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