Heads Up: A Food Scene With Local Roots Sprouts in Maryland

Vanessa Vick for The New York Times

Bryan Voltaggio opened Family Meal in Frederick, Md., his hometown.

For a city once nicknamed "Fredneck" because of its reputation as an unsophisticated working-class town, Frederick, Maryland's second largest city after Baltimore, has had an impressive makeover. The flourishing culinary scene is undoubtedly the biggest change. Natives of this metropolis of 65,000 are transforming the city, one hour from Washington, by opening restaurants and food shops.

Long a destination for its Civil War heritage, Frederick has seen most of the changes in its 50-block historic district. At least 13 restaurants and artisanal culinary spots have opened in the last two years, according to the Downtown Frederick Partnership, which tracks business openings. The turnaround began in 2008, when Bryan Voltaggio opened Volt, featuring entrees prepared with local ingredients in a 19th-century town house. The chef, 37, returned to his hometown after serving as the head chef at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington.

"A lot of our customers were coming from Frederick because there weren't any good places to eat here," he said. "It was the perfect time to come back and bring in that quality dining."

Mr. Voltaggio and Volt rose to fame after his 2009 appearance on "Top Chef," and he is currently competing in "Top Chef Masters" on Bravo. He has opened two more casual spots in the last two years. The latest is Family Meal (880 North East Street, 301-378-2895; voltfamilymeal.com), a bustling restaurant in what was an abandoned car dealership. "I wanted to create an affordable place where my kids and I would both be happy eating," he said. Familiar dishes like burgers and steaks are the highlights.

The Wine Kitchen (50 Carroll Creek Way, Suite 160; 301-663-6968; thewinekitchen.com) arrived on the scene early last year. The restaurant showcases locally sourced seasonal American dishes like an eggplant steak with bulgur wheat salad and barbecued Chesapeake oysters with a bacon jam. It has more than 30 wines available by the glass. "The point of coming here is to have really great food and wine in a fun atmosphere without any fanciness," said Jason Miller, an owner.

Frederick's homegrown gastronomic culture has snared the attention of nonlocals, said Kyle Rees, a spokesman for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. "The boutique food shops and restaurants there are certainly attracting D.C. residents more and more," he said.

Two of the newest food destinations are owned by Phil Bowers, whose family has lived in the area for six generations.

"I saw potential in the city because it's walkable and has Civil War history, so there's already an attraction which I wanted to build on," he said.

Mr. Bowers's Ayse Meze Lounge (6 North East Street, 240-651-5155; aysemeze.com) offers small plates of Middle Eastern food in a light-filled space. His Monocacy Brewing Company (1781 North Market Street, 240-457-4232; monocacybrewing.com) is a microbrewery where visitors can take a tour that ends with a tasting of the five beers on tap.

Stores with a singular focus also have become attractions. Zoë's Chocolate (121A North Market Street, 301-694-5882; zoeschocolate.com) sells handmade pralines and bars. The owner, Zoë Tsoukatos, has created flavors like dark chocolate baklava. Nearby is Lebherz Oil & Vinegar Emporium (214 North Market Street, 301-228-3996; loveoliveoilvinegar.com), which sells 50 kinds of vinegars and olive oils from around the world. The owner, Maggie Lebherz, who comes from one of Frederick's oldest families, said she fell in love with olive oil while studying as a college senior in Salamanca, Spain. "When I got back home, I couldn't find the good oils that I'd had abroad so I decided to source them myself," she said.

Dublin Roasters Coffee (1780 North Market Street, 240-575-9929; dublinroasterscoffee.com) is run by Serina Roy, a former Frederick police officer. Her store has 80 varieties. Ms. Roy looks for raw coffee beans from small farms in countries like Vietnam, Brazil and Honduras. The rear of the converted motorcycle warehouse is the roasting facility, which is open to visitors. The front is a cafe adorned with brightly colored art from the countries from which she imports her beans.

As proprietor of a trendy coffee establishment, Ms. Roy knows some customers are surprised to learn that she was a police officer. Her interest in coffee came while working the overnight police shift and needing to stay awake.

"I was always searching for a decent cup and could never find it," she said.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: August 22, 2013

An earlier version of this article misstated the population of Frederick, Md. It is 65,000, according to the latest Census figures, not 55,000.

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