When NiHao opened in July 2020, Baltimoreans were thrilled that an establishment associated with the esteemed chef and 2022 James Beard finalist Peter Chang had opened in Charm City. Despite the pandemic, the Canton restaurant, run by Chang’s daughter, Lydia, attracted diners curious about its contemporary Chinese cuisine and created a buzz long before it even opened. Esquire magazine even named it one of the country’s “best new restaurants” that year. And in 2022, NiHao became a semifinalist in the James Beard Awards, in the Best New Restaurant category (not to mention a Baltimore Best Restaurant).

Then, in a move that surprised many, NiHao announced it was closing temporarily in January 2023, and unveiling a new concept in February. At the time, Lydia Chang said the restaurant was not bringing in enough revenue. A few weeks later, her father reopened the location with a new partner, Karina Hou, a Montgomery County artist, and a new chef, Dong Liu, whom Hou describes as a “celebrity chef” from China.

The menu focuses on the Sichuan dishes that Peter Chang is known for. There are a few overlaps, like the Peking duck, but the revised offerings capture various interpretations of the cooking Chang turns out at his more than a dozen restaurants (one of which recently opened near the Johns Hopkins medical campus), including the popular xiao long bao (soup dumplings).

To start, you don’t want to miss the UFO-shaped bubble pancake. Pierce the airy dome with a sharp knife and tear off crackly pieces to swab in the vegetarian curry sauce dotted with nubs of tofu. The refreshing chicken lettuce wrap was also a crowd-pleaser. Crisp iceberg leaves serve as the foundation for the spicy chicken mixture that becomes a torpedo of flavor when folded together.

Slices of the aforementioned duck, available as a half or whole bird, arrived impressively at the table, with thin pancakes, scallion sticks, and a hoisin sauce. But the result wasn’t as spectacular as expected. The skin on the duck—a benchmark for duck aficionados—wasn’t as crackly as it should have been, and the meat was bland, not rosy and juicy.

Other dishes soared by comparison. The flaming cumin lamb chops created a stir as the plate blazed through the dining room to be set at our table in flames. When the fire died down, a clever teepee of tender chops was revealed, hiding a nest of baby potatoes.

But the dish that will be seared in our memory is the hot chile-oil flounder fillet. Hunks of delicate fish arrived in a bowl of broth studded with red chiles and ribbons of Napa cabbage. Scoop out the flavorful flounder but avoid imbibing the tongue-searing liquid. It’s a marvelous dish, even if there were a few tears shed along the way.

You may be inclined to skip dessert, but push yourself to indulge in the black golden-yolk buns, which come two to an order. The midnight-colored orbs with edible gold leaf are a gorgeous, sweet finish. While the restaurant has maintained a minimalist look, a formal space has been created on the third floor, with Chinese artwork for private events. As for Lydia Chang, she moved to D.C., had a baby, and is now operating Chang Chang in D.C.

The Chang dynasty continues.

NIHAO: 2322 Boston St., Canton, 443-835-2036. HOURS: Mon.-Thur. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Fri.-Sun. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. PRICES: Starters: $5-13; Entrees: $16-78. AMBIANCE: Minimalist casual.

Lydia Chang greets me with an offer of tea. She’s seated at table No. 22 in the empty dining room of NiHao, the revolutionary new Chinese restaurant she co-owns in Canton, and even on a cold December morning, her warmth is apparent.

“It’s half pu’er, which is a Chinese black tea,” she says, as she sips from her own cup. “If it’s harvested today, you can drink it, but over time, it can last over 20 years. Something like this could be as valuable as a glass of vintage red wine.”

So, is this one worth big bucks?

“No, this one is pretty new,” she says, as she lets out a surprisingly substantial belly laugh considering her diminutive size. While the 5-foot-3-inch Chang may be small in stature, her reputation in the culinary world has been growing since she opened NiHao in July, in the middle of the pandemic. In November, Esquire placed it fourth on its list of best new restaurants in America. An impressive achievement, for sure, but even in that brief, 104-word write-up, hers was not the first Chang name mentioned. That was her famous father, chef Peter Chang, described as “the elusive Mid-Atlantic legend of Szechuan cuisine.”

His would be rather gargantuan footsteps to follow. Luckily, his only child isn’t trying. She’s a key part of his empire, and at NiHao, she’s leading the charge. Lydia Chang, 33, is a manager, marketer, front-of-the-house designer, menu shaper, and visionary. Basically, she does everything in the restaurant business—except cook. At NiHao, which is a part of her father’s company, her business partner, executive chef Pichet Ong, mans the kitchen.

“I like to say I am an excellent eater,” she says, letting out another of those laughs. “I spend more time eating out, tasting, doing R and D. Cooking is something I know I would never be able to compete with in my family. I withdraw myself from that competition.”

So far, her efforts are paying off. NiHao is wildly popular, and at least one important observer has certainly taken notice. You don’t need to read in between the lines to understand that her father had reservations about his daughter’s vision, if not her abilities.

“I was prepared and ready for the cleanup and aftermaths of a failure,” Peter Chang writes via email, his preferred method of communication. “I thought to myself, there’s only a 30 percent chance it could turn out to be a [sound] business. She could come to me one day begging for help or money. However, I still need to give her a chance to prove herself. I was observing from a distance and patiently waiting for the moment to come. Well, now we know, NiHao is on the journey to become its own thing—very different from what I have done. Of course, I’m pleased and admire her courage. Without much of my involvement, she pulled it off.”

Born in China, Lydia Chang grew up in the city of Wuhan, capital of Hubei province. Despite the fact that both her parents were chefs, it was her grandmother’s cooking that shaped her then admittedly bland palate. Her favorite dish was ground pork—“I liked it very, very dry over rice,” she says.

“Mom and dad were like visitors because they were working so much,” she says. “Dad has a schedule, he goes away to work for 10 days, comes back for one-and-a-half days. He was a chef working for a cruise company along the Yangtze River. Mom worked as a pastry chef sometimes from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.”

She lived with her grandma until she was 14, when her parents brought her to Washington, D.C., where her father was the chef at the Chinese vice ambassador’s residence. She knew little English (she speaks Mandarin and the dialect of Wuhanese) but was excited for the opportunity to experience a new culture. She assimilated to American life easily, helped by watching Disney movies and the fact that she made friends in her English as a Second Language (ESL) class at Woodrow Wilson High School.

The toughest adjustment was one many 14-year-olds struggle with—living with her parents, whom she wasn’t used to having around all the time. One perk: They cooked her daily meals. Her father’s baked cod with breadcrumbs became a favorite. The butter, soy, and pickled chili flavors in the dish began to awaken her taste buds.

After high school, Chang was on the move again. She attended King’s College in London, where she earned a business degree. She relished the art, history, and food in the city, where Cantonese cooking is a staple. During this time, her father’s fame began to grow. He worked at restaurants throughout the southeastern United States, displaying such a prowess (and a reputation for restlessness) that national publications like The New Yorker ran fawning pieces headlined “Where’s Chang?” and “Chef Peter Chang Disappears Again.”

In 2011, he opened his first eponymous restaurant, in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was an instant hit, and he began having conversations with his daughter overseas about the financial side of the business. Her suggestions centered on marketing and providing customers with a reason to come back.

ESQUIRE PLACED NIHAO FOURTH ON ITS LIST OF BEST NEW RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA.

“He liked to keep me updated with everything that was going on,” she says. “I don’t even know how much of my advice went into the way he’s doing things, but he liked for me to be engaged.”

After graduating from college in 2013, she went back to China to visit her grandmother and work as an intern in the banking industry, which she quickly realized wasn’t for her. So, at the beginning of 2014, she returned to the United States and joined her father’s company as a general manager trainee at his poorly performing restaurant in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

“That was like, ‘You are new, I can’t put you somewhere that is already super busy that’s on the right track, you might create more problems,’” she says. “That was a time when I saw we had so many restaurants in different markets, but we were doing the same dishes. I realized that you could have the same brand with a similar menu with equally tasty food, but every market responds differently to who you are.”

After stabilizing that restaurant, largely by emphasizing customer service, she left to become GM of the new Peter Chang in Arlington. It was a smashing success on a level the family hadn’t previously experienced. Glowing reviews in Washingtonian and The Washington Post led to lines out the door and phones that never stopped ringing. Still, the family didn’t think this was the time to slow down.

In 2017, they opened Q in Bethesda. Her father wanted to name it “Qijian,” a Chinese word for “flagship.” His daughter convinced him otherwise. “I said, ‘I don’t think people can remember that. Why don’t we just take the first letter, Q? It’s very easy to remember.’”

Next came Mama Chang, a restaurant that serves the style of Chinese food Lydia remembers from her childhood. At first, her father was not thrilled by the concept.

“I was not on board with the direction of the menu at the beginning—the homestyle cuisine,” he writes. “She proved me wrong—it was well-received and accepted by diners and food critics alike. It’s quite obvious that she knows what the market wants. She was able to communicate a unified message with the media, diners, and followers to understand what I’m trying to do with Chinese cuisine. Chinese cuisine is diverse and multi-layered in tastes, texture, execution, and flavors—she becomes the voice and the storyteller. We can operate different concepts due to her understanding and knowledge in these markets.”

By then, Lydia had met Ong, who worked for the company and had become a friend. The pair started discussing opening a restaurant in Baltimore, a city of which they had grown fond from frequent visits. “As I started to spend my weekends here, I liked the museums, the parks,” she says. “I feel like this city has so much artistic and cultural attraction. It’s very diverse.”

They bought the former Fork & Wrench building in Canton, but transforming it to fit their vision of a sophisticated, yet comfortable restaurant took much longer than they anticipated. Then the pandemic hit. It was a formula for failure, but Chang never allowed herself or her team to feel defeated.

“I think she represents the new generation of restaurant operator. She’s very open-minded,” Ong says. “A lot of times, you have an emotional response to something, but she doesn’t think like that. She thinks more about what’s best for the business. That makes a difference.”

When COVID-19 began ravaging the restaurant business, Chang knew she had to pivot. She hauled the old Fork & Wrench furniture out of storage and challenged her team to think about how they could refinish it. They painted chairs and tables and created a communal table with advertisements and postcards printed from Google. They were able to project the homey feeling that Chang loves, even though she hasn’t been able to share it with guests very often. When it opened, NiHao was strictly takeout and delivery, even at a time when outdoor and some indoor dining was permitted, primarily out of her concern for the safety of her employees.

“NIHAO IS SOMETHING THAT WAS NEEDED ON THE BALTIMORE FOOD SCENE.”

“NiHao is something that was definitely needed in the Baltimore food scene,” says Steve Chu, owner of Ekiben, which has done pop-ups with NiHao. “They bring something different. The interior of that space is absolutely gorgeous. When people go there and people try the food for themselves, they’ll know.”

Despite the obstacles, NiHao’s food was the talk of the city’s culinary scene from the moment its first Peking duck was sliced. (Some people place their duck order online just after midnight to ensure that they’ll have one for dinner the next night. NiHao has been known to sell out of the birds.)

Chang bristles, albeit smilingly, when asked to pigeonhole the region of Chinese cuisine her restaurant serves. Rather than describe it as Szechuan or Cantonese, she prefers to label it “contemporary” Chinese.

Here you won’t find 10 different kinds of fried rice or every variety of noodle dish known to man.

“We focus a lot on the quality ingredients,” she says. “The flavors have the Chinese flavor as the fundamentals, but it’s our take on how it works with the modern cooking techniques. Generally, Chinese food is cooked on the wok. The heat is super high, and you would add all the flavors as you cook the dishes. However, here we try to do more of a western way of cooking all the sauces.”

Peter Chang says he has had a minimal impact on the menu. He visits the restaurant once a month to conduct cooking demonstrations and taste new menu items. The signature Peking duck recipe is his, but other takes, like the blue-crab steamed buns and Chinese meatballs, made with minced pork, sticky rice, water chestnuts, ginger, and salted egg yolk and served with daikon, are Ong’s and Lydia’s.

The two have eaten their way around Shanghai and Thailand together. Lydia, who’s an American citizen, is truly a citizen of the world, a fact she thinks helps her relate to people from all backgrounds.

“My dad likes to say you grew up in China, you have this Eastern part in you, but you developed most of your adolescence here in the U.S. and you went to school in England. Your value system is essentially formed in the Western culture,” she says. “I like to say I am bridging those gaps. I’m able to respect what the Chinese value or tradition says about respecting the elderly and the strong family values, but at the same time, the Western culture has taught me to be independent, to express how you feel.”

Her father, sometimes reluctant to offer praise, believes she has what it takes to succeed in a business in which he already thrives.

“She found her passion and interests while working on creating different concepts,” he notes. “She has become a restaurateur in her own way. She has the potential to achieve many things.”

Clearly, she’s off to a hell of a start.

ON WEEKEND MORNINGS beginning in August, mysterious long lines began to stretch around Canton Square. Those at the front entered a store with no sign above it. When they left, whether they were carrying chocolate babka, a Tamago Sando (a Japanese egg sandwich), or a simple cup of coffee, they seemed blissfully unbothered by the wait.

When Café Dear Leon opened, co-owner Min Kim had no idea what to expect. He and two partners had been discussing the concept since September 2019, and they took over the building in February. Then…well, you know what happened next.

“Initially, we were going to open sometime in May,” Kim says. “We figured since things were not going to be opening at the regular time, we were going to do some of the work on the building ourselves, which saved us money.

[Editor’s Note: After taking some time off, we are happy to resume our recurring “Open & Shut” column chronicling the latest restaurant happenings. Throughout the past few months, we’ve pivoted our weekly food coverage to tell personal stories of how chefs, restaurant owners, and industry workers are faring throughout the pandemic. Our “Without Reservation” column will continue, and as the food scene continues to press on in the wake of ever-changing dining regulations, “Open & Shut” will also run on a bi-weekly basis. We deeply appreciate your readership and hope that this column reiterates the importance of supporting Charm City’s unique array of restaurants, especially when they need it most.]

OPEN

NiHao: Perhaps the most highly anticipated local restaurant in years has officially made its debut in Canton. Culinary icon Peter Chang, along with his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Lydia, have brought on longtime friend Pichet Ong to collaborate on a menu of contemporary Chinese dishes that reflect both of the chef’s styles. Now open for carryout and delivery, NiHao—the casual Chinese greeting that evokes a sense of connection, according to the owners—offers traditional options such as a whole peking duck, shrimp dumplings, and mapo tofu. And enticing dishes unique to the restaurant include cumin lamb and corn ribs, chicken and tofu skin salad, Grand Marnier prawns in lettuce cups, and crispy bamboo catfish. Beverage director Janet Cam, formerly of Le Pavillon in Washington, D.C., has curated a list of worldly wines, Asian beers, Baiju cocktails, and craft sodas made with house-made shrubs to pair with the food. As they continue with their phased opening plan, the owners are looking forward to unveiling the revamped interior of the former Fork & Wrench space when the restaurant opens for indoor dining in the months ahead.

Lexington Market: Lexington is the latest of the Baltimore Public Markets to reopen in the midst of the coronavirus. Effective today, the market will open with proper safety measures at 50 percent capacity on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. As shoppers return to visit their favorite vendors, developers with Seawall continue their redevelopment plans and will soon begin the vendor selection process for the revamped market set to open in 2022.

Sally O’s: Diners got a taste of this new concept from Top Chef alum Jesse Sandlin when she popped up at Mr. Nice Guy Cocktails in April. Now, the chef is ready to officially open Sally O’s on Friday, July 31. Set in the former home of The Laughing Pint in Highlandtown, the restaurant will offer an array of small plates, sandwiches, pastas, and hearty mains for carryout and outdoor dining. Dishes to look out for include crab-stuffed jalapeño poppers, a summer salad with nectarines and sweet peppers, crispy eggplant lasagna, and a buttermilk chicken sandwich with szechuan pickles. Though Sandlin is still awaiting liquor license approval, she will be featuring a few mocktails and coffee drinks from Black Acres Roastery to get started.

Until Conditions Improve: After a temporary closure a few weeks ago, the owners of The Bluebird in Hampden went back to the drawing board to think of a socially distanced pop-up concept that they hoped would be able to withstand the ever-changing dining restrictions. What they came up with is a burger-and-milkshake stand aptly named Until Conditions Improve. Starting this week, diners can order boozy amaretto milkshakes, burgers, BLT hot dogs, cornmeal-crusted fried pickles, and some of the bar’s classic cocktails for to-go or outdoor patio service.

COMING SOON

Bmore Licks: Just as they did in Canton three years ago, Bmore Licks owners Kim Proctor and Barbara Maloni have commissioned a massive, hand-painted ice cream mural on the side of their new building in Federal Hill. Locals might have noticed the artwork at 901 Light St., which will soon open as Bmore Licks’ second location. Expect the same fun flavors of homemade hard ice cream and soft serve (favorites include butter crunch, lemon ginger cookie, and Zeke’s coffee toffee) to be delivered through safely distanced takeout windows when the shop debuts later this summer. Bmore Licks adds to the growing ice cream options in the neighborhood, which recently welcomed The Charmery and will soon host Taharka Bros. inside Cross Street Market.

Bushel and a Peck Kitchen & Bar: Iron Bridge Wine Company co-owner Rob Wecker is teaming up with chef Joe Krywucki to bring this Chesapeake Bay-inspired restaurant to the former home of Food Plenty in Clarksville this September. The Maryland natives and longtime friends plan to offer a menu that shows off the bounty of the Bay, with highlights including rockfish, shrimp, and, of course, Maryland crab. Wecker, who also happens to be a master sommelier, plans to create a list of local beer, wine, and cocktails to accompany all of the dishes.

CH-CH CHANGES

Di Pasquale’s Marketplace: After more than 100 years in Highlandtown, this community staple is moving to a larger space in Brewers Hill next year. Taking over the former home of Ceriello Fine Foods on the bottom of The Porter apartment building, the Italian market will be able to grow its production and give customers more room to breathe while browsing its famous cheeses, meats, and prepared foods. In a note announcing the move on Facebook, the Di Pasquale family assured regulars that, despite moving a mile away, their hearts will always be in Highlandtown: “We may be moving some of our operations, but that does not mean we will divest our interest in the Highlandtown community that has taken care of us for over a century. We are excited to take this next step with you.”

BAKERY BULLETIN

Kitsch: Pastry chef Jacqueline Mearman, most recently of Atlas Restaurant Group, took to Instagram last week to announce plans to open her own spot near the Johns Hopkins University campus. Slated to open in October, the shop will offer egg sandwiches, a curated coffee and tea program, and some of Mearman’s signature sweets.

Ovenbird Bakery: Follow the smell of fresh-baked bread to find this new bakery in Little Italy. The handwritten list of artisan offerings rotates daily, highlighting rye, sourdough, ciabatta, and Italian loaves. There’s also house-made scones, pressed paninis, and desserts like cheesecake and Key Lime pie.

Pekara Bakery: The spirit of European pastry palace Roggenart, which shuttered in Mt. Washington months back, now lives on in Roland Park. Serbian-born owner Radomir Mihajlovic and head baker Borislav Petkovic—both of whom previously worked for Roggenart—recently celebrated the grand opening of their new spot on Coldspring Lane. Carrying over many of their recipes featured at the old spot, Pekara features pastries such as butter croissants, walnut brioche, and a classic pain au raisin.

Pie Time Baltimore: The brick-and-mortar home for this farmers market favorite is getting close to opening in Patterson Park. Neighbors have likely seen the freshly painted storefront on the corner of East Baltimore and South Ellwood streets, where owner Max Reim plans to offer his sweet and savory pies along with the strong lattes, espressos, cappuccinos, and Americanos that fans know and love from his pop-ups.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

Ongoing: Johnny’s Sunday Pop-Up Market
Foreman Wolf Restaurant Group is continuing its weekly Sunday markets in the parking lot of Johnny’s and Petit Louis Bistro in Roland Park. From 8-11 a.m., shop fresh pastas and sauces from Cinghiale, empanadas and produce from Bar Vasquez, breakfast and coffee from Johnny’s, and a selection of wines from all of the restaurant’s cellars picked by co-owner Tony Foreman. Plus, produce from local farms and artwork created by Foreman Wolf employees.

8/2: Don’t Know Community Pop-Up: Lucifero Loaves
Federal Hill’s Don’t Know Tavern is a prime example of the “a rising tide lifts all boats” mantra that has been practiced among industry workers since the shutdown. Starting this weekend, husband-and-wife owners John and Brittany Leonard are supporting fellow food businesses by hosting a different pop-up in one of their carryout windows on weekends. Kicking things off on August 2 will be artisan baker Lucifero Loaves, a regular at the Overlea and Baltimore Museum of Industry farmers markets. Be on the lookout for other purveyors including Codetta Bakeshop, Wild Berry Farm Market, and The Salad Lady scheduled to appear throughout the rest of the summer.

8/6: Takeout Thursdays With Dining Out For Life
Locals might be familiar with Dining Out For Life as the one-day-only promotion in which area restaurants donate a portion of their sales to Moveable Feast, which feeds those who are critically ill. But in the midst of COVID-19, organizers are vowing to give back to the restaurants that have supported the cause for the past 27 years. In addition to accepting individual donations through September 17, Dining Out For Life is streaming virtual concerts, seminars, and showcases on Facebook Live on Thursday evenings with the hope that diners will tune in while enjoying takeout from one of its many restaurant partners. Coming up on August 6 is a live performance by local acoustic band The Befuddlers, followed by composer Peter Dayton live from The Owl Bar, and a discussion on the future of the Black Lives Matter movement with community organizer Andre Robinson.

SHUT

Chez Hugo Bistro: It’s no secret that the coronavirus has been devastating for the local restaurant scene, and among the latest spots that have announced closures is this beloved bistro in the historic Merchants Club building downtown. French-born chef Steve Monnier and co-owner Scott Helm announced last week that they made the decision to shutter the restaurant amid the restricted dining capacity and “enormous uncertainty around when these conditions might change.” For more than two years, the cozy dining room has been a place to feast on escargot, steak frites, and Monnier’s famous multi-course tasting menus served by stellar staff.

OPEN

The Boiler Room: Monument City Brewing and Haven Street Ballroom have officially welcomed this new neighbor to the Highland Forge area in Highlandtown. Housed in a former boiler room that was used for the milling of large trees until the 1950s, the aptly named space from developer Dave Seibert now maintains its industrial roots with exposed red brick and an original boiler room door mounted on one of its walls. As for the food, chef Brian Szewczyk—previously of Mama’s on the Half Shell—turns out fun takes on American classics including fried Buffalo wontons, cajun chicken and dumplings, hanger steak with chimichurri butter, and a “Burger and Waffles” dish that sandwiches smashed patties between a waffle bun. Brick oven-fired pizzas in flavors ranging from wild mushroom to chicken alfredo are also highlights on the menu.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

1/17-18: Nihao Baltimore Pop-Up at Salt Tavern
Those eager for Nihao Baltimore—the authentic Chinese food concept from cult icon Peter Chang—to finally open in Canton can get a sneak peek of what’s to come at this two-night pop-up taking over Salt Tavern in Upper Fells Point, which now operates as a private events venue. Stop in on Friday or Saturday night to sample cocktails and try out a few of Nihao’s soon-to-be signature dishes. Though menu details are still under wraps, a previous collab at Artifact Coffee featured items such as tofu skin salad and Sichuan pickled baked rockfish.

1/26: Toki Underground Pop-Up at Bluebird Cocktail Room
Speaking of epic food-and-drink collabs, Washington, D.C.’s famous ramen house Toki Underground will be popping up at Bluebird Cocktail Room in Hampden next weekend. Mark your calendar for the can’t-miss tasting event that will feature a creative menu of Japanese and Taiwanese flavors inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s classic film Seven Samurai. Bluebird’s bar team has dreamed up seven new cocktails highlighting Japanese spirits for the evening, including the sake and ginger-infused “Shichirōji” and the “Kambei Shimada,” a spin on the bar’s signature Old Fashioned. Toki Underground’s chef Olivier Caillabet will be teaming up with Bluebird head chef Chance Jones to present an array of ramen, steamed buns, dumplings, and other collaborative dishes. Though reservations are suggested, walk-ins will also be welcome.

SHUT

Da Mimmo Restaurant: Earlier this week, Little Italy said goodbye to this neighborhood mainstay—which recently celebrated its 36th anniversary. In a press release announcing the closure, owner Mary Ann Cricchio thanked all of the restaurant’s regular customers, family, and friends for their “loyal support” throughout the years. The message went on to explain that, while the restaurant has officially closed, Cricchio and executive chef Masood Masoodi are moving on to devote more time to their program organizing and leading tours on the Amalfi Coast. “We will cherish our memories made in Little Italy, and look forward to making new ones with you in Big Italy,” Cricchio wrote. There’s no word yet on what will become of the South High Street building.

Coelum: After only seven months, this Canton corner spot has closed its doors indefinitely. Translating to “sky” or “heaven” in Latin, Coelum became known for its cafe and market atmosphere by day, and its evening program that emphasized craft cocktails and larger seasonal plates. A post to Instagram indicates that co-founders Corey Laub and Ryan Thacker decided to close the eatery due to “infrastructure issues,” but are working to get back on their feet soon.

CH-CH CHANGES

The Corner Pantry Expands: Since it opened on Valentine’s Day in 2014, many Mt. Washington dwellers have made this breakfast-and-lunch spot a part of their regular routine. Come March, the cafe will offer even more to love by nearly doubling its footprint. The spot will expand into the vacant space next door and add an additional 1,150 square feet. With more room to breathe, husband-and-wife owners Neill and Emily Howell plan to add a second counter for faster service, optional private dining and meeting space, and an expanded kitchen that will allow them to amp up catering. Plus, there will be more opportunities to host events and cooking classes for customers.

“Since we opened nearly six years ago, we have been able to produce some really incredible food out of a 400 square-foot kitchen,” Neill said in a statement. “Our business has evolved based on the feedback and needs from our customers, and we know expanded seating and offerings are what we can add at this point in our journey.” The owners plan to remain open for most of the construction period, which will begin in January.

Cosima Brings Names New Executive Chef: There’s been a slight shift in the kitchen operations at this Southern Italian destination along the Jones Falls in Hampden. Longtime chef de cuisine Jonathan Hicks was recently promoted to executive chef. But, rest assured—Baltimore’s own culinary queen Donna Crivello isn’t going anywhere. She’s stepped into the role of concept director at Cosima, where she will continue the restaurant’s monthly cooking classes, add tutorials for children on the weekends, and oversee private events. “As the granddaughter of Cosima and daughter of a Neapolitan mother, I absolutely love the warmth of Southern Italian hospitality,” Crivello said in a statement. “Those ideals are at the root of the restaurant, and I’m excited to be able to maintain and expand them.”

Bird in Hand Adds Bar Program: Since opening near the Johns Hopkins University campus three years ago, students and neighbors have relied on this collaborative spot—from the teams behind the Ivy Bookshop and Woodberry Kitchen—for a strong latte, espresso, or pastry. Last month, the cafe added to its offerings by launching “Bird Bar,” a collection of wine, beer, and cider to pair with the food menu. In keeping with Bird in Hand’s hyper-local philosophy, the list features Baltimore purveyors including Peabody Heights, Union Craft, and Oliver Brewing Company.

OPEN

Ropewalk Tavern: For nearly six months, Federal Hill revelers have missed the strong drinks and lively piano bar at this neighborhood staple. The McFaul family—who also runs three Ropewalk locations on the Eastern Shore—closed their flagship in July to make some fun upgrades in honor of the bar’s 25th anniversary year. And at the grand reopening party earlier this week, the team unveiled refreshed bars, new arcade games like Skee Ball and basketball shoot-outs, and a bowling alley upstairs. Swing by to play some of the new games, shoot a round of pool, and sip one of Ropewalk’s 150 featured beers.

COMING SOON

Angels Ate Lemons: The weekend before Christmas, Socle—the Old Goucher complex that houses Larder, Sophomore Coffee, and beer garden and natural wine bar Fadensonnen—will welcome yet another attraction. This new weekend concept invites guests to taste some of the worldly wines from Fadensonnen’s storage room in a daytime setting. Named after a line in an Etel Adnan poem, the experience is meant to foster “deep conversation and togetherness,” according to a message posted to Instagram. Angels Ate Lemons marks yet another innovative bar program from Lane Harlan, who also oversees Clavel and W.C. Harlan nearby in Remington.

NiHao Baltimore: We’ve been keeping tabs on this Baltimore expansion from culinary icon Peter Chang, who began his career as a chef at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. He has built an empire serving Sichuan specialties at strip-mall restaurants throughout the DMV, as well as at his fine-dining spot Q by Peter Chang in Bethesda. Earlier this year, word spread that the chef and his family planned to take over the former Fork & Wrench space in Canton. Though the restaurant isn’t slated to open until February 2020, the family was given a warm welcome last weekend when they hosted a pop-up at Artifact Coffee—giving diners a sneak peek at what the menu might look like when NiHao Baltimore officially opens.

Tofu skin salad and Sichuan pickled baked rockfish were among the featured dishes from Peter, his wife, pastry chef Lisa Chang, and chef Pichet Ong. (Ong is the James Beard award-nominated chef behind Brothers and Sisters located inside The Line Hotel in D.C., which also houses Artifact sister-spot, A Rake’s Progress.) Stay tuned for more details on NiHao’s highly anticipated grand opening in 2020.