Bar Review

In February, Spike TV announced "Bar Rescue," a design makeover show, would take up the cause of J.A. Murphy's in Fells Point. The show was coming at the request of owners Keith Murphy and Joel Gallant. Theirs was one of more than 200 bars to apply for a guest spot on the show, the network said. Two months later, a new J.A. Murphy's, now dubbed a cliched Murphy's Law, quietly reopened. You could be forgiven for not knowing about it. While the bar got a new draft system and upgraded look, it seems the show's producers - or the owners - forgot to fix some things.

In February, Spike TV announced "Bar Rescue," a design makeover show, would take up the cause of J.A. Murphy's in Fells Point. The show was coming at the request of owners Keith Murphy and Joel Gallant. Theirs was one of more than 200 bars to apply for a guest spot on the show, the network said. Two months later, a new J.A. Murphy's, now dubbed a cliched Murphy's Law, quietly reopened. You could be forgiven for not knowing about it. While the bar got a new draft system and upgraded look, it seems the show's producers - or the owners - forgot to fix some things.

Baltimore Taphouse in Canton looks just fine when you walk in. It's a long, narrow hall, with plenty of beer on tap and a pool table at the back. But the first sign that you might be in better hands than you thought is found above the cash register. There, owner John Bates has propped up a dog-eared copy of Michael Jackson's "Great Beer Guide. " Jackson is the elder statesman among beer and whiskey writers — the Julia Child of beer lovers. His place above the bar suggests that the Taphouse serves one master: beer.

It's Wednesday night in Upper Fells Point and I'm sitting at the bar of the restaurant Salt. The restaurant has entered its chilled-out mode; dinner service ends in a half-hour at 10:30 p.m. A jazzy score - Charles Mingus and Roy Hargrove - murmurs in the background, and a mute TV is ignored in a far corner. A dozen or so green-colored lamps that look like a squadron of flying saucers give the bar a cool, moody glow. Though the atmosphere is serene, the bar, which seats about 12, is full.

The naming of a bar might seem like the simplest task on the new bar owner's to-do list. But it's one of the most delicate. The name sets expectations, conveys intent and establishes an owner's taste. With a name like Cowboys & Rednecks, the new Federal Hill country-western bar/restaurant is at a disadvantage from the get-go. The name is tacky and sophomoric, more suitable for a Jeff Foxworthy-themed chain of restaurants than a place where adults might spend an evening. That's a shame, because Cowboys, which replaces Tavern Corvino, is not as tasteless as its name suggests.

It's Wednesday night in Upper Fells Point and I'm sitting at the bar of the restaurant Salt. The restaurant has entered its chilled-out mode; dinner service ends in a half-hour at 10:30 p.m. A jazzy score - Charles Mingus and Roy Hargrove - murmurs in the background, and a mute TV is ignored in a far corner. A dozen or so green-colored lamps that look like a squadron of flying saucers give the bar a cool, moody glow. Though the atmosphere is serene, the bar, which seats about 12, is full.

With a name like Heavy Seas Alehouse, you might expect that the new bar and restaurant in Little Italy/Harbor East would be a shrine to the esteemed Baltimore craft brewery. Hugh Sisson, the brewery's founder, said before the opening that licensing the name was meant as a showcase for the brand. And the beer list that was previewed underscored that point — all Heavy Seas, all the time. But for all the Heavy Seas love, this isn't a venue that appeals to just fans of the beer. In fact, it is the first great new bar of the year, more than meeting the expectations set by the Heavy Seas name.

When Brad Keevan and Marka Browning took over the space formerly known as Reefer's in June, they had a lot of work on their hands. Reefer's — an often shuttered dance club that had been on the skids for years — was, in a word, scuzzy. In order to bring in a regular crowd, the property needed a major face lift. From the looks of it, Marka — a former bartender a JA Murphy's — and her partner Brad have done a pretty impressive job. They've transformed the space from a dingy and, frankly, weird Caribbean-themed dive to a warm, friendly after-work hangout.

Bars at malls don't have to try as hard. The venue doesn't expect them to, and neither does the clientele. Unlike at destination bars, people just want a place to linger after shopping, a variation on a T.G.I. Friday's. Some light lagers, bright lights, maybe an arcade machine. It is the measure of a great bar to have ambitions that go beyond, and Punk's Backyard Grill steps up to the challenge. This Westfield Annapolis mall bar and restaurant, celebrating its third anniversary this year, is casual to a fault - its premise is an indoors American cookout.

On Friday, there will be a pingpong tournament in Baltimore. It won't take place at an arena or a YMCA. It's at a bar. The pingpong tournament is one of the distinguishing features of Parkside Sports Bar and Pub, which opened in Canton late last year. Parkside is a sports bar with modest ambitions. Its casual setup and fairly small beer selection suggest it wants to just be a neighborhood hangout. But its size, its pool and pingpong tables, its gregarious bartenders and customers make it an upbeat place to watch a game - or play one - after work.

With a name like Heavy Seas Alehouse, you might expect that the new bar and restaurant in Little Italy/Harbor East would be a shrine to the esteemed Baltimore craft brewery. Hugh Sisson, the brewery's founder, said before the opening that licensing the name was meant as a showcase for the brand. And the beer list that was previewed underscored that point — all Heavy Seas, all the time. But for all the Heavy Seas love, this isn't a venue that appeals to just fans of the beer. In fact, it is the first great new bar of the year, more than meeting the expectations set by the Heavy Seas name.

Bars at malls don't have to try as hard. The venue doesn't expect them to, and neither does the clientele. Unlike at destination bars, people just want a place to linger after shopping, a variation on a T.G.I. Friday's. Some light lagers, bright lights, maybe an arcade machine. It is the measure of a great bar to have ambitions that go beyond, and Punk's Backyard Grill steps up to the challenge. This Westfield Annapolis mall bar and restaurant, celebrating its third anniversary this year, is casual to a fault - its premise is an indoors American cookout.

The naming of a bar might seem like the simplest task on the new bar owner's to-do list. But it's one of the most delicate. The name sets expectations, conveys intent and establishes an owner's taste. With a name like Cowboys & Rednecks, the new Federal Hill country-western bar/restaurant is at a disadvantage from the get-go. The name is tacky and sophomoric, more suitable for a Jeff Foxworthy-themed chain of restaurants than a place where adults might spend an evening. That's a shame, because Cowboys, which replaces Tavern Corvino, is not as tasteless as its name suggests.

When Brad Keevan and Marka Browning took over the space formerly known as Reefer's in June, they had a lot of work on their hands. Reefer's — an often shuttered dance club that had been on the skids for years — was, in a word, scuzzy. In order to bring in a regular crowd, the property needed a major face lift. From the looks of it, Marka — a former bartender a JA Murphy's — and her partner Brad have done a pretty impressive job. They've transformed the space from a dingy and, frankly, weird Caribbean-themed dive to a warm, friendly after-work hangout.

Federal Hill already has Metropolitan, the Abbey Burger Bistro and Bluegrass - bars that are known for their ample beer lists. Even the Don't Know Tavern has 30 draft lines. Until last summer, there had also been Muggsy's, Danny Young's cozy beer outpost on Light Street. But because of the competition and a limiting six-day liquor license, Muggsy's closed. To replace it, there's now Brewer's Cask, which if you couldn't tell from its name, has the slogan, "Love Thy Beer" to let you know exactly what kind of bar it is. Leave it to a beer bar to beget another beer bar. If you hadn't been to Muggsy's, this new bar looks deceptively small from the outside.

After a bar has been around for a while, it's easy to take it for granted. This year, three Baltimore bars that have been in business for over a decade marked major anniversaries: Brewer's Art turned 15 and Max's 25. These two bars are hardly taken for granted; they are universally praised by wildly different constituencies. The third, though, which turned 15 in September, doesn't get nearly enough love. Holy Frijoles deserves recognition. It has excellent, under-rated cocktails - the margaritas are poured by the dozen - and a menu that is stuffed with guilty pleasures.

As if taking the Maryland Bar exam hasn't caused enough gray hairs, law school graduates soon will be confronting a new and potentially confusing array of choices when picking a bar review course.West Publishing Co., the largest publisher of legal materials in the United States, is the latest entry in the hotly competitive bar-review arena. The company plans to launch its course in Maryland next summer, according to Stanley D. Chess, chairman and CEO of West Professional Education Group.Unclear for now, however, is who West will be competing against for lecturers and students.

For the 17th year, University of Baltimore professor Byron Warnken will be nursing anxious law students as they prepare for the Maryland Bar exam.But he's joining a different team.Yesterday, Mr. Warnken said he has agreed to lead a new bar review course in Maryland for West Publishing Inc., the largest publisher of legal materials in the United States.The announcement means Mr. Warnken will end his long run with a competing bar review course, SMH. Mr. Warnken has been course director of SMH's bar review course in Maryland since 1979.

On Sunday night, Looney's Pub was surprisingly low-key. You kind of always expect a Looney's, which has had a flagship home in O'Donnell Square for over a decade, to be packed with young, screaming sports fans, beer mugs flying across the room, the music turned up so loud you can barely make out the lyrics. But I was at the new Looney's in College Park, the latest bar in the company's growing stable, which now includes locations in Bel Air and Maple Lawn. The crowd at the bar, which opened in October, wasn't swaying woozily, but intently watching the Giants put up what seemed like a losing fight against the Cowboys.

Don't Know Tavern in South Baltimore has always been a reliably quiet neighborhood bar, especially appreciated by Red Sox and Patriots fans. But in the past year, Don't Know has gone through more upheaval than it has in all the four years it's been in business. In June, its longtime owner, Jason Zink, sold the business , partly to deal with the expense of a lawsuit that had been filed against him by five of the bar's former employees. In July, Zink settled the lawsuit, and soon after, new management took over.