Food & Drink

    The Dish: The couple making the case for Lao food in Baltimore
    This Baltimore couple is trying to carve out space for Lao food, a cuisine they love that has a minimal footprint in the city.
    Saroj Sharma, left, manager at Baltimore Lao Eats, explains the dish that his wife, Khamhou Thepsouvanh, the restaurant’s owner and chef, is preparing in their kitchen in Baltimore.
    Eat this, not that: Choose these Baltimore County spots instead of chains
    While Baltimore County has many chain standbys — think Panera, Chipotle — you can often find better fare and save money by going local
    A server prepares an order at El Taquito Leon #1 in the Parkville area of Baltimore County. This food truck, with several locations in Baltimore and Harford Counties, is a fine alternative to Chipotle.
    Grocery Outlet to close 8 Maryland locations
    Eight Grocery Outlet stores in Maryland are set to close as the bargain chain shutters dozens of locations nationwide.
    Grocery Outlet Inc. cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of its newest store in Overlea, Maryland on January 23, 2025.
    Met Her at a Cafe adds an eatery to a Baltimore neighborhood that sorely needs them
    An inconspicuous black building in Oliver is serving up colorful platters of food and providing one of the only sit-in eateries in the area.
    A Fruity Pebbles waffle sandwich with bacon, egg and cheese from Met Her at a Cafe on Aisquith Street.
    I accidentally built a dumpling tour of Baltimore
    Some of the best dumplings in the area aren’t where you’d expect to find them, according to food social media influencer Chris Franzoni.
    Spread of various dumplings at Lao Sze Chuan.
    Steeze Burger, once called the best in the region, finds a permanent home in Gaithersburg
    Steeze Burger had only popped up for a year before The Washington Post named it the best burger in the D.C. area. Gaithersburg native Hunter Karametos plans to open the first brick-and-mortar location in April.
    Gaithersburg native Hunter Karametos will open a brick-and-mortar version of his pop-up, Steeze Burger, in April. His double cheeseburger was named by The Washington Post in 2023 as the D.C. area's best burger.
    After fire, restaurants rally to support Falkenhan’s Hardware employees
    Debbie Falkenhan, owner of Falkenhan’s Hardware, which closed in December after a fire, said she hopes to reopen in Hampden before 2027.
    Regulars of Falkenhan’s have missed the family-owned store since Dec. 15, when fire engulfed the neighborhood staple on the corner of Chestnut Avenue and West 34th Street.
    The Wine Collective to close its doors later this month
    The Medfield-based business, housed inside the Union Collective complex, opened in March 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Its last day open to the public is March 15.
    Crete is like a wine ark carrying marvellous indigenous varieties as well as foreign ones which have adapted very well to the local terrain with very positive results. Local white varieties include Vilana, one of the island’s top white wine grapes, Vidiano, Dafni, Thrapsathiri, Malvazia di Candia (Malvazia of Chandakas), Muscat of Spina, and Plyto. Red varieties include Kotsifali, Mantilari, Liatiko, Tsardana and legendary Romeiko. Cretan varietals and blends made of local and foreign varieties (mostly French) are PGI Crete labels.
    Haven’t tried the James Beard semifinalists? Now’s your chance to enjoy them all at once.
    James Beard Award semifinalists Marta Fine Food and Spirits, Café Dear Leon, Pink Flamingo and Southpaw will host a joint charity dinner on March 30.
    The exterior of Pink Flamingo, which is now open for drinks.
    The Dish: Kimberly Kong eats her way through 100 Asian restaurants in Maryland
    The Korean American food influencer behind Nomtastic Kim, an Instagram page with over 122,000 followers, is spotlighting 100 Asian restaurants across Maryland to encourage people to patronize local, immigrant-owned eateries.
    Kimberly Kong pours condensed milk on sweet “Swirly Buns” as she films a profile of Bao Bei, a Taiwanese street food eatery in Rockville.
    Slutty Vegan founder and Baltimore native Pinky Cole files for bankruptcy
    Aisha “Pinky” Cole, the founder of the Slutty Vegan fast-food chain, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, federal court records show.
    Slutty Vegan Founder Pinky Cole announces that Slutty Vegan will be opening a location at Baltimore Peninsula during a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.
    K2 Cafe and Kitchen expands its blended, family-tested cuisine to Clarksburg
    K2 Cafe and Kitchen, which started in Poolesville in 2021, opened a second location in January.
    The tandoori chicken bowl, one of the most popular dishes at K2 Cafe and Kitchen.
    Peter Thomas of Bar One Baltimore and ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ is out of federal prison
    Between 2017 and 2023, Thomas failed to pay more than $2.5 million in employment taxes at several businesses, including Bar One Baltimore on Lancaster Street in Harbor East.
    Peter Thomas, a former reality TV star who appeared on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and used to own Bar One Baltimore, is out of federal prison.
    ‘Teeny-tiny’ Brunch Supply sweetens an Upper Fells Point neighborhood
    Brunch Supply is a mom-and-pop run micro-bakery that serves sweet and savory pastries a few days a week and has found a fan base in an Upper Fells Point neighborhood.
    Morning buns are a famously popular selection at Brunch Supply in Upper Fells.
    Primanti Bros. closes Baltimore-area location less than 2 years after opening
    The Pittsburgh-based chain claimed it would employ 100 people at its Linthicum Heights location when it opened.
    A Primanti Bros. sandwich with pastrami, french fries and cole slaw is sliced open on one of the tables in Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh.
    Ship’s Cafe, Catonsville’s lone crab house, expected to close after sale
    The Frederick Road crab house will reopen as an Asian and sushi restaurant, a lawyer representing the buyer said.
    Ship’s Cafe Restaurant and Crab House in Catonsville is expected to close.
    Peter Chang Annapolis is taking reservations ahead of opening
    Renowned chef Peter Chang is opening a new restaurant in Annapolis, and now taking reservations.
    FEBRUARY 25, 2026 - Peter Chang Annapolis on Bay Ridge Road in Annapolis. The restaurant is opening soon and taking reservations.
    The Dish: The Philly cheesesteak invasion
    The Philadelphia-bre(a)d insurgency taking over Baltimore’s cheesesteak scene goes beyond the major chains and viral fads. It’s also being propelled by Charm City’s small businesses.
    Mary Miles, owner of Dimples Bar and Grill in Locust Point, hands a customer a cheesesteak to go.
    Chef Spike Gjerde wants to open a new ‘Italian-inspired market’ in Baltimore
    Spike Gjerde, one of the biggest names in Baltimore dining, has laid out plans to open an “Italian-inspired market” in Hampden, adding to his growing roster of eateries in the area.
    Woodberry Kitchen owner Spike Gjerde is photographed at Woodberry Kitchen on July 10, 2024.
    8 places that showcase the Asian restaurant renaissance in Baltimore
    Baltimore’s Asian restaurant scene is having a moment. These are some of the newest options in town.
    Chef Dong Liu cooks several dishes in a wok over open flame at Lao Sze Chuan restaurant on June 26, 2025.
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