Hot Plate: The Dara opens, Oktoberfest at Heritage Smokehouse, pastry lessons at Kneads, and more

This week is a busy one on the Baltimore restaurant scene – the calendar is stacked with classes, special dinners, and opportunities to give back. Here’s a look at what’s coming up:

Openings & announcements

The Dara Kitchen, a Thai restaurant and bar, has opened in the old Red Star space in Fells Point.

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Pizza Harbor has opened in the former home of HomeSlyce in South Baltimore.

Bunny’s now has happy hour specials available every Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The lineup of deals is a good one, too, including an $8 fried chicken sandwich and $6 glasses of wine.

Dinner service at The Manor will restart on Sept. 30. Other events at the Mt. Vernon restaurant and lounge, including Drag Brunches and late night parties, will resume later in the month.

Saying goodbye to Chef Bill

Sadly and shockingly, William Maughlin, known as Chef Bill, died last week. Chef Bill was the co-owner and chef at Nancy by SNAC and at the now-shuttered Station North ARTS Café.

Chef Bill owned and operated his restaurants with his longtime life partner, Kevin Brown. He will be missed by his many friends in the restaurant industry and throughout the Baltimore community. A memorial service will be held for Chef Bill at the Fred Lazurus Graduate Center on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. It is open to the community.

Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations

Friday, Sept. 29 is the Chinese culture’s Moon Festival – also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival. To celebrate, Peter Chang Baltimore is hosting a party featuring cultural performances, live music and all-you-can-eat Szechuan food – including traditional Chinese mooncakes.

Wine in the Wilderness

Wine in the Wilderness, the Maryland Zoo event that was rescheduled following bad weather earlier this year, takes place on Saturday, Sept. 30. The ticketed evening event features tons of wines, live music, and front row access to the Zoo’s friendly animals.

THB + LifeBridge

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, for the first week in October, THB will offer strawberry pink bagels, with a portion of proceeds donated to local breast cancer centers, including the Lapidus Cancer Institute at Sinai Hospital.

Oktoberfest for a day at Heritage Smokehouse

On Sunday, Heritage Smokehouse kicks off the month of October with a one-day-only menu featuring Oktoberfest favorites. The Govans spot will offer a variety of German beers along with dishes like bratwurst with braised sauerkraut and käsespätzle with caramelized onions.

Celebrating Lebanon at The Tilted Row

Wednesday evening, The Tilted Row hosts the next in its First Wednesdays series celebrating different cuisines of the Mediterranean. This week’s dinner showcases the flavors of Lebanon, starting with a mezze platter, followed by a white bean, tomato and beef stew, and capped off with semolina cake.

Flower Bar Happy Hour at Gunther

Also on Wednesday, Gunther & Co. welcomes the teams from Hendricks Gin and Milagro Tequila, as well as local florists Flowers and Fancies, for a fun and pretty happy hour featuring cocktails, food, and flower arrangements.

Heritage Kitchen at The Local Oyster

Also on Wednesday, Chef Rey Eugenio of Heritage Kitchen will pop up at The Local Oyster in Locust Point. Chef Eugenio will prepare Filipino dishes incorporaing the oysters and other seafood sourced via The Local Oyster.

The Corner Pantry x French Paradox Wines

On Thursday, Oct. 5, The Corner Pantry teams up with French Paradox Wines for a collaborative wine dinner. The meal features four savory courses plus dessert, each paired with a specially selected wines from the French Paradox collection.

Pairings include lamb shoulder ravioli with smoked hazelnuts matched with two different Italian reds, and roasted squash with whipped brown butter burrata and pumpkin seeds along with a sparkling white.

Dining Out for Life

Moveable Feast’s annual fundraising event, Dining Out for Life, takes place on Thursday. For restaurant lovers, it’s one of the best and easiest ways to give back to the community – simply go to dinner at a participating restaurant, and that restaurant will donate a portion of the proceeds from your meal to the organization.

As always, the Baltimore restaurant community is stepping up; dozens of local spots participate, from fine dining establishments like Linwoods to casual corner bars like Swallow at the Hollow.

Pastry lessons

The Kneads pastry team is offering its expert instruction to aspiring bakers on Thursday evening. The class will focus on making the perfect cream puff – and attendees get to take home what they make, along with recipes.

Planning for the future

Mark your calendars for:

Oct. 7: Ryleigh’s Oysterfest

Oct. 11: ArdBBQ at Magdalena

Oct. 22: Chappellet Wine Dinner at Magdalena

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Kit Waskom Pollard is a Baltimore Fishbowl contributing writer. She writes Hot Plate every Friday in the Baltimore Fishbowl. More by Kit Pollard