Himalayan Bistro: A bright orange building sandwiched between Blue Agave and Blue Moon Too on Light Street houses this new Nepalese and Indian restaurant that opened last week in Federal Hill. In addition to an affordable lunch buffet, the bistro delivers authentic dishes such as shrimp curry, chicken tikka masala, lamb kabobs, and shrimp chow mein. Vegetarian options—from seasoned yellow lentils to roasted eggplant with garlic, tomato, and ginger—are also plentiful. 1030 Light St., 443-708-3157

Loch Bar: Atlas Restaurant Group, which owns Azumi and Ouzo Bay, expanded its footprint in Harbor East earlier this month with the debut of this long-awaited seafood spot. Stationed in the former home of Lamill Coffee in the Four Seasons Baltimore, Loch Bar features an expansive raw bar and sizable whiskey collection (350 varieties and still growing). Other specialties include lobster rolls, ceviche, and even pastrami sandwiches. 280 International Dr., 443-961-8949

Urban Deli: This new neighborhood deli from longtime Federal Hill resident Laura McCormack celebrated its grand opening last weekend. The shop has a cheerful exterior with bright pops of yellow and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Menu highlights include New York-style bagels, Zeke’s coffee, homemade soups, paninis, and hometown-inspired sandwiches like the Cross Street Caprese (mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, arugula, and basil pesto) and the Smokin’ Sobo (turkey, spicy mayo, pepper jack cheese, and red onion). 1448 Light St., 443-708-0495

COMING SOON:

Caliburger: This international burger chain, which operates fast-casual eateries everywhere from Saudia Arabia to Sweden, is opening its third North American location in Columbia in May. The Santa Monica-based franchise specializes in burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and handspun milkshakes. The spot will also feature the chain’s signature FunWall, which projects multiplayer video games that diners can control with their smartphones. 10000 Town Centre Ave., Columbia

New Spike Gjerde Concepts in the Works: James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Spike Gjerde recently announced big plans to expand his empire to Charles Village and Washington, D.C. Come August, Gjerde will debut a new cafe in partnership with Ivy Bookstore owners Ann and Ed Berlin. The spot, opening inside a brand new student housing development at the intersection of St. Paul and 33rd Streets, will serve coffee, sandwiches, and pastries against the backdrop of more than 6,000 books for sale.

Next fall, Gjerde fans can look forward to the reveal of yet another new concept, which will open inside The Line hotel in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C. In keeping with Gjerde’s locavore mission, the yet unnamed restaurant will focus on locally sourced ingredients and whole animal butchery. Set inside a 110-year-old neoclassic church, the 80-seat space will feature dark woods, milk glass windows, and church pew seating.

CH-CH CHANGES:

Michael’s Cafe: This family-owned Timonium hotspot recently hired a new executive chef. Mark Davis (whose previous stints include heading up kitchens at Ten Ten and The Highland Inn) plans to incorporate seasonal ingredients from local farmers and producers in his new role. The cafe will launch Davis’s new spring menu this month, featuring dishes such as seared scallops with bacon edamame succotash and lemon and pistachio-crusted chicken with baby carrots. 2119 York Road, Timonium, 410-252-2022

Southern Provisions: Under new ownership, the corner restaurant in O’Donnell Square that formerly operated as Jokers N’ Thieves has recently been rebranded as Southern Provisions—a Lowcountry spot that specializes in live music, smoked meats, and a lengthy list of bourbon and whiskey. Matthew Lasinski (who also owns Blue Agave in Federal Hill) took over the space last December, and has been working on enhancing the menu and interiors ever since. Earlier this month, the rebrand debuted a new patio with garage-style doors and new menu items such as crawfish rolls, cedar-wrapped salmon, and Cajun chicken chopped salads. 3000 O’Donnell St., 410-675-4029

Wayward Southern Bar & Kitchen: Speaking of Southern concepts, Cowboys & Rednecks recently got a makeover, as well. The Federal Hill bar known for its saloon-style vibe, country soundtrack, and life-sized Jenga was recently sold to the restaurant group behind Bandito’s Bar & Kitchen, located just across the street. The space, now called Wayward, has been remodeled with new floors and bar tops, and even features a communal table with a built-in concrete beer trough. The new menu highlights more upscale barbecue fare such as wild boar smoked sausages, braised pork poutine, seared salmon with raspberry balsamic, and smoked Gouda mac-and-cheese topped with Texas brisket. 1117 S. Charles St., 410-223-2269

SHUT:

DuClaw Brewing Company: In a message posted to its Facebook page earlier this week, Harford County-based DuClaw Brewing revealed that it is currently in the process of selling its restaurant locations in Bel Air and Bowie. “The decision to relinquish our physical footprint in Bel Air and Bowie was difficult, but the resulting resources will allow us to better focus on DuClaw Brewing Company’s truest passion; making great craft beer and bringing it to beer lovers everywhere,” the post reads. Although DuClaw has announced that the new owners operate Green Turtle franchises in the area, there’s no official word on what will become of the brewpubs.

Padonia Ale House: After 36 years in business, this Timonium fixture shuttered its doors on April 3. Longtime owner Marc Loundas notes that the 13,500-square-foot live music venue was too big to maintain, mentioning that peak times were primarily on weekends. No word yet on the new tenants.

Strapazza: This stalwart Towson pizza shop closed its doors suddenly earlier this month for reasons that are still unknown. Messages to Strapazza owner Michele D’Agata were not immediately returned. The restaurant, which was a staple in the community for 25 years, was best known for its lengthy menu listing Italian pastas, pizzas, and seafood dishes.

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Now after more than 30 years, the stalwart sports bar has shuttered its doors in the Padonia Village shopping center. Its last day in business was April 3.

Longtime owner Marc Loundas notes the area’s changing music scene as the primary reason for the closure.

“It was profitable, but it was at a crossroads where it needed to put in a major capital improvement,” says Loundas, who acquired the 13,500 square-foot property in 1980. “It’s been a live music venue for a long time, and the live music crowd is basically only Fridays and Saturdays now. The place was just too big for today’s market.”

Loundas first bought the bar from former Baltimore Colts defensive end Ordell Braase, and transformed it into a nightclub called Christopher’s soon after. He says that some of his best memories of the ’80s haunt involved hanging out with football hall of famer Art Donovan and legendary Orioles like Rick Dempsey and Eddie Murray.

“A lot of the guys lived in the Timonium-Lutherville area around that time. In fact, after the Orioles won the World Series in Philadelphia in 1983, they all came back to hang out,” he recalls. “It wasn’t uncommon to see 10 or 15 of the single guys in there during any given time because it was a good place to pick up girls. Cal was in there a lot until he fell in love.”

After the Christopher’s concept had run its course, Loundas altered the decor and renamed the bar Graffiti’s in an effort to appeal to a younger clientele. The space later became known as Padonia Station, and was rebranded as Padonia Ale House to accommodate the craft beer crowd in 2014. The Ale House was best known for its wings, crabby fries, and local beer lineup that included varieties from the likes of Flying Dog and Dogfish Head.

Loundas says that, although the spot saw plenty of changes throughout the decades, his long-term staff remained the backbone of the business.

More than 250 people, some hailing from as far as Texas and New England, attended an employee alumni party last week to commemorate the bar’s history. The Heat and The Cold Sweat Horns, a local band that frequently jammed at Christopher’s during its heyday, reunited after 20 years to play the send-off soiree.

“It was very nostalgic,” Loundas says. “These guys are superb musicians. They came in and rehearsed for two hours and sounded like they never missed a beat.”

Continental Realty Corporation, which owns the entire Padonia Village shopping center, is currently seeking new tenants. Loundas, who is also a longtime partner in the Bill Bateman’s Bistro chain, says that expanding that brand will be his sole focus moving forward.

“It’s really amazing how many people I’ve seen over the years that say ‘I met my wife’ or ‘I met my husband’ there,” Loundas says. “In that last week, so many people that I never knew came up to me and thanked us for all of the great times.”

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