Fans of Joe Edwardsen’s pizzas will have to go through pie withdrawal, starting Sunday, Aug. 10, while the restaurant undergoes renovations and—this is the big news—installs a coal-fired pizza oven.

Joe says the oven will produce a more authentic pizza flavor and cook faster. A spruced-up Joe Squared (133 W. North Ave., 410-545-0444) is expected to reopen Tuesday, Aug. 19, although the new oven won’t be in service until the end of August because of flue work that needs to be done. But, Joe says, diners can take a look at the oven, which he says is the only one in Maryland.

You may remember the short-lived Phat Pug pizzeria in Perry Hall, which had a coal-fire oven. Phat Pug paved the way, Joe says.

Posted at 10:18 am
Categories: Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Baltimore’s newest restaurant, Crush, is scheduled to open Wednesday (Aug. 6) in the space formerly occupied by Taste, 510 E. Belvedere Ave., reports Chris Stutz, a regular contributor to B-mag. Here’s what she found out after talking to chef/owner Daniel Chaustit.

The name refers to the “winemaking season,” according to Dan. It will feature “modern American food in a casual atmosphere with farm fresh produce and sustainable seafood.” Price points will be somewhat lower than that of Taste, and the restaurant will continue to offer outdoor seating.

Crush will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Private parties can be arranged. Dan did not change the décor since he says he was pretty wowed by it when he first saw it.

Dan, who lives in Perry Hall, is a former chef and owner of Christopher Daniel and also a former executive chef at Linwoods. The phone number is 443-278-9001. Crush doesn’t have a website yet.

Posted at 9:50 am
Categories: restaurants, what's new | 2 Comments

Those were the words of Tim Zagat of the Zagat restaurant surveys on NPR this morning. He then went on to cite the variety of restaurants in the city, mentioning The Helmand, Charleston, and Samos. And while we may not always get national recognition, Tim said we rank among the best in the country. We’re just smaller than L.A. or New York, he explained.

Those inspiring culinary thoughts come on the heels of Bon Appétit’s new restaurant issue, which includes Cinghiale in a story on the new breed of Italian restaurants in America. The magazine collected recipes from “our 12 favorite places across the country,” including two from Cinghiale chef Julian Marucci. His wild mushroom crostini and fresh artichoke and white bean crostini sound amazing.

Posted at 8:56 am
Categories: restaurants, tidbits | 2 Comments

Rodney “The Pie Man” Henry is just about ready for the main event. The new Dangerously Delicious Pies Savory House (3547 Chestnut Ave., Hampden, 410-662-7437) opened quietly less than two weeks ago with a focus on savory pies like steak chili pie and crab-and-cheddar quiche. The lacquered tables are in place, pies of the day (sweet and savory) are noted on the blackboard, and neighbors are poking their heads in to take a look at the sleek, narrow space with scarlet walls that was once occupied by Finnerteas until a storm took off the roof last summer.

But all has been repaired and buffed, and Henry is planning a grand opening Aug.1-3 with live music at 8 p.m. Saturday. The congenial guitarist turned baker marvels at the turn of events: “Rock ’n’ roll doesn’t pay the bills, so I started baking pies. I love it.”

Posted at 3:53 pm
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Baltimore’s summer restaurant week is in full swing through Aug. 3 with more than 90 restaurants participating. In addition to three-course dinner for $30.08 and three-course lunches for $20.08, many places offer special events like wine pairings, cooking classes, and tasting menus. Some of the more popular restaurants fill up fast. But I’d like to suggest giving some of the lesser-known spots a try, like Todd Conner’s, 700 S. Broadway in Fells Point.

My friend, Mr. Scrapple, and I ended up there on Saturday night. Even though I didn’t order from the restaurant week menu (too much heavy-duty eating during the week), the courses looked great and the price also includes a half-price bottle of wine. It’s worth stopping by just to meet Kate, bartender/server extraordinaire. The small dining area is sleekly modern with butter-yellow walls, rich wood floors, and pretty artwork. We had the place to ourselves.

Addictively warm, salty potato chips arrive soon after you’re seated and take the edge off your hunger while you figure out what to order. I had a crab and avocado salad with lots of nice lump crab. Mr. Scrapple got the Fell’s ultimate, a generous, flavorful crab-cake sandwich. But the side dish that got us groaning with pleasure was the bowl of mushrooms, buttery, earthy morsels sautéed to an elegant mahogany shade. An elusive flavor lingered after each bite. Kate said it was a magic spice. We agree.

What are your restaurant-week discoveries?

Posted at 3:16 pm
Categories: events, restaurants | 1 Comment

Every time I gripped the wheel and circled the Towson roundabout in recent weeks, I noticed a new dining spot, Sweet Léla’s, in the space where the Towson Delly had once been located. The outdoor tables in front of the restaurant were always packed, and there were tablecloths and comfortable-looking chairs. Even from afar, there seemed to be a sophisticated, European air to it. I wasn’t wrong. I dropped by yesterday after round one of the thunderstorms and met owner Antonio Iacampo and his operations manager Vincenzo Diferrante.

These guys are dedicated to bringing true Italian fare to the county seat. Not American Italian, Vincenzo stressed. They have bread deliveries from New York, handpick vegetables from Harold’s produce market, get fresh seafood from Conrad’s, and have an “Italian lady” prepare authentic cuisine. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but the biggest surprise is the dinner menu with offerings like antipasto Tirolese with Cerignola olives, fresh mozzarella, and toasted garlic bread topped with speck (Italian bacon), or scallops wrapped in pancetta served with hot stuffed peppers. Desserts come from bakeries like Patisserie Poupon, Vincenzo said. There are also house-made cannolis or many flavors of fruit-laden gelato.

You get the picture. This is no run-of-the-mill deli, although it is tiny inside with just a few tables. In the colder weather, Antonio plans to enclose the canopy area. There are also two angled TVs that will soon show Italian movies, he said.

Sweet Léla’s, named after Antonio’s soon-to-be two-year-old daughter, is at 3 W. Allegheny Ave. in Towson. Phone is 410-821-5352. Benvenuta!

Posted at 2:09 pm
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One of the best parts of summer dining is finding places with outdoor seating. Even when it’s hot, it’s nice to escape the air conditioning in a beautiful setting. I’ve had some wonderful meals recently at the Ambassador Dining Room on its elegant patio, surrounded by greenery and colorful blooms, and Sanders’ Corner’s porch, which overlooks the dense, wooded area around Loch Raven Dam. You just want to linger for hours, watch dusk turn into dark, and soak up the relaxing ambiance.

But I also recently rediscovered the Manor Tavern in Monkton. I hadn’t been to this horse-country restaurant in years, mainly because I was living out of town. It was definitely time to try it again. So last Friday, my friend, Mr. Scrapple (yes, he eats anything), and I went there to sit on the covered terrace and check out the food.

Even in the sizzling heat, the covered patio was cool and comfortable in the evening, and the view of the verdant countryside was tranquil. After having worked downtown all week, it was a pleasant respite from the city hustle bustle. And the food we had was good, too. Definitely start out with the whopping plateful of lightly breaded calamari with red and yellow peppers and chunky marinara sauce. But the dish of the summer is the citrus seafood salad, a mix of crisp romaine and mixed greens in a subtle lemony vinaigrette with fat shrimp, a generous portion of lump crab, and outstanding diver scallops. I could have done without the canned mandarin oranges, but that’s a small quibble to enjoy these wonderful flavors—and sit outside on that great terrace.

Posted at 9:40 am
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I had the pleasure of being a judge at the fourth annual Taste of Cambridge over the weekend along with John Shields of Gertrude’s at the BMA, Nancy Devine of Faidley’s Seafood, Roger Mallon, host of the “Fishin’ Kitchen” radio and TV shows in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, and Abigail Hutchinson, executive chef at the Jekyll Island Club in Georgia.

It was so much fun for many reasons. The Eastern Shore town on the Choptank River—a James Michener and John Barth favorite—has evolved from its cannery roots into a charming family-oriented spot. And a renewed focus on food has brought several restaurants to the historic area, Jennie Rideout, one of the festival organizers, told me. She and her husband, Skip, are proprietors of the Mill Street Inn, a lovely bed-and-breakfast in one of the town’s grand Victorians.

The old-fashioned summer festival featured such events as watermelon-eating, hula-hoop, limbo, and Lego-building contests. A highlight of the day’s activities was a crab-picking contest. From 5-9 p.m. Saturday, several blocks in the heart of town were closed to traffic while music played and neighbors and tourists mingled. The festival is free, but visitors could buy tickets to sample dishes in the Crab Cook-Off and share their opinions in a popular vote. Proceeds benefited the town’s revitalization efforts.

As for us judges, after sampling six crab soups, two crab cakes, three crab dips, and three crab specialty dishes, we came up with these winners: crab dip: Portside Restaurant, crab soup: Snapper’s Waterfront Cafe, crab cake: Bobby’s at Clearview, and crab specialty: Water’s Edge Grill at the Hyatt (for a crab-and-shrimp lollipop). Though really, all the entries had a winning quality. Keep the festival in mind for next year, or just head down there sometime soon for a visit.

Posted at 2:01 pm
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I got an e-mail this morning from Teavolve owner Sunni Gilliam that Harbor East’s newest cool spot to hang out has finally opened. Teavolve Café & Lounge at the corner of Aliceanna and Exeter streets quietly began welcoming thirsty and hungry patrons last week and is now helping early birds with their caffeine (coffee or tea) cravings and serving delicious-sounding fare like Belgian waffles, made-to-order salads, an assortment of paninis, and great desserts.

I stopped by this afternoon for a glass of iced passion-fruit sweet tea, a perfect thirst quencher for today’s heat. The café has an industrial chic vibe with tall ceilings, lots of light, and painted cement floors. It is already luring laptop loungers with its free wireless Internet. Once this pleasant teaporium becomes known, I predict its comfy couches and tables are going to fill quickly.

The original Teavolve on Eastern Avenue will only be open for afternoon tea and special occasions, says Sunni, probably one of the nicest vendors around town.

Posted at 2:13 pm
Categories: what's new | 3 Comments

If you’ve always had a hankering to mingle with Baltimore’s sophisticates at the über-cool Morton’s steakhouse but wondered where you were going to get the big bucks to finance your feast, now there’s a way. I was there last week for an event and found out about this great deal.

During “power hour” from 5-6:30 p.m. and 9:30-11 p.m. Monday through Friday, you can belly up to the swanky bar and nibble on yummy snacks for $5 a plate—great noshes like mini crab cakes, jumbo lump crab dip, petite filet mignon sandwiches, and more. One of my favorites is the iceberg wedge bites (little salads with tomato, egg, bacon, and blue-cheese dressing). Check it out. Morton’s is at 300 S. Charles St. There’s valet parking, too.

As the economy slumps, more restaurants are offering great food and wine discounts to lure in customers. For instance, at Peter’s Inn in Fells Point, you can get half price on select wines on Wednesdays, or around the corner at Todd Conner’s, there’s yappy hour on Tuesdays, where you can bring a four-legged friend and get 25 percent off your tab.

Let’s share. Tell me about your favorite places to get a bargain.

Posted at 11:50 am
Categories: restaurants, what's new | 1 Comment