While many spots rely on recorded playlists to help set the mood, live music is taking center stage at local bars and restaurants.

Venues with live music include Mount Vernon’s The Prime Rib (where a jazz trio or piano player perform American Songbook standards), Hampden’s The Duchess (with its rotating lineup of local bands), and Highlandtown’s Motte (frequent jazz nights).

At Atlas Restaurant Group, live music is featured at 28 of their 54 properties. In fact, the restaurant group’s music program is so extensive, there’s even a dedicated entertainment director who books more than two dozen bands across the company’s properties on a weekly basis.

“We all subscribe to that belief that a dining experience is, of course, about the food,” says entertainment director Barrett Johnson. “The food is the foundation. But it takes more than a foundation to build a house. Offering live music gives you a full sensory experience.”

“It’s a real testament to the music community because it’s so diverse. You never know if the guy who is ripping the guitar at Admiral’s Cup is also teaching high-school math.”

Johnson knows a thing or two about hitting the high notes. She majored in music at the University of Miami and is herself a professional vocalist.

The songstress, who occasionally performs at the properties in a pinch, has booked many an up-and-comer, including jazz-and-blues powerhouse Carly Harvey, who had a two-chair turn on NBC’s The Voice and performed at the restaurant group’s Monarque in Harbor East, and pianist Eli Staples, who played at former basketball star Michael Jordan’s wedding and tickled the ivories at their Order of the Ace, also in Harbor East.

In addition, there’s also a steady roster of “regular” folks who perform by night but hold day jobs to help make ends meet.

“We book a great mix of people who have day jobs, including doctors and lawyers and occasionally servers and bartenders from our own properties,” says Johnson. “It’s a real testament to the music community because it’s so diverse. You never know if the guy who is ripping the guitar at Admiral’s Cup is also teaching high-school math.”

“I lived in Nashville for a year and this is better.”

Johnson believes that Baltimore has an incredibly strong arts community—and she’s happy about being able to provide artists a platform for their talents.

“Baltimore has such a thriving arts community, especially the music community,” she says. “I lived in Nashville for a year and this is better. I am proud to be part of this community of musicians and so thankful to be able to literally invest in them.”

Unlike most speakeasys, Order of the Ace isn’t hard to find. Connected to The Ruxton, the Atlas Restaurant Group’s swanky new Harbor East steakhouse, it fancies itself a “secret society” where “mysteries unfold.” But it need not manufacture a backstory; it is without question a cocktail bar worth seeking out.

The intimate bar and lounge serves some of the most creatively conceived drinks in the city. The menu’s signature cocktails are divided into four categories based on price, ranging from $20 to $36 (with one outlier we’ll get to later).

The libations stem from the mind of Andrew Nichols, Atlas’ head of mixology. “A lot of cocktail bars nowadays focus on the flavors that they’re putting together in a drink first and then find spirits that will work well with those flavors,” he says. “We wanted to take the opposite approach, so we picked out the spirits, then designed around those.”

Among our favorites is the popular Eyes Wide Shut, Nichols’ riff on a paloma. Made with an additive-free Mexican tequila called El Tesoro blanco, grapefruit and lime juices, green peppercorn, Thai basil, and pandan, a plan native to Southeast Asia, it has a pleasingly earthy flavor.

Many Paths Up the Mountain is an incredible combination of Takamine koji-fermented whiskey, Mugi shochu, Madeira (a fortified wine), Wagyu, yuzu, ginger, and black garlic. The drink, which pairs well with Wagyu sliders, one of a few small bites on the menu, is served in a beautiful glass with an image of Mt. Fuji in the base that is handmade by Kimura, a Japanese company.

At the peak of the menu, both literally and figuratively, sits the Holy Grail, a $72 jewel made with 50-year-old Jacky Navarre cognac. Nichols worked on it for months.

“There’s a transformation that happens in really old cognac,” Nichols says. “[At first] you might get chocolatey notes.

As it progresses, you start to have flavors that are more complex. I get passion fruit in this particular bottle “We took the spirit and surrounded it by small measures of ingredients that shared those flavors,” he continues, “and combined it with an old oloroso sherry, lychee liqueur, and then two infusions, one of Osmanthus flowers as well as Lapsang souchong,” a Chinese black tea smoked with pine.

Two of us split one and we’re here to say that if any drink can be worth $72, this is it. The notes of tea are evident, as is the smooth warmness of the cognac. Each sip produces a different, subtle flavor.

There may not be a more stylish place to drink in the city. Designer Patrick Sutton created an alluring yet understated feel. Tables surround a piano in the middle of the room making watching, not just listening to the jazz that’s performed every night especially pleasurable. The highlights of the décor are large portraits of an eclectic mix of luminaries, including Billie Holiday, Albert Einstein, and Frank Sinatra painted by local artist Beth-Ann Wilson.

Their faces are vibrant, and they seem to be looking out of their frames as if to say, “Mind if I join you for a cocktail?”

It may come as a surprise that interior designer Patrick Sutton’s office is a bit generic.

“It’s basic,” he admits from behind his simple wooden desk that’s stuffed inside the Federal Hill rowhouse his company has been occupying since September 2001. “We definitely didn’t try to design a showcase—it’s basically a vessel to create design.”

And create design Sutton has—after 30 years in business, his portfolio is as thick as it is impressive.

It turns out Patrick Sutton is both a “normal guy” who likes football and baseball games, hanging with his kids, vacationing with his wife, and calling his 13-year-old dog, Stella, the “center of my world”—and a world-class designer with movie-star hair, a résumé full of industry awards and accolades, and a roster of clients that could best be described as fancy.

“I’m going to tell you this—you’re going to laugh at me,” says Sutton. “I’m 61 years old but I still think of myself as 25 trying to make it.”

He says this as his staff—17 workers “shoehorned like Keebler elves” into the building, he jokes—work on some 40 projects, including six currently for the Baltimore-based Atlas Restaurant Group.

While Sutton reflects on three decades in the business, he looks around the room. Yes, the space is surprisingly no-frills, but not without its personal touches. He gestures to a photograph by contemporary Dutch visual artist Hendrik Kerstens depicting a stoic-looking woman in a red turban, a playful nod to the works of the Dutch Old Masters. “It’s art I can afford,” he jokes. “It’s in the tens of thousands, not hundreds.”

On a side table between two bookcases, sits Footloose in France, the first book written by his father, Horace Sutton—a travel writer and a huge influence on Sutton’s life. “When I went on my book signing across the United States, I carried this to honor his memory, which I thought was kind of cool.”

Next to the book is a candy corn lamp he bought at auction. Yes, the entire base is the shellacked Halloween treat and the shade a fuzzy yellow and pink. “My favorite is when the air conditioning turns on—those feathers dance a little bit.” It’s garish and a bit of surprising décor until Sutton adds, “I put that there so that when people come in here, they know I don’t take myself too seriously.”

From afar, Sutton’s childhood seemed glamorous. His father was a pioneer in transatlantic travel journalism, so young Patrick grew up tagging along on his overseas trips to the most beautiful places in the world—“hotels, restaurants, palaces, things like that,” he recalls. He remembers as a little boy just soaking in all the sounds, sights, and smells.

“You’re wandering down beautiful hallways or strolling through gardens, and you just get a sense of the design and the romance and the lifestyle.”

But the other part of Sutton’s upbringing was his mother’s ongoing struggle with mental illness. He didn’t know any other life, but suspected something was different at his home. “It made me an avid listener and observer,” says Sutton, qualities that serve him well in his work.

And there was something else he came to realize after years of therapy. “I could never heal her, so I’ve been trying to heal everybody else through design,” he says.

His first foray into design came in high school when a teacher recognized a natural talent in his architectural drafting class. After a summer program at Harvard called Career Discovery, Sutton headed to Carnegie Mellon University to study architecture.

“I did really, really well there,” says Sutton. He was so immersed in his studies he would keep a sleeping bag under his drafting table so he didn’t need to waste any time walking back to his dorm to sleep. “I just wanted to get all this design out. Like, if you talk to any artists, they’ll tell you that they have this overwhelming need to get it out. And I had that.”

After graduation the job offers rolled in. Sutton didn’t want to go back home to New York, so he figured Washington, D.C., was the next best option—close enough to visit his family but “far enough away that I can make my own path.”

But he didn’t feel a connection to the city when he visited. One of the firms pitching Sutton mentioned their headquarters were in Baltimore—“just an hour up the road,” they told him. Sutton went to take a look.

“I had just spent four years of my life in Pittsburgh, which is just like Baltimore. It’s a working-class city of neighborhoods. And so, I saw something very familiar, and I thought it was charming. And I said, ‘Okay, I’ll give it a year.’ That was 1985.”

He lasted at the firm for nine months, but hated how corporate it felt, so he switched to a smaller agency, Robert Kaplan & Associates. Within three years, he was a partner.

“I was gung-ho about it, but I started getting a little disillusioned on the architecture piece, because I would design these houses, and then they would hand it off to some interior designer whose vision was completely left field of what I thought the project wanted to be,” says Sutton.

And so, he began adding interiors to his architectural projects. “That was the first time that I started to realize that there’s a whole story here about the people that are living in these houses that need to be crafted and curated as a whole,” he says. He found that he was drawn to the more human aspect of interior design.

“I think that this is going to be an unpopular thing to say, but I think it’s true that most architects have to disassociate a little bit from the owner and think a little bit more abstractly than someone in the interior design business,” he says. “We really focus on lifestyle, and how are people going to live in these spaces and have meals and entertain and raise their children.”

For Sutton, architecture was about order and structure, but design was about living and connection—and he craved the latter. So, he officially switched from architecture to interior design.

“I approach each project like a story that’s waiting to be told,” says Sutton, who has truly leaned into the idea of storytelling through design. (His second book is due out next year.) With every client he asks about their “hopes, dreams, and aspirations” and couples that with the house’s energy—“that genius loci,” he says referring to the protective spirit of a place. It sounds a little woo-woo until you see the unbelievable spaces he’s created that are luxurious yet comfortable.

“It’s not surprising that my childhood was in palaces, restaurants, and hotels, and the three things that I do are luxury residences, restaurants, and hotels,” he says.

He attributes a lot of that success to staying firmly planted in Baltimore. “If I had gone to New York, my career probably would have started faster, but look at all the opportunities [Baltimore] gave me,” he says, mentioning Pazo, his first restaurant design collaboration with Foreman Wolf. That place had a festive decadence, a far cry from other bars and restaurants in the city, says Sutton.

When he first started, he had to “smuggle design in the projects” because Baltimore was so conservative. He designed the entire Pendry Hotel for Kevin Plank and penned the vision statement for Port Covington, one of the city’s newest developments. He has now designed countless restaurants with Atlas Restaurant Group, too.

“What sets Patrick apart is how well-traveled he is,” says Alex Smith, Atlas’ president and CEO. “He’s seen so many different concepts through his travels around the world, and he brings that global perspective into his work. He’s not just focused on one aspect, like fabric or décor—he thinks about the entire experience. From lighting to candles to artwork, he creates an immersive environment that feels cohesive and thoughtful.”

Clients also hire him because he gets what restaurants and hotels have to do—it’s about the immediate wow. “You’re designing for a shorter period of time,” says Sutton. “So, it’s kind of like, if you’re a guy, and you walk into a bar and it’s dimly lit, you see this hot, beautiful woman at the bar, and you’re like, ‘Oh, I’d love to spend a night with that person,’ but you don’t necessarily want to marry them.”

There’s a different design aesthetic when you are capturing someone’s attention for a few hours or days verses day in and day out. “So, in a restaurant or hotel, there’s more eyeliner, you’re really pumping up the volume…in a residence, you’re creating a background for life.”

He smiles. He loves good metaphor almost as much as he hates the word legacy, a word often used to describe his body of work.

“It sounds a little haughty to me. I don’t even know what that means.” But he understands how lucky he is to still be busy, relevant, and even revered 30 years into a career—and as much as he loves the big, glitzy projects, he’ll never stop designing people’s homes.

“You know I’m going from Pazo to the Pendry to writing this vision brief for an entire community, but meanwhile, like my day-to-day, I’m picking out the trim that goes on the edge of a drapery.”

Two ends of the spectrum, but all important. Thirty years of hard work and therapy have gotten him to a great place.

“I became a happier person. I calmed down. I had nothing left to prove,” says Sutton.

He also finds joy in mentoring the next generation of designers. “I can move from being quarterback to coach, and I think that’s fulfilling.”

As you follow the hostess to your table at The Ruxton, Baltimore’s trendiest, spendiest new steakhouse, you’ll likely see diners digging into Fred Flintstone-sized tomahawk steaks or mammoth pieces of porterhouse aged in a meat locker for some 70 days.

While the market for plant-based meat might be booming, our carnivorous cravings have not dimmed, if this Harbor East steakhouse is any indication.

The Ruxton comes courtesy of the Atlas Restaurant Group, the culinary conglomerate that’s given rise to the swankiest spots in Charm City. It’s their 26th restaurant in Maryland and the 18th project Patrick Sutton has designed for the restaurant group. While Atlas founder Alex Smith won’t say exactly how much he spent, he will say it’s their priciest project yet. From the looks of the place, that’s not surprising.

Here Sutton imagines a world that feels far away from the borders of Baltimore, with its luxe leathers, illuminated onyx columns, forest-green velvets, ribbons of glass that sway from the ceiling, gleaming brass, and tiny table lamps that cast a sultry glow and evoke the Jazz Age. When you dine here, you’re not sitting in the space—you’re enveloped by it.

And while The Ruxton, whose name was inspired by a 1920 car company (not the north Baltimore neighborhood), checks all the boxes for an extravagant steakhouse experience, the real appeal is less about the food and more about the place itself, which offers a kind of theatricality rarely seen in Baltimore restaurants. This is how a steakhouse might look if it was designed by filmmaker Baz Luhrmann.

This stagecraft is brought to life by the highly dedicated servers who arrive with the lengthy cocktail menu within seconds of your seating, then continue to dote and decrumb throughout the meal; the parade of white-coated runners who march in lockstep as they balance sky-high seafood towers and platters of raw oysters; and, of course, the diners themselves, bedecked in sparkles and sequins (or sportscoats and Italian loafers), who serve as their own decoration in the dining room.

The Ruxton manages to be both a throwback and thoroughly modern at the same time—a place with old-school martinis, but one that also features non-alcoholic offerings. It’s a steakhouse with red meat—from a mineral-tinged, dry-aged bison rib-eye to a gorgeously marbled Japanese Wagyu—but the vegetarian at the table can enjoy a butternut squash steak and the seafood lover has a wide wealth of options, too.

Regardless of what you order, you’re here to indulge in the notion that for at least one night, you’re as rich as the food. Waste no time in splurging on an order of tater tots as soon as you sit down. Peeking out of a caviar tin, the oversized spuds are crowned with crème fraîche and a heap of Russian caviar. Pair your tots with the Grand Ruxton martini, which comes complete with a sidecar, then contemplate the other enticing offerings.

Be sure to order at least one wedge salad—a half-sphere of baby iceberg doused with blue cheese dressing and dotted with roasted tomatoes, candied bacon, burnt onions, and walnuts scattered across the surface. And don’t miss the shellfish salad—a generous portion of shrimp and jumbo lump crab resting in a pool of citrus vinaigrette. The whole affair includes an avalanche of greens, providing more opportunities to enjoy that vinaigrette.

As for the entrees, the main event is those steaks—a whopping 720 pounds of meat are sold on any given night. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and a hit of butter, the meat (sourced from a premium purveyor in Chicago) is seared on the surface of a molten hot charbroiler to create a crust, then rested for optimal succulence.

Over a couple of Saturday nights in March, I demolished a gorgeously seared six-ounce filet, and the Australian Wagyu, which was served sliced and as easy to cut through as butter. For an additional fee, steaks can be embellished with ingredients like truffle butter or a blue cheese crust or a variety of lovely side sauces, including an herbaceous chimichurri, though no additional seasoning is necessary. The steaks taste expensive—and they are. But then again, no one ever went to a luxe steakhouse to bank on a bargain.

If you prefer surf to turf, there are a host of noteworthy options, including a Maryland-style crab cake served with waffle fries and a refreshing corn salad. There’s also a branzino filet resting on a bed of sunchoke purée, plus some fried sunchokes on the side. The tubers provide a nutty counterpoint to the sweet flesh of the fish.

Like most steak houses, side dishes are a highlight. My favorites include the jalapeño grits—they’re an appealing chartreuse hue that’s achieved by puréeing peppers and spinach—and a lavish lobster mac and cheese that pair perfectly with any steak on the menu.

If you’ve saved room for dessert, consider the butter cake coated in turbinado sugar, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and showered with strawberry crumble and macerated berries.

Sometimes it can be hard to get away from it all, but thanks to a fusion of fun, good food, and fantasy, The Ruxton will truly transport you.

THE RUXTON 720 Aliceanna St. HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4-10 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 4-11 p.m. PRICES: Appetizers, salads: $12-26; entrees: $29-62; steaks: $46-220. AMBIANCE: Posh.

At the private Flame Room at Azumi in Harbor East, chefs work one of five teppanyaki tables, as customers gather ’round, six to a table, for dinner and a show at one of the hottest, and we mean that literally, tables in town.

With its photographs of Japan from famed photographer Peter Lik and dramatic mood lighting, this is not the Benihana steakhouse of yesteryear. Here, chefs crack the occasional corny joke, and dazzle with their surgically precise knife skills, as flames flare, but don’t expect to catch a flying shrimp in your mouth—this space has a more fine-dining pedigree, inspired by a 2018 trip Azumi owners Alex and Eric Smith took to Japan with several team members.

“We ate at four teppanyaki restaurants in Toyko and Kyoto and taste-tested our way through,” recalls Joe Sweeney, director of public relations for Atlas.

At The Flame Room, the focus is on preparing high-end ingredients—a two- and-a-half pound Maine lobster, rare Skull Island Australian shrimp, A5 Miyazaki beef sourced from Japan—across a “teppanyaki” grill, a practice believed to have started in Japan some 200 years ago when families gathered to cook dinner around a grill. (“Teppan” translates to iron plate, “yaki” means pan-fried or grilled.)

“Our chefs trained for years to work the teppanyaki table,” says Alisher Yallaev, Azumi’s culinary director of Asian cuisine. “We have three chefs with a combined experience of 50 years.” And that includes El Salvador-born chef German Canales, (pictured).

“People love it,” he says. “Their eyes are wide when they watch me cook—it’s a lot of pressure.”

ON WEEKEND MORNINGS beginning in August, mysterious long lines began to stretch around Canton Square. Those at the front entered a store with no sign above it. When they left, whether they were carrying chocolate babka, a Tamago Sando (a Japanese egg sandwich), or a simple cup of coffee, they seemed blissfully unbothered by the wait.

When Café Dear Leon opened, co-owner Min Kim had no idea what to expect. He and two partners had been discussing the concept since September 2019, and they took over the building in February. Then…well, you know what happened next.

“Initially, we were going to open sometime in May,” Kim says. “We figured since things were not going to be opening at the regular time, we were going to do some of the work on the building ourselves, which saved us money.

COMING SOON

Butterfly Tacos y Tortas: Just when we thought we didn’t need any more validation that Charm City has made it onto the national culinary map, Michelin star-rated chef and philanthropist José Andrés has announced that he is bringing a concept the area. A spinoff of the chef’s Washington, D.C. restaurant Oyamel Cocina Mexicana, Butterfly Tacos y Tortas will make its debut on the Johns Hopkins University campus on January 27. Though the weekday lunch spot, located inside Levering Hall off of Bowman Drive, will mainly cater to the campus community, it will also be open to the public. Inspired by Mexico City street culture, the fast-casual menu will highlight options like the “Tacos Hongos” with grilled mushrooms and salsa serrano, as well as the “Torta Pollo Milanese,” layered with crispy breaded chicken, black beans, cilantro, and Oaxaca cheese.

Tony Luke’s: The food court-style Baltimore Marketplace on the first floor of Horseshoe Casino, which is home to the likes of Lenny’s Deli and Piezzetta, is getting some new blood next month. As the communal dining area prepares to undergo a redesign with new furniture and a fresh layout, it will also welcome this lauded Philadelphia sandwich spot. Though the cheesesteaks are the stars of the show, Tony Luke’s—named after owner Tony “Luke” Lucidonio—also emphasizes its roasted pork subs, burgers, and fries. Though the chain has two locations in Ocean City, the Horseshoe spot will mark the first in Baltimore.

Watershed: Come fall, Atlas Restaurant Group is shaking things up and expanding its presence across the harbor to Federal Hill. The group that operates Ouzo Bay, Azumi, and several other spots scattered throughout Harbor East and Fells Point is launching two new concepts inside the newly renovated Cross Street Market later this year. The first will be a stall supplying fresh seafood (everything from Chesapeake Bay rockfish and local oysters to Chilean sea bass and Portuguese octopus) seven days a week. In keeping with the seafood theme, the group is also opening an anchor restaurant, Watershed, which will focus on classic Maryland dishes and steamed crabs. With the opening of the Cross Street Market eatery the neighborhood will also be gaining a rooftop deck complete with flat screens, a centerpiece bar, and recreational games like foosball and corn hole.

CH-CH CHANGES

Bin 604: Foreman Wolf Restaurant Group’s neighborhood wine shop has been adjacent to the Whole Foods in Harbor East ever since it first opened in 2001. So it only makes sense that, when the grocery store makes its move to the ground floor of the Liberty apartment complex around the corner later this year, Bin 604 will be going with it. Slated to open this spring, the shop’s new home will provide an additional 1,500 square feet and a separate classroom for workshops and tasting events. The space will also allow for an even more robust Italian wine selection. “Over the years we have grown our capability not just in wine selection and education, but in selection of spirits and beer,” said co-owner Tony Foreman, in a statement. “We’re incredibly excited to redesign the store, almost two decades later, to maximize our strengths.” As for the spaces Whole Foods and Bin 604 are leaving behind, Harbor East plans to announce replacement tenants soon.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

1/24: Chinese New Year at The Corner Pantry
The team at this Mt. Washington haunt is getting creative for their annual Chinese New Year celebration. Given that 2020 is the Year of the Rat (aka Charm City’s unofficial mascot), chef Neill Howell has prepared a menu featuring local spins on classic Chinese dishes. Among them will be pit beef steamed buns with tiger sauce and scallion salad, crab spring rolls with chili sauce for dipping, and a ginger beer-infused Orange Crush. The a la carte menu will be offered all day on Friday, January 24 in celebration of the holiday.

Beginning with the opening of the Greek-isles-inspired Ouzo Bay in 2012, Atlas Restaurant Group has gone all over the globe, with stops in Japan (Azumi), Italy (Tagliata, Italian Disco), Latin America (Maximón), and, soon, France (Monarque). But while the restaurant group has been around the world, it’s finally firmly rooted in Baltimore with The Choptank. Inside the newly renovated Broadway Market in Fells Point, Choptank bills itself as a “classic fish and crabhouse,” but it’s way more than that.

For starters, there’s a locally loved chef—Andrew Weinzirl of Maggie’s Farm fame—an adult playground with ping-pong, pool, and foosball tables, cornhole in place of the usual Keno, century-old photographs of Fells Point (no stuffed marlins or knotty pine here), and live music nightly. If there’s smoke outside on the patio, it’s likely from cigars, not cigarettes.

It’s a crabhouse, yes, but one with swagger. There’s also a menu full of finds and all the bells and whistles of a landmark in the making. When it comes to Maryland menus, it doesn’t get more Old Line than this: There’s crab soup, Monkton-sourced Roseda pit beef, Maryland crab dip, hard shells (sourced locally when available), Sweet Jesus oysters from the Chesapeake Bay, and Natty Boh’s Beer Can Chicken.

In many ways, this might be my favorite of Atlas’ 13 local spots, which can sometimes feel overly thematic. There’s a theme here for sure, but it’s the story of our state and one fitting for a restaurant set inside the historic south shed of Broadway Market, a place that once served the sailors and immigrants of Fells and is named for the Native American tribe that occupied the Choptank river basin in 1668.

Pretzel monkey bread

Rockfish Oscar

In addition to Atlas co-owners, and born-and-bred Maryland brothers, Alex and Eric Smith, there’s a third partner, Vasilios “Bill” Tserkis, who owns the nearby Captain James Landing crabhouse, which his family has owned and operated for more than five decades. Which is to say, the fabric of that heritage and history are woven into the walls here.

On my first visit, the place was packed in the still-warm fall weather. Of course, there was buzz surrounding the controversial dress code rules (no baggy clothing, no shorts below the knee, no sunglasses after dark) when the place opened in August, which seems to only have increased its popularity. (The dress code has since been amended.)

Throngs of patrons crowded outside, and since it was still in season, the requisite mallets and brown paper lined every picnic table. Inside is a more refined, yet casual space, where designer Patrick Sutton wisely retained the look and the feel of the original market, with its soaring wood-beamed ceilings. Blue and white table- ware and napkins and servers in denim shirts and boating shoes carry through the nautical theme, as does a giant crab rising like a phoenix over the raw-bar area. A Black-Eyed Susan, our state flower, graces every table.

Food-wise, we enjoyed almost everything we ate. The Maryland crab soup was a classic rendition with a tasty tomato broth and large chunks of crab meat; fried green tomatoes add a southern spin to the appetizer section, this version was topped with a blue crab and corn salad and Old Bay aioli. We also enjoyed the pull-apart pretzel monkey bread with Old Bay butter, a dippable cheese sauce, and mustard. An ahi tuna salad was nicely presented with thick slices of seared tuna coated in sesame seeds, served over greens with a tart-and-tangy ponzu dressing.

Our entrees included a luscious crab cake platter with broiled jumbo lump. While many places say that they serve Maryland or Gulf crab meat, there’s no question you’re getting quality crustaceans here. The cake was well-portioned and incredibly sweet, with that great crabby flavor that only comes from blue crab. (Little did I know that the following week, The Sun would publish a scathing review, leading the publication and the restaurant to get into a crab cake kerfuffle.)

I also enjoyed the accompanying sides. The fries and coleslaw, ordinarily throwaway accoutrements, were house-made. We also shared the beer-battered fish tacos. While tasty, they were overly fried, though I took note of the price point of this item, and many items, on the menu at a restaurant group that usually offers much more expensive plates.

Since no night out is complete without a sweet, we settled on the Berger cookie bread pudding: Berger cookies and a heap of Old Bay caramel ice cream from Maryland’s own Taharka Brothers mixed into chocolate brioche bread budding. It was the right side of sweet, and I appreciated the effort that went into creating house-made cookies.

By the time of my second visit, the crab controversy was the talk of the town, and I knew that I needed to return for another visit. Taste is, after all, subjective, but just in case my palate was having an off night, I brought along one of the preeminent experts on Chesapeake cuisine as my dining companion. This time, we ordered the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich (move over, Popeye’s) and a crab cake sandwich.

The verdict? While it seemed to have slightly less lump than the cakes on the platter, I loved the pairing of creamy (tartar-style remoulade) and crisp (fennel slaw) to offset the sweet meat. It’s a damn good cake, with made-in-Maryland pride evident in every bite. My mallet has fallen.

THE CHOPTANK 1641 Aliceanna St., 443-707-3364. HOURS: Sun.-Sat. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. PRICES: Appetizers, soups, salads: $6-18; sandwiches: $12-29; entrees: $18-39; desserts: $6-8. AMBIANCE: Upscale crabhouse.

Google collects a treasure trove of data every year, and among these findings are geographical search trends that pinpoint exactly what was on the minds of residents in a given area. As the year comes to a close, we examined Google’s analytics to determine what Baltimore—and Maryland—was interested in most in 2019. Here are a few notable queries presented in no particular order.

The Ravens

It’s no wonder that Baltimore’s football team is a top city and Maryland trend. They’re having a historic season, led by electrifying MVP candidate Lamar Jackson, and debuting exciting new technological stadium features that enhance the game day experience. There are plenty of good stories surrounding this Ravens team— which has been nothing but a bright spot for the city this season. And given that they’ve clinched a home field advantage and the No.1 seed in the AFC, it’s fair to assume that they’ll again be one of Baltimore’s most buzzed about searches in 2020.

Billy Joel at Camden Yards

Who better to make Camden Yards history than Billy Joel? The Piano Man rocked the home of the Orioles this summer in the first-ever Camden Yards concert that could be a catalyst for future shows at the ballpark.

The Choptank

Atlas Restaurant Group came under fire for what was seen as a problematic dress code at one of its newest spots, The Choptank, which took over the south shed of Broadway Market in Fells Point. For a few weeks in September, it was a hot button topic across the city. It made headlines yet again when The Sun published a harsh review of the restaurant a month later.

Baltimore Homicide Rate

Unfortunately, Baltimore’s homicide rate rose again in 2019 to record numbers. There are reports that the number is the highest it has ever been, recently surpassing 2017. It’s sure to be a frequent topic as 2020—a mayoral election year—approaches.

Bay Bridge Traffic

Every summer, Baltimoreans make the pilgrimage across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore. Since beach traffic can be heavily congested, it’s clear that they wanted to be up to date on how long it takes to make the trip. The bridge will be a hot button topic of conversation in 2020 as talk about expanding it to include a third span will be up for debate. And though it might be winter, it’s never too early to start daydreaming of warmer days—peruse our guide to the Eastern Shore and start making a to-do list.

Popeyes

The nature of the Internet is such that sometimes things catch fire without much of an explanation. That’s exactly what happened this summer when a great chicken sandwich war was waged on social media. The viral debates came after Popeyes released a raved-about chicken sandwich to mania and long lines across the country. In its wake came passionate arguments about who has the best chicken sandwich among fast food chains. We think they’re all well and good, but frankly, between Royal Farms and BRD, Baltimore has plenty that can stack up to anything Popeye’s serves.

President Trump’s Comments About Baltimore

Baltimore was at the center of the political sphere a few times this year. Perhaps the most high profile example came when President Trump verbally attacked the city and the late Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, calling Baltimore “rat infested” and Cummings “racist.” In September, citizens came together to defend their city and gave Trump a spirited welcome when he came to visit for a Republican conference.

Sadly, about a month later, Congressman Cummings passed away from longstanding health complications. Political dignitaries came to pay their respects at his funeral as the city mourned its longtime representative. And just this month, things came full circle as Nancy Pelosi addressed Cummings directly in her remarks about the House of Representatives’ vote to impeach President Trump.

“There’s one person who isn’t with us in this room, but I know was present all day for the deliberations,” Pelosi said about Cummings at a press conference following the vote earlier this month. “He said, ‘When we’re dancing with the angels the question will be, what did you do to make sure we kept our democracy intact?’ We did all we could, Elijah. We passed the two articles of impeachment.”

Baltimore-born chef Andrew Weinzirl made his name with the farm-to-fork Maggie’s Farm in Lauraville. His newest gig is executive chef at The Choptank, Atlas Restaurant Group’s classic seafood house in Fells Point. Weinzirl’s first job in the industry was at a Ruby Tuesday’s in Westminster. “I was amazed that I could make eight dollars an hour,” he says with a laugh. “I took the job and immediately liked the intensity of it. In every place I’ve worked, I’ve always enjoyed the camaraderie in the kitchen. You become this family with these people you see more than any other family members.” We spoke with chef about his transition from smaller spots to The Choptank, where he likes to dine in Charm City, and whether the farm-to-table trend has gone too far.

What’s it been like for you to transition from smaller places like Maggie’s Farm, and more recently The Brewer’s Art, to The Choptank?
Making that leap to Atlas and working with [co-owners] Alex and Eric [Smith] and [partner] Billy [Tserkis] has been a great experience from the beginning. Billy and I put our heads together to find balance between the food I’d done before and what’s served at traditional Maryland crab house. When we were doing the tastings, I definitely had some ambitious goals on the menu. When we opened the first weekend with 1,000 covers on a Saturday, the stuff I couldn’t conceptualize before it happened had to be scaled down and leveled out.

So what went by the wayside?
The more chef-driven things the little garnishes at The Brewer’s Art or Maggie’s Farm. I had a lot more time to detail dishes and add garnishes. It was a little different owning a 50-seat restaurant or working at The Brewer’s Art with 150 seats.

What did you eat when you were growing up?
My family wasn’t big into food at all. We ate a lot of fast food and convenience food when I was growing up in Arundel and Carroll County. We had our spots that we went to as a family. They were mostly Italian-American spots for special occasions. We weren’t into fine dining.

How did you learn to cook?
I went to Baltimore International College and externed at Linwoods in Owings Mills. I worked with a great sous chef who took me under his wing, and that was it.

Where do you like to eat in Baltimore?
Right now, Azumi is my favorite restaurant in the city. Outside of that, I love Hersh’s and Orto—those are the places I gravitate to more. I know both of those chefs really well.

What are your thoughts on the farm-to-table trend as someone who was practicing it a decade ago? Has it gone too far?
At a certain point, restaurants were taking themselves way too seriously and it got to the point of satire with paragraph explanations about sourcing on menus, though it was all well-intentioned. There are a lot of great farms in Maryland and they work really hard to supply the restaurants. For the amount of restaurants trying to source sustainability, there’s not enough product to go around and chefs want it all the same time of year. There are only so many One Straw Farms and Moon Valley Farms. You have to supplement it somewhere. It’s great that it got people to pay attention to where their food is from.

Give us your elevator pitch for why people should patronize The Choptank?
The owners are people who grew up in this area and wanted to build a restaurant that was going to be an icon—not only for Fells Point, but for Baltimore. When people have friends and family here, they want people to come and taste Baltimore and elevated Maryland food that’s done right. That’s what this place is going to become.

Since first expanding to the historic Bagby Furniture Company building on Fleet Street in 2017, Atlas Restaurant Group has debuted Italian chophouse Tagliata, old-school pizza shop Italian Disco, and dimly lit speakeasy The Elk Room on the property.

Come winter, the back of the courtyard that all three concepts share will house an illuminated marquee welcoming guests to Monarque—the group’s latest concept that takes inspiration from a classic French brasserie and dinner theater.

The cuisine (we can only expect that the menu will emphasize French classics and an impressive wine and cheese selection) is one of the few that Atlas has yet to conquer, as it also operates worldly spots including Greek-inspired Ouzo Bay, Japanese steakhouse Azumi, Maryland crabhouse The Choptank, and yet-to-open Latin American restaurant Maximon.

Atlas CEO and founder Alex Smith says that, with the addition of Monarque, his team has transformed the Bagby building into the company’s own entertainment district.

“One of Atlas’ three pilars includes providing guests with not only a fantastic meal, but also an entertainment aspect that contributes to an unforgettable night,” Smith said in a press release. “Monarque gives us the opportunity to showcase some of Baltimore’s performers, poets, actors, and actresses in a beautiful fine-dining setting.”

Among the many interior features of the 135-seat space will be a stage for nightly live entertainment, which will showcase local comedians, jazz bands, and small theater performances. Designed by Baltimore’s own Patrick Sutton, the main dining room and bar will also boast touches like dark leather banquettes, tin ceilings, gold and brass accents, and burgundy velvet curtains.

Monarque is named after the monarch butterfly that symbolizes transformation and new opportunity—a concept which Smith himself is very familiar with.

“With each concept, we are giving something back to the city,” Smith told us in our profile of him earlier this year. “We are trying to bring unique experiences to town. In our own small way, we are making a difference, and that’s why we keep going. Part of the drug-like effect for me is seeing people walk onto the properties and say, ‘Wow, look at this. Can you believe we have this in Baltimore?’”

COMING SOON

Busboys and Poets: The latest dining destination to join the scene in Howard County will be a spinoff of this Washington, D.C. favorite. The quasi-coffeehouse and bookstore operates seven locations surrounding the Capitol, and now, owner Andy Shallal is widening his footprint with a new two-story Columbia cafe slated to open next year. “I think we have a lot of people that live in the suburbs, who may work in the city, but want to kick back a bit before they go out,” Shallal told the Washington Business Journal. “It’s not practical to go home and come back. So we want to give them options where they are.” The 400-seat gathering spot will be one of many retailers in Howard Hughes Corporation’s massive mixed-use redevelopment project across from Merriweather Post Pavilion.

The Choptank: You might have noticed the glowing archway that now towers over the entrance to the south shed of Baltimore’s historic Broadway Market in Fells Point. But that’s certainly not all that’s new and shiny about the property. After several years of planning and nine months of construction, Atlas Restaurant Group has transformed the 222-year-old building into classic Maryland crab house concept, The Choptank, which is slated to officially open to the public by the end of next week. Former Brewer’s Art and Maggie’s Farm chef Andrew Weinzirl will head up the kitchen, offering his own spin on classics like crab soup, pit beef sandwiches, boardwalk fries, and Eastern Shore fried chicken. Of course, hard shells will also be an important part of the hyper-local program. Curated by local designer Patrick Sutton, the renovated spot features light woods, a large centerpiece bar, and a massive outdoor patio equipped with lounge seating and recreational games.

NEWS

Local Spots Nominated by Bon Appetit: Earlier this week, we were delighted to see four Charm City restaurants named on yet another national list. Bon Appetit magazine has included local newcomers Le Comptoir du Vin, Fadensonnen, Larder, and Sophomore Coffee among the 50 Best New Restaurants in the country. In the piece, deputy editor Julia Kramer notes that she loved Socle—Lane Harlan’s shared food-and-drink complex in Old Goucher that houses Fadensonnen, Larder, and Sophomore Coffee—so much, that she couldn’t choose just one spot between the trio of like-minded businesses. She also challenges readers to “try and find a more charming French bistro and natural wine bar,” than our own Le Comptoir du Vin in Station North. The list of 50 contenders will soon be narrowed down to 10 finalists and published on September 17.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

9/13: Well Crafted Kitchen’s $1 Slice Party
A few years back, Well Crafted Kitchen celebrated the first anniversary of its brick-oven pizza truck by slinging $1 slices for friends and customers. Now, the owners are ringing in the one-year anniversary of their stall inside Union Collective by continuing that exact tradition. Stop by Union’s outdoor beer garden on Friday night to indulge in $1 slices from 6-10 p.m. While you’re at it, grab a pint from the taproom, and end the night on a sweet note with a signature scoop from The Charmery just down the hall.

ONGOING: The Helmand Offers Three Courses for $30
Throughout the past three decades, The Helmand owners Quayum and Pat Karzai have served their authentic Afghani dishes to tons of loyal patrons in Mt. Vernon. Many things have changed about the neighborhood since the grand opening in 1989, but the Karzais’ signature recipes and commitment to hospitality have remained key components of the restaurant’s ethos. Leading up its official 30-year anniversary on October 23, The Helmand will offer a special three-course menu for $30. Celebrate with classics like the banjan borani (pan-fried eggplant), mantwo (pastry filled with onions and beef) and kaddo borwani (baby pumpkin pan fried and baked in garlic and yogurt).

SHUT

Blaze Pizza: As the Inner Harbor dining scene has expanded with new destinations including Blackwall Hitch and Bon Fresco, it has also seen a number of concepts shutter recently. On the heels of Poke World’s closure near Power Plant Live, Blaze Pizza has also closed its doors at 600 East Pratt Street. Fans of the DIY chain, which is known for its customizable pies that bake in a hearth oven in just three minutes, will be happy to hear that they can get their fix at a new Blaze location that opened in the Towson Commons development on York Road earlier this summer.

Canèla: Upper Fells Point locals were saddened to hear that this Mediterranean cafe and coffee shop had closed its doors last week. In a message posted to Facebook, co-owner Kfir Catalan explained that he and business partner Michele Mavias are closing the cafe to the public, but plan to remain open for private events for the time being. “This has been an amazing ride and we want to thank everyone for the support,” the announcement reads. Fusing the owners’ Italian and Israeli influences, Canèla offered standout sandwiches and a coffee program that quickly became a favorite among locals.

NEWS

Rooster & Hen Moving to Cross Street Market: Just when we thought Cross Street Market couldn’t get any more enticing, the newly renovated food hub recently announced that Catonsville grocery Rooster & Hen will be opening a “market within the market” this fall. Owners Joseph McRedmond and Allison Smith will close their Frederick Road favorite in September and head to Federal Hill to get the new 1,800-square-foot stall up and running. Since 2016, the owners have peddled local produce, featured items from small-batch makers, hosted area pop-ups, and even opened the store up for community events. That mission will continue in the new space—which will offer flowers, pantry staples, frozen comestibles, prepared foods, fresh fruits and veggies, meal prep kits, and a full kitchen for hosting pop-ups and cooking classes. “The Federal Hill community holds a special place in our hearts and has been the setting for some of our fondest memories,” the owners said in a statement. “Becoming a part of the historic legacy is an honor.”

Maximón Releases Patio Renderings: It seems like the wheels never stop turning for Atlas Restaurant Group—the team behind Harbor East hotspots Ouzo Bay, Loch Bar, Azumi, and Bygone. Next up is Latin American-inspired restaurant Maximón, which is expected to open this fall in the former home of Wit & Wisdom inside the Four Seasons Baltimore. Atlas recently unveiled renderings for the restaurant’s Spanish-style courtyard executed by local designer Patrick Sutton. The plans for the promenade include glowing purple lighting, lush greenery, lounge furniture, and an oval-shaped bar overlooking the harbor. Stay tuned for more details.

Roggenart Closes Temporarily: Many Mt. Washington locals have made stopping into this European pastry palace a part of their morning routine for the past two years. But recently, the cafe—which was nearing the end of its lease—closed temporarily while the team prepares to open a new location at the yet-to-open Whitehall Food Market in Hampden this fall. Though a reopening date hasn’t been solidified as of yet, here’s hoping it’s only a matter of weeks before the Mt. Washington shop starts cranking out its famous croissants and pain aux chocolat once again.

Wet City Lauded by Bon Appétit: Last week, we were pleased to see a local name featured in Bon Appétit magazine’s recurring column “Highly Recommend,” in which editors’ share their favorite things. The piece was dedicated to the “Spaghett” cocktail at Wet City in Mt. Vernon. “This cocktail has become my official drink of the summer,” editor Alex Delany wrote about the $5 happy hour drink that combines Miller High Life, Aperol, and lemon juice. “This is on deck for the rest of August and most of September for me. Long live Baltimore. Long live summer. And long live the Spaghett.” We couldn’t agree more.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

8/16: Jade Pop-Up at Fadensonnen
Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering student Jesse Wu, who started his own pop-up inside his dorm room last year, is bringing his Chinese-American cuisine to Fadensonnen in Old Goucher. Grab an order of Wu’s signature Hunan rice noodles, and stick around to sip Fadensonnen’s natural wines, beers, and sake throughout the night.

8/16-9/1: Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week
As Baltimore Restaurant Week comes to a close (many participants have extended their menus through Sunday, August 18) another dining-out promotion is just ramping up. Spots all over the state are rolling out dairy-free dishes in honor of Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week. Of course, staple vegan eateries including Golden West Cafe, L’Eau de Vie Organic Brasserie, Great Sage, and Stall 11 will be putting out their best plates. But you can also enjoy specialty dishes at restaurants like Wicked Sisters, La Scala, Little Havana, and Sobo Cafe. An array of special events throughout the week will kick off with a vegan baked goodspop-up at The Land of Kush on August 19.

SHUT

Bill Bateman’s Bistro Reisterstown: Baltimore County locals are still reeling from the loss of the Bill Bateman’s location on the Towson University campus, which closed for good last year. Now, yet another one of the homegrown pub’s outposts is shutting its doors. After 21 years, the Reisterstown mainstay in the Chartley Shopping Center will close for good on Sunday, August 18. “It has truly been a pleasure being a part of this ever-growing and always-friendly neighborhood,” management wrote in a post to Facebook announcing the closure. This weekend, regulars will gather for one last pint, crab pretzel, and order of wings around the bar at the community hangout. The Severna Park, Parkville, and Rosedale iterations of the local sports bar are still going strong.

COMING SOON

Quality Snowballs: The Food Market chef/owner Chad Gauss is bringing the city’s token treats to the Avenue in Hampden just in time for snowball season. Expected to debut on May 1, the 10-foot shipping container muraled by local artist Paige Orpin sits in the small parking lot on the side of the church building at 1014 West 36th Street—which is just across the street from The Food Market. “It’s nice to be able to control what’s going on from directly across the street,” Gauss says. In keeping with his playful style, the stand will offer the classic egg custard with marshmallow, while also featuring fun flavors with unique toppings.

Look out for banana-Oreo, strawberry shortcake, dirt-cup, coconut cream pie, crème brûlée, and even s’mores flavored ice with torched marshmallow on top. The team also has ideas to create açaí snowballs and incorporate fresh herbs and fruits “so that it’s not just the sugary syrup juice and that’s it,” Gauss adds. On the heels of opening DIY stir fry spot TigerStyle behind the Avenue, the chef says he’s looking forward to introducing another concept in the neighborhood. “It’s kind of like our playground,” he says. “We’re just looking to have fun and to find more ways to enjoy what we do.” 1014 W. 36th St.

Blackwall Hitch: After much anticipation, this Annapolis favorite—which also operates locations in Alexandria, Virginia and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware—is finally bringing its massive menu of fine-dining fare to the Inner Harbor next month. Opening on the first floor of the Candler building on East Pratt street, the 10,000-square-foot restaurant will feature worldly dishes by executive chef David Montanz. The menu is expected to mirror the restaurant’s other locations, which highlight staples like filet mignon, shrimp and grits, scallops with saffron risotto, pulled short rib carbonara, and classic jumbo lump crab cakes with roasted corn salsa. 700 E. Pratt St.

The Tilted Row: Cafe Fili loyalists will be happy to hear that owner Ziad Maalouf, along with his partners Jim Campbell and Nancy Hooff, are opening a sister-spot in Bolton Hill the week of May 20. Located on the bottom floor of the brand new Jordan apartment building, the neighborhood spot will have an inviting feel with warm woods and soft colors. Chef Andrew Thomas, previously of Donna’s and The Elephant, will oversee kitchen operations, while the bar program will be headed up by former Woodberry Kitchen bartender Hannah Baker. The team will source ingredients from local farms and its own herb garden, and craft global dishes like cedar salmon tagine, pretzel pork schnitzel, lamb ragu pappardelle, and buttermilk biscuits with bourbon-chili glaze. To pair with the elevated pub fare, Baker will feature creative cocktails, 10 beers on tap, a boutique wine list, and an impressive collection of more than 120 single malts and bourbons. 305 McMechen St.

NEWS

Atlas Expands to Cross Street Market: This week, the team behind Harbor East behemoth Atlas Restaurant Group announced plans to expand their reach across the harbor next year. Amid rumors of a deal to open a concept inside the renovated Cross Street Market in Federal Hill, Atlas released a statement confirming that the group is currently in lease negotiations to debut an anchor crab house and seafood market inside the space. “The concepts will be two new brands and interior designs that will be unique to the city,” the statement reads. “We look forward to being a part of the Federal Hill community.” If all goes well with leasing, both are expected to debut in April of 2020.

In the meantime, three of the veteran vendors at Cross Street will be the first to reopen inside the new space next month. Market regulars will be able to get reacquainted with Henry Reisinger of Fenwick’s Choice Meats, John Nichols of Steve’s Lunch, and Pete Pittas of The Sweet Shoppe. A roster of nine newbies—including SoBeachy, Phubs, and Rice Crook— are expected to follow suit this spring, and additional pizza, wine bar, vegan, fried chicken, and grocery concepts will be announced in the coming weeks. 1065 S. Charles St.

Petit Louis Bistro Launches Fundraiser for Notre Dame Cathedral: In true Baltimore spirit, this beloved French bistro in Roland Park is lending a hand in the wake of the tragic fire that tore through the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris earlier this week. For two weeks starting on Monday, April 22, the restaurant will be offering a special $59 lunch and dinner menu that will benefit reconstruction efforts. A portion of all proceeds from every multi-course meal served will be donated to Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, which is dedicated to rebuilding the landmark. All guests who visit the bistro will also have the option to donate additional funds. 4800 Roland Ave. 410-366-9393

OUTDOOR OPENINGS

LB Skybar: It’s been a big week for the historic Lord Baltimore Hotel downtown. On the heels of welcoming new executive chef Beth Dinice, the property is preparing to open its 19th-floor Skybar for the season on Friday, April 26. This year, guests can expect new furniture, additional areas for private events, and a revamped menu of shareable plates. Take in the killer views while sipping cocktails and snacking on Old Bay chips with onion dip, pit beef bao buns, or shrimp kebabs with cilantro aioli. Additionally, the hotel’s new partnership with Mera Kitchen Collective will bring a special takeover menu to the bar every Wednesday evening. 20 W. Baltimore St. 410-539-8400

Noona’s: Speaking of al fresco fare, this Midtown pizza spot recently unveiled its new 12-seat patio overlooking MICA’s Mount Royal Station. Simultaneously, chef Cai Lindeman launched weekend brunch service. Snag a seat outside on a sunny Saturday or Sunday to enjoy Italian-inspired dishes including ricotta pancakes, pancetta omelets, maple-glazed bacon, and crispy confit potatoes. To wash down all of the mid-morning eats, Noona’s also offers $5 prosecco on tap, $6 mimosas, and $6 micheladas made with Old Oriole Park Boh from Peabody Heights. 1203 W. Mt. Royal Ave. 410-424-0857

EPICUREAN EVENTS

4/19: Beach Party at Peko Peko Ramen
In celebration of its newly acquired liquor license, the team at this Charles Village ramen shop is throwing an all-day beach bash with plenty of themed cocktails to go around. Stop by for an early summer kickoff featuring free merch and giveaways like complimentary ramen bowls and buckets of beer. 7 E. 33rd St. 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.

TO 4/21: Maryland Food Truck Week
There’s still time to support your favorite kitchens-on-wheels during this annual event, which closes out on Sunday, April 21. Throughout the week, local food trucks have been hosting festivities all over town to benefit Meals on Wheels, and there are still rallies planned everywhere from Elkridge to Bowleys Quarters this Friday. Aside from the official events, it’s also a great time to track down your favorite trucks. Among the many mobile kitchens participating include 410 Empanadas, Goganics, Crossroads Bistro, Kuya’s Kitchen, Shareef’s Grill, Miss Twist Ice Cream, and Dizzy Cow Pizzeria.

SHUT

Mustang Alley’s: Throughout its 12-year run, this hybrid bar-and-bowling alley has been home to many fun-filled nights spent sipping local beers while chowing down on classic bowling snacks. Unfortunately, next month will be the last for the staple destination near Little Italy. Co-owner Mary Koch recently told the Baltimore Business Journal that, while business is good, Mustang Alley’s came to the end of its lease term and was unable to negotiate a new one, so it will be closing in June. Here’s hoping new owners come in to revive the bowling alley, but, in the meantime, stop by to bowl one last game while enjoying pub grub like Old Bay wings, cheeseburger sliders, and cheesy pizzas. 1300 Bank St. 410-522-2695

COMING SOON

Maximón: As its name suggests, the Atlas Restaurant Group has a passion for exploring global cuisine. The team has already graced us with Harbor East hotspots such as Greek-focused Ouzo Bay, Italian-influenced Tagliata, and Japanese fine-dining den Azumi. And this summer, it’s conquering Latin America with a new concept opening in the former home of Wit & Wisdom inside the Four Seasons Baltimore—which also houses Atlas’ Loch Bar, Azumi, and Bygone. Named after a Mayan deity who was a protector of his people, Maximón will draw inspiration from the diversity and romance of Latin American culture. The theme will permeate into the cuisine, cocktails, private tequila tasting room, and 175-seat interior designed by Baltimore’s own Patrick Sutton.

Highlighting stone architecture, wood and marble furniture, and plenty of lush greenery, the 8,000-square-foot dining room will boast a large bar and a stage for Latin American performances. French doors will open up to the 125-seat exterior featuring a Spanish-style courtyard, fountains, and an outdoor bar. Construction on the new restaurant is expected to begin this month, with a slated grand opening date of late summer. 200 International Drive

El Salto: When Glen Burnie residents are in need of a filling tamale or strong margarita, they typically flock to this Ritchie Highway staple that has been around since 1995. Soon after, El Salto opened a second location in Parkville, and now, it’s spreading the Tex-Mex love even further to Perry Hall. Expected to open in time for Cinco de Mayo this spring, the cantina will occupy a 5,000-square-foot space in the Perry Hall Shopping Center off of Ebenezer Road, which has sat vacant since 2006. Diners can expect to sample all of the restaurant’s specialties at the new spot, including its mix-and-match combo platters featuring burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, and chile relleno. 4313 Ebenezer Rd., Perry Hall

CH-CH CHANGES

101 Baltimore: Since opening as 101 Deli Bar in 2017, this Federal Hill hangout has taken the time to find its own identity in a neighborhood full of sports bars and late-night party spots. Last year, 101 dropped the “Deli Bar” from its name in an effort to focus more on its sophisticated snacks, approachable wines, and next-level cocktail program. And now, an interior refresh and new roster of eats and drinks have solidified its reputation as an inclusive spot for neighbors of all ages and backgrounds.

“We listened to the neighborhood and analyzed what was working and what wasn’t,” co-owner Sean White said in a statement. “We just weren’t capturing the full spectrum of the market here, so we wanted to shift the atmosphere and cuisine to meet everyone’s expectations.” A recent interior revamp evokes a more inviting feel with a brick wall behind the bar, more high-top tables, and darker walls to replace the previously stark aesthetic. To go along with the design changes, the bar is also debuting a new menu of playful twists on American classics, including a sunken French bread pizza, tuna burger, and hoagie-inspired salad topped with cold cuts. Though some new bar options have been added, regulars will be happy to hear that the hibiscus mules, 40-oz. rosé bottles, and two-for-one Chambongs will remain staples. 1118 S. Charles St. 443-683-9480

EPICUREAN EVENTS

ONGOING: Broadway Market Pop-Ups Continue

Ahead of the debut of the renovated Broadway Market this spring, vendors are getting to know the neighborhood by popping up at surrounding Fells Point restaurants. You might have noticed Vikki’s Fells Point Deli operating out of Kooper’s Chowhound on Broadway Square last month, and now, a host of other vendors are stopping by The Red Star on Wednesday nights from 5-10 p.m. The Verandah and Thai Street served up their specialties earlier this month, and the next eatery popping up at the restaurant will be Connie’s Chicken & Waffles on Wednesday, February 20. Mark your calendar for the last Wednesday of the month, when Old Boy—a new Korean concept from Dooby’s owner Phil Han—will be giving diners a taste of what’s to come at its new stall inside Broadway Market. 906 S. Wolfe St. 410-675-0212

2/20: Sip & Saute

Local chefs Catina Smith, Heather Smith, and Denzel Mitchell (also of Strength to Love II Farms) are teaming up with the No Boundaries Coalition to host this intimate cooking class at the historic Avenue Market on Pennsylvania Avenue. Throw on an apron and cook three courses with wine pairings provided by Off the Rox, a new shop on Eastern Avenue. The inaugural class will celebrate the three-year anniversary of Fresh at the Avenue, a weekly community-powered produce market that provides fresh food access to residents of the Sandtown community. Proceeds will help to fund Fresh’s SNAP match programs, expand its inventory, and make improvements that will decrease checkout times. 1700 Pennsylvania Ave. 5:30-9 p.m. $75

First things first: there really is a disco ball hanging from the ceiling at Italian Disco, the Atlas Restaurant Group’s latest eatery in its burgeoning Harbor East empire. When we visited in the fall, it started rotating around 8 p.m., adding an extra dash of funk to the festivities. Not that it was needed—we were already having, well, a ball.

Housed in the former home of Bagby Pizza, which felt like a take-out joint, Italian Disco exudes a much more happening vibe than its predecessor. A long bar with circular stools lines one wall; high-top tables and conventional ones fill out the space. Looming above it all is the back half of a vintage Fiat that doubles as a DJ booth on weekends. We loved the classic rock playing on our weeknight visit—Italian Disco is actually a genre of music that originated in Italy in the late ’70s.

Our meal began inauspiciously. The restaurant opened in May, and the service is still rough around the edges. Our waitress didn’t know the answer to several of our questions about the menu and was oddly hesitant to ask the bar or kitchen for answers. We started with fine but unremarkable cocktails, forgettable complementary breadsticks, and an order of fried olives that were far too bready. We barely touched the appetizers (we finished the drinks, of course), which turned out to be a good thing, because everything that followed was fantastic.

Three large turkey meatballs doused in marinara sauce, Parmesan, and basil were beautifully flavored and impressively moist. The sausage and peppers sandwich, while not as spicy as we would have liked, was accompanied by a fistful of terrific fries prepared in peanut oil. A plate of penne pasta, made in-house, was topped with tender blackened chicken in a subtle red sauce that included peas. It was rich, but not overpoweringly so.

But all that served merely as a precursor. The pizza oven is visible from the back, and in it, chef Julian Marucci, whom Italian Disco shares with its across-the-courtyard sister restaurant, Tagliata, produces some of the best pies in the city. Most of the 12-inch varieties cost $14-19 and are worth the dough. The toppings on the Carbonara—bacon, leeks, soft egg, black pepper, and pecorino—were delicious, but the crust was the real star. Thin and impossibly crispy, yet not over-charred, we delighted in each crunchy bite.

Strangely, our second pizza had not emerged from the kitchen by the time we’d finished with our first. It had been burned, our server explained, and another was being prepared. (I applaud this honest approach to an honest mistake.) By then we were already quite full, so there was no panic at the disco.

When the white anchovy pie arrived, we immediately knew it was worth the wait. Devouring a slice of this masterful melding of fragrant fish, peppers, olives, and oregano was a lot like Italian Disco itself: a blast (from the past).

Italian Disco 1006 Fleet St., 410-605-0444. HOURS: Sun.-Wed. 11 a.m.-midnight; Thur.-Sat. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. PRICES: Appetizers: $4-19; salads: $11-18; sandwiches: $11-19; entrees: $14-25; pizza: $14-28. AMBIANCE: Upbeat.

It’s going to be a bittersweet New Year’s Eve at Wit & Wisdom in Harbor East. As the fireworks fall over the Inner Harbor on December 31, Michael Mina’s waterfront tavern inside the Four Seasons Baltimore will serve its final Chesapeake fare.

Beginning January 1, Atlas Restaurant Group will transform the space into a new dining destination that is expected to open mid-2019. The yet-to-be-announced concept will be Atlas’ fourth inside the hotel, which also houses Azumi, Loch Bar, and the scenic Bygone on the top floor.

“We are honored to operate a fourth concept in the hotel,” said Alex Smith, founder and president of Atlas Restaurant Group in a statement. “The addition of another unique restaurant will make the hotel a dining and entertainment destination unlike any other in the region.”

Former executive chef Zack Mills joined the Wit & Wisdom team six months after it opened in 2011, and quickly stepped into the role as executive chef months later. Though he left the restaurant in June to open True Chesapeake Oyster House, Mills is quick to point out that his years at Wit & Wisdom were essential to his growth, especially as he prepares to open his own spot.

“I owe my career to that restaurant,” he tells us. “It’s hard to put into words how much it’s meant to me over the years and what it will continue to mean to me in the future.”

Aside from its stellar wine program, the tavern was best known for its dishes that showcased Eastern Shore seafood—a philosophy that Mills, an Anne Arundel County native, was happy to continue.

“It was always our goal to showcase the Chesapeake to the best of our ability and simply do Maryland cuisine justice,” Mills says. “And if our story resonated with just a couple of people, then I think we did our job properly.”

Throughout his five-year stint in the kitchen, Mills recalls the special wine dinners, charity events benefitting No Kid Hungry, and cooking alongside Mina himself—whom Mills describes as being one of his greatest mentors.

Above all, he says he will miss the tight-knit team of cooks, sous chefs, and managers—many of whom he still keeps in contact with.

“I see restaurants as living beings,” he says. “And the lifeblood, bones, and the heart of the restaurants are the people in them. Those people will definitely be in my heart for the rest of my life.”

OPEN

Urban Plates: After a successful debut at Tysons Corner earlier this summer, California chain Urban Plates is opening its second East Coast location at the Mall in Columbia on Monday, August 27. The restaurant’s rustic-meets-modern vibe features interior greenery, hanging lights, and dark woods throughout. And although the eatery focuses on cafeteria-style service, don’t expect the same options that were served at your college dining hall. Chefs stand behind the counter to prepare scratch-made meals ranging from a Nicoise salad with grilled ahi to a plate of barbecue ribs in a habanero-mango sauce. Diners can mix-and-match entrees with sides (think roasted Old Bay potatoes and beet salad with walnuts) and desserts including chocolate pudding and a mango tart. 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, 443-741-8787.

Baltimore Built Bistro: For many local barflies, there’s still a wave of nostalgia that hits when walking past the old Bad Decisions space on Fleet Street in Fells Point. But now, a new dining concept is breathing life into the vacant space. Baltimore Built Bistro (B3) will officially cut the ribbon on Friday, August 24 at 3 p.m. Featuring a menu of specialty cocktails, soups, sandwiches, appetizers, and other lite fare, the bistro will be open for lunch and dinner on weekdays and serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Stop by during opening weekend to sample dishes such as a poached pear salad, grilled chicken sandwich with cranberry pesto, or house burger topped with raw onion on a toasted bun. 1928 Fleet St. 443-438-9564

Charles Village Pub: The wait is finally over, Charles Village. Since the community’s beloved watering hole suffered a grease fire and was forced to shut down back in May, locals have been waiting (some more patiently than others) to return for burgers, wings, discounted drinks, and some quality time with friends and neighbors. And now, the reopening has officially been set for Thursday, August 23. Belly up to the bar this weekend to toast CVP’s return and long future ahead. 3107 St. Paul St. 410-243-1611

COMING SOON

Atlas Restaurant Group Expands to Washington, D.C.: The homegrown restaurant group that birthed Harbor East hotspots Ouzo Bay, Azumi, Loch Bar, Tagliata, The Elk Room, and Italian Disco is expanding its footprint even further in 2019. Aside from opening additional spinoffs in Boca Raton, Florida and Houston, Texas later this year, Atlas recently announced plans to debut two new restaurants at the Moxy Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. Slated to open in spring 2019, the first of the to-be-determined concepts will take over two floors of the historic Victorian building adjacent to the hotel, which dates back to 1875. The second will be a rooftop restaurant on the top floor of the Moxy. 1011 K. St NW, Washington, D.C.

Avenue Kitchen Launching Late-Night Taco Spot: Riding on the success of Garden Party, the freestanding wine-and-charcuterie shop stationed at the center of the Rotunda shopping center in Hampden, the owners of Avenue Kitchen & Bar are opening yet another kiosk on the property—this time focusing on tacos. Partners Patrick Dahlgren and Bill Irvin have taken to Facebook to poll patrons on the name of the late-night taco spot, which will either be called The Red Eye (a nod to the late flight from the West to the East Coast) or LIT, which stands for “little interesting tacos.” Night owls will be happy to hear that the shop, expected to open in late September, plans to serve its tacos, burritos, and other Mexican staples from lunchtime until 3 a.m. 711 W. 40th St.

Himalayan Yak: The Canton dining scene will soon welcome this Nepalese spot from Mohan Thapa, the owner of Masala Kitchen in Charles Village and Kumari Restaurant and Bar in Mt. Vernon. Taking over the former home of Cask & Grain—which shuttered its doors back in June—on O’Donnell Square, the spot will highlight authentic Nepalese and Indian dishes such as paneer chili, chicken vindaloo, lamb kabobs, and vegetable samosas. Himalayan Yak will open with dine-in and carry-out service, and plans to start delivery in the area in the coming weeks. 2823 O’Donnell St. 410-522-7678

Streets Market & Cafe: Earlier this week, Streets Market & Cafe—the independent grocery chain that has a store downtown on North Charles Street—announced plans to open a second Baltimore location at Yard 56, the forthcoming office-and-retail development in Greektown. Expected to open next year, the 23,000-square-foot market will offer its fresh produce, meat, seafood, baked goods, and organic household products to the Southeast Baltimore community. “Streets Markets adds an important shopping element to this development,” said David Bramble of property manager MCB Real Estate, in a press release. “Our intent is to create a project that becomes a regular part of the lives and routines of the local community.” 5601 Eastern Avenue.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

8/23: Scalawags Pit Meat Pop-Up at Gnocco
Scalawags Pit Meat, the smokin’ side project spearheaded by Gnocco general manager Sam White, is hosting a pop-up at the Highlandtown hangout tonight from 6-9 p.m. White will be mixing up whiskey cocktails—made with spirits from Republic Restoratives Distillery in Washington, D.C.—with guest bartender Alex Higdon. Aside from taking advantage of the all-night happy hour deals, be sure to sample all of the mouthwatering beef, turkey, and ribs that Scalawags pit master Kevin James will be serving up from his beloved barrel smoker. 3734 Fleet St. 6 p.m. Free. 443-449-6540.

8/30: Summer in Provence Dinner
If you haven’t had the chance to check out Ludlow Market, the new concept in the former Wine Market Bistro space in Locust Point, Chef Christopher Audia is flexing his skills with a special wine pairings dinner highlighting the Provence region of France. The three-course menu features dishes such as roasted tomato soup, mussels, and rockfish in a saffron broth; braised short rib in a red wine jus; and cream-stuffed brioche in orange blossom water. 921 E. Fort Ave. 6:30 p.m. $69. 410-244-6166

COMING SOON

Checkerspot Brewing: After years of anticipation, a grand opening date for this South Baltimore brewery is finally in sight. Husband-and-wife brewers Rob and Judy Neff (who has her Ph.D in microbiology), and their business partner Steve Marsh—an industry veteran who founded the cask program at Heavy Seas Beer more than a decade ago—will officially open the taproom to the public on Saturday, June 30 at 12 p.m. Named after the state butterfly of Maryland, Checkerspot will feature signature releases including the Juniperus IPA and Two Paws Ale—a pale ale brewed in collaboration with Flying Dog Brewery that is made with 100-percent local malt, galaxy hops, honey, and paw-paw fruits. 175 W. Ostend St.

Blue Dog BBQ Company: Harbor East diners have been feeling the void ever since Dinosaur Bar-B-Que closed up shop in the neighborhood earlier this year. But now, a new destination for fingerlickin’ fare is making its way into the area. Set to open in the former home of Heavy Seas Alehouse, which closed suddenly earlier this month, local catering company Blue Dog BBQ will serve its signature whole-hog fare made with a wood-only smoking method. “No gas-assisted smokers allowed!” co-owner Sean Stoll quipped in a statement. The old Heavy Seas space is housed in the historic Tack Factory Building on Bank Street, which Stoll says is “the perfect fit” for his business. “It allows us to create world class BBQ the way it was meant to be made,” he adds. Blue Dog is expected to debut next month, and will offer lunch and dinner service six nights per week. 1300 Bank St.

Cheese Galore & More: In other South Baltimore news, this longtime Cross Street Market tenant is moving into a brick-and-mortar home around the corner in Federal Hill later this month. The cheese and sweets shop will soon open in the former HarborQue space on South Charles Street, offering beer, wine, pasta sauces, baguettes, Zeke’s Coffee, and all of the essentials for building a bona fide charcuterie board. 1125 S. Charles St.

NEWS

Atlas Restaurant Group Heads to the James Beard House: The national praise keeps on coming for Atlas Restaurant Group, which is heading to New York City to serve a meal at the James Beard House next Tuesday, June 12. The collaborative dining experience—prepared by the team behind Atlas’ Harbor East spots Azumi, Ouzo Bay, Tagliata, The Elk Room, Loch Bar, and The Bygone—will bring a taste of Baltimore to the Beard House with a five-course menu and wine pairings that fuse the styles of each restaurant. Featured dishes will include char-broiled Japanese ayu and sawagani crabs, squab tortellini with beets and blueberries, octopus with fava pureé, and spring lamb diablo with English peas.

ROSÉ ALL DAY

6/9: Rosé Tastings at Chez Hugo Bistro

Chez Hugo will be offering pink wine discounts in honor of National Rosé Day this Saturday, but the specials won’t stop there. The French bistro is continuing the celebration with a recurring rosé tasting series on Tuesdays throughout the month. Stop by on Tuesday evenings from 5-7 p.m. to pair chef Steve Monnier’s French bistro fare with four pours of local rosé. Next week’s installment will feature varieties from Bacchus Importers, followed by a tasting with Old Westminster Winery on June 19. Chez Hugo Bistro, 206 E. Redwood St. 5-7 p.m. 443-438-3002

6/11: Rosé Wine Dinner at The Outpost American Tavern

The Outpost in Federal Hill will also be featuring rosé specials throughout the weekend, leading up to this special three-course pairing dinner on Monday, June 11. Reserve your spot to enjoy a welcome cocktail and eats from executive chef Jesse Sandlin, which will all be served alongside pink pairings. The Outpost American Tavern, 1032 Riverside Ave., 6:30 p.m., $50, 443-388-9113

EPICUREAN EVENTS

6/7-10: St. Nicholas Greek Folk Festival

Head to Greektown Square for this four-day fête featuring arts, crafts, Greek wines, live music, dancing under the stars, and, of course, plenty of authentic eats. Get your fix of fire-roasted lamb, souvlaki, spanikopita, gyros, tzatziki, baklava and more at the decades-old community event. 701 S. Ponca St., Times vary, Free.

6/8: Friday Happy Hours at Power Plant Live
Grab your co-workers and head to this downtown entertainment district on Fridays throughout the summer for locally inspired drink deals including Wild Kombucha cocktails, boozy egg custard snowballs, traditional Orange Crushes, and strawberry margaritas with a Domino Sugar rim. Plus, there will be pop-up food trucks, live art installations, life-size board games, steel drum bands, and a live music lineup featuring national acts like Nelly on July 27 and Wyclef Jean on August 17. Power Plant Live, 34 Market Place, Free.

SHUT

Bill Bateman’s Towson: Towson University students and alumni were bummed to hear that this longtime on-campus hangout is closing its doors for good on Sunday, June 10. The local chain spot—best known for its crab pretzels, beer specials, and bottomless wings on Monday nights—first announced the closure on its Facebook page earlier this week. “We are so grateful to have been part of the Towson community for the past decade,” the post reads. “Our Monday nights will never be the same.” In an interview with the Baltimore Business Journal, co-owner Tony Gebbia cited campus construction and increased competition in the “current business environment” as the reasons behind the closure. There’s no word yet on what will become of the space. 7800 York Rd, Ste. 2, 410-296-2737

In honor of National Siblings Day, we rounded up Baltimore kin who own restaurants together. “It’s comforting working with someone you trust,” says Josh Sullivan, who co-owns Wet City with his older brother, PJ. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”

Joshua, 40, & Stephanie, 43 Hershkovitz, co-owners of Hersh’s Pizza

Early Years: “I was a terror,” says Josh. “I was a bully to her, a crazy little kid who took out the brunt of my emotions on her—I sprained her arm once, I jump-kicked her in the back. But when she went to college and I started high school, we became the best of friends.” Big Little Brother: “We definitely fought, but not in a mean way,” says Stephanie. “It’s just that Josh was a little maniac. Josh is much bigger than me—he came out of the womb the size I was at 3.” Food, Glorious Food: “We are doing this because we love food,” says Josh. “When we have time off, our families go out and eat together.” Air Time: “What makes it work is that we are good at clearing the air,” says Josh.  “A lot of siblings who work together have these big blow-ups. We have a lot of laughs—we keep it light.” Sleep On It: “When Josh got twin beds in his room when we were kids, I’d sleep in his room,” says Stephanie, “but I’d sleep walk and sleep talk and pull all the covers off of him. After that, my mom prevented me from sleeping in his room.” Cutting Corners: “The way that my mom tells the story is that you could put Stephanie in the corner with a book for two hours and, two hours later, she’d still be reading the book,” says Josh. “You’d take Josh and put him in the corner for two hours, and two hours later, the corner would be gone.”

Lori Gjerde, 47, and Carrie Podles, 44, co-owners of Wicked Sisters and Huck’s American Craft

Sister Act: “I’m much more quick-tempered and outspoken than she is,” says Lori. “I’m also much more of an abstract thinker.” Selling Out: “My sister always likes to remind me of the time that I sold all of her clothes at a consignment shop when she left for college,” says Lori. “I remember selling things—I just don’t remember them being her things!” Working It Out: “My dad probably went into shock looking down and seeing us working together,” says Carrie. “It would have made him happy.”

PJ, 40, and Josh Sullivan, 35, co-owners of Wet City

United They Stand: “Even as children, we’ve always stuck together,” says PJ. “Occasionally, a neighborhood mother would say Josh was too young to tag along with my crew, so I’d have to say, ‘Either he comes, too, or neither of us go.’” Dirty Jobs: “PJ is very good at getting things done,” says Josh. “He’s good at building relationships and using his network. I prefer getting my hands dirty. In high school, while he was getting the neighborhood kids together for some adventure, I was maintaining my VW Bug or learning how to make grandma’s raviolis.” Living the Dream: “It’s been a dream of ours to open a bar/brew pub for ages,” says PJ. “It’s finally all coming together!”

Alex, 33, and Eric Smith, 27, managing partners, The Atlas Restaurant Group  

For the Ages: “Eric and I always got along great because we were far apart in age,” says Alex. Personality Points: “I am very reserved and typically a quieter person,” says Eric. “Alex tends to be more outgoing, social, and more in the spotlight.” Brotherly Love: “It would be impossible to count how many things I have learned from Alex,” says Eric.  “He is the best mentor and business partner a younger brother could ask for.”

Even before you head up to Bygone at the top of the Four Seasons, the restaurant sets the stage with a dress code posted next to the elevator entrance. Just in case there’s any doubt that you’re about to enter a splendored world of hand-blown Zalto wine glasses, custom gold-rimmed Lenox china chargers, and arrangements fashioned from flowers and feathers, the style strictures—“Collared shirts are required for Gentlemen,” “Ladies may not wear baseball caps or beanies”—set the record straight about fine dining in Harbor East. And as you ascend 29 floors up to this rarified world (with an assist from a top-hatted elevator operator), there’s one more thing you need to know: Hold on to your wallet—sitting in the lap of luxury doesn’t come cheap.

With panoramic views, and soaring nearly 314 feet from Earth, Bygone takes the term “haute cuisine” literally. And the impact is dizzying—despite the oversized retro clock at the entrance, you’ll likely lose all sense of time and space when you dine and drink here. You might even forget that you’re in Baltimore altogether, except for the fact that beyond the towering walls of windows, Charm City glimmers with all of her unmistakable landmarks below—the Domino Sugars sign, the Key Bridge, and Camden Yards.

Welcome to Atlas Restaurant Group’s latest foodie fantasy, established in December of 2017, but, as the name suggests, seemingly out of another era, like a lavish set piece for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, complete with gueridon trolley service and yards of velvet curtains that separate many of the seating nooks and add to the theatricality. If it’s an escapist dining experience you’re after, beeline for Bygone.

The décor takes a cue from the glamour of the 1920s and ’30s, but the menu is a nod to the nouvelle cuisine of the ’60s, created as a more delicate alternative to traditional French cooking, with lighter sauces (though plenty heavy by American standards) and ingredients and flavors that had not been combined before. While Cordon Bleu-trained executive chef Matthew Oetting is interested in the past, he brings vintage dishes into the present in the form of respectable riffs such as scallops bourguignonne, a squab and foie gras eggroll, and duck flambé with lavender honey glaze.

Our dinner at Bygone began with drinks at the dimly lit bar, which is a mandatory stop for anyone investing in a meal here. Bar manager Will Escalante presides over an unprecedented whiskey selection (more than 600 bottles), though we went for a couple of classic vodka martinis served in delicate coupe glasses and garnished with gargantuan green olives. We could have lingered at the bar forever, but once we were seated for dinner, the opening bites of both the house-baked gruyère and pretzel rolls continued to lay the foundation for a mostly wow-worthy meal.

The house-cured gravlax starter with dill crème fraîche and “everything” spice with brioche toast points is a killer combo full of flavor and interesting textures. The tuna ravigote starter (made with canned tuna back in the day), gets recast as crudo with sashimi-grade fish, freshly grated horseradish, a cucumber fan, Champagne-marinated cherry tomatoes, and traditional ravigote sauce—a mixture of herbs including chervil, shallots, and tarragon. Entrees are similarly reimagined classics. 

Take the grand Beef Wellington, a seared piece of house-butchered prime rib wrapped in Rainbow Swiss Chard and shitake mushroom duxelles, all tucked inside a pocket of pastry. Though the puff pastry was more doughy than delicate, the meat was incredibly tender and juicy. Swiss Chard is also employed as bedding for a delicate, pan-seared piece of golden Dover Sole Meunière, freshly flown in from Holland and served with a sauce of capers, lemon, and roasted chestnut-brown butter that adds notes of nuttiness and makes the flavor profile more modern. The golden-crusted fish was exquisite, and almost too much for one person to eat, but prepare yourself for sticker shock—the à la carte dish is a jaw-dropping $95.

If you’re watching your dining dollars, a lunchtime visit is still a splurge, but less so than dinner. The menu focuses predominantly on soups, salads, and sandwiches. Consider the Crab Louie, clumps of Venezuelan crab meat mounded on a simple salad of romaine, topped with hard-boiled egg and avocado, and dressed with a creamy and kicky dressing. On the more indulgent end, we enjoyed a marvelous, but messy, lobster club, including Bibb lettuce, tomato, red onion, fried shallots, and six ounces of Maine claw meat spilling out of a house-made brioche bun slathered with honey mustard and avocado mayo. Don’t miss the sweet and smoky lobster bisque. My companion’s comment that she wanted to “lick the bowl”—as she came up for air between sips of the cognac cream broth—said it all.

Service was unerring, though overly eager at times. During dinner service, as if on cue, our waiter said, “May I?” a few too many times as dirty dishes were cleared and new ones arrived. Several times, we caught him peeping out from behind the velvet curtains to gauge our reactions, but it’s hard to fault someone for caring too much. As we headed to the elevator with our parting gifts in hand—chocolate truffles nestled in a tiny gold box—we looked forward to an encore performance.

BYGONE 400 International Dr., 443-343-8200. HOURS: Lunch: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner: Sun.-Wed. 4-10 p.m.; Thurs.-Fri. 4 p.m.-midnight; Sat. 5-midnight. PRICES: Appetizers, soups, salad: $10-44; entrees: $24-95; desserts: $9-16. AMBIANCE: Retro glamour.

As kids, brothers Alex and Eric Smith always looked forward to visiting their grandfather—the late H&S Bakery founder and prominent waterfront developer John Paterakis Sr.—at his office on Bond Street in Fells Point. For them, spending the day with their grandfather at work also meant walking one block over to the bustling Broadway Market for lunch.

“It was always packed with people,” recalls Alex, now the founder and owner of Atlas Restaurant Group. “At that time in the late ’80s and early ’90s, both the North and South sheds were open, and there were tons of options. There was a Chinese vendor and a fried chicken guy, and I remember waiting in line to eat at those places as a kid.”

The market has deteriorated significantly in the decades since, but now, Atlas—which operates restaurants including Ouzo Bay, Loch Bar, and Tagliata in Harbor East—has partnered with longtime Canton crab house Captain James Landing to restore the market’s South shed back to its former glory.

“The first thing I did when I moved back to Fells Point after college in 2012 was walk around the neighborhood to really see what was going on,” recalls Eric. “And I just remember this serious sense of sadness to see the state of decay that the market was in. So, when the opportunity arose, it was something we jumped on.”

The brothers had been friendly with Captain James owner Billy Tserkis (Eric says they routinely dine there in the summer), and felt that he would be the perfect partner to launch an authentic crab house concept. As it turns out, Tserkis also has a strong connection to the property. His father, George, operated a traditional Greek bakery inside the market from 1981 to 1983.

“It was called Acropol, which was an abbreviation for Acropolis,” Tserkis shares. “They sold homemade bread, Greek pastries, rice pudding, and stuff like that. I always knew he worked there, but it wasn’t until recently with all of this coming up that I found he actually ran it.”

Though details about the design for the new restaurant, The Choptank, are still in the works, Alex says that the spot will be a fusion of both brands that offers traditional Maryland staples—including the Eastern Shore-style fried chicken that he loved to get at the market for lunch as a kid.

“This wasn’t like KFC,” he remembers. “I used to love fried chicken as a kid, and at the market, they fried a chicken and it was big. So we’re going to have a pressure cooker and do the same thing. We’re also going to make our own ribs, and hard-shell crabs are going to be a big component.”

While the seafood aspect is similar to both Captain James and Atlas’ Loch Bar concept in Harbor East, Alex says the crab house will have its own vibe with a more expansive menu.

The plans for the restaurant are part of the Baltimore Public Market Corporation’s multi-million-dollar revitalization of the historic property that dates back to 1786. Construction on the North shed between Fleet and Aliceanna streets, which has sat vacant for years, is slated to begin in July 2018. Existing tenants operating in the South shed will be offered leases in the redesigned North shed when it opens early next year.

Once that transition occurs, the Atlas team will begin construction on the new restaurant—which will be just under 5,000 square feet and seat 150 guests inside. By comparison, the team says that the space is about the same size as Ouzo Bay. They expect for the restaurant to debut Memorial Day weekend of 2019.

“We’re not looking to put in a five-star restaurant that is going to be $150 per person,” Alex adds. “It’s going to be priced for the neighborhood.”

Community associations have voiced concerns about the prospect of a restaurant group moving into the neighborhood, which is largely comprised of small businesses. Owners are quick to point out the differences between this project and the recent overhaul at Cross Street Market.

“We have nothing to do with the ownership of the market—we’re not writing our own rules,” Alex says. “We’re simply a tenant renting the space. A huge part of the reason we’re doing this is because our grandfather invested capital and fixed up the waterfront at a time when it was industrial and run down. Even though we’re just getting started, this is our small way of reinvesting into the community.”

Tserkis says that he’s looking forward to staying close to Canton, where Captain James has operated for nearly 40 years.

“I grew up in the Fells Point area,” he says. “I didn’t live there, but I might as well have since I was at the restaurant 18 hours a day ever since I was 12 years old. It’s great to be able to stay in a neighborhood with such a historic nature to it.”

Reinvigorating the market and harkening back to its bustling roots is a priority for Atlas, whose lease will extend through the building’s 250-year anniversary in 2036.

“What’s exciting is to get in there and give back to make the neighborhood a little bit stronger,” Eric says. “I go there all the time when the bars are packed with people spilling out. And in the center of all of that chaos, you have this market in total darkness. We just want to bring some light there for the people of Fells Point.”

Atlas Restaurant Group’s Azumi staffers took an eight-day, mid-March field trip to the Motherland.

With Google Translator in hand, the group (including Atlas owner-brothers Alex and Eric Smith, general manager Josh Gray, Azumi executive chef Andy Gaynor, and bar manager Kyamran Aliyev) made their way on a bullet train from Toyko to Kyoto and back again.

The world travelers report that they consumed as much as they could, from blowfish liver and wasabi flower to green tea cocktails and sake slushies—all in the name, of work—aka research and development, of course for the upscale Harbor East Japanese restaurant.   

“We ate like Hobbits,” says Gray.  “It was breakfast, lunch, supper, dinner—anytime we’d see something walking around the markets at one of the stands like scallops with a piece of uni or fresh tomago, we’d try that.”
 

Highlights of the trip included eating robatayaki grilled fare, meeting legendary Rocking Chair bar owner Kenji Tsuborkura (and winner of Japan’s Cocktail of the Year), as well as touring a sake brewery and visiting the famed Sagano Bamboo Forest, complete with wild monkeys.  

Azumi fans will soon get a taste of the trip. As a result of the research and development, there will be tweaks on the menu with a wider variety of seasonal fish, one-bite appetizers, the addition of robata and teppanaki grill to an even wider sake selection and unique cocktails.  

“It was all next level there,” says Gaynor, who will also display his maguro tuna sword souvenir behind the bar. “I’ve always wanted to go to Japan. Seeing how different cultures operate and how different people serve food was life-changing.”
 

Sums up Sweeney. “Josh said it best. “We are trying to create the perfect Japanese restaurant concept here, but there it’s not a concept—it’s life.’”

All photography by Joe Sweeney

Matthew Oetting was initially hired by the Atlas Restaurant Group to oversee the kitchen at Bygone, but first worked as executive chef at the group’s Loch Bar for two years, while waiting for the fine-dining restaurant to open at the top of the Four Seasons. With the recent restaurant debut, Oetting, who came to Baltimore from kitchens in Miami (Scarpetta) and New York (Telepan, The Modern), talks nouvelle cuisine, vintage menus, and the local restaurant scene.
 

I know you did a lot of research as you were conceptualizing and creating Bgyone’s menu. What was your process?
When I was doing research, I was having a hard time finding menus from the mid-19th century. I reached out to the research librarian at [my alma mater] Arizona State University and he put me in contact with a colleague named Chris, who specializes in culinary history—he was an amazing resource. He started sending me menus from the period. The first few that he sent were from the ’20s, ’30 and ’40s— he ambiance of The Great Gatsby was the era they were going shooting for when they were conceptualizing Bygone.

But the menus that came through were extremely bare bones. In the era of the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s, the menus aren’t all that impressive, not many had composed dishes with the protein, the starch, the vegetables, the sauce all on one plate. It was all very broken up—there was the vegetable section, there was the potato section, the chop section, and the seafood sections. Some of these menus had 15 different sections on one page. Chris said to me, ‘You have to remember what was happening in history at that time—they were just coming out of the Depression and then World War II. People weren’t spending money in late ’20s, early ’30s and through the war.’ Eating out wasn’t really a focal point. 

So how did you arrive at this particular menu full of French-inspired classics?

Chris said, ‘If you want to look at menus from the ’50 and ’60s, you’ll see something a lot different, so he started sending menus from that era, and they were incredibly impressive. It was the dawn of nouvelle cuisine, and chefs started putting together composed plates. People were going to restaurants after World War II and had money to spend—that’s where the inspiration for the menu started to take shape. I had 40 menus in these huge, three-ring binders that I used as a basis for the Bygone menu. 

You’ve said that this is the food that speaks to your heart and soul. Can you elaborate?

A lot of the preparations are very home-style. Cooking dishes like whole roasted duck and chicken and roasted brisket come from the heart. A lot of the dishes have long preparations that take two, three, four, five, six days. Preparing these kinds of dishes gives me a warm feeling. Being able to transform it for the modern palate is what I’m about.  

Are there any menus in particular that spoke to you?

One of my favorites was The Golden Lion in Seattle. It had a lobster section like we do at Bygone, it had frog’s legs and crab legs and medallions of veal Oscar, and all of these great classic preparations. I was also inspired by menus at The Oak Room in the Plaza Hotel in New York. I collected menus from the Beverly Hill Hotel menu in 1956 and the 21 Club’s 1961 menu.
The food from this particular period was flexible.   

There’s a lot of nostalgia here for an older crowd, but there are younger people for whom this will be new. Do you hear that from customers?

Yes, there are a lot of millennials coming in, and I think they like the throwback—they recognize that it’s a throwback, but don’t know what it’s a throwback to.
 

Did you draw on any other inspirations for the menu?

New Orleans at that time, and still somewhat today, was a culinary mecca. French Creole cooking was extremely popular at the time. I put Creole snapper blackened and served with crawfish étouffée and dishes like Cajun fried cauliflower on the menu as an homage.  

If you’re a chef, even if you’re opening a New American spot or a steakhouse, you need classical training. Why is that?

It’s the foundation of everything you do modernly. How could you know how to make Hollandaise foam if you can’t make Hollandaise? How could you know how to make a preparation using Bordelaise sauce, if you don’t know how to make Bordelaise sauce? That’s what makes Bygone so cool. It takes dishes like tuna ravigote and vichyssoise and brings them back to the forefront. These are dishes that people have forgotten about for 50 years—now they are new and exciting again. Without the understanding of what nouvelle cuisine was at that time, we wouldn’t be anywhere. Paul Bocuse just passed away and his impact on the culinary community was huge. Without him, we wouldn’t know how to make some of the things that we have today or have some of the chefs that we have today.  

These dishes are really complicated—it’s not like working somewhere where you’re just flipping burgers on the grill. Has that made it hard to find people to cook?

We’ve had a lot of cooks come through, and I’ve had to let a lot go. I’ve had to say, ‘Listen, I’m sorry, it’s not that you’re not a good cook or can’t cook, it’s just that you’re not ready for this particular kitchen.’ This is high end—you have to be very skilled and have a very strong foundation to know what you’re doing here.   

When you get out to eat, where do you like to go?

I just went to Alma Cocina Latina. One of my cooks works as a sous chef there. I went there and had great arepas. La Cuchara is really great. I also like McFaul’s IronHorse Tavern near my house—there’s always good food and everyone needs a local spot.
 

How have you seen the culinary community change since you moved here?

I’ve seen the culinary community change in the two years since I’ve moved here. I see our community of chefs getting bigger and more prestigious. I don’t know what my direct impact on that is, but it’s a great feeling to know that you’re in a blossoming community.  

What’s the most valuable piece of advice you ever got from a mentor?

When I asked to move from my externship as garde manger to a paid line cook at the pasta station at Union Square Cafe, Chef de Cuisine Sandro Romano at told me, ‘You don’t become an astronaut overnight.’

Harbor East diners were crust-fallen (pun intended) when Bagby Pizza Co. served its last slice last week. But, happily for patrons, the oven hasn’t had time to cool before the announcement of a new pizza concept.

Atlas Restaurant Group has announced that it will be taking over the former Bagby space with a pizzeria called Italian Disco. The new restaurant, Atlas’s ninth in the neighborhood, is expected to undergo renovations and open in the spring of 2018.

As the name implies, Italian Disco will have an ’80s-theme (think Madonna to Mellencamp). In addition to serving New York-style pies, it will boast a Wurlitzer jukebox stocked with a music catalogue from the decade. The 75-seat space will offer quick-serve lunch options, dinner service, and a late-night menu until 2 a.m. The spot will also have an elevated DJ booth and a full bar featuring 50 draft beers.

“We want this concept to be a fun, casual spot for the neighborhood to enjoy good food and drinks,” says Atlas owner Alex Smith.

Executive chef Julian Marucci of Atlas’s neighboring Tagliata and The Elk Room will be at the helm of the wood-stone oven. In addition to pizza, Marucci will serve classic Italian appetizers, sandwiches, and entrees.

“Our menu will be very approachable and hit a price point option that does not currently exist in Harbor East,” Marucci says. “Nothing on the menu will be higher than $25.”

Although there’s a changing of the guard, the space has already been blessed by family. Smith’s cousin, Blake Smith, previously operated Bagby in the space for 10 years.

Blake, who confirmed Bagby’s closure to us last month, wishes his cousin well.

“Bagby was a great concept and certainly a fun 10 years, but onto other things,” Blake says. “I think you will like what Alex does in there.” 

The Atlas Restaurant Group‘s new Bygone at the top of the Four Seasons Baltimore is certainly staying true to its title. With silver-plated platters of caviar, gold-rimmed Lenox plates, hand-blown Austrian crystal stemware, Champagne, flambé and cigar guéridons, and the state’s largest whiskey bar, the opulent new space on the luxury hotel’s 29th floor, evokes what co-owner Alex Smith calls a “Gatsby-era grill” that’s something straight out of a period piece by designer Baz Luhrmann.

“We were looking for a use of Harbor East that the neighborhood doesn’t already have,” says Smith. “We thought high-end, classic American grill, not quite a steakhouse or a seafood house, but something to offer the best of both worlds. We wanted to go upscale because it’s the rooftop of the Four Seasons, and we thought it would be cool to have this classic space on top of a modern hotel.”

The space certainly evokes the luxury Gatsby-esque aspect, as well as offers panoramic views of the city—looking east to the Key Bridge and north to Towson. There’s a certain nostalgia here, like you’ve stepped back into Windows to the World in New York City or SkyCity at the top of Seattle’s space needle. But the Domino Sugars sign and Camden Yards reminds us where are, indeed, in Baltimore.

The menu itself, developed by Atlas corporate chef and Bygone executive chef Matthew Oetting, also harkens back to an earlier time, with dishes such as Lobster Newburg, duck flambé, Beef Wellington, and Dover Sole Meuniere front and center on the menu. A rotisserie oven for cooking ring-necked pheasant, ham porcelet, and hand-carved rib roast is a centerpiece of the open kitchen. Desserts are equally impressive and rich, crafted by pastry chef Cynthia Ruane. 

As Oetting proudly shows off an inspiration binder of menus from classic restaurants such as The Empire Room in Beverly Hills and The Golden Lion in Seattle, Oetting explains that his menu and recipe development were many months in the making. 

“We’re not trying to make a French restaurant here,” says the chef,  “but in the research I did most of the prestigious restaurants in America at that time were manned by French chefs and there was a lot of French influence on their menus.”

For the classically trained, award-winning chef, a “continental” menu presented a unique opportunity. Although Oetting has always had a love for classic French cuisine, his culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu was at odds with what was actually happening in restaurant kitchens. 

“Cuisine had become more modern with molecular gastronomy and sharing plates,” he says, “but I had a love for what was traditional French technique and cuisine and put that on the back-burner as I made my way through my culinary career.” 

Now that’s finally able to exercise his passion, the challenge for Oetting has been to blend the old with the new. “The question becomes, ‘How can we make that a little bit better and still preserve the era of the late ’40 early ’50s,’ but still make the food modernist enough for the modern palate?” he says. 

The bar program also echoes retro stylings with a contemporary and luxurious twist. Bar manager Will Escalante moved over from Ouzo Bay to head up the cocktail program at Bygone, which consists of a horseshoe-shaped bar with incredible waterfront views and a mezzanine bar above it that boasts dark woods, a library ladder, and an unprecedented whiskey selection. 

In fact, Bygone will have the largest whiskey selection in the state with 775 total bottles including some rare finds like more than a dozen varieties of Armagnac brandy, an Absinthe fountain for four, and two tableside cocktails inspired by vintage recipes. There will be a menu of 18 classic cocktails, with history and anecdotes for each. 

“I studied recipes in the Savoy Cocktail Book and guides by [bartender] Jerry Thomas,” Escalante says. “Some of these cocktails people might not be familiar with at first, but they each have a unique story to tell.”

With 450 reds and 250 whites, the wine selection is mostly French—pairing well with the cuisine—and is poured in hand-blown Zalto glasses. Smith says the champagne collection is the “largest in the state,” which will be on full display at Bygone’s New Year’s Eve bash, a sort of grand opening for the restaurant itself.

Bygone is the Atlas Restaurant Group’s eighth venture, including Habor East hotspots Ouzo Bay, Azumi, Loch Bar, Tagliata, The Elk Room, Harbor East Deli, and Ouzo Bay in Boca Raton, Florida. Smith says that Atlas plans to open three more properties “within a two-mile radius” of Harbor East in 2018. 

“Our restaurant group is my love letter to Baltimore, because I love the town so much,” Smith says. “We are trying to raise the bar by creating unique experiences for the people of Baltimore that they can only get in other cities.” 

Though Prohibition ended nearly 85 years ago, there’s still something enticing about speakeasy-style bars—those furtive, candlelit spaces adorned with vintage touches and punctuated by boozy cocktails.

Enter The Elk Room (1010 Fleet St., 410-244-5830), Atlas Restaurant Group’s new concept in the former Ten Ten space in Harbor East. While this speakeasy is a more Hollywood version—with its peephole entrance, crystal chandeliers, servers costumed in flapper dresses, jazzy covers of Top 40 tunes, and period bric-a-brac, including a massive elk head and grandfather clock—it succeeds where it matters. Namely, in the drinks department.

Back in the 1920s, barkeeps had to get creative to cover up illegal swill, and that spirit of invention plays out here. Bartenders Shaun Stewart, formerly of Gunther and Co., and Rob Vogel from Ten Ten crafted a seasonal menu that excels at classics with a twist. Our visit included a mojito made with liquid-nitrogen frozen mint and a Manhattan with coffee-infused bourbon. Another inspired elixir was the elegant Honeysuckle Rose with rhum agricole, lavender honey, and lemon juice. 

As you’d expect, The Elk Room’s selection of whiskey is quite impressive. To further the underground feel, there’s a passageway leading to a members-only cigar bar in the old Oliver Speck’s location. There’s a private poker room, as well as paid lockers for guests to store bottles and cigars.

The bar is also adjacent to Atlas’ new Italian chophouse concept, Tagliata, which means executive chef Julian Marucci runs the kitchen for both spaces. There are options like meat and cheese plates, but our favorite snacks were the boar nachos with Oaxaca cheese and jalapeños or the Brussels sprouts (a welcome holdover from Ten Ten) with peanuts, Fresno peppers, and sweet chili sauce. 

The menu spells out eight house rules including “no standing at the bar,” “no flash photography,” and “speak easy.” And you should pay heed because if you quiet down all the noise of the splashy décor and campy soundtrack, you can focus on what’s really important—the stellar cocktails and cuisine.

Before becoming a restaurateur, Alex Smith was a lax star who broke multiple National Collegiate Athletic Association records as a face-off specialist and captain of the University of Delaware Blue Hens lacrosse team. Now, as founder and president of Atlas Restaurant Group, the 33-year-old former Chesapeake Bayhawk has shown the same determination in tackling the culinary world. 

Clearly, Smith, who has a knack for opening instant hot spots faster than the speed of a lacrosse ball, has a keen understanding of how to compete successfully in the fierce world of running restaurants. In the past two years alone, he has opened Tagliata, The Elk Room, Loch Bar in Harbor East, and a second Ouzo Bay in Boca Raton; his Loch Bar Boca and a new project, The Bygone in Four Seasons Baltimore, are set to open any day now. With Tagliata, his latest venture in the 21202, Smith has demonstrated that he’s come a long way since his freshman season when he opened his first spot, a Harbor East Häagen-Dazs franchise. 

New restaurants, like fine wine, typically need time to breathe and blossom. But the 140-plus seat Italian chophouse (pronounced “tal-e-ata”), open since August in the former Fleet Street Kitchen space, already feels like a local institution. Dine here if you value impeccable service (rarely the hallmark of any new spot), fabulous food, and a glorious setting, including a piano bar, nightly live music, and some of the best alfresco seating in town.

With linen, velvet, wicker, and wood touches, Tagliata, which means sliced meat in Italian, feels like a sophisticated supper club. And success has come straight out of its black wrought-iron gate because Smith has assembled an A-team of veterans: executive chef and partner Julian Marucci, managing partner David Goodman, and sommelier John Kelley all trained across the street at Cinghiale; chef de cuisine Michael Correll is a holdover from Fleet Street Kitchen. Smith’s brother, Eric, is a partner and also on hand to help oversee the Atlas beverage program, including the 1,000-plus label wine program, purported to be the biggest in the state.

The oversized menu features neo-Italian interpretations such as lasagna with rabbit ragu and bruschetta with duck confit, plus an assortment of house-made charcuteries, steaks and chops, house-made pastas, and crudi. Though they’re hidden at the bottom of the menu, the holy trinity of Italian classics (chicken Parm, tagliatelle Bolognese, veal saltimbocca) are among the very best items to order. Across several visits, we sampled the better part of the menu, where Marucci’s passion for precision is evident in almost every dish. The eggplant Parmigiana was pure comfort food nestled in a blanket of top-flight ingredients, including house-made mozzarella, a stellar tomato sauce, and a crispy crust of eggs, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese still bubbling over the sides when it arrived at our table. While intended as an entrée, it’s also great as a shareable appetizer.

Equally enjoyable was an appetizer of light-as-a-cloud meatballs accompanied by a dollop of whipped ricotta. A Caprese salad with mozzarella and just-off-the-vine heirloom tomatoes felt like a fitting farewell to the end of summer. As for entrees, the chicken marsala, featuring hen-of-the-woods, oyster and porcini mushrooms, aces every ingredient and is something to write home about, especially so when you use the Cunningham Farms focaccia to sop up the sauce.

House-made pastas are also memorable. First and foremost was a dish of ramp spaghetti and clams (cockles, manila and razor) that was beautifully briny and pungent, thanks to the garlicky flavor of the wild onions. Also of note is the visually striking squid ink campanelle with sea-urchin cream sauce and fat clumps of Eastern Shore crabmeat. This decadent dish, a study in umami, really is as good as it looks. If you want to continue your visit to the sea, move on to the seafood stew, studded with mussels, clams, rings of octopus, several shrimp, and a hunk of bronzino. This dish was inspired by Marucci’s honeymoon trip to Ravello years ago and clearly comes from the heart. Additonally, options abound for the meat lover at the table. Ours ordered the beef tenderloin, a hand-cut filet that was melt-in-your-mouth divine and came with a choice of several sauces.

As with any dining experience, it’s the little moments that matter, like the basket of aged Parm brought to the table at the top of the meal. (Feel no shame asking for more. On one visit, our mobile cheese monger made three trips to the table to shave shards from his 88-pound aged wheel.) Service hit all the high notes—from the well-versed staff able to explicate with clarity and confidence, to the changing of cutlery between courses, to a swift replacement round of napkins when one of my dining partners dropped his on the floor. With restaurant openings, as with many things in life, practice makes perfect. 

TAGLIATA 1012 Fleet St., 410-244-5830. HOURS Sun.-Thurs. 4-10 p.m., Fri. 4 p.m.-12 a.m., Sat. 6 p.m.-12 a.m. PRICES Soups/salads/crudi/appetizers: $9-24; pastas: $18-48; steaks/chops: $34-125; entrees: $19-48; desserts: $9. AMBIANCE Italian idyll.