Ever since 9/11 and the Department of Homeland Security and "Freedom Isn't Free" bumper stickers, I feel like anyone who says the word "Afghanistan" runs the risk of getting tackled to the ground and carried away with a pillow case over their head by one of Dick Cheney's henchmen. But that's because the country at large has forgotten that the bad guys are the Taliban, not the poor women in Afghanistan walking around in burkas and unable to drive cars without a male relative escorting them.
I'm glad that the social stigma hasn't yet affected Afghan cuisine in Baltimore. A sometimes out-of-town, sometimes Baltimore transplant of a friend was in town this weekend. I left it up to her to pick the restaurant and/or bar where we would meet up to catch up. She suggested The Helmand because she'd wanted to eat there since forever. I've passed it many a time, but have never gone in. I can't understand why I've never partaken... apparently the owners also claim Tapas Teatro to their list of Baltimore-based restaurants, and it's one of my favorites and most frequently visited.
I love food, but I can't say that I'm the most adventurous wannabe foodie. I'm more a creature of habit, so I didn't know what to expect. M and I got there right at 5 when the restaurant opened. We were seated and waited awhile for The Maestro to finish being important and come to join us. While we waited, we nursed two (very affordably priced $6) glasses of malbec. When The Maestro finally caught up with us, we ordered. M got the vegetarian special, The Maestro two very exotic appetizers in lieu of an entree, and I chose kabuli (a traditional Afghan dish consisting of roasted lamb, raisins, glazed carrots and pallow-- a traditional Afghan long-grain rice).
We barely had time to chat. I blinked my eyes and all of our food was sitting in front of us. Seriously... it maybe took them two minutes to prepare and serve our food. And the place was absolutely packed. I have no clue how they managed it. Everything we had was delicious. Mine was so good, I'm thinking about actually cooking and learning how to prepare the dish. M's veggie special was humongous. The Maestro had to help her finish it. But not like Outback-Steakhouse-huge-portions. More like Thanksgiving-dinner-at-Memaw's-house-huge-portions. Her plate was just packed with a bunch of interesting-looking, tasty options.
When it was time to settle up, the damage for three (super quality) meals and three glasses of wine was only $58. Any restaurant that keeps company with other establishments that consider themselves gourmet while I consider them overpriced and still manages to stay affordable AND delicious is an A+ in my book. The Helmand fits that bill. Whether you live in/near Baltimore or think you might visit one day, keep The Helmand high up on your list of places to visit.
After we were finished with dinner, it was such a beautiful night that we went two doors down to Donna's and bought coffees to enjoy outside in Mt. Vernon Square. You know Baltimore might quite possibly be the smallest town in a "big" city ever when all three of us ran into people we knew just by sitting there and sipping.
And now that I've Googled "Afghanistan," "burka," and "Saddam Hussein" to check my spelling, I'm probably on some Federal watchdog list.
Showing posts with label eats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eats. Show all posts
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Weekends away
Last weekend, O invited me and Troy to join her and her family on a day trip to St. Michael's. I had never been, despite the fact that the Maestro and I have the following conversation EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. we're driving to or from the beach as if the the response is going to change:
I decided to kill my feelings of inadequacy by taking O up on her offer and joining them on their trip. Thankfully, we decided to go the day before this catastrophe happened. We still sat in horrendous bridge traffic without the added mess of an eighteen-wheeler plunging off the side of a bridge.
When we got to St. Michael's, we immediately were thirsty. We grabbed some cocktails and seafood appetizers at an open air bar overlooking the water. Here was our lovely view:
After we had replenished our tanks, we took advantage of the lovely day and walked around. St. Michael's is a historic waterfront town on the eastern shore with tons of character. I won't even hold the fact that Dick Cheney owns property on it against the town.
Here's a pictorial account of our few hours in St. Michael's:
When it started to get dark, we piled back in the truck and headed up the road to Easton (still on the eastern shore, but closer to the Bay Bridge) for dinner. We dined at the Washington Street Pub, which has great burgers, and a very hoppy beer on tap called "The Arrogant Bastard." I would say that St. Michael's is a great place to take a day trip on a nice, temperate summer Saturday, but leave earlier than we did to avoid sitting in line with the rest of the world trying to get to Ocean City via the Chesapeake Bay bridge.
Maestro: Have you ever been to St. Michael's?
Me: Nope.
Maestro: It's really cute. You have to go some time. You're sure you've never EVER been to St. Michael's?
Me: Positive.
Maestro: What kind of Marylander are you? Sheesh.
I decided to kill my feelings of inadequacy by taking O up on her offer and joining them on their trip. Thankfully, we decided to go the day before this catastrophe happened. We still sat in horrendous bridge traffic without the added mess of an eighteen-wheeler plunging off the side of a bridge.
When we got to St. Michael's, we immediately were thirsty. We grabbed some cocktails and seafood appetizers at an open air bar overlooking the water. Here was our lovely view:
After we had replenished our tanks, we took advantage of the lovely day and walked around. St. Michael's is a historic waterfront town on the eastern shore with tons of character. I won't even hold the fact that Dick Cheney owns property on it against the town.
Here's a pictorial account of our few hours in St. Michael's:
When it started to get dark, we piled back in the truck and headed up the road to Easton (still on the eastern shore, but closer to the Bay Bridge) for dinner. We dined at the Washington Street Pub, which has great burgers, and a very hoppy beer on tap called "The Arrogant Bastard." I would say that St. Michael's is a great place to take a day trip on a nice, temperate summer Saturday, but leave earlier than we did to avoid sitting in line with the rest of the world trying to get to Ocean City via the Chesapeake Bay bridge.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
"But uh-oh those summer nights..."
The Maestro got home from his final summer tour on Thursday night. Summers are typically trying because he travels a lot for work and I'm generally knee-deep in production of a show or three, and so communication between the two of us often falls by the wayside. When he gets back from his final tour of the summer, though, we try to find fun and new things to do to celebrate being in one another's presence again.
On Thursday night, I told the Maestro that I felt as though I'd wasted the entire summer because I hadn't done anything authentically Baltimore-in-the-summertime all season. The city has a plethora of really great summer activities-- festivals such as ArtScape and HonFest, neighborhood cultural fairs (Greek Festival is my absolute favorite), and the like. Imagine my delight when he suggested that we go see an outdoor movie last night.
Little Italy has a famous tradition of screening free movies on the side of a building on Friday evenings in the summer. Last night, they screened The Blues Brothers. How I got through 24 years of life without watching The Blues Brothers or seeing an outdoor movie in Little Italy, I will never know, but I'm glad that I have recently reconciled both of those wrongs. I think it goes without saying that the film is both a cult classic and leftover acid trip, but we had fun nonetheless. I think the Maestro and I may have been the only two people in the audience of hundreds who had never partaken in the movie. There was a little hiccup in the video stream around the time when Dan Aykroyd's character tries to pick up the hot blonde in the convertible at the gas station... I'm not quite sure what happened around there, but I got the general jist of the movie.
And everyone cheered after this special little number:
The Maestro picked up some great snacks at Eddie's for us to munch on al fresco and we grabbed gelato and espresso from Vaccaro's for dessert immediately after the movie. They show movies every summer through the end of August, so check it out if you're looking for something super cheap (the screening is free... space is available on a first come, first served basis) to do in the next couple of weekends. They're showing Cindarella Man next week and Cinema Paradiso the week after next.
If you're going to go, here are a few hints that the Maestro and I learned for next time:
1. Go early! In prime Downbeat/Maestro style, we got there right in the nick of time. We would've seen the beginning of the movie had there been any open parking. As this is a great Baltimore tradition with a huge following, there wasn't readily available street parking, and all pay parking was a flat rate of $15. Since we'recheap economical, we rode around for an extra 15 minutes waiting for the heavens to open up and grant us a parking space. If you don't want to pay out the nose for parking and want to see the entire flick, make sure you add an extra 30 to 45 minutes as parking in Little Italy on a Friday night is a pain any time of year.
2. Take lawn chairs Want to know when the Maestro and I realized that neither of us own lawn chairs? As we were getting out of his car and walking towards the parking lot where the movie was being screened. Thankfully, he unintentionally had a blanket in his car, so we had something that wasn't direct asphalt to sit on, but we were struggling to stay comfortable the entire time. There was a lot of shifting and maneuvering on both of our parts to make sure that legs didn't have to be amputated for lack of circulation by the end of the evening.
3. Clear out ASAP If you're going to hit a bar of Vaccaro's after the film is over, don't wait for the credits to finish. All 500 million people who are there without children are going to want to get their drink/ice cream/coffee on when the movie's finished, and if you get there before the credits stop rolling like we do, you'll avoid a heinous line.
4. Don't sit near the bathrooms/trash cans/a large group of people We sat next to the port-a-pots because we got there late. We heard doors slamming through the entire movie and got to fight to see with the people standing in line waiting for the can. I saw people in similar situations as ours who sat near the only trash receptacle or who were flanking teenagers who came in large groups. That pretty much goes along with getting there early to stake out your spot.
5. Don't bring more than you need Neither the Maestro nor myself are particularly green. I know, I should get better. At any rate, when you're going to one of these things, it almost pays not to. He got our snacks in those disposable plastic containers so that we could throw them away immediately afterwards. Even the stuff that we weren't finished with wound up getting tossed in the end so that the rest of our night downtown could happen unencumbered by unnecessary clutter.
All in all, we had a great time. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something to do in Baltimore... or even if you're not in Baltimore, free outdoor screenings are definitely a fantastic date night anywhere. Find an open air screening in your city and enjoy the rest of the summer.
On Thursday night, I told the Maestro that I felt as though I'd wasted the entire summer because I hadn't done anything authentically Baltimore-in-the-summertime all season. The city has a plethora of really great summer activities-- festivals such as ArtScape and HonFest, neighborhood cultural fairs (Greek Festival is my absolute favorite), and the like. Imagine my delight when he suggested that we go see an outdoor movie last night.
Little Italy has a famous tradition of screening free movies on the side of a building on Friday evenings in the summer. Last night, they screened The Blues Brothers. How I got through 24 years of life without watching The Blues Brothers or seeing an outdoor movie in Little Italy, I will never know, but I'm glad that I have recently reconciled both of those wrongs. I think it goes without saying that the film is both a cult classic and leftover acid trip, but we had fun nonetheless. I think the Maestro and I may have been the only two people in the audience of hundreds who had never partaken in the movie. There was a little hiccup in the video stream around the time when Dan Aykroyd's character tries to pick up the hot blonde in the convertible at the gas station... I'm not quite sure what happened around there, but I got the general jist of the movie.
And everyone cheered after this special little number:
The Maestro picked up some great snacks at Eddie's for us to munch on al fresco and we grabbed gelato and espresso from Vaccaro's for dessert immediately after the movie. They show movies every summer through the end of August, so check it out if you're looking for something super cheap (the screening is free... space is available on a first come, first served basis) to do in the next couple of weekends. They're showing Cindarella Man next week and Cinema Paradiso the week after next.
If you're going to go, here are a few hints that the Maestro and I learned for next time:
1. Go early! In prime Downbeat/Maestro style, we got there right in the nick of time. We would've seen the beginning of the movie had there been any open parking. As this is a great Baltimore tradition with a huge following, there wasn't readily available street parking, and all pay parking was a flat rate of $15. Since we're
2. Take lawn chairs Want to know when the Maestro and I realized that neither of us own lawn chairs? As we were getting out of his car and walking towards the parking lot where the movie was being screened. Thankfully, he unintentionally had a blanket in his car, so we had something that wasn't direct asphalt to sit on, but we were struggling to stay comfortable the entire time. There was a lot of shifting and maneuvering on both of our parts to make sure that legs didn't have to be amputated for lack of circulation by the end of the evening.
3. Clear out ASAP If you're going to hit a bar of Vaccaro's after the film is over, don't wait for the credits to finish. All 500 million people who are there without children are going to want to get their drink/ice cream/coffee on when the movie's finished, and if you get there before the credits stop rolling like we do, you'll avoid a heinous line.
4. Don't sit near the bathrooms/trash cans/a large group of people We sat next to the port-a-pots because we got there late. We heard doors slamming through the entire movie and got to fight to see with the people standing in line waiting for the can. I saw people in similar situations as ours who sat near the only trash receptacle or who were flanking teenagers who came in large groups. That pretty much goes along with getting there early to stake out your spot.
5. Don't bring more than you need Neither the Maestro nor myself are particularly green. I know, I should get better. At any rate, when you're going to one of these things, it almost pays not to. He got our snacks in those disposable plastic containers so that we could throw them away immediately afterwards. Even the stuff that we weren't finished with wound up getting tossed in the end so that the rest of our night downtown could happen unencumbered by unnecessary clutter.
All in all, we had a great time. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something to do in Baltimore... or even if you're not in Baltimore, free outdoor screenings are definitely a fantastic date night anywhere. Find an open air screening in your city and enjoy the rest of the summer.
Monday, July 21, 2008
The website a friend and I totally thought of making like 3 years ago and failed...
I'll just start off this post by saying that I am a sucker for networking. I'll sign up for just about anything and then determine its worthiness or unworthiness. And I am definitely an online marketer's DREAM. In fact, I read a half a post at Jezebel today about a show that I'd vaguely heard of months ago this one time when someone was talking about TV and immediately keyboard-marched over to the AMCtv.com website to watch the first episode to see what all the fuss was about. If you want me to buy your product, watch your show, ingest your new drug... whatever... send me and e-mail or put a comment on my blog. If it's on the internet, apparently I must have it.
Gosh. I'm gonna get a lot of spam now, aren't I?
At any rate, a few weeks ago, this company started following me on Twitter. Usually I chalk that up to creepy people stalking me, but this one seemed to be Baltimore-based, so I followed them, too. And then one of their updates said that their website was live. So I went! And I joined!
...and then I took awhile to contemplate the usefulness of this thing that I just arbitrarily joined because the internet told me to and someone started following me on Twitter and I was flattered.
So the website is 600block.com. Their whole shtick is that they post user-generated reviews on restaurants, bars, and retailers. And I know you're rolling your eyes and saying, "Duh, you can get that in at least 8 million other places on the web." I know you're saying that to yourself because that's what I said even after I wrote a few reviews. But then I saw this magical little box in the upper right hand corner of the site that has a list of specials. Want a half-priced beer after 9 or a new place to have happy hour in 5 minutes? go to 600block.com and it will tell you exactly what's going on in Baltimore by way of cheap food and drink on a daily basis. This little box is my new best friend.
A few summers ago, before I had a place of my own, and far more disposable income, and didn't really have to worry about having a grown up job because I was still in school, a friend and I tried a new nightlife spot at least twice a week with the thought that we'd start this anti-tourism guide book for Baltimore 20-somethings... outlining where all of the specials were each day, and suggesting places for blind dates and romantic evenings and nights out with large groups of friends. That was a few years ago.
Paper is so passé in 2008.
And also, apparently, 600block.com beat us to the punch.
I'm not paying attention to any of the retailer stuff right now because I'm more interested in having a lovely dinner than fitting into half of what's in my closet right now, but maybe in time, it will be like Twitter and prove its usefulness to me... and hopefully, if you're not in Baltimore, it will move on to your city one day, too.
Also, Baltimorons, it's Restaurant Week. Go out and try some place new to eat for $30.08. If you need suggestions, my favorites are bicycle, Gecko's, Sascha's 572, Slainte, and Pazo. All linkable from the Baltimore Restaurant Week site.
Gosh. I'm gonna get a lot of spam now, aren't I?
At any rate, a few weeks ago, this company started following me on Twitter. Usually I chalk that up to creepy people stalking me, but this one seemed to be Baltimore-based, so I followed them, too. And then one of their updates said that their website was live. So I went! And I joined!
...and then I took awhile to contemplate the usefulness of this thing that I just arbitrarily joined because the internet told me to and someone started following me on Twitter and I was flattered.
So the website is 600block.com. Their whole shtick is that they post user-generated reviews on restaurants, bars, and retailers. And I know you're rolling your eyes and saying, "Duh, you can get that in at least 8 million other places on the web." I know you're saying that to yourself because that's what I said even after I wrote a few reviews. But then I saw this magical little box in the upper right hand corner of the site that has a list of specials. Want a half-priced beer after 9 or a new place to have happy hour in 5 minutes? go to 600block.com and it will tell you exactly what's going on in Baltimore by way of cheap food and drink on a daily basis. This little box is my new best friend.
A few summers ago, before I had a place of my own, and far more disposable income, and didn't really have to worry about having a grown up job because I was still in school, a friend and I tried a new nightlife spot at least twice a week with the thought that we'd start this anti-tourism guide book for Baltimore 20-somethings... outlining where all of the specials were each day, and suggesting places for blind dates and romantic evenings and nights out with large groups of friends. That was a few years ago.
Paper is so passé in 2008.
And also, apparently, 600block.com beat us to the punch.
I'm not paying attention to any of the retailer stuff right now because I'm more interested in having a lovely dinner than fitting into half of what's in my closet right now, but maybe in time, it will be like Twitter and prove its usefulness to me... and hopefully, if you're not in Baltimore, it will move on to your city one day, too.
Also, Baltimorons, it's Restaurant Week. Go out and try some place new to eat for $30.08. If you need suggestions, my favorites are bicycle, Gecko's, Sascha's 572, Slainte, and Pazo. All linkable from the Baltimore Restaurant Week site.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Old haunts and new hangouts
This weekend was quite a full weekend. Troy, my oft-mentioned brother-from-another turned the not-so-big 2-8 over the weekend. He and O, my best girlfriend, hosted a lovely get-together for my 24th at Pazo a couple of months ago. He told us that he wanted to have Sunday brunch with our closest friends to celebrate his birthday and left the rest of the planning to us. While we were brainstorming a few weeks ago for brunch places, I (Ms. Baltimore restaurants that I am) came up at a loss. We couldn't possibly make reservations at Little Havana for a group our size (between 10 and 20 depending on who's in town when we plan outings), Pisces and Della Notte are a little on the pricey end for some (especially with gas prices as they are). O brilliantly suggested XS. I called and made reservations a few days before, and without my asking they even volunteered to put our group of 15 in the loft at the very top of the restaurant.
Saturday night, The Maestro and I had a double date with some friends from his main gig at Pazo. Instead of ordering a la carte, we decided to order both of their group tables for two. The result was a never-ending supply of small plates... some things that I would've ordered and other things that I wouldn't have, but I'm glad I tried. Everything was delicious, and we wound up waddling out of there. Their mojitos are especially delicious, and I had never had one there before.
The new haunt that I tried for the weekend was La Scala. It was quite accidental. The Maestro and I ran into an old college friend in the middle of the street while we were looking for parking. He called us after dinner and invited us to join him in Little Italy. I already posted a page from the beverage menu. It seemed like a classy joint, but at $15 for a McAllan's 12 year post gratuity, it sounds like a place I'll only enjoy for special occasions.
XS on Sunday early afternoon was lovely as well. They put up with a lot: our noise level, people coming and going over the course of 4 hours, five million credit/debit cards... and when I asked them mid-meal if they could decorate a plate of chocolate lasagna and stick a candle in it for Troy's birthday, they took it and ran with it. They were very accommodating. As accommodating as the wait staff from XS can be. It always takes a while to eat a meal at XS, but I've resigned myself to that being part of the ambiance.
Saturday night, The Maestro and I had a double date with some friends from his main gig at Pazo. Instead of ordering a la carte, we decided to order both of their group tables for two. The result was a never-ending supply of small plates... some things that I would've ordered and other things that I wouldn't have, but I'm glad I tried. Everything was delicious, and we wound up waddling out of there. Their mojitos are especially delicious, and I had never had one there before.
The new haunt that I tried for the weekend was La Scala. It was quite accidental. The Maestro and I ran into an old college friend in the middle of the street while we were looking for parking. He called us after dinner and invited us to join him in Little Italy. I already posted a page from the beverage menu. It seemed like a classy joint, but at $15 for a McAllan's 12 year post gratuity, it sounds like a place I'll only enjoy for special occasions.
XS on Sunday early afternoon was lovely as well. They put up with a lot: our noise level, people coming and going over the course of 4 hours, five million credit/debit cards... and when I asked them mid-meal if they could decorate a plate of chocolate lasagna and stick a candle in it for Troy's birthday, they took it and ran with it. They were very accommodating. As accommodating as the wait staff from XS can be. It always takes a while to eat a meal at XS, but I've resigned myself to that being part of the ambiance.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Where everyone knows your name...
Without divesting too much, I will share that my last two months or so professionally have been an exercise in patience, humility, and will. As a result, I've been going out after rehearsals with far more frequency than usual. Last night was just one of those nights. My brother-from-another is rehearsing a show in Fells Point, so I figured it'd be easiest for us to meet down there for post-rehearsal cocktails. I will always admit that I'm a creature of habit, but occasionally I'm up for something new. Apparently, last night wasn't one of those nights... at least as far as venue is concerned. We went to our Wednesday night mainstay, Slainte Irish Pub at my eventual behest. We got a few strange looks from the bartenders who know us as Wednesday night regulars, but then sat at the downstairs bar (again peculiar for us) and started chatting. It was much quieter on Thursday than it is on Wednesday (Wednesday nights are industry night for food service workers, and all food and drink is 1/2 price, which is why we've been Wednesday night regulars since back when I still worked in a restaurant). I deviated from the norm for my beverage selection and ordered a McAllan 12-year Scotch and followed it up with Loose Cannon, the Clipper City beer that's on draught right now. I suppose that when times get tough, we stick to what we know to help us perservere. At least I do. Admit it-- you do, too.
And this post is getting WAAAAAY too Carrie from Sex and the City, so I'm going to buck up and pretend nothing ever happened. You do the same, okay? I live with you with my soon-to-be-husband Barack Obama's first general election campaign video. He's so dreamy.
I would talk about the drama going on with Sheila Dixon, but it pisses me off too much.
And this post is getting WAAAAAY too Carrie from Sex and the City, so I'm going to buck up and pretend nothing ever happened. You do the same, okay? I live with you with my soon-to-be-husband Barack Obama's first general election campaign video. He's so dreamy.
I would talk about the drama going on with Sheila Dixon, but it pisses me off too much.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
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!
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!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
It's the holiday season....
...and I've been feeling more like a musician and less like a theatre artist lately. I'm sure all of that will change as soon as January comes around. I'm actually not sure which is better.
In the past week or two, I've been to two concerts (one at the Kennedy Center to see Paul Goodwin conduct Messiah), A Christmas Carol at Chesapeake Arts Center to see friends MW, CJ & JK, and finally to see Sweeney Todd on Saturday night.
I should start off by saying how glad I am that musical film adaptations are making a comeback. It brings a love of the genre to whole new generation of audience members, which makes me glad... I'll still have a job 30 years from now. I should then disclose that regardless of my zeal for musical film adaptations, I'm awful at going to see them. I saw Chicago in the theatre opening weekend. I didn't see The Producers at all. I saw RENT, but was highly disappointed. It took me 3 months to finally see Dreamgirls in the theatre. I still haven't seen Hairspray. So imagine my surprise when I overlooked my disdain for Sondheim in favor of my blind lust for Tim Burton and Johnny Depp to see Sweeney Todd at the Charles Theatre on Saturday night. I really enjoyed it... which quite surprised me seeing as you couldn't PAY me to see Sweeney Todd on stage (especially not the most recent revival with flip-top Patti LuPone the Avenue Q puppet).
The film was probably my favorite musical film adaptation since Chicago because it was actually a good film and not just a show put on stage. There was a lot of blood, but the cinematography was beautiful. Tim Burton clearly cast actors and not singers since he has to cast that blasted wife or life partner or whatever of his in every movie. She acted the crap out of the role... probably more than Johnny Depp, but she sounded like she was highed up on the crack everytime she opened her mouth to sing. The most memorable moment was probably By The Sea. I almost killed myself during Green Finch and Linnet Bird, and every time that Gerber Daisy playing Anthony Hope started singing Johanna (which is definitely like once every 25 minutes), but the comedic genius that is Sasha Baron Cohen made up for it. And that's my stream-of-consciousness review in a nutshell.
My favorite thing about going to The Charles is that it's attached to Tapas Teatro, one of my favorite affordable restaurants in Baltimore. I go to the restaurant way more often than I do to the theatre, but whenever see a movie there, it's a built-in excuse to eat before or afterwards. It's beautifully decorated for Christmas now, so if you have a chance to go before New Years, I definitely suggest it.
I hope everyone has a safe and celebratory Christmas holiday!
In the past week or two, I've been to two concerts (one at the Kennedy Center to see Paul Goodwin conduct Messiah), A Christmas Carol at Chesapeake Arts Center to see friends MW, CJ & JK, and finally to see Sweeney Todd on Saturday night.
I should start off by saying how glad I am that musical film adaptations are making a comeback. It brings a love of the genre to whole new generation of audience members, which makes me glad... I'll still have a job 30 years from now. I should then disclose that regardless of my zeal for musical film adaptations, I'm awful at going to see them. I saw Chicago in the theatre opening weekend. I didn't see The Producers at all. I saw RENT, but was highly disappointed. It took me 3 months to finally see Dreamgirls in the theatre. I still haven't seen Hairspray. So imagine my surprise when I overlooked my disdain for Sondheim in favor of my blind lust for Tim Burton and Johnny Depp to see Sweeney Todd at the Charles Theatre on Saturday night. I really enjoyed it... which quite surprised me seeing as you couldn't PAY me to see Sweeney Todd on stage (especially not the most recent revival with flip-top Patti LuPone the Avenue Q puppet).
The film was probably my favorite musical film adaptation since Chicago because it was actually a good film and not just a show put on stage. There was a lot of blood, but the cinematography was beautiful. Tim Burton clearly cast actors and not singers since he has to cast that blasted wife or life partner or whatever of his in every movie. She acted the crap out of the role... probably more than Johnny Depp, but she sounded like she was highed up on the crack everytime she opened her mouth to sing. The most memorable moment was probably By The Sea. I almost killed myself during Green Finch and Linnet Bird, and every time that Gerber Daisy playing Anthony Hope started singing Johanna (which is definitely like once every 25 minutes), but the comedic genius that is Sasha Baron Cohen made up for it. And that's my stream-of-consciousness review in a nutshell.
My favorite thing about going to The Charles is that it's attached to Tapas Teatro, one of my favorite affordable restaurants in Baltimore. I go to the restaurant way more often than I do to the theatre, but whenever see a movie there, it's a built-in excuse to eat before or afterwards. It's beautifully decorated for Christmas now, so if you have a chance to go before New Years, I definitely suggest it.
I hope everyone has a safe and celebratory Christmas holiday!
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