Rusty Scupper Restaurant Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Over the years many restaurants have come and gone at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. But there's one that continues to thrive. The Rusty Scupper is marking a major milestone.
Ron Matz has more on their secret to 30 years of success.
Executive chef Mark Miranda is busy in the kitchen, preparing his signature seafood dishes: crab cakes, oysters and stuffed shrimp.
The Rusty Scupper is a Baltimore icon, now celebrating its 30-year anniversary.
"We've been very fortunate," said Ed Prutzer, Rusty Scupper general manager. "The city has greeted us with open arms since day one. We're very proud to be here. It's been an amazing 30 years."
The views from the restaurant are spectacular. On Saturday nights, the Scupper serves up to a thousand dinners.
"It's very exciting. We continue to grow the business. We're extremely busy. Any given Saturday night we serve 800 to 1,000 dinners," said Mark Miranda, executive chef Rusty Scupper.
You'll see familiar faces there, and every picture tells a story.
"My first week in the restaurant I was greeting people at brunch and met then Governor Schaefer and Joe DiMaggio. It was the day of the Columbus Day parade. That's a memory I will never forget," Prutzer said.
In 30 years, the Rusty Scupper has served 1.7 million crab cakes.
"In the summertime, we probably go through 1,000-1,500 pounds of crab meat a week. When you come to Baltimore, you want crab cakes. We also serve a lot of stuffed shrimp," Miranda said.
"We have a great team in the kitchen," Prutzer added. "The tried and true Baltimore favorites never change. Our crab cakes and stuffed shrimp are our top two sellers."
The weeks have passed and Baltimore has changed, but the Rusty Scupper remains the oldest restaurant on the harbor still in its original location.
"A lot of things have changed with the city. And a lot of improvements have been made to the Inner Harbor. It's been amazing," Prutzer said. "Here at the restaurant we've had two total renovations in my 20 years here. The most recent one was completed in 2010. We have a new wine cellar with 1,200 bottles of wine, all temperature controlled. We have two new banquet rooms, including one on the second floor with an outdoor deck."
In commemoration of its 30th anniversary the Rusty Scupper will offer a fixed price two course lunch for $19.82. The special will feature items from the restaurant's original menu.
