Baltimore Diner
Lefenfeld brothers opening seafood restaurant
In S. Baltimore, Minnow to focus on sustainability and locally sourced ingredients
The team behind
Brothers Ben and Jake Lefenfeld are opening
Jake Lefenfeld will serve as the restaurant’s general manager. Ben Lefenfeld declined to name the executive chef (though it won’t be him — he plans to stay in the kitchen at La Cuchara).
Minnow will focus on sustainable seafood, and Ben Lefenfeld said he envisions the restaurant as a spot locals could come a couple times a week without breaking the bank.
“This is a concept that we’ve wanted to do for a while,” he said. “We feel like in the affordable price point and neighborhood market, there’s not really much out there as far as a great place to go to get a nice piece of sauteed or grilled fish.”
Small plates will run $6 to $12, with entrees priced from $14 to $26, he said. The menu is still in the works, and Lefenfeld said in the coming weeks he’ll be experimenting with some recipes at La Cuchara that may wind up on Minnow’s menu.
The restaurant will also offer a wine list with heavy Mediterranean influences to match the variety of food preparations.
Minnow will look to source ingredients locally when possible, serving a combination of farmed and wild-caught seafood.
“As far as sustainable goes, that’s just the responsible way of doing business in this industry at this point,” Lefenfeld said.
Lefenfeld said his team targeted South Baltimore because they saw a need for more dining options in the neighborhood.
“We also think that the neighborhood is underserved, if you will, by the local restaurant scene,” he said. “We definitely think that for the amount of people that live and work in the area, it’s nice to have another everyday restaurant option.”
Minnow is moving into a space that was previously slated for a restaurant by former
“I have decided to move on from the 2 [East Wells] project,” Keeney wrote.
Keeney is now the executive chef of
Andrew Carmellini, the chef partnering with Kevin Plank on the restaurants at the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore hotel and Sagamore Spirit distillery, was also nominated in the Outstanding Chef category for his New York restaurant
Five finalists per category will be unveiled March 15, and the winners will be announced May 1 at the James Beard Foundation Awards Gala at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The restaurant is set to open at the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre in Gambrills on March 6. The fast-casual eatery at 2503 Evergreen Road will be Mission BBQ’s 13th in Maryland and 43rd overall.
The first Mission BBQ opened in Glen Burnie in 2011, and the chain has locations in 11 states, from Florida to Pennsylvania.
The Gambrills location will host charity nights leading up to its opening, including a military appreciation night 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 3, benefiting the USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore.
Mark your calendar for these upcoming food and drink events.