Midnight Sun
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I've been waiting and waiting for Elizabeth Large to blog about this, but it looks like it was just a Table Talk item (which appears in print) -- not a blog topic for Dining@Large.
Here is the skinny on Frank and Nic's West End Grille (511 W. Pratt St., 410-685-6800), the new restaurant which opened on the first floor of the Zenith by Camden Yards, courtesy of Ms. Large's Table Talk column.
"Frank and Nic are Frank Zafonte and Dominic Lascola, and their new restaurant is at the base of the luxury Zenith Apartments. Their place serves as a more upscale alternative to the pubs and sports bars that used to be all that was available around the stadium.
Instead of a burger and beer, you can get American cuisine with Asian accents and selections from an extensive wine list that focuses on California.
Dinner entrees -- such as seared tuna and cuts of steak -- run from $16 to $36 ...
The handsomely appointed, 200-seat space has what Zafonte calls "three dynamic areas": a bar, the main dining room and a private dining room. Outdoor seating will be available when the weather gets better.
You won't be turned away if you're wearing your Ravens shirt, says Zafonte, but you won't feel uncomfortable in a coat and tie, either. The contemporary decor is done in shades of burgundy, silver and gold, with booths and two granite-topped bars. Black-and-white photos of Baltimore scenes line the walls.
Frank & Nic's West End Grille writes...
www.opentable.com
Frank & Nic’s West end Grille is Baltimore’s newest casually elegant destination, found in the base of downtown’s new Zenith luxury apartment tower; adjacent to the Hilton Convention Center hotel and in the shadow cast by Camden Yards. Join us for lunch or dinner any day of the week to enjoy the fresh innovative styling of American cuisine presented by Executive Chef and General Manager Mike Soltes and Chef Matt Newland. Or, join us for our world class happy hour and enjoy the company of Baltimore’s friendliest staff. Our extensive wine list highlights many of California’s most notable vineyards and features many outstanding international selections. Whether you are looking to host your own private function, have an outstanding meal with that special someone, wanting to relax late night in a hip and modern atmosphere, or getting ready to tailgate in style before any Raven’s or Oriole’s game; we can accommodate your needs. Can't book what you want? Call with further inquiries.
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Washington DC & Baltimore Area
Tips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in DC/Baltimore and Suburban Virginia
New Baltimore place: Frank & Nic's West End Grill
Q:Saw this place coming home from work yesterday on the bottom floor of the zenith building on the corner of Paca and Pratt St.; across the street from the new hilton. Is this place open yet? Has anyone been?
A:It is open. We ate there this past weekend while staying downtown. Saturday night for dinner and Sunday for lunch before the football game. Food was fresh and price was reasonable. Restaurant has a lot of potential. Great place to watch a game but also a good bar or nice evening out.
New restaurant owners in downtown Baltimore banking on resurgence of..
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What's good for the Baltimore Orioles is good for downtown Baltimore's retail. At least that's what restaurateur and former Towson University baseball player Frank Zafonte hopes.
Zafonte and his business partner, Dominic Lascola, opened Frank & Nic's West End Grille a short fly ball's distance from Camden Yards a week ago, and the two hope to capitalize on the restaurant's location in the heart of the city's pro sports district, as well as the proximity to the Hilton Convention Center Hotel, which opened this summer across Paca Street from the property.
The two met while working together at the Power Plant, a mixed- use retail development in the Inner Harbor where Lascola helped run several nightclubs, including McFadden's and Tiki Bob's. His partner was quick to point out that Frank & Nic's is not a nightclub, but a restaurant that serves a variety of customers, from sporting event attendees to corporate executives to families.
"We're a restaurant first and a bar second," he said.
The executive chef is Mike Soltes, who has worked at Mon Ami Gabi, a chain French bistro in Bethesda.
Frank & Nic's is housed in the 6,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space in The Zenith, a luxury rental apartment tower at 511 W. Pratt St., just around the corner from the row of sports-themed bars that flank the north side of Oriole Park.
Despite a downturn in the retail economy, including the weakest holiday shopping market in recent memory, Zafonte said he is confident that if the restaurant focuses on service and a mix of casual bar food and expensive steaks, it will do well.
"I think the people who are coming this area, who are staying at the Hilton or going to sporting events like the Orioles and Ravens, they weren't really hit hard [by the recession]," he said. "I would hope to be a catalyst for making this market better, to follow the lead of the Hilton group and the efforts, with [Orioles General Manager] Andy MacPhail to put a better ball team in here."
The restaurant, which includes a casual bar area, a sit-down dining room and a private room for parties and corporate events, sells a petite fillet for about $28 and a 10-oz. fillet for $33, and seats 190. The walls are decorated with modern wood paneling and sculptures.
J. Kirby Fowler, president of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, said he was pleased that a new restaurant was opening in the midst of an economic downturn.
"I walked past the restaurant yesterday coming from the Ravens game and saw that they had a great crowd," Fowler said Monday. "With all the gloom and doom reported in the national press, it's good to see restaurants opening. There seem to be few restaurant options west of the Inner Harbor."
The Zenith, a $46 million residential project, opened in late 2007. Zafonte said he signed a lease for the space in July and began renovations in August.
According to the Downtown Partnership, Frank & Nic's will soon be competing with three restaurants set to open in the Verizon building, a few blocks to the east on Pratt Street.
Sullivan's Steakhouse is under construction and set to open in February or March, while Kona Grill is expected to follow in April. Another restaurant, Redstone Grill, is signed to a lease in the building, but according to one Downtown Partnership official, may pull out of the deal.
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