Baltimore magazine - Food & Dining

Grapevine: Let's Drink to Spring Flowers

Derrick — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:26:42 +0000

Your sip tip of the month for May 2013.

By John Farlow

Lamberti Rosé Sparkling Wine NV
$13, Southern Wine and Spirits

Juicy and off-dry like a Prosecco, redolent of cherry blossom and strawberry patch, this lovely Italian sparkling wine practically bursts with springtime character. At its best when served well chilled, this bubbly is the perfect pick for a picnic trip to Sherwood Gardens.

The Show Must Go On

Derrick — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:37:24 +0000

The Mt. Washington Tavern blends the old with the new after the fire.

BY SUZANNE LOUDERMILK

This is not the Mt. Washington Tavern of your college days and frolicking youth. Oh, you’ll still find the preppy crowds at the bar talking lacrosse and hunt clubs, but the surroundings have been given a major facelift that inspires awe if you flash back to the Tavern’s pre-fire days. Then, the bars and dining rooms had a rumpled, worn-shoe look, befitting a structure built in the late 1800s. The floors were uneven, the corridors meandered, and the décor was, well, dated. Ferns, anyone?

Is Baltimore a Foodie Town?

Baltimore magazine — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:54:12 +0000

New restaurants, upstart chefs, and visiting actors are drawing attention to our dining scene.

By Suzanne Loudermilk

It didn’t take long for noted chef Michael Mina to assess Baltimoreans’ taste buds. Soon after Wit & Wisdom: A Tavern by Michael Mina opened a year and a half ago at the Four Seasons Hotel in Harbor East, diners were downing plates of bison-heart tartare among other adventurous fare. That’s all Mina—a San Francisco resident who operates almost two-dozen restaurants around the country—needed to know. “In Baltimore, people are very much into dining,” he says.

Betting on a Drink

Baltimore magazine — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:15:43 +0000

The black-eyed Susan will be in demand on race day. We asked Tim Riley (Bagby Restaurant Group) for his take on the cocktail.

By Suzanne Loudermilk

The Kentucky Derby has the mint julep as its signature cocktail. The Belmont Stakes has several, including a white carnation libation. So it’s no surprise that the Preakness celebrates the second leg of the Triple Crown with a drink called the black-eyed Susan, named after the flowers used to create a blanket for the winning horse. We asked Tim Riley, the beverage director for the Bagby Restaurant Group, including Fleet Street Kitchen and Ten Ten, to share a recipe with us. Here’s Riley’s adaptation.

We Love Mom

Derrick — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:13:18 +0000

Mother’s Day is May 12, and plenty of restaurants around town are planning special brunches in honor of Mom. Here are some of the places we like best for celebrating the day.

By Samantha Iacia

1. B&O American Brasserie: The restaurant will be hosting a bountiful brunch that includes citrus-and-coriander-cured gravlax, pepper-and-thyme roasted prime rib, buttermilk biscuits and chorizo gravy, and a dessert display with house-made pastries, cakes, and pies. Price: $30 per person; $12 for children 12 and under. Bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys are available for an additional $10 per person. Mom gets complimentary mimosas.

The Newest Prime Rib

Baltimore magazine — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:02:57 +0000

Baltimore’s venerable steakhouse plays to win at Maryland Live.

By Suzanne Loudermilk

It’s no coincidence that The Prime Rib’s swank, supper-club vibe has been showcased in a TV show like The Wire or often brings mention of the retro era of Mad Men. The restaurant exudes an elegance and allure that appeals to diners—whether it’s a young drug-gang leader like D’Angelo Barksdale trying out the luxe life or a slick advertising guy like Don Draper.

Grapevine: Loire Valley’s Crisp Flavors

Baltimore magazine — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:40:26 +0000

Your sip tip of the month for April 2013.

By John Farlow

April is here, and with it comes the cool side of spring—enough warmth to coax you outdoors, though Old Man Winter’s breath can still chill the back of your neck. The snappy textures, fresh aromas, and prim flavors of France’s Loire Valley wines epitomize the season, and we’ve found three lip-smacking examples to complement the weather.

Cornering the Wine Trade

Derrick — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:39:27 +0000

Restaurant owner starts with his own downtown eatery.

By Martha Thomas

Derrick Vaughan, owner of The Corner Bistro & Wine Bar in Ridgely’s Delight, has a grand idea. He wants to rename the stretch from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Harbor East the “Wine’Tastic Mile”—inspired by Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. He’s produced bumper stickers and has convinced the city to install a Wine’Tastic Mile street sign at the corner of MLK and Pratt Street to promote the bars and restaurants along the route (even turning at President Street to include the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore and Cinghiale).

Philly’s Food Revolution

Derrick — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:27:18 +0000

Weekend warriors can relish the city’s beloved cheese steaks—and so much more.

By Pam George

The taste lingered long after the car turned onto Interstate 95 and the twin towers of Liberty Place grew smaller in the rearview mirror. It was quite possibly the best pork sandwich ever—tender herb-braised meat, pulled apart and tucked into the firm yet yielding roll that only a Philadelphia bakery can make. The crowning touch: garlicky broccoli rabe and sharp provolone.

Cooking up Global Cuisine

Baltimore magazine — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:29:20 +0000

With a family to feed, businesswoman Monyka Berrocosa puts an early interest in food and fine dining to good use.

By Jane Marion

Donning a red-striped apron as she emulsifies Dijon mustard to make a proper French vinaigrette, Monyka Berrocosa says that learning to cook was a matter of basic survival. “My mother was a terrible cook,” says Berrocosa, as she stands in the charming galley kitchen of her Towson home, with her Hungarian Vizsla, Tokai, at her feet. “Everything she ever made turned into spaghetti sauce—even if she started with a chicken.

Getting Juiced

Derrick — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:19:33 +0000

Fans tout the merits of fruit and vegetable drinks.

By Samantha Iacia

Juices pack a punch these days, both nutritionally and in popularity. You’ll find a variety of drinks chock full of vitamins and minerals around town, including at Zia’s, Liquid Earth, and Grind House Juice Bar & Market. Even actor Woody Harrelson, a raw-food proponent, inspired one local drink when he was in Baltimore filming Game Change. To meet his request for a healthy beverage, Agora Market (Inn at the Black Olive, 803 S.

Rollin' Along

Derrick — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:35:13 +0000

Food trucks aren’t putting the brakes on anytime soon.

By Suzanne Loudermilk

Just look at the increasing number of vans taking to the streets with all manner of cuisine. We like the variety, but we always find ourselves going back to these road warriors.

Best Restaurants 2013

Baltimore magazine — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:36:17 +0000

We rank the top 50 places to eat around Baltimore.

Edited by Suzanne Loudemilk. Written By John Farlow, Henry Hong, Suzanne Loudermilk, Jane Marion, Karen Nitkin, Bianca Sienra, Martha Thomas, Mike Unger. Food photography by Ryan Lavine. Chef/Owner portraits by David Colwell.

Meat And Greet

Derrick — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:27:49 +0000

Steak mogul Steve de Castro’s home is a monument to a life of hard work—and a drive for perfection.

By Jane Marion

“I’ve been working pretty much my whole life,” says de Castro. “Living in a Communist country, one of the things Fidel [Castro] did was have you work for him every day on your own land. I remember when I was maybe 12 or 13, I’d get up and help my mother reach her daily quota—whether it was helping with sugar cane or hoeing in between rows of plantains.”

Beyond Kimchi

Baltimore magazine — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:40:09 +0000

Area restaurants carry on the food traditions of Korea.

By Henry Hong

When TV personality, chef, and food writer Andrew Zimmern came to Baltimore last summer, he visited a variety of eating establishments including Angie’s Soul Food at Lexington Market and Chaps Charcoal Restaurant for pit beef. But he also wanted to go to several of the area’s Korean restaurants while filming an episode for the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods America. At Nam Kang on Maryland Avenue, Zimmern chowed down on octopus bibimbap and fish-roe jjigae before heading to Shin Chon Garden Restaurant in Ellicott City, where he continued his eating foray.