Bakery, Restaurant, Bar: Charmed Kitchen does it all!

The lucky locals of Upper Fells, Butchers Hill and those around Patterson Park have the recently opened, bakery, restaurant and bar, Charmed Kitchen.  They are open 7 days a week from early 6:30 a.m. for takeout Ceremony coffees and the bakery’s offerings from croissants, bagels to Danish pastries. At 9 a.m., seated breakfast service starts (omelets, waffle, and more) and lunch kicks in at 11 a.m.   The grueling schedule continues Wednesday through Sundays with happy hour, small plates, dinner service and full bar in the evening hours. 

Passion is the word that best describes Christa Bruno (chef) and Shadee Holden (baker) and their combined visions for this small, urban corner restaurant-bakery-bar, Charmed Kitchen. 

Enjoy the full story at Dara Cooks Blog - Baltimore Post Examiner

Duck Duck Goose to replace 8 Ball Bar & Grill

Announced just yesterday on their Facebook page, Fells Point’s  8 Ball Bar & Grill is closing at 814 South Broadway.  The meatball centric restaurant and bar opened its doors February, 2016 which had previously been Tapas Adela. In their Facebook farewell notice they reminded folks, “to continue to shop local, eat local, BE local.”  There will be lots of specials happening building up to their grand finale on Monday, April 2^nd.    

Chef Ashish Allfred

In a press release received yesterday comes the news that Bethesda Chef Ashish Alfred is bringing his popular French-style brasserie to Fells Point this summer in the same location.   Southern Living magazine named Bethesda’s Duck Duck Goose (DDG) Maryland’s best restaurant. 

Everything you want to know at this time is in the press release, so let me just paste it all for your edification and review.

“The new Duck Duck Goose will bring its fresh take on the classic French brasserie, focusing on seasonal ingredients prepared through simple, time-honored cooking methods. Guests will savour delicious, expertly-prepared cuisine spanning classical to modern Parisian influences. Chef Alfred has a simple description of his creations: “good food, done well.” As in Bethesda, guests will be treated to an unparalleled standard of service from the moment they arrive. But Alfred is adamant that the new Baltimore location isn’t going to be a clone ​— ​no Duck Duck Goose, The Deuce here. Instead, he says it will have its own unique personality and flair.

Unique to Baltimore: the facility’s front and rear private outdoor patios, large centralized bar, and busy Fells Point locale, perfect for catering to locals and tourists. Chef Alfred plans to offer more small plate options than in Bethesda. The average entree is expected to cost less than $24. In peak times, Duck Duck Goose will accommodate about 85 people at 22 tables and the bar, plus more at the outdoor cafes. With its five-star location near the water and posh atmosphere, Alfred plans to tap into Fells Point sophisticated nightlife scene and serve food and cocktails late into the night. It will be the ideal place to start, enjoy and/or end the evening.

The culinary star has competed on Food Network’s ​Cutthroat Kitchen​ and ​Chopped. ​Chef Al, as he’s often called, ​ ​trained at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan, and sharpened his skills in some of the best kitchens in NYC. He ​is the chef and owner of the ​Alfred Restaurant Group’s three restaurants (​George’s Chophouse​, also in Bethesda, is the third). Alfred opened Duck Duck Goose in Bethesda in 2016, and it quickly became the destination for casually elegant dining, fine wine tastings, weekend brunches and intimate, late-night cocktails.

Chef ​Al is also candid about his long running drug and alcohol addiction issues, which started when he was in his late teens. He credits his passion for creating recipes and cooking among the reasons he’s been sober now for three years. In addition, he’s named his latest restaurant after his late brother George, who was also critical in helping him find the road to sobriety.”

Points South Latin Kitchen will have you saying olé

My Points South Latin Kitchen review is live on Gayot.com.  They are located on the  cobblestone Thames Street in Fells Point. The restaurant is sizzling with great cuisine, service and you don't want to miss the Drag Brunches. You can also find them on the Hot 10 Baltimore Restaurants list.

Grand Opening of Fells Point Tavern Benefits the Living Classroom Foundation

Everyone is invited to the “official” grand opening of Fells Point Tavern on Friday, November 18^th which is split in two parts. A buffet and drink pre-event from 6 to 9 pm – purchase your ticket for $30 or come later, from 9 pm to 2 am, where one can sway, hum, or tap their toes to the live music, drink a cold brew or classic cocktail and peruse local vendors promoting their wares to benefit the Living Classroom Foundation.

Eight Ball Meatball where scratch is a good thing

Fell’s Point, a historic Baltimore neighborhood where one can’t help tripping over a bar every other step and it has been that way for centuries. Sailors had to be in earshot of their ships anchored at the foot of the cobblestoned Broadway and Thames Streets.  One can imagine Anthony Bourdain spending a night hitting all the local bars, commiserating with locals and then looking for that perfect bite to round off his evening’s foray through the nautical neighborhood, possibly at Eight Ball Meatball.

Eight Ball Meatball has been open close to a year, an upgraded fast casual concept featuring, yes, you guessed it, made from scratch meatballs; the classic (beef, pork and veal), gluten free chicken, spicy pork, veggie and the daily special along with their daily salad, risotto and sauce. Pick a sauce; classic tomato, Parmesan cream, pesto, spicy meat or mushroom gravy, then how do you want it, in a bowl, as a sub or individual slider. Your meatballs are served as you like them on top of pasta or daily risotto, or a salad. You even have an option of putting an egg on it.  They are open for lunch, dinner and late night as well as Saturday and Sunday brunch specials.  Check out the slideshow for greater detail.

8 Ball Meatball - Get your meatball on and more

Photo courtesy of 8 Ball Meatball - Meatball sub with salad

Yes, there are meatballs and I’ll get to that in a minute. There are starters like charcuterie, fried pickles, bruschetta of the day and rotating specials.  Salads, yes – house salad, seasonal salad and roasted veggies.  Starches, check – mashed potatoes, creamy, cheesy polenta, a daily risotto, white beans and kale and spaghetti or rigatoni.  Put an egg on it, available for a small surcharge. Your sweet tooth isn’t ignored – churros with dipping sauce and ice cream by the scoop.  

Burger King was on to something a long time ago with the concept of “having it your way.” As fast food chains like McDonalds and others like them are scrambling to get their customers back, fast casual concept restaurants that let you choose your ingredients, creating a meal to your personal preferences  are the rage.  Enter Baltimore’s latest fast casual concept, 8 Ball Meatball that is opening this Sunday, February 21st in Fells Point at the old Tapas Adela location, 814 South Broadway. 

Owner, local Paul Weitz, “There are a ton of great restaurant options in Fells Point, but we hope to bring something unique to the table (pun intended). This is a town that appreciates solid, high-quality food and we are very optimistic our customizable meatball selections will hit the spot.”

Open for lunch daily at 11 a.m. and until midnight from Sunday, through Wednesday and 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday – perfect for the bar patrons in the waterfront neighborhood. 

As the 8 Ball Meatball website says, anything can be made into a meatball. The restaurant will offer four types of meatballs daily — classic, gluten-free herb chicken, spicy pork and vegetarian — and five sauces, classic tomato, Parmesan cream, spicy pork, pesto and mushroom gravy. A fifth rotating "special ball" and sauce will also be available each night.  Customers can order their meatball selection to be served in a bowl, as a sub or sliders with their choice of side dishes.

Oh, don’t let me forget that guests can imbibe with a beer, wine or a craft cocktail.

8 Ball Meatball – 814 South Broadway – Baltimore, MD 21231 – 443-759-5315 www.8ballmeatball.com  Facebook  Twitter and Instagram @8ballmeatball