Milton Inn

The move to the city has been good for the former operators of the Milton Inn in Sparks. After the restaurant closed its doors temporarily last September, executive chef Robert Taylor and restaurant manager Lynn Patrick brought most of their staff with them to a new location in the Admiral Fell Inn. They left an establishment that had a national reputation but was a little, well, stuffy. Being a Destination Restaurant is serious business. Their new venture, Hamilton's, is low-key in comparison, a little jazzier and -- what a pleasant surprise -- not so pricey.

Last year at this time, we told you to look out for some of the restaurants that would be opening in 2012. Most of them, like Fleet Street Kitchen and Heavy Seas Alehouse, actually did. A few projects we told you to look forward to didn't see the light of day. Here's what we're reasonably sure about for the first few months of 2013: First up, My Thai , originally located in Mount Vernon's Park Plaza building, will reopen in a new location in...

The Sunday dining review is of The Milton Inn in Sparks. The field stone building that houses the Milton Inn dates back to the mid-18th century. A restaurant has operated there since 1947, and the current ownership has been running things since 1997. So, how's it holding up? Pretty well, actually. And if you think the Milton Inn is one of those wax museums that pass for fine dining, think again. How about venison pate with figs, apricots and pistachios. Or homemade grits made with corn that was smoked on the premises.

Wedding Day: October 27, 2012 Her story: Jackie Ennis, 30, grew up in the Ruxton area. She is a recruiter for Ultimate Staffing and lives in Towson. Her father, Dr. Len Ennis, is a cardiologist at Good Samaritan Hospital. Her mother, Celia Ennis, is a community volunteer. His story: Peter Obrecht, 29, grew up in Baltimore County. He is property manager for Obrecht Properties and lives in Towson. His father, George Obrecht, is a principal with Obrecht Properties. His mother, Suzanne Obrecht, is a community volunteer.

Brian Boston, executive chef and owner of the Milton Inn, is opening a new restaurant in Highland, an unincorporated community in western Howard County near Clarksville. A ground-breaking for the "modern-traditional" restaurant, to be called Highland Inn, is scheduled for April 30. The price points at the Highland Inn, according to Boston, will be lower than those at the Milton Inn, which has established itself as a regional destination restaurant. Located in Sparks, in north Baltimore County, the Milton Inn was recently recognized by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences with its Star Diamond Award.  "I'll still be at the Milton Inn doing my thing," Boston said.

I had waited years to go to The Milton Inn. It's one of those venerable places that crops up in almost every conversation about the area's best restaurants -- best special occasion, fancy, expensive restaurants, that is. And with its name are always accolades about beautiful atmosphere, exquisite food, memorable evenings.So, I went recently -- with a reservation made three weeks in advance -- with great anticipation.I think it was too much anticipation. This was clearly a case of getting there being at least half the fun.Don't get me wrong.

We'll always have the Milton Inn. The northern Baltimore County classic still delivers all of the tradition and perks diners want from a fine-dining, special-occasion restaurant. On any given night, the Milton Inn experience unfolds in six dining rooms within a meticulously kept 271-year-old fieldstone mansion. Regulars ask for the room known as The Hearth, the only one with a wood-burning fireplace. All but one of the other rooms have gas fireplaces. The Main Dining Room, where we were seated, is just off the entrance, to the right.

Two months after the landmark Milton Inn restaurant closed and left angry customers holding thousands of dollars in unused gift certificates, a restaurant set to open tomorrow in Fells Point will begin to redeem the certificates.The certificates will be honored at Hamilton's, a new restaurant in the Admiral Fell Inn run by the former operators of the Milton Inn. A new group taking over the restaurant at the historic Milton Inn might also honor them.Estimates on the amount of unused gift certificates range from $20,000 to nearly $100,000.

Owners of the swank Brass Elephant restaurant are negotiating to take over the dining business at the Milton Inn, a Baltimore County landmark that closed this month amid a leasing dispute."

The Milton Inn, a Baltimore County landmark that closed last month amid a leasing dispute, could reopen by Thanksgiving.The owners of the Brass Elephant restaurant have signed a lease to operate in the historic inn, and a newly formed group is moving forward with a half-million-dollar renovation, said restaurateur Richard Pirone, a partner in the new operation.A long-term lease agreement for the Sparks inn was announced yesterday by MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services, an affiliate of MacKenzie Properties Inc., the Lutherville company that controls the Milton Inn building and name.

Baltimore County Restaurant Week runs through Sunday. The county's version , compared to the city's, is either a model of democracy or sheer anarchy, depending on how you look at it. Participating restaurants can offer lunch and dinner menus ranging in price from  $10.12 to $35.12 for one, two or three courses. That makes comparing menus kind of tricky.  Here, at least, you can see the special menus grouped by price. Dinner $35.12 Artful Gourmet Bistro -- Entree, plus two of the following -- appetizer, soup or salad, dessert The Bowman -- Soup or salad, entree, dessert Linwoods -- Soup or salad, entree, dessert Manor Tavern -- Appetizer, entree, dessert Michael's Cafe -- Appetizer, salad, entree, dessert Milton Inn -- Appetizer, entree, dessert Patrick's Fine Food & Sprits -- Appetizer, salad, entree, dessert Peppermill -- Appetizer, entree, dessert Ruth's Chris Steak House -- Salad, entree, dessert Strapazza -- Appetizer, entree, dessert $30.12 Barrett's -- Soup or salad, entree, dessert Basta Pasta -- Appetizer, entree, dessert Bluestone -- Soup or salad, entree, dessert Cafe Troia -- Soup or salad, entree, dessert Candle Light Inn -- Appetizer, entree, dessert Christopher Daniel -- Appetizer, entree, dessert Costas -- Appetizer, entree, dessert Havana Road -- Salad, entree, dessert Mari Luna...

Baltimore County Restaurant Week begins Friday, and Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce are kicking things off Wednesday at Cafe Troia.   Restaurants participating in Baltimore County's Summer Restaurant Week , which runs Aug. 10-19, are offering fixed-price one-, two- and three-course lunches and dinners. At Wednesday's kick-off event , which begins at 11 a.m., chefs from participating restaurants like Barrett's Grill, Basta Pasta Ristorante, Cafe Troia, Island View Waterfront Cafe, the Milton Inn and Towson Tavern will prepare some of their menu specials for sampling.

I kind of forgot that restaurants close on July Fourth. Like it's Christmas or something. But they do. Good brunch places like B&O Brasserie, Victoria Gastro Pub and Golden West are all closed on July Fourth. All of the municipal market, including Lexington Market , are closed, too. The Prime Rib, Blue Hill Tavern, The Milton Inn, the Manor Tavern, Woodberry Kitchen and Linwoods are taking the day off, too. The Foreman-Wolf restaurants -- Pazo, Charleston, Cinghiale and Petit Louis -- are closed.

Brian Boston, executive chef and owner of the Milton Inn , is opening a new restaurant in Highland, an unincorporated community in western Howard County near Clarksville. A groundbreaking for the "modern-traditional" restaurant, to be called Highland Inn , is scheduled for April 30. The prices, according to Boston, will be lower than those at the Milton Inn, which has established itself as a regional destination restaurant. Located in Sparks in northern Baltimore County, the Milton Inn was recently recognized by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences with its Star Diamond Award.

Brian Boston, executive chef and owner of the Milton Inn, is opening a new restaurant in Highland, an unincorporated community in western Howard County near Clarksville. A ground-breaking for the "modern-traditional" restaurant, to be called Highland Inn, is scheduled for April 30. The price points at the Highland Inn, according to Boston, will be lower than those at the Milton Inn, which has established itself as a regional destination restaurant. Located in Sparks, in north Baltimore County, the Milton Inn was recently recognized by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences with its Star Diamond Award.  "I'll still be at the Milton Inn doing my thing," Boston said.

We'll always have the Milton Inn. The northern Baltimore County classic still delivers all of the tradition and perks diners want from a fine-dining, special-occasion restaurant. On any given night, the Milton Inn experience unfolds in six dining rooms within a meticulously kept 271-year-old fieldstone mansion. Regulars ask for the room known as The Hearth, the only one with a wood-burning fireplace. All but one of the other rooms have gas fireplaces. The Main Dining Room, where we were seated, is just off the entrance, to the right.

Spring may be the best time of year to visit the Milton Inn, Baltimore's favorite destination restaurant. The front dining room of the mid-18th-century fieldstone house has large windows on two sides and is filled with light as the sun sets. The apple-green walls and handsome period furnishings of this pretty room look their best this time of year. Its well-spaced tables beckon, set with white linen, sparkling stemware and fresh flowers. The effect is fresh and appealing. So why does the hostess walk us past this lovely, mostly empty room and try to seat us in the back dining room, which is windowless, so dark someone at the table next to us has borrowed our candle to read his menu, and crammed full of other diners?

The operator of the Milton Inn restaurant, which is set to close next week amid a dispute over the lease on the Baltimore County landmark, said yesterday that he will open a restaurant in another historic building -- this one in Fells Point.Lynn Patrick, who has operated the restaurant at the Milton Inn for three years, said he will shift to the Admiral Fell Inn in late fall. He and key staff members from the Milton Inn will take over the space now occupied by Savannah, a restaurant that has earned raves for its Southern-inspired cuisine.

The Sunday dining review is of The Milton Inn in Sparks. The field stone building that houses the Milton Inn dates back to the mid-18th century. A restaurant has operated there since 1947, and the current ownership has been running things since 1997. So, how's it holding up? Pretty well, actually. And if you think the Milton Inn is one of those wax museums that pass for fine dining, think again. How about venison pate with figs, apricots and pistachios. Or homemade grits made with corn that was smoked on the premises.

Zagat has released its 2012 America's Top Restaurants Survey, covering 1,578 of the nation's top restaurants across 45 U.S. markets, including Baltimore, which is yoked together in most, but not all, of the survey questions with Washington. Restaurant owners in Baltimore-D.C. area may have their work cut out for them. Diners in our market say they eat out an average of 2.6 times a week, which ranks 43rd among the 45 markets surveyed and far below the national average of 3.1 times a week.