Today's nightlife column is about the Cat's Eye Pub, one of those institutions that helps define Fells Point.
It's been there for decades. But the bar's future was kind of up in the air when its longtime owner, Tony Cushing, died two years ago.
Cushing's son, also named Tony, took over as a co-owner. Since then, he's kept the Cat's Eye's old school charm while making a few much-needed updates.
He tripled the size of the keg room, hand-washed the big mural inside, and refinished and reinforced the old wood floors. He upped the number of taps from 32 to 41, too.
Young Tony's most ambitious project is up next: Opening the second floor. It will take a new stairwell and some changes to the floor up there, but he plans to have it ready in the next year.
Tony wants to cut out a section of the upstairs floor above the stage and replace it with plexiglass so folks up there can peer down at the band below ...
When finished, the upstairs will also have French doors, which open up onto a small patio.
The crazy thing is, Tony is only 26. He's had to grow up fast. Can you imagine inheriting a pub and making all these restorations in your early 20s? I mean, I can, sure, but it's still impressive.
Two years later, the Cat's Eye still has the same feel and charm it always did. If anything, it's better now. Good work, Tony.
(Baltimore Sun photo by Kenneth K. Lam)