The unofficial start of summer is here and, with it, tons of good news and fun flavors at restaurants around Baltimore. Here’s a look at what’s coming up this week:
Openings & announcements
Beloved ice cream truck Miss Twist has opened a small shop on E. Fort Ave. in Locust Point. The shop is the company’s third location – ice cream lovers can also find its sweets in Essex and Havre de Grace.
Ekiben is back at Camden Yards next week, from Monday, May 27 through Sunday, June 2. You can find them at Camden Commons in Section 71.
Marta’s brunch menu is now available on Fridays – a solid excuse to start the weekend early.
Dispatches from Italy
Some of the Café Campli crew are on the ground in Italy, where they sampled some of the blue crabs that have recently made their way to the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.
They report back that the crabs are good ones, though with a slightly different flavor profile than what we have here in the Chesapeake region. Interesting research!
Costeria x Loew Vineyards
The Costeria team has partnered with Loew Vineyards on a sparkling red wine inspired by dry Lambrusco. The grapes are all Maryland-grown and the wine will be exclusive to Costeria.
Croissant class at Kneads
On Saturday, learn now to make gorgeous croissants with an afternoon class at Kneads. The class includes instruction and hands-on experience – plus one cocktail (or mocktail) of your choice.
Memorial Day Weekend
Don’t worry if you’re not beachbound this weekend. Baltimore has some fun food options planned.
Boordy Vineyards’ Good Life Feastival will be hopping on Saturday and Sunday. Both days feature live music and lots of food (in addition to Boordy wine). On Saturday, food options include Lib’s Grill, B’more Taqueria, Smoke Pointe Cuisine, The Local Oyster and Prigel Family Creamery. On Sunday, Smoke Point and B’more Taqueria are back, along with Jimmy’s Famous Seafood.
Saturday morning, the Nana crew will pop up at Catalog Coffee in Hampden, with dishes like chilaquiles – starting at 9 a.m.
On Saturday night, Hersh’s is offering a special “Picnic Not Picnic” menu with dishes like a fried chicken parm sandwich and Pepe’s clam pie.
Spring things
La Cuchara is showcasing morels in a savory dish of asparagus, English peas and crispy polenta with Madeira cream.
At Magdalena, a bright green springtime risotto includes ramp leaf puree, pickled ramp tops and lemon zest.
The Milton Inn is celebrating seasonal flavors in its Getaway Lunch this week, which includes a first course of crispy shrimp and asparagus with basil aioli followed by grilled branzino with asparagus from Godfreys Farm, roasted tomatoes, capers and pistachio pistou.
Little Donna’s menu is constantly changing; recent dishes have included soft shell crab pies, blue catfish with heirloom beans and wax beans, and fried green tomatoes with basil aioli.
Sour Fest is back
Max’s Taphouse’s annual Sour Fest Weekend kicks off on Friday, May 31. As always, the three-day event will feature tons of sour kegs from a bunch of different brewers, including local beers like Dewey Beer Co.’s Strawberry Pretzel Salad, Nepenthe’s Polydribbles 18 and RAR’s Out of Order Sultan of Swat.
Gin dinner at Silver Queen Café
Silver Queen’s Spirit Series dinners tend to sell out quickly – so it’s key to grab tickets as soon as possible. They have just gone on sale for the Hamilton restaurant’s next dinner – a celebration of all things gin. The dinner, which takes place June 13, includes four courses, each paired with a gin cocktail – with pairings like a juniper-brined duck breast with roasted carrots and cherry prosecco sauce.
Planning for the future
Mark your calendars for:
June 8: Union Craft Brewing 12th Anniversary Party
June 13: Italian Immigrants Wine Dinner at Tagliata
June 19: Mulberry Madness at Gertrude’s
