Thursday is a great day to dine out in the Baltimore area. More than 40 restaurants are donating 20 percent or more of the day's checks to Moveable Feast to help feed Marylanders with AIDS, breast cancer, and other severe illnesses.

Check out the complete list to find out who is participating and which restaurants are offering lunch and dinner or dinner only.

It's wonderful that these restaurants are willing to do this. Some, like The Brewer's Art, Clementine, Clementine at Creative Alliance, and Woodberry Kitchen, are even contributing 50 percent to the cause.

Gertrude's at the BMA is also donating 50 percent from their lunch and dinner service, but they will be participating on Sept. 21. They had already booked a private party for Sept. 20.

Whichever restaurant you choose, you'll be helping a worthy endeavor, and be well fed in the process. 

Miss Shirley's Cafe made LocalEats' list of 20 Best Breakfast Restaurants in America for 2012. It was the website's first survey of breakfast places.

It said of Miss Shirley's: "With two Baltimore locations, a new Annapolis store and even a food truck to boot, Miss Shirley's has the makings of a Chesapeake breakfast/brunch empire." It also noted that offerings like Key lime cheesecake-stuffed French toast, chicken and waffles, and Shirley's affair with Oscar are "inventive, beautifully presented house specialties."

Congratulations to all the chefs at Miss Shirley's, including my daughter Brigitte Bledsoe. (And, bonus for me, I get to eat her delicious food at home, too.)

Check out all the winners.

Photo of Miss Shirley's French toast, courtesy of LocalEats 

Was that a Charm City Cake at last Friday's fancy cocktail party at the State Department in DC? Yes—and it was quite a beauty, pictured.

Was that Gunpowder Bison being featured in an appetizer? Yup. And there was Bryan Voltaggio, pictured below, assembling the short-rib dish in the posh Benjamin Franklin Room amid Corinthian columns and cut-glass chandeliers.

What was going on?

I was attending the reception as a member of the Association of Food Journalists during our annual conference in DC. None of us was expecting a gala featuring high-powered government types and dozens of high-profile chefs.

The event marked the introduction of a new diplomatic tool: chefs as culinary ambassadors. The American Chef Corps, with more than 80 chefs, will be promoting U.S. cooking abroad among other responsibilities.

The initiative, part of the State Department's Diplomatic Culinary Partnership with the James Beard Foundation, also includes a first class of "State Chefs."

And that's where Duff and Bryan come in. They are part of the prestigious group that was announced on Friday night, taking to the stage with a dozen other chefs dressed in snappy navy-blue jackets with special emblems.

Despite the decorum, Duff, pictured, managed to liven up the proceedings by stopping in the middle of the stage and declaring with glee, "This is so cool."

Yes, it is, Duff.

Photos by me

Harbor East's newest restaurant, the gorgeous Ouzo Bay: Greek Kouzina, is ready for your business. Dinner will be offered tonight, starting at 5 p.m. Lunch will be added in the future.

The place, dining room, pictured, is stunning. I just had a tour by co-owner Alex Smith—also Harbor East Delicatessen and Pizzeria and Asian Grill. "Everything is custom-made and specially designed for us," he said.

Beautiful marble, mosaic-tile floors, lush woods, and hand-blown glass lights are just some of the details. Even the outdoor tables on the slate deck are marble.

The menu offers classic Greek specialties, featuring "prime" meats and fresh seafood flown in daily, including colossal 20-ounce lobster tails, jumbo prawns from Madagascar, and Dover sole from Holland.

A fish case, pictured, showcases the catch. Whole fish, like bronzino, red snapper, and dorade, are priced per pound and grilled on charcoal. Other preparations include seafood pasta and a double crab-cake platter.

Steak, lamb chops, chicken, and pork chops are available for carnivores. Entrees range from $18-42 on average.

A pastry chef from Greece will be creating a variety of desserts.

Beverage director Julian Albornoz has assembled an impressive selection of boutique spirits and wines (including more than 50 from Greece). He will also feature 10 to 12 ouzos from various Greek islands. "They all taste different," he explained.

There are also brews on tap, including Resurrection, Dogfish Head, and Magic Hat.

A website is being developed. Ouzo Bay is at 1006 Lancaster St. at the corner of Central Avenue. Phone: 443-708-5818.

Photos by Rodrigo Eugenio 

On Wednesday, several Canton restaurants will donate 30 percent of all daily sales to Believe in Tomorrow Children's Foundation, a nonprofit that Patrick "Scunny" McCusker championed.

I'm sure Scunny, who died Friday, would be pleased by this outpouring of generosity on the part of the neighborhood restaurants where he once was an active participant as the owner of Nacho Mama's and Mama's on the Half Shell.

The restaurants include Blue Hill Tavern, Portside, Americana, Speakeasy, Tavern on the Square, Shiso Tavern, Claddagh's Looney's (all four locations), Gin Mill, JD's, Sauté, and Plug Ugly's.

Mel Carter, co-owner of Blue Hill Tavern, Tavern on the Square, and Shiso Tavern, said in an email that he expects additional restaurants will be participating in the charity event, too.

I was in Sea Isle City, N.J., this weekend when word of Scunny's death began circulating around town and wasn't aware of the loss until later. When I returned home yesterday, I visited Nacho Mama's Facebook page and was touched by the outpouring of love and grief.

A comment by Christopher gives us insight into a man whose life was cut too short:

"On April 10, 2009, my wife and I went to Nacho Mama's for a quick lunch. Our son was in Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital waiting for a heart transplant. We are from Harford County and needed a few minutes of normal time to decompress and we decided a lunch at Nacho Mama's would be good. My wife and I had been talking about her living at the Ronald McDonald House while our son was sick. Scunny overheard us talking and asked us to hang around for a few minutes after we paid our bill. He came back with food to take back to the Ronald McDonald house. Scunny, you are one in a million."

For more details about Sunny's death and memorial services, check out blog posts by senior editors Ron Cassie and Jess Blumberg.

Photo of Scunny, courtesy of Nacho Mama's Facebook page 

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is getting fueled for tonight's preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a hearty breakfast at Miss Shirley's in Roland Park.

His order: a short-stack of pancakes and two eggs over easy with bacon and fruit.

My daughter, the chef, is overseeing the preparation right now.

Go Ravens!

Tweets are flying with the announcement that Kooper's North will open next Tuesday, Aug. 28. The new restaurant is located in the Mays Chapel area of Timonium, in the spot once occupied by the defunct Restaurant Sabor.

Earlier this summer, when I talked to owner Patrick Russell—who also owns Kooper's Tavern in Fells Point, Sláinte, Woody's Rum Bar, Chowhound Burger Wagon, Woody's Taco Island Truck, and is a partner in The Manor Tavern—he said Kooper's North will be similar to its downtown namesake. "It will have the same beer, the same wine, the same food. It's the exact same thing."

I'm glad to know I will be able to get my favorite El Diablo burger there.