This week starts with ice cream for breakfast, gets meaty, then ends with early Valentine’s Day specials – it’s a busy one in the Baltimore restaurant world. Here’s a look at what’s coming up:
Openings & announcements
Beloved Italian market Trinacria has announced that it will be part of the new lineup of vendors in Lexington Market, when the new market opens later this year.
The iconic downtown diner Werner’s has reopened. The diner, which originally opened in 1950, is now owned by Pete’s Grille owner Ray Crum.
The Urban Oyster celebrated five years in business this week. Congratulations to Chef Jasmine Guy and her team!
La Cuchara’s bar – one of the best happy hour (or dinner) spots in Baltimore – has finally reopened. The restaurant will offer drink specials at the bar from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Guinness Open Gate Brewery welcomed its millionth visitor on Thursday, Jan. 27. The brewery, which opened in 2018, celebrated the milestone with everyone (21+) onsite when it happened, with a complimentary sample toast of Belgian Apricot Pale Ale, the brewery’s most popular beer from its first tap list.
Cosima celebrates six years in business on Feb. 10 and is marking the occasion by offering half off select bottles of wine, plus a special treat for anyone who wishes the team happy anniversary.
Restaurant Week continues
Baltimore City Restaurant Week continues through the weekend, ending on Sunday, Feb. 6. During the promotion, tons of local restaurants are offering great deals on prix fixe menus.
Ice Cream for Breakfast
Saturday, Feb. 5 is The Charmery’s annual celebration of Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Starting at 10 a.m., the ice cream shop’s several locations will offer a special slate of breakfast-inspired flavors, like French toast with lingonberry jam and strawberry frosted donut with rainbow sprinkles.
The flavors are also available as pints to take home now.
Black History Month events at Hotel Revival
February is Black History Month and throughout the month, Hotel Revival is offering programming and specials in its honor, including Trappy Hour, a weekly Thursday night cocktail experience with an emphasis on Black-owned spirit companies.
In addition, $1 from select cocktails purchased at the hotel throughout the month will be donated to Spirit of the Industry Program (SIP), an initiative put together by Coppin State University and Sagamore Spirit, in an effort to help expand hospitality industry opportunities for people of color.
Small Batch BBQ at Chuck’s
On Saturday, Small Batch BBQ will pop up at Chuck’s Trading Post in Hampden, for a three-course BBQ tasting dinner “served fresh off the pit.” There will be two seatings for the meal, which will feature Texas brisket, NC pulled pork and more.
Meat Week starts Sunday
Feb. 6 is the first day of Meat Week here in Baltimore – an eight-day celebration of barbecue. Each day during the week focuses on a different spot around the city, and on the eighth day, the event organizers encourage you to make some BBQ at home to share with friends.
This year’s schedule starts at Heritage Smokehouse (Sunday), and includes EKIBEN (Monday), Nailah’s Fresh Out the Kitchen (Tuesday), Blue Pit BBQ (Wednesday), Frenchesca’s Empanada’s Café (Thursday), JBGB’s (Friday), and Shorty’s Bootleg BBQ (Saturday).
The Meet Week Instagram account will be updated throughout the week with more details and announcements.
Nuts at Liora
Feb. 26 is National Pistachio Day and, to get ready, plant-based restaurant Liora has partnered with the folks from Wonderful Pistachios for a month-long celebration of the great nut, including a kabocha carpaccio dish featuring citrus and relish made with pistachios.
Valentine’s plans
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner – Monday, Feb. 14 – and since it’s a Monday this year, celebrations will start over the weekend.
The three-course Dutch Courage menu will be available Feb. 11, 12 and 14 and includes options like lobster pierogies and duck confit over a baby greens salad, plus optional cocktail pairings with sweet names like The Love Affair and Hoodoo You Love.
Petit Louis’ four-course Valentine’s meal includes options like lobster bisque with chive oil and bacon-wrapped quail with preserved cherries.
Of Love & Regret’s Valentine’s specials start on Feb. 11 and last through the following Monday. The menu will include a three-course dinner for two and craft bar options.
From Feb. 12 through Feb. 14, Alma Cocina Latina will offer a three-course dinner with optional wine pairing, including dishes like red snapper ceviche and arroz con pollito.
Cinghiale will offer a four-course meal with optional wine pairings.
At Topside in the Hotel Revival, a special menu will be available on Feb. 12 and 13. The multi-course menu includes dishes like mushroom soup with chili oil and crispy mushrooms and scallops with squid ink pasta, gouda cheese sauce and crispy prosciutto.
Johnny’s will offer food and drink specials on Feb. 14, including a three-course prix-fixe including options like Virginia oyster stew and a honey-rosemary pork chop.
Tickets for H3irloom Food Group’s Feb. 12 dinner, dubbed “How Does It Feel?” are available through Feb. 5. The meal will be a five-course dinner with wine pairings focused on “the rollercoaster of emotions” associated with love.
At The Milton Inn, the extravagant four-course meal includes options like shrimp bisque with fennel pollen and duck confit with lamb merguez.
Whitehall Market’s FireFly Farms Market has a variety of sweet and savory foods and drinks to enjoy at the market or take home for Valentine’s Day, including a cute heart-shaped brie-style cheese made with goat milk, and a beautiful rosé Grand Cru champagne.
Charleston’s Valentine’s menu allows guests to choose their four courses, and to enjoy optional wine pairings.
Dylan’s Oyster Cellar is accepting pre-orders for a Valentine’s “Bubbles, Brine & Bae” take home special, including 25 oysters and a bottle of sparkling rose. While the restaurant will not be open to dine in on Valentine’s Day, you can pre-order shucked oysters for pickup that day, or make a reservation for Saturday, Feb. 12.
The Urban Oyster’s Valentine’s Day menu includes options like fried lobster curry and New York strip in a red wine mushroom cream sauce.
Reservations are required for Darker than Blue’s Valentine’s prix-fixe, which includes three courses for two and a bottle of wine.
Gunther & Co. will offer a four-course prix fixe menu for Valentine’s Day, with choices like salt and pepper shrimp in shallot-citrus wine sauce, butter-poached Maine lobster risotto, and a banana leaf-wrapped whole roasted fish.
On Feb. 11 and 12, Cosima will offer a prix-fixe Valentine’s menu with optional wine pairings.
Between Feb. 11 and Feb. 15, take home a heart-shaped container filled with tacos, guac, salsa, chips and more, plus a 32-ounce margarita, from Papi’s. The package is available for two people or for four and can be ordered online via the Toast app.
The Pierpoint takeaway boxes are still going strong and the Valentine’s box is now available to order. The box includes a luxe dinner for two, with options like shrimp cocktail and seared tenderloin with shallot demiglace, and an optional bottle of bubbly. (Pierpoint also has a Super Bowl box in the works, so you could make one trip to pick up boxes to stay fed all weekend.)
On Feb. 11, Chef’s Expressions will host its 22nd annual Valentine wine supper at the Gramercy Mansion. The meal includes five courses, each paired with wine, including options like “Love on the Wild Side,” a wild boar chop over sour cherry potage paired with Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir from New Zealand.
Phillips Seafood has a take home lobster bake for two package available for pickup from the Inner Harbor restaurant on Feb. 11, 12 or 13.
More than dinner
If, in addition to dinner, you’re looking for something extra special, and possibly a night away, you have several terrific local options.
City Cruises has several Valentine’s Day cruises in the works, from Feb. 12 through Feb. 14. Options include brunch, lunch and dinner cruises out of the Inner Harbor.
The Four Seasons Hotel has several fun food-related options available for Valentine’s Day, including a special three-course in-room menu with an optional wine pairing.
At The Ivy Hotel, a two-night special includes a bottle of champagne on arrival, breakfast served in the suite or at the restaurant hotel, Magdalena, and dinner at Magdalena, which will be offering a special multi-course menu with optional wine pairings as well as its a la carte menu. Magdalena will, of course, also be open for guests not staying in the hotel.
If you’re considering heading just out of town for a romantic getaway weekend, the newly open Wildset Hotel in St. Michael’s, and its restaurant Ruse, have a terrific special in place, with a discounted room rate and a prix-fixe dinner with options like oysters with champagne foam and roasted black bass. Locals might remember Ruse Chef Michael Correll from his time at Fleet Street Kitchen and Tagliata.
Planning for the future
Mark your calendars for:
Feb. 18: Anniversary Party at Ampersea
March 17: Chef’s Expressions St. Patrick’s Day Whiskey Supper
May 28: Brew at the Zoo
