News of a closing is easier to swallow when it arrives with news of an opening. A new pub named Cockey's Tavern at Hollins is set to open as soon as Aug. 6 in the space that was the charming Vietnamese restaurant Baltimore Pho, which closed July 24.
Jim Collins, the man who opened Baltimore Pho, was always open about his intentions. Not a restaurateur by trade, Collins is both a resident of and a developer in Hollins Market. Opening a restaurant in the long- abandoned Cultured Pearl space was his way of bringing activity and interest back to the neighborhood. Now, 2 1/2 years later, with Hollins Market showing signs of reviving from some rocky years, and a willing buyer, it was time to sell.
The buyer they found is Bob Cockey, the operator of a successful seafood stall in Hollins Market and another avid believer in the scrappy, lively neighborhood.
"It's the New Orleans of the north," Cockey told me, "except we're above sea level." He also invited me to stop by the market for Baltimore's best crab cake. "I know a lot of people say they have it. We have it." I like this Bob Cockey.
Cockey's will keep Baltimore Pho's phone number, which is 410-752-4746. The address is 1114-16 Hollins St.
Pho regulars had a few days' warning about the closing and were stopping in all week long to say goodbye, said Madeleine Carroll, who came in to manage Baltimore Pho for her father shortly after it opened. "We have a great customer base," she said, "the very best. Last night, we knew every customer in here by name."
In a follow-up talk, Carroll said support from the restaurant's patrons was so overwhelming that the family is now considering a comeback down the road. She is encouraging fans of Baltimore Pho to join an e-mail list by contacting baltimorepho@gmail.com.
New prescription The restaurant space at Baltimore and Linwood streets will be reopening soon. This is the can't-fail Patterson Park location where two restaurants have done just that, first Parkside and then Three. The building was purchased at auction in February by a group of concerned neighbors, who just last week settled on the property. That done, they immediately announced a new tenant for the restaurant space. It's Wayne Mahaffrey, a neighborhood resident and the owner of Mahaffey's Pub in Canton.
The new place, to be named Bistro Rx, will be a "wine-centric" establishment, according to Steven Gondol, one of the principal movers in the neighbors group, who explained that the name was chosen as a tribute to the building's longtime tenant, Block's Pharmacy. Bistro Rx is expected to open in the fall. As for Mahaffrey's Pub, it's not going anywhere.
More openings and closings The restaurant named Parkside mentioned above is not related to the Parkside Fine Foods and Spirits restaurant in Lauraville that closed a few weeks back, not entirely unexpectedly. The restaurant and bar, which opened in late 2008, tried its best but never seemed to catch on like the Hamilton Tavern, another Harford Road spot opened by a Brewer's Art veteran.
Speaking of great spaces, the former Ixia spot will soon be occupied by a new establishment named CR Lounge. One of the new owners, Tegist "Teggy" Ayalew, is associated with Crème Café and Lounge in Washington, which has a Southern-accented menu — things like crab meat hush puppies with chipotle remoulade and a pan-roasted chicken breast with chive biscuit, creamed mushrooms and braised kale. I couldn't reach the new owners before this column's deadline, but Alalew told Baltimore Magazine's Suzanne Loudermilk that CR Lounge will have a similar Southern-themed menu and that a chef for the Baltimore location will be revealed soon, along with a phone number and a website.
Also: Just over a year after the fire that destroyed its original home, Suburban House opened last week in its new Pomona Square location, 1700 Reisterstown Road in Pikesville. The new spot is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The phone number is 410-484-7775. An outpost of the Dallas-based Dick's Last Resort chain is now open next to the Hard Rock Cafe in the Inner Harbor's Power Plant complex. Dick's specializes in barbecued pork ribs and dirty puns. The new place is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. The phone number is 443-453-5961.