On the heels of being named the second best bakery in the world, Café Dear Leon in Baltimore has been selected as the best place for croissants in Maryland by Tasting Table in its recently published list, “Where To Find The Best Croissants In Every State.”

The bakery, which operates two locations in Baltimore, was recognized for its French-Asian fusion pastries, creative flavors, and traditional croissant-making techniques influenced by Japanese baking.

“Baltimore’s Café Dear Leon, a semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery at the 2026 James Beard Awards, has become a viral sensation for its French-Asian fusion, which re-imagines laminated tradition through a Japanese lens,” Tasting Table wrote.

The publication highlighted several of the bakery’s rotating offerings, including rum-soaked almond croissants, twice-baked ham and cheese croissants featuring fontina and mortadella, and crookies, which combine croissants with chocolate chip cookie dough.

Tasting Table said its selections were based on quality, innovation, customer reviews, critical acclaim, and industry recognition, with particular attention given to bakeries offering original recipes and seasonal ingredients.

The recognition adds to a growing list of national and international honors for Café Dear Leon. The bakery was also recently ranked the second-best bakery in the world and the highest-ranked bakery in the United States in Beli’s 2026 Top 12 Bakeries ranking.

Beyond its croissants, Café Dear Leon has attracted considerable attention over the past year and a half for its viral Crab Dip Bagel, which has drawn customers from across Maryland and beyond.

As we reported in July 2025, lines for the bakery’s Crab Dip Bagel had been stretching down the block for nearly six months, with customers braving freezing winter temperatures and intense summer heat for a chance to try the popular menu item.

The bagel features Cajun butter, Old Bay seasoning, corn, cheddar cheese, and lump crab meat, combining several Maryland favorites into one breakfast or lunch offering.

Much of the attention followed an Instagram reel by @giovannaposce that generated more than one million views, helping introduce the bakery and its rotating menu to a much larger audience. By February 2025, the bagel had become so popular that Café Dear Leon announced it would remain on the menu until further notice.

The latest recognition from Tasting Table further adds to the Baltimore bakery’s growing reputation, following its international ranking, James Beard Award semifinalist recognition, and viral success on social media.

A Baltimore Irish pub has been named the best place for chicken wings in Maryland, according to Tasting Table’s recently published list, “Where To Find The Best Chicken Wings In Every US State.”

Delia Foley’s Pub, located at 1439 S. Charles Street in Baltimore’s Federal Hill neighborhood, earned the distinction for its extensive wing selection, smoked wings, and longstanding reputation among local customers.

In compiling the list, Tasting Table evaluated restaurants based on factors including chicken quality, atmosphere, deals, customer reviews, and industry recognition. The publication focused on independently operated establishments and smaller regional chains rather than major national chains.

“Listed among ThreeBestRated’s top pubs in Baltimore, this Irish bar is celebrated for its smoked wings, craft beers, and signature cocktails,” Tasting Table wrote. The publication also highlighted the pub’s recognition in local wing competitions and previous honors from SouthBMore’s Best Awards, Enjoy Travel, CBS News, and 24/7 Wall St.

Delia Foley’s opened in January 2011 at the corner of Fort Avenue and South Charles Street and has since become a popular neighborhood sports bar known for its chicken wings and casual Irish pub atmosphere.

The restaurant offers dozens of rotating wing flavors and multiple preparation styles, including smoked wings and specialty sauces. Beyond wings, its menu features traditional pub favorites such as Irish cheesesteaks, fish tacos, loaded tots, quesadillas, and shepherd’s pie.

Tasting Table’s selections were based on customer reviews, food quality, house-made sauces, service, previous accolades, and coverage from media outlets and travel publications.

Maryland has been ranked the fourth most charitable state in the country, according to a new report released by personal-finance website WalletHub.

The report, which comes as Americans donate more than $617 billion to charity annually, examines charitable giving and volunteerism across the United States, highlighting where residents contribute the most time and money to helping others.

Maryland ranked fourth overall, including first in the nation for the percentage of residents who donated money to charity. The state also ranked fifth for the percentage of income donated and ninth for the number of charities per capita.

While Maryland performed particularly well in financial contributions, its volunteer-related rankings were lower. The state ranked 19th in volunteer rate, 20th in volunteer hours per capita, 21st for the percentage of residents who donated their time, and 24th for the percentage of residents who participated in collecting or distributing food.

The findings highlight a distinction between financial giving and hands-on volunteerism in Maryland, with the state ranking among the nation’s leaders in monetary donations despite placing closer to the middle of the pack in several volunteer-related categories. The full article and every state’s ranking can be seen here.

Spirit Christmas is now open for the 2026 holiday season at 8358 Sudley Road in Manassas, Virginia.

Earlier this week, we reported that Spirit Christmas had also opened at 3009 Waldorf Market Place in Waldorf, Maryland.

Launched by Spirit Halloween in 2024, Spirit Christmas offers holiday decorations, ornaments, gifts, apparel and other seasonal merchandise. The concept has also featured interactive holiday displays and photo opportunities with Santa Claus.

In the same year that CAVA celebrated the opening of its 500th restaurant nationwide, the full-service restaurant that started it all is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Cava Mezze, which first opened at 9713 Traville Gateway Drive in Rockville in 2006, has reached the two-decade milestone, marking 20 years since three Montgomery County natives opened the restaurant that would eventually lead to one of the country’s fastest-growing restaurants.

Cava Mezze was founded by three first-generation Greek Americans with deep roots in Montgomery County. Ted Xenohristos graduated from Paint Branch High School, Ike Grigoropoulos graduated from Gaithersburg High School, and Chef Dimitri Moshovitis attended Quince Orchard High School. The trio opened the original Rockville restaurant in 2006, introducing a menu of small plates inspired by their Greek heritage and a dining experience centered around hospitality, sharing food, and bringing people together.

The restaurant expanded to Olney in late 2015, opening a second Montgomery County location that continues to operate today. While CAVA has grown into a national fast-casual brand, Cava Mezze has remained a full-service dining concept, offering a different experience from the quick-service restaurants that followed.

To mark its 20th anniversary, Cava Mezze in Olney is also offering a special anniversary menu featuring five dishes and two cocktails. Food selections include Mr. Fred’s Fish, featuring pan-roasted fish of the day with herb yogurt, cremini mushrooms, and crispy potatoes (market price); the return of lollipop chicken with Greek yogurt, honey, and walnuts ($17); shrimp saganaki with grated tomato, feta, mint, and grilled sourdough ($18); lamb kapama with braised lamb shoulder, orzo, tomato, and kefalograviera cheese ($23); and chickpea fritters served with hummus, green harissa, and tahini ($16). The anniversary cocktail selections include cucumber gin, made with gin, elderflower, lemon, cucumber, Luxardo, and simple syrup ($13), and spiced pear, featuring spiced pear vodka, lime, elderflower, and cinnamon syrup ($13).

As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, we recently visited Cava Mezze in Olney to catch up with Gus Moshovitis, the brother of co-founder Dimitri Moshovitis, who has been with the restaurant since it first opened in Rockville in 2006. Gus has played an important role in Cava Mezze’s success over the past two decades, particularly through his dedication to hospitality and making guests feel welcome. Although he can still occasionally be found at the original Rockville location, Gus now spends most of his time at Cava Mezze in Olney. In our video, he discusses what hospitality means to him, his approach to making customers feel at home, and his three favorite dishes on the menu after 20 years with the restaurant. The video is available below.

 

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