tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-164722222024-03-17T23:03:27.119-04:00MANGO and GINGERPARTIES, FOOD and OTHER STUFF I LOVEKit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.comBlogger1942125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-74087195060475401092019-11-15T11:17:00.000-05:002019-11-15T11:17:38.340-05:00Lost Restaurants of Baltimore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WGXXaaWA64k/Xc7HtY4LxjI/AAAAAAAAGy0/35qhjNJxqFALLxvWhjqHJ1Jt_i0-nM3oACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/cover%2Bjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WGXXaaWA64k/Xc7HtY4LxjI/AAAAAAAAGy0/35qhjNJxqFALLxvWhjqHJ1Jt_i0-nM3oACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/cover%2Bjpg.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
Apparently I'm not back to blogging full-time these days...but I still might pop in occasionally. Like now, to share the project that's been taking up lots of my time recently: <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Restaurants-Baltimore-American-Palate/dp/146714066X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3O9ZINA6VHPEK&keywords=lost+restaurants+of+baltimore&qid=1573832535&sprefix=lost+restaurants%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1">Lost Restaurants of Baltimore</a></i>.<br />
<br />
<i>Lost Restaurants</i>, which came out at the end of last month and is published by Arcadia Publishing, is a collaboration between Suzanne Loudermilk and me. We loved writing it. It's a collection of stories about 35 beloved - but now closed - Baltimore restaurants.<br />
<br />
It was a total joy to research and write and, now that the book is out, people are sharing even more of their memories of meals at bygone restaurants. I love hearing every story.<br />
<br />
<br />Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-16959206612343990302019-08-29T17:42:00.002-04:002019-08-29T17:43:39.083-04:00Back for a Minute...or More...or Not<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Just
popping back in - a year and a half after my self-imposed hiatus began -
because I read <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/07/emma-chamberlain-and-rise-relatable-influencer/593230/"><span style="color: #5c5ec2;">this</span></a>. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
<i>That</i> is an Atlantic piece by Taylor Lorenz, about Emma Chamberlain
and her ilk - YouTubers and other young, Gen Z influencer types who have blown
up over the past year or so.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
These kids today (and they really are kids) are all about low production values
(or, at least, the appearance of low production values) and embrace the kind of
messy, casual aesthetic that was all the rage back when I was in high school.
They're not on YouTube trying to be famous - or, at least, that's not the only
reason they're there. They're just looking to share.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
This is the key graf that got my attention:</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While Chamberlain’s particular style may not feel accessible to
all, the broader shift toward messier, less filtered content is bigger than one
star or one look. “Millennials are so curated, and Gen Z is very not,” said
[Abby] Adesanya [head of talent and influencers for Bustle Digital Media Group].
“Millennials used social media as a highlight reel … Gen Z is like, ‘Hey, this
is what I’m doing right now, this is what I look like right now.’”</span></i></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sounds
like blogging in the old days, doesn't it? Way back in 2005, when I started
this blog, </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">curating</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> was far from my mind. Those were the days
of Live Journal and MySpace. All I wanted to do was write a little about food
and why and how it matters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white;"><br />
Over the next few years, as social media rose and internet culture evolved, I
became much more conscious of how what I posted would or could be perceived and
what it conveyed about me as a "brand." That's exhausting and,
frankly, boring. The fact that it was on my mind all the time made blogging a
chore and - in the end - it's a big part of why I stopped writing. I have a
dozen half-written posts in my drafts folder. I'd have an idea, start to write
about it, then start to worry about making it perfect and making sure it was an
accurate reflection of "me" in a broad sense.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
That was dumb. </span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
In the early days, I just wrote and quickly skimmed for horrific typos then hit
post. I didn't worry about including images in every post or having
Google-friendly headlines or anything related to the Brand Called Kit. I didn't
worry about whether or not anybody was going to read what I wrote (I assumed
that nobody would). I just thought about the topic and what I was learning and
thinking and what questions I had.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
These days, I've scaled back on my writing overall, but I'm still doing a
decent amount of food writing - <a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/category/shop-eat/food-drink/restaurant-review/"><span style="color: #5c5ec2;">restaurant reviews</span></a> and a <a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/category/columns/hot-plate/"><span style="color: #5c5ec2;">weekly restaurant events column</span></a>, both
for <i>Baltimore Fishbowl</i>. That's different from the windy,
never-really-sure-it-has-a-point writing I used to do about <i>food</i> as
a big, broad, cultural subject.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
I miss that writing, even if it was sometimes aimless. In the early days, it
made me happy and - as a side benefit - I learned a lot about what others
thought and what I think.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
I might get back to it. I might not...but I might and I hope I do. And if -
when - that happens, apparently I should thank Gen Z for the push.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-16154923226865660012017-12-28T11:27:00.003-05:002017-12-28T11:27:36.321-05:00Video Killed the Radio Star...and social media killed the blogger. Or, in my case, more like a combination of social and traditional media.<br />
<br />
At least that's the best explanation I can offer for the nearly nonexistent nature of this blog over the past year or two. It's not that I've stopped writing - not at all - it's just that I've pretty much stopped writing <i>here.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I used to write about Baltimore restaurants here; that content has found a home both at <i>Baltimore Fishbowl</i>, in my events column, <a href="http://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/category/columns/hot-plate/">Hot Plate</a>, and at the <i>Sun</i>, where <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/search/dispatcher.front?Query=kit+waskom+pollard&target=all&isSearch=true&spell=on">I write longer form pieces here and there</a>.<br />
<br />
Other posts - short little ones inspired by random thoughts or observations - end up on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kitpollard">Facebook</a>, either as posts of my own or posts in the comments. Facebook and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kitpollard/">Instagram</a> are also where I end up sharing bits and pieces about meals I've had out, or dishes I've made at home, or even interesting articles or cool things I spot here and there. I don't share as many of those things as I did back when I was blogging daily...but occasionally it happens.<br />
<br />
I don't do any real restaurant criticism anymore - once I stopped reviewing for the <i>Sun,</i> I lost my interest in that kind of writing. I'd rather focus on the positive than on what doesn't work (though I always did try to deliver criticism in a constructive way).<br />
<br />
There is one type of writing that I've lost without blogging and that I miss: longer form observational stuff. Over the past year, I've started, but not finished, a bunch of posts with names like "What follows peak food?" and "How to be a good restaurant guest" and "The evolution of dinner parties" and "Restaurants as artists." Posts that start with a quick spark, but then require real thought and effort to complete.<br />
<br />
I miss that sort of writing and thinking, but I find myself too distracted to actually follow through and finish the posts. That's where social media's doing the damage, I think. It's much easier to post something quick and walk away than it is to follow a thought and explore it in writing.<br />
<br />
All of this is a very long - and navel-gazing - way to say that after over 12 years, Mango and Ginger is officially on hiatus. I'll continue to sporadically update the "about" page that houses links to recent articles. And who knows...maybe 2018 will bring me the inspiration and the follow-through necessary to finish one of those longer posts. I'd like to think so, but I'm not holding myself to it.<br />
<br />
Even if this is the last post I end up writing in this space, it's been a great run. A dozen years, zillions of words, countless meals, a bunch of trips, many new friendships, and tons and tons of great memories. My life wouldn't be the same without this blog and I will be forever thankful that I started it way back when - and that a reader or two found it along the way.Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-3153476539256630092017-09-07T07:00:00.000-04:002017-09-07T07:00:21.377-04:00Twelve Years<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZuAbbL5XPU/WbCxCmAn3sI/AAAAAAAAGtc/CA7chuc49ykyJ_2iuwBZp1qV6SfziZcxwCLcBGAs/s1600/winecream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZuAbbL5XPU/WbCxCmAn3sI/AAAAAAAAGtc/CA7chuc49ykyJ_2iuwBZp1qV6SfziZcxwCLcBGAs/s400/winecream.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Winecream/">Winecream</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Oh, hello. Do you remember who I am? I'm Kit, the person who used to write in this space multiple times a week, but who hasn't posted anything at all since the beginning of summer. (Trust me, I wish I had. I feel guilty about it every day and the number of draft posts in my blog folder is mortifying.)<br />
<br />
I'm popping back in today to say happy fall...and happy blog birthday to me. As of today, it's been twelve years since my first post here and even if I don't show it by writing very often these days, I'm still extremely thankful that I took that initial plunge.<br />
<br />
I'd planned to write a big summer roundup post for today (I've done so many fun things including so many great meals in Duck and in Boston and in Baltimore! Everyone should go to <a href="https://www.thebluepoint.com/">Blue Point</a> and <a href="http://www.artsplaceobx.com/">Art's Place</a> and <a href="http://www.selectboston.com/">Select Oyster Bar</a> and <a href="http://yvonnesboston.com/">Yvonne's</a> and <a href="https://www.purewinecafe.com/">Pure Wine Cafe</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thebluebirdbaltimore/">Bluebird Cocktail Room</a>.) I'd like to think that I will still write that post.<br />
<br />
But sadly, I don't have time to do that today. I did have time, however, to email the awesome people at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Winecream/">Winecream</a> (which is delicious) about their brand new Mango Ginger flavor. (They really are the nicest people.)<br />
<br />
I learned about it yesterday! Just in time to celebrate twelve years of M&G.Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-15711888916458710302017-06-01T08:08:00.001-04:002017-06-01T08:08:20.163-04:00Catching Up After Two (!) Months<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gt8oahqKPZk/WS_5Jmy2qlI/AAAAAAAAGsQ/Yo0avPyypzUICfdRPbUUZ9FK02butkxwgCLcB/s1600/IMG_2057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gt8oahqKPZk/WS_5Jmy2qlI/AAAAAAAAGsQ/Yo0avPyypzUICfdRPbUUZ9FK02butkxwgCLcB/s320/IMG_2057.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C<i>enter Cut Doughnuts have brought me some joy over the past couple months</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I woke up this morning, one of my first thoughts was that it's been two months (yikes!) since the last time I posted. That's the longest stretch I've gone without posting since I started this blog back in 2005. Crazy.<br />
<br />
In the past two months, I <i>have </i>been around food, though thanks to both the stomach flu and pneumonia, I actually haven't been eating with quite as much gusto as normal.<br />
<br />
But still, there was a good dinner with old friends from California at <a href="http://www.chezbillysud.com/">Chez Billy Sud,</a> a charming French spot in Georgetown. And a fun morning with my Dixon, my sister and her new baby at <a href="http://www.subrosabakery.com/">Sub Rosa</a>, a really good bakery she can walk to from her house in Richmond. And <a href="https://theemporiyum.com/">The Emporiyum</a>, which is always a great time. A tasting at <a href="https://centercutdoughnuts.com/">Center Cut Doughnuts</a>, when Dixon was my plus-one. A fun seafood boil over Memorial Day weekend up at Keuka Lake.<br />
<br />
Plus, I haven't stopped writing for other publications. Though it's not all published yet, I've spent the spring thinking and writing about <a href="http://www.baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/sagamore-spirit-distillery-opens-public/">the opening of the Sagamore Spirit distillery</a>, <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/bs-fo-ballpark-picnic-20170516-story.html">the food policy at Camden Yards</a>, the origin of crushes, the city's best fried chicken, and <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/beaches/bs-tr-beach-foods-20170510-story.html">iconic beach foods</a>.<br />
<br />
I've also continued to write my weekly restaurant news column, <a href="http://www.baltimorefishbowl.com/category/hot-plate/">Hot Plate</a>, for Baltimore Fishbowl. And do some Facebook and Instagram posting, of course - though even that has fallen off a bit, especially over the past month (pneumonia really sucks).<br />
<br />
During that time, I've also started, but haven't finished, a few posts with actual substance - things like what makes a local classic actually classic and how to be a good restaurant guest. But - and I hate to say this - much of the larger conversation taking place around food these days frustrates me more than it inspires me.<br />
<br />
When I started writing this blog, a dozen years ago, the food world was in a massive state of growth. Every day, something new and interesting was happening. There was debate about topics like authenticity and egregious experimentation and globalism; participating in those debates left me feeling invigorated and excited about what was to come. I assumed it would be better than what came before.<br />
<br />
In recent years, though, two things have happened. One is that many of the smaller conversations have disappeared - though I'm seeing interesting chats on Facebook sometimes, much of today's food buzz takes place on Instagram, which doesn't exactly lend itself to thoughtful conversation (though it <i>does </i>lend itself to 20 media/influencer types posting pretty much the same photo).<br />
<br />
The other phenomenon is that those debates - the ones about authenticity, experimentation and globalism - have evolved. Or, rather, devolved...and I am decidedly less excited about food as a result. The words "cultural appropriation" don't excite me. They frustrate me - at best. Mostly, they bore me.<br />
<br />
People speaking against cultural appropriation are, theoretically, trying to promote respect for other cultures - which is all well and good and it's tough to argue with that point. Respect is great. Duh.<br />
<br />
But the by-product of the movement is that it chills creativity and collaboration. And <i>that </i>chills my level of excitement about the food world as a whole.<br />
<br />
Overall, I'm not easily offended and I like feeling enthusiastic. I want to be excited about food and drinks and I want to participate in conversations about what they mean to us - the role they play in our lives and our culture. That's what this blog used to be about.<br />
<br />
But these days, I'm struggling to gin up any enthusiasm for the cultural conversation.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, the pendulum is always swinging. Soon enough, we'll have moved on to a new topic within the food world - hopefully one that gets me more excited.<br />
<br />
And until then, at least I have doughnuts.Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-83843702104599330932017-03-29T11:51:00.002-04:002017-03-29T11:51:50.027-04:00Recent-ish AdventuresTwo months without a post? Ridiculous. Things have been busy in our world lately - and blogging is, apparently the first thing to go when I have too much to do. Well, blogging and folding laundry.<br />
<br />
Instead of blogging and folding laundry, we have been doing these things:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pd2w9AgDWfg/WNvTEHyqt_I/AAAAAAAAGr8/u8_p6uS8X0AnYPK7hJ4L6Lz9o8KcHFwigCLcB/s1600/MG%2Bupdate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pd2w9AgDWfg/WNvTEHyqt_I/AAAAAAAAGr8/u8_p6uS8X0AnYPK7hJ4L6Lz9o8KcHFwigCLcB/s640/MG%2Bupdate.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Clockwise from the top left:<br />
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Dixon drinking a blood orange fizz at <a href="http://www.silverqueencafe.com/">Silver Queen Cafe</a>. (Remains a terrific BYOB.)<br />
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Gorgeous hamachi crudo at <a href="http://penandquill.net/">Pen & Quill</a>. (First visit in a while - and it was really, really good.)<br />
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Spying on the fish cutting operations at <a href="http://www.jjmcdonnell.com/">J.J. McDonnell</a>. (Locally owned, impressively operated.)<br />
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Raffle baskets lined up for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/243315812784985/">Fake St. Patrick's Day</a> at <a href="http://www.ryleighs.com/">Ryleigh's Oyster</a>. (This year, benefiting <a href="http://www.hruth.org/">House of Ruth</a> - it was an enormous success).<br />
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Cooper at <a href="http://www.dylansoyster.com/">Dylan's Oyster House</a>. (Short, good menu, fantastic space, instant classic of a restaurant.)<br />
<br />
Iberico ham at <a href="http://www.lacucharabaltimore.com/">La Cuchara</a>. (Literally melts in your mouth. La Cuchara is still breathtaking, with fabulous food and service.)<br />
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Bmore BRD sandwich at <a href="http://r.housebaltimore.com/">R. House</a>. (Breakfast, lunch and yoga at R. House/Movement Lab has become my Wednesday routine. I'm here right now. It's amazing.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://laurablackphotography.com/">Laura Black</a> photographing Dixon - and waffles - at <a href="http://www.ironroosterallday.com/">Iron Rooster</a>. (Our (cool) progeny collaborations are bringing me so much joy.)<br />
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Crab soup and pizza at <a href="http://www.silverqueencafe.com/">Silver Queen</a>. (Seriously, go there.)<br />
<br />
And in the middle...the cheese knife Dixon made for Mike and Alicia. (It's pretty awesome.)<br />
<br />
Good times, all around. Just busy ones.<br />
<br />
<br />Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-1910888662600832062017-01-27T12:40:00.001-05:002017-01-27T12:40:30.578-05:00Deep Creek 2017For the third year in a row, we went to Deep Creek to spend MLK weekend with some of my high school friends and their kids.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dDHGl4HCyiw/WIuDdi9iZbI/AAAAAAAAGrg/lOGBd1LgK38sQ5dtdY3bKvV1IxU8OOdTACLcB/s1600/deep%2Bcreek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dDHGl4HCyiw/WIuDdi9iZbI/AAAAAAAAGrg/lOGBd1LgK38sQ5dtdY3bKvV1IxU8OOdTACLcB/s400/deep%2Bcreek.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the highlights of the weekend, for me, was getting to break in this <i>gigantic</i> camo onesie, <br />gifted to me by Cooper's Aunt Noreen. It was both enormous and very, very warm.<br />But it was not slimming.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It was a meat-and-cheese fest, as it is every year. We start on Friday night, with meatballs from Mastellone's, and don't look back. Chili, tacos, burgers and steaks, sausage and bacon at every breakfast. And literally a pound of cheese available for every single person in the house, including those who are still in diapers. It's fabulous.<br />
<br />
It's also a game-fest. We don't do a whole lot while we're there, but we do play board games. One of this year's hits was Speak Out, that game that gets so much play online because it involves weird dental torture devices that hold your mouth open.<br />
<br />
It <i>is </i>hilarious, but also very, very creepy. And I'm pretty sure those devices are at least part of the reason why several of the people in the house (including Cooper) closed out the weekend with the stomach flu. Germs, people. Germs.<br />
<br />
Though the weekend as a whole is a blast - how bad can it be when it's filled with meat, cheese, booze and board games? - one of our food-related highlights actually occurred before we even made it to the house.<br />
<br />
On our way, just about five miles out, in the town of Accident, Cooper and Dixon and I made a quick pit stop at the <a href="http://www.fireflyfarms.com/">FireFly Farms</a> store. As is typical, pretty much everyone coming for the weekend had forgotten at least one thing in their travels. Like crackers. we were about to enter a house with massive amounts of cheese...but no crackers.<br />
<br />
For whatever reason, I didn't immediately make the connection between the name of the store and the cheese that I often pick up at Atwater's and see on menus all over Baltimore. But as soon as we walked into the shop, we made the connection.<br />
<br />
It's super cute, with an excellent selection of cheese (both from FireFly Farms itself and from other makers), plus tons of wine, a handful of locally made stuff (think Popsations popcorn and Snake Oil hot sauce) and, yes, crackers.<br />
<br />
While I can't, in good conscience, recommend drinking the Maryland blueberry wine we picked up, I do think it might make for a nice ingredient in a savory dish. And I <i>can</i> recommend just about everything else in the place. We walked out with our arms full and big smiles on our faces.<br />
<br />
Those smiles stayed planted all weekend long (until the stomach flu reared its ugly head...fortunately, the weekend was almost over by then). I'm already looking forward to next year.<br />
<br />Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-19058924684101181822017-01-04T22:54:00.002-05:002017-01-04T22:54:48.241-05:00Fourth Quarter Dining and SuchEveryone agrees that 2016 was a tough year on the grand scale, but on a personal level, for me, it had a lot of high points.<br />
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We ate and drank some fantastic things. I tried new places and hung out with food friends as often as possible. We drank tons of <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-best-rioja-in-all-land.html">Hazanas Rioja</a>. Cooper and I spent an interestingly large chunk of the year inside distilleries, both in the <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2016/11/43-hours-in-kentucky.html">U.S.</a> and in <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2016/07/ireland-adventures-partt-1-whiskey.html">Ireland</a> (one day I'll write about the rest of that trip). <a href="http://coolprogeny.com/author/kitp/">Dixon and I started collaborating</a> (those articles are so fun to write). It was a good time.<br />
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But now, here it is in 2017 and I haven't written about some of the meals I ate in <i>October.</i> That's embarrassing.<br />
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So let's take care of that. Here's a look at some of our end of year highlights:<br />
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<b><u>Towson Tavern</u></b><br />
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<a href="http://towsontavern.com/">Towson Tavern</a> got a new chef this fall - Josh Vecchiolla, the former sous from Parts & Labor. I've always liked it there, but under Vecchiolla's guidance, the menu has gotten a meaty upgrade that's really strong.<br />
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We had dinner there in late October with our friends Will and Karen. The drinks were excellent, as always, but the best parts were the stinging nettle dip and this chicken, which was seasoned perfectly, cooked in a cast iron pan, and just great all around.<br />
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<b><u>Visionary Arts Museum Food Exhibit</u></b><br />
The new exhibit at the <a href="http://avam.org/">AVAM</a> is all about food, so we, obviously, had to go. It's pretty cool.<br />
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I mean, how could I not love this? A note about celebratory meals, posted right over a book called <i>Muskrat Cookin'.</i> That museum, it is the best.<br />
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<b><u>Henninger's</u></b></div>
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The last weekend in October, we celebrated Bill's birthday with dinner at <a href="http://www.henningerstavern.com/">Henninger's</a> (always the best - I could go there every night) and after dinner drinks at <a href="http://www.catseyepub.com/">Cat's Eye Pub</a>.<br />
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It was Halloween weekend and the weather was gorgeous, so Fells was wild. We made some friends - including an older guy who was dressed as "half naked" (literally, he was half naked). And I remembered why Cat's Eye is one of the best bars anyplace.<br />
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We barely took any pictures, but for whatever reason, I did snap this pre-dinner shot of Cooper and his duck lips. Why? Who knows.<br />
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<b><u>Bar Vasquez</u></b><br />
Foreman Wolf's new Argentine spot, <a href="https://www.barvasquez.com/">Bar Vasquez</a>, opened in the old Pazo space this fall and in early November, I had the chance to try it out with a fun group of food friends. It was so good. So good.<br />
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I've been recommending it right and left - it's an absolutely perfect place for a special occasion dinner, or even just to meet up with friends if you're looking for something a little more sophisticated than your average Baltimore evening. It's expensive, but between the food, the space, the drinks and the service, it's well worth it.<br />
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These potatoes were spectacular, but then, everything was. The duck I had for dinner might be the best duck I've ever eaten.</div>
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<b><u>Figs</u></b><br />
I made fig-rosemary jam! I had to. Our fig crop this year was hilariously large and it hung on until...well, it's January and there are still figs on the tree. I doubt they're good, but they're hanging on.<br />
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<b><u>No Kid Hungry at Food Market</u></b><br />
Also in early November, Cooper and I went to a dinner at <a href="http://www.thefoodmarketbaltimore.com/">Food Market</a>, benefiting <a href="https://www.nokidhungry.org/">No Kid Hungry</a>. <a href="http://charmcitycook.com/">Charm City Cook Amy</a> organized the event, which involved a bunch of local chefs and raised a boatload of money for the organization.<br />
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We were thrilled to be a part of that, but we were also thrilled to be on the receiving end of some incredible food. One thing this city does well is a chef-driven charity dinner. I have heard stories of boring "rubber chicken" fundraiser food. Seems to me, Baltimore has risen above that.<br />
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Our table was an absolute blast; whoever did the table assignments was a rock star. And every course was terrific. This, venison lasagna by Bryan Voltaggio, was more like a napolean than like lasagna. Incredible.<br />
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<b><u>Wicked Sisters</u></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/WickedSistersBaltimore/">Wicked Sisters</a>, the new spot in the old McCabe's space in Hampden, opened earlier this fall. It's the latest effort from Charlie and Lori Gjerde and Carrie Podles, who own several other local spots, including Papi's Tacos.<br />
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Cooper and I found ourselves with an unexpected Dixon-free Friday night in mid-November, so we stopped in to see what it was all about. It's casual and fun and we liked the food a lot. We started with Brussels sprouts (solid) and I had an excellent burger.<br />
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After dinner, Charlie handed us this glass full of <a href="http://www.crossroadco.com/">Winecream</a>, and we couldn't say no. I mean, they're a local company. Who doesn't want to support that?<br />
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<b><u>Mock Thanksgiving </u></b></div>
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Our annual pre-Thanksgiving party was a small affair this year, with just a few friends and their kids coming over for dinner on the Sunday before the big holiday. I made a mess of the turkey and I might not be ready to talk about that yet (or ever), but the night was an overall success, thanks largely to Piper and Hadley, who came over early and set a mean kids table.<br />
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Those two design stars have started their own <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRLAlB6a0Jh-vmGgj6YE86w">YouTube channel</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PerfectPals2000/">Facebook page</a>. If you're a fan of short videos of hilarious girls, I strongly suggest you follow them.<br />
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<b><u>Clavel and WC Harlan</u></b><br />
After Thanksgiving, we jumped straight into the busy holiday social season.<br />
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The first weekend in December, our friend Stacey came down to visit us from New York. Alicia and Mary and I took her to <a href="http://www.barclavel.com/">Clavel</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wcharlan/">WC Harlan</a>. We knew she'd love them both - who doesn't?<br />
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<b><u>Carol and Crawl</u></b><br />
For the ninth year in a row, we spent the first Saturday of December with our friends, celebrating the holiday season with way, way, way too much booze and a lot of off-key singing. Not caroling - despite the name of the party, there is no caroling. If there's any crawling, it's done after the party has officially ended, when people are trying to make it to their beds. It is a fun party. With lots of mozzarella sticks.<br />
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Also, this year, lots of ridiculous outfits:<br />
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<b><u><i>Buck Buck Moose</i> at Volt</u></b><br />
Cooper and I spent one day after the Christmas party licking our wounds, then we got back into it, heading to Frederick for a book signing dinner at <a href="http://www.voltrestaurant.com/">Volt</a>. Hank Shaw, the blogger behind <a href="http://honest-food.net/">Hunter Angler Gardener Cook</a> and the author of several cookbooks that we love, was at the restaurant, and Bryan Voltaggio was in the kitchen, cooking recipes adapted from the book.<br />
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It was our first time at Volt and we took Cooper's cousin Sarah, who lives in Frederick, with us. Dinner was great - fun and interesting and delicious - and we were especially happy to have another go at the venison lasagna from the No Kid Hungry dinner was just a warm-up. That stuff is so good.<br />
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<b><u>R. House</u></b><br />
This fall also marked the opening of <a href="http://r.housebaltimore.com/">R. House</a>, the food hall in Remington.<br />
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I've been twice now - once on opening night with Nikki Marks (of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/madamebarbeque/">Madame BBQ/Mindgrub</a> fame) and again before seeing the Hampden lights with Mike, Alicia, Maggie and Dixon (Cooper was sick, so he stayed home).<br />
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They've done a great job over there. It's casual and easy and the food is good. Technically, it's a food court, but it's such a cool one!<br />
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I've tried a bunch of different things so far and have liked all of them. The only thing I've photographed, though, is the shawarma from <a href="http://www.arbabaltimore.com/">ARBA</a>. It's great.<br />
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<b><u>Clavel at The Charmery</u></b><br />
After R. House but before the lights, Dixon, Mike, Alicia, Maggie and I dropped by <a href="http://www.thecharmery.com/">The Charmery</a>, where they were in the middle of a busy Clavel pop-up. Mexican cinnamon ice cream, wedding cookies, Mexican hot chocolate, lots of other things that were great - unsurprisingly, this was a collab that worked.<br />
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<b><u>McGarvey's</u></b><br />
I turned 41 this year, which means I've been celebrating my birthday at <a href="http://www.mcgarveysannapolis.com/">McGarvey's</a> for 20 years straight. TWENTY YEARS.<br />
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This year was a fun one, even though bad weather and illness meant a lot of people couldn't make it. But still, a bunch of high school friends joined Cooper and me for oysters, crab dip and Aviators at McGarvey's, oyster shooters at <a href="http://www.middletontavern.com/">Middleton's</a> (pictured), quite a bit of Irishness at <a href="http://www.galwaybaymd.com/">Galway Bay</a> and a mildly sloppy close to the evening, featuring good red wine and French whiskey at <a href="http://www.harrybrownes.com/">Harry Browne's</a>.<br />
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We always close out the night at Harry Browne's, which is by far the nicest place we go, and we're always a little unruly when we get there (not <i>too</i> unruly, but still). The bartenders there, though, they are fabulous. The one working during my birthday celebration was a total pro - keeping us engaged and put together and having fun. He was the best.<br />
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<b><u>Matisse/Diebenkorn and Parts & Labor</u></b><br />
Earlier this year, when word got out about the <a href="https://artbma.org/exhibitions/matisse-diebenkorn">Matisse/Diebenkorn exhibit at the BMA</a>, my brother and sister and I hatched a plan to meet there while they were in Maryland for Christmas. And we actually made that happen!<br />
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The Friday before Christmas, Dixon and I met Tom and Cail and Erin and Clark at the museum. The first thing we did was head to the exhibit itself; I was completely blown away.<br />
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I love both Matisse and Diebenkorn; I wrote college papers about both painters (though not about them together). They're two of my favorites, so purely from an aesthetic sense, I enjoyed the exhibit. It's pretty.<br />
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But even if I wasn't a particular fan of either of the artists, I would've been impressed. It is so smart and hangs together so well. It reminded me why art history fascinates me. I'm planning to go back again - this time without a 10 year old boy (who was not quite as enamored as I was). I could spend days just soaking it in.<br />
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After the exhibit, we wandered through the Cone Collection and the Contemporary Wing; Tom and Erin hadn't been to the museum since they were kids and Cail and Clark had never been. Dixon had a blast in the contemporary collection, taking pictures of the pieces with his iPod and getting really into it. I'm not sure I realized how interactive it is. It's great for kids and I loved watching him have fun with the art.<br />
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After all of that, we headed over to a very busy <a href="http://www.partsandlaborbutchery.com/">Parts & Labor</a>, where I got their version of a pit beef sandwich and it was killer. Highly recommended!<br />
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<b><u>New Year's Eve</u></b><br />
Christmas Eve, Christmas day and the few days after passed in a bit of a blur. Cooper and I both end up working a lot during the week between Christmas and New Year's, but we also always have friends in town, so we're out a lot. This year, that meant seeing people from Denver and Seattle - and also doing a lot of work.<br />
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New Year's Eve, we had friends (with kids) over here for a dinner showcasing various cuts of meat from the <a href="http://www.jackstrawfarm.com/">Jack Straw Farm</a> cow we split with friends. (Oh yeah, we have a freezer that is <i>jam-packed</i> with beef right now.)<br />
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The meat was very good, as was the <a href="http://www.today.com/recipes/ina-garten-s-filet-mignon-mustard-mushrooms-recipe-t104290">Barefoot Contessa sauce</a> I made with it and the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beattys-chocolate-cake-recipe.html">Barefoot Contessa cake</a> Alicia made for dessert. Ina is everywhere these days.<br />
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But the highlight of the night wasn't on our plates - it was the kids. Piper, Hadley and Maggie went live on Facebook a couple times and made tons of videos, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PerfectPals2000/videos/164756857339207/">including one at midnight</a>, when Cooper sabered a magnum of Champagne.<br />
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In retrospect, we probably should've opened that big boy earlier. Everybody went home at like 12:15. Because...kids.<br />
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Overall, it was a big quarter. On New Year's Day, all we could pull ourselves together to do was order some Chinese food. We're exhausted.<br />
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But we're not slowing down. This weekend, we'll be celebrating Kyle's birthday at Bar Vasquez. And after that...who knows. I'm sure it'll be something good.</div>
Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-52758197699155647562016-12-15T08:06:00.001-05:002016-12-15T08:06:27.913-05:00Stop It with "Like a French Girl"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Look, I love Paris as much as any other basic American girl - a lot. But even I have had my fill of "do this like a French girl" stories.<br />
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When <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC2PKQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1">French Women Don't Get Fat </a></i>came out - way back in 2004 - it was celebrated, and rightly so. The author, Mireille Guiliano, is insightful, gracious and engaging and at the time, the "French woman" thing was fresh and new.<br />
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But here we are twelve years later and writers are still beating that same old drum. Yes, Paris is still thrilling. And I know these articles are getting clicks and that I am 100% part of the problem...because some of those clicks are coming from me.<br />
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I don't even want to link to the article that set me off this morning (it was about throwing parties). It's not that it was a bad article, per se. The advice was all good (don't feel bad about buying dessert vs. making, the quality of conversation is more important than the quality of anything else, ply them with booze). The writing was perfectly fine. I'm sure the writer herself is great. But the underlying notion - the shorthand use of "French" to mean "expert hostess" - that grates. It's tired.<br />
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Interestingly, the opposite version of this article - the one proclaiming French food culture all but dead as a global influence - is almost as prevalent as the "like a French girl" articles are.<br />
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The demise-of-culture articles have more depth, though - including <a href="http://punchdrink.com/articles/can-french-wine-save-fading-love-affair-with-france/">this one</a>, by Jon Bonne, published earlier this week on Punch.<br />
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The gist of the article is this: French cooking, particularly outside of Paris, is mediocre. It is stuck in the past and kept from advancing by the sentimental notions and expectations that diners - from the French to the Americans to the rest of the world - have about French food.<br />
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The author holds this in stark contrast to the current wine scene in France, which he describes as dynamic and exciting. He gives a shoutout to cheesemakers, too, noting that the best ones manage to do something very difficult, as they honor what makes French cheese historically great, while still celebrating innovation.<br />
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As a country that has been, historically, celebrated for its food and entertaining culture, France is in a tough spot. Embracing innovation is tough for any individual or entity, particularly ones with storied pasts. And it's not like every old restaurant in France feels boring; <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/search?q=paris">when we were in Paris two years ago</a>, we basically did the Hemingway tour, eating at a bunch of the author's old haunts, and the food wasn't avant-garde, but it was excellent.<br />
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I understand why France falls back on its laurels and writers, especially American ones, keep writing those "like a French girl" listicles. But really, for the sake of France, it's time for all of us to move on.Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-18921486615466133792016-12-12T15:03:00.000-05:002016-12-12T15:47:25.549-05:00Festive All AroundToday is Cooper's birthday. And this is his cake:<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yymiCvd6HZ0/WE6y2CYE4CI/AAAAAAAAGoA/p11eI62DTfQG6mxwFXqQLZRzlWIPjKWgwCLcB/s1600/IMG_1289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yymiCvd6HZ0/WE6y2CYE4CI/AAAAAAAAGoA/p11eI62DTfQG6mxwFXqQLZRzlWIPjKWgwCLcB/s320/IMG_1289.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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It was a gift from our friends Audrey and George, who spotted it at Sam's Club last month. (Not this specific cake. This one is much fresher than that.)<br />
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It's pretty much the most Cooper cake I can imagine.<br />
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When we celebrated here last night, with Cooper's family, it was just the latest event during what has, so far, been quite a festive month.<br />
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Among other things, DRP and I went shopping in Hampden, including a stop at <a href="http://www.charmcitychocolate.com/">Charm City Chocolate</a>, and then we came home, all three of us decorated the tree and we tried to ration the chocolate-covered Oreos so they'd last.<br />
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Last weekend was a busy one, too. On Saturday, I took Mimi (our niece) to Maria Springer's gingerbread house workshop. A few years ago, I wrote <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/bs-fo-gingerbread-house-class-phoenix-20131210-story.html">an article about Maria and what she does</a> - she is the nicest lady and she makes <i>the best </i>gingerbread houses.<br />
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She used to host gingerbread house teas at her home in Phoenix, but just after I wrote the article, she and her husband moved to a condo and she shifted the gingerbread festivities to a church on Hampton Lane. The tea part of the day is no longer - which is a shame - but the house-decorating is still just as fun.<br />
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Mimi was an incredible house decorator - so patient and creative, with an amazing dedication to symmetry. Her focus was super impressive - especially considering that she was about 48 hours shy of her seventh birthday.<br />
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After the gingerbread decorating, Cooper and I got ourselves dolled up to go over to Kyle and Mary's for the 9th annual <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2008/12/carol-and-crawl-recap.html">carol and crawl</a> party. We retired the house-to-house nature of the party years ago, so there hasn't been any "crawling" for about six years, and the only "caroling" comes late night (and hopefully doesn't disturb any neighbors). But the party is still a great time.<br />
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This year, both Cooper and Kyle really brought it with the outfits (George was similarly dressed, but I didn't get a picture of all three of them):<br />
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On the Pollard front, possibly the most exciting part of the weekend the completion of the cheese knife Dixon hand made for Kyle and Mary:<br />
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Knife-making is a new hobby for DRP; he's pretty taken with it. A while back, Cooper bought a bunch of antique saws at an auction. For these knives, he (Cooper) cuts a knife blank from one of the saws, then Dixon files and sands it down until it has a sharp edge. Then, the two of them work together to hook it into an antler handle. (The antlers, apparently, we just have laying around.)<br />
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It's a lot of work for Dixon, but he loves it, and the end result is pretty cool. I'm not sure who was most excited to see this end product - Cooper and me, Kyle and Mary (who had placed an order for the knife), or Dixon, who is extremely, and understandably proud of himself.<br />
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Knives, cakes, candy, festive holiday apparel. So far, December is going pretty well.Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-28703521969790527332016-11-30T14:34:00.000-05:002016-11-30T14:34:48.179-05:00Food Numbers are Pretty<div style="text-align: center;">
These are bringing me great joy today:</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw1iieNQJFw/WD8oiRRKUKI/AAAAAAAAGnY/EwKV5eLzii0jbb8c6SRRiaw9cxgOhW20gCLcB/s1600/ginger.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw1iieNQJFw/WD8oiRRKUKI/AAAAAAAAGnY/EwKV5eLzii0jbb8c6SRRiaw9cxgOhW20gCLcB/s320/ginger.png" width="262" /></a></div>
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They are visual depictions of Google searches for the words "mango" and "ginger," coming to us <a href="http://rhythm-of-food.net/#food-trends">courtesy of Google's partnership with Truth & Beauty</a>. At the linked website, you can see similar data visualizations for a bunch of food-related words. For someone like me - someone who is equally taken with data and food - this is nothing short of magical.</div>
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Truth and beauty, indeed.</div>
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<i>(I didn't discover this on my own. Thank you, Richard Gorelick, for sharing it on FB!)</i></div>
Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-27218066979571802442016-11-02T21:36:00.001-04:002016-11-03T21:58:20.488-04:0043 Hours in KentuckyLast year was a big one for us, since Cooper and I both turned 40, along with tons of our friends. This year, as it turns out, has been nearly as big. Most recently, we helped our friend <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/search?q=jeff">Jeff</a> celebrate with a bang - a bourbon-tasting trip to Kentucky.<br />
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The crew included Jeff and his wife Christine, Alicia and Mike, Cooper and me and Kyle (Mary had to work, as did Bill).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPAphIHcE_E/WBkSjqFHbsI/AAAAAAAAGm4/KQisWhmpRfgzrdsVIUAm2-c_YznB1t1TgCLcB/s1600/willett%2Bgroup%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPAphIHcE_E/WBkSjqFHbsI/AAAAAAAAGm4/KQisWhmpRfgzrdsVIUAm2-c_YznB1t1TgCLcB/s400/willett%2Bgroup%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our tour guides very graciously took this photo for us.</i></td></tr>
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As it turns out, Kentucky is a pretty easy trip from Baltimore. The flight from BWI to Louisville is just over an hour and, since it's a regular Southwest run, there are lots of choices and it's not very expensive.<br />
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After doing some research, Christine booked us at a cool bed and breakfast called <a href="http://www.bourbonmanor.com/"><b>Bourbon Manor</b></a>, in <b><a href="http://www.visitbardstown.com/">Bardstown</a></b>, a small town right in the thick of bourbon country. Mike, Alicia, Jeff and Christine headed down on Thursday; Cooper and Kyle and I joined them Friday. And we all set off together on an epic adventure.<br />
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<h4>
Friday: From Baltimore to Bardstown</h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kyle & his bloody and Kyle with Cooper at the airport; Harrison-Smith pork rolls, Busch Light bottles <br />and live music at Old Talbott Tavern</i></td></tr>
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Because I am a slightly crazy person when it comes to travel plans, Cooper and Kyle and I arrived at the airport on Friday with, oh, two hours to spare. We killed most of that time at <a href="https://obryckis.com/bwi.php"><b>Obrycki's</b></a>, which really does have a nice house beer and a gorgeous bloody.<br />
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One short flight, plus a couple of Kyle's free Southwest drink coupons later, we landed in Kentucky, where Kyle picked up his hilariously red, enormous Ford F-150 rental and we got on the road.<br />
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Bardstown, where we were staying, is about 40 minutes from the airport, but we took a slight detour to Shelbyville, to stop by <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/walnutgrovefarmweddings/">Walnut Grove Farm</a></b>, where Kyle's uncle's lives.<br />
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It was our first time meeting his uncle and he was fantastic - funny and super welcoming. He hosts weddings on the farm and while we were there, he was getting ready for festivities taking place the next day. It's a gorgeous spot and so relaxing. (Especially relaxing during our visit, since he was plying us with beers.)<br />
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Back on the road, we made our way to Bourbon Manor, which was more charming than we could've guessed. Pretty, 19th century-inspired rooms, personable hosts, really, really good breakfasts - it had everything we could've asked for, including a bar, called The Bunghole, right on the premises. Also, ghosts. In Bardstown, everything is haunted.<br />
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For dinner, we headed into town, to <b><a href="http://harrisonsmithhouse.com/">Harrison-Smith House</a></b>, where we had one of the best meals I've had all year. I feel like I say that a lot, but I mean it. The menu is short, focused and pig-heavy in a creative way. The drinks were solid, as was the wine list, and the sausage roll, which was kind of like a porky egg roll, was absolutely amazing.<br />
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Also, our waiter, Richard, was awesome. A total professional who read our table so well. Even with an average waiter, it would've been a memorable meal, but his excellent service pushed it over the top.<br />
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After dinner, we wandered over to the <b><a href="http://www.talbotts.com/">Old Talbott Tavern</a></b>, where we were greeted by live music and $1.50 Busch Light bottles - a combination that Cooper finds hard to resist. We spent a couple hours dancing and drinking and generally having a blast, before going back to The Bunghole and closing it down with a few more drinks. If the weekend had ended right there, it still would've been a winner.<br />
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But it didn't.<br />
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<h4>
Saturday: Bourbon and Beer</h4>
On Saturday morning, we were up and at 'em early...and some of us were moving a little slowly (Cooper). But we had things to do. Christine had hired a tour company, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/kywinetour?fref=ts">Kentucky Wine Tours</a></b>, to take us on a tour of bourbon country.<br />
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Normally, one of our stops would've been Jim Beam, but as it turns out, the staff went on strike at midnight on Friday. So we didn't get to see that very big distillery, but we didn't miss it. Instead, we hit a couple other places: <b><a href="https://www.makersmark.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=int_general_brand&utm_term=makers%20mark&gclid=COKrx8PPiNACFYcfhgodrRwAhg">Maker's Mark</a></b>, <b><a href="http://limestonebranch.com/">Limestone Branch</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.heavenhill.com/age-gate.php">Heaven Hill</a></b> (just for the gift shop) and <b><a href="http://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com/">Willett</a></b>.<br />
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Our first stop was <b><a href="https://www.makersmark.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=int_general_brand&utm_term=makers%20mark&gclid=COKrx8PPiNACFYcfhgodrRwAhg">Maker's Mark</a></b>, which is beautiful...and very busy. If you're going, try to get there just when it opens, otherwise, you risk waiting for a while for an open tour. (They run a lot of tours throughout the day...but they also get a lot of visitors.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The grounds, the process, the barrels, the labels...plus the Chihuly ceiling and Cooper and Alicia enjoying some togetherness</i></td></tr>
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Our tour guide at Maker's was young, but really good. He knew what he was talking about and he was funny and personable. It's a gorgeous place and though it's a big company, it didn't feel at all impersonal. We got to see the bourbon made and where it's packaged, labelled and dipped in wax. It's all right there.<br />
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The tour ended with a tasting and I have to be honest, bourbon at 10 am is rough when you're 40 and hungover. But you know what's not rough? The <a href="http://www.chihuly.com/">Dale Chihuly</a> ceiling that leads into the Maker's gift shop. It's gorgeous.<br />
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Because it was Jeff's birthday, our tour guides gave him a gift: his own bottle of Maker's, which he got to dip in wax in the gift shop. It was pretty cool all around...though the part that was most entertaining for us was how totally unimpressed the wax-dipping lady looked by Jeff's antics.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jeff, in a photo by Christine</i></td></tr>
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After Maker's, our tour guides surprised us with a trip to <b><a href="http://limestonebranch.com/">Limestone Branch</a></b>, which is the (legit) distillery that was on <a href="http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/moonshiners/">Moonshiners</a>. While there, we tasted some really good moonshine (for real) and were given a tour by the most engaging, entertaining man ever. He was fantastic. So fun and so full of knowledge.<br />
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One of the things we learned is that a lot of the people who distill bourbon are related in one way or another. There are a whole lot of Beams down there and in many cases, the master distiller position at a company is passed down from father to son or daughter (mostly son). It's as much an art as it is a science to create bourbons that are both tasty and consistent and there's no replacing the value of apprenticing with your dad.<br />
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We also heard a lot more about the water quality than I was expecting. Comparing this trip to our <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2016/07/ireland-adventures-partt-1-whiskey.html">whiskey adventures last summer in Ireland</a> was interesting. Since there are strict laws regulating how bourbon is aged (new oak barrels, charred on the inside), there's more emphasis on the water and, in some places, the mash vs. the Irish emphasis on the barrel's history and the distilling process itself.<br />
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Limestone Branch is a small place, but full of great stories that go back for generations. If you have the chance, go there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An old whiskey sign at Limestone Branch, view of their grounds, and an Ale 8 One with lunch</i></td></tr>
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After Limestone Branch, we headed back to Maker's, for lunch at <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Toll-Gate-Cafe-at-Makers-Mark-Distillery/1408608799356878">Toll Gate Cafe</a></b>, a little spot on the Maker's campus that makes excellent sandwiches...and just so happens to be run by the brother of the owner of the Harrison-Smith House.<br />
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We then did a quick drive by <b><a href="http://www.heavenhill.com/home">Heaven Hill Distilling</a></b>, which makes a couple big brands of bourbon, including Evan Williams and Elijah Craig. Our timing was off, so we didn't stay for a tour, but we did make the most of our time at their gift shop, which was more like a museum than a simple store.<br />
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As we drove between the distilleries, our guide, Gary, gave us some instruction on the finer points of the bourbon business. Pointing out the rickhouses - the places where the bourbon barrels are placed to age - he talked to us about construction and location and insurance.<br />
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That sounds boring, but it wasn't. The big structures, which are often painted black because they end up covered in black mold anyway, are built far from the distilleries themselves and far enough apart from one another that if there's a fire, they won't all go up in flames.<br />
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Because bourbon is so highly flammable, fires to happen, and they can very quickly take out a lot of product. And because of <i>that</i>, the aging bourbon is impossible to insure. So if you have a fire, you're stuck.<br />
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After Heaven Hill, we made our way to our final distillery of the day, <b><a href="http://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com/">Willett</a></b>. This was a special request from Jeff, who loves the stuff and so does Kyle's dad. So, apparently, do a lot of bartenders.<br />
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The brand hasn't been around for a super long time, though the family behind it has been distilling for generations. And, as we discovered during our tour, given by a fun girl named Evelyn, the family has roots in Maryland. Though they've been in Kentucky for many generations, they were originally from Prince George's County.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Willett is cool overall, but the highlight is the still, which is a proprietary genie bottle shape <br />(which is also the shape of their bottles)</i></td></tr>
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It was a fun tour and Cooper finally started to emerge from his hangover haze, just as Kyle started to slip into a bourbon-induced buzz that kept building for the rest of the night. It was...entertaining.<br />
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The tours were over and we were back at the B&B before 4...and then back off, having a drink at The Bunghole before heading to the <b><a href="http://www.bardstowncraftbeerfest.com/">Bardstown Craft Beer Fest</a></b>. We walked from the inn - it wasn't <i>too</i> far - and strolled around town, ducking into a few shops before heading to the festival itself.<br />
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Once we got there, we were pleasantly surprised by a ton of craft beers, some not-so-craft beers (Carlsberg?), the <a href="http://www.hogslopstringband.com/">Hogslop String Band</a>, and a couple very good food trucks. Plus, a boatload of friendly people. AND there was square dancing at one point, which I did not participate in, but Mike, Alicia and Kyle did. Believe me when I say it was memorable. About 20 minutes too long, but memorable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GoxsjQGZhDU/WBkRM8VV9UI/AAAAAAAAGmw/oUd2JCuld68r2m8jlqEG4ac49b0HPk_3wCLcB/s1600/postbourbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GoxsjQGZhDU/WBkRM8VV9UI/AAAAAAAAGmw/oUd2JCuld68r2m8jlqEG4ac49b0HPk_3wCLcB/s640/postbourbon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tons of craft beers, Cooper at The Bunghole, the band, a kickass BBQ truck</i></td></tr>
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While at the festival, we got to talking with a couple manning one of the food booths, a place selling chili. Turns out, the lady there is the mom of the people who own Toll Gate Cafe and Harrison Smith <i>and </i>she used to work at Limestone Branch and was the distiller behind some of our favorites there.<br />
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It's a small town.<br />
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But a really nice one.<br />
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After the festival, we headed back to the Old Talbott Inn for a couple more Busch Lights and a little more live music before finally throwing in the towel and calling for a cab to carry us back to the B&B. (One downside of Bardstown: no Uber.)<br />
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Sunday morning, we were up and out very early and we were back in Baltimore by 11. A quick trip, definitely, but one that was so much fun. I knew we'd have a good time - we always do - but I wasn't expecting to be so thoroughly charmed by the town, its people and its restaurants and bars.<br />
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I'd go back in a heartbeat.<br />
<br />Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-16813404768630307262016-10-12T10:10:00.001-04:002016-10-12T12:32:50.283-04:00Out and About in SeptemberWe have been going out like crazy lately and I've been terribly remiss about blogging about it. So here's a quick(?) recap of what we ate and did during September.<br />
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<b>Parts & Labor for Burgers</b><br />
In case you missed it, Dixon and I are collaborating on a series of articles for (cool) progeny. Each article highlights some of our favorite spots for a specific meal. First, <a href="http://coolprogeny.com/2016/08/best-mac-cheese-baltimore/">we tackled mac and cheese</a>. Next up was <a href="http://coolprogeny.com/2016/09/baltimore-burgers/">burgers</a>.<br />
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One of the burgers on our list was the locally-raised monster at Parts & Labor in Remington. We used the article as an excuse for dinner at P&L - and it was as good as ever. The pre-dinner charcuterie was perfect, as it always is. Dixon's burger was ridiculous and Cooper's lamb was gorgeous. But I won the night with sausage-stuffed chicken over ratatouille. It was a simple but genius combination of summer and fall flavors. Everything about it was great.<br />
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<b>CFF Passion for Food and Wine </b><br />
There are so many worthwhile causes out there and I am continually impressed by how Baltimore's restaurant community steps up to support them. The community rallies especially hard for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - and rightly so.<br />
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The organization is one of the best I know - thin on bureaucracy (over 90% of funds raised go directly to research) and thick on results. There have been very real, significant strides in developing treatments for cystic fibrosis over the past several decades and CFF's fundraising efforts have fueled those developments.<br />
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But what does this have to do with what we ate in September? Early in the month, we were lucky enough to be invited to CFF's Passion for Food and Wine, an event that is so much fun and raises <i>so much money</i>. It's mind-boggling.<br />
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I've written about Passion <a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2014-08-26/entertainment/bs-fo-cff-chefs-20140826_1_chefs-chad-gauss-cystic-fibrosis-foundation">here</a> and <a href="http://www.baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/5-years-cffs-passion-food-wine-stronger-ever/">here</a> - but here's a quick overview: five years ago, a bunch of Baltimore chefs got together for an event to raise money for CFF. They wanted to do something unusual, so they decided instead of a standard "we fix bites and people mill around and visit our stations" cocktail event, they'd put together a multi-course, sit-down dinner - and they'd cook the dinner in front of the guests.<br />
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Each participating restaurant has its own table. Twelve guests sit around the table - shaped like a square-ish "U" - and watch the chef prepare the meal. This year, we were at the <a href="http://www.colettebaltimore.com/">Colette</a> table, where Chef Stefano Porcile absolutely crushed it. CRUSHED.<br />
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So much foie.<br />
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While this is happening, Sergio Vitale of Aldo's and Jerry Pellegrino of Schola hop up on a stage and auction off amazing experiences, like having Chef Cindy Wolf cook dinner for you and 12 of your friends. There's also a silent auction - this year we won some crystal from Smyth and a seafood tower and whiskey tasting at Loch Bar.<br />
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The event raises an unreal amount of money - hundreds of thousands of dollars, just in one night. And it is one of the most fun parties out there. I get a little emotional watching how committed everyone is to both the cause and the food. Everyone involved, from the CFF staff to the chefs to the other guests, is so dedicated and excited about the cause. "Passion" really is an apt name for the event.<br />
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<b>Les Folies for Nan's 98th</b><br />
In mid-September, my grandmother turned 98 and Dixon just happened to have the day off school.<br />
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My mom had also taken the day off work, so the four of us went to lunch at one of Nan's favorite restaurants, <a href="http://www.lesfoliesbrasserie.com/">Les Folies</a> in Annapolis.<br />
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Nan is a restaurant aficionado. I can't count how many times I have been out to lunch or dinner with her. Les Folies has long been one of her go-tos partly for convenience - it's on Riva Road, close to where she used to live - but mostly because their classic French food is consistently excellent.<br />
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Of course, what I ate wasn't classic, though the preparation was French, I suppose: sauteed softshell in a white wine and butter sauce. My mom had the same. Classic or no, it was fantastic.<br />
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<b>Bookmakers with the Tribe</b><br />
There are only a handful of William & Mary grads in the Baltimore area; most people end up in DC or New York or...somewhere else. And my college friends who do live in the area are scattered all over. As a result,we don't see each other much - if at all.<br />
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But one random Tuesday night last month, it just so happened that a friend from Austin would be visiting another friend in Columbia. Next thing we knew, we were having a little reunion at <a href="http://bookmakersbaltimore.com/">Bookmakers</a> in Federal Hill, where the food is good and the drinks are amazing.<br />
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As is always the case when I <i>do</i> see W&M friends, it was super fun - and a great reminder that my college friends are crazy smart and interesting and they make the world a better place<br />
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<b>Dining Out for Life at Silver Queen Cafe</b><br />
Moveable Feast's annual restaurant-oriented fundraiser, Dining Out for Life, was September 15th. It's a good one - local restaurants donate a percentage of their take for the evening to the cause, which makes it easy to do a little bit of good.<br />
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This year, we went to <a href="http://www.silverqueencafe.com/">Silver Queen Cafe</a> in Hamilton, where we gorged on crab dip and pizza and pasta and fried chicken.<br />
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Silver Queen was packed, dinner was great, and we remembered that Hamilton is only about 10 minutes from where we live, so we should go there more often. It's good!<br />
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<b>Jack's Bistro with Friends</b><br />
Cooper and I have been to a <i>lot </i>of restaurants, but considering how quickly the food scene in Baltimore is growing, there's just no way we could possibly keep up with every place that's new.<br />
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But you'd think that, by now, we'd have been everywhere that's been around, and well-regarded, for at least a few years. But we haven't. We keep a short list of places we <i>really need to go</i> and, slowly but surely, we're checking them off.<br />
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We are not the only people who keep these lists. So when we coordinated schedules with our friends Rich and Lisa and their friends Doug and Kacey, we also coordinated our "places we haven't been" lists. <br />
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One of the places all of us needed to visit was <a href="http://www.jacksbistro.net/">Jack's Bistro</a> in Canton. Everyone I know loves it and I've always felt a little embarrassed that I hadn't been. I was correct to feel that way. Jack's is fantastic and everyone should go.<br />
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It's tiny and pretty cramped, but in a charming way, and the food is really good and so are the drinks. I had pasta with pesto and duck that I loved so much - and everything on the menu looked excellent.<br />
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So that was one place we got to cross off our list. Of course, now we want to go back.<br />
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<b>La Food Marketa for Tacos</b><br />
In the five years that it's been open, Food Market in Hampden has established itself as one of the very best - and very most reliable - restaurants in Baltimore. It's not a surprise, then, that people were excited to hear that Chad Gauss, the chef/owner of Food Market, had plans to expand. And into the County, no less!<br />
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We visited <a href="http://www.lafoodmarketa.com/#restaurant">La Food Marketa</a>, Gauss's new south-of-the-border-influenced spot in Quarry Lake, about two weeks after it opened. It was a beautiful night and the restaurant was jammed. And it was good!<br />
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The menu is fun, with lots of flavor, and we liked everything we ate. But I <i>really </i>loved the drinks. The spicy, smoky pineapple margarita was absolutely killer. It might not be for everyone, but if, like me, spicy and smoky and pulpy drinks do it for you, you need to try this one.<br />
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<b>Starlite Diner for Brunch</b><br />
The second Shoo-Fly locked it's Belvedere Square doors in May of 2015, locals started speculating about what would take its place. Earlier this year, we got our answer: <a href="http://belvederesquare.com/directory/coming-soon-starlite-diner/">Starlite</a>, a restaurant that promised to hew closer to the "diner" concept than Shoo-Fly did, while still being a little more upscale than your average roadside diner.<br />
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After an interior facelift - which looks great- and a few months to sort out the menu, etc., Starlite opened in late September. On its third day, I headed there for lunch with my friend Bert, who lives in San Diego but happened to be in town, just for a couple days.<br />
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As soon as we walked in, the host, manager and waitress all jumped to introduce themselves to us - and to let us know that since they just opened, we would be receiving 20% off our bill, as a thanks for our patience. Smart, I thought. Very smart.<br />
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Service did take a long time that day; the waitress explained that the kitchen remade my dish, crawfish benedict, because they weren't happy with the first iteration. I don't know what round one looked like, but I was happy with the plate that made it to the table:<br />
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Overall, we liked everything we ate and liked the staff, too. In the couple weeks since then, I've heard mixed reviews from friends who have been, though by and large, it seems that the negatives are things that will get sorted out as the staff - both front of house and kitchen - gains experience.<br />
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And I remain hopeful that the building has found a concept that will stick around for a while.<br />
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<b>Farm to Chef Maryland</b><br />
Toward the end of the month, Cooper and I had the opportunity to go to <a href="http://www.farmtochefmd.com/">Farm to Chef Maryland</a>, a big food event held at the B&O Railroad Museum, benefiting Days of Taste.<br />
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Days of Taste is a program run by the non-profit TasteWise Kids. The goal of Days of Taste is to encourage young kids to appreciate the benefits of fresh food. Since I have a young kid, I know exactly how lofty a goal that is - and also how important.<br />
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Before we got to the event, I already knew that the restaurant community loves it. It's setup as a competition; each participating restaurant is matched with a farm and a panel of judges decides who does the best job on a handful of categories. The restaurant uses ingredients from the farm to create a small bite or a cocktail. Local breweries and wineries are also in attendance, so there are a lot of drink options a <i>lot </i>of food options.<br />
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We tried a ton of good stuff. My favorites included a really nice, simple quesadilla from Nacho Mama's, delicious sausage from Hersh's, a super-interesting take on watermelon from Alma Cocina Latina and this apple and oyster concoction from Conrad's:<br />
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It was a good party, packed with fun food people and I was so busy talking that I hardly took any photos. The oyster was it for the food photos.<br />
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I did, however, also take this one to send to Dixon, after he texted me to complain that the chicken tikka masala I ordered for him was "weird" and "not like the other place." I chose not to take that opportunity to regale him with the wonders of veal parm TV dinners, which is what I ate on babysitter nights when I was a kid.<br />
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I swear. Kids today. (And that's Black Ankle Crumbling Rock in that glass. It is so good. So good.)<br />
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<b>Modern Cook Shop Party</b><br />
Farm to Chef was on a Monday and it kicked off a crazy busy week. On Tuesday, <a href="http://charmcitycook.com/">Amy</a> and I headed down to Fells for a party at <a href="http://moderncookshop.com/">Modern Cook Shop</a>, the new market-restaurant combo from the owners of Fork & Wrench.<br />
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I spent most of our time there trying to subtly scarf down as much charcuterie as possible. There were also oysters, gorgeous scallops and really excellent cocktails. So the food is good. But the space might even be better. I love the market-restaurant concept, especially since the "market" part of it isn't just an afterthought.<br />
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The shelves are stacked with rows of wine, olive oil, condiments and all kinds of useful items, many of which are made locally.<br />
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It makes for a space that's both good-looking and functional. I really liked it.<br />
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<b>8 ball Meatball</b><br />
After the Modern Cook Shop party, Amy and I ambled over to <a href="http://www.8ballmeatball.com/">8 Ball Meatball</a>, the newish meatball shop and bar on Broadway. 8 Ball's concept: it's all about meatballs. You choose your meat, your sauce and any sides you'd like and next thing you know, you've got a plate of meatballs in front of you.<br />
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I took the bartender's advice, pairing the spicy pork meatball with a cream sauce and spinach. Everything was very nice (except my picture, which was awful). Best of all, it was seasoned properly. Just spicy enough, just enough salt.<br />
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<b>The Ambassador for Dixon's 10th</b><br />
At the <i>very</i> end of the month, Dixon turned 10. He's so old.<br />
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It took the three of us a <i>long time</i> to figure out where to eat for his birthday. Where do you go for a kid who's been everywhere, but still won't eat vegetables unless they are stuffed in ravioli or cooked down in some sort of sauce?<br />
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The answer, we decided, was the Ambassador. DRP loves Indian food - he would eat it every night if we let him.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NKPHnVKhMCI/V--8loYwovI/AAAAAAAAGl4/8RP5enT3ijMHxUPsWup6zopgQOEWD_aoACLcB/s1600/ambassador.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NKPHnVKhMCI/V--8loYwovI/AAAAAAAAGl4/8RP5enT3ijMHxUPsWup6zopgQOEWD_aoACLcB/s400/ambassador.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cooper and I hadn't been to the Ambassador for years, but it was just as stately as we remembered. Were we the youngest people in the place? Well, yes, but that doesn't bother me. Our service was lovely and my grilled shrimp was beautifully prepared.<br />
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And that was a wrap for September. So far in October, we've taken things <i>slightly </i>easier (though we did go to <a href="http://www.barclavel.com/">Clavel</a> twice last week). I've even been cooking at home, occasionally. But with new places opening all the time - and our list of old places we haven't been still lurking - how easy can we take it?Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-88132529690388288972016-10-04T17:12:00.001-04:002016-10-04T17:12:33.955-04:00Chef Dali<br />
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How did I not know that Salvador Dali wrote a cookbook? And threw "lavish dinner parties" with his wife, Gala?</div>
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51fFygWBamL._SX374_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51fFygWBamL._SX374_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Well, I know now...and I also know what I want for Christmas. Taschen is publishing Dali's 1973 cookbook, <i>Les Diners de Gala...</i>and I want a copy. It sounds insane and fabulous and exactly like what you'd imagine Salvador Dali's cookbook + 1973 would, could and should be.<br />
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Buy it (for me) <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dal%C3%AD-Diners-Gala-Salvador/dp/3836508761/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475615462&sr=8-1&keywords=dali+cookbook">here</a>.Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-27599636959731408052016-09-16T08:43:00.001-04:002016-09-16T08:45:40.292-04:00Crabby<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-esz1sGDtmXc/V9veF9CvQ7I/AAAAAAAAGkU/uFtg9FMeXtcD6mBgD9mE936MDjS5wlEtACLcB/s1600/crabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-esz1sGDtmXc/V9veF9CvQ7I/AAAAAAAAGkU/uFtg9FMeXtcD6mBgD9mE936MDjS5wlEtACLcB/s640/crabs.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise from top right: Pool crabs from Conrad's; aftermath of crabs in Delaware; XLs from Seaside; Cail helping Erin put up her hair after her hands are messy, while my dad focuses on picking; Missy's birthday crabs at Higgins in OC; the claw meat salad I made, which wasn't as good as Clementine's, but was still pretty good</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Did you read Bill Addison's <a href="http://www.eater.com/2016/9/15/12929848/baltimore-maryland-where-to-eat-crab-crabcakes"> love letter to Maryland crabs</a>, published on Eater yesterday? It's excellent - the kind of article that could only be written by a Maryland native - and really, maybe only by a Maryland native who has spent years away from his home state.<br />
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(Side note shoutout to <i>City Paper</i> writer/NASA engineer/all-around good guy <a href="http://www.citypaper.com/search/dispatcher.front?Query=ryan+detter&target=all&spell=on">Ryan Detter</a> for killing it as Addison's co-pilot.)<br />
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The article dropped during what feels like the end, but is really the middle, of one of the best crab seasons of my adult life. The Bay is healthier, this year, than it has been in years, the crab yield is up and those crabs are good.<br />
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We got a semi-late start on crabs this year, since we were away for most of June. But once we got started, we didn't stop.<br />
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We had crabs from <a href="http://www.conradscrabs.com/">Conrad's</a> at the pool. Crabs for <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2010/05/lilly-cookies-love.html">Missy's</a> birthday at <a href="http://higginscrabhouse.com/">Higgins North</a> in Ocean City. Crabs from a spot in Ocean View at <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2012/05/its-summer-cocktail-time-at-elliotts.html">Jeff and Christine's </a>house in Delaware. <a href="http://www.clementinebaltimore.com/">Winston's</a> claw meat and fennel salad during an awesome dinner at <a href="http://www.starbright-farm.com/">Star Bright Farm</a> (and my own version at home, a couple days later). And crabs from <a href="http://www.theseasiderestaurant.com/">Seaside</a> at my parent's house, with my whole family.<br />
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This, of course, doesn't even include all the crab cakes I've eaten in that time.<br />
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Every crab I've eaten this year has been really good, too. It's hard to pick a favorite batch, but if pressed,I'd give that award to the ones from Seaside. They were huge, heavy and just really great all around. Plus, we ate them on a Saturday afternoon on my parents' screened in porch, after sailing trip up and down the Severn and swimming at my parents' beach. Start to finish, that day was pretty close to perfect. (More wind would've made it better, but you can't change the weather. And we never have any wind when I'm on the boat.)<br />
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That's the thing about crabs. They're so social and for people from Maryland, eating crabs is so often infused with all sorts of blurry memories from childhood and adolescence.<br />
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I've seen a lot of people joke this year that when you're from Maryland, crab pictures on Instagram or Facebook get about as many likes as, say, pictures of newborn babies. It's funny because it's true. And to me, it totally makes sense.<br />
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I don't remember my first crab - I was very young - and we ate crabs all the time when I was a kid and a teenager, so my memories sort of blend together. But they are, overwhelmingly, good ones.<br />
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When you have all sorts of memories and they mesh together, all hazy but happy, isn't that the best? Yes, yes it is. Especially when they're covered in Old Bay.<br />
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(This is a long way of saying you should read that Eater article. It's good.)Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-4946530764124193952016-09-07T21:22:00.002-04:002016-09-07T21:33:30.709-04:00Blog Birthday Retrospective<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HNQo9k-lNQ0/V9C9QIXaaJI/AAAAAAAAGjs/Zy6-n1GM-BwafZB1bySkHkCpvYeiggOOgCLcB/s1600/13133361_10209943776976134_8100045335403712060_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HNQo9k-lNQ0/V9C9QIXaaJI/AAAAAAAAGjs/Zy6-n1GM-BwafZB1bySkHkCpvYeiggOOgCLcB/s320/13133361_10209943776976134_8100045335403712060_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom made me this angel food cake for Mother's Day, but<br />
it's the cake I always had for my birthday as a kid. So it seems<br />
fitting for today...even if it's the blog's birthday, not mine.</td></tr>
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Happy blog birthday to ME! Today is the 11th anniversary of my first post here on Mango & Ginger.<br />
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I will be celebrating this evening with dinner at Parts & Labor and I have spent a little time today reminiscing with myself about everything I've learned and all the opportunities I've had over the past decade-plus-one thanks to this blog.<br />
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In case you don't have time to go back and actually read the thousands of posts in the blog, here's a quick recap of some of the highlights of each year. Navel-gazing, yes. But it's my blog birthday - if I can't do this today, when can I do it?<br />
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<b>2005:</b> In the last few months of 2005, I wrote a lot. I posted crappy food pictures and basic recipes. Wrote about excursions I took (Paris! NYC!). And babbled about how food fits into our lives. It's two of those posts (<a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2005/12/on-fashion-and-food.html">one</a>, <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2005/12/more-on-food-and-fashion.html">two</a>), both about fashion and food, that I love most from that year. They're so typical of how I was thinking about food back then. Back then, when I was only 29!! I was a baby!<br />
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<b>2006:</b> Less than a year into this blog, my posting fell way, way off. Because I was pregnant...and then because I had a little baby. But looking back, what I <i>did </i>write was pretty interesting (to me, anyway). I got into <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2006/01/matisse-un-hedonist.html">art and food</a> and <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2006/03/harry-potter-and-fabulous-food.html">Harry Potter and food</a> (way before the books were over!) and the <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2006/06/in-praise-of-regionalism.html">importance of regionalism in food</a> (a subject I've revisited often). Also, apparently 2006 is the year I learned that scrapple is a regional food. I thought that was just something I always knew! Apparently not!<br />
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<b>2007:</b> Blogging was light again in 2007, as I juggled work, tiny baby Dixon and a massive home renovation, including a brand new kitchen. But when I did write, I was all kinds of philosophical. This is the year I started getting interested in happiness research and began exploring <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2007/05/not-explicitly-about-food-but.html">how happiness relates to food</a>. Nine years on, that's still one of my favorite subjects. It's also when I started <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2007/07/backlash-is-coming.html">getting bored with "foodie" culture</a>, which is also, something that has persisted.<br />
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<b>2008:</b> In 2008, I made a commitment to myself to post every weekday. And I did. Sometimes more than once. I wrote <i>a lot. </i>Not always strictly about food - there was a lot of "other stuff I love" that year, mostly about art or design. I wrote a lot that year about <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2008/01/wire-is-back-but-do-they-ever-eat.html">pop culture</a> and <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2008/03/top-chef-recap-episode-one-anything-you.html">celebrity chef/TV chef culture</a> (something I am not really interested in at all anymore), but it's also when I really started to think about <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2008/01/whats-wrong-with-baltimore-food-scene.html">the food scene here in Baltimore</a> and I started casually reviewing restaurants (here on the blog). Also that year: I started drinking rose, I learned a <i>ton </i>about food and I made less money working than any other year since I started freelancing. I think those things are all related.<br />
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<b>2009: </b>In 2009, I was writing for <a href="http://www.houzz.com/">Houzz</a>, so a lot of my posts here ended up being about dining rooms and tables. That year, I also started writing for <a href="http://vpostrel.com/deep-glamour">Deep Glamour</a>, so I was looking at pretty much everything through the lens of glamour, which is really a very interesting way to view the world. But if I had to pick one theme for the blog that year, it would be parties. I wrote so much about <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2009/01/entertaining-friday-remembrance-of.html">parties and drinks and wine</a>. Still, obviously, some of my favorite topics.<br />
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<b>2010:</b> Looking back, 2010 was a banner year. Parties, cocktails and decor remained top blog themes, with a splash of fashion thrown in. This was also the year I really started to <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2010/02/grand-diplome-cooking-course-project.html">get into vintage cookbooks</a>, which I still love. Our friends hit a lot of major milestones (Kyle and Mary got married, Mike and Alicia's daughter Maggie was born,<a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2010/09/volcanoes-army-guys-superheroes.html"> Alicia and Dixon collaborated</a> on their first birthday cake, the entire Kelly family <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2010/07/hot-dog-heaven-judging-meat-in-casing.html">threw the first major throwdown</a>.) We started to go to <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2010/08/last-nights-dinner-more-loire-valley-at.html">Dogwood wine dinners</a>. It's also the year that <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2010/02/great-waiters-small-worlds.html">I "met," via the old Elizabeth Large blog on the Sun website, the son of my parents' favorite waiter ever</a>. Around that time, I started to really understand my family's food and restaurant culture. When I first started blogging, I didn't think we had one. I was wrong. Very wrong, in fact. We had/have a fairly strong culture, really, all built around the Chesapeake, restaurant dining and casual parties. And I'm pretty lucky for that.<br />
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<b>2011:</b> Two big - really big - things happened to our family in 2011. First, <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2011/03/smokercaja-china.html">we got a smoker</a>. That was a game-changer. And second, I got a phone call from Sam Sessa, asking me to write a <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2011/09/cheap-weekend-eating-in-sun.html">"cheap eats" piece for the <i>Sun's </i>Weekend LIVE section</a>. Then I got another call from him asking me to review a restaurant. Next thing you know, I spent the next four years - until last fall - reviewing. Again, big.<br />
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<b>2012: </b><a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-years-resolutions-2012.html">My New Year's resolution in 2012</a> was, "More mascara, more parties." And wow, did I stick to that. I'm happy to report that I'm still in the habit of wearing mascara when I leave the house (it keeps me from looking like a corpse). But really, it was the party thing that I most successfully fulfilled. We had so many parties that year, I can't even count them all. And when we weren't having parties, I was experimenting with cocktails. I tested a lot of recipes that year, too. And I gave a <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2012/11/late-night-at-bma_20.html">talk about food and art</a> at the BMA. Also, this is also when we probably reached <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2012/04/local-global-pendulum-and-rise-of.html">Peak Southern Cuisine</a>. But really, when I think back on 2012, I think of the parties. Man, that year was fun.<br />
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<b>2013: </b><a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2013/08/waskineau.html">My sister got married in 2013</a> and we, once again, went to or hosted a ton of parties. That year, we also had a <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-dos-donts-of-keuka-lake-wine-tasting.html">fun wine-tasting trip to Keuka Lake</a>, spent a weekend <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2013/06/nyc-recap.html">eating our way through Manhattan</a>, and hosted <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2013/08/party-flashback-kyle-marys-anniversary.html">one of my very favorite Pollard house dinners ever</a>, celebrating Kyle and Mary's third wedding anniversary. I got to write a <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2013/05/old-school-crab-recipes.html">series about crabs for the <i>Sun</i></a> and, as a result, I spent a whole lot of time thinking about <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2013/05/roots.html">my personal culinary roots</a>, continuing the train of thought that began in 2010. So we did a lot in 2013 and I was very busy. Maybe that's why the blog doesn't seem to have one overarching theme. I was constantly trying to play catch-up and trying to remember to record the stuff I was doing in my real life.<br />
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<b>2014:</b> In 2014, I semi-fixed the "forgetting to post it" problem from 2013, by writing a ton of <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2014/06/things-we-did-and-ate-in-may.html">summary posts</a> rounding up stuff I'd done over the previous week or month. It was a solid year, including a short but killer <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2014/04/paris-recap-day-one.html">trip to Paris</a>, <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2014/06/anniversary-celebrating.html">our tenth wedding anniversary</a>, our first <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2014/03/fake-st-patricks-day-recap.html">fundraising Fake St. Patrick's Day</a> party, and an unbelievably wild <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2014/12/recap-mock-thanksgiving-2014.html">Mock Thanksgiving party</a> (our 12th). It's also the year I first <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2014/09/last-nights-dinner-woodberry-kitchen-at.html">learned about how Baltimore's chefs work together to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation</a>, and when I started to get really excited about the way the city's chefs work together and the tight community they've formed. Have I mentioned that I love this city and the food people in it? I really do.<br />
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<b>2015:</b> In 2015, Cooper and I turned 40. As did <i>many</i> of our friends. Which means the year was pretty much one long party - there were <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2015/01/birthdays-birthdays-birthdays.html">these fall/winter trips and parties</a> and <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2015/02/old-friends-good-food.html">this party in the snow</a> and <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2015/06/i-went-to-see-taylor-swift-in.html">this trip to Philly to see Swifty</a> and an Alicia-themed Keuka trip I didn't even blog about and <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2015/08/august-so-far.html">these August parties</a> and <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2016/01/closing-out-2015-stuff-i-loved-at-end.html">this wine tasting excursion</a> and, finally, after everything else, <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2016/01/closing-out-2015-stuff-i-loved-at-end.html">our massive Clementine-catered blowout at Church & Company followed by a good old-fashioned McGarvey's meet-up and bar crawl</a>. It was intense, to say the least.<br />
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<b>2016:</b> I started out this year with a desire to shine a light on all the cool things happening in and around Baltimore. Unfortunately, too much regular work has thrown me off my posting schedule and focus. But I have had some great experiences, including a vacation-filled summer that started at Keuka Lake, then took us to Ireland, Scotland, to the Delaware beaches and back to Keuka. (Not that I've written much about any of that!) Even with the travel, <a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2016/03/culture-shopping-findings-from-field.html">my favorite post of this year</a> was something close to home - a roundup of what I learned from the <i>Sun</i> series I wrote about international grocery stores. And the year isn't over yet, of course.<br />
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Whew. It's been a good run, so far. In the moment, I always feel so busy, but when I look back, it's clear that though my to-do list might be long, it's stacked with incredible parties, memorable meals and event after event that puts me in contact with some of the greatest people around.<br />
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This little trip down memory lane has been a great reminder that I have wonderful friends, both in and out of the food world, and that I am lucky, lucky, lucky to have the opportunity to write about food, especially at this time and in this awesome, dynamic city.Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-30505677369765812792016-08-25T12:01:00.000-04:002016-08-25T12:01:23.644-04:00Gifted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cooper mentioned to me this morning that I have been on the receiving end of a whole lot of gifts lately. He's right.</div>
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For starters, last week, Alicia brought over a bunch of vintage cookbooks she got from Mike's family. They're amazing:</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sIWyrlW9GBg/V77eLULIxGI/AAAAAAAAGjA/1DxiEktv-0AXJjApg_Y5PA1W5KADE16pgCLcB/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sIWyrlW9GBg/V77eLULIxGI/AAAAAAAAGjA/1DxiEktv-0AXJjApg_Y5PA1W5KADE16pgCLcB/s640/books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A whole cookbook dedicated to deviled ham recipes? SIGN ME UP. </div>
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The Calvert Party Encyclopedia is also especially fabulous. It's mostly drink recipes, like the "One Exciting Night," which is a combo of gin, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth and OJ...and sounds like one hungover morning to me. </div>
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It also has suggestions for party themes, some games, and a small section dedicated to party food, including delicacies like Bologna Boats: "Place American cheese on slices of bologna. Heat in broiler until bologna curls. Serve with crackers." Then watch your friends never, ever come to your house again.</div>
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The copywrite date on that book is 1964. Amazing.</div>
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Cooper has also surprised me with a gift or two, including a Wicomico County Board of Education Christmas cookbook from 1981 and this little treat, which he picked up at an auction:</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6hLpgeVYe74/V77eLDem5XI/AAAAAAAAGi8/Qh8zHPe9jWEYVGqiba6pcCWF73FQWT4sQCLcB/s1600/crab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6hLpgeVYe74/V77eLDem5XI/AAAAAAAAGi8/Qh8zHPe9jWEYVGqiba6pcCWF73FQWT4sQCLcB/s640/crab.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Isn't she adorable? (It <i>is</i> a she, too. There's a lady apron.)</div>
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These are my favorite kind of gifts: things that are totally cool and that completely align with my interests...and that were complete surprises.</div>
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Thanks, Alicia and Cooper!!</div>
Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-72880830756892833142016-08-03T09:12:00.002-04:002016-08-03T09:12:42.678-04:00To Read: Oysters, Bloodies, Bourbon<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kM7cXRrrClk/V6HoViEAOhI/AAAAAAAAGiY/ke2TQAvtVX8nuUvDw-0vufWWYUVUWEqGgCLcB/s1600/IMG_9990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kM7cXRrrClk/V6HoViEAOhI/AAAAAAAAGiY/ke2TQAvtVX8nuUvDw-0vufWWYUVUWEqGgCLcB/s320/IMG_9990.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a few of the oysters we ate in Ireland.</td></tr>
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Busy times chez Pollard - the combination of work and no school tends to make things hectic around these parts. Hence, no post last week.<br />
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I have been doing some reading and writing, though. So here are a few things you might enjoy:<br />
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It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I very much enjoyed researching and writing <a href="http://www.baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/9-tips-enjoying-oysters-baltimores-bivalve-experts/">this article tied to National Oyster Day</a>. I spoke with some of Baltimore's best oyster people about how to get the most enjoyment out of eating oysters. It made me hungry.<br />
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Speaking of oysters, one of the things I learned from <a href="http://punchdrink.com/articles/how-the-bloody-mary-lost-its-mind-drink-history/">this article about Bloody Marys</a> is that the drink's predecessor was, essentially, a supersized, warm oyster shooter. As much as I love oysters - and Bloodies - even just typing that makes my stomach turn. The article overall is fantastic, tracing the drink from those humble (blech) origins through the prep years, to the DIY bar years and, finally, ending up with today's how-many-ingredients-can-we-stick-on-a-skewer years.<br />
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I haven't been a huge bourbon drinking since college (largely because I <i>was </i>a huge bourbon drinker in college), but I can't resist stories about the history of the spirit. They're just so...American. Right now, I'm totally taken with what the crew behind Jefferson's Bourbon is doing with their "Fantastic Voyage." The bourbon was made this past January then barreled for 6 months. When that time was up, it was placed on a raft in Kentucky and shipped off down the Mississippi, bound for New Orleans.<br />
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As <a href="https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog/2016/07/28/on-the-river-with-jeffersons-journey/">this Alcohol Professor article explains</a>, the journey is designed to mimic the path bourbon barrels followed over a century ago. It'll be interesting to see how the travels impact the bourbon's flavor.<br />
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(As an aside, with a name like Jefferson's Bourbon, how couldn't I like this? When it comes to all things booze and food and <a href="http://www.wm.edu/about/history/tjcollege/">college</a>-related, TJ was the best. He made great choices.)Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-15988300446990392942016-07-22T09:42:00.000-04:002016-07-22T09:42:01.980-04:00Global Is the New Black<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ei88MLmLL4A/V5IRUTAeLBI/AAAAAAAAGiA/MGj8iWQyiHMjfahoe8RYuGmN2P09hRkqgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ei88MLmLL4A/V5IRUTAeLBI/AAAAAAAAGiA/MGj8iWQyiHMjfahoe8RYuGmN2P09hRkqgCLcB/s320/IMG_0239.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's more global than candy sushi made by my friends' kids?</td></tr>
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Restaurant menu trends come and go, though for the past few years, Baltimore has been on a pretty significant Southern Flavors/Regional American kick.<br />
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Over the past month or so, though, I've noticed a slight shift away from strictly American influences to a more global approach to cuisine.<br />
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I'm not talking about a largely American dish with, say, harissa worked into the mix. What's happening now is less subtle than that. It's not about fusion - it's about whole dishes drawn from specific cuisines. And multiple cuisines being represented on one menu.<br />
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At <a href="http://eatatgunther.com/">Gunther and Co</a>., we ate duck lumpia and a Thai hot pot - both Asian dishes with specific flavor profiles, included on a menu that also had ravioli and a truly impressive selection of oysters.<br />
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Last night, at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Elephant-1551900771723250/">The Elephant</a> - which is in its pre-opening week and is <i>gorgeous</i> - we saw wide bowls of ramen at one table and a lamb tagine for two at another.<br />
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If I was going to write a college paper about this trend, I'd posit that because we are living in such <i>interesting</i> times - times of global turmoil, if you want to be more dramatic about it - chefs are gravitating to more classic interpretations of dishes. Global is interesting, but the straightforward approach is familiar and comforting.<br />
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And if I <i>was </i>writing that paper, I'm sure I'd find a way to tie in the <a href="http://nypost.com/2016/07/06/suck-it-hipsters-fine-dining-is-back/"><i>NY Post's</i> recent article</a> about the return of fine dining. Grown-up restaurants embracing a more serious approach to dining out - it also fits with the "in times of turmoil we seek stability" theory.<br />
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This theory was the backbone of about half of my art history papers on college. And, of course, food is the new art.<br />
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<a href="http://mangoandginger.blogspot.com/2009/01/artsy-wednesday-from-altar-to-easel-to.html">If I do say so myself.</a>Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-76152413866729431902016-07-12T23:03:00.000-04:002016-07-12T23:11:02.863-04:00Ireland Adventures Part 1: The Whiskey<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>As I was a-goin' over Gilgarra Mountain</i></div>
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<i>I spied Colonel Farrell, and his money he was countin'.</i></div>
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<i>First I drew my pistols and then I drew my rapier,</i></div>
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<i>Sayin' "Stand and deliver, for I am your bold receiver."</i></div>
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<i>Musha ringum duram da,</i></div>
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<i>Whack fol the daddy-o,</i></div>
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<i><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey_in_the_Jar">There's whiskey in the jar.</a></b></i></div>
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We've been back from Ireland for about a week and a half now, which has given me a little time to collect my thoughts about the trip. It was, start to finish, incredible - and as it was such an amazing and densely packed adventure, when it comes to writing about it, I had trouble figuring out where to start.<br />
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Ultimately, I decided to start at the end - not of the trip, but at the traditional end of the meal. With whiskey.<br />
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*****</div>
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Early on in the planning stages of this trip, when we were tossing around different ideas about how we might spend our days in Ireland, Cooper mentioned that he'd really like to spend some time learning the story behind Irish whiskey.<br />
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As it turns out, there are not a whole lot of whiskey distilleries in Ireland. I was under the impression that the Irish, like the Scots, are distilling all over the place. Not so. Though we learned in our travels that craft distilling is on the rise, as of right now, there are only about a dozen whiskey distilleries operating in Ireland.<br />
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There's only one distillery, actually, that exists within the Dublin city limits: <a href="http://teelingwhiskey.com/age-check/">Teeling Whiskey Co</a>.<br />
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Teeling was the first place that made it on to our list; it's what Cooper drinks at home (we buy it at <a href="http://www.wellswine.com/">Wells</a>) and he absolutely loves it. The two of us visited Teeling's early in the trip - our first Monday - with Cooper's parents and Dixon in tow.<br />
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It's a fairly new distillery, though the family behind it has been in the whiskey business for generations (since 1782). The location - in the Liberties, not far from Guinness - was, long ago, where all the Dublin distilleries operated. But following a <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dublin-whiskey-fire">massive fire</a> (with a gross side-story) in the late 19th century, and a variety of technological and economic fallbacks (including the impact of Prohibition on the international whiskey trade), one by one, Dublin's distilleries - and distilleries throughout Ireland - closed.<br />
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We learned quite a bit about the history of distilling in Dublin and throughout the country during our tour of Teelings, which is historic and imposing from the outside but sparkling and modern inside. The tour included both a broad history lesson and instruction on how whiskey is made, with an up close look at the company's stills - three in all, to triple-distill the booze, each one bearing the name of one of Teeling's owner's daughters.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our time at Teelings, from our look at the stills to the tasting to signing the tasting room wall and lounging in the bar.</i></td></tr>
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After the tour, we did a quick tasting, trying one of the company's whiskeys (one that is not currently produced on-site, as they've only been open in Dublin for a year and it takes longer than that to age whiskey). We were also served a whiskey and aperol cocktail, called the <a href="https://teelingwhiskey.com/2015/04/hand-crafted-teeling-whiskey-cocktails/">Mo Chara</a>, that was delightful. I will definitely be making it at home.<br />
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On a two-week trip, one distillery was not enough, but three or four might be too many. Though the Jameson and Tullamore tours are, by all accounts, very good, we skipped both in favor of <a href="http://www.kilbegganwhiskey.com/agecheck?ReturnUrl=%2F">Kilbeggan</a>, a smaller, older brand now owned by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooley_Distillery">Cooley</a> (which is actually owned by Beam and which - because everything is incestuous - used to belong to the Teeling family).<br />
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The trip to Kilbeggan was recommended by Baltimore bartender Ryan Sparks, who I got to chatting with one afternoon last spring while he was behind the bar at <a href="http://bookmakersbaltimore.com/">Bookmakers</a> in Federal Hill. I asked where he'd recommend we go and he suggested Kilbeggan, saying it is a cool experience for anyone interested in the history of whiskey making.<br />
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He was so right. Founded in 1757, Kilbeggan is the oldest distillery in Ireland and though only a tiny bit of whiskey is made on the premises today (most Kilbeggan whiskey is made elsewhere), the space is lovingly preserved and offers a fascinating glimpse at how whiskey was made in the mid-18th century.<br />
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We're talking water wheel, massive wooden barrels, a room for coopering (!), and the oldest working pot still in use in Ireland today; it dates back to the early 19th century.<br />
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*****</div>
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We drove up to Kilbeggan with Alicia, Mike, Stacy and her dad on our first Thursday morning; it was a little over an hour north of where we were staying (an hour on narrow roads that give new meaning to the word "harrowing").<br />
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When we arrived, we had a little time to kill before our tour, so we grabbed coffee in a small coffee shop next to the distillery. Turns out, it was both a coffee and chocolate shop and it was owned by the distillery; there was a big vat of chocolate in production right in the middle of the shop and everything smelled glorious.<br />
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*****</div>
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Thanks to the coffee and chocolate aroma, we were all in good spirits when we entered Kilbeggan - and the tour did nothing but lift our moods. Not only was the space extremely cool, our tour guide, Tracy, was incredibly knowledgeable.<br />
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It ended up being a private tour - just the six of us - and she took her time, answering our questions about the history of the place, the distilling process and also about the nature of the whiskey business in Ireland as a whole. She knew her stuff and was super engaging.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EiUlAVM1nqc/V4TldtBuwYI/AAAAAAAAGhw/_Mpxtwqm9Q4OSFqKUz9QuIlWmxEVj337wCLcB/s1600/kilbeggan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EiUlAVM1nqc/V4TldtBuwYI/AAAAAAAAGhw/_Mpxtwqm9Q4OSFqKUz9QuIlWmxEVj337wCLcB/s640/kilbeggan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kilbeggan, inside and out, was a beautiful historic spot.</i></td></tr>
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Like the Teelings tour, the Kilbeggan tour ended with a tasting; this time, we tried three different whiskeys produced by Kilbeggan. My favorite, the 8-year single grain, made under the Kilbeggan label (as opposed to Locke's or Connemara), was the sweetest of the bunch.<br />
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*****</div>
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Between the two tours, Cooper and I picked up a ton of knowledge about the history and mechanics behind Irish whiskey. And of course, the more you know, the better the stuff tastes.<br />
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Food and drink, I think, are the best way to study a culture; if you understand what people eat and why, it's not so difficult to understand who they are. The story of Irish whiskey production is a mishmash of fighting and passion and technology and law.<br />
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We certainly didn't hear about all the details on our journeys...but what we did learn was fascinating. It's a great reminder that in every sip, there's a whole lot of story.<br />
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<br />Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-21707661423294283402016-06-27T07:41:00.001-04:002016-08-08T09:53:14.697-04:00Observations from AbroadWe have just started the second half of a 2-week trip to Ireland and Scotland - right now I'm in the Edinburgh airport, after a weekend in the city, about to head back to Athy, Ireland, which has been out home base.<br />
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I'm on my phone, which is not super conducive to blogging, but I did want to share a couple quick observations about food in these countries.</div>
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First, the whole Irish love potatoes thing...it's more real than I even imagined. Sides of chips or mashed potatoes come with everything. Even some dishes that already include potatoes.</div>
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That's why I'm sorry to say that to me, Scottish chips are better than Irish. They're somewhat skinnier and seem to have spent more time in the fryer. We've had some really good ones.</div>
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Speaking of Scotland, I am an unabashed fan of haggis - I'm such a scrapple girl that of course I love its Scottish cousin.<br />
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What I didn't expect in Scotland, though, was the best Indian food I've eaten. It makes sense - the Empire and all - but I was pleasantly surprised, anyway, to find that Mother India's, where we went on the recommendation of our AirBNB host, was outrageously good.<br />
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Finally, another big surprise: the Irish have figured out how to always - ALWAYS - serve food steaming hot. It's kind of fascinating.</div>
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More on all of this when I return!</div>
Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-49062666787307567522016-06-16T22:50:00.004-04:002016-06-17T07:45:05.887-04:00Food in JuneWe are<i> just about </i>to head out of town on a pretty great trip (Ireland!) - and while I probably should've spent the last two weeks packing, instead, I spent it eating. It's been great.<br />
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Here's what I've been up to:<br />
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On one gorgeous Thursday night, Cooper and I went to <b><a href="http://www.lordbaltimorehotel.com/dining-en.html">The French Kitchen</a>, at the Lord Baltimore Hotel</b>, to check out their new spring/summer menu. We especially liked the fried green tomato starter, which had a spicy remoulade that was excellent. Shrimp and corn bisque, crab cakes (very traditional! In a good way!) and wild rockfish served with stewed tomatoes were other high points.<br />
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The French Kitchen's space, with its high ceilings and Eiffel Tower centerpiece, is a fun interpretation of fancy. But the hotel's real star attraction is the rooftop bar, <b>LB Skybar</b>. It has a killer view and we had a couple very nice cocktails. The weather was gorgeous and I left thinking that if I still worked nearby, I'd be up there every night.<br />
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The Brewer's Hill area is just blowing up lately. Last week, I went to a fun media preview at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gnoccobaltimore/info/?tab=overview"><b>Gnocco</b></a>, the new spot from Brian Lavin, formerly of Salt and Fork and Wrench. The food - Mediterranean - was excellent and the space is super cute.<br />
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And I was especially happy to see that Gilles, who worked with the chef at Salt, will be working the front of house. He's great - that he's a part of the team definitely bodes well for service!<br />
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Gnocco officially opens next week. Everyone should go!<br />
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<b><a href="http://eatatgunther.com/">Gunther + Co.</a></b> is another recent opening, right around the corner from Gnocco. It's been open for close to a month now. We went about two weeks after it opened and already, both the service and food was in great shape.<br />
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We were especially impressed by the service; our waiter knew the menu backwards and forwards. The food was very good, too - the duck confit lumpia was probably my favorite dish - and the space is gorgeous. It's a great spot for drinks and oysters - both menus are solid - or for a full meal.<br />
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With so many places opening all the time, it's often tough to revisit restaurants, even if they're always good. Like <a href="http://www.woodberrykitchen.com/"><b>Woodberry</b></a>. I love it and don't go nearly enough.<br />
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This past weekend, I found myself there for brunch with a bunch of other moms. It was the kind of meal that is so fun to attend but, I'm sure, a nightmare to handle from a service end because everyone is so chatty, it takes a million years to turn the table.<br />
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But it <i>was </i>really fun - and a great reminder that Woodberry just gets it right. My meal was straightforward - a bloody mary that was exactly the right amount of spicy and a perfectly, <i>perfectly </i>seasoned asparagus and goat cheese flatbread. Just great all around. I should go there more, especially now that it's nice out, so the patio is open.<br />
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Finally, and <i>also </i>last weekend, Cooper and I attended <b><a href="http://feastivalbaltimore.com/">Feastival</a></b>, an afternoon on the harbor, with food from some awesome restaurants, all benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Maryland.<br />
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The cause is such a good one and it warms my heart to see how the city's chefs rally behind it. It is also super fun. The day was a little breezy, but sunny, and Cooper and I arrived right when the party started so we could make the most of our time there.<br />
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Here's what I remember eating: tacos from <b>Clavel</b>, shrimp with pineapple foam from <b>The Food Market</b>, oysters from <b>Loch Bar</b>, salmon sashimi from <b>Azumi</b>, a spicy banh mi from <b>Gunther + Co</b>., sticky and sweet sesame wings from <b>Hersh's</b>, a gorgeous gruyere gougere from <b>Colette </b>(OK, three of them - they were so good), sausage and peppers from <b>Wit + Wisdom</b>, squid ink pasta from <b>Aggio</b> and raw carrot cake from <b>Encantada</b>.<br />
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I'm sure I'm leaving someone out, too! Everything was good (for real), but those gougeres...I could've eaten about forty of them and still gone back for more.<br />
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I washed everything down with an herbaceous vodka lemonade that was ideal for outdoor day drinking. It would have been easy to have about forty of those, too.<br />
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This actually isn't even everything. We've also had some fun pool cookouts and last night, we went to an amazing dinner at <b><a href="http://www.boordy.com/">Boordy Vineyard</a></b>, catered by <b><a href="http://www.thefoodmarketbaltimore.com/dinner/">The Food Market</a></b> and featuring their new line of wines, <b><a href="http://www.sweetlandcellars.com/">Sweetland Cellars</a></b>. More to come on that - the drinks, the food and the space all blew me away and I remembered just how much I love it up there.<br />
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It's been a good month so far, no doubt. Good...and full!Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-59863536599791114332016-06-10T10:51:00.001-04:002016-06-10T10:51:25.695-04:00Pool Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love pool season. When I was little, it meant long days, starting with early morning swim team and ending much, much later, at the pond in <a href="http://www.benoaks.com/">Ben Oaks</a>, where I grew up. My parents would sit underneath a big willow tree (which is, sadly, no longer), drinking beer and hanging out with their friends. It was pretty great - for me and for them.<br />
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When I was teenager, I was the lifeguard there and I spent my days off laying out on the little strip of land that separates the pond from the Severn River - always on my stomach, trying to even out my tan. (Or, rather, "tan." I am pasty or pink, but never quite golden.)<br />
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As an adult, I miss Ben Oaks, but the Stoneleigh Pool - even though it's not next to the river - meets all of my summertime social needs. We log a lot of evening hours there in the summertime. It's a good time.<br />
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Since there's a very strict no-glass rule at the pool, summertime, for us, is all about plastic and cans. This year, that means lots of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjeieOR2p3NAhUCPz4KHYbsCeIQFggeMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabattus.com%2Fbeer%2Flabatt-blue-light-lime%2F&usg=AFQjCNHjj_RySxv9372CUq3v1B83Veoe6w&sig2=9feCok3sI3S142vxyS6J_w&bvm=bv.124088155,d.cWw">LBLL's</a> (schlepped back from Keuka Lake), <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjX-rya2p3NAhUC8j4KHc_mBJQQFggcMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.leinie.com%2Fbeers%2Fgrapefruit-shandy&usg=AFQjCNFFhGqPd9ArFjQN2XUtAyWybW8Tzw&sig2=bD88T4WSJA-Eg38A6dmflA&bvm=bv.124088155,d.cWw">Leinenkugel grapefruit shandies</a> (finally, this year, available in cans), and <a href="http://www.unioncraftbrewing.com/project/old-pro-gose/">Union Craft Old Pro</a> (how can you resist that can?).<br />
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I've also developed a recent obsession with the salsa and guacamole made by the people who work at our local Giant. They are <i>so good - </i>especially the salsa, which is very slightly spicy and just a little bit sweet. I eat an embarrassing amount of it when I'm home alone.<br />
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But that's what summer is all about, right? Eating salsa instead of dinner and drinking citrusy beers while your kid wears himself out messing around with friends in the pool.<br />
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Now, if school would just end, we'd really be in business.Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-31637996656063539332016-06-03T07:11:00.002-04:002016-06-03T12:08:11.183-04:00Spring 2016 RecapNow that Memorial Day has come and gone and everyone at my house is 100% over school (despite the fact that school itself is not actually over), it's time for a big, long recap of all the things I've neglected to write about over the past couple months.<br />
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So here it is: the parties and drinks and meals that made Spring 2016 fun (but that haven't made it onto the blog until now):<br />
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Way back in March, I helped my brother and sister throw <b>a 70th birthday party for my dad</b>. We ate oysters and Boston cream pie and drank a ginomrous bottle of French wine. We decorated my parents' screened in porch with old photos (my sister's idea) and about 10 million of those poms you have to manually fluff.<br />
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We also, at the last minute, thought it would be fun to have a photographer come to take some family photos. <a href="http://www.rachelrockphotography.com/">Rachel Rock</a> came to the house and took some awesome pictures of all of us - and she was very fun while she did it. Most of the pictures below are hers:<br />
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Also back in March, Cooper and I went to <b>Cellar Sessions</b>, <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/o/cellar-sessions-at-wit-amp-wisdom-8552987731">a wine class with Wit + Wisdom's sommelier Julie Dalton</a>. She is so smart and good at her job.<br />
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The class was no joke - she walked us through how to blind taste wines like a sommelier. Walking into the class, we both thought we knew some things about wine - this was not the first tasting class we've taken. But it was definitely the most intense in terms of knowledge. As a result, Cooper's wine vocabulary and ability to pinpoint specific aromas and flavors has increased significantly. (I still mostly smell fruit and booze when I stick my nose in a glass...his palate continues to put mine to shame.)<br />
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In April, I was a judge at the <a href="http://www.tasteofpikesville.com/"><b>Taste of Pikesville</b></a>, which was hectic and fun and full of surprises, like an excellent bread pudding from <a href="https://futurecare.com/">FutureCare,</a> pretty sushi from Wegmans and a smorgasboard of Uzbek specialties from the guys I love at <a href="http://silkroadbistro.com/">Silk Road</a>.<br />
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I also left with this gorgeous collection of chocolates from <a href="http://www.raimondisflorist.com/baltimore-flowers/perfect-birthday-gift-bouquet-391061p.asp?rcid=84&point=1">Raimondi's</a>. They tasted even better than they looked.<br />
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After a couple years of not being able to make it for one reason or another, Cooper and Dixon and I finally made it to <a href="http://theemporiyum.com/"><b>The Emporiyum</b></a>, the big, roving food festival.<br />
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I spent the first few minutes feeling totally overwhelmed, but once I got acclimated, I loved every second of of the experience. Some of my favorite food people were there, like the crew from <a href="http://www.barclavel.com/">Clavel</a> and Nick from <a href="http://www.thelocaloyster.com/">The Local Oyster</a>, and I had my first taste of an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EkibenBaltimore/">Ekiben</a> steam bun. It totally lived up to the hype. And there was a lot of hype.<br />
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One sunny Saturday afternoon, Cooper and Dixon and I drove up to <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/John-Brown-General-and-Butchery-327031224134383/?fref=ts">John Brown General and Butchery</a></b>, which met all of my very high expectations. Not only is the place adorable, it's also filled with incredible meat, cheese, wine and other things I didn't even know I needed in my life, like a fistful of ramps (later grilled) and a plastic tub of creamy fresh ricotta.<br />
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One quiet Monday night, after a hellish day of writing, I had <b>drinks with <a href="http://charmcitycook.com/">Charm City Cook</a></b> <b>at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WC-Harlan-400230510066048/">WC Harlan</a></b>, followed by queso fundido (and more drinks) at Clavel. It was my first trip to WC Harlan, which was, as I expected, very cool and the drinks were thoughtful and creative and completely delicious.<br />
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The whole experience improved my day (and week) considerably. "Monday night drinks" sounds risky, but in this case, it was nothing but smart.<br />
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One good way to justify Sunday afternoon drinks and apps is to present it in class form. That's how I found myself drinking and eating my way through an afternoon at <a href="http://bookmakersbaltimore.com/">Bookmakers</a> (again with Charm City Cook). CCC and behind-the-bar master Ryan Sparks teamed up for an <b>Instagram class</b> that genuinely helped me with my crappy picture-taking skills.<br />
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Also, it helped me enjoy my Sunday. Because, how couldn't I?<br />
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Baltimore's food scene has been exploding over the past couple years - and that's especially noticeable right in the middle of the city, near Hampden/Remington/Clipper Mill, where new restaurants and food-centric mixed use real estate projects are popping up every day.<br />
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<b>I checked out one of those developments</b>, <a href="http://www.whitehallmillbaltimore.com/">Whitehall Mill</a>, during a fun event organized by Baltimore magazine and CCC (she gets around). Whitehall Mill will include a pretty massive food hall <i>and </i>a restaurant, which is great news for anyone who likes to eat.<br />
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At the end of April, I <b>met college friends in New York</b> and had brunch at <a href="http://www.hudsonclearwater.com/">Hudson Clearwater</a> and drinks at <a href="http://www.grandbanks.org/">Grand Banks</a> (it's a bar on a sailboat!) and dinner at <a href="http://greenwichprojectnyc.com/">The Greenwich Project</a>.<br />
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The weather was gorgeous, we drank a boatload of rose and prosecco, and it was so much fun. We hadn't all been together in twenty years, so the weekend could have, theoretically, been awkward. It wasn't. It was great.<br />
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Also, I want to give a special shoutout to the staff at The Greenwich Project.There was a seating mixup while we were there - something annoying but that could've been fixed with a single round of drinks. Instead, they bought <i>all </i>of our drinks and dessert - and encouraged us to keep ordering more. They went above and beyond to make sure we had a good time. So we did.<br />
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In mid-May, I went to <b><a href="http://www.blackeyedsusanday.com/">Black-Eyed Susan Day</a></b>, where we ran into <a href="http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2014/9/the-tie-life">Bowtie Bob</a>, did not win any money, <a href="http://xgames.espn.go.com/xgames/gallery/15680353/image/14/when-big-screen-was-heavy">had our picture taken by an ESPN photographer</a>, and were reminded that hats can seriously impede peripheral vision. Also, they make my head hot. But they're so cute!<br />
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Black-Eyed Susan Day, the day of races before Preakness, is billed as a ladies' day (though there are lots of guys there, too). Mostly, it's known as a more manageable, more grown-up Preakness for locals. There's still some great people-watching, but BESD does not involve the sort of infield antics that Preakness is known for. It's a good time!<br />
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Finally, we spent <b>Memorial Day on Keuka Lake with Mike, Alicia and Maggie</b>, watching Dixon learn to SUP while eating and drinking our faces off - including a trip to <a href="http://www.mcgregorwinery.com/">McGregor</a> (my favorite Keuka winery) and <i>two </i>trips to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Olney-Place-on-Keuka-321370412832/?pnref=lhc">The Olney Place</a>, where <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cidercreekhardcider/">Cider Creek's Cran-Mango Saison</a> became my new favorite thing.<br />
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This isn't it, of course. There have been little girls' birthday parties and back porch dinners and a mother-son Oriole's game and two museum-heavy DC visits and a whole bunch of other fun things. It's been a great spring...and all signs are pointing to a summer that's just as eventful.Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16472222.post-73035403800328871122016-05-26T12:43:00.004-04:002016-05-26T12:43:31.520-04:00Trendy: Black SaltI'm doing some writing and just realized this: black salt rims are totally a thing now. And I totally approve.Kit Pollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18325742818502163891noreply@blogger.com0