Inside is a more refined, yet casual space, where designer Patrick Sutton wisely retained the look and the feel of the original market, with its soaring wood-beamed ceilings. Throngs of patrons crowded outside, and since it was still in season, the requisite mallets and brown paper lined every picnic table. Of course, there was buzz surrounding the controversial dress code rules (no baggy clothing, no shorts below the knee, no sunglasses after dark) when the place opened in August, which seems to only have increased its popularity. On my first visit, the place was packed in the still-warm fall weather. Which is to say, the fabric of that heritage and history are woven into the walls here. In addition to Atlas co-owners, and born-and-bred Maryland brothers, Alex and Eric Smith, there’s a third partner, Vasilios “Bill” Tserkis, who owns the nearby Captain James Landing crabhouse, which his family has owned and operated for more than five decades. There’s a theme here for sure, but it’s the story of our state and one fitting for a restaurant set inside the historic south shed of Broadway Market, a place that once served the sailors and immigrants of Fells and is named for the Native American tribe that occupied the Choptank river basin in 1668. In many ways, this might be my favorite of Atlas’ 13 local spots, which can sometimes feel overly thematic. When it comes to Maryland menus, it doesn’t get more Old Line than this: There’s crab soup, Monkton-sourced Roseda pit beef, Maryland crab dip, hard shells (sourced locally when available), Sweet Jesus oysters from the Chesapeake Bay, and Natty Boh’s Beer Can Chicken. There’s also a menu full of finds and all the bells and whistles of a landmark in the making. It’s a crabhouse, yes, but one with swagger. If there’s smoke outside on the patio, it’s likely from cigars, not cigarettes. Inside the newly renovated Broadway Market in Fells Point, Choptank bills itself as a “classic fish and crabhouse,” but it’s way more than that.įor starters, there’s a locally loved chef-Andrew Weinzirl of Maggie’s Farm fame-an adult playground with ping-pong, pool, and foosball tables, cornhole in place of the usual Keno, century-old photographs of Fells Point (no stuffed marlins or knotty pine here), and live music nightly. But while the restaurant group has been around the world, it’s finally firmly rooted in Baltimore with The Choptank. Beginning with the opening of the Greek-isles-inspired Ouzo Bay in 2012, Atlas Restaurant Group has gone all over the globe, with stops in Japan (Azumi), Italy (Tagliata, Italian Disco), Latin America (Maximón), and, soon, France (Monarque).
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