Sometimes it seems the restaurant world is hanging on by a thread. Diners are watching their spending and banks are slow to lend money to new concepts.

And then you hear chef Matthew Oetting is bringing a seafood-focused branch of Marta Fine Food and Spirits to Harbor Point, complete with lots of caviar.

Marta al Mare, Oetting said, will be essentially “a seafood-forward version of Marta,” his bistro near Patterson Park. The new restaurant is the first tenant announced for T. Rowe Price’s freshly built global headquarters, which opened just last year.

Oetting, who previously worked in New York City and for the Atlas Restaurant Group and Titan Hospitality, made a splash in Baltimore when he launched Marta in the former Salt location in 2022. Oetting described the menu as “American food with a really strong Italian accent,” and noted then that he hoped to expand the brand beyond its Butchers Hill storefront.

At Marta al Mare, the dinner menu will feature a luxurious assortment of fare that seems crafted with expense accounts in mind, with dishes like lobster saltimbocca and whole grilled Turbot. According to a release from Beatty Development Group, the developer behind Harbor Point, the restaurant “may also feature a caviar and martini cart ushering throughout the dining room.”

Guests can also order caviar for breakfast. In addition to dinner, Marta al Mare will serve brunch six days a week, featuring items like caviar omelets and croissant waffles. As someone who rarely takes a day off himself, Oetting said he saw an opportunity for a weekday brunch option.

The restaurant’s large outdoor dining area will overlook 4.5-acre Point Park, the former site of Sandlot, a temporary beach bar concept that operated for several summers. The views, Oetting said, are spectacular. “I opened Bygone on the 29th floor of the Four Seasons,” Oetting said. “I would say those are probably the best views you can get in a restaurant in Baltimore, but I think Marta al Mare might be a close second.”

The new spot is part of a dining boom for the neighborhood, which recently saw the arrival of Josefina, a Spanish restaurant from former Alma Cocina Latina chef David Zamudio. Attman’s Delicatessen also opened a sports bar in the area, while Woodberry Tavern chef Spike Gjerde recently took over the restaurant inside the neighborhood’s Canopy hotel with a French-themed concept called La Jetée.

But not every opening has gone on with out a hitch. Verde owner Ed Bosco was originally set to launch his new Italian eatery, Sartori, in 2024. The project was delayed by financial setbacks and permitting issues and is now scheduled to arrive this year.

While Oetting said he and the original Marta concept have faced the same challenges as any other restaurant in Baltimore, he credited his lenders and developers with helping bring the new eatery to life. Oetting envisions opening Marta al Mare this summer.