Restaurant Association

PREPARE SOME Maryland seafood, serve it with locally grown vegetables and toast the meal with a glass of wine from one of the state's several vineyards, and what do you have? You've got "Maryland's in Season" a month-long promotion touting state-grown seafood, produce and wine.The promotion is being sponsored by The Restaurant Association of Maryland, the Association of Maryland Wineries and the Maryland Department of Agriculture."By the end of the program, diners will realize how much of the food they order comes from right here in Maryland" said Marcia Harris, executive vice president for the restaurant association.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland is now accepting nominations for its annual awards, which will be given out at its 59th Annual Awards Gala on April 15. The public is invited to submit nominations in categories like favorite restaurant, favorite new restaurant, chef of the year, wine and beverage program and favorite food truck. The nominations page is here . Follow Baltimore Diner on Twitter @gorelickingood

The Restaurant Association of Maryland is now accepting nominations for its annual awards, which will be given out at its 59th Annual Awards Gala on April 15. The public is invited to submit nominations in categories like favorite restaurant, favorite new restaurant, chef of the year, wine and beverage program and favorite food truck. The nominations page is here . Follow Baltimore Diner on Twitter @gorelickingood

The Restaurant Association of Maryland's month-long dining promotion begins on Monday. The food-service trade association has declared September "Kitchen Liberation Month. " From Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, Marylanders can receive a 20 percent discount off of breakfast, lunch and/or dinner from participating restaurants by downloading and printing a coupon from the Dine Out Maryland website. Some restaurants have put restrictions (e.g., lunch only, alcohol not included) on the coupons, which are listed on the website.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland has released plans for "Dine Out, Maryland," a statewide, month-long dining event it hopes 400 restaurants will participate in by offering diners 20 percent discounts off their menus. The event will run the entire month of September.  Restaurants that want to participate in "Dine Out, Maryland" should go to the association's website . They must be members of the Restaurant Association of Maryland, and the fee for participation is $100.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland's month-long dining promotion begins on Monday. The food-service trade association has declared September "Kitchen Liberation Month. " From Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, Marylanders can receive a 20 percent discount off of breakfast, lunch and/or dinner from participating restaurants by downloading and printing a coupon from the Dine Out Maryland website. Some restaurants have put restrictions (e.g., lunch only, alcohol not included) on the coupons, which are listed on the website.

Richard McClure got his start in the restaurant business 30 years ago as a busboy at a Howard Johnson in Annapolis. Next month the 46-year-old general manager of Carrol's Creek Restaurant will become the president of the Restaurant Association of Maryland, with more than 2,300 members.Mr. McClure has served in the association for seven years and held every elected office. He also was a representative to the Maryland Tourism Development Board, a delegate to the White House Conference on Travel and Tourism and a board member of the Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau.

On Thursday, local officials and restaurateurs will be slurping up raw oysters, sinking their teeth into pastas and sampling fine Italian pastries at the Restaurant Association of Maryland's new Columbia headquarters. Though they moved into the building in June, Thursday is the grand opening of a new center of operations that association officials say will mean more services and education for its members and the public. "Our goal is to turn this facility into the town hall of the hospitality industry," said Marcia S. Harris, association president and CEO. The association chose Columbia because it is easily accessible from all over the state.

Marcia S. Harris, president and chief executive officer of the Restaurant Association of Maryland, died Friday at Johns Hopkins Hospital of complications related to pneumonia. The Columbia resident was 67. Marcia Silk was born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., where she graduated from St. Agnes Academy for Girls in 1958. She married Edward A. Harris, her high school sweetheart, that year. While her husband attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, she worked as administrative assistant of the psycho-biology laboratories at George Peabody College, also in Nashville.

Restaurant group names new chief Paul P. Hartgen of Las Vagas has been named president and chief executive officer of the Columbia-based Restaurant Association of Maryland. He has been president and CEO of the Nevada Restaurant Association and has held the same positions with the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association. He is also president of the International Society of Restaurant Association Executives and an industry representative to the board of directors of the National Restaurant Association.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland has released plans for "Dine Out, Maryland," a statewide, month-long dining event it hopes 400 restaurants will participate in by offering diners 20 percent discounts off their menus. The event will run the entire month of September.  Restaurants that want to participate in "Dine Out, Maryland" should go to the association's website . They must be members of the Restaurant Association of Maryland, and the fee for participation is $100.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM) Education Foundation wants to put you an Audi. The top prize in the 12th annual car raffle fundraiser is an 2012 Audi A3 from Valley Motor, with $10,000 and $5,000 as second and third prize, respectively.  "This year's car raffle is a WIN-WIN for everyone involved," said Michael Birchenall, chairman of the RAM Education Foundation board of directors.    Everyone purchasing a $300 raffle...

Consumer advocates pleaded with lawmakers Monday to let customers bring their own bottles of wine to restaurants in Baltimore City and three other counties, saying the state's high-end eateries want to extend the option to their clienteles. But opponents of the legislation, including the Restaurant Association of Maryland and the liquor lobby, argued Monday before the House Economic Matters Committee that the arrangement would eat into restaurant profits and generate uncertainty about liability when consumers drink too much.

Tracy Hall and her husband, Josh, used to love a decadent dinner out - cocktails and appetizers, wine with dinner and dessert. But for their five-year anniversary in June, what would have typically been a culinary blowout, the Canton couple ended up at a neighborhood tavern, trying to keep their bill under $70. With only one salary to support the family of three and layoffs happening everywhere, the Halls are holding tight to their wallets....

Young professionals club announces Oct. schedule The Young Anne Arundel Professionals, a social club primarily for single professionals to make new friends and share camaraderie, has announced its programs for October. Activities include networking events at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday at Red Hot & Blue, 200 Old Mill Bottom Road, Annapolis; 8:15 a.m., Saturday at Garry's Grill, 7704 Quarterfield Road, Glen Burnie; 6:30 p.m., Oct. 28 at Chevys Fresh Mex, Arundel Mills Mall, to walk the Mall; 6:30 p.m., Oct. 30 at China Buffett, 554-A Ritchie Highway, Severna Park.

Hartgen heads restaurant association Paul Hartgen has joined the Restaurant Association of Maryland as president and chief executive officer. He held the same posts with the Nevada Restaurant Association and the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, and he held a variety of managerial positions with Ashworth by the Sea Hotel in Hampton, N.H. He is past president of the International Society of Restaurant Association Executives and an...

There have been whispers that the very popular Miss Shirley's Cafe in Roland Park was planning to have a second location downtown, and now they're confirmed. Sometime late this summer, the new Miss Shirley's will open adjacent to the lobby of the 750 E. Pratt St. office building. The target date is mid- to late August. There will be seating for 90 and a carryout window. At first, Miss Shirley's will stick to what made the first location such a success, offering elaborate breakfast and lunch items (from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays)