Get $25 dining coupon for $1 - Today Only

Restaurant.com is running the promotion NATIONWIDE if you buy today, September 30th -  you can purchase a $25 dining coupon for just one dollar.  The promotion looks like it is being underwritten by AARP. Seniors know how to keep additional KACHING in their pockets.  Get all the details HERE

Baltimore Food News - pull up a kitchen chair

Don’t’ you love the fall! Everyone is back from vacation, the kids are in school and the parties begin.

There is so much going on that I will not be able to devote an entire column to each bit of news so here goes, in no particular order.  This should keep you ahead of the game on Baltimore Food News for the next couple of days.

Before I forget, L’Shana Tova  (Happy New Year) as many of our friends kick off the Jewish New Year this evening.  A tradition is to dip sweet not tart apples in honey to represent the belief that all will be granted a sweet year.

Read all the food news HERE

Bombora Restaurant.Bar.Lounge - a fresh breath on Ocean City Boardwalk

All you can eat buffets, burgers, pizza, prime rib specials and the early bird lobster special for $16.99 never quite ring my bell when I am at the shore – always a culinary disappointment.  Nor do I think restaurants on the Ocean City boardwalk worth a second of my time considering until now.  The well known  Phillips restaurant family has offered up one of the original flagship restaurant for change to Chef Arturo Paz.  The restaurant no longer called Phillips, but now carries the moniker of Bombora combines Chef Paz’s Latin background and ties in bright Asian flavors with a menu that offers small plates through a fully rounded entrée portion. There is still a salute to those items “Phillips” on the menu that guests have come to expect.

Check out the slide show and continue reading Bombora Restaurant.Bar.Lounge – a fresh breath on Ocean City Boardwalk

Roy's Restaurant in Harbor East is celebrating - you're invited

Ten years for a restaurant is equal to 100 human years. Yup, I just made that up but it is true.  For a restaurant to survive five years is a small miracle let alone 10 years is a true accomplishment.  Founder, celebrity chef and namesake, Roy Yamaguchi will be in Baltimore Wednesday, October 5th to celebrate Roy’s Baltimore/ Harbor East 10th anniversary and you are invited to enjoy the food, the drink, entertainment and more.

Along with Roy’s Harbor East executive chef Patrick Crooks and Chef Yamaguchi look at this lineup of guest chefs:

Read the full story HERE

Design the label for The Capital Grille's Cabernet Sauvignon and win!

The Capital Grille provides the inspiration and you provide the artwork.  It is that time again for the restaurant chain’s annual Artist Series Wine Event.  This is an open call for an artist competition to design the label for The Capital Grille’s Cabernet Sauvignon which is served exclusively at The Capitol Grille restaurants.

For the complete story and prize information read the full story HERE

Show your Ravens team spirit with purple eggs - recipe

I just fell in love with this Deviled Egg snap by Chef Nancy Longo of Pierpoint Restaurant.  A die-hard Raven’s fan who yearly represents Baltimore and the Ravens  at Taste the NFL fundraiser found herself going on the Today Show.  Longo, “We knew we had to come up big with our table food, so we decided one of the items had to be an egg.”  They were representing the Ravens, the almighty purple, so Nancy devised a purple deviled egg.

Get the recipe and read the full story: Show your Ravens team spirit with purple eggs

Leinenkugel ‘s Beer Garden Grand Opening events

I’m not a beer drinker but for those numerous folks out there who love hops – the drinking kind, jump up and down, Leinenkugel’s Beer Garden at Power Plant Live is celebrating its grand opening with 4 different events.

In celebration of its opening, Leinenkugel’s is hosting 4 consecutive Saturdays of Oktoberfest events from September 17 through October 8, including live music, contests and food and drink specials. A full list of events is below: 

Read the full story: Leinenkugel's Beer Garden Grand Opening events.

Where do all the chefs go? StarChefs.com 6th Annual Chefs Congress

There are many food and wine shows for the public the likes of Aspen Food and Wine and South Beach but what are the food shows for chefs?  One of the leading shows is StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress where all chefs mingle with trendsetting chefs like Grant Achatz, Pierre Hermé, David Burke, Paul Liebrandt and more.


Come October 2nd through the 4th chefs will converge on Park Avenue Armory in New York City to work with numerous trendsetting chefs, new equipment and commiserate with other chefs.  The event is not open to the public only working chefs and allied businesses.  Those attending will make connections and network with peers and be able to source cutting-edge culinary products and equipment from around the world at the Chef Product Fairs.

Read the full story:  Where do all the chefs go? StarCehfs.com 6th Annual Chefs Congress

Ocean City boardwalk restaurateur offers gluten-free, dairy-free menu options

Boardwalk fare in Ocean City, Maryland is believed to be a junk food wasteland to most of us; boardwalk fries, Fisher popcorn, custards and pizza slices. One boardwalk restaurateur has been a haven for tasty, healthier food options.

Greg Shockley, proprietor of Ocean City boardwalk restaurant Shenanigans Irish Pub and Grille, has gotten inquiries as far back as 15 years about what menu items they offer that are allergen free – flour, dairy and MSG. The calls were really pre-internet, showing when the increase in food allergies really started to grow. 

Read the full story: Ocean City boardwalk restaurateur offers gluten-free, dairy-free menu options

Don't miss The Farmer and The Chef - September 26th

This food and wine event is close to my heart and many others.  It is a win win for those who attend as well as participate but most of all it benefits Days of Taste. Over numerous years local chefs have been going into classrooms teaching our kids about food through the American Institute of Wine And Food's program.

I don’t mean to sound preachy. As our children formulate their eating habits and taste,  enlightening them to real food, local, fresh food not fast food, is a step in the direction away from unhealthy eating habits that could be with them their whole lives.

Continue reading, see the photo slide show and the video:  Don't miss The Farmer and The Chef - September 26th

Gino Giant, the double burger with special sauce. Is it still special?

My curiosity has been piqued with the comeback of Gino’s.  How many hours of my errant youth were spent driving in circles through the Gino’s parking lot on Reisterstown Road – too many.  I remember the Gino Giant, a double burger with the special sauce way before McD’s came to town.  But could I remember any difference between the Big Mac and the Gino Giant? At my age, remembering why I walked into a room is an accomplishment.  My best recollection is the Gino Giant and the Big Mac were pretty much the same.

A couple weeks ago after we took my father-in-law out for his 90th birthday we drove by the new Gino’s on Joppa Road. In the rain, people were still in line out the door.  But today, while perusing my Facebook page I see that my husband had foursquared he was at Gino’s

Read the full story:  Gino Giant, the double burger with special sauce

Baltimore Grand Prix let down

As the tourist poured into Baltimore for the first inaugural Grand Prix race locals stayed away. Fear of crowds, fear of no parking, and fear of traffic snafus – Baltimoreans deserted downtown.  If you speak to restaurateurs they will tell you Friday night was a bust.  No clients, even the Gathering of food trucks  was slower than their previous Friday evenings.

A quick conversation on Facebook with area restaurateurs validated the situation.  Saturday night picked up but wasn’t “all that.”  Little Italy was also set with special al fresco dining; everything looked festive per Gia Daniella of Café Gia.  It was near 5 p.m. when she posted, “we definitely have the spirit! We need the people.”  Fells Point restaurateur Nancy Longo of Pierpoint said the restaurant was dead as well as Canton, Inner Harbor East.  

Read the full story  : Baltimore Grand Prix let down

Cookbook Corner: Sweet CHIC – Stylish Treats to Dress Up for Any Occasion

Rachel Schifter Thebault, owner and head confectioner at Tribeca Treats has created Sweet CHIC- Stylish Treats to Dress Up for Any Occasion. Conceptually, the book is about how to take the basic recipe and accessorize it. The concept is best addressed in Sweet CHIC’s forward by fashion legend, Isaac Mizrahi who says “Style is all about inspiration. When you accessorize an outfit in the right way, it makes you feel great. The idea of a dessert book that shows you the perfect way to add designer details to classic
confections is truly inspired.”

A sweet book of recipes that are cleverly broken up into fashion categories like a Devil’s Food Cake that is considered the little black dress, Caramels and Fleur de Sel Chocolate Covered Caramels as the “It” bag, Caramel Buttercream Icing as the ruffled blouse and Tempered Chocolate as the Stiletto heels. That is the outfit created when I baked Ms Thebault’s Sweet and Salty Cake. Probably one of the few but more involved sweet treats in the book.

Read the full review and the slide show Sweet Chic

Maisy’s is the neighborhood restaurant and bar worth the drive

Just a quick walk from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor or cultural center, Maisy’s is the neighborhood restaurant and bar you wish was close to where you live. Located on Charles Street, Maisy’s warmth, hospitality and really good food draws both locals and visitors with their seasonal and locally sourced offerings for lunch, dinner or late night rendezvous. Pull up a bar stool, grab a table or plop down on the couch and enjoy the early bird or late night happy hours, watch games on the flat screens, share a brick oven pizza or choose a selection of Chef Cyrus Keefer’s delicious creations to fill your cravings.

Read the full review  and watch the slide show  Maisy's is the neighborhood restaurant and bar worth the drive