The three-year itch has hit Pazo again. Back in 1997, Pazo said good-bye to its first executive chef, Peter Livolsi, and owner Tony Foreman stepped in to the position long enough for the incoming executive chef, Michael Costa, to get his menu up and running.

Now, Pazo has said good-bye to Costa, and Foreman is back as executive chef, at least for a while. From Livolsi to Costa was a transition from tapas taking a starring role to tapas setting the stage for bigger plates ahead. From Costa to Foreman looks, so far, to be not so much a transition as a recalibration, or maybe the best attempt yet for Foreman to get the image of Pazo in his head down on paper — or rather, on the plate.

"The food I always intended for Pazo is pure, clean, guttural and, above all, joyful," Foreman said. "It's just natural and fun to do it myself this time."

So far, Foreman's fun includes more stuff to throw on the wood grill, the rollout of new dips and tapenades for the in-house breads, the introduction to the hot tapas menu of seafood cooked a la plancha, and making available for individuals what was previously a group-share dish, the Arroz la Bomba.

At the counter Over in Mid-Town Belvedere, Shapiro's Cafe (7 W Preston St., 443.220-0050, http://www.shapiroscafe.com) opened in the space where Sylvan Beach used to be. Actually, the sit-down cafe won't be opening until April 25, but before then, customers can visit the lower-level counter-only space to try out the falafel, schwarma, and hot corned beef, pastrami and homemade brisket. The owner here is lawyer David Shapiro, whose eclectic background includes majoring in film at UMBC (he helped out on "Polyester" and "Desperate Living") and long ago, jobs with Howard Johnson and the old Baida caterers.

When he turned 50 years ago, Shapiro decided what he wanted to do was open a kosher-style deli that would, he says, "serve the food I like to eat." A first possible location, on Baltimore Street, didn't ultimately work out, but Preston Street spot, with its proximity to the University of Baltimore and to the Maryland Institute, and, especially to the Meyerhoff, Lyric and Theatre Project, stuck Shapiro as perfect, and he grabbed it when Sylvan Beach Foundation no longer needed it.

Shapiro (no relation to the supermarket Shapiros) tapped Baltimore International College alumna and current instructor Michelle Osteria to be his general manager — her background includes a stint as a private chef to an orthodox Jewish family. The café will offer fast-casual counter service; the spartan downstairs set-up is inspired, in part, by the legendary Mamoun's Falafel in Greenwich Village, the proverbial place you can run into for a nice quick bite.

"This is a bucket I've been meaning to fill for a long time," Shapiro says. The lower-level spot is open from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Opening news Stuggy's (809 S. Broadway, 410-327-0228, stuggys.com), which we told you about in February, opened April 6 in Fells Point in the old Burritos El Fuego spot. Someone keeps sending me phone photos of the Cuban dog sandwich. Verizon is due there Wednesday to install the phone, so if no one answers, that's why. Stuggy's is open seven days a week, and until 3 am Thursday through Sunday.

More on Bourdain tickets The Hippodrome just sent over the final (or nearly so) list of the restaurants that will be participating in the Hippodrome Foodie Experience, the post-show portion the May 22 "Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert." Among the regular players are a few out of left field. Woodberry and The Wine Market were early enlistees. The others, including the Hippodrome's in-house Chef Paul and Spectrum Catering, are Abacrombie, Aldo's, Ale Mary's, Alizee, Baltimore Pho, Brewer's Art, Mr. Rain's Fun House, Peter's Inn, Roy's, Ryleigh's Oyster, Sascha's 527 and Taverna Corvino all from Baltimore; and, from Ellicott City, Diamondback Tavern, the Rumor Mill and Portalli's. Kirchmayr Chocolatier, Bluebird Coffee and Sweet Sin Bakery will be there, too.

But no, no Mo's.

The Hippodrome Foodie Experience is included with $89 and gettable for a $40 up-charge to people purchasing the $29 and $49 tickets. Tickets are on sale at the Hippodrome Theatre Box Office or Ticketmaster (410-547-SEAT or ticketmaster.com).

E-mail dining news tips to food editor Sarah Kickler Kelber at sarah.kelber@baltsun.com.