The Wren, a new Fells Point pub from the minds behind Le Comptoir du Vin, is poised to open this fall in the place where Baltimoreans once flocked to the scotch bar Birds of a Feather.
“We definitely want to keep the same convivial space that Alicia [Horn Merritt], the previous owner, really built,” said Rosemary Liss, who will bring The Wren to life with business partner Will Mester. “Keep it a regular’s spot, but we’re going to add food as well.”
Earlier this year, after 44 years in business, Birds of a Feather closed and Merritt retired. She said she would sell the bar at 1712 Aliceanna St. to Liss and Mester, the owners of acclaimed Station North restaurant Le Comptoir du Vin.
Mester said it may open as soon as November.
An application to transfer ownership of the site’s liquor license was approved by Baltimore’s liquor board Thursday. During the hearing, The Wren’s attorney Stephan Fogleman said there had been a meeting with the Fell’s Point Residents Association and presented the board with a single-page “Memorandum of Understanding.”
The MOU lists an estimated seating capacity of 85 people and operating hours of noon to midnight, six days a week. It says the association did not oppose plans for The Wren.
The new name — The Wren — may seem to be a nod to Birds of a Feather, but Mester said it is instead a reference to Wren’s Day, a traditional Irish celebration that takes place on Dec. 26.
Liss said the pub will serve lunch six days a week, and dinner four nights a week in the upstairs dining room. Mester will be the chef; his wife, Millie Powell, who is from Dublin, will become the manager. She’ll also make desserts for The Wren, Mester added.
The menu will lean more casual than Le Comptoir du Vin’s, with a selection of sandwiches, stews and plates for sharing, Liss said. As for drinks, the scotch program will stay — to be complemented by beer, wine and classic cocktails.
“Definitely Guinness on tap,” she said.
