There was no denying the excitement when Matt Seeber was named executive chef of the new Heavy Seas Alehouse (1300 Bank St., 410-522-0850, heavyseasalehouse.com) near Little Italy. After all, this is a man who headed up one of Tom Colicchio’s restaurants in Las Vegas. Colicchio is probably best known as a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef. If Seeber had his culinary approval, we could only imagine what his impact would be on Alehouse’s menu.

Even in the calm and comfort of her own Pikesville kitchen, Diane Macklin is in perpetual motion. She makes coffee with her new single-cup Keurig brewer, throws open the doors of a cabinet to show off her Indian spices, rifles through a recipe notebook to share her favorite dishes, and quickly pulls items out of her refrigerator.

Bond Street Social 901 S. Bond St., 443-449-6234. What we like: This contemporary, wood-encased, fireplace-loaded space encourages sharing with its “social” drinks and small plates, convivial staff, and friendly bars.

Chazz: A Bronx Original 1415 Aliceanna St., 410-522-5511. What we like: Actor Chazz Palminteri and chef Sergio Vitale formed an awesome partnership to present Italian-American cuisine, featuring coal-fired-oven pizza, complemented by a chic décor that reflects New York locales.

It’s become fashionable to shorten the lengthy names of some grape varieties for the sake of brevity. Many folks now refer to Cabernet Sauvignon as “Cab” and Sauvignon Blanc as “Sauv Blanc.” I don’t like it, but I can live with it.

There is a problem, though, with asking your friendly neighborhood wine shop for a good Pinot. There are different kinds: Blanc, Gris, and Noir. Save everyone the awkwardness and say the whole thing.

Not sure which one you want? Here’s what you need to know, using three wines as examples.

The search for a great crab cake never ends in Baltimore. When we heard that John Steven Ltd. (1800 Thames St., 410-327-5561) was boasting about the merits of its patty, we had to check it out. Indeed, the longtime Fells Point restaurant deserves its bragging rights. The crab-cake sandwich on a soft potato roll (market price; $15 for lunch on this visit) is a moist mound of broiled lump with little filler. It’s stacked with lettuce and tomato, and served open-face with a tiny container of Dijon and hand-cut fries (or kettle chips if you’d rather).

Baby, it’s cold outside—and inside, too, at the Taharka Brothers factory in Hampden. The guys (Sean Smeeton, Felton Barney, Darius Wilmore, and several young adults they are mentoring to become co-owners) are churning out gallons of ice cream for distribution at area restaurants, including Phillips Seafood, The Dogwood, and Alonso’s. Their product is still sold seasonally at a Mt. Washington retail shop, now run by Uncle Wiggly’s, but the focus has shifted to wholesale.