Pen & Quill – Baltimore Magazine

Top Spots to Celebrate National Pretzel Day

Lauren Cohen — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 10:46:00 +0000

When faced with a menu of savory snacks, soft pretzels are tough to pass up. Whether you’re hanging out at your neighborhood bar or strolling around an outdoor festival, you can’t go wrong ordering a fresh-baked twist—with its warm inside and crisp exterior enhanced by a requisite pinch of salt. (Just thinking about it makes us channel our inner Stanley Hudson from The Office.) Locally, there are plenty of places to get your fix in honor of National Pretzel Day on April 26.

Some of the most beloved soft pretzels in the city can be found at The Food Market, Chad Gauss’s comfort food spot on the Avenue in Hampden. Gauss says that the restaurant’s signature sticks—which were inspired by visits to Pennsylvania’s Amish markets with his grandparents as a kid—have been a hit since day one. In celebration of Pretzel Day, he will be offering free orders to all tables during dinner service.

“That first day we tried to cook them from raw dough to order and it was literally impossible,” he says. “They’re just so easy-going. It’s something that you can order to really excite your palate for dinner.”

In crafting the dish, Gauss says he opted for the pull-apart, breadstick-style pretzels (rather than a traditional twist) to promote sharing and expose an optimal amount of crust. Each order is served alongside an overflowing cup of Natty Boh beer-cheese fondue.

“I had to use the Boh,” Gauss says with a laugh. “Pretzels and cheese and pretzels and mustard are the two real ways to go, but with mustard you aren’t really making anything. Beer, pretzels, and cheese all incorporate so well together. I thought, ‘I can make a cheese fondue as good as anybody.’”

From traditional twists and braids to unique nuggets and knots, here are a few other top spots to partake in National Pretzel Day.

Alexander’s Tavern: The soft pretzels at this Fells Point mainstay shine on a lengthy menu that highlights all kinds of pub grub. The butter-basted braids are jumbo-sized, and plated with three different dipping sauces. Pick your preference of white queso, honey-maple Dijon, or tavern mustard while catching a game or kick-starting a meal with friends. 710 S. Broadway, 410-522-0000

Brew House No. 16: Pair a flight of house-brewed beer with the pretzel bread and butter at this buzzed-about Mt. Vernon restaurant—which is housed inside a historic 19th-century fire station. 831 N. Calvert St., 410-659-4084

Crossbar der Biergarten: Federal Hill welcomed this spot—a project which took more than four years to get off of the ground—with open arms when it finally debuted on East Cross Street last year. The German beer hall is meant to harken back to the roots of Oktoberfest, with interior touches like steel doors, a living ficus tree, and communal wooden furniture imported from Munich. The German vibe is also reflected in the menu, which showcases sausages, schnitzel fingers, and, of course, giant Bavarian pretzels. Make the most of the experience by picking apart the twists while downing a boot of Warsteiner of Hefenweizen. 18 E. Cross St., 410-528-1186

Das Bier Haus: On the other side of Federal Hill, this corner hangout takes its pretzel game seriously—especially when it comes to the accouterments. Diners are encouraged to customize their giant or king-sized pretzels by choosing any of the spot’s signature dipping sauces. The lengthy list features more than 20 condiments ranging from basic ranch and whole-grain Dijon to lemon-caper aioli, whiskey cream, honey-cardamom butter, and jalapeño nacho cheese. In honor of National Pretzel Day, the eatery is hosting its third-annual Pretzel Pairings Dinner featuring an array of different soft pretzels (think crab, pizza, and Buffalo-chicken flavors) alongside Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company beers. 1542 Light St., 443-708-8854

Pen & Quill: This Mt. Vernon favorite is an ideal pick for any occasion, and chef Bella Kline’s snack menu certainly comes in handy if you’re searching for a place to post up for drinks and light bites. Aside from deviled eggs, house-marinated olives, and French fries smothered in mushroom gravy, the list highlights a house soft pretzel with a hearty helping of porter cheddar sauce. Be sure to pair the specialty with one of the many local beers on tap. 1701 N. Charles St., 410-601-3588

Philly Pretzel Factory: As its name signifies, this Pennsylvania-based chain that recently landed in the Inner Harbor’s Light Street pavilion peddles authentic Philadelphia-style soft pretzels in an array of different shapes and sizes. For adventurous diners, the shop also offers items including pretzel-wrapped hot dogs, cheesesteak pretzels, and cinnamon-sugar coated twists. 301 Light St., 410-230-0063

World of Beer: Both locations of this fan-favorite beer bar in Towson and Locust Point will be celebrating the food holiday accordingly by offering the German-style snack—which is served hanging from a hook with house-made stone ground mustard or beer cheese. The bar even recommends pairing the twisted treat with one of its pale lagers. Multiple locations including 1724 Whetstone Way, 410-752-2337

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Baltimore Cocktail Week Aims to Get Back to the Roots of Hospitality

Lauren Cohen — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 12:32:00 +0000

When service industry veteran Ginny Lawhorn sits down to plan Baltimore Cocktail Week every year, she always has an underlying theme in mind.

This time around, considering the growing popularity of on-demand dining apps like OrderUp and UberEats, her goal was to plan events centered around restoring the relationship between diners and servers.

“We’re in this age where people are incredibly busy and desire to have things brought to them,” says Lawhorn, who heads up the bar program at Landmark Theatres and co-owns Sticky Rice in Fells Point. “This dilutes engagement in the services being provided to us. It’s all about finding ways to entice guests to come out when it’s easier to stay in.”

To delve further into this concept, Lawhorn has crafted a lineup of events ranging from forums and master classes to concerts and cocktail contests in conjunction with the third annual Baltimore Cocktail Week—an initiative that spotlights accomplishments in the local service industry and, this year, runs April 23-30.

“In Baltimore especially, we have such an incredible network of hospitality members supporting their communities,” says Lawhorn who organized the inaugural festival in 2015. “It’s an opportunity for consumers to see their service providers in a different capacity, rather than singularly across the bar.”

The festivities will kick off with a “Spring Fling” cocktail competition hosted by Rodney Henry of Dangerously Delicious Pies at R. House on Sunday, April 23. Twelve participating bartenders representing spots all over the city —including Argosy Cafe, Encantada, Gunther & Co., and Verde—will go head-to-head to craft sips inspired by the season. If you can’t make it to the event, all of the participating bartenders will offer the submissions at their bars throughout the week.

“The events all focus on what makes you enjoy your time out,” Lawhorn says. “Moving the launch party to R. Bar—a new, shared gathering space—was a big part of that.”

Other highlights throughout the week include a multi-course dinner exploring the relationship between scotch and sherry at Tapas Teatro on April 24, a restorative yoga session followed by light fare and prosecco at YogaWorks Midtown on April 29, “Brunch Drunk Love” featuring movie-inspired mid-morning cocktails like the Clueless Campari spritzer and Breakfast Club crush at Pen & Quill on April 30, and “My Bartender is in a Band”—a special Planned Parenthood benefit show at the Windup Space featuring local bartenders who are also musicians.

“It’s exciting to provide a night where bartenders get to be in a band first,” Lawhorn says of the concert, which is being produced by Friends Records and feature local rockers Gateway to Hell, Black Lung, and Sweepstakes. “It’s certainly a challenge, but there are an incredible number of people who manage both passions.”

Admission to all of the events range from $10-45 and, in keeping with the week’s theme of caring for others, many of the festivities have a philanthropic focus. Aside from the Planned Parenthood show, all of the proceeds from the yoga fundraiser will benefit House of Ruth Maryland, and the winner of the kickoff competition will receive a $250 donation to the nonprofit of their choice.

“When the community is in need, bars and restaurants show up,” Lawhorn says, mentioning industry fundraisers planned in the wake of the Ellicott City devastation last summer. “My main goal is that consumers leave these events more educated and interested. And that they really enjoy their time out in an era where setting your phone down can be very difficult.”

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Garnishes Gone Wild

Jess Mayhugh — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Scorpion Bowl, Pen & Quill

Cocktail: Rum, cognac, orgeat, lemon and orange juices, Angostura bitters
Garnish: Flaming lime, grilled pineapple, “shark” lime, orange wheel, paper umbrella

Every week, the bar staff at Pen & Quill breaks out the paper umbrellas for Tiki Tuesdays. “Cocktails can get stuffy and, with this theme, it’s impossible to be stuffy,” says bar manager Naomi Kline. The menu is full of traditional tiki tipples like mai tais, but the pièce de résistance is this scorpion bowl, which is meant to be shared between “two adventurous drinkers or four people who want to drive home.” Explains Kline, “You know it’s a success when a customer gasps. You can look out at Charles Street, and feel like you’re in the islands.”

The Waverly, Sugarvale

Cocktail: Duck-fat-washed rye, white vermouth, Bigallet China-China Amer liqueur, Monument City Brewery Company Brown Ale reduction, orange bitters
Garnish: Mini-ploughman: duck ham, lonza (cured pork loin), Beemster Gouda, smoked olives, pickled fennel

“This was our way of combining our charcuterie and cocktail programs,” says Breanne Radford, lead bartender of the Mt. Vernon spot. The Waverly is a play on a traditional Brooklyn cocktail, but Radford uses a duck-fat rye whiskey and Monument City Brewing’s Brown Ale reduction for a unique twist. When deciding how to garnish her cocktails, she thinks like a chef. “I like contrasting flavors,” Radford says. “The duck meat adds richness to something that’s already really spicy.”

Born on the Bay-O, Miss Shirley’s

Cocktail: Deep Eddy lemon vodka, Bloody Mary mix
Garnish: Blackened shrimp, tasso ham, andouille sausage, cheddar, pickled okra, tomato, celery, Old Bay

“The Bloody Mary trend with outside-of-the-box garnishes has been happening all over the country,” says Miss Shirley’s head chef Brigitte Bledsoe. “We wanted to do something crazy that was still our style.” So the chef, who also conceives the cocktails, decided to garnish the Bloody with ingredients to represent the restaurant’s Southern menu. “The main reaction is usually, ‘Oh my God, how am I going to eat this?’” Bledsoe cracks. Fun fact? The staff goes over to Bledsoe’s house to brainstorm and taste test cocktails over pizza.

Amado Nervo, Clavel

Cocktail: El Buho mezcal, cilantro honey, vermut, lime, cava rose
Garnish: Black sea salt, smoked over Pacific red alder wood

Clavel is known for queso dip, mezcal drinks—and beautiful garnishes. We are enamored with the bar’s take on salt rims. Case in point: the narrow band of black salt on the Amado Nervo. “The technique is to swipe a rectangular pattern on one side of the glass with a lime wedge and dip that area into a bowl of salt,” says owner Lane Harlan. “This gives the cocktail a dense and calculated salt shape.” When combined with the drink’s other ingredients, Harlan says the cocktail leaves you with “a memory of smoke.”

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Tiki Trend Heats Up in Baltimore

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 12:18:24 +0000

Now that the snow is melted and we’re left with cold, gray days for a few more weeks, we’re in the mood for something tropical. Thankfully we don’t even need a boarding pass, since the trend of tiki drinks has arrived in earnest in Baltimore.

Tiki drinks, which take inspiration from Polynesian culture, rose to prominence during the ’40s and ’50s and have seen a recent resurgence in cocktail-conscious cities around the country. Recently the rum-based drinks, usually made with exotic syrups and tropical juices, have begun to pop up on local menus and have inspired theme nights and parties at area bars.

“Cocktails can get stuffy sometimes and with tiki drinks, it’s impossible to be stuffy,” says Pen & Quill bar manager Naomi Kline. “You can sit out on Charles Street and pretend you’re in the islands. People enjoy being transported.”

Pen & Quill hosts Tiki Tuesdays every week with a speciality menu of tropical cocktails, like a Singapore Sling and the whiskey twist of a Rye Tai, and snacks like crab wontons and vegetable spring rolls. Le Garage in Hampden was doing tiki nights for a while. The theme has also crept into events, like a Forgotten Cocktail Club night and Bookmakers Cocktail Club‘s one-year anniversary party in the fall.

“We always have a rotating tiki cocktail on our menu,” says Bookmakers’ bar manger Ryan Sparks. “Now that the price of whiskey has gone up with demand, bartenders are looking to use rum in more fun ways.”

Bookmakers often uses ingredients like tiki bitters, Velvet Falernum from Barbados, and fresh guava juice for their rotating cocktail (which is dubbed “Tiki as Buck” on the current menu).

The tropical trend is also on display at The Food Market‘s Restaurant Week concept, La Food Marketa, which includes a menu of tiki drinks all served in traditional ceramic vessels and topped with paper umbrellas. In fact, the garnish on tiki drinks is really half the fun. Many of the drinks on Pen & Quill’s themed menu are embellished with grilled pineapples or limes in the shape of sharks.

“Whatever we can fit in there, we try,” laughs Kline. “We try to make it as ridiculous and whimsical as possible. You know you’ve done good when you sit it down in front of a person and they gasp.”

For more on over-the-top cocktail garnishes at bars and restaurants around town, pick up our upcoming April issue.

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The Remington Chop Combines Food Workshops and Beer Garden

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 29 May 2015 16:00:00 +0000

Peter DiPrinzio and his friends wanted to organize a food event in Baltimore—a way to educate the general public on the creative endeavors of chefs in each neighborhood. But, they thought, how do we make it more fun?

Of course, stick it inside a beer garden.

Thus, The Remington Chop was born.

Taking place in Miller’s Court, a Seawall development on the corner of Howard and 26th Street, the June 13 event will feature six interactive workshops throughout the day led by top chefs and brewmasters from around and near the Remington neighborhood. All the while, a beer garden with food and brews will be going on in the other part of the courtyard. From 12-5 p.m., guests can meander back and forth between the two.

“The idea is to create an atmosphere that’s fun and also that gives you the learning component,” says DiPrinzio, one of the event’s four organizers. “It’s kind of like choose your own adventure.”

And there will be plenty to choose from as the hour-long workshops include a lamb butchery class with Geroge Marsh of Parts & Labor, an introduction to mezcal from Lane Harlan of W.C. Harlan and Clavel, a tutorial on rustic gazpacho from Dave Sherman of Café Cito, an oyster shucking workshop from Dylan Salmon of Dylan’s Oyster Cellar, sausage making from Pen & Quill, and the art of craft brewing from Monument City Brewing Company.

“These chefs and brewers know their product and specialty better than anyone, so we just let them do whatever they wanted with the workshops,” DiPrizino says. “But we also encouraged them to have fun—for example Dylan is kicking it up a notch with champagne pairings at the end of his.”

The beer garden, of course, will encourage fun too, by offering roast pork tacos from Parts & Labor and Clavel, oysters from Dylan’s, and brews (including a brand new IPA) from Monument.

One $45 ticket will include a guest’s choice of workshop, two beers, and access to the beer garden all afternoon. Food is pay as you go. Each workshop is going to be capped at 30 people, in order to guarantee an intimate experience.

DiPrinzio’s hope is to replicate this idea in future neighborhoods—Federal Hill Chop, Charles Village Chop, for example—on a likely seasonal basis.

“There are tons of folks that show an interest in food beyond just eating it,” he says. “If they want to get on a level deeper, like wondering why a certain cut of meat ends up on their plate, this is the event for them.”

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Popcorn Is Surprising Ingredient on Restaurant Menus

Jess Mayhugh — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 08:30:00 +0000

With the Oscars ceremony airing on February 22, we have movies on our minds, which, in turn, makes us crave popcorn. Thankfully, tubs of the movie-house salty snack drenched in fake butter aren’t the only options out there in 2015. In fact, every restaurant in town seems to be getting clever with the kernel these days—both as a snack and a surprising ingredient that plays well with others. "Popcorn can elevate anything and takes on different seasonings and spices really well," explains Zack Mills, executive chef at Wit & Wisdom. "Whether you’re 12, 20, or 40, it’s one of those universal foods that people love—that’s the beauty of it."

Pictured: The Popcorn Carbonara with bacon and a fried egg at Sascha's.

oh, the pop-abilities!

pen & quill

Soda + Pop: Candied bacon, brown sugar, and popcorn with a side of soda are ones to watch in 2015.

Farmstead Grill

Virginia peanuts, bacon bits, and caramel corn enjoy top billing.

Bookmaker’s Cocktail Club

Popcorn, brown butter, and Parmesan are well-cast co-stars.

Lib’s Grill

Black pepper, butter, basil, Parmesan, pesto, and truffle oil make a culinary blockbuster.

Cunningham’s

This portrayal—coated in brown butter with chunks of honey hazelnuts and espelette chili pepper—is simple and sweet.

“Not only does the popcorn add crunch and flavor, but it plays with a lot of different things and has the whimsy and nostalgic feeling of a comfort food.”

—Wit & Wisdom’s executive chef Zack Mills, who has used popcorn in his preparations for Maine lobster rolls and barbecued beef brisket.

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Baltimore Cocktail Week Debuts in March

Jess Mayhugh — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 14:06:00 +0000

After Ginny Lawhorn returned from her third annual Tales of the Cocktail convention in New Orleans, she realized that Baltimore could use something similar.

“Baltimore’s economy is so deeply rooted in the service industry,” says Lawhorn, who is the lead bartender at Landmark Theatre in Harbor East and co-owns Sticky Rice with her husband. “But the wellness of that community isn’t reflected as a whole.”

So she decided to start Baltimore Cocktail Week, which will run from March 22-29, to provide classes that enrich the lives of those in the service industry, but also expose the community at large to the innovative spirits and burgeoning cocktail landscape right in our backyard.

The week kicks off with a launch party at Pen & Quill on March 22 and will feature cocktail week participants crafting signature drinks. The winning bartender will be awarded a $250 prize and a matching contribution to a preferred charity.

Then BCW continues with classes designed specifically for those in the industry, like a financial wellness class, a restorative yoga class specifically geared toward people on their feet all the time, and a whiskey 101 class with Balvenie brand ambassador David Laird.

Another public reception will be held on March 24 at Landmark Theatre that will include a cocktail reception and a private screening of Chef.

Probably one of the most exciting aspects is that the signature drinks will be available at the nearly 15 participating locations throughout the week. With each purchase, a $1 donation will be made to charitable organizations chosen by the participants.

“My foremost goal is for the people in the industry to reflect how they care for themselves in their position,” Lawhorn says. “My second goal is for the community to be able to explore cocktails, their service providers, and have a conversation about the exciting cocktail movement that has been gaining so much traction here.”

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Review: Pen & Quill

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 08:30:00 +0000

In its heyday, the Chesapeake Restaurant was the toast of the town, a place locals would frequent for special celebrations over continental classics such as crab imperial and charbroiled steaks. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and by the late ’80s—after 50 years, a fire, and a foreclosure—the Chesapeake did, too.

For 25 years, the space at the corner of the 1700 block of North Charles Street stayed dark, and then in 2013, a new place, called, not so cleverly, The Chesapeake, opened, only to close less than a year later. Given that the Karzai family’s Tapas Teatro shared the same block for years, who better suited than Qayum and his son, Helmand—they also own beloved Afghan restaurant The Helmand—to come to the rescue of the former power place that once drew the likes of preeminent food critic Duncan Hines?

Pen & Quill (a nod to the original Chesapeake’s piano lounge by the same name) proves that the third time is, indeed, the charm. The new restaurant is a wonderful addition to the artsy neighborhood, which, until recently, offered few eating options beyond a few coveted tables at Tapas Teatro or quickie counter eating at Sofi’s Crepes.

Pen & Quill’s vast and dimly lit dining room, including a stylish bar (made even better by an outstanding selection of local oysters on ice), offers a great alternative, whether you’re looking for a satisfying snack, a soup-to-nuts meal, or a pleasant place to hang out and have a drink from an incredibly well-priced wine list (nothing over $11 by the glass).

With an eclectic selection of snacks, seasonal salads, charcuterie boards, and small plates, as well as pricier entrees (everything from beef steamed buns to monkfish), the menu, designed by chef Bella Kline, who has the Michelin-rated Longman & Eagle in the Windy City under her apron strings, reflects the diversity and quirkiness of the restaurant’s arts-district environs.

The menu reflects the diversity and quirkiness of the restaurant’s arts-district environs.

On our first dinner visit, my husband, Michael, and I sank in to one of the spacious half-moon booths. Our waitress, Naomi, co-owner Helmand Karzai’s girlfriend and sister of the chef (as well as the bar manager), encouraged us to start with the popcorn, advising us that it was “cheap and freakin’ delicious.” Admiring her enthusiasm, we ordered a bowl—this version with candied bacon pieces and just the right ratio of salt to kernels. Her enthusiastic endorsement was exactly right.

The popcorn primed us for a beet salad tossed with oranges, spinach leaves, and pecans. It was fantastically fresh, and the sweetness of the beets paired well with the citrus sections, while the pecans added an element of crunch. The halibut crudo with enoki mushrooms, black garlic, and daikon radish, another appetizer from the small-plates section, was a standout selection, too.

Our main courses included a classic New England lobster roll: lobster tossed with aioli and served on a buttery brioche roll. While delicious, we definitely would have liked more lobster for the steep $23 price tag. The seasonal pasta dish, a house-made truffle orecchiette with cauliflower and spinach, was less to our liking—bland and soupy and not the best thing to order here. (This validates my theory that the vegetarian dishes are rarely any restaurant’s specialty, but merely a concession to those with special noshing needs.)

Several weeks later, a second visit led to a more seamless experience. On this venture, my dinner date and I shared an entree of lightly charred octopus swimming in a tangy barigoule sauce of puréed artichokes, carrots, and onions. It’s a seasonal specialty, but if it’s listed on the menu, it’s a must-order—we’ve never had octopus more insanely tender. A locally sourced Roseda burger with a fried egg and crisp strips of bacon on top was a contender, too, showcasing a heavenly combination of tastes and textures. The burger, cooked to a juicy medium-rare as requested, and the bun slathered in an herb aioli acted as an earthy complement to the grass-fed beef.

On a third visit, the gorgeous polished-marble bar beckoned. Even at the top of the workweek, the place was bustling and humming with good cheer. Our bartender was highly attentive as my dinner date and I polished off several winning dishes including a memorable bowl of beer-steamed clams sitting in a flawlessly seasoned pool of garlic, shallots, butter, and Blue Mountain beer. That and a bowl of house-made buratta with marinated black trumpet mushrooms and Maryland lump crabmeat dressed in a brown-butter vinaigrette were quite possibly the best small plates I’ve eaten all year.

Who doesn’t love a story that ends happily ever after?

PEN & QUILL 1701 N. Charles St., 410-601-3588.
HOURS Mon.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m.; closed Sundays.
CUISINE Seasonal New American.
PRICE Appetizers and small plates $4-16; entrees $13-48; desserts $8-11.
ATMOSPHERE Cozy and eclectic.

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