Wednesday, November 13, 2013

THE WOMEN'S EXCHANGE



Tonight I attended the Industrious Woman Event honoring Baltimore City Deputy Mayor, Kaliope Parthemos.  The Exchange began shortly after the Civil War and has been at it's present location on Charles Street since 1887.  There are lots of hand-crafted goods made by women (and men) wishing to support themselves with dignity.  A great place to pick up specialty holiday gifts!  Visit at lunch time (11am-2:30pm) and enjoy delicious home-inspired comfort food.

THE WOMEN'S EXCHANGE
333 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD  21201
PH: 410-685-4388, 410-244-6450

Sunday, November 10, 2013

 BUSBOYS and POETS

It's been awhile since I've blogged, not because I haven't been out and certainly not because I haven't enjoyed myself.  It feels good to be back;  I'm going to try my best to find some time to sit at my computer and share my good times.  Lately there haven't been enough hours in the day.  My cousin Beth was recently in Washington D.C. and we managed to find a few hours to meet over lunch in Hyattsville at a fun restaurant called BUSBOYS AND POETS.  It's a casual, roomy spot with excellent food.  Neither of us had been there so it was a good find for us both.  Their menu offers traditional, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free items.  Beth was a good girl and ordered a salad (which she loved by the way) and I decided to cheat on my low carbs diet and eat bread.  I can always find a good reason to give in to eating bread, in this case meeting Beth was my special occasion excuse.  And, I should add that my Avocado Panini was wonderful, not to outdone by delicious sweet potato fries.  Woweee.  I can't wait to return and eat a great lunch and sit on one of the sofas afterward with my tea. 







BUSBOYS and POETS
5331 Baltimore Avenue
Hyattsville, MD  20781
PH: 301-779-2787


Sunday, June 2, 2013


 WHISKEY TASTING
Last month eight of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at a private whiskey tasting.  We met at James Joyce Pub located in Baltimore's Harbor East area.  I've been there several times, but never for this kind of treat.  Maybe it was a special night because I had no idea what to expect, or maybe because I don't drink whiskey and thought I might not have fun.  Either way, it was great!  Our host worked for Johnnie Walker, and gave us a mini whiskey education with each of our tastings.  James Joyce served us exceptional food and each serving was complimented with a different whiskey.  We sampled Johnnnie Walker Red, Black, Gold, and Blue.  I liked the Blue the most, but wouldn't turn away the Gold if asked.  (Just in case you're asking)
Cappuccino mousse cake
Pan seared duck breast














JAMES JOYCE PUB
616 S. President Street
Baltimore, MD  21202
PH: 410-727-5107

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

THE KITCHEN AT ROCK HALL
The Kitchen was recommended as a good restaurant for dinner and I am so grateful to have listened.  It was wonderful.  I knew the minute I heard Billie Holiday singing in the background that I was in the right place.  It is an intimate space with good service and a chef who cares.  What more could you ask for?  Oh yeah, good food.  They have that too.  My rock fish was crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside, centered with three large shrimp, and resting on a bed of rice.  I don't know exactly what the sauce was, but I do know I couldn't get enough of it.   And what better to get in Rock Hall than Rock Fish???  Bill thoroughly enjoyed the fresh pan fried oyster appetizer and coupled it with a petite seared beef tenderloin and mashed red potatoes.  We were both very happy and full but knew that we could not ignore that this restaurant was too good to not sample dessert.  So, at the suggestion of our server, we chose the chocolate bread pudding with two spoons.  Neither of us are actually bread pudding fans, but this was exceptional.  If you find yourself hungry in Rock Hall, find yourself at The Kitchen.

THE KITCHEN AT ROCK HALL
5757 Main Street
Rock Hall, MD  21661
PH: 410-639-2700



INN AT HUNTINGFIELD CREEK
Entrance area/ living room
Every year Bill and I attend the Women's Housing Coalition fundraiser and each year we leave with a silent auction tidbit or two.  Last year Bill had the highest bid on an overnight stay at the Inn at Huntingfield Creek in Rock Hall, Maryland.  Almost a year has passed and we decided it was time to redeem our certificate.  So, we made our reservation and yesterday we drove to Rock Hall and had a wonderful, relaxing, enjoyable breather. As you can see, the Inn is beautiful and its owners, Joanne and Jim, are equally enjoyable.  Definitely add this to your list of destinations!
Dining room

Library/refreshment room

Library/refreshment room

Pier

Breakfast is served



INN AT HUNTINGFIELD CREEK
4928 Eastern Neck Road
Rock Hall, MD  21661
PH: 410-639-7779


COMMERCE

I did not take a picture of Commerce because there was outside construction taking place during my visit.  It is however a wonderful place to eat and drink, and the two nights I was there, it was filled with lots of people having a great time.  Devin met Vicki and I for dinner on a Sunday evening and our reservation landed us a booth.  Our favorite item was the Roasted Sweet Potato Tortelloni with Hazelnuts, Pomegranate, and Beurre Noisette appetizer.   It was amazing.   Our dinner was delicious and our server very attentive, definitely a restaurant I hope to visit again.  FYI: They only accept credit cards.

COMMERCE
50 Commerce Street
Greenwich Village, New York  10014
PH: 212-524-2301

Monday, April 22, 2013

MARIE'S CRISIS
Love Broadway?  Then you'll love Marie's Crisis in the West Village.  There's always a line outside, but as patrons leave, new ones are admitted to take their places.  There's a mandatory coat check (I think it's a dollar or two), but you can't get downstairs in your coat.  And frankly, you wouldn't fit.  Everyone is standing  elbow to elbow around a very talented guy playing the piano,. All are belting out show tunes as if they are on stage.  This is one of the most fun piano bars in the city, it screams New York!











MARIE'S CRISIS
59 Grove Street
(between Bleeker St. and S. 7th Ave)
New York, NY  10014
PH: 212-243-9323
CHERRY LANE THEATRE      

                   
Vicki and I planned to be in New York City during the St. Patrick's Day weekend.  Needless to say, there was lots of activity in the city.  The train station was filled with green shirts, lots of them worn by folks who appeared to have started celebrating very early in the day.  Our plans for the evening were much more subdued.  We managed to get tickets for The Revisionist starring Vanessa Redgrave, a serious play written and co-starred by Jesse Eisenberg.  It was a great evening in Greenwich Village.  The theatre is small, which gave each of us an intimate experience with the actors on stage.  The play had a limited run and we were fortunate to get tickets and be part of its limited audience.  I encourage you to try to be a patron of this theatre and enjoy some of its many performances.


CHERRY LANE THEATRE
38 Commerce Street
New York, NY  10014
PH: 212-989-2020
ROYAL SCOOP
It seems every city or town has their favorite ice cream parlor, and I love the one we visit in Bonita Springs, Florida.  It's a "must" stop whenever I visit Robin and Bob in Ft. Myers.  They are usually busy and you can expect to be in a line, but we are always happy we waited when we are walking to the car enjoying our ice cream treats.  Makes me want some chocolate peanut butter right now!






ROYAL SCOOP Homemade Ice Cream
15  8th Street
Bonita Springs, Florida  34134
PH: 239-992-2000
My visits with my friends Robin and Bob are few and far between, but we managed to make it happen this past March.  I love visiting them on their turf in Ft. Myers, Florida because it's a real getaway for me.  I play golf (which I rarely do at home) and even though we don't see each other that often, we are good enough friends that we can jump in where we left off without missing a beat.  Kind of like a soap opera, I think.  One evening we drove to Naples to have dinner at BRAVO!  It's a roomy villa type space inside with an equally nice outside eating area, both bustling with patrons and servers.  I love Italian food and decided to order lasagna. A huge portion was placed in front of me making me think I would be taking half of it home afterward - NOT!


BRAVO!
9110 Strada Place
Naples, Florida  34108
PH: 239-514-0042

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

STANFORD GRILL

Since Carol was the only one working today, Vete and I drove to her neck of the woods to meet her for lunch.  That "neck" happens to be Columbia.  It was fine with me because I've been to the Stanford Grill with her before and I was looking forward to returning.  Today I ordered the Chicken Pot Pie, it was delicious.  I try to curb my intake of breads, but that was not an option once I tasted the delicious crust of the pot pie.  Yumm.  The service was wonderful and the surroundings very comfortable.  Definitely a keeper on my list!


STANFORD GRILL
8900 Stanford Boulevard
Columbia,  MD  21045
PH: 410-312-0445