From Easter brunch to distillery tours, this week’s culinary lineup has a lot to offer. Here’s a look at what’s happening in Baltimore’s food scene:
Openings & announcements
Puerto 511 chef and owner Jose Victorio Alarcon has plans to open a second spot, Empa 511, in Brown’s Wharf on Thames St. The new restaurant will focus on empanadas.
Cece’s in Cross Keys is now open for lunch on Saturdays.
The owners of Café Campli announced this week that the Lauraville restaurant will be closing this summer. While the closing of any restaurant – including this one – is a sad story for Baltimoreans, the reason behind this closure is a happy one. The restaurant’s owners are about to move to Italy to reopen a restaurant in Penne that has been closed for three years. While this is certainly a loss for the Baltimore community, it’s also a great reason to plan a trip to Italy.
Ramps & Rosé
Ramps are back for their brief and beautiful season. As always, Foraged Eatery is making the most of the moment with a special menu featuring ramps alongside the most springtime of wines: rosé. The menu will be available April 18-20.
Foraged is also in the midst of its 8th annual Operation Bring Back the Ramp campaign. The Station North restaurant has 50 ramp transplants that they are asking people to take home to plant in the wild.
Smoke Show at Union
On Saturday, April 19, Carroll & Son Fine Foods heats up Union Collective with the 2nd annual Smoke Show, a celebration of smoky grilled meats and fish – among other things. The lineup of participants includes Chef Patrick Morrow, The Local Oyster, the Costiera crew Union Craft Brewing and more. The party starts at noon and lasts until 6 p.m.
Big Night at Pierpoint
On Saturday, April 19, Pierpoint Restaurant hosts a screening of the movie “Big Night” accompanied by an Italian dinner designed to maximize enjoyment of the film.
Still time for Easter reservations
Easter is on Sunday, April 20 – so there’s just a little time left for last minute plans.
Some local options include brunch at Topside, to-go family dinners from Liberatore’s, Greek specials at Cypriana, and a Peep-garnished spritz at The Food Market.
For more Easter dining options, check out last week’s column.
Sardinian wines at Benny’s
On Thursday, Benny’s hosts a five-course dinner showcasing the wines of Sardinia. The menu includes pairings like grilled prawn in lemon and olive oil with Alberto Loi’s 2016 Theria, and gnocchi with sausage pomodoro and saffron paired with Teularju Barbagia Rosso 2022.
Gertrude’s Thursdays
The Baltimore Museum of Art is open until 9 p.m. on Thursday evenings. To make weekday museum visits even sweeter, Gertrude’s is offering a handful of Thursday deals, including $20 entrees, $36 three-course meals and $20 bottles of wine.
Sagamore turns 8
Sagamore Spirit Distillery celebrates its eighth birthday the weekend of April 25-27 with busy slate of fun events, including cocktail classes, live music, distillery tours ad more.
Spring flavors
Spring produce is finally here and, with that, new flavors on menus around town.
At PItango Gelato, the lineup of gelato options rotates with the season. Now through April 25, gelato-lovers can try Bacio, a flavor made with chocolate chips and Piedmontese hazelnuts. And stay tuned for future flavors, including chocolate mint chip and strawberries and cream, which will be made with organic milk from local cows.
Ramps have made their way onto the menu at Foraged, as well as at La Cuchara, where they’re served in a salad with morel mushrooms, English peas, kale and sunchokes.
New dishes at Marta include roast duck breast with farrott, parsnip and green apple puree, and sour cherry duck jus.
Keep an eye out for softshell crabs, which are reappearing on menus after a long winter break. They’re popping up around town, including at Cinghiale, Silver Queen Café, Gunther & Co., and CookHouse.
Planning for the future
Mark your calendars for:
May 4: Fiesta de Clavel
May 8: Wine Village Opens
May 16-17: HEX Superette Fermentation Festival
