A new restaurant to be called Maisy’s is set to open around June 1 in the space left vacant by the once hip spot Copra at 313 N. Charles St. At least, that’s what its chef-to-be told me today on the phone.

At first, I thought maybe it was a prank when he said his name is Scott Sunshine. But it’s for real. I must have been living out of town when Scott was wowing diners at Neon Moon in Canton. Maisy’s owner is Matt Helme. It’s his first go as a restaurateur, and the restaurant is named after his 5-year-old daughter. Cute!

According to Mr. Sunshine (I just love writing that), the menu will be Baltimore centric with a twist: crab cakes with jalapeno and corn, 8-ounce burgers made from local Roseda beef, braised short ribs, and brick-oven pizzas. It’ll have a red-wine kind of menu, the chef said, with affordable bottles for $20.

We talked about the state of the economy, of course. He said he and Matt plan to offer competitively priced menu items and focus on making sure diners have a great experience at the restaurant. "Hospitality has long gone out of the hospitality business, and that’s important to us," he said.

Rib ’N Reef in Timonium is in the process of changing its name to The Reef Grille. It also introduced a new menu a few weeks ago, styling it after the more casual chain restaurant Bonefish Grill, said George Tragas, one of the owners. But don’t worry. It still has its great crab cake and has also added some interesting sandwiches like a salmon BLT and Cajun ahi tuna.

George said the old name often confused diners, who thought "rib" referred to the barbecue variety, not the prime beef it was trying to promote. He also said the menu was tweaked to reflect customers’ appetites. He said there was too much food on the plates, and people often left with lots of leftovers.

Now, there are lower prices and smaller portions, but "the food quality is still the same," he said. He acknowledges the economy had something to do with the adjustments, but the restaurant also wanted to appeal to a broader demographic with affordable prices. The restaurant is open, but will have a "grand re-opening" at some point.

In Fells Point, a sign at 726 S. Broadway announces, "Coming Soon. JAVA-ROO Kickin’ Coffee & Fell’s Fabulous Homemade Fudge featuring the world’s best custom mochas." It sounds like a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

This news comes courtesy of fabulous fact checker Amy M, who was sidetracked on her way to the now open Mr. Yogato. The fudgery will be next to the store Poppy and Stella, not too far from the Greene Turtle.

There is so much going on in Fells Point these days. Zoning notices are everywhere. I saw one on Miss Irene’s to add outdoor seating while I was heading to Bonaparte Breads on S. Ann St.

While I was waiting to order an iced tea at Bonaparte, I was fascinated by a couple in front of me. They were oohing and aahing at the pretty desserts (which are delicious looking if you haven't been in a while) like they’ve never seen anything quite like them.

One of their companions felt the need to explain: They’re from St. Martin (in the Caribbean) and don’t have anything there like this, he said. They seemed to enjoy their coffees and croissants. It's a reminder not to take our bakeries and restaurants for granted.

Casey Jenkins, chef/owner of Darker Than Blue (and one of our top singles!), e-mailed me today that the Waverly restaurant is expanding. He said that construction will begin soon on the building’s second floor.

When complete, there will be an additional 50 seats, a full-service bar, and a chef’s table. Casey also said there will be a small segment about the restaurant on Style Network in June, calling it "one of the hot spots to visit when you come to Baltimore."

Remember My Panini near Ruth’s Chris on Pier 5 at the Inner Harbor? No? I’m not surprised. The pressed-sandwich place opened and closed quickly. Now, there’s a sign saying, "Pizzazz Tuscan Grille. Coming this spring." (I have Henry Hong, Food Nerd extraordinaire, to thank for the tip.)

So I decided to hobble (I’ll explain the limp in a post tomorrow) over to the Inner Harbor and see what's going on. I popped into the Pier 5 Hotel and asked about the new place. I was told the restaurant will be a "little Italian bistro" and will open the second week in May. It’s a cute space with outdoor seating on the water. Maybe this concept will work better.

I really dropped the ball with the King of Jordan’s visit to Miss Shirley’s on Pratt Street. I knew about it on Sunday when the king was there. I’m glad Elizabeth Large was all over it on her blog.

I tend to be careful when it comes to reporting on what’s going on at Miss Shirley’s and the other restaurants owned by Eddie Dopkin since my daughter, Brigitte, is the chef at Miss Shirley’s. I don’t want to seem like I'm constantly promoting the restaurant, though, of course, this proud mom would like to!

Lots of "big names" eat at Miss Shirley’s. Brigitte is always texting me: "Scarlett Johansson is here. Kevin Connolly ("Entourage") is here. Terry O’Quinn ("Lost") is here." Maybe I should do a separate Miss Shirley’s blog.

So when she told me the king was there, I just shrugged it off. But let me give you a recap of last week: On Wednesday, Chazz Palminteri, who’s in town for "A Bronx Tale" at the Hippodrome, had buckwheat pancakes and turkey sausage at Miss Shirley’s. Then Friday, Michael Phelps took his hearty appetite to the Roland Park Bagel Co., a Dopkin spawn, across the street. He had an everything bagel with bacon, egg, American cheese, and cream cheese.

Who knows who will show up this week? Keep those texts coming, Brig.

I was walking along The Avenue in Hampden today and saw a sign for a new wine bar to be called 13.5%. A photo on the sign—I guess it’s a prototype of what the place will look like—had an interior with a stone wall and several comfy, bucket chairs around intimate tables. There was no name, phone number, or opening date on the poster.

So, the next step was to Google it, of course. I found that The Baltimore Messenger had written about the new business recently. Evidently, the wine bar, whose name refers to the "average alcohol content of a balanced wine," is the baby of Wayne Laing, the former owner of The Wine Underground near Hampden. According to the article, it should open in four months.

The empty storefront, next to Mud & Metal boutique and a few doors from Golden West Cafe, looks like it still needs a lot of work. I’ll try and find out more information. If anyone knows anything about it, please let me know.

At least, according to May’s Bon Appetit. In a story titled, "United Plates of America," the magazine looks at favorite foods around the country. For the complete list, visit the magazine’s website.

Do you agree with the choices for us?

What to buy: dulce de leche gelato, Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato, Bethesda.

What to eat: steamed blue crabs, Cantler’s, Annapolis.

What to drink: Natty Boh, Nick’s Oyster Bar, Cross Street Market.

And if you’re at the beach:

What to drink: 90 minute IPA, Dogfish Head Brewery, Rehoboth Beach, Del.

You can read more about the cask ale at Dogfish—and other drinks and eats at the Md.-Del. resort towns—in our annual beach guide in the May issue. It’ll be online and at newsstands in a couple of weeks.