The Towson restaurant Blue Grotto, which only opened earlier this year, has closed. I reviewed the restaurant for our July issue and had a decent meal there (the focus was Mediterranean and Greek cuisine), though the service was below par.

When I called the restaurant today, the man who answered said they were clearing out the space as we spoke. He said it was closing for various reasons, but he didn’t elaborate.

It’s too bad. The restaurant, which was once a Sunny Surplus store, offered an upscale vibe for Towson. There are no plans for the space to date. First, VIN folded; then Paolo’s; now this. But Cafe Troia seems to be thriving in their new spot—a positive for the area.

Dave Durian, our favorite wake-up guy on WBAL radio, shared an incredibly simple crab dish with me this morning when I was on the morning show. I, um, didn’t ask if I could pass it on, so I hope he doesn’t mind. But it’s perfect for any get-togethers over the Fourth.

There are no measurements, but I think you’ll get the idea. Take a block of cream cheese and soften it to room temperature. Add a can of crabmeat. Mix gently and shape into a ball. Top with cocktail sauce and serve with crackers.

Dave said it never fails to impress guests. I can’t wait to make it. I hope we all don’t end up at the same party with the same appetizer. Let me know if you have any simple recipes or variations of this one. Enjoy.

I'd like your input. For October, the magazine is doing a roundup of the best places to go for breakfast and brunch. I’ve come up with an ever-growing list, but I’d like your help, too, in case I've forgotten a contender. I’m looking for kid-friendly places, too.

Please let me know your favorites. Thanks.

Here's an e-mail sent by Ixia's Brendan Dorr, who we picked as one of Baltimore's best bartenders in our March issue. There's a happy ending.

Dear Friends,

Today is a sad day. Ixia Restaurant Lounge and Bar will be closing its doors permanently. I truly think it is a loss to Baltimore. Un Kim, the owner of Ixia, has decided that she no longer wishes to run Ixia and has chosen to close after this Friday, June 26. I know most of you are thinking why; the only reason is that she just doesn't desire to keep it going. 8 years of constant inspiration and devotion is a lot to keep up. She doesn't wish for someone to take over and lose/change her vision.

So this week will be your last chance to come view, eat and drink at Ixia. I will be there all week long. Tuesday I manage, Wednesday I am behind the bar, Thursday I am serving on the floor, and Friday I will be behind the bar. Please come in and say hello and good bye. Forgive me if I am out of your favorite drink (it might happen).

I realize I am leaving out Saturday. That's because we are hosting an invite only closing party.

The next chapter for me. I have already secured a new job as the head bartender at the new hotel coming to town. It is a Kimpton Monaco Hotel. It is ultra boutique and they receive amazing accolades and awards for their hotels and restaurants, so hopefully we can have just as much fun at a new place. The name of the spot I will be working in is in their restaurant called the B&O (American) Brasserie. It is located in the old B&O Headquarters Building on the NW corner at the intersection of Charles and Baltimore Streets. We open at the end of July and the place looks beautiful. We will be doing exciting, boutique cocktails, hopefully/eventually some of my creations to start or down the road. Please come in and visit me there. I will miss seeing all my regulars and friends.

Anyway, thank you all for the many years of joy and fun you have given me. I hope a lot of you come in for one last visit to Ixia before it is gone and I look forward to seeing you all stop in my new spot some time in August. Take care and thank you all once again.

Sincerely,

Brendan Dorr

Soon to be Ex-Beverage Director of Ixia

I can’t believe Ixia, one of our favorite places and No. 22 on our Best Restaurants list, is closing at the end of June. I just talked to one of the restaurant's managers, who confirmed it.

I’ll have more details soon.

I had two potato dishes yesterday that I can’t stop thinking about—and can’t wait to eat again. If you have any other suggestions, let me know.

Some friends from Delaware came to visit, and we headed to the Harbor area, happy to finally have a sunny day. First stop was Regi’s in Federal Hill for brunch.

We enjoyed crab-and-spinach omelets, but what we couldn’t get enough of were A.J.’s tater tots. The miniature potato croquettes are covered in melted Brie and applewood bacon bits and are truly addictive. We wouldn’t let the waitress take the dish until we had eaten every one. We washed them down with peach Bellinis to celebrate summer.

Later in the afternoon, after hours of meandering the Harbor (okay, this is hokey, but we did the Ride the Ducks tour. Don’t snicker. It’s  fun), we ended up at the bar at Sullivan’s Steak House, where happy hour was in full swing.

If you want a deal, this is the place to go. Martinis are $5 as is a glass of red or white wine. And bar snacks are half price. Swingin’ at Sully’s, as it’s called, is offered on Sundays and Thursdays.

We ordered the Knockout, the restaurant’s signature drink. Let’s just say that orange vodka is a wonderful thing. We were hungry, so we decided to share blue-cheese chips. This is a decadent dish, but munching on hot, fresh-baked potato chips with gooey blue cheese plus crumbled blue is a great way to end an afternoon with friends.

Take dad to Baltimore Coffee & Tea on Sunday, and he’ll receive a free medium coffee for Father’s Day. What a great gift—and just the right price!

You’ll find this promotion at the Timonium, Annapolis, Frederick locations. The Timonium store is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Happy Father’s Day.

Don’t miss the National Aquarium’s final event in its “Fresh Thoughts Dining Series” on Tuesday, June 23. It’s geared to families and sounds like a lot of fun. I checked the Weather Channel’s website and, yay, the forecast is for mostly sunny and a high of 85 degrees that day.

Here’s what you can expect besides a yummy, outdoor grilled fish feast, samples of micro-brewed beers from Clipper City Brewery, and other activities like painting your own cookies and making your own shortcake. You’ll also receive admission to the 5 p.m. dolphin show, an after-dinner showing of the 4-D movie “Planet Earth: Shallow Seas, and access to the Aquarium’s exhibits until 9 p.m.

Admission is $55 for nonmembers, $25 for a child. Call 410-576-3869 or visit the Aquarium’s website.

At 5:30 this morning, I was making deviled eggs, or, at least, I thought I was. I now find out that I was making stuffed eggs.

But more on that in a minute. My egg recipe is pretty simple. Mix the egg yolks with mayo and mustard until the creaminess seems right. Then, spoon the mix into the halved egg whites.

I always sprinkle a little paprika for color and top each egg with an olive. It’s so basic that I began wondering how other people make their eggs. I’d really like you to tell me.

Do you add other ingredients? I checked my “Food Lover’s Companion,” which describes food, drink, and culinary terms. That’s when I found out the difference between a deviled egg and a stuffed egg.

This is probably one of those things that everyone knows but me. According to the food dictionary, a stuffed egg is what I described above and can include various flavorings like herbs, Worcestershire, or curry powder. It’s only called a deviled egg if you’ve added cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce.

The reason I was making the eggs is because I’m going to a cookout tonight. My family is celebrating new beginnings: a nephew who became an NYPD cop, another nephew who graduated from MICA, and a niece who just had a baby. I'm so proud of all of them.

But I hope they won’t be disappointed that I’m bringing stuffed eggs, not deviled eggs!

I just had to cook this weekend, but what? I decided to stop by Conrad’s Crabs and Seafood Market in Parkville. (Remember when that area used to be called Baynesville?) Owner/waterman Tony Conrad always has a beautiful display of fresh seafood.

I knew something would grab me, and it did—Maryland soft shells. They were $5.50 a piece for jumbos. I bought them, even though there are better prices around town. Our administrative assistant Marge got some beauts on Saturday at a produce market at the old North Point Drive-In in Dundalk. They were three for $12 and still wriggling.

I know I blogged about my Mother’s Day crabs, but now I wanted to mess up my own kitchen. And I love my soft-shell-crab recipe. I discovered it a few years ago in Bon Appetit magazine.

You soak the soft shells in buttermilk for an hour in the fridge, then dredge them in a cornmeal-flour mixture. But the kicker is adding a 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (I add more) to the mix. Then, you cook those babies in hot peanut oil (watch for the popping) for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Dinner is served.

There’s one drawback—the leftover smell. But I’ve discovered a new product that takes care of kitchen odors—soy-based candles by Glade. They have a wonderful fragrance (I particularly like the orange vanilla), not cloying at all. Before you even digest the crabs, your kitchen is smelling sweet again.