Like many things in Todd Barkan’s life, the opportunity to revive his West Coast jazz club, Keystone Korner, in Baltimore seemed serendipitous. “That’s how a lot of good things happen,” says Barkan, who struck up a friendship with restaurateur Robert Wiedmaier when the chef hosted the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) Masters awards dinner at Marcel’s in Washington, D.C. almost exactly one year ago.

“It was a byproduct of the music,” says Barkan, who was being honored with an NEA Jazz Masters’ award that night. “Had I not gotten the award, I would have never met Robert. The music brought us together.”

A few months later, Wiedmaier suggested that the duo reactivate his former Mussel Bar space in Harbor East as a modern iteration of Keystone Korner. While the new spot will take inspiration from the original San Francisco club, which Barkan operated from 1972-1983, it will have an identity all its own—paying homage to Charm City’s rich jazz history.

Read more about the club, which debuts with a performance by legendary double bassist Ron Carter, with guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Donald Vega, on April 30.

The new club will take after the original Keystone Korner in San Francisco.
Just 11 days before the grand opening, a team of nearly 20 people whizzed around the former raw bar—rearranging furniture, interviewing potential employees, discussing menu details, and planning interior decor. “This is what I like to call the calm before the storm,” says hostess Dajerel Gray, in between answering phone calls and taking reservations. By her count, the club has already sold 107 tickets for its lineup of shows booked throughout June.

Similar to the original Keystone Korner, most of the staff members are either performers themselves, or aficionados who are deeply passionate about jazz. Take visual consultant Lucas Novaes, a local artist and musician who is curating all of the art in the space. There’s also general manager LaRone Duplessis, whose deep-rooted connection to jazz dates back to his upbringing in New Orleans.

Barkan, of course, is also a champion for the scene. The seasoned pianist moved to San Francisco and took over Keystone Korner in the early-’70s—the heydey of rock and roll.

“People told me I was nuts,” he says. “The rock scene was at a peak. That was the era of The Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana, and Jefferson Airplane. They said, ‘Barkan, what are you doing?’ And I said, ‘I’m opening a jazz club.’ I’m rather idealistic, I didn’t know any better.”

Under Barkan’s reign, the club became a hub visited by jazz legends like Dexter Gordon, Bobby Hutcherson, Stan Getz, Buster Williams, Ron Carter, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. “It was all about the music,” Barkan remembers. “We’re going to try to make this place the same.”

Menu will feature spins on American staples paired with classic cocktails.
One aspect that will differ slightly from the original Keystone Korner is that the new iteration will have a larger culinary focus. Wiedmaier’s restaurant group will oversee kitchen operations, offering a menu that the Michelin star chef describes as “retro Americana refined.”

“The food is very American, but with cheffy touches,” says Wiedmaier, who researched the menu at jazz clubs in New York City with Barkan a few months back.

Wiedmaier is particularly excited about his deviled quail eggs topped with whipped yolks, mangalica pork, caramelized onions, and a remoulade sauce. He also mentions pan-roasted sea scallops with bacon-potato hash, and a smothered chicken in tarragon butter sauce.

The beverage program will offer 20 beers on tap, eight champagne varieties, and more than 30 wines by the glass. In keeping with the jazz club feel, there will also be plenty of classic cocktails. (Think martinis with cheese-stuffed olives and after-dinner grasshoppers.) “We want to marry the food and the music together,” Wiedmaier says.

The entire project came together in less than four months.

On January 8, 2019, the same day Barkan got the call from Wiedmaier pitching the idea to open Keystone Korner in the former Mussel Bar space, he was advising students at the prestigious Jazz Congress in New York City.

“He calls and says, ‘I have some good news. We want to open up Keystone Korner in Baltimore,’” Barkan recalls. “And that was it. Three months ago, I didn’t even know this club was going to exist.”

Barkan relates it to the opening of the original Keystone Korner, which he purchased from its former owner in a deal that took only two days to close: “The parallel is Robert calling me in January,” he says. “It’s now April, and we have Ron Carter opening up on International Jazz Day. It’s like a wonderful movie.”

Locally inspired design spearheaded by MICA grad Lucas Novaes.

The 200-seat space is equipped with a large centerpiece bar, wooden accents, a back lounge, intimate booth seating, and multiple communal tables. Throughout the club, designer Lucas Novaes plans to incorporate old photographs, mixed-media works, chalk portraits, and murals of local icons including Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Eubie Blake, and Ethel Ennis.

Both the music, as well as the history, aren’t lost on Novaes: “Jazz is one of the most sophisticated forms of expression,” he says. “It came from struggle, and Baltimore is a beacon of that.”

Live music will be performed seven nights per week.
The team assures that, no matter what night you choose to pop in to the club, there is sure to be a performer gracing its custom-built, carpet-lined stage: “There has to be,” Barkan says. “I’m not going to run a club like this and just have a jazz album playing.”

Aside from hardcore jazz musicians, the lineup will also incorporate genres like samba, funk, and psychedelic rock. Wiedmaier hopes it also becomes a platform for local musicians studying at the Peabody Institute and Baltimore School for the Arts. “We want to bring in these straight-up jazz musicians, but we also want to bring in younger performers,” he says. “It’s going to be a venue for everybody.”

Tickets for all shows, which range from $10-45, will be offered in both general admission and premium seating with direct views of the stage.

Baltimore jazz legend Cyrus Chestnut helped to choose the club’s new Steinway.
When picking out the club’s piano, Barkan enlisted the help of his old friend Cyrus Chestnut. The Baltimore-based composer, pianist, and Howard University professor—who got his start playing at the Mount Calvary Star Baptist Church on Harford Road—says he was honored to help pick the instrument for such “an iconic and historic venue.”

“It wasn’t necessarily about what I liked,” Chestnut says of the process. “It had to have a range to encompass various different points of view. It had to be something that had good sound. Not too bright, not too dark, right in the middle. Just a joy to play.”

After trying out a few, the seven-foot Steinway B model proved to be the winner: “I sat down and started playing, and it felt really good to me,” Chestnut says. “I just kept playing and playing, and after about 20 minutes, everybody looked at me and said, ‘Oh I guess that’s the one, huh?’” Chestnut will grace the piano keys once again when he performs with Buster Williams and Lenny White at the club May 22-26.

Keystone Korner is an indicator of a local jazz revival.
As Chestnut puts it, “I think Keystone will really be the start of a new jazz renaissance in Baltimore,” he says. “This place is really going to up the ante. We’ll once again have that jazz hub that Baltimore had for so many years.”

While there are many local venues that have become known for hosting jazz bands—including An Die Musik, Germano’s Piattini, and Bertha’s Mussels—Keystone fills a void left behind by clubs like Ethel’s Place, Blues Alley, and the Left Bank Jazz Society.

Another club called Bentley’s is expected to open in the former Cookers Music Bistro space on Howard Street in the coming months—contributing to the overall revival of Charm City’s storied jazz scene.

“I remember when I first got to New York and I said I was from Baltimore, people looked at me differently because it was just this known thing that cats from Baltimore had something special,” Chestnut says. “Just as cats from New Orleans and Chicago, Baltimore was like ‘Okay, oh you’re from Baltimore.’ There was a certain expectation. That is really something special.”

CH-CH CHANGES

Pitango Bakery + Cafe: There will soon be more room to breathe at this waterfront cafe on South Ann Street in Fells Point. (Not to be confused with its accompanying gelato shop on South Broadway.) Management recently acquired the vacant retail space next door, and got to work transforming the former frame shop into an expanded dining room that will double the eatery’s capacity with nearly 40 additional seats. The expansion will also allow for the cafe’s outdoor patio to extend down the sidewalk. “When we’re busy, so many of our customers don’t have anywhere to sit and end up sitting on the curb outside,” says manager Khaled Awad. “Adding more seats is our biggest priority right now.” There is talk of launching a more refined Italian dinner concept in the space down the line, but, for now, Awad is looking forward to being able to accommodate more diners at the cafe—which is known for its coffees, pastries, and deli sandwiches on house-baked breads. The expanded space is slated to debut next week. “We’ve been moving at the speed of light to make sure we’re ready for spring and summer,” he says. “It’s really great to see how Baltimore has embraced our style. It’s not the cheapest food in the world, but the quality is there.” 903 S. Ann St., 443-676-6447

(RE) OPEN

Bmore Licks: Patterson Park locals will be happy to hear that this corner ice cream shop is returning from its winter hiatus this week. The spot closed temporarily earlier this year so that management could make a few interior upgrades and train new staff, but it will officially reopen for the season at noon on Friday, April 6. To thank the community for its patience, Bmore Licks is giving away free hard-shell ice cream cones in flavors like cotton candy, peanut butter, and blue raspberry from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 5 while supplies last. 2437 Eastern Ave., 410-732-5425

COMING SOON

Duck Duck Goose: Chef Ashish Alfred is opening a second location of his acclaimed Bethesda restaurant in Fells Point this summer. The French brasserie—named the best restaurant in the state by Southern Living magazine last year—will set up shop on South Broadway in the former home of 8 Ball Bar & Grill, which closed for good last week. Though the restaurant will mimic the Parisian flair of its flagship, Alfred says that the Charm City iteration won’t be a carbon copy. “The location and layout offer so many new opportunities,” he said in a press release. Alfred plans to play up the waterfront location and cater to the nightlife crowd with an expanded selection of small plates (think charcuterie, beef tartare, and charred cabbage) and cocktails. The chef originally planned to open inside the old Bad Decisions space at 1928 Fleet Street. Those plans later fell through, but a new restaurant called Baltimore Built Bistro (B3) is now in the process of taking over the corner bar. Stay tuned for more updates. 814 South Broadway

Karma Farm: Beatty Development’s Harbor Point project just got even more sustainable. The flourishing peninsula on the border of Fells Point and Harbor East already boasts Sandlot—a seasonal island oasis from local sustainability champion Spike Gjerde. And now, the group is bringing on Monkton’s Karma Farm to cultivate the land surrounding the Sandlot site. Starting this month, farmers will begin installing two hoop houses and a hydroponic unit that will grow crops for Sandlot’s kitchen, as well as many other area restaurants. Karma Farm will also offer a retail stand for locals to purchase its vegetables while visiting the waterfront hangout this summer. Be on the lookout for tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, and squash throughout the summer, as well as leafy greens, herbs, and hearty root vegetables in the winter. 1000 Wills St.

EPICUREAN EVENTS:

4/7: Spring Brunch Debut at The Charles
This weekend, chef Corey Pastor is launching a new brunch menu at The Charles in Federal Hill. The seasonal selections will have a Southern vibe, with options including Kentucky mac and cheese, grilled cheese avocado toast, soft shell crab eggs benedict, and classic biscuits and gravy topped with a fried chicken thigh. To sweeten the deal, the bar also offers bottomless mimosas, Bloody Marys, Orange Crushes, and sangria during brunch. 1110 S. Charles St., 410-727-2333

4/10: Chef’s Cycle Fundraiser at Gunther & Co.
Seven local chefs are heading to Gunther & Co. in Brewer’s Hill next week for this second-annual tasting event benefitting national hunger-prevention organization No Kid Hungry. Diners are invited to sample bites from Gunther chefs Jerry Trice and Jessica Banner, as well as visiting chefs including La Cuchara’s Ben Lefenfeld, The Food Market’s Chad Gauss, Cosima’s Donna Crivello, Mark Levy of Magdalena, Scott Hines of B&O American Brasserie, Jay Rohlfing of Cunningham’s, and Josh Brown of Vida Taco Bar. There will also be a silent auction, and special spirit tastings from the likes of Sagamore Spirit Rye, Tito’s Vodka, and Barr Hill Gin. A portion of all proceeds will support the Gunther owners in the upcoming Chef’s Cycle fundraiser—a three-day, 300-mile bike ride around Northern California that aims to raise $2.4 million to end childhood hunger. 3650 Toone St., 6-9 p.m., $75, 443-869-6874

4/11: Little Sesame Pop-Up at Artifact Coffee
D.C. diners might be familiar with Little Sesame, the hummus purveyor that previously operated a cozy subterranean shop near Dupont Circle. The eatery is now preparing to debut in a much larger brick-and-mortar on L Street downtown. In celebration of the grand opening, owners Nick Wiseman and Ronen Tenne are taking a road trip up the East Coast in a retro Volkswagen food truck. They’re stopping at Artifact Coffee in Hampden next week for a special collaboration dinner featuring their signature hummus bowls served with Artifact’s house-baked bread. The event marks the first installment of Artifact’s monthly “Bowl and a Beer” series, which will pair a la carte dishes from guest chefs with local beers. Future dinners will welcome Ida B’s Table in May, and Hersh’s Pizza & Drinks in June. 1500 Union Ave., 6 p.m., 410-235-1881

SHUT (FOR NOW)

Mussel Bar & Grille: Due to the ongoing construction and clogged roads in Harbor East, this seafood spot from chef Robert Wiedmaier has decided to take some time off. The restaurant, known for its craft beer selection and pots of locally sourced mussels, opened on Lancaster Street three years ago. Management is planning to reopen once construction wraps up in April 2019. “We have loved being a part of the Baltimore food and drink scene and getting to know our great neighbors in Harbor East,” reads a statement. “We cannot wait to return and serve you, and please know that when we do, we intend to woo you all over again.” 

Fireworks and trendy red, white, and blue garb aside, the best part about the Fourth of July is the abundance of summertime snacks. From grilled to chilled, we’ve gathered a few recipes that will be sure to mix up the menu at this year’s Independence Day cookout.

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Eddie’s North Bethany Potato Salad
Crab, corn, and Old Bay—the trifecta of emblematic Charm City ingredients—are fused into this hometown-inspired summer side dish from Eddie’s of Roland Park. “This salad is the essence of summer in Baltimore and at the beach,” says Eddie’s chef Stan Levy. “It’s a great way to use up summertime leftovers.”

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large baking potatoes cut in wedges
• 1 tablespoon Season All seasoning
• 2 cups fresh white corn, cut from the cob
• ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup sweet onion, diced
• 1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat

For dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2-4 tablespoons Old Bay

 

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°.
2. Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry potatoes until golden.
3. Transfer potatoes to a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes until fully cooked and tender.
4. When potatoes are done, sprinkle with Season All and chill.
5. When cold, cut wedges into quarters.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and Old Bay. Set aside.
7. In a large bowl, combine corn, bell pepper, celery, onion, and potatoes. Add dressing and mix well.
8. Fold in lump crabmeat.
Serves 8

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Kooper’s Tavern’s Napoleon Salad:
Watermelon is essential for any summertime soiree. But instead of slicing up triangles or mixing chunks into a fruit salad, try this recipe from Kooper’s Tavern that combines the juicy treat with fresh goat cheese. “Our Napoleon salad is light and refreshing, perfect during the sizzling Maryland summer,” says Kooper’s chef Tom Hawkins Sr. “The fresh goat cheese pairs perfectly with the watermelon, and it makes for a great side to go with any grilled fare.”

Ingredients:

• 1 quart balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups arugula
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 1/8’’ slices watermelon cut into round pieces
• 2 oz. fresh creamy goat cheese
• 1 pinch sea salt

Directions:
1. To make the balsamic reduction, cook balsamic vinegar over medium heat and reduce to approximately one cup.
2. Build arugula base by mixing arugula, sea salt, and olive oil on a small square plate.
3. In center of plate, stack melon and goat cheese to make six layers.
4. Drizzle balsamic reduction over stack.
5. Finish with pinch of sea salt on top.

Serves 1

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Mission BBQ’s Backyard Baby Back Ribs
Hamburgers and hotdogs have their perks, but the finger-licking, fall-off-the-bone kind of barbecue goodness can only be achieved by throwing some smoky ribs on the grill.“Nothing makes a backyard barbecue better than ribs,” says Steve Newton, co-owner of Mission BBQ. Perfect the art of the baby back just in time for the holiday with Newton’s signature recipe.

Ingredients:
For rub:

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons paprika
• 6 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons table grind black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 teaspoon white pepper (optional)

For mop:

• 1/2 c. apple juice
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 2 racks baby back ribs, each 21/2 lbs. and down

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix all rub ingredients. Place in an airtight container and store inside a dark cupboard.
2. In a spray bottle, combine all mop ingredients and mix well.
3. Rinse the ribs and pat dry. Starting at one of the first bones on the thinnest side of the rack of ribs, slide the tip of a table knife under the membrane covering the back of each rack. Lift and loosen the membrane until you can grab a corner of it with a towel. Slowly pull it off removing the entire membrane.
4. Using a serrated knife, score the undersides of the rib in an “X” marks the spot pattern four times across a full rack of ribs.
5. Evenly season over the entire surface area on top, leaving a little bit of the meat visible under the rub. Season the undersides lightly. Then wrap the ribs in heavy duty plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before cooking the ribs using your preferred method.

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Mussel Bar and Grille’s Deviled Hen Eggs
This appetizer always seems to be a crowd favorite, and Mussel Bar’s rendition kicks things up a notch by throwing prosciutto, feta cheese, and chili flakes into the mix.“Deviled eggs are one of the greatest comfort foods we know, and evoke memories of carefree lazy summers,” says Mussel Bar corporate chef Brian McBride. “Our version makes use of the traditional style with some upscale ingredients to modernize the presentation. They’re a perfect ice breaker for a party, or for a nice light meal.”

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen eggs, hard boiled and peeled
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon red onion, minced
• ½ teaspoon Tabasco
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pastry bag

For garnish:

• 2 ounces prosciutto, julienned
• 4 pepperoncini, seeded and julienned
• ¼ cup red onion, finely julienned
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• Pinch of chili flakes
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Using a sharp knife, cut each egg in half, lengthwise.
2. Gently remove the yolk and place the white halves on a serving platter.
3. Using a fork, mash the yolks in a separate bowl and add mustard, mayonnaise, red onion, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Mash until you reach a creamy consistency, add more mayonnaise if necessary. Check seasoning.
4. Place mixture in a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe mixture into the white halves.
5. To make the garnish, place prosciutto, pepperoncini, and red onion in to a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a little salt. Mix well and sprinkle over the eggs.
6. Sprinkle feta cheese, chives, and a chili flakes over the eggs well.
7. Finish garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Makes 24 eggs

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[Editor’s Note: 7/3/2024: This piece was originally reported and published in 2015. Mussel Bar & Grille has since closed.]