Federal Hill : Development News

An interior decorator has designs on Federal Hill.

Fanny Zigdon will open SoBo Design Loft LLC on Oct. 12 at 20 W. Cross St. The appointment-only showroom will sell contemporary furnishings from Miami designer Alex Turco along with Adriana Hoyos, from Ecuador. Zigdon will also use the 900-square-foot space to consult with interior design clients.

Zigdon spent around $50,000 to buy inventory and refurbish the historic property � an old building that has "been around as long as Fort McHenry."

She chose the Federal Hill neighborhood because she likes the historic architecture that blends well with her furnishings and design aesthetic. The area is full of young people updating their old homes who she hopes will appreciate her style. She says she favors clean lines and simplicity with a "splash of glamour."

"There's a lot going on in Federal Hill. It's still growing," Zigdon says.

If the shop does well, Zigdon may expand the store's offerings to include a full retail furniture line. She also expects to eventually open an office in Pikesville, where she lives.

The New York native attended design school at the Community College of Baltimore County.

Zigdon recently volunteered as a design assistant to the producers for the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Baltimore," scheduled to air on ABC this Sunday. Zigdon set up the show's workrooms with window treatments and furniture.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Fanny Zigdon, SoBo Design Loft LLC

You might not think of Beverly Hills and Baltimore in the same breath. But Jeanna Crawford wants to bring a bit of the ritzy and glamorous Los Angeles neighborhood to Charm City with her new tanning salon that opened last month at 906 S. Charles Street. "I'm just really excited to bring this to Baltimore," Crawford says.


Developed in Beverly Hills, the concept behind the 1,400 square-foot Glow to Go offers those who prefer a just-back-from-the-beach glow a sunless tan � a healthier option than baking in the sun or under the ultraviolet rays of traditional tanning salons.Crawford uses an airbrush gun to give on a tan infused with natural products, including antioxidants and botanicals. 

"You can tan in five minutes or less and go as light or as dark as you want to go," Crawford says. "It looks so natural."
Crawford says she invested $150,000 to open the business, much of which went toward buying the equipment and decorating the salon. 


In addition to tanning services, Glow to Go offers anti-aging and hydration treatments. A tanning session runs $55 and $20 for a touch up session.  It also sells package treatment: $313 for six sessions and $522 for 10 sessions. The tans last 7 to 14 days.

A former sun worshipper, Crawford got into the business as she was looking for a way to get bronze without sitting in the sun.
"I'm from the South and have been a suntanner all my life, "Crawford says. "I'm getting older and I didn't want to sit in the sun."

The former stay-at-home mom was also looking for something to do that she is passionate about, yet still make time for her kids.

She chose Federal Hill because friends who own Federal Hill Fitness recommended the area saying it gets a lot of foot traffic. Crawford also thought the area attracted the kind of folks who want a healthy alternative to traditional tanning salons.

Find out more about what's happening in Federal Hill.

Source: Jeanna Crawford, Glow to Go
Writer: Julekha Dash

With consumers wary of spending big bucks these days, a husband-and-wife team in Federal Hill have opened a discount clothing store for thrifty fashionistas.

Ben Abdallah and Anna Dickerson opened the Hill Fashion Consignment at 1201 Light Street last month. The couple thought their store could offer a cheaper alternative to some of the pricey boutiques in the area, Abdallah says.

"People are responding to it really well," Abdallah says of the 600-square-foot store.  "They like the idea of the consignment store because clothing stores in the area are kind of expensive. "

The couple settled on a consignment store because the thought of being eco-friendly  -- since they mostly sell used clothing -- was appealing. "We figured with the economy and global warming and everything else, this is the best idea for the store," Abdallah says.
There's also no other consignment store in the neighborhood.

The store carries primarily modern women's clothing and accessories, including handbags, sweaters, and shoes. Shoppers might pay $50, for instance, for a brand-name purse that would retail for $150 new.

Abdallah and his wife chose Federal Hill because it's full of young people who like to shop. They also like the neighborhood's vibrant, urban feel. "It's city life. It's historic, fresh, and a lot of fun," Abdallah says of Federal Hill.

The couple compare Federal Hill to European cities like Paris, where they spent time traveling last summer. "Life there is very similar in some neighborhoods," Abdallah says. "We're within walking distance to everything, all kinds of restaurants and bars around here."

The store get s alot of pedestrian foot traffic, from neighborhood dog walkers and people going home from work or attending neighborhood festivals.

Although Abdallah decline to say how much the couple had invested to open the consignment shop, he has high hopes for the future. "It's our first venture but hopefully it won't be the last," Abdallah says.

Find out more about what's happening in Federal Hill.

Source: Ben Abdallah, the Hill Fashion Consignment
Writer: Julekha Dash

Anyone who's been to Lebanon's Mediterranean coast knows that Byblos is a city there founded around 5000 B.C. They probably wouldn't know that it's also the name of a new Lebanese restaurant Sami Tabet and his wife Hala Tabet opened in Federal Hill in February. The couple, who hail from the Middle Eastern nation, serve falafel, babaganoush, spinach and meat pies from the  carryout restaurant's 1033 Light Street location.

Tabet purchased the property five years ago and just recently opened the business after former commercial tenants left, he says. The Tabets paid $335,000 for the building, according to state property records. which once housed a grocery store, jeweler and a coffee shop. Because they already owned the real estate, the couple spent just $6,000 to open the new business, Tabet says.

The 550-square-foot restaurant has about 10 tables and walls lined with paintings of landscapes, school mates and houses recalling Tabet's childhood memories of Lebanon.

Tabet, who moved to the U.S. 20 years ago, settled first in Youngstown, Ohio. After just a few weeks, he moved to Baltimore at the suggestion of a friend who said the town had a better city life. And he says he hasn't looked back.

During the two decades he's lived in Baltimore, Tabet says he has seen the city mature and grow with development taking place in all around the city � just as his life in the U.S. grew. "Me and Baltimore, we grew up together," Tabet says.

The couple like Federal Hill because it is a tight-knit community where the neighbors know one another well. He also likes the quaint, urban feel of the area. So far, the restaurant is doing well, he says.

"It's doing very well. I was very surprised. The public has a good idea bout our food and background and ingredients," Tabet says.
"Word of mouth is the best advertising and so far it is working."

Find out what else has been going on in Federal Hill.

Source: Sami Tabet, Byblos
Writer: Julekha Dash

Two Baltimore artists have found inspiration in Federal Hill.Abstract artist Mark Cottman will open a namesake gallery June 3 at 1014 S. Charles Street. Cottman follows Crystal Moll who opened a gallery at 1030 S. Charles Street in February. Moll is known for her brushstrokes of Federal Hill rowhomes.

Cottman says he chose Federal Hill because it is a short walk from the Inner Harbor and residents in the neighborhood are familiar with his work.
"It's always been receptive to art," Cottman says of Federal Hill. The neighborhood hosted one of his very first shows.  The 1,000-square-foot Mark Cottman Gallery will replace Artists & Framers Inc., which moved to Columbia.

Cottman couldn't say how much he will invest in the new store since he is not finished with the build out.
"I'm very much looking forward to it, he says of the store. "It's good to have a place where people can come in and get a feeling of the work."

He describes is art as "conscious art for a conscious mind." One piece is titled "Can't we all just swim along?," a painting that depicts colorful faces and stands for world peace.

Moll says the 500-square-foot store in the Federal Hill neighborhood suits her since she paints urban landscapes.

"My work is down in Federal Hill," Moll says. "It's the ideal location."


Sources: Mark Cottman, Mark Cottman Gallery; Crystal Moll, Crystal Moll Gallery
Writer:Julekha Dash

When George Dailey, chef and owner of On the Hill Cafe in Bolton Hill, learned that the former home of The Bicycle at 1444 Light Street in Federal Hill was available for lease, he knew it was the opportunity he and his wife had been waiting for to open a second restaurant.

"The Bicycle was a very famous restaurant in Baltimore and a gorgeous spot. When we saw that the place was coming up for rent, we jumped at it. We'd been toying with the idea of opening a second restaurant for a while and couldn't find the right spot. We came, we looked at it and we knew it was the right time," he explains.

And so Centro Tapas Bar was born. The couple settled on a tapas bar, he says, because "we love that way of eating. You have a choice of ordering four or five dishes at a time and then you share. That family-style way of eating, sharing with friends is fun and a different way. Other restaurants that don't have that but have appetizers, we actually go for the appetizers."

And rather than being a potential hindrance, the economy proved to be a boon, according to Dailey. "That's the reason why we're here. The economy is giving people who wanted to do a restaurant or another business the opportunity to do it. In a good economy we wouldn't be able to do this because this place would not be available and [its leasea] would be stronomically priced."

Opening a tapas bar is smart business in the current economic climate says Yvonne Edwardsen, managing partner. "This is the perfect type of thing for people now. They can stop in get a glass of sangria and a few small plates and leave full at a reasonable price."

Dailey and Edwardsen say they've made only a few cosmetic changes to the space. Adding a gray monochrome color scheme that allows the food to take center stage. Other than that the restaurant's three dining rooms, open kitchen and enclosed garden remain pretty much the same with seating for about 100 people.

Centro Tapas serves a variety of tapas and big plate dishes, some classic Spanish dishes and others with a Latin American influence. "The Latin American are kind of a new tapas with things like Mexican dishes, Peruvian dishes and from all over Central and South America. We're trying to do a combination of the New and Old Worlds," Dailey explains.

As the weather becomes warmer, diners will be able to enjoy seating in the enclosed garden and Edwardsen says there are plans to start a Sunday brunch in a few months with traditional breakfast fare as well as some dishes from the tapas menu.

Sources: George Dailey, Yvonne Edwardsen, Centro Tapas Bar
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Shonnette Boone and Tracy Richardson have had a talent for creating trendy accessories since the two were children. "we both had a creative mind for modern fashion trends in the accessory world. We collaborated together to create a chest full of treasures with a twist of honey for the world to taste, says Boone.

So, when the opportunity came to fulfill a lifelong dream and open their own boutique in Federal Hill, the two never looked back. " [Tracy] and I use to call ourselves honeybees when we were growing up, so when we decided to open our business we incorporated the name into our trade name," Boone continues.

Thus Honey's Treasure Chest Accessories Boutique was born. The business, a first for the Baltimore natives, offers accessories designed by Richardson as well as other designers at prices that every woman can afford.

"Treasures for the outerwear such as necklaces, earrings, rings, brooches, handbags, wallets, bracelets, scarfs, and shawls. We are economically friendly, according to our customers. Prices range from $10.00 to $150.00," she explains.

The pair chose Federal Hill because of its festive vibe as well as its network of established boutiques that draw in shoppers and cater to them. And, so far, the response to Honey's has been very good with buyers picking up favorites including, jeweled, flower, and sequin bib necklaces, clustered stone, cocktail and pearl rings, drape necklaces, and cleopatra necklaces, says Boone, who adds that it's the boutique's mission to "offer "Red Carpet" trends for all generations at everyday consumer prices." that sets the store apart from other accessory boutiques.

"We specialize in unique accessories, styles and fashion for various occasions, that will make your wardrobe "POP". Our jewelry is fabulous, with a mixture of vintage, costume, and ethnic pieces. We are the boutique that makes a fashion statement, this is the year of the "WOW" accessories. No matter if your wardrobe is old or new, with our selection we are sure to please," she explains.

Boone and Richardson plan to expand the boutique's offerings in the future to include women's clothing. They will include a line designed by Richardson as well as other trendy but affordable fashions.

Source: Shonnette Boone, Honey's Treasure Chest Accessories Boutique
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Fans of Nicholas Batey who shed a few tears when his South Baltimore restaurant, The Bicycle, closed its doors earlier this year now have a reason to rejoice. Batey is back in the kitchen. This time, however, he's left behind the global theme and instead has chosen to concentrate on his take on Italian cuisine.

Ullswater, located at 554 E. Fort Avenue, may not sound like the name of an Italian restuarant, says Saundra Batey, co-owner, and that's because it isn't.

"Ullswater is a place in England. You'll see paintings of it around the restaurant. When [Nicholas] was at culinary school, looking at the picture calmed him. He was all alone and could only afford that one painting. He'd go and stare at it when he was lonely. So, he decided that Ullswater was a unique name. We know it doesn't sound Italian," she explains.

The former site of the Sly Fox bar, Batey says she, her partners Monique, Mary and Michael Faulkner, and her husband chose the location because they wanted to create a neighborhood restaurant that was affordable. "We've always loved the area. When we went looking for a restaurant we wanted to keep it in the neighborhood. We noticed that this building was empty and when we walked in it was perfect."

The Bateys and Faulkners completely renovated the two-floor restaurant. "We tore out the back part of the building and redid that, added crown molding. We changed everything. It's basically a brand new restaurant with a brand new bar. The bar is the main attraction."

Ullswater, which opened officially on Nov. 16, will seat up to 100 people. "We didn't want to make it overwhelming and chose to kept it small and intimate," Batey notes.

The restaurant is geared towards families and offers family-style dining for parties. The menu is what anyone familiar with Nicholas Batey might expect. "It's his take on Italian food. One favorite, so far, has been Batey's mozzarella sticks. Forget the frozen and breaded nightmares that are a bar mainstay. These are made with mozzarella, prosciutto, basil, wrapped in phyllo dough and served with a pomodoro sauce.

Another hit is Ullswater's Shrimp Trio. Shrimp prepared three ways, wrapped in pancetta, fried and chilled, served with a sundried tomato cocktail sauce.

"His meatballs in bolognese sauce are very popular and his green bean salad," Batey says.

The menu is changing a bit as the restaurant gears up to begin serving lunch. "We're starting to serve burgers and paninis and will be open for lunch starting next week."

For those who lament the the loss of Bicycle, the Batey's plan to add some of their loyal customers' favorite dishes to the menu. "They aren't Italian but we want to cater to our Bicycle clientele."

Source: Saundra Batey, co-owner
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Vistors to Baltimore's American Visionary Arts Museum (AVAM) and area residents will be glad to note that a new restaurant has opened in the museum's cafe space, formerly occupied by Joy America. Mr. Rain's Fun House is a highly unique cafe offering guests a dining experience worthy of its place in the AVAM in a sophisticated yet playful setting for both museum patrons and restaurant clientele.

The Fun House menu is the playground of Chef Bill Buszinski who's recipes take traditional American comfort foods and reimagine them to create renditions of these bits of classic "Americana" as they would be if influenced by immigrating cultures and the farm to table philosophy. The moderately priced menu ranges from $10 to $12 for appetizers and $18 to $28 for entrees.

The Fun House also features a carefully assembled wine list that includes international selections with particular emphasis on vintages from small batch producers and family run estates. Cocktails also recieve the Fun House treatment  with both traditional and modern compositions of classic potables, from pre-prohibition flips and slings to contemporary recipes.

During their visit guests will be able to continue their visionary arts tour, taking in exhibiting works from the museum's collection, including a hand crafted mirrored "chandelier" generously donated by artist Bob Benson.

Mr. Rain's Fun House offers seating for up to 70 diners and will be open 6 days a week, Tuesday through Sunday. The restaurant serves lunch, brunch and dinner. All major credit cards are accepted and reservations for dinner are recommended.

Mr. Rain's Fun House is a collaborative venture between Chef Bill Buszinski and Maria Buszinski, former proprietors of The Sputnik Caf� in Crownsville, Maryland and Perez Klebahn, former beverage director of Centovini and I Trulli restaurants in Manhattan.

Source: Perez Klebahn
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Located at 1400 Light Street, the Rowhouse Grille hopes it can attract Federal HIll residents and visitors to leave the beaten path around Cross Street Market and head further south for a unique dining experience.

"We like the location its far enough away from Cross Street but close enough that it's not like a destination. So we're just going for it," says  co-owner Patrick Dahlgreen

So far their hopes have been fulfilled. Although the restuarant has not begun serving food, business according to has been brisk since they opened last Thursday with naught but a liquor license and newly purchased booze.

"We had a very good turnout all weekend. So, we're very happy," he says.

The restaurant takes its name from its a location -- a Baltimore rowhouse -- and stretches the length of the building. The first floor includes a bar, HDTV and seating for 55 people with dining for around 32 people. The second floor will eventually feature a lounge bar with female servers dressed in black.

"Downstairs is more bar casual with hardwood everywhere a little upscale. Upstairs we have 24-foot ceilings and gas fireplace with a granite bar. It looks like a house but its an upscale bar. People can dress up for the lounge or go casual downstairs. We want to offer both choices," Dahlgren says.

The restaurants menus are seasonal and rotating featuring what Chef Damon Krauskauscus calls "fun bar food." "We'll have a small bar menu with wings with different sauces or you can get a burger and that will be on the four to seven item bar food menu. Our full menu is an eclectic version of a seasonal menu," Dahlgren says.

Once the restaurant completes its soft lauch phase, he says, there will be seating for about 100 diners.

Source: Patrick Dahlgren, co-owner
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Federal Hill's Scarborough Fair Bed and Breakfast was named one of the country's top urban BnBs for 2009-2010 by Bedandbreakfast.com last week.

The award is based on both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the independently posted reviews on BedandBreakfast.com, according to the site.

"They read all the individual reviews that guests have left, star-ratings for different aspects of the inn rating system and using that somehow select the best inns in the country," explains Barry Werner, the inn's co-owner.

Owning a BnB in Baltimore is "pretty different," according to Werner.

"It's not what people traditionally think of when they think of a bed and breakfast experience. We have all of the normal comfort and luxuriousness, but there's, in my opinion, a heck of a lot more to do here than there is at BnBs in more traditional settings," he continues.

"You have all of the different things in the city to do. All of the festivals, tourist attractions and museums. You can do the normal thing, spending all day exploring the city and then come back to a very comfortable setting that's more like staying at your best friends house, except that its yours and its private," says Werner.

Werner was bitten by the BnB bug as a child, playing BnB with his grandmother "all the time."

"I'd design the rooms and pretend what they looked like. And grandma and I would make pretend menus and have pancakes. She's really the reason," Werner says.

Now, 76, his grandmother is an occasional honored guest at Scarborough Fair.

Werner says he hopes that the award will help travelers see that staying at a BnB is preferrable to to choosing a hotel.

"Hopefully it will help people see that a bed and breakfast is about more than where it's located but also about what it offers. You can find wonderful accomadations in BnB in almost any larger city nowadays and have a wonderful, personalized experience. Hotels tend to be too sterile where the shouldn't be and not sterile enough where they should be. This will hopefully help get the message across that there are many more options," he concludes.

Whether you're a business owner, community organization or just a neighborhood regular, if you have a business opening or that has recently opened tell us about. You could find your new business featured in our development news section.

The Baltimore-based Parks & People Foundation, is offering up to $1,000 for groups interested in greening their neighborhood. The monies, part of a partnership with the Baltimore Community Foundation and the Cleaner Greener Baltimore Initiative, provides up to $1,000 in Neighborhood Greening Grants for those planning projects that will plant trees, create community gardens, clean up and restore vacant lots, clean up neighborhoods, create green schoolyards, improve water quality improve and provide environmental education activities. Grant funds may also be used for tools, plant material, equipment and other needed supplies.

Restaurant-goers who like to eat where it's edgy will delight in the arrival of The Reserve, a new Federal Hill eatery that's brought a jolt of industrial chic to 1542 Light Street. After a soft opening, owners Andrew Dunlap, Sean White, and Thomas Brown recently unveiled the restaurant's full menu and it has brought business up to a rolling boil.

"I think The Reserve brings a whole new atmosphere to Federal Hill," says Brown. "It's kind of like bringing a D.C. type place to Baltimore but not taking it too far. D.C.-style bars don't usually work in Baltimore; every time I've seen them come they never last."

With it's concrete floors and countertops, stainless steel embellishments, and exposed beams and duct work, The Reserve is a study in cool, clean lines. It has an L-shaped bar that stretches across half of the first floor, which is painted in shades of blue, gray and silver, and another in the back, which is used for private engagements. Beer taps are embedded in a stone wall, and patrons are invited to watch the chefs at work through a large open window.

"We're bringing customers very high quality foods at very reasonable, Baltimore prices and in a relaxed atmosphere," Brown says. "Seafood is delivered every day, we serve top of the line filet and we offer a seasonal menu that changes four times a year."

While the entrees cover the standard surf and turf repertoire, it's the preparation at The Reserve that's intriguing. The calamari appetizer comes with a tomato hazelnut vinaigrette; the tuna with a crispy pineapple mille feuille with soy ginger vinaigrette; the bison burger with a jalapeno cream, raw onion, cucumber & red pepper coulis.

Brown says The Reserve will begin featuring sushi on Sundays as well as live music. The restaurant also has a second floor, which will open in three-to-six months.

Writer: Lucy Ament
Source: Thomas Brown, The Reserve

Dan Brothers Shoes at 1032 S. Charles Street was until recently the last word in shoe repair. But that changed four weeks ago, when Bill Graves, the man with the magic touch, left the shoe store and moved his expertise down the street.

"It's a win-win situation," explains Graves, who says Dan Brothers has freed up its shoe repair area for extra inventory, and Graves, who's now located at 1022 S. Charles Street in Federal Hill, gets his own space to do what he loves. By contract, Dan Brothers will stop shoe repair work entirely and send all its customers to the newly minted Bill Graves Shoe Repair.

Graves will continue to offer the same array of high-quality services, including new soles and heels, shoe dying and covering, orthopedic work, handbag and belt repair, and a leather cleaning service for leather garments. He also offers a wide selection of findings and retail supplies such as polishes, dyes, sprays, oils, laces and cleaners.

Best of all, the shop will replace your heels or soles while you wait. Graves, who brought his two part-time craftsmen with him from Dan Brothers, has created a comfortable reception area in the store and encourages customers to bring their lunch in and eat or watch TV while they wait. Come later in the day, and his daughter will be running the front desk, eager to welcome you.

A native of Baltimore, Graves learned the shoe repair trade at Carver Vocational Technical High School, where a nine-week courses in shoe repair, automobile repair and carpentry were compulsory. He prides himself on his meticulousness and his state-of-the-art equipment, and says that, with his 45 years of experience, even high-end, designer merchandise is safe in his hands.

Bill Graves Shoe Repair is open Mon.-Thur. from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Friday-Sat. from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.