COMING SOON

Rituals: Since it was announced that the Windup Space was closing last month, the arts community has been taking its time to mourn the loss of the inclusive haven in Station North. But the tears were wiped away this week with the news that veteran bartender Émile Joseph Weeks has stepped in to take over the venue. Though its name will change to Rituals, the bar will remain a DIY performance space designed to bring the community together.

In a recent interview with Baltimore Fishbowl, Weeks—whose resume includes stints behind the bar at Pen & Quill, Parts & Labor, and Ida B’s Table—mentioned interior upgrades and a refreshed cocktail program featuring classic Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, martinis, and boilermakers. Other than that, the ethos of the space will carry on the legacy that former proprietor Russell De Ocampo established throughout the past decade. “I am honored and humbled to be able to continue creating more memories and serving the local DIY and arts community,” Weeks posted to Facebook. He is planning to give locals a sneak peek of Rituals during Pride weekend and Artscape, and expects to be open full time in September. 12 W. North Ave.

Burgerim: Rounding out the roster of retail tenants at Anthem House in Locust Point will be this gourmet burger chain. Setting up shop in the vacant space on the corner of Lawrence Street and Fort Avenue, the eatery will specialize in worldly options like Spanish beef, Hawaiian salmon, Greek lamb, and Mediterranean falafel burgers. The menu also lists milkshakes, onion rings, crispy chicken strips, and signature scalloped fries. When it debuts in early 2020, Burgerim will join Amber, Jazz + Soju, and yet-to open tenants Pure Raw Juice and Limoncello in the mixed-use development. 900 E. Fort Ave.

OPEN

Panda BBQ: In only about a month since opening on the corner of Preston and Morton streets in Mt. Vernon, this Chinese barbecue restaurant has already gained a reputation for its specialty skewers, sizzling hot pots, and massive orders of spicy Ma La crawfish—one of China’s most popular summer dishes. The restaurant also features traditional dumplings, scallion pancakes, and fried rice—but the skewers (in varieties ranging from beef and lamb to goat kidney and king mushrooms) seem to be the stars of the show. If you can’t make it to Mt. Vernon, the spot also offers delivery via GrubHub. 7 W. Preston St. 310-894-3736

Hanover & Hughes Collective: A new coffee shop joined the scene in South Baltimore this week. Located behind the Vision coworking complex in Federal Hill, Hanover & Hughes doubles as a private events venue and shares its space with an attached barber shop. Step inside the garage-style doors to check out the modern design featuring a thriving green wall, stark pops of white, stained wood, and lounge seating. The drink menu uses Ceremony Coffee for its espresso, Americano, lattes, cold brews, and pour-overs. 12 W. Montgomery St. 301-442-7800

The Verandah: The staggered openings continue to roll out at Broadway Market in Fells Point, and the latest addition is this stall highlighting Indian street food. The satellite location of the Hampden-based restaurant is now officially open, serving up classics like tikka masala, chicken curry tacos, and portobello mushroom wraps. Opening just in time for summer, The Verandah also offers refreshing sips like mango lassi and ginger-mint lemonade. 1640 Aliceanna St.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

TO 6/16: Big Softy at R. House
The rotating pop-up stall at R. House has been hosting some popular purveyors lately. On the heels of a weeklong residency from college chef Jesse Wu of Jade last month, the space has now transformed into a temporary home for Big Softy—the soft-shell sandwich shop from Craig Falk of The Lunchbox Lady. Falk says this time he’s “pushing the envelope” with new soft-shell varieties (think Buffalo and Nashville hot flavors), po-boys, shrimp salad sandwiches, and uni and crab toast on brioche with radish flowers. Fans of The Lunchbox Lady can also be on the lookout for the catering company’s signature citrus chicken salad. 301 W. 29th St.

6/8: Crawltimore Donut Bike Crawl
There’s no better way to celebrate National Doughnut Day (even if it’s technically one day late) than with this annual bike crawl. The eight-mile glide through the city starts off bright and early at Roosevelt Park, and stops at multiple different shops along the way. Riders will sample sweets at places like Full Circle Artisan Palace in Hampden, Diablo Doughnuts in Federal Hill, and Terra Cafe in Charles Village—which sells Blondie’s Doughnuts. A portion of proceeds from the $25 registration fee will be donated to research at Johns Hopkins’ Wilmer Eye Institute. Roosevelt Park, 1221 W. 36th St. 8:30 a.m. $25

Two years ago, former credit analyst Josh Kowitz decided to transform his big ideas for peddling colorful confections into a full-fledged business.

“I honestly thought that I was going to be jockeying the desk for the rest of my life,” he says. “It had some great points to it—don’t get me wrong. But being your own boss is awesome.”

Kowitz’s brainchild Center Cut Doughnuts started small, as a pop-up that caught on quickly with local foodies and frequented the Hampden Farmers’ Market for two seasons. All the while, Kowitz had been searching for a brick and mortar, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that he found the perfect home.

In what Kowitz describes as a “right place, right time” kind of transition, Center Cut opened its doors at 3528 Chestnut Avenue in Hampden in January 2017. The space formerly housed boutique bakery B. Doughnut—whose owners decided to close their Baltimore location last fall in order to focus solely on their shop in Leesburg, Virginia.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better entry,” Kowitz says. “I just bought all of the equipment from them, signed the lease, and we were good to go.”

Though Hampden locals were already familiar with the space being a doughnut shop, Kowitz felt that it was important to put his own whimsical spin on B. Doughnut’s previously modern aesthetic.

He commissioned local artist John de Campos (more fondly known as Ghost Bat) to paint a free-hand mural of the Center Cut logo on an interior wall, positioned a wooden bench and metal doughnut sculpture outside, and even had the front steps painted to resemble dripping icing.

“I’m a goofball,” Kowitz says with a laugh. “I love bright colors, and I felt like the space should really be a reflection of the owner.”

He adds that one of the biggest perks of the brick and mortar is having the ability to experiment with new recipes. In addition to his signature sweets, he now serves savory eats including “dognuts” (donut-wrapped hotdogs), breakfast sandwiches, and a variety of knishes—a handpie-shaped delicacy linked to Kowitz’s Jewish heritage.

“I’ve found that if you aren’t either Jewish or from New York, you have no idea what a knish is,” he says. “It’s great to be able to educate people with new things.”

 Despite all of the new offerings, the focus of Center Cut’s menu remains its scratch-made doughnuts, which come in flavors ranging from apple streusel and cannoli to key lime cheesecake and peanut butter chocolate pretzel. Kowitz says that the inspiration for his outside-of-the-box creations comes from everyday food experiences.

“If you really sit back and think about it, there isn’t much that can’t be transformed into a doughnut,” he says. “If I’m eating a cheesesteak, I think about how I can break it down into doughnut form. If you’re going to shoot for the moon and do something crazy, you might as well really go for it.”

There will certainly be plenty of creative flavors to enjoy this weekend, as Center Cut hosts a two-day celebration in honor of National Doughnut Day. Aside from offering diners a free Prosecco-glazed doughnut hole Friday, the shop has also partnered with local flower delivery service Urbanstems to feature a deal on a bouquet of roses and four-pack of doughnuts.  

As a die-hard Orioles fan, Kowitz (who named the business after a “cutter” fastball) has also devised a baseball-themed menu for a day-after Doughnut Day bash on Saturday, June 3. Specialty flavors to look out for will include strawberry lemonade, cotton candy, cracker-jack caramel topped with vanilla glaze and popcorn, and a special lemon curd-stuffed donut iced with a glaze made from Union Craft Brewing’s Steady Eddy IPA. 

Looking ahead, Kowitz is excited to continue to collaborate with other local eateries, expand his wholesale business, and even begin doughnut delivery. 

“I could have never imagined that I would have grown from two tables and a tent to where I am now,” he says. “One of the better pieces of advice I ever got in my life was: ‘Make food that you enjoy eating.’ And that’s what I’m doing.”