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Remember the Mount Vernon late night stalwart Gampy's? It's where everyone ended up at 2 a.m. for potato skins or breakfast treats. Well, the new resident of that space (904 N. Charles St.), Marie Louise Bistro, is completely unrecognizable—inside and out—from its predecessor. While Gampy's, with its red and black Formica, felt like a down-and-out diner, Marie Louise has been totally transformed from a cramped dive with dropped ceilings into a thoroughly spacious, two-level coffee shop and slightly upscale casual bar/restaurant.
If you were a Gampy's regular, you'll recall how incredibly cramped the joint was: Waiters' backsides came distrubingly close to entrees, folks walked sideways through narrow spaces to get to the bathroom and diners ate with elbows tucked in tight enough to clip passersby. Fun after a night spent shaking your moneymaker somewhere, but not the best spot for comfortable, casual dining. Marie Louise has undone all that bad juju and reinvented the space.
Crowd: Marie Louise is definitely not suit-and-tie country. Most nights the downstairs area is occupied by a smattering of couples out for dinner and some lone hipsters in the café. The upstairs definitely skews younger. Singles and professionals are ready for good conversation over indie-centric, but low-key, music.
Food: While it bills itself as French cuisine, it's more French-inspired than anything. The steak-frites gets high marks for staying close to its roots, but the real treat is the bar menu. Martini Monday nights feature $4 specials that include fried pickles, sliders and homemade macaroni and cheese. The mac and cheese is a rich and creamy baked casserole, and the sliders are a Francophile version of the mini-burger served on thin baguette slices with gently sautéed onion and melted brie. The dessert menu ($5 to $7) varies from white chocolate strawberry shortcake to assorted fruit tarts, and includes a satanically rich triple-layer chocolate mousse cake with almond wafer crust. We devoured that in short order, and nearly licked the plate clean.
Drinks: The beer selection is a bit stingy. Marie Louise compensates for its lack of draft beer with average domestics and a couple of microbrews ($3 to $6). The vibe definitely leans to the more urbane side of the spectrum. The bartender isn't shy with the vodka on martini Mondays. Martinis range from standard vodka and vermouth to fruity and even savory varieties. And who couldn't get used to strong, well made but not overwhelming $6 martinis? Having a case of the Mondays suddenly doesn't seem so bad.
Digs: Marie Louise is as wide open and airy as any spot in Baltimore, and something totally unlike what one would expect to find in Mount Vernon. It opens at 7 a.m. (8 a.m. on weekends) for that early morning coffee and pastry fix. The entrance opens directly into a café-style eatery, complete with the requisite coffee menu on a big chalkboard; small, round tables for sipping espresso and reading and an abundant pastry case filled with gorgeous snacks nearly too pretty to eat. ("Nearly" being the keyword.) There is a lower level dining area in the back, warmly lit and thoroughly inviting, but the real action (and best view) is upstairs in the balcony bar. A large, square bar allows arresting views of the whole space, including huge bronze chandeliers and great examples of that Baltimore staple, pressed tin ceilings. The barstaff is friendly as hell and ready to help you pick out an entrée or dessert. You'll appreciate the help, too. When everything looks as delicious as it does at Marie Louise, it's just too damn hard to choose.
Bottom line: You can feel classy and sophisticated without pillaging your wallet.
