I got an e-mail this morning from Teavolve owner Sunni Gilliam that Harbor East’s newest cool spot to hang out has finally opened. Teavolve Café & Lounge at the corner of Aliceanna and Exeter streets quietly began welcoming thirsty and hungry patrons last week and is now helping early birds with their caffeine (coffee or tea) cravings and serving delicious-sounding fare like Belgian waffles, made-to-order salads, an assortment of paninis, and great desserts.

I stopped by this afternoon for a glass of iced passion-fruit sweet tea, a perfect thirst quencher for today’s heat. The café has an industrial chic vibe with tall ceilings, lots of light, and painted cement floors. It is already luring laptop loungers with its free wireless Internet. Once this pleasant teaporium becomes known, I predict its comfy couches and tables are going to fill quickly.

The original Teavolve on Eastern Avenue will only be open for afternoon tea and special occasions, says Sunni, probably one of the nicest vendors around town.

There’s a new cupcake business in town—Perfect Cupcakes. It’s one month old to be exact. And its owner/baker is Catherine Hamilton, a Cincinnati transplant who found her way here via California.

If you haven’t seen Catherine driving around in the adorable white mini truck that she imported from India, you can find her at the Inner Harbor, where she has set up a table near the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Taney and Pier 5 Hotel with her truck, dubbed Ms. Sprinkles. She’s right near the footpath.

Catherine says she was looking for a niche, where she could go to the people, and after more than six months of working with the city on permits, she found her spot at the harbor. She’s there from 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday unless the weather is blistering hot or it’s pouring down rain.

She keeps her cupcakes basic: vanilla, milk and dark chocolate, and lemon. "I wanted it plain and simple, sweet," she says. "There’s something for everyone." Cost is $2 a cupcake or $10 for a six pack. Check out her website, perfectcupcakes.com. Better yet. Stop by and say hi. I can vouch for the yummy lemon cupcake with green sprinkles.

It may be hot out there, but the crops are growing and more farmers’ markets are popping up this week. If you’re in the Towson area, stop by the new outdoor market at the Shops at Kenilworth this evening. Ned Atwater, owner of Atwater’s, has brought together an assortment of farmers he met when he was baking bread and taking it to farmers’ market, pre his restaurant days.

The market on the mall parking lot provides meats, cheeses, vegetables, fresh flowers, and more from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays. Sounds perfect for picking up fresh stuff for dinner.

On Saturday, the new Harbor East FreshFarm Market showcases the products of area farmers from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. along the 1000 block of Lancaster Street between South Exeter Street and Central Avenue. Garage and street parking are easily available.

Back in Towson, the Towson Farmers’ Market sets up its numerous stands on Allegheny Avenue from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting this Thursday. This year, it’s also adding Saturday hours from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot at the corner of Allegheny and Washington Avenues.

I know there are a lot more markets out there. If you have a favorite, I’d love to hear about it.

Downtowners will now be able to get their Miss Shirley’s breakfast/lunch fix, well, downtown instead of going to the Roland Park location on West Cold Spring Lane. A second Miss Shirley’s is scheduled to open in August at the Constellation Energy building on Pratt Street near President Street. Initially, the 90-seat restaurant will be open Monday through Friday.

In full disclosure, the chef at Miss Shirley’s is my daughter, Brigitte. Yes, I’m a proud mom. Details about the restaurant are still being decided, but Brigitte will be involved in both locations. Look for the same great stuff on the menu. One of my favorite indulgences is the Roland Park omelet. I wonder if it will now be called the Pratt Street omelet.

Although Friday, May 23, is the official opening day of Fin Steak & Seafood in the lower level of the Admiral Fell Inn, I got a sneak peak of the dining room and sampled menu items during a visit on Wednesday. It’s too early for a review—every restaurant needs time to work out its kitchen and front-of-the-house rhythms—but here’s what I can tell you. The restaurant has a chic, European feel with stone walls (leftover from previous renditions), black tablecloths, soft lighting, and a subterranean feel. The lounge is dim, too, but in an intimate, romantic way.

The menu offers New American cuisine with starters like grilled calamari marinated in chimichurri sauce and citrus shrimp and scallops with a fennel and orange slaw. Entrées include rack of veal, Angus steaks, roasted wild salmon with couscous, and crab cakes, of course. You can get a Kobe beef burger and salads, too. Cleverly named "fin"ales range from white chocolate banana brûlée bread pudding to milk and cookies (triple-chocolate, chocolate-chunk, and peanut-butter cookies with a chocolate malted milk shooter!).

The force behind the menu is executive chef Avi Cohen, a graduate of Baltimore International College, who’s worked at Linwoods Dué, Eddie's of Roland Park, and Zeffert & Gold Caterering. The restaurant serves dinner Wednesday-Sunday. Phone is 410-522-2195.

Christian DeLutis, chef at The Wine Market in Locust Point and one of our top singles in the February issue, is going green—to the emerald isle of Ireland, that is. Chris has accepted a position as chef at the Baltimore International College’s Park Manor House Hotel. His last day at the restaurant is Tuesday.

The kitchen transition at The Wine Market is probably one of the smoothest changes around town. Stepping up to the plate is the restaurant’s sous chef Jason Lear, a Baltimore native who trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York.

In a note of solidarity, both chefs officially noted the switch Tuesday night in a celebration on the restaurant’s patio. Together, they served up warm-weather fare like lamb burgers on the grill and panzanella salad. Wine Market owner Chris Spann gave an emotional good-bye speech to Chris while congratulating Jason.

No big changes are planned for the menu at this time, but Jason said he plans to add his imprint to the dishes. As for Chris, he’s planning to tour Europe when he’s not working at the hotel in County Cavan. Chris Spann, who’s never been to Europe, plans to take advantage of his ex-chef’s new location.

For those of us cooped up in an office all day, it's nice to escape outside at midday or after work and get a drink or a bite to eat. After last week's heat wave, downtown was full of happy people basking in the sunshine and eating meals outside. Now, there's another place joining the throng. Starting May 1, RA Sushi will provide outdoor seating with about 35 tables with umbrellas along Lancaster Street. See you there.