Bakeries are popping up faster than city food trucks! Hamilton Bakery (5414 Harford Rd., 410-254-0797) added its fresh-baked goods and breads to the ever-growing northeast culinary corridor in May. For co-owner Ruben Hernandez it was the fulfillment of a dream. "I'm a foodie at heart," he says. "I thought I'd like to do this." Evidently, so do a lot of others. Roland Park Bakery and Deli moved to a Hampden location in April after its Roland Avenue location closed. When customers asked owner Anita Ward if she was going to continue operating the bakery, she had no doubts.

We may have overlooked this Fells Point gem if we hadn't heard about it from so many people. The recently opened Darbar (1911 Aliceanna St., 410-563-8008) Indian restaurant deserves your attention, too. The servers, in crisp white shirts and black trousers, are friendly and efficient. But it's the food that will win you over. We started with crisp papadum to scoop up a threesome of condiments: mint chutney, onion chutney, and tamarind sauce.

Just because the weather is warm doesn't mean you can't enjoy red wine. But instead of the usual choices like Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, here are three delicious varieties you may not have considered.

For Baltimoreans, it's a rude awakening to move to or visit other parts of the country and discover that our beloved summer institution, snowballs, are virtually unknown.

As it turns out, the frozen treat has a long history specific to Charm City: In the late 1800s, Baltimore kids besieged ice trucks driving from New York to the South and begged for ice shavings on hot summer days. Their moms made flavorings—the most common was egg custard, because it was so simple: eggs, vanilla, and sugar—to pour over the ice.

When Bombora, the newest restaurant in the Phillips Seafood group, opened this spring in Ocean City, it signaled a big change for the global company. The name "Phillips" was attached neither to the oceanfront dining establishment that was formerly called Phillips by the Sea nor the building—the Beach Plaza Hotel—where it is located.

"We wanted to simplify everything," says Steve Phillips, the company's CEO. "We wanted Bombora to have its own identity."

Meatballs, doughnuts, and steamed crabs may seem like an odd combo, but a restaurant in Halethorpe is offering all three under the same roof. Greg Orendorff, who owns Gianni's Italian Bistro (3720 Washington Blvd., 410-242-4555) with his wife Colleen, has expanded his operation.

As we graze our way through an array of small plates—steamed Brussels sprouts with soy dipping sauce, seared scallops on a bed of kale with a crumble of salty pork belly, and a simple flatbread with fresh garlic embedded beneath chewy mozzarella—we're already planning our next visit, wondering about all the things we didn't get to try this time around.