A Sushi Delight!

Hello Everyone! I am Kristen the new Student Outreach Assistant here at Baltimore Collegetown! I am recent (May 2009) graduate from Towson University. This past summer after graduation I became an official Baltimore City resident in my extremely small two bedroom apartment in Federal Hill. It seems that since moving downtown exploring Charm City has become a hobby of mine. I started poking around my own neighborhood first and realized I did not have to travel far to find awesome shops, amazing food and great convenience.

I would like to share with you today a hidden secret that sits in the heart of Federal Hill. Well, I guess it’s not THAT little considering it is a block long! Ladies and Gentlemen I welcome you to the Cross Street Market. Now, maybe it’s because I am new to the city and not familiar with the different markets but finding this place was like opening a present on Christmas morning! Not only does this market have fresh produce, scrumptious baked goods and a raw oyster stand but it has one of the best kept secret sushi restaurants in Baltimore.

Nick’s Seafood is located at the end (or begging depending on which way you came in) of the market on the Charles street side. It is one of those places where you almost feel intimidated if you haven’t eaten there before but don’t panic! If entering from the Charles street side slowly make your way over to the front left hand stand and sit on a stool or a picnic table to start your sushi adventure. You will need to pick up an order slip and pen on your way to sit down but don’t worry you will see lots of them sitting on the bar or on your table! Once you make your selection on the sushi you want to order kindly walk up to the counter and hand your slip in. The workers are all very kind and will help you if you have any questions. The one recommendation I would make is the Spicy Tuna Roll. If you like a little kick to your sushi this will surely do it for you!

WARNING: Sushi is never a cheap dinner! That’s why I advise to make a trip to Nick’s Seafood on Monday. Why, you ask? It’s HALF PRICE SUSHI DAY! You could definitely order dinner for two for under $20 here (on a Monday of course).

SECOND WARNING: The market closes at 6:00 PM on most days! So make sure you get down there before they close up shop for the day!

Sushi is only one small delight the Cross Street Market has to offer. So if you are heading downtown for the evening, trying to find somewhere to eat before a Ravens game or you just had a terrible Monday head to Cross Street Market and discover one of Baltimore’s hidden treasures!

Until next time… CIAO!

Cross Street Market's entrance on the Light Street side.

$1 Tacos in Fell’s

In addition to variety being  the spice of life, I would say spontaneity also helps out a bunch!  Late afternoon, I got a text from one of my colleagues at the College of Notre Dame about $1 Taco Night at Alexander’s Tavern in Fell’s Point.  I was extremely intrigued by this proposition!  Who says McDonald’s is the king of the dollar menu!  After a long day in the office, I came home, changed into some comfortable “going out” clothes and drove on over to Fell’s (I should have been more green friendly and walked there, but oh well!)

I stepped into Alexander’s Tavern and it was definitely a happenin’ kinda place.  It’s so funny because I’ve probably passed by the place dozens of times either running past it with my girlfriend or on a late night out with my buds, yet I’ve never bothered to step in and check the place out.  It was a reasonable sized establishement with  people at the bar downing $1 hardshell tacos.  It’s apparently a weekly affair where bar-goers compete to see who can down the most amount of beef tacos!  Luckily enough, I don’t eat beef, so I had to toss my hat out of the ring!  I was with several of my colleagues, chattin’t it up over a couple of margaritas, and watching Alexander’s enthusiasts compete and take the title of taco king.  Two of my colleagues ate a dozen taco each and trust me they didn’t look too good after eating them.  One of my dearest friends ate 9 and a half (not giving her the 10!) tacos and trust me she’s a tiny little thing (GO SIBYL!). 

However, 12 tacos is nothing!  My colleagues didn’t come close to the guy who took the coveted title and took home the sombrero!  The guy who consumed the most tacos was a young fireman and you’re not going to believe this, but he ate……..DRUMROLL PLEASE……29 TACOS!!!  At the end of the night, he was still standing, doing fine, and sauntered his way out of the bar with his girl in hand a winning sombrero on his head!  I got an update from one of my colleagues the next day and she said he was totally fine the next day and was running his daily 5 mi the next day…talk about a true trooper!

Yeah, I was satisfied with half price chicken quesadillas   So the lesson is….eat 29 tacos and win a sombrero….haha…jk!

Step out, branch out, and try something new…I’m sure it will be worth it!  Visit Alexander’s Tavern website to check out their full list of weekly specials:  http://www.alexanderstavern.com/

For now, this is Ankur…

Signing off…

Interning the summer away

There are loads of good reasons why you should intern. It helps you build contacts in a professional network; it provides you with valuable industry work experience; it looks good on your resume; if you’re lucky, you can get paid; you can get class credit; you can build your resume. And these reasons make sense. You might have spent the first 19 years of your life dying to become a professional Purple-People-Eater breeder, and then you intern for a summer on a Purple-People-Eater farm and hate it. Never want to see a Purple-People-Eater again. Good thing you know before you invest your life savings into a farm.

Just kidding.

But in all honesty, being a summer (or semester intern, for that matter) is a vitally important part of the college experience. It certainly was for me.

As I finished up my undergraduate career, I began searching for a full-time job position. But with the economy, interning in the field I want to work seemed like a great option. Rather than taking some time off to laze around the pool in between job applications, I decided that becoming the Marketing Intern at the Baltimore Collegetown Network would be a nice way for me gain useful skills and spend some time in a professional work environment. Plus, it would be fun.

As the marketing intern at BCN, I was responsible for a wide array of different things, from handling website maintenance to going to campuses to speak directly with incoming students about what services the Collegetown Network can offer them. I even helped to give a bus tour of Baltimore to a group of incoming freshmen’s parents. I would never have thought to send my parents on a bus tour of Baltimore.

Probably one of the coolest opportunities I had at Collegetown was when we attended the unveiling of the new Charm City Circulator. The fact that the city was showing its new bus line for the first time was exciting enough: the bus was all new and shiny, and had that “new car smell” (I actually blogged about this earlier in the summer). Adding to the cool factor was seeing Mayor Dixon holding the press conference in person. As a former editor on my college newspaper, I loved seeing the T.V. crews and reporters conducting interviews. I was very tempted to grab a notepad and start following around the cameraman myself. A second really cool meeting that I attended was the BACVA Town Hall meeting (BACVA is the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitor’s Association, which is essentially the tourism organization). Turns out, tourism is one of Baltimore’s biggest industries. After hearing Mayor Dixon give a very dynamic speech, there were some awards and then a surprise announcement: BACVA will now be called “Visit Baltimore.” The event was a great opportunity to network and get to know other people at local Baltimore businesses.

We also had our Downtown 101 event, with the Downtown Partnership. This event was a great opportunity to collaborate with another group working within Baltimore and to meet other young professionals in the area.

I also manned our table at one of Goucher’s orientation open houses. That was a nice opportunity to tell both students and their parents about the different activities that Baltimore has to offer (other than merely the aquarium). Many people aren’t aware of the vast number of things to do in Baltimore on any given day. If you know the right places to look, there is no reason to ever be bored in Baltimore.

Interning this summer was a great experience. I was able (on more than one occasion) to apply a fair amount of what I learned in my business classes while doing completing my marketing duties, such as reading an analytics dashboard or creating a media kit for inquires. I also shadowed BCN’s executive director, Kristen Campbell, to a couple of meetings. It was interesting to attend these meetings and watch how different organizations make their decisions and conduct their daily tasks.

Plus, I’ve meet a lot of new people that I would not have met if I stayed solely in my “Hopkins bubble.” Luckily, the College of Notre Dame (where BCN has its offices) has a lot of young employees and with them I was able to go to new places and events in Baltimore I would not have known about otherwise (like the Beer Flight I blogged about earlier).

Overall, it was a very interesting and productive summer. Granted, with most internships they are what you make of them. I tried to make the most of my experience with the Baltimore Collegetown Network by making suggestions for new ways to do things, asking questions about why certain things work the way they do, and taking every opportunity to expand my skill base.

Hope you all have a great fall! Maybe one of you all will be writing here next!

Many more adventures to come.

Signing off,

Heather

Tackling the King of Cheese and other yummy treats at Petit Louis

In order from lightest to darkest, the beers are the Southern Tier 422, Wachbeyer Zotten, Censored, and Milk Stout

When we heard that one of Baltimore’s nicest French Bistros, Petit Louis, held weekly Beer Flights the question quickly became: when can we go? And go we did. On July 28, a group of us headed over to the darling French restaurant. When we arrived at 5pm, the restaurant was empty. No matter — all the more attention that could be lavished upon us. Gathering around the ceramic-tiled bar, we listened patiently as the bartender explained how a Beer Flight worked: tasters get 3oz. to sample of all four beers. After tasting, smelling, lingering and challenging each other to see who can identify all the “tasting notes” correctly, you get to choose which beer you would like to drink a whole bottle of. The evening’s favorites were the Zotten and Milk Stout. Those participating would have the four beers of the month (then July’s) poured out in 3 oz. snippets with information about each brew’s name, producer, style and tasting notes. The four we tried were:

Southern Tier 422, an American Pale Wheat Ale. This beer was very light and had a hint of banana to its taste.
Weyerbacher Zotten, a Belgium Pale Ale. Darker than the Southern Tier, the Zotten tasted “very Belgium” and floral.
Lagunitas Censored, a Red Ale. The darkest brew so far, the Censored had a fruity smoothness to it.
and
Lancaster Milk Stout, a sweet stout. This was popular dark brew had notes of coffee to match its color.

Don’t think the evening was all about the beer because, as always at Petit Louie, the food was a hit. We ate off the bar menu, but the regular dinner menu was available too. From the pommes frites to the batter-dipped zucchini slices, at only $5 the little plates were a great complement to the beer. But the crowning jewel of the bar menu was the cheese cart. Having to select 2 cheese off of a cart containing at least 15 different types of cheese made from goat’s, sheep’s and cow’s milk. The fromagerie described the tastes, textures and procedures for each individual type, which ranged from the “King of Cheeses” brie to one so smelly it was stored in a special box.

Overall, the night was a gastronomical success!

Petit Louie holds Beer Flights Mon-Fri from 5-9pm each week. The beers rotate each month; August is a selection of local beers. For more information, see the restaurant’s website at: http://www.petitlouis.com/

More adventures to come,

Heather

Livin’ La Vida Loca at Latino Fest

It seems that come summer time, every culture in Baltimore wants to celebrate with a festival to call their very own. And lucky for me, I have friends who are willing to explore around town with me. One such friend suggested “Latino Fest” and we were off to the east side with little more than a sense of adventure.

Neither of us had never been to Paterson Park, where the festival was being held, but someone had told us that it was in Fells Point. So we drove down through the Harbor and across Little Italy to Fells. Here, the New Yorker in us (we’re both from the same state) told us to grab any available parking spot we saw. Which, of course, we did without realizing that Paterson Park is about 10 blocks east of where we were parked. So in addition to attending Latino Fest, we gave ourselves a little walking tour of Fells Point. It’s a lot nicer when you don’t attend during the hullabaloo of Halloween.

Anyway, we finally made it to the park, and after paying the entrance fee of $5 we were free to roam the fair. The air was filled with a mix of funnel cake, fried plantains and grilled meat. Ahh, the smells of summer! We did a tour around the festival to get our bearings; it was decently sized, with a mixture of food stands, handmade crafts and two stages. One stage was more kid-oriented, with Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego the main attractions. The other stage had live dancers and a band playing
Latino music from a variety of Latin American countries. There was meringue, mariachi and more, including an Ecuadorian form of dance I don’t know the name of. But it was cool to watch. As they performed and the emcee spoke in rapid-fire Spanish, I realized that high school Spanish was an extremely long time ago. I was still able to understand snippets of all the conversations around me, but it all seemed like eons ago.

After our sweep of the town, we decided food was the way to go. My friend’s vegetarian, so our decision of where to eat was determined by which stand looked the most meat-free friendly. I had a beef-empanada for the first time. It was good, saltier than I expected. My friend had a fried- mozzarella cheese and corn bread patty (that she assured me was delicious) and fried plantains, which I tried for the first time.

Then, sitting in the grass of the grass of the park, listening to a cover of a Celia Cruz song — recognizable by the cries of “Azucar!” peppered throughout — everyone just started to dance. It was subtle, some bobbing and swaying to the beat. And then in women began to salsa. Old women, young women. Maybe they knew each other, maybe they didn’t. But that didn’t stop everyone sitting around the amphitheater from shaking their hips to the beat.

The vendors were nothing out of the ordinary — the same sorts of crafts and bags and sunglasses at all of these fairs. However, McDonalds and Goya each had booths, which was fitting because they were sponsors. It was so nice to see bilingual signs across the entire fair and see flags from different Latino countries waving.

Walking back meant trying to beat the foreboding rain clouds, but there was time to stop at Rita’s. It was my first time going to one — I’d recommend the mango.

Hurray for another day of exploring Baltimore.

Many more adventures ahead,
Heather

A Charming new way to ride

It was a beautiful day last Wednesday, when members of the Baltimore community, media outlets, contest finalists, and Mayor Shelia Dixon gathered in front of City Hall for the great unveil of the newest, greenest and cheapest way to get around downtown. Baltimore was getting a new bus line that would run (for free) across downtown and then up north to Penn Station. When I heard about this, the first thought that came to my mind was “Yahoo!” A free, easy and green way to get from one side of town to the other? Sign me up. And what was even cooler was that I would be there for the moment when the city revealed the name of the new line and what the buses would look like. I was stoked.

Behind the podium and a sizable crowd of spectators, there it was, covered in a sheet, waiting for the word from Madam Mayor herself. There were some speeches, describing the usefulness of this addition to Baltimore’s public transportation, how the parking tax had been raised to pay for it (but hey, now Bmore drivers only need to pay to park downtown once!) and how after combing through the 2700 entries to the “name the bus” contest held this winter, ten finalists were chosen.

With a 1, 2, and 3 off came the sheet and there the bus was in all of its hybrid- gas efficient, purple glory.

Covered by the sheet, the new bus awaited its big moment.

The Charm City Circulator, name courtesy of 24 year-old Michelle Brand. It looked like a combination of a spaceship and some weird bug with bright colors and a cute little city design on its side. The futuristic vibe was fitting, considering its eco-friendly nature and the seeming need for car companies to make earth-friendly rides look sort of like they’re about to blast into space. The bus’s interior was clean and streamlined, the seats were plush with plenty of leg room. I took a deep breathe in. Ahh — eau de new bus. I have a feeling that the new car smell won’t last long; the 21 buses begin their maiden voyage from University of Maryland Biopark to the Inner Harbor East, starting in mid-August. Promising to come every ten minutes to take you on your way, guaranteed.

Introducing, the Charm City Circulator!

And with two more routes slotted to make the rounds — if you’ll pardon the pun — after Labor Day, all I’ve got to say is, I’m charmed to meet you, Charm City Circulator.

More adventures next time,

Heather

An afternoon of fun: the Charles Village Festival 2009

The Wyman Park Dell was full of music, food, artists and locals.

For my second summer in Baltimore, I am determined to do all the things that I missed the first time around. This included, of course, walking the extra two blocks past 33rd and N. Charles Streets toward the music blasting in the Wyman Park Dell to visit the Charles Village Festival (June 7-8). Coming from Hopkins, my two friends and I imagined a summer-version of Spring Fair: fried oreos and carnival food galore, artsy vendors selling their wares, a soundtrack courtesy of local bands and maybe some harsh words between Planned Parenthood and some Pro-Life protesters. And having experienced Hampden’s Honfest last year, I was excited for what sort of “Charles Village Flair” I’d see. But what I saw was, well, small.

Granted, I don’t expect the small Charles Village Association to pull off a street fair the size of Artscape, but I was expecting there to be more to it. After a stroll down N. Charles towards 29th and the Dell, we had essentially seen all of it. Not to say that bigger is always necessarily better, but with the exception of watching the live bands playing on the stage, there wasn’t really a whole day’s worth of activities. The band performing was pretty good, but due to the heat my friends and I weren’t really in the mood to sit and listen for long. We pretty much felt that after one walk through, we had seen all there was to see.

For kids, there was the requisite moonbounce and, judging from the screams coming from inside, the Charles Village Kiddie Citizens were having a ball. Interesting and unexplained were the dozen or so hula-hoops scattered on the park grass. We took full advantage of them, pulling out all the stops. Truly challenging was the oversized hula-hoop that must have been over 5 feet in diameter. Locals with circus tricks, like juggling, up their sleeves joined the kids on the grassy knoll giving it a bit of whimsical flair.

Everyone who came upon the grass near the statue had to give this enormous hula-hoop a twirl.

The vendors and booths were a combination of local artisans and non-profit organizations. Among the handmade scarves, fork jewelery, and buttons were booths sponsored by Greenpeace, the Maryland Ethics Society, Friends of Druid Hill Park and the Charles Village Civic Association (and a few others). While the promise of funnel cake and gyros typically makes my mouth water, the idea of eating such heavy food in the heat sort of turned me off. However, the SnoBalls looked great.

The Friends of Druid Hill were one of the many local and national non-profit organizations at the festival.

Visitors were a mixture of families, students, older couples and local hipsters — a fair sampling of Charles Village’s usual population; an eclectic mix that made people watching almost as amusing as the festival itself.

Cute and a little kitschy, the Charles Village Festival was well-worth an afternoon spent but probably no more.

More adventures next time,
Heather

The Great American Cake Show takes over Westminster!

The Great American Cake Show and Wedding Cake Competition, the Mid-Atlantic’s premiere cake show and wedding cake competition hit Westminster this weekend, taking over the Carroll County Agricultural Center and Shipley Arena. We at Collegetown love cake decorating, and watch all the competition cake shows on Food Network. So we were super excited to hear about this great event coming to town. So this past weekend, we braved the rain and headed out to Westminster to take in the show!

The Carroll County Agricultural Center grounds are great, because they are large enough to house several different types of events all at the same time. Primarily serving as a great place for horse shows and auctions, the Shipley Arena also is a great venue for more formal gatherings and large-scale fairs and festivals. The wide open set-up was perfect for the Great American Cake Show, as it allowed for plenty of display space for completed cakes, separate cordoned off areas for classes and demonstrations, ample space to set-up a children’s corner, and rows and rows of vendors selling their wares. The venue also provides a full on kitchen, so the show was able to provide tons of food for the event, including hot dogs, turkey sandwiches, and tons of baked goods. (Satisfying your sweet tooth was a definite theme for the day.)

The Cake Show brought in competitive cake decorators from all over the country, and even featured international competitors. There were separate categories for professionals, amateurs, and even younger novice divisions. The theme for this year’s competition was to create a wedding cake inspired by a greeting card. All the cakes were beautifully constructed, and though we got to vote for a “People’s Choice” cake, we found it hard to figure out which one was our favorite. We spent a lot of our time looking at all the beautifully constructed pieces, and admiring the detail work that went in to each cake. (For cake enthusiasts, you’d find piping, string work, gum paste figurines, and exquisite flowers adorning these cakes.) Unfortunately, the weather didn’t make for the best environment for the cakes’ delicate structures and several of them fell victim to the humidity and broke or wilted.

We also were able to see some demonstrations while at the event. Here we learned how to construct some of the pieces required to make our own cakes look like the ones in the competition. We learned frosting techniques, how to work with gum paste, and even ways to make our cakes taste better! The kids area was constantly full, and we were kind of jealous we weren’t allowed to participate. The activities included creating gum paste figurines and decorations in fondant, and creating gingerbread houses complete with candy decorations. We personally spent a lot of time in the vendor area of the show. Here we could pick up any cake decorating tool we could imagine. From books, to videos, to gum paste, to cake toppers, to molding tools, to cake stands – there was nothing for the amateur or professional cake maker to leave the show needing. Some vendors were also putting on their own demonstrations, teaching people how to roll fondant properly, how to create gelatin flowers, and even showing off their flavorings by letting us sample their own baked goods.

Overall, we’d have to say we were impressed with both the atmosphere and the entire show. It was exciting to see such a premiere event (even in a world so unique as cake decorating) make its home right here in Westminster. After the day, we’d have to say we are already looking forward to next year’s show!

Annapolis – A Great Day-Trip Locale

If you’re looking for a great place to get away for the day, look no further than Annapolis. We recently ventured to our waterfront neighbor in Southern Maryland on the first seemingly warm day of spring and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. If you’re looking for quirky shops and eateries and food shops located at enough frequency to break anyone’s diet, then Annapolis is the place to go.

 

With its cobblestone brick streets, and brick buildings lined with grandiose white columns, Annapolis is a picturesque city on its waterfront location. Seriously any building or street makes for a great photo op. After parking near the Visitor Center and taking a scenic walk around to see the State House and its many corresponding buildings, we headed down Main Street Annapolis to take in a great afternoon of sunshine.

 

If you walk the entire length of Main Street you can actually walk right up to the water’s edge. This little inlet welcomes boaters who bring their boats right up to the sidewalk and land-lubbers can talk to these sea-faring folks. There is a large patio-like feel to the water’s edge as well, as there is plenty of room to walk around and sit by the water and relax.

 

What’s great about Main Street Annapolis is that it is like a more posh version of the beach’s Boardwalk. The streets are lined with quirky shops, and little boutiques, featuring the unusual to the trendy. You’ll also find dozens of restaurants and eateries, each with their own unique flare. From sushi, to Italian, to American, and all with a heavy dose of seafood, you won’t go hungry no matter what kind of food you’re craving. Plus, many of these restaurants included bar areas that lit up once the sun started to dip, making this a great place to spend not only a great sunny afternoon, but a nightcap as well. (Not to mention Annapolis features its very own Ram’s Head complete with a Ram’s Head On Stage that features live music and draws celebrity performers.) One of the things we loved about Main Street was all the home-made food shops. There were ice cream parlors and fudge shops, and a chocolate store featuring every kind of snack you could imagine dipped in chocolate.

 

Overall, our day in Annapolis was great. The outdoor stroll along the waterfront, the quick stops at the ice cream store and trendy boutique, dining along the waterfront while enjoying delicious seafood – it was all wonderful. We highly recommend checking out our neighbors to the Southeast on the next Spring-like day. We’re sure you’re bound to find this your new favorite getaway locale.

Meet and Greet the Active Way!

Hello my fellow Baltimoreans!

At the begining of the year, I did a something little different – I actually set a new year’s resolution!  Aside from the typical, maintain a healthy lifestyle line item that people put on their resolutions, I added something a little different:  Be less afraid to try new things and meet new people.  I definitely have a core group of close buds that I hang out with, but I’ve noticed lately, to my detriment, that I don’t really branch out and mix with other people.  I started dissecting why this was and I arrived at some conclusions about it.  I finally decided to do something about it, so I thought I’d sign up for Baltimore Sports and Social Club, herein known as BSSC.   I’ve always thought about signing up before, but I was a little self-conscious about my lackluster athletic skills.  That coupled with laziness to find a team just deterred from being a part of the organization.  This time around, I was recruited by one of my friends at MICA.  I was a little apprehensive at first, but I decided to overcome my skepticism and go for the gold! 

BSSC was founded by Mike Cray, former construction contractor, back in 1996.  The purpose/mission of BSSC is to create year-round opportunities for people to engage in athletic activities and at the same time build social connections that go beyond the playing field.  BSSC has lots of partnership with local bars and venues, so participants are able to take advantage of different specials – it’s great!  The BSSC caters to people with all athletic abilities – in fact, they have three different leagues:  Social, Super Social, and Super Extra Social.  You can play Volleyball, Broomball, Softball, Football, and so much  more!  

I’ve been playing volleyball for about three weeks now (and I actually have a game tonight GO CRAY”S ANATOMY!), and I’m so glad I joined.  Instead of watching TV on a Wednesday night and goofing off on the Internet, I’m playing a sport that I truly enjoy, I’m interacting with different types of  people, and staying active!  I’m pretty pro BSSC, but at the same time, I like to offer our readers various options.  If you don’t find BSSC fits you, then try Play Baltimore. 

Whatever is your cup of tea, get out there and try something new Baltimore!  Click on the links below and hopefully you find something you like!

www.baltssc.com
www.playbaltimore.com

For now, this is Ankur…

Signing off…