Foodies in the Maryland section of the Bay can’t help but notice the company that is investing in one dining spot after another along the water. With the opening of two new establishments in Baltimore’s Harbor East neighborhood this week, the Charm City-based Atlas Restaurant Group now has 18 restaurants or bars within walking distance of the water.
Monday, March 4 marked the opening of The Ruxton Prime Steakhouse and the adjacent Order of the Ace cocktail bar. Both are situated a stone’s throw from Harbor East Marina and Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, next door to the Four Seasons.
Chesapeake Bay Magazine was among the first to check out the two new spaces at a celebratory cocktail party over the weekend. The Ruxton is a steakhouse, just as the property’s former occupant, Fleming’s, was. But the resemblance doesn’t go much further.
The Ruxton and the Order of the Ace bar were both designed by Patrick Sutton, who is known for creating rich, immersive spaces. The wood paneling, velvet banquettes and custom blown glass chandeliers dripping like icicles from the ceiling take inspiration from the Jazz Age, according to Atlas.
Click through to take a peek inside:
At the preview cocktail party, well-connected guests including politicians and professional athletes sat at the curved banquettes while eating crab legs and shrimp as passed hors d’oeuvres were paraded by on trays. The dishes were fancy and creative, like the cube-shaped tater tots individually topped with crème fraiche and, yes, caviar. The bar was bustling. It features a statement-making chandelier and lighted shelves of liquor bottles stretch to the top of the Ruxton’s high ceiling, giving new meaning to top-shelf liquor.
Wandering back by the kitchen, we found the cool and quiet wine room, encased in glass and lined on all four walls with bottles from California, France, Italy and Spain. A single banquette sits discreetly along the back wall It can be booked for dinner or dessert and cocktails, although guests of the exclusive space need to bundle up a bit: it is kept at 55 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal wine storage.
The smaller Order of the Ace bar can be entered through the Ruxton’s dining room or directly from the street. It features a piano and an elegant art-deco bar. Live jazz was playing when we stopped in. The cocktail list (here) focuses on family-owned spirit brands and local producers, Atlas tells us.
The new spots are just two of a staggering 18 different restaurant concepts along the Baltimore and Annapolis waterfronts. Many are upscale or upscale casual, giving diners a chance to get a little more dressed up than the usual dock bar. They range from Bay seafood (The Choptank’s two locations, at the Fells Point wharf and on Ego Alley in Annapolis) to South Beach-style outdoor entertaining (Ouzo Beach) and high-end Latin American dining and music (Maximon), both right on the promenade in Harbor East.
The Ruxton, located at 720 Aliceanna Street in Baltimore, is now open Monday through Friday for lunch, happy hour and dinner as well as for dinner Saturday and Sunday.
Order of the Ace is open Sunday through Thursday 5pm-12am and stays open until 1:30am on Friday and Saturday nights. There is live music all seven nights of the week.
