Fine dining's in the neighborhood at b

Restaurant Review

Food *** 1/2 (3 1/2 stars)

Service *** (3 stars)

Atmosphere *** (3 stars)

As chancy as the restaurant business is, some owners seem to know how to succeed, even where others have failed. And it's not always about finding a winning formula and repeating it. One of the best examples I can think of is the Karzai brothers, who own three very different eat ing places in Baltimore.

Their first, the Helmand, is an inexpensive Afghan restaurant. Tapas Teatro, next to the Charles Theatre, specializes in trendy small plates but can be pricey. Surprisingly the third, "b," a bistro in Bolton Hill, is as close as the Karzais come to a fine-dining restaurant.

Poor: