Bisnow: Julekha Dash

Rec Pier Chop House, located inside the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore hotel Rec Pier Chop House, located inside the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore hotel

The Sagamore Pendry Baltimore opened to great fanfare Tuesday, with co-developer Scott Plank, Gov. Larry Hogan and Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh on hand. Now the staff at the 128-room hotel is busy prepping the last phase of the hotel: the Rec Pier Chop House and Cannon Room Whiskey Bar, which open March 25.

The restaurant is the latest venture for New York James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini, whose Noho Hospitality brand has more than a dozen eateries under its belt. The 160-seat Italian steakhouse sits on the first floor of the hotel and features large windows facing Fells Point's main thoroughfare, Thames Street.

"The windows on the front make the restaurant an interactive experience," general manager David Hoffman said.

The 20-seat Cannon Room Whiskey Bar, which will serve Kevin Plank's Sagamore Spirit rye whiskey, is designed to look like the inside of a whiskey barrel, director of sales and marketing Jon Chocklett said during a recent tour of the property.

Bisnow: Julekha Dash

The restored ballroom inside the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore The restored ballroom inside the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore

The hotel opening marked a milestone in Baltimore history, transforming a century-old pier that was once the filming site of "Homicide" into a luxury hotel, a vision that eluded previous developers that took on the project. Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank's real estate firm, Sagamore Development, acquired the three-story, 122K SF building in 2015.

Designed by BHC Architects and Patrick Sutton Design, the hotel was once the second-largest port of entry for early 20th century immigrants, after Ellis Island, and was once a gathering spot. The restored, 4,500 SF ballroom will hold dance and other classes open to the public.