Boards in a Box offers unique treats for the gourmand, while Too Good To Go is a new app for surplus restaurant fare.
Looking for a delicious, one-of-a kind gift for that someone special in your life? Check out Boards in a Box.
Created and owned by Ocean City native and Baltimore resident Christin Reuter, Boards in a Box offers crafted, made-to-order charcuterie in a box. Each spread is specially crafted for customers using fresh ingredients, including artisanal cheeses and premium charcuterie.
You can also take your event to the next level and impress your guests with a custom-grazing table. Just a big, ol’ spread of tasty treats!
Each table — flat or multi-dimensional — includes a variety of cured meats, gourmet cheeses, seasonal fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruit, olives, cornichons, crisp veggies, dips, jam/honey and a selection of bread and crackers.
And Boards in a Box provides everything — except the table. They even offer board building classes at specific locations or in your home! (boardsinabox.com)
Another cool new concept is Too Good To Go, a food pick-up app for surplus food, launched here in Baltimore. The app, available for iOS in the Apple store or Google Play for Android, connects consumers with surplus from restaurants, bakeries, cafes and grocery stores at the end of each business day, ensuring that unsold food doesn’t go to waste.
Customers can browse participating locations, reserve and pay for a “Surprise Bag” on the app, and then head to the store for pick-up. The contents of each bag changes daily, and app users can expect to get a range of products at one-third of the retail value — from a bag of fresh fruit and vegetables, three pizza slices or a couple of extra sushi rolls, to a pint of gelato or an assortment of pastries.
And stores can update the amount of surplus they have in real-time, based on how sales are going throughout the day. The app gives consumers a fun, easy way to live sustainably, and store owners can profit from fresh food that would otherwise be tossed out.
Some of the participating restaurants and food outfits include Wild Bay Kombucha, Harmony Bakery, Ice Queens, Pitango Gelato and A Friendly Bread. All participating locations can now be found on the Baltimore map in the app. (toogoodtogo.com)
Hole Foods
One thing I hear regularly from Baltimore natives who live out of state is that they can’t find good bagels in their adopted towns. You can make those expat friends very happy because THB Bagelry + Deli now ships nationally. Check it out on their website. (eatthb.com)
BTW, Jan. 15 is “National Bagel Day,” so you can stop by one of THB’s six locations that day for a free bagel! (eatthb.com)
Going Long
Local NFL mom Lisa Harty says her son, Deonte Harris, a wide receiver and return specialist the New Orleans Saints, told her he was having trouble locating his favorite acai bowls and smoothies in the Big Easy. So Harty began formulating recipes in her own Baltimore kitchen.
More people started trying them, and Harty was encouraged to launch a business venture that sells the healthy snacks and energy drinks. Recently, she signed a lease for space at on Wakefield Street within the mixed-use community of Greenleigh in Baltimore County.
Opening in early 2022, Enjoy a Bowl will offer cold-pressed juices, smoothies, acai bowls, toasts and other healthy food items. Harty intends to emphasize the use of fresh ingredients such as bananas, blueberries, strawberries and dragon fruit.
“Our goal is to provide menu items that are beneficial to the community and for consumers to notice the difference,” Harty said in a statement. “Our products will appeal to anyone looking for a quick and healthy pick-me-up snack in the morning or afternoon.”
Yes, Indeed
Meanwhile, Yes Chef!, a Baltimore-based meal delivery service and caterer specializing in fully-prepared, balanced meals crafted by professional chefs, opened its first storefront.
The Yes Chef Local Marketplace is located at McHenry Row in Locust Point, in the space formerly occupied by The Urban Oyster.
Customers can now pick up meal and catering orders, fresh salads, sandwiches, snacks, baked goods and other grab-and-go items, and products from other local food and drink vendors. (yes-chef.com)
One last note: Assad Akbari, the former chef at The Helmand in Mount Vernon, is opening his own restaurant on The Avenue in Hampden. Kandahar Afghan Kitchen is slated to open in January and will offer traditional Afghan cuisine.
Have a happy new year!
Randi Rom is president of RJ Rom & Associates. She is a freelance columnist and writer who represents some of the region’s top restaurants and food-related events. Contact her at randirom@comcast.net.
Dara Bunjon talks with culinary content creator, food stylist and photographer Kristen Hess, host of The Artful Gourmet podcast.
When the Jews were exiled during the Spanish Inquisition, they fled far and wide, bringing their love of eggplant with them.
The ban on American booze, which came in response to the the Trump administration's tariffs against Canada, has “created a meaningful opening” for other kosher holiday wines.
A year-round favorite is reimagined for the Festival of Freedom.