Baltimore’s food scene is blooming this week, with fun festivals, openings, and new menus. Here’s a look at what’s on the horizon:
Openings & announcements
Hamilton has a brand new bakery! Bramble Baking Co. has expanded beyond pop-ups and markets to open a brick-and-mortar location on Harford Road. The shop is open Wednesday through Sunday, serving all kinds of gorgeous treats.
Neopol Savory Smokery, a longtime farmers’ market and Belvedere Square favorite, has opened a new deli in Hollins Market, where it has been operating a commercial kitchen for several years.
Congratulations to BIN 604 Wine Sellers, which celebrated 20 years in business this past week.
Dimitri Olive Oil marked one year in their new Timonium space this week. Congratulations to their team!
New fall menus
Refocused Vegan, in the Charles Fish and Son Building on N. Eutaw St., has a fully vegan menu, including a seasonal chicken of the woods “chicken” sandwich that’s earning rave reviews. November is also World Vegan Month, so now’s an especially good time to check them out.
Magdalena’s new chef, Scott Bacon, is making his debut with a new menu including seasonal dishes like pumpkin and goat cheese ravioli, and a Berkshire pork chop with roasted apples and pearl onions.
Manor Tavern has revamped its menu for the colder late fall / winter weather, including dishes like a winter harvest salad and a luxe take on beef wellington.
Papi’s at Alexander’s
If you’ve been missing Papi’s Tacos in Fells Point, the restaurant has good news: a limited Papi’s menu is now available at Alexander’s Tavern. Unfortunately, the Papi’s building is still under construction, as its damage was fairly extensive.
Wharf Rat news
Saturday, Nov. 6 is “keg-draining” day at the Wharf Rat in Fells Point; the venerable bar will close after service. However, this week brought exciting news for local food lovers. Sally O’s owner Jesse Sandlin will open a new concept in the space.
Saturday beer festivals
On Saturday, head to Canton Waterfront Park for the 2021 Baltimore Craft Beer Festival, organized by the Brewers Association of Maryland. The festival will feature tons of local brews, a judged competition for top beers, food trucks, vendors and live music.
Or head north to Havre de Grace, for the third annual Lock House Craft Beer & Wine Fest. The festival, held at the Lock House Museum on the Susquehanna River, features tons of local breweries and wineries, plus music, artisan and crafts.
Speaking of beer festivals…Patterson Park Brew Fest is coming up quickly. The event is on Nov. 13 and tickets are currently on sale – and now is the time to grab some before they sell out.
Stars, Strips & Chow cookoff for a cause
Also on Saturday, The Baltimore Station holds its seventh annual Stars, Stripes & Chow fundraiser, raising money for homeless veterans. The fundraiser – a chili cookoff – will be held at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and features tons of chili, plus other food and drinks, and music from local kids’ bands.
Maker Mystery Boxes benefiting TasteWise Kids
Speaking of good causes…TasteWise Kids has put its annual Farm to Chef fundraiser on hold again this year, due to COVID. However, the organization has something new up its sleeve: it is selling Maker Mystery Boxes full of surprise local goodies.
The boxes are available for purchase now – and all proceeds go directly to TasteWise programming.
Bread for backpacks
One more great fundraising event to add to your list is coming up next week. Weekend Backpacks has partnered with the cooking school Schola to offer a special artisanal breadmaking class. The class, which will take place over Zoom on Nov. 14, will be taught by Schola’s Amy von Lange.
To register for the class, make a donation of $45 or more to Weekend Backpacks, which works with Baltimore City schools to provide food, toiletries and other items to schoolchildren in need.
AppleFest at Union Collective
Union Collective’s AppleFest is back this year! Saturday afternoon, the Collective celebrates all things apple, with fun foods and drinks throughout the building.
The Charmery will have apple cider milkshakes and more. Wine sangria is on the menu at The Wine Collective and Baltimore Spirits Company will release its new Smoked Pommeau. Union Craft Brewing has special hard ciders and casks, Vent Coffee Roasters has a variety of apple drinks plus cider donuts, and Well Crafted Kitchen will have a special menu for the day.
Plus, there will be live music, crafts and even an apple-themed climb at Earth Treks.
JBGB’s Meet & Greet
Also on Saturday afternoon, the JBGB’s staff will head outside their Remington digs for a patio party featuring sausages, cocktails, beer and wine and lots of fires. They’ll also be offering sausage samples, so you can check out their different options.
Dutch Courage at BSC
On Sunday, Nov. 7, the Dutch Courage crew will take over the Cocktail Gallery at Baltimore Spirits Company. The takeover features a one-night-only cocktail menu and the So Good BBQ truck will also be on hand.
Friendsgiving at Ando’s
On Tuesday, Nov. 9, Ando’s Market will host a fun Friendsgiving wine tasting and party, featuring multiple wines, a cocktail and a Thanksgiving menu. The event is also a food drive; the market will collect non-perishable food items for donation to a local food bank. Five canned goods earn attendees an extra glass of wine.
Baijiu master class at NiHao
On Wednesday, NiHao hosts a class focused on the Chinese spirit baijiu. The class, lead by Derek Sandhaus, will showcase five baijius from different parts of China, paired with small bites designed to bring out the nuances of the beverage.
Veteran’s Day
Veteran’s Day is Thursday, Nov. 11 and many local restaurants are honoring the day, and our Armed Forces, with specials for veterans and active duty military.
All THB locations will offer current or former service members a free meal on Thursday.
Veterans dining at Mission BBQ locations will receive a free sandwich on Thursday.
At Das Bierhalle, all active or retired military will receive a free entrée, sandwich or sausage.
Start your list
Now that it’s November, it’s time to buckle down and start thinking about holiday shopping.
Whether you’re shopping for someone else or for yourself, you can’t go wrong with locally made holiday cookies. Mt. Vernon bake shop Aunt Kelly’s Cookies has a few special holiday flavors, including snickerdoodles and pound cake cookies, that are available to order online and via GrubHub. Holiday cookie ordering via app is about as easy and sweet as it gets – and cookie tins make excellent corporate gifts, too.
Or what about a local food puzzle? Eddie’s is now selling a 1,000-piece puzzle featuring all sorts of great food, from crab to Caesar salad. On Sunday, the N. Charles St. location will also host a “beat the clock” puzzle tournament – so you can check out serious puzzlers in action.
Gear up for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away – on Nov. 25 – so now is the time to start planning. Many local restaurants are continuing the new tradition they started last year, offering take-home options of Thanksgiving classics and creative takes on holiday dishes. This year, many are also open on Thanksgiving Day.
Some local Thanksgiving options include:
John Brown General and Butchery and its new sister spot, JBGB’s in Remington, have fresh Pennsylvania turkeys available to order, as well as sides and desserts.
The Milton Inn is now taking reservations for its three-course prix-fixe Thanksgiving meal. Charleston, another property owned by Foreman Wolf, is also taking reservations for a multi-course prix fixe of its own.
At The Tilted Row, a takeaway Thanksgiving meal for one, two or four is available for purchase, plus additional sides by the pint.
The Corner Pantry’s Thanksgiving catering options cover all the bases, from butternut squash grits to brined turkey from Albright Farms, to pies, drink mixers and even flowers for your table.
Manor Tavern will be open for dinner on Thanksgiving, serving an a la carte menu with a turkey feast option, plus other choices, like cedar plank salmon and a bacon-wrapped filet.
H3irloom Food Group’s Thanksgiving catering menu includes a combination of traditional fare alongside interesting twists, like a Caribbean jerk chicken, which sounds like a fun addition to roast turkey. Don’t miss H3irloom’s condiment options, either – they’re terrific.
NiHao’s Thanksgiving dinner for two pulls from both American and Cantonese culinary traditions. The showcase bird is a popular one at the restaurant: duck.
Gertrude’s is bringing back its Thanksgiving Curbside option, with heat and serve dinners for four, including a starter, an entrée, bread, dessert and six side dishes.
Blue Hill Tavern is offering oven-ready meals including a full feast plus add-ons like bacon-wrapped scallops and shrimp cocktail.
Next week’s column will include even more Thanksgiving options.
Planning for the future
Mark your calendars for:
November 13: Oyfest 8 at Union Craft Brewing
November 14: Sherry Luncheon at La Cuchara
November 18: Sip & Shop Wine Night at Brookside Market
