Dishes

Tucked in a house in the maritime-centric neighborhood of Eastport, VIN 909 proves that Annapolis cuisine has more to offer than crab cakes and rockfish. The duo behind the wine cafe, manager/owner/sommelier (and Annapolis native) Alex Manfredonia and Chef Justin Moore, met while working in a San Francisco restaurant. When they decided to head back to the East Coast to open a restaurant of their own, they moved into the space that formerly housed the Wild Orchid Café. The duo brought along a love for the Mediterranean-inspired cuisine of California, plus a commitment to environmental sustainability — working with local farmers and using organic ingredients.

It's safe to say the South Carroll boys basketball team has taken on the personality of its point guard, senior Dan Mullen. In his fourth year on varsity, the two-year captain is smart, works hard and does whatever is needed to bring home wins. After the graduation of standout Ryan McTavish, who left the program as Carroll County's all-time leading scorer last year, many believed the Cavaliers would slip a bit this season following two state tournament appearances in the past three years.

Martyn Lawrence-Bullard left his home in England for Los Angeles 20 years ago, determined to be a movie star. The acting thing didn't exactly work out. But in one of those delightful turnabouts in life, he is now the interior designer to the stars. Ed Norton, the Osbournes, Cher and Kid Rock top an eclectic list of clients. Lawrence-Bullard has made the Architectural Digest and Elle Decor lists of top designers. He is a principal on Bravo TV's "Million Dollar Decorators. " He has a new book, "Live, Love & Decorate," with a foreword by client Elton John.

Many Americans make meals out of leftovers from their meals. And while everyone knows to refrigerate perishables, not everyone is taking all the proper steps to ensure the next-day food is safe, according to the Institute of Food Technologists , a nonprofit society of food science professionals from academia, government and industry. The group definitely supports leftovers, and even says some foods actually taste better the next day, such as those with spices, because the flavors have time to meld.

With all the hot spices at work, the first couple forkfuls of Chicken Biryani ($7.99) are liable to leave your lips tingling. But the downtown Thousand Kabobs packs in flavor with the flame — strips of scarlet tomato and glossy onion relieved the monotone texture, and the rice also helped mellow the heat. So does the naan. You get way more than enough rice and spice for 8 bucks with this biryani and you can still pick up a freshly tandoori-ed naan round for $1.50 and stay under $10. Thousand Kabobs' tandoori bread is a lighter weight than some with a charred bottom and a soft, chewy topside.

In many cultures, especially Asian, a humble facade hides a fancy home inside. In this case, though, the inside of Pho Dat Thanh (pronounced "Foe Daht Than") in Snowden Marketplace, Columbia, isn't all that fancy, either. A single room, with a small bar to one side near the entrance, features silvery green walls with a tangerine-hued chair rail in the middle and rather non-descript prints above. The tables are bare-topped, with a stainless basket of condiments providing a bit of color.

On Thursday afternoon, as most of America fusses over basting and trussing, Tracey Despeaux will be pulling into Ravens stadium with a movable feast. From the back of her purple-painted bus, she'll unload turkey, yams, string beans and corn, pies, ham, rolls and potatoes. She'll arrange the bounty around festive dried husks and pumpkin-scented candles. Then she and the rest of the Pasadena Ravens Roost will gather round fold-out tables to enjoy Thanksgiving. "Everybody sitting down together," Despeaux says.

Ramen alert. Genji, the sushi provider to Whole Foods Market, has introduced a line of ramen noodle soups to its offerings. The noodle bowls will be freshly prepared daily in house, according to company information. The Genji ramen is  is being promoted as being a healthy alternative to the freeze-dried stuff, which I love, and to the slow-simmered restaurant version, which is still in short supply in Baltimore. Made with a chile and sesame-miso base, the Genji ramen are sold in ready-to-heat grab-and-go bowl.

Once, pickles were the last thing anyone would mistake for stylish or sexy. But they've come a long way from limp grocery store spear. With a makeover and an entirely new image, the pickle has left behind your grandfather's Reuben for a considerably more elevated spot on the food chain. Fresh, locally made ones are a big attraction at farmers' markets, and chefs at trendy area restaurants are drawing inspiration from the age-old pickle recipe to create innovative dishes with almost any vegetable they can think of. At Level in Annapolis, a small-plates restaurant that prides itself on cooking with ingredients from area farms, chef Alfredo Malinis Jr. offers a humble yet head-turning plate of house-pickled seasonal vegetables.