Zeke’s is moving its retail operation into the old Grind-On spot (4607 Harford Rd.) in Lauraville in early February. Ryan Schmidt, general manager of production at Zeke’s, said the new place will be a "coffee lab" as opposed to a coffee shop.

Customers will be able to buy beans and sample coffee. For instance, organic Sumatra will be available on a regular basis. But the shop will also brew other kinds of coffee for people to taste. It won’t be a place for people to hang out and have muffins, Ryan said.

Eventually, Zeke’s hopes to have tastings there. Hours haven’t been decided yet.

Mark Tough, executive director of the Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville Inc., is already a Zeke’s fan. He was on hand Sunday for the coffee company’s annual kopi luwak tasting.

"We're pretty thrilled that Zeke's is expanding their footprint here," Mark said in an email about the expansion. "And we expect more good news [in the Hamilton-Lauraville area] throughout the remainder of the year."

Until recently, there was no place to get pizza in Harbor East. Then, Bagby Pizza Co. opened in the fall. Now, it looks like the upscale neighborhood is getting two more pizza places.

When I walked by the now-closed Elevation Burger (655 Aliceanna St.), the sign out front notes that All American Deli Delicatessen and Pizzeria will open Feb. 15. I knew it was going to be a deli. The "pizzeria" is a new twist.

I also confirmed this week that another pizza shop will open in the area in the near future. The owner (who has Little Italy connections) asked me not to divulge the details until he crosses the "T"s and dots the "I"s on the lease, which should be next week. I’ll be able to give you more info soon.

Zeke’s Coffee is hosting its third annual kopi luwak tasting on the hour from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 10 at its Lauraville store. This is a coffee unlike any other you’ve probably had.

The Asian palm civet, or luwak, is a small weasel-like mammal found on the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi, according to a press release. It eats the native coffee (kopi) berries whole and excretes the pit, or coffee bean. The feces is harvested, washed (that’s an important part. I'd say), and sold for upward of $600 per pound because it’s so rare.

On Sunday, you can sample kopi luwak at Zeke’s for $10 a cup. The tasting event is usually a sellout, but tickets are available now. See you there.

The coming year’s focus will be on the food, not the sexy chef or competitive cook on TV who is using food just as a background, predicts Phil Lempert on supermarketguru.com. There will be a move back to substance over glitz, he asserts.

When someone says there will be "death to the foodie—and the rise of the anti-foodie," I have to pay attention. Lempert claims we’re tired of the pretty face and hunky bod on TV who’s gushing about the perfect truffle or an over-priced wine.

It’s time for food to be the star, he says. I agree food should be the star, but I don’t think I can give up watching Top Chef, Bobby Flay, or Giada. What do you think of Lempert’s New Year’s prediction?

According to several tweets, the Fells Point DuClaw Brewing Company restaurant is closing today.

When I called, the staff referred me to its corporate office. But the person at corporate who can address the subject is out of the office. I left a message.

In the meantime, I’ll stroll down to the restaurant and see if I can find out what’s up.

Washingtonian names its "100 Very Best Restaurants" in its January issue, and I was happy to see three that we can claim as ours in the rankings: Volt in Frederick, Sushi Sono in Columbia, and Hell Point Seafood in Annapolis.

It’s great that Volt got the No. 29 spot, but I’m not sure that I agree with the magazine that it’s "arguably Maryland’s best restaurant." What do you think? I had a nice meal there, but it wasn’t flawless. Still, kudos to chef/co-owner Bryan Voltaggio for his culinary vision.

The magazine placed Sushi Sono at No. 40, saying it was the "toughest reservation in Columbia." Hell Point Seafood ranked at No. 84 with the comment that "the restaurant has found its groove."

I’m working on our own best restaurants issue for March, and I know how tough it is to settle on a numeric order. But maybe that’s the point. Lists create discussion and reflection.

I can give you one hint about this year’s rankings in Baltimore magazine. They’ll be different than last year’s.

Merry recipe to you. As the days tick down to Christmas and then New Year’s, dinners seem to be made on the fly. And you can only eat so much delivery pizza. Here’s an easy slow-cooker recipe that can be thrown together quickly in the morning, providing a hearty meal when everyone is clamoring for dinner. It's one of my favorite comfort foods. Enjoy!

Steak and Black Bean Chili

2 pounds beef cubes for stew
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large onion (for 1 cup chopped)
1 large green pepper (for 1 ½ cups chopped)
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans
2 cans (14 ½ ounces each) chili-style chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream, optional garnish
Shredded cheddar cheese, optional garnish

Cut beef into 1-inch cubes. Place beef cubes in a slow cooker and turn it on the low setting. Sprinkle the chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin over the meat.

Peel and chop the onion, adding it to the slow cooker as you chop. Seed and chop the green pepper, adding it to the cooker as you chop.

Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the cooker. Add the tomatoes and sugar. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Uncover and stir in the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Serve, garnishing with sour cream and cheese if desired. Makes 8 servings.

—From "Desperation Dinners," a syndicated newspaper column by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross