For Foodies : Buzz

Maryland lawmakers are debating weighty issues that affect everything from economic development to health care.

But there's one issue they're really sinking their teeth into: making the soft-shell crab sandwich the official state sandwich. 

"Debate began to heat up on Thursday when Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. (D-Calvert) testified in favor of the bill he is co-sponsoring at a committee hearing," writes the Huffington Post. 

Maryland Life magazine Editor and Publisher Dan Patrell weighed in on the debate, arguing that official designation could lead to more awareness of the Chesapeake Bay's bounty and higher sales.

"It wasn’t long ago that this same body considered naming the Smith Island Cake as the state dessert, which some may have also thought frivolous," Patrell said in written testimony. "But I ask you to consider the economic impact of that legislation: you raised general awareness not only within the state but well beyond its borders."

You can read the rest of the story here. 

The rich, velvety Bordeaux you just had with dinner wasn't always so pleasing to the palate.

That's according to Paul Lukacs, a Loyola University of Maryland professor who has written a book on the history of wine, featured in the New York Times.

In his new book "Inventing Wine: A New History of One of the World's Most Ancient Pleasures," Lukacs writes that for much of history wine wasn't all that palatable, but the only option as water and milk weren't so safe to drink back then.

"It was really with the Enlightenment in the 18th century, when a series of revolutions began that would transform our understanding of grape-growing, wine production and wine storage, that wine began to resemble what we now take for granted," the Times writes. 

You can read the entire story here. 

"Baltimore love is snow-balls covered with melted marshmallow."

So declares Baltimore native Caroline Weller in the Huffington Post, where she is a news editor. 

Her love letter to Baltimore talks about the city's myriad charms that make it special: Maryland Blue Crabs, Berger cookies and Natty Bohs, among them.

And of course, the Baltimore Ravens — even when they aren't the Super Bowl champions.

You can read the entire letter here. 

Writers for the New York Times Diner's Journal rounded up their list of favorite food stories. 

Along with stories in Esquire and Business Week, Times dining bloggers are reading a Baltimore City Paper feature on a Maryland father-and-son team who are making artisanal cider and mead.

"Just a few weeks ago, I was at some holiday party of the not-very-interesting variety. Then a guest opened a bottle of cider they’d brought—Millstone Cellars’ Ciderberry blend—and things suddenly got very interesting," Baltimore City Paper writes. 

Two Baltimore travel properties have received national recognition.

Travelers have named the Inn at the Black Olive as one of top-rated small hotels in the country, according to TripAdvisor, which unveiled its Travelers' Choice 2013 awards.

The Fells Point property scored an impressive No. 3 ranking on the list of small hotels, behind Inn of the Five Graces in Santa Fe., N.M., and Wentworth Mansion in Charleston, S.C. Billing itself as a "premiere boutique organic hotel," it is owned by the Spiliadis family, who also operate the Black Olive and Olive Room restaurants. 

The award also recognized Rachael Dowry's Bed and Breakfast in its list of top bed and breakfasts and inns. The Ridgely's Delight property came in at No. 6. Point Clear Cottages in Fairhope, Ala., the Welsh Hills Inn in Granville, Ohio and Stony Point Bed & Breakfast in Tyrone, Pa. were the top three. 

Potato pizza savored in Tuscany, Italy inspired restaurateur Sergio Vitale to serve a potato pie at Chazz: A Bronx Original restaurant, Pizza Today writes.

"Vitale’s coal-oven-fired white pizza is topped with sea salt seasoned potatoes, pecorino and fontina cheeses, rosemary and gar­lic," the magazine writes. "After baking he drizzles calabrese chili oil over it."

To prevent the pizza from getting too soggy, Vitale says he places a layer of shredded fontina cheese underneath the spuds, which he spaces out carefully.

“ 'Too many spuds cropped up in the center will make a soggy pizza,'” Vitale says. You can read the rest of the story here. 

Denise Whiting and her restaurant Cafe Hon are once again the darlings of the Hampden neighborhood, according to a recent episode of Gordon Ramsey's "Kitchen Nightmares."

Ramsey revisits Cafe Hon a year after his first visit to find a bustling restaurant, humble owner and good food. 

"The food was better, they said, the staff seemed happier -- the first piece portrayed them as primed for a full-scale revolt -- and the community seemed ready to let bygones be bygones, especially once Whiting made good on her promise to let go of the trademark," writes Chris Kaltenbach in the Baltimore Sun.

Whiting, of course, faced a public relations nightmare after trademarking the word "Hon." She then later abandoned the trademark and her decision was broadcast on MIX 106.5 and on "Kitchen Nightmares."

The owners of Hampden's Alchemy restaurant are starring in a new reality television show, according to tourism and hospitality website Citypeek.com. 

Baltimore-based RLTV is featuring the couple on a show called "What's Next," scheduled to air in the spring.

"The foodie show uses the small 75 seat venue ALCHEMY's partners Sommelier/Pastry-Bread-Sweets Debi Bell-Matassa and Executive Chef Michael Matassa to cover and tackle issues like: how do you run a business, how do you manage to work side by side your spouse," Citypeek.com writes. 

Founded by John Erickson, cable channel RLTV caters to the 50 + crowd in its programming.

Cross Street Market or Eastern Market? It's a showdown between Federal Hill and Capitol Hill on the Travel Channel.

The cable network was in Baltimore Dec. 7 and filmed at the Cross Street Market, writes Kevin Lynch in SouthBMore.com. 

"Get down to the market and let people know how great the area is," SouthBMore.com writes. "And, while you are there, grab something at one of the many merchants and support local business."

We can't wait to see the show when it airs. 

How do restaurants serve up the freshest produce in the winter? They can, store and preserve, says the New York Times, which prominently features Woodberry Kitchen in its feature on how restaurants are saving up for the winter. 

"At Woodberry Kitchen, the chef Spike Gjerde collaborates with local growers to stock an abundant pantry, serving diners at his 162-seat restaurant," the Times writes. 

" 'We got in the kitchen and froze 10 cases of tomatoes and roasted, peeled and seeded 10 cases of peppers,'” Gjerde tells the Times.

The story also mentions Carroll County's Black Ankle Vineyards, which supplies grapes to Woodberry.

You can read the entire story here. 

Huffington Post recently went on an expedition to Baltimore's Lexington Market. The reason? To see the tempting display at Berger cookies' stall. 

The cake-like cookie with fudge frosting has been making its way south to grocery stores in the Washington, D.C., market.

"If you've ever had Dangerously Delicious' Baltimore Bomb pie, the critical ingredient in the oh-so decadent dessert is a little not-so-healthy treat that's been a favorite in Charm City for generations: Berger cookies," Huffington Post writes. 

The article comes with a mouth-watering slideshow. 

An iconic, blue-collar Baltimore dish has made its way to the hippest of all food havens: Brooklyn.

Yeah, there are men in skinny jeans and Buddy Holly glasses chomping into a Lake Trout sandwich as you are reading this.

Baltimore native Matt Lang opened Lake Trout in the Williamsburg neighborhood, along with area restaurateur Joe Carroll. The spot is decorated with Baltimore sports memorabilia. 

"The semiotics get stickier at Lake Trout, whose name refers to a working-class Baltimore specialty that is neither lake in origin nor trout," the New York Times writes. "Mr. Lang purchases deboned fillets, contrary to tradition (crunching a few bones is supposed to be part of the fun), and coats them in cracker meal and flour."

You can read the entire review here. 

Serving up lentil burgers and veggie deli "meats" has earned Towson University and the University of Maryland a spot on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (PETA) list of most vegan-friendly colleges.

PETA 2 —  the arm of the animal-rights group that targets the younger crowd — nominated both schools. Voting for Round 1 continues until 5 p.m. Oct. 16 and winners will be announced Nov. 15.

PETA 2 determines who makes it to the next round based on four factors: quality vegan food options, the total number of votes, the enthusiasm demonstrated by nominated schools and feedback from campus students on their vegan dining options.

The University of New Hampshire, Cornell University and Alabama's Troy University are among the other nominated vegan-friendly schools. 

Pennsylvania brewer D.G. Yuengling & Son is putting the spotlight on Baltimore.

It's filming a number of TV ads in Baltimore that promote Yuengling Lager and Yuengling Light Lager in Baltimore, Shanken News Daily writes. Shanken in a daily email news service that covers the wine, beer and spirits industry. 

"Yuengling’s upcoming set of ads includes five new spots currently in production in Baltimore, focusing on the brewery’s Yuengling Lager and Yuengling Light Lager brands," Shanken writes. "They will target the 21-34-year-old age group that represents the company’s core consumer. The new ads follow a recent push in Yuengling’s home market of Philadelphia, aimed toward reinforcing its status as a household name amid an 'influx of new, competitive beer brands.'" 

You can read the rest of the article here. 

And you can read about the commercials' filming in Canton here. 

We've often highlighted USA Today stories that make mention of Baltimore hotels. 

Now USA Today has featured a BmoreMedia news story on two Baltimore hotels that are debuting new restaurants at their properties. And now we're featuring the USA Today story that highlights our original article. How very meta, you say. 

One of the hotels, the Tremont Plaza Suites Hotel is converting to a Hilton Embassy Suites. And as part of the makeover, Hilton is debuting its new restaurant concept Brickstones in Baltimore. 

"Months after celebrity chef Michael Mina opened not one but two restaurants at Baltimore's new luxury Four Seasons hotel, two other Baltimore hotels are preparing to unveil new restaurants," USA Today writes. 

"One restaurant will open in the future Embassy Suites hotel, which will occupy the old Tremont Plaza hotel in downtown Baltimore, bmoremedia.com reports."