Baltimore Diner
Johnny’s goes Halloween with ‘Harry Potter’
Costumed staff will serve themed food and drinks
The wands will wave at Roland Park’s Johnny’s on Halloween night when the restaurant hosts a “Harry Potter” takeover.
The Foreman Wolf restaurant will be decorated on Oct. 31 to reflect the popular books turned into movies. There will be flags representing the different houses from Hogwarts. A sorting hat will be at the entrance of the restaurant. And the entire staff will dress in costumes inspired by characters from the series, according to Sue-Jean Chun, spokeswoman for Foreman Wolf. A costume contest will also be held.
“It’s just a beloved character for our staff,” Chun said. “It’s the fitting restaurant for something like this. It’s more casual dining. It’s family-friendly. It’s an easy one.”
Although the decor is expected to be eye-catching — the restaurant group hired a designer to complete the transformation — Chun said that the main attraction will be the themed food and drinks.
Highlights from the special offerings include butterbeer cupcakes, which consist of brown butter cake with butterscotch filling and icing; a treacle tart, a British version of a pecan pie; and dragon’s breath macarons, a cinnamon pastry with a kick of spice, according to Chun.
“Our team says it’s legitimate butterbeer,” Chun said, adding that the restaurant will be fully decorated by Monday, although staff will only be in costume on Halloween. “All the treats are priced a la carte. And we’ll be serving the regular menu.”
With a prequel “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” set to be released Nov. 16 and a Tony Award-winning stage production, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” on Broadway, the series remains relevant.
On Friday, the Ottobar, the Remington bar and music venue, will host Wizard Fest, a Harry Potter-themed dance party. Tickets range from $25 to $35. In addition to a live DJ, there will be a costume contest with cash prizes, Quidditch pong, butterbeer and other Harry Potter-themed drinks. No owls, cats or toads will be admitted.
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