On a recent afternoon in the tiny kitchen in the back of Mera Kitchen Collective, a restaurant in Mount Vernon, Iman Alshehab perched on a stool, chopping carrots. A pot of chicken tamales stayed warm on a nearby back burner; a hotel pan of roasted eggplant waited, like deflated balloons, to be transformed into her ethereal mutabal, a popular dish both at the restaurant and Mera’s farmers’ market booth.

Alshehab started cooking in her native Syria when she was 13, then traded her family’s kitchen for a professional one when she was still a teenager. She came to Baltimore in 2016 and, two years later, founded Mera with three food-minded friends, Emily Lerman, Liliane Makole, and Aishah Alfadhalah.

The four women began by hosting dinners, united by their interest in how food brings diverse communities together; soon they and a growing network of friends were bringing a mashup of Middle Eastern, West African, and Mexican dishes to the Sunday downtown Baltimore farmers’ market.

Mera grew into a catering business and a nonprofit foundation, separate from the for-profit cooperative, that works to address food insecurity and recalibrate the relationship between food systems and the hospitality industry. They opened the restaurant in November 2021.

“It worked to our advantage that we had no background in food,” says Lerman, who previously worked with Doctors Without Borders. “We were like, ‘Let’s try.’”

“We really didn’t have a plan,” says Alfadhalah, who came to the U.S. from Kuwait as a student and is now a speech therapist for children with autism.

As for what they decided to put on the menu, she says, it was as simple as, “What do you like? What do your children like?”

During COVID-19, Mera pivoted to providing free meals for those in need, through money raised by a GoFundMe and through funding provided by World Central Kitchen. At the height of the pandemic, Mera was cooking 700 meals a day, six days a week; after the restaurant opened, they were still providing 600 meals every week. Now eight people share the cooking duties, while others work the front-of-house and help with the cleaning, duties that are shared by everyone.

Though Makole has returned to Africa, others have joined.

“Certain environments preserve your identity,” says Alfadhalah, who lists Arabic, French, and Spanish among the languages spoken in the kitchen. “Food is a way of maintaining cultural identity. For me, it’s more of a community.”

And it’s a community that’s as expansive as Mera’s menu. “Iman has a huge repertoire,” Lerman says of Alshehab, who spent years cooking at the Four Seasons in Damascus, then at the Lord Baltimore Hotel after moving to Baltimore.

Alshehab has loaded Mera’s menu with falafel, qatayef, vegan stuffed grape leaves, and za’atar and lamb flatbreads. Asked what else she’d like to put on the menu, Alshehab laughs as she continues chopping vegetables, and says simply: “Everything.”

The old adage that too many cooks spoil the soup doesn’t necessarily apply when the folks in the kitchen are part of a food co-op.

Eleven people comprise Mera Kitchen Collective, which has opened its first restaurant in a Calvert Street rowhouse. Eight of them cook the dishes on the diverse menu, built around recipes from the home cuisines of the group’s members: falafel, mutubal, and stuffed grape leaves from the Middle East; plantain bowls and bissap from West Africa; carne asada tacos, chicken tinga fries, and tamales from Mexico.

Mera Kitchen began in 2018 when four friends—Iman Alshehab, Emily Lerman, Aishah Alfadhalah, and Liliane Makole—began holding dinners and hosting pop-ups. Soon they formed a catering company and began helming a stand at the downtown farmers’ market.

In the beginning, Alshehab, a veteran hotel cook in her native Syria, and Makole, who is from Cameroon and has since left Baltimore, did most of the cooking. But as the business grew, so did the number of cooks. Mera made food not only for sale, but, as the pandemic took its toll on the community, for free, giving away over 150,000 meals with the help of funding secured through World Central Kitchen.

In November, Mera opened a bricks-and-mortar location, only to close when a pipe burst in the building. The restaurant finally had a second grand opening in March. After such trials, the dining room, a large, high-ceilinged space, is remarkably serene.

Drinks include horchata and bissap, as well as wine, beer, and inventive cocktails. First order Alshehab’s mutabal, an ethereal dish of smoked eggplant that’s an addictive staple at Mera’s market stall, and at least one tamale for everyone at the table, as you won’t want to share these terrific packets of stewed chicken and vegetables embedded in unusually flavorful masa.

Entrees are more hap-hazard: large bowls of chicken kebsa, roasted plantains, or carne asada, loaded with vegetables and sauces. The vegetarian quesadillas are surprisingly good, jammed with roasted vegetables bound with Oaxacan cheese. Carne asada fries is a massive bowl that demands either serious hunger or some help. But your best bet might be the falafel salad bowl, a mashup of fattoush, crispy globes of excellent falafel, house-made pita bread, and more of that wonderful mutubal.

The dishes are contingent upon “whoever’s there, and whatever they want to cook,” Lerman says. But whatever you get, ask for a side of the hot sauce that accompanies the Burkinabé plantain and avocado bowl, an incendiary tablespoon of ginger-habanero sauce that comes with a caution from the server. The stuff is very, very hot, but—as could be said about Mera itself—it’s absolutely worth the experience, and you’ll likely find yourself craving more.

MERA KITCHEN COLLECTIVE 1301 N. Calvert St., 443-681-9855. HOURS: Tues.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. PRICES: Appetizers: $2-14; entrees: $11-15.50; desserts: $6.

While Canton’s Alma Cocina Latina has transformed itself into a carryout arepa bar, husband-and-wife owners Mark Demshak and Irena Stein have also been focused on helping their back-of-the-house staff, most of whom don’t qualify for benefits, find employment. In addition to working at Alma, four of their staffers are also working in collaboration with Mera Kitchen Collective, a community-driven, food-based cooperative focused on empowerment for refugee and immigrant women.

Using the commercial kitchen at Neopol Smokery, Mera has been providing up to 700 free meals a day for Baltimore communities in need. “It’s one thing to sell food and feel the love and support that you get from of the community,” says Demshak. “What we’ve done with Mera Kitchen and the staff fills the heart.”

I know that several of your staffers have not been able to come into the kitchen to help with carryout. Can you talk about that?
IS: Our executive chef, Karem Barragan, is pregnant. She’s home—she places the orders for the kitchen. And then our sous chef, David Zamudio, who is Venezuelan is stuck in Spain. If we had an executive chef with us, we could do a lot more, but we can’t. Our back-of-the-house kitchen is extremely well-trained by our chefs, so they can run the whole thing beautifully, but we could have more ideas implemented if Karem and David were there.

“Mera Kitchen is now feeding thousands of people. In three weeks, they did 6,300 meals and four of our team players are there during the day.” —Irena Stein

How is your staff doing?
IS: Basically, we have three categories of employees: We have the people who have gone on unemployment, we have the people [with visas] with exceptional talent who cannot get unemployment, and then we have those who don’t have access to any of those benefits.

We are trying to avoid hunger among anyone. The situation here reminds me very much of the Venezuelan reality of no food, no toilet paper, no medical assistance. I never expected the U.S. to be on the same page as Venezuela, but this is so familiar for me.

This was a little easier for me to handle because I already know my priorities. Priority number one is that everyone has to be fed. The people who have the least possibility of income are the people whom we will support the most—those people on the hourly wages without access to services. Their children have to be fed. We employ them, rotating them in the kitchen with takeout and preparing the food, and then Mera Kitchen is now feeding thousands of people. In three weeks, they did 6,300 meals and four of our team players are there during the day. Between what we have going at Alma and what Mera offers them, they are fine. It’s a huge relief—that means they have food on the table.

Mera is based on a lot of Syrian and Eritrean food. Now, they have included our people. So you have Central American food, too. So these migrants are feeding the hungry in Baltimore, which I find fascinating. Our Mexican and Guatemalan guys have done Mexican food—they are all taking initiatives rotating the things that they do. And our chef who is stranded in Spain used to work on a cruise ship. He is giving them advice on how to cook for hundreds of people a day. You have all these nationalities serving this population in Cherry Hill.

“Mera is based on a lot of Syrian and Eritrean food. Now, they have included our people. So you have Central American food, too. So these migrants are feeding the hungry in Baltimore, which I find fascinating.”—Irena Stein

Did you have a relationship with Mera Kitchen Collective before this?
IS: We collaborated in the past doing Syrian and Venezualan food, which is perfect because we have a small Syrian community in Venuzuela. Two years ago, we did a collaboration “Damascus Meets Caracas.” [Co-founder] Emily [Lerman] and I became very close friends—we think alike in so many ways of supporting community. Alma and Mera Kitchen are just a natural combination. When this came along, I said to her, ‘If you ever have room for more people because your community is growing, we have these people who really need work.’ She said, ‘Absolutely,’ and now we have four guys from our kitchen working there every day.

MD: What’s interesting is that the people Emily was employing before were refugees. She was employing them to give them a livelihood—they weren’t necessarily trained chefs or line cooks. They didn’t necessarily have experience in catering, so what she found with our guys there is that it raised the level of the kitchen. Their payroll has been reduced significantly because they are moving faster, so she has more money to spend on food.

IS: Once this is over, she’s going to send her prospective team to Alma to train for a few months. To see these Latino guys working with the Syrian chefs and this other woman from Eritrea, you have these cultures that are completely different existing with no language—just sign language—and it creates understanding of other cultures and other mentalities. I love the humanity of it. All of these things have always mattered to us, but to have it in full display with this collaboration has been really wonderful. The guys are so appreciative of being able to work over there and every dollar becomes something important. As long as no one goes hungry, we have won.

“What we’ve done with Mera Kitchen and the staff fills the heart.” —Mark Demshak

How is your carryout going at Alma?
MD: Right now, we are functioning much more like an arepa bar you’d find in Caracas.

IS: The community has been lovely. I know we could be making more money if the chefs were around, but we do what we are doing the best we can. Some people are coming from 25 minutes away and we don’t want them to have a bad experience, so we are giving them instructions on heating the arepas. Some people will tell their building or their neighbors and they come on behalf of several families, which is so wonderful. We’ve also added cocktails and sangria.

Did you consider not doing carryout?
MD: We did consider not doing carryout for a split second. We thought let’s at least try it—we have things that you can carry out. If we didn’t have arepas, it would be much more difficult, because we don’t have our chefs here. Our line cooks are really extraordinary.

IS: It’s the legacy of [former executive chef] Enrique Limardo. Our executive chef and the chef had such a good experience learning under him.

“As long as no one goes hungry, we have won.” —Irena Stein

What will happen when Alma reopens for full service?
IS: We can’t answer clearly. We are concerned that it will be hard to have the restaurant be as full as it should be. [We don’t know what this will] mean to the city, the economy, and people going to restaurants. We have to see if we can do the menu the same way.

MD: We will continue to do take-out once we reopen. We’ve set it up in such a way that it’s a feasible business. At this point, it will be another revenue stream, so we will continue that.

EAT

March 8: Mera Kitchen x Wet City

Wet City, 223 W. Chase St. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $30.

This Sunday, Chef Iman of the Mera Kitchen Collective will prepare a traditional Syrian brunch feast for friends, old and new, at Wet City. Known for bringing all corners of the city together through her passion for food, Chef Iman will serve a family-style, prix-fixe menu of some of her favorite brunch dishes during this one-day pop-up event at the Mount Vernon bar. Wash it all down with specialty cocktails, mocktails, and beers provided by Wet City, as well as coffee from Dear Globe.

DRINK

March 8: Rye’s Up

Kimpton Hotel Monaco Baltimore, 2 N. Charles St. 5-10 p.m. $75.

It’s no secret that Baltimore’s craft bartending scene has risen to new heights over the past few years, and this boozy fundraiser showcases some of the best mixologists the city has to offer. Snag tickets to the Baltimore Bartenders’ Guild’s annual all-you-can-drink affair, featuring 20 handcrafted cocktails, small bites from 15 local restaurants, and a silent auction to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Maryland. Stick around to see who is crowned the winner of this year’s best Rye Whiskey cocktail competition.

SEE

March 7-April 11: Helen Zughaib: Unfinished Journeys

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Imagine being evacuated from your childhood home during a civil war and not knowing if or when you would be able to return. And when you finally do, another war is about to begin. That’s the emotional journey artist Helen Zughaib weathered after being evacuated from Beirut. Now, she is telling the stories of injustice, violence, and hope experienced by the incident’s most vulnerable victims—women and children—through the strokes of her paint brush. Visit Creative Alliance beginning this weekend, and through April 11, to witness how this up-and-coming artist portrays everything from the initial uprising of the Syrian civil war to the current refugee crisis.

HEAR

March 6: Marketplace Mixtape

Mt. Vernon Marketplace, 520 Park Ave. 6-10 p.m. Free.

We’ll take any excuse to make a trip to Mt. Vernon Marketplace, but especially when it involves old-school tunes. For the first show in the food hall’s new First Friday series, up-and-coming DJ Cheaky Willie will be spinning hip-hop and dance beats all night long while patrons eat, drink, and dance the night away. If you need a little extra motivation to get down, we recommend stopping by the Taps Fill Station or The Local Oyster for beer or cocktails before hitting the dance floor.

DO

March 8: International Women’s Day

Hotel Revival, 101 W. Monument St. 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Free.

There’s never been a better time to celebrate the women of Baltimore. In honor of International Women’s Day, grab a group of gals and spend Sunday at Hotel Revival, which will be hosting its annual fundraiser to support My Sister’s Place Women’s Center. Along with $5 wine specials for ladies, visitors can browse through jewelry from New Vintage by SAM, enter to win a candle-making workshop with KSM Candle Co., and sample cocktails made by women-owned distilleries.

EAT

Oct. 20: World Food Festival: Mera x Fadensonnen

Fadensonnen, 3 W. 23rd St. 5-9 p.m. Free.

On a snowy night last January, chef Iman Alshehab—co-founder of Mera Kitchen Collective, a co-op that empowers refugees to tap into their culinary heritage—cooked and served shawarma out of a food truck for the first time while parked at Fadensonnen. That evening, crowds of people came out to the beer garden and natural wine bar to sample her food, and since then, Mera’s chefs have hosted rotating pop-ups at the popular Old Goucher spot. This Sunday, chefs Iman, Emilienne, Anna, and Mona will come together to prepare a meal in Fadensonnen’s courtyard, featuring two new dishes from each chef. Don’t miss the chance to try new authentic eats inspired by cuisines from across the world, including dishes like Syrian lamb kibbeh, Salvadoran chicken soup, and lemon tahini shrimp.

DRINK

Oct. 19: OktoBEARfest

The Maryland Zoo, 1 Safari Pl. 12-5 p.m. $29-69.

The Maryland Zoo is known for its wide variety of furry, slimy, and flying friends, but we also love it for its boozy fundraisers that make it (a little too) easy to support the local institution. This fall-inspired beer festival offers unlimited samplings of more than 50 seasonal brews, along with tons of eats, wares by area artisans, and the chance to get up close and personal with a few of the animals.

SEE

Oct. 18-19: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 7:30 & 10:30 p.m. $12-15.

We’re already shivering with antici…pation for this interactive screening of the weird and wild cult classic at Creative Alliance. Tighten your garters for a night filled with the traditional movie callbacks and costume contests, as well as special burlesque, drag, and tap performances by beloved local drag queens Betty O’Hellno, Venus Fastrada, and Baby. Come up to the Highlandtown lab and see what’s on the slab during this Halloween tradition that’s sure to leave you wanting more, more, more.

HEAR

Oct. 19: Off the Cuff: Brahms Symphony No. 4

Joesph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. 7-9 p.m. $25-80.

It’s only been a few weeks since the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra returned to the Meyerhoff after three months of tension between the symphony’s management and musicians over contract disputes, and this Saturday’s performance of Brahms’ Fourth Symphony is a fitting nod to both the past and the future of the orchestra. After watching world-renowned conductor Marin Alsop lead the musicians through this 20th century masterpiece, stick around to sip on brews by Peabody Heights, snack on eats by Midnite Confection’s Cupcakery and Noona’s, and listen to live music by local artist Brooks Long as you talk with fellow music-lovers about the evening’s performances.

DO

Oct. 19: Baltimore Running Festival

Paca & Camden Sts. 8 a.m. $60-280.

One thing that we love about citywide festivals is there’s usually something for everyone, and the Baltimore Running Festival is the perfect example. Since this event features five different events ranging from an all-ages 5K to the BaltiMORON-a-thon, runners of all skill levels can come together and celebrate the beauty of hitting the pavement. There’s still time to register, so secure your spot at the starting line and get ready to show off that crab-shaped finishing medal.

When Iman Alshehab arrived at JFK Airport in 2016, she did not have anyone she knew to meet her there. A caseworker from the International Rescue Committee picked up the widowed Syrian grandmother, emigrating to the U.S. alone, and dropped her off at her new, temporary home in Dundalk.

“It was getting dark on the four-and-a-half-hour drive,” recounts Alshehab in Arabic and some English. “I kept crying. My second full day in Maryland was Thanksgiving, and I decided I will make my neighbors dinner. I used Google Translate and knocked on everyone’s door to invite them. I was brave. I was worried people would say no.”

A former chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus, she made hummus, rice, chicken, and tabbouleh pasta salad. More than 20 neighbors, including several refugee women from other countries and her caseworker, came over. Each departed, hands full, with leftovers.

Fast-forward two years. Just before this past Christmas, Alshehab—today a founding member of the Mera Kitchen Collective, a worker-owned initiative supporting refugee and immigrant women—helped cook for more than 500 people as part of an arts feast at Charles Village’s 2640 Space. “I sold out everything,” she says.

So did women from Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Eritrea, Nigeria, and Sudan. The name Mera, explains Aishah AlFadhalah, a Kuwaiti immigrant and founding member, is derived from the Greek meraki, which means “to do something so passionately you leave some of yourself in it.”

Alongside Alshehab and AlFadhalah, who came to the U.S. to attend college and works at Kennedy Kreiger, the collective was begun by Liliane Makole, who ran a cafe in her native Cameroon; Brittany DeNovellis of Baltimore City Community College’s Refugee Youth Project; and Emily Lerman, who has worked with Doctors Without Borders.

Before she began cooking at the Four Seasons, Alshehab mopped the floors at the luxury Syrian hotel to support her three children. Police had already killed her husband. After bringing her stuffed grape leaves and kibbeh meatballs with spiced yogurt to work one day, she was promoted to the kitchen. (“They told me to focus on grape leaves and meatballs after that.”) Later, she lost her 6-month-old granddaughter to the war when a bomb leveled her son’s home. She fled after her house was destoyed. Her children, now adults, and seven surviving grandchildren, all of whom she hasn’t seen since immigrating, have not received word on their visa applications.

All of Mera’s chefs are experienced cooks who had to leave their home countries and start their professional and personal lives from scratch. Alshehab worked at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, teaching sewing to the sight impaired—taking two buses each way—before being able to redirect her energies to Mera. Mona Ahmed, who lives with her husband and five children in an apartment near Alshehab, will soon complete a food handling certification course. She spent 11 years in a refugee camp after fleeing violence in Sudan.

After first hosting fundraising dinners in their homes, the women organized pop-ups at Hersh’s Pizza, Alma, and Clavel. All have children and struggle with English, and none own a car. Despite these obstacles, the Mera women opened a tent at the Baltimore Farmers’ Market last spring. They’ve ventured into catering and offered cooking classes.

“Often, their children, who learn the language quickly once they are in school, are like, ‘Oh, my mother doesn’t speak English and doesn’t know anything,’” notes AlFadhalah. “But when they see people paying to eat their mom’s food—everything turns. You see the image of their mom change before your eyes.”

Having survived so much, the Mera women did not come here to survive. Or remain isolated. They want to thrive. “Food has always been the source of bringing people around me,” says Alshehab as she places falafel and pita with tahini sauce, pickles, eggplant with red pepper, and freshly squeezed lemonade in front of two visitors to her small apartment on a recent afternoon.

COMING SOON

Twisted Teahouse: From sushi and sweets to burgers and bubble tea, the Avenue in Hampden boasts plenty of variety. And now, West 36th Street will welcome a traditional tea room from local baker Angela Vogel. Expected to debut this spring, Twisted Teahouse will offer private tea parties, as well as fair-trade teas, organic coffees, and custom cakes for sale. The menu will also feature light fare including blueberry muffins, classic shortbread, and protein-packed, sous-vide egg bites. The Hampden spot is a food-focused spinoff of the original Twisted Teahouse, a quasi-tea parlor and consignment shop that Vogel previously operated inside the historic Savage Mill complex in Howard County. 813 W. 36th St.

Felipe’s Mexican Taqueria: This New Orleans-based chain focuses on classic burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and chimichangas. And, next year, the fast-casual cantina is expanding up north with a location at The Shops at Kenilworth in Towson inside a freestanding building that is being constructed on the lower level of the mall. Aside from the street-food favorites filled with toppings like tinga chicken, chorizo, carnitas, and grilled shrimp, the restaurant also offers a craft cocktail bar focusing on margaritas made with hand-squeezed Key limes. Though Felipe’s isn’t expected to debut until 2020, The Shops at Kenilworth’s newest tenant Lyfe Cafe will open on January 22. Be on the lookout for açaí bowls, protein pancakes, green detox salads, sugar-free desserts, and more from the health-conscious spot. 800 Kenilworth Drive, Towson

NEWS

Baltimore Spots Named Among Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat: Each year, Yelp combs through thousands of restaurant reviews—taking into account ratings and volume—to generate its Top 100 Places to Eat in the United States. This time around, two Charm City eateries snagged well-deserved spots on the annual list. Fells Point favorite Ekiben came in at No. 89, while Hampden sweet shop Waffie also made the cut at No. 97. Both took to social media to express their gratitude to the communities that have kept them going. “We’ve been on the national stage a couple times now, but to be one of two Baltimore restaurants on [this list] is unreal—like beyond words crazy,” reads a post to Ekiben’s Instagram. “Thanks for all of the love and support, Baltimore. We owe this all to you.” As Waffie summed up: “Hampden, you rock. So, so thankful.”

EPICUREAN EVENTS

1/17: Mera Kitchen Collective x Cajou Cream Pop-Up
The chefs behind Mera Kitchen Collective—a worker-owned co-op spotlighting the culinary heritage of immigrants and refugees—are teaming up with local vegan creamery Cajou Cream to host this special pop-up at LB Tavern inside the Lord Baltimore Hotel. Highlighting the bold flavors of Sudan, Egypt, and the Caribbean, the event will offer Mera’s desserts paired with Cajou’s dairy-free cashew ice cream. Among the sweet treats available for purchase will be a Sudanese-style beignet with dairy-free coconut cardamom ice cream, pistachios, and a balsamic reduction. 20 W. Baltimore St. Free. 5-7 p.m.

SHUT

The Local Fry Federal Hill: Kevin and Elizabeth Irish, the husband-and-wife duo that opened this fan-favorite fry shop in Federal Hill four years ago, have decided to close the flagship in order to focus on their second location at the Rotunda in Hampden. “We want to thank all of our customers who have supported us through the years,” the couple posted to Instagram. “We’ve learned a lot, and we will use the knowledge and experience gained from our time in Federal Hill as we pursue other business projects and expand our brand.” Luckily, South Baltimore regulars can find the same flavorful wings, banh-mi sandwiches, rice bowls, and loaded French fry baskets just a few neighborhoods north in Hampden. If you’re not up for the trek, The Local Fry is also available via meal delivery services including DoorDash and Uber Eats. 711 W. 40th St. Ste. 152. 667-210-2633

Pasta Mista Timonium: Known for its overstuffed subs and pasta-topped pies, this Italian outpost has been feeding the masses in Timonium for a decade. But, last week, Pasta Mista announced that had sold its location in the Timonium Square Shopping Center to another local chain, Pizza Sauce, which will be replacing it in the coming weeks. Though there are talks of a new Pasta Mista venture in the works, for now, regulars can find the signature pizzas, pastas, salads, and stromboli at the shop’s other two locations in Towson and Canton. Multiple locations including 822 Dulaney Valley Rd., Towson. 410-321-8855

EAT

Dec. 16: Refugee and Immigrant Arts Feast

Space 2640, 2640 Saint Paul St. 4-7 p.m. Free.

Mera Kitchen Collective has been bringing locals of all ethnicities, heritages, and apetities together, and this Sunday, the worker-owned co-op will host its second annual arts feast to celebrate the culinary talents of its newest members. Following the collective’s mission of empowering refugees and immigrants through cooking, this festival for the senses will feature eats by first-time female refugee food vendors along with craft and art vendors from around the world.

DRINK

Dec. 15: Christmas Pajama Brunch

Don’t Know Tavern, 1453 Light St. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

Break out your candy cane onesie and snowflake slippers and head to Don’t Know Tavern for a Christmas morning-inspired brunch, featuring all-you-can-drink Bloody Marys, mimosas, and select beers. If you need an extra incentive to take on this Federal Hill pajama party, there will be presents under the Christmas tree for brunch-goers who indulge in bottomless drinks as well as a Toys for Tots gift drive.

SEE

Dec. 15: Old Goucher Design Open House

2219 Saint Paul St. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

We look forward to snagging signature prints and concert posters by local design powerhouse Post Typography every December during their annual studio sale. This year, they’ve upped the ante by inviting neighboring shops to help turn the one-day tradition into a full-blown shopping crawl. Spend the day in Old Goucher checking out the latest local designs and gifts at stores like Co_Lab Books, Fadensonnen, Baltimore Print Studios, Kelmscott Bookshop, Made in Baltimore Holiday Store, and, of course, Post Typography.

HEAR

Dec. 15: The Holiday Slay

Metro Gallery, 1700 N. Charles St. 8 p.m. $10.

Whether he’s rapping songs like “Burfday Bitch” and “Rude” to a sold-out crowd or reading chapters of Omarosa Manugault Newman’s tell-all book on Facebook Live, DDm slays everything he does. This Friday, the local rapper and self-proclaimed Secretary of Shade will host this one-of-a-kind social with Christmas-inspired performances by opera-pop duo Outcalls, RoVo Monty, Randi & Infinity Knives, and beats by Trillnatured and DJ Sean J. For the main event, hear DDm give live readings of stories like A Charlie Brown Christmas and How The Grinch Stole Christmas as well as his own soon-to-be-classic—The Holiday Slay.

DO

Dec. 15: Baltimore SantaCon

E. Cross St. 12 p.m.-10 p.m. $8-15.

Santa Claus is coming to town a few weeks early this year. Don your fluffiest white beard and follow the crowd of St. Nick look-a-likes to East Cross Street in Federal Hill, where the neighborhood’s bustling main street will be filled with pop-up bars, drink specials, and tons of holiday cheer. Spend the day practicing your best “ho, ho, ho” and celebrating the season of giving during this one-day festival that benefits the Kamryn Lambert Foundation.

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

 EAT

Nov. 12: Wonders of Damascus

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

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

 DRINK

Nov. 11: Highlandtown Basement Bar Tour

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

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

 SEE

Nov. 10-12: Charm City Fringe

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

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

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

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

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

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Nov. 10: Pandora Ice Rink Opening

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

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

When Liliane Makole came to America from Cameroon, she made a dream board on the bedroom wall of her Little Italy home. One of her aspirations was to open her own restaurant.

Today, her dream is more attainable than ever. Makole and five other women founded Mera Kitchen Collective, a worker-owned co-op focused on empowering refugees and immigrants and tapping into their culinary heritage by hosting pop-up events throughout the city. 

“When there’s so much movement in people’s lives, cooking is an anchor,” says member and translator Aishah Alfadhalah. “This is something familiar when everything else feels new.”

Inspired by women’s empowerment groups she had seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo, co-founder Emily Lerman connected with Makole, Meg Murray, and Brittany DeNovellis, who all had similar ideas of giving women the platform to cook. 

“With the current political climate, there’s a heightened interest in the immigrant experience,” Murray says.

Mera co-founder Iman Alshehab, a Syrian refugee who has been in America for seven months was the executive chef of the Four Seasons back in Damascus. 

“When I first got here, I wanted to go back home,” says Alshehab through translation. “But starting this project has brought love back into my life.” 

That love was on full display in June, when she cooked for a sold-out event at Hersh’s in South Baltimore. Instead of pizza and pasta coming out of the kitchen, it was Alshehab’s grape leaves and kibbeh dishes. In September, Makole hosted her own chicken cooking class at R. House. Next month, Mera is hosting a pop-up at Clavel. The eventual goal is for the co-op to open its own brick-and-mortar cafe. 

“The idea is to amplify the voices, skills, and stories of these women—and, so far, everyone has said yes,” says Lerman. “You always hear that Baltimore is this great, supportive place. But it’s nice to actually experience it and realize it’s true.”