While tricked-out martinis—with balsamic vinegar, pickled grapes, and even squid ink—are all the rage these days, the classic martini never goes out of style. And at some area restaurants, including Peter’s Inn, The Ruxton, Cece’s of Roland Park, and Wye Oak Tavern in Frederick, classic is taken a step further with sidecar service, meaning there’s a small, single-serve carafe of alcohol on the side.

Sidecar service is believed to harken back to the 1940s with Joseph Drown, founder and then-owner of the Hotel Bel-Air. Drown put his own spin on the drink by introducing the idea of a sidecar, basically a drink refill nestled on a small bowl of ice, as an accompaniment to keep the cocktail cold. To make it even more elegant, the whole affair was placed on a silver tray.

At Peter’s Inn, which has always been known for its martinis (not to mention garlic bread and general quirkiness), co-owner Karin Tiffany wanted a drink that would make a splash when the rowhome restaurant reopened after a fire led to its closing in 2017.

When the renovated biker bar reopened in the fall of 2018, Tiffany leaned into nostalgia by serving the drink (4 to 4 1/2 ounces of gin or vodka), its accompanying sidecar (another 4 ounces of alcohol), and a quintet of skewered garnishes (pepperoncini, cornichon, olives, pickled onion, and a caperberry) as an homage to the past.

“Ever since COVID, people are nostalgic,” she explains.

Of course, the drink makes quite the impression when it’s served. “People are a trip, man,” Tiffany says—especially first-timers. “They come in and they’re like, ‘Are we in the right place? Did we just make a grave mistake on a Saturday night?’ But when the drink arrives, you can see the tension leave their face and they’re like, ‘We are all settled down. It’s going to be okay.’”

Karin Tiffany is embracing change these days. At 57, she’s seen plenty of it, with more than half of her life spent on the quiet, tree-lined, 500 block of South Ann Street near Eastern Avenue at Peter’s Inn.

Inside her beloved rowhome restaurant, the taxidermied marlin and neon “cocktails” sign still hang, as they have for decades. But there’s also a new tin ceiling, shiny glass chandeliers, and a fresh coat of paint on the cleaned-up walls, with much of the iconic bric-a-brac that once graced them—string lights, folk art, knickknacks, even the occasional Ouija board—never replaced after a cigarette fire engulfed the place in 2017.

“I’m a little hoard-y,” admits Karin, recalling her kitschy collection with an ever-so-slight Bawlmer accent. “It’s fun to watch yourself grow up—I was like, ‘Goodbye! Good riddance!’ I don’t need everything that I’ve liked my entire life out here collecting dust.”

Outside, her neighborhood has evolved, too: Long gone are all the little Polish ladies who used to live up and down the block, along with the freight train that ran along Aliceanna Street, and the slew of vintage stores, junk shops, and dive bars that catered to the eclectic, rough-around-the-edges crossroads that was old Fells Point.

“There were the two ex-cops who had that jewelry store by E.J. Bugs Saloon,” recalls her husband, Bud, 61, dressed in a black chef’s shirt, his gray goatee dyed an azure shade of blue, as the couple racks their brains about other lifetimes from the back dining room.

“Look at your memory!” cracks Karin, her bracelets jangling above fading tattoos, including one small heart on her left wrist, filled in with the black-and-yellow flag of Baltimore City. “When we got married, I said nobody would have a playdate here. Whereas nowadays, a mother will be sitting at the bar with her baby, drinking wine, like no big deal. And I’m into it.”

Still, then and now, Peter’s Inn has never been a puritan’s playground—even if the owner finds herself cussing less, and fewer and fewer customers pull up on Harley-Davidsons—and that’s part of its magic.

Baltimore was once home to a motley crew of epicurean eccentrics—Martick’s, Haussner’s, Gampy’s, the Cultured Pearl—with each bottling the city’s underdog spirit in their own idiosyncratic, irreverent, oftentimes beatnik way. But the baby-doll décor, snakeskin wallpaper, and surly barmaids of yesteryear have since given way to a high-end, highly sanitized homogeny of dining establishments, and so it’s no surprise that, for many residents, Peter’s is now a respite.

Here, the pours are potent, the butter is liberally lacquered, and the bathroom art includes the occasional naked woman, all adding to its tongue-in-cheek charm. There’s little room for fools or fuss—unless the latter involves Karin fretting over the ideal garnish. And it doesn’t hurt that the food is good. Even great, too.

At the end of an era, Peter’s is arguably the most bona fide Baltimore restaurant, if not the last one left in town.

Though don’t take our word for it:

“Peter’s Inn is my favorite restaurant in Baltimore,” says local filmmaker John Waters, who was treated to a cake featuring his own likeness during his last birthday dinner here, special ordered by Karin from Herman’s Bakery in Dundalk. “It is shabbily upscale, foodie elitist in a bohemian way, and totally unpretentious, yet has an attitude.”

As it always has been.

When Peter’s Inn opened in 1977, it was, for all intents and purposes, a biker bar, helmed by its namesake owner, the late Peter Denzer—a well-to-do D.C. native turned gravedigger, locomotive repairman, cab driver, and newspaperman who rode a Triumph, loved Ernest Hemingway, and made a cameo in Desperate Living, the 1977 dark comedy by Waters, who was a regular back then, too.

“Peter’s Inn was easy to spot,” wrote The Sun in 1979, detailing its then-Formstone façade and glass-brick windows. “The big black motorcycle parked in front helped; so did the loud, cheerful voices spilling out the door.”

At the time, there were no white tablecloths or martini glasses, but Denzer kept hydrangeas on the small tables, a jukebox spinning country tunes, and business cards that declared this place to be “a no-B.S. drinking bar,” one that was treasured by a sundry crowd: Sparrows Point shift workers, artists, nurses, cops, including mounted police, whose horses, tied up outside, would stick their heads in through the open windows.

The Tiffanys arrived in the early 1990s. Growing up between Joppatowne and Bolton Hill, Karin learned to cook in the Coast Guard’s culinary school before eventually landing back in her hometown, bartending around Fells Point—the stomping grounds of her rebellious teen years (she had her first drink at Bertha’s at age 13).

She met Bud, a bass player and land surveyor from Pennsylvania, on the Broadway Square, where he played impromptu games of cricket, and from which the couple would scramble to watering holes like John Stevens and 1919.

But getting her first job at Peter’s was not as simple as inquiring with the owner—instead, quite literally, she would have to arm-wrestle his wife.

“This is the honest truth,” declares Karin today, dressed in a white polka-dot blouse, bolo-tie necklace, and thick-rimmed glasses, her style somewhere between retro feminine and art-school punk. “Needless to say, I won.”

At that point, the bar had already started to become a restaurant. A galley kitchen was installed in the back for meals on weekends, and Sun critic Elizabeth Large hailed its menu “home-cooked food with a little pizzazz”—a cuisine that Karin would elevate upon her takeover. When she got engaged to Bud in 1995, her boss presented the young couple with a proposition.

“Pete was like, ‘You’re getting married, you should buy a bar,’” says Bud. “And we did—the day after.”

With Denzer off to retirement in West Virginia, the Tiffanys, then in their late 20s and early 30s, bought the two-story building and moved into the upstairs apartment. But they spent most of their waking hours on the first floor, beyond the brick steps, through the lipstick-red front door.

From the start, they did it all—making the food, scrubbing the floors, tending the bar after Bud got home from his day job. Over time, they added their own flair, taking inspiration from other restaurants and reviews from The New York Times to Bon Appétit. Better wine. Soft lighting. A New American menu that somehow straddled the line between down-home comfort food, haute fine-dining, and your quirky aunt’s mystery Jell-O salad.

“I don’t have ethnicity—we’re Mayflower trash, so the world is my oyster,” says Karin matter-of-factly, her food drawing on European techniques and international touches. “I’m not committed to what my mom made—that was boiled eggs and Salisbury steak, man. This is all just instinct.”

 

“IT IS SHABBILY UPSCALE, FOODIE ELITIST IN A BOHEMIAN WAY, AND TOTALLY UNPRETENTIOUS, YET HAS AN ATTITUDE.”

 

In truth, the menu is an embodiment of its creator—no frills, yet properly festive, and always delightfully unconventional.

Take, for instance, one of her weekly hand-written menus from this past June—number 1,308—which encouraged diners to not only “be well” and “tip well” but “floss daily,” too. A “bump” of caviar could be ordered alongside fresh oysters on the half-shell, accompanied by mini bottles of Tabasco. There was also chicken liver pâtè in a crystal jar and Low Country shrimp and grits on blue-and-white china. Every meal must begin with the signature house salad and, of course, the garlic bread—a thick Italian slice topped with an almost indecent slather of alliums, herbs, and Gorgonzola that is reason enough to visit. Meanwhile, the long-loved filet mignon, topped with “100% pure butter,” could be a final supper.

“I don’t eat steak anymore, but if I’m going to Peter’s, I will absolutely order one there,” says Richard Gorelick, former food critic for the City Paper and Sun, who once likened dining here to that scene in another Waters film, 1998’s Pecker, where actress Christina Ricci steps off a bus from New York City and kisses the concrete streets of Baltimore. “I don’t want to say that the place is perfect, because that’s a liability. But it always pleases me so much.”

In fact, from every angle, it’s a beautiful chaos, and a wide-ranging congregation comes to be a part of it: “Old people, young people, Black people, white people, Hons, Roland Park ladies, Orthodox Jews, artists,” as Karin once rattled off to us, noting that Sen. Barbara Mikulski likes the back table beneath the oil painting of Karin’s fifth-great-grandfather. “Peter’s is a great equalizer.”

Of course, the “Le Booze” list doesn’t hurt, either. It’s equipped with both martini and Manhattan service—which arrive on a silver platter like some baroque still life, with a sidecar that equals a second drink—as well as a scribbled note wishing that “all your pain be Champagne!” There is also Fresca “in a pretty glass,” and for dessert, French-press pots of coffee to sip with Bud’s decadent pots de crème. Always, a holy grail of Underberg digestifs sits on the bar for the hospitality industry, who usually roll in late-night.

“Peter’s is unabashedly an expression of Karin and Bud’s joie de vivre,” says restaurateur Lane Harlan of Clavel, Fadensonnen, and The Coral Wig, who has dined here for over a decade. “They are remarkable people who have committed themselves to the long haul of hosting. May they continue to sing their song and always bet high on butter and booze.”

Indeed, there is an old-school hospitality instilled into every floorboard of Peter’s Inn, even if it comes with a side of sass. In the past, Karin was known to chastise customers for, say, salting their food before they tasted it, aka “the smartass shit I used to do.”

At first glance, the restaurant can come across as a simple dive bar, and in the most endearing of ways, it is, still encouraging just enough debauchery until last call at 1 a.m., at times devolving into something more bacchanalian, with the bar growing louder and lewder as the hours wane.

But if you look closely, the finer details come into focus. For starters, there are no iPads, no QR codes, no online platforms for reservations—to make one, diners must email Karin directly, which she checks on her phone regularly between the whistles of her catcall ringtone, liking the ability to squeeze a couple in last-minute or rearrange the room for large parties.

“Because we have no TVs, there used to be a bunch of old-timers who would come in with Sun papers under their arms and they’d sit there and read the sports section and argue over a few beers before moving down the street,” says Bud. “I think the only time we put one up was once or twice for the Preakness or when the Orioles went to the series.”

There is a level of refinement, even as The Clash and Dire Straits jangle out of the stereo: the towers of fresh-cut fruit, the folded placemats, the pepper grinders on every table. “I’m kind of a sociopath,” says Karin. “I’ll notice if your ketchup bottle is dirty.”

 

“IT IS UNABASHEDLY AN EXPRESSION OF KARIN AND BUD’S JOIE DE VIVRE.”

 

That ethos shows up in the kitchen, too. There are no false buzzwords like “hyper-local” or “sustainable” here; instead, the goal is quality—for the most part, proteins are sourced from Fells Point Wholesale Meats, seafood hails from Philadelphia’s Samuels & Son, produce gets dropped off by the regional Chesapeake Farm to Table collective, and loaves of bread for that vampire-defying appetizer are picked up at Maranto Bakery on Pearl Street. Each dish contains a dash of whimsy, and Karin takes great pride in their unexpected yet elegant simplicity.

“The look on some people’s faces, when they come in and are clearly like, ‘Oh, no … what is this place, what are we doing here?’” she says. “I love surprising them. To see people enjoying this food—particularly the really bitchy ones—it still astounds me.”

When composing their weekly menu, she and Bud tweak ingredients here and there, whispering to one another, what do you think, what do you think?

“We collaborate all the time,” says Karin, calling him her official taste-tester.

“She’s the taskmaster,” he adds. “And because of that, and there being the two of us, there’s consistency.”

Both spouses agree that one balances out the other—him being the cool calm to her capriciousness, and there’s a clear camaraderie and quiet affection coursing between the two. A photograph from the early days captures it well, with the young couple exchanging a smile outside of their little red restaurant, with Bud’s old motorcycle in view. And then there’s the cover of this magazine’s 2000 “Best Restaurants” issue, when they posed as the straight-faced farmers in “American Gothic”—just one of the many times that local press pampered them with praise.

“I mean, we do fight,” says Karin, even occasionally in front of the small staff. “We’ve employed a million people here over the years, and during that time, we’ve had to say, ‘We’re not your parents, don’t get upset, just move along.’ But I barely raise my voice anymore. A few weeks ago, I screamed at one of the cats and they were all taken aback. Though she’s a Bengal, and an asshole, so it was appropriate.”

Just before service on that June afternoon, her six “co-workers,” as she calls them, were readying the dining room for dinner, which now takes place Thursday through Saturday, compared to its former five days a week. On Sundays, Karin starts brewing the next week’s menu, then she and Bud go out day-drinking, often listening to live music around the neighborhood before doing their best to make it in bed by 9 p.m. On Mondays, they clean and tend to their to-do list, and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, deliveries arrive, then prep begins.

Kate Bennett maintains the bar, topping off drinks when guests aren’t looking, while chef de cuisine Dale Fields swings in and out of the dark-blue back door, adorned with an Alice in Wonderland-like, giant’s-sized spoon, beneath a glowing vintage sign that deems the “Kitchen Open.” Bud usually joins him, firing proteins over the gas range between running plates and snapping pictures for the Instagram. And throughout it all, Karin serves as supervisor, though she rarely works the line these days.

“Not unless I can’t avoid it,” she says, choosing instead to hold court on the sidewalk patio this soft, warm evening.

At this point, Karin is culinary royalty here in Baltimore, and after three decades on the local food scene—aka forever—she deserves a moment to just preside.

Particularly after the fire, which the restaurant only survived thanks to the community raising $22,000 via a GoFundMe. And the pandemic, during which they pivoted to carryout for the first, and only, time. And then one particularly distressing run-in with the Baltimore City Health Department last fall, when inspectors barged in on a Friday night as a packed house devoured Caesar-style deviled eggs and tomahawk steaks. They would ultimately have to close their doors to upgrade the refrigeration.

“Over the course of a lifetime, so many things happen, and the stuff that used to piss me off just doesn’t bother me anymore,” says Karin. “Besides, I’m on Lexapro. It should be in the drinking water.”

 

“THERE IS AN OLD-SCHOOL HOSPITALITY INSTILLED INTO EVERY FLOORBOARD OF PETER’S INN, EVEN IF IT COMES WITH A SIDE OF SASS.”

 

At 5 p.m., both loyal habitués and wide-eyed newcomers begin to amble in through the open door. There is a lone twenty-something walk-in at the end of the bar, a pair of blue-haired ladies pulled up to a nearby two-top, and a gaggle of gussied-up Irishmen who stumble out of the back room, seemingly in celebration mode—to name a few.

Whatever their reasons for coming, it is certain that they each have made this pilgrimage to experience the je ne sais quoi of Peter’s Inn.

And whether they know it or not, as the lights dim and the drinks flow, they can linger in a disappearing version of Baltimore, a place where duckpin bowling alleys, VFW halls, and working-class wharves used to flourish. Most of those have since shuttered, replaced by fancy restaurants, five-star hotels, and modern apartment buildings. But for a few hours, that old torch can burn just a little bit longer here. And then they can grab an after-dinner fireball candy on their way out the door, as they stumble out into the night.

Karin doesn’t have time for the nostalgia, though. She likes all the dogs that now live in the neighborhood, as well as her street’s new permit parking. And anyway, there is a restaurant to run, with no plans for retirement anytime soon.

“We don’t have an exit strategy,” says Karin, calling Peter’s their “own little weird world.” “Life goes on, and on, and on, and we’ll still be here.”

“After all, we live upstairs,” says Bud. “Instead of home sweet home, it’s home sweet bar.”

OPEN

Peter’s Inn: We’ve been waiting to move this one into the “open” category for a while now. Nearly one year after a trash fire severely damaged the Fells Point staple, husband-and-wife owners Bud and Karin Tiffany quietly reopened their rowhouse restaurant Tuesday. In the months since the fire, the owners—who live in the apartment above the space—have worked tirelessly to get back on their feet. But roadblocks with insurance, permitting, and reconstruction delayed the reopening date several times.

Now, we’re happy to report that the 23-year-old spot is officially back at it, serving Karin’s signature dishes like burrata with roasted peaches, pan-seared scallops served over lentils, filet mignon with green beans, and, of course, the classic herby garlic bread. The owners are appreciative of the support from the neighborhood, which raised more than $20,000 for the rebuild via GoFundMe last summer. “It’s humbling,” Bud recently told us. “When you’re doing the day-to-day tasks of running the business, sometimes you don’t realize how many people you’ve come in contact with over the years. The outpouring of support has been tremendous.” 504 S. Ann St. 410-675-7313

Red Emma’s: The city’s favorite worker-owned bookstore/cafe has officially settled in its new Midtown digs. Red Emma’s originated in a cozy shop on St. Paul Street in 2004, and moved to a larger space on North Avenue in 2013. Now, the collective has relocated to the two-level building that formerly housed Spike & Charlie’s on Cathedral Street across from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The new spot will allow Red Emma’s to double the size of its bookstore and offer seated dining, while still providing space for its readings, film screenings, panel discussions, and spoken word performances. The shop will soft open this Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., before debuting regular hours later this month. 1225 Cathedral St.

Zuzu’s Gourmet Donuts: Federal Hill locals have most likely caught a glimpse of this purple- and orange-painted storefront situated next to 101 on South Charles Street. Though Zuzu’s signage has been on display for a while now, the donut shop officially opened its doors for the first time last week. Named after owner Hak Zubar, the carry-out spot offers ice cream, sandwiches, smoothies, and fresh-pressed juices, but the real highlights on the menu are the house-made donuts. Creative flavors include strawberry delight, pineapple upside-down, honey double dip, and a savory “Oriole” donut garnished with lump crab and Old Bay. 1136 S. Charles St.

COMING SOON

New Cross Street Market Vendors: Just across the street from the new donut shop, Cross Street Market—which remains open during construction—recently announced a partial lineup of vendors that will occupy the space once it is fully renovated this spring. In 2019, the market will house legacy purveyors Fenwick’s Choice Meats, Nunnally Bros., Steve’s Lunch, and The Sweet Shoppe, while also welcoming an array of new producers. Among them are Annapolis-based Ceremony Coffee Roasters, a burger concept from the owners of Southside Diner, Vietnamese pho and banh mi pop-up Phubs, rice bowl maker Rice Crook, Haitian-Caribbean purveyor SoBeachy, and Cockeysville-based barbecue joint Smoke. The multi-million dollar revitalization is expected to yield floor-to-ceiling windows, indoor and outdoor seating for 500, and a retro aesthetic that harkens back to the 1950s—when the historic market was first reborn in its current configuration after a fire burned down the original facility. 1065 S. Charles St.

NEWS

Seawall Redeveloping Lexington Market: Speaking of public markets, the city’s oldest recently announced that it has chosen Seawall Development to lead its $40 million proposed renovation. While architectural designs are still in the works, goals for the overhaul include right-sizing the market, incorporating clean energy features, and remaining faithful to the history of the building. Seawall, well known for its design of R. House and Union Collective, plans to gather community input before officially breaking ground in late 2019. “Lexington Market is the city’s market and every stakeholder—vendors, patrons, and neighbors—matters,” said Seawall partner Thibault Manekin in a press release. “We are beyond honored to have been selected and we look forward to working with the entire city to help transform the market.” 400 W. Lexington St.

John Shields Scholarship Fund Established: At Gertrude’s 20th anniversary celebration earlier this week, friends of the Chesapeake-inspired restaurant collectively donated nearly $10,000 to the newly established John Shields Culinary Arts Internship and Scholarship Fund. The money will support paid internships for junior and senior high school students, while also providing scholarships for local graduates hoping to pursue a degree in culinary arts. Founded in honor of Gertrude’s beloved chef/owner Shields, the program hopes to raise $100,000 in the coming year to support as many aspiring young chefs as possible.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

10/4: Free Tacos at Taco Noche
In honor of National Taco Day, this brand new food stand at The Rotunda in Hampden is giving away free tacos with any carry-out purchase. Stroll up to the eatery to sample chef Audiel Vera’s Northern Mexican-style snacks including brisket nachos with sour cream and queso fresco, barbacoa mac and cheese, and the “Red Eye” burrito filled with pico de gallo and refried beans. 711 W. 40th St.

10/5: Big Softy Pop-Up at Ground & Griddled
We’ve seen Big Softy owner Craig Falk sling soft shells at R. House before, but this week, he is planning a special brunch menu in collaboration Ground & Griddled inside the food hall. Swing by from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to sample Falk’s crabby spin on G&G’s classic pancakes, bacon, and egg sandwiches. 301 W. 29th St.

10/11: Taste of Hampden
This annual foodie fundraiser benefiting the Hampden Family Center returns next week at its new venue, Union Collective. Stroll around to sample bites from eateries on the Avenue and beyond including Luigi’s Italian Deli, Dylan’s Oyster Cellar, Five & Dime Ale House, Frazier’s, Holy Frijoles, Wicked Sisters, Ma Petite Shoe, Rocket to Venus, Common Ground, The Food Market, The Charmery, and Blue Pit BBQ. Of course, there will also be plenty of Union brews to go around. All ticket proceeds will benefit the center’s numerous classes, programs, and support services for residents of all ages. 1700 W. 41st St. 6-9 p.m. $50

On a windy evening last December, a trash fire ignited outside of Peter’s Inn in Fells Point. Luckily, no one was hurt, but when the blaze spread inside the rowhouse restaurant in the early hours of the morning, it destroyed the wood paneling, framed photographs, stocked bar, and kitschy decor that had made the cozy haunt a neighborhood favorite for more than 20 years.

“Nobody knows for sure what happened,” says Bud Tiffany, who owns Peter’s Inn with his wife, Karin. “But the fire started out front. Somebody walking by may have dropped a cigarette that got blown with the leaves up against the steps going in to the restaurant, and it smoldered for a while.”

In the months since, the owners—who live in the apartment above the space—have been working tirelessly to get back on their feet. But roadblocks with insurance, permitting, and reconstruction have delayed the reopening date.

“Once we started tearing certain things up, we saw that there was a little more damage than we anticipated,” Bud says. “So that ended up taking more time.”

Now, the couple is finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Fellow Fells Point resident, and Peter’s Inn regular, Kathleen McEvoy, has established a GoFundMe page to help the owners in their final stage of permitting, inspections, and licensing renewals.

“The first time I ever went to Peter’s Inn was on a first date,” McEvoy says. “I’ve worked there twice. I’ve had birthdays there. I’ve gathered with the community there. I’ve constantly seen how generous Bud and Karin have been, not just to me, but to everyone in the community. There are things that insurance just doesn’t cover, and as a neighborhood, we can all help them out.”

In only two days, the campaign has collected more than one third of its $15,000 goal. Though insurance money covered most of the structural rebuild, the funds raised will help re-stock the bar and kitchen, and assist with fixing issues that arise throughout inspections. If all goes well, the owners anticipate that the final improvements will be finished just in time for the restaurant’s 23rd anniversary on September 3.

“It’s kind of starting to look like a bar again,” Bud says. “We’re very hopeful, and looking forward to getting back at it.”

Aside from a few minor cosmetic upgrades, the reopened spot will be the same Peter’s Inn that the neighborhood has come to know and love—complete with white-linen tablecloths, handwritten menus, and Karin’s creative dishes that range from tuna nachos drizzled with wasabi aioli to braised scallops on a bed of black lentils. Of course, there will also be plenty of the signature herby garlic bread and chocolate pot de crème to go around.

The food, says McEvoy, is one of the many highlights that has made dining at the restaurant such a unique experience: “We have so many great restaurants in Baltimore now,” she says. “But Karin was there before a lot of these other places sprung up. She was one of the first local chefs to really get creative with cooking. It’s not a super fancy place inside, but you always know the food is going to be good.”

She also notes the laid-back atmosphere as a perk, mentioning that the restaurant is ideal for dining solo.

“I know I can sit at the end of the bar and always have someone to talk to,” she says. “Whether it’s a bartender, another regular, or Bud and Karin if they can take a break from the kitchen. It’s the kind of place where there’s always going to be lively conversation happening.”

Though the process has been trying, Bud says that the outpouring of support from neighbors and other Fells Point businesses (he and Karin hosted a pop-up selling their signature BLT sandwiches at Bertha’s on Broadway Square a few months back) has been “tremendous.”

“It’s humbling,” he says. “When you’re doing the day-to-day tasks of running the business, sometimes you don’t realize how many people you’ve come in contact with over the years. Everyone has been so supportive.”

COMING SOON

Charmed: There’s a new kid on the 800 block of North Calvert Street in Mt. Vernon. This neighborhood cafe that sits just across the street from Brew House No. 16 is expected to make its debut in March. The breakfast and lunch spot from former Riptide by the Bay manager Danae Schrock will offer an array of omelets, sandwiches, burgers, salads, and house-baked muffins and scones. Schrock will also be using her family’s classic soup, Sloppy Joe, and chocolate chip cookie recipes. “For years I’ve dreamed of opening my own little spot in the city,” she says. “I’m excited to be in Mt. Vernon and really make connections in the neighborhood.” 824 N. Calvert St.

29th Street Tavern: Fans of Swallow at the Hollow in Belvedere Square will be happy to hear that owner Aaron Reinhart is spearheading a new project in Remington. Reinhart recently took over the old Long John’s Pub space on the corner of 29th Street and Miles Avenue, and has transformed it into an updated watering hole that still maintains the building’s history and dive bar feel. Expected to open next week, 29th Street Tavern will offer Natty Boh and Monument City 51 Rye on tap, and eats including burgers, cheesesteaks, wraps, and wings. 398 W. 29th St.

The Red Star Charles Village: Big things are on the horizon this year for the team behind The Red Star Bar & Grill in Fells Point. Aside from rehabbing the old Dead End Saloon space down the block, the owners are also planning to open a second Red Star location in Charles Village this spring. The spinoff will join the likes of Honeygrow, THB Bagels & Deli, and Bird in Hand in the new Nine East 33rd student housing development near the Johns Hopkins campus. The Red Star menu is expected to mirror its flagship, featuring a variety of wraps, salads, burgers, and pizzas. 9 E. 33rd St.  

Rise Biscuits Donuts: Timonium locals are anxiously awaiting the debut of this biscuit and donut destination, which will host a grand opening fundraiser benefiting the Timonium Elementary PTA on January 13. Lauded by the likes of Food & Wine magazine, the North Carolina-based chain offers biscuit sandwiches topped with everything from sausage and eggs to fried green tomatoes. The donuts are also a highlight, with flavors including maple-bacon, red velvet, chocolate cake, cinnamon twist, and classic glazed with sprinkles. 1620 York Road, Lutherville, 410-372-3171

OPEN

Food Plenty: The family behind Victoria Gastro Pub and Manor Hill Brewing premiered this long-awaited comfort food spot in Clarksville last week. Now operating in soft-opening mode for dinner service, the restaurant serves dishes including pan-roasted rockfish, bison burgers, fried chicken, and macaroni and cheese—with many ingredients sourced from the family’s 54-acre working farm located 10 minutes away in Ellicott City. Food Plenty—which is named after a Windsor Mill farm that owners Randy and Mary Marriner raised their daughters near—joins other local businesses You Pizza and Kupcakes & Co. in the new Clarksville Commons development. 12250 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, 410-531-0411

Roll Ice Cream & Coffee: Last week, owners Jason Werner and Jessica Reyes unveiled this trendy concept that offers rolled ice cream—a dessert with roots in Asia that presses the cream flat on a cold slab, mixes it with toppings, and scrapes it in rolls into a cup. The Highlandtown shop also features local Vent coffees and pastries by Batch Bake Shop in Hamilton. 3222 Eastern Ave., 443-595-7655

EPICUREAN EVENTS

TO 1/31: Soup Month at Atwater’s
Given this week’s frigid temperatures, Atwater’s soup month couldn’t have come at a better time. The fan-favorite cafe with locations scattered everywhere from Canton to Catonsville is spotlighting its soups throughout the entire month of January, with running specials including Chili Fridays and Noodle Tuesdays. The month-long promotion will also donate 10 percent of all quarts sold to Paul’s Place, a local organization that works to provide wellness services and support programs for residents of Southwest Baltimore. To close out the month, all Atwater’s locations will offer a free cup of soup to all dine-in customers on Tuesday,  January 23. Multiple locations including 3601 Boston St., 667-309-7146

NEWS

Bmore Licks: Though we happen to think that it’s never too cold for ice cream, this new Highlandtown hangout is closing up shop for the season. After a stellar first summer, management has decided to take the next few months to oversee interior renovations and test new flavors. The corner spot, which specializes in soft-serve, snowballs, and its famous ice cream nachos, is expected to reopen its doors in March. 2437 Eastern Ave.

Peter’s Inn: This cozy Fells Point dining destination suffered a tragic fire last week. The Baltimore Fire Department concluded that the blaze was ignited by a small trash fire. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the restaurant’s interior was severely damaged. Husband-and-wife owners Karin and Bud Tiffany, who bought the space in 1995, tell us that they are in talks with their insurance company and hope for a speedy remodel in the coming weeks. 504 S. Ann St.

Chef Kiran Patnam Competing on Beat Bobby Flay: It’s always nice when the Food Network gives love to one of our own. Next week, chef Kiran Patnam of Apropoe’s inside the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel will throw his hat into the ring on an episode of Beat Bobby Flay. The tournament-style competition will pit Patnam against fellow contestant Jonathan Wu to see which chef will eventually go head-to-head with Bobby Flay. Tune in on Thursday, January 11 at 10 p.m. to see if Patnam—a Culinary Academy of India grad who specializes in Indian, French, and American cuisine—can hold his own against the show’s namesake celebrity chef.