This edition of HOT PLATE is sponsored by the upcoming Chesapeake Film Festival happening 10/11 – 10/14 on the Eastern Shore.
Rain or shine, late September is a great time for food events in the Baltimore area. This week brings festivals and fundraisers, cocktails and wine, and much more. Check out what’s on tap:
Openings and announcements
Anne Arundel County will get a new event space and restaurant next week. The Blackwall Barn and Lodge, located on the old Kaufman’s restaurant property in Gambrills, is a bar and restaurant with a patio–including private cabanas–and a banquet hall.
Café Zen, the pan-Asian restaurant in Belvedere Square, closed quietly several weeks ago. It’s been replaced by A1 Sushi, a Chinese and Japanese restaurant.
From Our Sponsor – the Chesapeake Film Festival
The Chesapeake Film Festival, which takes place Oct. 11-14 in multiple locations on the Eastern Shore, has a lot to offer fans of food culture. Each day of the festival will feature multiple film screenings, including several that may be of particular interest, including “The Local Oyster Stout” and “Poured in Pennsylvania,” which will air at Cambridge Premier Cinemas on Saturday, Oct. 13.
The festival’s opening night will be especially fun for food lovers. In honor of the festival’s opening film, “New Chefs on the Block,” which features nationally known chefs like Aaron Silverman of Rose’s Luxury in D.C. and Shake Shack and Union Square Café owner Danny Meyer, the opening reception will be all about food.
The reception, which takes place at Academy Art Museum in Easton on Thursday, Oct. 11, will feature hors d’oeuvres and desserts from celebrated Eastern Shore restaurants and caterers including Gourmet by the Bay, The Wylder Hotel, Stars Restaurant from the Inn at Perry Cabin, Limoncello Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar, The Bistro St. Michaels, Flying Fork Catering and Scossa Restaurant & Lounge.
Bidding adieu to summer
Summer officially ended last week, but at the Rotunda, the final goodbye is today. Garden Party, the outdoor bar at the Hampden center, will celebrate the end of the season with live music and general festivities.
Maritime Magic
The annual Maritime Magic party, a fundraiser for the Living Classrooms Foundation, takes place today. The event is always a great one; this year features music from The Wailers, plus tons of great food and drinks.
But first, coffee
Saturday is National Coffee Day.
Order & Chaos will celebrate the day by offering free drip coffee with any purchase all day long, plus food samples and tastings of the coffee shop’s new fall drinks. They’re also using the occasion to launch a “Creative Cup” contest; guests can decorate a blank to-go cup and enter to win free drip coffee for a year plus the chance to see their artwork on O&C to-go cups in the future.
Festival weekend
The weather looks promising this weekend, which is great news for event organizers.
The St. Demetrios Greek Festival–always a food-lover favorite–runs all weekend long. The festival, which features food, music and dancing, started on Thursday and runs through Sunday evening.
On Saturday, Power Plant Live! is jumping into the fray of Oktoberfest with a party featuring sampling of over 150 beers, pretzels and brats and a stein-holding contest.
The second annual Patterson Park Brew Fest takes place Saturday near the pagoda in Patterson Park. The festival includes live music, food trucks and plenty of drinks (beer, but also wine and cocktails).
In Columbia, The Hops & Harvest Festival features music, local food and drinks, and tons of fun vendors.
It’s the bees knees
Bee’s Knees Week is on right now and wrapping up this weekend. Bars and restaurants all across the country participate by serving bee’s knees cocktails and, in collaboration with Caledonia Spirits, which makes Barr Hill Gin, raising money for bee and pollination organizations. In 2017, over $14,000 was raised.
About two dozen bars and restaurants in Baltimore are participating. Check the map here to find a local spot to enjoy the cocktail.
Book Festival fun
The Baltimore Book Festival takes over the Inner Harbor this weekend. The festival offers a ton of great stuff for food lovers, particularly on the Food for Thought Stage, where local and national chefs, authors and thinkers will cook, talk and celebrate all things food all weekend long.
The Big Ice Cream Social
Local ice cream aficionados Taharka Brothers are joining forces with Ben & Jerry’s for The Big Ice Cream Social, an event with music, food trucks, a speaker series (including a talk from B&J co-founder Ben Cohen) and free ice cream.
The social will take place on Sunday at The Ynot Lot on North Ave.
Monkey Shoulder pre-game
On Sunday, whiskey company Monkey Shoulder will be at Gunther & Co. before the Ravens/Steelers game pouring $6 Mixed Up Monkey cocktails.
This isn’t your average liquor-company-visits-a-restaurant scenario, either: Monkey Shoulder will be on site with their giant cocktail mixing truck, which is like a cocktail shaker-shaped cement mixer. The drinks will be poured directly from the truck, which is sure to be a spectacle.
Back to class
The beginning of the month means it’s time for school at several local restaurants.
At Johnny’s, learn how to make cocktails with wine–then drink your lessons–on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Azumi will host another installment of its popular Sushi 101 class.
Boozy evenings
This week’s schedule includes a handful of dinners that make beverages the star of the show.
Today, Scoozi Restaurant in Cross Keys is hosting a tasting of WhistlePig whiskeys. Stop by between 4-6 p.m. for sips of whiskey and tastings of the restaurant’s menu.
Sunday night, Ouzo Bay teams up with Harbor East boutique Sassanova for Santorini Social: A Greek Wine Tasting Event. The afternoon event features wines of the Greek islands, plus light bites, fashion, raffles and a DJ.
On Monday, The Outpost American Tavern partners with Baltimore Spirits Company for a dinner featuring four courses paired with cocktails, like grilled bread topped with ricotta, ground cherries, guianciale and watercress matched with a Negroni made using BWC’s Barrel-Rested Shot Tower Gin.
FAUXrean in Fed
Korean street food pop up haenyo is working with fellow pop up chef Cai Lindeman (aka Burnt Coat) for a multi-day collaboration at Stalking Horse in Federal Hill (which recently got rid of its food offerings).
The menu, which they’ve dubbed “FAUXrean,” will include Korean-inspired bar fare and traditional Korean dishes. They’ll be at Stalking Horse on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., from now through Oct. 13.
Planning Ahead
Here are a few events to look forward to over the next few weeks:
October 10: Italian Night at Hersh’s
October 13-14: Oysterfest at Ryleigh’s Oyster
October 28: Maryland Food Truck Festival
[sponsored_by action_blurb=”Sponsored By” name=”The Chesapeake Film Festival” url=”http://chesapeakefilmfestival.com/film-schedule/” logo=”https://baltimorefishbowl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CFF-logo.jpg” byline=”From Thursday, October 11 through Sunday, October 14, audiences will delight in the magic of extraordinary films, meet the filmmakers, participate in lively discussions, and enjoy receptions and events created to enhance the Festival experience.” attribution_action_blurb=”Created By” attribution_name=”” attribution_url=””][/sponsored_by]
