12 August 2010
Non-Mercer Related: Baltimore, part 3
After getting our faces brunched off at the amazing Woodberry Kitchen in Hampden, we drove south to Federal Hill Park to say our farewell to the Land of Pleasant Living. What a great view. We'll definitely be back, but with Mercer. He'll love it.
11 August 2010
Non-Mercer Related: Baltimore, part 2
On Saturday morning we walked over to the Inner Harbor to visit the 27th floor observatory of the World Trade Center. We were rewarded with some pretty cool panoramas of the city.
After some shopping, we located the nearest subway and rode north to the famous Lexington Market for the even more famous Faidley's crab cake. Open since 1886, Faidley's are apparently the measuring stick by which one should measure all other crab cakes. We were not disappointed. The cakes were delicate with just enough filler to bind the delicious crab meat together. The spice was perfect, too. I'm not sure we've ever had such a great cake. Definitely worth the trip to ingest both the food (not really the sides of mac and cheese/cucumber salad, though) and history. The locals were packed in around the raw bar well before noon, too.
After lunch we rested up at the hotel for awhile, watching "Marley and Me" on HBO. Not kidding. It's such an awful movie. Anyway, we hit the cobbled streets of historic Fells Point next. This little neighborhood is lined with plenty of bars, shops, restaurants, and private residences. We hit a fantastic gelato shop, saw a bunch of morons on a Segway tour, did some shopping, and had quite a few drinks at the tidy little Red Star Bar, a wonderfully restored brick building on the outskirts of Fells Point.
Then it was up to the swank Mt. Vernon neighborhood for a little bit of dinner at the Owl Bar, a drinking hole in the beautiful Belvedere Hotel that seemed promising, but proved to be below average. It's only saving grace was the atmosphere.
We left promptly after dinner to find The Brewer's Art, a classy beer bar with some choice booze as well. A few whiskeys, pear ciders, and people watching sessions later, it was time to head back. We caught the free Charm City Circulator for a nice evening tour of the neighborhood before settling into our rented beds for a quick nights rest.
After some shopping, we located the nearest subway and rode north to the famous Lexington Market for the even more famous Faidley's crab cake. Open since 1886, Faidley's are apparently the measuring stick by which one should measure all other crab cakes. We were not disappointed. The cakes were delicate with just enough filler to bind the delicious crab meat together. The spice was perfect, too. I'm not sure we've ever had such a great cake. Definitely worth the trip to ingest both the food (not really the sides of mac and cheese/cucumber salad, though) and history. The locals were packed in around the raw bar well before noon, too.
After lunch we rested up at the hotel for awhile, watching "Marley and Me" on HBO. Not kidding. It's such an awful movie. Anyway, we hit the cobbled streets of historic Fells Point next. This little neighborhood is lined with plenty of bars, shops, restaurants, and private residences. We hit a fantastic gelato shop, saw a bunch of morons on a Segway tour, did some shopping, and had quite a few drinks at the tidy little Red Star Bar, a wonderfully restored brick building on the outskirts of Fells Point.
Then it was up to the swank Mt. Vernon neighborhood for a little bit of dinner at the Owl Bar, a drinking hole in the beautiful Belvedere Hotel that seemed promising, but proved to be below average. It's only saving grace was the atmosphere.
We left promptly after dinner to find The Brewer's Art, a classy beer bar with some choice booze as well. A few whiskeys, pear ciders, and people watching sessions later, it was time to head back. We caught the free Charm City Circulator for a nice evening tour of the neighborhood before settling into our rented beds for a quick nights rest.
10 August 2010
Non-Mercer Related: Baltimore, part 1
Mom and Pop traveled down to Baltimore this past weekend for some relaxation and exploration. We've both been to the city, but never together and never out of the Inner Harbor. Our first stop on Friday morning was the Canton neighborhood, a small area east of downtown. The main square is easy on the eyes and I imagine a real active area for nightlife (which we did not sample, unfortunately). We grabbed an iced coffee at Firehouse and strolled down to a very serene waterfront park. I'm not positive, but I think this part of town was named after all of the canning that went on here. Not so much anymore.
It was still too early to check into our hotel, so we drove north of downtown to 36th Street in the Hampden neighborhood. Recently voted as one of the best shopping streets in the city, Mom went to town perusing all of the items on offer. Kitsch, second hand, chocolate, auctions, high end brands...this street had it all. We had a tasty lunch at Dogwood, feasting on roasted garlic cloves with delicious olive oil, blue mac and cheese, farfalle pasta with sausage, and a refreshing glass of wine. Not bad.
We checked into our hotel located on the east end of the harbor and took a dip in the pool, tested out the gym, and roasted in the sauna. After relaxing a bit in the room, we walked over to the unbelievable Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Completed in 1992, this stadium became the blueprint for new ballparks all over the country; both major and minor. I've never seen a stadium so clean and welcoming. It's a shame that the faithful fans of this city haven't seen playoff baseball more than twice since the park opened (and none since 1997). The atmosphere surrounding the stadium was decent, too, especially for a team with the worst record in baseball.
We didn't stay for the entire game, but moved to a nearby bar/brewery to finish watching the Orioles beat the White Sox in extra innings.
It was a long day, so we headed back to the hotel for a nightcap in the hotel bar. Turns out it was free movie night at the hotel so we took a look to see what the movie was. Amazingly, it was Spongebob Squarepants, a movie Mercer has seen a thousand times.
It was still too early to check into our hotel, so we drove north of downtown to 36th Street in the Hampden neighborhood. Recently voted as one of the best shopping streets in the city, Mom went to town perusing all of the items on offer. Kitsch, second hand, chocolate, auctions, high end brands...this street had it all. We had a tasty lunch at Dogwood, feasting on roasted garlic cloves with delicious olive oil, blue mac and cheese, farfalle pasta with sausage, and a refreshing glass of wine. Not bad.
We checked into our hotel located on the east end of the harbor and took a dip in the pool, tested out the gym, and roasted in the sauna. After relaxing a bit in the room, we walked over to the unbelievable Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Completed in 1992, this stadium became the blueprint for new ballparks all over the country; both major and minor. I've never seen a stadium so clean and welcoming. It's a shame that the faithful fans of this city haven't seen playoff baseball more than twice since the park opened (and none since 1997). The atmosphere surrounding the stadium was decent, too, especially for a team with the worst record in baseball.
We didn't stay for the entire game, but moved to a nearby bar/brewery to finish watching the Orioles beat the White Sox in extra innings.
It was a long day, so we headed back to the hotel for a nightcap in the hotel bar. Turns out it was free movie night at the hotel so we took a look to see what the movie was. Amazingly, it was Spongebob Squarepants, a movie Mercer has seen a thousand times.
05 August 2010
Have a good weekend.
Mom and Pop are off to Baltimore to celebrate their fifth anniversary while Mercer hangs out with Grandpa for the weekend. Enjoy the weather if it's nice to you.
04 August 2010
02 August 2010
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