RegionAle: Hearty sandwiches are enough to win us over. But pairing a classic Nashville hot chicken or Wisconsin grilled cheese with local beer, wine, and pre-mixed cocktails from a wall of self-serve taps? Now we’re really all in. This aptly named cafe has been charming Ellicott City diners with its all-American sandwiches and regional beers ever since it opened in 2016. But next month, Baltimore diners won’t have to travel west to get their fill. RegionAle will debut its second location—complete with what is projected to be the city’s largest self-pour beverage wall—in the American Can Building in Canton on Tuesday, February 18. Swing by to get your hands on geographically-inspired eats—including a New York-style Italian hero, pressed Florida cubano, Oregon tuna steak, and, of course, a Maryland crab cake—while downing the DIY beverages.

The Manor Restaurant & Ultralounge: Next week, the famed Mt. Vernon mansion that formerly housed The Brass Elephant—and its most recent iteration, The Elephant—will once again come back to life as a restaurant. But this time around, the concept will also be part-dance lounge. Robert Gay and Josh Persing, the duo who previously operated GAY Lounge just down North Charles Street, are set to officially unveil The Manor Restuarant & Ultralounge on Friday, February 7. Executed by former Baltimore Country Club chef Parker Greene, the menu will offer oven-fired pizzas, chicken sandwiches, and more fine-tuned dishes such as smoked duck with preserved cherries. Veteran bartender Melissa Ray will spearhead the beverage program with a focus on snack-and-cocktail pairings, and the lounge will feature live DJ entertainment on weekends and frequent drag performances throughout the week.

OPEN

&pizza: North Baltimore diners no longer need to venture to Federal Hill to chow down on the more-than-a-foot-long personal pies at this Washington, D.C.-based chain—which appointed Erik Bruner-Yang of Maketto fame as its executive chef last summer. The artsy pizza brand launched its second Baltimore shop on St. Paul Street in Charles Village this week. Decorated with stark red and white walls, the hangout near the Johns Hopkins University campus tops its dough with everything from pepperoni and ricotta to mushrooms and fig balsamic. During the grand opening celebration on February 4, &pizza will offer $5 pies to all customers, as well as free pizza for a year for the first 37 people through the door in celebration of the brand’s 37th shop.

NEWS

True Chesapeake Oyster Co. Launches Brunch: Now that this newbie inside Hampden’s historic Whitehall Mill has had a few months to find its footing, the team is ready to roll out brunch service. Starting on February 9 and continuing every Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., executive chef Zack Mills and his team will churn out mid-morning meals including fried chicken and French toast drizzled in bourbon maple syrup, a crab cake benedict with roasted squash, buttermilk biscuits with ham gravy, and, of course, spicy baked oysters sourced from the True Chesapeake farm in Southern Maryland. No brunch is complete without boozy beverages, and—in addition to the requisite mimosas and Bloody Marys—the bar team will be pouring drinks from their brand new winter cocktail menu. Highlights include the vodka and vermouth-infused “Saint Jerome,” (a nod to the St. Mary’s County creek where the farm resides) and the non-alcoholic “Jicaro” made with housemade horchata and allspice.

David Thomas Crowned Chopped Champion Again: A familiar face graced our screens earlier this week when Ida B’s Table chef/owner David Thomas competed on Chopped Champions. The soul food specialist won a match of Food Network’s famed cooking show in 2018, and took home the top prize yet again on an episode that aired Tuesday. His most recent win advanced him to the Grand Champions competition, which will air on Tuesday, February 18. “This journey is extremely humbling, and it’s not over yet,” reads an Instagram post from Thomas, who will be screening the finale at the restaurant for diners looking for a place to tune in. “Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey and who continues to support me every day.”

SHUT

Bar Louie: Three of five Maryland locations were victims of Bar Louie’s bankruptcy claims that made headlines earlier this week. The cocktail bar known for its happy hour specials and gastropub fare closed sites in Owings Mills, Wheaton, and Rockville—three of 38 underperforming locations that the were closed across the country. Luckily, the bars in Hunt Valley and White Marsh are still going strong, and the chain is hoping to emerge from bankruptcy within 90 days.

Uncle Wiggly’s Deli & Ice Cream: Towson natives are reeling from the loss of this York Road staple, which has closed its doors. For nearly 20 years, Uncle Wiggly’s has been a go-to for nostalgic desserts, overstuffed sandwiches (like the fan-favorite “Ravenette” that layered turkey with bacon and roasted red peppers), and catching up with friends and neighbors over drippy ice cream cones. A notice posted to the front door of the shop indicates that it was evicted last month. Uncle Wiggly’s closure marks the end of an era for the shopping center on the 6900 block of York Road, which also said goodbye to neighboring consignment shop The Lily Pad last weekend.

COMING SOON

RegionAle: Ellicott City locals have fallen for this elevated soup and sandwich spot that pairs its menu with regional beers from the likes of Union, Monument City, Jailbreak, and Oliver Brewing. Beginning this summer, Baltimore dwellers will no longer have to make the drive west to get their fix. On the heels of its second birthday, RegionAle is expanding with a new location inside the Canton Can Company. The eatery highlights odes to classic American sandwiches, from a melty Wisconsin grilled cheese to a pressed Florida Cubano. (Of course, the spot also celebrates its local roots with a Maryland crab cake with Old Bay remoulade.) Within the next few months, be on the lookout for the changeover in the former home of Pasticcio’s—which closed its doors in the Can Company last year. 2400 Boston St. Ste. 120

Full Tilt Brewing: This homegrown brewery scored a win this week when the Baltimore City Liquor Board approved a Class B license for its new facility on the ground floor of the Accelerator Building in Govans. With liquor board approval, the team is hoping to tie up loose ends and debut to the public on December 14. The permanent space has been a long time coming for Full Tilt, which has been contract brewing out of Peabody Heights for the past five years. “We’re excited for people to finally see what we had in mind,” says co-owner Nick Fertig.

Aside from the signature brews (think the Hops the Cat IPA and Berger Cookie chocolate stout), the taproom will feature a small menu of its own, as well as pop-ups from the vendors that operate out of B-More Kitchen inside the Accelerator Building. The spot will also feature 10 flat screens, custom-made furniture, a colorful wall mural by graffiti artists Brad Turner and Derrick Noel, and old-school arcade games such as Skee Ball and NBA Jam. “It’s going to be a unique experience,” Fertig says. “People will be able to find their own vibe in any corner of the space.” 5604 York Rd.

OPEN

Bodhi Corner: With the recent arrivals of Foraged and Prime Corner, Chestnut Avenue in Hampden has a whole new vibe. The owners of Khun Nine Thai in Mt. Vernon added to the fresh feel earlier this month when they debuted this new Thai destination in the former home of Cafe Cito. Bodhi Corner is now open, offering a menu of salads, noodle bowls, curries, and signature plates such as Pad Thai and baked duck in a chili-mango sauce. The cozy restaurant is also vegan-friendly, highlighting a variety of dairy-free dishes including mock crab fried rice and tofu rama with steamed vegetables and peanut sauce. 3500 Chestnut Ave. 443-438-4068

Get It Inn Island Cuisine & Bar: Since opening in Locust Point last year, this island oasis has become a go-to for Jamaican delicacies, reggae music, and strong rum drinks. This weekend, the eatery is expanding across the harbor with a second location in Canton. Set in the former home of Fredericks on Fleet and Lucy Bar, the spot will serve up authentic dishes such as jerk wings, curry shrimp, braised oxtail, and fried plantains. The official grand opening on November 30 will feature food and drink specials until close and live music spun by DJ Sean Nice. 2112 Fleet St. 410-814-0585

EPICUREAN EVENTS

12/1: Hygge Mood
A handful of local food favorites are coming together to kick off the holiday season in style at Prime Corner—the new bodega conveniently located just across from the Miracle on 34th Street lights in Hampden. Head over to the store to indulge in Filipino comfort food from Calasag Pop-Up, cozy cocktails from R. Bar, and samples of Small Wave Brewing’s Winter Chai Stout made in collaboration with our own Wight Tea Co. Plus, peruse holiday products from local purveyors including Wild Kombucha, Baltimore Spirits Company, Vent Coffee Roasters, The Charmery, Jinji Chocolate, Sacré Sucré, B. Willow, The Ivy Bookshop, Le Monade, Taharka Brothers, and more. 3400 Chestnut Ave. 8 p.m.

12/4 & 12/9: The Charmery Goes Wonka: A Full Sensory Movie Experience
It’s no secret that The Charmery’s master creamer, David Alima, is a Willy Wonka fan. Hosting a sensory screening of the original Gene Wilder film has been a dream of his for a while, and now that the shop’s new factory is up and running inside Union Collective, the event is finally within reach. Join David and Laura Alima as they transform the space into a magical movie-watching experience. There will be special Wonka-inspired flavors served throughout the film (think snozzberry sorbet), along with plenty of other whimsical moments that engage all five senses. The two-night screening will be the first of the shop’s new immersion film series, which will continue with other movies in 2019. “In this fast-paced world, we often don’t take the time to stop and really experience the moment,” David says. “We hope this series will awaken the senses for an experience of 100-percent joy.” 1700 W. 41st St. Ste. 400. Times vary. $30

Chilled rosé has always been a popular summer sip, but now, Frosé—the frozen iteration of the pink pleasure—has escalated the wine to another level.

While some oenophiles might be quick to compare the wine slushy trend to that of the pumpkin-spice latté (social media maven Josh Ostrovsky’s White Girl Rosé pokes fun at the “basic” stigma), there’s no denying that the icy treats are ideal for cooling off during summer scorchers.

“There are definitely people who take one look at it and say, ‘Oh no, I’m not interested in that at all,’” explains veteran bartender Doug Atwell, who serves the frozen drinks at Blue Pit BBQ in Woodberry. “I don’t know where that comes from, but I don’t make excuses for my guilty pleasures. If you enjoy something, you shouldn’t apologize.”

A handful of bartenders and restaurant owners seem to agree, as Frosé begins to surface on beverage menus all over Charm City.

Bill Irvin, a local restaurateur and early pioneer of the trend, first thought of freezing his wine while kicking back outside on a torrid afternoon last summer. He remembers plunking ice cubes into his rosé in an effort to beat the heat, and later attempted to freeze the wine in a baking dish. 

“It ended up splashing all over my freezer,” Irvin remembers, mentioning that he also tried using ice trays. “It was a mess.”

After getting his hands on a commercial-sized Slurpee machine, Irvin tried again, mixing the wine with a bit of strawberry pureé to add sweetness to the famously dry blend. This time, he was happy with the consistency: “I tried it and was like, ‘Oh man, this is good.’”

Irvin—who is now finalizing the process of trademarking the term Frosé—later introduced the product to Canton hotspots La Folie Steak Frites & Wine Bar and The Dockbar at The Boathouse Canton. He says that any rosé works well, but a blend with a bit of a deeper color is ideal so that it maintains its vibrancy after it’s frozen. 

“We were averaging 12 liters a day at La Folie,” says Irvin, a former partner in the Canton restaurant. “It’s become such a gigantic rage not only in Baltimore, but all over the world.” 

Local bartenders have different ideas about what makes the drink so intriguing. Kevin Curley, the chef/owner of RegionAle in Ellicott City, says that the wine slushy trend piggybacks off of the popularity of its frozen predecessors. 

“Frozen drinks have always been such a big thing in the summer, most people are just used to it being a piña colada or strawberry daiquiri,” he says. “But wine is becoming more popular, so mixing the two together has really caught on.”

As a Cornell grad who spent a lot of time exploring wine country in upstate New York, Curley enjoys putting his own spin on the trend, experimenting with different house-made purée flavors, herbs, and juices. He notes his coconut-lime concoction, blended with basil and lemon, as a recent customer favorite.

Atwell, who has been mixing up boozy slushies at Blue Pit BBQ since last month, is a firm believer that diners eat (and drink) with their eyes first. 

“There’s a visual element to seeing the machine running behind the bar,” he says, adding that the cold drinks have also been a good way to complement the restaurant’s outdoor patio. “A lot of times when people ask what’s in it—before we even get through the description, they’re like, ‘Yup, I’ll have that.’” 

Atwell’s unique take on Frosé fuses Vinho Verde rosé, house-made strawberry pureé, and tequila. He has also recently debuted an icy version of the traditional Pimm’s Cup, which features lemon, mint, and his signature cucumber-infused vodka. 

Irvin is going more of the commercial route, planning to unveil freezable bags of Frosé and FroBlanc (a white wine iteration that fuses Riesling with peach purée) in retail markets in 2018. 

“It reminds people of the Slurpees they drank when they were kids,” he says. “And it’s a great way to introduce wine to people who have never been into it before.”