Savor the Chesapeake

A CULINARY COMPENDIUM OF RESTAURANT, FOOD, AND BEVERAGE NEWS AND TRENDS FROM THE CHESAPEAKE REGION

By Kelsey Casselbury

Welcome to the Neighborhood!

We’re happy to say hello to these new businesses that have opened over the past few months:

Feel extra-good when you enjoy a cup of coffee when you visit Second Alarm Brewhouse in Pasadena, a firehouse-themed specialty coffee shop is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, established to raise awareness of the need for volunteer firefighters. Originally a coffee truck, Second Alarm is owned by Anne Arundel County native Duane McKee, a 26-year volunteer firefighter (who, until shutdowns occurred last March, also worked as a sound engineer on Broadway in New York City), who says its proceeds will go toward supporting its mission. Paid staff members man the shop during the week, but on the weekend, Second Alarm welcomes volunteers to work behind the counter. The shop serves its own coffee blend from Crofton-based Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company. McKee hopes to obtain a liquor license in the near future, so Second Alarm can operate as a pub in the evening, serving Maryland beers and wines. 8510 Fort Smallwood Road,

Pasadena | secondalarmbrewhouse.com

The team behind Eastern Shore favorites 208 Talbot, Doc’s Sunset, Downtown Grille, and Doc’s Riverside are back with a new restaurant, Legal Assets, in Easton. Opened in mid-December by Valerie and David Clark, the latter of whom serves as executive chef, and Bo, Dianne, and Chooch Oristian, Legal Assets’ menu features new American cuisine with an international influence. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. 22 South Harrison Street, Easton | facebook.com/legalassets

Things have gotten dangerous in Annapolis—dangerously delicious, that is, with the opening of Dangerously Delicious Pies on West Street. Owned by Christopher and Kimberly Miller, Dangerous Delicious Pies sells both sweet and savory varieties; its best-seller is the Baltimore Bomb, a creation made of vanilla custard and Berger Cookies. They have a full-service coffee bar, featuring Baltimore’s Zeke’s Coffee, and plans to serve beer and wine in the future, so folks can pull up a seat and enjoy local brews or vino with a slice of their favorite pie. 212-214 West Street, Annapolis |

dangerouspiesannapolis.com

Everybody, raise a glass to Ten Eyck Brewing Company, a Queenstown brewery owned by a team of women veterans and first responders. Owner Nicki Snyder talked to What’s Up? in its November issue about their plans to offer foeder-fermented beer (a foeder is a giant oak barrel), as well as traditional steel-fermented beers. Ten Eyck offers seating in the taproom and an outdoor beer garden and often has food trucks serving on the property. 205 Grange Hall Road, Queenstown | teneyckbrewing.com

Not an opening, but rather a relocation—El Toro Bravo has closed its West Street location and is now serving at its new location on Riva Road in the former location of Les Folies Brasserie, which closed in summer 2019.

2552 Riva Road, Annapolis | facebook.com/eltorobravoannapolis

Annapolitans have been acquainting themselves with the wine country-inspired eatery Smashing Grapes, which opened in the former location of The Greene Turtle last fall. When it comes to outdoor dining, this restaurant— which serves up a fusion of Mediterranean and California coastal cuisine, paired with more than 350 wines—may be just the place, given its already-ultra-popular fire pit tables. West AACo residents will be able to enjoy their own fire pits when a second location opens in Gambrills’ Waugh Chapel Shopping Center (As of press time, no word on when that will happen). 177

Jennifer Road, Annapolis | 2383 Brandermill Boulevard, Gambrills (coming

soon) | smashingrapes.com 

Additional new kids on the block include:

Shika Sushi and Ramen | 509 S. Cherry Grove Ave, Suite D, Annapolis | shikasushimd.com Nothing Bundt Cakes | 1901 Towne Centre Boulevard, Suite 130, Annapolis | nothingbundtcakes.com Tai Chi Bubble Tea | 2568 Solomons Island Road, Annapolis | facebook.com/taichiannapolis Oscar’s Alehouse | 8026 Governor Ritchie Highway, Pasadena | oscarsalehouse.net

In the Kitchen: Umami

There’s something about February that makes a person need comfort food. (As if that’s not all we’ve been indulging in for the past 11 months!) There’s no shame in that culinary game, but you can do comfort food better when you focus on umami, one of the five basic tastes that doesn’t get the same love as sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.

A flavor exploration of umami, a Japanese word that loosely translates to “pleasant, savory taste,” is one of the top trends to watch this year, according to food and beverage research company Technomic. Chefs and home cooks alike can tap into this trend by exploring uses for mushrooms beyond button or portobello (try chanterelles or oysters, both underused but not hard to source), experimenting with fermented sauces (soy sauce is an easy one; potent fish sauce is another), or going straight to the umami star itself, monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Yes, it has a serious stigma, but MSG’s bad rep has no basis in reality. It comes as a powder, and you can just add a pinch or a sprinkle to anything savory, from a homemade tomato sauce to roasted vegetables. If you seem to develop a headache afterward, it might just be the placebo effect—research hasn’t found any definitive evidence between MSG and negative health effects.

From the Bar: Bourbon

Scotch must be made in Scotland. Champagne must be made in France. Bourbon, despite the popular misconception, does not have to be made in Kentucky—it just has to be made in the United States (though 95 percent of bourbons are made in the Bluegrass State), plus made from at least 51 percent corn grain and aged in new, charred oak containers.

If you’re feeling a little chilly this month, a bourbon cocktail like this Earl Grey Old Fashioned will warm you up. It’s more important than ever to support local businesses, so try it with one of these Maryland-made bourbons:

Trailblazer Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Lost Ark Distilling Co., Columbia | lostarkdistilling.com Montebello Bourbon Whiskey | Louthan Distilling, Baltimore | facebook.com/louthandistilling Matchstick Bourbon Whiskey | McClintock Distilling Company, Frederick | mcclintockdistilling.com Maryland Whiskey Co. Black Label Bourbon | Twin Valley Distillers, Rockville | twinvalleydistiller.com Brill’s Batch Bourbon | MISCellaneous Distillery, Mount Airy | miscdistillery.com

Earl Grey Old Fashioned Serves 1

Infused Simple Syrup 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 3 earl grey tea bags

Old Fashioned

2 1/2 ounces bourbon 1/2 ounce infused simple syrup 1 dash orange bitters Orange peel and cherries, for garnish

Make the infused simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow the sugar to fully dissolve, then remove the pan from the heat and add the tea bags. Let it sit for a minute, then stir and use the spoon to press down on the bags to get the flavor out of them. Let the syrup cool for at least an hour, press down on the bags one more time, then remove the tea bags and set them aside. Combine the bourbon, bitters, and simple syrup in a large glass and stir to combine. Fill a lowball glass with ice or a large ice cube, then pour in the bourbon mix. Garnish with an orange peel and cherries, if desired.

Have culinary news to share? Send an email to Kelsey Casselbury at kcasselbury@whatsupmag.com.