From wine tastings to all you can eat crabs, this week promises to be a party in Baltimore. Here’s a look at what’s coming up:
Openings & announcements
Benny’s, the new spot from the owner of beloved and much-missed Joe Benny’s, has quietly opened. The Little Italy restaurant is open every day except Monday.
Atlas Restaurant Group announced a big business move this week. The company is officially partnering with Delaware’s Big Fish Restaurant Group, which owns multiple restaurants throughout Delaware.
Earlier this week, Duck Duck Goose, Osteria Pirata and Anchor Tavern proprietor Ashish Alfred announced, via social media post, that business at his Fells Point spots would be put on “pause.” The post, which has now been deleted, cited “safety concerns” in Fells Point as the reason for the closures. The post drew criticism from commenters regarding Alfred’s assertions, noting that the restaurants were having financial difficulties, and saying that framing the closures as strictly safety-related was unfair and only part of the story.
Arts & Drafts at Guinness Open Gate Brewery
Throughout the weekend, Guinness Open Gate Brewery teams up with the Baltimore County Arts Guild for the 2024 Arts & Drafts Summer Musci and Arts Festival. The event includes arts and crafts from over 40 regional vendors – and Guinness has created two specialty beers just for the festival, Blueberry Lime Ale and Harmonic Haze, a Hazy IPA.
Tequila & tacos at Manor Tavern
On Saturday at noon, The Manor Tavern goes Mexican with deals on tacos and margaritas made with Casamigos Tequila
Choptank crab feast
Starting at noon on Sunday, Choptank hosts its first annual all you can eat crab feast. Tickets for the event include crabs plus all kinds of sides – chicken, salads, corn, brownies – and a limited edition t-shirt. There will also be a special drinks menu including crush towers and buckets of beer.
Pride brunch at OLAR
On Sunday, head to Of Love & Regret for a daylong Pride-themed buffet brunch. The menu includes everything from pancakes to cupcakes and in addition to food and drinks, there will be a DJ spinning all day long.
Portuguese wine dinner at La Cuchara
Sunday evening, La Cuchara branches out beyond its Basque roots for a five-course meal featuring six different Portuguese wines from the Dão and Bairrada regions. The wines, from winemaker Osvaldo Amado, will be paired with dishes like Maryland crab vol-au-vent with Osetra caviar and crab fat aioli, and bacon-wrapped escargots.
Pasta at Café Campli
On Monday, Café Campli welcomes Chef Laurie Boucher to instruct a class about making hand-formed pastas at home, without fancy gadgets. The class ends with a meal, including salad, bread, dessert and a glass of wine.
Bourdain Day at Sally O’s
Tuesday, June 25 would be Anthony Bourdain’s birthday. Sally O’s will honor Bourdain’s legacy with an event featuring all kinds of special dishes and drinks.
Cosima wine dinner
On Tuesday, Cosima hosts a four-course dinner featuring wines from Sicilian winemaker Tenuta Dell Terre Nere. Pairings include courses like braised while boar with kale, red onion, fennel, cherries and pecorino romano with a 2021 red.
Costeria Wine Mixer
Costeria is also in the wine business on Tuesday, when it hosts the second installment of its new Costeria Wine Mixer series. This event features wines from Loew Vineyards. Winemaker Rachel Lipman will be hon hand to discuss the wines, which will be paired with dishes like spinach and potato gnocchi and a local rabbit terrine.
White wine showdown at The Black Olive
On Wednesday evening, The Black Olive is pitting white wines from two iconic regions – Santorini and Burgundy – against one another in a blind tasting.
Planning for the future
Mark your calendars for:
July 11: Family Affair Wine Event at Tagliata
July 17: Crabaret at Gertrude’s
Aug. 17: Etiquette Class at Miss Shirley’s
