This may one of the most exciting food events of the season. To celebrate its first birthday, The Food Market in Hampden is hosting a party from 6-10 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5, to celebrate the past year and to benefit The Hampden Family Center.

The restaurant—owned by chef Chad Gauss and business partner Elan Kotz—has invited several local chefs to prepare hors d'oeuvres and sweets for the event. What an impressive crew:

Cyrus Keefer of Fork & Wrench

Sergio Vitale of Aldo's and Chazz

Robbin Haas of Birroteca

Jonah Kim of PABU

Denise Whiting of Café Hon

Vernon Forward of City Café

Chris Becker and Bettina Perry of Fleet Street Kitchen

Opie Crooks of Roy's

Timothy Dyson of Bluegrass Tavern.

There is going to be some seriously delicious food being served. Craft beers are being provided by Union Craft Brewing.

The cost is $35 a person; tickets are available online through PayPal at The Food Market's website.

It's going to be a fun party! 

Yes, you can. Learn how to decorate a one-tier Harlequin cake, that is. And you get to take the eight-inch Charm City Cakes confection home afterward.

This Sunday at 1:30 p.m., Charm City Cakes veteran Mary Smith will show you the fundamentals. She'll teach you about fondant prep, cutout-shape application, and crafting edible roses.

The cost is $150 per person for ages 16 and older. Space is limited.

If you can't make it this weekend, there will be other classes in the future, according to Charm City Cakes' Facebook page.

To RSVP, call 410-235-9229 or send them an email. 

To make it to the final five is winning enough. But Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen was not named the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic tonight at the James Beard Foundation awards ceremony in New York City.

The honor went to Johnny Monis of award-winning Komi in Washington, D.C.

But that’s hardly a loss to Spike (pictured in his restaurant kitchen). He brought Maryland a lot of recognition in the restaurant world.

Some of tonight’s winners are multiple finalists. Our year will come.

Chef/co-owner Cindy Wolf of Charleston made it as finalist round twice. Now, Spike has entered the finalist circle.

There’s always next year. 

For your dining pleasure, B&O American Brasserie and Fleet Street Kitchen have new executive chefs in the kitchen. On the awards front, Wit & Wisdom's pastry chef scores again.

As the new executive chef at B&O American Brasserie, Bradley Willits (pictured), the restaurant's former chef de cuisine, brings an impressive bio. He's worked with two of my favorite chefs—James Beard award winners Sean Brock at McGrady's and Mike Lata at FIG, both in Charleston, S.C.—as well as other noted chefs from Florida to Seattle.

He also worked with former B&O American Brasserie chefs E. Michael Reidt and Thomas Dunklin and will be sticking to the restaurant's concept of serving local, seasonal American cuisine. Expect a focus on seafood.

At Fleet Street Kitchen, chef Chris Amendola has taken over for executive chef Chris Becker, who was promoted to chief operations officer for The Bagby Restaurant Group.

The group runs Fleet Street Kitchen, Ten Ten, and Bagby Pizza Co. and is preparing to open Cunningham's in Towson this summer.

Chef Amendola, formerly of New York's Blue Hill at Stone Barns, also has an industrious background. He's worked with chef Sean Brock as well as chef Todd English in Orlando, FL.

He's also an experienced farmer and will continue chef Becker's commitment to local, seasonal fare.

Pastry chef Chris Ford—named "The People's Best New Pastry Chef" for 2012 in Food & Wine magazine—continues to rack up honors. He recently won the Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition Season Two. Watch it here.

The contest's founder, Jimmy Macmillan, said in a press release, "Chris's final dessert was selected as the winner because of its textures, techniques, intense flavors, and dramatic plating."

If you've ever eaten one of Chris's desserts at Wit & Wisdom: A Tavern by Michael Mina—and if you haven't, you really should—you'll understand why he won. 

Here's a chance to meet Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of several prestigious cookbooks including the respected The Cake Bible. She will attend a luncheon at Alchemy in Hampden on May 1, followed by a discussion and Q&A session.

Evidently, Rose has a relative who is fond of Alchemy. She recently wrote on her blog, "Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum": "My wonderful cousin, Lois Schenck, has been singing the praises of her favorite Baltimore restaurant Alchemy for two years now since it opened."

Rose also went on to say, "What could possibly be a more perfect venue than Alchemy! My husband has long referred to me as an alchemist. I know I'm going to love it."

Tickets are $35 for the three-course luncheon and can be reserved at 410-366-1163. Autographed copies of The Cake Bible also can be reserved in advance for an additional $35.

Proceeds will benefit Cure PSP-Foundation for progressive supranuclear palsy and related brain diseases.

I've been told that seating is limited and that tickets must be purchased in advance. Hope I can get one!

Enjoy homemade wine, Italian food, live music, and more at the 10th annual Highlandtown Wine Festival from 1-6 p.m. on Sunday at Our Lady of Pompei Convent Garden (3600 Claremont St.).

Tickets are $25 ($20 in advance at the festival website) for ages 21 and older. Admission includes a wine glass, a selection of antipasti from DiPasquale's, and five complimentary tastings of homemade wines. Children and teens are admitted free with an adult.

It's all for a good cause, too. Proceeds support Highlandtown Community Association initiatives like street improvements, movies at Patterson Park, and neighborhood greening projects. 

It's no fun writing about closures. Pacific Coast Dining Co. and India Rasoi, neighboring restaurants on South High Street in Little Italy, have closed, according to the Neighborhood News from Little Italy, Baltimore, an email newsletter.

The closings come on the heels of Max’s Empanadas on South High Street shutting its door in March. Although Max’s retail shop is gone, the wholesale side of the business continues to operate with products being sold at area groceries and farmers’ markets.

There’s no word on what is happening at Pacific Coast or India Rasoi. The phone at Pacific Coast went unanswered this afternoon. That spot (413 S. High St.) was formerly occupied by the restaurants Tapabar and Diner, both short-lived.

The phone number at India Rasoi is not in service.