Suzanne Loudermilk

In 2009, B&O American Brasserie at Kimpton Hotel Monaco was the town darling. It opened amid great fanfare in the former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad headquarters, offering impressive New American cuisine in a swanky historic building.

You could call 2016 the year of rebranding for many Baltimore bars and restaurants, with several places changing names and menus in recent months. Among them is Saute in Canton — now called Lee's Pint and Shell.

The owners of Black Eyed Suzie's in Bel Air have their work cut out for them. So far, four restaurants have come and gone in the prominent Main Street building that dates to the late 1800s. But based on their Maryland coastal cuisine, they seem up to the challenge.

For a 6-year-old restaurant, Bluegrass in South Baltiore has been through a lot of chef and menu changes. Now, it has a new owner.

Himalayan Bistro brings an assortment of Indian dishes to Federal Hill with an emphasis on vegetarian fare. In a crowding dining area along Light Street in Federal Hill, the authenticity and fresh ingredients stand out.

After almost five years, Towson Tavern is getting even better. It has a talented new chef and is the midst of an expansion that will add 85 seats to the sophisticated bistro, which offers an alternative to the college town's proliferation of sushi and burger joints.

At age 27, chef Thomas Zippelli brings some impressive cooking chops to Maryland. The Howard County native spent the last several years working at the prestigious Eleven Madison Park in New York and The French Laundry in California, both Michelin three-star restaurants.

When business slowed at Trinacria Cafe while a nearby sinkhole was being repaired, the restaurant's owner decided to make the most of the situation. He closed the Mount Vernon cafe for a few months to renovate — and the results are positive.

There's some seriously delicious cooking going on in the tiny kitchen at Khun Nine Thai in Mount Vernon.

Several restaurants have come and gone at this Belvedere Square landmark that was a popular shoe store in the 1950s. Some people are even suggesting that the building is jinxed. New owner Leonard Clarke is working to change that perception with Starlight Diner.

When chef-owner Chad Gauss was planning the menu for La Food Marketa in Quarry Lake, he was guided by one idea: What would he and his staff from The Food Market in Hampden eat if they were dropped into Central America?

Home Maid, the breakfast spot in Federal Hill, focuses on small-batch, scratch cooking. The results are tasty, but service can suffer.

La Scala Ristorante Italiano may not be the oldest restaurant in Little Italy, but after 21 years, it has become one of the stalwarts of the enclave.

There are some places where you feel comfortable immediately, and QuarterHouse Tavern in Canton is one of them.

Manger Packing Corp. turns out about 9,000 pounds a week of half-smoke sausage, considered a signature food of the nation's capital. Most of the half-smokes are destined for Washington — to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture and to the beloved Ben's Chili Bowl.