Out and About in September

We have been going out like crazy lately and I've been terribly remiss about blogging about it. So here's a quick(?) recap of what we ate and did during September.

Parts & Labor for Burgers
In case you missed it, Dixon and I are collaborating on a series of articles for (cool) progeny. Each article highlights some of our favorite spots for a specific meal. First, we tackled mac and cheese. Next up was burgers.

One of the burgers on our list was the locally-raised monster at Parts & Labor in Remington. We used the article as an excuse for dinner at P&L - and it was as good as ever. The pre-dinner charcuterie was perfect, as it always is. Dixon's burger was ridiculous and Cooper's lamb was gorgeous. But I won the night with sausage-stuffed chicken over ratatouille. It was a simple but genius combination of summer and fall flavors. Everything about it was great.

CFF Passion for Food and Wine 
There are so many worthwhile causes out there and I am continually impressed by how Baltimore's restaurant community steps up to support them. The community rallies especially hard for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - and rightly so.

The organization is one of the best I know - thin on bureaucracy (over 90% of funds raised go directly to research) and thick on results. There have been very real, significant strides in developing treatments for cystic fibrosis over the past several decades and CFF's fundraising efforts have fueled those developments.

But what does this have to do with what we ate in September? Early in the month, we were lucky enough to be invited to CFF's Passion for Food and Wine, an event that is so much fun and raises so much money. It's mind-boggling.

I've written about Passion here and here - but here's a quick overview: five years ago, a bunch of Baltimore chefs got together for an event to raise money for CFF. They wanted to do something unusual, so they decided instead of a standard "we fix bites and people mill around and visit our stations" cocktail event, they'd put together a multi-course, sit-down dinner - and they'd cook the dinner in front of the guests.

Each participating restaurant has its own table. Twelve guests sit around the table - shaped like a square-ish "U" - and watch the chef prepare the meal. This year, we were at the Colette table, where Chef Stefano Porcile absolutely crushed it. CRUSHED.

So much foie.

While this is happening, Sergio Vitale of Aldo's and Jerry Pellegrino of Schola hop up on a stage and auction off amazing experiences, like having Chef Cindy Wolf cook dinner for you and 12 of your friends. There's also a silent auction - this year we won some crystal from Smyth and a seafood tower and whiskey tasting at Loch Bar.

The event raises an unreal amount of money - hundreds of thousands of dollars, just in one night. And it is one of the most fun parties out there. I get a little emotional watching how committed everyone is to both the cause and the food. Everyone involved, from the CFF staff to the chefs to the other guests, is so dedicated and excited about the cause. "Passion" really is an apt name for the event.

Les Folies for Nan's 98th
In mid-September, my grandmother turned 98 and Dixon just happened to have the day off school.

My mom had also taken the day off work, so the four of us went to lunch at one of Nan's favorite restaurants, Les Folies in Annapolis.

Nan is a restaurant aficionado. I can't count how many times I have been out to lunch or dinner with her. Les Folies has long been one of her go-tos partly for convenience - it's on Riva Road, close to where she used to live - but mostly because their classic French food is consistently excellent.

Of course, what I ate wasn't classic, though the preparation was French, I suppose: sauteed softshell in a white wine and butter sauce. My mom had the same. Classic or no, it was fantastic.

Bookmakers with the Tribe
There are only a handful of William & Mary grads in the Baltimore area; most people end up in DC or New York or...somewhere else. And my college friends who do live in the area are scattered all over. As a result,we don't see each other much - if at all.

But one random Tuesday night last month, it just so happened that a friend from Austin would be visiting another friend in Columbia. Next thing we knew, we were having a little reunion at Bookmakers in Federal Hill, where the food is good and the drinks are amazing.

As is always the case when I do see W&M friends, it was super fun - and a great reminder that my college friends are crazy smart and interesting and they make the world a better place

Dining Out for Life at Silver Queen Cafe
Moveable Feast's annual restaurant-oriented fundraiser, Dining Out for Life, was September 15th. It's a good one - local restaurants donate a percentage of their take for the evening to the cause, which makes it easy to do a little bit of good.

This year, we went to Silver Queen Cafe in Hamilton, where we gorged on crab dip and pizza and pasta and fried chicken.

Silver Queen was packed, dinner was great, and we remembered that Hamilton is only about 10 minutes from where we live, so we should go there more often. It's good!

Jack's Bistro with Friends
Cooper and I have been to a lot of restaurants, but considering how quickly the food scene in Baltimore is growing, there's just no way we could possibly keep up with every place that's new.

But you'd think that, by now, we'd have been everywhere that's been around, and well-regarded, for at least a few years. But we haven't. We keep a short list of places we really need to go and, slowly but surely, we're checking them off.

We are not the only people who keep these lists. So when we coordinated schedules with our friends Rich and Lisa and their friends Doug and Kacey, we also coordinated our "places we haven't been" lists.

One of the places all of us needed to visit was Jack's Bistro in Canton. Everyone I know loves it and I've always felt a little embarrassed that I hadn't been. I was correct to feel that way. Jack's is fantastic and everyone should go.

It's tiny and pretty cramped, but in a charming way, and the food is really good and so are the drinks. I had pasta with pesto and duck that I loved so much - and everything on the menu looked excellent.

So that was one place we got to cross off our list. Of course, now we want to go back.

La Food Marketa for Tacos
In the five years that it's been open, Food Market in Hampden has established itself as one of the very best - and very most reliable - restaurants in Baltimore. It's not a surprise, then, that people were excited to hear that Chad Gauss, the chef/owner of Food Market, had plans to expand. And into the County, no less!

We visited La Food Marketa, Gauss's new south-of-the-border-influenced spot in Quarry Lake, about two weeks after it opened. It was a beautiful night and the restaurant was jammed. And it was good!

The menu is fun, with lots of flavor, and we liked everything we ate. But I really loved the drinks. The spicy, smoky pineapple margarita was absolutely killer. It might not be for everyone, but if, like me, spicy and smoky and pulpy drinks do it for you, you need to try this one.

Starlite Diner for Brunch
The second Shoo-Fly locked it's Belvedere Square doors in May of 2015, locals started speculating about what would take its place. Earlier this year, we got our answer: Starlite, a restaurant that promised to hew closer to the "diner" concept than Shoo-Fly did, while still being a little more upscale than your average roadside diner.

After an interior facelift - which looks great- and a few months to sort out the menu, etc., Starlite opened in late September. On its third day, I headed there for lunch with my friend Bert, who lives in San Diego but happened to be in town, just for a couple days.

As soon as we walked in, the host, manager and waitress all jumped to introduce themselves to us - and to let us know that since they just opened, we would be receiving 20% off our bill, as a thanks for our patience. Smart, I thought. Very smart.

Service did take a long time that day; the waitress explained that the kitchen remade my dish, crawfish benedict, because they weren't happy with the first iteration. I don't know what round one looked like, but I was happy with the plate that made it to the table:

Overall, we liked everything we ate and liked the staff, too. In the couple weeks since then, I've heard mixed reviews from friends who have been, though by and large, it seems that the negatives are things that will get sorted out as the staff - both front of house and kitchen - gains experience.

And I remain hopeful that the building has found a concept that will stick around for a while.

Farm to Chef Maryland
Toward the end of the month, Cooper and I had the opportunity to go to Farm to Chef Maryland, a big food event held at the B&O Railroad Museum, benefiting Days of Taste.

Days of Taste is a program run by the non-profit TasteWise Kids. The goal of Days of Taste is to encourage young kids to appreciate the benefits of fresh food. Since I have a young kid, I know exactly how lofty a goal that is - and also how important.

Before we got to the event, I already knew that the restaurant community loves it. It's setup as a competition; each participating restaurant is matched with a farm and a panel of judges decides who does the best job on a handful of categories. The restaurant uses ingredients from the farm to create a small bite or a cocktail. Local breweries and wineries are also in attendance, so there are a lot of drink options a lot of food options.

We tried a ton of good stuff. My favorites included a really nice, simple quesadilla from Nacho Mama's, delicious sausage from Hersh's, a super-interesting take on watermelon from Alma Cocina Latina and this apple and oyster concoction from Conrad's:

It was a good party, packed with fun food people and I was so busy talking that I hardly took any photos. The oyster was it for the food photos.

I did, however, also take this one to send to Dixon, after he texted me to complain that the chicken tikka masala I ordered for him was "weird" and "not like the other place." I chose not to take that opportunity to regale him with the wonders of veal parm TV dinners, which is what I ate on babysitter nights when I was a kid.

I swear. Kids today. (And that's Black Ankle Crumbling Rock in that glass. It is so good. So good.)

Modern Cook Shop  Party
Farm to Chef was on a Monday and it kicked off a crazy busy week. On Tuesday, Amy and I headed down to Fells for a party at Modern Cook Shop, the new market-restaurant combo from the owners of Fork & Wrench.

I spent most of our time there trying to subtly scarf down as much charcuterie as possible. There were also oysters, gorgeous scallops and really excellent cocktails. So the food is good. But the space might even be better. I love the market-restaurant concept, especially since the "market" part of it isn't just an afterthought.

The shelves are stacked with rows of wine, olive oil, condiments and all kinds of useful items, many of which are made locally.

It makes for a space that's both good-looking and functional. I really liked it.

8 ball Meatball
After the Modern Cook Shop party, Amy and I ambled over to 8 Ball Meatball, the newish meatball shop and bar on Broadway. 8 Ball's concept: it's all about meatballs. You choose your meat, your sauce and any sides you'd like and next thing you know, you've got a plate of meatballs in front of you.

I took the bartender's advice, pairing the spicy pork meatball with a cream sauce and spinach. Everything was very nice (except my picture, which was awful). Best of all, it was seasoned properly. Just spicy enough, just enough salt.

The Ambassador for Dixon's 10th
At the very end of the month, Dixon turned 10. He's so old.

It took the three of us a long time to figure out where to eat for his birthday. Where do you go for a kid who's been everywhere, but still won't eat vegetables unless they are stuffed in ravioli or cooked down in some sort of sauce?

The answer, we decided, was the Ambassador. DRP loves Indian food - he would eat it every night if we let him.

Cooper and I hadn't been to the Ambassador for years, but it was just as stately as we remembered. Were we the youngest people in the place? Well, yes, but that doesn't bother me. Our service was lovely and my grilled shrimp was beautifully prepared.

And that was a wrap for September. So far in October, we've taken things slightly easier (though we did go to Clavel twice last week). I've even been cooking at home, occasionally. But with new places opening all the time - and our list of old places we haven't been still lurking - how easy can we take it?

3 Things I Have Enjoyed This Morning

1. Eames + Shag
This Curbed article about a Charles and Ray Eames-themed exhibit at the Nucleus gallery in LA. How could I not love it, when it includes this Shag drawing? I love Shag - and hadn't seen any of his work in a while. This is just a perfect match of subject and artist.

Image source.

Also, this is how I like to think Cooper and I look when we're just hanging out around our house. (Note: this is not actually how we look at all.)

2. Party Girls
This video and this article about the greatest "It Party Girls" of all time. Zelda! To be fair, the list doesn't really cover all of time. More like the past hundred years. And even then, it leaves some room for debate. Lots of room.

But still, I love a party girl.

3. Light City's Success 
This article about Light City's massive success. We went last night and it was even better than I expected.

The installations were cool and even though we only saw a little of the entertainment, it was engaging and fun. The crowd was friendly and spirits were super high, all around. It just felt good.

The pictures I took completely didn't do the installations justice - especially not this photo. But what I love about this picture is that Dixon is totally smiling OF HIS OWN ACCORD. That never happens and it especially doesn't happen after I've made him pose a bunch of times, like I had last night.

Mandated photos are not his favorite, to put it mildly, but Light City was cool enough that he was more than willing to let me snap away.

We didn't even get a chance to see the whole thing - I know we missed some good stuff. I'm already looking forward to next year, when I will definitely plan better, so we get there more than once.

Stuff I Love: Papercuts and Pressed Flowers

Pretty papercut and flower pic courtesy of Annie Howe

I love pretty, intricate things, so it's no surprise that I am all about both papercuts and flower arrangements. They both involve close attention to detail and a straight up appreciation for beauty.

Here in Baltimore, we have some wonderful people who not only make these pretty things, they teach other people how to make them, too. So generous!

On February 11th, Annie Howe, of Annie Howe Papercuts, is teaming up with plant designer Liz Vayda from B. Willow for a papercutting and pressed flower arranging workshop at Trohv.

If you haven't seen either of their work, check them out right now. What they do is really special.

I talked to Annie about what she loves about being a papercut artist and teaching workshops like this one. "It gives me a chance to connect with people on a personal level and help build appreciation for papercutting and the many exciting possibilities it has artistically," she says.

She's especially excited about collaborating with Liz - their joint workshop is something new and promises to be really cool - and about hosting the workshop at Trohv, which she says is a great place for a class. Of course she loves Trohv. Who doesn't?!

The ticket price includes the instruction, of course, but also all the supplies and framing materials you'll need - and workshop attendees will also get a 15% discount at Trohv before the event.

Plus, there will be cocktails and snacks. Everyone loves cocktails and snacks. And flowers. And paper!

Papercutting and Pressed Flower Arranging Workshop with Annie Howe Papercuts and B. Willow Interior Plant Design. February 11, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Trohv, 921 West 36th Street, Hampden. $120. Buy tickets here.

This Seems Fun

I got a notice this week about the first-ever Baltimore Brew Festival, which will take place at West Shore Park on October 26th.

Local beers, food trucks and an 80's cover band. Sounds kind of awesome, no?

Tickets are $40 for general admission and $50 for VIP and can be purchased here.

#waskineau

My little sister is married!

Erin and Clark got married last weekend in Annapolis. It was such a fun weekend
all the way around. So much fun, in fact, that I barely took any pictures.

The weekend kicked off with a little siblings-and-friends lunch at
McGarvey's on Friday.  McGarvey's is, of course, my favorite bar in the entire world
- my sister loves it, too. We had a couple Aviators (the house beer), some crab dip
and a variety of seafood-related sandwiches (crab cake, soft shell, rockfish, etc.)
It was a fantastic way to start the weekend.

The rehearsal dinner was at Carrol's Creek Cafe in Eastport. Long, long ago,
in the summer of 1996, my friend Alison worked at Carrol's Creek,
so I ate there a ton (their cream of crab soup is awesome). This week, I had crab cakes
(just like I had for lunch) and the Barrineaus - my sister's new in-laws -
surprised Erin and Clark with a giant Washington & Lee cake
(where they both went, and met).

The Barrineaus made sunglasses as a rehearsal dinner favor:

I stole this picture from Erin's friend Lyndsay Polloway's Facebook page. Thanks, LP!

The dinner was fun and speeches were sweet. Then, right before the slideshow, created
courtesy of Clark's sister Sarah, the power went out. It was strange. Fortunately, it
came back on, so we all got to ooh and aah at pictures of baby Clark and Erin.

After dinner, everyone headed to Ram's Head, where we met up with my
old friends Bert and Heidi. We stayed out too late, of course, but had so much fun.

Saturday started with Waskom sibling Starbucks in Erin's room, then Erin and
all the bridesmaids went to my parents' house to get ready. I was careful not to
take any pictures while we were at my mom and dad's - I was afraid I might
accidentally post something on Facebook.

The ceremony was at St. Mary's, where my dad and his family went to school,
I got married, Dixon was baptised - and a whole bunch of other family events
have taken place. It's a gorgeous church and Father Flynn, the priest who
married us and married Clark and Erin, rocks.

(I don't have any pictures, of course, since I was busy matron of honoring.)

The reception after was at the Annapolis Maritime Museum. It's a small museum
housed in the old McNasby's building on the Bay in Eastport. The space was
super cool - filled with interactive exhibits that educate about the oyster and
crabbing industries of Annapolis. Dixon loved it.

After a bunch of windy waterfront photos and a fun cocktail hour, we shipped
Dixon off with Cooper's parents and got down to business. 

The wedding was catered by Ken's Creative Kitchen - the team that must be the
best caterers in Annapolis. The food was amazing (especially the crab cake appetizers)
 and the service was excellent. A few years ago, Ken catered my friends' Pete and
Liz's wedding. That night, my mom couldn't say enough about how great the
service and food had been. There was really no other choice for Erin's caterer.

We started with lovely salads of mixed greens and goat cheese:

The entree was crab-topped rockfish with spring vegetables
and super airy potatoes:
(Note the royal blue tablecloths - it's a W&L thing.
The bridesmaids wore hot pink and orange.)

After dinner, we all celebrated with Erin, Clark and their favorite college band,
Snackbar Jones. It was crazy fun.

And this photo came from Erin's friend Lis Juterbock's Facebook. I really didn't take any of my own!

The reception flew by, of course - they always do when you're having fun.
Once it was over, we headed downtown on a hilariously bumpy water taxi ride.
We went to Pusser's to continue the party and then, eventually, home.

Erin and Clark are in Spain now (the Basque region, including San Sebastian)
and I am at home, wishing I'd planned a post-wedding trip of my own.
Because who says only the bride and groom should get a honeymoon?

It was so much fun all around - and wonderful to see my little sister so happy.
I wish we could do it all over again!

Food for the Cure LLS Fundraising Dinner

My sister-in-law, Cail, is frequently mentioned here on M&G, since she is a serious food-lover.

Right now, she's combining her love of food with fundraising efforts for Virginia's Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Cail has organized a dinner at Heritage in Richmond featuring a bunch of local chefs - the people in the kitchen at Acacia, The Magpie, The Roosevelt, Julep's, Secco, Mint and, of course, Heritage.

The prix-fixe dinner (not including alcohol) is $75 per person - all of which goes directly to LLS. In addition,70% of alcohol sales will also go to LLS.

All of the chefs are donating their time and several Virginia food producers are donating product, including Border Springs Farm, Autumn Olive Farms, Sam Rust Seafood and Cabbage Hill Farms.

I can't tell you how much I wish I lived in Richmond! If you're in the area, go - and report back to me!

The dinner takes place on April 15th. For more information, click here, and to make a reservation, call Heritage at 804.353.4060.

Late Night at the BMA

The Baltimore Museum of Art's renovated Contemporary Wing reopens next weekend and the museum is hosting a bunch of fun activities to celebrate. Including a short talk by yours truly!

Next Saturday night, November 17th, the museum is hosting a "late night" in the newly revamped wing. It includes a cash bar (yay!), music, dancing, interactive projects, and a handful of (very) short talks about art+other topics. My topic, unsurprisingly, is food.

I've written a ton about the relationship between art and food - it's a subject of endless fascination to me. So I'm super excited about this opportunity (I just have to wrangle my thoughts into a 10-minute talk!)

I'll be speaking at 10:15 p.m. in front of one of the museum's food-related works. Details on exactly where, and what else is going on, will be available at the museum that night. And more information about the event as a whole can be found right here.

Bourdain on...Stuff

Yesterday afternoon, I spent an hour listening in on a conference call with other members of the press and Anthony Bourdain. It's media season for Bourdain, as No Reservations nears its final episode and he prepares to head out on the road, for another one of his speaking tours (he'll be at The Hippodrome on November 17th).

I had other things to do during the call, so I just listened in. I was the only person from Baltimore on, though, so I'm kicking myself now for not piping up with at least one question (We know you love The Wire. We know - from Lucky Peach and Treme - that David Simon loves food. Have you and David Simon ever talked about Baltimore food?).

UPDATE: I wasn't the only Baltimore person on! Kathy (aka the Minx) was on the call, as well. Apparently I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been.

But still, I heard some good stuff. A few tidbits:

On the next big thing in restaurant cooking:

"That second generation of Chinese and Korean kids who don't feel any particular geographic connection or responsibility to stay authentic. They're really interesting."

What's exciting now:

"If you look at New Orleans, there's a huge number of Vietnamese. That's delicious food and great foodways. A whole new supply train of ingredients entering the spectrum of flavors. It's what will be, in ten years, traditional New Orleans cuisine."

Where to eat abroad (I think I'd heard him say this before):

"If the place is packed with locals, eat there. If you see other people where you come from in the restaurant, you're probably in the wrong place. It's likely that you'll eat badly in Rome or Venice or Mexico. The key to eating there, or anywhere, is don't eat where you see Americans. Not that Americans are bad, but they tend to congregate, and then it's a vicious circle. You want to eat at the stall where someone eats every day."

The cities with the best holes in the walls:

"I think San Francisco has wonderful dive bars. New Orleans also has great hole in the wall eateries and bars. Both are big eating and drinking towns."

On Michael K. Williams' appearance in the No Reservations  finale:

"I'm a huge fan of his work on The Wire and the show in general. I work with David Simon on Treme and I was aware that Michael comes from Flatbush in Brooklyn. I'm always looking for someone from a particular area to show me around, but it was also an opportunity to hook up with someone I admire. Has there ever been a cooler character on TV than Omar?"

What he wants to explore next (with CNN and otherwise):

"I want to go up the Congo River. I'd like to shoot in Libya, Iran, Myanmar (used to be Burma), the West Bank/Gaza strip. Places where Travel might have had some security concerns."

"If I could get Iggy Pop to show me around Ann Arbor, Michigan, that would be a dream show."

Woodberry, Woodberry, Woodberry

This Saturday, October 27th, Woodberry Kitchen's fifth anniversary, did you know?

Actually, until I got an email about it yesterday, I probably wouldn't have known. In some ways, it feels like Woodberry has been a part of Baltimore forever - the restaurant is so closely entwined with the food scene here, and so frequently represents the city on a national stage.

But at the same time, it's still crowded like a brand new place. As it should be!

The restaurant is celebrating all week long with daily $5 anniversary specials - like a drink or an appetizer.

In other Woodberry news, WK mixologist Corey Polyoka is teaching a handful of cocktail-making workshops down at Clementine at the Creative Alliance. The next two classes are on November 14th and December 12th. They cost $35 for Creative Alliance members and $40 for non-members.

And I'm sure they're fabulous and fun. Plus, I love hearing about restaurants partnering for this sort of thing. It thrills me that the people behind Woodberry and Clementine - who both make some of my favorite food in the city - like each other enough to work together.

It's just so happy, the thought of all these chefs and bartenders and restaurant owners out there, hanging out out around the city, mixing drinks, having fun. It makes me smile.

Pigtown Design at Ladew Gardens

This morning, Cooper's mom and I are heading to Ladew Gardens to see Meg from Pigtown Design give a talk about what inspires her.

I've been reading Meg's blog forever and have gotten to know her a bit offline, so I think it'll be extra fun for me. Plus, inspiration is always a, well, inspiring subject.

I'm also looking forward to seeing the gardens. I've never actually been to Ladew, but I've been fascinated ever since fourth grade. That was our "Maryland, My Maryland" year in social studies, when one big project involved collecting brochures from interesting spots around the state.

My two favorite brochures, that I looked at again and again, were Ladew and the William Paca House. Both so perfectly pretty.

Tonight: Taste of the Nation Baltimore

It is food charity season!

Tonight's installment: Taste of the Nation Baltimore at AVAM, starting at 7 p.m. The tickets are steep - $95 or $150 for VIPs (includes a cocktail hour starting at 6 p.m.). But the proceeds go to benefit Share Our Strength, so you can certainly eat and drink in good conscience.

For more information, click here.

Turning 35 at the Cake and Wedding Cottage

I am not much of a baker.

In fact, that might be putting it mildly - I'm bad at baking. Fortunately, I have a friend who is good at baking: Alicia, who will be making Dixon's birthday cake for the third year in a row - half his life. According to Alicia, The Cake and Wedding Cottage on Belair Road is the single best local source for anything cake-related.

I thought of that last week, when I got an email from their PR agency about the store's 35th anniversary. It's coming up this weekend, so they're hosting a bunch of events tomorrow, September 22nd.

The store is open from 10 am to 7 pm and throughout the day, there will be a bunch of demonstrations and a cake decorating class. The schedule is:
11-1 Basic Cake Decorating Class (Session 1)
2 PM Fondant Basics Demonstration
3 PM Molding with Fondant Demonstration

More information is available here.

I don't write about every press release that comes through my inbox. But when it's a store that's this well-respected - and when it is nearly as old as I am! - it more than deserves a mention!

Oyster Season

I had my first oysters of the season last weekend at my parents' house. "R" months are such a happy time at the Waskom house.

Right now's a good time to be an oyster lover anywhere near Baltimore, actually. This week kicks off a spate of oyster-related social functions that sound fun and delicious.

First up, this Friday, September 21st from 4 to 7 p.m., B and O American Brasserie is hosting an oyster happy hour in conjunction with War Shore Oyster Company. Oysters and Natty Bohs are $1 each (regular B and O happy hour specials are also in effect - $3 beer and champagne, $4 wine, and $5 specialty cocktails). The happy hour is slated to become a monthly event - it sounds awesome.

A few weeks from now, on October 3rd, the party shifts to the Aquarium for "Mermaid's Kiss," a party benefiting the Oyster Recovery Partnership. The VIP reception starts at 5 and the main event is from 6:30 to 9. Tickets are $50 in advance or $65 at the door and VIP tickets are $75 or $100.

That same week marks Ryleigh's sixth annual OysterFest benefitting the Oyster Recovery Partnership (again) and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The week includes a tasting competition, a ball, a shucking competition and a good old fashioned bull and oyster roast.

That's a lot of opportunities to eat oysters, right there.

Oh, and one more thing. A little more proof that Maryland is just a little, tiny state. That picture at the top? The PR ladies at Profiles sent it to me along with the press release about the B and O event. As it turns out, the picture was taking by Sarah Kingston, one of my old friends from college! She lives in Annapolis now and her husband works for the Oyster Recovery Partnership, so she gets to go to a lot of fun parties.

And, obviously, she gets to take a lot of cool pictures. That then end up in my inbox.

Going On Around Town

Now that fall is here, things have really kicked into high gear, socially. There are a handful of events coming up locally that are worth some attention (in order of occurrence):

Local Birthdays
First up, this fall The Oregon Grille is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a special running from September 4th through November 9th. Spend $50 and you'll either get another $15 free or you can choose to receive a complimentary bottle of cabernet or chardonnay (I'd go with the wine, but that's just me.) I have to admit, until I got this press release, I didn't realize that The Oregon Grille was only 15. That's a long time for a restaurant, of course, but the place has the gravitas of a restaurant that's been around for decades and decades.

Share Our Strength
This Thursday, September 13th, Top Chef alum/Frederick chef superstar Bryan Voltaggio, along with a crew of visiting chefs, is hosting the third annual No Kid Hungry Dinner to raise funds for Share Our Strength, a nonprofit with a goal of ending childhood hunger. The dinner will take place at Voltaggio's flagship restaurant, Volt. While it's not cheap - tickets are $750 per person for the dinner and $95 for the cocktail reception only - the cause is a good one and the chef lineup is impressive, including Baltimore wonderchef Spike Gjerde, Bryan's brother Michael (of Top Chef fame...and also famous for his LA restaurant ink.), Eric Ziebold of CityZen, Erik Bruner-Yang of Toki Underground, and, perhaps most exciting, Matt Orlando of NOMA in Copenhagen (which just might be the most celebrated restaurant in the world these days).

You can find more details about the event, including how to buy tickets, here.

As an aside, Cooper and Dixon and I spent yesterday walking around Frederick with Cooper's cousin, Sarah, who has lived there for over ten years. I'd never spent much time there before - but what a cute town!

Dining Out for Life
And finally, Baltimore's annual Dining Out for Life evening is coming up on September 20th. Dining Out for Life raises money for Moveable Feast, a nonprofit that helps care for Marylanders with HIV/AIDS. It's very simple: Just go eat at a participating restaurant on September 20th and the restaurant will donate a portion of their proceeds (20% to 50%) to Moveable Feast. All you have to do is eat.

I will caution you, though: Make reservations. We often go to Clementine for DOFL - they're one of the places that donates 50% - and it is always packed.

Another note: Because Gertrude's is closed for a private event on Thursday the 20th, they will participate on Friday the 21st. Which means that really, you could dine out for life twice next week.

For more information, click here, and to see a list of participating restaurants, including their level of participation, click here.

UPDATE: ONE MORE EVENT!

Slow Food Baltimore's 2nd Annual Urban Food and Farm Fair
After posting this, I got an email from Slow Food Baltimore about the Urban Food and Farm Fair at Real Food Farm (2801 St. Lo Drive in Clifton Park) this coming Saturday, September 15th.

Hosted in conjunction with The Farm Alliance of Baltimore City and Civic Workls' Real Food Farms, the fair will have bands, kids' activities, tours, food, and a speech by the mayor. It runs from 2 to 5 (rain or shine) and is free! It's celebrating and promoting urban farming and local foods in Baltimore - sounds fun and also a great cause.

For more information, click here.

Going On Around Town: June 2012

Things certainly do heat up in the summertime.

I've gotten a couple of notices lately for events that sound great.

• Maryland Traditions Folk Life Festival: Next weekend, Saturday June 16, is the second annual Maryland Traditions Folk Life Festival down at the Creative Alliance. Unfortunately, I'm not going to make it again this year, but it sounds like a blast. A blast with good food - there will be a bunch of local food vendors serving traditional Maryland foods, like crab cakes, snowballs and pit beef, along with some not-so-traditional foods (including Nepalese and Mexican vendors representing two communities on the rise in the state).
• Stags' Leap Wine Dinner at B&O Brasserie: On Thursday, June 28th at 7 PM, B&O is hosting a dinner pairing wines from legendary California vineyard, Stags' Leap, with a five-course tasting menu created by Chef Thomas Dunklin. The cost is $75 per person (not including tax or gratuity), which is a great deal. Stags' Leap wine is pretty amazing (and expensive) and while I haven't been to B&O since shortly after it opened, I've heard from many friends that the food is even better than ever.
• Boordy Thursdays: Last night marked the first of the summer's Good Life Thursdays at Boordy Winery. We only made it to one last summer, but what a great night. Fantastic food (Clementine does the catering), a fun band, amazing setting. Boordy is a fantastic place for a party.
• Belvedere Square: I'm a little late with this, but Belvedere Square Fridays kicked off last month and they are going strong. Typically, I make it to the very first happy hour (and typically, I am the very first person there). This spring has been busy, though. Last week, we planned to go, but a crazy storm got in our way. So tonight will kick off the Pollard family's summer happy hour experience at Belvedere Square. And I am EXCITED.

And the Winners Are...

Katie Berman, Elizabeth from Strawberries in Paris and Adam Osborn! They'll be hitting up the National BBQ Battle next weekend!

Katie likes honey-chipotle sauces (edgy!), Elizabeth is a fan of mustard-based sauces and Adam likes Kansas City-style sauces (which makes sense because he grew up there). Thanks so much to everyone who entered...and I'll Facebook the three of you so I can get you your tickets!

Safeway National BBQ Battle: TICKET GIVEAWAY!

Remember the Barbecue Battle on Pennsylvania Avenue that I mentioned yesterday? It takes place in just over a week - on June 25th and 26th - and is sure to be a good time.

Well, the good people at Perdue have given me six tickets to give away to readers! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post, or send me an email at kit at kitpollard dot com, telling me your favorite kind of barbecue sauce - style (tomato, tomato-vinegar, white, mustard, vinegar-pepper...), not brand. Garden & Gun did a recent Facebook survey on this very topic and I want to see how M&G readers stack up.

And if you're at the Festival on Saturday, be sure to stop by Freedom Plaza, where Perdue's corporate chef, Chris Moyer, will be doing a cooking demo on the main stage, and where all day, the company will sponsor a "Sizzlin' Chicken BBQ" Contest. So go by, try some chicken, learn some tips, say thank you...

All entries must be in by 5 PM on Sunday. Winners will be announced on Monday morning.

Good luck!

Going on around Town: This Month

 It's summer, it's beautiful outside and there is a lot going on these days. Here are a few of those things:

• TODAY, June 15th through June 18th: Freixenet sparkling wines has a "Tastings & Tapas" truck roaming around Baltimore. Location details will be on Twitter. I like cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and I like tapas - I also think this is a great idea from a marketing perspective. Freixenet is so ubiquitous and it's been lodged in my mind as a mimosa mixer and not much else. It's been around in the U.S. market since before everybody was making the cava/prosecco/champagne/other sparkling distinction and before Spanish food was super popular. It seems smart to me to refine the brand's position as a cava and to emphasize it's Spanishness by pairing it with tapas.
• June 18th - #1: It's festival season in Baltimore and this weekend offers up a good one - the Maryland Traditions Folklife Festival. It's at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson (3134 Eastern Avenue) and it's free to enter (though you'll have to pay for food, etc.). The festival celebrates all aspects of Maryland living and will feature a ton of music and stuff like decoy-making and boat-building. Most intriguing to me, though, is the food, which will cover the traditional (Smith Island cake), the new traditional (Latin American influences) and food that we don't necessarily think of as Marylandy, but which certainly lives in Maryland (Nepalese). Overall, it sounds like a great time.
  
  

  

  The food at the Maryland Traditions Folklife Festival looks kind of awesome. Photo credit: Shane Carpenter.

  June 18th - #2: The good and hardworking folks at RA Sushi have declared this Saturday "International Sushi Day" and to celebrate, they're offering all of their Facebook fans a coupon for a free Tootsy Maki roll. So get one!
• June 25th and 26th: The following weekend, DC is the place to be, food-wise, as the 19th Annual Safeway National BBQ Battle rolls into town (on Pennsylvania Avenue; Saturday 11 AM-9 PM, Sunday 11 AM-7:30 PM). This is a huge event, featuring a BBQ cookoff between 50 pitmasters, performances by 30 bands, and a whole mess of activities and food to try. The Battle is a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of America - over past years, the event has raised over $1.2 million for the organization, which means you can feel righteous while eating your delicious smoky pork. On top of that, I have it on good authority (my sister, who caught the tail end of last year's battle) that it's both well-run and a great time. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for kids (free for kids 5 and under) and may be purchased online (for a discount) or at the gate. OR...I've got a couple of tickets to give away. So look for a giveaway post from me tomorrow.

You know what I like about this picture of last year's National BBQ Battle? You can see the smoke. Photo courtesy of the Safeway 2011 National Barbecue Battle.

•  June 28th, July 18th & August 11th: If you're making plans in advance, pencil in a trip or two to the Maryland Science Center. Throughout the summer, the Science Center is hosting a cooking series called "Beautiful, Delicious, Nutritious." The series, which includes chefs from Antrim 1844, Donna's and Gertrude's, is free to members, or with paid admission. Each demo will focus on healthy cooking and eating - a great fit for the Science Center's exhibit on diabetes.

Speaking of diabetes, have I mentioned what my high school friend Doug Masuik is doing this summer? He's running across the country - from San Francisco to New York - to raise awareness (and money) for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Doug was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was a little kid - he's been managing the disease for most of his life. He'll be the first Type 1 diabetic to run across the country. He's also participating in a ton of events, many of which relate to the JDRF.

So many great events, and so many great causes. It's a busy summer already.

Going on around Town: This Weekend

I'm a little late getting to this (thanks, Blogger - I'm just glad you're back!), but we've got a busy weekend. First on the list is the opening of Summer Sounds at Belvedere Square tonight. In just a few short hours, I'll be posted up in our usual spot on the grass, grapefruit crush in hand, listening to the Crawdaddies. Assuming, that is, that it doesn't rain. I'd really like the rain to hold off.

Tomorrow is even busier, starting with the Elliott's Pour House 5th anniversary block party. Jeff pulls out a lot of stops with event planning and this party sounds pretty fantastic and over the top. Again, I'm just hoping that it doesn't rain.

After the block party, we're headed down to Annapolis for a happy hour, at Sam's on the Waterfront. The happy hour is a fundraiser for 1Run, my friend high school Doug's organization. Doug is a Type 1 diabetic (he was diagnosed as a toddler) and he's running across the country, from San Francisco to New York, to raise awareness of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. San Francisco to New York is a long, long way to run, so it seems like the least we can do is go have a couple of drinks to support him.

Finally, on Sunday, there's something going on that I want to go to, but can't - the DC Taco Experiment. A couple of weeks ago, I got an email about the event from the guys behind the food experiments, which originated in Brooklyn. The experiments are amateur competitions, complete with awesome prizes, and they sound like a blast. I'd be all over it...if only it wasn't an hour away on a weekend when I've got a zillion other things to do.

There's a lot to choose from this time of year. Makes it easy to have fun, but hard to stop to breathe.

Going on around Town

It may snow this weekend (ridiculous), but Baltimore's social schedule rages on, like it's actually springtime and people want to leave their houses to go do stuff. My inbox has been filling up lately, which means it's time for a "going on around town" post.

So here's what's up:

• B&O Brasserie's new chef, Thomas Dunklin, has launched his new menu. Since the announced departure of Chef Reidt last fall, the restaurant has stuck with the old menu. But now spring is here, which means it's ideal time to start fresh. Unfortunately, Cooper and I can't make it to dinner there anytime soon, but if my FB friends are to be trusted (I think they are), the new food is pretty great. Especially the red velvet doughnuts. What could be bad about that? For descriptions and photos of some of Chef Dunklin's new dishes, check out B&O's Facebook page. The food looks really lovely and I'm sure it tastes at least as good as it looks.
• On the more casual end of the food spectrum, the Mt. Washington Tavern is hosting a very family friendly grilled cheese cookoff from 2 to 4 PM on Sunday, April 10th. Several of Baltimore's own celeb chefs will be throwing down alongside several "regular" people (the "regular" winner will take home $200, a $25 gift card to the Tavern and a t-shirt). If you're interested in being one of those home cooks, you have until April 1st to enter (click the above link for more info). Tickets for the event are $10, which includes grilled cheese and a complimentary drink, plus lots of cool stuff for kids. And best of all, all proceeds go to Moveable Feast.
• On Thursday, March 31st, Spike Gjerde (of Woodberry Kitchen fame, as if I had to mention that) will join other Baltimore community leaders to host INVOLVE: A Conversation about Localism and Community Responsibility. The event is part of Wide Angle Youth Media's annual "Who Are You? Youth Media Festival" gallery exhibit, which showcases artwork made by over 300 kids from Baltimore. The event takes place from 9 to 10:30 AM at CENTERSTAGE. Tickets are $25 and include a breakfast courtesy of Woodberry Kitchen (and they do have a nice breakfast!).

Lots to do these days!