Streets of Baltimore
I spent the last couple of days in Baltimore, for a LeAnn Rimes show at the 1st Mariner Arena. My friend Andy Rubin owns a book store, -The Baltimore Chop -and a glass-blowing company there, and is also co-owner of the 31 Tigers record label. We had a chance to hang out before, during and after the gig.
Diner was at the excellent The Brewer's Art, a brew pub housed in an old mansion. Great food (I had the steak with rosemary-and-garlic fries) and excellent beer. The downstairs is kind of a dark, dive bar. Cool.
After sleeping in a little too late (I was supposed to be there by 7:00a.m.), I walked the several blocks to the book store for coffee and a bagel. On the way I passed the Westminster church, which boasts the graveyard in which Edgar Allen Poe is buried. I snapped this photo.
I'm a fan of Poe's, especially the story "Hopfrog". He's the original Stephen King, certainly.
The coffee and bagel were perfect, and I dropped off 10 copies of "Good Samaritan", my wife's recent CD, for sale. Andy sells CDs, too, and has live music in his book store and does a good breakfast business.
After the gig, we went to a pizza place in the hood. Baltimore has become famous recently for the TV show "The Wire" which takes places in neighborhoods very near to where we were. Police cameras with blue lights are visible on several streetlight poles, but the weather was too cold for much street action while we were passing through. The pizza was very good, and the beer was even better. We then went to a nearby dive bar for a taste of National Bohemian beer, known locally as a "Natty Boh". Mass-produced by Miller/Pabst these days, but a fine beer just the same.
I liked Baltimore, and will be back there in April, with LeAnn opening for Kenny Chesney.
Thanks, Andy, for the tour!
Diner was at the excellent The Brewer's Art, a brew pub housed in an old mansion. Great food (I had the steak with rosemary-and-garlic fries) and excellent beer. The downstairs is kind of a dark, dive bar. Cool.
After sleeping in a little too late (I was supposed to be there by 7:00a.m.), I walked the several blocks to the book store for coffee and a bagel. On the way I passed the Westminster church, which boasts the graveyard in which Edgar Allen Poe is buried. I snapped this photo.
I'm a fan of Poe's, especially the story "Hopfrog". He's the original Stephen King, certainly.
The coffee and bagel were perfect, and I dropped off 10 copies of "Good Samaritan", my wife's recent CD, for sale. Andy sells CDs, too, and has live music in his book store and does a good breakfast business.
After the gig, we went to a pizza place in the hood. Baltimore has become famous recently for the TV show "The Wire" which takes places in neighborhoods very near to where we were. Police cameras with blue lights are visible on several streetlight poles, but the weather was too cold for much street action while we were passing through. The pizza was very good, and the beer was even better. We then went to a nearby dive bar for a taste of National Bohemian beer, known locally as a "Natty Boh". Mass-produced by Miller/Pabst these days, but a fine beer just the same.
I liked Baltimore, and will be back there in April, with LeAnn opening for Kenny Chesney.
Thanks, Andy, for the tour!
posted by Tom Spaulding at 8:17 PM
3 Comments:
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I've been following your blog every few weeks since the Fogey days and missed you in Baltimore! And Andy knows I like all kinds music.
Next time you are here you have to convince him to bring you by the running store for a brief visit...with a day's warning I'll set out some old Guilds and other unusuals that should pique your interest for more than a little while!
Jim
Hey, great blog, what a great store indeed :p
I had a blast. Can't wait for you to come back!
Andy
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