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At the top of each newsletter, I like to share a favorite photo. This one was taken as I was packing to move from Whitehall to Cross Keys. If you know me, you know that I have been downsizing my life for several years now, starting about a year before I sold my house in Hampden, say 2018. Getting rid of "stuff" is the most wonderfully freeing feeling. I now own just what I need and what I love. So, wrapped in these kitchen towels are six dinner plates that I bought at West Elm a couple of years ago after purging old, heavy, worn plates I had for well over ten years. In another box were the matching bowls, salad plates and serving bowls. My perfect little collection. ps. I also packed clothes and coats in with breakable things, a genius tip I found online.
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BAKER'S DOZEN
Brendan Dorr and Eric Fooy of Dutch Courage |
I hope you enjoy my latest Baker's Dozen feature on Brendan Dorr and Eric Fooy of Dutch Courage. I've known these two for a long time and consider them both friends, so it was fun to write about them. This series highlights people in so many different facets of the hospitality industry in Baltimore. We are so lucky to live here and experience such amazing products and spaces created by kind and generous people. I love learning more about the PEOPLE who make Baltimore the city that it is. Hope you do, too. (photo of Brendan and Eric via Star Chefs)
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CECE'S ROLAND PARK Open at Cross Keys |
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I am pretty darn happy with the timing of my move to Cross Keys last year, because the community is in the midst of an exciting revitalization!
The latest opening is Cece's Roland Park, where the spaces are split between the main restaurant, Cece's and its more casual counterpart, Cece's Kitchen. The two menus are somewhat similar, but Cece's Kitchen is a little more family-friendly thanks to the addition of pizzas and a few other options. Both offer tight food menus, which I love (menus with a large number of options overwhelm me) and on the drinks side, they have house cocktails, classic cocktails and nonalcoholic options. The Violet Hour (NA) sounds perfect for the Baltimore summer – Seedlip garden 108, elderflower tonic, lime juice and rosemary. I, for one, am excited to see sorbet on the dessert menu, one of my favorite ways to send a meal.
I haven't been yet because I usually like to wait a bit on new places, but I will be trying it soon. I'm especially looking forward to meeting up with friends at the bar out in the courtyard. I think it's one of those COVID effects, the way I really prefer sitting outside if the weather is nice. And as my friends know, I'm okay bundling up if it's a little chilly, too! I hope to interview Exec Chef Nick Sharpe at some point, too. A former Michael Mina Group chef, he's someone I have heard about from friends for many years. (photos via Cece's Roland Park)
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ALWAYS ICE CREAM
This place is best kind of trouble!
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GAH. Every once in a while, I just have to have some ice cream. And since my body now hates most dairy, I'm SO HAPPY to have vegan options that not only taste good but also have creamy texture like real ice cream. So, I highly recommend getting yourself to the new Always Ice Cream at Cross Keys. They have pup cups, too, so you can hang on their patio with your doggo.
p.s. I have been making dairy-free ice cream in my Kitchen Aid mixer lately. All you need is Trader Joe's vegan whipping cream, condensed oat milk (shelf stable at Whole Foods) and vanilla extract. SO easy! Whip the cream till you have stiff peaks, then slowly add (mix at medium) the condensed milk. Add vanilla extract and get it all mixed in. Add to your freezer, cover with plastic wrap and wait. (Like the Tom Petty song, the waiting is the hardest part.) Start with classic vanilla first, then, play around with flavors you like! I personally feel like my vanilla turned out the best, and I just added different toppings each time I ate it. Please note: this version is NOT low-cal or particularly healthy, sorry...it just does not contain real dairy.
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JOSEFINA
Modern Spanish restaurant coming to Harbor Point |
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Chef David Zamudio, formerly of Alma Cocina Latina, is opening a new restaurant at the 1405 Point apartment building later this year. From a recent interview on the website Bold Journey, here is a little more about the chef and the concept.
"This will be the first of several restaurants in my restaurant group, all strategically planned to tell the complex story of Latin American culture and history through several mediums, with a special focus (naturally) on gastronomy. I have chosen to start with the historic event that forever changed the course of Latin American trajectory – colonization – by first showcasing Spanish culture and traditions through my spin on classic Spanish cuisine. With Josefina, I lay the ground work to travel through time across Latin America, to showcase the traditional roots, the influence of outside cultures who immigrated there, and the cultural evolution that continues to shape the regions today. Josefina will not be your typical Spanish restaurant that focuses solely on the traditions and classics of the past, but rather a re-imagination of Spanish flavors and ingredients with a consideration of the future. Josefina and her sister restaurants will seek to serve as a constant reminder that growth and evolution are to be celebrated, as they are emblematic of the beauty of life. Baltimore, a rapidly developing city that has and continues to see its fair share of development, is the perfect place for Josefina, as it has very few Spanish restaurants, and none that journey into the future of the cuisine. I have a unique opportunity to be a part of the evolution of this city, to fill a void in the market, and to introduce residents and tourists alike to the intersection of history and culture in the shaping of a cuisine. With these restaurants I will pay homage to where I came from, where I had unique opportunities to learn and grow in my career, and the potential for growth through the future."
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CLAVEL AND THE CORAL WIG
More national love for two fab places in Baltimore |
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Lane Harlan and her teams have been on a roll lately. First Clavel was up for Best Bar in the US from the James Beard Foundation in early June. And while they did not bring the award home from Chicago, it is quite an amazing – and well deserved – honor to be in a finalist list of only FIVE bars in the country. Big congrats to not only Lane and her co-owner Carlos Raba, but also to Dre Barnhill who runs the bar at Clavel with a very talented and hard working group of people. If you've never done the mezcal tasting at Clavel, I highly recommend it – especially if, like me, you feel like you don't like mezcal. Dre will open your eyes and teach you all about this spirit, how to incorporate it into cocktails, how it is made and the stories behind the people who make it in Mexico. You can book seats HERE.
Just a few weeks ago, Lane and her husband Matthew's newest project, The Coral Wig which opened in May 2023 – was listed by Bon Appetit as one of its "Must Visit New Bars in the U.S. This is a huge honor and I am so happy for Lane and company. If you haven't been yet, The Coral Wig is tucked away next to (accessible via a side door in the alley) the Hotel Ulysses at the corner of Charles and Read in the lovely Mt.Vernon neighborhood. The Strom Interiors designed cocktail bar is quite dark inside and it feels other worldly. There is also a lovely little patio with tables outside, which is a nice option on a beautiful day. Get the Banana Hammock, a unique play on a margarita that uses banana-infused tequila for enhanced flavor and MSG to round out the cocktail. And from the woman who created my favorite marg of all time – the house margarita at Clavel – you know this drink was created from lots of research, tinkering and outside the box thinking. Thank you, Lane.And because Lane and Matthew are always working on something new, check out @hotelcharo on Instagram. They are renovating an 18th Century rectory in Asturias, Spain, which also happens to be the hometown of chef José Andrés. From the photos Lane has shared of Asturias thus far on her personal Instagram, this little village looks like a dreamy place to get away from noise and crowds and just relax, it's gorgeous. They are hoping to be open in summer 2026.
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NYT'S LIST OF 22 OF THE BEST PIZZA PLACES IN THE COUNTRY
Little Donna's in Upper Fell's Point gets another nod |
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It's been quite a time for the owners of Little Donna's on Bank Street lately. They opened their popular new restaurant in the summer of 2022 in the much beloved Henninger's Tavern location. And let's just say, when you take over a place in a (mostly) residential neighborhood in Baltimore, it's often hard. People like their go-to places and it's really, really hard to let go sometimes. I personally like how the owners of Little Donna's have made the space theirs. It's homey, a little vintage-y, not fancy. It feels like a neighborhood restaurant, a'la Marta, Dylan's Oyster Cellar, Sobo Cafe – and all of those places are quite different from each other, which is what makes them so special. As a guest, I appreciate the fact that Little Donna's always leaves room on the books for walk-ins. So, even when they are booked online, you can still try to snag a table last minute. And I think the bar at Little Donna's would be a great addition to my "Solo Dinner at the Bar" list on my dining guide. The bartenders are friendly and patrons are, as well. This is an easygoing kind of place.
And, now for their latest big news. The New York Times included Little Donna's on their latest list of 22 of the Best Pizza Places in the US. And, just last year they were on the NYT's list of Best New Restaurants. And as owner Robbie Tutlewski told the Banner last year, these accolades can be a very complicated thing. These lists often create inflated expectations, crazy high demand for tables and sometimes the hype can be overwhelming. That said, as someone looking in from the outside, they seem to handle things well. I mean, just a week or so ago, their pizza oven was out of commission several days....these are the things you can never see coming. Luckily, there are many other things on the menu besides pizza – I personally love the salads, pierogis and the pickle plate is one of my favorite things in the entire city. It is perfect. And, if it's on the menu, get the crab pancake with warm farmers cheese filling, pepper jam and apple slaw. And then, yes, the pies are fantastic. Very thin crust with nicely balanced topping combos. My favorites are the Tavern Pie (tomato sauce, cheese, crumbled sausage and banana peppers) and I can always go for a simple cheese pie with pepperoni. Yum.
I've been to Little Donna's four times...ready for the fifth!
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SNOWBALL SEASON IN BMORE It's a Classic |
Holy moly, it's been so hot in Bmore lately...and more high 90s this week. GROSS. I am not a summer fan, but I am definitely a snowball fan. When I was a kid, I'd usually get sky blue or egg custard, with marshmallow, duh. Through my adult years, it's been pretty steadily egg custard with marshmallow. Call me boring, I say classic. And when I want to be fancy, I hit up Quality Snowballs on the Avenue for my favorite (pictured) which is egg custard with torched marshmallow. It is the BEST. I can never finish it (even a small) but it's so good. Such a treat. I like traditions. Here is Baltimore Magazine's latest roundup of places to get yourself a snowball this summer.
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Please consider sharing my newsletter with your friends and family with an old school forward! I also post all of the newsletters on my website: Charm City Cook.
xo -
Amy
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