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Christina Tkacik

Christina

Christina Tkacik is a food reporter for The Baltimore Banner. She joined the staff of The Baltimore Banner in August of 2022 to cover all things food. Prior to that, she spent more than six years at The Baltimore Sun, including three years as the newspaper's dining reporter and restaurant critic. After all this time in Charm City, she can pick a crab but still can't shuck an oyster.

The latest from Christina Tkacik

The Dish: Cheesesteaks — and Cooper Sharp cheese — are having a moment in Baltimore
Cheesesteaks are having a moment in Baltimore, with new restaurants popping up everywhere to serve Philadelphia’s signature dish. Many feature Cooper Sharp cheese.
A cheesesteak from Frank’s Pizza & Pasta.
Gov. Wes Moore’s deputy chief of staff will lead Baltimore Public Markets
Shaina A. Hernandez will become CEO and president of the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation.
Shaina A. Hernandez, Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Wes Moore, has been named as CEO of Baltimore Public Markets.
The Dish: Baltimore’s Ronald McDonald House needs help putting food on the table
For parents with sick kids, the Ronald McDonald House can be a godsend. But the Baltimore institution’s meal program, a critical part of its mission, is at risk.
Isla Saccente, who is being treated for cerebral palsy, poses with a Ronald McDonald statue after dinner at the Ronald McDonald House Charities Maryland building in Baltimore, MD on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
Baltimore County continues its crackdown on Towson bars serving minors
Weeks after reprimanding The Greene Turtle for the sports bar’s “Thirsty Thursday” promotions, Baltimore County officials are coming after more Towson bars accused of serving minors.
Police officers patrol the sidewalk as revelers participate in a recent Thirsty Thursday in Towson.
Yes, ‘Karen,’ your Maryland crab cakes are made with imported seafood
A video taken by an irate diner about the sourcing of a Maryland crab cake at G&M Restaurant keeps going viral on social media.
A crab cake and sides from G&M Restaurant in Linthicum Heights.
The Dish: This Baltimore chef went to hell and back with Gordon Ramsay
Baltimore chef Cat Smith’s time on Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” has been marked by high highs and low lows.
Cat Smith says she’s proud to have represented her hometown of Baltimore on television.
These Baltimore restaurants are one step closer to opening
An Italian restaurant from the La Cuchara team and a Fells Point bar from the owners of The Local Fry are among the new spots coming to Baltimore.
901 W 36th St, formerly known as ‘Five and Dime Ale House.
Gov. Wes Moore removes most of Baltimore’s liquor board
Three of the four members of Baltimore’s Board of Liquor License Commissioners, including longtime head Albert Matricciani Jr., have been removed by Gov. Wes Moore.
Albert Matricciani Jr.
The Dish: One of Howard County’s favorite restaurants is expanding
The Walker’s Tap & Table team are preparing to launch a sister concept in Marriottsville called Barrington Tap & Table.
Ma's Lasagna pizza at Walker's Tap & Table.
The Greene Turtle’s problems go beyond the ‘Thirsty Thursday’ fiasco in Towson
Geo Concepcion, CEO of the Greene Turtle, has said the end of “Thirsty Thursday” promotions forced him to close its $4 million flagship location. But the restaurant’s problems began when it opened in 2022.
People pass The Greene Turtle sports bar on York Road during Thirsty Thursday festivities, in Towson, MD on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
The Dish: This ice cream sells out in minutes
“Sometimes it’s like everything’s gone in 10 seconds,” says John Williams, founder of Good Karma Creamery.
Pints from Good Karma Creamery sells out online in minutes. A few of their flavors include, from left, Baby Got Baklava, You’re Welcome and Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Spike Gjerde to open French bistro inside former Cindy Lou’s Fish House
One of the biggest names in Baltimore dining is taking over Cindy Lou’s Fish House in Harbor Point and opening a French bistro.
Woodberry Kitchen owner Spike Gjerde is photographed at Woodberry Kitchen on July 10, 2024.
The Greene Turtle will close in Towson amid ‘Thirsty Thursday’ backlash
Greene Turtle CEO Geo Concepcion plans to close the York Road location, calling it “the most expensive and shortest-lived project in the Greene Turtle’s 50-year history."
People walk past The Greene Turtle sports bar on York Road during a recent Thirsty Thursday.
The clock runs out for Pie Time, which will close after 10 years in business
Pie Time in Patterson Park is closing after “business mistakes and a dollop of bad luck,” according to an Instagram post.
Pie Time owner Max Reim sets out pies on display for Pi day in 2023.
The Dish: Downtown Kevin Brown opened his café with love, and kept it going in grief
This month, Downtown Kevin Brown celebrates 20 years of SNAC, while also marking two years since the death of his husband and business partner.
Kevin Brown is the owner of Nancy by SNAC in Station North.
Another vegan restaurant in Baltimore turns to meat to stay in business
Chihuahua Brothers, once a vegan taco business, has added meat options to its menu, a move its founder hopes will help the restaurant draw more diners.
The subterranean space had been vacant for 15 years, according to Chihuahua Brothers founder Kevyn Matthews.
After football, Andy Nelson’s barbecue connected him to Baltimore
The former Baltimore Colt started a pit beef stand in a nursery parking lot to supplement his NFL paycheck. The idea would grow into Andy Nelson's Barbecue Restaurant on York Road in Cockeysville.
Andy Nelson was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1957. Sports memorabilia including this photo decorate the walls of his Cockeysville restaurant.
The Dish: Why Baltimore’s bakeries are quietly becoming pizza hot spots
Pizza is popping up at bakeries and restaurants you might not expect, from Atwater’s to a new concept from the owners of Café Dear Leon.
A Margherita pizza is removed from the oven at Pupatella Neapolitan Pizza in Columbia, Md. on Thursday, March 27, 2025. The restaurant is Maryland's first pizzeria to be awarded the Verace Pizza Association certification from the Assozione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN).
Another day, another accolade: The Wren named to Bon Appetit’s list of top 20 new restaurants
The Wren was named one of the top 20 new restaurants by Bon Appétit magazine just three days after making a New York Times list of the nation's best.
Husband and wife team Will Mester and Millie Powell at their Fells Point pub, The Wren.
The Dish: This Annapolis restaurant is a tip-free zone
At a time when tips seem to be expected everywhere, Rumhouse may be the first restaurant in Maryland to do away with the practice all together.
Sophie McGee is a server at Rumhouse in Annapolis. The restaurant has a no-tipping policy.
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