What's the Buzz? | Annapolis May 2009
The ever-evolving Annapolis and Anne Arundel County dining scene has been offering many “grand openings du jour” as of late. For starters, the Annapolis Towne Center at Parole continues to add exemplary restaurants, one after another, to an already impressive group. The latest to open its doors is
Brio Tuscan Grille (BrioItalian.com), a Columbus, Ohio-based chain of gourmet eateries, whose focus is the “guest experience.” Fresh ingredients, moderate pricing, excellent service, and an engaging atmosphere are qualities that Brio hopes will help position itself as “the ‘Best Italian’ restaurant company in America,” according to the company’s position statement. The Mediterranean façade through which you enter opens into an expansive, 8,000-square-foot, Tuscan-themed dining room, complete with Cypress flooring, arched colonaddes, and hand-crafted mosaics, among other distinguishable elements of design. We enjoyed the restaurant’s soft opening in early March and were impressed to say the least. Each dish enjoyed, including a sampling of Brio’s signature bruschettas, grilled pork chops, and Lasagna Bolognese Al Forno, were mouth-watering. This is a restaurant we’ll soon revisit and you should make plans to try.
Another fantastic addition to our growing number of options is the prized
Cheescake Factory (TheCheesecakeFactory.com), which Westfield Annapolis Mall-goers have eagerly anticipated since noticing its construction in late ’08. Now, you don’t have to travel to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to relish in the upscale yet casual dining experience, over 200 menu items, and 50 varieties of, what else (?), cheesecake! Meanwhile, in Severna Park, fans of big burritos finally have a place to call home.
Chipotle (Chipotle.com) recently celebrated its grand opening with back-to-back fundraising events in mid-April; one benefitting Severna Park’s Fourth of July Parade, the other Severna Park High School. The socially-conscious chain, known for it’s sustainable practices such as using locally- and naturally-raised meats, is now open at the Severna Park Marketplace, 557 Ritchie Highway.
Big news from
Whole Foods in Annapolis. This month the grocer makes its move from the Annapolis Harbour Center to its new 64,000-square-foot facility at Annapolis Towne Center (a mere quarter mile up the road). The grand opening is scheduled for May 5th. If you have not been to the likes of Whole Foods in New York City or even closer, Reston, Va., then you don’t know what you’ve missed for the 10-plus years Whole Foods occupied the Annapolis Harbour Center. Inside the sprawling new facility, Whole Foods will offer a state-of-the-art culinary center that seats 30 and hosts cooking, wellness, and yoga (yes yoga!) classes and an expansive café that seats 150 and features monthly art exhibits, as well as live music. Other highlights include on-site barbecue smoker, wood fire brick oven for pizza, a reverse osmosis water station, specialty coffee station, and a Kids’ Club. For a behind-the-scenes preview and photos of the new Whole Foods, visit WhatsUpMag.com.
buzz
Cheesecake Factory
Brio Tuscan Grille
May 2009
dining
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