Summer Restaurant Weeks - Baltimore City, Baltimore County & Howard County

It seems this is the week that you can pick from an enormous amount of local restaurants as Baltimore City, Howard County and Baltimore County restaurant weeks converge together.  Howard County started first, Baltimore City kicked off on Friday and this coming Friday launches Baltimore County's Resaturant Weeks. Choices, choices, choices.  

Below are the links to the Restaurant Week pages for all three municapalities and my personal picks of specific restaurants worthy of a reservation.     

HOWARD COUNTY - https://www.visithowardcounty.com/howard-county-restaurant-weeks/

July 24 to August 7

Restaurants are offering lunch and dinners

Baldwin's Station – 7618 Main Street – Sykesville

Baldwin's Station is in the heart of downtown historical Sykesville – an old train station with al fresco dining right at the railroad track. Enjoy the farm-to-table dining and then with the money you saved, meander the many quaint shops on Main Street.

Lunch- 2 or 3 courses - $14.17 or $18.17 / Dinner – 3 courses $36.17

The Turn House – 11130 Willow Bottom Drive – Columbia

The Turn House is located at the Hobbit Glen Golf Course.  The vistas overlooking the greens and Chef Tom Zippelli, a native to Howard County, has come back to roost after working at Michelin starred restaurants 11 Madison Park and the French Laundry.

Dinner – 3 Courses $38.17

 BALTIMORE CITY - http://www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com/
July 28 to August 6

Restaurants are offering lunch, brunch and dinners. 

Sotto Sopra Restaurant – 405 N. Charles Street – Baltimore

Sotto Sopra has the most extensive menus, greater selection of their award winning Italian cuisines with a Maryland accent.  The room is stunning, candle lit tables, gilded mirrors, artwork in the historical 19^th townhouse.  They have already extended both their lunch and dinner restaurant weeks through to Sunday August 13^th.

Lunch – 2 Courses $15

Dinner – 3 Courses $35

Le Bistro Du Village – 1609 Sulgrave Avenue – Baltimore

Le Bistro Du Village, formerly known as Crepe Du Jour, is  in Mt. Washington Village. Their 3 course dinner menu is enticing with all the items you want to eat at a French Bistro; escargot, lamb chops, duck confit, chicken cordon blue and desserts…oooh laaa laaa- crepe Suzette, chocolate mousse. 

Dinner – 3 Courses $35

BALTIMORE COUNTY - http://www.baltimorecountyrestaurantweek.com/
August 4 to August 19

Restaurants are offering lunch, brunch and dinners

By the Docks – 3321 Eastern Boulevard – Middle River

By the Docks is valued packed seafood, a regular winner of the best crab cake in Baltimore. Can you imagine a 4 course dinner for $35.17 that includes choices like Seafood imperial, double crab cakes or New York Strip topped with crabmeat. 

Lunch – 3 Courses $20.17

Dinner – 4 Courses $35.17

The Milton Inn – 14833 York Road – Sparks

The Milton Inn has a rich history and the food by Chef Brian Boston is worth the simple drive out Interstate 83.  Romantic, visually stunning rooms and the menus for restaurant weeks are extensive in choices.

Lunch – 3 Courses $25.17

Dinner – 3 Courses $35.17

Brunch – 3 Courses $25.17

Cochon555 is back! Don't be the little piggy that stays home

They’re back; those delicious, plump heritage pigs will be making an appearance Sunday, August 6^th at Cochon555 in Washington DC at the Watergate Hotel.  An all out pig out and competition where five chefs (Jon Sybert-Tail Up Goat, BJ Lieberman-Rose’s Luxury, Kosta Kontogiannis-Kingbrid Restaurant, Zach Mills-Wit and Wisdom and Ben Pflaumer-Osteria Morini) create menus featuring the most delectable, tasty and imaginative dishes from their pigs.  

Read more and watch the video at Baltimore Post Examiner - Dara Cooks

Howard County Restaurant Week kicks off

PRESS RELEASE: Visit Howard County’s Summer Restaurant Weeks run July 24 - August 7, 2017. Howard County’s top restaurants are serving up savings with special menus that feature refreshing twists on summertime favorites that will feel light on your wallet. Participating restaurants will offer fixed price chef’s menus ranging from $15.00 to $45.00 (beverages, tax, gratuity not included, promotions and menus vary.)

“Our Restaurant Weeks are a highlight of the summer. The variety and options are fantastic – 30 restaurants offering fixed price meals and innovative dishes,” said County Executive Allan H. Kittleman. “We look forward to this opportunity every year to try out new restaurants and visit favorite spots. I encourage residents to get out and support local restaurants and enjoy a fabulous meal in the process.”

Amanda Hof, Director of Tourism Development for Visit Howard County coordinates the program and adds “we have a great variety of restaurants participating this year. There is truly something for everyone. All the familiar favorites are back as well as many new restaurants. Restaurant Weeks is a great opportunity for visitors and residents alike to experience the local culinary scene.”  

Also not to miss during Restaurant Weeks is the 7th annual Film ‘Feast’ival, July 25, at Clark’s Elioak Farm from 4:30 - 8:30 pm. This year’s event will include a farmers market, food trucks, samples from restaurants participating in Restaurant Weeks, music and an artisan market. In addition, ‘Feast’ival goers will have the chance to taste locally produced beer from Manor Hill Farm Brewery and spirits from Lost Ark Distilling Co. The featured film is “Forgotten Farms.”  It is the real-life story of New England Dairy Farms and talks about the challenges they face with today’s dairy industry.  These are the same challenges that Howard County family owned dairies face. It is a must-see film.  In between the two showings there will be a panel discussion of the film.  There is a $5 charge for each seating of the film, one at 5:00 pm and one at 7:00 pm.  Proceeds from the film showings will be donated to the Howard County Farm-City Scholarship Fund.

HOWARD COUNTY SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEKS, PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS as of July 18, 2017:

5485 Restaurant and Bar
AIDA Bistro
Alexandra's American Fusion
Baldwin's Station
BOLDER food/drink
Centre Park Grill
Clyde's Columbia
Elkridge Furnace Inn
Great Sage
Grille620
Kelsey's Restaurant and Catering
Kloby's Smokehouse
La Palapa
LongHorn Steakhouse
Maggianos Little Italy
Nora's Kabob
Petit Louis
Ranazul
Season's 52
Stella Notte Ristorante
Tersiguel's French Country Restaurant
The Alehouse Columbia
The County Cork Wine Pub
The Grill
The Iron Bridge Wine Co
The Kings Contrivance Restaurant
The Melting Pot
The Turn House
Town Grill at Fosters Country Store
Victoria Gastro Pub

An up-to-date list of participating restaurants is available at www.HoCoRestaurantWeeks.com along with behind the scenes YouTube videos of top chefs preparing their farm-to-table and dock-to-dish feasts.  

Tag For Swag Photo Contest

Diners enjoying Howard County Restaurant Weeks are encouraged to post pictures of their meals with the hashtag #HoCoRestaurantWeeks. Participants could win dining certificates from local restaurants!

McKeldin Square pop-up food marketplace adds music

PRESS RELEASE: Harbor Market, a pop-up food marketplace at McKeldin Square featuring the best eats from around Baltimore, will now feature live music on select dates throughout the summer.  Local musicians will be providing live tunes as Harbor Market visitors enjoy a variety of menu offerings from food trucks and local vendors, making Wednesday and Friday lunch breaks just that much more fun.

The musician line-up is below:

7/21: Rachel Hall

7/28: Silent Tale

8/18: Sloe Jim

8/25: Mike Manos

9/1: Devin Breithaupt

9/8: Jordan Gillis

9/15: Electric Molly

9/22: Total Distraction

9/29: Drew Stevyns

The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore hosts the Harbor Market at McKeldin Square every Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. throughout the summer.

Rotating food vendors include:

·      Doobys

·      Smoking Swine

·      Green Bowl

·      Mex on the Run

·      Sobo Café

·      Dizzy Cow

·      Gypsy Queen

·      Ekiben

·      Bon Fresco

For more information, go to http://baltimorewaterfront.com/events/harbor-market-3/.

Ed Kim's Mi & Yu Noodle Shops expanding

Mi & Yu Noodle Shop reminds me of Tampopo, a 1985 Japanese comedy of many subplots, but at its core, making that perfect bowl of slurpable ramen noodle soups and we aren’t talking those packaged dried noodles with the flavor packets.  One might call Mi & Yu Noodle Shop a Ramen—ya, where ramen is a specialty and the soups are a reflection of the chef’s culinary prowess.  Chef Edward Kim worked months perfecting and creating his own broths, his own culinary spin on the ideal bowl of ramen. 

READ MORE at Dara Cooks at Baltimore Post Examiner 

Eddie's of Roland Park sampling Le Bon Magot - Don't miss this!

So, I ran into Amy today who I haven’t seen in eons and we were playing catch up with our lives.  We both discovered that we were at the Summer Fancy Food Show; she was scouting new products and food trends for Eddie’s of Roland Park. Our conversation proceeded with what did you see that you liked?

Read more: Baltimore Post Examiner - Dara Cooks  

Goodbye Jack Binion’s Steak, hello Gordon Ramsay Steak

By year’s end, Jack Binion’s Steak on the 1^st level of Horseshoe Casino Baltimore will become the first east coast Gordon Ramsay Steak. Chef Ramsay’s cache, a television personality with multiple shows, currently: MasterChef, The F Word with Gordon Ramsay, Hell’s Kitchen. His expertise, his Gordon Ramsay Group operates a total of 31 restaurants globally, with seven Michelin stars.

“I’m thrilled to be coming to Baltimore, a really exciting and emerging culinary city,” Ramsay said. “Our exceptional team is developing a menu that will combine the best dry-aged beef, finest seafood and freshest locally-sourced ingredients to create a unique Charm City dining experience.”

The press release states, “Ramsay’s vision for the restaurant is reflected in the dishes on the modern steakhouse menu. Gordon Ramsay Steak showcases prime beef dry-aged for a minimum of 28 days and cuts such as the 32-ounce Royal Long-bone Chop for two as well as American Kobe. With a nod to his British roots, Ramsay has expanded on the traditional land and sea offerings and developed a menu that is both distinctive and creative. Ramsay’s Beef Wellington and Sticky Toffee Pudding dishes, which have been popular items at Gordon Ramsay Steak in Las Vegas, will be signature items on Ramsay’s Baltimore menu.”