Robin Godwin

A new speakeasy-style cocktail bar called The Wurst Bar is opening within Crossbar at 18 E. Cross St. in Federal Hill. As first reported by Baltimore Business Journal, The Wurst Bar will open in the second-floor bar on the western section of the building in an original rowhouse structure.

Kevin Curley, who owns two locations of the high-end, fast-casual sandwich and beer shop RegionAle and who is consulting on the new Locust Point restaurant Fat Patties, will run The Wurst Bar. Curley is good friends with Crossbar owner Leo Poldmae and the two discussed that the upstairs bar wasn’t being used very often.

Curley, who is a Riverside resident, saw the need for an upscale cocktail bar in Federal Hill after the closures of Bookmakers and Bar Liquorice. He loves the vibe at Baltimore speakeasy-style bars such as W.C. Harlan and The Elk Room.

Patrons will have to walk through Crossbar to get to The Wurst Bar, but the space will be closed off with an old walk-in refrigerator door. There will not be a password to get in, but Curley said he wanted it to be a little bit hard to find.

The Wurst Bar is a business within Crossbar and will use the same liquor license, but the two will have separate POS systems.

The Wurst Bar will have an “upscale vibe” and the bartenders will be in dress shirts. “A lot of people are looking for a low-key date night place,” said Curley.

The Wurst Bar will have 15 classic “pre-prohibition cocktails” such as a French 75, Gimlet, Sazerac, and Negroni. Curley said all the mixers will be fresh squeezed and made in house. They will also have some “higher-end” tequilas, whiskeys, and rums behind the bar.

The Wurst Bar opens this Friday. It will be open Thursday and Sunday from 4pm to 12am and Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 2am.

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The post Speakeasy-Inspired Cocktail Bar ‘The Wurst Bar’ Opening in Crossbar in Federal Hill first appeared on SouthBMore.com.

via https://www.southbmore.com/2022/08/10/speakeasy-inspired-cocktail-bar-the-wurst-bar-opening-in-crossbar-in-federal-hill/

Smash Burgers, Beer, and Shake Concept ‘Fat Patties’ Coming to McHenry Row in Locust Point

Smash burger, beer, and milkshake concept ‘Fat Patties’ is opening in the former World of Beer space at McHenry Row in Locust Point. World of Beer occupied the 3,415 sq. ft. corner suite with an outdoor patio before closing in 2020.

Kevin Curley, the owner of RegionAle and The Wurst Bar in Federal Hill, is the chef and consultant for Fat Patties. He said it is owned by a large Maryland-based restaurant company. If the concept is a success, the company will look to open additional locations.

Fat Patties will keep the 50-beer tap draft system from World of Beer and will offer 30 beers on tap with a focus on local craft beers. It will also offer 10 draft cocktails, kombuchas, and craft sodas.

It will have traditional service at the bar, but will be a hybrid between a sit-down restaurant and a fast-casual restaurant in the dining room. Patrons can order carryout at kiosks or get table service using QR code ordering.

The menu will feature a selection of smash burgers and fries cooked in beef tallow, which Curley noted was in the original McDonald’s recipe. There will also be starters, salads, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, milkshakes, boozy milkshakes, and floats with craft sodas.

Fat Patties is keeping the stage from World of Beer and will also has several vintage arcade games along with Skee-Ball and pinball.

The team at Fat Patties is interested in hosting events and block parties like the ones that previously took place at World of Beer.

Curley said the restaurant group was interested in the location because of the visibility from Key Hwy. and I-95 and the high amount of traffic the shopping center generates. Curley said they saw an opportunity for more night time activity to the shopping center when most of the other businesses are closed.

Fat Patties is hoping to open on August 22nd. It will be open Sunday to Thursday from 11am to 11pm and Friday and Saturday from 11am to 12am.

The post Smash Burgers, Beer, and Shake Concept ‘Fat Patties’ Coming to McHenry Row in Locust Point first appeared on SouthBMore.com.

via https://www.southbmore.com/2022/08/10/smash-burgers-beer-and-shake-concept-fat-patties-coming-to-mchenry-row-in-locust-point/

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

South Baltimore Crime Updates

According to the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) Crime Map, the following crimes were from 7/27/22 to 8/2/22.

Ridgely’s Delight

NONE

Stadium Area

NONE

Barre Circle

LARCENY, 700 MCHENRY ST, TUESDAY, 8/2/22, 12:00

Otterbein

LARCENY, 800 S SHARP ST, MONDAY, 8/1/22, 18:00

Sharp-Leadenhall

NONE

Federal Hill

LARCENY, 1000 S CHARLES ST, WEDNESDAY, 7/27/22, 23:00

ROBBERY – STREET, E CROSS ST & LIGHT ST, SATURDAY, 7/30/22, 23:00

LARCENY FROM AUTO, 200 GRINDALL ST, TUESDAY, 8/2/22, 19:00

Federal Hill South/Riverside

AUTO THEFT, 1400 RIVERSIDE AVE, FRIDAY, 7/29/22, 9:00

LARCENY, 1500 LIGHT ST, SATURDAY, 7/30/33, 18:00

South Baltimore Neighborhood

LARCENY FROM AUTO, 100 W CLEMENT ST, WEDNESDAY, 7/27/22, 2:00

LARCENY, 0 E BARNEY ST, THURSDAY, 7/28/22, 5:00

LARCENY, 1300 MARSHALL ST, FRIDAY, 7/29/22, 13:00

LARCENY FROM AUTO, 1500 S HANOVER ST, FRIDAY, 7/29/22, 18:00

LARCENY FROM AUTO, 1600 S CHARLES ST, MONDAY, 8/1/22, 0:00

LARCENY FROM AUTO, 0 E FORT AVE, MONDAY, 8/1/22, 1:00

Key Highway/HarborView

NONE

Inner Harbor

LARCENY, 400 E PRATT ST, THURSDAY, 7/28/22, 11:00

LARCENY FROM AUTO, 500 E PRATT ST, FRIDAY, 7/29/22, 5:00

LARCENY, 400 E PRATT ST, FRIDAY, 7/29/22, 10:00

LARCENY, 300 LIGHT ST, SATURDAY, 7/30/22, 15:00

LARCENY, 200 E PRATT ST, SATURDAY, 7/30/22, 13:00

LARCENY, 700 EASTERN AVE, SATURDAY, 7/30/22, 17:00

LARCENY, 700 E PRATT ST, MONDAY, 8/1/22, 15:00

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, S GAY ST & E PRATT ST, TUESDAY, 8/2/22, 12:00

Port Covington

NONE

Locust Point

LARCENY, 1300 E FORT AVE, WEDNESDAY, 7/27/22, 15:00

Pigtown

ROBBERY – STREET, W HAMBURG ST & RUSSELL ST, WEDNESDAY, 7/27/22, 15:00

LARCENY, 1200 W PRATT ST, FRIDAY, 7/29/22, 14:00

BURGLARY, 500 ARCHER ST, SUNDAY, 7/31/22, 16:00

LARCENY, 1200 W PRATT ST, SUNDAY, 7/31/22, 18:00

ROBBERY – CARJACKING, 1100 WARD ST, MONDAY, 8/1/22, 1:00

LARCENY, 800 S CAREY ST, MONDAY, 8/1/22, 15:00

ROBBERY -STREET, WASHINGTON BL & S MARTIN LUTHER KING JR, TUESDAY, 8/2/22, 17:00

LARCENY FROM AUTO, 1000 W OSTEND ST, TUESDAY, 8/2/22, 23:00

Carroll – Camden Industrial Area

LARCENY, 1800 WASHINGTON BLVD, THURSDAY, 7/28/22, 16:00

AUTO THEFT, 1800 WASHINGTON BLVD, FRIDAY, 7/29/22, 19:00

LARCENY,M 1800 RUSSELL ST, SATURDAY, 7/30/22, 16:00

LARCENY, 1400 WARNER ST, TUESDAY, 8/2/22, 3:00

LARCENY, 1600 S MONROE ST, TUESDAY, 8/2/22, 16:00

LARCENY FROM AUTO, 100 W OSTEND

Hollins Market

LARCENY FROM AUTO, 1100 HOLLINS ST, SATURDAY, 7/30/22, 18:00

Union Square

AGGRAVATED ASASULT, 1300 W LOMBARD ST, SATURDAY, 7/30/22, 14:00

LARCENY, 1300 W LOMBARD ST, SATURDAY, 7/30/22, 14:00

Offense definitions from the FBI

South Baltimore Peninsula Neighborhoods Map

The post South Baltimore Crime Updates first appeared on SouthBMore.com.

via https://www.southbmore.com/2022/08/09/south-baltimore-crime-updates-234/

Monday, August 8, 2022

South Baltimore Resident Sam Cogen Slated as Baltimore’s Next Sheriff

Sam Cogen, the current president of South Baltimore Neighborhood Association and former Assistant Sheriff for Baltimore City, will be the next Sheriff of Baltimore City after a narrow victory over 33-year incumbent John W. Anderson in the Democratic Primary. No Republicans or Independents are running for Sheriff.

Cogen received 39,500 votes (51.81%) and Sheriff Anderson received 36,733 votes (48.19%).

Cogen is a board member of Federal Hill Main Street and South Baltimore Gateway Partnership.

You can listen to SouthBMore.com’s podcast with Cogen here.

Cogen posted the following to his Facebook page:

We did it – Thank you, for electing me to be your next Sheriff!

I started my journey as a candidate in the same manner that I began my 25-year law enforcement career: with a strong desire to serve the people of Baltimore City by keeping them safe.

Thank you to everyone that supported and believed in our vision – to modernize and transform the Sheriff’s Office, which will now become an integral part of our City’s public safety solution. We remain committed to transparency and accountability, the foundation upon which public trust is built.

I want to thank Sheriff John Anderson for his decades of service to the City of Baltimore. I am looking forward to working with him during the upcoming transition, and I wish him well in the future.

Our next step is to form a transition team focused on reorganization and modernization, which will enable us to implement best practices from the moment we take office. We plan to meet with key Federal, State, and City leadership and work collaboratively with stakeholders to implement our vision.

I am honored to be your new Sheriff. When we assume office, we will work hard everyday to make our City safer and reduce harm. We will carry out this important mission in a constitutional manner that recognizes the value and importance of each and every person we have been entrusted to serve.

Most sincerely,
Sam Cogen, Baltimore City Sheriff-Elect

Photo of Sam Cogen from Cogen for Sheriff

The post South Baltimore Resident Sam Cogen Slated as Baltimore’s Next Sheriff first appeared on SouthBMore.com.

via https://www.southbmore.com/2022/08/08/south-baltimore-resident-sam-cogen-slated-as-baltimores-next-sheriff/

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Pickett Brewing Company Opening This Summer in Pigtown

Pickett Brewing Company will open in the coming weeks at 1130 S. Paca St. in Pigtown. Pickett takes over a 6,500 sq. ft. warehouse that was previously used for industrial storage.

Pickett Brewing is owned by home brewer, United States Coast Guard veteran, and former IT professional Jason Howard alongside Kate Conway, who worked in nonprofit operations. Howard and Conway are neighbors in Baltimore County. Howard will handle brewing at Pickett and Conway will run operations.

Pickett Brewing is named after the street Conway and Howard live on. They both joked that if Howard’s garage door was open, neighbors knew he was in there brewing beer. The logo for Pickett Brewing has Howard’s garage on the left and the glass garage door of the brewery on the right.

Howard is friends with the landlord who convinced Howard to take a look at the Pigtown warehouse. He saw the large garage door on the front and immediately felt the same “open garage door vibe.” The owners also like being in a walkable neighborhood like Pigtown and being close to the stadiums, the growing entertainment district around Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, and Federal Hill.

Howard and Conway also like being in an area with other breweries as Suspended Brewing Company is already open in Pigtown, Wico Street Beer Co. is coming soon to the neighborhood, and Checkerspot Brewing Company is just a few blocks away in Stadium Area. Howard said he loves the vibe of Scott’s Addition in Richmond, Virginia which has more than 15 breweries.

Conway and Howard said they’ve received a lot of support from Pigtown Main Street and Checkerspot, and have already met many of their neighbors.

The taproom at Pickett Brewing has 14 taps which will pour different ales from the brewery’s seven-barrel brewing equipment. Howard said they brew “seasonally-appropriate ales” with more fruit in the summer and darker malts in the winter.

Beers include the Short Jorts, which is a cherry blonde ale; the Pigtown Pale Ale; and several IPAs. Pickett Brewing will also make a root beer and hopes to brew a hard seltzer in the future.

Pickett Brewing will serve a variety of snacks and will partner with food trucks for events.

The taproom is painted white and black with reclaimed wood accents in the tables, bar, and shelving. It has exposed brick walls and exposed rafters and beams on its 14 ft. ceilings. The tables and bar are made of wood from the pews of a former Federal Hill church.

Local artist Patrick Harnett completed several murals on the inside and outside of the building. The interior has a projector that will play Ravens and Orioles games, and a lounge area with a couch. Conway and Howard want guests to feel at home at Pickett Brewing.

The front of Pickett Brewing has a large glass garage door that will be rolled up when weather permits.

Conway and Howard said they will open the doors to neighbors in August and hope to have a formal opening soon after.

Initially, Pickett Brewing will open at 12pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. They said it will likely close between 8pm and 10pm on Friday and Saturday and around 6pm on Sunday. They noted, however, the schedule will change during Ravens home games.