Eight Ball Meatball where scratch is a good thing

Fell’s Point, a historic Baltimore neighborhood where one can’t help tripping over a bar every other step and it has been that way for centuries. Sailors had to be in earshot of their ships anchored at the foot of the cobblestoned Broadway and Thames Streets.  One can imagine Anthony Bourdain spending a night hitting all the local bars, commiserating with locals and then looking for that perfect bite to round off his evening’s foray through the nautical neighborhood, possibly at Eight Ball Meatball.

Eight Ball Meatball has been open close to a year, an upgraded fast casual concept featuring, yes, you guessed it, made from scratch meatballs; the classic (beef, pork and veal), gluten free chicken, spicy pork, veggie and the daily special along with their daily salad, risotto and sauce. Pick a sauce; classic tomato, Parmesan cream, pesto, spicy meat or mushroom gravy, then how do you want it, in a bowl, as a sub or individual slider. Your meatballs are served as you like them on top of pasta or daily risotto, or a salad. You even have an option of putting an egg on it.  They are open for lunch, dinner and late night as well as Saturday and Sunday brunch specials.  Check out the slideshow for greater detail.

Amazing dining discounts from Spotluck

Washington DC and surrounding cities, Philadelphia, Annapolis already are taking advantage of the dining discount app for your phone, Spotluck. Just launched in Baltimore this week, there are additional dining discounts to be had by using the promotion code: DININGDISH now through Friday, October 28, 2016 afternoon in any of their cities that they cover.

Now  for the next 14 days for every download of Spotluck using DININGDISH as a promotion code I will donate to a $1 a download to No Kid Hungry.  The Spotluck application is FREE, and available for IPhone and droids available at their website www.spotluck.com

Chesapeake Farm to Table launching Chesapeake Farm to Home

It was early evening out at the Maryland State Line off 83 North where I met numerous local, sustainable farmers at Oak Spring Farm; all of them are part of the food hub www.ChesapeakeFarmtoTable.com. The evening titled Fall Harvest Feast had chefs, caterers and restaurateurs enjoying the bounty of Chesapeake Farm to Table food hub farmers, ranchers, beekeepers, and dairies. Restaurateurs and chefs had round name tags and the farmers were square, all in the desire to open dialog between the two. Even the seating for dinner had restaurateurs sitting across from the farmers to learn, share and commiserate.

Travel Channel’s Delicious Destination “Baltimore” starts to air Tuesday, October 18th

The ever so quirky and food curious Andrew Zimmern’s show Bizarre Foods Delicious Destinations was in Baltimore a couple months ago filming for a focused look at iconic Baltimore foods.  The episode will start airing on the Travel Channel starting Tuesday, October 18^th at 9 p.m. with encore performances Wednesday, October 19^th at 12 a.m., Sunday, October 23^rd at 4 p.m., Monday, October 24^th at 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 25^th 12:30 a.m. and Tuesday, November 8^th at 2 p.m. (times are East Coast)  and probably have a life of its own online.

Gala 15th Anniversary Opera Night at Sotto Sopra Restaurant

It was 15 years ago in October when the owner and chef Riccardo Bosio of Baltimore’s leading Northern Italian Restaurant, Sotto Sopra shared part of his Italian culture as well as his cuisine with a night filled with live opera performances and a multi-course dinner.  Bosio grew up in Bergamo, no far from Milan and shared his mother’s love of opera and that was a start of what is now a monthly event that has been a huge success at this Mt. Vernon restaurant for 15 years.

On Sunday, October 16^th Sotto Sopra celebrates kicking off the 15^th season with a gala evening, bringing back former performers for a one night event of three sopranos and their tenor.  On this opera night, as a celebration of 15^th years, they are welcoming back Kathleen Stapleton, the soprano who performed the first Opera Night and many Opera Nights thereafter.  Joining Kathleen, by special arrangement is Diane Abel, whose operatic renditions of your favorite songs and duets entertained so many of you. Last, but far from least, is our current soprano, the versatile Karen Myers Rhodovi who amazes all our guests with her stratospheric high notes.

Opposing the exquisite singing of these 3 soprano stalwarts will be their long running tenor, Paul McIlvaine, whose musical tones have been heard at Sotto Sopra’s Opera Nights continually throughout all the opera nights. Hear all four voices as the evening opens with the resounding songs from La Traviata.

The incomparable accompanist, Thomas Hetrick, will “tickle the ivories” to complement the vocalizing that tells the stories of loves, lives and sacrifice.

Each guest will receive a free CD as a remembrance of the Opera Night 15^th Anniversary

They expect a sellout crowd; tickets should be purchased early to guarantee your evening of music, songs and the cuisine that reflects the deft hand that is Italian.

PERFORMERS

Kathleen Stapleton, Soprano

Diane Abel, Soprano

Karen Myers Rhodovi, Soprano

Paul McIlvaine, Tenor

Tom Hetrick, Pianist

MENU

Lobster and Prosciutto Crostini

Tomato and Basil Risotto with Roasted Scallop and Goat Cheese

Pomegranate Sorbet

Pan Seared Halibut

with sautéed spinach and avocado sour cream aioli

Lavender Panna Cotta

 with fig and caramel

$58 Per Person

Includes multi course dinner and live entertainment

(excludes beverages, tax and gratuity)

FUTURE OPERA NIGHTS – Save the Dates

Sundays: Nov 13^th & December 11^th

*Credit card guaranteed tickets are required for Opera Night. Parties cancelling their tickets 48 hours prior and no shows to Opera Night will be billed $50 per person in their party. 

Sotto Sopra Restaurant – 405 N. Charles Street – Baltimore MD 21201 – 410 625 0534

www.sottosoprainc.com Facebook Twitter @sottosopra  Instagram @sottosoprarestaurant

Street and valet parking available