October 7, 2008
Meet the Venue
The Venue
Pickles Pub
This downtown pub, a longtime spot for pregaming, recently expanded into the old knife-sharpening building next door. That means beer pong, a bigger dining area and more room for partying.
The Venue
The Greene Turtle, Towson
The classic Maryland sports bar staple with a little Towson twist: The food and furnishings remain the same, but the nightlife can be slightly younger than you'd find at the franchise's other area installments.
The Venue
The Wharf Rat Pub & Restaurant
Step into this Fells Point pub, and you're instantly hit with a sense of history. Its vintage appeal is undeniable.
The Venue
Dego Dames
Decorated with murals, this bar is a warm and friendly watering hole in Little Italy.
The Venue
Kisling's Tavern and Grill
Known for its meaty buffalo wings and fairly cheap beer, Kisling's is a pretension-free watering hole.
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The Greene Turtle
It's hard to miss the original Greene Turtle. Driving down Ocean City's Coastal Highway, it's the bar with the giant green turtle decorations. But if you're from Maryland, the Turtle's reputation as a party spot precedes it.
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DAR Constitution Hall
This National Historic Landmark, owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution, is a beautiful indoor space for a concert.
The Venue
Nissan Pavilion
This large outdoor venue features pavilion and lawn seating.
The Venue
Pier Six Pavilion
Soak in gorgeous views of the Inner Harbor while enjoying concerts from some of the top names in the industry.
The Venue
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Enjoy the summer weather and a wide range of concerts at this reasonably sized outdoor venue, which has both pavilion and lawn seating.
The Venue
1919
In some ways, this quintessential Baltimore watering hole is a magnet for quirky decorations and unpretentious regulars.
The Venue
Duda's Tavern
The difference between Duda's and the average corner bar is a great menu, more beers on tap and better service. Plus, the place is kept clean.
The Venue
Creative Alliance at the Patterson
Creative Alliance works to promote Baltimore as a center of artistic output. Housed in the Patterson Theatre, the organization hosts a multipurpose arts center.
The Venue
Captain Larry's
With nautical murals and a crazy history, this corner bar in Federal Hill is a solid destination - regardless of whether you live in the neighborhood.
The Venue
Playbook Sports Bar and Grill
This Dundalk bar rivals ESPN Zone in terms of total sports coverage all the time.
The Venue
Turner's
Appearances are definitely deceiving at Turner's. The bar, which sits on Cross Street near the Thirsty Dog Pub and the 8x10, looks kind of like a dive on the outside. With its gray Formstone facade and a small window, it could be a dumpy narrow corner bar. But it's actually two stories with plenty of elbow room, a friendly staff and young, laid-back patrons.
The Venue
Club Mate
Upscale and decidedly cosmopolitan, Club Mate has the atmosophere of a swanky Washington club in the heart of Brooklyn.
The Venue
DuClaw Brewing Company
This local chain opened its first location in Bel Air in 1996. It has since developed a reputation as a go-to spot for better-than-average food and beer.
The Venue
Della Rose's Avenue Tavern
This bar was a Belair Road staple for decades and moved to White Marsh a few years back.
The Venue
Club Choices
Despite its fancy facade, Club Choices is nowhere near those suit-and-tie-relax-and-cocktail clubs. Instead, its smoky and dimly lit interior creates an atmosphere that will make "shaking-off" to Baltimore club music seem second nature.
The Venue
Pharaoh's Rock N' Blues Bar
Pharaoh's offers hole-in-the-wall comfort for an evening of casual lounging and solid rock 'n' roll and blues.
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The Paradox
The Paradox, known simply as the Dox to those who frequent the storage-place-turned-club, provides a heart-pounding all-nighter experience.
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Austin Grill
This Tex-Mex restaurant in Canton has colorful decor and live music regularly.
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The Wine Market
Though a little pricey, this wine bar and restaurant has great atmosphere and a solid wine list.
The Venue
The Red Star
Baltimore lore has it that in years past, Fells Point pubs that doubled as brothels advertised their wares by drawing a red star outside the building -- hence the name of this bar.
The Venue
Dead End Saloon
This unpretentious Fells Point pub straddles Fell and Wolfe streets.
The Venue
Chesapeake Wine Co.
It's rare to come across a well-stocked wine, beer and liquor store with a bar and seating area. The Chesapeake Wine Co.'s friendly, well-schooled staff can help you find the right bottle or pour you a glass while you browse.
The Venue
Capital City Brewing Company
With a number of great beers brewed in-house, this bar is one of the better Inner Harbor drinking destinations.
The Venue
Tiber River Tavern
Larger than it looks from the outside, the Tiber River Tavern covers all the bases. It has an upscale pub dining and bar atmosphere and a sports bar with a pool table and video games.
The Venue
Swallow at the Hollow
Though right around the corner from Belvedere Square, Swallow at the Hollow is the anti-trendy young professional bar.
The Venue
Kiss Cafe
Though Kiss Cafe is also a restaurant, a good chunk of its regulars use the cafe for its lounging space. They log onto the free wireless Internet while sipping coffee, tea or alcohol and snacking.
The Venue
Teavolve
Formerly known as Tea-ology, this warm, inviting Fells Point tea house opened about a year ago.
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Frazier's on the Avenue
In the heart of Hampden, Frazier's on the Avenue is the quirky neighborhood's hottest nightspot. With live music, karaoke and weekday happy-hour specials, Frazier's gives you a reason to look forward to the work week.
The Venue
Sly Fox Pub
Within walking distance of Ravens Stadium, the Sly Fox Pub is a boldly pro-Redskins and Hokies bar. It opened last year in the corner space that formerly housed the French restaurant Soigne.
The Venue
Love
As one of Washington's premier nightclubs, Love offers an extended version of nightclub style and sophistication. At Love, you can party with visiting and local celebrities and sip exotic drinks while you dance the night away.
The Venue
Fort Charles Pub
On its Web site, the pub bills itself as "Sobo's best bar, as voted by those who know." We went there last Sunday, and while we're not convinced of its dominance, this pub is a laid-back place to have a few beers.
The Venue
Porters Pub
Porters is far enough from the main Cross Street bar district that it doesn't get a whole lot of foot traffic, but this Federal Hill bar is packed pretty much all weekend long.
The Venue
Carlos O'Charlie's
Carlos O'Charlie's, a huge new bar and restaurant, opened in Highlandtown this summer. It consists of a long, wide main floor with a bar along one side and an equal-sized downstairs lounge.
The Venue
Ale Mary's
Ale Mary's has fun with religion, but it doesn't make fun of it. That's how this Fells Point pub can pull off its tongue-in-cheek religious puns. Though the bar is only a year and a half old, it's found a solid neighborhood niche.
The Venue
XS
With four levels of lofts, XS is a chic coffee bar by day, an innovative sushi bar in the evening and a DJ lounge at night. Whether eating breakfast or dinner, sipping a cosmo at the bar or sharing the chocolate lasagna on the couches of the fourth-floor lounge, XS guarantees a relaxed evening of decadence.
The Venue
Cosmopolitan Bar and Grill
This brightly colored bar in Canton Square serves up about 70 different martinis. Downstairs is a bar with a small dining area and upstairs is a dance floor and second bar.
The Venue
The True Vine
Until about four months ago, this record and CD store on the Avenue in Hampden let pretty much any local and regional musician play inside. Now, stacks of records and musical equipment take up most of the performance space, but the True Vine does occasionally still host select live acts during after-hours events.
The Venue
Tio Pepe
Known for its upscale Spanish cuisine, the Mount Vernon restaurant has become a weekend haven for young aficionados of some of the city's best sangria and Tio's intimate atmosphere.
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Ixia
With some of the city's best martinis and plenty of elaborate decor, Ixia's late-night scene is steadily growing.
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The Owl Bar
With plenty of stained glass, a high ceiling and well-dressed staff of waiters, the Owl Bar has an elegant, timeless feel. It's in the Belvedere Hotel, on the ground floor off the lobby.
The Venue
Bottle & Cork
This coastal Delaware concert venue and bar was established 70 years ago and today remains one of the most popular nightlife hotspots in notoriously wild Dewey Beach. Loud, crazy and well-liquored, the Bottle & Cork embodies the Dewey reputation. Good for a night of drinking and meeting people in bars; not so great for actually listening to a concert.
The Venue
Rum Shack
With leafy trees, running water and other island decor, this hangout on top of the Lodge Bar in Power Plant Live is an escape from the crush of bar- and club-goers below.
The Venue
Bartenders
A subtle exterior and a fresh interior give this small sports pub the feel of new sneakers that haven't quite been broken in but just might become an old favorite. Bartenders offers unique pizzas, seafood, TVs, a well-stocked bar and food or drink specials five days a week. Although the air conditioning keeps the place a little too frigid, the warmth and friendly attitude of the bartenders make up the difference.
The Venue
Filene Center at Wolf Trap
Drive a bit west of Washington, and have a picnic on the lawn while enjoying live music.
The Venue
The Spy Club
Tucked away on the second and third floors over the Midtown Yacht Club, the Spy Club has a "secret" entrance through a bookcase-disguised door, which is usually (disappointingly) propped open.
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The Black Cat
You can have dinner, drinks and a show -- without ever leaving The Black Cat in Washington.
The Venue
Camden Pub
A short walk from the stadiums, Camden Pub is a prime spot for pre-gaming.
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Mum's
With a bull skull on one wall and an "It's all good in the hood" sticker on the wine cabinet, Mum's is quite possibly Federal Hill's most charming bar.
The Venue
The Lodge Bar
The Lodge Bar looks just like it sounds: Wood beams and planks coat the walls and stuffed animals are perched and hung throughout.
The Venue
Single Fin's
There's nothing fancy about Single Fin's, which is just fine. Why shell out an extra couple bucks per beer just to pay for decor? This bar has a stuffed deer head on one wall and two framed Ravens jerseys on the other.
The Venue
The Horse You Came In On
Fells Point is notorious for providing a plethora of party spots for every night of the week. The Horse You Came In On Saloon is no exception. This bar has a great atmosphere for kicking back and chilling out with good friends and great tunes.
The Venue
Stone Cellar
Located under Ellicott City's Blue Point Grille, the Stone Cellar is an unlikely live music hideaway. Even though there's casual dining upstairs, the stone-walled basement pumps up the volume and rocks way past midnight.
The Venue
Iguana Cantina
Iguana Cantina (and its celebrated weekly College and Ladies Nights) is a lively place to party. Now two years old, this Inner Harbor hot spot has assumed privileged status on the city's nightlife circuit among wild local co-eds.
The Venue
Grand Central
A fixture on the local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) nightclub scene, this surprisingly large entertainment complex has a high-tech industrial dance floor, video bar, pub and leather club serviced by six bars.
The Venue
The State Theatre
This movie theater turned upscale live music hall hosts live music about five nights a week and holds about 800.
The Venue
Sky Lounge Tango Tapas
Situated in a charming alley off Federal Hill's Cross Street strip, this lounge features Spanish-inspired tapas, homemade sangria and creative cocktails in its plush downstairs seating area. If the urge to let loose hits you a few drinks later, head upstairs to do your thing on a clear, springy Plexiglas dance floor.
The Venue
Phoenix Emporium
Situated on the corner of historic Old Ellicott City's Main Street and Maryland Avenue, the quaint Phoenix Emporium welcomes patrons of all ages for lunch and dinner. Good food and a local favorite feel make for a great midday pitstop or late-night hangout.
The Venue
The Full Moon Saloon
Though the Full Moon Saloon's patrons might seem a little gruff and intimidating, they're really easygoing and know volumes about blues history and musicians.
The Venue
Idle Hour
This tiny but cozy corner bar is among a growing number of recently refurbished watering holes along Fort Avenue. Owners Brendan Finnerty and Randal Etheridge plan to add a smoke-free space upstairs by early next year.
The Venue
The Waterfront Hotel
Go to this Fells Point restaurant, bar and lounge for food, drinks, loud live music and relaxation. If you're barhopping, this could be your first or last stop, depending on what you want.
The Venue
The Recher Theatre
Since 1999, the Recher Theatre has brought local and national bands to downtown Towson. With a capacity of 700, it's big enough to host renown acts in a fairly small space. The result is an intimate, if sometimes jam-packed, setting.
The Venue
Cat's Eye Pub
The Cat's Eye Pub is one of the bastion bars holding their own amid an ever-changing Fells Point. No yuppie hangout can truly capture or reproduce the feel of a place like this.
The Venue
9:30 Club
The East Coast needs more 9:30 Clubs. The Washington live music staple has incredible sound and barely a bad spot to stand and watch. Heavyweight promotion machine I.M.P. books acts like James Brown in the place, which has a 1,200 capacity.
The Venue
Leadbetter's
One of the Fells Point Olde Guard bars, it's easy to imagine what Leadbetter's looked like 100 years back (probably not much different).
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Midtown Yacht Club
Nowhere near the water, this Mount Vernon tavern lives up to its name only in ornamentation: Wooden ships and fish hang on its walls and ceiling.
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The 13th Floor
This club and lounge occupies the Belvedere's top floor in Mount Vernon. Large windows line two walls and offer a stunning view of the city.
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WestSide Cafe
When owner Rod Deacey opened the WestSide Cafe in May, Frederick got a new laid-back watering hole and acoustic performance space.
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Copra
Copra is one sharp restaurant and bar. Its use of wood, metal and stone creates a chic dining and lounging atmosphere.
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Thirsty Dog Pub
This is a great last stop on the way back from bar-hopping in Federal Hill. The beer's cheap and fresh-brewed and the pizza mollifies gnawing late-night cravings.
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An Die Musik
Though it has been hosting shows for only about a year, An Die Musik lures a wide array of nationally and internationally touring classical and jazz artists. There's a record store and lounge downstairs and a small concert space upstairs.
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Mick O'shea's
Walk down Charles Street past Mick O'Shea's, and it's hard to resist the urge to go inside and check the place out. Its cold beer and warm and rowdy regulars are great medicine for the winter blues.
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