COMING SOON
Merriweather District Announces Three More Eateries: The Howard Hughes Corporation has been hard at work finding regional restaurants to fill its brand new Merriweather District in Columbia. Following the news that beloved Washington, D.C. coffee shop Busboys and Poets would be moving into the development next year, Howard Hughes recently announced three more tenants that are following suit next summer. The first will be a new location for D.C.-based pizza hotspot Matchbox, which focuses on wood-fired fare and brunch. The team behind Ashburn, Virginia’s acclaimed Sense of Thai St. will also expand to the area with a new concept called Dok Khao Thai Eatery, and owner Satish Gunisetty of Indian restaurant Rangoli in Hanover will open a globally inspired spinoff called Clove and Cardamom. The district is part of Downtown Columbia’s massive revitalization plan, which will include 14 million square feet of new development when completed.
The LVH: Soul food fans’ lives were forever changed when Taste This Baltimore came onto the scene in 2014. The carryout started with a location on Harford Road in Lauraville, and later brought its famous fried-chicken platters and loaded baked potatoes to Charles Village. Now, owners Craig Curbean and Dante Davis are returning to their roots with a full-service restaurant located just down the street from the flagship. Set in the former home of barbecue restaurant Lauraville House, The LVH—a name that pays homage to the former inhabitant—will offer plenty of seats and a menu of Curbean’s signature comfort foods when it opens this fall. Be on the lookout for dishes like crab dip-stuffed chicken breast, vegetable fettuccine, and blackened tilapia with herb-lemon butter.
Fire & Rice: On the subject of Hamilton-Lauraville—which has recently exploded with new dining options like Farm to Face and Char’d City—the area will also soon welcome this Japanese-inspired restaurant from the former owner of Tooloulou, which once operated locations on Harford Road and in Belvedere Square but has since closed. Chef/owners Shawn Lagergren and Kevin Scheuing will offer ramen, sushi, and grilled meats at the spot on the bottom floor of the new SoHa Union retail-and-residential development at 4801 Harford Road. As it progresses in the coming months, the project is also expected to house a new space for Touloulou’s former Belvedere Square neighbor Pure Chocolate by Jinji.
Good Neighbor: A new quasi-cafe and homegoods store is slated to take over the former Sirkis Hardware space on Falls Road in Hampden next year. Owner Shawn Chopra recently told the Baltimore Business Journal that he’s transforming the three-story row house into a destination for shoppers to explore handmade wares from Baltimore makers, ceramic artists, and woodworkers while also enjoying coffee and cafe fare. The spot comes on the heels of another Hampden addition, Treehouse Cafe & Juice Bar, which is now operating in soft-opening mode on Chestnut Avenue.
EPICUREAN EVENTS
10/18-27: Maryland Food Truck Week Just because the temperatures have dropped doesn’t mean our favorite food trucks roll out for the season. In fact, the annual Maryland Food Truck Week proves that it’s just the opposite. The ten-day celebration to benefit Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland kicks off with a free food truck rally at South Point in Port Covington on Friday, October 18 from 5-9 p.m. Throughout the week, diners can catch their favorite chefs on wheels (think favorites like Crossroads Bistro, 410 Empanadas, and Dizzy Cow Pizzeria) at daily events happening everywhere from Halethorpe to Elkridge. The festivities will close out with a Halloween-themed bash on October 27 at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.
10/18-27: Max’s Empanadas Pop-Up at R. House
While contemplating your options at R. House this week, make your way over to the rotating pop-up stall to browse the menu at this farmers’ market favorite. Max’s specializes in Argentinian empanadas stuffed with fillings including beef, chicken, chorizo, and mixed vegetables.