Locust Point

As an Air Force intelligence officer, Sean Lane saw firsthand the communications challenges facing soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Civilians in the United States had better, faster access to data on their smartphones and 3G networks than soldiers did in these dusty, foreign lands, he found. So Lane decided to do something about it. He designed a portable, tactical cellular system that soldiers can use anywhere, without erecting towers and other expensive infrastructure. With only a business plan and a pitch to Pentagon officials, he sold the idea to the Defense Department and kickstarted a new company.

Rallo's, the Locust Point gateway restaurant that closed in late September following the death of its owner, Vincent Rallo, is back open under new ownership and with a new name. Big Matty's Diner is open for business. Watch for more details later today. Big Matty's Diner is located at 838 E. Fort Ave. in Riverside. The phone number is 410-727-7067, the same as when it was Rallo's UPDATE, Oct. 31, 2:15 p.m.: The owner of Big Matty's Diner is Matt Gurczynski, a longtime customer of Rallo's.

Over on the Unleashed blog, Jill Rosen has the information about a dining out benefit for Baltimore Barcs, which cares for the city's homeless animals. Pierpoint is Tuesday's participating restaurant, donating ten percent check of checks from diners who make a reservation under BARCS. The week's remaining participants are MaGerk's in Federal Hill on Wednesday, Miguel's Cocina y Cantina in Locust Point on Thursday and 30 East at the Stalking Horse in Federal Hill on Friday.

In the October 7th edition of the Baltimore Sun, it was reported that Under Armour had "received City Planning Commission approval Thursday to pursue waterfront improvement projects near its Locust Point headquarters with the help of tax increment financing. " It further states that these projects "include a community pier ... bulkhead improvements ... a 'greenway'" and "a pedestrian bridge. " What the article did not report was the parts of these projects that will have a significant impact on Locust Point's ever increasing traffic and parking problems, and it glazed over the fact the city's taxpayers are again going out on a limb to sell bonds to finance this for wealthy developers.

Under Armour received city Planning Commission approval Thursday to pursue waterfront improvement projects near its Locust Point headquarters with the help of tax-increment financing. The commission voted to expand the district in Locust Point, where the city currently has authority to sell tax-increment financing bonds to pay for public improvements. The district would be expanded to include an Under Armour facility that the company renovated for an estimated $14.2 million in 2009.

As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, the Fort Avenue Bridge in Locust Point has been closed to through traffic for a replacement project that will last until next spring. In Baltimore County, a 12-inch water main break near Cooks Lane and North Forest Park Avenue presented a possible road hazard, but no traffic lanes were closed. In Carroll County, emergency road work caused two northbound lanes of Route 97 to be closed north of Old Baltimore Road. There were no major delays to local mass transit systems.

Harris Teeter will open its long-awaited supermarket in Locust Point on Dec. 7, spokeswoman Catherine Reuhl told me today. The 61,000-square-foot grocer will be part of  McHenry Row , a mixed-use development located on the site of the old Chesapeake Paperboard property. Citypeek.com reported that the grocer will sell wine, but that is not the case, according to the developer of the site Mark Sapperstein. Harris Teeter doesn't have a liquor license. But there will be a store that sells wine and beer directly next door to the grocer.

Only 15 years old, L.P. Steamers feels like it has been around much longer. In a relatively short time, it's become an institution where locals bring their out-of-town friends to sample Maryland seafood standards. The restaurant serves as crab house, cultural ambassador and local hangout, which is all the more impressive, considering it's squeezed into a rowhouse in Locust Point. Dark wooden timbers, dim lighting and a map covered in money from around the world makes the downstairs look like the inside of an old ship.

Michael Marx has indeed sold Rub , the Texas barbecue restaurant that he opened in Riverside back in 2006. The new owners will not be keeping the barbecue concept, which is fine with Marx. He's taking the smoker with him. The smoker is a Southern Pride wood-burning oven. “It holds 700 pounds of meat,” Marx says. “I can serve 1,000 people with it.” Marx says Rub will now operate out of a trailer, which will take up temporary residence on the lot at Miguel's Cocina y Cantina , his Mexican restaurant in Locust Point.

Colleauge Erik Maza picked up this photo on the @originalduffman Twitter feed. The photo apparrently shows a Transfer of Ownership sign in the window of Rub in South Baltimore. The hearing for the liquor license transfer from Rub to Hersh's Pizza & Drinks appears to be July 21. Rub is owned by Blue Agave founder Michael Marx, who also owns Miguel's Cocina y Cantina in Locust Point. Marx is now on vacation, according to an emplyee of Miguel's. In her 2006 review of Rub, Elizabeth Large declared it to be a cheap-eats destination.