Former chef of Duck Duck Goose to develop menu at Columbia restaurant

With his Fells Point eateries Duck Duck Goose and Osteria Pirata currently shuttered, Chef Ashish Alfred has gone south to take on a new challenge in Howard County.

The restaurateur, who came under fire for closing his eateries due to alleged safety concerns in the Baltimore neighborhood, will be leading the new "creative direction" at the Columbia location of The Walrus Oyster & Ale House. The craft beer and seafood purveyor's "relaunch" involves a redesigned menu fit with jumbo lump crab cakes, pan-seared scallops and shrimp fra diavolo, a dish of shrimp and spiced red sauce, according to a statement by Kelsey Kindall, a spokeswoman for the business.

The Walrus, at 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway, first opened at the National Harbor in 2014. The current menu is heavily centered around the Chesapeake Bay, serving 15 varieties of oysters , seafood towers and lobster rolls, alongside self-described "over-the-top" frozen drinks like the pineapple, rum, ginger and lime Cocomotion and bourbon, grenadine, mint and ginger beer Kentucky Smash.

The restaurant opened its eatery at The Mall in Columbia in 2018 with 280 seats, a patio and a shucking bar . The business brought on Alfred, who plans to continue featuring "flavors from American's most iconic coastlines," according to Kindall's statement. The goal is to turn the Walrus from a pub to a must-visit spot, in keeping with the growth of the dining scene in Columbia, which Kimball said "is set to become a culinary destination." Owner Desmond Reilly did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

Howard County is increasingly building spots that would be found in a major metro area, from the notable eateries lodged in "way-out" Howard County strip malls like Walker's Tap and Table to buzzworthy offerings by famed Chef Peter Chang heating up the Merriweather District. The shift to the suburbs has proven profitable to some restaurateurs eager to grow in an underserved market, while others, including Alfred, allege crime in Baltimore City is stifling growth.

The poor perception of Baltimore allegedly contributed to the decline in revenue at Alfred's two Fells Point eateries and bar, known as the Anchor Tavern, he told The Banner in June. At the time, Alfred lent his voice to a public outcry over crime in the neighborhood, which came shortly after a teenager was shot and injured about a block away from his business.

Alfred went on to attribute the declining sales to people "not feel[ing] safe to walk into his restaurant," but did not deny that his restaurants were having financial problems unrelated to crime in the area.