COMING SOON

Merriweather District Announces Three More Eateries: The Howard Hughes Corporation has been hard at work finding regional restaurants to fill its brand new Merriweather District in Columbia. Following the news that beloved Washington, D.C. coffee shop Busboys and Poets would be moving into the development next year, Howard Hughes recently announced three more tenants that are following suit next summer. The first will be a new location for D.C.-based pizza hotspot Matchbox, which focuses on wood-fired fare and brunch. The team behind Ashburn, Virginia’s acclaimed Sense of Thai St. will also expand to the area with a new concept called Dok Khao Thai Eatery, and owner Satish Gunisetty of Indian restaurant Rangoli in Hanover will open a globally inspired spinoff called Clove and Cardamom. The district is part of Downtown Columbia’s massive revitalization plan, which will include 14 million square feet of new development when completed.

The LVH: Soul food fans’ lives were forever changed when Taste This Baltimore came onto the scene in 2014. The carryout started with a location on Harford Road in Lauraville, and later brought its famous fried-chicken platters and loaded baked potatoes to Charles Village. Now, owners Craig Curbean and Dante Davis are returning to their roots with a full-service restaurant located just down the street from the flagship. Set in the former home of barbecue restaurant Lauraville House, The LVH—a name that pays homage to the former inhabitant—will offer plenty of seats and a menu of Curbean’s signature comfort foods when it opens this fall. Be on the lookout for dishes like crab dip-stuffed chicken breast, vegetable fettuccine, and blackened tilapia with herb-lemon butter.

Fire & Rice: On the subject of Hamilton-Lauraville—which has recently exploded with new dining options like Farm to Face and Char’d City—the area will also soon welcome this Japanese-inspired restaurant from the former owner of Tooloulou, which once operated locations on Harford Road and in Belvedere Square but has since closed. Chef/owners Shawn Lagergren and Kevin Scheuing will offer ramen, sushi, and grilled meats at the spot on the bottom floor of the new SoHa Union retail-and-residential development at 4801 Harford Road. As it progresses in the coming months, the project is also expected to house a new space for Touloulou’s former Belvedere Square neighbor Pure Chocolate by Jinji.

Good Neighbor: A new quasi-cafe and homegoods store is slated to take over the former Sirkis Hardware space on Falls Road in Hampden next year. Owner Shawn Chopra recently told the Baltimore Business Journal that he’s transforming the three-story row house into a destination for shoppers to explore handmade wares from Baltimore makers, ceramic artists, and woodworkers while also enjoying coffee and cafe fare. The spot comes on the heels of another Hampden addition, Treehouse Cafe & Juice Bar, which is now operating in soft-opening mode on Chestnut Avenue.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

10/18-27: Maryland Food Truck Week

Just because the temperatures have dropped doesn’t mean our favorite food trucks roll out for the season. In fact, the annual Maryland Food Truck Week proves that it’s just the opposite. The ten-day celebration to benefit Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland kicks off with a free food truck rally at South Point in Port Covington on Friday, October 18 from 5-9 p.m. Throughout the week, diners can catch their favorite chefs on wheels (think favorites like Crossroads Bistro, 410 Empanadas, and Dizzy Cow Pizzeria) at daily events happening everywhere from Halethorpe to Elkridge. The festivities will close out with a Halloween-themed bash on October 27 at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

10/18-27: Max’s Empanadas Pop-Up at R. House
While contemplating your options at R. House this week, make your way over to the rotating pop-up stall to browse the menu at this farmers’ market favorite. Max’s specializes in Argentinian empanadas stuffed with fillings including beef, chicken, chorizo, and mixed vegetables.

OPEN

QQ Boba: Don’t be surprised if you happen to see an influx of bubble tea photos flooding your Instagram feeds. Earlier this week, QQ Boba joined the scene on The Avenue in Hampden, offering smoothies, juices, and a wide array of boba—the trendy Taiwanese milk teas often enhanced with flavored jellies and chewy tapioca balls. Taking over the former home of Polenta Cafe, the spot specializes in bubble tea favorites like passionfruit green tea and the lavender-hued taro milk tea. The shop is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 900 W. 36th St., 443-682-3502

Gordon Ramsay Steak: Famously fiery celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay came to town earlier this week to unveil Gordon Ramsay Steak, his new restaurant inside Horseshoe Casino Baltimore. Ramsay’s first East Coast dining destination features various cuts of meat and seafood dishes, as well as fare like beef wellington and sticky toffee pudding that serves as a nod to the chef’s British roots. The interior also furthers the U.K. vibe, with plush furniture and a huge Union Jack flag on the ceiling above the dining room. (Read more about Ramsay’s restaurant and his thoughts on Baltimore.) 1525 Russell St., 443-931-4386

NEWS

Colossal Blue: If you’re on the hunt for ultra-local gifts to send to foodie friends this season, this new startup might be your best bet. Recently launched by lifelong Marylanders George and Catherine Nichols, Colossal Blue ships traditional crab cakes, crab balls, and crab soups nationwide. All of the cakes are hand-made using the family’s decades-old recipe, then packaged with black ice in a polystyrene box to maintain an ideal temperature for next-day shipping.

POP-UP PLANS:

TO 12/3: Big Bean Theory at R. House

Big Bean Theory, the celebrated soup stall at the Mount Vernon Marketplace, is setting up shop at a new communal food hall this week. Throughout the weekend, swing by R. House to sample chef Eula McDowell’s specialties including hot soups, fish sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, and black bean burgers. 301 W. 29th St., 443-347-3570

12/3: Haenyo at Village Square Cafe

The dudes behind this Korean-fusion pop-up are certainly keeping busy. On the heels of takeovers at spots like R. House in Remington and Cafe Andamiro in Mt. Vernon, Collin Morstein and Irvin Seo are heading to Cross Keys this weekend. The pop-up at Village Square Cafe will have a fall harvest theme, featuring dishes like japchae (sweet potato noodles and vegetables), songpyeon (sweet rice cake), doenjang-jiggae (bean curd soup), and Korean-style meatballs made with beef from Liberty Delight Farms in Reisterstown. 66 Village Square, 5-10 p.m., $8-18, 410-433-2233

EPICUREAN EVENTS

11/30: Pig Roast + Tiki Party at Alma Cocina Latina

If you’re already missing the summer heat, Canton’s Alma Cocina Latina has got you covered. At this all-out tiki bash, sip on refreshing punches from Denizen Rum, feast on a 17-hour smoked Rortega Farms pig, and tap your feet to live music by flamenco guitarist Michael Perez. All while snacking on traditional Venezuelan favorites like arepas, cachapas (corn cakes), pickled onions, and cilantro mojo. 2400 Boston St., 6:30 p.m., $40, 667-212-4273

12/6: Second Annual Truffle Feast at Gnocco
This Highlandtown dining destination is hosting a special dinner to celebrate the peak of truffle season. Chef Brian Lavin’s six-course menu featuring wine pairings from Northern Italy (think cortese and prosecco brut) will include dishes such as savory pumpkin sformato (similar to a soufflé) with caramelized onions and crispy leeks, fontina tortellini with brown butter and hazelnuts, and seared sea scallops with a sea urchin crema. 3734 Fleet St., $179, 7 p.m., 443-449-6540

SHUT

Tooloulou: Locals lost a go-to for pizza and po’boys earlier this week, after Cajun eatery Touloulou shuttered its doors in Belvedere Square. Owners Shawn and Megan Lagergren took to Facebook to announce the news, stating that the decision was a difficult one: “Blood, sweat, tears, and so much sacrifice have gone into our business,” the post reads. “Sometimes, it’s not enough. We are deeply, deeply hurting with this loss and the closing of Tooloulou. Thank you for coming in and making memories with us.” There’s no word yet on what will become of the spot, which was best known for its shrimp and grits, fried oysters, kale salads, and classic beignets. 529 E. Belvedere Ave.