Boiler Room Brings Arcade Games and Beer/Shot Pairings to Federal Hill

The Bookmakers Cocktail Club team is keeping things a bit more casual this time with the opening of its new bar/restaurant Boiler Room located at the former home of Crazy Lil’s and Corfu at 27 E. Cross St. in Federal Hill. The ownership team already owned the property and liquor license and decided to also take over management of the space after the closing of Corfu.

Boiler Room brings a unique concept to Baltimore. Designed by Bookmakers General Manager Ben Circelli and Cortland Leggio of Bookmakers, who now serves as the general manager of Boiler Room, it will be filled with old-school and some new-school arcade games, including video games and arcade basketball and ski ball. The bar menu will focus on beer and shot pairings with the help of Bookmakers beverage director Ryan Sparks. Examples of the pairings range from a Miller High Life and Old Grand Dad to an Union Rye Baby and Dickel Rye.

The name is a take on boilermaker, an old term for a beer and a shot, as well as and ode to the many boiler rooms located throughout Baltimore over the years. The bar has an industrial feel with exposed ducts and the walls are covered with chalkboard paint that will feature Boiler Room’s menu as well as room for drawings and high scores from the arcade games.

Along with the pairings, Boiler Room will offer eight specialty shots, eight draft beers, and eight bottles and cans, as well as wine and mixed drinks. It will not, however, have a craft cocktail menu, patrons will have to go two doors up to Bookmakers for that. The team noted it is excited to be the only place around selling Stroh’s beer.

The food menu will be “pub style” with offerings such as smash burgers, Coney Island hot dogs, several different types of pierogis, and vegetarian options. Bookmaker’s Chef Nelson Morton advised on the menu, “We’ll use the same fresh ingredients and have the same expectations as Bookmakers, but in a more casual setting,” said Circelli.

The team is hoping Boiler Room will continue to provide the same drink education as Bookmakers but with a “fun and lighter” atmosphere. It will allow children who are accompanied by an adult and the upstairs will be available to rent for private events and birthday parties.

Boiler Room has a six-day license, so it will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 3pm to 1230am with plans on adding Mondays in the near future. It will be offering a happy hour and daily specials and the team expects to have up to six employees working at one time.

Boiler Room will host its grand opening this Saturday, January 23rd.

via http://southbmore.com/2016/01/19/boiler-room-brings-arcade-games-and-beershot-pairings-to-federal-hill/