It’s a late afternoon in August, and there’s a cluster of people on the sidewalk fronting the little theater and restaurant row in Station North that’s home to The Charles Theatre and an abundance of great restaurant options, including Alma Cocina Latina, Foraged, Sofi’s Crepes—and Tapas Teatro, which, after 21 years, has the most enduring presence of them all.

Promptly at 5 p.m., the crowd disappears through its doors. Although there’s both a Jordan Peele flick and a John Waters retrospective playing at The Charles, it’s the tapas that draw people, consistently, hungrily, for the more than two decades since the Karzai family first opened their small plates Spanish restaurant.

Inside Tapas Teatro, dusky purple walls arch into a high-ceilinged room, illuminated with Gutierrez Studios lights and sconces, next to a busy open kitchen. A dining room showcases century-old brick walls and art (an Iberian pig foraging for acorns; the silhouette of a bull) reflecting the Spanish theme of the menu—by most accounts, the first tapas restaurant in Baltimore.

The building is part of The Charles, the oldest theater in the city, a Beaux-Arts structure designed in 1892 as a trolley barn. A back room showcases a massive bar, a long wooden community table, and benches featuring Andalusian arches. Soon it seems like nearly every table, both inside and out on the sidewalk and pandemic-expanded patio, is filled with people attentive to plates of boquerones (marinated white anchovies), croquetas built of potatoes and cheese, the sauced lamb meatballs called albondigas, bowls of gazpacho, grilled octopus doused with romesco sauce, and glasses filled from the extensive Spanish wine list.

“When we first opened, we had Spanish influences, but becoming more authentic was a process, as I started going to Spain,” says Helmand Karzai, 43, whose family also owns The Helmand, the excellent 32-year-old Afghan restaurant on N. Charles Street. (Yes, Helmand’s parents, Pat and Qayum Karzai, named the restaurant after him; it’s also the name of an important province and river in Afghanistan, where the family is from.) Karzai had been involved in Tapas Teatro from the outset, but gradually stepped front and center as he became more interested in Spanish wines and his parents moved away from the day-to-day operations to the administrative side.

“I started taking over the wine-ordering, which means the wine-tasting, and I really got into wine.” Karzai attended the wine program at The French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) in New York City and spent more and more time traveling to Spain, particularly rural Catalonia and the wine regions of Priorat and Montsant.

“Spain had a moment in the early 2000s, [likely] because of Ferran Adrià,” says Karzai, referencing the Spanish chef who ran El Bulli in Catalonia, which was for years considered the best restaurant in the world.

This moment happily coincided with the then-newly opened tapas restaurant. Serving tapas just made sense, as Karzai’s father loved the cuisine and the small-plates model—this was years before small plates became the trendy thing they are now was perfectly tailored for moviegoers.

“Hey, we’re connected to a movie theater,” says Karzai. “What gets people in and out? It matches so well.” And it doesn’t hurt that the restaurant shares The Charles’ liquor license, which means that you can take the signature jugs of sangria inside the theater.

The Karzai family had other ventures, the now-closed Pen & Quill and B. Bistro, “but this has always been where my heart is,” says Karzai.

Between the carefully selected bottles of Pedro Ximénez and Axta Patcharan, the long list of Idiazábal and Manchego cheeses, and the ribbon-y mounds of jamón Serrano and Ibérico de Bellota on the menu, you can tell. The staff is made up of as many longtimers as the clientele, with some cooks having worked for a decade or more behind the stoves, a rarity these days.

That familiarity—and the dexterity that comes with it—shows in the plates of three of the best tapas: a terrific iteration of gambas al ajillo, perfectly cooked shrimp in olive oil and garlic, served with discs of baguette, a classic dish that’s been on the menu since the restaurant opened; papas bravas, fried potatoes paired with a zippy aioli; and the chile rellenos, roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with melted, aged Idiazábal. The dish is deceptively simple—just bold, salty cheese oozing from the peppers’ tender, bright-scarlet casing—but it’s alarmingly good.

And then there’s the one big plate on the menu—that’s the paella—something to order if you’ve already seen your movie, or you’ve skipped the showing altogether because you’ve been distracted by the impressive gin-and-tonic list. It’s an old-school offering, with seafood, chicken, and chorizo embedded within saffron-painted Calaspara rice and a verdant handful of fresh peas. It is undeniably delicious—and comforting as a bag of movie popcorn.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that you can take it with you.

When you just don’t feel comfortable eating inside a restaurant, getting food to go is no longer a matter of last resort. While plenty of joints have long run a brisk carryout and delivery business, other restaurants have gotten into the game as a way of broadening their business models.

When Le Comptoir du Vin pivoted to becoming a European-style pantry featuring grab-and-go items, they did it as a matter of survival. “When we saw the pandemic wasn’t going away, we restructured,” says Rosemary Liss, who co-owns the Station North restaurant with her partner Will Mester. “That has carried us through this whole time.”

Now, as the restaurant re-opens for regular dinner service, the marketplace is still open for business. “This is here to stay,” says Liss.

Carrying-out is the new dining-in. Here are the “It” items from other area spots:

Dylan’s Oyster Cellar

It’s an “R” month (not that it really matters anymore, thanks to oyster farming), which means it’s the peak time to slurp oysters to-go. From Duxbury to Wellfleets, this Hampden haunt serves some of the best bivalves in Baltimore.

Limoncello

The “Gnocchi Al Telefono” bathed in tomato ragù and topped with smoked mozzarella is as good to-go as when you eat in at this Locust Point restaurant.

Linwoods

This Owings Mills institution has consistently provided some of the best to-go fine-dining fare since the start of the pandemic. The broiled crab cake with a side of slaw is a menu highlight.

Tapas Teatro

Don’t make us pick just one! Well, that’s the whole point at this Station North staple. Settle on a few classics, like spicy chicken and cheese croquettes, grilled octopus in Romesco sauce, salmon slicked with molasses, then follow up with flan.

OPEN

Gangster Vegan Organics: A franchise of Gangster Vegan Organics will open in Cross Street Market on August 23. The menu will include items that are organic, unprocessed, raw, soy, and gluten-free. The spot is owned by husband-wife duo, James and Taneea Yarborough. Taneea is a survivor of ovarian cancer who switched to a plant-based diet as part of her wellness regime.

FOOD NEWS

Ekiben Pop-Up at Fadensonnen: Steve Chu and his business partner Ephrem Abibe at Ekiben are launching a new Taiwanese noodle bar pop-up at Lane Harlan’s Fadensonnen in Old Goucher every Wednesday, for the next six weeks. The new project is called Ojichan, which means grandad in Japanese. Look for handmade wheat noodles with ground pork, scallions, and soy egg. The noodles are served cold to retain their bouncy texture and served with a warm broth. “Ephrem and I had a hankering for the super bouncy noodles we had in Taiwan, but couldn’t find in America, so we decided to make them,” said Chu on his Instagram page. The announcement of the pop-up led one Instagrammer to comment, “You guys are public servants.”

New Beer Garden: A beer garden is planned for the 108-year-old American Ice Building at 2100 West Franklin Street in West Baltimore. The space will include an events area and art hub under a proposed $18.7 million project, according to the Baltimore Business Journal. “It is a diamond in the rough,” Washington D.C. developer Ilay Alter recently told the BBJ. Alter has partnered with local developer Bill Struever who has rehabbed many area industrial sites including the Woodberry-Hampden area of Baltimore, where Woodberry Kitchen is now located. Alter opened a similar such space the Dacha Beer Garden on a vacant lot in D.C.’s Adams Morgan neighborhood in 2013.

Tapas Teatro: The beloved tapas spot in Station North is undergoing a renovation. A new bar area will create more space for a communal table, larger parties, and a new look.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

7/25: La Cuchara Farm Dinner with the Maryland Farmers Market Association and Hex Ferments

La Cuchara is hosting a farmer’s market dinner in conjunction with the Maryland Farmers Market Association and Hex Ferments on Sunday, from 5-8 p.m. Dinner will include a map of the Saturday and Sunday Baltimore farmers markets showing where some of the ingredients for the meal are sourced from. Hex Ferments will provide cocktail pairings and a portion of proceeds will support the Maryland Market Money program, which provides matching dollars to low-income families who use their benefit at area farmers markets.

7/25: Col Bol Pop-Up at Grind House Juice Bar

Chef Carleen Goodridge of Le Monade will host a pop up called Col Bol, which means “cold bowl.” The event will take place this Sunday at 11 a.m. at Grind House Juice Bar on Saint Paul’s Street. Carleen is honoring her Liberian heritage with dishes like eggplant stew and cassava leaf and plantain porridge.

7/29: Chez Hugo Collaborates with Sacré Sucré

Chez Hugo Bistro will collaborate with Sacré Sucré pastry studio for a six-course tasting menu with all things sweet and savory. Each kitchen will present three courses. Look for dishes such as a blackberry crisp tuile with buckwheat cream, candied beets, and preserved summer fruit and fromage blanc and corn cheesecake with cornbread crumbs, pepper jam, fermented honey, and glazed fresh corn. The cost of the tasting menu is $50. The event runs from 7-9 p.m.

Happy Birthday to You!

Area restaurants celebrate big numbers.

City Café turns 25 on Sept. 4.

The Helmand turns 30 this fall.

Mt. Washington Tavern kicks off its 40 years in business celebration this November.

Whether you’re a serious water lover, a gung-ho gardener, or a fan of the forest, the Baltimore area is a great place to dine alfresco. So head to one of these standout spots and enjoy your moment in the sun.

For the Patron of the Arts

Gertrude’s Restaurant: There’s outdoor dining, and then there’s the flagstone terrace at Gertrude’s. Painterly plates, such as Gertie’s crab cakes and grilled rockfish, pair perfectly with Henry Moore and Auguste Rodin sculptures. 10 Art Museum Dr., 410-889-3399.

For the Green Thumbs

Ladew Café: With one of the top topiary gardens in the world as your backdrop, feast en plein air on house-made chicken salad and enjoy the groomed gardens once visited by the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Somerset Maugham. 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, 410-557-9570.

Woodberry Kitchen: Dine at the herb-filled patio out front. 2010 Clipper Park Road, 410-464-8000

The Turn House: This new HoCo spot, situated on the bucolic Hobbit’s Glen Golf Course, hits a hole-in-one with its inventive farm-to-table cuisine, covered patio offering weatherproof outdoor dining and heat lamps, and a chef (Thomas Zippelli) who worked at the Michelin-starred The French Laundry and Eleven Madison Park before bringing it back to his native Howard County. 11130 Willow Bottom Dr., Columbia, 410-740-2096

For the Craft Beer Aficionado

RAR Brewing: When the temps top out, RAR Brewing raises its retractable garage doors. It’s a known fact that everything—from designer dogs to tater tots—tastes that much better when you let the sun shine in. 504 Poplar St., Cambridge, 443-225-5664.

Blue Pit BBQ & Whiskey Bar: Quaff a cold one and a plate of meat and fixins on the restaurant’s back deck. 1601 Union Ave., 443-948-5590.

For the Urbanite

Tapas Teatro: There’s nothing like watching the street scene while tasting tapas and chilling out over sangria at this beloved Station North cafe. 1711 N. Charles St., 410-332-0110.

Clavel: Grab a crock of queso fundido and seat yourself at a peach picnic table in Remington. 225 W 23rd St., 443-900-8983.

For the Water Lover

Barcocina: It’s hard to beat the picturesque Fells Point harbor views and potent house-made margaritas.1629 Thames St., 410-563-8800.

Boatyard Bar & Grill: This Naptown nook with colorful red umbrellas and killer crab cakes is minutes from the marina and the perfect perch for people-watching—here, you’ll see fishermen, Naval Academy midshipmen, tourists, and locals alike. Severn Avenue and Fourth Street, Annapolis, 410-216-6206

Citron: It took years for the natural rainwater to fill the old quarry in Pikesville. At 500 feet, it’s now the deepest body of water in the state and a sanctuary for geese, ducks, and all manner of flora and fauna. You’ll understand why it was worth the wait as you sit on the patio snacking on tuna tartare at Charles Levine’s contemporary fine-dining venture. 2605 Quarry Lake Drive, Pikesville, 410-363-0900

Cosima: The rushing waters of the Jones Falls, an herb garden filled with rosemary and thyme, a flute of Proseco, and sexy Sicilian noodle dishes spell an ambiance that’s perfect for a little romance. 3000 Falls Road, 443-708-7352

For the Seafood Lover

Loch Bar: Take a front-row seat at this Chesapeake seafood bar and watch the boats bob in the Patapsco. Order a shot of one of the many rare whiskeys on hand, then toast to the inexplicable alchemy of sun, stars, and seafood towers. 240 International Dr., 443-961-8949

Ryleigh’s Oyster: So many outdoor spots in the ’burbs offer nothing but a view of a parking lot. Not so at the suburban outpost of this beloved Baltimore institution. With its hedges and white Adirondack chairs, think Lutherville-Timonium meets the Eastern Shore. 22 W. Padonia Road, Hunt Valley, 410-539-2093

For the Equestrian

The Oregon Grille: Smack dab in the middle of Hunt Valley’s horse country, this well-heeled spot boasts that miles-from-the-city feel. As you take in the natural world, consider a simple Cobb salad or a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from the deep wine list. 1201 Shawan Road, 410-771-0505

Manor Tavern: Gaze at the stars at this equine-themed spot. 15819 Old York Road, 410-771-8155.

The Valley Inn: This bustling Brooklandville tavern boasts a sylvan setting and a patio that’s the perfect place for sipping champagne on tap. 10501 Falls Road, 410-828-0002

The Milton Inn: This historic inn (where John Wilkes Booth learned his A, B, C’s) recently underwent a $400,000 renovation, including the addition of a new patio and a pergola with a retractable roof. 14833 York Road, Sparks, 410-771-4366