It’s turkey time and that alone is exciting news. But Baltimore has more in store for food lovers this week, from oysters to ice cream to a brand new sake bar and beer garden. Take a look at what’s happening in Charm City food news this week:
Openings and announcements
Fadensonnen, a beer garden and natural wine and sake bar, opens today in Old Goucher. The bar and beer garden is the brainchild of Lane Harlan and Matthew Pierce, the pair behind Remington’s W.C. Harlan cocktail bar and the consistently terrific restaurant and mezcaleria Clavel.
Golden West Café has plans in the works for an expansion in Hampden, and possible plans for additional locations and a vegan bakery.
The South Baltimore space that formerly housed Bluegrass Tavern finally has a new tenant: AJ’s on Hanover. The new restaurant’s owners also own Delia Foley’s and Smaltimore, and the kitchen will be helmed by the former Smaltimore chef.
Also on the plus side for food-lovers on the southern side of the city: The Urban Oyster will open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in McHenry Row sometime early next year. The vendor, which usually operates out of farmers’ markets and as a pop-up, will be located in part of the space that formerly housed Ruby 8 Noodles & Sushi.
In less upbeat South Baltimore news, Ludlow Market in Locust Point closed its doors earlier this week. The bottle shop attached to the restaurant will stay open through this weekend.
Making memories
Do you have photographs of any of your special times at Mt. Washington Tavern? The Tavern is celebrating its 40th anniversary next year and wants to collect photos from people who have had fond memories there over those years–so start digging through your drawers.
5th Annual Oyfest
On Saturday, The Local Oyster and True Chesapeake Oyster Co. join forces with Union Craft Brewing and the crew from Dylan’s Oyster Cellar for the 5th annual Oyfest, held at Union.
The party includes an oyster eating contest, guest shuckers, live music and, of course, lots of oysters. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Friends of the Jones Falls Valley.
Book signing & spirits
Writer Michael T. Walsh will be at Baltimore Spirits Company on Saturday afternoon to sign copies of his new book about Baltimore during Prohibition. The distillery will also be offering tours of its space, so you can learn about the past and about what’s happening in local distilling right now.
Gluten-free goodness
On Saturday, Points South Latin Kitchen will host Cel-Kids’ annual Holiday Buffet and Cookie Decorating event. The party includes a gluten-free buffet and a dozen gluten-free cookies for kids to decorate.
Put a Scoop on It
On Sunday, Big Softy heads to The Charmery in Towson for Put a Scoop on It, a pancake pop-up starting at 10 a.m.
The pair will team up for some fun pancake and ice cream collaborations, featuring choices of batter, fruit topping, ice cream and syrup or sugar.
Miracle on Remington Ave.
On Tuesday, Nov. 20, R. House will team up with Union Craft Brewing to host Miracle on Remington Avenue, a party benefiting Moveable Feast. The festivities will include turkey bowling; to enter, bring canned foods to donate to Moveable Feast.
Union will be pouring its Miracle Weizenbock, a dark wheat beer that has holiday-appropriate notes of spice.
Seasonal sipping at Gnocco
On Tuesday, Nov. 20, Gnocco is hosting an extended happy hour featuring autumnal cocktails made with spirits from Republic Restoratives. From 6 to 9 p.m., head to the bar to try drinks like hot bourbon-spiked cider.
Baltimore on Chopped
Chef David Thomas, the executive chef and owner of Ida B’s Table, will appear on “Chopped” on Tuesday night, the restaurant announced on Facebook. Tune into the Food Network at 9 p.m. to see how he stacks up against his competition.
Thanksgiving Eve
The night before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the biggest party nights of the year, so it’s no surprise that there are events happening all over town. Most are more boozy than foodie, but a couple give food their due, including a party at The Chasseur that doubles as a canned good drive and a pop-up appearance by The Urban Oyster at Wicked Sisters.
Thanksgiving plans
The holiday is next Thursday, which means it’s go time. If you’re planning to eat out, make some reservations. If you’re dining at home, but want to order part or all of the meal from a local company, you have just a little time left. Make that order now!
The Classic Catering People, which can handle the meal from soup to nuts (or turkey to pie), is accepting Thanksgiving orders through Monday, Nov. 19.
The Charmery is accepting pre-orders for Thanksgiving ice cream pies from now through Tuesday, Nov. 20. Flavors include spiced pumpkin, brown sugar molasses pecan and vegan spiced pumpkin.
You still have a little time to order pies for pickup from Johnny’s in Roland Park and Lupa in Columbia. Get your order in by the end of today for pumpkin cheesecake, buttermilk pumpkin pie, bourbon pecan pie, rustic apple pie and cranberry crumble pie.
Order sides–everything from bluefish pate to roasted brussels sprouts and oyster sausage stuffing–from Peter’s Inn. The orders can be placed online and picked up on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Silver Queen Café will be closed on Thanksgiving and the day after, but until 4 p.m. tomorrow, you can order a handful of sides, like crab dip and apple celery cornbread, for your own holiday dinner.
The Corner Pantry is also accepting orders through Saturday. The restaurant’s take-home options include everything from Albright Farm turkeys to cheddar biscuits and apple pie.
If you need to get away for brunch on Thanksgiving, Blue Moon Café and Blue Moon Too will both be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. They’ll be serving the regular menu, plus specials (like enchiladas).
Zeke’s Café on Harford Road will also be open for brunch starting at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving. The menu includes treats like biscuits with gravy and fried eggs and apple cranberry pancakes. Stopping in is especially convenient if you’ll be there to pick up pies anyway; you can order online, in person or by phone until this Sunday.
The Bygone will serve a buffet including Thanksgiving classics and additional dishes that fit with the Harbor East eatery’s luxe vibe, including a prime rib carving station, crab cakes and a raw bar.
Ampersea’s special menu includes dishes like cranberry bruschetta and a Thanksgiving sandwich, plus a pair of holiday-themed specialty cocktails.
At Roy’s, the turkey will be glazed with teriyaki, and sides include dishes like sesame carrots and Portuguese sausage stuffing.
Wit & Wisdom will feature a buffet with Thanksgiving classics like roast turkey and cornbread and bacon stuffing, plus other treats like smoked prime rib.
Rye Street Tavern has a prix fixe Thanksgiving dinner option, including an uber-local twist: turkeys from Whispering Breeze Farm that are roasted over Maryland White Oak logs. Plus, the gravy for the mashed potatoes is made with Sagamore Spirit rye.
At Citron, the three-course menu includes a choice of a classic Thanksgiving plate with all the fixings or a pair of alternatives: grilled tenderloin or grilled Norwegian salmon.
Charleston’s Thanksgiving menu includes a choice of turkey, wild rockfish or beef shortrib, plus a soup or salad first course and sides, like hoppin’ john black-eyed peas and rice, served family-style.
Thanksgiving at La Calle will have a Mexican twist, with mole poblano turkey served over rice and beans.
Chez Hugo’s menu starts with a salad or pumpkin and bacon soup, followed by nine main course dishes, like roast turkey breast, grilled turkey leg reillets and grilled chestnuts, all served family-style.
The Rusty Scupper’s Thanksgiving buffet starts at 11:30 a.m. and includes all the traditional fixings, plus a lot more, including a raw bar and peel-and-eat shrimp.
The Oregon Grille’s selection is classic, from the choice of soup (Maryland crab or butternut squash) to the Springfield Farms turkey and sides (including sauerkraut) to pecan pie or pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.
The Manor Tavern in Monkton will have three seatings for its buffet, which includes a variety of Thanksgiving items, from oyster dressing to local turkey.
Thanksgiving at The Milton Inn in Sparks is a three-course prix fixe meal, with choices like a fall harvest salad for the first course and turkey with many sides, including sweet potato mousse and Parker House rolls, for the second.
Café Troia’s prix fixe dinner includes roast turkey and all the traditional sides. The restaurant’s regular a la carte menu will also be available, for those who prefer pasta to turkey.
Holiday spirit
Once you’ve packed up the turkey and stuffing, it’s time for thoughts–and taste buds–to turn to the next set of holidays.
Today, get a jump start on Christmas at the opening of Miracle on Magothy Beach, the holiday-themed bar popping up at Mutiny Pirate Bar in Pasadena. The pop-up, which runs through Dec. 31, will have tons of holiday decorations, plus a spirited cocktail menu with options like a Snowball Old Fashioned (featuring butterscotch rye) and the Christmas Carol Barrel (containing rum, aquavit and amaro, among other things).
During the pop-up, 10 percent of all signature cocktail sales will be donated to Action Against Hunger.
The Inner Harbor will also be ready for the holidays, starting even before Thanksgiving. The Christmas Village at West Shore Park will officially be open from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, but the vendors are holding a special preview weekend tomorrow and Sunday.
The Inner Harbor tree will be lit on Saturday, and the market includes tons of food options and lots of fun food, wine and beer-related events. Cheese fans, in particular, won’t want to miss one new appearance: the market will now offer Swiss raclette cheese on fresh bread.
Planning ahead
Here are a few events to look forward to over the next few weeks:
Dec. 3: Distiller’s Dinner at Ryleigh’s Oyster Hunt Valley
Dec. 11: Rodney Strong wine dinner at Gunther & Co.
Jan. 11-12, 2019: Krautfest at Gertrude’s
