We can eat oysters almost anytime. But 15 Baltimore restaurants have gone all out to promote the briny bivalve Nov. 1-6 with dishes ranging from oysters on the half shell, baked oysters, oysters Rockefeller, oyster shooters, oysters Chesapeake, and more.

The restaurants are participating in a promotion sponsored by The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. Even Tio Pepe—whom you might not ordinarily associate with oysters—has specials on its menu, including rockfish with oysters, Galician style, and oysters, sea scallops, and shrimp in cava sauce.

For a complete list of restaurants and menus, visit the Downtown Parnership’s website.

Photo by Tina Phillips/FreeDigitalPhotos

It’s a who’s who of chefs: Bryan Voltaggio of VOLT, Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen, former Top Chef Mike Isabella, Matt Hill of Charlie Palmer Steak in D.C., and James Beard Award-winning chef RJ Cooper. And they’re all cooking at an event to help out an organization called Up from Under.

The benefit is on Tuesday (Nov. 1) in D.C., but it’s worth the drive to sample what promises to be an incredible menu. Tickets are $125 and 100 percent of the proceeds will be used to help build homes for those affected by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Check out the website for more details.

This is Up from Under’s first benefit. Its founder is Nicole Wolf, a photographer who visited the country after the disaster and was deeply moved by the situation. As she writes on the nonprofit’s website, “Upon my first return from Haiti in June 2010, I knew my life was no longer the same.” 

In addition to the chefs, Nicole has rallied her friends in the art, bridal, and fashion worlds to also contribute. There will be a photography art auction with photographers from all over the world and a silent auction featuring jewelry, signed sports memorabilia, and more.

But I can only imagine the wonderful food the talented chefs will be preparing.

Photo of Spike Gjerde, courtesy of starchefs.com

Zagat names Baltimore/Annapolis’s top five restaurants today in its "2012 America’s Top Restaurants Survey." See below. There are also some other interesting stats.

For instance, we’re decent tippers. The national average is 19.2 percent. We (Baltimore/Washington) dole out 19.3 percent.

For an expensive meal, we spend $62.02. NYC leads with an average cost of $163.34.

For a regular meal, we spend $34.29. On average, other U.S. diners spend $35.65 per meal.

And, given the survey, we should get ready for Michael Mina’s restaurants in the new Four Seasons Hotel. His tavern Wit & Wisdom is scheduled to open Nov. 14.

The Zagat survey points out that many of this year’s restaurant premieres are connected to well-known names like “San Francisco’s Michael Mina.” It says 41 percent of Baltimore/Washington diners are more likely to dine at a celebrity-influenced restaurant.

And the top five Baltimore/Annapolis restaurants:

1. Charleston

2. VOLT

3. Prime Rib

4. Samos

5. DiPasquale’s

Maybe the fifth pick is because Italian food is the most popular U.S. cuisine, according to the survey.

The Zagat survey results are available in bookstores, at zagat.com, and on Zagat’s mobile products.

The people have found Manchurian Rice Co., pictured with red awning, Harbor East’s newest restaurant—and that’s despite road construction, orange barrels, and other street barriers.

When I stopped by the Asian grill at 1 p.m., a long line of diners was ordering or waiting for food. The atmosphere was chaotic. But, hey, it’s only day two for the restaurant and its cooks.

The menu is posted above the counter like a fast-food place and divided into categories: teriyaki grill, vegetarian, noodles, fried rice, beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, salads, and soups. I ordered chicken fried rice, $6.99, which turned out to be a generous portion loaded with chicken.

Other dishes include spring rolls (two), $2.99; kung pao chicken, $7.99, broccoli shrimp, $9.99; hot and sour soup, $3.99; and much more. Sake (hot or cold), beer, wine, sodas, and water are also available.

I haven’t found a website, Facebook page, or Twitter account for Manchurian Rice Co. Maybe those are in the works. The restaurant is located at the corner of Central Avenue and Aliceanna Street, where Harbor News used to be. Its phone number is 443-438-3528.

Owner Alex Smith was expediting food orders, so I didn’t want to bother him. I’ll check in with him later about hours and days of operation. I also want to find out more about his next project, a Greek restaurant at the corner of Central and Lancaster St.

There was also no carryout menu. “It’s only our second day,” the cashier scolded me, as if I had demanded an order of Peking duck or asked for something else preposterous.

But I wasn’t there to review the restaurant. I just wanted to see what it offered and what it looked like. The walls are a cheerful burnt orange with some Asian artwork. The downstairs, where the cooking and ordering take place, has about six tables, but there is more seating upstairs. There are also outdoor patio tables.

From today’s hungry crowd, it looks like the place opened just in time.

Photos by me

Bond Street Social officially opens on Friday. Waterfront Kitchen, within eyesight of Bond Street Social, opens Oct. 28. Both are at the west end of Thames Street—which proved to be a problem for DuClaw Brewing Co.

I walked by the new establishments yesterday. They look great from the outside, and the menus I’ve seen are appealing. But they’re located blocks away from the bustling stretch of bars and restaurants in Fells. It’s a walkable stretch and shouldn’t make a difference. It evidently did to DuClaw, which closed its restaurant there in late 2009.

I can’t help recalling a conversation I had with David Benfield, president of DuClaw, on the downtown restaurant’s last day. He said its location, on the outskirts of Fells Point and Harbor East, factored into the company’s decision to end its lease there. “The store was not a great performer,” he told me at the time. “We were missing the critical mass.”

That said, I think Bond Street Social (beautifully reconfigured in DuClaw’s old space) and Waterfront Kitchen’s focus on interesting food and drinks will draw folks to that end of the street and continue a tighter connection between all the Harbor communities.

Bond Street Social, which will have a soft opening on Thursday, has brought in executive chef Neill Howell (formerly of Stanton Social in NYC) to create a menu of global dishes inspired by European, Latin, Asian, and local Chesapeake Bay cuisines. Signature items include plates like foie gras PBJ, duck spring rolls, and miso-glazed salmon in addition to creative “social drinks” in glass fusion jars, craft beers, wines, and specialty cocktails.

Waterfront Kitchen, with a menu by experienced local chef Jerry Pellegrino of Corks, will emphasize seasonal ingredients and American cuisine, a sophisticated wine list, and incorporate the educational mission of Living Classrooms by training at-risk men and women for careers in food service.

The restaurant, designed by Patrick Sutton Interior Design, also has a sweeping view of the harbor.

It’s exciting to welcome two new restaurants to the area. Then, in November, Wit & Wisdom in the Four Seasons Hotel, opens. I’m looking forward to lots of good eating in the months ahead.

Preview photo of Bond Street Social

Wit & Wisdom, the new Four Seasons Hotel tavern, isn’t scheduled to open until Nov. 14, but its culinary team will be offering a sampling of what’s to come at the new Michael Mina restaurant tomorrow (Oct. 15) at Taste of the Nation Baltimore.

The event—which benefits Share Our Strength—also showcases sweet and savory bites from other Baltimore food places like Pierpoint, Charm City Cakes, B&O American Brasserie, Clementine, and more, as well as drinks from some of the city’s top mixologists.

Tickets ($95-150) are still available. The evening takes place at Renaissance Harborplace, starting at 6 p.m. for VIPs, 7 p.m. for general admission.

In other Wit & Wisdom news, The Washington Post reported yesterday that Chris Ford, the former pastry chef at the DC restaurant Rogue 24, will be the executive pastry chef at the soon-to-open Four Seasons in Harbor East.

The new hotel will also house a coffee shop called LaMill and another restaurant, Pabu, a Japanese eatery scheduled to open in February. I was told LaMill will have fresh-made beignets daily. I can’t wait to taste them as well as the other offerings.

Photo of Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore courtesy of its website