Baltimore is at its wintertime best this week – and not just because of the fluffy snow. The food scene is also ready for the cold, with cozy new menu items, chances to sip warm spirit, and enticing Restaurant Week promotions happening all over the region. Here’s a look at what’s happening this week:
Openings & announcements
Months after beginning its move from one location to another, beloved Fells Point pastry shop Sacré Sucré is finally reopening. The shop’s new location is 933 Fell St. – just a few blocks from its old spot. The team is taking the opening one step at a time, with a soft launch including a limited pastry selection and limited hours this weekend and regular hours starting next week.
Pigtown is getting a new sports bar and restaurant this week. FLOCK, located on Washington Boulevard in the former home of Pigtown Ale House, will feature a southern Caribbean menu. Its soft opening is on Jan. 26.
A new hotel, The Study at Johns Hopkins, has just opened on the Hopkins Homewood campus. The hotel also includes a restaurant, called Dear Charles, which will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Local spots continue to roll out new menus for the winter season – including LB Tavern in the Lord Baltimore Hotel, which is now serving dishes like chili topped with cheddar cheese, and a pork chop with sweet potatoes, cabbage and a hot honey glaze, and Gunther & Co., which has warmed up its menu with dishes like wild mushroom and white truffle risotto.
Sunday Chef Series at The Wine Collective
Starting this Sunday, The Wine Collective will host weekly cooking classes focusing on different international cuisines. This week’s students will learn the art of sushi rolling – and then will have the chance to hang out, enjoying wine and tapas. Future classes include instruction in poke bowl-making, Thai curries and Italian pastas.
Spirits at Tilted Row
On Wednesday, The Tilted Row will host a tasting of spirits from St. Michael’s company Gray Wolf Spirits. The company’s products, including rye whiskey and an agave spirit, will be paired with small bites from the Tilted Row kitchen.
Alte Langhe dinner at Cinghiale
On Thursday, Cinghiale taps into its impressive wine cellar for a multi-course dinner featuring the wines of Alte Langhe. The meal focuses on the cuisine of the northern Piedmont region of Italy, with courses like a ravioli stuffed with goat cheese paired with four different wines.
EKIBEN + Nana
On Friday, Jan. 26, Carlos Raba, of Clavel fame, will team up with the crew from EKIBEN to present some of the family recipes he’ll showcase at Nana, the hotly anticipated Towson restaurant that hopefully will open in the very near future.
The collab will take place at EKIBEN’s South Baltimore location during lunchtime, starting at 11 a.m. The menu includes dishes like tortas, quesadillas, and hand-pulled noodles.
Restaurant Weeks
Every January, some of the biggest news in the restaurant world is the return of winter restaurant weeks. Here, the Baltimore County week is already in full swing, with deals lasting through Jan. 21. Harford County’s event starts on Jan. 19, Howard County’s week starts Jan. 22 and Baltimore City’s promotion closes out the group with a start date of Friday, Jan. 26. Harford County’s event ends Jan. 28 and both Howard County and the City’s “weeks” last through Feb. 4.
As usual, there are tons of restaurants participating in all the events, including both high-end spots and more casual eateries. It’s a terrific opportunity to try someplace new or to patronize an old favorite you haven’t visited in a while.
Love & Cornbread
Keep an eye out for more news about Love & Cornbread, a community organization that gathers in Penn North to cook and share food with the community – and support local businesses and create jobs. The group is holding an event on Valentine’s Day – stay tuned for more on that – and looks for people to help with its mission all year long.
Planning for the future
Mark your calendars for:
Feb. 9: National Pizza Day at Cypriana
Feb. 16: Max’s 20th Annual Belgian Beer Fest
Feb. 19: Ggoma Supper Club + The Vineyards at Dodon Lunar New Year Dinner at Foraged
