Happy Thanksgiving Week, Baltimore! This week is mostly about turkey (and shopping) but local restaurants have a few additional tricks up their sleeves. Here’s a look at what’s happening over the next few days:
Opening & Announcements
Thanksgiving is just a few days away, but if you still need to order a turkey or sides, you still have time – but not much! A number of places have carry out available, including Parts & Labor, which has a full menu of Thanksgiving dishes available for pickup next week – including a turducken – but you’ll have to get your order in today, Nov. 17, if you want to get in on the action.
Popular taco spot R&R Taqueria announced it will open a new downtown outpost early next year. The restaurant will take up residence at 30 Light Street. It’s other two locations are in Elkridge (the original – it started inside a gas station) and in Perry Hall.
Welcoming the Beaujolais
Baltimore restaurants continue to celebrate the release of this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau, the young French wine that debuts right around Thanksgiving.
Woodberry Kitchen is putting a local spin on the fete, with a party in honor of the brand new Cabernet Franc from Old Westminster Winery. The party takes place tonight, Nov. 17, by the fire on Woodberry’s patio. The party starts at 5 p.m. and the bottles will actually arrive, straight from the winery, around 5:15 p.m. Tastings will be paired with tastings from the kitchen, including leek and potato soup and baguette sandwiches.
Diamondback + O&C
Diamondback Brewing is collaborating with Order & Chaos, the coffee shop owned by ad agency Planit, on a limited edition coffee stout. The beer, available in cans, is called Order & Chaos Coffee Stout and is reportedly creamy with undertones of chocolate and blackberry jam.
Diamondback and Order & Chaos are celebrating the release tonight with a party at the brewery. There will be beer, of course, as well as O&C’s waffles, which are terrific.
Food Market Cookbook Release Party
Baltimore favorite Chad Gauss’s cookbook, The Food Market at Home, debuts this week, with a cookbook release party at Trohv on Nov. 21. The book was written, designed and printed in Maryland – it sounds like a great gift for someone who loves The Food Market.
The Night Before Thanksgiving
Traditionally, Thanksgiving Eve is more about drinking than about eating. But this coming Wednesday, Nov. 22, Union Craft Brewing will host a Smoking Bowls and Big Softy pop-up, which means both the food and the beer will be good.
Gobble Gobble
Many restaurants in and around the city will be open on Thanksgiving, often offering a special menu. If you don’t have plans yet, here are just a couple local options:
Wit & Wisdom’s Chef Zack Mills has developed a three-course menu of autumn-inspired dishes. Thursday’s dinner hours will start at 2 p.m.
Also in Harbor East, Charleston has a special prix-fixe menu, available from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (reservations required), including dishes like Charleston she-crab soup and pan-roasted wild rockfish with mushroom fricassee and lemon beurre blanc (there will be turkey, too!).
The Elephant is serving a three-course meal with optional wine pairings in the main dining room starting at noon and upstairs, in the lounge space, a menu of global street foods will be available starting at 5 p.m.
B&O American Brasserie has a festive Thanksgiving buffet available starting at noon, plus a special holiday wine list.
The Mt. Washington Tavern will likely be jumping on Wednesday night, but Thursday will be a big day, too, with a buffet on the second floor. Call before you head over, though – the restaurant may be fully booked.
Post-Gobble
Leftovers are one of the better parts of Thanksgiving, but sometimes it’s nice to take a break from turkey, too. Several local restaurants are making that easy with day-after-Thanksgiving lunch and brunch specials and new hours.
At The Brewer’s Art, the upstairs dining room and bar are open for lunch on Friday – and the venerable brewery says it may even have a special barrel-aged beer available.
Brunch at Johnny’s will be in full swing starting at 10 a.m., with standards like French toast and pancakes plus a selection of brunch specials including a chorizo-stuffed breakfast burger and crab benedict.
Planning Ahead
Here are a few events to look forward to over the next few weeks:
November 29: Basque Cider Dinner at La Cuchara
December 4: Feast of Seven Fishes at The Local Oyster
December 12: Bell’s Brewery Beer Dinner at Butchers Hill Society
