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Perring Place Closes

May 25, 2011
By

Perring Place's crab cakes

It appears that Peter Angelos’ venerable Perring Place Restaurant (2305 Cleanleigh Dr., [410] 661-0630) has closed after 44 years of business. A “closed” sign was posted on the restaurant’s door on Sunday, according to several local businesses, and no one is answering the restaurant’s phone (there’s no message either).

Perring Place had become as much of an anomaly among the fast food chains, dollar stores, and nail salons in the Perring Parkway Shopping Center as it was in Baltimore’s greater dining scene. A prime go-to spot after Colts’ and Orioles’ games in the late ’60s and ’70s, the restaurant seemed locked in time. Its old-fashioned, faux-Tudor façade foretold a menu of old Baltimore favorites such as hot roast beef, fried oysters, flounder Francese, stewed tomatoes, and of course, crab cakes (winner of City Paper‘s Best Crab Cake accolade just three years ago), all served in a wood-paneled dining room by uniformed waitresses (the bar area was separated from the dining room by a row of vinyl-upholstered booths topped with diamond shaped stained glass panels.). It was one a few dining rooms left that still served liver and onions regularly and sour beef and dumplings seasonally. If the soft shells were running small that day, they’d add a second to your sandwich. The restaurant manager always wore a shirt and tie, and yes, the waitresses called you “hon.”

Like other restaurants of its ilk, Perring Place’s clientele skewed senior and loyal. In recent years, the restaurant hired a security guard to escort patrons to the parking lot. As of this writing, Angelos could not be reached for comment. But know, Mr. Angelos, that Perring Place will be missed.

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  • dottie cunningham

    Perring Place was a “cheers” for many a senior ..it was a place to relax, and to take the time to think what you might want to eat.   You were always treated as though you  were special.
    The sudden closing on Sunday May22,2011 was a very sad evening as the news spread,  many people came to say goodbye not only to long time friends, but to waitresses and managers who had been there for 30 years.  The sign just says “closed”  —-many thought somebody died!  Many of us feel as though a big family died!  Wish somebody could care!

  • JR

    PP had been sold by Mr Angelos to the chef about 8 months ago

  • Bob Pomerlane and Nichole

    Thank you Pete Angelos for having my brother Toby and myself as your guests on your Grand Opening 44 years ago for the Perring Place….Our last time we had dinner at the Perring Place was Friday (2 days) before the closing on Sunday…..AND Thanks to all the nice people who took care of us at the Perring Place!                                                                     Bob Pomerlane and Nichole

  • Caitlin Smith

    I have many memories of eating at Perring Place with my Grandmother, who lived around the corner from the restaurant since it opened.  We loved to share the coconut cake, which was our favorite dessert in town.

  • Ellenkuser

    I will always remember eating at perring place with my mom and dad, it was their favorite place to eat.
    They have passed away and would be deeply disappointed to hear about the restaurant closing after
    eating there for over forty years. I will cherish the memories of our wonderful meals and our family
    outings at the restaurant.

    Ellen Barnaba Kuser

  • Anne Muth

    I think it is a crying shame that my son brought his mother a gift certificate for $50.00 for a Mothers day gift at the Perring Place Restaurant.  You would think that someone would have not sold any gift certificates when they had to know they were going to close.  What do we now do with a $50.00 gift certificate.  What a lousy way to do business at this particular time no matter who owned the Restaurant.  I have went there several times before the end of May, have also called on the phone and it just rings and rings and rings and no one answers.  If I knew how to contact Sam Bates, I would call him, but not sure where to go from here.  I have written several comments on the internet and to no avail.  But I will keep trying.  Please contact me at 410-252-5259.  Anne Muth

  • http://twitter.com/BrickTamlen Lance Beasman

    A landmark restaurant in northeast Baltimore now closed. It was a go to place for close to 2 generations of familys.

  • Needapoolgame

    To Anne Muth….I worked at perring place up until the last day and I can assure you that we didn’t even know the restaurant was closing. The employees found out the 22nd of may that we were not going to have jobs on the 23rd.  Pappas is honoring 50% of the value of the gift certificates sold. The owner’s didn’t even know themselves that they were going to close untill the last minute, when finacially they couldn’t survive any longer. In closing, I can understand your anger but I would definately not call it “robbery”. Please do understand that there are 30 or so employees now without work and would not have sold you a gift card knowing we weren’t going to stay open.

  • Psh

    .I worked at perring place up until the last day and I can assure you that we didn’t even know the restaurant was closing. The employees found out the 22nd of may that we were not going to have jobs on the 23rd.  Pappas is honoring 50% of the value of the gift certificates sold. The owner’s didn’t even know themselves that they were going to close untill the last minute, when finacially they couldn’t survive any longer. In closing, I can understand your anger but I would definately not call it “robbery”. Please do understand that there are 30 or so employees now without work and would not have sold you a gift card knowing we weren’t going to stay open.  

  • Anon

    410-529-2765 Sam Bates #

  • Anon

    Yes.  It was sold, but more than 8 months ago.  It was the new owners that ran into financial ruin & did not notify the employees or the customers that they were closing.  However, Perring Place also has a history of corrupt managers who stole money, which lead to their ultimate demise.

  • Queserasera

    As a former employee, I think it’s a shame that the brothers who “owned” the restaurant could not be bothered to even TRY to change up the menu a bit or reach out to new customers. The customer base was dying out (literally), and the “owners” made no attempt to appeal to the new generation of families that were looking for a place like Perring — a place that spawned new traditions, and kept old ones alive. It is also noteworthy that one of the brothers has been the catalyst behind several restaurant closings due to his lack of foresight, horrible judgement, indifference to the quality of food served, and terrible personal skills. The front-of-house staff was the only saving grace, (Debbie, Caroline, Mary Lou to name a few, as well as the other staff members who had worked there for decades)! Also, Sam Bates has been retired for about a year, and has been completely “hand-off” since then, so calling him won’t do you much good. I’m sure he is equally upset at this news, having dedicated so much of his life to a place that ultimately failed at the hands of inexperienced line cooks with no vision. It is a sad day, indeed, but hopefully those touched by this special place will continue to keep the spirit of Perring alive.

  • Anonymous

    Sad day…

  • former customer

    Really?????? And you know this why????? well, I happen to know one of the former managers and you are so far from being right …..Unless you have been an actual witness to this stealing you really have no right to accuse anyone of stealing…That resturant has been going down hill for many years. One reason was because of the 1960′s priced menu…however, they tried to be accomdating to the clientele. Unfortunately it did not work so well. Let the dead horse be and quit beating it..It was a good place  that had a good run…RIP Perring Place

  • Lmcbw1969

    True that Pappas is honoring the gift cards at 50% the value, but only until  June 23rd – allowing one month from the closing of Perring. We advise that you make reservations when planning your visit. Our customer volume has increased considerably and there is often a wait during lunch and dinner!

  • anon

    You have no idea what your talking about, maybe you don’t know one of the former managers like you think you do. Also I can give you 30 people that can prove it.

  • jmgarrity

    My husband and I have considered the Perring — as
    we always call it — our “go to” place.   When we started going
    to it, we were in our 40′s, and we’re in our mid-50′s and early 60′s now — not
    exactly young, but also not the senior crowd that did dominate the clientele.
     We recently started bringing our baby granddaughter there.   We
    lived in the neighborhood when we first discovered the Perring and we tried to
    go about once a week, but we have been in White Marsh for the past 7 years, so
    haven’t been there as regularly, but still at least once a month.  

    Here’s why we will miss the Perring so much:
     good food, good food like really good home cooking — excellent
    soft-shell crabs and crab cakes, fabulous bread pudding, delicious stewed tomatoes,
    really good fish preparations, and my husband would eat their turkey with all
    the fixings several times a week if he could (and I know people who would tell
    you their coconut layer cake and their pea soup were fabulous – I’m sure they
    were, but just not my favorite things to eat anywhere); reasonable prices; the
    service — service like they used to have at Haussner’s (without the push
    carts, and, actually, probably better services than Haussner’s just because of
    its more intimate size) — servers who really cared about your dining
    experience.  For the past couple of years we tried to go when Sharon was
    there.  She is a wonderful waitress.  Did you want something prepared
    a little differently than on the menu?  The chef always satisfied.
     No problem.  Could they make a tiny bit of pasta for the baby?
     Happily! 

    I think the main mistake made by management — I
    have no idea about the finances so will certainly not comment on that — was
    not more marketing of the restaurant.  People go to restaurants with a 1950′s
    theme — well this was the real deal!  Oh how I wish someone had marketed
    the nostalgia factor to all the baby boomers like us — it would have worked.
     

    I feel like we’ve lost a family member.  Thank
    you, Perring staff, for the memories!!  Come back!!!!

  • Briley

    In N.E. baltimore, in the 50′s and 60′s and mid ’70′s the place to go for GREAT food, Great service was theYORKSHIRE
    on York Road and Belvedere Ave.
    My parents were regulars, and after I grew out of hte AMECHE’S and GINO’s syndrome, became a regular there, too
    When they closed down, My wife and I and others found Perring Place,  We were not “regulars” as many were, but frequented it about once a month.  Comfortable surroundings, good food, good friendly service , was the norm.
    You could not find a better neighborhood “joint” for dinner or late drink.
    Many will have to go the extra mile to meet or beat  a  NE Baltimore instution….
    you will be missed by all

    Brooks Riley

  • Carolyn

    We had not been to Perring Place this summer, and we had somehow missed the news of its closing.  Tonight, we decided to drive there for dinner, and we were totally shocked to read the “CLOSED” sign.  My husband and I are baby boomers in our 50s, and we loved the nostalgic “old Baltimore feel” of this restaurant.