Brian Lawrence

New Year

2012-01-31T18:09:42+00:00

Jan, 2012
Just a few things to mention as the new year gets underway and the social scene takes a bit of a breather before coming back to full-steam. On Jan 10, I squeezed into the bar at Hampden’s Cafe Hon for the party to celebrate the ‘Show Your Soft Side’ campaign. Some 170 folks were there to toast the campaign (which was launched by the Mayor’s Anti-Animal Abuse Commission) and benefit BARCS. In the crowd: martial arts fighter John Rallo, retired Ravens player Qadry Ismail, State’s Attorney for Baltimore City Gregg Bernstein, chair of the mayor’s commission Caroline Griffin, founder of the “Soft Side” campaign Sande Riesett, Nokio of Dru Hill, city councilman Carl Stokes, Ravens Super Fan Capt. Dee-Fense, and 98 Rock’s Sarah Fleischer. Look for pix of the event in the March issue.
On Tues, Jan 17, I was in the packed audience at the Meyerhoff for the talk by food writer Michael Pollan, and on Sat, Jan 21, I stopped by the Forgotten Cocktail Club held in the lower level barroom at Maisey‘s on Charles Street. Bartender Brendan Dorr mixed me up a Capone Classic and I chatted with photographer Joe Giordano, Celeste Corsaro and brothers Chris and Jon Cook of Sloop Betty Vodka.
Then on Sat, Jan 28, I joined the 500+ guests at the sold-out Pratt Contemporaries’ Black & White Ball at the Pratt Library. Always a fun party, and so many familiar faces: Suzy Prucka, Sloane Brown, Jon Kaplan, Joel Pearson, Denise Koch, Rosemary Parker, Lisa Schatz, Steve Leary, Tanzi Craig, Justin Batoff, Lou Licata, Colette Went and lots more. Truly one of Baltimore’s best cold-weather season events.

Holiday buzz

2011-12-20T18:10:27+00:00

Dec. 2011
Kicked off this round with a wonderful dinner for media folks on Dec. 5 at the beautiful new TenTen restaurant in the Bagby Building, hosted by David & Jane Smith. Great food, moderately priced, in a beautiful, intimate space (you’ll see it in the ‘Epicure’ pages of the new January issue of STYLE). Tuesday morning included a stop at the Baltimore School for the Arts ‘Good News’ breakfast and performance, and chats with Sam Polakoff, Terry Reed and Tracy Kwiatkowski. On Sat., Dec. 10, we attended the 30th anniversary screening of ‘Diner’ at JHU’s Shriver Hall, followed by a panel with director Barry Levinson and several actors from the film. I managed to chat with local boy Josh Charles after the screening, whom I hadn’t seen in a number of years— he’s a big fan of the film, and recalled watching them film parts of it here when he was 12 years old. On Tues., Dec. 13, I joined several area food writers for a sampling dinner at B&O American Brasserie— the short rib roast and the butternut squash doughnuts were clear standouts on chef Thomas Dunklin‘s new seasonal menu— definitely order those the next time you’re there for dinner (BTW, the bar there is one of my local favorites, particularly in the colder months, and barmeister Brendan Dorr always has a new drink up his sleeve— just ask him to recommend something). Thursday night, I joined Carolyn O’Keefe (who’s also featured in the Dec. issue with her jewelry line, American Estate), Stiles Colwill (see the layout in the Dec. issue on his Christmas decor at his Green Spring Valley farm), and lots of others for a delightful black-tie holiday dinner at the Mt. Vernon Club. After that, I stopped by the Metro Gallery to see the new photography show, “Big Girls,” and stayed to talk with Joe Giordano, Jill Andrews, Dean Alexander, Lindsay Hite and lots more who were there for the show. Friday night was the annual Tour de Dundalk to benefit BARCS, and Saturday night included stops at Anne Boone Simanski‘s annual Ugly Sweater party and Willis Macgill‘s annual Christmas bash. Then on Monday, Dec. 19, it was back to TenTen for a media happy hour hosted by Dot Fuchs and Lisa Shenkle, where I caught up with Gregg Wilhelm, Cindy & Kerry Plackmeyer, Randi Rom, Merritt Dworkin and a slew of others before heading home. Tonight? You’ll find me at the bar at The Peppermill with freelance writer/photographer Jim Burger toasting the season (and the Peppermill’s mention in his story as one of Baltimore’s best classic martinis in the Dec. issue of STYLE).

Easing into the holiday season

2011-12-05T14:37:13+00:00

Nov.-Dec. 2011
The holiday season is in full-swing, and I’ve been making the rounds. Zelig & Linda Robinson held a cocktail party honoring state comptroller Peter Franchot at their home in Guilford on Nov. 17, so I stopped by and got to chat with him, as well as fellow guests Jamie Snead and Lori Glaser. Then on Nov. 16, we attended ‘Couture at the Club,’ a fashion show and party at The Center Club that STYLE helped sponsor. Sloane Brown did a great job of MC-ing the runway portion of the evening, and we also caught up with guests Edie Brown, Helga Suratt, Steve Sobelman, Christian Johansson and models Lacey Morley and Monyca Berrocosa. Of course, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving week without Sascha Wohlhandler‘s annual Tuesday-night bash at her home in Fells Point— always a blast and a fun night of catching up with folks. On Tues., Nov. 29, restaurateur Jerry Pellegrino hosted a reception at Corks in Federal Hill for Laurie Forster, ‘The Wine Coach,’ to launch her new weekly radio show on WBAL radio. Local foodies such as Celeste Corsaro, Dara Bunjon, Lisa Shenkle and Lars Rusins made the scene for that, as well. On Wed., Nov. 30, STYLE hosted a readers’ cocktail party at new Fells Point hot spot Bond Street Social, and 150 or so festive souls sold that one out and filled the rooms for several hours of sipping and socializing. Thursday night was the annual monument lighting, and we hit the Walters Museum cocktail reception beforehand in the elegant Walters mansion and mingled with the mayor, museum director Gary Vikon and deputy city health commissioner Olivia Farrow before enjoying the fireworks and then heading around the corner to Diane Rohrer‘s annual bash where Dr. Kim Hammond, Jim Burger, Lisa Barnhill, Ron Smith & Julia Felscher and lots more partied the evening away. On Friday night, we stopped by the Railway Building for Casewerks’ opening reception of a curated photography show featuring works by Dean Alexander, Sean Scheidt, Joe Giordano and others— chatted with those guys as well as Urbanite publisher Tracy Ward before hitting Woodberry Kitchen for dinner. Then Sunday night was the annual Guilford Christmas Party, this year held at the home of Dr. Paul Fowler & Frank McNeil, Jr.,— lots of folks to greet here, including Peter & Eleanor Landauer, Bill McFaul and Linda & Zelig Robinson. Lots more to get to this week— I’ll have an update soon!

Late Fall Happenings

2011-11-14T15:10:29+00:00

Oct/Nov
It’s busy season here at STYLE; between three hectic back-to-back deadlines and a spate of pre-holiday events, I’ll apologize now for my tardiness and brevity. Caught the friends & family night pre-opener at the spiffy new Waterfront Kitchen in Fells Point in late October— with a menu developed by Jerry Pellegrino and gorgeous interiors by Patrick Sutton, it’s a winner). On Nov. 3, I doubled up to attend a cocktail reception at The Wine Market hosted by owner Chris Spann in honor of newly named chef Andrew Weinzirl (lots of local media foodies at that one), then stopped by another party at Bond Street Social (that place is attracting a fun, attractive, social crowd, I must say). The next day was off to Virginia’s Homestead resort for a long weekend to recharge before the holiday hubbub kicks in. On Nov. 8, I attended Chef’s Expressions’ 30-Year Anniversary Party at the beautiful Peabody Library (congrats, Jerry!) , then on Friday, Nov. 11, we hit the MAP Fall Gala for a couple of hours (in the crowd: the mayor, John Waters and tons of chic art-lovers, then hopped over to the brand-new Four Seasons hotel for the opening of chef Michael Mina‘s new Wit & Wisdom Tavern— that was a scene-and-a-half. But by the time we got there, a fire alarm was going off and scads of people were on their way out. Thankfully, it was calmer inside, where sommelier Alex Carlin gave us a private tour of the gorgeous new restaurant. Because we’d not had a chance to nosh on anything at the prior two parties, a quick bite at the bar at Cinghiale was called for— not a bad way to end the evening.

Walters/CenterStage

2011-10-18T16:58:42+00:00

Sat., Oct. 15
Had to double up on the party scene on Saturday, hitting both the Walters Art Museum Gala and CenterStage‘s welcome party for new artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah. We headed to the elegant sculpture court at the Walters early in the evening for the cocktail hour portion of this annual black-tie gala and mingled with the likes of the mayor, Lt. governor Anthony Brown, Chuck & Mary Kay Nabit, Christian Johansson & Lacey Morley, Curt Decker, and Rita St. Clair & Joe Sheppard. A brief stop at nearby Sotto Sopra to say hello to chef Riccardo Bosio and nosh on some excellent lamb ravioli and a flatbread, then a stop at a friend’s housewarming party, then it was on to the Gutierrez Studios at Clipper Mill for the CenterStage bash, which was quite a who’s who scene of the city’s arts and creative crowd, including Dean Alexander & Donna Schaefer, John Marsh & Michelle Geczy, John Davis, Dru Bynum & Jamie Campbell, Jenn Marsh and Daniel Wylie. The DJ for the party was Lady Miss Kier of Deee Lite fame.

Fall events

2011-10-07T14:08:42+00:00

Sept. 26-Oct. 6
On Monday, Sept. 26 I was at the Maryland Science Center for the 2nd annual Farmer & Chef Dinner, a culinary event put on by the local chapter of the American Institute of Food & Wine that pairs local chefs with local farmers/vendors to create some super farm-to-table food. The event was well-run (one nit-pick: why are never enough trash cans at these events where you’re picking up a small plate and utensils at every food sample station and need to dispose of these immediately?) and the exhibit hall setting provided a beautiful view of the setting sun over the harbor and the city skyline. There was plenty of great food, with some stand-out dishes by Bill Crouse, Beej Flamholz and Rodney Henry.
On Saturday night, did a brief fly-by at the Irvine Nature Center‘s fall benefit, long enough to get a gawk at freshly minted Emmy winner and hometown girl Julie Bowen (or as we know here around here, Julie Luetkemeyer).
Then on Monday night, Oct. 3, I did my yearly duty as a judge for Ryleigh’s Oyster Festival— determining which wines will pair best best with the selection of oysters. Of course, there’s the reward right there, but what makes it even better is the fun time we always have at the judges table— this year my fellow judges were Mike Fishman of Quarry Wine & Spirits, chef Jerry Pellegrino of Corks, Hugh Sisson of Heavy Seas Brewing, Celeste Corsaro of the Restaurant Assn. of Md. and chef Pat Murrow of Kali’s Restaurant Group.
Then on Thursday evening, I headed up to the 23rd floor of the new Legg Mason tower in Harbor East for the Urban Land Institute‘s annual Wavemaker Awards reception. Spent some time talking to the mayor SRB, Sam Polakoff, Ron Solomon, Avery Strachan and Morgan Gilligan. Great party— and great view!

Last week’s parties…

2011-09-27T14:57:26+00:00

Sept. 21 & 23
Two true harbingers of fall— the City Paper’s annual ‘Best Of’ party and the Maritime Magic party to benefit Living Classrooms— were held last week, so we’re officially into the fall social season. This year’s CP party was held at Baltimore Soundstage, a cavernous space on Marketplace downtown that has been home to several clubs, most recently, Mist. The space filled up quickly with lots of familiar faces, and greeting everyone was newly minted CP publisher Jennifer Marsh.
Then on Friday night, after a day of downpours, the rain stopped and the sun peaked through, creating a giant rainbow over the harbor, just in time for Maritime Magic. The iffy weather didn’t prevent anyone from turning out for this huge indoor/outdoor event. A couple of great bands, tons of food from vendors all over town and the big crowd of partiers held uphold this as one of the best parties of the year. I also got a look at the new, soon-to-be-unveiled restaurant on promises, Waterfront Kitchen, which is being developed by Corks owner Jerry Pellegrino and designed by Patrick Sutton. One puzzle: why do people overdress for this party, particularly the guys? The invitation usually reads that attire should be “fun and festive,” or words to that effect. Count in the fact that it had been raining all day and you had to tramp through wet streets to get there— yet many guys were all buttoned-up in suits, coats and ties, looking miserable in the humidity. Now, I’m usually the one criticizing folks for underdressing for events, but if ever a Baltimore party calls for a casual approach, it’s this one. Even LC honcho James Piper Bond was sporting board shorts and flip-flops, and it’s his party. C’mon guys, loosen up!

Into the fall…

2011-09-14T14:23:23+00:00

Early Sept.
After winding down the summer with a West Coast swing through Las Vegas, Palm Springs and Los Angeles, I made it back to Charm City just in time for the Grand Prix. Say what you will, but having crowds of 150,000 over three days for a downtown event has to be a positive thing, even with collateral nuisances like noise and traffic, and damage like the cutting down of trees downtown to “improve sightlines”— I’m still very perturbed over that one. This week kicked off with a cocktail reception on the terrace at The Capital Grille for the event committee for the upcoming Maritime Magic party (Sept. 23) that benefits the Living Classrooms Foundation. On hand were LC honcho James Piper Bond, committee members including Avery Strachan, Lisa Schatz, Tracy Kwiatkowski, Morgan Gilligan, Ben Polokoff, as well as Jim Seay and Sarah Ingram. Then early on Tuesday morning, I headed downtown for a press breakfast on the rooftop terrace of the Science Center— the view of the city on such a beautiful, sunny late summer day was inspiring. It was to kick-off the upcoming “The Farmer & the Chef” (Sept. 26) culinary event that pairs top chefs from around town with local farms and producers to create an all-local menu. Said hello to many in attendance, including chefs Jerry Edwards, Pat Murrow and Kevin Miller, as well as Kerry Dunnington, Merritt Dworkin and Celeste Corsaro. Very much looking forward to that dinner!

Mid-summer musings

2011-07-29T12:27:57+00:00

July 2011
Even though it’s the middle of the summer, the heat is like a pall and the town seems half-deserted at times, there’s still plenty going on. Here’s a brief re-cap of some of things I’ve been up to, between trips to the beach and the mountains.
• Mari Luna Bistro- This is the latest outpost in the burgeoning Mari Luna chain (their restaurants in Pikesville and Owings Mills are hugely popular). I had a wonderful meal here with a few folks including Todd Yuhanick, Molly White, Matt Slater and Style society blogger Anne Boone-Simanski. Tip: definitely try the house-made guacamole— they do it six different ways! You can’t go wrong with any of them.
• Craberet- Had a really enjoyable evening in the sculpture gardens of the BMA and a great time at the table with Stiles Colwill, Amy Newhall, Pam Malester, Edie Brown and bunch more. Always a great party, and a deserving benefit for the House of Ruth.
• Artscape Kickoff Party- Held on the roof of the symphony parking deck, it’s a great view of the sprawling festival and the evening’s opening fireworks. A fun crowd, too, including the mayor, City Paper‘s Jenn Marsh, the Walters’ Amy Mannarino, CenterStage’s Charisse Nichols, BOPA’s Jim Lucio, Jon Kaplan, IKEA’s Bill Meiswinkel, Dot Fuchs, Sandy Hillman, Bruce Alderman of Chapin Davis, city health commissioner Oxiris Barbot, the Hippodrome’s Terry Romanoli, and Style pets blogger Lisa Shenkle.
• Lebanese Taverna- Great new Sunday brunch offerings here. “The buffet that comes to you” is what they’re calling it, available from 11:30-3pm for $14.95 per person. It’s a continuous offering of their most-loved dishes served table-side with a la carte selections available as well. Everyone who knows me knows that they have my all-time favorite hummus here.
• The Rowhouse- Had a wonderful meal here with a group that included food blogger Dara Bunjon and Cindy & Kerry Plackmeyer. We were welcomed by owner Pat Dahlgren and guided through the meal by the one and only Scooter Holt. Kudos to chef Tess Mosley— truly exceptional food here.
• Vito’s Cafe- Had a fun dinner here with a few foodie pals, and we were fed well by chef Luca Pesci, who treated us to an 8-course Italian extravaganza. Everything from a simple salad to a burrata cheese course to soft-shell crabs to escargot to pasta to quail— all done perfectly. We brought our own wine and had a nice, long evening.
• Copper Kitchen- Stopped by the cocktail reception in the penthouse at Silo Point to see Jenn DeVos and chef Kevin Miller and wish them well on their new catering endeavor. Check out their new storefront on South Charles Street in Federal Hill. Party folks included Celeste Corsaro, CBS Radio’s Ed Norris and Cupcake’s Lisa Schatz.

Who says nothing goes on in Baltimore during the summer?

The Generous Pour

2011-07-12T20:58:56+00:00

Monday, July 11
I’d gotten an invitation to a media preview dinner at The Capital Grille for their annual Generous Pour Summer Wine Event, so I responded ‘yes’ and asked STYLE food blogger Celeste Corsaro to come along. Here’s what it is: From July 12-Sept 4, the event showcases a select collection of 9 highly rated, allocated wines from around the world, each hand-selected by The Capital Grille’s master sommelier George Miliotes. During the event, guests can enjoy as many wines from the list as they like for only $25 per person with dinner.
I was greeted by James Kinney, managing partner at Capital Grille and we were escorted to a private dining room where we joined a small group for a 5-course dinner that featured the 9 “Event” wines. There was a national simulcast to all Capital Grilles as Miliotes lead us through the initial tasting. You’ll want to try them for yourself, but my favorites were the Marquis de la Tour Cremant de Loire Brut (sparkling), the 2010 La Cana Albarino and the 2009 Tarima Hill Monastrell. Also look for sturdy classics like the 2003 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche and the 2006 Chalk Hill estate Cabernet Sauvignon.