Up on Market offers classic look, tastes

Housed in a historic downtown Frederick building and incorporating furnishings and elements from several former Washington, D.C., restaurants, Up on Market Bistro & Inn offers the ambience of a French cafe or European coffeehouse. Some of the chairs in the dining room came from the former Bistro Francais in Georgetown, while the mirrors in the rear of the dining room came from that M Street staple’s private dining room, said Francis Skrobiszewski, who owns the restaurant with his wife, chef Michele Fontaine. The couple bought the building on North Market Street in 2013 and spent years renovating and meticulously restoring it before opening the restaurant a little more than three years ago. The dining rooms tables and chairs are vintage, and the marble high-top tables along one wall are about 130 years old, Skrobiszewski said. While Fontaine runs the kitchen, Skrobiszewski oversees an extensive wine list, mostly French but also including Italian, American and other options.

Owner and chef Michele Fontaine recommends: Rack of lamb, served with gruyere grits and grilled asparagus. The pan-seared lamb has a mustard, herb, and garlic cap and is finished in the oven, while the grits add soft and mellow depth to the dish and the asparagus provides a bright, fresh taste.

Up On Market

301 N. Market St., Frederick 240-831-4846

Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m to 11 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday

Price: A variety of soups, salads, appetizers and entrees range from a $14 mushroom, onion and cheese empanada to $133 for a 12-oz. lobster tail and 8-oz. filet mignon.