Just five days left to vote for your favorite Maryland chef and restaurant to win at the 54th Annual McCormick & Company Stars of Industry Awards Gala, held on April 28.

Nominees for favorite new restaurant include Laurrapin Grille in Havre de Grace, Lebanese Taverna in Baltimore and The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Baltimore.

Michael Gettier of Antrim 1844, Cindy Wolf of Charleston, John Shields of Gertrude's and Michel Tersiguel of Tersiguel's French Country Restaurant are among the chefs battling for chef of the year.

Food Network stars Warren Brown and Duff Goldman are up for pastry chef of the year.

Click here to read a complete list of nominees and categories

If you'd like to attend the awards gala, call Marisa Chionini at 410-290- 6800, Ext. 1022. Tickets are $175 per person and include a cocktail hour featuring Restaurant Association of Maryland restaurants and Snow Queen Vodka ice bar, a three-course dinner, dancing and gaming.

Taste the trans fat until fall 2009

Dining out in Baltimore will be safer come September 2009, when a recently approved bill banning the use of trans fats takes effect.

Trans fat, a type of unsaturated fat that increases the risk of coronary heart disease, can be found in cakes, cookies, pies, breads, some margarines and fried foods, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The bill signed March 27 prohibits all food services from serving, using, storing, distributing or holding food containing trans fats. Click here for more information on the bill.

Toast Tartan Day

Morton's The Steakhouse in Baltimore will celebrate Scottish Americans for Tartan Day with a four-course Glenlivet Scotch Dinner 6:30 p.m. April 25.

The dinner and tasting menu will include petite lamb chops, lump crabmeat canape, smoked salmon pinwheels, lobster bisque, a wedge salad, filet with Sauce Diane, mashed potatoes and garlic green beans, with creme brulee for dessert. Diners can taste the Glenlivet 15 Year Old French Oak Reserve, the Glenlivet 18 Year Old, the Glenlivet 21 Year Old and the Glenlivet Nadurra 16 Year Old. Glenlivet Scotch, the No. 1 malt whiskey in the U.S. according to Morton's, began in Scotland in 1824.

The scotch dinner costs $125 per person. For reservations, call 410-547- 8255.