Zodiac

A GHOST who pushes people down stairs is not the ideal marketing strategy for a restaurant. On the other hand, everyone loves a ghost story. So Joy Martin may be crazy like a fox by proclaiming that Zodiac, the funky eatery she opened six years ago next to the Club Charles, is Baltimore's only haunted restaurant. "There used to be a speakeasy here, and he was the owner," Martin says of the specter. "He's a dapper guy in a white linen suit. He does evil things. He pushed me down the steps once face first, and I broke my wrist.

If you've never heard that Club Charles serves food, you're not alone. It's hard to imagine that a bar known for being a hangout of the tragically hip would do something as normal as serve food. But Club Charles does, and it's good. With its 1920s art deco meets "The Shining" vibe, Club Charles feels more like the backdrop to a spy movie than a place to get a pre-movie dinner. Dark and mysterious, it is, strangely, a great place for a romantic date. The downstairs gets crowded quickly after 9 p.m., so either eat early or head upstairs to enjoy a little more space.

It's amazing how much cheer a boat can bring. Here's the scene: It's a gray day, with steady drizzle. Not the kind of weather that makes you want to grin while standing outside on a slippery dock. Yet, a dozen Annapolis city officials merrily soaked up the weather to pose near their new $42,000 rubber Zodiac. The 21-foot boat was a gift from J.J. Marie, the gregarious president and CEO of Zodiac North America, based in Stevensville. Marie, it seems, has been nursing a bit of a grudge for years.

Mobtown Modern, the most way-out-there music organization in Baltimore, has announced another boldly unconventional lineup for the 2009-2010 season, along with a new venue. The concert series will still be presented by the Contemporary Museum, where Mobtown started out, but performances will relocate to a larger space at Metro Gallery. The ensemble's third season opens Sept. 16 with a program that emphasizes works written since 2002 that incorporate looping and layering, composed by the likes of Todd Reynolds, Michael Lowenstern and Mobtown co-curator Erik Spangler.

The stars must have been properly aligned when Zodiac opened in August. But whether it's because of celestial forces or a talented kitchen staff, we predict this restaurant has a glowing future.The astrological mural hanging on the wall at Zodiac was what gave Joy Martin inspiration for the name of the restaurant she owns with her mother, Esther. They both are also partners in the Club Charles next door.A former antiques dealer, Joy Martin spent three years renovating the space and decorating it with Art Moderne flair.

There are two monsters looming over the Golden Gate in the tenaciously gripping Zodiac. The Zodiac killer slaughtered five people and critically injured two others in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late '60s and early '70s. He may have executed dozens more. Zodiac (Paramount) Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards. Directed by David Fincher. Rated R. Time 158 minutes.

Leo, Gemini, Aries and all their friends on the astrological charts serve as the unifying theme for Zodiac, a fun little restaurant near the Charles and Everyman theaters. A restored antique mural shows the astrological signs, and many entrees are named for signs of the Zodiac. Here's my feeling about horoscopes: I read them for fun nearly every day, yet I've never been able to find a correlation between what is written and what happens to me. And so it is with Zodiac - the horoscope theme is fun, but it really doesn't mean anything.

Mr. President, I need to tell you something.This Monica Lewinsky business -- it's not your fault. Astrological forces clearly are not on your side.With the arrival of the Asian Lunar New Year today, the year of the Tiger is here, bringing a fresh karma that flings moral responsibility out the window, fosters secret, sordid affairs and breaks up existing relationships.At least that's what a Chinese metaphysician in San Francisco told me.And you should trust me, I'm a Tiger myself.It is fairly common knowledge -- in this country, spread largely through Chinese restaurant place mats, it seems -- that the tiger is one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.

Zodiac of North America Inc., based in Stevensville, will build 570 inflatable assault boats for the Army during the next five years, the company said this week.The exact value of the contract is difficult to compute because it will depend on how many boats the Army orders each year. But it should be in the neighborhood of $5 million, said Jackie Taylor, the company's contract administration manager.Zodiac also will supply the Army with information and materials for maintaining the boats, as well as spares and repair kits.

If you've never heard that Club Charles serves food, you're not alone. It's hard to imagine that a bar known for being a hangout of the tragically hip would do something as normal as serve food. But Club Charles does, and it's good. With its 1920s art deco meets "The Shining" vibe, Club Charles feels more like the backdrop to a spy movie than a place to get a pre-movie dinner. Dark and mysterious, it is, strangely, a great place for a romantic date. The downstairs gets crowded quickly after 9 p.m., so either eat early or head upstairs to enjoy a little more space.

I'm beginning to understand the problem with Hillary. And it's not her hair or her husband. It's her horoscope. Her astrological sign, that is. She's a Scorpio. Now, many of you who have lived through the Age of Aquarius and come out of it with two kids and a 401(k) will immediately dispatch this notion as hokey. I admit it's more than a little out of the mainstream but, just for fun, who doesn't enjoy an occasional peek at a person's horoscope? Hillary's birthday was Oct. 26, which puts her squarely in Scorpio territory.

Zodiac, the tale of the search for the Zodiac killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay area in the late 1960s and early '70s, captures the romance of pre-computerized newsrooms and of reporters who went into the business for the thrill of it. Based on Robert Graysmith's nonfiction book Zodiac, the movie turns Graysmith into the central character played by Jake Gyllenhaal. He was the editorial cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle when the serial killings began. As he developed an overpowering fascination for the case, he forged unlikely partnerships with crime reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.)

There are two monsters looming over the Golden Gate in the tenaciously gripping Zodiac. The Zodiac killer slaughtered five people and critically injured two others in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late '60s and early '70s. He may have executed dozens more. Zodiac (Paramount) Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards. Directed by David Fincher. Rated R. Time 158 minutes.

BLACK SNAKE MOAN -- (Paramount Vantage) Samuel L. Jackson Jr. stars as the unconventional savior of a troubled woman (Christina Ricci). Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow) directs. With Justin Timberlake. FULL OF IT -- (New Line) Comedy about a boy who must make his tall tales come true. GRAY MATTERS -- (Yari Film Group) Romantic comedy about siblings (Heather Graham and Thomas Cavanagh) who agree to help each other find mates. LITTLE CHILDREN -- (New Line) Todd Field adapts Tom Perrotta's novel about stay-at-home parents (Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson)

WHEN WILLIAM EMERSON WAS A NEWBORN, HIS MOTHER THREW him out with the garbage. Now, he turns junk into music. ABU THE FLUTEMAKER / / Performs 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. for First Night Annapolis on New Year's Eve / / Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St. / / 410-268-8553 or firstnightannapolis.org William Emerson A.K.A.: Abu the Flutemaker Age: 66 Occupation: Crafts musical instruments from found objects; performs locally for kids and adults Birthplace: Baltimore Residence: Baltimore Military Service: U.S. Air Force, 1957-59 Education: Studied at Baltimore City Community College, 1966-68 Fun Fact: Creates flutes consistent with the owner's zodiac sign.

Leo, Gemini, Aries and all their friends on the astrological charts serve as the unifying theme for Zodiac, a fun little restaurant near the Charles and Everyman theaters. A restored antique mural shows the astrological signs, and many entrees are named for signs of the Zodiac. Here's my feeling about horoscopes: I read them for fun nearly every day, yet I've never been able to find a correlation between what is written and what happens to me. And so it is with Zodiac - the horoscope theme is fun, but it really doesn't mean anything.

BLACK SNAKE MOAN -- (Paramount Vantage) Samuel L. Jackson Jr. stars as the unconventional savior of a troubled woman (Christina Ricci). Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow) directs. With Justin Timberlake. FULL OF IT -- (New Line) Comedy about a boy who must make his tall tales come true. GRAY MATTERS -- (Yari Film Group) Romantic comedy about siblings (Heather Graham and Thomas Cavanagh) who agree to help each other find mates. LITTLE CHILDREN -- (New Line) Todd Field adapts Tom Perrotta's novel about stay-at-home parents (Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson)

For the past two months, my favorite night out has consisted of three stops within the same block of North Charles Street. I start at the newly reopened Zodiac restaurant, where vegetarian meals (and healthy food for carnivores) are served with spicy flavor, stylish ambience and a cheerful staff.After one of the Zodiac's generous portions (the delicious veggie lasagna is big enough for two, or a great leftover lunch), I jog across the street and catch a flick at the Charles Theatre, which in its renovated form is quite possibly the most attractive and eclectically programmed art house on the East Coast.

It's amazing how much cheer a boat can bring. Here's the scene: It's a gray day, with steady drizzle. Not the kind of weather that makes you want to grin while standing outside on a slippery dock. Yet, a dozen Annapolis city officials merrily soaked up the weather to pose near their new $42,000 rubber Zodiac. The 21-foot boat was a gift from J.J. Marie, the gregarious president and CEO of Zodiac North America, based in Stevensville. Marie, it seems, has been nursing a bit of a grudge for years.

Borrowing an old expression, Rick Scriven says he is up to his "eyeballs in alligators." Two weeks ago he asked his bosses at Stevensville-based Zodiac of North America to send five employees and 20 boats to Louisiana to help with Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts. "We realized that the largest water rescue in the history of our country was going on and we wanted to help," he said. "It was just eating at my heartstrings seeing the flooding, and [rescuers] didn't have the right equipment."