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Milloh!: Maybe it’s a twin thing, maybe it’s inherently the road you take when your family is in the restaurant business. Elmer Rodgriguez, the younger twin brother to Marvin by seven minutes, grew up making pupusas and other Salvadoran specialties at his parents’ El Paraiso in Reisterstown. Recently, the restaurant sold to new owners, but the menu will remain largely the same, with the Rodriguez’s helping to facilitate the transition.
Meanwhile, as their parents ready for retirement, Elmer and his siblings are branching out, but remaining true to their culinary passion. As twins, Elmer and Marvin—the chef behind Aru Aru’s modern Latin American street food at the Fells Point Farmers Market—have worked closely since they were little, but instead of “co-mingling our ideas together,” the duo now operate separate stalls in two separate farmers markets. Their oldest brother, Edgar, is a pastry chef.
For Elmer’s part, after he and his wife, Salvadorian native Alejandra Marroquin, got married in October, they took a trip to Argentina and Chile that inspired them to open Milloh!—an Argentine-based fusion concept with gourmet drinks using single-source matcha from Japan. A play on the Spanish word for honeymoon (luna de miel), the couple took the word and added the expression of excitement (“oh!”) to solidify their new brand.
Now up and running at the Reisterstown Farmers Market (Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.), Milloh! offers a menu with a brunch feel, including a Brazilian take on avocado toast and a pork sausage topped with kewpie and pickled red onion. There are also Argentine items like jarred chimichurri and alfajores cookies. On the drink side, in addition to their oat milk matcha topped with cold foam, the duo also pours horchata, a classic rice-based cinnamon drink from the family restaurant—which can be mixed with the Japanese matcha for their unique Matchata.
You can catch Milloh! at the Franklin Middle School farmers market until the season ends on September 28. Beyond that, the owners are hoping to take Milloh! mobile.
Bodega & Vino: Taking over the former Serenity Wine Cafe on Hull Street in Locust Point (remember those self-serve taps?), husband-and-wife owners Rob and Angela Wainwright officially opened Bodega & Vino over the holiday weekend. Paying homage to her Puerto Rican upbringing, the shop is an ode to the New York City bodegas that Angela frequented growing up in the Bronx.
Here, the store will be stocked with pre-made sandwiches and salads; grocery staples like produce and eggs; and local offerings like fresh bread from Kneads and Taharka Brothers ice cream. Of course, there’s also wine, beer, and sangria. You can grab a bottle to-go, or stick around to enjoy a glass (or a coffee) while sampling the Puerto Rican-focused hot food menu, including picadillo, empanadas, and plantains. The spot is open daily except for Sundays.
The Concession Stand: After hosting countless visiting food pop-ups throughout the years, Peabody Heights has finally launched a food truck of its own. The team (who shared the news in a satirical social post that seemed to throw a little shade at their former food truck partner Fuzzies—iykyk) named the truck The Concession Stand, as a nod to Peabody’s location on the site of Old Oriole Park. Helmed by veteran chef Anthony Lanasa, the Korean-inspired menu highlights bibimbap, kimchi dumplings, japchae, pork belly in a gochujang glaze, and Korean fried chicken sandwiches, plus meatless and gluten-free options. Hours are 4-9 p.m. Wednesday to Friday; 12-9 p.m. on Saturdays; and 12-8 p.m. on Sundays.
EPICUREAN EVENTS
7/11: The Cocktail Coach
The Club Car might be named after the luxe form of train travel, but this week, the queer-owned bar and arts venue in Station North is taking patrons on a bar crawl by bus. Purchase a $10 wristband and climb aboard the private coach to enjoy 20 percent off drinks at Spirits of Mount Vernon, The Brewers Art, The Club Car, No Land Beyond, and Leon’s. (“First Class Passports” may be purchased for $75, which includes one free drink at each stop.) The event is a great way to support a handful of local LGBTQ+-friendly spots in one night, all for less than the cost of a one-way rideshare.
7/14: Origins 3.0: What is a Restaurant For?
Chef Spike Gjerde’s longstanding speaker series—which is now also a recorded podcast—returns with another intimate conversation about food, community, and local sourcing at Woodberry Tavern. This month, Gjerde will be joined by fellow chef-restaurateurs Damian Mosley of Blacksauce Kitchen and Will Mester of Le Comptoir du Vin and The Wren. Together, they will discuss the changing landscape of the industry and why it’s so important for them to stay in the game as it gets harder and harder for local restaurants to thrive.
In keeping with tradition, the evening will feature a communal meal inspired by the evening’s speakers. Included in the ticket price are sparkling wine, beer, and NA beverages; welcome snacks; and a buffet featuring Mosley’s brisket, Mester’s Bollito misto (comforting boiled meats with accompanying sauces), and Gjerde’s seasonal veggies.
7/19: Woodberry Fête de Vélo
Speaking of Woodberry, the team is back with another European cycling watch party in honor of the Tour de France. This free entry, three-hour event starts at 2 p.m. with vendors like local bicycle company Cutlass Velo and Diamondback Brewing Company pouring their French saison. Other on-theme eats and drinks will include French wines, baguette sandwiches, rosemary-garlic frites, and crepes for purchase, as well as frosé blended from a pedal-powdered bike.
7/20-7/27: Christmas in July at The Undefeated
Helmed by bar manager Zakaria El-Dahabi, the cocktails at this Key West-themed watering hole in Fells Point are balanced with a hint of science from El-Dahabi’s former career in biochemistry. This month, from July 20-27, the drink menu will give Christmas with options like a classic coffee-forward Carajillo made with Licor 43 (which just might de-throne the espresso martini this summer); the Snowbird, a horchata-based piña colada; and Papa Hemingway, a nod to the theme of the bar and Father Christmas.
7/24: Sicilian Wine Dinner at Hersh’s
Marsala is often seen as a cooking wine, but local importer and distributor Russ Lorber of Wide Roots is trying to change that perception. Lorber is currently importing Florio Marsala, the Marsala wine originally made by Vincenzo Florio almost 200 years ago—whose history dates back to Napoleonic times when imports of Sherry and Madeira were closed off in Italy. At Hersh’s on July 24, join Lorber for a four-course dinner ($130) aimed at introducing diners to the versatility of Marsala, as well as other Sicilian wines. Traditional dishes will feature seafood, eggplant, almond, pistachios, capers, and arancini, all with expert vino pairings from Mt. Washington Wine & Spirits.
7/31: Camp Small Beer Closing Celebration Happy Hour
Throughout July, you can drink a beer and clean up debris without lifting a finger. Hampden’s Union Craft Brewing has partnered with neighboring Camp Small—a zero-waste sorting and reclamation facility for tree debris managed by the forestry division of Recreation and Parks—to launch Camp Small Beer, a 2.8 percent ABV, slightly hazy pale ale for the summer days ahead. (The name is a play on a “Small Beer,” which is typically a lager or ale containing a lower ABV.) In the taproom this month, be sure to round up your bar tab to donate to Camp Small’s mission. Mark your calendar for a closing party on July 31 at 4 p.m. to celebrate friends, trees, good beer, and community sustainability.
8/23-8/24: Maryland Vegan Eats Summer Fest
As Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month comes back around in August, eateries all over town are cooking up ideas for the dairy-free dishes that will be on special throughout the month. New this year, the organizers with Maryland Vegan Eats are also introducing a two-day festival at Power Plant Live. There, diners can sample bites from more than 30 vegan vendors, sit in on cooking demos, listen to expert speakers, and groove to live music. Tickets range from $16-50 and are on sale now.