New restaurant in Ixia space

CR Lounge, an offspring of the restaurant Creme in D.C., expects to open in the next week or two in the space formerly occupied by Ixia. I spoke to Creme (pronounced cream) owner Tegist “Teggy” Ayalew this afternoon and she confirms that she will be bringing her well-regarded Southern fare to the spot at 518 N. Charles St.

Teggy, who was born in Ethiopia and has lived in Washington for 27 years, says she was looking for a second location for her restaurant and fell in love with the Ixia property. “It was beautiful,” she said.

She also plans to move here eventually. “I’m hoping to make Baltimore my home,” she said. “Baltimore has been very welcoming.”

The Baltimore menu will be similar to the D.C. one with dinner entrees under $25. Signature dishes include shrimp and grits in the evening and chicken and waffles for brunch. The restaurant is expected to be open Tues.-Sun. for lunch and dinner with brunch on Saturday and Sunday. The Baltimore website is still under construction.

Teggy is in the process of hiring a chef who has been in town for about a year and a half and hails from Atlanta. She didn’t want to share the name until it’s official. Let the guessing games begin.

Photo of Creme's coconut cake