for foodies : Development News

For gospel trio Immeasurable, Ronnie Brooks, Yanna Foster and Victoria Coleman, opening Immeasurable Chicken and Waffle at 1700 W. Pratt Street in West Baltimore is about more than just serving up crispy chicken and tender waffles.

"We wanted to be able to create a restaurant that was in a community where we thought people needed help. We're not just here to make money. We're here to give back in the inner city. There are a lot kids who come in here, they ask us for advice. It isn't just about chicken and waffles, but we do love them. It's really about trying to create something where Immeasurable could benefit and also create something where we can give back to our black community," says Victoria Coleman.

"We wanted to create a positive, non-alcoholic place as well," adds Yanna Foster.
 
To achieve that goal, the second floor of the restaurant has been turned into a gathering place for area teens who participate in Immeasurable's Christian Club.

"We have different activities that go on there throughout the week, like open mic, line dancing, karaoke and comedy. We have things like that just to draw in the community and get some of these kids of the street and give them something else to do at night besides hanging out on the corner, getting in trouble and stuff like that," says Ronnie Brooks.

Open for just three weeks, Immeasurable Chicken and waffles naturally specializes in fried chicken and waffles. Their best-selling dish so far is the Immeasurable Chicken Supreme, a plain waffle topped with a sliced chicken breast and gravy . The chicken comes fried, barbecued or Jamaican jerked. There's also corn, greens, beans, sweet potatoes, potato salad, mac and cheese, and macaroni salad for sides. The restuarant also serves several sandwiches and subs. Dessert is also done with a down home flare, featuring chocolate, lemon and pound cake.

"In this area, we also have what I would say is the largest crab cake that's 99 percent crab and just 1 percent of the stuff that holds it together. It's the size of a baseball. It's so huge," says Coleman, adding that the menu also includes Chicken Alfredo and Shrimp Alfredo.

Source: Immeasurable
Writer: Walaika Haskins

A new Mexican restaurant and lounge recently opened in Columbia, MD. Azul 17, located at 9400 Snowden River Parkway Suite 127, is the brainchild of owners Julio and Lily Soto do, longtime Columbia residents.

The decor features sleek whites and bright blues, with a bar that changes colors providing a sophisticated backdrop for Azul 17's specialty - upscale drinks. The lounge's drink menu features 17 signature margaritas and 17 specialty cocktails as well as a wide variety of bottled beers.

Azul doesn't stint on quality with each of the speciality cocktail including mojitos and caipirinhas made using fresh juices and nectars, and of course top-shelf booze. The alcoholic libations come with an upscale price from $9 to $13. 

Stop in for dinner and stay for dancing on the weekends. At 10 p.m. Azul 17 turns into a lounge complete with DJs spinning Latin and house tunes for dancers interested in taking to the hot spots dance floor.

Sitting on the border of Harbor East and Little Italy at 1002 Eastern Avenue, Milan is a new upscale restaurant scheduled to open in mid-November just before Thanksgiving.

According to Peter Mooridan, general manager, Milan "will be different than your typical Little Italy restaurant. Little Italy is very tradtional and a lot of these places have been around for many years. It will be more modern and cutting edge."

The restaurant will include dining on three different levels, with an outdoor heated patio on the lower level; a sushi bar and lounge on the main floor and private dining on the third level. The decor will have a loungy comfortable feel.

"I envision big martinis and really nice cocktails with a lot of fresh ingredients like fresh mint, cucumbers, mangoes and mojitoes, lychees and just really tasty drinks,"

Mooridan calls the cuisine Italian/Mediterranean but says it will be a lighter and more modern take than that found in traditional Italian restaurants and will continue the fresh ingredient theme. "We're offering a lot of fresh ingredients. A lot of people use dense sauces to create flavor and we have a cleaner way to eat and enjoy the natural flavor of the food."


Source: Peter Mooridan, Milan
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Harbor East recently welcomed a new and much needed resident -- a pizzeria. Bagby Pizza Co. located at 1006 Fleet Street, right across from Whole Foods, is the culmination of owner Blake Smith and chef Kyle Gillies hard work. The pair realized that amidst the high-end clothing and accessory stores, the upscale restaurants and glittering apartment/condo towers there was just one thing missing.

And so, Bagby Pizza Company was born to provide the Harbor East community a place to get affordably priced gourmet pizzas, pastas, salads and sandwiches.

The restaurant also doubles as an art gallery for local artists who are welcome to display their art on the exposed brick walls. Proceeds from artwork purchased at Bagby Pizza help support the artist or a charity of his/her choosing.

Source: Bagby Pizza Company
Writer: Walaika Haskins

When Mindy Alezra and her family fell in love with a vacant building on the corner of S. Ann and Gough Streets in upper Fells Point, the juxtaposition of the two names brought to their minds the tormented, ear-bereft Dutch painter. It was only after they'd settled on the name Van Gough Caf� for a first-floor coffee shop that they discovered locals pronounce Gough "guff" and not "go." Oh well. They dig the name and they're sticking with it.

Alezra, who purchased the imposing three-story brick building at 300 S. Ann St. with her husband Max and daughter and son-in-law Loni and Nick Diamond, says she's wanted her entire life to open a cafe.

"This building was calling to me saying, ok this is it, this is your opportunity," she says. "I want to know people, so I always wanted a little coffee shop where regular customers would come in, like in the bar Cheers. A place where they would know who we were and we would know who they were."

Alezra and her team capitalized on the exposed brick, hardwood floors and massive, hardwood bar to establish a relaxed atmosphere for the 900-square-foot caf�, which opens next month. There will be the requisite wi-fi, couches, tables and bar stools, and also plenty of artwork by local artists on display in keeping with the caf�'s name. The cafe will offer standard coffee shop fare, including specialty coffees, smoothies, paninis, sandwiches, salads, and bagels from Goldberg's New York Bagels on Reisterstown Road.

But the quartet's contribution to Fells Point development doesn't stop there. They have also renovated the top two floors into an 1,800 square-foot single-family home boasting six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a whopping 24 windows, and a brand new electrical wiring throughout. The home will be available to rent in a few weeks, Alezra says.

Fells Point has not only proven the ideal neighborhood for a coffee shop, says Alezra, but exceedingly helpful to business owners. Support from the community facilitated the permits process, she says, and a grant from Fells Point Main Street has enabled the new owners to redo the building's 1920 fa�ade.

"We love Fells Point," says Alezra, who with her husband came to Baltimore six years ago from Milwaukee. "It's quaint, it has so much character. It's just a unique and amazing place."

Writer: Lucy Ament
Source: Mindy Alezra, Van Gough Caf�

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Maryland residents Marc and Laura Rosen are teaming up to bring a 63,000-square-foot family entertainment venue to Hunt Valley Towne Centre in Hunt Valley, Md.

MVP Entertainment, which opens early next year, will feature an upscale-dining and express restaurant, a sports bar, two high-tech golf simulators, a coffee and gelato bar, a memorabilia/pro-shop, billiard tables, and 38 bowling lanes equipped flat screen televisions and state-of-the-art entertainment technology.  The facility will also have several private reception areas with their own bowling lanes and catering for corporate events or private parties of more than 2000 people.

"This concept is unique in that it offers so many different entertainment choices under one roof," says Laura Rosen. "Whether you're dining in our premier restaurant and bar, attending a private event in our VIP lounge, or just bowling with family or friends, MVP Entertainment will be exciting and high energy."

Brian Gibbons, CEO of Hunt Valley Towne Centre developer Greenberg Gibbons, notes that "with the range of dining and entertainment options, the facility offers something for everyone in the community. It will be great for senior citizen leagues, kids' parties, corporate outings, adult fun and much more."

Formerly the Hunt Valley Mall, Hunt Valley Towne Center was converted into a 980,000-square-foot lifestyle center boasting 260,000 square feet of space in an open air "Main Street" environment. The centre, which opened in 2005, features a 140,000-square-foot Wegmans and a collection of nearly fifty shops and sit-down and casual restaurants.

An invitation-only groundbreaking ceremony for MVP Entertainment, which plans to expand to cities "anchored" by professional sports franchises, will be held on Sept. 15.

Writer: Lucy Ament
Source: Greenberg Gibbons

Restaurant-goers who like to eat where it's edgy will delight in the arrival of The Reserve, a new Federal Hill eatery that's brought a jolt of industrial chic to 1542 Light Street. After a soft opening, owners Andrew Dunlap, Sean White, and Thomas Brown recently unveiled the restaurant's full menu and it has brought business up to a rolling boil.

"I think The Reserve brings a whole new atmosphere to Federal Hill," says Brown. "It's kind of like bringing a D.C. type place to Baltimore but not taking it too far. D.C.-style bars don't usually work in Baltimore; every time I've seen them come they never last."

With it's concrete floors and countertops, stainless steel embellishments, and exposed beams and duct work, The Reserve is a study in cool, clean lines. It has an L-shaped bar that stretches across half of the first floor, which is painted in shades of blue, gray and silver, and another in the back, which is used for private engagements. Beer taps are embedded in a stone wall, and patrons are invited to watch the chefs at work through a large open window.

"We're bringing customers very high quality foods at very reasonable, Baltimore prices and in a relaxed atmosphere," Brown says. "Seafood is delivered every day, we serve top of the line filet and we offer a seasonal menu that changes four times a year."

While the entrees cover the standard surf and turf repertoire, it's the preparation at The Reserve that's intriguing. The calamari appetizer comes with a tomato hazelnut vinaigrette; the tuna with a crispy pineapple mille feuille with soy ginger vinaigrette; the bison burger with a jalapeno cream, raw onion, cucumber & red pepper coulis.

Brown says The Reserve will begin featuring sushi on Sundays as well as live music. The restaurant also has a second floor, which will open in three-to-six months.

Writer: Lucy Ament
Source: Thomas Brown, The Reserve

"Small plate" savorers can soon mix and munch at a new Fells Point location: a Spanish tapas restaurant called Adela that's slated to open Oct. 1.

Located on the South Broadway side of the Admiral Fell Inn, Adela is the latest brainchild of Kali's Restaurant Group, which has brought to Fells Point a suite of high quality and sophisticated restaurants at varying price points. (There's the group's marquee restaurant, Kali's Court; the bistro Meli with its elegant, ample entrees all below $20; and Mezze, a Greek/Turkish tapas restaurant on the Thames side of the Admiral hotel).

Darin Mislan, who handles operations for Kali's Restaurant Group, says the success of Mezze has signaled an interest in small plate dining, and that traditional Spanish fare seemed the obvious way to go. The group has created for Adela a traditional Spanish atmosphere, with a mosaic tiled bar, traditional wrought iron, Spanish motifs, and a courtyard boasting a lush garden. The restaurant can seat roughly 120 diners, and includes a private room, accommodating 12, that overlooks the courtyard.

"We're going to have a very active bar and cocktail scene, with a fantastic wine list centered in Spain and specialty cocktails," says Mislan, adding that the menu will include lots of Spanish cheeses and cured meats. "It will be a spot to go and grab a glass of wine and have a bite to eat before going home to have dinner with the family, or a place to bring a group and make a night of it."

Another sign of authenticity? "We're getting very, very serious about sangria," Mislan says. "The chef and bartender have been researching different types, and we have some guys who just got back from Brazil and Spain who are helping us."

A fixture in Fells Point since 1999, Kali's Group hasn't seen a need to branch out to other neighborhoods.

"We've had great success in Fells Point," Mislan notes. "We've had huge neighborhood support. We've always looked for unique and beautiful properties, and because Fells Point is historic district, we find so many here. We're not the kind of group that goes into strip malls."

Writer: Lucy Ament
Source: Darin Mislan, Kali's Group

Baltimore's Hollywood Diner, made famous as the setting of Barry Levinson's 1982 film "Diner," will get another chance to serve some grub.

Built in 1954, Levinson purchased the diner and moved it from its location in Long Island to Baltimore. The Chesapeake Center for Youth Development, a Baltimore-based nonprofit, ran the restaurant serving meatloaf and other traditional diner fare while providing real world experience for teens participating in its youth culinary training program from 1991 to June 2008.

The diner's new chance at fame comes from the Baltimore-based Crema Coffee Co. which will handle the daily operations and continue the youth culinary training program.

Located at 400 E. Saratoga Street, the new menu will include a selection of sandwiches, soups, burgers, salads and shakes made primarily with locally grown produce.
 
In addition to the food, the diner will also be the meeting place for University of Maryland School of Law students and their clients. The prospective lawyers will provide lowcost legal consultations to low income Baltimore City residents, focusing on a different area of the law each day of the week.


Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Creme Coffee, Co.

After delighting patrons of Zodiac restaurant in Station North with her culinary creations for eight years, Christina DiAngelo decided she wanted to pursue a few simple, low-stress goals: to create a quiet, comfortable spot in the neighborhood where she could brew great coffee, bake delectable pastries, and watch as people savor them and relax.

That's the genesis of The Bohemian Coffee House, which opened this summer at 1821 N. Charles Street. Two things put this place on the map: the delicious, specialty treats and a funky atmosphere.

In addition to specialty coffee drinks, DiAngelo offers sandwiches and salads and freshly baked pastries each day, keeping a few standards like brownies and biscotti always on hand and rotating in seasonal delights such as peach and coffee cakes. She also always has vegan options on the menu, including milkshakes made with soy milk, soy ice cream and vegan flavorings, soy desserts (such as blueberry cobbler), and a savory vegan item or two.

"Vegans that have gotten them have said they're really good," says DiAngelo, who studied at Baltimore's International Culinary College. "Because of the artsy element, Zodiac attracted vegetarians and vegans, so a third of my menu there was vegan. I had never cooked vegan before working there, but once I started experimenting I thought I it was really cool. It's a challenge to make foods without refined sugars or dairy products."

Also setting the Bohemian apart is its funky interior, which DiAngelo attributes to the interior design acumen of building owner Joy Martin. Martin selected muted blues to play up the beautiful hard woods of the interior, and found an large WWII era mural depicting musicians, artists, glass blowers, winemakers, and other craftsmen.

"That mural is where the name comes from," DiAngelo says. "When she put it up I said, that's so bohemian. And that was it!"

DiAngelo says business has been a bit slow since she opened, but she expects things to pick up when the school year starts and students return to the area.

"I want people to come in and relax and feel comfortable," DiAngelo says. "I like Baltimore because it's not pretentious. It's a very simple, laid back town. People are not walking around thinking they're better than everyone else. It's no D.C."

Source: Christina DiAngelo,The Bohemian Coffee House
Writer: Lucy Ament

There's a new java pusher on the streets, supplying coffee lovers in Fells Point with their daily latte dose. And while a good cup of joe in a friendly, familiar environment is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, when it's combined with the chocolatey goodness of freshly made fudge, then the line fiends looking to get their fix will likely stretch out the door.

That's the golden combo Jeff Harwood, a veteran javahouse developer and owner of the newly opened Java Roo, Kickin' Coffee and Fells Fabulous Homemade Fudge, is banking on. The one-month old Broadway coffeehouse offers 19 flavors of fudge made fresh daily, a wide array of specialty coffees, fudge-based mocha drinks, and pure fruit smoothies. The coffeeshop also carries Harwood's  motley crew of "Coffee Critters" characters: Java Roo, Mocha Monkey, Latte Lion, Wired Whiskers, Caffeine Coyote and Chai Cheetah on tee-shirts, coffee mugs, and other merchandise. Harwood, who's lived in the area since 2002, introduced the characters four years ago at Coffee Fest in Seattle, where they snagged the title of "best new product of show."

An aeronautical space expert by day, Harwood has owned coffeehouses in Florida and Virginia over the past 15 years owned. But he's decided to focus all his resources on the Fells Point location, largely to make it a unique and beloved neighborhood haunt. He chose the deep, narrow building with old fashioned tin ceilings at 726 S. Broadway after hearing grumblings from Fells Point residents that there weren't enough coffee shops in the neighborhood -- and not enough alternatives for those with a sweet tooth.

Harwood unabashedly declares his confection as "the best fudge you'll ever have." Among the dizzying selection are Heath Bar, mint, amaretto, coconut, Butterfinger, chewy praline, peanut butter chocolate, and raspberry vanilla swirl. Also available are sports-themed flavors in gift boxes, including chocolate-grape-raspberry swirl for Ravens fans and chocolate-orange swirl for Orioles devotees.

Source: Jeff Harwood, Java Roo
Writer: Lucy Ament