a special Baltimore Bike Party playlist throughout the night, so that participants tuning in via the station’s mobile app can jam out together while pedaling through the streets.

EAT

Aug. 19: La Cuchara Evenings at the Farm

The Zahradka Farm, 2300 Golupski Rd., Essex, 5-9 p.m. $73.80.

Spanish staple La Cuchara took “farm-to-table” to a whole new level in June when it brought its cuisine and its customers from table to farm at the debut of their outdoor dinner series. This Sunday, join chef Ben Lefenfeld for the second installment of this unique dining experience as he prepares a fresh-off-the-farm meal, including dishes such as whole roasted lamb with lemon and cherry tomatoes, grilled sweet potatoes with charred herb salsa, and carrot zucchini cake with coconut buttercream. Soak up the late-summer weather, witness Lefenfeld’s mastery as he cooks over an open flame, and enjoy fresh produce from the evening’s host, the Zahradka Farm in Baltimore County.

DRINK

Aug. 18: St. Patrick Swayze Day

Frazier’s on the Avenue, 917 W. 37th St. 6-11 p.m. Free.

On what would have been his 66th birthday, celebrate the life and legacy of iconic actor Patrick Swayze at Hampden’s beloved neighborhood dive. During this national holiday, toss back themed drinks like the Dirty Dancing watermelon bomb or the Red Dawn shot (a dangerously delicious concoction of Jägermeister, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice) but make sure to balance out the booze with Swayze-specific sustenance, like the towering Road House cheeseburger, topped with an onion ring and a fried egg. With screenings of three of his classic films and free gifts for the first 25 people who arrive in attire dedicated to the ’80s heartthrob, Frazier’s first annual tribute event is sure to be the time of your life.

SEE

Aug. 17: The Medicine Show

The Arena Players, 801 McCulloh St. 7-11 p.m. Free.

Last year, the Red Bull Amaphiko Festival came to Baltimore to give some of the city’s most promising artists and entrepreneurs the “wings” they needed to let their talents fly. This weekend, the festival is back with a series of creative lectures, innovation workshops, and collaborative classes, including this intimate evening of storytelling and art, hosted by local businesswoman and social innovator Michelle Antoinette Nelson, aka Love the Poet. At this historic theater, hear the stories of the local entrepreneurs behind media platform Roots & Raíces, urban florist Tha Flower Factory, and refugee-run co-op Mera Kitchen Collective as told through local artists such as soul singer Joy Postell, rapper Eze Jackson, and spoken word artist Kondwani Fidel at this historic theater.

HEAR

Aug. 18: Hot August Music Festival

Oregon Ridge Park, 13401 Beaver Dam Rd., Cockeysville, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Free-$199.

When the mercury climbs, that means it’s almost time to head to Cockeysville to celebrate the end of summer with the beloved Hot August outdoor music festival. This year, the event will be headlines by Americana rock septet The Revivalists and modern bluegrass folk-rock masters Trampled By Turtles, followed by other fiery acts including Baltimore artists such as roots king Cris Jacobs, fingerpicking pros The Dirty Grass Players, and Talking Heads tribute group Psycho Killers, plus national talents like rising blues star The Marcus King Band, cricket-player-turned-reggae-star Omari Banks, and bluesy rock powerhouse Nikki Hill. For one hot August night, dance the heat away to a full afternoon and evening genre-spanning tunes.

DO

Aug. 18-19: Feast of St. Gabriel Italian Festival

St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, 227 S. Exeter St. Sat. 12-8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $1.

This weekend, bring la famiglia to this annual outdoor festival that celebrates Baltimore’s vibrant Italian community right on the streets of Little Italy. Outside of St. Leo’s Catholic church, taste classic Boot Country fare like meatballs, calzones, and cannolis, cool off with classic Italian vinos, and cheer on the participants at the highly anticipated Roma sausage-eating contest. Stroll alongside Sunday’s lively parade, peruse booths full of arts, crafts, and games, and even take selfies with costumed Roman gladiators. Italian or not, everyone is welcome at this traditional family-friendly street festival that dates back to 1928.

There’s something special about sharing a meal beyond the four walls of a restaurant. Sure, we love a sun-drenched dining room or spacious outdoor patio this time of year. But for diners who are craving even more of a change of scenery, the local food scene is offering plenty of ways to enjoy a top-notch culinary experience while also connecting with nature.

This week alone, Ampersea in Fells Point is hosting a wine-and-charcuterie tasting on its patio followed by a boat cruise aboard the Lady Maryland and City Seeds is throwing an outdoor Dinner in the Woods at Patapsco Valley State Park.

“We really wanted to give our guests the opportunity to just take a deep breath,” says Deborah Haust, vice president of culinary enterprises at Humanim, the umbrella company for City Seeds. “Something where they could really leave their day behind and remove themselves from the bustle of the city.”

The outdoor dinner will be the first of its kind for City Seeds, a culinary organization that employs residents with barriers to entry—including those who were formerly incarcerated or lack a high school degree—to prepare meals for catering clients in its commercial kitchen.

Located just 25 minutes outside of downtown, the five-course meal prepared by chef Aharon Denrich will feature seasonal dishes such as sweet pea gazpacho, a local heirloom tomato salad, roasted squash with quinoa and goat cheese, confit chicken leg, and a watermelon poke bowl, all served with worldly wine pairings.

“The chefs and all of our cooks will be right there preparing the food on site,” Haust says of the rural setting. “So everyone will be so closely connected, not just to the food, but to our social impact. You’re going to see what City Seeds is actually trying to do, all while enjoying the meal.”

Fostering connection is also a goal for chef Ben Lefenfeld of La Cuchara, who is prepping for the second installment of the restaurant’s Farm Dinner series at The Zahradka Farm in Essex later in the month.

“It’s important for people to visit the farms that their food is coming from,” he says. “Lots of us go out to different restaurants and see the names of farms and suppliers on the back of the menus, but this is a great way to put a face to the name.”

Though Lefenfeld is used to working with wood in the kitchen of his Meadow Mill restaurant, he admits that cooking over an open flame at the farm took some trial and error. At the first installment in June, the family-style menu featured a whole-roasted lamb cooked on a vertical cross.

“At the farm, you’re working with a lot of indirect heat,” he says. “And you need to deal with the wind, so if that changes you might need to bring the lamb around to the other side of the fire to make sure you’re getting the right amount of heat on it. It’s a really long, but interesting cooking process overall.”

Another technique that Lefenfeld relies on while cooking outdoors is using a plancha—a thick, steel grill typically used in Spanish cuisine. For this week’s dinner, the chef will be using the tool to sear comté, a soft cow’s milk cheese, and a sourdough pumpernickel beet bread made by La Cuchara’s head baker Carrie Goltra. There will also be roasted zucchini with a tomato and charred herb salsa, as well as a corn panna cotta made with Zahradka’s bicolor sweet corn.

Perhaps the best part about these dining events set in unconventional places is that they have the potential to extend past the summer. Haust says that she hopes to make the City Seeds dinners quarterly, activating other spaces including Humanim’s headquarters inside the American Brewery building and the Remington warehouse that houses Brick + Board—a sister organization that reclaims wood from vacant city homes.

“Chefs get great exposure in the typical restaurant space because the public can go there any time,” she says. “But there are some very talented chefs that work for catering businesses and institutions like universities and hospitals who don’t get the same recognition. This is a great opportunity to showcase the people who work behind the scenes.”

For Lefenfeld, whose series will continue at Zahradka into the fall, the event is a way to encourage diners to break out of their comfort zone and explore produce grown beyond city limits.

“On one hand, it’s about having a great evening,” he says. “But it’s also about letting people know that these places are not that far. There are lots of hidden experiences that are just outside of the city.”

Spring is finally making its debut in Baltimore—with flowery buds blooming on trees and neighbors venturing out to sit on their stoops. With that also comes fresh area produce and the use of herbaceous and fruity local ingredients on cocktail menus around town.

“A lot of what we do with cocktails here is fun and quirky anyway,” says Jake Lefenfeld, co-owner of Minnow in Riverside. “But spring is that great time to get locally sourced carrots and beautiful fruits like huckleberries.”

Minnow’s new spring cocktail menu, which launches on Monday, include drinks on the entire color spectrum including Through the Looking Glass, a gin martini with lychee pearls infused with a bright, naturally blue butterfly pea extract.

“We were lucky enough to work in the McCormick science lab to test what products we could infuse that would still hold up their forms,” Lefenfeld says. “You’ve got to fail at eight different things before you get it to work. My goal was to use something natural to achieve a beautiful color.”

Natural ingredients are also highlighted on the new, John Waters-inspired menu at R. Bar, which uses titles from the filmmakers’ irreverent portfolio as inspiration.

“We’re finally getting the fresh things that are locally produced,” says R. Bar manager Amie Ward. “You’re looking at more greenery and herbs; berries start to get on the radar. Any opportunity I have to sneak in carrot juice or snap peas into cocktails, I’ll take it.”

One way Ward’s staff is sneaking in those vegetables in is through the Suspicious Scotty Barnhill (based off a character in Serial Mom), which uses Barr Hill Gin, Mastiha Greek Liqueur, carrot juice from R. House’s Stall 11, and Shrub District Celery.

“At first, you wouldn’t think all those ingredients would pair well together except if you were a health nut,” Ward says. “But it’s delicious! People say it’s a great Bloody Mary substitute.”

An ode to Female Trouble, the Trouble Maker cocktail also uses stall ingredients—in this case, matcha tea, from Ground & Griddled—to compliment the funky notes of Paranubes Oaxacan Rum, herbaceous honey-thyme flavor of Vecchio Amaro del Capo, and lemon.

NEWS

B. Doughnut: The local doughnut scene has taken diners on a bit of a rollercoaster ride lately. A number of beloved bakeshops have opened, closed, popped-up, and switched locations more times than we can count. And when this Hampden favorite—famous for its signature everything bagel-doughnut hybrid—moved to Leesburg, Virginia in 2016, foodies certainly felt the loss. But now, owners Brian and Pin Chanthapanya are bringing back their fan-favorite flavors for a recurring weekend pop-up inside Mount Vernon Marketplace. Pinch Dumplings will offer the doughnuts every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until sellout. Aside from the savory bagel varieties, be on the lookout for sweet flavors including vanilla bean, lemon curd, coconut-glazed, and the “Homer”—named after the famous cartoon patriarch and dipped in pink glaze with rainbow sprinkles. Pinch Dumplings, 520 Park Ave., 667-309-3445.

Häagen Dazs: This week’s abnormal spike in temperatures had everyone jonesin’ for an ice cream cone. But, for now, Harbor East diners will have to look elsewhere, as this token dessert destination in the neighborhood is currently closed for renovations. Atlas Restaurant Group is overseeing a complete redesign of the shop, whose original decor is more than a decade old. The management team plans for the revamp to reflect the advancements of the Harbor East community, and expects the store to reopen in mid-April—just in time for more warm weather. 685 S. President St, 410-605-2950

OPEN

Three New Dining Concepts Land at BWI: Baltimore Washington Thurgood-Marshall International Airport has seriously upped its food game lately. And this month, three new eateries have joined the many local spinoffs and enticing chains that the airport has to offer. Travelers can now chow down on Mexican street cuisine at La Carnita on Concourse D, soft-serve ice cream and sweet breakfast treats at Sweet Jesus on Concourse C, and classic burgers and shakes at Urban Burger at the Main Terminal.  410-859-7111.

COMING SOON

Noona’s: Husband-and-wife duo Phil and Jennifer Han—who own Dooby’s and Sugarvale in Mt. Vernon and Sundays in Federal Hill—have plans to expand their Charm City footprint with a pizzeria in Midtown near the University of Baltimore campus later this year. According to liquor board documents, the spot inside The Fitzgerald Building is expected to serve an array of pizzas, sandwiches, and small plates accompanied by cocktails and local beer. Stay tuned for more details. 1203 W. Mt. Royal Ave.

Suspended Brewing: After a successful liquor board hearing last week, this highly anticipated Pigtown brewery has finally set a grand opening date for Saturday, March 3. The brand’s sustainable mindset will shine through with elements like repurposed furniture and ecologically conscious brewing equipment. Head to the taproom on opening day to sample unique releases including the New England-style Dirty Washes IPA, and Sour Persian conditioned with Iranian barberries. 912 Washington Blvd.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

2/22: Holy Frijoles Grand Reopening
Hampden locals were devastated when this Tex-Mex mainstay suffered an electrical fire in 2016. Luckily, owner Geoffrey Danek was able to bounce back and reopen the restaurant a few months ago—but he never really got a chance to celebrate. Now, the team is officially toasting the redesigned space with an all-day bash featuring $3 Mexican drafts, hourly food and drink deals, a tequila wheel of speicals, live music by The Busted Boots and DJ Pancakes, and, of course, plenty of Pinball machines. The party just so happens to coincide with National Margarita Day, which means there will also be $2 margs poured at the bar all day long. 908 W. 36th St., 11 a.m., 410-235-2326

2/22: The Txoko Experience Screening and Tasting
La Cuchara and The Parkway Theatre are teaming up to present this special evening celebrating Basque culture. Partake in a screening of The Txoko Experience—a documentary about the gastronomic societies that feature cuisine from the Basque region—and a Q&A with the screenwriter and director before enjoying a reception with passed bites from La Cuchara. The Parkway Theatre, 3 W. North Ave., 7 p.m., $35.

2/26: A Winter’s Night in Hungary
You might know Craig Falk as the chef behind The Lunchbox Lady’s signature sandwiches and salads. But next week, he is switching things up to host a Hungarian pop-up at Wet City inspired by his heritage. (Falk’s Hungarian grandmother is even flying in from Michigan to help him prepare.) Warm up with traditional dishes including Liptauer cheese spread on toasted marble rye, stuffed cabbage topped with tomato sauce, classic chicken paprikash, and a seven-layer chocolate crepe cake with caramel sauce. Wet City, 223 W. Chase St., 5 p.m., 443-873-6699

2/27: Ekiben x Clavel Mexican + Asian Steamed Bun Pop-Up

This Tuesday, ditch the brown bag and head to Ekiben in Fells Point for this epic Asian and Mexican collaboration. The team from Clavel in Remington will be stopping by to whip up a one-day-only lunch menu of soft steamed buns that fuse both restaurants’ signature flavors. Ekiben, 1622 Eastern Ave., 11 a.m.- 3:30 p.m., 410-558-1914

Goodbye rainbow, hello black. From charcoal-activated brownies to squid-ink stained pasta and blood sausage, inky-toned fare is the latest trend to hit area restaurants.

“The black food trend started because of earthy umami flavors that have been reintegrated into the current culinary scene,” says La Cuchara executive chef/co-owner Ben Lefenfeld. “Think truffles, nori, fermented garlic, squid ink, charcoal, boudin noir [blood sausage]—all are ancient flavors representative of artisan small-batch production and preservation of different food products.” Of course, the color black (or, if you want to get technical, the lack of color) also offers dramatic visual appeal. “It looks really cool in high-resolution photography,” says Lefenfeld.

Here’s a peek at some of the area’s hottest dark-hued edibles.

The Golden Egg | La Cuchara

The Dark Night Cocktail | Minnow

The L.D.E. Dry-Aged Burger | Minnow

Squid Ink Spaghetti | Cinghiale

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.

Australian millionaire and real-estate mogul Tim Gurner recently shared some words of wisdom with millennials who are struggling to save for a home: Stop buying artisanal avocado toast. It seems like a piece of sage advice to the aspiring homeowner. Then again, Gurner never had the crisped-up creations with roasted tomato vinaigrette at Jake and Ben Lefenfeld’s Minnow. If he had, he’d understand that renting has its merits.

In addition to the avocado toast, everything about this place is well worth the investment. The fare, prepared by former Foreman Wolf cook and Culinary Institute of America grad Drew Lesoveck, is high-quality, well-priced, and fuss-free. Situated in trendy Riverside, Minnow acts as a neighborhood place (we love that Jake, who lives within walking distance, knows the name of every dog who sniffs the sidewalk), but it’s also destination dining as good, or even better, than many fine-dining spots in the city.

The nautical theme is in full force here with bait-fish lures set inside recycled sardine tins from La Cuchara (the owners’ sister spot), fish-print pillows, and marine-blue touches—all of which invoke a modern-day Maryland seafood house. It’s a motif that could easily become kitschy or overdone, but remains tasteful here.

The highly approachable menu, with just the right amount of starters (“Smalls”), entrees (“Biggies”), and sides, practices similar restraint. Minnow’s menu is heavy on simple seafood preparations, though, surprisingly, you’ll also find several stellar vegetarian items, including a black bean burger with shredded beets and a flatbread festooned with lavender, asparagus, chevre, and zucchini.

Minnow offers a familiar take on seafood favorites, but they’re done in a new way. Case in point: Another toast-forward offering is the crab toast—a fresh approach to a crab salad sandwich. It features an oversized scoop of Maryland’s finest jumbo lump perched on a house-made slab of buttery brioche toast drizzled with a classic creamy Green Goddess dressing and served alongside a grilled plum tomato.

Other seafood stars include the best mussels I’ve ever had (and a ridiculous bargain for $5 at the daily happy hour). Sourced from Prince Edward Island, served in a ceramic white bowl, and swimming in a simple sauce of white wine, roasted garlic slices, and parsley, they were so tender they slid straight out of the shell with little to no nudging. A pile of first-rate frites, dressed in garlic aioli and plopped on top, were equally irresistible.

---

Crispy Tofu
In a sea of seafood, the crispy tofu seems like a menu anomaly and is easy enough to overlook. Go ahead and get it. It has been soaked in soy, garlic, shallots, and sesame oil for 36 hours, and is a great prelude to the menu’s proteins. 

---

My dining companion and I also enjoyed the shrimp ceviche starter—a meltingly tender affair (soaked in lemon, lime, and orange juices) that seems to evaporate on the tongue and was accompanied by house-made chips for scooping.

Our “Biggies,” included a first-rate plate of Baltimore coddies—two patties made of blended roasted potatoes and cod—that offered a bit of nostalgia with a modern twist. This version is prettily presented atop a bed of sauteed spinach and pea shoots, and basks in a citrusy and sweet orange beurre blanc.

Though instinct would tell you to stick with the treasures of the sea, the non-seafood entrees—including the tomato bisque with grilled raclette on house-made sourdough bread and a killer fried chicken with crunchy pickled cabbage and blue-corn waffles (the smell will make you salivate as you walk in the front door)—are eminently satisfying, too.

In keeping with the casualness of the place, the waitstaff is pleasantly low-key. Over the course of several visits, our servers were helpful without hovering and seemed well-versed on dish details.

The beverage program, overseen by Lefenfeld, is similarly stalwart. Cheekily named rum-, whiskey-, and bourbon-based cocktails are $10 a pop and perfectly put together. (F* That’s Delicious—with Bulleit Bourbon, amaro, and cava—lives up to its name.) And if you don’t mind a bit of restaurant rubbernecking, consider a trendy Old Fashioned that gets smoked tableside.

There’s also a reasonably priced list of local beers and Mediterranean wines. In fact, at $8 a glass for a Spanish rose, you can order the $7 avocado toast and likely still afford a down payment on that one-bedroom loft in Riverside.

 EAT

September 3: La Cuchara’s Tomatina Battle & Food Festival

La Cuchara, 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Ste. 125, 1-6 p.m., $15 entry fee for tomato fight.

It’s been two years since La Cuchara first brought the Spanish and French flavors of the Basque region to Woodberry—gracing us with everything from pintxos and prosecco pairings to charred meats and calcots (grilled green onions native to the Catalan). Now, the restaurant is continuing that authenticity by putting its own spin on La Tomatina—an annual end-of-summer festival held in Buñol, Spain in which revelers pack the streets to partake in a massive tomato fight. This weekend, throw on a pair of goggles and pelt the ripe fruits at friends and neighbors in La Cuchara’s inaugural tomato battle benefitting local youth development program Baltimore SquashWise. Of course, no party is complete without eats and drinks, and there will be plenty of options from local favorites Blue Pit BBQ, Ekiben, The Local Oyster, and Union Craft Brewing. Plus, D.C.-based folk rocker Tomas Pagan Motta will be on hand to provide the soundtrack for the afternoon.

 DRINK

September 2: Labor Day Par-tay at Hysteria Brewing Company

Hysteria Brewing Company, 9570 Berger Road, Columbia, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Free

Hysteria Brewing got off to a good start with a grand opening soiree over Fourth of July weekend, and now it’s closing out the summer in a similar fashion—with a full-blown Labor Day bash. Not only will the party toast the debut of the brewery’s new experimental series (and a few fresh batches), but it will also celebrate the brand-new 1624 Corn Whiskey from next-door neighbors Lost Ark Distilling Company. Head to the steampunk-themed taproom to explore whiskey and beer collaborations, sip Hysteria signatures (think the Idle Hands Sour Cherry Tripel, Yellow Sudmarine Hefeweizen, and Trash Panda IPA), and sample from limited-release firkins. All the while, line your stomach with food truck fare from River House Pizza Company and Anegada Delights Caribbean Cuisine. The all-day event will also feature unplugged sets from local duo Acoustic Wheelhouse and Americana jams from Columbia rockers Artistic Differences.

 SEE

September 2: 10th Annual DIY Fest

St. John’s Church, 2640 St. Paul St., 12-6 p.m., Free

Nowadays it seems like everything taps into the DIY trend. But we can’t forget that Baltimore DIY Fest was teaching locals how to take charge of tasks long before Pinterest came around. Now in its 10th year, the hands-on festival returns to St. John’s Church with upward of 15 free workshops exploring everything from vegan cooking to independent filmmaking. Learn how to plant fruit trees with The Baltimore Orchard Project, paint selfie portraits with local artist Katia Baskina, repair a bike tire with Baltimore Bicycle Works, make your own ’zine with local storyteller A. Jarrell Hayes, and more. In keeping with the event’s innovative spirit, there will also be scratch-made goods and gifts for sale by more than 25 area artisans. Following the festival, head to Baltimore Free Farm in Hampden to dance the night away at an after-party featuring the sounds of local surf rockers The Flying Faders and new-wave group PLRLS.

 HEAR

September 1: Friends Records Presents: Wing Dam, Spaceface, Natural Velvet

Current Space, 421 N. Howard St., 7-11 p.m., $10

There’s just something about the energy of a show under the stars. As the end of summer officially nears, soak up every second at this outdoor performance in the parking lot of downtown arts venue Current Space—where Friends Records label mates Spaceface, Wing Dam, and Natural Velvet will take the stage. The show doubles as a release party for Spaceface’s new LP “Sun Kids,” a model showcase of the band’s psychedelic style led by the dreamy vocals of Flaming Lips guitarist Jake Ingalls. Local post-punk rockers Natural Velvet—with their powerful lyrics and thundering sound—are also not to be missed, along with a closing set from alt-rockers Wing Dam, who return to Charm City after touring the country this past year. With plenty of rosé, cocktails, and $2 cans of Natty Boh at the bar, we can’t think of a better way to say goodbye to summer.

 DO

September 2: Charles Street 12

The Shops at Kenilworth, 800 Kenilworth Drive, Towson, 7:30 a.m., $85-90

Though to some it might seem sacrilegious to rise at the crack of dawn on a Saturday (especially during a three-day weekend), hundreds of runners will be up bright and early this weekend for this annual race down historic Charles Street. This year, the run returns with a new route that descends into Under Armour’s global headquarters at Tide Point Waterfront Park in South Baltimore. Curate the perfect playlist and lace up your running shoes to hit the pavement while taking in some of the city’s most beautiful sights along the way. Afterward, treat yourself to snacks from Upslide Down Dave and Wolo food trucks, as well as local libations from the likes of Charm City Meadworks and Key Brewing at Under Armour’s post-race party. 

The La Cuchara team—Ben Lefenfeld, his wife, Amy, and brother, Jake, are putting the finishing touches on their new casual seafood spot in the Riverside Park area of Federal Hill at 2 E. Wells Street.

Set to open within the first week of May, the team is hoping that Minnow will contribute something new to Baltimore’s exploding scene.

“Lately, there have been very large, fine-dining restaurants opening, but we wanted to take a different path as far as location and as far as style of food,” explains Ben, who will remain at La Cuchara but oversee operations at the new venture. “There’s a lot of fast casual that’s been going in and also high-end dining—we’re trying to fill the void between the two.”

Chef Drew Lesoveck, former brewmaster at Union Craft Brewing, will oversee a menu of simply prepared large and small plates, including house-cured sardine toast, Bluefin tuna crudo, moules frites, a soft-shell crab BLT, and pan-roasted rainbow trout.

“For many years, there has been a lack of a great quality seafood places in the city, especially places that are casual and not producing most of their seafood in the steamer or fryer or the raw bar,” says Ben. “We are really trying to get back to simply prepared seafood with a heavy emphasis on fish.”

For non-seafood lovers, there will be other options, including a fried chicken sandwich served on a blue corn waffle (“not one of our lower calorie choices,” cracks Ben) and a black bean and beet vegetarian burger. Entrees will run between $11 and $17.

La Cuchara head baker Carrie Goltra will preside over the bread and pastry, and house-made ice cream program at Minnow, as well.

Sommelier Marco Valverde, formerly of The Elephant, will oversee the wine program. “The focus will be mainly Mediterranean wines,” says Jake. “We will have lots of wines by the glass and are going to have a fairly extensive cocktail list with a lower price point, as well as draft beers and some fun things that will remind customers of La Cuchara, like smoked cocktails, but with their own curve.” 

Aesthetically, Ben says, he wanted it to feel like “a cross between a Great Lakes cabin with an East Coast Maine feel.” To that end, design details include marine blue accents, a barn door made of barrel stays, and vintage lures set inside sardine tins mounted on the wall above a seating area of banquettes that is reminiscent of the team’s Basque-inspired spot in Woodberry.

Minnow will offer free valet parking, key in an area where parking is often a problem, and will not take reservations for parties under 6. The restaurant will be open daily for dinner, with plans for Sunday brunch in a few months.

Jake, a Riverside resident, knows the neighborhood firsthand and is excited to be able to walk to work.

“From living down here, I know there’s a crowd that wants to go out and enjoy great service, even if it’s for a lower price point,” he says. “We really hope to draw on that.”

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

 EAT

April 16: Easter Brunch at La Cuchara

La Cuchara, 3600 Clipper Mill Road. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $32. 

Move over boring chocolate bunnies and tired Easter ham—this Sunday, spend the holiday basking in the Basque Country cuisine of Spain at La Cuchara in Woodberry. The 2017 Best Restaurant will feature a special prix fixe brunch including the likes of charred octopus with saffron aioli, crispy oyster bocadillo, butternut squash tortilla espanol, and serrano ham. We would gladly trade in our Easter baskets for one bite of chef Ben Lefenfeld’s tribute to this pintxos holy land. And don’t worry—if you’re not into Spanish cuisine, there are hoards of other options.

 DRINK

April 15: My Lady’s Manor Steeplechase Race

Ladew Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton. 10 a.m. $40-400. 

This weekend, horseracing season kicks off in Baltimore, and there’s no better way to celebrate than to don your sundresses and sunglasses and tailgate with warm-weather cocktails. Nicknamed “the preppy cocktail,” and with good reason, the Southside is a refreshing sour sip that marks the start of spring in the Land of Pleasant Living. On Saturday, tip back some cold ones, listen to live bluegrass, and admire the luscious scenery of Ladew Gardens during the first steeplechase of the year. 

 SEE

April 14: Paisley FunkShun: A Prince CelebraShun

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 7-11 p.m. $17-20. 

We can’t believe it’s been a year since we lost the one-and-only Purple One. In true Prince fashion, honor his musical legacy this Friday with a “celebrashun” as eclectic as the sensational singer. At the American Visionary Art Museum, enjoy a dance party of epic proportions with four hours of Prince’s hits and other Prince-inspired pop, rock, and funk. Expect hits like “Raspberry Beret,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Kiss,” with purple, velvet, and lace attire highly encouraged.

 HEAR

April 14: Nico Sarbanes

An die Musik, 409 N. Charles St. 8-11 p.m. $10-20.  

Jazz has deep roots in Baltimore, with the city formerly home to legends like Billie Holliday and Cab Calloway. Luckily, local artists are still leading the charge, like young Baltimore native Nico Sarbanes. This weekend, hear the music of his debut album, “Live in Baltimore,” featuring jazz standards and original compositions and featuring fellow noted musicians as Russell Kirk on sax, Deante Childers on piano, Ethan Philion on bass, and Kelton Norris on drums. Fresh off a performance at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, the group is sure to fill this Mount Vernon brownstone with a soulful sound well beyond Sarbanes years.

 DO

April 15: March for the Animals

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, 333 W. Camden St. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.  

This Saturday, join the Maryland SPCA in their annual walk-a-thon to support the city’s homeless animals. As the local nonprofit’s largest fundraiser of the year, the big event helps the group aid about 15,000 homeless (yet adorable) pets, many of which are put up for adoption at their location on Falls Road. Grab your furry friends and partake in for an afternoon that will make a local difference. 

Chef Ben Lefenfeld has put himself through the paces in kitchens at Petit Louis and Charleston, but when he opened his own spot in April, he decided to flirt with the Basque Country, a lush, gastronomically rich region straddling the western foothills of the Pyrenees and a place long lauded as having some of the finest food on the European continent. (Indeed, it’s hard to swing a churro in the Basque Country without hitting a Michelin-starred restaurant—it boasts the most Michelin stars per capita in the world.)

Alas, the last time I visited the Basque Country, I was a backpacking college kid, too young and franc-less to eat much more than some snacks from a vending machine in the Gare de Carcassonne as I crossed the border by train into Barcelona. (It’s been 31 years, but I still shudder at the thought of resorting to gummy fish for dinner.)

So La Cuchara, in the Meadow Mill Complex in Woodberry, is my chance at redemption.

Situated inside the former headquarters of the London Fog coat factory, La Cuchara (which means “the spoon” in Spanish) is right as rain with its soaring ceilings, a stunning 40-seat bar area, an eclectic collection of spoons and vintage Biarritz plates, and fresh, fanciful
combinations of ingredients. As is traditional in the Basque area, the food is centered on a wood-fired grill, or asador, for cooking meat, fish, and poultry.

The focus here is on simplicity (with most dishes composed of no more than seven to eight ingredients) and local sourcing. And while some plates are strictly rooted on the French side of Basque Country (a classic smoked salmon with crème fraîche, or foie gras with veal tongue, endive, and aioli, for example), others are more Spanish in their leanings, including morsels of mackerel with serrano, garlic, olives, and charred onions.

Some plates are rooted on the French side of Basque Country, others are Spanish in their leanings.

As with most menus these days, the program is seasonally driven. But regardless of what’s on offer, the best plan is to order a plate of pintxos—tiny tapas and a minor investment at $2 apiece—so you can take your time to consider the other options. (A board of house-made breads, including a proper pumpernickel, is also a delicious distraction.)

My companions and I particularly loved the bold bursts of flavor in the smoked mussels pintxos paired with spicy-sweet piquillo peppers and green olives. Other pintxos we loved included a salty-sweet beet purée with poached marcona almonds served in a demitasse and anchovies with guindilla chiles and charred onions (a popular snack food in Biarritz that made the salt lover in me rejoice).

Of the tapas selections, winning plates included a hearty dish of patatas bravas (like a plate of upscale home fries) with a house-made chili powder blend and roasted garlic and onion purée, and a delicate veal crudo, paper-thin, almost translucent, slivers of veal, topped with poached porcinis and dressed to impress with borage blossoms. Even a plate of mere mesclun was divine and an excellent example of the adroit care that’s taken in the kitchen. The greens were sturdy and satisfying and a great vehicle for the earthy truffle vinaigrette.

While the small plates are great, don’t miss the mains. The fish preparations are particularly peerless, like a piece of fire-kissed bronzini with a cracker-like roof of skin and the unusual addition of prosciutto adding a smokiness that tied the dish together.

Equally of note: the delectable niçoise salad—a deconstructed riff on the French classic that included ruby red slabs of grilled sushi-grade Bigeye tuna, niçoise olives, new potatoes, and guindilla chiles. A strip steak served with rioja butter was tasty, though slightly less successful. A glob of butter added unnecessary richness and a grilled side of bitter zucchini didn’t pair well with the protein.

The desserts, made in house, are more than worth your while: Go small with a simple scoop of outstanding house-made ice cream or over-the-top with a helping of house-made churros served with chocolate syrup on the side. Given that much of the staff can list Petit Louis and other Foreman Wolf outposts on their CVs, it’s not surprising that the service matches the caliber of the cuisine.

Sommelier Greg Schwab, who never failed to recommend just the right red from the Rioja region on all of our outings, also deserves a special shoutout. On a late June jaunt, when a serious summer storm deterred us from getting back to our cars, Schwab rushed to the rescue with a sumptuous and sweet wine from the Malaga region. As we settled back into the banquettes and waited out the storm, we basked in the glow of the Basque Country.