Vegan French Brasserie to Open in Baltimore

New vegan French brasserie L’Eau de Vie is set to open in Baltimore during spring 2018. The restaurant will take over a vacant ground-floor lot previously occupied by a non-vegan eatery Agora Bar and Grill after the property—co-owned by vegan actor Woody Harrelson—undergoes its transformation from a boutique hotel into a 13-unit apartment building. Founder Elena Johnson—who owns local catering company Nourrie Cuisine—hopes the restaurant will be a welcome option for local vegans who usually travel to Washington, DC to find similar fare. “I want to be able to serve fresh food to people when they want it,” Johnson said. The 85-seater eatery (with room for eight more tables on an outdoor porch) will feature a juice bar, high-end cocktails, coffee, pastries, breakfast items, lunch sandwiches and wraps, and seasonal dinner entrées using ingredients sourced from local farms. “I want to show people you can eat really well but also have it be really delicious.”