Good morning readers, and welcome back to those who spent the weekend traveling.
I was out in Ocean City, unsuccessfully fishing for flounder and taking in the fireworks and plenty of American cuisine.
The weather was picturesque, and my battle with the sun was mostly a triumph. I escaped only with sunburn on the back of my right hand. My 70 SPF sunblock held the line elsewhere, saving me from having to order an industrial amount of aloe, as usually happens after my first beach trip of the summer.
I hope you all fared equally well.
With those off-handed (or on-handed) remarks out of the way, let's get to the news.
Eleven Maryland restaurants have earned the second-highest possible recognition in Wine Spectator's 2025 ratings of the world's best wine programs. The batch of winners includes one newcomer to the list, Atlas Restaurant Group's Ruxton steakhouse in Harbor East, which took home its first Best of Award of Excellence. The category recognizes restaurants that offer wine programs with "excellent breadth" and "superior presentation" of 350 or more selections, per Wine Spectator. The other 10 Maryland restaurants that took home a Best of Award of Excellence designation are:
Dozens of other Maryland restaurants earned Award of Excellence honors, for spots with at least 90 wine selections.
The Maryland Food Bank has named a new president and CEO amid a bevy of federal cuts and increasing demand for food. Meg Kimmel took over the top job on July 1, replacing Carmen Del Guercio, who announced plans to step down in February. The BBJ's Matt Hooke spoke with Kimmel about the transition and what's next at the major nonprofit.
Mama's on the Half Shell is crab-walking across the continent. The seafood restaurant brand with locations in Canton and Owings Mills announced late last week that the company is launching nationwide shipping for some of its products. Mama's will offer its 8-ounce Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cakes and soups (Maryland crab, cream of crab and seafood chowder) for next-day delivery for customers in the continental U.S. The Mama's website currently lists boxes of four, eight or 12 crab cakes for delivery at $140, $275 and $410, respectively. The soups range from $30 to $34 per quart.
A Baltimore media arts nonprofit has created a new headquarters that offers students access to cutting-edge equipment while creating opportunities for the organization to grow its clientele and revenue. Wide Angle Youth Media is soon to turn 25, and in December moved into an impressive new home. Take a look around.
Baltimore's downtown continues to grapple with high vacancy rates and slim office leasing, but there could be some hope on the horizon. New data from JLL shows the central business district's office market may have "bottomed out" after years of leasing woes. Our Melody Simmons spoke with JLL's Robert Manekin about the state of the downtown market as summer drags on.
Officials will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking this afternoon on a new air traffic control tower at Martin State Airport, the Maryland Aviation Administration announced. The Maryland Board of Public Works in February approved a $22.2 million contract to build the tower to replace the existing air traffic control structure after more than 80 years. Towson Mechanical Inc. in Parkville is the general contractor for the project. The new tower's technology will improve visibility and communication for controllers, aviation officials said in February. The new tower will also be ADA-compliant and accessible for the first time.
An Italian-inspired villa on Gibson Island has sold for the highest price ever fetched in the exclusive Anne Arundel County community. We have the story and the photos behind the record-setting sale.
Five Midwestern television stations owned by Hunt Valley's Sinclair Inc. will change hands after the Federal Communications Commission approved their sale despite a consumer watchdog group’s challenge. The stations are set to be sold in a pending $29.4 million transaction. Our Garrett Dvorkin has more on the deal with a former Sinclair employee.