Hamilton Bakery!

We went this weekend and it was great! It will re-open on Wednesday. I highly suggest you stop by. Awesome bread.

Hamilton Bakery

Tuesday Market...

coming soon! There is already a list of vendors up.

Thinking of Spring makes me hungry!

Sorry about the lack of posting the past month. Between work/school/weather/ and the flu, I haven't felt much inspiration. But fortunately for us, others have, and we can look forward to some exciting new places to appear in Hamilton this Spring.

The first new business is Hamilton Bakery. Go their website and sign up to get on their mailing list for updates and invites to special events. They are currently getting all their permits finalized and finishing up construction, so hopefully we'll be deep in doughnuts soon! (You can also follow them on Facebook by searching under "Hamilton Bakery" to find out the latest updates.) They will be next to Clementine, at 5414 Harford Rd.

Speaking of Clementine, owner Winston Blick is opening a green grocery in Hamilton this Spring as well, to be called Green Onion. Described as a "bona fide food market," and write on their blog:

Soon, amazing local cheeses will appear in two grand cases, and crisp, ripe produce will fill the bins at Green Onion. The folks at Fresh McKenzie are ramping up their egg production to accommodate us. And we’re meeting with our meat purveyor to choose the best-tasting all-natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats for our butcher shop. Forever Endeavor Farm will supply grass-fed organic beef and milk-fed pork, which has a sweetness and fullness that can be explained by science but is better to think of as magic.

I don't know about you, but I'm hungry! Green Onion will be located in the old Hamilton Vacuum store, at the corner of Hamilton and Harford. (Again, you can stay up-to-date on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/greenonionmarket.)

image from the greenonion website

Hon -- It's Your Turn to Speak

You may have noticed that we haven't really commented on the "Hon" story here at Harford Road. It seems the story keeps evolving, with details and facts dribbling out in the press. Does Denise Whiting have a trademark on the word "hon"? Can she have a trademark on the word "hon"? Or is it on "hon" in an oval? So then what about that Outer Banks guy? The best article I've read to date is from the blog Welcome to Baltimore Hon! The author provides a rational and reasoned explanation of whether, why, and how the trademark story is possible. I encourage you to read it.

I've been to Cafe Hon a couple of times in my life, but not in years. My personal boycott has simply been due to food that I found overpriced and nothing special. And I admit that I've also been to HonFest a couple of times, but I always felt a little uncomfortable about whether this was "celebration" or "ridicule" of Baltimore.  Not being a native, it seemed to me that a line was often crossed. Or at least approached. Closely enough to be cringe-worthy, in my opinion.

No, I'm not originally from Baltimore, but I have lived here for 13 years. The reason why I thought up the title for this blog is that "hon" seemed to embrace the sense of neighborliness and community that I have felt since I moved to my current home in 2003. It's what drew me here and what keeps me here, despite the break-ins, lack of snowplows, and massive potholes that killed my car.

But what do you think about all this "hon" business? Please tell me in the comments.

Got yer tree, Hon?

I figured I'd better get a post up here, 'lest you think we're hunkering down over the whole "Hon-troversy" !

We still need to get a Christmas tree and I'm thinking about going to Walther Gardens, because I do like to support the local business folks. We always go there for our spring and summer plants, and I imagine its hard to run a greenhouse in December, so ...

How about you? Do you have a tree? Are you ready for Christmas?

Meanwhile, it sounds like we might get some of that white stuff Sunday night or Monday, so be prepared -- which means more than beer/merlot and bread, right? It means put gas in the car, have fresh batteries on hand, know where your snow shovel is, and have enough food on hand to stay put for a couple of days.  One would think we'd all learned our lesson last year, but how quickly we forget!

Hamilton's got the blues! (And that's a good thing!)

I do tend to stick to my routine (some may call it a "rut"), and therefore I have never eaten anything from "Chef Mac's Louisiana Cuisine". (Because I always think of the place only when I am already on my way in the door to Koco's!).  But I will definitely be giving it a try soon, because he's moved further north to the space previously used by The Parkside (and before that by the infamous Cameo!).

And while I will never lose my love for the Koco's cheeseburger and Blue Moon dinner, Chef Mac's might be a nice change of pace, given that he's offering a venue for music. According to Hamilton-Lauraville Mainstreet News, they're serving blues along with the Cajun BBQ sandwiches:

Chef Mac’s & All That Blues
4709 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214

December 10 & 11, 2010
Enjoy a Louisiana style buffet and blues party with

Clarence “Bluesman” Turner

Tickets - $20
Buffet begins 7 PM - BYOB
Show begins 8 PM

Call 410.319.6227 for information

Anyone going?

First Friday events (and more!)

The First Friday of December is always a busy time here in our neck of the woods. This year is no different. The season of celebration is officially on, with Hanukkah beginning today, Winter Solstice nearing, and Christmas on the horizon. So get ready, there are plenty of events just waiting for you to show up!

Lighting of the Washington Monument

Thursday December 2
5:00 pm
Mount Vernon Place

First Friday in Hamilton

Friday December 3

Hamilton Gallery: First Friday Unbelievably Cool Event!
5:00 pm
5502 Harford Road

Studio 55
open 'til 8 pm
5529 Harford Road

Charmed Life Studio
open 'til 8 pm
4505 Harford Road

And of course, Happy Hour Specials along the way. Stop in at
Hamilton Tavern
Los Amigos
Clementine

For more on the events of the weekend (which includes a visit from a chubby man in a red suit), check out the Hamilton-Lauraville Main Street News.

Bicycling in Baltimore: Will it get better?

I want to be excited by the news that Baltimore leaders are trying to make this a more attractive city to those who might be considering moving here, and I really want to get excited at the prospect of riding my bike around town to do errands and not get run off the road by angry motorists. The rest of the world includes bicycles in their transportation planning, because they have to. Do we have to wait until we are as congested as Vietnam or China, for example, before we decide that maybe bikes deserve to be on the road, too?

But some of the comments at the story in the Baltimore Sun, really have me wondering what is wrong with people. Bicycles should be banned? Cyclists should be Tased, maced, and clotheslined?

Baltimore City Council passes Cyclists' Bill of Rights

The most sensible comment I've heard in a long time is from the person who notes that motorists who complain that bicyclists don't obey the law are simply not aware of the majority of bicyclists who are doing just that. It's only the errant cyclist -- the one cuts you off/ runs a red light/ zooms past pedestrians on the sidewalk, etc., etc. -- that's the one who becomes your idea of a bicyclist. Most bicyclists are very safe because they are well aware of the huge disparity of weight between them and you, barreling down on them in your SUV. (Full disclosure here: I have an SUV as well as a bike.)

If you agree with me that there's too much traffic on the roads, think about how much it would help if some of those cars were replaced by bikes. I think it would make a tremendous impact. Here's what the City Council Resolution calls for:

• equal access to city streets
• greater involvement in planning by bicyclists
• greater awareness of bicyclists' rights in accident cases
• improved bike parking and mass transit access for bicycles

 I think we can live with that. What do you think?

image: Jean-Marie Hullot

One reason I love where I live

Hamilton Tavern, and Resurrection Ale on tap.

You know the rules, hon ...

You can't complain if you don't vote!

Visit the Maryland State Board of Elections web site for info on where, when, and how.

Polling places are open in Maryland from 7 am to 8 pm.

image from yaquina

The vocal local

Now that Halloween is over, we're running head-on into the holiday season. You can tell because all the big box stores are telling us "Buy! Buy! Buy!" (Even eBay has a ribbon today that says "54 days.")

If you're like me, you're stuck in a position of "Gee, I'd like to help the economy by going shopping" and "Yikes! Did you see the BGE bill? How are we gonna pay that?!"

In other words, we're all watching our pennies these days. But it's important to see where our pennies are going as well as watching them leave our hands. Not to name any one specific big box store that I refuse to shop in (but it has a really creepy smiley face logo), but any time you can go local you help individuals directly -- rather than trying to rationalize that "well, big box store pays employees and perhaps they get a fair wage -- although they can't possibly afford health insurance" -- any time you can go local it's a good thing.

In fact, it helps the neighbors. It helps the neighborhood. It helps you.

Pick 3 local merchants and spend $50. More of that will stay in the neighborhood than if you shop big box. From The 3/50 Project:

For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online, and nothing comes home.

We are so lucky to have vibrant small businesses in our area. Let's help keep them alive this holiday season by shopping local. If you need some ideas of what's in the neighborhood, we've got a short list on the right side bar, but the Hamilton-Lauraville Main Street blog has a comprehensive list (on the left hand side).

In fact, the most exciting news of the week for me so far is that we're getting a bakery!

Tricks and treats on the way this weekend

There's plenty of tricks & treats in store for this weekend, hon. The weather is predicted to be delightful (but perhaps a bit chilly for those more ... ahem ... "revealing" costumes). Some of the events happening up and down Harford Road this weekend include:

The Hall of Horrors
(hosted by the Harford Park Community Association)
Friday October 29, 7- 10 pm
Sunday October 31, 7-10 pm
Harford Park Community Association Building, 2522 Linwood Road
Admission: $5.00 Enter at your own risk

Boo Fest
(presented by Hamilton Lauraville Main Street)
Saturday, October 30 from 3-5 pm
5543 Harford Road (Mid Atlantic Center for Performing Arts)
Free!
Pet Costume Contest, Costume Parade, Trick or treating, and Music and Dancing!

A little further out of the neighborhood are these events:

Great Halloween Lantern Parade
(Patterson Creative Alliance)
3134 Eastern Avenue
Free!
October 30th : 3 p.m. - 9 p.m. (Parade lineup: 7 p.m.)

ZooBOO
(Maryland Zoo in Baltimore)
2600 Madison Ave., Baltimore, MD, 21217-4474
October 29th : 10 a.m. - 4 pm
October 30th : 10 a.m. - 4 pm
October 31st : 10 a.m. - 4 pm
Admission: $10-$16

Do you have an event to list here? Let us know in the comments section and we'll spread the word.

image courtesy of vancouverfilmschool

You gonna eat that?

Ah, Fall! It seems we were just mowing and mowing and mowing, and now I expect any day to home from work and find the yard full of fallen maple leaves. I tried earlier to harvest some walnuts from the tree out back, but the project got a little interrupted mid-stream. I haven't given up on that project completely, but I hope you aren't expecting any cranberry walnut bread from this, because if I get one loaf's worth, guess who's eating it?

Meanwhile, others in Baltimore are harvesting fruits and writing about it:

Rotting crab-apples? The Baltimore Urban forager thinks that's a dirty shame

(photo by Marta Hanson)

All Creatures Great and Small

We try to follow the rules of polite conversation around here at Harford Road, Hon, so in general we stay out of politics and religion. But there is the occasional exception, such as when we encourage you to get out and vote in the general election in November, and those kinds of civic duty tings.

And if you have a companion pet and you are so inclined, you should stop by the Blessing of the Animals:

Blessing of the Animals
Episcopal Church of the Messiah
5801 Harford Road

Sunday October 3rd at 3 p.m.

Delivery?

So we had a less than stellar experience the other night when we ordered delivery from a new (to us) place. It took an hour on a week night, and when we called to inquire about the status of the delivery, the woman who answered simply said "All the deliveries are gone" and hung up on us. Guess she doesn't like repeat customers, and we're happy to oblige.

Surely you have a favorite delivery place on those nights when you're just too beat to cook dinner. If you know of someplace that I didn't include on the poll, please let us know.

image by frankstoen