Emporiyum, a fancy food gathering planned for the Thames Street Wharf Building on April 26 to 27, isn’t limiting its reach to Baltimore’s makers. Taharka Brothers will rub elbows with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams from Columbus, Ohio; Mouth Party will serve chewy caramels alongside handcrafted gumdrops and lollipops from Portland, Ore.-based Quin Candy. Outside vendors—like Momofuku Milk Bar and Luke’s Lobster—are clamoring to be involved, says Mindy Schapiro, whose nascent event company And More, is behind the festivities. “They see Baltimore as an untapped market.”
Emporiyum was inspired by Smorgasburg in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood. Schapiro, who grew up in New York, frequently travels to the city for inspiration. Still, she believes the Baltimore food scene “is on the cusp of chic and hip,” and Emporiyum is “trying to mix in people from around the country who are doing the same things.”
Sue Jean-Chun, a New York-based publicist has enlisted her clients Bryan Voltaggio—of Volt and Family Meal in Frederick and Range in D.C.—and Eric Bruner-Yang, owner of D.C.’s Toki Underground, to distribute bites.
News of Voltaggio’s plans to open Aggio, an upscale Italian restaurant in Power Plant Live, came close on the heels of the Emporiyum buzz. Tickets, $15-$20. 1300 Thames St. http://www.theemporiyum.com
—Martha Thomas
