Restaurant Review

Brooklyn Park's Club 4100: 'Maryland's Best Kept Secret'

"Location, location, location is the main thing - unless you own Club 4100."

Those were the words of a long-time customer, Jim Libertini, a one-time business instructor who has frequented the iconic Brooklyn Park restaurant, banquet facility and neighborhood shrine for decades.

And Libertini offered that observation for good reason. The owners of the local landmark nestled within the backstreets at the corner of Edison and 4th Streets have enjoyed a 37-year run paralleled by few other establishments in the competitive restaurant business.

That's quite a run for a place that has rarely advertised and just posted its first web site on the Internet about a year ago. But that's okay with the owners, who have found that the fine food, reasonable prices and friendly atmosphere generate all the word-of-mouth necessary.



Deep Roots

As Libertini observed, the usual rules of running a business don't seem to apply at Club 4100. It is, simply, the basement of a large-ish suburban home that was converted to a dining establishment in 1958, long before the current owners, brothers Dino and Manny Spanomanolis, bought it a decade later.

But Club 4100 has become much more than that to the locals and droves of other Baltimoreans who have repeatedly made their way through the neighborhood, a few blocks off Ritchie Highway, from myriad other parts of town for decades. That longevity also extends to employees like Madge Stanley, who has been on the scene since the brothers bought it. It's a place for holidays, special occasions, or a casual lunch or dinner, all with of the warmth that is lacking in chain restaurants.

That personal touch is apparent from the first step through the door, where the walls are neatly adorned - and almost totally hidden - by a few decades worth of photographs and sports memorabilia that pay homage to Baltimore's storied sporting heritage. They are resplendent with photos and newspaper articles concerning the Orioles and Colts, most notably late Colts Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas, who was a close family friend.

An establishment with such history is bound to attract an older crowd, but that has led to good news on the marketing front, too. "I remember the generation that came in when I was a kid," said Elias Spanomanolis, Dino's son and fellow co-owner, "and now their kids come in."



Comfort/Food

As for the dining experience, Club 4100 comfortably seats about 70 customers, with a banquet room that holds 150. The only thing that has really changed there over the years is the pricing, which is still "extremely reasonable" by today's standards, said Elias.

Take, for instance, the sandwich menu. The prices start at $3.50 for the quarter-pound charcoal-grilled hamburger and run up to $10.95 for the New York Sirloin Steak. The staple Maryland Crab Cake is $6.50 and the Baked Virginia Ham (a nice, thick stack of it) with imported Swiss cheese is a mere $4.75.

The ample steak and seafood dinners are all right in the ballpark as well, with the Club 4100 Surf 'n Turf topping the menu at $27.95, but with everything else at $19.50 or less, from the Prime Porterhouse Steak on down to spaghetti and meatballs for $8.50. The numerous platters on the seafood menu average about $15.

The menu itself is very basic, but also very varied. "We have fried foods for appetizers. We can do anything from a hamburger to stuffed lobster. Not many restaurants can say that," Elias said. Club 4100 has added items, but just occasionally. "If it's not broke, why fix it? The menu we have is pretty much what it was in 1968."

The regulars also appreciate that the restaurant has been such an integral part of the Brooklyn Park community. It closes off the entire block for its annual Easter party, which draws hundreds of people and includes carnival rides, among the festivities. And the place where virtually everyone really does know your name has also been the long-time home of the Brooklyn Lions Club.

One of the Club's inside amusements is a small, rectangular brown sign that hangs above the cash register with the acronym, "YCHJCYAQFTJB." That stands for "Your Curiosity Has Just Cost You A Quarter For The Jukebox," which "just tells you how long the place has been here. No jukebox costs a quarter anymore," Elias said.

There are daily lunch specials. While that may not seem especially special, he said, "If people keep coming back for them over and over, they must like it."

So, as for setting up an ad schedule, forget it. "You have to be looking for us to find us," Elias said. "But it's worth the effort, because we are 'Maryland's Best Kept Secret.'"



Club 4100 is located at 4118 4th Street in the northern Anne Arundel County suburb of Brooklyn Park, though the mailing address is Baltimore. It is just a few blocks east of Route 2. For more information, call 410-789-4100 or visit www.club4100.com.