With school back in session and a long weekend looming, the Baltimore food scene is shifting from lazy summer days to its busy harvest season schedule. Here’s a look at what’s coming up this week:
Openings & announcements
South Baltimore is about to welcome a new family-owned pastry shop. La Cosette will open in the E. Fort Ave. space formerly occupied by Baba’s Mediterranean Kitchen. The shop is slated to open in October.
Common Ground, the Hampden coffee shop that closed earlier this summer, will reopen in September as a worker-owned coop.
Congratulations to Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro, which celebrated its fourth anniversary last week. The Towson restaurant marked the occasion with an outdoor performance of the traditional Chinese Lion Dance, by U.S. Jow Ga Martial Arts.
Starting on Sept. 11, Allora will be open on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (same as their Sunday hours). They will continue to be open for dinner, starting at 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.
Ash–Bar After Dark extended
Ash–Bar After Dark, the late-night food truck service outside of the hotel Ulysses, is extending its run through September. The food truck will be outside the hotel every Friday night, serving a different food and drinks menu – starting with fried chicken boxes and spritzes on Sept. 1.
Outdoor eats at Gertrude’s
The Cone Sisters Café is open in the Baltimore Museum of Art lobby. The quick-serve kiosk offers a simple menu with options like a turkey wrap and salads that can be taken home or enjoyed in the museum’s unbeatable Sculpture Garden.
BOHdacious Blonde release
Heavy Seas Beer has a big release on the horizon. The homegrown brewery is adding BOHdacious Blonde to its lineup – a Baltimore-brewed blonde ale that will likely go head-to-head with Guinness’s Baltimore Blonde (which is now brewed in New York).
Costeria at 1157
On Saturday, the Costeria team will pop up at 1157 Kitchen & Bar, with a kitchen takeover featuring dishes like grilled Spanish octopus with Virginia peanut romesco, veal sweetbreads with charred eggplant puree, and fried oysters with garlic yogurt, cucumber and dill.
Labor Day plans
Before heading out to eat on Monday, be sure to check if the restaurant you’re heading towards is open. Many local spots, including places like Peter’s Inn, Petit Louis and Clavel, are closed for the Labor Day holiday.
Taste of the Mediterranean at The Tilted Row
On Wednesday, The Tilted Row kicks off a new dinner series showcasing flavors of the Mediterranean. The first Wednesday of each month, the Bolton Hill restaurant will offer a prix-fixe three-course meal focused on a specific Med cuisine.
This month’s inaugural dinner features the food of France and includes classic French dishes like coq au vin and tarte tatin. Tickets are available for purchase now.
October’s dinner will focus on Lebanese cuisine, followed by Spain in November and Italy in December.
Harvesting Hope dinner at Old Westminster
On Thursday, Sept. 7, Old Westminster Winery welcomes Chef Bryan Voltaggio for a multi-course wine dinner benefiting Be The Match, in honor of Blood Cancer Awareness Month. All profits from the meal will be donated to Be The Match, an organization that supports those in need of bone marrow and cord blood transplants.
Planning for the future
Mark your calendars for:
Sept. 9: Union Square Pig Roast & Crab Feast Fundraiser
Sept. 29: Maryland Italian Festival
