Elkridge Furnace Inn Serves Two Helpings of Restaurant Week

When Howard County Restaurant Weeks end Aug. 8, the will clear the table for round two: Baltimore Restaurant Week.

“We participate in both because we are a unique destination,” said Dan Wecker, executive chef at the .

“We share the history of being the seaport that—because of silting—was the cause of the growth of Baltimore,” he explained.

In the 18th century, Elk Ridge Landing was a major port and the Elkridge Furnace Inn a major iron works complex. When the Patapsco River became congested with silt, Baltimore emerged as the dominant port town.

Nowadays, each area's restaurant week consists of restaurants coming up with prix-fixed menus for lunch and dinner.

The county’s tourism office sponsored Howard County Restaurant Weeks, which ran from July 25 to Aug. 8, and had the theme of “grown locally.”

The has been growing its own vegetables and herbs for years. “We pick items from the garden probably 10 months out of the year, and we also get other local items year-round,” said Wecker.

Jordan Cox, a server at the restaurant, said, “We run out during the shift as needed" to the garden.

Tucked to the side of the restaurant, the garden contains oregano, basil, parsley, mint, thyme and green onions, said Cox. There are also tomatoes and other herbs growing.

The theme of the Baltimore Restaurant Week is consistency, with a $20.11 lunch menu and $30.11 dinner menu.

According to The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Restaurant Week started to spur business during the slow season. From its beginning in summer 2006, the Sun reported that it has grown to be a twice-a-year event.

Baltimore's Restaurant Week lasts until Aug. 14.

Of the 95 restaurants participating in Baltimore Restaurant Week, the is the only Howard County establishment. See the Elkridge Furnace Inn’s menus for Baltimore Restaurant Week here.