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Setting the standard: The Globe in Berlin
By Tony RussoMarch 3, 20174 min read
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Hanging out at the Globe in Berlin during Happy Hour, enjoying a cold beer.
Happy Hour at the Globe in Berlin
One of the great complaints about 2nd Friday early on was that too many of the shops closed early so they could go to the Globe, which took the event as seriously as anyone. They held spectacular art openings every month featuring regional and national artists. Similarly they had proper concerts of the type usually restricted to the Avalon theater in Easton or Ram’s Head in Annapolis—largish regional acts and very popular local acts. The Globe had live original music. As it turned out, the people who “liked the old Globe in Berlin” weren’t missed by those of us who embraced the “new” one. In fact, not only did the 30-something crowd poke their heads in and stay rather than move on, but so did the 40-something and 50-something crowd. Hell, plenty of the 60-something crowd was tickled with the food and the menu. It was the first restaurant to ban smoking before the “legal” ban. The Globe was about culinary and aesthetic taste, so smoking wasn’t missed, even by me and I was an enthusiastic smoker. People came to the Globe and stayed for Berlin, and as the town caught on it acted somewhat as the anchor of cool as the galleries and new shops filled in the gaps between the traditional and antique shops. The downtown filled and the Globe prospered in its center. The Coppertop Bar was a centerpiece, but as the restaurant continued to improve and to be daring the entire place set the standard for the new Berlin cool but cultured, staid but not stodgy.
Plenty of great beer on tap and all the spirits you've come to expect from a quality bar.
Meet the new Globe, same as the old Globe
In the six or so months I’ve been back in town I haven’t heard the phrase “old” Globe. I think mostly people break down into two categories: those who never have heard the term, and those embarrassed by it. After a decade in business, it was clear that the term “old” Globe made sense only in reference to the building as it has been in the early 20th century. The Globe is best described as the Globe. The thing that has changed the least, and the thing that still makes it among the best places to spend Happy Hour is that you can be as engaged with the crowd as you wish. From the very first, what set the Globe apart at Happy Hour was its openness to discussion. It attracted people who were gregarious enough to entertain and converse with strangers, but respectful enough to give anyone enough space. It hadn’t changed when I went in for my most recent experience. People were happy to be together and happy to invite me to join them. Several asked questions and several others kept to themselves. The mood is always up, always welcoming. They still have one of the finest alcohol selections in the area, especially for a bar their size. They have plenty of local beer on tap, but also have regional and national standards available. Their wine list is compatible with their menu, and their happy hour bar snacks are almost aggressively diverse. That is, the Globe is not afraid to fry things, but neither does the kitchen shy from healthy and subtle choices. For my money, though, the most special thing about the Globe in Berlin is that it still feels fluid. Mostly it looks the same, and mostly the attitude is the same but that just happens to be the case. The Globe has an attitude of openness to change that makes it forever young. They have tried a bunch of stuff that didn't stick, but it was in the trying that the Globe developed its reputation, in its willingness to try and fail with new things that the Globe succeeded.This story originally ran in 2016, calendar information was changed or deleted. -- Ed.
About Tony Russo
Tony Russo has worked as a print and digital journalist for the better part of the 21st century, writing for and editing regional weeklies and dailies before joining the team that produces OceanCity.com and ShoreCraftBeer.com among other destination websites. In addition to having documented everything from zoning changes to art movements on the Delmarva Peninsula, Tony has written two books on beer for the History Press. Eastern Shore Beer was published in 2014 and Delaware Beer in 2016. He lives in Delmar, Md. with his wife Kelly and the only of his four daughters who hasn't moved out. Together they keep their two dogs comfortable.
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