The Rathskeller Bar Opens in Elkridge Maryland With German Food and Beer | Eater DC

"Down in the basement of a former 18th-century quilt shop at 5782 Main Street, Elkridge, I discovered an old-world German bar opened by John O’Connor, a structural engineer with German roots, that aims to showcase “the other side of Germany” rather than the beer-steins-and-lederhosen shtick. Brian Cieslak, chef de cuisine at the ferment-forward Preserve in Annapolis, consulted on a meat-forward menu that features spiced chicken schnitzel, goose liver mousse, a lamb doner kebab, a cold-cut sandwich with head cheese and tongue bologna, and a “Hamburg” sandwich built with Roseda dry-aged beef and German cheese on a sourdough bun; dinner is offered now with lunch and brunch to be added later. Drinks, designed by Elk Room alum Robert Vogel, lean on German wines and beers while also incorporating European spirits like Goldschläger and Jägermeister into cocktails. The space—which took about four years to renovate—emphasizes salvaged wood and repurposed banquettes, and even includes a refurbished jail cell as part of a 30-seat patio and two historic prison doors sourced from Jessup to enhance its old-timey feel." - Tierney Plumb