In Bal'mor, it's the place to go!

Nation's Restaurant News, June 26, 1989

IN BAL'MOR, IT'S THE PLACE TO GO!

They call it the Baltimore Fishmarket, hardly a glamorous name for an innovative pleasure palace with a little bit of something for everyone. It covers three levels; it has six entertainment clubs, a theater, and two restaurants; and it's been busy since day one -- the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

The 78,000-square-foot complex is built on a former wholesale fish market. Many original architectural details have been retained to keep the harbortown atmosphere.

Patrons enter an atrium area with flashing neon signs and building facades that simulate New York's Times Square. Two restaurants are on the ground floor, the Fishmarket Grille and the 24-hour-a-day Charm City Diner.

The first floor also holds two clubs, Eubie's, a 450-seat jazz theater, and the Officer's Club, where up to 225 people can enjoy a USO-style atmosphere with variety, comedy, and other smaller acts.

Another bar, the Edgar Allen Pub, re-creates an English tavern and seats 85 patrons. Above it, on the second floor and seating 100 people, is the Library, a more elegant room with plush armchairs and a large collection of fine wines and cordials.

Liberty Hall is the stage for big productions, with a seating capacity of 2,500 and three levels of seating. Major acts, such as Dionne Warwick and Blood, Sweat & Tears, have been among its top attractions.

Finally, on the third floor, is a high-voltage dance club that re-creates the atmosphere of a skytop party. In addition to the latest in lasers, special color effects, and high-tech sound equipment, Rooftops also contains a small stage for live entertainment.

With all those clubs and the big hall operating six nights a week, from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., the Fishmarket is a major buyer of talent. Each room has a minimum of two different acts per night. "We've had a little bit of everything, from country to contemporary to rockabilly and lots of jazz," says Jim Ditenhafer, marketing and entertainment director, "yet we haven't repeated a single act in our first few months."

Close to 10,000 people have challenged the Fishmarket's capacity on weekends, all taking advantage of a $6 cover charge, which permits them to roam freely from club to club. Weekly traffic has fluctuated around the 25,000 level. Attendance soared over the 1 million mark in January and, says Ditenhafer, "we're more than meeting projections."

The clubs run what Tony Goodman, food and beverage director, calls "a heavy-duty well, pouring Smirnoff, Gilbey's, Jim Beam, Black Velvet, Castello Rum, and Scorby's Scotch."

Basic drinks run $2.50 for a one-and-one-quarter-ounce shot. "We try," he says, "to give a quality drink for a fair price. It builds confidence in us and lets guests know we're not trying to gouge them. We're getting an average expenditure of $18 to $22."

The $6 admission charge doesn't go on until 7 p.m., and as many as 1,800 people arrive earlier for a free evening. Rooftops is open for dancing Monday night, when everything but the restaurants are dark and there's no admission charge, a free-bie that young Baltimoreans have been quick to utilize.

But those free admissions don't bother Fishmarket management, which feels it's all for the good and tries to encourage a wider spread of business. "We're also getting a good crowd in the early-morning hours, after the clubs close, for the Diner, which is open all the time, and we're getting breakfast traffic with people from nearby offices."

Goodman also taps another source of income with a big-band dance at Sunday Brunch. Patrons can enjoy the full menu and dance for $14.95 or dance and enjoy tea and coffee for $6.95.

"We're trying to touch all bases," Goodman notes. "We had bookings for special parties right through New Year's even before we opened. We've got special function rooms, and we can block off private areas, and we've already had bar mitzvahs and office parties and anniversaries.

"We're also trying to keep the place producing in daylight hours, with business meetings.

"We have people from 21 to 60," Goodman says. "Each venue draws a certain crowd, though people are free to go from one to another, catching jazz in one spot, comedy in another, dancing at the Rooftops, relaxing in The Library as well as the Fishmarket's two restaurants."

PHOTO : The market's glass walls make the excitement visible and lure more traffic.

PHOTO : Big name acts such as Dionne appear at Liberty Hall. Below: Customers can find quiet relaxation at The Library.