Baltimore diner
Helmand fast-casual spinoff opens in East Baltimore
Restaurant adds to lunch options in area near Johns Hopkins Hospital
A casual spinoff of the popular Afghan restaurant
The
“It's pretty much almost like a casual version of the Helmand,” owner Helmand Karzai said. “We'll offer a lot of the same stuff that made the Helmand what it is, but offer some other lighter, quicker stuff.”
The menu includes lighter takes on the original Helmand menu, such as wraps with homemade naan, more soups and “more exotic street food,” Karzai said. Appetizers start around $6, and entrees run $13 to $18.
For now, the restaurant is only serving weekday lunch; it's open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Karzai said he plans to expand hours and add weekends, but the focus as the restaurant gets up and running is feeding the area's daytime work population.
Karzai said he was drawn to the area because he saw a lack of lunch options in the neighborhood.
“If there's room for dinner business, we'd love to do that, too,” he said.
The restaurant, which seats about 100, has applied for a liquor license and plans to add drink service.
In addition to the original Helmand on Charles Street, Karzai's family also owns
In brief
Located in the former
Blacksauce Kitchen will still be appearing regularly at farmers' markets and taking catering jobs. Blacksauce is among the vendors at the Waverly Farmers' Market, held year-round on Saturdays, and has also sold its food at the Baltimore Farmers' Market & Bazaar.
The menu at the brick-and-mortar location will be slightly different than at the markets.
“Still take-out food, but more than sandwiches,” the Instagram post says. “We'll change the menu monthly, each cycle highlighting a different part of the animal. First up: brisket.”
Owners Damian Mosley and Vesnier Lugo could not be reached for comment.
The cocktail bar announced its impending closure last week in a Facebook post, which noted it will be open until the weekend of Feb. 17.
“It was a terrible fall/winter season and between that and the forced move from the original location I ran out of money,” the post said.
Known for its extensive cocktail list, Bad Decisions relocated to the former home of the Get Down (701 S. Bond St.) in August. In July, owner John Reusing told The Baltimore Sun that Bad Decisions had outgrown its previous space at 1928 Fleet St., where it operated for more than eight years. The new space had about three times the capacity as the original Bad Decisions.
“So come in for a last visit or to get a tee shirt,” the Facebook post continued. “Stay tuned here for our last couple of events and to see where the bar staff ends up working.”
Reusing could not be reached for comment.
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