Local Food Finds | Coffee, Tiki Cocktails, and Green Beer

March 5, 2024 by Sarah Amyot

Your weekly dose of some cool food and dining finds around town

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Iced chai latte and iced mocha latte at Rise Up Severna Park, courtesy of Kevin Vichensont

What better way to get up in the mornings, than to head to Rise Up in Severna Park? Rise Up Coffee, an independent small-batch coffee roaster and retailer, opened its newest location last month off Route 2 in Severna Park, adjacent to Homestead Gardens. On the menu is an extensive selection of drip coffees, espresso beverages, teas, cold brew, kid-friendly options, and my favorite, Rise Up’s signature original coffee smoothies. They offer made-to-order food items, including vegetarian and vegan-friendly options, like breakfast burritos, burrito bowls, sandwiches, acai bowls, and avocado toast. To satisfy your sweet tooth, they’ve even partnered with the infamous Carlson’s to serve freshly baked donuts!
Surrender the booty! *drumroll* Annapolis’ newest bar, Ponche Bar, opened downtown (26 Market Space) last week. Brace yourself, because inside you will be fully immersed and transported into a tiki bar, designed by Bamboo Ben (world-renowned tiki bar designer), full of tiki statues, masks, greenery, bamboo, palm fronds, and art by BigToe Art. Let’s not forget the plethora of rum drinks, like the Shamrock Juice just in time for St. Patrick’s Day (Jamaican rum, Maraschino Liqueur, pineapple, and passionfruit), or the classic Zombie (Jamaican rum, Puerto Rican Rum, Demerara 151, absinthe, cinnamon, grapefruit, and falernum). This tiki bar serves pizza – try the Roni, Rony, and Rone (red sauce, mozzarella, ezzo pepperoni) or shroom (mushroom cream, charred onion, roasted mushroom, and white truffle). Open at 5PM, Tuesday-Saturday.
Join the teams at Bell House Catering, Bread and Butter Kitchen, and Toast the 21st for their final screening of, The Menu, for an immersive movie dining experience. During the movie, food and cocktails inspired by the film will be served. The movie follows a couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) as they travel to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises. Grab tickets early ($110/person) – only 36 tickets will be sold!
DYK (Did-You-Know)? The Italian Market has free wine tasting every Friday from 5 – 7 p.m. Taste four different wines showcasing unique native varietals from around Italy and other countries. No need to sign up! Just grab a couple friends and stop by The Italian Market to try something new.
St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner! Observed every March 17, what started as a religious holiday, has over time become a celebration of Irish culture. Here are a couple places to check out in and around Annapolis to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day:
- The sister trio of authentic Irish dining—Galway Bay, Killarney House, and Brian Boru—have events lined up the entire month of March.
- If drinking green beer is on your to-do list, check out Middleton Tavern, Heroes Pub, O’Briens, O’Loughlin’s, and Ram’s Head Tavern.
- It would be remiss to leave off Maryland’s very own Guinness Brewery in Baltimore. They are celebrating the entire month of March, with The Irish Village, open for seating and entertainment, including unique guided beer and food experiences, live music, trivia, and arts and craft nights.