Liquor License

El Paraiso is a crowd-pleaser. Whether your friends are hard to impress foodie types, or cautious and careful when exploring a menu, El Paraiso ("the paradise" in Spanish) will make them happy. The restaurant, in a Reisterstown shopping center, serves tasty and familiar Mexican standards alongside authentic — and equally appealing — Salvadoran dishes like yuca con chicharron and beef tongue tacos. The restaurant opened in 2003, but the recipes date back much further. El Paraiso's owners, Mercedes and Maria Rodriguez, emigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador during the Central American country's civil war in the 1980s.

El Paraiso is a crowd-pleaser. Whether your friends are hard to impress foodie types, or cautious and careful when exploring a menu, El Paraiso ("the paradise" in Spanish) will make them happy. The restaurant, in a Reisterstown shopping center, serves tasty and familiar Mexican standards alongside authentic — and equally appealing — Salvadoran dishes like yuca con chicharron and beef tongue tacos. The restaurant opened in 2003, but the recipes date back much further. El Paraiso's owners, Mercedes and Maria Rodriguez, emigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador during the Central American country's civil war in the 1980s.

Decker's in Bel Air won't be selling beer, wine or liquor for at least the next seven months. As a penalty for improper record-keeping and purchasing liquor from someone other than a licensed wholesaler, members of the Harford County Liquor Control Board Wednesday suspended the license for the liquor store for 30 days. That was followed by the board revoking the license for making a false application for a liquor license renewal. The licensees of the store, Joseph Borromeo, a 75 percent owner, and Virgil Dale Davis, a 25 percent owner, can never apply for a liquor license in Harford County again.

The under-reporting of disturbances and violent crime at the Inner Harbor is legendary ("TheSt. Patrick's Day brawl," May 16). I have been living downtown in the Central Business District for the past six years at one of the nightly hot spots - Saratoga Street and Guilford Avenue. This is the home of the infamous Club One (now a parking, lot after the liquor license was finally revoked after dozens of massive street fights and two shootings in the street), the recently closed Bourbon Street (after a number of fights and finally a massive four-person stabbing and their insurance being revoked)

Last Saturday, I went to Dubai. No, not the glitzy metropolis in the United Arab Emirates; the club on 200 E. Redwood St. that opened in late January under a new name after two years as the troubled Velvet Rope. With the change, the owners hope to distance themselves from a tarnished old name and associate themselves with the luxury that Dubai brings to mind. But those aspirations might be too lofty. If rebranding was all that a bad reputation needed, Hosni Mubarak might still be in power.

There would be little reason for the existence of a liquor lobby (or any other lobby for that matter) if it weren't for the countless unnecessary laws, rules and regulations emanating from the over-inflated egos of petty bureaucrats. Why can't we simply let every restaurant that wants a liquor license have one - for a reasonable fee - until it proves itself unworthy of the privilege? If only we let them, competition and the free market would weed out the bad apples. Dave Reich, Perry Hall

Residents of Upper Fells Point are praising a city liquor board decision to suspend for 60 days the license of a bar, Rancho Manila, that they say fuels crime and litter in the neighborhood. "I hope everything stays quiet as a result of the suspension," said E. Andrew Gerner, president of the Lombard Court Homeowners Association. He said residents of the community have suffered for several months from "violent crime, prostitution, and litter" caused by what he dubs a "problem bar. " The liquor board enacted the two-month suspension last week.

With a tight budget anticipated in the coming year, Annapolis Mayor Joshua J. Cohen plans to look at possible increases to municipal fees. While saying he wants to avoid raising property taxes, Cohen said that he plans a broad review of the city's entire fee structure, with a close look at another hike to the city's liquor license fees. "His sort of philosophy is that you should pay for the service that you're given," said Philip McGowan, a spokesman for Cohen, a Democrat. "The mayor has said we need to look at things across the board and say, 'Is the fee commensurate with what it costs to put out the service?

Meet 27 still doesn't have a liquor license. The new Remington restaurant had been approved for a Class B license by the Baltimore City Liquor License Board, but petitioners affiliated with a splinter neighborhood association have successfully petitioned to have that approval reversed. For the time being, Meet 27 will operate as a BYOB, its owners say. The owners, who include Richard D'Souza and Paul Goldberg, are appealing a ruling handed down today by W. Michel Pierson that denied their request to have the original decision remanded back to the liquor board for review.

Baltimore's liquor board renewed the license of a downtown nightclub at a hearing Thursday, dismissing claims by several surrounding hotels that the bar is the site of late-night noise and unruly behavior. The Velvet Rope had been targeted by police and a quasi-city agency two months ago after a near-riot following a hip-hop concert and a shooting near the club, in the 200 block of E. Redwood St. Although the club's licensee reached an agreement with the police commissioner to curb the problems, three of the surrounding hotels led a petition to have the Velvet Rope's liquor license revoked.

Update:  In an email Friday, drama teacher Maura Morrison said Thursday night's show was standing room only with people turned away from the 900-seat auditorium. “Wegmans' executives were there and were wildly supportive of our show,” Morrison wrote. She added that the local Wegmans provided shirts, hats, signs and a paper towel display for the zero-budget class project. “They never asked to see the script. They had a real sense of humor about it all.” Wegmanshas built a loyal following with mega supermarkets known for gourmet cheeses, French patisseries, European-style cafes and attentive service.

Patrons of Crush in Belvedere Square have grown concerned about the restaurant's status. Earlier this week, Crush reverted to a BYOB policy. Its liquor shelves are bare. No one should worry, according to Joe Corsi, who identified himself as minority owner in the restaurant. "We're here to stay," said Corsi, who added that Crush will be open full-time, with its liquor license back, in time for its Monday dinner service. The restaurant's liquor license has been renewed, according to a representative of the city's board of liquor license commissioners, but is waiting for someone to come down and pay for the renewal fee.      

The kerfuffle over the proposed wine store in Wegmans' newest location in Columbia heralds the next looming battle in consumers' fight to modernize Maryland's alcohol policy. The recent Howard County liquor board hearing demonstrated the intensity of both sides' arguments. The local retailers, backed by the alcohol distributors, fear increased competition — while consumer groups clamor for greater convenience and selection, and lower prices. The alcohol industry in Maryland has traditionally dictated its own regulations.

More restaurant owners in Baltimore County could get liquor licenses under a measure passed in Annapolis that's set to take effect within the next few months. The legislation, sought by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, is meant to gradually open up more licenses over the next five years. Kamenetz pushed for more sweeping changes, but current license holders opposed them. Kamenetz created a task force last year to examine the county's system of issuing liquor licenses, saying that the current set-up is archaic and that reform would help spur economic development throughout the restaurant sector.

If you would like to open a bar or restaurant that sells alcoholic beverages on the Liberty Road corridor in Baltimore County, a liquor license will run you $2,000. About a 20-minute drive away, Joe's Crab Shack, a chain restaurant that's moving into the Hunt Valley Towne Centre, just paid $225,000 for its liquor license. The reason? An antiquated system that allots licenses by population in districts drawn decades ago and allows those licenses to be bought and sold on the open market.

It's busy season at the Baltimore Liquor Board. Every April, right before all liquor licenses are due for renewal in May, the Liquor Board docket swells up with protests of renewal. This year, 12 hearings on license renewals have been set for April 19 and April 26, the board said Tuesday. Two of the protests  - against club Lust and a JHJ Saloon, on Eastern Avenue - were initiated by the board itself. The rest, which include Dionysus and Butts & Betty's Tavern - were brought on by neighbors.

After more than a year of negotiations, two community groups reached an agreement Thursday with Sweet Sin Bakery and Cafe owner Richard D'Souza, who can now serve drinks at his Remington restaurant, but has agreed to close at earlier hours. D'Souza's bid for a liquor license failed last month, but the agreement reached with the Charles Village Civic Association and the Greater Remington Improvement Association revived his plan. The compromise requires him to stop serving alcohol at 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and close at 11 p.m. On weekends, Sweet Sin must stop serving alcohol at 12:30 a.m. and close at 1 a.m. The Baltimore Board of Liquor License Commissioners approved the plan Thursday.

An Upper Fells Point bar whose liquor license was suspended for 60 days is appealing the decision, the bar's attorney said Wednesday. Gary Maslan said neighborhood residents have wrongly blamed the Rancho Manila bar for problems that occur outside in the 1700 block of E. Lombard St. "There's crime all over the city of Baltimore," Maslan said. "It's got one of the highest crime rates in the United States. How this little bar is responsible is beyond me. " The Lombard Court Homeowners Association challenged the bar's license before the liquor board, raising concerns about violent crime, prostitution, noise and litter.

Baltimore beer drinkers, rejoice. Soon you will likely be able to hoist freshly poured growlers of your favorite brew at locations throughout the city. The Maryland General Assembly is poised to approve a measure this week that would make Baltimore the first jurisdiction in the state where refillable containers of draft beer will be widely available. Versions of the measure has passed both the House and Senate, which are in the process of working out minor differences. The law would take effect in July.

Members of the Arch Social Club, at North and Pennsylvania avenues, are about to have a party. And the reason they're partying is that the city's oldest African-American social club is about to celebrate its centenary. An anniversary church service in recognition of its 100th birthday gets under way at 11 a.m. Sunday at Fulton Baptist Church, at 1630 W. North Ave. At its conclusion, revelers can cross the street to the club, and beginning at 1:30 p.m. take in a dinner and a jazz show featuring the Arch Social Club Big Band under the direction of Phil Butts.