Baltimore21201.Com - The Blog

What's on My Party Radar for Tonight? A Big Cucumber and Some Premium Gin.

Yep, this is how I'll be playing it out tonight. Cucumber martinis. A warm weekend evening in the city and icy Hendrick's Gin... it can't get better—in the drinks department—than this. And, it will certainly make my still-sore-throat feel better.

Hendricks Gin on N Charles Street, Baltimore

With its touch of rose petals and hit of cucumber, I adore Hendrick's—and the actual cucumbers are fun, also, in a garnish sort of way.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the best Hendrick's martinis ever at Baltimore's landmark restaurant, The Prime Rib. I'm trying to duplicate their recipe and their method of making the drink. I'm fairly certain the drinks will come together.

The Prime Rib, Baltimore

If you don't hear back from me tonight, you can assume that my martini-perfecting process was fairly painless and totally successful.

Hendrick's Gin Website

I'm not affiliated with the company. I'm simply a huge fan of their product. And, their website is all kinds of fun. Visit them.

And remember to, as Nick and Nora Charles did, sip distinctly delicious drinks—but sip responsibly. Ok, not so much... have fun with a great cocktail.

Everyman Theatre's Winter Concert Cast will Perform at George Washington Monument Lighting

 

Celebrate the season with a performance from the cast of On the Sunny Side of the Street at the Washington Monument Lighting this Thursday night at 6:30 PM!

About the Monument Lighting:

An Evening of Choir Performances, Strolling Entertainment, and More!
Mount Vernon Place celebrates the holiday season with the 40th annual lighting of the Washington Monument.

A Monumental Occasion takes place Thursday, December 1, 2011 with pre-event festivities hosted by MIX 106.5 at 5:30pm in Mount Vernon. The official ceremony begins at 7pm with the official lighting at approximately 7:45pm.

The evening includes musical performers by area choirs and refreshments for purchase by local vendors.  The event ends with a colorful fireworks and laser finale choreographed to music. 

Mount Vernon Place is located in the 600-700 block of North Charles Street.

A Monumental Occasion is coordinated by Downtown Partnership of Baltimore in conjunction with the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and the Department of Recreation and Parks.

For more information on A Monumental Occasion, call 1-877-BALTIMORE or visit http://www.godowntownbaltimore.com.

About Everyman's Winter Concert:

A Tribute to Dorothy Fields - Everyman’s winter concerts have become a staple of the holiday season in Baltimore.  Join Howard Breitbart and his dazzling lineup of top-notch singers in a concert you won’t want to miss. 

This year we celebrate the music of Dorothy Fields, the lyricist whose decades-long career included over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films.  Join us for this festive concert and celebrate the season with Everyman.

Some of Dorothy Fields’ most memorable hits include:

• The Way you Look Tonight
• On the Sunny Side of the Street
• I’m In The Mood For Love
• I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby
• Big Spender
• If My Friends Could See Me Now
• A Fine Romance

Visit the Everyman Theatre website for tickets.

Baltimore 21201. The Blog, The Swan Song

That's it for this blog. To quote my favorite broadcast journalist, Edward R Murrow, "Good night and good luck.

To my friends, Keep On Truckin'.

Reflections. Baltimore 21201.

    Sunset in the Windows of 201 N Charles Street

No. 1 of a series -

Reasons why we must work hard to take care of Baltimore's downtown, Baltimore's city center:

Beauty abounds at all hours. Though, sometimes you do have to look up, down, or around to see it. You sometimes have to speak to stranger to find it.

Look away from your iPad or your Blackberry every now and then. Look at the sights. Check out the architectural details above your usual gaze.

Take photos every so often. Enjoy them. More importantly, share them.

Good Bye, Irene. Welcome Back Sunsets!

A postcard from Baltimore 21201

                              Monday, August 29th 2011

It was a beautiful day today. It's going to be a beautiful day tomorrow. Enjoy!

Going to Be Hot Friday, Not at Urban Cellars

Head to Baltimore's Charles Street on Friday and join the folks chilling at Urban Cellars.

Heads up: These are some of the really cool potent potables that are super-stars at Jim Amato's Urban Cellars:

Little Sumpin' Wild
A hint of Belgium on the nose with a full fluffy head.  Drinking it brings all the grapefruity hoppy goodness Lagunitas is known for.

Stillwater Debutante
A tasty collaboration between Stillwater and Brewer's Art. Reddish amber with hints of fresh herbies. Good times.

He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny
A fantastic shout-out to Lenny Bruce! This beer is big smooth and delicious. This is exactly the kind of beer I want you to brew in my honor, but not after I'm dead; I want to drink it.

Baying Hound Taj Mahound
Nano Brewed in MD! This guy really impressed us. This particular offering is a smooth medium bodied nut brown. A classic style well executed that I could easily drink all day.

Sant' Elena Pinot Grigio
Mankind can not live on beer alone! We must drink light and fruity Pinot! Delightful on a hot summer day!

Wine and Beer Tasting
Friday, July 22, 2011
4 - 8 PM 

222 N Charles Street
(across from Fresh and Green, next to the Peanut Shoppe)
Baltimore, MD 21201

PS. Urban Cellars now has 30-packs of Boh! Stock up. It's going to be a long hot weekend, also. 

Things Were Looking Bleak On Charles Street...

Yesterday I wrote about the closing of the SuperFresh market on N Charles. The SuperFresh sign has been completely removed and nothing has replaced it yet. However, a new day brings brighter skies. And, new promotional fliers.

                                   Fresh & Green's Promo Flier

Out front I spotted a former SuperFresh employee, the one we call Crazy Check-out Dude and he gave me the flier and the following information.

Most of the SuperFresh employees have been retained to work at Fresh & Green's.

Fresh & Green's name is a combination of SuperFresh and Mrs Green's.

The store will be a hybrid of the Mrs Green's organic concept and the full service SuperFresh model. In addition to offering organic groceries, all of the standard grocery counters will remain. Bakery, Meat, Deli and so on.

Crazy Check-out Dude has been promoted to work in the fresh Seafood Department.

The new store opens tomorrow, Friday, June 30th. When I mentioned what a fast turn-aound it was, he said, "We can't miss a holiday weekend!"

Yes indeed, it looks much brighter on N Charles Today. Stay tuned, I'll have a lot more on this tomorrow.

UPDATE, July 1:


Fresh & Green opened right on time this morning and as my friend, and favorite practitioner of Library Science, Andrea Snyder (@AndreaSnyder), wrote at lunchtime, "It looks pretty much the same."

Their new signage isn't up yet. They were only taking cash and checks today while their card-readers are being converted from SuperFresh to the Fresh & Green account.

And, soon there will be separate organic and non-organic produce areas.

Jacob went over this afternoon and most of our favorite workers are still there, all smiling and happy. All of the departments are there, up and working. Some are stocked better than others as they transition brands. The seafood department was perfect. (I'm good for the holiday weekend.) Jacob reports that the meat counter looked really good. (He's good for the holiday weekend.)

So, all is right on our block of N Charles Street. Jacob is in the kitchen working on his semi-famous Red, White and Blue Cake.

Have a great 4th of July, everyone!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

It's Cinco de Mayo and the weather is extraordinarily beautiful in downtown Baltimore.

Center Plaza has never looked so green and lush as it does this year. Our thanks to Pam who takes wonderful care of the park. She's a gem. Pam knows the name of every tree, every shrub, and every plant. Next time you're in the neighborhood stop by and visit with her. She has a weath of information and loves to share.

The grass is as green and thick and perfectly manicured as the finest golf course.

Come by on Wednesday, May 18 for the next free installment of Music in Center Plaza.
Featuring Shane Burke.
Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Free Wine Tasting Friday at Urban Cellars

From Jim Amato at Urban Cellars:

Hello everyone,

Our first case of the month deal was a success. We’re working on case # 2 currently (we love picking out the great wines for this deal). A 6-bottle case of wine for $49.99 is a steal! Huge discounts are given for this case. And, it’s so simple to run in and grab one.

There are still a few winter beers left in stock. But, they are almost gone. We’re moving on to spring beers, currently. Lots of them are coming in the door every day. This is a short season for beer as the summer beers should be arriving soon. Again, we try them all so we can give you great feedback on them when asked.

Our wine tasting on Friday should be really nice with something for everyone with 6 delicious wines for you to try.  We’ll see you here from 4 to 8 on Friday.

Jim

Urban Cellars
222 N Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 528-8088 

Happy New Year Everyone!

Stephen & Jacob in 2610 say goodbye to 2010. Here's to a grand 2011 for 21201. (And, for your neighborhood, also.)

Amy Speace Concert in Center Plaza

The next installment of the Downtown Partnership's Summer Sounds concert series features Baltimore native, Amy Speace.

Born in Baltimore and raised in small-town Pennsylvania, Speace initially had her sights set on a career as a playwright/actor, graduating from Amherst College and toured with the prestigious National Shakespeare Company.

After moving to New York, she had roles in various off-Broadway productions and independent films, ran her own theater company, and taught Shakespeare in the New York City school system. After teaching herself to play guitar, she began setting her poetry to music, and quickly found songwriting to be the most creatively fulfilling thing she’d ever done.

She soon began performing as half of the female duo Edith O. Speace made her solo debut with the 2002 release Fable, recorded with $5000 donated by fans and released on her own Twangirl label. Giving up her hard-won acting career to become a full-time musician, she hopped into her car and hit the road, booking herself into every club, café and college that would have her.

After catching a performance at the SXSW music industry festival, Judy Collins’ manager brought Speace to the attention of Collins, who signed her to her Wildflower label. Her debut for the label, Songs For Bright Street, received warm praise from critics, including those in Europe, which has enabled her to build a strong touring base there.
 

Bring your lunch and enjoy. AccuWeather predicts temps in the low 80s and much lower humidity.

Admission is Free
Friday, July 30th - One Center Plaza
120 W Fayette -Street Baltimore, MD 21201

A Couple of Snow Photos from Baltimore 21201

The sparrows are hungry. 

They fly to me when I call them.  

Snow-Angel-Makers. From 300-feet up. (Cell phone shot.)

Lovin' Charles Street in the Wintertime. 

There'll Be Ice in 21201 on February 12th. Guaranteed.

There will also be ice on February 19th and 26th.

 

Large-scale ice sculpture demonstrations will be presented all three days in Downtown Baltimore's Premier Green Space, Charles Center. Fayette Street between Charles and Liberty Streets.

The fun begins a noon, all three days.

The February 12th event marks the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln and one of the sculptures will be a likeness of our 16th President.

Note: The sculpture image above is from Hot Ice, Inc. They're local and serve Baltimore, DC, and Virginia.

In a Snow Cloud - The 21201 View

 

The snow is so dense this morning it's almost like seeing things in black and white.

 

And the silence is amazing. From what the weather folks are saying, this is just the beginning of a one, two, three punch. Let is snow, let it snow. let it snow.

To Our SuperFresh Market @ 21201: Thanks to the Meat Manager

Jacob and I have created standard food plans for our holidays. They've been perfected over the years -- lots of years. While they are not written in stone, and still evolve, Christmas Eve is usually a solid meal that takes some serious cooking time. And, our special eggnog recipe.

Christmas Day is appetizers, hors d'oeuvres, finger food, and cocktails that don't take a great deal of prep.

Shopping for the Christmas Eve meal, Jacob was at our SuperFresh on Charles Street & Saratoga. He found a bone-in 2-rib roast; a hefty 4.75-pound beauty for less than $5 a pound. Awesome. Here's how it looked right out of the package, the shrink wrap.

 

I've blogged before about Regan's Meats in Lexington Market. It's our favorite meat market. However, I'm always amazed and thrilled when an urban supermarket really delivers the goods. SuperFresh just keeps getting better and better.

This was an an extraordinary piece of beef from a supermarket. And I treated it as such. Simply. Here's my recipe for a perfect standing rib roast (or Prime Rib Roast) of any size:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees (Exactly 200 Degrees)
• Bring the Standing Rib Roast to room temperature (Extremely important & it takes time)
• Coat with olive oil
• With rib side up, coat top --the fat pad -- with a mix of sea salt, pepper, celery salt, garlic powder and let rest for an additional 30-minutes until the crust is moist and solid
• Put rib roast in preheated oven, on a sheet pan rib side up, and cook for 45-minutes per pound without opening the oven
• When your timer goes off, let the roast rest, out of the oven, for 30 minutes or more... and you'll get a magnificent rib roast.

  
It will have the perfect internal red color, edge to edge... just like the finest steak houses. It slices like cake and couldn't be more tender. It takes a bit of time; the result is perfection.

Merry Christmas to You All.
Stephen & Jacob

NOTE: Cooking this way doesn't shrink the meat, keeps all of the juices inside, and doesn't allow for photos of the inside slice...when you cut it you just have to eat it. Baltimore's best horseradish is an addition, but not necessary.

Men of Honor at Baltimore's City Center Park Tomorrow - August 20th

I'd normally write, "Yippee, another Movie Night!" However, this film seems to be an iffy addition to the City Center's 2008 Summer line-up. It seems a tad divisive. But, then again, I just came back from jury duty. I may be way too sensitive. It happens.

Amazon Reviewer, Jeff Shannon says, "Men of Honor presents a great role model for younger viewers, yet it's rated R due to abundant use of the F word. With appropriate discretion, parents should allow their preteen and teenage children to see this rousing if altogether conventional biopic inspired by the life of Carl Brashear. Played with gravity and gumption by Cuba Gooding Jr., Brashear was the first African American to become a master diver in the U.S. Navy, despite the lingering effects of segregation, opposition from Navy brass, and the amputation of his left leg following a tragic on-duty accident. Robert De Niro adds marquee value and salty bluster as Billy Sunday, the drunken, redneck (and fictionalized) Master Chief who watches, with gradual admiration, as Brashear attains his ultimate goal through sheer force of will.

"This is all quite uplifting on its surface, but in attempting to hit the requisite highlights of an inspiring biography, director George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food) reduces Brashear's achievement to a succession of clichés, forcing Gooding and De Niro to battle sentiment with their noteworthy performances. As Sunday's neglected wife, Charlize Theron is completely extraneous; Hal Holbrook's diving-school commander is a ranting caricature; and newcomer Aunjanue Ellis barely registers as Brashear's wife (in part because their obligatory romance is handled with an utter lack of finesse). There's no question that Brashear's efforts are heroic and worthy of recognition, so Men of Honor serves its basic purpose. Still, one can't help but wonder if Brashear's story would be even more impressive with a more authentic treatment."

The New York Times gives a qualified Thumbs-up. Other reviews are on the low end of the scale.

According to the Downtown Partnership the event is, as always: Free. It Starts at 9 PM, Food and Beverages available for purchase. I can tell you that the screen is giant, the color & contrast is super, the sound is loud, and folks seem to have a great time.

So Long, Baltimore Sun. Your Light Is Barely a Flicker. What a Paper You Were.

If you've read this blog even once, you know that we love all things Balimore. And this blog is intended to support our favorite city. Baltimore is home, that's why we moved back here in the winter of 2006.

When Jacob and I lived 3,000 miles away we subscribed to the daily print version of the Baltimore Sun. It was an expensive subscription back then. The paper was big, fat and rich with local content. It was well and cleverly written by local reporters. It spoke to Baltimore residents (and former residents living far away) in an insightful, historical, yet progressive way. The paper reached out and spoke to its readers.

Our once great Baltimore daily paper which was known the world over by the tag-line, Light for All, looks to me like it's doomed.

Just in this afternoon from the Baltimore Business Journal...

"The Baltimore Sun will eliminate its weekday Maryland section as part of a redesign that the newspaper will debut Aug. 24." Read the full BBJ story here. I won't even attempt to pull more info. Read the story and weep.

Check back. I'll post more on this sorry issue shortly. Examiner anyone?

Young Mr. Oliver Meets His Boogyman. Up 26 Floors!

YMO gets really excited when he sees a ladybug, or a moth, or a mayfly on the outside of a window here. And we have lots of windows facing three directions. He'd never seen a grasshopper before this event and he simply froze in place. YMO tracked the creature with his eyes.

It's odd that such a face-to-face happened in the first place. Odder still was that the cat & bug stare-down went on for nearly 20-minutes. Hence, my having time to get the camera.

The bug moved a bit. Young Mr. Oliver didn't. Yeaaah, Oliver!

Detour Alert from Downtown Partnership

The Get Around Downtown Baltimore service from Baltimore's Downtown Partnership sent out an email press release this morning advising that Saratoga Street will be closed, between Charles and Cathedral Streets, for about a month. According to their detour directions, here's my map.

The reason for the closure was listed as Trigen Repairs. Yeah, OK. What's that?

Ah yes, Trigen is the company that supplies steam for heat (1,363,000 steam pounds per hour), chilled water for cooling (6,500 tons per hour), hot water (200,000 MBtus) and electricity (2.1 Megawatts) to a whole bunch of buildings in downtown Baltimore. I found these stats from a cached Trigen press release. Apparently Trigen was acquired by Veolia Energy some time ago.

You can find lots of interesting information on the Veolia Energy website if you're interested in infrastructure. Get lost in the data at your own peril.

How Our Inner Harbor Changed the World's Port Cities. No, Really! I'm Serious.

If you missed this last night, be certain to set your Tivo or DVR to record Maryland Public Television at 9PM July 22nd. (Channels 22 and 67)

Global Harbors: A Waterfront Renaissance is an outstanding piece of documentary work.

Baltimore Sun's architecture critic, Edward Gunts writes, "In many ways, Global Harbors is the Un-Wire. It doesn't deny the existence of crime and poverty and dysfunction in the city, but it starts with the premise that the glass is half-full. It shows Baltimore as a place where good things can happen when people put their minds to it. It dares to suggest that 50 years of rebuilding may be paying off."

I think Global Harbors' premise is that the glass is way, way more than half-full and that 50 years of rebuilding started paying off 50 years ago. It certainly did for the urban pioneers who, decades ago, bought their homes in Otterbein for a dollar.

In the Examiner, Michael Olesker notes, "What most of us didn’t know — but learn from the documentary — is the profound effect Harborplace has had on urban harbors around the world, with municipal leaders having taken their cues from the Baltimore model." I like Olesker's take, as I usually do, best.

Like all good documentaries should, this one has a website. And, if that Tivo crashes or Comcast goes down you can buy the DVD online. Trust me, it's a keeper. Spend the twenty-bucks.