Five new Baltimore eateries got their liquor licenses approved Thursday, clearing the way for opening dates this fall and beyond.
There’s a new tenant in the former Joe’s Squared space, a Western-Pacific concept in the former Cafe Hon, and a couple resolutions to conflicts between residents and restaurant owners in Fells Point.
Here’s what to keep your eye out for:
The Duchess
The new Tony Foreman concept coming to Hampden earned a license to serve alcohol to guests of the former Cafe Hon location. The venue seats 125 people and can host a DJ, small bands and other live entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays. The eatery will have a Western-Pacific inspired menu and take influence from a British public house. They are expected to open on The Avenue in fall.
Ema’s Corner
After almost nine months sitting vacant, the beloved Joe Squared space will be turning its lights on once again by the beginning of September. West Baltimore local Mehmet Guclu, who previously purchased Iggies Pizza on North Calvert Street, plans to open Ema’s Corner inside the Station North venue now that his license to sell liquor has been approved. Pizzas, pastas and the occasional live music will be part of the new business, though Guclu strives to keep the food as the main attraction. Meetings with the community prompted him to lean less on entertainment than his Joe Squared predecessors, as to not draw crowds.
Pono Taco One
A fusion taco restaurant is coming to Belvedere Square Market within the next two weeks. Owner Scott Donnelly, who’s also responsible for Clark Burger and Little Havana, among others, says the food stall at 529 E. Belvedere Ave. has been over a year in the works. The business will focus on lively Mexican fare with reimagined takes on classic street tacos.
The Wren
From the creators of Le Comptoir Du Vin comes a new Fells Point business focused on elevated country-inspired meals. Rosemary Liss, formerly of Dylan’s Oyster Cellar and Clavel, will continue to oversee Le Comptoir Du Vin’s eccentrically elevated cuisine as she works with chef William Master to bring more casual dishes to the 1712 Aliceanna St. location.
“There will definitely be Guiness on tap,” Liss said of the former Birds of a Feather space that’s being molded into a broadly European restaurant with a pub fit for sandwiches and stews. Master’s wife, who is from Ireland, will manage the eatery, which intends to be a cozy, neighborhood spot under the new name: The Wren.
Liss signed a memorandum of understanding with the Fells Point Residents Association last night, limiting hours to 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. six days a week and the capacity to 85 people.
An Atlas restaurant on Thames Street
The drama’s been squashed.
Fells Point residents and the Atlas Restaurant Group came to an agreement this week following months of pointed fingers and accusations of harassment and intimidation over the use of a Thames Street courtyard. The parties signed a multipage memorandum of understanding ahead of the liquor board hearing that includes restrictions on noise levels and entryways. Hours of operation for the courtyard will be limited to noon to 9 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Richard Bodde, one of the directors with the Fells Point Residents Association, said neighbors were concerned over the restaurant group’s intent to extend service into the courtyard, which sits between the unopened location, another Atlas venture known as the Waterfront Hotel and numerous residences. Noise was the main issue, Bodde said, but both sides made compromises: “This is what happens when owners in a community come together.”
The liquor board approved the application shortly after the agreement was presented.
Correction: This story has been updated to clarify The Duchess will be inspired by a British Pub, not an Irish Pub. Their liquor license also allows them to have a DJ, though it is not part of Foreman’s plan.
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