Fall festival season is in full swing, but those aren’t the only fun food events taking place this week. From lots of openings to fundraisers, here’s a look at what’s coming up:
Kit Pollard
Kit Waskom Pollard is a Baltimore Fishbowl contributing writer. She writes Hot Plate every Friday in the Baltimore Fishbowl.
Hot Plate: Openings from Elkridge to White Marsh, fall festivals, philanthropic dinners and more
Baltimost: Lane Harlan
Lane Harlan
What do a moody cocktail bar, a bustling Oaxacan restaurant and mezcaleria, and a chill destination for wine, sake and beer all have in common? They're all the creative products of one of Baltimore's most innovative young restaurateurs: Lane Harlan.
Guests visiting any of Harlan's spots will walk away feeling satisfied, and it's also likely they'll go home with some new knowledge.
As proprietor, Harlan views educating guests as part of her role, and one of her strengths is creating a dining or drinking experience that's instructive but never feels preachy or like a chore.
At Fadensonnen, that means talking with guests about wine and sake. "My generation hasn't grown up in a wine or sake culture," she says. "By making these products made by extremely small producers accessible and providing education, we've been able to reinvigorate a culture of eating, drinking and gathering."
Given the captivating atmospheres of her establishments, it's easy to think of Lane Harlan as a visionary. But she's also a practical businesswoman. It's her attention to detail and sharp business mind that have helped her turn her ideas into successful businesses--along with a lot of hard work and her willingness to build and rely on a solid team.
"Baltimore is filled with opportunity," she says. "I don't mean this in a Hallmark card way."
Harlan sees that opportunity in the many empty or under-utilized commercial buildings scattered around the city. When she and husband Matthew Pierce opened W.C. Harlan in 2013, the building had been on the market for over a year--as a residential property with no commercial licensing. She took a high-risk loan to buy the building and went door-to-door in the neighborhood to gather signatures on a petition to renew the expired license. It worked.
Harlan and her partners are far from finished. Next up: a small bottle shop, Angels Ate Lemons, will open above Sophomore Coffee later this year. The shop will carry items like natural wine and sake, and shoppers can stop in for daily tastings.
Her existing businesses aren't fixed in space, either. "They are continually evolving as we gain more knowledge, inspiration and understanding of our community's needs," she says.
Baltimost: Crab cakes
Crab cakes
No list of what makes Baltimore great would be complete without a nod to the food made famous by Charm City's favorite crustacean: the Maryland crab cake. Crab cakes and football are what Maryland does, after all. They're part of who we are.
Historical records suggest crab cakes have been around since colonial times, though the moniker "crab cake" is a relative newcomer. Its first appearance in print is in the "New York World's Fair Cook Book," written by Crosby Gaige in the 1930s; he called it a "Baltimore Crab Cake."
Even if Baltimoreans in the years prior to Gaige's book called their crab cakes something else, they probably weren't all that different from today--which means, of course, that Baltimoreans have probably been bickering for centuries about who makes the best crab cake in town.
On this subject, we'll say is that if the crab is fresh and plentiful, the filler is minimal, the spice is right, and the cake doesn't include any egregious ingredients (we're looking at you, green peppers), we'll happily tuck into that meal.
But what we won't do is order a crab cake anyplace outside the Chesapeake Bay region. If an out-of-state menu claims its crab cake is "Maryland-style," don't believe the hype. Even if the restaurant gets the overall recipe right, there's little chance the crab in question actually hails from Maryland waters. Even worse, that crab might be pasteurized. Ew.
We like to spread our crab cake love around, but we do have some favorites here in the city. Some of our crew's picks include Faidley's Seafood (can't beat the history or the Lexington Market experience), Koco's Pub (another tried-and-true cake beloved for its huge chunks of backfin), Friendly Farm (worth the drive to the country) and Conrad's (where we trust that the crab is always local).
Those are just a few of our go-to cakes--and the list is always growing.
Baltimost: DiPasquale’s Italian Marketplace
DiPasquale's Italian Marketplace
Visiting DiPasquale's Italian Marketplace is an assault on the senses in the very best way.
The Italian grocery and deli is known for both its sandwiches and the plethora of Italian ingredients available in the shop. It smells fantastic; looks wild, with stacks and piles of colorful foodstuffs in every corner; and is guaranteed to make stomachs growl.
From the famous meatball subs to the generous selection of olives and cheeses, to the crusty, gorgeous bread, the regular selection at DiPasquale's is enough to make anyone's mouth water. The market also carries special seasonal items, like a variety of fish around the holidays, when Italian families prepare for the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Baltimore was a different place in 1914, when DiPasquale's opened in its original location on Claremont Street in Highlandtown. The city's southeastern waterfront wasn't yet fully industrial. And Highlandtown was largely a German neighborhood. But that didn't stop the market's founder, Louis DiPasquale, from opening his grocery--and for that, the city is thankful.
The business experienced some lean times, particularly in the 1970s, when it was open only on the weekends for some stretches. But the family persevered and for decades, it's been more than just a thriving grocery.
While there have been some short-lived satellite locations over the years, the Highlandtown store, with its towers of pasta boxes, scattered bags full of nuts, stacks of wine bottles and cheese hanging from the ceiling, remains the heart and soul--and stomach--of the whole operation.
Hot Plate: Duck Duck Goose chef on TV, True Chesapeake Oyster Co. opens, new fall menus and more
From fall festivals to new harvest menus to fancy wine dinners and lots of oysters, Baltimore food lovers have many choices this week. Here’s a look at what’s on tap:
Restaurant review: Coelum is a stellar addition to Canton’s restaurant scene
Has the Baltimore restaurant scene woken up from a nap? After a few sluggish years, with more news of closings than openings, the scene is showing signs of life, with high-profile debuts and new, creative menus on the way.
Coelum, which opened last July in the Canton space formerly occupied by Gitan Bistro Cru, is part of that wave. If the next few restaurants that open in Baltimore are even half as good as Coelum, we are in for quite a ride this season.
Hot Plate: Bake sale at Fat Tiger, BRD opening in Federal Hill, Oktoberfest celebrations and more
With autumn officially underway and the temperatures (maybe) starting to drop, the Baltimore food community is coming out strong to celebrate harvest season. This week brings lots of fun events, from beer fests to bake sales. Here’s a look at what’s coming up:
Hot Plate: Charm City Night Market returns, Taste of Hampden, Maryland Wine Festival, Pickle Party and more
Festivals, coffee drinks, chocolate, pickles–this week, Baltimore’s food scene is both busy and far-reaching, with events catering to lovers of all sorts of cuisine.
Here’s a look at what to expect:
Hot Plate: Baltimore Seafood Festival, Dining Out for Life, pawpaws are back and much more
Baltimore’s food scene offers a little something for everyone this week, whether you’re a seafood lover, a dedicated carnivore or a foraging vegetarian. This week brings news of high-profile openings and some excellent opportunities to raise money for good causes while eating well.
Here’s a look at what’s coming up:
Hot Plate: Ryleigh’s Oyster Regatta, mushroom dinner at Foraged, City Cafe celebrates 25 years and more
From openings to anniversaries to a weekend of food-friendly festivals, this week is a fun one in the Baltimore restaurant world. Here’s a look at what’s on the docket for the next few days:
