Around Town: Dovecote Cafe

I hope you all had a fabulous Mother's Day. Mine was wonderful, as the hubs took me to brunch and Baby Z took an extra long nap for me, which is always a blessing :-) The place we went to for brunch, DOVECOTE CAFE, was delish and I want you all to checkout if you get a chance. I've been twice and both times, I really enjoyed my meal. This last time I had crabcakes with greens and mac and cheese, and felt like I'd experienced culinary heaven. The menu changes every month so you can't get too attached to a dish, which I imagine is a good and bad thing. Also, every second Sunday they have a "chef takeover", where a guest chef takes over the kitchen. The restaurant is not too far from MICA, so an added perk is awesome people watching as the establishment attracts lots of creatives.

Around Town: Terra Cafe

One of my favorite Baltimore restaurants is a place called TERRA CAFE. The hubs and I have been going there for years. It's not super close to where we live, but it's well worth the drive down to Charles Village. Terra offers delicious inexpensive comfort food, in a warm casual environment. The veggie wrap, mac and cheese, fish sub, yams, and chicken dishes are all scrumptious and cost under $10. The Terra Burger is AMAZING and makes me miss the days when I ate red meat. I have used them for catering in the past, and my guests were very happy campers.

What makes this place extra special is not just the food, but the vibe when you come inside. The owner is an awesome guy by the name of Terrence who is so much fun to talk to, and never forgets a customer's face. He is also super active in the Baltimore community and regularly assembles groups of volunteers to distribute food to the homeless, should you be looking for any outreach opportunities. The sign on the front of the restaurant says "welcome family", and you will feel it come to life should you decide to stop in. Make sure to go when you have a good amount of free time though because it can be crowded and service is not very fast, but worth the wait. Feel free to bring little ones with you.

Around Town: Clark Burger

One of the things I like most about Baltimore is it's amazing food scene. Some of the chefs in this city are ridiculously talented, and in order to partake in their wonderful fare, often times you don't have to spend much money. Case in point, the newly opened CLARK BURGER. For those of you familiar with northern Baltimore, Clark Burger is located right next door to Senator Theatre.

The hubs and I stopped by the other day for a bite to eat, and we both were incredibly impressed. The hubs called it one of the best burgers he's ever eaten....and don't worry vegetarians they offer veggie burgers too! Another serious plus is that in addition to awesome burgers, they also have wonderful fries. I find many good burger places lack tasty fries. However at Clark Burger the fries are clearly not an after thought, they even come with a large variety of creative dipping sauces.

Be sure to check them out if you can!

Around Town: Tooloulou

Locals I've got some good news. There's a new scrumptious eatery in town, called TOOLOULOU. They've only been open a few weeks. I happened upon it on my latest visit to BELVEDERE SQUARE. The quality of the food is seriously out of this world. I had the oyster po'boy, and it was amazing. They have a creative menu specializing in artisan pizzas and southern style subs. You can get your food to-go, though I suggest eating there for the best experience. They offer brunch, lunch, and dinner. Portion sizes are a little large so come with an empty stomach. It's a nice place to take the kids.

Around Town: Atwater's Bakery

Every now and then I like to treat myself to an indulgence. It doesn't have to be anything super expensive, just a little somethin' somethin' to add some pizzaz to my daily routine. The other day I walked to ATWATER'S a local bakery down the street. As an added bonus my workaholic work-from-home husband decided to stop working and join me on my stroll. I love it when he does that, it makes feel on top of the world :-)

After looking at the bakery's many dessert options I decided to get the chocolate cupcake pictured above. It was scrumptious!

"She did not need much, wanted very little. A kind word, sincerity, fresh air, clean water, a garden, kisses, books to read, sheltering arms, a cosy bed, and to love and be loved in return.”  ~Starra Neely Blade

Around Town: Miss Shirley's

One of the best all around restaurants I've been to in Baltimore (or anywhere for that matter) is MISS SHIRLEY'S. Located in the city's Roland Park neighborhood the food is to die for! My only complaint is that they are only open for breakfast/brunch. With their cult like following they could easily be open 24/7. If you want to know what Maryland seafood is about, this is your spot. There are many yummy items on the menu like their monkey bread and crabcakes, but on my latest visit I had one of my faves the "Get You Grits On" dish which is comprised of blackened shrimp, grits, and fried green tomatoes (pictured above). The hubs had the "Surfin' the Bay Club". Both were scrumptious, do check them out! As a bonus they are kid friendly, but still cool enough to bring a date.

Around Town: Uncle Wiggley's

When you're starving and absolutely positively don't have it in you to cook, don't turn to fast food. Instead head on up the street to Uncle Wiggley's. This gem of a deli is located in Towson on York Road not too far from Lake Walker. They have hands down the best deli sandwiches in the B'more area, and I'm from Detroit, deli capital of the world, so my opinion counts for a lot.

They also have a large assortment of ice creams, many of which come from B'more's own Taharka Brothers (sidenote: If you don't yet know about the deliciousness of Taharka ice cream, go get some right NOW).

My favorite sandwich on the menu is the Rueben. It is mmm mmmm goooooood.

When you go in you'll notice it's super cozy with a strong community vibe. They even display artwork from local children.

Here's that yummy Reuben, complete with Baltimore's adopted potato chip....all for the lowly sum of $6. Well worth it!

P.S. They are currently hiring, if you know anyone looking for a job.