OPEN

Baby’s on Fire: The husband-and-wife owners behind Mt. Vernon’s record store cafe have taken their love of vinyl to a whole other level. After months of planning, David and Shirlé Koslowski—along with their partner, Michael Bowen, the former co-owner of the Ottobar—have opened a second location inside The Sound Garden in Fells Point. “We’re beyond ecstatic to be joining the Fells Point community and to bring them the love we’ve already been giving to Mt. Vernon,” David says. “Coffee shops and bars are all about community, and now with the opening of the Fells Point location, we have a space for that during the day and night.” Housed in the store’s old vinyl room, the cafe offers Stumptown Coffee and espresso drinks throughout the day, and craft beer and wine in the evening. After flipping through the bins, head into the cafe to read the liner notes over a pastry, sandwich, wrap, or hearty bowl of soup.

COMING SOON

The Manor: Robert Gay and Joshua Persing—the duo who previously operated G.A.Y. Lounge in the Mt. Vernon building that is now The Civil—are breathing new life into yet another one of the neighborhood’s historic spaces. In the coming months, they will transform the mansion that previously housed The Elephant, which closed for good amid drawn-out financial issues last spring, into a new dining-and-entertainment concept called The Manor. Alongside a selection of worldly cuisine, the spot will highlight EDM and house music, weekend entertainment, and routine drag brunches.

NEWS

Sally O’s: Two weeks ago, Highlandtown locals were saddened by the news that owner Shannon Cassidy would be closing beloved neighborhood hangout The Laughing Pint after 13 years. In her announcement, Cassidy assured patrons that she would be leaving the bar in “wonderful hands.” This week, it was announced that those hands belong to industry veteran Jesse Sandlin—a Top Chef alum who most recently has been heading up the kitchen at The Outpost American Tavern in Riverside. Sandlin is currently renovating the bar and hopes to reopen it as Sally O’s in February. “It’s been a dream of mine for a very long time to own my own place,” she said in a post to Facebook. “I’m happy that I’m able to do so in my home neighborhood.” Stay tuned for updates.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

11/21: Beaujolais Day at Chez Hugo

Head to Chez Hugo Bistro to celebrate Beaujolais Day—the third Thursday in November tradition that debuts a special red wine made with grapes from the Beaujolais region of France—with French-born chef Steve Monnier. Throughout the evening, diners will enjoy complimentary glasses of the early vintage release of Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux’s Beaujolais Nouveau. Plus, other selections from the fifth-generation grower will be served, and there will also be bottles for sale for guests who wish to add to their own cellars at home.

11/24: Vegan Thanksgiving Pop-Up
Join vegan vlogger Antonio Simpson, more fondly known as The Vegan Mechanic, at this Thanksgiving pop-up that will be 100-percent vegan friendly. Head to The Greener Kitchen in Pigtown for meatless spins on classic smoked ham, deep-fried turkey, and baked macaroni and cheese. The $20 feast also includes Old Bay cajun green beans, garlic mashed potatoes, and fried Caribbean cabbage.

SHUT

Il Palio: This pizza-and-pasta spot inside the Foundry Row development in Owings Mills has closed its doors for good. A sign posted to the front door last week indicated that the restaurant’s final night of service was Thursday, November 14. “To the loyal customers we have proudly served, we thank you for your patronage, but regret to inform you that we are closing Il Palio,” wrote Kevin Gudejko, director of operations for restaurant group Mainstreet Ventures. Since opening in June 2018, the dining destination became known for its rustic Italian fare including Neapolitan pizzas, bountiful chopped salads, and tableside fettuccini alfredo tossed in wheel of imported parmigiano reggiano.

COMING SOON

Tiki Bar at Hotel Revival: No matter the season, tiki cocktails are all the rage. And it only seems fitting that the greenery-filled Garden Room on the top floor of Mt. Vernon’s Hotel Revival would get in on the trend. Beginning November 8, the space that was formerly used solely for private parties will be open Thursday-Saturday as a destination to take in the panoramic views while sipping herbaceous drinks crafted by bartender Bryan Reinhold. Among the options include the “Mojo’s Jojo” (Monkey Shoulder scotch and apricot liqueur), the “Firebird” (Vida mezcal and Blackwell rum), and the “Suffering Willow,” which fuses apple brandy with Bluecoat gin. Overseeing the Garden Room program will be Revival’s new lead bartender Ian Clark—a local industry veteran who has nearly 20 years of experience managing spots such as Peter’s Inn, Penny Black, Nacho Mama’s, and Modern Cook Shop.

THB Bagels & Deli Expanding to Owings Mills: On the heels of announcing a forthcoming location in Columbia last month, the owners of THB Neighborhood Bagelry + Deli are expanding their footprint yet again. A sixth location of the beloved breakfast-and-lunch spot will open at Mill Station, the site of the former Owings Mills Mall, this summer. But the growth isn’t stopping there—the family-owned business plans to open two additional locations annually through 2025. For now, Owings Mills and Columbia locals can get excited to have the signature New York-style bagels and sandwiches right in their backyard.

OPEN

Uptown Abbey: This cleverly named Abbey Burger Bistro spinoff is now officially up and running in Mt. Washington. After years of operating locations in Federal Hill, Ocean City, and Fells Point, husband-and-wife owners Russ and Marigot Miller—along with business partner Jason Zink of Smaltimore—have expanded yet again, bringing their outside-of-the-box burgers, greasy tots, spiked milkshakes, and pages-long beer list to the former home of The Nickel Taphouse. Featuring fresh bar tops, new flooring, and roll-up style garage doors, the revived corner spot offers the classic Abbey sports-bar vibe along with a few new additions to the menu. Aside from the signature burgers (this month’s featured meats include wild boar, camel, and New Zealand red deer), be on the lookout for steamed seafood offerings like Gulf shrimp with Old Bay, PEI mussels in garlic sauce, and little neck clams with butter.

Bambao: Earlier this week, the former Manchurian Rice Co. space in Harbor East made its debut as this Asian-fusion destination for bao buns and bubble tea. Created with feedback from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School students, the mindful concept highlights dishes including Sambal honey fried chicken, bulgogi short rib buns with pickled Asian pear, pork and crab fried rice, and Buddha bowls topped with pearled barley and edamame. Bambao will also offer origami as an activity for diners to enjoy in the zen space—which features dark woods, neutral tones, interior greenery, and a mural by Kelly Walker of ArtStar Paintworks.

Old Line Cocktail and Wine Bar: As this Highlandtown distillery gets ready to release its eight-year-old American single malt whiskey this weekend, the team is also celebrating the launch of its new satellite bar inside Cross Street Market in Federal Hill. Co-founders Arch Watkins and Mark McLaughlin have collaborated with the team at the newly renovated market to dream up the concept for the bar—which will pour local beer and wine, and, of course, focus on cocktails made with Old Line’s award-winning whiskies and rums. Just in time for the chilly temperatures, the bar has introduced warming happy hour deals such as $5 rum apple ciders and $1-off wine and beer.

SHUT

The Laughing Pint: Sadly, this year’s annual “Misfit Thanksgiving” potluck at The Laughing Pint will be the last. After 13 years, owner Shannon Cassidy is passing the torch to new owners who will introduce another concept, but she says she’s leaving the beloved Highlandtown hangout in “wonderful hands.” A closing party will be held on Saturday, November 23, followed by the potluck and official last day on Thanksgiving. “I am so thankful for the love and support we have received over the past 13 years,” Cassidy announced via Facebook.

Sam’s Canterbury Cafe: Last weekend, this Tuscany-Canterbury community spot shuttered its doors for good. “With mixed emotions and heavy hearts, we have made the difficult decision to close the cafe,” husband-and-wife owners Michael and Jennifer Myers announced via Facebook. “We thank each and every one of you for supporting the mission as well as making a lifetime of memories at the cafe.” The two opened the spot nearly three years ago as a place to provide meaningful employment for their son, Sam, as well as other adults living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Not only was the inviting hangout known for its baked goods, coffee drinks, and breakfast sandwiches, but it was also praised for its thoughtful design (minimal patterns and earthy tones) and programming catered toward those living with ASD. Here’s hoping we’ll see Sam’s smiling face elsewhere sometime soon.

While some might raise an eyebrow at a cocktail arriving garnished with a straw made from raw pasta, The Laughing Pint owner Shannon Cassidy says that her patrons embrace the sipping substitute.

“Our customers are pretty forward thinking,” says Cassidy, who started using bucatini pasta straws at her Highlandtown bar about a month ago. “People have generally really liked how we’ve always used recyclable cups and napkins, so they were pretty excited about it.”

Cassidy’s approach is part of a larger environmental movement that a number of local business owners are implementing in order to eliminate the use of plastic straws entirely.

According to the global Plastic Pollution Coalition, on a daily basis Americans use more than 500 million plastic straws—which end up contaminating oceans and harming marine life. At this rate, the World Economic Forum estimates that our oceans will be filled with more plastic than fish by 2050.

“Bettering the environment and the community is something that is always on our minds,” says Sarah Bach, who heads up marketing efforts for local bakery and cafe chain Atwater’s. “With us being so close to the Bay, we wanted to do something that would have a lasting impact on our streams, beaches, oceans, and landfills.”

On Earth Day last month, Atwater’s officially nixed plastic at all six of its locations in favor of biodegradable straws going forward. Bach says that the team did a good amount of research ahead of the turnover, and ultimately decided on compostable tubes made from corn by Jessup-based Acme Paper & Supply Co.

“I don’t think that people can tell much of a difference,” Bach says. “We just wanted to make sure that it wasn’t falling apart, and pretty much felt the same.”

Durability is top of mind for bartenders, who are looking to make the switch to recyclable products. While most paper straws are known to get soggy quickly, the new Hotel Revival in Mt. Vernon has found that American-made Aardvark Straws are a long-lasting alternative.

Aside from being strong and flexible, the compostable cylinders are made from food-grade approved inks so that they don’t bleed into the cocktails.

“Our national director of bars did a lot of research on this,” says Chelsea Gregoire, bar manager at Topside inside the hotel. “She would try out a bunch of non-plastic straws in tons of beverages. This was the one that held up best.”

The Laughing Pint’s pasta straws—which were inspired by a viral video about a restaurant using them in England—are stronger than one might think. Cassidy also did a lot of experimenting to see how the pasta would react in different liquids.

“Regular straws are pretty thin-walled, but these are a little harder and thicker and usually last for a whole drink,” she adds. “People who drink faster can get a couple of drinks out of the same straw, but it does eventually give out.”

She assures customers that the bucatini doesn’t have much of an effect on flavor. In fact, she says that many of her regulars enjoy that the alternative is edible.

“People snack on them,” she says with a laugh. “They’ll just be sipping their drink and the next thing I know they’ll be like, ‘I just bit my straw.’”

Many anti-plastic organizations are focused on changing the consumer’s mindset about straws. A lot of these institutions say that straws aren’t essential, but bar owners keep some on hand for those who have dietary restrictions or require physical accommodations.

“For most people, it’s more of a luxury,” Bach says. “It’s all about taking the small steps. If other restaurants and people in the community start to do the same thing we’re doing, it can make a huge difference.”