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“Our staff has been running around, volunteering, cleaning, and trying to work shifts where they can,” he said. “The restaurant industry is a very tight-knit community. We all go to each other’s places and take care of each other. So many people have reached out and let us know they’ve got open spots for us.”

Kendzierski says he has found solace in Maryland’s service industry, which has been supporting him and his staff since the flood. Like its neighboring businesses, Ellicott Mills’ to-do list from the damage is extensive—salvaging brewing equipment, replacing walk-ins and freezers, and re-plumbing a majority of its pipe system.

But, Kendzierski says, they were one of the luckier businesses in town.

“You know it’s bad when you feel lucky to only have a couple-hundred-thousand dollars in damage,” he said. “The further you get down the hill, the worse off they are.”

To show solidarity with other neighborhood bars and restaurants, Kendzierski and others have formed the Ellicott City Hospitality Association, something that was prompted by the flood but had been an idea for a while.

“This experience has made us realize that we are better as one voice when it comes to dealing with the county and other partnerships,” he says. “These are relationships we’ve had for the last 20 years.”

That camaraderie was on hand Sunday night when Kendzierski and Phoenix Emporium owner Mark Hemmis both bartended at a benefit at the newly opened Bad Decisions in Fells Point.

The event is just the latest example of how fellow service industry employees have been supporting Ellicott City businesses. From Alexander’s Tavern in Fells Point to The Greene Turtle in Westminster to Dock Street in Annapolis to Power Plant Live downtown, bars have been raising money, hiring bartenders, and hosting events to benefit recovery.

“I am not surprised because it’s Baltimore,” Kendzierski said. “That’s what people here do. You’ve got everyone from the little guy to the bigwigs offering up their help. This is a people-driven industry. People love our bartenders, servers, and kitchen staff and they need to make a living. To us, they are a more valuable asset than any building.”

As for next steps in the recovery process, Howard County has told business owners that it will start allowing pedestrian traffic on Main Street on September 20, and Kendzierski is anxious to get back into his space and start repairs.

“Rick and I have both worked there longer than we’ve lived in our homes,” he said. “Neither of us are old, but neither of us are young. We are incredibly invested in this space and ready to get back in there and start hammering away.”

The next event to benefit Ellicott Mills Brewing will take place at Della Rose’s in Nottingham on Sunday and donations can always be made to the ongoing GoFundMe campaign. Plus, see our continually updated list of ways to help Ellicott City businesses recover.

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EAT

August 12-13: Ejji Ramen at Lexington Market

Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 410-435-8688.

This weekend, the raved-over ramen of Belvedere Square will travel downtown as Ejji sets up shop in
the historic Lexington Market. Toting its go-to classics and specialty eats,
indulge in the adventurous likes of mac-and-cheese ramen dogs, street eat
comforts like pulled pork buns with hoisin glaze, and, of course, those hot bowls of ramen, with
two broths, two noodles, and mix-and-match add-ons to chose from.

DRINK

August 13: Bad Decisions

Bad Decisions, 1928 Fleet St. 5 p.m.-2
a.m. 410-979-5161.

We announced the changes a few weeks ago, and this weekend, the
iconic Baltimore corner bar will once and for all and forever close its Fleet
Street doors. Known for its bible of craft cocktails and baskets of bacon, the
unapologetic dive will be clearing out what’s left of the bar, which at this
point is the top-shelf stuff—think $5 rails of Ketel One and Buffalo Trace—and
whatever griddled pork products are left in the little kitchen in the back. Sit
beneath that crooked painting of Kramer, barter with John to see if you can buy
it, then raise a glass into the air, and follow the sign on the door:
make some. Long live Bad Decisions. We’ll
see you soon enough, on the corner of Aliceanna and Bond.

SEE

August 13: Dog Days of Summer Block Party

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.
4:30-8:30 p.m. Free. 410-276-1651.

The Dog Days
of summer are upon us, with temperatures in the high 90’s and Labor Day right
around the corner. Make the most of the mid-summer heat with your beloved canines
at a Highlandtown gathering of four-legged friends. At this second annual block
party, let your Dachshund take a dip in one of many doggy pools or let your
black Lab free to tackle tennis balls until he tuckers out. Even if you’re
pooch-less, come and feast your eyes on all the adorable furballs. Dig into
human eats from Snake Hill and adult beverages from Flying Dog Brewery, with
plenty of treats for the pups (plus art activities for the kids).

HEAR

August 12-13: Jerry Garcia Celebration

The 8×10, 10 E. Cross St. 9 p.m. $18.
410-625-2000.

It’s been more than 20 years since the Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia passed away, but his legacy and music are as strong as ever, hence this weekend’s two-day celebration. On Friday and Saturday in Federal Hill, don your dancing bears and tie-dye and join Cris Jacobs and friends to sing along to the songs we’ve come to know and love. “Touch of Grey.” “Sugar Magnolia.” “Casey Jones.” Let the legend of Jerry live on, well into the wee hours of the night.

DO

August 13: ParkFest

Corner of Park Ave. & Centre St. 12-8
p.m. Free.

Introducing the
first annual ParkFest on historic Park Avenue in the middle of Mt. Vernon. In
this new way to celebrate the city, take advantage of Baltimore’s very best
outside on the streets, with all local music, eats, art, and drinks. Dig into
handmade pies by Best of Baltimore-winning Well Crafted Pizza. Sip on brews by
the neighborhood’s own Brewer’s Art. Indulge in the not-so-new-anymore Mt.
Vernon Marketplace, featuring trendy vendors like The Local Oyster, Pinch
Dumplings, and Taps Fill Station, and grab some gifts from the likes of Charm
City Soaps, Bowerbox Press, and Hampden’s Bazaar. All the while, hear the
sounds of our city, starting with Caleb Stine and The Brakeman, followed by DJ
Palombo Vacanthaus, Jordan August Band, Landis Expandis, and OSLO Acoustic Soul
Music.

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The 6,000-square-foot space is quite an upgrade for the dive, whose plans include three distinct bar areas and a brand new kitchen. Reusing said he hopes the downstairs bar would cater to the more casual drinker, while the second floor will emulate the original Bad Decisions feel.

“We want to make the bottom floor accessible to everyone,” he says. “People can order stuff like draft beer, one-and-one mixed drinks, and house wine. More of an everyman bar. The second floor will have a craftier vibe, with our original cocktail book available.”

Reusing explained that the move was only a matter of time, since his current space is suffering from roof issues and water damage. He had been looking at a few properties when he came upon The Get Down nightclub, which officially closed last August.

“I’ve been putting out feelers for a while now,” he says. “I had to move out of this space, and it only made sense to go bigger. Though this is a lot bigger.”

The expanded space will allow Reusing and his team to offer more amenities, like running nightly specials, hosting private events, and featuring tap takeovers and beer dinners. When asked if he’d want to harken back to the days of Fletcher’s and feature live music, Reusing was on the fence.

“We’re licensed for it, but I don’t know,” he says. “I want to get into the space first and feel it out.”

Reusing is excited about the build-out of a brand new kitchen and installing a smoker, which will help him enhance his popular bacon happy hours and offer a menu of “dive bar snacks” to customers (BLTs will be a central focus). Though working with the city and receiving permits can slow down any timeline, Reusing is hopeful that the new space will be open August 19.

For now, Reusing is pre-selling deals to customers to help fundraise the space. Some options include a drink named after you on the new menu, a private cocktail class, and tickets to VIP bacon nights.

“It’s going to be the same theme and have a similar feel to Bad Decisions,” Reusing says. “Just better designed and with room to grow.”

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EAT

April 1-2: Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ

Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Rd., Timonium. Fri. 6-10 p.m., Sat. 12-6 p.m. $29-89. 410-252-0200.

With temperatures regularly breaking 60 and flops increasingly found flipping down city streets, we find ourselves over spring fever and full on ready for summer. All we can think about is boats, Bohs, Birds, and backyard barbecues. But it’s still a bit nippy out there, so this weekend at the fairgrounds, this 10th annual booze-and-meat fest has you covered. Inside a warm warehouse, indulge in summertime eats like whole hogs, smoked sandwiches, and rack-of-rib treats. Wash it all down with more than 60 beers and 40 bourbons, from homegrown breweries like Heavy Seas, Brewer’s Art, Flying Dog, Monument City, and Key Brewing to big name distilleries like Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, and Booker’s. After all that, if you’re feeling lucky, break a leg on the dance floor to live music or test your strength in bacon-eating or stein-holding contests. By the end of it, your belly will be properly lined for Opening Day.

DRINK

April 2: Orange Spring

Bad Decisions, 1928 Fleet St. 9 p.m. 410-979-5161.

Life’s too short to not make some bad decisions. This Saturday, make a good one and head to the aptly named Fells Point watering hole for a guest shift by Doug Atwell of the recently shuttered craft cocktail palace, Rye. To get in the Orioles spirit, he’ll be bartending in celebration of American baseball, with specialty drinks like “Crush Davis,” “BUCKle Up,” “There’s No Crying in Baseball,” and a “Walk Off Win” (ranging from $8-10). Whatever drink you choose, shenanigans will surely ensue. Just be sure to grab a basket of bacon (yes, a basket of bacon) before you stumble out.

SEE

April 1: The Dark Lab

Station North, 120 W. North Ave. 5-10 p.m. Free.

Over the past few months, local artists Ada Pinkston and Hoesy Corona have hosted a series of pop-up performances throughout Station North that asked people on the street the same question: “What gives you light?” After collecting and interpreting their responses, the duo now presents Dark City, a temporary art installation around the Man/Woman sculpture in Penn Station Plaza, which opens with performances on Friday night. This bilateral contemporary art exhibit builds off the innovative performance art group, LabBodies, and runs simultaneously to Light City’s Neighborhood Lights displays, as well as the opening of a new solo show by Sondheim Artscape Prize winners, Wickerham & Lomax, at Terrault Contemporary on Saturday night.

HEAR

April 1-3: Light City

Locations & times vary. Free.

If you can’t tell, we’ve really taken a liking to Light City. We were a little confused by the concept at first, but as soon as the sun set on Monday night, we fully embraced the festival for all of its eclectic energy, especially including the music. On Friday, hear funky indie-pop-rockers Fractal Cat before L.A.’s dance-pop one-man-band Robert DeLong. On Saturday, don’t miss the brand-new Baltimore orchestra Symphony Number One in Harbor East before heading over to Light Street to see local electronic legend Dan Deacon. Afterwards, hit up the Mosaic after-party with DJ James Nasty and drink specials. On Sunday, swing by Christopher Schaefer’s jazz band To The Moon before local rapper DJ Spank Rock closes out the night.

DO

April 2: Bluewater Baltimore Project Clean Stream

Locations vary. 9 a.m. Free. 410-254-1577.

After all the eating, drinking, and Light Citying you’ll be doing this weekend, take a few hours to give back to a good cause during Bluewater Baltimore’s spring cleanup. Last year they removed more than 93,000 pounds of trash from city streets and area waterways, and this year, they’re shooting for even bigger numbers. On Saturday, rally some friends for a morning of green-giving around the city. With events in Canton, Harbor East, Highlandtown, Old Goucher, Hampden, Woodberry, and Mondawmin, Gwynns Falls, and many more, you can beautify your own neighborhood or get to know new necks of the woods by sprucing them up, too.

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In the piece’s introduction, David Wondrich and other editors explain that they’ve eschewed the speakeasy trend a bit. “This year we’ve got more bars than ever, but fewer speakeasy-style craft-cocktail bars,” they write. “There’s a reason for that. Ten years on, some of the people who were opening those geeky bars are older and mellower, and they’re taking what they learned and ditching the bow ties and door policies and putting in a few draft lines and maybe a dartboard.”

With that in mind, it’s no wonder that Bad Decisions made the list. The bar, which we have given love to in
previous “Best of Baltimore” issues, has a thick book of innovative cocktail recipes developed by owner John Reusing and his staff. But there is zero pretense here. Most nights you’ll find customers playing Jenga, snacking on bacon treats, or chatting up the bartenders (who are in T-shirts and certainly not bow ties). It’s a neighborhood bar that just happens to have really, really great cocktails.

Here is what
Esquire had to say: “A corner tap—the former Island II Bar & Grill—taken over by people who know how to mix drinks if you know what to order, renamed (appropriately), and with all the flavored vodka and other such crap switched out for a whole bunch of different whiskeys, but with everything else pretty much the same. Unpretentious, low-key, and very, very dangerous to your sobriety.”

As for Reusing, he said he knew that Wondrich had stopped in a few months ago while he was in town and then was further tipped off a couple of weeks ago when Esquire called to fact-check the story.

“This is by far the coolest award we’ve ever gotten,” he says. “Just to be on this list with some of the most famous places in the country, the best cocktail bars in Manhattan and New Orleans, and to have someone of that caliber say you’re doing a good job, it means a lot.”

He says there won’t initially be any parties to celebrate the news, as Bad Decisions is currently busy gearing up for Negroni Week, from June 1-7, where the bar will have a menu of various takes on the famous Italian cocktail—and $1 from each drink will benefit the Poe House.

Congrats to Reusing and the entire Bad Decisions team!

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While the merits of a curfew for public safety are up for debate (former police commissioner Ed Norris said last night he would have advised against it), the affect it will have on the livelihood of those in the service industry is a bit more obvious. Losing four hours of business a night has some bartenders worried about retaining customers, paying bills, and even renewing their liquor licenses.

“The curfew is tough because, for a lot of us, it’s the difference in paying bills and making our mortgage,” says Amie Ward who bartends at Bad Decisions in Fells Point. “We have great regulars who are trying to patronize the bars as much as they can, but you can’t ask them too much because we want them to be safe.”

Ward also points out this is incredibly poor timing because the deadline for renewing—very expensive—liquor licenses is this Friday, May 1.

Some in the service industry even formed a Facebook group called Baltimore’s Counter-Curfew, which calls for lifting the curfew as soon as possible. The site states:

We cannot and must not allow ourselves to pay the price for failed leadership in the face of the Mayor’s incompetence in squelching the chaos on OUR streets yesterday. The Mayor’s curfew will do nothing but cripple business and negatively impact the city’s economy to the level of tens of millions of dollars in mere days. This is an utterly flawed strategy: criminals don’t obey curfews, why should we.

Certain bars, like Bookmakers Cocktail Club in Federal Hill, have made concessions like opening at up at noon instead of its normal 5 p.m. to try and boost business. Of course, the adverse effects from the curfew not only affect bars, but also the entire service industry.

“It will be slow all week for restaurant owners and employees,” says Eric Fooy of B&O American Brasserie. “If you live paycheck-to-paycheck—like most people who make tips do—you will feel the hit.”

Though only minimal damage occurred in Fells Point on Monday night (including a break-in at Capitol Mac), many bars and restaurants in the neighborhood have preemptively boarded up their windows, just to be on the safe side. But it gives the lively neighborhood a very eerie feel.

“It’s been a ghost town,” Ward says. “I think it sends the wrong message. You have better safety in numbers and we’d all feel safer having that foot traffic that’s normally down here. The curfew seems to invite more of a problem.”

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Any other bars around town that are making donations to help Haiti?

[Image: courtesy of 600block.com]

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