So you can teach an old dog new tricks, apparently

Happy New Year everyone!

I discovered three really great entertainment/food venues in Baltimore over the past week that I feel the need to shout from the rooftops. You're probably cooler than me and might already know about these places, but in the event that you don't, I feel it best to share.

1. Tusk Lounge -- I went to celebrate a friend's birthday last Friday, and she started with a cocktail party at this plush hangout atop Baltimore fine dining go-to Brass Elephant. This ornate and opulent lounge is decked out with a marble bar and plenty of comfortable high wing-backs. The music was trendy but not overpowering, and it's within walking distance to The Belvedere and Brewer's Art, so it's the perfect addition to a yuppie Mount Vernon bar crawl. And with my $7 Ketel One and tonics, the price was definitely right, too.

2. Juno at the Landmark Theatre -- This is by far my new favorite movie theatre. It's got the movies that you used to only be able to go to The Charles and Rotunda theatres to see with all of the amenities (and more) of a huge megaplex like Muvico. Centrally located in HarborEast, this theatre boasts cushy seats with adjustable arm rests so that you can snuggle with your honey. There are two nearby garages which Landmark happily validates, so parking is only $3 for up to five hours (a steal anywhere along the harbor). The snacks are gourmet (a la Pellegrino and Phillips' crab pretzels), and there's even a fully stocked bar which we certainly would've partaken of had we not still been hurting from the Tusk Lounge the night before. It was definitely a great place to see Juno, my absolute favorite film of 2007 (not that I see that many).

3. New Years Eve Dinner at the Woodberry Kitchen -- My wonderful boyfriend offered me the choice between going to one of our standby favorite restaurants for NYE or trying out something new. Being the creature of habit that I am, I figured I would push myself out of my comfort zone and ask to go someplace new. My only stipulation was that it had to be in the City. He surprised me with this super hip, borderline tree-hugging space in Clipper Mill. He later shared that he picked this place not only because he had heard great things about it from friends, but also because it was far enough from downtown that we wouldn't get caught in the inevitable chaos that is the Inner Harbor New Years scene. Nestled in amongst the green condos that they've built at the mill, this big open space features a functioning wood-burning oven and waitstaff that wears jeans and down-home-on-the-prairie aprons. They subscribe to a "farm-to-table" philosophy, partnering with local suppliers to ensure that your food is super-fresh and that they are helping to supporting and sustaining the Chesapeake agricultural economy. Not up for dinner but still want to try this place out? The menu also boasts some delicious snacks ranging in price from $1 to $4 and small plates that range in price from $5 to $12 that would perfectly compliment one of their organic microbrews at the bar.

Well that's it for my past week. Can't wait to see the new stuff in store for this weekend!