You only turn 20 once.
Owned and operated by Brandy and David Dopkin, the award-winning Miss Shirley’s Cafe is a local culinary institution. To mark its 20th anniversary, Miss Shirley’s will celebrate the milestone — starting this month — with special giveaways and rewards to Brunch Club Loyalty members throughout the year.
As a fun throwback, the restaurant will bring back signature items from the cafe’s original menu this spring and fall, as well as offer locally made Goetz’s Caramel Creams as sweet treats to top off meals.
Make sure to check out the upscale/casual menu items, including the “Gravy Train Skillet” (fried buttermilk boneless chicken breast pieces on a house-made pimento cheese biscuit), chicken-and-cheddar green onion waffles, an array of tasty egg dishes, and morning cocktails including mimosas and crushes.
Also, don’t forget to try the house-made anniversary “Celebration Pancakes,” with baked vanilla confetti sprinkles topped with vanilla glaze. Always kid-friendly, the café is also offering “Shirley’s Kids Box Meals” (half-dollar pancakes, Belgian waffles), fun games and puzzles, interactive activity mats, toys and children’s books.
Created in 2005 by the late Baltimore native Eddie Dopkin, Miss Shirley’s Cafe was named in loving memory of Shirley McDowell, a close friend of the family.
Featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives,” Miss Shirley’s has locations in Roland Park, the Inner Harbor, Annapolis and at BWI-Marshall Airport. (For information, visit missshirleys.com.)
New Village People
Named after the southern Mexican state, Luna Oaxaca is now open at the Village of Cross Keys in the space that formerly housed Donna’s Café.
The Mexican restaurant features vaulted ceilings, a surplus of natural light and a patio for al fresco dining. The menu offers traditional family recipes with a modern twist, crafted with locally sourced ingredients.
A seasonally curated beverage selection features a variety of Mexican and craft beers, margaritas, artisanal cocktails and fine tequilas. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner seven days a week as well as Sunday brunch. (For information, visit crosskeysbaltimore.com/tenant/sol-oaxaca.)
Also slated to open this spring at Cross Keys is Nine Tailed Fox, a new Chinese concept. Drawing inspiration from a figure in Chinese folklore, the name reflects the restaurant’s cultural roots and its contemporary culinary cuisine.
Nine Tailed Fox’s culinary program will be helmed by Executive Chef Jeffrey Mei, who brings nearly three decades of experience in leading kitchens at such top restaurants as Benny Chows, One Dim Sum, and Yauatcha in Houston. Mei specializes in Chinese cuisine, blending tradition with innovation. (For information, visit atlasrestaurantgroup.com/property/nine-tailed-fox/.)
Falafel Fever
The Associated’s Jewish Professional Women will host its annual “LeadHERship Event” on Wednesday, May 14, at 6 p.m. at Pikesville’s Chizuk Amuno Congregation, 8100 Stevenson Road.
The featured speaker, Chef Einat Admony, is an Israeli-American restaurant owner, cookbook author and culinary pioneer. She will share her journey, flavors and stories, plus a taste of her signature dishes and cocktails.
A three-time James Beard Award nominee, the Tel Aviv-born Admony is the force behind the Balaboosta restaurant, the Taïm falafel chain and the Moondog HiFi Bar, and is a trailblazer in New York’s Israeli food scene.
She is a champion of the Food Network’s “Chopped” and “Throwdown with Bobby Flay.” She has authored two cookbooks with Artisan Books — “Balaboosta” and “Shuk.”
In 2014, Admony was a recipient of the Great Immigrants Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York for exemplary contributions to American life.
To reserve your seat at the “LeadHERship Event,” visit associated.org/event/jewish-professional-women-jpw-leadhership-event-with-chef-einat-admony/.
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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