Alchemy Restaurant Cooks Up Plan for Bel Air

A new restaurant is in the works for the Bel Air Town Center.

Alchemy, a restaurant in Hampden billed as a modern American eatery, is branching out, with its second location slated for the spot where Open Door Cafe used to be.

The 3,070-square-foot space will not be vacant much longer, as the Bel Air Alchemy is set to open in August.

Sommelier Debi Bell-Matassa and chef Michael Matassa are from Harford County and said they originally planned to open in the county before their search took them to Baltimore, where they founded Alchemy in 2010.

Now, the husband-and-wife team say they look forward to bringing their dining concept to the Bel Air area.

“We are beyond thrilled to fulfill our dreams of having more than one venue—and what better place than our home town?” Bell-Matassa said. “We look forward to bringing the county our art for creating wonderful meals and experiences.”

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MacKenzie Retail, which helped negotiate the entry of Alchemy into Bel Air Town Center, reported that the expansion of a local business into a “chain-driven market” was a ”growing” trend.

“Bringing a local concept such as Alchemy to Bel Air is a testament to the county’s support of small, independently owned businesses,” MacKenzie Associate Laura Williams said in a statement. “Alchemy offers patrons a sought-after experience of fine-casual dining and is a welcomed addition to Bel Air Town Center.”

Popular dishes at the flagship Alchemy restaurant include lump crab bisque, braised beef cheek French onion, pear salad and crab mac and cheese. The menu changes seasonally.

The Hampden restaurant operates inside a rowhouse on 36th Street in Baltimore, so with the additional space available to them in Bel Air, the couple plans to expand their menu to include an “upscale, lite fare mix.”

According to the Restaurant Association of Maryland, which recently named Matassa the 2015 chef of the year, he ”demonstrates consistent standards of excellence, serves as an inspiration to other food service professionals, displays dedication to the artistry of food and exhibits ongoing commitment to the community.”

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