Mount Vernon got a dose of bad news over the weekend with the announcement that its only grocery store, Eddie’s of Mount Vernon, will be closing at the end of June. But it’s not all doom and gloom.
This week, I have news of a plant shop-slash-bar coming to the neighborhood, as well as some insight into what will become of the old Mount Vernon Stable & Saloon space. Read on for those details, plus an exciting announcement for fans of cooking competitions.
Here’s some positive news for Mount Vernon: the neighborhood will soon have a plant shop, bar and event space.
Stem & Vine is slated to open in the Brown’s Arcade building at 326 N. Charles St. The store will primarily be a garden center, with potted plants sourced from around the world. But owners Quincy Goldsmith and Kendrea Clark also plan to offer some alcoholic drinks to add to the shopping experience.
“Originally, we wanted to have a plant shop, but this additional piece was dropped into the business plan,” Goldsmith told the city’s Board of Liquor License Commissioners, which approved a liquor license for the new business on June 15. “It’s a very new concept that we hadn’t seen.”
Stem & Vine will feature plants in the front of the store, a bar in the middle and an event space and gallery in the back. The couple have plans to invite master’s students from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University to use the space for performances.
The store’s name is a play on words several times over: Clark and Goldsmith both work in the science, technology, engineering and math — STEM — field. Plants have stems, too, of course, as do wine glasses.
The couple have invested about $150,000 in improvements to the retail space and are waiting on city permits to open.
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The liquor board also brought news this week about an erstwhile Mount Vernon landmark, the Mount Vernon Stable & Saloon.
The restaurant was acquired by ASH NYCthe New York-based developer of Hotel Ulysses, which took over the Stable & Saloon’s liquor license last year. On June 15, developers were back before liquor license commissioners to ask for a 180-day extension on the license as they figure out what to do with the space.
The restaurant is being used for storage right now, according to John Denick, an attorney for the project. Ultimately, Hotel Ulysses envisions using the space as a wedding facility.
“They’re booking rooms, and people want event space,” he said.
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Here’s a hot tip for all you fans of Chopped and Top Chefs: There’s a new cooking competition show focused on Baltimore chefs.
Plate It! Baltimorewhich premieres June 27 on the Very Local streaming app, features local chefs throwing down in the kitchen while using local ingredients to cook up meals inspired by Charm City.
The show, hosted by Baltimore food influencer Team “Chyno” Chinalso known as The Baltimore Foodie and “the boy with the blue beard,” will feature The Local Oysters owner Nick Schauman and cookbook author Jessica Formicola as judges. Among the roster of chef contestants are Amanda Mack of Crust by Mack, Sean Guy of Water for Chocolate, Nancy Longo of Pierpoint Restaurant and Ben Lefenfield of La Cuchara. New episodes will be released every Tuesday throughout the summer.
