The Hollywood Diner, which was used in Barry Levinson’s acclaimed film Diner, is alive and well despite reports last fall that it was closing.

I talked to Cheryl Townsend, owner of Red Springs Cafe and Catering, which is running the food operation at the diner, and she said, “We restructured and brought in a better working staff.”

They’ve added some new menu items, too, she said, but you’ll still find her signature Southern cuisine and diner favorites. The diner is now open from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. It’s closed on Saturdays.

And starting next month, the diner, at 400 E. Saratoga St., will have a dessert happy hour from 4-5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

In addition to its starring role in other movies like Tin Man and Liberty Heights, the diner has been a vocational training ground for students through the Chesapeake Center for Youth Development. The building was donated to the city by Barry Levinson after the filming of Diner.

It’s nice to know this iconic Baltimore landmark continues its storied past.

Check out Baltimore magazine senior editor Evan Serpick’s blog post about the movie Diner being named “the most influential movie of the last 30 years.”

Photo courtesy of welcometobaltimorehon.com

McCormick and Company, once located in the Inner Harbor, comes back to its roots this summer with a retail shop called McCormick World of Flavors. It will be located on the first floor of the Light Street Pavilion at Harborplace.

Visitors will be able to enjoy interactive and educational displays to determine flavor profiles, origins of spices, and other activities.

There will also be a focus on cooking, baking, and grilling with McCormick products, including demonstrations by McCormick chefs and celebrity chefs.

From 1920 to 1989, the headquarters of the now Sparks-based company was located on Light Street. Many Baltimoreans will remember the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg scents that permeated the downtown area.

The new McCormick shop sounds like just the boost Harborplace needs.

Photo courtesy of McCormick and Company website

The guys at Blue Hill Tavern couldn’t resist expanding their culinary expertise. Now, the owners have opened Tavern on the Square in Canton.

The new restaurant—in the space where Fins used to be—serves “contemporary American bar cuisine with a focus on local and game-oriented dishes,” according to its Facebook page.

Co-owner Mel Carter says that type of cuisine “from a business standpoint is trending. It’s up and coming.” But he also has a personal tie.

“I grew up with it,” explains the Kingsville native. “My family was big into fishing and hunting in Maryland.”

The menu looks delicious with appetizers like duck-confit spring rolls and potted rabbit pâté, sandwiches like bison cheese steak and wild-boar burrito, and entrees, including pheasant pot pies, spaghetti and lamb meatballs, and wasabi-pea-encrusted tuna.

There are also sliders, pizzas, soups, salads, and typical bar fare like wings, chicken tenders, and burgers. Brunch will be offered in the future. The chef is Jeremy Thatcher, a former executive sous chef at Blue Hill.

The décor is modern but contemporary in the style of Blue Hill, Mell says. Be sure and check out the A. Aubrey Bodine photos on the walls. A nice Baltimore touch.

Photo courtesy of the Tavern on the Square’s Facebook page

Once again, many restaurants are extending the special pricing of Baltimore Restaurant Week. The Black Olive and The Olive Room announced this morning they are participating in the promotion through Feb. 5.

They join a growing list, including The Prime Rib, Rusty Scupper, Da Mimmo, Vino Rosina, B&O American Brasserie, and Regi’s. Visit Baltimore, one of the promotion's sponsors, encourages diners to contact the restaurants directly about their offers.

Starting today, the Restaurant Week website is updating its list with an “e” next to the restaurants involved.

It’s a great time to enjoy a three-course dinner for $30.12 or $20.12 or a two-course lunch for $15.12.

And then comes Valentine’s Day.

Chef/owner Joe Edwardsen needs ideas for his menu. In return, voters get a chance to win Joe Squared gift cards. And everyone gets a $5 coupon just for voting. Not a bad deal.

In his Write Our Own Menu Contest, Joe has taken popular specials from the last several years and created an online survey. Voters pick their top five choices in these categories: pizzas, risottos, wings, soups, and potato skins.

The dishes that get the most votes will be put on the menu.

A $500 gift card will be given to the person who selects the most items that people voted to be added to the menu. Second prize is a $300 gift card; third prize, a $200 gift card; fourth, a $100 gift card; and fifth place is a $50 card.

To participate, vote on Joe Squared Power Plant Live or Joe Squared North Avenue Facebook pages.

A self-described “eco-stylist and food enthusiast,” Kerry Dunnington has e-published Planet Kitchen Table, her second cookbook. The e-book has more than 200 user-friendly recipes for all kinds of occasions, from family meals to holiday celebrations. Bonus: See a recipe below.

Kerry, who lives in Tuscany-Canterbury, has plenty of kitchen experience as a longtime Baltimore caterer, food columnist, and recipe judge. Her first cookbook, This Book Cooks, is in its second edition.

Kerry is founder of Slow Food Baltimore’s “Eat in Season” Challenge,” and is attuned to using fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced foods. In her new cookbook, she has chapters on cold and warm garden greenery dishes for vegetarians and an entree section devoted to a pescatarian (fish, no meat) diet in addition to others on breads, desserts, and more.

The e-cookbook can be downloaded at Amazon or Smashwords for $9.99.

I can’t wait to make this soup featured in Planet Kitchen. It sounds easy and delicious.

French Onion Soup for the Time-Challenged

Yield: 4 servings

Traditional French onion soup is often prepared with stock made from beef bones, a method that is sometimes too lengthy for today’s busy schedules. Imagine brand Organic Beef Flavored Broth has an authentic beef broth flavor. The result here is a traditional, French onion soup that your guests will think you spent hours preparing. Your secret is safe with me!

Helpful to know: Imagine Organic Beef Flavored Broth can be found in health food stores and most grocery stores nationwide.

2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for buttering French bread rounds

8 cups yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons cooking sherry

One 32-ounce container beef broth

1 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

In a large pot over moderate heat, melt butter; add onions and sauté for 15-20 minutes or until onions begin to brown. Add cooking sherry, beef broth, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover soup, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4 slices day-old French bread rounds (1 round per serving bowl)

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Gruyere or Swiss cheese, sliced to desired thickness

Spread French bread rounds with butter, top each round with grated Parmesan cheese. Toast until light brown in either a 350-degree oven or toaster oven. Preheat oven to Broil. Set ovenproof soup bowls on a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet. Place 1 toasted round in the bottom of each bowl; ladle hot soup over round, filling nearly to the top. Lay desired number of cheese slices over soup, allowing cheese to overlap sides of bowl. Broil until cheese bubbles and is chestnut brown in spots. Watch closely, the cheese browns quickly.

Executive chef Daniel Henry, formerly of The Capital Grille in Baltimore, will be offering upscale cuisine at Towson Tavern, which opened this week.

To start, the restaurant has a light-fare menu ($4-12) with items including black-truffle, sea-salt popcorn; grilled shrimp with arugula and shallot relish; and petite lamb porterhouse with Israeli couscous, caramelized red onions, feta, and black-lava sea salt. An expanded, seasonal menu will be available in the spring after a kitchen expansion, according to a press release.

Towson Tavern is owned by brothers Brian and Scott Recher, who also operate Recher Theater and the Rec Room and Patio in Towson.

I couldn’t find a website, but the restaurant’s address is 516 York Rd.

There’s a bit of history also attached to the restaurant. The name Towson Tavern is a tribute to the original establishment run by Ezekiel Towson in the 1760s. It’s believed by many to be the place that put Towson on the map as a commercial center.