Restaurant row sprouts up on Harford Road

Meanwhile, Clementine is expanding into the building next door for more seating, a bar and lounge (yes, a liquor license is in the works), and a curing room for charcuterie. The restaurant will be closed from next Sunday to Sept. 17 to complete the renovations.

FIRST CRUSH The blogosphere has been buzzing recently about an imaginary restaurant that won an Award of Excellence for its wine list from the Wine Spectator magazine. A writer, Robin Goldstein, submitted a fictitious menu, wine list and expensive "reserve" list and the necessary $250 check. His faux reserve list contained mostly Italian wines that had received low scores from the Wine Spectator in the past.

"Restaurants, like all businesses, have strong incentives to embellish their images online," says Goldstein on his Web site. "We turn to experts and awards bodies to help navigate the chaotic world of information and misinformation that results. If Google, Chowhound and a couple of unanswered phone calls suffice to verify not just the existence of a restaurant but also the authenticity of its wine list, then it's not clear what role the critic is playing."

The Wine Spectator responded by calling the hoax "a publicity-seeking scam" and saying, "We do not claim to visit every restaurant in our Awards program. We do promise to evaluate their wine lists fairly. (Nearly one-third of new entries each year do not win awards.)"

SHORE GOOD Although it's the end of the season for many Baltimoreans who visit Ocean City, it's still good news that the old favorite Hobbit has reopened after 2 1/2 years. The restaurant is still at 81st Street and the Bay, but now in the new Rivendell Condominiums complex.

Thirty years ago, the Hobbit opened with only 90 seats, a lace-tablecloth restaurant that served dinner only. It was located in an old beach house on 82nd Street. The resort crowd loved it, and it expanded to a 300-seat restaurant offering lunch and dinner. But in its newest incarnation, the Hobbit is small again, with 90 seats and booths, serving dinner only.

"Since about half our staff worked together previously," says Chris Ciletti, a managing partner, "we have been able to maintain some continuity from the former restaurant."