Happy Friday.
What are you doing on Opening Day? The Orioles play their home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, and bars and restaurants near the stadium are already gearing up for the crowds. The expected burst of business is a rite of spring, and a welcome change of pace after two years of pandemic disruptions — on top of uncertainty earlier this year over the fate of the season, as baseball players and team owners clashed over a new labor agreement.
Thankfully, the dispute has been resolved, the season is on, and baseball is back in Baltimore next week. I took a trip to Camden Yards on Wednesday to get a preview of the newest items on the stadium menu this season, from crab cake egg rolls to pepperoni pizza soft pretzels. Take a look in the slideshow below.
The Hot Corner, a new stall opening on the lower concourse near sections 49-52, will specialize in spicy chicken-and-fries combos like buffalo tenders, Capital City Mambo tenders and "All American" tenders with bacon and cheese.
Beyond baseball, I have word this week of the arrival of a new juice bar in Canton and the return of a beloved jazz club. Plus: Papi’s Tacos’ Fells Point location has a reopening date, and Aveley Farms Coffee Roasters unveils its new Towson address.
OPENINGS
Get ready for taco Wednesday: after months of construction, Papi’s Tacos makes its triumphant return to Fells Point on April 13. The Mexican eatery’s original location has been closed for repairs since September when its building suffered a partial collapse, and owner Charlie Gjerde has taken advantage of the closure to spruce up other parts of the restaurant, too, adding fresh flooring, a new AC system, kitchen upgrades and a coat of paint. Papi’s most ardent fans might be able to grab a bite to eat even earlier: on social media, the restaurant hinted at details to come for a Taco Tuesday soft opening. 1703 Aliceanna St., Fells Point.
Speaking of comebacks, a favorite of local jazz fans is rollicking back to life after a pandemic-era pause. Caton Castle started hosting shows earlier this month and already has a schedule of performances stretching into May. In addition to the music, the tucked-away jazz lounge serves up cocktails and comfort food like wings, chili, meatloaf and fried fish sandwiches. 20 S. Caton Ave., Saint Joseph’s.
Local juice bar Pure Raw Juice has been growing fast, with locations cropping up around the city as well as in Towson and Bel Air, and the healthy chain just added another store, this time in Canton. At this latest outpost, look for fruit-packed açai bowls, cold-pressed juices, coffees and oatmeal bowls. 3810 Boston St., Canton.
NEWS & NOTES
Aveley Farms Coffee Roasters has a new address. The coffee shop this week announced plans to open at 42 W. Chesapeake Ave. in Towson in time for early summer. Owner Corey Voelkel, a Towson native, developed a passion for specialty coffee while living in San Diego, and returned to the Baltimore region to open Aveley Farms in Harbor East in 2019. The roastery’s original location was forced to close late last year to make way for a Chasen Cos. redevelopment of its former home at 1400 Aliceanna St., which is slated to become a five-story mixed-use building with 272 apartments.
Voelkel said the Harbor East location was already bursting at the seams. Aveley Farms moved its roasting operations to a 1,350-square-foot facility in Owings Mills, and the new Towson spot will offer a cafe and retail space for customers.
“The idea was to grow the business, and Towson’s always been on the radar,” Voelkel told me late last year. “I think it’s underserved in terms of coffee, and just in quality coffee in general.”
The new coffee shop will take over the entire building at 42 W. Chesapeake Ave., which used to house a bank, and will “retain a similar feel” to the Harbor East spot, with some “updated and more modern” touches, Voelkel wrote in an email this week.
“We are very excited to join the Towson community and bring sustainable, high quality coffee to the area,” he wrote. Voelkel also said he's still on the hunt for a new Harbor East or Downtown Baltimore location for Aveley Farms. 42 W. Chesapeake Ave., Towson.
ICYMI
- The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar, an ice cream shop serving over-the-top milkshakes and other extravagant desserts, is coming to Old Ellicott City.
- Crab cake egg rolls — and a host of other new menu items — will make their debut at Camden Yards this baseball season.
- Prima Dopo, an Italian restaurant planned in Fells Point that has generated some controversy among neighbors, notched another victory this week in its efforts to open.