For Foodies : Buzz

The much anticipated issue featuring Baltimore Magazine's annual list of the city's top 50 restaurants is out. But, while the mag does a good job with its ranking of area restaurants, blogger MinxEats thinks the list has some misses as well.

Here's an excerpt:

"The issue of Baltimore Magazine that features their list of Baltimore's 50 Best Restaurants is usually my favorite issue. It's always interesting to see if any new joints have made it onto the hallowed list of old favorites, and with the closing of Ixia and The Brass Elephant in 2009, there are at least two spots available for some new places to sneak in.

This year, as last, Baltimore Mag ranked the restaurants. Charleston, of course, came in as number one. In fact, Cindy Wolf and husband Tony Foreman have four restaurants in the top 12. Not too shabby, and I will probably have to agree with Pazo and Petit Louis. But my one experience at Charleston left me feeling that the place was highly overrated and I have not been offered any free meals there to make me change my mind. Obviously I am the only one who doesn't think Cindy Wolf is some sort of culinary goddess, huh?

I was happy to see our neighborhood joint, Crush, on the list, but feel it deserves better than #33. I've had more consistently good food there than at the #12-ranked Petit Louis. I also think Della Notte deserves better than the 38th position; everything I have ever eaten there has been excellent. And who can top a giant tree in the center of the restaurant for ambiance?"

Read the entire post here.

Already pegged as the "Best Bar in America," now Brewer's Art has been highlighted as part of the retro-revival trend sweeping the nation.

"I'll wager you two bits your bartender's wearing muttonchops and a waistcoat. If not you should ask for your money back, order your Sazerac elsewhere.

A decade into the 21st century, much of the populace seems to believe it's the late 19th to mid-20th. Look around: at the schoolhouse lamps and Edison bulbs illuminating so many trendy haunts; at the grandmotherly comfort food we're ordering for dinner; at our unquenchable thirst for arcane cocktails. Some nights it's like the whole nation's been doused in rye whiskey and sepia ink. Bamboo sprouts in Aalto vases give way to daisies in rusted tomato cans; aluminum Navy chairs to scuffed bentwoods. Rough is the new sleek, aged the new new."

Read the entire article here.

For Woodberry Kitchen's Spike Gjerde its all about local, local, local. The acclaimed chef shares his passion for getting the freshest produce and seafood.

Watch the video here.

People always gotta eat, right? The economy doesn't seem to have made a dent in the number of new restaurants springing up all over Baltimore. This blogger thought it an ideal moment to make a list of some of the newest places to dine around town. 

Here's an excerpt.

"It seems like there have been a bunch of new restaurants and bars opening in Baltimore recently. Here's just to name a few:

Langermann's � Canton � Located at the Can Company in Canton, this place took over what used to be Kiss Cafe. They seemed to do a much better job of giving the place an identity and atmosphere, something that Kiss Cafe could never do. It's an "upscale casual" place, with white tablecloths, but a chill setting. The bar looks like a cool/cozy place to hang out. I was able to eat lunch there the other day, and the food was great. It is pegged as "southern inspired global cuisine". The turkey apple and brie sandwich with smoky mountain pepper jam on raisin bread was to die for. I will definitely be going back for dinner sometime."

Read the entire article here.

Baltimore's winter version of restaurant week is underway and the Baltimore snacker wasted no time getting his eat on at Tapas Teatro in Station North. How'd it go?

Here's an excerpt:

"I went with a friend last night to Tapas Teatro. I thought they might be taking part in Baltimore Restaurant Week, and they indeed are! Not that Tapas Teatro needs any more customers, as our half hour wait for a table made painfully clear. The dimly lit restaurant that shares a building (and a door) with the Charles Theater still somehow manages to be cozy, bright and lively all at once. And that is even as you try in vain to find some way to move around the place! It is constantly packed and for good reason - Tapas Teatro is one of those few places that not only lives up to the hype, but somehow seems underhyped! I have not eaten at all of the tapas places in town (I will get to Pazo, I promise!), but this one is a fave for good reason."

Read the entire article here.

Tourists seeking a taste of the "real" Baltimore beyond the coiffured confines of the Inner Harbor will want to head up Eutaw Street to Lexington Market, according to this visitor from Maine.

Here's an excerpt:

"Lexington Market, a historic food market on the western edge of Baltimore's downtown, is the world's largest continuously operating marketplace. It's also about the closest thing to a snapshot of Baltimore itself that I have found yet. In a city divided by lines, all ages, ethnicities and classes can be found within the throng around its many stalls.

Stepping into the busy marketplace is an assault on the senses. With the many aromas, the noise of the crowd, and all of the different things to look at, it can be hard just to keep from being run over, much less choose what to eat. All around me I see food: fish markets, fried chicken, butchers, delis, fruits, vegetables, collard greens, barbecue, Chinese cuisine, bakeries, sushi, okra, tilapia � everything from simple pizza and fries to oddities like chicken necks and, yes, muskrat. A sea of people and vendors hawking their wares flows around me."

Read the full article here.

Whether you're a Volt devotee or just want a unique dining experience, for a price you can pull up a chair at the restaurant's kitchen table and watch "Top Chef" runner-up, Bryan Voltaggio in action.

Here's an excerpt.

"Don't expect coddling from "Top Chef" contestant Bryan Voltaggio just because you've paid $121 to sit two feet away while he runs the kitchen at Volt in Frederick, Maryland.

The owner/chef isn't being rude. He's just concentrating on preparing the 21 delightful dishes served to diners at Table 21, inside the kitchen of his restaurant about 50 miles from Washington and Baltimore."

Read the entire article here.

The Travel Channel's Adam Richman Baltimore show aired last week. The gourmand tried the meaty grilled goodness at Chaps Pit Beef, crabs at Obrycki's Crab House and took on the "Carnivore Challenge," a 72 oz. steak challenge, at Steak and Main in North East, MD. Two other Bmore favorites top Richman's list of top picks.

Here's an excerpt:

"Adam Richman has been eating his way across America, and there are more than a few famous food spots that he thinks should be at the top of your list. Here's a taste."

See the full list here.

Watch the post-challenge press conference here.

Check out Adam's visit to the Inner Harbor here.

Baltimore's Woodberry Kitchen earned top honors in Gourmet Magazine's October issue. The mag for serious-minded foodies named Spike Gjerde's restaurant one of the "Restaurants Worth the Money: Northeast."

Here's an excerpt:

Eleven great places to spend your hard-earned cash in Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania...What could be more enticing than a stylishly rustic farm-to-table restaurant in a rehabilitated foundry with a chef named Spike?

Read more here.

Woodberry Kitchen has been on a roll recently. This is the second month in a row that the Hampden area restaurant has received national recognition. In September, Bon Appetit, selected Woodberry Kitchen as one of it's "Top Ten New Restaurants in America."

Here's an excerpt:

Today's most exciting restaurants have a lot in common. They represent the new standard: simple, satisfying local food�all served with zero pretense. They support local farmers, sustainable agriculture, and regional cuisine. For a taste of our ten favorite new restaurants, cook these delicious recipes...In the early 1990s, long before sustainable, local, and organic became the calling cards of chefs everywhere, Spike Gjerde was showcasing the abundance of the Chesapeake Bay.

Read more here.

A bacon aficionado alerts Baltimoreans to a festival combining beer, bacon, and music. What could be better? And yes � there is a blog devoted to bacon.

An excerpt from the post reads:

If you 1.) love bacon and 2.) live in Baltimore - or within a reasonable driving distance, then here's an event you should check out.

On Saturday, September 19th from Noon to 4 pm, you can sample over a dozen types of bacon, drink a dozen kinds of beer, and enjoy some live music at the Heavy Seas Bacon and Beer Festival - Pyrates, Pigs and Pints.

Tickets are $40 and include all-you-can-taste beer and bacon.

Read the entire blog post here:

The Maryland Daily Record has reported that Lenny's Delicatessen will not immediately close to make room for museum but will stay in place as long as it can.

An excerpt from the article reads:

Wednesday's reports that Lenny's Delicatessen would leave its spot on East Lombard Street in three years after the sale of its space to the Jewish Museum of Maryland are only partially true.

Owner Alan Smith said Thursday that the deli, on Baltimore's famed Corned Beef Row, has signed a five-year lease with the museum, and the business will look for a new spot on the block when the time comes to move.

"Our immediate plans are we just renovated and we're going to stay there as long as we can," Smith said of the updated dining room, complete with black-and-white photos reflecting the history of that part of Lombard Street.

A year after announcing plans to expand onto the Lenny's lot, the museum said it finalized the deal Wednesday. Lenny's has at least three more years at its Lombard Street location, after which the museum can give the deli a year's notice to find a new home. The deli can leave at any time as long as it is moving and not just closing, Smith said.

Read the entire article here.

Baltimore Magazine hosted its bash honoring the winners of its 2009 Best of Baltimore survey. Winners sporting "I Won It" badges mingled with partygoers and the city's glitterati sampling tasty treats from 50 local eateries. The best offering? The Crispy Creme bread pudding - made from, yes you guessed it Krispy Kreme doughnuts - from Ale Mary's in Fell's Point was the highlight of the evening. A portion of the proceeds from the event, held at the Hippodrome, benefit The Family Tree.

Didn't pick up your August issue of the print mag? Here's a peek at a few of the winners:

Peter's Inn - Best pub food

Larry Doyle - Best humorist

Ali True, True Balance Training Studio - Best personal trainer

Lisa Ponzoli, owner of Babe boutique - Best sweet dresses

Dean Krapf, owner of Lluminaire - Best makeup artist

Leeann Burlbaw, co-owner of Mark and Buttons Chimney Sweeps - Best chimney service

Kara Hanson, owner of Funky Beehive in Federal Hill - Best kitschy home gifts

Bulle Rock Golf Course - Best golf course

Marc Steiner - Best comeback

Rupert Wondolowski, editor Shattered Wig Review - Best literary magazine

Adam Jones - Best Oriole

Panera Bread � Best Bagel

Want to check out the remaining winners of the mag's 45 categories? Read on here

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Roughly three-quarters of the 120 restaurants participating in Baltimore's Summer Restaurant Week have agreed to prolong their specials until Aug. 23, giving foodies an additional seven days to score amazing deals on lunches and dinners.

Excerpt from the Daily Record story:

"It's significant that the number of restaurants continuing their specials is so large," said Michael Evitts, a spokesman for Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, which organizes restaurant week with Visit Baltimore (formerly the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association). "It's more than we had total for the first time," he added, referring to the 60 restaurants that participated for Baltimore's first restaurant week.

Since the promotion started, Evitts said they have seen through monitoring Web site traffic that diners are becoming savvier about selecting their restaurants, searching out menus for the best deals. Organizers encourage restaurants to sign up early to get maximum exposure and to distinguish themselves to customers.

Read the entire article here.

Thekitchn.com, a Web site devoted to the joys of cooking at home, has published a Food-Lover's Guide to Baltimore to help cooks and foodies find the best markets, artisans, and shops in town. In addition to flagging culinary hot spots, the guide lists foods every gourmand should try, including snoballs, Smith Island Cake, Berger Cookies, and Smearcase.

Excerpts from the guide:

Food Halls

•    Lexington Market -- The world's largest, continually-running market makes for stellar people watching, as well as good shopping. Come on Saturdays for the live music, or anytime for Faidley's Seafood and Mary Mervis sandwiches.
•    Cross Street Market -- Look for Utz chips in paper (not plastic) bags � that means they were baked that same day.

Specialty Shops of Note

•    Trinacria -- Beloved Italian grocery shop with cut-rate wine, homemade olive oil and droolworthy sandwiches
•    DiPasquale's -- Another popular Italian deli/market
•    OK Natural -- Health food store with bulk grains, vegan staples, prepared foods
•    H-Mart -- It's a bit of a drive to this Asian supermarket, but we always come home with tons of surprising things.

Independent Food Artisans

•    Puffs & Pastries -- Amazing new bakery, emphasizes use of local ingredients
•    Sweet Sin Bakery - Gluten-free desserts
•    Bonaparte Bread
•    Bluebird Coffee -- Sustainable, organic, artisanal coffee

Find the entire guide here.

RA Sushi on Lancaster Street is hosting its inaugural Facebook photo contest for lovers of the restaurant's Viva Las Vegas roll. Fans can snap pics of themselves relishing the rolls and enter them on RA Baltimore's Facebook page under one of four categories: messiest, biggest mouth, most creative, and most people to eat a Viva in one picture.

An excerpt from the article reads:

All they are asking you to do is upload photos of yourselves eating a Viva Las Vegas roll to the RA Baltimore's Facebook page in the "Fans Photos" section. Each photo will be voted on by RA patrons everywhere.

The winners in each of the following categories with receive a $50 Gift Certificate to RA Sushi. Second place winners with get a $25 Gift Certificate to RA Sushi. Runners up will receive a complimentary appetizer card and penny drink card (for those 21 and up).

Read the entire story here.