As of press time, Woodberry Kitchen, the new Clipper Mill restaurant owned by Nelson Carey and Spike and Amy Gjerde, was slated to open in late May. But for now, we're reveling in its smaller side project: Artifact Coffee (2010 Clipper Park Road, 410-464-8000). The beans are both Fair Trade and organic; your cuppa joe is 100 percent freshly French pressed. Baked goods are from local stars Stone Mill Bakery, Rose's Cookies, and Patisserie Poupon. We are particularly fond of the Maple Breve, an intoxicating mix of espresso, pure maple syrup, and a dollop of dairy.

Do you have a problem committing to self-improvement or resolutions at New Year's? I do. It's not a convenient time of year for such things. Residual holiday cheer (and stress), plus the long stretch of dreariness from January to April, doesn't exactly prime one's pump for renewal. But this time of year is lousy with renewal, and I'm in the mood to give myself a serious overhaul—not of my weight or sleeping habits, but of my wine preconceptions.

It's dinnertime at Birches Restaurant (641 S. Montford Avenue, 410-732-3000) and a pack of babies has taken over the dining room. There's crying, and gurgling, and even the occasional dirty diaper—but that's okay, because it's Baby Night. Every second Wednesday of the month, parents and their charges take over the top floor of the Canton restaurant. There's a playpen to keep the walkers and crawlers safely confined, and beer to keep the parents safely sedated.

Nestled along the Chesapeake Bay's ubiquitous creeks and coves, the town of St. Michaels on Maryland's Eastern shore has been synonymous with clamming, crabbing, fishing, and dredging for oysters for centuries. But it may come as a surprise to some that this land of the skipjack is also a gourmand's delight. And nowhere is this more apparent than at the annual St. Michaels Food and Wine Festival.

We applaud any effort that boosts restaurant life in underserved areas, so kudos to Mike Wagner—formerly of Aida Bistro and Piccolo's of Columbia—for opening his own restaurant in Glen Burnie. The area could certainly do with more non-chain eateries, and MJ Wagner's Via Mia (8 N. Crain Highway, 410-760-9333) is definitely that. The modest, bare-bones storefront boasts a surprisingly ambitious menu; entrées range from prosciutto-and-provolone-stuffed chicken breast to grilled Kurobuta pork loin with apples and sage—both tasty, by the way.

I've picked up a rather severe case of spring fever. I am aching to engage in outdoor activities that it isn't quite warm enough for; I'm also feeling the tug of lighter red wines and fresh whites that accompany warmer weather. But it isn't 80 degrees just yet, is it? April can still get chilly, and requires flexibility in one's wine choices. Marching toward the warmth of May, you still spend a lot of time with hearty roasts, earthy beans, and wintry soups.

Our hearts sank when we saw Cafe Papa. It was hard to believe this place could possibly be worth reviewing; it looked like your standard pizza carry-out. A guy in a baseball cap and stained apron stood outside, chatting with a couple in a car; inside, there was a case holding a few cakes, with a kitchen behind that, and no seating whatsoever.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else," I murmured, but right then the man in the apron hurried back in.