Baltimore used to be the kind of town where people thought an ethnic restaurant didn't have authentic food if it wasn't a hole in the wall. Nothing illustrates how times have changed better than Harbor East's new Ra Sushi Bar Restaurant (1390 Lancaster St., 410-522-3200, rasushi.com).
This is the area's first foray into rock-and-roll sushi. The Arizona-based chain is known for its high energy, hip music, contemporary decor and, not least, its sushi - both traditional and progressive. The executive chef is a Japanese native, Tai Obata, whose menu includes Pacific Rim appetizers and entrees like Black Pepper Filet Medallions and Yuzu Halibut as well as sushi, sashimi and signature rolls.
The restaurant has a traditional sushi bar, dining room and lounge. It seats 175, and when it gets warmer, there's outdoor seating for 30.
The sushi bar and kitchen are open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Not so metropolitan --Imagine my surprise when I called the hyper-chic Metropolitan in Annapolis, a restaurant with the best rooftop dining in the area, and the phone was answered, "Jerry's Seafood at the Metropolitan."
Apparently Metropolitan's business was slow except on the weekends, and the restaurant group it was part of had a lot more going on: Some of the principals are involved in the two new Baltimore restaurants, Lemongrass and Tsunami, as well as their Annapolis branches.
This is the second Jerry's Seafood. The first is located in Seabrook, Md., and has been around for 20 years.
The good news is that the new Jerry's on West Street will still have rooftop dining.
Go west, young man --Quynn's Attic (10 E. Patrick St., 301-695-9656, quynnsattic.com) has opened in Frederick above Proof, a local bakery owned by the man behind the excellent Tasting Room. Quynn's is named after a former hardware store that was something of an institution in downtown Frederick. The restaurant, in a newly renovated second-floor space, features New American bistro cuisine like chardonnay-braised mahi-mahi and wild-mushroom ravoli.
The owner and chef, Michael King, is originally from the area but has spent the past several years working as a chef in New York City.
Restaurant month --Several area restaurants have extended their $30.08 three-course menus, originally for Baltimore Restaurant Week, through the end of the month (except for Valentine's Day, of course, and sometimes Saturday nights). For a list of those extending the special, check out baltimorerestaurant week.com.
Send restaurant news, trends, questions of general interest or observations to me at elizabeth.large@baltsun.com or fax me at 410-783-2519. Snail mail works, too: Elizabeth Large, The Sun, P.O. Box 1377, Baltimore 21278.