Chef Davide Rossi, who prepared upscale Italian dishes at Pazza Luna in Locust Point, is the consulting chef at the new The Mallet Restaurant & Crabhouse in Fallston. It seems an odd pairing.

Chef Rossi, who hails from Milan, Italy, dropped out of sight after Pazza Luna, a popular trattoria, closed suddenly last May. It had been getting positive reviews from neighbors, visitors, and the media. No word on its fate. The old phone number is not in service, though its website is up and running. Anyone know anything?

The menu at The Mallet—a location that has housed various restaurants with different names over the years—offers standard crab-shack fare (that's not a bad thing) like steamed shrimp, mussels, crab cakes, and a few steaks thrown in for meat eaters. There is also a small pasta section featuring linguine with clams, chicken Alfredo, frutti di mare, and shrimp scampi. With Rossi’s imprint, I’m sure they’re delicious.

I’m glad the chef landed somewhere locally. But I just feel like there’s more to this story.

Stephanie “Stevie” Pierson, who grew up in Mt. Washington and Bolton Hill, has written The Brisket Book: A Love Story with Recipes, dedicated to the ultimate braised comfort food.

There’s another Baltimore tie, too. The book includes a recipe for Beef Brisket with Tangy Peaches by chef/owner John Shields of Gertrude’s, who will be hosting a book launch and dinner at the restaurant on Oct. 20 for Stevie.

The event is open to the public, and reservations are recommended. There will be a special brisket dinner offered in addition to the regular menu. Copies of the brisket book will be available for purchase, and Stevie will be happy to sign them.

When I asked Stevie, “Why brisket?” she responded via e-mail. “I decided to write a book about brisket when I realized how passionate I was about brisket,” she said. “I realized that although brisket is in just about every cookbook, it didn't have its own cookbook. And I thought, well, that is just wrong for brisket to get so little respect and attention.”

She also added that people were enthusiastic when she was searching for recipes: “They would inevitably respond, ‘Do I have a brisket recipe?! I have the best brisket recipe ever!’”

In addition to the recipes—from the likes of chef Daniel Boulud, Joan Nathan, pit masters, and home cooks—the book features great cooking advice, chef interviews, and butcher tips. There are also chapters on side dishes and what to drink with your meal, including a recipe for a Clove’n Hoof Cocktail that sounds wicked.

The Brisket Book (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $29.99) will be released tomorrow (Oct. 4). Stevie has also written other books, including Vegetables Rock! I’m sure they’re good, but I’m glad she loves brisket as much as I do.

No, Baltimore didn’t make the list. But a former Baltimorean did. Men’s Health magazine recently named nine regional restaurants as “The Nation’s Manliest.” A finalist will be announced in its December issue.

Primanti Bros. in Pittsburgh won for the Mid-Atlantic area. What would your pick have been in Baltimore? But I digress. We do have a local connection.

The winner of the Los Angeles region is Salt’s Cure, co-owned by Dulaney High School grad Chris Phelps. When Chris was in Baltimore, he trained under Mark Henry at The Oregon Grille and was a sous chef at the now closed Ixia.

His proud mom, Kathy Alexander, who lives in Harbor East, shared the good news. Salt’s Cure, located in West Hollywood, has been receiving great reviews from the local and national press. It’s been billed as an American restaurant/butcher shop focusing on ingredients grown and raised in California. Maybe Chris should open an East Coast branch.

No corkage fee on Mondays for one thing! The Hampden restaurant is also offering a three-course, prix-fixe dinner menu for $25 to "those who despise cooking on Mondays, to those who can't find any restaurant open, to those 'in the biz,' who are scheduled off after a busy weekend," according to an e-mail by Corner BYOB owner Cecille Fenix.

The menu, prepared by chefs Bernard Dehaene and Zeke 'Paulus" Altenbernd, includes appetizers like fried mussels and bacon potato soup, entrees like pork loin and grilled salmon, and desserts like profiterole and a three cheese-plate.

It's BYOB, so the choice of wine is up to you. 

Where are you eating out tomorrow? Dozens of Baltimore area restaurants are participating in Moveable Feast's annual Dining Out for Life, which raises money to feed those with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging conditions like breast cancer.

While most restaurants are donating 20 percent of their sales to the cause—a wonderful thing—the following places are giving 50 percent: Alonso's, The Brewer's Art, Clementine, Gertrude's at the BMA, Loco Hombre, Miguel's Cocina y Cantina, and Woodberry Kitchen.

Check out the complete list. Some are serving lunch, too. No matter where you go, you'll be helping a worthwhile organization. 

UPDATE: No takers yet for Hollywood Diner. With all the news about the movie "Diner" being made into a Broadway show, I wondered what was going on at Baltimore's Hollywood Diner, which was used in Barry Levinson's 1982 acclaimed film.

Sadly, the cafe part of the diner will be closing this week, said Cheryl Townsend, owner of Red Springs Cafe and Catering, which is running the food operation. But it will be open from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. through Friday if you want to get a taste of Cheryl's Southern soul food in the classic diner.

"We're not getting the business," she said. "We're competing with the food trucks."

Cheryl will still be continuing her catering business and perhaps relocating elsewhere, she said.

The diner, at 400 E. Saratoga St., is owned by the city and has been a vocational training ground for students through the Chesapeake Center for Youth Development.

Ivan Leshinsky, executive director of CCYD, said the organization is actively looking for another operator or partner to run Hollywood Diner. Until then, the training program is on hold.

“We’ve used the building for 20 years,” he said. “The biggest challenge is to make the diner a profitable restaurant.”

He said the structure and restaurant equipment need a major overhaul. "It will take a sizeable investment," on the part of the next proprietor, he said.

Hopefully, this isn’t Hollywood Diner’s final scene.

Photo courtesy of welcometobaltimorehon.com

The Food for Thought Stage at the Baltimore Book Festival will be cookin' with some great visiting authors and local chefs this weekend, Sept. 23-25. I think I'm just going to camp out there the whole time. Here's the schedule:

Friday

Noon-2 p.m. Chefs from Sascha's 527, McCormick & Schmick's, and Cazbar demonstrate their signature dishes.

5 p.m.: James Waller is a writer, editor, and author of Drinkology, Drinkology Wine and his latest, Drinkology Beer. Join him during happy hour at the festival to learn about—and sample—some of his favorite beers.

6 p.m.: Johnny Mo "The Musical Chef" is the chef/owner of Mallards Restaurants, Catering & Entertainment located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, lead guitarist and singer for the band Quadpod, and author of Rock The Kitchen. His newest cookbook and CD, Rock The Party, features fun recipes and original music.

7 p.m.: With See Mix Drink, Brian Murphy has compiled a cocktail book that offers instruction through info-graphics, so you can make the drinks you love at home.

Saturday

Noon: Husband-and-wife team Jon and Robin Robertson demonstrate how to make meatless, dairy-free, and egg-free recipes from their cookbooks, Vegan Fire and Spice and Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Survival Guide.

1:30 p.m.: Fr. Leo Patalinghug's book, Grace Before Meals: Recipes and Inspiration for Family Meals and Family Life, provides a blend of food, family, faith, and fun. This book showcases the best food for body, mind, and spirit.

3 p.m.: Food writer Maria Speck's passion for propelling Old World staples such as farro, barley, polenta, and wheat berries to the forefront of New American cooking is presented in Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. Speck draws on food traditions from across the Mediterranean and northern Europe to reveal how versatile, flavorful, and sophisticated whole grains can be.

4 p.m.: Sarah Huck and Jaimee Young are professional recipe developers, editors, and adventurers. Their book, Campfire Cookery: Adventuresome Recipes and Other Curiosities for the Great Outdoors, is a food and activity guide that helps readers of all ages rethink the possibilities of what can be savored over the oldest cooking tool known to man—the open flame.

5:30 p.m.: Food Network chef Daisy Martinez shows you how to bring your family together with everyday Latin dishes in Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night.

7 p.m.: One of television's fastest-rising personalities, Aaron McCargo Jr. won the fourth season of The Next Food Network Star and now stars in his own Food Network show, Big Daddy's House. In his new cookbook, Simply Done, Well Done, McCargo shares his passion for big, bold flavors and family cooking.

Sunday

Noon: The Broke Guy Stir Fry cookbook by Douglas Wilburn is for anyone who is tired of the same old fast food or ramen noodle routine. This is your opportunity to impress your friends with great meals while simultaneously mastering the most versatile piece of cookware on the planet—the wok.

1 p.m.: In The Vegan Slow Cooker, Kathy Hester shows you how to create nourishing cuisine in just two simple steps, using all the healthiest produce, whole grains, and vegan-friendly ingredients found at your local market or farm stand (or home garden).

2 p.m.: On her Food Network show, Mexican Made Easy, Marcela Valladolid shows how simple it is to create dishes bursting with Mexican flavors. With 100 make-at-home recipes and 80 color photographs, Mexican Made Easy: Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Flavor brings all of the fresh flavors of Marcela's popular show into your home.

3:30 p.m.: "Simple Cooking with Heart" is a new program of the American Heart Association focused on building healthier lives with a specific focus on improving nutrition. This session features heart-healthy tips and a cooking demonstration by chef Casey Jenkins of Darker Than Blue Café.

4:30 p.m.: From Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan, Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One is a celebration of eating solo, with more than 100 easy-to-follow and globally inspired recipes for the food-loving single.

5:30 p.m.: In The Casserole Queens Cookbook: Put Some Lovin' in Your Oven with 100 Easy One-Dish Recipes, Sandy Pollock and Crystal Cook share their updated, from-scratch recipes for traditional dishes.