Epicure

It took us a while to make it down to Hollins Market to visit the new Baltimore Pho, which opened over the summer. Perhaps we just had too many fond memories of the late, beloved Mencken’s Cultured Pearl, and didn’t want to see what’s become of the neighborhood. So Baltimore Pho was a very pleasant surprise. The dining rooms have been beautifully redesigned with lots of bright red and black accents, sculptural light fixtures and crisp white tablecloths. The menu concentrates on traditional Vietnamese and fusion cuisine with a long list of seafood, pork, beef and chicken dishes. The big bar is still there, and the menu of specialty cocktails more than held our interest. We quickly became fans of the lychee mojito, a very Zen twist on the Cuban drink, and the Hollins 2 Manhattan, a fun spin on our favorite cold-weather cocktail. Open for lunch and dinner, closed Sundays.  1114 Hollins St., 410-752-4746, http://www.baltimorepho.com