A new bar and restaurant opening in the former Metropolitan Coffeehouse & Wine Bar building will be run by a family with roots in the local drinking and dining scene.
Taylor Novak and her stepfather, Dave Peel, have collectively spent more than two decades working in area bars and restaurants — Novak as the former manager of Midtown BBQ and Brew in Mt. Vernon and Peel as the operator of several Anne Arundel County concepts, including the Anchor Inn, Nabbs Creek Cafe and the Cheshire Crab. Their next venture will be a joint one. Together with Novak's husband, Raymond Novak, the family is preparing to open Hard Water Bar & Grill at 902 S. Charles St. in Federal Hill this fall. The eatery scored a liquor license last week and has a health inspection scheduled in the coming days. The plan is to open by early October if all goes smoothly.