Stall 11 – Baltimore Magazine

Open & Shut: STEM; Friends and Family; Rooster & Hen

Lauren Cohen — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 16:25:14 +0000

CH-CH CHANGES

STEM: It’s going to be a big year for Urban Pastoral—the local development firm that specializes in high-tech urban farming. In the coming months, founders J.J. Reidy and Christian De Paco are planning to unveil 3,000 square feet of hydroponic greenhouse space inside a new learning center at Green Street Academy in West Baltimore. Once it’s up and running, the project will not only serve as an educational tool for students, but it will also provide an estimated 25,000 pounds of leafy greens per year to local restaurants. The produce will certainly come in handy for STEM, the newly rebranded iteration of Reidy and De Paco’s Stall 11 inside R. House in Remington.

Beginning this Sunday, January 12, the plant-based eatery will feature a redesigned counter experience, DIY bowls and salads, and a rotating roster of seasonal items. Although there will be many new options, Stall 11 regulars will be happy to hear that favorites including the Korean barbecue cauliflower, vegan mac and cheese, and avocado BLT will remain on the menu. “R. House was created as a launchpad for food entrepreneurs, and this is the evolution of our business and vision,” Reidy said in a statement. “After three amazing years with Stall 11 at R. House, it was time for a change in concept. . .We can’t wait for Baltimore to meet STEM and to share more of the delicious plant-based dishes that we know will become new favorites.”

Friends and Family: Speaking of rebrands—and vegan and vegetarian options—Fells Point mainstay Sticky Rice is closing its doors on Tuesday, January 21 with plans to reopen as Friends and Family in March. Known for its sushi, tater tots, and wide array of plant-based options, the restaurant will soon transition into a breakfast-all-day concept that maintains its emphasis on vegan and vegetarian dishes. “As we settled into our tenth year of business, we have determined it is time to retire the current concept and expand on our core principles,” managing partner Ginny Lawhorn, who will remain at the helm of the bar program, said in a statement.

Slated construction plans include renovated bathrooms, the removal of the large sushi bar to make way for more communal seating, and Lawhorn’s curated installation of artwork by—you guessed it—friends and family of the business. The new name was also inspired by the building’s former inhabitant, Friends—which Lawhorn and her husband, owner Ronnie Pasztor, describe as a cozy neighborhood dive bar. “Friends was a local favorite driven by comradery,” Lawhorn says. “Sticky Rice built on that comradery with an inclusive menu and welcoming team. We are looking forward to expanding on these pillars and cultivating our place in the community.”

Cunningham’s: Yet another dining destination starting the decade with a refresh is this Towson hotspot, which closed its doors earlier this week. The farm-to-table restaurant will reopen this spring after a major redesign by Patrick Sutton and the expansion of its downstairs cafe. Executive chef Jay Rohlfing tells us that the decision was influenced, in part, by all of the retail and residential development happening in Towson. “We figured it was time to be part of that renaissance,” he says. Though details about the new concept are still in the works, Rohlfing confirms that the locally sourced menu will emphasize American classics and the dining space will be downsized to include more bar seating. Read more here.

OPEN

Rooster & Hen: Just when we thought Cross Street Market had everything we could ever want (from pizza and beer to pho and Haitian cuisine), the newly renovated Federal Hill staple now boasts its own mini grocery store. Located just off of the Light Street entrance, the new “market within the market” offers a selection of produce, flowers, dairy, snacks, baked goods, and prepared foods for diners to grab on the go. Husband-and-wife owners Joe McRedmond and Allison Smith, who started Rooster & Hen in Catonsville in 2016, will also use their new space to continue Lucky Pantry—the store’s home meal kit program that now offers pick-up at the market every Monday. The new space also features a full kitchen for the owners to host food pop-ups, cooking classes, and other programs that contribute to their community-focused mantra.

The Veranda at The Milton Inn: Executive chef Brian Boston has launched an extension of this fine-dining den in Sparks. What was previously the outdoor patio is now The Veranda, an enclosed lounge highlighting a stone fireplace and retractable roof for the warmer months. It will also be a venue for live jazz and feature its own menu of drinks and small plates including crabmeat cocktail, charcuterie samples, and deconstructed s’mores that diners can roast at their tables.

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Italian Travels Inspired Molina Owners to Open R. House Pizza Stall

Lauren Cohen — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 11:38:00 +0000

Although Christian De Paco is a native of Costa Rica and J. J. Reidy hails from Buffalo, New York, the business partners behind local development firm Urban Pastoral both have strong ties to Italy.

Aside from their own respective travels throughout Boot Country (Reidy spent six months in Perugia and De Paco frequently visits his girlfriend’s family outside of Florence), the duo lived in Milan for one month while attending a food-themed innovation program at the World Expo in 2015.

“Food is such a core facet of culture,” Reidy says. “We’ve both been blessed to experience that in different ways around the world, but especially in Italy and other parts of Europe—it’s just a way of life.”

Drawing inspiration from their experiences abroad, De Paco and Reidy have opened Molina Pizze and Polpette inside R. House in Remington. Taking over the last vacant stall in the year-old communal marketplace, Molina specializes in wood-fired pies, charcuterie, and classic Italian meatballs.

While making pizza is new for the partners, this isn’t their first project inside R. House. They teamed up with chef Melanie Molinaro to open vegan and vegetarian-focused Stall 11 inside the space when it first opened. Just like with Stall 11, De Paco and Reidy plan to use Molina’s menu as a way to further the sustainable mantra that they have established with Urban Pastoral—which works to activate green spaces throughout the city.

“Our overarching company exists to foster connectivity through food,” Reidy explains. “We’re doing that all across the supply chain from growing in our hydroponic facilities, to offering approachable vegan and vegetarian food at Stall 11. And now with Molina, we can connect people with our roots and family traditions.”

Molina’s menu features pies that are baked in a 1,000-degree hearth oven (traditionally called a pavesi) and topped with locally sourced herbs and vegetables from places like One Straw Farm in Baltimore County. The stall also makes use of naturally fermented mozzarella from Caputo Brothers Creamery in Pennsylvania.

Among the signature slices include the “Terra,” flavored with lemon-basil pesto and cauliflower, the “Parma” topped with arugula and prosciutto, and the “Raz,” a classic margherita named after Reidy’s grandfather who immigrated from Naples. The duo credits the pies’ unique texture with a special flour blend and specific fermentation process.

“The dough comes out light and crispy” De Paco says. “It’s the type of pizza that you can eat a lot of and not feel like you’re in a food coma.”

A native New Yorker, Reidy says that Molina fills a certain void in the local pizza scene.

“There are very few places in Baltimore where you can grab a good slice,” he says. “In New York, that’s a part of the culture. When you’re walking home from work, you get a slice of pizza. It’s like an appetizer.”

The lighter approach makes the offerings more conducive to R. House’s mission, which encourages diners to sample bites from each of its 10 stalls. The duo has enjoyed taking advantage of the communal environment, and has even partnered with R. Bar to create cocktail pairings (think a Negroni or an Aperol spritz) inspired by the Italian tradition of aperitivo.

“Cooking and sharing meals is an act of love,” Reidy says. “It’s people going on their first date, or launching their own company here at R. House. Those types of interactions are so special to us.”

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Weekend Lineup: Nov. 11-13

Lydia Woolever — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 13:06:00 +0000

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

EAT

Nov. 12: At The Table: Welcome to R. House

Stall 11, 301 W. 29th St. 6:45-9:45 p.m.
$75.

Here at Baltimore magazine, we cannot wait to
see how the revival of Remington pans out, and that all starts with the opening
of R. House. This Friday, check out the chef-incubator food hall before it
opens, with a “Down to the Dirt” dinner by chef Melanie Molinaro of the historic
warehouse’s upcoming Stall 11, a veggie-focused joint venture with the
innovative urban farmers of Urban Pastoral. The former Encantada chef will present
five courses of plant-based cuisine like wild mushroom ragout with barley
risotto or cauliflower arancini with a wine pairing by Tenth Harvest. Best of
all, get an early access tour of the upcoming space.

DRINK

Nov. 13: A Fistful of Amaro

Gnocco, 3734 Fleet St. 5-9 p.m. 443-449-6540.

Move over
mezcal and bourbon—there’s a new sheriff in town. As we said in our October
issue, amaro is all the rage these days, with the Italian herbal liqueur becoming
more than just an after-dinner digestif. This Sunday night, see for yourself
with this cocktail tribute to spaghetti western films. Bartenders Amie Ward and
Sam White will whip up west-inspired tipples, like the “Los Compañeros,” made with mezcal, amaro, grapefruit, cinnamon, and lime, or the “Ango Unchained,” made with amaro , rose vermouth, hibiscus, orange, and, lime. Chef Brian Lavin will also concoct pasta-and-meatball specials for a mere 10 bucks. Horse-opera flicks will be
screened all night (think Clint Eastwood in The
Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and A
Fistful of Dollars, or Sergio Leone’s Once
Upon a Time in the West) with country attire highly encouraged.

SEE

To. Nov. 13: Charm City Fringe Festival

Locations, times, & prices vary.

With fall finally upon us, Baltimore’s bigwig theater institutions are back in full swing, but it’s once again time to celebrate the underdogs. At the fifth annual Charm City Fringe Festival, get to know the city and country’s independent thespians with nearly 20 productions across Hampden and Station North. For 11 days, enjoy off-center comedy and cutting-edge drama, plus ballet, puppetry, and magic.

HEAR

Nov. 12: Amy Schumer

Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. 8 p.m. $47.50-113. 410-347-2020.

Over the past few years, Long Island native Amy Schumer has skyrocketed to raunchy-humored stardom, but many Baltimoreans still like to claim the onetime Towson University student as one of our own. Luckily for us, even after a hit television series and a Judd Apatow-directed and LeBron James-starring film (that she wrote and starred in, too), Schumer hasn’t been a stranger. At a no-holds-barred show at her alma mater this spring, she joked about her days on campus, from freshman year and Greek life to heavy drinking and bad decisions. This August, in her bestselling debut memoir, The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo, she reprinted an angry journal entry from her early days at TU, some 15 years ago, followed by an affectionate footnote: “Baltimore is not bullshit; I grew to really love it.” This month, she returns to the heart of the city for one night of cringe-worthy memories and unapologetic humor.

The Amy Schumer concert show has now been postponed until March 4, 2017.

DO

Nov. 11: Pandora Ice Rink

Inner Harbor, Top of the Amphitheater, 201
E. Pratt St. Times & prices vary.

The holidays come early—extra early—this weekend with the
opening of the Inner Harbor ice skating rink. Grab some friends, head downtown and
throw on a pair of skates for a few loops, jumps, and axels in the heart of
Baltimore. There are few things that will put you in the spirit than a spin
beneath the November stars, with the twinkling lights of Pratt Street
high-rises reflecting off the water. Just don’t forget your sweaters; it’s
actually going to be right chilly, with a high of 49.

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Hoen & Co. Lithograph Building Launches New Farmers’ Market This Weekend

Lauren Cohen — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 12:21:00 +0000

Having spearheaded the revitalization of old industrial properties like Canton’s Can Company and Woodberry’s Clipper Mill, Cross Street Partners co-founder William Struever knows a thing or two about bringing life to local landmarks.

Fittingly, the real-estate mogul has taken over the centuries-old A. Hoen & Co. Lithograph Building—best known for printing some of the earliest National Geographic maps—in East Baltimore and plans to transform the site into a mixed-use development offering production facilities, office space, and a café.

Though construction won’t begin until the first quarter of 2017, Cross Street Partners is kick starting its efforts by launching a new community initiative this weekend.

The Hoen & Co. Farmers’ Market, a project aimed toward restoring food access in the Collington Square neighborhood, will debut on Sunday, August 14 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the parking lot of the old lithograph building on the 2100 block of East Biddle Street.

“We have this large space at our disposal, so we wanted to find a way to activate what has been a vacant building for 35 years,” says Adam Rhoades-Brown, Cross Street Partners’ development project manager for Hoen & Co. “Having something that is ultra-local and walkable for the people who live in the neighborhood is really important.”

This weekend’s launch will highlight unique arrangements from urban agriculture champion Walker Marsh of Tha Flower Factory, eats from new R. House tenant Stall 11 (think steamed buns filled with bean curd, teriyaki mushrooms, or miso caramel and toasted coconut), and an array of local fruits and vegetables from Gather Baltimore—a Hamilton-based food justice organization that collects surplus produce and distributes it to under-served residents.

“It’s nuts how much food is always leftover from farms and farmers’ markets,” says Gather Baltimore founder Arthur Morgan. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but there are a lot of good people in Baltimore doing big things for those who don’t have access to it.”

At the farmers’ market, Gather Baltimore’s produce will be sold in five-pound grab bags for $1 or mix-and-match bags at 50 cents per pound.

Rhoades-Brown says that, because all of the vendors are social-impact driven, it helps the market to serve its greater purpose.

“It’s all a part of the broader vision that we have for Hoen & Co.,” he says. “Businesses that have a socially-minded focus are exactly the kind of tenants that we’re trying to attract to the project.”

Slated to premiere in 2018, the revamped 75,000-square-foot factory—a joint effort between Cross Street and City Life Builders—will eventually be an anchor development providing job-training programs, community space, and retail destinations.

Though the opening lineup will start out small, the goal is for the market to gain a larger following as the Hoen & Co. project progresses. This weekend’s pop-up will serve as a test to see if the concept catches on with the community. While the market finds its footing, Cross Street Partners hopes to continue organizing other engagement programs, such as transforming a vacant lot nearby into a community garden.

“One thing that has really impressed me is the buy-in from all of the different organizations that are excited about doing something to make a difference,” Rhoades-Brown says. “It’s been great to have that kind of interest in setting something like this up.”

To learn more about urban farming, pick up a copy of our August issue, on newsstands now.

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Open & Shut: The Bun Shop; The DockBar; Stall 11

Lauren Cohen — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 15:15:00 +0000

OPEN:

The Bun Shop: Known for its wide array of sweet and savory pastries, this artsy Mt. Vernon cafe recently expanded with a bigger location downtown. Owners Minh Vo and Andrew Bui opened their second shop—which features a 75-seat interior with comfy couches, marble floors, and gold accents—at 22 Light Street last week. From Paraguayan empanadas to Vietnamese coffee, the cafe specializes in fusing international flavors into its signature puffs, pastries, donuts, coffees, and teas. 22 Light St.

The DockBar: Just in time for the return of outdoor happy hour weather, The Boathouse Canton unveiled a new menu to be served on its attached patio, The DockBar, which opened for the season last week. Guests are invited to take in the sweeping waterfront views while sipping the restaurant’s signature Crushes and snacking on shared plates like crispy chicken sliders, prosciutto and fig flatbread, jerk chicken nachos, and grilled honey Old Bay wings. 2809 Boston St., 410-773-9795

Sammy’s Enoteca: Fans of Sammy’s Trattoria on N. Charles Street will be happy to hear that this spinoff from owner Samuel Curreri rolled out with a soft opening on the 600 block of S. Broadway in Fells Point last week. Decorated with intricate hanging lamps and sleek dark wood furniture, the restaurant will offer Boot Country specialties with a focus on small plates such as duck ravioli and squid-ink pasta. 623 S. Broadway

COMING SOON:

B-More Kitchen: A few months ago we told you about this new incubator that is slated to open in Govans this summer, providing budding food businesses with the space and tools to mass-produce their gourmet goods. Founders Eben Altmann and Jonathan Fishman recently announced B-More Kitchen’s first wave of tenants, which will include local producers Bottoms up Bagels, Happiest Little Baker, Pie Time, Wholesome Nibbles, and Trisha’s Almond Toffee, as well as Spike Gjerde’s restaurant group Foodshed, which will utilize the space to enhance its canning and baking operations. The facilities—which include a 10,000-square-foot shared commercial kitchen, a bakery, cold and dry storage, office space, and a receiving area—can accommodate upwards of 60 members at full capacity. Stay tuned for more updates. 5604 York Road

La Food Marketa: After searching far and wide in hopes of expanding, Chad Gauss has finally landed the perfect space to build a new restaurant. The acclaimed chef and co-owner of The Food Market in Hampden signed a lease to open La Food Marketa in the 3,500-square-foot space that formerly housed Bella Vista in Quarry Lake at Greenspring, a mixed-use development in Pikesville. Gauss’s new Spanglish-inspired spot will serve his takes on classic Central and South American cuisine. Come fall, the 105-seat space will see a revamped interior with custom banquettes, unique light fixtures, and a 10-seat counter facing an open kitchen. 2620 Quarry Lake Drive, Pikesville.

Smoothie King: While it might stand out like a sore thumb in the pack of locally owned restaurants that line the streets of Fells Point, this national smoothie chain will open a cozy 800-square-foot storefront on Thames Street this summer.The grab-and-go shop, which won’t have any seating, will feature all of the brand’s energy-enhancing flavors ranging from Greek Yogurt Pineapple Mango to Carrot Kale Dream. 1716 Thames St.

Stall 11: Yet-to-open Remington food hall R. House recently announced the second of 10 micro-restaurants that will set up shop in the 50,000-square-foot space when it opens its doors next fall. Chef Melanie Molinaro, formerly of Encantada, is set to open Stall 11, an upscale vegetarian concept that will serve plant-based dishes such as Korean cauliflower, sweet corn polenta with a smoked ragu, baby kale and black garlic Caesar salad, black bean brownies, and vegan cookies. Molinaro will also partner with the urban agriculture experts at Urban Pastoral to set up an on-the-go case with fresh greens and herbs, non-pasteurized tonics, and live culture yogurts. 301 W. 29th St., 443-347-3570

SHUT:

Playoff Sports Bar & Grill: This Reisterstown dive bar, which was known for its pub grub, weekly drink specials, and trivia nights, shuttered its doors last week for reasons that are still unknown. Multiple calls to the restaurant were not immediately returned. 11706 Reisterstown Road, Reisterstown

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