What surely must be Baltimore’s funkiest-looking chicken wings will be coming this spring with the planned opening of The Civil in Mount Vernon.
The “24-carat” Civil Wings “are simply delicious,” promises Krystal Washington, who will be running the private dining experience on the mezzanine level of the restaurant, in a building that most recently housed the G.A.Y. Lounge and, before that, Ware House 518. “I’m not able to reveal what gives it the gold color, but people should get excited about the special sauce.”
The wings can be seen in all their gold-encrusted glory, looking like something King Midas would eat for happy hour, in a post on The Civil’s Facebook page. The sauce, Washington assures without revealing anything else, is “savory.”
With a menu Washington describes as southern American, The Civil, at 518 N. Charles St., should be opening sometime in the spring, she said. Owners D. Evans, a local real estate investor, and Paul Thomas, who also owns Federal Hill’s Definition Salon, plan to have their restaurant open for brunch onward. Washington says they also hope to book local talent to perform, although those plans have yet to be finalized.
Workers have been rehabbing the space, which housed the fabled Louie’s Bookstore Cafe until it closed in 1999, since winter 2018. “We’ve been working around the clock to upgrade the space and completely transform everything,” Washington said.
Added note to Louie’s fans: If you were one of the many who loved Louie’s for providing jobs and exhibit space to Baltimore’s emerging artists back in the day, you’ll want to check out the exhibit “Louie’s Bookstore & Cafe: Back on Wall.” Featuring the work of 25 artists who exhibited there while it was open from 1981-99, it will remain on display at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. in Highlandtown, through April 13. creativealliance.org.