Discover: Frederick, Maryland

A city with traditional, colonial charm meets a growing cosmopolitan food and beverage scene.

Drive about an hour northwest of Washington, D.C. and you will come upon Frederick, Maryland. I have always had an affinity for this quaint city, as I attended the venerable Hood College not that many moons ago (or so I’d like to think). Perhaps most impressive about Frederick is that while retaining its historic, small-town-esque charm, in recent years it has progressed into a location with a cosmopolitan atmosphere, attracting visitors from near and far. This is in large part due to the strength of its up and coming culinary, artisanal and craft brewing offerings, among its many other facets.

Frederick is Maryland’s second largest city behind Baltimore, and it played a prominent role in Civil War History. My recent visit found me walking down North Market Street, a main thoroughfare, and its many side streets, marveling at how the downtown has expanded since my college years while still exuding Colonial-era allure with its row house style, brick architecture. In a city teeming with historical reminders, I was struck by the number of establishments which have quickly emerged to please the palate and satisfy beer and spirits aficionados.

Noted Chef Bryan Voltaggio, along with business partner Hilda Staples is the owner and Executive Chef behind Frederick restaurants VOLT and Family Meal. Voltaggio, a Frederick native, also owns several other restaurants in the D.C. metro area and was a finalist on shows Top Chef and Top Chef Masters. VOLT and Family Meal distinctly cater to a specific clientele. Opened in 2008 housed in a 19th century brownstone, VOLT offers an upscale menu. Family Meal opened in 2012 and, with its other locations throughout the D.C. metro area is geared to a more casual dining experience, with dishes that the whole family can enjoy yet with a unique twist.

Each restaurant is all about servingfood with locally sourced ingredients. “We believe in working within our vast region of the Mid-Atlantic for ingredients for our menus,” said Voltaggio. “Regardless if the dish is a simple rendition of an American classic, as you will find on the menu at Family Meal, or a more complex presentation using the same seasonal ingredients at VOLT, both are supported by a great appreciation for fundamental cooking. We can provide both a relaxed, approachable, everyday dining experience at Family Meal and a more celebratory and refined experience at VOLT.”

The chef is one to sing Frederick’s praises. “We have a lot to offer here,” he said. “There’s a great community of restaurants and shops downtown,” he said. “I am excited to be part of the growth in my hometown and I look forward to seeing more great small businesses in our city.”

Brewer’s Alley restaurant is housed in a building erected in 1765, rebuilt in 1872 with the original foundation still intact. Previous incarnations included stints as a town hall, a theater, and an opera house. Owner Phil Bowers – coincidentally, a fellow Hood alum – has roots in Frederick that go back many generations. The eatery serves American regional cuisine and wood-fired pizza. “We also have six year-round beers and a rotation of beers as well,” he said. The restaurant recently underwent a remodeling and restoration, and is slated to unveil its new look this month. “We are bringing back a small-batch brewing system for our beers, and the kitchen and dining area are new, along with a rooftop terrace that holds 80 to 100 people.” said Bowers.

Bowers is also the owner of four other Frederick restaurants – Isabella’s, Reina, Ayse Meze, Pistarro’s, and the city’s Monocacy Brewing Company. Opened in 2002, Isabella’s offers a Spanish tapas menu; Ayse Meza serves Mediterranean cuisine; and Pistarro’s, Italian dishes. Awarded “Best New Restaurant” by Frederick Magazine, Reina has Peruvian and South American flavors well in hand. All of Bowers restaurants have some gluten free items, and Pistarro’s offers vegan pizza. Monocacy Brewing Company just celebrated its tenth anniversary, complete with a tasting room, the brewery offers three year round beers. “Between Monocacy and Brewer’s Alley, we have a rotation of 25 beers,” according to Bowers. “The nice thing about brewing the beer in front of customers is that we get immediate feedback.”

As for plans to add to his collection of places to eat? “Never say never,” he said. “We have lots of different concepts and ideas. I’ve had inquiries about opening other locations of my restaurants so we’ll see what happens.”

Frederick’s culinary offerings extend beyond restaurants. Can you say … cheese? Step into Crisafulli’s Cheese Shop, just around the corner from Brewer’s Alley on East Second Street and you will soon become immersed in everything cheese. Owner Sharon Crisafulli, who, like Bowers has deep family roots in Frederick, greets me with an ebullient hello and eagerly fills me in on her year-old shop. She infuses her store with an airy and welcoming atmosphere, emphasized by the fact that it’s a family affair. Her mom, Betty Gardiner is co-owner, and daughter Caitlin works in the shop.

Crisafulli has done a 180 degree turn from her previous career as vice president of a real estate company. It’s a change that was a welcome one for her, as I could see her passion for and knowledge of her shop’s products. Folks can take their food to go, or enjoy the small eating space up front with a few round tables and chairs where customers can partake in the shop’s sandwiches and soup or cheese tray of the day. I had the Simple Steve V Grilled Cheese, (the V is for vegetarian), the blend of cheeses on lightly buttered bread literally melted in my mouth delivering an unbelievably smooth flavor. “We carry over 170 different types of cheeses, international and local,” Crisafulli said proudly. “We are constantly rotating our stock, and our goal is to get that number to 200.

The shop also carries items that compliment cheese: wines, ciders, pastas, sauces, antipasti, honeys, jams, crackers, candy, and charcuterie are but a few. Information signs are on almost every product in the store, which helps customers to mix and match products to get the best taste experience. “Our wines are from the regions that match with the cheese,” said Crisafulli. She also offers cheese education classes that take place in a large event room at the front of the store. Beer and cheese? Crisafulli’s banking on this winning combination. “We just started a partnership with Flying Dog Brewery of Frederick, and we’re teaching “Cheese and Beer 101″ classes that show people how to pair certain brews with artisanal cheeses that make a great taste experience.” she said.

I couldn’t leave without tasting their highly recommended cheese and a few other goodies for myself. I bought a wedge of Somerdale’s Wensleydale with Blueberries, celery crackers made by The Fine Cheese Company of Bath, England, and some caramels. Let me start by saying that, although I have an affinity for fruited cheese I’d never tried it with blueberries – I am glad I did; my personalized combo of cheese crackers was an experience in deliciousness, and popping one of the creamy, buttery caramel candies into my mouth make the perfect chaser.

Rounding out Frederick’s restaurant and cheese offerings is something a bit more “spirited,” pardon the pun. Craft distilleries are emerging as the newest players on the city’s beverage scene. Tenth Ward Distilling Company, which I visited prior to its April opening, has the distinction of being the first distiller in the downtown area.

I was immediately struck by the aroma of spirits produced by the fermenting grain during my visit to the soon-to-be establishment. Co-founders Monica Pearce and Kyle Pfalzer were inspired to open Tenth Ward by the craft distilling boom. “Frederick used to be districted into wards during the Prohibition era, so that’s where the name comes from,” said Pearce. The distillery’s grain is locally sourced from a farmer in nearby West Virginia, who malts it in-house. “We are going to be distilling whisky and apple brandy using McCutcheon’s Cider, a local brand. We are calling the product ‘Apple Jack’ after the traditional American name for apple brandy.” Pearce mentioned adding that the distillery will first sell its products out of the tasting room, and then hopes to supply local bars and liquor stores.

The distillery will have a retail area in addition to a front bar. “We’ll sell our spirits and tee shirts, along with a variety of wood chips and small and large jars to age white rye whisky or white corn whisky. That way, the customers can be creative and be their own distillers.” Pearce added that in the future, Tenth Ward might expand to a larger space. “Right now, we just want to have fun with our product,” she said.

With an inherent need to bring things full circle before my Frederick sojourn comes to a close, I felt it only appropriate to honor the place that initially drew me to Frederick, Hood College. Like Frederick, the school has undergone many changes – the most prominent was its transition from an all-women’s school, as it was when I attended, to a coed institution. Despite this and other changes, Mt. Hood has managed to keep its traditions and heritage. The president of the school, Andrea Chapdelaine, PhD, is a newcomer to Frederick, and has been captivated by its charm. She gave me some perspective on the special relationship between this up-and-coming city and Hood, a Frederick mainstay.

“We want to feature Frederick when reaching out to students,” she told me. “It has a rich history and an old-fashioned charm but it really also is a young person’s town, and a lot of our students stay here after they graduate,” she said. “This isn’t only because it’s near Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. but because it has a lot to offer on its own.” Chapdelaine said that she has delighted in discovering local eateries. Ayse Meze and Brewer’s Alley are among her go-to stops. “There are also incredible coffee shops and so many other restaurants that I want to try,” she said. “It’s great that our students have access to downtown and that many of the restaurants are affordable, so they have a variety to choose from.”

Each time I visit, I appreciate how successfully Frederick has blended its historic roots with a growing worldly edge. With each day giving rise to growth and opportunity, I’ve come to rely on the fact that while certain things change, others remain the same; and that I can always count on each visit being slightly different than the one before.