With the sun shining and the wildfire haze clearing, things are looking bright in Baltimore – and tasty. This week, there’s a full slate of fun food events on the calendar, plus seasonal specials and more good news from local restaurants. Here’s a look at what’s on tap:
Openings & announcements
Church: A Bar is under new ownership. The Old Goucher bar has undergone an interior renovation and will reopen for business, with a new food menu and an evolved drinks menu, soon.
There are also changes in the works at Mt. Vernon Marketplace. The Baltimore Business Journal reports that the market has plans to add several new Asian food vendors and a barbecue stall.
Happy anniversary to Clavel. The Remington spot celebrated eight years in business last Monday.
Fells Point in Harbor Point
On Saturday, June 10, the Fells Point Farmers Market will migrate a few blocks west to the green space on Central Plaza at Harbor Point for a special one-time-only location change. In addition to all the regular reasons to visit the market, this week, you can spot Ekiben owner Steve Chu as he shops the market on camera, while filming an episode of “Farm to Skillet” with MPT.
The Charmery + Frozen
Frozen, the musical based on the Disney movie, opened this week at The Hippodrome. To celebrate the occasion, the producers of the musical partnered with Baltimore’s own experts in all things cold: The Charmery.
The ice cream team created a limited edition ice cream to honor the opening of the musical. “Frozen Fractals” is a fun mix of vanilla ice cream, cookie dough and shimmering sprinkles. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from Frozen Fractals sales will be donated to the Maryland SPCA – a charity selected by Caroline Bowman, the actress portraying “Elsa” in the musical (and a Howard County native).
Ballgame eats
Das Bierhalle is the next local restaurant taking over the OPACY pop-up spot. The Parkville restaurant will be serving its famous pretzels, among other things, at Camden Yards during the Os vs. Blue Jays series, from June 9 through June 15.
Strawberry picnic at Juniper Farm
On Saturday and Sunday, Juniper Farm is hosting a fun outdoor event celebrating one of the season’s sweetest treats: the strawberry. Farm visitors can purchase strawberry-centric drinks and snacks to enjoy, picnic-style, on the grass or at a picnic table.
The menu includes options like strawberry shortcake from Bramble Baking Co. and charcuterie boxes from The Tradition Begins. Orders must be placed ahead of time, with a time selected – to make sure the picnicking experience is ideal for everyone.
Wine & Food Festival
On Saturday afternoon, Eat Drink Relax’s annual Wine & Food Festival takes over the Timonium Fairgrounds with an epic event featuring the opportunity to sample tons of wines, beers and spirits, live music and more.
Rum Fest at Hollins Market
On Saturday, Hollins Market hosts its second annual Rum Fest, a celebration of all things rum. The party, which starts at 3 p.m. and takes place at Mulberry’s, features rum drinks (and other cocktails), food and live music. There will also be a misting lounge (sponsored by Topo Chico) and an afterparty hosted by the crew from CaNe Collective.
Rosé & softs hells at The Tilted Row
On Wednesday, The Tilted Row hosts a dinner showcasing one of the greatest matches in the Chesapeake Bay watershed: soft shells and rosé. The Bolton Hill restaurant has created a three-course meal around the summery pairing; tickets are available now.
Twilight on the Terrace
On Friday, Gertrude’s hosts its 15th annual Twilight on the Terrace event. The party, which takes place out on the Gertrude’s terrace, features an open bar, excellent food, music and dancing – and is a fundraiser for The Pride Center of Maryland.
Summer bites & sips
This time of year is exciting in the Chesapeake region – produce availability changes quickly and, to reflect what’s available, many restaurant menus are in a constant state of evolution. What you see on a menu one weekend might be gone by the next – so order everything you want while you can.
The Silver Queen Café menu will go through an overhaul this week, saying goodbye to some springtime produce and hello to early summer, with dishes like garlic scape pesto pasta.
La Cuchara has brought back a seasonal favorite: hothouse tomato carpaccio. The gorgeous tomatoes are topped with fennel, arugula, tarragon, capers and lemon aioli.
Garlic scape and tomatoes are both on the menu at Foraged Eatery this week. The Station North restaurant is celebrating the micro-season with a salad of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, toasted focaccia and garlic scape pistou.
The Food Market’s dinner menu now includes fig toast, which pairs thick slices of fig with hearty bread and prosciutto.
Spritz season is here at Cinghiale. The Harbor East restaurant has $7 spritzes (among other things) during happy hour every weekday.
Saving the Bay – with help from Tito’s
If you’ve ever considered making a donation to the Oyster Recovery Partnership, the local organization focused on conversation of native oysters in the Chesapeake Bay, now is the time.
From now through June 30, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is matching all donations to ORP, up to $30,000. Donating is easy and can be done right through the ORP website.
Juneteenth plans
Juneteenth falls on a Monday this year – but the early weekday timing isn’t slowing down plans for celebrations.
One big one will take place at Magdalena at The Ivy Hotel, where Magdalena chef Scott Bacon will team up with several other Black Baltimore chefs for an event featuring small plates to be enjoyed in the hotel’s art gallery, which will display works from local BIPOC artists. The event will include food from Chef Bacon, along with Amanda Mack of Crust by Mack, Durian Neel of Loving Spoon Collective, and Malcolm Sizer, the Executive Sous Chef of The Urban Oyster.
Planning for the future
Mark your calendars for:
June 17: Whiskey on the Waterfront at Sagamore
July 15: Etiquette Brunch at Miss Shirley’s
July 23: Tacopalooza
