If you had told me that the Atlantic, Donna' s, Ray Lewis' Full Moon BBQ and Kiss Cafe wouldn't last in Canton's Can Company, but Outback and the Austin Grill would, I wouldn't have known what to make of it. I still don't. It makes it hard to predict how Langermann's (2400 Boston St., 410-534-3287, langermanns.com) will do.

Like many other restaurants that have opened in this weak economy, it needs to be a place the neighborhood will embrace. To that end, managing partner David McGill said, prices are being kept reasonable, with dinner entrees ranging from $14.95 for herb-roasted chicken to $20.95 for a crab cake with succotash, shoestring potatoes and mustard cream - only dinner is called "supper," which gives you a sense of the style of the place.

The restaurant is named after its executive chef, Neal Langermann, who has worked in the kitchens of Red Sage in Washington, J. Paul's and Paolo's, Clyde's, and Georgia Brown's, where he was executive chef for 10 years. His menu isn't strictly Southern, but instead, McGill said, "It's regional American with Southern influences."

This gives him the freedom, for instance, to put a New England clam chowder on the menu if he feels like it. "We didn't want to get pigeonholed into Southern cuisine."

The space where Kiss Cafe once was has been renovated from the concrete floor up. The kitchen was moved and banquettes added. In the spirit of the building, which was built in the '20s, there aren't a lot of modern fixtures. "We tried to keep things dated," McGill explained, with a retro look. The space has also been warmed up with reds, creams and earth colors.

Langermann's has an open kitchen, which McGill described as a "fresh kitchen." Everything is made on the premises, including breads and desserts. "You don't have to be expensive to be good-quality," he said.

The renovations include a temperature-controlled wine room. The wine list concentrates on domestic bottles, but popular choices such as malbec and prosecco are also featured. The list includes 15 wines by the glass, and there is also a reserve list of 14 bottles.

The new restaurant will be open for lunch and supper, but also breakfast, starting at 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and 10:30 a.m. on the weekend. As of now, closing times are fluid.

DuClaw closure : Last Wednesday DuClaw Brewing Co. in Fells Point unexpectedly closed its doors. I talked to the president of the local chain, David Benfield, who said that the major contributing factor was a dispute with the landlord over an increase in fees. When the landlord finally offered to buy the owners out of the lease (but they had to be out by the end of the year), they decided to accept the offer.

"We operate decently well in the suburbs," Benfield said, "but the menu isn't a Pazo's or a Roy's. It was difficult for us to draw crowds."

The slowdown of development in the area didn't help either; the location at the end of Fells Point simply didn't get the traffic the owners had hoped for.

"It was great in the summertime, but with the cold air coming off the water in the winter," not so much, he said.

Benfield stressed that the Fells Point location is the only one that will be closing.

Trends for the new year : This time of year, everyone is wondering what 2010 will bring. That includes both diners and restaurateurs, of course. The National Restaurant Association has put out a list of the top menu trends for the new year, compiled by surveying some 1,800 chefs. The top 10 are 1) locally grown produce, 2) locally sourced meats and seafood, 3) sustainability, 4) bite-size/mini desserts, 5) locally produced wine and beer, 6) nutritionally balanced children's dishes, 7) half portions/smaller portion for a smaller price, 8) farm/estate-branded ingredients, 9) gluten-free/food allergy conscious, 10) sustainable seafood.

What's most notable about this list is that there's not much new. It's local, local, local; small plates; and socially conscious farming and fishing. Sustainability made its way into the top 10 not once but twice.

I am glad to see No. 6, though. It always struck me as odd that old-style kids' menus had nothing but protein and starch on them, usually fried.

Deal of the Week

Where:: Joe Squared Pizza

133 North Ave., Station North

The Deal:: Free 10-inch pizza with two bottles of beer

The Catch:: Not including Natty Bohs

When:: 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays

Call:: 410-545-0444