Baltimore Food: Fourth of July Weekend Specials, Nurses at Walgreens, 30,000 Pounds of Food

If the Independence Day cookout was just a warm up, don't miss this food-related news from around the Baltimore metro area:

Voting Continues for Baltimore's Maryland Crabs
Keep voting, Baltimore! Baltimore's Maryland crabs are listed among the 20 regional specialties selected for the Best Iconic American food category by USA TODAY's expert panel. Voting for the Best Iconic American Foods category ends at 11:59 a.m., Monday, July 22, 2013 and the winner will be revealed on 10Best.com and USA TODAY on Wednesday, July 24, 2013.

Baltimore Restaurants Promoting July Fourth Packages
The Baltimore Sun compiled a list of restaurants at or near the Baltimore Harbor that will offer all-inclusive packages with great views of the fireworks. Restaurants include Wit + Wisdom and Fleet Street Kitchen.

Fourth of July Restaurant Specials
Baltimore magazine lists some more restaurants offering specials this weekend, along with holiday bar specials.

Will the Bottle Tax Increase Affect Your Shopping?
Monday marked the start of the news fiscal year, and with it an increase in the city’s "bottle tax," North Baltimore Patch reports. The tax on containers, such as a bottle of soda or water, increased to 5 cents.

Vino Rosina Closing July 20, New Place to Open
Former Top Chef contestant Jesse Sandlin will close the three-year-old restaurant on July 20, according to an email sent out on July 1, but a completely new restaurant will take its place by the end of July, Baltimore magazine reports.

Gather Baltimore Donates More Than 30,000 Pounds of Food
Gather Baltimore volunteers redistributed more than 30,000 pounds of unsold vegetables, fruit and bread from the Baltimore Farmers’ Market and other sources to those in need on Bond Street on Sunday, June 30, according to CBS Baltimore. 30,000 pounds is equivalent to about 120,000 meals, according to WWAY-TV, citing a Tyson statement.

Aberdeen Restaurant Gets OK to Serve Liquor, Beer and Wine
Pool N' Pints in the Aberdeen Shopping Plaza was approved on June 26 for a tavern license, permitting liquor to be sold on the premises only, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Hopkins Staff at Walgreens in East Baltimore
Johns Hopkins Medicine and Walgreens announced on June 27 a collaboration on a new drugstore to open in late 2013 in East Baltimore, according to the Baltimore Sun. The store will "improve patient care at pharmacy counters and in-store clinics," and will be the "first Walgreens in Maryland with a clinic staffed by nurse practitioners, collaborating with Hopkins primary care physicians, who will be available for urgent, non-emergency care."

McCormick World of Flavors Plans Cooking Classes
The McCormick World of Flavors store at Harborplace (301 Light St., Ste 1485) will be offering 1 1/2-hour, grilling-themed cooking classes, with the first set for July 11 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to the Baltimore Sun.

Mission BBQ Expanding to Canton
Look out for this Baltimore-based, patriotic-themed restaurant to open sometime in July in the Shops at Canton Crossing on Boston Street, the Sun reports.

Giant Remains Dominant Grocer in Baltimore area; Wegmans Gains Market Share
Giant Food Inc. continues to be the top grocery store in the Baltimore area, with 32.6 percent market share, followed by Safeway and Shoppers, the Baltimore Business Journal reports. Smaller chains like Wegmans and its new stores are gaining market share.

City Schools Food Bills Top $1 Million
The city's school district racked up $1 million in food bills between 2010 and 2012, according to the Sun, citing catering charges on administrative accounts at central headquarters. Although officials say many meals are grant-funded, the paper found that this is equivalent to "a full-priced cafeteria lunch for its poorest students — 66,659 students qualified for free lunch this past school year — for a week."

Tuesday Hearing for Baltimore's New Bag Fee Canceled
Members of the City Council Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee was scheduled to meet Tuesday morning to hear Baltimore's proposed 10-cent plastic and paper bag fee. If passed, Baltimore would be among 100 U.S. communities that have banned or put fees on plastic and paper bags, according to the WJZ Baltimore.

Baltimore County Farm Families Get Nod for Roadside Stands
The Maryland Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, recently declined to hear the case of neighbors who opposed a farm family's plan to build a roadside stand proposed back in 2006, the Sun reports.