Afters Cafe: My new favorite dessert shop

Have you ever been to Afters Cafe in Federal Hill? I don't usually make it all the way to Federal Hill (or blog about restaurants twice within a few weeks), but I think you should know about this adorable dessert shop on Charles Street! 

This weekend we went on a double date and stopped first at Hersh's Pizza in the weird semi-industrial part of South Baltimore (where Light Street ends, under the shadow of I-95). The neighborhood strikes me as odd with the combination of newly converted high-end condos, gritty commercial zoning under the highway and old-time working class Baltimore as well...and yet parking was surprisingly difficult to find. Location aside, I'd highly recommend it. The plaid shirt-clad waitstaff serve delicious, simple and nicely proportioned personal pizzas and classy drinks in this relatively new establishment owned by a brother and sister. I particularly liked hip interior, full of reclaimed materials and vintage charm stretching across two floors. Their website and logo are also well-designed, which totally influence my view of a restaurant. When we arrived around 6:30 it was nearly empty but as the evening wore on, there was pretty much a continuous line of young couples and families waiting by the door. It seems like they will offer outdoor seating soon, which would be a nice option. [My apologies for the lack of photos of Hersh's]

The highlight of my evening, however, appealed both to my sweet tooth and my love of Scandinavian design: we topped off our pizza with a trip to Afters Cafe. I had passed Afters on the Circulator many times and was intrigued by its sharp design out front:

Once you walk inside, you're greeted by a cheery all-white interior, bright wood floors and a cleanly displayed dessert case full of macarons and pastries (yum). 

Although I'm sure their espresso and the treats in the case were lovely, I headed straight to the frozen yogurt. They provide this cute sign for guidance on how to enjoy their frozen yogurt:

I believe you could choose from six flavors--today's were original (tart), pomegranate raspberry sorbet, cake batter, vanilla, pistachio and dark chocolate. Each flavor had a guide as well:

The back of the store offers ample seating at these nice, colorfully-tiled tables:

I filled up my cup with vanilla yogurt and went down the topping buffet without a clear theme in mind...I ended up going for mini-marshmallows, broken up Reese's cups, and gummy bears--which was tasty, of course, but a rather strange combination. It is lovely to control what and how much you want by yourself--self-serve is, in my opinion, so much more satisfying!

The prices were pretty reasonable (I ended up paying around $4 for mine) and the atmosphere was perfect for enjoying my little concoction. If you're a fan of self-serve soft-serve (and who isn't?!), you should definitely check out this frozen yogurt hotspot!

Thrifting in Baltimore: Cheap, Unique and Always an Adventure

I am excited to share some of my favorite thrift and second-hand shops with you today. I realize not everyone is into wearing used clothes (for the record: I absolutely am), but when it comes to furniture and décor for the home, buying used is so much more economical—and unique. I love all things historic and can’t turn down a bargain, so I end up getting almost all of my furniture, clothes, and other home goods in thrift stores (or by helping friends move out and receiving their left-behind stuff). You’ll notice through my photos that both Tim & I love vintage Americana, maps and flags—luckily for us, there’s a lot of this stuff to be found at thrift stores!

My advice when thrifting is to take your time. It’s a real adventure to pick through random assortments of all kinds of stuff—you never know what you might find! I prefer to go on rainy days when I have nowhere to be. Here are a few of my favorite places to shop second-hand. There are many, many more out there but these are my usual haunts. Some of these places don’t have websites, so here’s a map to help you find them:

View Auni's Favorite Thrift & Antique Stores in a larger map

Thrift stores

Value Village on York Road (Govans): Although almost all of these shops are hit-or-miss, I pretty much always find a gem at this Value Village. I have found a lot of professional clothes here, as well as some awesome cowboy boots, this USA Olympics sheet set (who is excited for the Olympics this year?!), and this creepy little figurine. The store is not extremely large, so it’s easy to stumble upon the good stuff. My favorite find from this store is this cartographic-themed dish set (now our “fancy” dishes)—we had these out at a party and some friends of ours told us they had donated the set to Value Village! Oh, Smalltimore.

Village Thrift on North Avenue: I can imagine this is a favorite shopping destination for MICA students considering its proximity to campus. Both the clientele and the inventory vary widely. They have a sizeable home goods department that covers the entire front and back of the store. When I was there last week I found this Brownie camera from the ‘50s (unfortunately, the film isn’t made anymore so I can’t really use it) for $7; we also got a set of six bicentennial glasses (hard to photograph) there. Check out the Village Thrift on Sundays or Mondays when everything is ½ price!

 

Village Economy (Essex): I consider this to be the granddaddy of all thrift stores. This place is a sure bet because it is HUGE, although Essex is quite far from the city and nearly impossible to get to without a car. They stock pretty much anything you could ever imagine here. I recall their kitchen section was quite well-supplied, and I’ve found some cool ladies’ clothes there as well. I’ve heard this is a good spot for costumes and crazy get-ups that you’ll only wear once…

Brooklyn Park Thrift Store: The reputation of this store, located just over the line in Anne Arundel County, had built up pretty high expectations in my head and I was a bit disappointed when I finally went. Like the Essex store, the large size means that there is a considerable selection from which to choose. This is supposedly one of the area’s best, so it’s definitely worth a visit for the second-hand connoisseur. 

GBMC Nearly New Sale: The sprawling hospital complex in Towson hosts a volunteer-run rummage sale each fall and spring. The selection and prices totally depend on which day you go (earlier = more selection, higher prices; later = more picked over but insanely cheap prices), so be sure to weigh your priorities when determining when to go. In addition to tons of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, they sell games, athletic equipment, dishes, stationery, electronics, artwork, holiday decorations and other random stuff. We have gotten a lot of use out of this USA Trivia game that I bought for $1!

Value Village on Eastern Avenue (Highlandtown): This surprisingly large store on Eastern Avenue could provide hours of entertainment, browsing their aisles upon aisles of clothes. We ended up getting a handsome little side table there for a reasonable price—it’s cheap enough that if I decide to paint it some bright color, I won’t feel bad if it turns out horribly.

Goodwill on Greenmount (Waverly): I’m not in love with this small-ish Goodwill store, but I have donated tons of stuff here when moving and know people that have found interesting things here. Plus, it’s close to the Baltimore Book Thing and Pete’s Grille!

Goodwill in Fells Point: Like the Waverly location, this store is too small to find a whole lot of interesting items. However, it’s always worth popping in for a visit when strolling the neighborhood.

Salvation Army on Joppa Road (Towson): I haven’t been here in a while, but this was a popular destination when I went to Goucher. Their selection is quite large and I believe their furniture is usually of high quality.

Antique stores

Second Chance: This nonprofit salvages usable materials and provides green-collar job training for “those with employment obstacles”. They sell the reclaimed building supplies and furnishings in their 200,000 square foot retail space, making it a financially viable operation. They truly provide a second chance both for the salvaged furniture and home wares as well as the employees in their workplace development program. I have yet to visit the new consolidated warehouse just off Russell Street, but I would encourage anyone looking for high-quality, previously owned furniture to visit Second Chance. Second Chance does not sell at thrift store prices but there is a wide range of options. We got this Singer sewing machine-turned-butcher block for $100 and I love it!

HouseWerks at Bayard Station: This is another seriously amazing place to visit—an architectural salvage yard housed in an historic railroad station. I would say they cater to the rusted-industrial-chic designer’s aesthetic. Plan to spend a few hours poking around the iron gates, school desks, giant box of plastic letters, and 100+ pieces of a religious mosaic in the yard. I didn’t see any marked prices, but I have a feeling most of these curated objects are quite pricey. I would suggest going to feast your eyes and imagination, not to buy anything specific.

 David’s on the Avenue (Hampden): I have been in here a number of times without finding anything of interest at all, but the last time I went I saw an amazing mint green ‘60s kitchen cabinet, lots of well-priced living room furniture in great condition and tons of vintage maps and flags. I bought 12 maps at $.50 each and popped a few in embroidery hoops for very cheap, fast homemade wall art. We are planning to get a real couch (the cheapo IKEA futon we got off Craigslist two years ago just isn’t cutting it anymore) in the near future and David’s is going to be one of the first places we look.

Vanessa’s Vintage Treasures (Federal Hill): Vanessa herself greeted me in this little storefront in the shadow of Cross Street Market. She made conversation as I browsed her mountains of vintage costume jewelry, plates, textiles, and stationery—and offered me a nice discount for buying a number of items together. The shop might appeal to a more feminine crowd, but I would recommend it to anyone looking for some nostalgia in Federal Hill.

Avenue Antiques (Hampden): It’s possible I like this place so much simply because I live near it, but I almost always find something interesting at Avenue Antiques. They have three entire floors stocked by various antique dealers with wares ranging from pianos to ‘80s dresses to needlework to campaign memorabilia. I have bought some used but not antique items here (including a purse and a skirt) and always enjoy perusing their vintage postcard collection. Hampden is a treasure trove for antique seekers, with Millbrook Antiques (tons of postcards and paper goods), the Turnover Shop (furniture), Hampden Junque (kitschy memorabilia), Sturgis Antiques (variety), and some other more upscale furniture shops along the Avenue. Of course, Woodward’s Auction House used to be located right next to Avenue Antiques but has recently moved to East Baltimore. ­­­

DeBois Textile Co.: I don’t really understand what all they sell at DeBois Textile Co., but I went after seeing their ad in City Paper for years and was slightly confused. The front room of their Pigtown warehouse has upscale (and expensive) vintage clothes and wholesale textiles. The rest of the 65,000 square foot space contains giant cardboard boxes of loosely categorized used (not vintage) clothes and a loading/unloading/work zone. I left empty-handed but perhaps you will find something exciting in this curious establishment.

A final note: my dear friend Krystal—a Baltimore native—runs a really unique online home décor shop called Esther & Harper and blogs about it too. If you are looking for some vintage inspiration for your day, check out Krystal’s interesting collection!

New (to me) restaurants in Baltimore

I’m the first to admit that I not what you’d call a “foodie.” I don’t enjoy cooking and therefore dine out a fair amount (although I try to keep to a limited budget). Of course Baltimore has many, many, many restaurants I’ve never been to, but here’s a sampling of some dining establishments that I’ve discovered recently—complementing my old stand-bys (The Dizz, Sip & Bite, Common Ground) nicely.

Annoula’s Sobo Café: This sunny Federal Hill café isn’t particularly inviting from the outside—I walked right past it en route to Cross Street Market many times—but I was totally impressed with the quality of its food, the cheery atmosphere and the reasonable prices. I went for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the rich homemade mac and cheese, which was only $6! The service was prompt and friendly. They make their own breads in house and also offer lunch options to go. I would most definitely recommend the Sobo Café for a weekday lunch, Sunday brunch or a date night.

Red Canoe and Zeke’s: These two standout coffeeshops are pretty much the only reason I trek all the way up Harford Road to Lauraville (I’m sure it’s a lovely neighborhood, but it’s way outside the Jones Falls corridor, where I spend most of my time). Red Canoe is a combination bookstore and café with a very family-friendly vibe. They have quite a few seating options—including a spacious backyard—and the entire space is so comfortable, it feels like someone’s living room. I think Red Canoe is the perfect spot for a rainy Sunday afternoon—you can grab a light lunch and a big cup of coffee while reading. Zeke’s storefront, just a few blocks north on Harford Road, is a very cool space with large windows, a remarkable tin ceiling and very simple décor. They have amazing pastries for sale in addition to coffee (to drink now or later). I was also delighted to learn they sell giant burlap coffee bags for $1-2!

Mem Sahib: If you’re looking for a great lunchtime deal near downtown, look no further than Mem Sahib in Lexington Market. I don’t quite understand how this classy, formal establishment has stayed in business for seven years, as the neighborhood can be (or can appear to be) somewhat unsavory after dark. However, it is a perfect choice for a lunchtime office outing with its colorful, expansive, ornate interior and all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for $10. I sincerely hope they are able to attract a steady lunch crowd and stay in business.

Please excuse my cell-phone camera photo of Mem Sahib's bright orange interior.

Zach & Jack Food: Tucked into the basement of the Women’s Industrial Exchange (in the space formerly occupied by Sofi’s Crepes), this petite lunch counter is worth a visit. Jack and Zach stick to a very limited menu of all local, organic ingredients—they list their vendors on a chalkboard for all to see. I enjoyed a homemade sweet potato-based veggie patty on a Kaiser roll with a side of (homemade) chips. Although the menu was limited they did offer many gourmet toppings to choose from, and snacks to go as well.

Mount Washington Pizza and Subs: This carry-out spot in the village of Mount Washington is in serious need of a designer, or at least a fresh coat of paint, but once you get past its stark, fluorescent-lit interior you will be impressed with their delicious Indian dishes. We ordered naan, shahi paneer (which comes with rice) and samosas as a light dinner but were surprised to pick up enough food to feed two for dinner with plenty leftover—and the whole meal was just $16. It looks like they have an extensive menu of other types of food (hence the “Pizza and Subs” in their name), but I plan on trying another Indian dish if I go there again.

Roland Park Bakery and Deli: This bakery is dangerous for my sweet tooth as their pastries and desserts are always tempting, but they also have breakfast sandwiches and lunch items. In general, there are few frills—all coffee is served in those white Styrofoam cups with birds on them—but this results in very reasonable prices. I often buy four pastries for less than $5. The owner and staff are always friendly, greeting regulars by name and asking everyone how they’re doing. This cheery neighborhood spot was located in the shopping plaza in Roland Park for twenty years, but relocated last year to Chestnut Avenue in Hampden. I love the sunny interior with exposed brick, and having any business there at all is lovely since this building was vacant for so long.

Next on my agenda are Liquid Earth in Fells Point, Hersch’s Pizza in South Baltimore, and the Land of Kush in Mid-town.

I’m very excited for the bevy of other eateries that are coming to Baltimore in the coming months. The ever-popular Woodberry Kitchen is rumored to be opening two new ventures—a coffeeshop in Union Mill (the awesome mixed-use development in a former mill on Union Avenue, next to the Woodberry Light Rail stop) and "Half Acre," a bistro on Falls Road. Read story here. Hampden is also welcoming Food Market on the Avenue (started by the former chef of City Café) and a second Milk & Honey Café in the former Chesapeake Restaurant space at Charles and Lanvale; story here. I’m also looking forward to the Friday afternoon Charles Street Farmer’s Market starting up again in May. Although there were just a few vendors there last year, I’m sure it will be stronger this spring. My friends Katie and Marie have started a seriously delicious snack company, Kinderhook Snacks, and I’m ready to stock up on their homemade Cheez-Its! And speaking of restaurants opening, did you hear there is now a Panera on Baltimore Street and a Chipotle in Mount Vernon?

Best Baltimore-area day trips

Lifelong East Coast residents may take it for granted that we can easily travel to a different state and back in a day, but the proximity of so many interesting sites, cities and states on the East Coast still fascinates me. I love the fact that just an hour away from Baltimore you can experience a totally different pace of life—Maryland truly lives up to its moniker of “America in Miniature.” In the past year I’ve tried to take advantage of Baltimore’s location—straddling the North and South, Atlantic coast and Appalachian foothills—by going on many day trips. Of course, there are plenty of adventures to be had further away (i.e. New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, the far western parts of Maryland, lower Eastern Shore, etc.) but today I’ll share some of my favorite destinations within a two-hour drive of Baltimore. Just a warning—if you’re not into history and historic sites, these might not interest you…


Civil War sites
The Civil War Sesquicentennial, which will continue into 2015, is a great time to explore the hallowed battlefields in our midst. Antietam, which lies just south of Hagerstown, is remembered as the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. Significant markers of Lee’s Maryland campaign are still striking to see today, including Dunker Church, the Cornfield, and the Burnside Bridge. I’d recommend capping off your visit to Antietam with ice cream from Nutter’s in the well-preserved town of Sharpsburg, just minutes from the battlefield. This September will be an exciting time in the area, with the “Maryland, My Maryland” commemoration of the Battles of South Mountain and Antietam—complete with reenactments, concerts, lectures and a festival. If you haven’t been to Frederick, stop by the National Museum of Civil War Medicine to complement what you learn at the battlefield—or keep in mind that Frederick is just a wonderful place to visit anytime (walkable downtown, lots of great restaurants, beautiful canal, well-preserved architecture)!  Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle in the entire Civil War, is worth the trip across the Mason-Dixon Line (it’s just a few minutes north of Emmitsburg in Frederick County). A few shots from a trip to Antietam in August:

Downtown Sharpsburg

 If you’re really up for a day packed full of Civil War battlefield tours, head south to the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in Virginia, referred to as “the bloodiest landscape in North America” on its National Park Service website. There are four battlefields within fifteen miles of each other: The Wilderness, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Court House. By the end of the day it may seem exhausting and repetitive, but the significance of each is really extraordinary. I would highly recommend taking a ranger-guided tour at Chancellorsville to learn how Stonewall Jackson was wounded, and trips to both the Union and Confederate cemeteries in the area. Our time at Fredericksburg Battlefield was greatly enhanced by using the Civil War Trust’s awesome (and free!) Battle App, which provided multimedia such as video and audio to help illuminate the events that transpired there in December 1862. The town of Fredericksburg is a pleasure to walk around and I would whole-heartedly recommend Sammy T’s restaurant on Caroline Street for a quick bite. Photos from our trip to Fredericksburg in November:

Fredericksburg Battlefield

 Confederate trenches at Spotsylvania Court House

 Chancellorsville

 Wilderness Battlefield

Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania Court House

Spotsylvania Confederate Cemetery

Eastern Shore 
There are countless sleepy small towns to explore on the Delmarva peninsula, but my personal favorite is Chestertown. This central Eastern Shore (Kent County) town is amazingly well-preserved and has a definite colonial feel to it. I’m sure it’s lovely year-round, but I would totally recommend going to the Chestertown Tea Party Festival on Memorial Day weekend. Even if you’re not a big fan of colonial reenactments, the Tea Party Festival is a lot of fun for visitors of all ages—especially at the end of the day, when everyone watches the “colonists” dump “tea” into the Chester River with great fervor. A few May 2011 festival photos:

Other memorable festivals on the Eastern Shore are the annual Tuckahoe Steam and Gas Show, held at the Talbot County Fairgrounds outside Easton each July, and the Chesapeake Folk Festival at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in gorgeous St. Michael’s at the end of July. I was almost completely unaware of what was going on at the Tuckahoe Show—vintage steam tractors are not my area of expertise—but loved the opportunity to soak up this authentic Eastern Shore tradition…and to try Maryland beaten biscuits for the first time!

If you have a little extra time for your day trip, get to the Shore via the Bay Bridge but drive back through Cecil County (route 213 and then 95). There are some lovely, historic small towns sprinkled throughout Cecil County, including North East, Elkton and Port Deposit. One fun fact about Elkton is that it was a very popular place for couples to elope until a 1938 law instituted a 48-hour waiting period before marriage.

I love the Live Bait vending machine in North East.

Other Destinations 
If you don’t have the time or energy to make it all the way to the Shore or western Maryland, you can always have a good time in our own backyard. I thought of Howard County as strictly suburban until I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival at the county fairgrounds last May. I don’t knit or own sheep, but I had a delightful time learning about shearing, spinning, and shepherding. There were also really unique and well-priced antique vendors and delicious snack options, which sure make me happy. Of course, Ellicott City is another quintessential historic Maryland town that is sure to please if you enjoy antique shopping, railroad history, and/or fine dining.

These bags are all full of wool!

Annapolis, the state capital, is just an hour south of Baltimore but its nautical, preppy, old-money vibe makes it feel light-years away. It took me four years of living in Maryland to finally make it there, but I think a trip to the State House is something every Marylander should do at least once. Finally, I love the Harford County town of Havre de Grace immensely. It will always hold a special place in my heart as the place where Tim proposed, but even before that I loved strolling its tidy main streets and admiring its beautiful Victorian homes. Its natural setting at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay makes for a striking view, which you can enjoy by walking along the waterfront to the Concord Point Lighthouse. The Havre de Grace Decoy Museum surprised me with its high-quality exhibits and the Maritime Museum is also worth a visit. I totally adored the Candlelight House Tour in December, sponsored by the Lock House Museum. Havre de Grace is also an important War of 1812 site, with plenty of bicentennial happenings coming up in the next two years—check them out here.

 I love the Victorian houses along Union Avenue in Havre de Grace!

 Concord Point Lighthouse

 My day trips lined up for 2012 include Historic St. Mary’s City in Southern Maryland; New Market (antiques), Brunswick (railroad museum) and Harper’s Ferry (Civil War site); and the Halloween Mummer’s parade in Hagerstown in October. Please let me know if you have any recommendations for other local trips!

A much-overdue update

I’ve been living in the area for over five years now, and Baltimore has never ceased to amaze me with its ample opportunities. In fact, it’s sometimes overwhelming to keep track of everything that happens around this town! Although the winter is traditionally a slow time of year—it seems like many Baltimoreans go into hibernation mode in January and February—I am confident there will be plenty to do in the coming weeks.


A little personal update for you: I can’t believe it has been such an incredibly long period—fourteen months—since I last updated this, but I plan to make it a monthly ritual. In that past year I’ve tried to keep up with both familiar (Monument Lighting, Art Scape, the State Fair, Great Halloween Lantern Parade, afternoons in Druid Hill Park, etc.) and new events as well as go on lots of day trips throughout the Mid-Atlantic. In addition, I’ve also gone through some job changes, had seemingly endless car troubles, traveled out of state a few times, started going to the gym, learned to sew, saw several friends move away, and most recently, got engaged! It’s been a very busy year and at this point it seems like life is just going to get busier, but I’m going to make a concerted effort to maintain this blog.



My old neighborhood, Remington



Druid Hill Park after Hurricane Irene



The Rotunda at the B & O Railroad Museum


A few new Baltimore discoveries to share:
• Charm City Circulator: the new city shuttle bus is great. Sure, it doesn’t go everywhere and it rarely comes every ten minutes as promised, but it is a FREE and usually quiet, clean and friendly ride. I take the Purple Line up and down the Charles-St. Paul street corridor a few times a week and am so thankful for this great city service. If you haven’t rode the Circulator yet, it’s certainly worth a try.
• Baltimore Heritage: This nonprofit heritage and preservation organization organizes an amazing variety of work in the city, ranging from behind-the-scenes tours of historic landmarks to Young Preservationist Happy Hours, lectures, neighborhood advocacy, awards and stimulating social media. I joined about 85 preservationists, planners, historians, archivists and other individuals at the Bmore Historic “unconference” in December and was floored to meet so many wonderful folks dedicated to promoting, preserving and learning more about Baltimore’s history. I would say Baltimore’s history is one of its best assets and it has been an absolute pleasure to learn more about it through Baltimore Heritage!



Lovely Lane United Methodist Church


• History Museums: I’ve also been soaking up Baltimore history through its great museums lately. For a few months I worked as an Educational Interpreter at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, the historic house where, in 1813, an independent woman named Mary Pickersgill sewed the 15-star, 15-stripe, 30x42’ American flag that flew at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write what would become our national anthem. The Flag House is located in a great spot on Pratt Street in Little Italy and is definitely worth a visit—the War of 1812 is a fascinating part of American history. If you haven’t already caught wind of the War of 1812 bicentennial that kicks off this spring, check out the cool Star-Spangled 200 website to learn more about the commemorations that will be taking place. I would highly recommend a trip to Fort McHenry for anyone—locals, visitors, even international tourists—because of its unique history (it played an important role not only in the War of 1812 but the Civil War and even World War I as well), beautiful grounds (great view of the harbor) and facilities (the brand-new Visitor’s Center is extremely high-tech) and knowledgeable staff. Other (not necessarily War of 1812-related) museums I’d recommend are the B&O Railroad Museum and the Museum of Industry.



Civil War weekend at Fort McHenry


• Center Stage: My fiancé Tim started working at the state theater of Maryland, Center Stage, almost a year ago and we’ve been lucky enough to see most of their shows since then. The scale of the theater really surprised me at first—it seems so unusual for theaters to have such a comprehensive staff of professional costume makers, prop managers, audio technicians, set builders, etc—but it certainly proves that it is a heavyweight in the East Coast theatre scene. I have never been a die-hard theatre fan but I’ve really enjoyed learning more about it through the shows they have produced in the past year.
• Liam Flynn’s Ale House: Tim has also been involved in a new soccer pub in town, Liam Flynn’s in the old North Avenue market in Station North (by Baltimore: Open City and the Wind-Up Space). If you are a fan of English Premier League soccer, Liam’s is a no-brainer. We usually go on weekend mornings to catch the games, but I’m sure it’s a lovely hangout spot at night too.
• Barry Levinson: The Baltimore-born and raised filmmaker celebrated the 30th anniversary of his classic Diner with a special screening and Q&A at Hopkins in December. The screening has inspired me to revisit some of his other somewhat autobiographical films that take place in Baltimore: Avalon, Tin Men and Liberty Heights. His work is truly poignant and although the settings are somewhat specific to Charm City, his characters appeal to a vast audience.


And a few upcoming day trips that I am super excited about:
• Paper Americana Show (Cecil County): The Singerly Fire Company of Elkton will host this vintage paper goods (think maps, prints, books, postcards, etc.) extravaganza on Saturday, January 28 from 10:00-4:00. We went last year and had such a wonderful time picking through this treasure trove of cool old collectibles.
• National Outdoor Show (Dorchester County): The 67th annual National Outdoor Show will take place in Golden Hill on February 24 & 25. Although the festival includes a variety of activities, its main attraction is the world championship muskrat skinning competition. I’ve been meaning to check out this Eastern Shore tradition since watching the film “Muskrat Lovely” at the Chesapeake Folk Festival—which introduces the teenagers who compete in the Miss Outdoors beauty pageant while learning to hunt, trap, skin, fish, etc.


Have a great January, Baltimore!