Like any business owners, Neill and Emily Howell, proprietors of The Corner Pantry, have weathered storms. In their case, the storm was a literal one—they opened for the first time in the middle of a massive nor’easter on Feb. 14, 2014, a snow-covered sign outside reading: “For the love of food.”

In a strange way, though, the snowstorm also gave them an opportunity for some free advertising. “On that first day, I was digging my car out in Rodgers Forge trying to get to the restaurant,” says Neill. “A news camera pulled up and said, ‘Hey, we’re doing something about the weather, do you want to talk to us?’ And I was like, ‘Sure’—I ended up talking about how I was trying to get out to open our new restaurant in Lake Falls Village.’”

Running a restaurant isn’t easy for anyone—unexpected events like snowstorms (or a pandemic, for that matter) can throw off your business, profit margins are slim, good labor is hard to find, sourcing ingredients is often an issue (look at the recent rise in the cost of eggs, for example)—and there’s always the threat of the short attention span of customers looking for the shiny new spot just down the road.

But for the past 11 years, the married couple of 15 years has built their business into a total success story. Even after a recent $1.6-million expansion that tripled the cafe’s footprint from 1,200 square feet to 3,600, it can still be hard to score a table.

On any given day of the week, their British-themed cafe in the Lake Falls Village shopping center, a stone’s throw from Mt. Washington, hums with hungry patrons seeking sophisticated breakfast and lunch fare that feels like something you’d find in The Big Apple.

And while they decline to discuss revenue, suffice it to say that no matter what time of day you go, there’s often a line that forms around the stanchions (there for crowd control), as people shuffle from the cold case filled with mango lassi chia seed puddings, turkey sandwiches, and Greek salads, past the pastries (scones, financiers, pasties, crumpets, carrot cake, and gluten-free treats) to the register. Not counting catering (which could be for 500 or more on a typical week), they serve roughly 7,000 customers a week, selling some 600 chocolate-chip cookies and 400 classic all-day egg and cheese sandwiches.

The Corner Pantry is busy because the elevated cafe fare, from an authentic fish and chips with mushy peas to the fantasic falafel and boffo breakfast biscuits, is made with as much care and attention as any fine-dining spot in the city. Here, no shortcuts are taken—from the “crisps” (that’s British for chips) that accompany the sandwiches to the raspberry jam, bacon, and sausage, just about everything is made from scratch in-house.

NEILL AND EMILY WANT TO BEAT THE STEREOTYPE THAT BRITISH FOOD IS BLAND, BEIGE, AND BORING.

Neill, 47, is British-born and Emily, 44, is an Anglophile, so despite the renovation, it was important for them to keep the modern British vibe intact with English touches, like the Clarke and Clarke wallpaper in the bathroom and the Chelsea Tex-tiles fabric that covers the pillows on the dining room banquettes.

“We didn’t want people to walk in and feel like they’re not in The Corner Pantry anymore,” says Emily of the dining room refresh.

But it’s the food more than the décor that speaks to The Corner Pantry’s British theme and the couple’s desire to beat the stereotype that British food is bland, beige, and boring.

“British food gets a bad rap,” says Neill, his British accent sharp as ever despite a few decades in the U.S. “It’s not just fish and chips and bangers and mash; there’s so much international influence.”

On an unusually spring-like day in February, the Howells are in a rare moment of repose in their contemporary Lutherville home, which sits on three bucolic acres and offers verdant views for as far as the eye can see. They’re always thinking about ways to continue to grow as a business, but after the months-long renovation to the cafe, including a new state-of-the-art kitchen with its top-of-the-line equipment, plus a dedicated area for baking and catering, they have finally reached a point where they can breathe a bit and take time to reflect.

“With the expansions, we’ve always been working toward the next thing, but right now there is no next thing,” says Emily. “We just want to keep the wheels turning. It’s scary being here for 11 years. We don’t want to become irrelevant or the ‘old place.’”

Relaxing at their heirloom Irish kitchen table is a rarity for the hard-working couple. When they’re not at work, they’re running their busy household, which includes daughter Annabelle, 14, son Clive, 11, and a lively Labrador, Windsor. (Their bulldog, Bessie, has passed on but is immortalized in The Corner Pantry’s logo.)

The airy foyer of their home tells more of their story. It’s filled with a mix of modern art, a round console with hefty coffee table tomes on Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana, as well as various antiques passed down from Emily’s family. Over the staircase, there’s a prominent gallery wall with black-and-white bicycle diagrams from the British Army (a nod to Neill’s love of cycling, likely passed on by his dad, who worked as an armorer in the Army and was responsible for bike repair as part of his job). It’s a total blend of their worlds, which started on different sides of the Atlantic, but collided almost two decades ago when they met while working in New York City.

Emily, who grew up in Baltimore, attended Notre Dame Preparatory and holds a degree in visual communication from the University of Delaware. Right after graduating from college in 2002, she headed to New York City, landing a job as a receptionist at the famed Soho House, a private club in the Meatpacking District known for its celebrity clients.

“I didn’t even know what Soho House was when I first started working there,” says Emily. Soon, she advanced to a manager position in the reservations department, overseeing bookings for the likes of Kevin Costner, Gordon Ramsay, and Gwen Stefani. She was very much leading the life of a single girl in the big city. (At one point, she even appeared as an extra in the episode of Sex and the City that was filmed at Soho House. It’s the episode where Kim Cattrall’s Samantha gets busted after breaking into a private club.)

Neill grew up an ocean away in Colchester, England, and was first introduced to hospitality while working as a dishwasher at Sloppy Joe’s, an American/Tex-Mex-style restaurant in his hometown. “The food was terrible,” he says, laughing. “It was all microwaved, but we made our own pizza dough—and for 10 pounds, you could get a slice of pizza, a baked potato, and coleslaw all served on one plate.”

A struggling student, Neill left his formal education at 16 to attend culinary school in his hometown. “I barely passed,” he says of both his formal schooling and his culinary education. “I struggled with sitting down and someone giving me directions—my brain doesn’t fire up that way. I’m better at touching things, feeling things, working around chaos.”

After his father’s untimely death at 53, an 18-year-old Neill moved to London to escape his small-town existence and push away the pain. “It affected me then and affects me still,” he says quietly.

His first job in London was cooking in a hotel right next to Buckingham Palace. He lasted all of three months, turned off by the lack of fresh ingredients and culinary care.

“One of the chefs called out fish and chips and the sous chef went to the freezer and pulled out a frozen piece of fish to put it in the fryer—I was like, ‘This is not what I signed up for,’” he recalls.

He quickly moved on to working at The Grove Hotel, then the famed Langan’s, an iconic brasserie in the Mayfair section of London (a see-and-be-seen spot owned by actor Michael Caine at the time). The kitchen was run by Richard Shepherd, one of the first British chefs to win a Michelin star. “The menu was handwritten every day,” he says. (In fact, a framed menu from Langan’s holds a prominent position on the Howells’ kitchen wall.)

At Langan’s, Neill finally found what he was looking for. “When I walked in, I saw all the copper pots hanging and the flat burners and flames, and I was like, ‘This is what I want,’” he recalls. “When I was in that environment, that’s when it clicked for me.”

He started as a commis chef (a junior chef) in training and proved himself to be a fast study, quickly rising through the ranks to chef de partie (a line cook). He loved the chaos of the kitchen—and the after-hours camaraderie. In the rough-and-tumble, rogue lifestyle of the kitchen, he’d found a new home.

From there, he worked at Asia de Cuba, a swanky Ian Schrager five-star hotel restaurant in stylish Convent Garden, where he learned to work with global ingredients. “It  was a very strict kitchen,” says Neill. “You had to come on time and wear clean uniforms. The chef was trying to instill standards. I learned a lot there, especially how to create different flavors with Asian and Cuban and fusion flavors, which I still like to this day.”

At 24, full of energy and enthusiasm, Neill followed another chef who was headed to the United States. In 2004, he landed a job at Soho House, where he met Emily. They worked on different floors of the hotel but soon became friends (they admit to feeling some fireworks at the time). Two years later, Soho House sent them on a fateful catering trip to California for the two weeks of Oscar season. When Emily found out that Neill had been chosen to go on the trip, too, she says, “I tried to play it cool at first.”

It was a star-studded trip, with the couple even working Tom Cruise’s after-after Oscar party at the former home of Ian Fleming, the writer of the James Bond spy series. (And it was Neill’s turn to play it cool when Paul McCartney casually stopped by the kitchen during the party to watch him make pancakes.)

But the glamour didn’t last long. In 2010 they were married, and in 2011 Annabelle made them a family of three. By then, Emily had gone back to her graphic-design roots, doing freelance advertising and design work for the likes of Vogue and Crunch Fitness.

With a baby in tow, trying to get by in New York City was wearing on them, so they uprooted and bought a house in Rogers Forge near Emily’s family. Neill became the chef at Bond Street Social in Fells Point and Emily continued to do freelance work.

“IT’S SCARY BEING HERE FOR 11 YEARS,” SAYS EMILY. “WE DON’T WANT TO BECOME IRRELEVANT OR THE ‘OLD PLACE.’”

By 2013, the couple were at a crossroads with their careers. Neill was looking for an end to working the long hours of dinner service. Emily had grown tired of the freelance life. “I don’t know exactly how it came about but I was like, ‘I don’t want to work late hours anymore, I have a family and some things have to change in my life,’” says Neill, who found sobriety that same year after years of hard partying.

They soon started joking about owning their own business, and one thing led to the next when the couple found themselves in Lake Falls Village, where Emily’s sister-in- law’s mom owned the clothing boutique L’Apparenza next to what was then Banksy’s Café. Neill thought that if they did open their own spot, something like the Banksy’s location would be ideal.

Not long after, fate intervened when Bansky’s closed almost overnight and the Howells got a tip from Emily’s sister-in-law that there was a vacancy. They got in touch with the leasing agent and soon had a great little place for a cafe of their own.

When The Corner Pantry debuted in 2014, the staff was small (six, which has grown to 40) and the vision was seemingly simple. “We wanted to use fresh, nicely sourced ingredients done properly,” says Neill. “There was [almost] nothing like that in the area at the time.”

The duo was also inspired by Union Square’s celebrated (though now-closed) City Bakery in New York City, with its chopped salads and oversized chocolate-chip cookies. “I went every single day for lunch,” says Emily, “and blew my budget.”

Some of the original offerings, from the egg and cheese on an oversized biscuit to the so-called Coronation Chicken Salad (which was a dish at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953) remain on the menu to this day. And many of the cafe’s original customers are now regulars.

Interior designer Henry Johnson was there that first day during the heavy snowstorm. As he and a group of seven friends dug into plates of duck confit, and snow coated their cars, he was wowed. “At the time, I thought the very thing that I’ve been thinking non-stop ever since,” says Johnson, who eats at the cafe several times a week and sometimes even twice a day. “This is probably the best food in Baltimore.”

WHEN THE CORNER PANTRY DEBUTED IN 2014, THE STAFF WAS SMALL AND THE VISION WAS SEEMINGLY SIMPLE.

Of course, Neill and Emily are quick to point out that it’s all about their talented team. Neill recently hired a former Magdalena chef, Angel Sisounong, as executive sous chef. There’s also MICA grad Lisa Hillring overseeing the pastry program in the sparkling new show kitchen, where patrons can watch from an observation window as Hillring makes cream-cheese frosting for gorgeous coils of cinnamon buns and paints egg wash on apple-cinnamon pop-tarts, part of a rotating series of flavors.

“I appreciate that Emily and Neill are always supportive of us being really creative and coming up with new and cool things all the time,” gushes Hillring. “That’s definitely not true everywhere.”

As they enter their second decade of cafe ownership, the business continues to evolve. The recent renovation, with its large to-go case of prepared foods like chicken tikka and deviled eggs, gave them the chance to get back to their original idea of being a place where patrons can order from an all-day menu (turkey sandwiches at 9 a.m. or eggs at lunchtime) or get grab-and-go.

“It is now what it was going to be when we first opened,” says Emily. “It has developed into what our original vision was, of having a corner pantry where you could sit down and eat—or get things to take home with you.”

The construction dust has finally settled, but that hasn’t kept Emily from dreaming up new business ideas or Neill from striving in the kitchen.

“Never having worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant will always be one of my regrets,” he says, “so I want to try my best to use the techniques they use in those place —it’s all about attention to detail. I’ve never been successful at anything in my life, so to now own a business that’s thriving is so incredibly gratifying.”

Emily likens the business to raising a family. “It’s kind of like having children,” she says. “The days are long but the years go fast. It seems so hard in the moment, but my God, having these humans who turned out the way you hoped they would is just amazing.”

Roasted Cauliflower Panisse Cake from Preserve

“The original play was on a French panisse cake,” says Preserve chef Brian Cieslak of this recipe. “It shows that vegetables don’t have to be one-dimensional.” To pretty up the plate (pictured above), Cieslak suggests dotting the plate with miso paste, a shower of parsley and scallions, plus pickled cauliflower stems.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound cauliflower
1⁄2 cup white onion, diced
2 cups chickpea flour
5 cups water
5 garlic cloves
11⁄2 tablespoons salt
1⁄4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon EVOO
11⁄2 tablespoons lemon juice
1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder

DIRECTIONS
1. Roast cauliflower in oven set at 350 Fahrenheit. Roast until golden.
2. Set aside onion, and in a blender (in batches if necessary) blend all remaining ingredients. Reserve.
3. Spray a 9.5” x 13” pan with oil.
4. In a pot that preferably has a wider bottom that can hold at least 4 quarts, sweat onion with 1 tbsp. oil.
5. Add chickpea our/water mixture.
6. While keeping on medium/ medium-high heat, continue to whisk and boil until mixture becomes extremely thick (up to 10 minutes).
7. Once firm, fold in cauliflower.
8. Pour in greased pan. Allow to completely cool in fridge.
9. When cool, griddle in a pan on low heat until golden.
Serves 4. 

For the garlic confit sauce: In a small sauce pot add 1⁄2 cup garlic cloves and 1⁄2 cup neutral oil. Place on low flame. Heat slowly for two hours and cook garlic until golden. Cool. For sauce, blanch 2 cups cauliflower florets in salted water. Cook until very tender, then toss in ice bath. Place cauliflower in a blender, blend until nearly puréed. Emulsify in garlic confit cloves and oil. Season to taste.

 

Beet Terrine from The Corner Pantry

If you’re still scarred by those childhood beets that came from a can, this stunner from chef Neill Howell at The Corner Pantry is a surefire way to reimagine the root vegetable. “I wanted to create a fun, vegetable-centric dish that isn’t a salad,” says Howell. “Don’t rush the chilling process,” he adds. “It needs time to chill and firm up.”

While some restaurants have remained closed or have limited carryout business, The Corner Pantry co-owners Emily and Neill Howell say they’ve been working more hours than ever between catering, a new online ordering system that has increased carryout traffic at the cafe, and a large construction project that started pre-COVID-19 and will double the size of their space in Lake Falls Village. The restaurant is currently closed to wrap up the the expansion, but is set to reopen along with the new space in the coming days.

The Howells are also parents to Annabelle, 9, and Clive, 6, both of whom are home for the remainder of the school year. “Everyone is talking about how clean their house is,” says Emily, “but we’ve been working more than we worked before this happened.”

How have you adjusted to this new restaurant reality?
Emily Howell: I was sort of like, ‘Until someone says something, I didn’t believe it.’ But when it happened, we just pushed our tables up against the wall. We’ve slowly made amendments to keep it more and more safe. We do one customer inside at a time. Our new online ordering has really helped. Before that, people were just ordering by phone and someone had to be on the phone all the time. We’ve been able to bring in more revenue now because before people just couldn’t get through. Toast, our new online ordering system, has helped a ton and we’ve been able to bring in more revenue.

“If I’m being honest, the first few weeks I was struggling a bit because we buy all these amazing products from local farms and I was having to put them in a cardboard box. I got over that and decided we are going to try to put out the best food we can.” —Neill Howell

What was your thinking when Governor Hogan closed restaurants and bars for dining in?
EH: When everything happened, we took it day by day. One of the things we did was lunches for the Josie King Foundation. [The foundation’s founder] Sorrel King is one of our oldest customers. She called one day about having us do 50 hospital lunches and we ended up doing over 5,000 in six weeks.

Neill Howell: We were set up for carryout and to-go from the beginning. Now we are spending our days putting things in brown boxes. As a chef it’s not the best thing, but we’ve lost a lot in catering—thousands and thousands of dollars that we are not going to get back. It has been stressful, but from day one, we never had the mindset to close the shop—even if was just me and Emily in there. We would have just kept going because we are workers, and we want to keep our business up and keep our name out there. Our clientele is committed to us, so they’ve been coming in each day for the family meals we’ve been doing, from chicken tikkas to lasagnas. Online ordering is going really well. We’re busy, but we’re nowhere near where we were before—we are 50 percent down, but many places are worse off. Some places haven’t even re-opened and I just feel for them.

“I saw one of those memes that said, ‘I now realize that my hobbies are bars, restaurants, and small businesses.’ Neill and I, all we do for fun is eat.” —Emily Howell

How are you staying inspired?
NH: If I’m being honest, the first few weeks I was struggling a bit because we buy all these amazing products from local farms and I was having to put them in a cardboard box. I got over that and decided we are going to try to put out the best food we can. If someone is down in the dumps, this brightens up their day. We’ve had a really good connection with our farmers. We buy lots and of stuff from them and their passion has brought us back to, ‘Okay, this is cool.’ We both want to just keep banging out good food. You can either give up or try your hardest, we are trying our hardest.

What will change as a result of the way you’ve done business during the pandemic?
EH: We are trying to make a takeout-style window. We created a second counter anyway but having a takeout window that people can walk up to from the outside was a last-minute pivot—hopefully the landlord approves it. That will keep everyone who is waiting for pickup outside. All of the changes we were making were to utilize the space better, so it’s all just coming together.

One thing that we haven’t totally figured out is our cold salad bar. That might just go to pre-packed, or we might close it up and have people serve it to the customer. Regardless, it will be fine. Every single person has had to adjust to a new way. When this all ends, people will just be happy to be out.

NH: Everyone is so impressed when they come to our place because we work out of a really small kitchen. We just make it work. It’s tough, but [with the expansion] we are about to have more kitchen space and a nice, big butcher’s block to do butchery in-house, which we’ve already been doing but it has been tough. We have a new wood pasta table. The plan is to do what we’ve been doing slowly from day one—making good home cooked food using local ingredients.

I’m going to take these next couple of weeks and really connect with the farmers again. I’m looking forward to having tomatoes when we get back. And strawberries and rhubarb are coming in soon, so I can’t wait to start work with all that nice spring and summer product. I’m most excited to see the faces of our staff when they see the new space and the equipment they can use. This is isn’t about me and Emily—it’s about our staff and, obviously, I’m excited for our customers to see it.

“The plan is to do what we’ve been doing slowly from day one—making good home cooked food using local ingredients.” —Neill Howell

What will the new space look like?
EH: We used shiplap in white, so it still has that modern feel, but we’ve added in some natural colors. In our new space, we extended the counter to the window. We will have two registers. We are putting a half wall up from the counter so that kind of separates the dining room from where you would wait in line. We have some banquettes and we’re bringing in some new fabric choices and new light fixtures. It’s going to feel a little less industrial and a little bit more English farm.

What do you think the restaurant scene will look like when the pandemic is over?
NH: I personally think that when they do open back up, people will be a little bit hesitant at first. I’m sure that there will be some new systems in place, but if you make it through, I think you’ll come out the other side and you will be fine—you might even be busier than you were before

EH: We are lucky that we are in warm weather months—it gives those with outdoor dining the ability to spread out. In normal times, when summer hits, our dining room is really quiet, and everyone is outside. But I think it’s going to be hard. Luckily for us, we have that carryout model anyway. For strictly fine dining this has to be really, really hard.

Why do restaurants matter?
EH: I saw one of those memes that said, ‘I now realize that my hobbies are bars, restaurants, and small businesses.’ Neill and I, all we do for fun is eat. If we go out, it’s what we are going to do—eat and drink.

NH: It’s pretty simple. Good food makes people happy.

The dining scene continues to soar, and, oh, what a year it was to eat—and drink—in Baltimore. What didn’t I eat this year? From foie gras and snails to matcha ice cream and crab cakes with succotash, I enjoyed it all. But a few things stand out, and there’s a theme to my picks here. Life is complicated enough—when it comes to dining out, this was the year I craved simple sandwiches, comfort food, and mezcal-based cocktails to wash it all down. In looking back, who knew that celery—a vegetable of last resort—would play a starring role on my best bites list?

The Mezcalita at Clavel

I eat in restaurants for a living, so I try not to order the same dishes (or drinks) again and again when I’m dining out. That’s how I came to discover the mezcalita. The margarita at Clavel is likely my favorite liquid on the planet, but I branched out this year and moved on to the mezcalita, an impossibly smoky, sweet, and spicy concoction that should be savored with every sip. If I’m being completely honest, I originally ordered my go-to margarita at this Remington hotspot, but the mezcalita was brought to the table instead. Talk about happy accidents.

The Clam Dip at True Chesapeake Oyster Co.

It’s hard to find a good clam dip—or any clam dip for that matter—outside of New England, so I couldn’t resist trying this offering at the seafood-centric True Chesapeake in Whitehall Mill. This version, an old family recipe that comes from owner Patrick Hudson’s grandmother, was loaded with fat and luscious clams. And the house-potato chips, impossibly crispy and nicely salted, were the perfect foil for dunking and cutting the richness of the creamy dip.

The Fried Chicken Sandwich at The Choptank

Who gets a fried chicken sandwich at a crabhouse? I do. Making good fried chicken is an art form, and chef Andrew Weinzirl has demonstrated it at this new upscale crab house in Fells Point. An air-chilled, buttermilk-brined breast allows the meat to stay moist and stand up to the coating. A tangy mumbo sauce adds heat and a house-made slaw adds crunch. Think heaven in a bun.

Cornmeal Fried Oysters at Charleston

No one knows how to fry an oyster better than James Beard-nominated chef Cindy Wolf at this Harbor East gem. With six to an order, and accompanied by a kicky cayenne mayonnaise, they’re all too easy to eat like candy. Learning some restraint takes willpower, but I’ve learned to savor each and every bite—it leaves me with less longing between visits.

Falafel Salad at The Corner Pantry

This sweet spot in the Lake Falls Village shopping center is one of my favorite stops for creative and always fresh salads. Chef Neil Howell is a Brit, but it seems he’s also mastered Middle Eastern cuisine. His house-made falafel on a bed of green with tahini dressing is delicious. No shortcuts are taken here, even the pita chips are house-made.

Pesce al Brodetto at Limoncello

This Locust Point newcomer that celebrates the treasures of Southern Italian coastal cooking has been great straight out of the gate. To wit, the pesce al brodetto, a beautiful bowl rife with Manila clams, calamari, head-on shrimp, scallops, fish, tomatoes, and saffron broth. Given the different cooking times for each type of seafood, it’s a dish that can be easily overcooked, but is cooked to perfection here. The accompanying grilled bread adds the final grace note.

The Tilted Burger at The Tilted Row

When is a cheeseburger more than a cheeseburger? When it’s the cheeseburger coming from the kitchen at Bolton Hill’s new gastropub The Tilted Row. Hard to say whether it’s the addition of pimento cheese, the smoky bacon or mile-high mound of onions, the crunchy pickles, or the proprietary sauce that makes it work so well. Or maybe it’s just the alchemy of it all.

The Brussels Sprouts at Birroteca

Just when I thought that I’d eaten enough Brussels sprouts for the rest of my life, I went back for one more serving at Birroteca. This dish, flash-fried Brussels drizzled with chili oil, sitting in a swirl of black garlic aioli and topped with coppa, was my go-to appetizer at this artisanal pizza spot for many years, but I hadn’t been in some time. After the recent passing of its owner Robbin Haas, I went as an homage. It was as good as ever and a fitting legacy of a beloved restaurateur.

Raspberry Macarons (Or Any Macarons) at Sacré Sucré

Everyone and their uncle likes to call a cookie a macaron, but very few are the real deal. These are. Spouses Dane Thibodeaux and Manuel Sanchez use real fruit fillings and no artificial ingredients for their confections, which come in a variety of delectable flavors including salty caramel, vanilla, chocolate, and lemon. I love the burst of tangy raspberry to offset the sweetness, plus, I’m pretty sure it counts as my daily fruit serving.

The Celery Salad at Le Comptoir du Vin

There’s a reason that Station North’s tiny boîte, Le Comptoir du Vin, became an almost overnight sensation, landing on Bon Appetit’s Hot 10 List and earning a spot on Esquire’s list of Best New Restaurants in America. It’s that good. But likely its star status came from, of all things, this celery salad, flecked with pistachios and dates and coltura (anchovies). It’s a study in salt and sweet—a humble salad that’s also incredibly refreshing. Really, the best of my best bites.

CH-CH CHANGES

The Corner Pantry Expands: Since it opened on Valentine’s Day in 2014, many Mt. Washington dwellers have made this breakfast-and-lunch spot a part of their regular routine. Come March, the cafe will offer even more to love by nearly doubling its footprint. The spot will expand into the vacant space next door and add an additional 1,150 square feet. With more room to breathe, husband-and-wife owners Neill and Emily Howell plan to add a second counter for faster service, optional private dining and meeting space, and an expanded kitchen that will allow them to amp up catering. Plus, there will be more opportunities to host events and cooking classes for customers.

“Since we opened nearly six years ago, we have been able to produce some really incredible food out of a 400 square-foot kitchen,” Neill said in a statement. “Our business has evolved based on the feedback and needs from our customers, and we know expanded seating and offerings are what we can add at this point in our journey.” The owners plan to remain open for most of the construction period, which will begin in January.

Cosima Brings Names New Executive Chef: There’s been a slight shift in the kitchen operations at this Southern Italian destination along the Jones Falls in Hampden. Longtime chef de cuisine Jonathan Hicks was recently promoted to executive chef. But, rest assured—Baltimore’s own culinary queen Donna Crivello isn’t going anywhere. She’s stepped into the role of concept director at Cosima, where she will continue the restaurant’s monthly cooking classes, add tutorials for children on the weekends, and oversee private events. “As the granddaughter of Cosima and daughter of a Neapolitan mother, I absolutely love the warmth of Southern Italian hospitality,” Crivello said in a statement. “Those ideals are at the root of the restaurant, and I’m excited to be able to maintain and expand them.”

Bird in Hand Adds Bar Program: Since opening near the Johns Hopkins University campus three years ago, students and neighbors have relied on this collaborative spot—from the teams behind the Ivy Bookshop and Woodberry Kitchen—for a strong latte, espresso, or pastry. Last month, the cafe added to its offerings by launching “Bird Bar,” a collection of wine, beer, and cider to pair with the food menu. In keeping with Bird in Hand’s hyper-local philosophy, the list features Baltimore purveyors including Peabody Heights, Union Craft, and Oliver Brewing Company.

OPEN

Ropewalk Tavern: For nearly six months, Federal Hill revelers have missed the strong drinks and lively piano bar at this neighborhood staple. The McFaul family—who also runs three Ropewalk locations on the Eastern Shore—closed their flagship in July to make some fun upgrades in honor of the bar’s 25th anniversary year. And at the grand reopening party earlier this week, the team unveiled refreshed bars, new arcade games like Skee Ball and basketball shoot-outs, and a bowling alley upstairs. Swing by to play some of the new games, shoot a round of pool, and sip one of Ropewalk’s 150 featured beers.

COMING SOON

Angels Ate Lemons: The weekend before Christmas, Socle—the Old Goucher complex that houses Larder, Sophomore Coffee, and beer garden and natural wine bar Fadensonnen—will welcome yet another attraction. This new weekend concept invites guests to taste some of the worldly wines from Fadensonnen’s storage room in a daytime setting. Named after a line in an Etel Adnan poem, the experience is meant to foster “deep conversation and togetherness,” according to a message posted to Instagram. Angels Ate Lemons marks yet another innovative bar program from Lane Harlan, who also oversees Clavel and W.C. Harlan nearby in Remington.

NiHao Baltimore: We’ve been keeping tabs on this Baltimore expansion from culinary icon Peter Chang, who began his career as a chef at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. He has built an empire serving Sichuan specialties at strip-mall restaurants throughout the DMV, as well as at his fine-dining spot Q by Peter Chang in Bethesda. Earlier this year, word spread that the chef and his family planned to take over the former Fork & Wrench space in Canton. Though the restaurant isn’t slated to open until February 2020, the family was given a warm welcome last weekend when they hosted a pop-up at Artifact Coffee—giving diners a sneak peek at what the menu might look like when NiHao Baltimore officially opens.

Tofu skin salad and Sichuan pickled baked rockfish were among the featured dishes from Peter, his wife, pastry chef Lisa Chang, and chef Pichet Ong. (Ong is the James Beard award-nominated chef behind Brothers and Sisters located inside The Line Hotel in D.C., which also houses Artifact sister-spot, A Rake’s Progress.) Stay tuned for more details on NiHao’s highly anticipated grand opening in 2020.

If there’s ever a time to really flex your baking skills and resist the urge to buy pre-made cookie dough, it’s the holiday season.

It’s tough to beat a spicy gingerbread or a classic chocolate chip this time of year, but if you’re looking to add something different to the dessert spread at your holiday celebration—or impress friends and co-workers at your annual cookie exchange—these recipes from local pastry chefs are great alternatives.

Before rolling up your sleeves, make sure all ingredients are pre-measured, advises LaTosha Williams, the former owner of Dessert Fantasies in Locust Point. Another pro tip? “Parchment paper is your friend,” Williams says. “It keeps cookies from over-spreading and makes clean up easy.”

After letting your fresh-baked beauties cool, Williams suggests storing them in an air-tight container at room temperature. If you’re baking in advance of a party, consider sugar, butter, and gingerbread cookies—which she estimates typically keep for about three weeks.

Now crank up the Christmas tunes, roll up your sleeves, and get baking with these festive favorites.

The Corner Pantry’s Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

If the thought of baking treats from scratch seems daunting, this recipe from The Corner Pantry in Mt. Washington is great for getting your feet wet.

“It’s pretty full proof, even for a novice baker,” says The Corner Pantry’s pastry manager Lisa Hillring. “The added powdered sugar gives a nice finished touch without having to refine any skills or invest in any unique tools or ingredients. Plus, they melt in your mouth so win, win.”

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 oz. butter
4 oz. chocolate
1.5 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
granulated and powdered sugar, for rolling

Instructions:
1. Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.
2. Melt butter, remove from heat and add chocolate. Return to low heat if it does not melt all of the way, stir continuously until melted. Set aside to cool.
3. In mixing bowl with whisk attachment combine brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and mix on medium speed for one minute.
4. With mixer running slowly, add melted chocolate.
5. Carefully fold wet and dry ingredients together.
6. Scoop dough to desired size, roll in granulated sugar, then powdered sugar.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

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Crust by Mack’s Almond Raspberry Shortbread Wreath Cookies

When it comes to holiday baking, local pastry chef Amanda Mack has one motto: “Go big or go home.” Mack says that her Almond Raspberry Shortbread Wreaths are perfect for swaps and gifting. “They’re beautiful, buttery, and over the top with holiday cheer,” she adds.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (170 grams) Irish butter, salted and softened
1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) vanilla extract
1 ½ cups + 2 tbsp (214 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) almond extract
2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar
1 egg white lightly beaten
2 oz. sliced almonds
1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
sparkling sugar for decoration

Instructions:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla at medium speed until creamy, three to four minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
2. Sift flour in a medium bowl. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined. Divide dough in half, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two hours up to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a three-inch fluted round cutter, cut dough into 12 cookies, rerolling scraps only once. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Using a one-inch fluted round cutter, cut centers from cookies. Place cookies one-inch apart on prepared pans.
6. Using a pastry brush, lightly spread egg wash on cookies to decorate. Place sliced almonds and raspberries on cookies to simulate a wreath. Sprinkle generously with sparkling sugar.
7. Place baking sheets in the freezer to chill 10 minutes. This allows the butter and decorations to set and prevents over-spreading.
8. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until just lightly golden. Let cool completely on pans. Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

Flavor Tip: Sprinkle dried rosemary over cookies after decorating (before baking) for a beautiful flavor and scent. Yields one dozen.

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Johnny’s Ginger Molasses Cookies

Roland Park mainstay Johnny’s typically transforms its cafe bar into a full-blown winter wonderland for the holiday season. Among the themed sweets that diners can look forward to in the decked-out space are the restaurant’s famous Ginger Molasses cookies.

“They have a wonderful holiday flavor, thanks to the ginger and a touch of pepper, but it’s really the texture that takes these to the next level,” says pastry chef Clara Wesson. “They are unbelievably chewy and the cinnamon-sugar we roll them in is the finishing touch.”

Ingredients:
8 oz. soft butter (two sticks)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Instructions:
1. Cream the butter sugar and molasses together until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated. Scrape down bowl after.
3. Add in dry ingredients in two additions.
4. Scrape down bowl again and mix until fully incorporated.
5. Scoop onto tray and roll in cinnamon sugar before baking.

Yields two to three dozen.

COMING SOON

Orto Baltimore: After Bottega owner Adrien Aeschliman recently moved out of state, former Food Market partner Elan Kotz stepped in to take over the Station North restaurant earlier this month. In a quick turnaround, Kotz has transformed the space into Orto—an Italian concept whose name translates to “vegetable garden.” The team also includes executive chef Stefano Porcile and pastry chef Jaime Hacker, who both worked in the space when it previously housed Aeschliman’s French concept Colette. “We were really fortunate to take on a couple of people who love the space and have a passion for it,” Kotz says. “It’s great that they’re able to bring that same energy.”

Orto officially opens this Saturday (it will be closed on Super Bowl Sunday) and will offer dinner service daily. Consisting of everything from small snacks to larger entrees, the locally sourced menu will feature house-marinated olives with fennel, a bibb salad with hazelnuts and radish, sweet onion and burrata flatbread, winter root vegetable polenta, and a whole grilled branzino with charred broccoli and mint salad. Hacker will serve sweets like a blood orange tart and tiramisu creme brûlée.

The Italian slant is also reflected in the interior renovation, which yields classic marmorino plaster treatment, large mirrors, marble accents throughout, and a new bar that has been lowered from standing height. Overall, Kotz is looking forward to being a part of the neighborhood, offering dining options for theater- and cinema-goers and commuters traveling to and from Penn Station. “I’ve always loved this neighborhood,” he says. “I want to make it a place where you can come in for a glass of wine on a Monday and then come back over the weekend on a date or with family.” 1709 N. Charles St.

TigerStyle: Next week, chef/owner Chad Gauss of The Food Market in Hampden is launching yet another spinoff project. In addition to the Mexican-influenced La Food Marketa in Pikesville, Gauss now operates TigerStyle—a wok-influenced carryout located around the back alley behind Avenue Kitchen & Bar on West 36th Street. Named after the popular Wu Tang Clan song, the spot will offer Asian-inspired appetizers (think spring rolls and Korean fried chicken wings) as well as DIY stir-fry dishes with customizable bases ranging from quinoa and salad greens to cauliflower rice and classic lo mein noodles.

Though he’s excited to get creative with the Asian ingredients, Gauss says that the eatery will also feature more local flavors like Maryland corn and crab meat in the summertime. “We’re not trying to be the next Momofuku,” he says. “We just want to have fun, please people, and not take it too seriously.” Expected to open on February 9, the casual spot decorated with old-school, hip-hop posters will offer 16 seats, but mostly focus on delivery service using apps like GrubHub and UberEats.

The project is a partnership between Gauss, The Food Market’s executive chef Nick Pasco, former Food Market general manager Patrick Rainey, and La Food Marketa’s executive chef Johntay Bedingfield—who was recently crowned a Chopped champion on an episode of the Food Network show that aired earlier this week. “He started as a grill cook and worked his way up to being a Chopped winner,” Gauss says. “These guys have all been with me for a long time, and this is a great outlet for everyone to get a little creative.” 911-913 W. 36th St.

Rise Biscuits Doughnuts: Columbia diners will soon get a taste of this chain eatery that has had Towson locals raving since it opened in the 1620 York Road shopping center last year. Coming this March, the new spot will debut on McGaw Road across from the Wegmans in Columbia. Open until 2 p.m. daily, Rise offers its namesake biscuits filled with savory ingredients like country sausage, fried green tomatoes, and buttermilk fried chicken. To satisfy sweet tooth cravings, the shop also features apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, and its famous maple-bacon doughnuts. 8872 McGaw Rd., Columbia.

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

The Corner Pantry: For the second year in a row, this Mt. Washington favorite is celebrating the Chinese New Year in style with a full-fledged Asian pop-up on February 5. Stop in to sample authentic dishes including duck spring rolls, kanpachi tartare, lemongrass pork sausage, miso black cod, and a “pig plate” with pork belly and barbecued char siu. Desserts will include Instagram-worthy bubble waffles and lychee-glazed doughnuts. The event overlaps with a big birthday for the restaurant, which turns 5 on February 14. 6080 Falls Rd. 667-308-2331

Ekiben x Clavel: Take a long lunch for this New Year’s pop-up at Ekiben from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on February 5. Chef Steve Chu (more on him later) is teaming up with Carlos Raba of Clavel to serve up his signature Asian-fusion dishes for the occasion. Though the menu hasn’t been finalized, we can only imagine there will be plenty of pork plates on deck in celebration of the Year of the Pig. 1622 Eastern Ave. 410-558-1914

NEWS

Steve Chu Wins Guy’s Grocery Games: Speaking of Ekiben, co-owner/chef Chu is feeling the love this week after he took home $16,000 on a Super Bowl-themed episode of Guy’s Grocery Games that aired on Food Network Wednesday night. Chu raced around the aisles of Fieri’s makeshift grocery store and won over judges with his tailgate-inspired dishes including a tempura vegetable basket with nacho cheese vinaigrette. After winning, Chu even whipped out a business card for Fieri, which he displayed on-air. (Talk about great promotion for the city.)

EPICUREAN EVENTS

2/2-3: Groundhog Day Sale at Bin 604
Regardless of whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow this Saturday, Bin 604 in Harbor East is making the official prediction that we’re all going to need six more weeks of wine. To help locals stock up, the shop is throwing a massive Groundhog Day cellar raid. Hundreds of wines around the store will be available for $1 over wholesale cost all weekend long. Plus, the tasting bar will offer samples of some of the best discounted bottles. The two-day sale runs from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. 604 S. Exeter St. 410-576-0444

SHUT

Ristorante Firenze: Reisterstown diners were saddened when the Leonardi family announced that their Main Street staple closed for good. “It has been our pleasure to serve the Reisterstown community for the last four years, and we are grateful for the support of our loyal customers,” the staff wrote in an announcement posted to its website. “Many thanks to our fantastic staff for their hard work and dedication.” In addition to its cozy bar with flickering fireplaces, the Italian spot in the former home of Tonino’s was best known for its Boot Country pizzas and pastas. 2 Hanover Rd. Reisterstown

Courtney’s Bagel Cafe & Deli: Breakfast runs in Owings Mills won’t be the same after the closing of this institution across from the Stevenson University campus. Owner Susan Leeming recently told The Jewish Times that, after running the business for 20 years, she decided not to renew the building’s lease in hopes of giving herself some downtime. But we haven’t seen the last of Leeming: “I might end up with a Courtney’s tuna truck, you never know!” she told the JT. “It’s in my blood. I don’t think I’m finished.” As for the shop, the lease has been turned over to the team behind Quarry Bagel & Cafe in Pikesville, and is expected to reopen under new management in March. 11000 Owings Mills Blvd., Owings Mills

It’s not every day that an American marries into the royal family. The world will be watching this Saturday as Prince Harry exchanges vows with Los Angeles-born actress and philanthropist Meghan Markle—who joins Baltimore’s Wallis Simpson and Elizabeth Bonaparte on the list of yankees who have married a royal.

Locally, there are plenty of businesses getting in on the hype, including Eleven Courses Catering & Event Co. headquartered in Owings Mills. Husband-and-wife owners Melissa and Jim Benson are so inspired by the upcoming nuptials, that they have come up with a list of menu predictions for the entire affair.

“We thought, if they were our clients, how would we guide them and give them suggestions?” Melissa says. “We took a look at what each of their food styles and preferences are. We planned it so it took some favorites of theirs, but still did it in an elegant and refined way.”

Though a lot of their decisions were based on research of the bride and groom’s tastes, Melissa says that she also drew inspiration from a culinary trip that she and Jim took to England a few years back. She says that her first time tasting authentic coronation chicken—a British delicacy similar to a curried chicken salad—was a clear highlight of the trip.

“A lot of people don’t really think of curry as a British thing, but it’s actually quite popular,” she says. “I researched a little more about it, and apparently curries and other comfort foods are some of Prince Harry’s favorite dishes.”

The caterers’ list of predictions includes canapes such as mini egg and avocado toast points, Tuscan white bean puree crostini, asparagus mousse and cucumber tarts, and a roasted chicken and local root vegetable dish served on a teardrop spoon to pay homage to the couple’s intimate engagement dinner.

For the seated portion, Melissa and Jim predict three courses including lump crab-stuffed roasted red peppers, Windsor Estate filet of beef, and a lemon elderflower cake with buttercream icing—one prediction that has already been confirmed. (The cake will be made by famed bakeshop Violet Cakes London.)

“I actually didn’t know this at first, but the Queen has to approve every item on the menu,” Melissa says. “So it has to be something elegant, but still fun and a little bit different that shows their personalities well.”

The Bensons predicted everything down to the late-night snacks, which Melissa says were inspired by Markle’s California roots. Their mock menu features angus beef sliders, blackened fish tacos, and a French fry station with sriracha ketchup, malt vinegar, and garlic rosemary aioli.

“With Megan being American and coming into the royal family, it definitely seemed like she would pull from that heritage,” Melissa says. “She also used to have a lifestyle blog called The Tig, so I know that she’s really into food and cooking.”

Though they will be busy catering local weddings this Saturday, the owners are looking forward to catching recaps of the royal wedding festivities to see how their predictions play out.

“We’re excited to take a look as soon as that information comes in,” Melissa says. “I’m interested to see what parallels, and if there are any surprises in there.”

For everyone else looking to tune into the spectacle on the telly this Saturday, there are plenty of local bars and restaurants getting in on the fun with posh viewing parties and regal food and drink deals. Put your pinkies up at these area spots:

B&O American Brasserie: The team at this bar inside the Hotel Monaco is always down to get creative with its cocktails. In honor of the world event, the spot will be offering “The Royal Fizz,” which combines Jensen’s London dry gin, Royal Combier liqueur, lemon, egg white, and brut champagne. 2 N. Charles St., 443-692-6172

The Corner Pantry: British-born chef Neill Howell has dreamed up a special brunch menu to celebrate the big day. Stop by his Mt. Washington restaurant to enjoy high tea (think scones, tea sandwiches, clotted cream, petit fours, and the works) and a Prince Harry-themed bacon and white pudding butty sandwich topped with the United Kingdom’s famous HP sauce (a vinegary ketchup named after the House of Parliament). Howell is also offering a special Royal Wedding Tea Latte featuring Harney and Sons Royal Wedding Tea with rosebuds, as well as a special elderflower and lemon wedding donut inspired by the couple’s cake flavor. 6080 Falls Road, 667-308-2331

Emma’s Tea Spot: Throw on a bowler hat and head to this Hamilton tea room owned by Emma Canoles, a native of Surrey, England. The authentic spot, which even features its own replica of a British telephone booth, is opening bright and early at 6 a.m. for locals hoping to tune in to the wedding at 7 a.m. The viewing party will also double as a launch for Emmas’ new menu of breakfast sandwiches. The party will be BYOB with a $5 corking fee per party. 5500 Harford Road, 410-444-1718.

The Ivy Hotel: Fun fact: long before this 19th-century mansion became a boutique hotel, it was a private hangout for socialites like Wallis Simpson, a Mt. Vernon local who went on to become the Duchess of Windsor. To celebrate the property’s roots—and its British-born chef Mark Levy—The Ivy is offering a special “Rest Like a Royal” package throughout the month including one night in a luxe suite, welcome champagne, a 24-carat gold spa mask, afternoon English cream tea, and a full gourmet breakfast. 205 E. Biddle St. 410-514-6500 

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your  Memorial Day Weekend in Charm City.

 EAT

May 26: Lobster Rolls Return to The Corner Pantry

The Corner Pantry, 6080 Falls Road, 667-308-2331, $28

Just when we thought Fridays couldn’t get any better, The Corner Pantry is bringing back a long-awaited summer special to kick-start the warm weekends ahead. Starting on May 26, the Mt. Washington hangout will be serving up classic Maine lobster rolls on Fridays throughout the season. Coast up Falls Road to indulge in chef/owner Neill Howell’s fresh-baked brioche rolls stuffed with hefty heaps (five ounces, to be exact) of poached lobster meat smothered in melted butter. The restaurant provides the requisite pickle and side of fries, but don’t forget to BYOB. 

 DRINK

May 27-28: Brew at the Zoo

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1876 Mansion House Drive, 410-396-7102, $50-55

If the last time you toured The Maryland Zoo was on a grade school field trip, this annual beer-filled fundraiser is the perfect opportunity to check out what’s been going on at the 135-acre park in Druid Hill. While sipping unlimited samples of beer from more than 80 local and national breweries, stroll around the grounds—which house more than 1,500 wild animals—to spot everything from cheetahs and chimps to black-tailed prairie dogs and African penguins (or the new baby giraffe Willow). Plus, indulge in eats from dozens of food vendors, and enjoy a live music lineup featuring the likes of local rockers Kelly Bell Band, Honey Extractor, and Nelly’s Echo.

 SEE

May 29: Memorial Ceremony at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens

200 E. Padonia Road, Timonium, 410-666-0490, 10 a.m., Free

Of course, the unofficial start of summer has become synonymous with backyard barbecues and soaking up sun at your newly reopened neighborhood pool. But we can’t forget the true meaning behind Memorial Day—a time to honor our country’s fallen soldiers. At this annual observance at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, take in the sights of multiple color guard units, hear musical tributes by Maryland Sings and other local performers, visit Maryland’s 9/11 Rolling Memorial, and stick around for a keynote speech by Baltimore native (and Dulaney High School alum) G. Reid Wiseman—the Navy commander and NASA Astronaut who served aboard the International Space Station for a 165-day mission in 2014.

 HEAR

May 25-28: DelFest

 Allegheny County Fairgrounds, 11490 Moss Ave., Cumberland, 301-729-1200, $35-235

Take the two-and-a-half-hour drive down interstates 70 and 68 to Western Maryland—where DelFest returns with camping, crafts, cold beer, and plenty of bluegrass music this weekend. With the scenic Appalachian Mountains as its backdrop, the annual festival started by legendary country musician Del McCoury boasts a four-day live music lineup spanning three stages at the Allegheny County Fairgrounds. Set up a lawn chair, throw on some shades, and jam to the finger-pickin’ sounds of The Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys, along with special guest Dierks Bentley, bluegrass vocalist Sierra Hull, Baltimore boy Cris Jacobs, roots rockers Railroad Earth, and more. The family-friendly fête also includes tons of food vendors, its own arts and crafts fair, and a kids zone with water balloons, scavenger hunts, and environmental education workshops.

 DO

May 26: Summer Sounds at the Square Kickoff

Belvedere Square Market, 529 E. Belvedere Ave., 6-9 p.m., Free

Now celebrating its fourteenth season, this neighborhood concert series brings the Belvedere Square community out in droves on Friday nights throughout the summer. To celebrate the kickoff this weekend, bring the whole family to enjoy kid-friendly activities, eats and drinks from all of the market’s merchants (look out for ice cream from Atwater’s, a crawfish boil from Tooloulou, and kombucha by the glass from Hex Ferments), and live music by local alternative rockers Starcrush. Throughout the season, dance along to the sounds of soul and funk group Junkyard Saints, ‘80s cover band The New Romance, R&B performers Essential Vybe, blues band The Honey Extractors, and more.

The first time Neill Howell stopped by Banksy’s Cafe to get a bite to eat was also the last time. “It took 25 minutes to get a simple sandwich,” he recalls. In a twist of fate, though, when he and his wife, Emily, moved away from her hometown of Baltimore then returned in 2011, Howell again found himself standing in the space—not to eat at Banksy’s, which had closed, but to consider renting the location for a cafe concept of his own. Although the spot at the corner of Falls Road and Lake Avenue had changed hands a few times through the years—from Glas Z Café through to Banksy’s—Neill and Emily weren’t daunted.

“I never thought of this spot as being cursed,” says Howell of The Corner Pantry, his now-two-year-old British-influenced cafe, though he knew that was the talk at the time. “I have to admit that in the beginning, there were days when we’d see tons of cars going up Falls Road, and yet it would be empty in here. And I would wonder.”

Opening a restaurant is risky business under any circumstances. In a typical year, about 60,000 restaurants open and 50,000 close, according to the National Restaurant Association (though restaurants close for many reasons and that number can’t be attributed completely to failures). Restaurateur Robbin Haas, co-owner of Birroteca, The Nickel Taphouse, and Encantada, sums up the obstacles like this: “Opening a restaurant is like getting a root canal with no anesthesia.”

Ned Atwater has had his share of pain. When he opened a stall in July 2010 inside the Annapolis Market House, the historic structure with throngs of tourists, water views, and old-town charm seemed like the ideal locale for his soup-and-sandwich cafe concept. But despite his rapidly expanding empire, with six outlets to date, the harborside space never took off. By December 2011, after trying to stick it out, Atwater decided to pull the plug. “We went in during one of the many attempts to revitalize,” says Atwater. “From a distance, it seemed like a perfect fit, but there was just something about it—restaurant owners do have their superstitions about things.”

Some industry experts pooh-pooh the concept of a hex. “There’s no such thing as a cursed space,” says Pierpoint’s Nancy Longo, who has had a restaurant in Fells Point for 27 years. “But what can happen is that the demographics of a neighborhood change and people stop going to a particular place.”

Once there’s a perception that a place is “cursed,” however, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. “There’s a halo effect that can occur—and it’s hard to overcome that,” theorizes industry consultant Dean Haskell, a founder of National Retail Concept Partners. “There are a lot of variables that restaurant locations need before a successful one is chosen, and sometimes, for the sake of price, restaurateurs will choose a less-than-optimal site and it will get a reputation as being a bad site for a restaurant.”

So why do some restaurants succeed while others flop?

Restaurant and hospitality consultant Arlene Spiegel of Arlene Spiegel & Associates works with restaurants across the country, including Grillfire at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve in Hanover. She says what’s critical to opening a successful eatery is to try to “understand the demographics and the psychographics of the population you’re trying to attract.

“Opening a restaurant is like getting a root canal with no anesthesia.”

“Whether there’s a failed restaurant in the space or a from-scratch, brand new build-out, it’s important to figure out the people you are serving,” she says. “What has worked and what hasn’t worked, and why? If you’re a doughnut and coffee shop, for example, are you on the right side of the highway? Is there a burning void for great bagels and pastrami that no one else is doing that will have people going out of their way because you’re the only one doing it in an authentic way? In cities, in particular, where there’s competition and occupancy costs are high, there are always some that will do well even on the same block where others are going to fail.”

Bottom line, says Spiegel: “There really aren’t any bad locations, there are just bad fits.”

That said, it doesn’t take a degree from the Culinary Institute of America to know that bad parking, a flawed concept, or poor location can lead to the demise of a restaurant. But other times, the reasons can be harder to explain.

Case in point: the Hess Shoes store in Belvedere Square. For generations, customers flocked to Hess Shoes for its hair “snippery” and sliding board. But transforming the space into a restaurant concept has yet to work. (The verdict is still out on The Starlite Diner, which had yet to open at press time.) After Belvedere Square was redeveloped, Taste opened there in 2004, followed by Crush in 2008, which met its demise in 2012. Even the James Beard-winning Spike Gjerde couldn’t make a go of the space with Shoo-Fly Diner, which opened in October 2013 and had served its last order of “hush doggies” by May 2015.

“That place has been tough,” observes Atwater, who has a cafe in Belvedere Square that has taken over much of the shopping center. “You might say that its soul was that old Hess shoe store and that changing the concept was too much. That place was an institution in that neighborhood. When you were a kid, you’d go there to get your really cool sneakers when you turned 12. People still miss it. It’s like a wound that takes time to heal.”

Spike’s brother, Charlie, is no stranger to restaurant spots with a spell. In his 25 years as a restaurateur, Gjerde has owned and operated many eateries. “When we opened Spike & Charlie’s, we heard that it was a cursed location, a cursed corner,” recalls Charlie. “Before Spike & Charlie’s, it had been like three things—Ethel’s Place, Blue’s Alley, a reggae bar—and none of them stayed opened for very long.” Spike & Charlie’s, on the other hand, remained in business for 13 years, closing only when Charlie decided he wanted a break in 2004. And though the spell seemed to be broken, the so-called “curse” started all over again after the closing of Spike & Charlie’s, with 23rd Degree Restaurant & Wine Bar, Robert Oliver Seafood, and Mari Luna having notably short runs. (Ryleigh’s Oyster is there now and seems to be thriving.)

“There’s a formula to running a restaurant,” believes Charlie, who now co-owns Papi’s Tacos and Alexander’s Tavern in Fells Point, as well as Huck’s American Craft in Brewers Hill. “But there’s also this intangible element that plays into that formula. Most of it I know—location, parking, good food, good service. But that last piece I don’t.”

About 60,000 restaurants open in the U.S. each year and 50,000 close.

Gjerde’s Papi’s, which opened in March 2014, is at another supposedly troubled spot. Prior to Papi’s, the taco joint was a few different bar-restaurants. Before becoming Papi’s, business was so bad at J.A. Murphy’s that it was featured on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue. Even with the advice, some sprucing up, and a name change to Murphy’s Law, the Fells Point place shuttered its doors only a few months after the makeover. Yet, with Papi’s, Gjerde has had a hit on his hands.

“That’s my best restaurant,” he says. And while he believes the reasonable price points and popular DIY tacos concept help explain the success, Gjerde says that’s not the whole story. Sheer serendipity has also been a factor. “Kevin Spacey [who films in Fells for House of Cards] latched onto us and came in several times,” says Gjerde. “You go into a little restaurant like Papi’s and see Kevin Spacey, and business really starts to build. You can’t plan for that.”

Other area long-suffering spots also seem to have found more permanent tenants. To wit: Birroteca, which was the dank and dingy Kolper’s Restaurant & Tavern (the site of a double stabbing in 2009, no less), then the short-lived Mill Steakhouse before Haas opened his brewpub there. He got a good deal because the space sat empty for a long time. “I didn’t know anything about the history of the spot when I came from Miami,” says Haas. “I was like, ‘This is great. We will get it for next to nothing.’” Haas’s ignorance-is-bliss approach has worked in his favor. “The equivalent would be that you bought a house in Guilford, and it’s a 100-year-old home, and someone died in there 50 years ago,” says Haas. “You might not know. I’m not freaked out about stuff like that—the past is past.”

That’s been true for The Corner Pantry as well. One Monday morning, it’s clear that the curse—if there ever was one—has been broken, as patrons queue up for Cornish pasties. The dark, unappealing space that once was is long gone. Emily Howell, who helped redesign the area into a light-filled bakery, carries plates of the cafe’s signature “pop tarts” from the kitchen. “Before this, nothing lasted,” says Howell. “We transformed it.”

For now, the verdict is still out on Haas’s newest restaurant, which has also opened in a long unsuccessful location. Back when Joy America Café opened at the American Visionary Art Museum in 1998, it was highly hailed. (“Run—don’t walk,” said then Sun dining critic Elizabeth Large.) By 2006, it had run its course. Three years later, Mr. Rain’s Fun House tried to make a go of it, but in 2014, it, too, served its final meal. In July 2015, Haas moved in with Encantada. “It’s a tough space,” he says. “It’s a work in progress.”

But Haas is not concerned about a curse. “I’m not spooked at all,” he says. “I had a black cat. I walk under ladders. As long as you don’t drop a paint can on me, I’m just fine.”

In February, 2014, when The Corner Pantry took over the spot formerly occupied by Bansky’s Cafe, we were worried. Through the years, several cafes have not been able to make a go of it in this space, and we certainly didn’t want to see another business falling on hard times. Thankfully, it seems, there’s no cause for concern. The Corner Pantry is the dream child of husband-and-wife team Emily and Neill Howell. The British-born Neill is the former executive chef at Bond Street Social (and has a wealth of experience in the kitchens of New York, Los Angeles, and London), while Emily designed the light-filled contemporary space. It’s the perfect marriage of a casual setting with serious food.

Over breakfast, you’ll have trouble choosing from among a dizzying array of house-made baked goods, including scones (Neill uses his mother’s recipe), cheddar biscuits, and the best crumpets this side of the pond. Look for the clever interpretation of a “pop tart,” filled with a variety of rotating flavors. (Don’t miss the Nutella and roasted bananas ($3.50) version if it’s on hand.) To round out the morning menu, there’s a self-serve yogurt bar, with a choice of toppings ($10.99/pound), as well as a selection of egg sandwiches ($5.50-7) and porridge with walnuts and raisins ($3-4.50).

At lunchtime, the yogurt bar becomes a self-serve buffet reflecting the chef’s enthusiasm for the bold flavors of India, Thailand, and the Middle East. We had fun choosing between an ever-changing assortment of inspired salads and substantive fare such as an aromatic coconut cauliflower rice, a spicy noodle kimchi veggie salad, and tender lamb meatballs with buttermilk tahini ($10.99/pound). If you don’t want to do it yourself, have the kitchen make you a sarnie (a British word for sandwich). We settled on a house-made roast beef iteration slathered with horseradish cream, and piled high with English cheddar, caramelized onions, and arugula on ciabatta bread. (Two hands are required for consuming.) The house-made salt-and-vinegar chips were a nice touch, too. And if you want to really feel like you’re in the Isles? Go for the royal treatment and stop by for a spot of high tea—petit fours, finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and a pot of Harney & Sons tea ($13/person)—served every afternoon from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

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The Corner Pantry, 6080 Falls Rd., 667-308-2331. Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Price: baked goods: $2-3.50; sandwiches: $8-14; yogurt bar and lunch buffet: $10.99/lb.