Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
July 26, 2024

Leisure

Leisure is the section where we highlight the intriguing, exciting and all-around fun events and activities happening in Baltimore over the weekend.



COURTESY OF JESSE WU
Restaurants across Maryland have been forced to shut down due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 strikes the local food and beverage industry

The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused some of the most widespread business shutdown orders we have ever seen. On Monday, March 24, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced the closure of all non-essential businesses. The  food and drink industry has been hit particularly hard, due to its inherent challenges like low margins and large amounts of required labor.



COURTESY OF JESSE WU
Hip Hop Fish and Chicken provides one of Baltimore’s iconic staples.

The chicken box is the ideal Baltimore indulgence

Everyone who visits Baltimore always wants to try the seafood. My parents always want to have a Maryland crab feast when they visit town, and they always ask for the crabcakes and the Old Bay everything. But anyone on a budget who wants an equally iconic taste of Baltimore should go for a chicken box.







COURTESY OF JESSE WU
The fried chicken platter and the pork rib platter are shown with sides.

Taste This serves up Southern food without the frills

The first time I encountered the term “soul food,” I was in the sixth grade. Our Spanish class was on the way to a Salvadorian restaurant to practice ordering in Spanish, and the storefront next to our destination read “SOUL FOOD” in all caps.


COURTESY OF FRANK GUERRIERO
The tamales and tacos are just two of the reasons to visit Cocina Luchadoras.

Craving Mexican food? Try Cocina Luchadoras.

I’ve long lamented my struggle to find a solid Mexican food fix in Baltimore. I know it’s not a matter of whether there are good tacos and tortas in Charm City, but instead whether I take the time to burst my personal Hopkins bubble and seek these spots out.


COURTESY OF JESSE WU
Suspended Brewing uses food and drink to push ecological sustainability.

Suspended Brewing Company hosts Atchara Pop-Up

What happens when a bunch of vegans, a crew of baseball cap–sporting Filipino cooks and a few dozen beer fanatics walk into a bar? Nope, this isn’t my most recent atrocious food-themed bar joke, but instead a pretty apt description of Atchara’s pop-up this past Sunday at Suspended Brewing.


COURTESY OF SOFIA VERHEYEN
The second location of Ekiben features new starters and a new mural.

Ekiben opens up a second location in Hampden

Down an alley behind The Avenue in Hampden is not where you would expect to find one of the newest and most popular restaurants among Hopkins students. But the path less travelled is exactly where you will find the second location of Ekiben, a Fells Point Asian fusion restaurant most known for its baos.




PUBLIC DOMAIN
WC Harlan offers a wide variety of drinks close to campus on W 23rd St.

WC Harlan impresses with unique cocktail creations

Baltimore isn’t exactly teeming with craft cocktail bars. There are a few overpriced hotel-adjacent spots with decent execution down near the Inner Harbor, but if we’re being honest, they usually aren’t worth the trip out of shuttle range.


COURTESY OF JESSE WU
The large amount of New York flop in the Ribaldi’s cheese slice isn’t great.

A nice slice of Baltimore’s pizzeria scene: Part 1

I have been searching for a nice slice of pizza ever since my brother brought it up over the dozen egg omelettes we ate during the holiday season. Everyone has been talking about One Bite, and I wanted to watch “Davey Pageviews” review Baltimore pizzerias, but he has never done a review in this city. I didn’t get any closer to having insight on the pizza joints near me, so I decided it was time to take action. 


COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
Andrés has opened a new taco stall in Levering Kitchens at Hopkins.

Butterfly Tacos y Tortas is a welcome dining addition

José Andrés has plenty to be proud of. The Spanish-born chef’s restaurant empire, ThinkFoodGroup, includes 31 concepts, which span from the group’s home base in Washington, D.C., across the country to Los Angeles and way down to the Bahamas. Those spots — with offerings ranging from the haute plates at D.C.’s Minibar to open-fire paellas at New York’s Mercado Little Spain — have garnered a pair of Michelin stars and heaps of critical praise for the celebrated culinary entrepreneur.


MIOSOTISJADE / CC BY-SA 4.0
Long opening hours means Chipotle is great for those seeking late night grub.

The top five places to get food in Charles Village

I think most of us have a pretty good idea of the places where you can obtain provisions from near campus. Call them what you will: restaurants, food places, institutions, gastronomical adventure zones, eating rooms, nourishment chambers, nomz. These dining establishments are a key part of the student experience here, and ranking them is a job not to be taken lightly.



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