Raising the standards: Harbor East, Harbor Point stakeholders discuss their impact on Baltimore

Alex Smith sat on the stage of Monarque, a swanky cabaret-style French restaurant, and talked about the vision his grandfather, John Paterakis Sr., had for Baltimore and the Harbor East neighborhood he built on the water’s edge. “He was somebody who believed in the city and believed in the region,” Smith said. “He just decided he was going to take the money he made in the baking business and build what’s here today. I admire him for that greatly. It’s our job to continue on the tradition.” Smith, founder and president of Atlas Restaurant Group, has 16 restaurants in the city and doesn’t plan to stop there.