Pickled vegetables are having a moment—and local restaurants are paying attention to the culinary possibilities.

“They’re versatile,” says chef Robbie Tutlewski, owner of Little Donna’s in Upper Fells Point. “They make a showcase.”

The house pickle plate on Tutlewski’s menu is a prime example. Heaped with pickled baby carrots, watermelon rind, baby cucumbers, beets, and whatever else strikes the chef’s fancy, the dish is a satisfying palate pleaser, complete with creamy deviled eggs.

“Pickles are super [food],” says Tutlewski. “They’re good for you. I’ve been eating them from the time I was a kid.”

He’s not the only restaurateur who’s been devouring pickles since childhood.

“When I was a kid, I loved pickled beets,” says chef Jesse Sandlin. “My mom would send me to school with a jar of beets in my lunchbox.”

That food fondness stuck with the Baltimore-bred chef, who now features pickled vegetables on her menus, including “lunch-box beets” at Sally O’s in Highlandtown. At Bunny’s Buckets & Bubbles in Fells Point, she fashions a container of mixed tart veggies with bell peppers, carrots, and radishes.

“It’s a nice little appetizer because it doesn’t fill you up,” Sandlin explains. “It adds acid and gets your appetite going a bit.”

Chef Jeremy Hoffman, who operates Preserve in Annapolis, taps his childhood.

“One of my earliest memories is going to the grocery store to the deli section when they used to have big barrels of dill pickles,” he says. “I remember opening the lid and loving the scent. Everything is made better with pickles.”

Hoffman carried over that idea to Preserve, where “pickling, preserving, and fermenting is a passion.” His icebox pickles showcase cucumbers, carrots, red peppers, and onions. His house giardiniera is a jumble of cauliflower, olives, pickles, and peppers in an olive brine.

“Vinegar-based pickles lend themselves to be an accent to other dishes,” Hoffman says. “People’s flavor profiles and what they’re willing to eat has really expanded.”

Power Plant Live and pickle party promoters The Big Dill have teamed up to bring a massive festival celebrating the beloved brined snack to Charm City.

Whether you already relish pickles, or are just pickle curious, the inaugural event is sure to satisfy all odd cravings. Attendees will enjoy pickle vendors, bars offering requisite pickleback shots, and 40 food trucks peddling their pickle-inspired creations. The festivities will take over Power Plant Live on September 22 from 1-6 p.m. (VIP guests will be granted early entry at noon.)

There are three levels of pickle passes—some of which range all the way up to VIP (very important pickle)—which grant admission to attractions like a pickle-eating contest, live country music, carnival games, and even a class on the art of pickling.

Inspired by the growing pickling trend, the event is bringing together an array of local vendors offering everything from themed barbecue to desserts. (If you are feeling bold, Dessert Fantasies will be celebrating with pickle cupcakes.) Josh White, head chef at Wayward Smokehouse, says he’s looking forward to getting in on the fun.

“Pickling has absolutely become more popular in recent years,” White says. “There are some great Southern chefs [such as] Sean Brock and Edward Lee who have really pushed the envelope on pickling and infusing different flavors and ingredients into pickling. They appear on white tablecloth menus and old school barbecue joints alike.”

Specifically for the festival, White is planning to put an entirely new spin on the classic chicken wings that he serves at Wayward.

“We were asked to participate and make wings, which just so happens to be one of my specialities,” he says. “I’ve done pickle-brined fried chicken in the past and it was always a hit, so I figured, why not? I may or may not be working on a pickle barbecue sauce to pair with them, as well.”

There will also be plenty of pickle-infused drinks to wash down all of the eats. Whiteford-based Slate Farm Brewery has partnered with the event to provide pickle, cucumber, and strawberry-flavored beer. If you’d rather down a shot, the creators behind The Original Pickle Shot—bottled in Ocean City—will be mixing a variety of pickle brines with small-batch vodka to create an excellent hangover cure.

What some might not know is that Baltimore has a hidden history with pickles. It dates back to 1881 when pickle and kraut manufacturing company C.C. Lang & Son was founded at 725 North Haven Street, according to the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Though it’s now closed, it once rivaled Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz Company in size.

Originally using cucumbers grown on the Lang family farm in Glen Arm, Maryland, the company eventually expanded to open factories in Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, and Michigan. Lang’s also held a patent on a machine that could slice cucumbers longitudinally for more efficient packing.

Organizers and vendors are looking forward to celebrating the local roots of the acidic snack at the first-of-its-kind festival next month.

“I’ve cooked for a lot of different events, but never a pickle festival,” White says. “I always get excited for people to try our food, but I’m really excited to try what everyone else is making. I’m a huge pickle fan.”

We love any opportunity to sample a lot of little things at once—whether that’s tapas, dim sum, a well-crafted charcuterie board, or most recently, some of our favorite spirits. Of course, wine flights had their heyday several years back, but now there are all kinds of things that can be found in flight form, and we’re sure happy the trend is, well, taking off.

Many breweries in town have made their beer available in flights (Oliver, Monument City, and Jailbreak, to name a few), but if your aim is to try a bunch of different breweries under one roof, head to Parts & Labor (2600 N. Howard St.). Though the restaurant recently announced its closing, a pop-up bar will operate Wednesdays through Saturdays through the end of September. Featuring offerings from craft breweries around the region and country—such as Diamondback, Wardaca, and Sly Fox—the oft-rotating draft options are available in three mini snifter classes for $8-11.

There’s an even greater selection at The Brass Tap in Bolton Hill (1205 W. Mt. Royal Ave.), where four samples of their 62-draft selection are often scribbled on a chalkboard, so you can clearly remember your choices no matter how many you’ve had. Sit outside and sample your beers as you watch the Light Rail whiz by.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, look no further than Lane Harlan’s two Remington bars. W.C. Harlan (400 W. 23rd St.) offers flights of the Italian liqueur amaro ($12 for three pours). The liqueur is presented three ways on a beautiful silver serving tray. There’s even one house-made version concocted with local honey.

Just up the street is Harlan’s taqueria Clavel (225 W. 23rd St.), which recently expanded with a private six-seat bar providing special mezcal tastings. For $35 per person, sample four different varieties of the agave treat, while being expertly guided by bar manager Dre Barnhill. The bar offers small bites—nuts, crackers, and traditional orange slices—and a portion of the proceeds goes to the Tequila Interchange Project, an organization that advocates for the preservation of agave-distilled spirit practices.

If you truly can’t decide what kind of flight to try, head to West Madison Craft Beer & Wine Bar in Mt. Vernon (311 W. Madison St.), which offers practically everything in small sizes. There are flights for beer ($12 for 4-ounce drafts), whiskey ($15 for 1-ounce pours of rye, bourbon, and scotch), and wine ($15 for four selections of red and white). And the bar also boasts flight selections for both olives and pickles, which come in a medley of sweet, horseradish, garden, and spicy.

The bar’s vintage telephone booth and open windows overlooking the bustling sidewalk give it a European feel—appropriate for all the “flights” we’ve taken in our travels through Baltimore.

RABBIT

Long a staple of French cuisine, rabbit has found a place on local menus as an alternative protein that tastes a lot like chicken. (We swear.) 

Try it at: Cunningham’s, where sultry smoked-rabbit rillettes are included with the house-made charcuterie plate.

PIMENTO CHEESE

Southerners have transformed grated cheese, mayonnaise, and chopped pimiento peppers into a beloved spread. Devotees swear by using cheddar cheese in their recipes. 

Try it at: Oliver Speck’s Eats & Drinks, where it’s slathered generously on The 16-Legged Burger (a combination of bison, lamb, beef, and pork that is topped with a fried egg).

BISON

This lean, delicious meat—high in zinc, niacin, and iron—inspires many manifestations, from sausage to steak. Gunpowder Bison & Trading Company in Monkton is a local purveyor for many area restaurants. 

Try it at: Waterstone Bar & Grille, which turns out a half-pound ground-bison patty graced with a grilled tomato and tzatziki, a Greek yogurt sauce. 

BEETS



The root vegetable is known for its naturally sweet taste, excellent source of vitamins, and ability to ward off seemingly every ailment from high blood pressure to liver disease. 

Try it at: The Chesapeake, where they make Beets Five Ways—roasted, pickled, puréed, raw, and a micro-green rendition with feta cheese and pistachios.

QUINOA

Interest in the high-protein, gluten-free grain shows no sign of slowing. Last year, the United Nations even proclaimed 2013 the “International Year of Quinoa.” 

Try it at: Great Sage in Clarksville, where the roasted-mushroom-quinoa salad is truly transformative.

TRUFFLE OIL

This earthy ingredient (infused with the aroma of white or black truffles) has been drizzled on everything from pizza to popcorn as a bold and flavorful finisher. 

Try it at: Kooper’s Tavern, where addictive truffle fries are doused with black-truffle oil and mixed with parsley, garlic, and Parmesan.

PICKLES

Pickled vegetables (from carrots to cabbage to cauliflower) are, oh, so au courant these days. You’ll find fermented foods appearing as starters, snacks, and sides. 

Try it at: Of Love & Regret, where an appetizer features varied house-made pickled offerings, from zucchini in sesame oil to pickled celery with Old Bay.