Just when you thought the friendly neighborhood Baltimore corner bar was becoming extinct, comes another announcement of a new corner restaurant and bar in Canton.  “Sauté” at the corner of Hudson and Linwood Avenues joins Yellow Dog and Annabel Lee’s as yet another new cozy (but refined) neighborhood hangout.   The restaurant has been under construction for what seems like over a year, and has been watched closely by neighbors who feared that it might have turned into a rowdy nightspot.   Quite the opposite, it appears that Sauté will become a great addition to the Canton Dining Scene.  Sauté is expected to open very soon.  Here’s some more information:

“Chef Cyrus Keefer is opening his new restaurant, Sauté in Canton, Maryland in early 2008. Chef Keefer has had a long on-going affair with food and the restaurant industry Sauté will be a American brasserie style of cuisine, utilizing fresh produce and products from Maryland farmers.

Chef Cyrus Keefer trained at Philadelphia’s prestigious Walnut Hill College Restaurant School, where he trained under many of the world’s finest chefs. Keefer has helped launch several outstanding restaurants in the Delaware shore area, and has been featured in national publications and television programs. Prior to Sauté, Chef Keefer owned and operated Jackie Blue in Harrisburg Pa. and was a chef owner of DISH! Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Chef Keefer also helped Chef Kevin Reading at Espuma in Rehoboth Beach and was the opening chef at Reading’s next project, Nage, also located in Rehoboth Beach.”

Sauté Restaurant, Canton, Baltimore, Maryland

This recent comment came in on the last Pigtown thread.  Due to the overwhelming response to that topic previously, I was hoping those readers could chime in here as well and help identify any cool hangouts in the Pigtown area.  Please read the comment below:

 nedworrd on February 20th, 2008 at 12:34 pm #

Thanks to Kate for brining this article from the Daily Record to our attention.  Chinatown in Baltimore - sounds like a great idea.

When most people look at the area surrounding the intersection of North Charles Street and North Avenue, they see vacant row houses, a few large condemned buildings, a fried chicken restaurant and cracked, buckling pavement.

When Tony Cheng looked at it, he saw Chinatown.

The Washington-based restaurateur and businessman, who once owned a restaurant near Mount Vernon Place, has been buying up property in the Station North area of the city with the intention of attracting Chinese and other Asian business owners to a redeveloped arts and entertainment district.

Full article

Cakelove opens its 4th location at the American Can Company Complex in Canton, Baltimore.  Maybe it’s a sign of the times, but I was somewhat surprised to pay $3 for a cupcake.  I can’t complain too much, because it was delicious and definitely worth the cost.  If you decide to get a whole cake, be prepared to spend $40 to $150.  Definitely suggest you check it out http://www.cakelove.com/

So I received an email from a reader who was concerned because her daughter is considering relocating to Baltimore.  Her daughter is looking into working at Hopkins Hospital (I assume main campus).

“Everyone in my state warns that it’s not safe to live in Baltimore.”  We’ll they’re right. Haven’t you see The Wire - it’s only the best show on television for the last 5 years.  In this city you’re either a corner boy, stoop boy, junkie, or police.  Okay - it’s not actually that bad.  Actually most of the city is pretty safe.  I explained just like any other city, Baltimore has its good and bad spots.  But in Baltimore those areas tend to intersect more than in some other cities.  Take Federal Hill for example.  One of the “nicest” and most expensive neighborhoods in Baltimore sits only a few block from public housing.  And South Fed. Hill (at least that’s what realtors call it) continues to have its share of robberies and other issues.

She was also concerned about safety in the immediate area around the hospital and getting to and from public parking.  I have only driven by the hospital a couple times, but I assume it’s safe enough with security patrols etc.  Hopefully someone else here can provide some more insightful info.

Her other question - “What area would be best for a 25 year old female commuting to John Hopkins to live?”  My response; Canton or Locust Point.  Canton because it probably has the highest concentration of 20-somethings, plenty of nightlife, is safe, and is pretty close to Hopkins.  Locust Point because I’m biased and because it is probably the safest neighborhood in the city.  But it really depends on what your looking for.  Any other recommendations?

So the other day my wife and I stopped into Nasu Blanca - the Japanese/Spanish restaurant and bar around the corner from our house in Locust Point. We had been there before for dinner and pretty much decided I wouldn’t go back anytime soon. To me it’s overpriced and the food is just a bit to “fancy” for my tastes. My seared tuna appetizer was served with foie gras - gross. But it made Baltimore Magazine’s top 50 restaurants, so other’s apparently like it. But that’s all beside the point, back to the present. We had stopped back into Nasu Blanca because The Wine Market was closed for a private party and we wanted to grab a couple drinks and appetizers for happy hour. The good news, they have a happy hour menu with reduced drink and food prices. The bad news, the bartender recommended a beer on tap which apparently wasn’t part of the special. When the check came I was surprised to see the price of the beer - $9!

$9 for a normal pint-sized beer. It didn’t come with a bowl of chili, nachos, or even two free songs on the jukebox [they don’t have one]. To me there’s no place in this country for a $9 beer, especially not in “blue-collar” Baltimore, and double especially [that sounds strange…] not in “working class” Locust Point.

Ra Sushi’s first East Coast location has just opened in the Harbor East neighborhood of Baltimore.  It’s no surprise that Ra chose this location, as Harbor East has quickly become the restaurant hotspot of Baltimore. 

Harbor East currently has; Charleston,  Chui’s Sushi, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Grille 700, James Joyce Irish Pub & Restaurant, Kosmo’s Lounge, Lebanese Taverna, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Pazo, RA Sushi, Roy’s, Taco Fiesta, Cinghiale (a Northern Italian restaurant), along with two newcomers Lemongrass and Tsunami along Central Ave.

The Ra Sushi chain, based out of Arizona, is best know for it’s trendy restaurants that are great places to take a first date or a group of friends.  Recommend calling first to make reservations, as this place will definitely take off. 

 RA Sushi Bar and Restaurant, 1390 Lancaster St., Baltimore, 410-522-3200.  Visit www.rasushi.com . Ra Sushi is located in The Eden, a new apartment complex in Harbor East.  www.edenapts.com

The new restaurant Aloha Tokyo opened this week on Fort Ave. in Locust Point, and I’m a bit confused. The food is Japanese with a Hawaiian twist. I guess. I haven’t eaten there yet. But I did stop by to take a look at the menu. It’s pretty limited at this point, but they plan to start offering sushi soon. I’ll probably wait till then to give it a shot. The decor is very “festive” complete with a mock indoor tiki bar and Hawaiian (style) music. They definitely spent more money on the inside then they did refinishing the outside. A quick coat of paint and reuse of the existing hanging sign did little to spruce up the somewhat run-down appearance.  Which is in stark contrast to the beautiful long-term rehab that was done on Nasu Blanca one block over. I’ll let you know how it is once I get a chance to eat there.  Locust Point definitely needs some sushi, so hopefully Aloha Tokyo does a good job.

Baltimore Sun article

Aloha Tokyo Website (still in development)

Harbor East has the best collection of restaurants in Baltimore…. well at least according to the Harbor East website.  So yes, it’s a biased claim, but it might be hard to argue with them.  From the site;

HARBOR EAST IS HOME TO BALTIMORE’S FINEST COLLECTION OF RESTAURANTS. From casual to fine dining, your options are distinct and memorable, as is the cuisine that each establishment has to offer.

Harbor East currently has; Charleston,  Chui’s Sushi, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Grille 700, James Joyce Irish Pub & Restaurant, Kosmo’s Lounge, Lebanese Taverna, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Pazo, RA Sushi, Roy’s, and Taco Fiesta. Coming soon is  Cinghiale a Northern Italian restaurant - a Cindy Wolf venture.

Granted, most if not all of these restaurants fit a certain mold, are new, and cater to a somewhat upscale consumer.  Lacking are “traditional” Baltimore type restaurants with long standing traditions, but given that everything in Harbor East is new, we can’t really hold that against them.  So there are no Peters Inn or John Stevens type gems.  And I guess we could argue whether Pazo is Harbor East or Fells Point.  In any case that’s a high concentration of quality restaurants in a small area.  I know two of our favorites are there - Roy’s (me) and Pazo (my wife).

So if it’s not Harbor East, who takes the cake for best restaurants?  Fells, Mount Vernon, Canton?

The Melting Pot fondue restaurant chain may soon open its 5th Maryland location in downtown Baltimore.  The chain is being pursued for the vacant spot at the bottom of the new Zenith Apartments across from Camden Yards, but nothing has been confirmed yet.