Table

North County High School freshman Jack Andraka stood on the auditorium stage, speaking about the invention that earned him the $75,000 grand prize at the recent Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Behind him stood Dr. Anirban Maitra, a professor in the Johns Hopkins University's department of pathology who gave Jack use of his lab to craft his invention, a cheap and effective "dipstick-sensor" method of testing blood or urine to identify early-stage pancreatic cancer and other diseases.

The Maryland Live Casino is getting closer.The Cordish Cos.have announced June 6 as the opening date for its $500 million gaming and entertainment complex. The food and beverage team at Maryland Live has been in place for months, preparing for the casino's first guests. The casino's executive chef is Rudy Volpe, most recently of Carmine's in Washington, and the director of food and beverage for the casino is Greg Van Stone, most recently the director of restaurants for the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando, Fla. Volpe and Van Stone will be responsible for the casino's food operations, including the Live Market Buffet , an Asian noodle bar and a Phillips Seafood outlet.

All along, they had been so relaxed. So when it came time for Team O'Neill's horse to make his charge -- a historic one -- the colt moved forward almost nonchalantly. I'll Have Another glided past Bodemeister to win the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course, setting up a chance at the first Triple Crown since 1978. The California-based horse is the 12th to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown since Affirmed edged Alydar in all three races.

Greenberg potato skins, Greenberg potato skins, Greenberg potato skins ... jackpot! The Prime Rib is coming to the Maryland Live Casino — Greenberg potato skins, leopard-skin carpeting, baby grand piano and all. Established in Baltimore in 1965 by brothers Buzz and Nick Beler, the Prime Rib has is now a bona fide dining institution, with additional locations in Washington and Philadelphia. Attracting the Prime Rib to Maryland Live is a coup for the Baltimore-based Cordish Cos., which had originally announced that the casino's premier steak house would be Ruth's Chris . "The Prime Rib kept coming up in internal conversations and on surveys," said Cordish managing partner Joe Weinberg, who is overseeing the casino's design, construction and operations.

Four trucks laden with 100 slot machines arrived early Wednesday morning at the nearly completed casino at Arundel Mills mall. For the next two hours, workers wheeled banks of the gleaming new machines, one by one, inside on hand trucks. Installation of the first set of slots moved Maryland Live! Casino, the state's largest, another step closer to its scheduled opening in three months. That's progress for Maryland's lackluster gambling program, which has yet to be fully implemented more than three years after voters approved five slots locations statewide.

High Point, N.C. -- Dakota Jackson, a leading designer of high-end contemporary furniture, once made his living catching bullets in his teeth."I began flamboyantly," he admits. The 45-year-old designer -- at the International Home Furnishings Market to introduce his first mass-market collection for the Lane Co. -- furrows his patrician brow and smoothes the silvery hair that curls over his collar and almost matches the color of his elegant suit.Although he's talking about his design career, Mr. Jackson's early life was flamboyant as well.

Townhouse Kitchen and Bar has announced its opening date. The restaurant will open on May 24 in Fells Point, next door to RA Sushi. This is the fourth Townhouse, which is operated by the Glenview, Ill.-based Restaurants America. The menu, which specializes in contemporary American fare with Latin, will offer a variety of shared plates, salads, fire grilled skewers, tacos and more. Bryan Perdue has been hired as executive chef. Townhouse will feature more than 40 local beers on tap, as well as" table tap" system located at four individual tables for diners.

Solo dining is a skill anyone can acquire. Just like baking bread, practice helps. The more you dine out alone, the more your comfort level will rise.* When you dine out with friends, note restaurants that allow singles to feel at ease. Highlight those restaurants on your list of places to try when you dine alone. Hotel concierges are a good resource for solo-friendly restaurants. Coffee shops and casual restaurants with counters are good choices for beginners.* Start with the meal most comfortable for you, which for many people is breakfast or lunch.

You have the sofa. You have the chairs, the TV, the lamps. The last big piece for the living/family room is likely to be the coffee table. Finding a table can be a significant challenge. How do you know what size, height and shape? Chicago interior designer Mitchell Putlack offered some clues. Know thyself. Know how you are going to sit at the coffee table, Putlack says. "Are you going to sit on a sofa or chair and put your feet up" on the table? If so, look for an ottoman-style coffee table and put trays atop it to hold food and drinks.

More than any other celebrations, the rich holidays of fall and winter demand that your table be properly dressed.The big question is what to put at the center of the holiday table. Most of us love flowers but tire of using the same bowl year after year, filling it with the standard blooms of the season.There's plenty of room for creativity. Don't shy away from mixing disperate elements.An innovative centerpiece is something you'll find so special during the holidays that you'll probably be tempted to bring some of those touches of folksiness, romance and elegance to the table all year.

Townhouse Kitchen and Bar has announced its opening date. The restaurant will open on May 24 in Fells Point, next door to RA Sushi. This is the fourth Townhouse, which is operated by the Glenview, Ill.-based Restaurants America. The menu, which specializes in contemporary American fare with Latin, will offer a variety of shared plates, salads, fire grilled skewers, tacos and more. Bryan Perdue has been hired as executive chef. Townhouse will feature more than 40 local beers on tap, as well as" table tap" system located at four individual tables for diners.

The Brass Elephant could soon be reopening. Well, not the Brass Elephant exactly. A restaurant named The Museum is set to open within weeks at 924 N. Charles St., the elegant Mount Vernon townhouse that the Brass Elephant called home for almost 30 years before closing in August 2009. The multistory restaurant property remains in the hands of Charles Street Restaurant Inc., which has entered into an operating agreement with Walter Webb, according to longtime owner Stuart Teper.

One of the most delightful things about learning to cook is learning how herbs, which are virtually calorie free, can enhance even the simplest basic main ingredients, helping us achieve ever more kudos from the dear ones in our lives whose lot it is to consume what we've created in the kitchen. Our store of dried herbs (and we all have them in the pantry) are fine, as long as the bottle they're in isn't decades old. And, indeed, a teaspoon of relatively new dried herbs can do the job of a tablespoon of minced fresh herbs.

PABU , the second restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, is scheduled to open this week. The dinner-only restaurant is the first collaboration between Michael Mina, whose San Francisco-based restaurant group also developed the concept for Wit & Wisdom , the Four Seasons' three-meal restaurant, and Ken Tominaga, owner and chef of Hana Japanese Restaurant in Sonoma County, Calif. PABU is being described as a modern "izakaya," a term that translates, very loosely, as a drinking establishment that serves food.

Joe Flacco can throw. Ray Rice can run. But can either of them balance a tray heavy with hot steaks? Or keep a diner's water glass full? Or recommend a wine? Ravens fans will have a chance to find out Monday, when some of the team's stars will wait tables for charity. It's for Matt Birk's 3rd annual Celebrity Server Night and will happen at 7 p.m. at Morton's The Steakhouse.   Other Ravens expected to don aprons include Michael McCrary, Spencer Folau, Brad Jackson, Michael Oher, Marshal Yanda, Torrey Smith, Lardarius Webb and Paul Kruger.  We hear that there might also be some last-minute special guest stars.

The third annual Foodie Experience is just around the corner, and the Hippodrome has released the lineup of participating restaurants, caterers and other vendors. Among them are a few restaurants that will be making their Foodie Experience debuts, including Bond Street Social , Rye , Shapiro's Cafe , Stuggy's and Waterfront Kitchen . Instead of a post-show reception, the grazing and tasting portion of the May 12 event will take place before headliner Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel's popular program "Bizarre Foods," takes the stage at 6 p.m. Beginning at 3 p.m., restaurants and caterers will serve samples inside the theater.

Let's just say Tuesday night's Bloomberg-Washington Post debate was one of those times when TV got in the way of the story instead of bringing it to us. I am talking about the producers of the debate deciding to have the candidates sit around a big table instead of standing at lecturns to debate. The TV table onstage at Dartmouth College was intended to be an enlarged version of the table debate moderator Charlie Rose has become known for employing on his talk show. Memo to the folks responsible for making this decision: You don't shape presidential debates to the talents of your moderator.

My friends often wonder how I can write a column every week on the same topic. Where do the ideas come from?I tell them, first of all, that I don't write on the same topic. One week the column is about color; the next week it focuses on furniture; then it will be lighting, window coverings, bathroom fixtures and so on.Occasionally, too, I will be inspired in unexpected ways. Here's an interesting example.This photo from the Baker furniture company recently arrived in my mail. At first glance, it seemed as if it might provide the basis for a story about how to use step tables.

There's only one word describe this softball season: Upsets. Two more happened Monday, and the list of leaders has been trimmed in half. Hammond, led by Hannah Force, pulled off one upset, beating Reservoir, 6-1, and River Hill came from behind twice to upset Mt. Hebron in a slugfest, 11-8. Mt. Hebron, Reservoir, Howard and Glenelg had shared the league lead going into today's games. Both Howard and Glenelg won their games today to remain tied at the top, with two county losses each.

THE TAKE: Second round pick Kelechi Osemele on what he brings to the table for the Ravens: "I feel like I bring a lot of competitiveness, and I feel like I bring a lot of physicality and aggression to the table. I just want to get in there and compete from Day One and try to fit where I may. You know, let the cards fall where they may and try to make the team better. "   REMAINING PICKS: 4th-98; 4th-130, 5th-169; 6th, 198, 7th-236. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: The Ravens still want to find a defensive lineman or two, and a kick and punt returner.