Main Attraction

Ellicott City’s historic Main Street gets better with each new offbeat store and fun place to eat. Pure Wine Cafe (8210 Main St., 410-480-5037), which opened just over a year ago, adds non-stuffy sophistication to the mix. The cozy space has a brick wall on one side, stone on the other, and a stamped ceiling overhead. Patrons perch at the bar, sipping wine by the glass, or snag small tables and cobble together light meals, choosing wine from dozens of bottles, all between $20 and $135. A crisp flatbread with thin slices of roast duck, shallots, asparagus, and a sprinkling of melted chèvre ($12) is just the kind of flavorful combination the cafe does best. A heartier option is a pair of mini meatball sliders ($8), topped with a warmly spiced aioli and served on dainty, chewy rolls. They’re substantial, yet small enough to leave room for mix-and-match platters of cheeses and cured meats (three for $10 or five for $15), bowls of citrus-marinated olives, and other civilized and thoughtfully prepared delights.