A jukebox hums to life with 45 rpm vinyl records inside a new sandwich shop and bar in Northeast Baltimore’s Lauraville neighborhood.
Animal Boy is the latest addition to the SoHa Union building at 4801 Harford Road, with businesses on the first level and apartments upstairs. The “mom and pop” eatery opened Thursday in the space formerly occupied by Cafe Campli.
Chris Tsonos and his wife, Kate, moved from Hampden to Lauraville six years ago. Although several other restaurants have opened along the Harford Road corridor, Chris said he saw a need for a casual spot where customers could grab a quick meal during the workday or stay awhile in a relaxed atmosphere.
They want Animal Boy to be a “cool hangout spot for everyone; somewhere that’s comfortable, laid back, not pretentious by any means,” Chris said.
Affordable, too.
“The way everything’s going, everything is so expensive all the time,” he added. “We’re trying to get the price as low as we can. We want you to be able to enjoy yourself and spend time here, bring your kids, let them play around.”
Opportunity arose when another husband-and-wife duo, Paul & Sam Mincarelli, closed their Italian-style eatery Cafe Campli in June to open a restaurant in Penne, Italy.
The Tsonoses were camping in Codorus State Park in Pennsylvania over the summer when they learned they would be able to move forward with plans for their sandwich shop.
“We were in the Winnebago and they were like ‘the spot’s yours,’” Kate said.
The shop’s name is an homage to The Ramones’ 1986 album – as well as a nod to the couple’s two-and-a-half-year-old son, Georgie.
“We call our son ‘Animal Boy’ because he’s a little wild man,” Chris said.
Chris described Lauraville as a “retirement community for punks,” a fitting location for a restaurant that embraces all things rock while fostering a family-friendly environment and a menu that won’t break the bank.
Animal Boy’s bright orange, blue, and yellow walls bear posters for various rock bands and singers, from The Ramones to Metallica to Iron Maiden. Meanwhile, piles of kids’ toys and books are scattered around the restaurant.
Hanging on the bathroom wall is a framed photograph of the late Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, grinning while sitting on a toilet with a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other.
“I just combined the two things that I love, which is making sandwiches and punk,” Chris said.
They’ve intentionally left one of their main walls blank, where they plan to highlight the work of a different rotating local artist each month.
Chris got his start in the culinary industry at a now-shuttered deli in Northern Virginia, where he worked for four or five years.
“That first job, I kind of just fell in love with the idea of food and cooking and feeding people,” he said.
From there, he worked at restaurants in Philadelphia before moving to Baltimore, where he worked at Golden West, Royal Blue, Sandlot, and Woodberry Kitchen. Kate, on the other, hand, brings experience in education, insurance, and catering.
After 22 years in the food industry, Chris is heading back to his roots of delicious sandwiches.
Animal Boy will offer a mix of classic hot and cold sandwiches with a twist, salads, sides, and drinks.
The menu ranges from a roast pork sandwich inspired by Chris’s time working at restaurants in Philadelphia, to a beef sandwich called “The Benny” in honor of Morgan State University’s bear mascot. The university recently opened a 473-bed off-campus student housing complex called The Enolia a quarter mile down Harford Road.
While Animal Boy has plenty for the meat-lovers, it also plans to make hearty vegan and vegetarian options a priority.
“There’s a very big pull for that around here, and I don’t think this area is really pulling that off too well or at least doesn’t have enough options for that,” Chris said. “Most places just have one or two options; we’re gonna have a handful.”
So far, they offer a seitan cheesesteak with house cheese whiz, and a pastrami seitan with dill horseradish sauce. Most sides and salads are also veg-friendly.
The Tsonoses’ roommate, Morgan, will be the bar manager.
“She will be running a really neat, comfortable, basic, delicious bar program,” Kate said. “It’s not going to be anything pretentious…. Just good drinks, good food, good vibes.”
The couple said they’re excited to welcome customers to the shop and hope folks will spread the word.
“Tell your neighbor, tell your mom, and tell your pet,” Chris said.
Animal Boy will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays and Mondays.
