If you're a child of the 90s, the word Tatu might conjure up images of the Russian female duo with hits like "All the Things She Said." But soon, the word have Baltimore residents thinking of sushi and sesame chicken.
Cb5 Restaurant Group LLC., a Greenwich, Conn., restaurant consulting company is spending $750,000 to open Asian restaurant
Tatu at Power Plant Live in early September. The site at 614 Water St. formerly housed Blue Sea Grill.
It will be the second location for the company along with the original Tatu in the Seminole Paradise Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
That property, like Power Plant Live, is developed by Baltimore's Cordish Cos. It's the 128th restaurant developed by Cb5, but the first one in Baltimore.
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant will serve Japanese, traditional Chinese and French-Chinese cuisine, says Cb5 Owner Jody Pennette. The average check will run between $23 and $55, giving diners on a budget some flexibility with their wallets. The 120-seat restaurant will employ 50.
The company liked the Power Plant Live entertainment district because it already has a loyal following. "It's nice to have a built-in audience when you start," says Pennette, who hopes Tatu will draw new people to the area.
Power Plant Live's businesses include concert venue Rams Head Live, Ruth's Chris Steak House, nightclub Mosaic and Italian/Cajun eatery Two Boots, a recent addition.
Cb5 executives were also eager to work with the Cordish Co. again on another project. "They have this great knack for entertainment zones," Pennette says.
And yes, that Russian duo is the inspiration for the name. Sort of.
The owners were originally going to name the restaurant Tattoo, since the menu features an Asian woman with a large dragon tattoo on her back.
But the name didn't seem quite Asian enough, Pennette says. Then one day he saw a video on TV by, yep, you guessed it, Tatu, and thought that spelling was a bit more exotic.
Source: Jody Pennette, Tatu
Writer: Julekha Dash