EAT

Jan. 16-17: Smokehouse BBQ in Canton

Smokehouse BBQ Restaurant & Bar, 3000 O’Donnell St. 410-675-4029. smokehousebaltimore.com

When the beloved food truck, The Smoking Swine, recently decided to settle down in Canton and hawk three of our favorite things—beer, bourbon, and BBQ—naturally we said: yes, please. And awesome. Teaming up with the digs’ owners (the guys behind Stuggy’s, Rye, and Bookmaker’s Cocktail Club), they serve up true Texas-style BBQ classics like 15-hour-smoked brisket, short and spare ribs, and pulled pork, plus badass bites like elote street corn (the kind of cob with mayonnaise and cheese), egg rolls stuffed with pulled pork and ‘Slap Yo Mama’ mac-n-cheese, and Bulleit bourbon baked beans. On top of that, there are some 56 craft beers on tap and a well-stocked bar of Southern spirits. Check it out for yourself this weekend, with live music starting at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night.

DRINK

Jan. 16: Purple Drank at Prince Karaoke

Metro Gallery, 1700 N Charles St. 9 p.m. Free. 410-244-0899. facebook.com

Let’s be honest: We all know that deep down, somewhere inside all of us, some buried away better than others, there’s a Prince fan. You sing “Raspberry Beret” in the shower. You run to “Kiss” at the gym. You pound your fist on the steering wheel and get a little too into “Purple Rain.” Whatever your level of obsession—whether you’re diehard or just occasionally dabble on the dance floor—now’s your time to let that purple flag fly, with an all-Prince-e’rythang karaoke night this Friday in Station North. You’re probably going to need some liquid courage, and lucky for you, it’s only going to cost a dime—with PBR/whiskey combos for $5 and all “purple stuff” for only $3.

SEE

Jan. 15-17: Iliza Shlesinger

Baltimore Comedy Factory, 5625 O’Donnell St. Thurs. 8 p.m., Fri. 8 & 10:30 p.m., Sat. 7 & 9:30 p.m. $17-28. 410-547-7798. baltimorecomedy.com

You probably don’t know her yet, but Iliza Shlesinger is one of the first comedians I’ve stumbled upon in awhile who actually made me laugh out loud. It was late one Wednesday night this past summer and she was making fun of some ridiculous but common behaviors of modern young women on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The next morning, I immediately emailed the clip to all of my friends and also discovered she was the first female and youngest winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Do yourself a favor: Watch the whole Fallon skit, and this one, and then check out one of her three performances this weekend in Canton.

HEAR

Jan. 17: Pearl Jam Tribute Band at Rams Head

Rams Head Live, 20 Market Pl. Doors, 7 p.m. Show, 8 p.m. $12-15. ramsheadlive.com

All hail Eddie Vedder at this Saturday night show with quite possible the best Pearl Jam cover band around. Hailing from Philly, Ten slays the searing guitars, nails the growling vocals, and tries it’s hardest to imitate an iota of the original ’90s grunge band’s brazen stage antics, minus the crowd surfing and bottle of Jack. Expect hits like “Alive,” “Yellow Bedletter,” “Corduroy,” and, if you’re lucky, some of Vedder’s pretty, Into the Wild soundtrack stuff.

DO

Jan. 19: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade

Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. & Eutaw St. 12-2 p.m. Free. 410-752-8632. promotionsandarts.org.

Baltimore’s 15th annual MLK parade celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. King, as well as the individuals and organizations that continue to spread his message, like Nelson Mandela and the NAACP. Drawing some 25,000 spectators, the festivities kick off at noon, with more than 50 participants including Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, local bands, color guards, dance squads, civil organizations, and lively, colorful floats.

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The silver Smoking Swine food truck, which has become a foodie haven for locals craving mouthwatering barbecue, has temporarily parked while preparing to take over the kitchen of the former JD’s Smokehouse space in Canton. The restaurant, now Smokehouse Canton that is currently a bar without food, was recently bought by a new set of owners including Ryan Perlberg of Stuggy’s, Rye, and Bookmaker’s Cocktail Club.

“They approached me to consult and bring their kitchen up to speed,” says L. Drew Pumphrey, owner and executive chef of The Smoking Swine. “We came to a mutual decision that we would be better off bringing my established brand into their new space.”

Pumphrey and The Smoking Swine team have created a menu featuring all of the core favorites that they serve on the truck—like pulled pork sandwiches, brisket, ribs, and fan-favorite macaroni and cheese—as well as new items like duck-fat green beans and house-made ice cream sandwiches. The restaurant will also be featuring live rock and roll and R&B music, a fitting accompaniment to the southern style fare. Pumphrey says that he loves bringing his food to the streets, but cooking in a spacious kitchen has its perks, too.

“The kitchen is eminently easier. Compared to the truck, it’s a walk in the park,” he says. “But on the truck you kind of wear this badge of honor that says, ‘I do the most difficult cooking there is.’”

For now the arrangement is only temporary, and the staff is treating The Smoking Swine’s 90-day trial run like a “pop-up,” akin to Shoo-Fly Diner’s recent partnership with D.C.-based Maketto. Depending on neighborhood support, the takeover could become permanent.

“We are leaving it open-ended so if we want to eventually merge brands we can do that,” Pumphrey says.

The kitchen is slated to be up and running within the next week and Pumphrey says that he expects the truck to be back on the road in January. After the grand opening, Smokehouse Canton will be open at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at 12 p.m. on weekends.

“We’re going to blow the doors off the place,” Pumphrey says. “My Fells Point customers are like family to me and I love being able to bring food to them, but I’m also totally stoked that they can now come to me.”

While tasting the finger-licking barbecue at Smokehouse, be on the lookout for another restaurant-revamping project in the works around Canton Square. A Portside Tavern sister restaurant called Cask & Grain is slated to open in the former AKA Studio space on O’Donnell Street next summer. Cask & Grain will be taking part in the of-the-moment farm-to-table trend fusing locally sourced ingredients into its dishes. 

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