They’re baack! In the post-pandemic era, restaurants and the food service industry have made a strong comeback and are once again thriving.
But the business models have been altered and tweaked to meet the changing state of the industry, forcing restaurateurs and others to create more distinctive ways of staying in business and enticing diners.
New restaurants have emerged with fresh and innovative concepts, and existing spots have pivoted their resources. Delivery and pick-ups that started during COVID-19 are here to stay, as are many of the outdoor dining spots. In fact, Baltimore City has a new program for permanent outdoor dining spaces requiring safety rules for the structures themselves, as well as a fee system.
During the pandemic, Max’s Taphouse in Fells Point pivoted and created a superb space for alfresco dining. Max’s also established a phenomenal wood-smoked BBQ menu to go along with their 108 draft and four hand-cask lines, plus a collection of more than 1,600 beer bottles and cans, not to mention hundreds of bourbons.
Recently, they opened a pair of walk-up windows for easy-access takeout. Their best sellers are pit beef, smoked turkey, mac-and-cheese and their supremely popular tater bowls. (Tater bowls — they’re not just for kids anymore!)
What began as a survival mechanism has turned into a booming beer, bourbon and barbecue experience.
Personalized or hyper-local dining opportunities have become a substantial draw as these experiences showcase local cuisine, history and culture. Nancy Longo, executive chef and owner of Pierpoint Restaurant in Fells Point, offers a wonderfully nostalgic culinary trip down Bawlmer’s memory lane. (These dinners can also be ordered for takeout or for catered events.)
You can enjoy a curated, re-created list of menu options featuring some of Charm City’s most fabled restaurants from days gone by. Options include crispy fried oysters (Connolly’s Seafood Restaurant), deviled eggs (Woman’s Industrial Exchange), carpaccio toast (Rudys’ 2900), stir fried beef & tomato (Jimmy Wu’s New China Inn), zabaglione with strawberries (Rocco’s Capriccio), crab fluff (Thompson’s Sea Girt House), and numerous dishes from The Pimlico Hotel restaurant, Silber’s Bakery and many more.
How cool — and delicious — does that sound?
Additional industry trends include plant-based food dishes, which are increasingly popular among diners concerned with health and climate change issues. Another developing practice is that restaurants are more environmentally conscious and employing eco-friendly initiatives, including using sustainable products, reducing plastic waste and implementing energy-efficient programs.
On The Waterfront
Creative menus and unique dining experiences — often showcasing local cuisine and ingredients — are a major draw for travelers searching for exciting culinary experiences (also known as “culinary tourism”).
A prime (and timely) example of this references Harborplace. The original Harborplace.
It was recently announced that the iconic Harborplace pavilions, located on the waterfront promenade at the Inner Harbor, will be razed to make way for a new project.
Once one of Baltimore’s premier attractions for residents and tourists, the property was created to revitalize the area and draw people downtown. When opening more than four decades ago, Harborplace attracted more visitors than Disney World. (I happen to know this because I wrote the media releases while working for the late Mayor William Donald Schaefer.)
Some of the original restaurants at Harborplace included Phillips Seafood, City Lights, The Bun Penny, The Soup Kitchen Ltd., Lee’s Ice Cream and The French Bread Factory. Like many other Baltimoreans, I hope this new project to resurrect Harborplace brings back the old energy, excitement and sense of community that was the vison of the original developer James Rouse. That includes showcasing locally owned businesses and generating tourism dollars.
What’s Nu?
Eddie’s of Roland Park, the longtime, Jewish family-owned supermarket, recently completed a two-year renovation of its location on 5113 Roland Avenue. The renovation includes updates to the entire building, providing shoppers with a more modern and intimate shopping experience.
“It is wonderful to watch the reactions of customers who can now more easily navigate Eddie’s curated collection of grocery items and prepared foods in a brighter, more modern and updated Roland Avenue store,” said Michael Schaffer, vice president of Eddie’s of Roland Park. “Throughout the process, we were committed to maintaining the historic integrity of the space and honoring Eddie’s deep roots in Baltimore as an urban market while simultaneously updating and renovating the front and back of house.”
At Eddie’s, look for a larger, self-service homemade soup bar, a walk-around salad bar, and an expanded candy and gift area including a soda fountain. (Fun fact: Berger Cookies are Eddie’s number one selling item.)
The Village of Cross Keys was the late, great Jim Rouse’s first mixed-use project and served as the prototype for the future development of Columbia in HoCo. Both developments served as model projects for mixed-use properties across the country.
Construction has begun at Cross Keys on a new building for Atlas Restaurant Group’s new Asian concept, as well as a “jewel box” space intended for use by coffee/bakery and ice cream businesses. These businesses will join the popular Easy Like Sunday café, Cece’s Roland Park and ZaVino Italian Marketplace. Let’s hope that happy days are here again at Cross Keys!
Meanwhile, The Collective Offshore, a dining and entertainment concept consisting of Offshore (restaurant) and Encore (music venue), opened in the former Clyde’s and Soundry locations in Columbia, overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi. The location doesn’t get better than that, especially if you’re seated on the patio. The restaurant offers elevated, casual, coastal-inspired food that emphasizes local and regional seafood.
On a sad note, the kosher Dougie’s BBQ and Grill in Pikesville recently suddenly closed after 11 years of operations. A post on their Facebook page stated they were closing due to circumstances beyond their control. (The post also stated that for any outstanding gift cards or parties, customers should email them at dougiesgiftcardsmd@gmail.com.)
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.
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