Chef Marta Quintana decided to take a detour from opening Havana Road, a Cuban restaurant, in the space occupied by Grano Pasta Bar on The Avenue in Hampden. She is focusing instead on her Cuban line of products, which are available now at Whole Foods in Mt. Washington and Annapolis.

But she’s not ruling out having a restaurant at some point after she gets her commercial business established, she says. Her game plan was to get into Whole Foods; then, establish public awareness of the brand and herself as a chef. Next on the list is to work on a restaurant.

The Cuban native, who came to the U.S. when she was four and now lives in Lutherville, was inspired by her mother and grandmother’s cooking. She worked in the hospitality industry for 25 years before being laid off a year ago. She then turned to what she knows best. “I knew how to cook and entertain,” she says.

Her products, which she describes as fresh, wholesome, and having no preservatives, include red beans, Cuban salsa, rice ensalada, mojo, and mojo verde. She said mojo sauce in her native country is garlicky, oniony, and citrusy. “We put it on everything. It’s like ketchup.” There are more products to come.

The label on her eco-friendly containers is a photo taken by her father in 1948. It’s a reminder of family and home. But it’s the cuisine that is the bridge. “To me, food closes the gap between the two countries.”

Marta will be demonstrating her products and giving cooking demos at the two Whole Foods. Check the website for dates. This weekend, she’ll be at the Mt. Washington location between 11-3 p.m.

So what’s going to happen to the Grano space, now that owner/chef Gino Troia has moved around the corner? I have a call into Gino. I’ll let you know what he says soon.

By now, you probably know that the American Visionary Art Museum finally has a new restaurant. It’s been a long culinary drought, but the intriguingly named Mr. Rain’s Fun House officially opened this week.

I was perplexed, though, when I checked out its website. There’s no hint as to what’s actually on the menu, which is described as “iconoclastic Americana cuisine, classic cocktails and farm to table philosophies.” Huh?

So I contacted the restaurant’s general manager Perez Klebahn, who is also the beverage director, and he was kind enough to send me a working dinner menu. Here are some of the items listed:

Soup and salad: roasted beets and rutabaga with snow peas, croutons, and gorgonzola with a citrus ginger dressing ($8); coconut and galangal (okay, I had to look this up in the Food Lover’s Companion. It’s described as a rhizome with a hot, ginger-peppery flavor) with oysters ($8), and purple yam soup ($7).

Appetizers: wild mushroom terrine with blackberries and cocoa reduction ($9), crab and mango tartare ($12), and adobo ribs ($10).

Entrees: prawns and pheasant ($20), tangerine duck ($25), flat-iron steak ($24), and black-eyed pea cakes ($15).

The menu sounds as interesting as the museum. The chef is William Buszinski, formerly of Sputnik Cafe in Crownsville, which he owned with his wife Maria. She’s now the business manager at Mr. Rain’s.

The restaurant serves lunch, dinner, and Saturday and Sunday brunch. It’s open Tuesday-Sunday, and closed on Monday. There’s also no phone number on the website. The one listed on a press release is 410-244-1900.

Has anyone been there yet?

I’ve been thinking about cookbooks because a friend of mine just released a beautiful one this week called The Brandywine Book of Food. It has recipes, gorgeous photos, and focuses on the culinary terroir of the Brandywine River, which mostly winds its way through Pennsylvania and Delaware. I can’t wait to buy it.

But I’ve been wondering if I’m one of the few people who still treasures cookbooks. I love to read them, just for fun, even if I’m not looking for a particular recipe.

Some people say they’ve pretty much abandoned the books in favor of websites like epicurious.com. I agree that I’m also a fan of plugging in a few ingredients and, voilà, you have an instant recipe with ratings from cooks who have actually made the dish. But I still like my printed books.

Then, today, I saw an article in the New York Times titled, “Cookbooks As Edible Adventures.” It concurs that cookbooks are still alive and well. In fact, there are dozens of new ones with varied approaches that will be published soon, including The Pioneer Woman Cooks by a wife and mother who lives on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma; My New Orleans, co-written by chef John Besh, who owns six restaurants in the city; and So Easy by Ellie Krieger, a nutritionist who puts delicious into healthy foods, to name just a few.

Just reading the NYT story made me start picking out which books I would like to add to my collection. But the local Brandywine cookbook by co-author Roger Morris—who has written for national food publications—particularly appeals to me because I used to live in Wilmington, DE, and I appreciate the landscape that houses such gems as Longwood Gardens, the Brandywine River Museum, and Winterthur, a duPont estate.

Check out the book or take a day trip to visit the area for yourself. My favorite restaurants, whose chefs have shared recipes for the book, include Domaine Hudson, Harry’s Seafood Grill, and Simon Pearce. But you won’t go wrong if you just go to the local Jake’s and grab a burger and shake.

I had a nice chat on the phone Friday with Bryan Voltaggio, chef/partner at Volt restaurant in Frederick. Bryan is one of this season’s contestants on Top Chef. Out of 17 chefs who started on the Bravo show, only six are left, including Bryan and his brother Michael. It’s getting really hot in the kitchen now.

I’m an avid follower of the show and recently had dinner at Volt (my review will be in January’s Baltimore magazine), so I was looking forward to catching up with Bryan.

But we weren’t alone. When you schedule an interview with one of the show’s contestants, a Bravo representative is involved in a conference call to make sure you don’t pry any inside info out of the chef, like who won.

I evidently crossed the line when I asked if the finale had been shot and when it would air? A terse “No announcement has been made yet” from the mysterious Bravo voice quickly cut me short.

But Bryan, a Maryland native as is his brother, seems like a really nice guy. He’s married and has a two-year-old son. When I talked to him, he sounded like he was in or near his restaurant kitchen, so there were some interruptions, in a nice way, from Bryan as he talked to his staff, like, “No, not like that,” or “save more room there,” so I’ve paraphrased a lot of what he said.

Here are some of his comments. You’ll love his reflections on contestants Robin and Jennifer

Why a restaurant in Frederick? “I grew up here,” he said. “I always thought at some point I would come home here.” Bryan said that another plus is that Frederick County is agricultural so he is close to the seasonal, local sources he uses for ingredients. He added that when he became a Top Chef contestant, the restaurant had only been open seven months. “It was difficult to walk away” from the startup, he said.

About his brother, who is a chef de cuisine in L.A.: Bryan said it was really fun spending so much time with his younger brother Michael (both are in their early 30s) on the show even if they did have a “spat here and there.” He doesn’t mind the show playing up the sibling rivalry. It’s not that usual to have two brothers in the same field, he said. “For chefs, it’s unique. You don’t usually find that.”

How his Top Chef appearance has affected his restaurant: “When it opened (in 2008), it took a little while for people to trust it,” Bryan said. But once Volt was discovered, it became a hit. Now, with additional publicity from the show, you have to call weeks in advance for a weekend reservation. “There’s a whole new energy here at the restaurant,” the chef said.

Top Chef screenings at Volt: Bryan said his family and friends would stop by to watch the show on a TV in the restaurant’s lounge area on Wednesdays. Finally, the crowd grew so large that the restaurant sets up a screen and projector outside, weather permitting. (Sounds like fun.)

About contestant Robin: When I asked him if he felt sorry for Robin, his quick response was, “Yes and no.” He said he felt bad about how some of the other contestants treated her and how a lot of people felt she shouldn’t still be on the show. “I tend not to agree,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for her. She should be proud of how far she’s gotten.”

But he added that they have distinctive styles, citing the recent restaurant wars challenge when they were on the same team. “I don’t see eye to eye with her when it comes to food. We’re very different.” He described her food as being more homey. “I do different cooking.” The food at Volt can be best described as New American cuisine.

About contestant Jennifer: In recent episodes, Jennifer, once poised and confident, has seemed on the verge of a meltdown. “Yeah,” said Bryan. “She felt overwhelmed. But you go in every day and try and perform your best again. Every challenge is different.”

I hope this is a spoiler: “She could bounce back,” Bryan said.

How does he stay so darn calm? “As a chef, you’re always up against a new challenge in your own kitchen,” he said, whether it’s a diner’s request, machinery breakdown, or supplies don’t show up. But he added that despite the outward calm, he can feel frantic inside. “I try not to show it. I try not to over do the emotions.” He said it’s better for his kitchen team if he’s composed when there’s chaos in the kitchen. He’s pretty much been able to carry that over to the show.

What’s his favorite restaurant besides Volt? It's not a restaurant, it's home, he said. “I love to cook at home. I keep it more simple for my son and wife. I don’t want to make the same food” as at the restaurant, he said, adding that, at times. there are even lumpy mashed potatoes.

When I asked Bryan whether his other sibling, a sister, was a chef, he laughed and said, “No way. She’s an administrative assistant.”

I guess two chefs in the family are enough. Kudos to their mom. I can’t wait to see what happens on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Bel-Loc diner is number one among Southern Living magazine’s favorite diners in its November issue. It even includes a recipe from owner Bill Doxanas for rice pudding.

While the magazine recommends getting breakfast (blueberry pancakes or raisin-bread French toast) at the Towson spot on Loch Raven Boulevard near the Beltway that opened in 1964, I really like going there for lunch. You can’t beat a triple-decker turkey club served by Miss Ruthie, a hon of a waitress.

I have fond memories of the Bel-Loc anyway. I grew up going there, but I wasn’t hanging out with the morning crowd. I mostly went in the late evening for caloric-busting (or alcohol-absorbing) burgers and fries after a night of partying with friends. Those were the days.

Could the Orchard Landing Restaurant on Joppa Road in Towson become a Mo’s seafood restaurant? That’s what a recent Baltimore County liquor-license transfer would lead one to believe. However, none of the principals is talking yet.

For months, the Orchard Landing (not to be confused with the nearby Orchard Market and Cafe, which serves Persian food) has been undergoing renovations, according to a sign out front. I haven’t been inside, but the outside looks like it could use a good overhaul.

It’s come a long way from its heyday as Hersh’s Orchard Inn, a classic Baltimore special-occasion place, where charming host Hersh Pacino greeted guests by name and regaled diners with insider stories. It was a hot spot for celebs, too, like Jim Palmer and Sammy Davis Jr. When it closed in 1997, executive chef Michael Gettier took over. He eventually left to head the kitchen at Antrim 1844 Country Inn in Taneytown to continued acclaim.

The liquor license transfer to Mo’s was approved “subject to a checklist,” a routine procedure of checking inspections, permits, and owners’ backgrounds. That can take 30 days. I’ll let you know what happens.

There’s no denying that Harbor East has become a culinary destination with stalwarts like Charleston and Roy’s and newbies like Talara and Bagby Pizza Co. Even the geographical lines are starting to blur as the ritzy 'hood edges into nearby areas.

Now, a new restaurant—Milan, featuring eclectic Italian/Mediterranean cuisine—will open late this fall, according to Profiles, a media-relations agency. The new restaurant, shadowing Harbor East and Little Italy, on the corner of Eastern Avenue and Exeter Street, will feature three levels of space with a modern design and contemporary music. The main floor will house a sushi bar and a lounge surrounding a U-shaped, 30-seat bar.

In addition to Milan’s signature menu—focusing on grilled meats, hand-made pastas, bruschetta, and flatbreads—it will offer guests a selection of traditional Italian fare at an adjoining lower level cafe to be called Intermezzo.

The area's becoming positively European with a restaurant on every corner.

Okay, now the phone number at The Dogwood in Hampden has been “temporarily disconnected.” It must have happened recently. I just called the restaurant a few days ago, and it rang several times, never switching to a voice mail. However, the website says it is “continuing to work to reopen.” It’s been closed since July 24.

I also tried to call the nonprofit Plates Cafe and Catering in the Woman’s Industrial Exchange on North Charles Street, where chef Galen Sampson, co-owner of the Dogwood, was on the board and his wife Bridget was its acting executive director this summer. Its phone recording says that it’s closed from Oct. 12-16 for maintenance and staff training. Of course, we know today is Oct. 27.

Sadly, the whole situation isn’t looking good.

Remember Blue Grotto in Towson? No? I’m not surprised. It had to be one of the most short-lived restaurants in the Baltimore County proper. One day, it was serving Mediterranean and Greek food; the next day, the owners were clearing out the property.

But the cavernous space—once a popular Sunny Surplus store—didn’t stay vacant for long. Now, it will be 7 West Bistro Grill, according to the Towson Times, a free weekly suburban paper. The liquor license transfer took place last week.

I haven’t been able to reach the new owners, but according to the newspaper, the restaurant at 7 W. Chesapeake Ave. plans to concentrate on fine dining. It could open as early as Nov. 4.

I’m not sure what the menu will be, but maybe chef Chris Patternote, who just left Taverna Corvino and was once at Towson’s VIN, is looking for a job?

Freda’s Kitchen will soon have new owners and be renamed The Falls. It’s amazing. I was out on medical leave for four weeks and I came back to a crazy quilt of restaurant news that I’ll catch up with soon. I also recently went to Volt, where Top Cheftestant Bryan Voltaggio holds court. More to come later on that experience.

But, in the meantime, I was surprised to see in the minutes of a recent Mt. Washington Improvement Association meeting that Freda’s, which has been owned by the Emmer family for about 18 months is already changing hands. Its Witness Protection sandwich (yummy corned beef, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on rye) won a “Best of Baltimore” award this year from our magazine.

When I talked to Josh Emmer today—who owns Freda’s with his parents, Linda and Martin Emmer—he said the family was ready to move on to other things. “We built a great business. We had a great time there,” he said. “But our great passion is construction.”

A tentative settlement date for the restaurant transfer is Oct. 30 with new owners Mike Sproge (who owned Evergreen Cafe on Cold Spring Lane from 2003 until 2007) and Tim Hofmann, whom Mike has known since they were high-school freshmen in South Jersey. Mike later went to Loyola College.

I also caught up with Mike today, who said he and Tim will close Freda’s for a couple of weeks and that they hope to reopen in mid-November. They plan to be open seven days a week, starting around 6:30 or 7 a.m., and are still determining what the menu will be as they search for a chef. It'll be light fare to start, Mike said. But what’s really important to the partners is that The Falls be a comfortable place.

“We’re not out to reinvent the wheel or have too pretentious food,” Mike said. “We’re out to build a community space.”

Oh, yes, another plus, they’re keeping the corned beef sandwich!