CIAA’s Big Food Play

The Best Things to Do in Baltimore This Weekend...

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Eating Baltimore
February 20, 2026

Hey Baltimore—

Welcome to the 29 new subscribers who joined since last week’s edition. Happy to have you in our (growing) community!

The most interesting food story on my radar right now isn’t a new restaurant — it’s a new way to experience a whole bunch of them at once.

Baltimore is planning a Black-owned restaurant tour for CIAA weekend in 2026, turning one of the city’s biggest sports weekends into a curated culinary crawl. Instead of visitors guessing where to eat, this would intentionally route thousands of fans through local kitchens that deserve the spotlight.

The CIAA tourney already floods the city with energy and out-of-towners — packaging that traffic into a structured food tour could mean real, concentrated revenue for independent operators.

🏠 For sale: $1.3M brick colonial on Fox Run Court in Phoenix. 4,540 square feet, 4 beds, 4.5 baths. Resort-style backyard with in-ground pool, hot tub, and multi-level patio. Listed by Dicky Gaines

💼 Hot Job: Banquet Manager at Baltimore Country Club (~$77,575/year). Lead large-scale member events and private functions. Oversee banquet staff, service execution, and event logistics at one of the region’s premier private clubs.

📢 Shout-out: Baltimore Sports Fans. Baltimore’s restaurants and bars say sports-driven crowds are critical to staying profitable in a tough economic climate.

Here’s what we’ve got this week:

  • Mardi Gras Live! 2026 @ Power Plant Live…

  • Lunar New Year Celebration @ Peabody Heights Brewing…

  • Heavy Metal Brunch & Bubbly @ Jimmy’s Seafood

Scroll on, make plans, and eat well, Charm City.

Things To Do In Baltimore & Surrounding Areas This Weekend

Friday February 20th

Cheers to 9 Years! Anniversary Weekend @ Brass Tap Baltimore (Free/$)
📅 Friday, February 20th–Sunday, February 22nd | Times vary
📍 The Brass Tap, 1205 W Mount Royal Ave, Baltimore
Celebrate nine years at The Brass Tap with a three-day lineup including an Uncle Nearest whiskey tasting and FRIENDS trivia (Friday), Golden Gays Drag Brunch (tickets required), a Lucy Darling pre-show party, and karaoke (Saturday), plus Sunday jazz brunch with the Ed Hybryk Trio and specialty beer tappings featuring Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin (2018), Oskar Blues Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy, and a Monument City cask tapping.

The Baltimore Consort: “In Angel’s Wede” (Free)
📅 Friday, February 20th | 7:30 PM (Doors 7 PM)
📍 St. David’s Church, 4700 Roland Ave, Baltimore
Music at St. David’s presents the internationally acclaimed Baltimore Consort in a Renaissance program tracing the life of Mary Queen of Scots through Scottish, French, English, and Italian court music, with narration by Emmy Award winner Robert Aubry Davis; free and open to the public (suggested $10–$20 donation), first-come seating.

Saturday February 21st

Shop Small Winter Sale @ Green Spring Station (Free)
📅 Saturday, February 21st | 10 AM–4 PM
📍 Green Spring Station, 10751 Falls Road, Lutherville
For one day only, Green Spring Station’s boutiques team up with a curated lineup of Baltimore favorites for a winter warehouse-style sale featuring serious savings (up to 90% off), pop-up guest shops including A Style Studio, Apricot Lane, Hudson & Ash, Match Made Stores, and Ruth Shaw, and a full day of shopping small while supporting local businesses.

Mini Maker’s Market – Winter Wares (Free)
📅 Saturday, February 21st | 12–6 PM
📍 R House, 301 W 29th St, Baltimore
Shop 11 local makers at this cozy winter pop-up featuring handmade jewelry, statement earrings, crochet plushies, art prints (no A.I.), sterling silver pieces, soy candles, apothecary goods, whimsical oddities, cat toys, baking mixes, and more—plus food and seasonal sips from R House to keep you warm while you browse.

Lunar New Year Celebration (Free)
📅 Saturday, February 21st | 6–10 PM
📍 Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E 30th St, Baltimore
Peabody Heights’ Annual Lunar New Year celebration returns to ring in the Year of the Fire Horse with lion dancers, an all-ages drag show, Korean fusion eats, local artists & vendors, and a special Year of the Fire Horse beer release.

Baltimore Square Dance at Mobtown Ballroom ($)
📅 Saturday, February 21st | 7:30–10:30 PM (Doors 6:30 PM)
📍 Mobtown Ballroom, 30 W North Ave, Baltimore
Grab your dancing shoes for a lively night of old-time music and gender-free square dancing with a live band and caller guiding every move—no partner or experience needed; $15 advance, $20 at the door, kids 12 & under free, plus a full bar and kitchen to keep the party going.

Mardi Gras Live! 2026 ($)
📅 Saturday, February 21st | 9 PM (Doors 8 PM)
📍 Power Plant Live!, 34 Market Pl, Baltimore
Baltimore’s Mardi Gras Festival takes over Power Plant Live! for a 21+ Bourbon Street-style bash featuring live music, balcony bead throws, drink packages, a King Cake eating contest, Mardi Gras masks and party favors, and the crowning of a King and Queen—come dressed to impress and ready to dance all night.

Sunday February 22nd

Heavy Metal Brunch & Bubbly ($)
📅 Sunday, February 22nd | 12 PM
📍 Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, 6526 Holabird Ave, Baltimore
Jimmy’s turns brunch into a full-blown metal party with a live rock DJ spinning Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest, Slayer, Black Sabbath and more, music videos blasting on big screens, heavy metal trivia, air-guitar battles, costume contests with prizes, and three hours of bottomless mimosas, champagne, Bloody Marys, and brunch cocktails—21+ and tickets required.

BARCS Inaugural Ball Crawl ($)
📅 Sunday, February 22nd | 1–5 PM
📍 Little Italy, Baltimore
Roll through Little Italy for an edible “ball crawl” benefiting BARCS in honor of World Spay Day, with $10 tickets including tastings at participating spots like Benny’s (formerly Joe Benny’s), La Tavola, Angeli’s Pizzeria & Bar, and Crave Ice Cream, plus specialty menu items, add-on T-shirts, and plenty of saucy fun supporting animal rescue and spay/neuter services.

This Week in the Community…

The Black Olive Faces Bankruptcy, Foreclosure in Fells Point
Iconic Fells Point restaurant The Black Olive has filed for bankruptcy as its waterfront property heads toward foreclosure, raising questions about the future of the longtime Greek dining destination. The nearly 30-year-old seafood spot, known for whole grilled fish and olive oil-forward Mediterranean dishes, is working through financial restructuring while ownership hopes to keep operations afloat. Read more…

Black-Owned Restaurants to Headline CIAA Weekend Food Tour in 2026
A curated tour highlighting Baltimore’s Black-owned restaurants is being planned as part of CIAA weekend festivities in 2026, giving visiting fans a guided taste of the city’s food scene. Organizers say the initiative will spotlight local culinary talent during the CIAA Tournament, driving intentional foot traffic and economic impact to participating businesses. Read more…

Baltimore Restaurants Count on Sports Fans to Fill Seats
From Ravens Sundays to Orioles home stands, Baltimore’s restaurants and bars say sports-driven crowds are critical to staying profitable in a tough economic climate. Operators report that game-day traffic and large-scale sporting events provide much-needed spikes in revenue, helping offset slower weeks and rising costs. Read more…

D.C. United Proposes Stadium and Academy at Carroll Park
D.C. United is exploring plans to build a new stadium and youth soccer academy at Carroll Park Golf Course in Pigtown, a move that could significantly reshape the historic West Baltimore site. Early discussions outline a professional soccer venue paired with community programming, though the proposal is expected to face neighborhood and preservation review. Read more…

Real Estate Corner

Pet Of The Week

Have a furry, feathered, or scaly friend you’re proud of? Send a photo and a few fun facts, and we might feature them in an upcoming issue. It’s a fun way to share smiles with the community and discover local pet resources along the way.

This week’s reader submission is: Maple

Meet Maple! Our curious little explorer. Those are her typical eyes that look like they’re permanently asking, “What are we getting into today?”

P.S. I’m also looking to partner with a local pet business to help bring this section to life—if that’s you (or someone you know), shoot me an email here.

Date Spot Of The Week

Proper Cuisine (Inner Harbor)

📍 206 E Redwood St, Baltimore, MD 21202

This week’s date spot takes us downtown to Proper Cuisine — a stylish, seafood-forward dinner spot that leans indulgent in the best way. Start with the Crab Cake Egg Rolls or Salmon Bites, then build the night around something bold like the Braised Honey Jerk Lamb Chops, Red Snapper Étouffée, or the Honey Glazed Stuffed Salmon. If you’re feeling extra, splitting the Ultimate Seafood Alfredo or Jumbo Lump Crab Cake keeps things very Baltimore and very date-worthy.

The space feels polished but not stiff — the kind of place where you can dress up a little, order a round of cocktails, and take your time working through the menu.

If you’re planning a downtown dinner that feels elevated without being over-the-top, Proper Cuisine makes a strong case.

👉 Check out their menu & plan your night…

Thanks for reading Eating Baltimore today. Share it with someone who is too into celebrating Mardi Gras.

Have a great weekend!

Matt | Eating Baltimore

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