Baltimore magazine - Food & Dining

Are We In Naples?

Baltimore magazine — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 19:06:07 +0000

Verde Pizza Napoletana, a Canton pizzeria, delivers the goods.

By Elizabeth Laseter

For a moment, we almost forgot we were in Baltimore. In a quiet Canton neighborhood near Patterson Park, we discovered an authentic taste of Naples at Verde Pizza Napoletana. Husband-and-wife owners Edward Bosco and Marianne Kresevich opened the restaurant last September in the former Birches restaurant space. The two have transformed the interior with shiny, white-tiled floors, red-brick walls, and wooden tabletops. Bosco’s menu draws inspiration from Kesté Pizza & Vino, a wildly popular Neapolitan pizzeria in his hometown of New York City.

Ask The Expert: Fresh Take

Baltimore magazine — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:56:52 +0000

Tips to improve your nutrition during the summer.

By Jane Marion

With local farmers’ markets in full swing, there’s no time like the present to add fresh fruit and vegetables to your diet. But what to buy can be daunting: What’s the difference between rhubarb and rutabaga? Is kale even edible? To help us figure out what to put in our (reusable, natch) shopping tote, we turned to holistic health coach Elise Rubenstein. “I call myself the food lady,” says Rubenstein. “I teach people how to eat, and create awareness. I don’t believe in diets.” This is a plan we can live with.

A Modernist Approach

Baltimore magazine — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:52:55 +0000

A Rehoboth Beach chef combines progressive techniques with Mid-Atlantic ingredients.

By Suzanne Loudermilk

The menu at a(muse.) in Rehoboth Beach, DE, is a simple affair with a dozen or so small plates and a handful of entrees and desserts. But don’t be misled. There’s nothing low-key about any of these offerings—from the intriguing flavors and ingredients to the artistic presentations. Dishes like grilled squid nestle with lentils, olives, and yogurt amid a smear of black squid ink streaking like a comet across a serving bowl. Potted chicken packs a creamy mix of shredded chicken, chicken-liver foie-gras mousse, whiskey, and a port reduction into a glass jar to be slathered on toasts.

Grapevine: Let's Drink to Spring Flowers

Derrick — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:26:42 +0000

Your sip tip of the month for May 2013.

By John Farlow

Lamberti Rosé Sparkling Wine NV
$13, Southern Wine and Spirits

Juicy and off-dry like a Prosecco, redolent of cherry blossom and strawberry patch, this lovely Italian sparkling wine practically bursts with springtime character. At its best when served well chilled, this bubbly is the perfect pick for a picnic trip to Sherwood Gardens.

The Show Must Go On

Derrick — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:37:24 +0000

The Mt. Washington Tavern blends the old with the new after the fire.

BY SUZANNE LOUDERMILK

This is not the Mt. Washington Tavern of your college days and frolicking youth. Oh, you’ll still find the preppy crowds at the bar talking lacrosse and hunt clubs, but the surroundings have been given a major facelift that inspires awe if you flash back to the Tavern’s pre-fire days. Then, the bars and dining rooms had a rumpled, worn-shoe look, befitting a structure built in the late 1800s. The floors were uneven, the corridors meandered, and the décor was, well, dated. Ferns, anyone?

Is Baltimore a Foodie Town?

Baltimore magazine — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:54:12 +0000

New restaurants, upstart chefs, and visiting actors are drawing attention to our dining scene.

By Suzanne Loudermilk

It didn’t take long for noted chef Michael Mina to assess Baltimoreans’ taste buds. Soon after Wit & Wisdom: A Tavern by Michael Mina opened a year and a half ago at the Four Seasons Hotel in Harbor East, diners were downing plates of bison-heart tartare among other adventurous fare. That’s all Mina—a San Francisco resident who operates almost two-dozen restaurants around the country—needed to know. “In Baltimore, people are very much into dining,” he says.

Betting on a Drink

Baltimore magazine — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:15:43 +0000

The black-eyed Susan will be in demand on race day. We asked Tim Riley (Bagby Restaurant Group) for his take on the cocktail.

By Suzanne Loudermilk

The Kentucky Derby has the mint julep as its signature cocktail. The Belmont Stakes has several, including a white carnation libation. So it’s no surprise that the Preakness celebrates the second leg of the Triple Crown with a drink called the black-eyed Susan, named after the flowers used to create a blanket for the winning horse. We asked Tim Riley, the beverage director for the Bagby Restaurant Group, including Fleet Street Kitchen and Ten Ten, to share a recipe with us. Here’s Riley’s adaptation.

We Love Mom

Derrick — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:13:18 +0000

Mother’s Day is May 12, and plenty of restaurants around town are planning special brunches in honor of Mom. Here are some of the places we like best for celebrating the day.

By Samantha Iacia

1. B&O American Brasserie: The restaurant will be hosting a bountiful brunch that includes citrus-and-coriander-cured gravlax, pepper-and-thyme roasted prime rib, buttermilk biscuits and chorizo gravy, and a dessert display with house-made pastries, cakes, and pies. Price: $30 per person; $12 for children 12 and under. Bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys are available for an additional $10 per person. Mom gets complimentary mimosas.

The Newest Prime Rib

Baltimore magazine — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:02:57 +0000

Baltimore’s venerable steakhouse plays to win at Maryland Live.

By Suzanne Loudermilk

It’s no coincidence that The Prime Rib’s swank, supper-club vibe has been showcased in a TV show like The Wire or often brings mention of the retro era of Mad Men. The restaurant exudes an elegance and allure that appeals to diners—whether it’s a young drug-gang leader like D’Angelo Barksdale trying out the luxe life or a slick advertising guy like Don Draper.

Grapevine: Loire Valley’s Crisp Flavors

Baltimore magazine — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:40:26 +0000

Your sip tip of the month for April 2013.

By John Farlow

April is here, and with it comes the cool side of spring—enough warmth to coax you outdoors, though Old Man Winter’s breath can still chill the back of your neck. The snappy textures, fresh aromas, and prim flavors of France’s Loire Valley wines epitomize the season, and we’ve found three lip-smacking examples to complement the weather.

Cornering the Wine Trade

Derrick — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:39:27 +0000

Restaurant owner starts with his own downtown eatery.

By Martha Thomas

Derrick Vaughan, owner of The Corner Bistro & Wine Bar in Ridgely’s Delight, has a grand idea. He wants to rename the stretch from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Harbor East the “Wine’Tastic Mile”—inspired by Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. He’s produced bumper stickers and has convinced the city to install a Wine’Tastic Mile street sign at the corner of MLK and Pratt Street to promote the bars and restaurants along the route (even turning at President Street to include the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore and Cinghiale).

Philly’s Food Revolution

Derrick — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:27:18 +0000

Weekend warriors can relish the city’s beloved cheese steaks—and so much more.

By Pam George

The taste lingered long after the car turned onto Interstate 95 and the twin towers of Liberty Place grew smaller in the rearview mirror. It was quite possibly the best pork sandwich ever—tender herb-braised meat, pulled apart and tucked into the firm yet yielding roll that only a Philadelphia bakery can make. The crowning touch: garlicky broccoli rabe and sharp provolone.

Cooking up Global Cuisine

Baltimore magazine — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:29:20 +0000

With a family to feed, businesswoman Monyka Berrocosa puts an early interest in food and fine dining to good use.

By Jane Marion

Donning a red-striped apron as she emulsifies Dijon mustard to make a proper French vinaigrette, Monyka Berrocosa says that learning to cook was a matter of basic survival. “My mother was a terrible cook,” says Berrocosa, as she stands in the charming galley kitchen of her Towson home, with her Hungarian Vizsla, Tokai, at her feet. “Everything she ever made turned into spaghetti sauce—even if she started with a chicken.

Getting Juiced

Derrick — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:19:33 +0000

Fans tout the merits of fruit and vegetable drinks.

By Samantha Iacia

Juices pack a punch these days, both nutritionally and in popularity. You’ll find a variety of drinks chock full of vitamins and minerals around town, including at Zia’s, Liquid Earth, and Grind House Juice Bar & Market. Even actor Woody Harrelson, a raw-food proponent, inspired one local drink when he was in Baltimore filming Game Change. To meet his request for a healthy beverage, Agora Market (Inn at the Black Olive, 803 S.

Rollin' Along

Derrick — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:35:13 +0000

Food trucks aren’t putting the brakes on anytime soon.

By Suzanne Loudermilk

Just look at the increasing number of vans taking to the streets with all manner of cuisine. We like the variety, but we always find ourselves going back to these road warriors.