Urban Discoveries Baltimore

If you’ve been jonesing for a new historically significant place to eat, you’re about to get your fix. This July, the B&O American Brasserie will open in the old B&O building in the Inner Harbor (2 N. Charles Street) as the first step to reintroducing the building as a Hotel Monaco (the first Kimpton Hotel in the city) later this year. The restaurant, whose name literally means “Baltimore and Ohio American French Brewery,” will have a full bar, some serious pizza ovens, a Franco-Italian-Spanish à la carte menu, and… breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The building, which was built in 1906  as the headquarters of the B&O Railroad, will continue to look the same (stately, posh) from the outside. Following the $60 million renovation, however, roughly a third of its 220,500 square feet will be dedicated to office space, while the top seven floors will house the Hotel Monaco’s 202 swanky rooms and suites. Right now, the hotel’s grand opening is scheduled for August 3, 2009.

The whole arrangement looks to be schmancy as all get-out, featuring such perks and details as in-room yoga accessories, hosted wine tasting in the “grand living room lobby,” complimentary shoeshine, and “companion goldfish” provided upon request. For most Baltimoreans, though, le Brasserie will be our only exposure to the vivisected B&O building. And for fans of Family Ties, that means one more spot for stalking beloved father-figure Michael Gross aka Steven Keaton. The actor will apparently be doing pro bono work as the first ever official spokesman for the B&O Railroad Museum. Gross is descended from old-time railroaders and is an enthusiastic collector of railroad memorabilia.

Posted in: Development News, Inner HarborNo Comments