Rams Head The Blog

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

“Delicious for the spring & summer weather… nice & spicy… compliments anything that you’re doing” says Head Brewmaster Walter Trifari

Enjoy the personal introduction of this summer beer:

Menu is defined by dictionary.com as 1. a list of the dishes served at a meal or 2. the dishes served.  But in the world of the chef and restauranteur, the menu takes on a tremendous amount of effort, something that could never be defined with a simple phrase.

In Rams Head’s world, we often feel as though we are in a revolving door of menu changes.  Currently with four restaurant locations (Annapolis | Savage | Stevensville | Crownsville) we run 3 different lunch & dinner menus plus 3 different brunch menus.  We try and update each of those menus every 6 months to change items and sometimes prices.  Once a year we try and revamp the entire design of the menu.   (Side note from my brain:  I just realized that my own perception is in fact reality – that IS 12 menus per year.  We really do live in a revolving door of menu changes!!)

But enough with the marketing, let’s talk about the food… what is the process that surrounds these menu changes. And is it a science or is it luck of the draw?

There is an element of science to it:  We pull our internal menu reports and rank the food items by sales volume to see what items are popular items.   From these reports we look at which items have fallen off the sales map and figure out a way to reinvent them or replace them altogether; when this happens, sometimes you’ll see an old menu item with a new twist (ie., our calamari… sometimes with marinara, sometimes with spinach & ponzu sauce).

But, there is also an element of luck of the draw as our chef’s creatively put together items that speak to them right now combined with the latest food trends.   According to Restaurant-Hospitality.com, 2011′s food trends include:  pie, mini-items that are cost effective & smaller in portion size, hot dogs, roasting of food, goat & lamb belly and pimento cheese.  (Personally I’m not rooting for the lamb belly)

Over the past few year’s we combined the science and luck of the draw into what was lovingly referred to as the day of gluttony.  All of our chefs would gather together at our Annapolis location, cook up 30 to 40 potential menu items and we would sample one of each.   THIRTY TO FORTY SAMPLES in one sitting – our stomachs wanted to explode as we tasted and ranked on presentation and taste.  After a couple of years of this, we decided that our bellies would not take anymore and that perhaps we weren’t asking the right people anyway.  We’re too close to the product.  Instead, we should be asking the right people… YOU!

We invite YOU to let your tastebuds do the talking this week and cast your vote for the menu items you want to see on our menu.

Where: Rams Head Tavern Annapolis
When:  Mon 5/9 – Fri 5/13 11am to 3pm
What: Menu item tasting

You can cast your vote online through facebook or in the restaurant with the provided ballot sheet or comment below on the blog.  There will be 3 new menu items to test out during lunch (11am to 3pmish) Monday thru Friday at our Annapolis location.

This is one of the beauties of having the world at your fingertips on your computer – you can give us great feedback and help us to tailor the future of the Rams Head menu.  We can’t wait to hear Your Voice on Our Menu.

Signing off from the land of Food Fun & Beer,
Erin

Of Note:
Vote here for Monday 5/9 Lunch Specials:

Farm Hand Lunch

Fried Green Tomato BLT

Severn River Seaweed Salad

Vote here for Tuesday’s selections

Vote here for Wednesday’s selections

Rams Head Tavern Savage Mill test week will be May 16 – 20, 2011

Well, we haven’t been able to make it an official holiday with national recognition … yet.   This Thursday, July 2nd 2009, is hereby declared, Fordham Day at all at Rams Head restaurants!

By the power vested in me, as set forth by the WordPress Blog association and Rams Head Marketing & Promotions, I hereby declare the first Thursday in July Fordham Day. Though shalt obey the law, by arriving promptly at 4pm, finding a comfortable seat, and order up the Fordham brewskie of your choice for just a buck*.

*Rams Head celebrates Fordham Day
Thursday, July 2nd
4-6pm
$1 Fordham Drafts, in commemorative glassware ($4, includes a fill-up)
Rams Head Restaurant Locations

It is rumored to be true that Rams Head Tavern Annapolis is home to the oldest wisteria vine in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.   I wish I had that documented, stamped and signed so that I could really go to town on that claim and maybe get in on some horticulture tour in Annapolis, or listed in 1,000 Things to See Before You Die, or have it be part of our tagline… Food Fun & Wisteria.   But, for now… it’s just an undocumented rumor.

Regardless of documentation, these gorgeous wisteria blooms have cast great purple haze over thinkers in town… inspiring beers of Fordham past (R.I.P. Wisteria Wheat.  You will never be forgotten) and exciting writers to dream of lazy afternoons;

Sitting on the back patio under the enormous wisteria vine on a sunny afternoon is the way to properly enjoy these brews.  -Eric Brace, Washington Post

For us, the arrival of the bloom is a highlight to the spring season, marking the kick-off to warmer weather, happy hours highlighted by the sunset, longer days full of sunlight, and the arrival of a favorite Annapolis past-time: live outdoor music on the patio.

Friday, May 1st marks the arrival of our summer music calendar which includes all the local favorites… The Geckos , Dean Rosenthal, Matt McConville just to name a few.  If you haven’t spent an evening on the patio, at rams head, listening to these guys while drinking a Fordham brew, well… you just can’t call yourself an Annapolitan.  It’s a rite of passage, an Annapolis must.

So, if you’ve been waiting for your official invitation to come and see us on the patio…  it just arrived…  purple and sweet as they come, and full of hosptitality.

The St. Patty’s Day debauchery begins at 2pm on Tuesday, March 17 and our live music line-ups are officially ready! Check below for the live music roster at the Rams Head nearest you:

Rams Head Tavern Annapolis, 33 West Street, Annapolis MD | 410.268.4545
2-4pm | Jeremy Rossbach
4.30 – 6.30pm | Dan Haas
7 – 9pm | Sweet Leda

Rams Head Roadhouse, 1773 Generals Hwy, Annapolis MD | 410.849.8058
2-4pm | Dean Rosenthal
4.30 – 6.30pm | Bushmaster Trio
7 – 9pm | Tommy Lepson Band

Rams Head Tavern Savage Mill, 8600 Foundry St, Savage MD | 301.604.3454
2-4pm | Corey Jenkins
4.30 – 6.30pm | Danger Barbie
7 – 9pm | Live DJ, spinning all your favorites!

Rams Head Shore House, 800 Main Street, Stevensville MD | 410.643.2466
2-4pm | Dave Hawkins
4.30 – 6.30pm | Remnants
7 – 9pm | High Test

Join us for $2 Green Beer, $4 Fordhams, & $5 Car Bombs ALL DAY & 50¢ Guinness from 2-3pm! At Rams Head we never charge a cover for live music or for bein’ Irish.

The countdown begins….!