Aioli

As celebrated a dish in the bistros of Nice as bouillabaisse is in Marseilles or cioppino is in San Francisco, bourride is somewhere between soup and stew. This homey dish starts with lean fish poached in fumet, a wine-based stock.Whisking mayonnaise infused with garlic (aioli) into the fumet turns it creamy and pungent - perfect for ladling over the warm fish.` Cole Publishing GroupBourride With AioliServes 63 tablespoons olive oil1 1/2 cups chopped onion1 leek (white and pale green part)

Barbara Tropp, the late San Francisco restaurateur and author, dubbed these "gold coin" cakes in her China Moon Cookbook because of their round shape and golden color. These salmon patties are treasures, rich with minced ginger, garlic, green onions and chili sauce. Over the years, I've adapted the recipe to my taste, adding little cubes of sweet bell pepper, dropping the minced cilantro, using saltine crackers instead of bread for binder and - always - serving them with a simple aioli sauce made with prepared mayonnaise.

Barbara Tropp, the late San Francisco restaurateur and author, dubbed these "gold coin" cakes in her China Moon Cookbook because of their round shape and golden color. These salmon patties are treasures, rich with minced ginger, garlic, green onions and chili sauce. Over the years, I've adapted the recipe to my taste, adding little cubes of sweet bell pepper, dropping the minced cilantro, using saltine crackers instead of bread for binder and - always - serving them with a simple aioli sauce made with prepared mayonnaise.

If you're looking for a new adventure in dining, look no further than Locust Point. There's where Nasu Blanca has set up shop, just down the road from another popular upscale eatery, the Wine Market. While the restaurant's theme is Japanese/Spanish cuisine, Nasu Blanca's origins are strictly homegrown. Owner/chef David Sherman, son of retired Danaher Corp. chief executive officer George Sherman, grew up here, as did his best friend and sous-chef, Christian Ciscle (whose father is former art gallery owner George Ciscle)

Until I discovered that my fishmonger would happily clean soft-shelled crabs for me, I shied away from taking full advantage of the crustaceans during their short season, which has a midsummer curtain call. So, with the fishmonger's help, this salad comes together in a few minutes for a quick dinner on the deck or terrace. Dress the salad with prepared aioli, a garlicky mayonnaise. Beverage pairing For wines, try a chenin blanc or vinho verde or drink a sparkling water with lemon twists.

Hometown and presidential favorites are among the eats Queen Elizabeth II will be offered at team owner Eli Jacobs' pre-game reception tonight at Memorial Stadium.Here's the complete menu:HORS D'OEUVRESPetite Maryland crab cakes with Grand Marniercocktail sauceKosher franks in a blanketChicken croquettesVermont Cheddar puffsNorwegian smoked salmon and creme fraicheon black Russian ryePASTATomato tortelliniGarlic chicken, alfredo styleCARVINGBeef tenderloin roasted and seasoned with garlic,accompanied by Oregon truffle sauce,horseradish and pommery mustardRoasted blackened breast of turkey with sun-driedtomato aioliAssorted multi-grain rollsDESSERTFresh fruitProfiteroles filled with coffee ice creamWarm bittersweet chocolate sauceFresh hot popcorn

Triple Creek Cafe started life in April as a burgers-and-brews joint but was turned into a fancier restaurant when Guy Mettle took over as general manager a short while later. The unassuming restaurant along a major road in Westminster is still a bar, but now it serves crab cakes, steaks, ribs and the like, plus nightly specials. Mettle, who is chef as well as general manager, described the new menu as "upscale casual." Mettle is trying to spiff up Triple Creek, yet there's something about this neighborhood hangout, with its linoleum tabletops and paneled walls, that seems to resist spiffing.

Many restaurants tout their regional American cuisine, but Todd Bricken goes them one better. He's the new owner of the restaurant that was the Quail Ridge Inn in Mount Airy, and is now the Brick Ridge (6212 Ridge Road). Every week he and chef Jody Francisco, formerly at Henninger's, pick a state, read up on its traditional dishes and offer some of them as specials. Last week, for instance, Delaware's seafood and stuffed ham were featured. The standard menu lists dishes with their states of origins in parentheses, such as Brunswick stew (Virginia)

From bistro to bar and grill. That's just one of the changes you'll find at the newly renovated Viccino's Bistro on North Charles Street. Not only has the eatery's name changed to Neo Viccino Bar & Grille, but both the interior and menu have had some major work done. Owner Phillip Quick says it was time. Phillip says that in Viccino's 10-year history it was predominantly a pre-theater venue, offering fine-dining entrees that generally went for $15 to $25 a pop. He says he wanted to change the concept to a broader range, attracting neighborhood folks and students from the nearby University of Baltimore and Maryland Institute College of Art. That means the more traditional decor is out. Phillip says you'll find a new contemporary look to go with Viccino's more contemporary attitude.

I usually wait a month or so before I pay a new restaurant an official visit. I like to give it time to settle down. But after a month the new Gemini Bistro isn't doing much settling down. It's already on its second chef and has a different menu from when I stopped by for a bite soon after it opened.When four of us ate at Gemini recently, I found that Brigitte Bledsoe, who had been in the kitchen when it opened in August, had been replaced by Allison Dugdale, known locally for her work as the chef at John Steven Ltd. and before that Foster's Oyster Bar, both in Fells Point.

Fans of the late, lamented South Baltimore eatery Soigne have reason to celebrate. And a place to do that celebrating. Soigne chef/co-owner Edward Kim is back in Baltimore, in a new partnership and restaurant. After a brief stint at D.C.'s Mercado, Kim has joined forces with Tony Chemmanoor to give his Indian fusion restaurant Saffron a makeover. "D.C. was a little cold for me. I really missed Baltimore, the warmth of the people here," Kim says. As Kim becomes executive chef/partner at Saffron, Indian fusion is a thing of the past.

From bistro to bar and grill. That's just one of the changes you'll find at the newly renovated Viccino's Bistro on North Charles Street. Not only has the eatery's name changed to Neo Viccino Bar & Grille, but both the interior and menu have had some major work done. Owner Phillip Quick says it was time. Phillip says that in Viccino's 10-year history it was predominantly a pre-theater venue, offering fine-dining entrees that generally went for $15 to $25 a pop. He says he wanted to change the concept to a broader range, attracting neighborhood folks and students from the nearby University of Baltimore and Maryland Institute College of Art. That means the more traditional decor is out. Phillip says you'll find a new contemporary look to go with Viccino's more contemporary attitude.

The revival and expansion of a Fells Point institution continues. The Waterfront Hotel, which opened its downstairs pub in May, has just opened its upstairs dining room. General manager Ben Greene says management has kept as much as they could of the original hotel, including constructing the bar out of the doors of the Waterfront's original hotel rooms. You'll see old chandeliers, red walls, a dining room with black tablecloths and seating for 60 and a great big working fireplace (one of four in the place)

Until I discovered that my fishmonger would happily clean soft-shelled crabs for me, I shied away from taking full advantage of the crustaceans during their short season, which has a midsummer curtain call. So, with the fishmonger's help, this salad comes together in a few minutes for a quick dinner on the deck or terrace. Dress the salad with prepared aioli, a garlicky mayonnaise. Beverage pairing For wines, try a chenin blanc or vinho verde or drink a sparkling water with lemon twists.

Triple Creek Cafe started life in April as a burgers-and-brews joint but was turned into a fancier restaurant when Guy Mettle took over as general manager a short while later. The unassuming restaurant along a major road in Westminster is still a bar, but now it serves crab cakes, steaks, ribs and the like, plus nightly specials. Mettle, who is chef as well as general manager, described the new menu as "upscale casual." Mettle is trying to spiff up Triple Creek, yet there's something about this neighborhood hangout, with its linoleum tabletops and paneled walls, that seems to resist spiffing.

Many restaurants tout their regional American cuisine, but Todd Bricken goes them one better. He's the new owner of the restaurant that was the Quail Ridge Inn in Mount Airy, and is now the Brick Ridge (6212 Ridge Road). Every week he and chef Jody Francisco, formerly at Henninger's, pick a state, read up on its traditional dishes and offer some of them as specials. Last week, for instance, Delaware's seafood and stuffed ham were featured. The standard menu lists dishes with their states of origins in parentheses, such as Brunswick stew (Virginia)

If you're looking for a new adventure in dining, look no further than Locust Point. There's where Nasu Blanca has set up shop, just down the road from another popular upscale eatery, the Wine Market. While the restaurant's theme is Japanese/Spanish cuisine, Nasu Blanca's origins are strictly homegrown. Owner/chef David Sherman, son of retired Danaher Corp. chief executive officer George Sherman, grew up here, as did his best friend and sous-chef, Christian Ciscle (whose father is former art gallery owner George Ciscle)

Fans of the late, lamented South Baltimore eatery Soigne have reason to celebrate. And a place to do that celebrating. Soigne chef/co-owner Edward Kim is back in Baltimore, in a new partnership and restaurant. After a brief stint at D.C.'s Mercado, Kim has joined forces with Tony Chemmanoor to give his Indian fusion restaurant Saffron a makeover. "D.C. was a little cold for me. I really missed Baltimore, the warmth of the people here," Kim says. As Kim becomes executive chef/partner at Saffron, Indian fusion is a thing of the past.

I usually wait a month or so before I pay a new restaurant an official visit. I like to give it time to settle down. But after a month the new Gemini Bistro isn't doing much settling down. It's already on its second chef and has a different menu from when I stopped by for a bite soon after it opened.When four of us ate at Gemini recently, I found that Brigitte Bledsoe, who had been in the kitchen when it opened in August, had been replaced by Allison Dugdale, known locally for her work as the chef at John Steven Ltd. and before that Foster's Oyster Bar, both in Fells Point.

As celebrated a dish in the bistros of Nice as bouillabaisse is in Marseilles or cioppino is in San Francisco, bourride is somewhere between soup and stew. This homey dish starts with lean fish poached in fumet, a wine-based stock.Whisking mayonnaise infused with garlic (aioli) into the fumet turns it creamy and pungent - perfect for ladling over the warm fish.` Cole Publishing GroupBourride With AioliServes 63 tablespoons olive oil1 1/2 cups chopped onion1 leek (white and pale green part)