Rams Head The Blog

Raise your beer mugs! Rams Head celebrates Octoberfest beer release. The Rams Head restaurants are kicking off September with the release of Old Dominion’s Brewing Companies, Octoberfest, on Thursday, September 1^st, 2011 from 4pm-6pm. I just love autumn! The crisp days and golden leaves enhance all of the senses, especially our appetites. 

Octoberfest will be tapped at 4pm. “Nothing marks the change of seasons better than the Rams Heads release of Octoberfest beer. The crisp and spicy flavor and deep reddish golden color perfectly compliment the cooling weather and the changing leaves. Its no wonder it’s on everyone’s list of favorite beer” says Rams Head Shore House General Manager, Kathryn Singer.

The event, which will be held at your local Rams Head restaurant, will feature special souvenir glassware, designed just for the Octoberfest release and will be available for $4 at 4pm on release day.  Patrons who purchase the glass also receive a fill-up of the Octoberfest and $1 refills during the 4-6pm release party. The restaurants chefs have created dinner specials that pairs well with the German lager. And, the staff will be dressed up for the occasion.

According to Walter Trifari, Head Brewmaster at Old Dominion Brewing Company, The recipe for “Octoberfest was created to be an autumn seasonal beer and a traditional Maerzen style lager. We use eight types of imported German malts and four hop varieties to create this amber-colored fest beer. This beer also pairs well with spicy cuisine, hearty stews & bratwurst. And now, as summer wanes, it’s a perfect beer to enjoy on a nice fall day”.

 Locations:

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis | 33 West Street, Annapolis MD | P: 410.268.4545

Rams Head Tavern Savage Mill | 8600 Foundry Street, Savage MD | P: 301.604.345

Rams Head Roadhouse | 1773 Generals Hwy, Annapolis MD | P: 410.849.8058

Rams Head Shore House | 800 Main Street, Stevensville MD | P: 410.643.2466

 Music:

Rams Head Shore House: Joe Singer plays 4pm-7pm

Rams Head Roadhouse: Pete Best at 8pm

Rams Head Tavern Savage: Bobby Stevens at 7pm

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis: Local Listen Night starting at 10pm

Have you been to a Kegs n Eggs party at the Rams Head before? This is a party you don’t want to miss.Each Rams Head  restaurant celebrates their Anniversary with the companies’ tradition of “Kegs n Eggs“. On Saturday, July 16th the Rams Head Tavern Savage, Maryland location will be celebrating their 12 years of food, fun and beer at the Savage Mill. The doors will open at 7 a.m. but  I recommend getting there early. Last year they had a line at 5:30 a.m. waiting to get in.

The first fifty guests that enter the event will receive a free ticket to an upcoming show at Rams Head Live. And, every half hour during the event, prizes will be given out, including a pair of tickets to the Silopanna Music Festival at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds.

During the celebration, Rams Head Tavern will have reduced drink specials and an“egg “ cellent breakfast while enjoying the tunes of local musicians. This is Rams Head’s small way to say “Thank You” for years of loyalty from their customers and the community.

Saturday, July 16^th, 2011
7am-1pm

Celebration schedule of events are as follow:

 Drink Specials
50 cent Fordham drafts (7am -8am)
$1 Fordham Drafts (8am-9am)
$3 Fordham Drafts (9am-1pm)
$2 Bloody Marys, Mimosas, Cape Cods, and Screwdrivers (7am-1pm)
$3 Jagerbarrel Birthday Shot (7am-1pm)

 Food Specials
Anniversary Breakfast: Two eggs any style, served with brunch spuds, choice of meat, choice of toast and fruit served from 7am-11am for only $7

Music
7-9:00am: Corey Jenkins
9-11:00am: Dave Majerowicz
11-1:00pm: Kieran Lally

Prizes

1^st 50 people through the door get a ticket to a show at Rams Head Live in Baltimore
Prizes given every ½ hour (7am-1pm).
Prizes include:
A pair of tickets to the Silopanna Festival, Guster, Direks Bently, Corona deck umbrellas,Rams Head gift certificate, monster mini fridge and tons more!

 8600 Foundry St. Savage, Maryland 20763 |P: 301.604.3454

A perfect brew to cool you off in July….Saison! The Rams Head Group is pleased to release Fordham Brewing Company’s, Saison Ale beer, on Thursday, July 7th, 2011 from 4-6pm.

Saison Ale will be tapped at 4pm. “Saison Ale has a refreshing, elegant, taste to it. Perfect beer to refresh you after a hot day in July!” says Rams Head Tavern Savage General Manager, Mark Colberg.

Rams Head will have limited edition glasses for the beer release. The special glass for Saison Ale will be available for $4 at 4pm on release day.  Patrons who purchase the glass also receive a fill-up of the Saison Ale and refills are $1 during the 4-6pm release party. 

According to Walter Trifari, Head Brewmaster at Fordham Brewing Company, “This brand new exclusive Fordham brew is the perfect beer to refresh you on a hot July day. Fordham Saison Ale is an unfiltered, Belgian-style ale with a brilliant copper hue and a cloudy appearance. Lemon peels and coriander provide notes of citrus and spiciness”.

Locations:

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis | 33 West Street, Annapolis MD | P: 410.268.4545

Rams Head Tavern Savage Mill | 8600 Foundry St, Savage MD | P: 301.604.3454

Rams Head Roadhouse | 1773 Generals Hwy, Annapolis MD | P: 410.849.8058

Rams Head Shore House | 800 Main Street, Stevensville MD | P: 410.643.2466

In the world of restaurant marketing, there is a belief that a photo should never be taken of an empty restaurant.  The thought is that human beings are attracted to other human beings and a photo of an empty restaurant will not attract human beings.  While I will give credit to the laws of human nature, I find myself enjoying the solitude of of our facilities when they are empty.  For me, the energy seeps in from the walls of the building, the details become more apparent and the building hums in preparation for a day ahead of serving others.

Just yesterday, I spent the morning at our Rams Head Tavern location in historic Savage Mill.   And with me was my trusty camera.  My intentions were to take a few photos for our facebook page, but as I start to take the photos I found myself enjoying the details of the building.   I was thinking about each individual decorative item and the thought behind it’s selection.  And I decide to bring you a blog post instead…

Me & my trusty companion documenting the day.

we were setting up for a small party for lunch

I will admit that I am biased; but, I believe that our dining room is one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen.

Many aspects of the historic textile mill, 1822-1947, are evident in the building

This Rams feels really powerful to me; overlooking the entire dining room.

This is my favorite booth in the restaurant.

Rams Head Savage Mill has 3 distinct floors & 5 different dining areas. This is the 2nd floor Tavern.

Reminding us, we are here to serve.

This glass shade is hand blown...

Ahhh... summer on our deck. Perfect.

Through the greens, you can see the 30 foot water wheel that powered the machines that wove the cloth

And downstairs to our Rathskeller, fondly referred to as "The Rath"

Remnants of last night's game. I can see the smiles & hear the laughter.

Can you feel the buzz in the air?

I can only imagine the wonderful conversations under these lights.

Everyone's favorite taps.

As I turned off the lights, I couldn’t help but notice who was waving me goodbye. For a small moment, I laughed and remembered the glory days of my college years.

Yours in Food, Fun & Beer ~
Erin

Looking to drink a cold good brew on a hot summer day? Come try the NEW  Fordham Brewing Company’s summer beer, Wisteria Wheat, on Thursday, June 2nd,  from 4-6pm at a Rams Head restaurant near you.                    

The Wisteria Wheat beer will be tapped at 4pm. “Wisteria Wheat is one of the most unique beers we brew. It’s got all the flavor and character of any true hefeweizen and it’s a perfect escape from this warm weather” says Rams Head Tavern Annapolis General Manager, Corky Fertitta.

The Rams Head restaurants will have limited edition glasses for the beer release. The special glass for Wisteria Wheat will be available for $4 at 4pm on release day.  Patrons who purchase the glass also receive a fill-up of the Wisteria Wheat and $1 refills during the 4-6pm release party. 

During the Wisteria Wheat beer release, each Rams Head restaurant will be running a contest to celebrate the release. Each customer that purchases the Wisteria Wheat glassware will receive a raffle ticket. The manager will pick one raffle ticket and the winner will receive a pair of tickets to Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Three Dog Night show at Pier Six Pavilion on Friday, June 3rd.

According to Walter Trifari, Head Brewmaster at Fordham Brewing Company, “Wisteria Wheat is a medium bodied beer with soft, velvety carbonation and a spiced, wheaty finish to make this golden brew the perfect summertime thirst quencher. We brewed this beer with Hefeweizen yeast, Pale malts, Wheat malts, Tettnang and Magnum hops that make this brew perfect to enjoy all summer long. This beer also pairs well with tangy cheeses, fresh salads, grilled chicken, seafood and citrus style desserts.”

Locations:

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis | 33 West Street, Annapolis MD | P: 410.268.4545

Rams Head Tavern Savage Mill | 8600 Foundry Street, Savage MD | P: 301.604.3454

Rams Head Roadhouse | 1773 Generals Hwy, Annapolis MD | P: 410.849.8058

Rams Head Shore House | 800 Main Street, Stevensville MD | P: 410.643.2466

Music:

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis: Pasadena Acoustic set at 4pm-7pm

Rams Head Shore House: Joe Singer plays at 4pm-7pm

Rams Head Roadhouse: Pete Best at 8pm

Rams Head Tavern Savage: Vs. the Earth at 7pm

Within the walls of this family run business are many wonderful employees who create the magic that is the Rams Head.  Our history together, and of our families, often finds its way into the business landscape … for the case of this blog entry,  in the form of our menu.

Thanks to our culinary roots with Chef Greg “Cowboy” Richardson (who now owns his own restaurant in Winston-Salem, NC) quirky names have been a part of the fun of the Rams Head menu.  I have heard tales of late night “brain storm” sessions that brought to the table unique names of past such as:

• STOP LIGHT TORTILLA – for the salsa (red), guacamole (green) & queso (yellow) sides that came w. the nachos
• PINK HOUSE DIP - in reference to a pink house on Pinkey Street where many employees lived (& partied)
• KINGSTON SHRIMP & CHICKEN – which I believe references the Kingston Trio band
• STEVINSON SALAD- names for Jodi Stevinson, longtime manager & training guru at the Rams Head
• ACADEMY CALAMARI - named after our close proximity to the Naval Academy of course
• CONSTRUCTION ZONE PORK TENDERLOIN – lovingly named for the year West St. was torn up to put down brick pavers
• COBBY TWISTER – named for our former Brewmaster Jim Sobczak
• SILOPANNA SALAD - that would be Annapolis spelled backwards.  Ever been to that street in Annapolis?
• OYSTERS WALDEN – named after Annapolis’ Head Chef, Doug Walden
• CLAIRE’S CRAB QUICHE: in honor of Cowboy’s daughter Claire
• MAC MELT: named after Chef Brian McElroy
• TERRAPIN TAPENADE: for the University of Maryland’s Terrapin and owner Kyle Muehlhauser’s alma mater
• THE TOBY chicken sandwich is named after the Muehlhauser pony sized yellow lab Toby.

Here’s a glossary to help you wade through our current menus items and their namesake:

TAVERN MENUS

• EL JEFE NACHOS… coined for the original “Boss” Bill Muehlhauser.  El Jefe is boss in Spanish.
• CHEESE LOUISE: a nod to my own middle name and according to HometownAnnapolis.com, “The Cheese Louise was not just cleverly named, but genuinely swoon-worthy.”
• CHURCH CIRCLE COBB: named after our neighboring street in Annapolis, Church Circle.   The circle goes around St. Anne’s Parish which dates back to 1692.
• TURBO’S TURKEY BURGER is named after Brent “Turbo” Shellem, head chef of the Rams Head restaurants.
• THE OL’ 96ER is a reference to the 1988 movie, The Great Outdoors staring Dan Akyroyd and John Candy.  John Candy is challenged to eat the entire Paul Bunyan 96 oz. roast at a family dinner.   This is the original Man v. Food.
• HOKIE MELT is a shout out to my alma mater and beloved Virginia Tech Hokies.
• DOT’S BEER BATTERED SHRIMP is fondly named after Dorothy Karr, longtime woman behind the scenes of Rams Head.
• PAULA’S PEANUT BUTTER PIE, yep that’s Paula, Mrs. Rams Head the woman behind the Muehlhauser men.  It’s her original recipe and it’s yummmmmm good!

ROADHOUSE  & SHOREHOUSE MENU

• CINDY’S ROADHOUSE CHILI, our Kitchen Manager Extradordinare Cindy at the Roadhouse
• ATWELL’S ACCIDENT named after the former owner of Rudy’s Tavern, Don Atwell
• SALMON SOPHIA named after our Excutive Chef Brent Shellem’s daughter.
• ELINORE’S BISCUITS & GRAVY that’s Eli, our prep cook at the Shore House
• MAIN STREET POT ROAST name of the street where the Rams Head Shore House resides
• RT. 178 CHEESESTEAK that’s the street address for the Rams Head Roadhouse

I am sure that I have missed many of the more eloquent names of years past; after all, my tenure only covers half of Rams Head’s lifespan.  But, I can assure you that you can stop by and check out the specials of the day, which are sure to pertain to someone or something going on within the Rams Head’s four walls.   And you never know when a special might be a hint as to our next location and/or project on the horizon.

Until then… enjoy some food, fun & beer!
Erin

St. Patrick’s day celebration is only 6 days from today. And, ”Rams Head bars are known for their fantastic celebration” says the Capital Entertainment.  The Rams Head Restaurants will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with drink and food specials on Thursday, March 17^th, 2011 starting at 2pm.          

The Rams Head restaurants are serving a special St. Patrick’s day themed menu along with the regular menu to make it a true St. Patrick’s Day event. The Rams Head restaurants chefs came up with unique dishes, making this celebration simple, tasty and affordable. I mean… who doesn’t love corn beef and cabbage?

All Rams Head restaurant locations will start the St. Patrick’s Celebration with $.50 Guinness draft beers from 2pm-3pm, reduced drink specials, green beer, St. Patrick’s Day decorations and giveaways, featuring live music from Maryland’s favorite local bands.

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis and Rams Head Roadhouse will both feature a tent party opening at 2pm with music and beer.

“Rams Head invites everyone to rally up their friends to celebrate the biggest party of the year.” says Rams Head Tavern Annapolis General Manager, Corky Fertitta. Follow the party by following us on twitter @RamsHeadGroup using the hashtag #RamsHeadStPaddys.

Locations:

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis | 33 West Street, Annapolis MD | P: 410.268.4545

Rams Head Tavern Savage Mill | 8600 Foundry St, Savage MD | P: 301.604.3454

Rams Head Roadhouse | 1773 Generals Hwy, Annapolis MD | P: 410.849.8058

Rams Head Shore House | 800 Main Street, Stevensville MD | P: 410.643.2466

Cost: No Cover

Drink Specials: All Specials start @2pm

$.50 Guinness Draft Beer from 2pm-3pm

$ 3 Green Beer (while supplies last)

$ 5 Jameson Drinks

$ 5 Car Bombs

Music Schedule:

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis (Tent)

2pm-4:30pm: Swamp Candy

5pm-7:30pm: Mixed Business

8pm-10:30pm: Sweet Leda

Rams Head Roadhouse (Tent)

2pm-:Peterbuilt

5pm: Dave DeMarco Band

10pm: Kajun Kelley Band

Rams Head Shore House

4pm-6pm: Sean Pelan

7 pm-11pm: Bling

Rams Head Tavern Savage Mill

2pm-4pm: Corey Jenkins

4:30pm-6:30pm: Van Meter

7pm-10pm: Captain Jack Duo

10:30pm- Close: Just a Thought

More info check out www.ramsheadtavern.com

You can’t go wrong with eating good food and drinking delicious brews! So, why not join a night of fun with the Rams Head Tavern Savage crew at the Fordham beer dinner on Thursday, March 10^th.

All dishes will be paired with beers from one of the most acclaimed craft breweries in the Mid-Atlantic, Fordham Brewing Company. In 1703, Queen Anne knew you couldn’t start a colony without good local brews. So, she asked Benjamin Fordham to start a brewery in the new port of Annapolis, Maryland. Benjamin’s passion and dedication to making the highest quality brews were evident in every pint and the colony flourished!

Almost 300 years later, Fordham brewing was re-born in the heart of Annapolis in 1995. With the ever-increasing demand, this frothing Fordham giant was more than our small brewery could handle. In an effort to provide more people with our brews, our plucky staff grabbed our recipes and moved Fordham to its new castle in Dover, Delaware…a brand new stainless steel castle of opportunity!

This particular evening will feature 5 of Fordham’s craft beers.(Some being my favorite..Doppelbock & Copperhead) In an effort to perfectly pair these various hops and malts with the appropriate dish, Chef Brent Shellem has designed a menu that combines both local favorites and traditional classics. Spend an evening tantalizing your taste buds with one of Rams Head’s semi-annual beer dinners.

You can purchase tickets at www.ramsheadonstage.com or Call:410.268.4545
 

We’re ready for VICTORY! The Rams Head restaurants get ready to party on  Thursday, January 6th, from 4pm to 6pm for the release of Old Dominion’s Victory amber lager.

“Dominion Victory is our best kept secret. It’s only available on draught, so when you get to drink it, it’s almost like a special occasion. It’s a well-balanced amber lager and it tastes awesome!” says Old Dominion’s, Graphic Designer, Kyle Holtgren.

Rams Head will have limited edition glasses for the beer release. The special glass for Victory will be available for $4 at 4pm on release day.  Patrons who purchase the glass also receive a fill-up of the Victory and $1 refills during the 4-6pm release party.

Victory lager has a light caramel sweetness and herbal hop character, this amber lager is a “Victory” for your senses. Using Vienna & Munich malts against a malty backbone, Victory Amber is a medium-bodied lager with a faint floral scent & plenty of complexity for your taste buds to savor. So,  don’t forget…next Thursday, make Victory yours!

Locations:

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis | 33 West Street, Annapolis MD |P:410.268.4545

Rams Head Tavern Savage Mill | 8600 Foundry St, Savage MD |P:301.604.3454

Rams Head Roadhouse | 1773 Generals Hwy, Annapolis MD |P:410.849.8058

Rams Head Shore House |800 Main Street, Stevensville MD |P:410.643.2466