On the Record

Judging by the reader responses to news that the word “Hon” has been trademarked, some Baltimoreans might have a new name for Cafe Hon owner Denise Whiting: Atilla.

The great John McIntyre explains why this touches a nerve:

What leads to the raised voices is the question of ownership of language. And with that question come all the overtones of social class, local history and culture, and personal likes and dislikes that crowd in on discussions of language and ensure that such discussions will never be neutral or unemotional.

Coincidentally, The New York Times had a story yesterday about athletes trademarking their catchphrases. I did not know that Nike owns the right to the name “LeBron.”

The lesson? I better call a lawyer now about the legal rights for “pulling a Danny.”

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Supreme Court rulings, the National Football League, consumer class-action suits, an attorney disbarred and cold pizza — last week’s most-read stories written by The Daily Record’s legal team cover many of the touchstones of the modern-day news diet.

1. Pizza Boli wants D.C. franchisee to go
A federal judge in Baltimore is likely to order a former longtime Pizza Boli’s franchise in Washington D.C., to significantly change the way it does business and may even shut it down for a time.

2. Supreme Court rejects McCrary case, others
The Supreme Court turned aside a host of petitioners Monday, including some of the defendants in retired Baltimore Raven Michael McCrary’s long-running insurance fraud case.

Read the rest of this entry »

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The other day, I found in my office mailbox a photocopied Subway coupon sheet addressed to “Daily Record Newspaper Employees” and touting “great offers.” As a longtime Subway customer, I read on, expecting to find a deal that would save me a few bucks. Instead, I met with an insult to my intelligence.

“Daily Record Newspaper Employees,” one coupon advertised, could get a FOOTLONG sub, chips and a drink for $7.

Thanks for the personal invitation, Subway, but spare me the disingenuous implication of exclusivity. As any regular patron of the sandwich chain knows, that’s what everybody pays when they make a $5 FOOTLONG into a combo meal.

I don’t know whether the other coupons offer similarly misleading deals. Maybe somebody at another downtown Baltimore employer who eats six-inch subs and has little tolerance for “one for $1, two for $2″ bargains cares to chime in.

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Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:a new restaurant has taken the place of the former Court Towers Deli in Towson.

Nearly one month after the Perring Place Express Deli closed, the space was open for business again today under a new name: Crush Cafe. The restaurant appeared largely bare, and there was no sign to indicate its name, but I saw a customer walk in and purchase a drink.

My courthouse sources indicated the new restaurant is owned by the same people behind Crush in Belvedere Square, and that the breakfast offerings are pretty tasty. A Crush employee confirmed the restaurant’s Towson presence and said today was the new joint’s first day.

More details as I learn them. Here’s to hoping Crush Cafe can hang around longer than one of Murphy Brown’s secretaries.

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Well, that was quick.

The Perring Place Express Deli in Towson has closed six months after opening. A sign on the door says it is temporarily closed and will open under new management in the “near future.” (But we’ve heard that timetable before.)

My courthouse sources said the closing was so sudden last week it even took the employees by surprise. The general consensus was the food was good but a little a pricey. The sources said they’ve heard it could re-open in three weeks, but no one is holding their breath.

And so the Deli Watch begins again…

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About a month ago, I noted in this space that The Perring Place Express Deli had opened across the street from Baltimore County Circuit Court.

I also promised a restaurant review at some point. (Since the deli opened, the question I regularly receive is, “How is it?”) So yesterday, I bought the sandwich pictured on my way downtown from Towson.

I selected corned beef on rye with mustard, because any deli worth its salt shakers must make one and it’s pretty much impossible to screw up. This one came with chips and a pickle for $6.50.

The corned beef was lean, even though it did not indicate that on the menu, which is worth major bonus points in my book. The Dijon mustard was an interesting choice; I would have gone with the spicy mustard.

But that did not stop me from eating the entire thing. I was definitely full for much of the afternoon, which is really all you can ask for from a sandwich. I would go back and sample other things on the menu, including the breakfast items.

(Question for all of the lawyers out there – can I expense the sandwich? )

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If you’re in Towson right now and thinking about lunch, you finally have another restaurant to consider.

Yes, our long local nightmare has ended: The Perring Place Express Deli is officially open!

I’ll try to provide a restaurant review soon; in the meantime, anyone who has eaten there already can provide feedback below for your fellow Towson lunchgoers.

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I walked past what used to be the Court Towers Deli today in Towson and saw something I haven’t seen in 19 months: people eating.

The Perring Place Express Deli was doing a dry run during breakfast, its second dress rehearsal in a week. The deli, as I’ve chronicled here before, was originally supposed to open by the end of September.

I popped in as the maroon-shirted staffers were preparing to close, so I have no report on the food. (Sources indicated it was tasty, however.) A lady behind the counter said the restaurant could open officially on Monday, although the inflection of her voice seemed to indicate it was more of a prediction than a statement of fact.

I guess we’ll all find out next week.

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Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, no corned beef for anybody.

Last week, I wrote a new restaurant replacing the Court Towers Deli across from Circuit Court in Towson had pushed back its opening one week, to Sept. 21.

Alas, it was not meant to be, as the Perring Place Express Deli is still not open. Walking past the deli the last two days, I’ve noticed a fridge fully stocked with Red Bull and a new soda dispenser. But the tables remain pushed in one corner and the space remains mostly dark as work continues inside.

Unlike last week, there is no sign on the front door now announcing a new opening date. Stay tuned.

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I wrote a blog post earlier this month about a new restaurant set to open Sept. 14 in the old Court Towers Deli in Towson, across the street from Circuit Court.

I ended my post thusly:

After 18 months of wondering and waiting, I’ll believe the deli is open when I see it, but I’ll keep you posted.

Sure enough, I walked past the restaurant Monday on my way to court and saw no customers, only a few workers inside continuing renovations. A new sign outside the Perring Place Express Deli says it will now open Sept. 21.

Not to sound like a broken record, but after 18 months of wondering and waiting, I’ll believe the deli is open when I see it. I’ll still keep you posted.

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