Table Talk: Six was one Liberatore's too many for family owners

The Owings Mills Liberatore's closed March 7 after a 15-year run. Well, folks started to worry, Dante Liberatore told me, so he called to set the situation straight. He told me that the Owings Mills closing was the result of "bad math."

"We believe in hands-on management," said Liberatore, who said the family had been trying to run one too many restaurants with one too few family members.

There are four Liberatore brothers — Dante, who runs the original Eldersburg location, and Pino, Italo and John — plus two other relatives, making for a total of six family members. That seems like a pretty even match for six restaurants, but, Dante Liberatore says, it takes two Liberatore family members to run the Timonium location. So now there are five Liberatore's restaurants being overseen by six Liberatore family members.

The five restaurants are still open and ready to serve you traditional Italian food in Eldersburg, Bel Air, Perry Hall, Timonium and Westminster.

There is a new restaurant operating in the Owings Mills location on Groffs Mill Drive. It's called American Bistro, and Dante Liberatore says that they're nice people but they're not affiliated with Liberatore's.

For information, go to liberatores.com

Haute Dog expands fleet Daniel Raffel just this week added a second Haute Dog Fabulous Franks cart to his fleet. It will be parked in front of the Colonnade in Tuscany-Canterbury.

"This will be super for Hopkins community folks looking for a fabulous $5 lunch," Raffel said, adding that the newest additions to his menu were flying off the cart: Andouille sausage, duck sausage with caramelized onion and apple glaze, and the Deli Dog, grilled salami wrapped around a Black Angus beef hot dog, with Pommery and honey Dijon mustards.

The Haute Dog Fabulous Franks on Falls will remain in front of Bonjour Bakery on Falls Road. Beginning this week, the second cart, Haute Dog Fabulous Franks at the Colonnade, will operate seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

A cocktail hour The Cocktail Hour at Charleston debuts tonight. The Wednesday-night promotion, which sounds loads classier than "Happy Hour," includes complimentary hors d'oeuvres and select cocktails and champagne by the glass from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the restaurant's bar and lounge.

The April 13 event will feature Champagne, de Venoge Brut Rose NV, at $10 a glass, and the Sazerac Cocktail at $7 each. The complimentary hors d'oeuvres served for the debut Cocktail Hour might include such items as lamb empanadas, wild rockfish ceviche, Iberico ham and gougere, according to a Foreman-Wolf representative.

Charleston is at 1000 Lancaster St. Call 410-332-7373 or go to charlestonrestaurant.com

Shore Night back at Ryleigh's What began as a $1 steamed crab promotion in 2002 has evolved into a popular warm-weather promotion now going into its third year, Shore Night on the Hill. The Tuesday-evening promotion at Ryleigh's includes $1 select oysters, $16 grilled lobster with haricots verts, $10 clambake bowl, $1 grilled corn on the cob, $14 broiled shrimp and $2 steamed crabs.

Meal for Two Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar has introduced the Memorable Meal for Two, a $125, three-course dinner with Chateaubriand and Lobster En Fuego (includes salad, side dishes and dessert). The promotion runs through May 15.

Fleming's is at 720 Aliceanna St. Call 410-332-1666 or go to flemingssteakhouse.com

Earth Week at the Brasserie B&O Brasserie is participating in its parent company's weeklong promotion, Kimpton EarthCare Week. From Friday to April 22, the B&O will offer a $50 fixed-price organic menu, "highlighting local ingredients and flavors,"

Items featured on the menu include Chesapeake Bay Sewansecott oysters with smoked corn, tomatoes, chives and chile; Maryland rockfish with spring vegetable ragout, nasturtium and breakfast radish; and braised bison (from Gunpowder Bison & Trading Company) with Cherry Glen ricotta-stuffed squash blossom, English peas and baby zucchini.

richard.gorelick@baltsun.com