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:
Openings and announcements
Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro has opened in Towson, and there’s already a lot of buzz about how great it is.
Speaking of Towson, Towson Hot Bagels (aka THB) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Keep an eye out on the THB app for upgrades to the tech and the business’ customer loyalty program.
Baltimore County restaurant Peerce’s Plantation has reopened, but it’s definitely not your father’s Peerce’s. The beloved restaurant is now owned and operated by the Singh brothers, who own Ananda and the Ambassador Dining Room, and the menu reflects their Indian roots and culinary expertise.
The Baltimore Business Journal reports winery co-op Wine Collective plans to open in Union Collective.
Charm City Meadworks just celebrated five years in business. That’s a lot of mead. Congratulations to them!
The Regal Beagle in Canton is closing, but something new–a restaurant called Fuisine–is slated to open in its place in November.
Charm City Night Market
The second annual Charm City Night Market comes to and area of downtown stretching from Park Avenue to Centre Plaza area on Saturday afternoon and evening. The event, inspired by traditional Asian night street markets, was an enormous hit last year. This year, the organizers have added more food vendors and activities. The options represent food, drinks, art and activities from numerous Asian cultures.
This year’s food lineup features several dozen vendors, from tried-and-true local favorites like Ejji Ramen to newcomers like The Hot Dry.
Hampdenfest
Hampdenfest is this Saturday, and it’s not all toilet bowl races. The annual event also features a lot of food, including a pie-eating contest organized by Dangerously Delicious Pies and Rocket to Venus’ atomic hot wing challenge.
Chocolate tasting at Clavel
On Saturday at noon, Clavel hosts a chocolate and cacao tasting with La Rifa Chocolateria.
The ticketed event will be lead by La Rifa’s Daniel Reza Barrientos and Monica Lozano. The pair will educate attendees on cacao and the group will taste several cacao-based items, including fermented seeks, a historic cacao drink and three different chocolates.
Maryland Wine Festival
On Saturday and Sunday, the Carroll County Farm Museum celebrates local grapes at the Maryland Wine Festival.
The event will have over 150 wines available to sample, a pavilion dedicated entirely to Maryland cheese (!), live music, a juried craft show and more.
A couple different ticket levels are available. The top one, the Explorer Pass, includes access to an additional 40 wines, the chance to participate in the 7th annual Free State Throwdown blind tasting and entry to a private “Hilltop Hangout” area.
Pickles everywhere
Love pickles? This Sunday is for you, then, as the Big Dill Pickle Party takes over Power Plant Live! As its name suggests, the event is all about the pickle–fried pickles, pickle-brined wings, bacon pickle pizza, even pickle ice cream.
Crabs & Crushes at Phillips
Also on Sunday, Phillips Crab Deck hosts its first-ever Crabs & Crushes Deck Party. From noon to 3 p.m., a ticket will get you all-you-can-eat crabs and unlimited draft beer and orange and grapefruit crushes, plus a souvenir mallet and Mason jar.
Farm to Chef Maryland 2019
Monday night is the annual Farm to Chef Maryland fundraiser for Tastewise Kids. This is one of the most fun food events of the year: tons of great restaurants gather together at The Assembly Room, competing against each other to produce the best small bites in several different categories. And it’s for a great cause.
Jerome Grant pop-up at Ekiben
On Monday, chef Jerome Grant, a James Beard Award nominee for his work at Sweet Home Café in the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will pop up at Ekiben.
The menu looks terrific, with a sandwich of pickled cucumber, papaya, hot banana ketchup and a fried egg on a pandesal (a Filipino roll), and beef meatballs with shrimp gravy, crab fat and roasted shallots. Yum.
Supper Night at John Brown
Monday evening, John Brown General & Butchery will be preparing a very special menu for a one-night-only supper. The meal starts with beef tartare and gets even better from there.
Argentine wine dinner at Libertore’s in Bel Air
On Wednesday night, Liberatore’s in Bel Air hosts a five-course wine pairing dinner featuring wines from Argentina. The meal comes with both wine and some education, and the restaurant promises a lot of fun.
Café Troia wine dinner
Italian and wine will be on the docket on Thursday, too, when Café Troia hosts its monthly wine dinner. Each month, the Towson restaurant focuses on a specific region of Italy; this month’s is Lombardia.
The meal includes dishes like bresaola with zucchini and cheese tart and guinea fowl roasted with pomegranate sauce, accompanied by braised fennel with parmigiano and herbs.
Origins is back
Artifact Coffee’s Origins conversation and dinner series returns on Thursday evening. This month’s topic: “Is it now or never for local farms?” The lineup includes Shelby Kalm from Fair Farms Maryland, Dena Leibman from Future Harvest CASA and Anne Palmer of the Johns Hopkins Center for a Liveable Future.
As always, the evening is hosted by Spike Gjerde and includes drinks, snacks and supper in addition to a spirited and informative talk.
Taste of Hampden
Also on Thursday, Union Collective hosts Taste of Hampden, a fundraiser for the Hampden Family Center.
The event is sure to be a good one, given the location and the neighborhood’s many, many excellent restaurants.
Hotel Monaco turns 10 and celebrates big
Downtown Baltimore’s Hotel Monaco is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a major special. For a cool $10,000, guests can experience an intense two-night experience in the hotel’s 1,300-square-foot Majestic Suite.
The offer includes everything from a private photographer to a helicopter tour of Baltimore and Annapolis, plus a 10-course meal with custom cocktails served in B&O American Brasserie’s private dining space. (And that’s just the beginning.)
The hotel is running some less extravagant offers as well, but if you’re feeling flush, it sounds like a fun way to spend ten grand.
More than PSL
Everyone is surely aware pumpkin spice latte season has begun, but they aren’t the only fall drink on local shops’ menus.
At Order & Chaos, a new fall lineup of drinks includes treats like ginger spiced coffee and cinnamon bun cappuccino. The shop also has a “walking waffle” latte, an espresso, vanilla and maple syrupy nod to Order & Chaos’ to-go waffles.
At Johnny’s, the list includes the Landsbury, a black tea, milk and honey concoction that sounds perfect for chilly fall days.
Final forage
On Sunday, Sept. 29, the crew from Foraged Eatery will host its final foraging excursion of the season. Registration for “the great hen hunt” is open now.
Planning Ahead
Here are a few events to look forward to over the next few weeks:
Oct. 3: Oktoberfest Dinner at Rye Street Tavern
Oct. 12: Ryleigh’s Oysterfest 13
Nov. 2: Baltimore Craft Beer Festival
