Grubarazzi

I've raved about Woodberry Kitchen on Grubarazzi before. With its eclectic eco-urban charm and great locavore food, it's one of the best restaurants in Baltimore. But I always make reservations weeks in advance to ensure a seat at an okay table with an above average view. That is, until I grabbed a seat at the bar on a whim with friends early one Saturday evening. Call it luck. Call it perfect timing. We found three empty seats in a totally packed restaurant with a perfect view of the lively kitchen. WK is an entirely different experience sitting bar side, with handsome bartenders dressed up as hip urban farmers slinging perfectly measured and chilled cocktails in front of your eyes. It was magical watching them create one $12 cocktail after another with precision, grace, and the occasional taste test to ensure accuracy. We went for one cocktail but stayed for three while we nibbled on One Straw Farm popcorn, deviled eggs,fancy roasted sprouts on toast, ...

Baltimore, with its big city grit and artistic underbelly, was destined to become an integral part of the Food Truck Nation. Over the last few years, gourmet food trucks have been popping up everywhere from LA to Austin, but mobile catering has been around since the beginning of times.   Coupled with the weakened economy and people’s undying need for great street food, we find ourselves at a fortunate cross road. We can eat gourmet food on the street. Lucky us. Talented chefs and savvy business people are all getting with the trend. The newest generation of food trucks are classing it up and getting experimental with menu items like crab fries and Korean tacos.  Baltimore’s food truck scene has grown over the last two years, and The Gathering propels the movement forward by forming a food truck rally that competes on a national scale. Lamb vindaloo? Check. Fish tacos? Check. Creamy soft serve and pretty cupcakes? Check.  This all happens withi...

Pancakes, pearls, and elephants. My birthday summed up in three words. Three words that filled me with more hope than imaginable. My 33rd birthday revived me after a tough month. I spent time with my mom. We painted and juiced together. We ate chocolate after juicing. My husband bought us tickets to the circus. I spied elephants, glitter, and a flying trapeze. I felt like a kid again. He placed a dainty string of pearls around my neck. I felt like a lady again. We ate pancakes. Lots of them. And bacon. March was filled with change and way too much of it. I lost a job I never really wanted. I’m nearing the end of a very long journey with school. I’m venturing out on my own without the chains of a conventional job weighing me down. For the first time in a long time, I feel free. Although I have been quiet, it is not dispassion. I simply feel IT in my bones, this deep desire to be reflective and make a poignant step in the right direction. I’m ready to dive deep in to limi...