Park It Here
Le Garage
911 West 36th St.,
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 243-6300
www.legaragebaltimore.com
Some things are worth the wait: a pint of perfectly poured Guinness, this summer's OutKast reunion and the day that the "Murder, She Wrote" reboot finally gets the green light.
Also on that list of anticipation builders is Le Garage, a long-awaited, French-inspired Hampden neighborhood bar and restaurant opening in early April.
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Like a Francophile's dream of a hip Parisian bistro where Sorbonne students discuss Camus, the interior has a rustic industrial look with high-top tables at the bar, exposed brick walls and modern light fixtures, plus a cozy 60-seat dining area.
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As a model of international cooperation, the menu of takes a modern approach to French classics, paying particular attention to something Americans really, really like: fries. Geographically moving slightly northeast, these fried potatoes are of the Belgian variety and are accompanied by 18+ dipping sauces, like roasted shallot and balsamic aioli, walnut romesco, sweet pea and ginger, and bacon horseradish.
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Pull up a stool at the 18-seat bar to quench your thirst because nothing pairs with frites quite like an ice-cold beer – especially if it's one of 14 hand-selected drafts from Belgian, French and local craft breweries. The bar will focus on small-batch brewers, distillers and wine makers, matching the menu's commitment to using locally sourced ingredients.
It all adds up to irrefutable proof that good things really do come to those who wait.
By Arielle Sachar