If you haven't been to the Orchard Market and Cafe in Towson lately, you'll find that it's prettier than ever, with a new look to the small dining room. The menu of Baltimore's only Persian restaurant has been redone, too, with such dishes as duck breast in pomegranate sauce with wild currants, and more seafood, including a Persian bouillabaisse and paella made with basmati rice.
* Every other month, Rudys' 2900 in Finksburg holds a themed dinner for $39.50 per person -- the one coming up is called "Viva Italia." Chef Rudy Speckamp was at Capriccio in Little Italy before he opened his own restaurant; he knows his Italian cooking. The March 14 and 15 dates will be sellouts, so you'll need to reserve early for the four-course meal with live Italian music.
* Sascha's is billing itself as Caterer to the Stars, feeding such notables as John Waters, Barry Levinson, Tom Selleck, Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth Perkins. Sascha's catered the "Homicide" wrap party and has been providing food to be photographed for the movie "Home for the Holidays," being shot in Baltimore.
* Howard County gets its first Red Lobster, scheduled to open in May in Snowden Square Shopping Center.
Table Talk welcomes interesting tidbits of restaurant news. Please send suggestions to Elizabeth Large, Table Talk, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278, or call (410) 332-6197.