Baltimore mixologist Brendan Dorr needs your Facebook vote

Hangar 1 Vodka has a contest going on for mixologists, beverage chefs, and Baltimore’s own Brendan Dorr of the B & O American Brasserie is in the competition. There are three competing mixologists under Baltimore category but in reality, all three are from Frederick

Read the full story and learn how you can help Brendan HERE

Launch party tonight for McCormick & Schmick’s newly renovated patio

If you don’t have plans than get yourself over to the launch tonight of McCormick & Schmick’s newly renovated patio at Pier 5-Eastern Avenue.  I checked the weather for you, low 80’s – no rain, so go! Party and a great view of the Harbor.  Go reach out to your tweeps and get your midweek tweet-up going  for the launch party

Whether by train or plane (tourist) or Baltimoreans by car, light rail, subway, the circulator or water taxi (Stop #5) you want to enjoy happy hour, lunch, dinner or steamed crabs.Continue reading and see slide show Launch party tonight for McCormick & Schmick’s newly renovated patio

New restaurant for Baltimore County – Earth Wood and Fire

Construction is well underway for a building at the corner of Clarkview and the 6200 block of Falls Road as you can tell from my photograph.  A new restaurant will be occupying the space, said to seat approximately 100 guests.

The name is Earth Wood and Fire. The restaurant was initially supposed to open March, 2011 via a report from Julekha Dash of Bmore back in November. Obviously it never made that opening date for whatever reason but rumor has it tentatively scheduled for opening October or November of the year.

Continue reading  New restaurant for Baltimore County – Earth Wood and Fire

Dine Downtown Baltimore premiere’s their new video

Dine Downtown Baltimore - Sotto Sopra Italian Restaurant

The Downtown Partnership has interviewed a diverse group of chefs and restaurateurs. They tell their stories as to why they love to dine in Downtown Baltimore. Volker Stewart from Brewers Art kicks off the video, Thomas Dunkin from B & O Brasserie, Ezra Tilaye from Crème, Cindy Wolf from Charleston and more tell their stories.  The video has made an auspicious premiere to gently remind us all to venture out of the burbs especially with Baltimore Restaurant Week kicking in on August 5th.

Continue reading and watch the video:   Dine Downtown Baltimore premiere’s their new video

Dining Deal of the Week: Mari Luna Mexican, Latin or Bistro

I’m a huge fan of Chef Jaime Luna of the Mari Luna restaurant group.  I remember him opening Mari Luna Mexican on Reisterstown Road about seven years ago. It was close to home and work and I learned to like Mexican food, especially his specials. Actually I held my husband’s 60th birthday party at Mari Luna Latin.

Continue reading on m Dining deal of the week - Mari Luna Mexican, Mari Luna Latin or Mari Luna Bistro

Actor Chazz Palminteri takes his storytelling to the table

Oscar nominated actor, writer, playwright, and director Chazz Palminteri is taking his artistic passion in another direction, to the table. Known for his A Bronx Tale one man show on Broadway, later adapted to the movies, Palminteri, a storyteller at heart, is now expressing his memories of Bronx with his restaurant, Chazz: A Bronx Original.

Opening a restaurant has been a dream of his for a great deal of time. The actor Robert DeNiro, a very successful restaurateur and friend to Chazz, advised him to look for trustworthy associates, people who are dedicated and a quality product. In the interview he quipped, “At times I would find two out of the three prerequisites that DeNiro suggested but never all three.”

Continue reading, check out the slide show and video:  Actor Chazz Palminteri takes his storytelling to the table

HBO premiere’s A Matter of Taste tonight – Chef Paul Liebrandt

The documentary A Matter of Taste about the youngest chef ever to receive 3 stars from The New York Times will air tonight at 9 p.m. on HBO.  Controversial, award winning, Chef Paul Liebrandt now owns Corton Restaurant in New York which has received 2 Michelin stars.

The documentary was filmed over a 10 year period.  If you are food voyeur at heart, behind restaurant scenes are titillating to you, and the artistry of elaborate plates fascinate then this documentary is not to be missed.

Watch the trailer and continue reading HBO premiere’s A Matter of Taste tonight – Chef Paul Liebrandt

New farmers markets this year – have you checked out the one closest to you

Buying fresh farm produce has just gotten easier. This year adds new farmers markets at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, Charles Street, Druid Hill Park, Fells Point and more.  The good old regulars are still there like the 32rd Street and Downtown markets.

It isn’t just produce, plants, flowers, baked goods – local products and vendors offering the best products for you and your family. 

Continue reading New farmers markets this year – have you checked out the one closest to you

Cooking Class: Flavors of India – recipe included

After writing my post on authentic cooking classes at Akbar Palace, the Nigam’s reached out to me to come and take the class.  My Sunday afternoon was free and it had been sometime since I had taken an Indian cooking course so I was in.  The Nigam’s generously shared the class and below is their recipe for Chicken Korma.

The classes are taught by Kalpana Nigam and her daughter-in-law, Neha Nigam. Because the cooking class is held in the dining room at the restaurant, there is little space for hands-on and most of the mise en place was done prior to the class.  Kalpana has been teaching the class for many years with students who continue to attend for over five years.

Continue reading Cooking Class: Flavors of India – recipe included

Summer weekends away, don’t forget the hungry

Just because summer is here and we head to the shore or the mountains for the weekends away or head off on our vacations there are still numerous families that are going hungry. Schools out and underprivileged children won’t have access to the school feeding programs – there will be no breakfast and no lunch for them.

Continue reading Summer weekends away, don’t forget the hungry

Tres Chic Cocktail Parties at Pazo called Trago (gulp)

Gals put on your best summer chic, put on your dancing Jimmy Choo shoes and get ready for the summer’s hottest cocktail party.  Gentlemen, guys - do the best that you can!  Pazo Restaurant is kicking in for three summertime parties including wine (well of course if the name Trago translates to Gulp), cocktails, tapas and dancing with a hot mix from DJ Ryan Patrick.

Continue reading Tres Chic Cocktail Parties at Pazo called Trago (gulp)

Hot Soup on a Hot Day

Call me crazy, call me insane but I made soup last night for dinner.  Inspired by the cubed tofu and chicken carcasses that were given me at my kitchen slave job and the ground veal and turkey I got at 50% off at the store with that date’s expiration date, I set out to make soup.

Virtually one of the hottest days, over 100 degrees, I wanted soup.  Consider the theory if you eat hot soup than exterior air will feel cool to you.

Continue reading  Hot soup on a hot day

Trends: Fast, quick, quality fine dining business lunches – prefix pricing

Sunday’s Wall Street Journal article Business Lunches Beat the Clock says that fine dining establishments are taking a tip from the fast food chains by offering lunch in 30 minutes.   It made me stop and think about what I’ve been seeing here in Baltimore from our premiere restaurants – maybe not 30 minutes but a commitment to have you in and out within the hour for lunch with a prefix special price.  There are two restaurants that come to mind most readily.

The first was Sotto Sopra Restaurant -
Continue reading  Trends: Fast, quick, quality fine dining business lunches – prefix pricing

You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream but beer and bacon flavor?

As summer temperatures rise we tend to think of cooler foods to eat, like salads, ceviche, gazpacho but the biggest food for me in the summer is ice cream. The flavors of summer come alive like fresh peach or cherry ice cream, flavors beyond the typical vanilla and chocolate.

I’m game for artisanal flavors, blending fruits with cheese i.e. fig and Gorgonzola or one of my favorites to come out, salted caramel – but some of the savory combinations like beer and bacon, or maple syrup and bacon – I’m game to taste but not sure I would like it in a cone.

Continue reading You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream but beer and bacon flavor?2

Middle schoolers on field trip to Baltimore are taken to Hooters for lunch

Hmmm, thinking back to my field trips in school, not many as a youngster, maybe Fort McHenry.  When I say a youngster, I mean elementary school and I think my mother was a chaperone.  High school was a different story;  New York, Washington DC and Harper’s Ferry. 

Continue reading  Middle schoolers on field trip to Baltimore are taken to Hooters for lunch

Cookbook Corner: IACP 2011 Cookbook Award Winners

Cookbook authors have two awards they seek - one by the James Beard organization and the 2nd, the International Association of Culinary Professionals. The awards for 2011 were  held Thursday, June 2nd in Austin, Texas.  For the avid cookbook collector these are the must haves for their cookbook shelves.

The top honors for Cookbook of the Year went to "Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes From My Home To Yours," by Dorie Greenspan.  The following awards were also presented in multiple categories: Cookbook Awards, Bert Greene Awards for Food Journalism, Food Photography and Styling Contest Awards, Awards of Excellence and Special Recognition Awards

Continue reading  Cookbook Corner: IACP 2011 Cookbook Award Winners

In and out $18 three plate summer lunch special at The Capital Grille

Let me just start off with two words, lobster roll.  The lobster roll is one of three of the main course plate offering with The Capital Grille’s summer lunch special available Monday through Fridays from 11:30 to 3 p.m.  The three plate summer lunch plates  specials offers three options in soup/salad, sandwiches and sides for a mere $18

Value versus dollar winner - $18

For the downtown worker who is so tired of the everyday humdrum, poor quality, over priced lunches this is a refreshing change – top end, quality choices with the promise of having you in and out in forty five minutes.  
 

Check out the slide show and continue reading  In and out $18 three plate summer lunch at The Capital Grille.

Authentic Indian cooking class at Akbar Palace Restaurant in Baltimore

The first Sunday of every month those interested in delicious and nutritious Indian home-style food can sign up for a hands-on, participatory cooking class at Baltimore’s Akbar Palace.  This Sunday is the first Sunday of the month so there will be a class, June 5th, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Taught by Kalpana Nigam, you will learn three dishes which will be served with beverage for your dinner at the end of the class.

Continue reading Authentic Indian cooking class at Akbar Palace Restaurant in Baltimore

CNN Eatocracy 5@5 - Amy Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen

Baltimore’s  co- owner of Woodberry Kitchen makes it to CNN’s Eatocracy 5@5 column, a food related list from everyone from chefs,  celebrities, writers, politicians and more.
Amy Gjerde has celiac’s disease, she is allergic to gluten which is different from just being gluten intolerant.

Continue reading o CNN Eatocracy 5@5 – Amy Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen

Interactive wine seminar & dinner with most famous name in wine glasses, Riedel

You’ve spent $100 for that bottle of wine but why are you drinking it in a Sam’s club wine glass?  There is a distinct difference in the taste and enjoyment of your wine with the proper stemware. The wrong wine glass is like going to the top resort in the world with a private beach and spending the day in your room watching television and the proper glass, is like swimming with the dolphins at that private beach.

Chef’s Expression is hosting at the American Visionary Museum on Wednesday, June 8th at 6:30 p.m. an interactive wine seminar and dinner with Georg Reidel of Reidel Stemware. Reidel Stemware is the most famous name in wine glasses today

Continue reading Interactive wine seminar & dinner with most famous name in wine glasses, Riedel