Scarborough Fair Bed and Breakfast earn Certificate of Excellence

Congratulations are in order for Barry Werner and Jeff Finlay Scarborough Fair Bed and Breakfast innkeepers for garnishing TripAdvisor’s 2012 prestigious Certificate of Excellence. The award is based on Scarborough Fair Bed and Breakfast guests’ comments and rankings with over 344 reviews giving them the top rating of five stars, ranking them one of the top guest accommodations in Baltimore.

Check out the full story and slideshow HERE

Dining Dish’s story featured on BMoreMedia.com

For a long while I have had the concept of matching restaurants with The Charm City Circulator bus stops.  Over lunch one day with friend and  Julekha Dash, editor of BmoreMedia.com, I discussed the concept. I’m excited that it is the featured story this week on BmoreMedia.com.  The story and the sidebar with all the bars, pubs and restaurants that are coordinated with the new Banner Route from Inner Harbor to Fort McHenry and back. I hope you will stop by the site and check out the story.

Read the complete story and sidebar

Chomp on the Charm City Circulator Culinary Tour

 

Restaurant gossip is stirring

Is a local Fells Point Restaurant in financial difficulty? Stories are coming my way of one such restaurant is letting go the key hourly employees, the chef, the general manager and floor captain in the span of two to three weeks. The story I hear is bartenders, servers and runners have been leaving as well. Since this is not a story I can confirm, I will not mention a name.

For more on this story click HERE

No sushi at Ra Sushi

It is that time of year when Ra Sushi introduces their new menu and beverage items and this year there were no new sushi items but they have enhanced their appetizers, entrees and cocktail lines.

Ra, as close friends like to call it, is always busy, lively and pumping with energy. It is hard to find a seat in the bar at any happy hour.

Catch the slideshow and full story HERE.

Chazz celebrates A Bronx Tale's anniversary

Mark your calendars and put on your best Bronx accent. Harbor East’s Chazz: A Bronx Original is having a very special Happy Hour from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, July 23. as members of the  original cast of the classic movie A Bronx Tale will attend. This special Happy Hour that will commemorate the upcoming anniversary of the production of the movie and to launch a new charitable fundraising campaign at the restaurant.

photo courtesy of Chazz: A Bronx Original

Read the full story HERE

August opening date for Fleet Street Kitchen

As Fleet Street Kitchen Restaurant in the Bagby Building on where else, Fleet Street nears its August completion date, one should be putting it on their “must dine” list.

Various media types, including myself, were invited to tour Cunningham Farm and enjoy a sneak peek at Fleet Street Kitchen’s cuisine prepared by Chef Chris Becker-executive chef and chief of culinary operations for the Bagby Restaurant Group, Omar Semidey-sous chef and Bettina Perry-pastry chef. Tim Riley, chief operations officer for the Bagby Group and beverage director oversaw the libations.

Read the complete story and check out the 28 picture slide show HERE

Baltimore, DC, New York, Philadelphia Restaurant Weeks and more

Welcome to your one-stop shopping for regional restaurant weeks. Tis the season for special discount meal deals from $10.12 for multi course lunch to $35 dinner for two.

Rather than just writing about Baltimore City’s Restaurant Week, I have scoured my resources at hand for regional restaurant weeks. Here is the most comprehensive listings I could find for New York City, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, Washington DC, Alexandria VA, New Jersey, Jersey Shore, Ocean City and last but not least, Philadelphia.

Get the complete regional restaurant week listing HERE

Wiley Gunter's is officially opened replacing the Sly Fox Pub

The sign is up on E. Fort Avenue, so it is official, Wiley Gunter’s Pub and Sports Bar is open for business. Former sweat equity partner, Wyatt Mackie, in the Sly Fox Pub has bought out his partners. Wiley Gunter is Mackie’s great, great grandfather who by the way is listed in the Cowboy Hall of Fame. The moniker Gunter is Mackie’s middle name.

Click HERE to read the complete story

Bastille Day in Hampden

It’s a hon kinda Bastille Day for me and where better to celebrate then in Hampden.

Catch the brunch at The Food Market on 36th Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and order their Salad Nicoise. Seared tuna, rare the way I like it, fresh greens, olives, string beans, roasted peppers, potatoes and a perfectly poached egg with Magdelene’s mimosa.

Now it is time to shop like you are on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées and hit all the little boutiques on 36th Street.

Read the full story HERE

The Food Market’s women who brunch deal – half off this Friday

Hampden’s new, sizzling hot restaurant, The Food Market is now doing brunch on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Restaurant brunches are usually Sundays, with an assortment of Baltimore restaurants offering it the entire weekend. Chef Chad Gauss of The Food Market advised that Friday brunch is more for the women that are home and want to go out with their friends. On weekends most women are committed to being with their families.

The Food Market only does dinner and has now added the brunch. They are not looking at this time to do lunch. With adding the Friday brunch Guass explained it lets them bring in two full time staffs. As chef explained, “part-time staffers don’t have the commitment that full time staff offers.”

For the full story and a look at The Food Market's brunch menu click HERE

Travel Channel's Adam Richman comes to Baltimore and chooses the best crab cake

If you want a discussion to last for weeks ask a group of Baltimoreans who makes the best crab cake? Fried, broiled or sauteed, with or without Old Bay, and saltines, Ritz crackers or panko – are just the top of the crab cake debate iceberg. At 9 p.m. tonight Adam Richman of the Travel Channel’s new show Best Sandwich in America lets the nation know it is Faidley’s. Now I'm sure there will be a discussion here!

Chef Nancy Longo - Pierpoint Restaurant & Adam Richman of Best Sandwich in America

In his new series, Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America divides the USA up in 10 regions and picks three sandwiches from each region, eventually doing a March Madness playoff until it is narrowed down to the best sandwich. Read the complete story HERE

What's hot at the 58th Summer Fancy Food Show

It’s a tough job but someone had to scour miles upon miles of specialty food items from sweets to savory, teas to probiotic drinks, hams: Serrano, prosciutto to good ole Virginia, pates, caviar, and smoked salmon to let you know what’s hot at the Summer Fancy Food Show.

 The NASFT Specialty Summer Fancy Food Show is being held for the 2nd year at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the District of Columbia. The show started off slow with it being Father’s Day but oh so nice for maneuvering the rows and rows of exhibitors in five convention halls.

Read the full story, watch the video HERE

Partying on Indonesia's tall ship KRI Dewaruci

There is much to write about the private reception on Indonesia’s KRI Dewaruci tall ship which is visiting Baltimore for the Star-Spangled 200 Sailabration. Where to start? The beginning is probably the best.

We were looking for chief medical officer Babgun who was to be our interpreter. In Indonesia, English is taught as a second language and there was no difficulty talking to Chef Kustanto and crew. The Dewaruci, started construction in 1932 but was suspended during World War II and finally completed in 1952. The Dewaruci is home to a crew of 153 including officers and cadets and is not only a goodwill ship for Indonesia but their naval training ship. The Dewaruci is heading to Boston after Sailabration and soon back to Indonesia where the ship will be decommissioned.

Read the complete story, watch the video and check out the slide show HERE

Baltimore food news - what's cooking, what's opening and more

Hot out of the oven is the new Yia Yia’s Bakery Express that will be opening on York Road near Ridgely in the old Mariner Bank Building. Corky Rosier of Yia Yia’s said estimated opening day should be around the end of July. As an express they will be selling single pastries, cookies, simple cakes and bastas (single slices of cake). All bakery items come from their hub on Philadelphia Road at King. A number of desserts are traditionally Greek and Italian. My mouth is watering now for an éclair but enjoy the fruit tarts, cannolis and baklava as well.

Wit & Wisdom

Read all the food gossip and news HERE.

New Italian restaurant in Cockeysville

Naples, Italy

Through the Italian grapevine word is out about the opening of Carlo’s Italian Bistro in the Church Lane Shopping Center in Cockeysville. Their chef, Bruno Ferrante, hails from Napoli with stops in Paris, New York and Baltimore’s Little Italy at Di Mimmo’s and Caesar’s Den. Carlo Schiattarella, owner is also a native of Napoli where seafood and tomatoes reign supreme.

Get the full scoop and watch the cooking demo HERE

The Crab & Cruise in Crisfield - pack your mallets

photo courtesy of www.crabplace.com

Heading to Ocean City? Divert your car off Route 50 to Route 13 and head to points south to The Crab & Cruise in Crisfield instead and be sure to pack your favorite crab mallets. Whether you are kicking off your weekend a little early on Friday, June 22nd or heading down on Saturday, June 23rd this is a foodie fun filled weekend. The many events are priced individually or you can take advantage of bundled pricing.

Read more, check out the video HERE

Save Adam Richman - Man v. Food

Adam Richman, host of Man v. Food which completed the 4th season and final episode this April was about gluttony. Man v. Food was about who could eat the biggest, the most, the Scoville chart hottest food challenges and its host, Adam Richman, is our era glutton personified. One had to wonder how he could consume so much food at one seating and in a real limited time frame. More over you had to think of his health and how he could survive these gargantuan high cholesterol meals and eating challenges.

Read the full story HERE

Baltimore food trucks battle Washington DC food trucks

A Taste of Two Cities, a mouth to mouth battle coming to South Baltimore at the Westport Waterfront (www.westportwaterfront.com) on Saturday, June 23 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. as 20 of Baltimore’s food trucks take on 20 Washington D.C.’s food trucks. It will be “the best of times!’

Along with celebrity judges, you, the consumer are invited to come enjoy the great food and also help pick whether Baltimore has the best food trucks versus Washington DC. “A Taste of Two Cities” will feature food and drinks from the top food trucks in the region in addition to live entertainment from local bands.

Go forth, dine and support Baltimore in the battle for food truck supremacy. Baltimore has always felt like a step child to the Washington DC dining scene so show your loyalty. Let’s show DC that hons have taste.

Directions to the event can be found at www.westportwaterfront.com. Additionally, Westport Waterfront is accessible via Baltimore’s Light Rail system by exiting at the Westport Station stop (south of the Hamburg Street stop which serves M&T Bank Stadium).