COMING SOON
Charm City Poke & Mochi: This fall, this new grab-and-go concept will make its debut in the former home of Plantbar inside Harbor Point’s Constellation Building. From Na Yi, owner and operator Blowfish Poke at Cross Street Market, Charm City Poke & Mochi will offer Blowfish’s signature made-to-order poke bowls, plus new menu items like steamed buns, steamed dumplings, ramen, and sushi rolls. As for the mochi, expect Blowfish’s popular mochi donuts made with low-gluten rice flour in flavors like matcha, mango, strawberry, purple ube, and chocolate.
“Healthy food shouldn’t be boring,” Yi said in a press release. “We’ve got something unique to bring to the table at Harbor Point. We’re excited to get to work serving up dishes that are fun, nutritious, and packed with flavor.”
This is the latest in a string of recent tenant announcements from Harbor Point developers, who are also working to unveil Sartori, an Italian concept from the owner of Verde, as well as a new location of the iconic Attman’s Delicatessen.
KOHO Korean BBQ House: There’s a new destination coming soon for K-BBQ lovers. From Ellicott City restaurateurs Nick Son and Steven Wang, KOHO Korean BBQ House is expected to open at Hanover’s Live! Casino & Hotel later this month. Led by executive chef Tai Yi Zheng, who brings more than 25 years of experience opening and managing Korean restaurants across the country, the menu will spotlight a wide variety of traditional dishes, including high-quality K-BBQ meats and Korean fried chicken, as well as other entrees, side dishes, desserts, and a full bar. Adjacent to The Cheesecake Factory at the casino, the KOHO space—which is being designed by a Korean firm in partnership with a local architect—will feature an outdoor patio and its own room for private events.
Taco Love Grill: This one’s for the taco-loving Ravens fans. White Marsh Mexican eatery Taco Love Grill, which has a stall inside Cross Street Market, will open another location inside M&T Bank Stadium on Aug. 12, just in time for the preseason opener. The stall will be located on the main level at section 151. “We understand the importance of enjoying great food and drinks while cheering on your favorite team,” Jimena Portillo, founder and president of Taco Love Grill, said in a statement, “and we are eager to enhance the gameday experience for Ravens fans.”
OPEN
Sunny’s Subs: After months of undergoing renovations and receiving a shiny new exterior, this beloved chicken box spot has officially reopened at 1518 Havenwood Road in the Northwood Commons shopping center near Morgan State University. At a grand reopening earlier this week, regulars returned to check out the new digs and get their fix of wings, Western fries, cheesesteaks, lake trout, and requisite sides of the signature sweet-and-spicy Sunny’s Sauce.
Honeygrow Owings Mills: This Philly-based salad and stir-fry chain keeps, well, growing. Its latest DMV-area location is now open at Mill Station, the retail and entertainment center on the site of the former Owings Mills Mall. The 2,418-square-foot location marks Honeygrow’s sixth restaurant in Maryland, with others in Baltimore (one in Charles Village and the other in Harbor Point), Bel Air, Arundel Mills, and Rockville. “We’ve been in Maryland for over six years and are proud to continue to expand within the community,” said Honeygrow founder and CEO Justin Rosenberg in a press release. “This will be our sixth restaurant in the state with several more in the pipeline.”
EPICUREAN EVENTS
8/12: Costiera Baltimore Pop-Up at Southpaw
Hospitality veterans Brian Lavin and Sam White, the duo behind the much-lauded Gnocco in Highlandtown before it closed in 2019, are back and testing out something new—a Coastal Mediterranean-inspired pop-up that is operating every Saturday in August in advance of a forthcoming brick-and-mortar restaurant. Their second service at Fells Point cocktail bar Southpaw is scheduled for this Saturday at 5 p.m., when they will highlight a melon salad with labneh, salsa macha, honey, and basil; potatoes bravas with garlic aioli and a spicy tomato sauce; scallop crudo; eggplant agrodolce; squid ink gnocchi with calamari and spicy breadcrumbs; and chicken liver mousse with plum jam. Pair that with one of Southpaw’s “Forever Happy Hour” menu items, like a $9 Old Fashioned or dry martini, and that’s what we’d call a solid Saturday night.
8/11, 18, 25: Ash Bar After Dark Series
Every Friday this month, head to Ash Bar—located inside Mt. Vernon’s Ulysses hotel—for some late-night fun. The all-day cafe and bar will host a “streetlight picnic series” called Ash Bar After Dark from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. The bar’s food truck will be out on Charles Street serving up a different menu each week. The series kicked off with tacos and beer, but for this week, expect pit beef, fried chicken, cheesy fries, and more.
8/4-8/27: Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month
The all-out, plant-based party has returned with even more restaurants participating throughout the state. As always, organizers with Maryland Vegan Eats encourage our local vegan and vegetarian favorites to offer specials in honor of the monthlong promotion, but it’s also a time for spots that don’t typically offer plant-based fare to roll out items that are inclusive to all. Be on the lookout for meatless, dairy-free cuisine at plant-based gems like Golden West Cafe, Harmony Bakery, and Hue Cafe & Apothecary, as well as other dining destinations such as Woodberry Tavern, Underground Pizza, and Ammoora.
SHUT
Busboys and Poets: This Washington, D.C. chain that operates as both a coffeehouse and bookstore has closed its Charles Village location. Opened in 2021, it was the first Busboys and Poets in Baltimore. But this might not mark a permanent end to its time in Charm City. “We love Baltimore,” a spokeswoman for the company told the Baltimore Banner, “It’s just a matter of finding the right location for it.” Stay tuned for updates.