Super Bowl XLVII Will Be Awesome

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Brandon Leave a comment

The Baltimore Ravens awesome run through the playoffs culminates tonight. Ray Lewis’ last game ever, and an opportunity to go out on top. If you’re loaded up with nervous energy like we are, here are a few awesome ways to pass the last few remaining hours before kickoff.

The Ray Lewis Remix

Matthew Jeffers – Inspirational Fan (via Russell Street Report)

Tonight is going to be full of drama, and heroics

A legacy will be left

Let’s hope we get to see another celebration like this

How will it end? Hopefully these puppies can predict the future

Still have more time left to kill? Check out these awesome Baltimore Ravens themed blogs. Think we missed something? Post a link on the Baltimore Is Awesome Facebook Page

Russell Street Report who also have an awesome Facebook page

Baltimore Beatdown

Baltimore Gridiron Report

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Stuggy’s Is Awesome

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Brandon Leave a comment

I know what you’re probably thinking – Stuggy’s is a hot dog place….a hot dog is a hot dog, right? WRONG! Not all hot dogs are created equal, and Stuggy’s hot dogs are most definitely awesome.

Stuggy’s, which is located on Broadway just off Thames in Fells Point (with a satellite location inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards), serves old fashioned hot dogs and sausages with a modern twist. For the less adventurous, Stuggy’s does serve traditional grilled hot dogs which you can enjoy with traditional toppings, but you’d be missing out the true Stuggy’s experience.

 

These aren't hot dogs...they're works of art that you eat!

Stuggy’s menu features specialty hot dogs loaded with creative flavor combinations that transform a simple hot dog into a gastronomic work of art, for example:  

  • The Carolina dog is topped with Stuggy’s home made chili and cole slaw.
  • The Chi-Town dog is topped with corn relish, grilled onions, hot peppers, tomatoes, celery salt, pickle spear, and yellow mustard.
  • The Wild Thing is a bison sausage with blue cheese sauce and diced raw onions.

But we would probably consider the crown jewel of Stuggy’s specialty dogs to be the Crab Mac N Cheese dog which, you guessed it, is topped with Crab Mac N Cheese. Can’t decide which specialty dog you want? You can build your own! Some of the toppings are free, and others have a small charge, but Stuggy’s does their best to make sure you leave satisfied.

Stuggy's Hot Dogs LocalEven the house-cut fries and fountain sodas at Stuggy’s are worthy of a note. Cooked to a perfect degree of crispiness, you can get the fries plain, topped with cheese and/or chili, or tossed in buffalo wing sauce with cheese. They also offer sweet potato fries and fried pickles. The fountain soda selections are unique, featuring Boylan products, rather than the usual Coke or Pepsi. Stuggy’s takes pride in utilizing local suppliers for the vast majority of the ingredients they use,  so when you eat at Stuggy’s, your helping support multiple Baltimore area businesses at once.

Although Stuggy’s does offer delivery to Fells Point and Harbor East, it is more of a take-out place. You might get lucky enough to grab one of the 4 bar stools inside, but we would recommend that you enjoy Stuggy’s out in the open, on a Fells Point park bench or Camden Yards seat (once the weather warms up!). Give it a shot, and thank us later!

Stuggy's Delicious Crab Mac N Cheese Dog and Hot Fries.

 

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Forbes Magazine Agrees That Baltimore Is Awesome

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Brandon Leave a comment

Forbes Magazine recently announced that (based on some arbitrary scoring system), Baltimore is the 14th coolest city in America. Although we could all quibble that #14 may be a bit low in our biased opinions, Baltimore did rank higher other cool cities such as Denver, Austin, Minneapolis, Bethesda, Oakland and Philadelphia…so we have that going for us, which is nice.

Check out the full list HERE

 

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Urban Pirates Are Awesome

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Brandon Leave a comment

 

Want a fun outdoor activity? Want a fun idea for something to do with a group of friends or family? Want a unique way to enjoy water views of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor? Want to wear an eye patch and call people “scurvy dogs” without fear of being institutionalized? Then you want to check out Urban Pirates and book a one hour cruise of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on their modern day pirate ship, The Fearless.

If you’ve wandered through Fells Point, you may have noticed The Fearless docked on the Ann Street Pier, just off of Thames Street. If you’ve wandered through the Inner Harbor on Friday or Saturday night, you’ve probably seen (and heard) a pirate ship full of people having the time of their lives, causing you to immediately question you entertainment decisions for the evening. Whether you’re a family with young kids, or a bunch of twenty or thirty somethings (or heck, forty or fifty somethings) hoping for a change of pace from yet another night in a loud bar, Urban Pirates has a a solution for you.

Their Family Adventure Cruise departs up to 6 times daily, and offers a kid friendly interactive voyage through the Inner Harbor. Pirate vests, clothing,  bandannas, eye patches and temporary tattoos are given out to the new crew members to make sure everyone looks the part. The Fearless’s experienced crew members get everyone involved in games, dancing and singing, as well as lessons in pirate lingo. The Fearless only holds 49 people, so reservations are recommended.

Pirate Ship Limbo? Pirate Ship Limbo.

At least once per summer, Elisa and I get a group of friends together for one of The Adult B.Y.O.G. (Bring Your Own Grog) Cruises, which leave every Friday and Saturday night at 5:30, 7:00, 8:30 and 10:00. Much like the family friendly cruise, B.Y.O.G cruise customers don pirate gear, sing songs, etc. Unlike the family friendly cruises, you can bring a cooler full of beer, wine, or liquor on board with you. Some people enjoy a couple of casual drinks while enjoying the experience and beautiful views of the city, others try re-live their college days and finish every drop of alcohol they brought on board, but EVERYONE has a great time. The number of B.Y.O.G. cruises offered has doubled in recent years, but they do fill up so try and book them in advance.

The Fearless is also available for private charters, birthday parties, field trips and group events. For more information, check out the Urban Pirates F.A.Q. page

You may have to pay for your ticket, but pirate photo bombs are complimentary

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Hudson Street Stackhouse Is Awesome

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Brandon Leave a comment

 

Hudson Street Stackhouse Taps

After a disappointing season that began with championship expectations, the Washington Capitals finally clinched a playoff berth last Thursday.  As the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, the Capitals begin their quest for the Stanley Cup on the road in Boston with games on Thursday April 12th and Saturday April 14th. If you’re a Baltimore resident looking for a great atmosphere to watch some playoff hockey, look no further than Hudson Street Stackhouse.  Located on Hudson Street in Canton, just beyond the Safeway parking lot, it should be at the top of your list. Don’t just take my word for it…Hudson Street Stackhouse has been featured in the Washington Post and Baltimore Magazine as being a great destination in Baltimore to watch the Capitals.

Great beer awaits you just beyond the Safeway parking lot

What’s that? You’re a hockey fan who lives in Baltimore but cheer for someone other than the Capitals? While I may personally resent you, Hudson Street Stackhouse welcomes all hockey fans with open arms. If you show up wearing an NHL team logo, you can enjoy 32 oz Iron Man, Dark Horse or Blonde drafts from Oliver brewing company for just $5 during all NHL playoff games (Sun-Thurs anyway). Keep an eye on their blog or follow them on Facebook or Twitter for similar specials, new draft announcements and more.

Hockey may be my favorite sport, but I accept the fact that there are plenty of people who have yet to be converted into full blown puck heads. Fortunatey, Hudson Street Stackhouse is more than a great bar to watch hockey. With 36 rotating drafts on tap , and…uh…more bottled beers than I feel like counting, this is also one of the best overall beer bars in Baltimore. Add in plenty of seating, an easy going atmosphere, and you have a prime destination for a laid back evening of quality beer consumption.

Whether you’re looking to cheer your favorite hockey team on to victory, or just want to drink some damn good beer from around the world, Hudson Street Stackhouse is one of the safest bets in Baltimore.

Bubble Hockey: The best way to kill time between periods (originally published in the Washington Post March 28, 2011)

Warning: DO NOT PARK IN THE SAFEWAY PARKING LOT AFTER BUSINESS HOURS, unless you wish to test the mercy of heartless tow truck drivers. 

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RoBERT McCLINTOCK Is Awesome

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Elisa Leave a comment

In honor of Lenten sacrifice, we’re going to save you from reading another awesome review about the delicious food in our fair city and focus on art…but we’ll still mention food at the end. Sorry, we just can’t escape it.

Robert McClintock's "Hyatt View"

Robert McClintock's "Hyatt View"

If you haven’t yet heard of Robert McClintock artwork, shame on you!  That means you also probably haven’t been to a street festival, like Artscape or the Fells Point Fun Festival where he often sells his works…but we’ll let it slide.  If you have heard of Robert McClintock, you’re also probably aware of his unique style of artwork and portrayal of iconic Baltimore scenes – covering everything from neighborhoods like Little Italy and Federal Hill to capturing hard-to-miss institutions like Johns Hopkins and Domino Sugar.

Robert McClintock's "Hopkins Through the Trees"

Robert McClintock's "Hopkins Through the Trees"

His current style was born from experience in Poloroid photography that graduated to digital photography upon its arrival into the photography world. According to his website, he has shot with Nikon cameras over the years – from the Coolpix 990, 995, the D100, D70, and currently the Nikon D200.  In all honesty, I have no idea what those codes mean – but I know that I like the result of his work.  Shooting over 40,000 digital pictures (I’m right there with him with my iPhone camera pictures…no big deal) McClintock has created over 500 “Photo-Digital Illustrations” – which means, “he paints and colors directly onto his photographs in Adobe Photoshop on a Macintosh using a Wacom Tablet.”

Robert is adamant that his work is not computer generated and NO stock Photoshop filters are used!

– From the RoBERT McCLINTOCK website (Ok, ok, we believe you!)

 

Robert McClintock's "Snaggle Pug"

Robert McClintock's "Snaggle Pug"

McClintock’s collections include Dogs That I Know, Cats Are Cool, Firefighters, as well as images from the cities of New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Cape Cod, and Virigina’s Eastern Shore, plus much more. His latest released collection is L’Italia Vista, which includes scenes from Italian cities of Bologna, Ravenna, Venice, and Florence. In this latest collection, McClintock  uses a technique of cross processed and layered photo “burns.”

From Robert McClintock's L'Italia Vista Collection

From Robert McClintock's L'Italia Vista Collection

You can see his works at his current shop in the heart of Fells Point, located on the waterfront on the corner of Thames and Ann. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to meet his friendly pup who often spends time in the back!

To celebrate the L’Italia Vista, or Italy Seen, collection, stop by La Scala Ristorante Italiano in Little Italy for a Happy Hour Reception:

Thursday, February 23, 2012
4:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

Enjoy a complimentary glass of Prosecco and $6 appetizers (and there is the inevitable food reference). A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital.

 

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Miss Shirley’s Cafe Is Awesome

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Brandon Leave a comment

Miss Shirleys Cafe

I’m mildly embarrassed to admit this, but after living in Baltimore for over 7 years, I only recently experienced my first meal at Miss Shirley’s Café. It has long been a place I have intended to try, and I am happy to admit that Miss Shirley’s lived up to its sterling reputation as one of the best brunch options in Baltimore.

While we originally wished to have our first Miss Shirley’s experience at the original location in Roland Park, for convenience sake, Elisa and I dined at their downtown location, located on Pratt Street, right by the Inner Harbor.

One of the first things you’ll notice upon walking inside the Pratt Street location is a framed photo by the hostess stand, honoring the late Miss Shirley McDowell, for whom the restaurant is named. Flat Screen TVs proudly display Miss Shirley’s many accolades as well as upcoming special events or announcements. The walls are adorned with many framed magazine articles, various “Best Of” awards, and appearances on prominent national websites, such as The Food Network website.

Miss Shirley's Cafe Pumpkin Creme Cheese Stuffed French Toast

Ain't No French Toast Like A Pumpkin Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast

After being quickly seated, Elisa and I excitedly began to scour the menu, and as is our custom, began negotiating the terms of the meal (i.e. which two meals we would order and split 50/50). We settling on ordering the Benne Seed Chicken and Waffles, and Pumpkin Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast. On second thought, such simple descriptions of the meals we ordered do not do them justice. We ordered benne seed fried boneless chicken breast pieces were served with a honey mustard aioli drizzle on white cheddar green onion waffles with peppadew-jalapeno butter. The stuffed French toast contained a pumpkin cream cheese with whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs, dipped in an almond scented egg and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Just thinking about them makes me hungry all over again.

Like I said above, our first meal at Miss Shirley’s Cafe certainly did not disappoint. With plenty of delicious options for breakfast and lunch, Elisa and I are already planning a return visit. If you work in Baltimore City, you might also want to keep an eye on their Food Truck schedule  or follow Miss Shirley’s on Twitter because they may be bringing their awesome food somewhere near you!

Miss Shirley's Chicken And Waffles

Elisa's photo of the stuffed french toast turned out a lot better than my photo of the Chicken and Waffles, but they tasted so good, I felt guilty not including this photo in the post.

Miss Shirley’s Café is open:
Monday-Friday 7AM-3PM
Saturday, Sunday and Holidays 7:30am-3:30 pm.

Locations:

Roland Park:  513 West Cold Spring Lane Baltimore, MD 21210 (410) 889-5272

Inner Harbor: 750 East Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 528-5373

Annapolis:  1 Park Place Annapolis, MD 21401 (410) 268-5170

Miss Shirley’s Cafe on Facebook

 

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Awesome Items for 10/20/11

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Brandon Leave a comment

Item #1: Beer and Bacon Happy Hour at Bad Decisions

A bacon cheese burger with grilled bacon and cheese sandwiches acting as the bun?Ron Swanson would approve. Michelle Obama? Not so much

If you have high blood pressure, you may want to stop reading. Bad Decisions, on Fleet Street in Fell’s Point has scheduled the 22nd Beer and Bacon Happy Hour for next Wednesday, October 26th from 5pm-2am.  What is the highlight of the event?

Back by popular demand our famous Gutbuster sandwich will be the featured menu item. If you missed it from a couple years ago its a half pound burger with 3 slices of cheese and 4 pieces of bacon. The bun is two bacon grilled cheese sandwiches. It is one of the more ridiculous menu items ever created.

The Facebook Page for this event has details on other menu items, including Bacon Poutine, Bacon Stuffed Acorn Squash w/Fried Green Tomatoes, Bacon Caramel Apples and more

Item #2: Baltimore is (almost) America’s Luckiest City

Men’s Health recently released a list of the 100 luckiest cities in America, and Baltimore ended up at #2. What was the criteria?

The ranking was based on positive factors such as lottery wins and numbers of holes-in-one and negative factors such as people struck by lightning and injuries from random falling objects.

Random? Of course. But any time Baltimore makes a positive top 10 list, we’ll take it. Read the full story HERE

Item #3 – Maryland Pride Jerseys by Under Armour On Sale In November

I still say the shoulder patches should have been reversed to match the flag, but I like them anyway.

Baltimore based Under Armour created quite a media buzz with the state flag themed uniforms worn by the Maryland Terrapins football team in their nationally televised season opener. Now, those jerseys will be on sale, just in time for the holidays!

Check out other Maryland Terrapins Under Armour uniform combinations here

 

 

 

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Awesome Items for 10/13/11

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Brandon Leave a comment

Item #1: Baltimore Beer Week 2011

I fully intended to do a full post on this last week, but my busy schedule had other plans. Fortunately, there are still a few days left in Baltimore Beer Week 2011. You check out a daily list of events at literally dozens of bars in the Baltimore area. There are 45 events scheduled for Thursday 10/13 alone! Various local breweries are setting up tastings, offering fixed price beer and food pairings, discounts, specials and more.

Item #2: FREE Live Baltimore Workshops

Live Baltimore is a great resource for citizens who live in Baltimore, or for people looking to move into the city. They also often offer free educational workshops, and another series of these workshops is schedule in November. Topics include Baltimore City home buying incentives, ways to lower your monthly energy bill, renovation financing options for those looking to rehab a city home, and the basics of how the home mortgage process works. If any of these topics interest you, click through to the website and sign up for more information.

Item #3: Baltimore Running Festival 2011

This may come as a surprise, but the Baltimore Running Festival has walk up registration spots available, for several of the events. You can still walk up and register for the full marathon, team relay, and kids fun run. The 5K is closed, and there may be some open spots in the half marathon, pending no-show’s.

While I’ve never participated, I have sat on the sidewalks cheering on friends who were running relay, half, and full marathons. The main events are located in the parking lots between Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. If you’re bored, and looking for something low key to do, check it out!

Item #4 Baltimore Sneaker Week

sneaker week logo

So our #3 item didn’t thrill you because you’re not a runner? Well, do you like sneakers? You still have one more day to participate in Baltimore’s Sneaker Week! Under Armour and the Baltimore Running Festival have teamed up to raise money and awareness to help “outrun breast cancer.” All proceeds benefit The Tyanna Foundation, which is one of Under Armour’s Power in Pink partners. Sign up as an individual or a company and make a tax-deductible donation of $1 to “ditch your high heels and dress shoes and wear your sneakers to work.” Visit the Sneaker Week website for more information!

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Awesome Items For 9-30-11

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Elisa 1 Comment

Item #1 ONEHOPE and Pink Roll sushi at Ra Sushi

Charitable giving never tastes so goo

Fall colors are a-coming, whether we are ready or not! Enjoy the colorful leaves around town and the pink that is about to pop up everywhere! This year Ra Sushi is even showing their pink colors with their “ONEHOPE and Pink Roll” promotion to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  From October 1st until October 31st, Ra is offering a $15 wine and sushi roll combination, which includes a glass of ONEHOPE California Chardonnay and the Pink Roll of shrimp, kani kama crab mix and sriracha combined with lettuce, avocado and cucumber wrapped in pink soy paper and served with a pink ribbon of strawberry sauce.

Ra Sushi will donate 100% of the profits to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  Plus, if you order the special and check-in to Ra Sushi in Harbor East, you will receive a free pink breast cancer awareness bracelet!

Now, head out to Ra and support the girls!  Click for more information

 

 

Item #2) The Generous Groupon: Give and Get Locally with GiveCorps

It's better to give than to receive...but sometimes you can do both

Yes, we know you are now being inundated with emails from local deal websites, such as Groupon and Living Social and other discount coupon websites. And we know those coupons are taking you places that you never would have visited or are allowing you to save money at your usual spots – which is great! You know what would be even better? Giving to our local charities WHILE saving money with local coupons! Enter GiveCorps.

Give Corps was started because there was a need to increase donations to local charities recently.  With the lower economy, donations across the country are seeing serious dips and Give Corps decided piggyback on the coupon rage to help our local Baltimore charities—self-defined as “the new way to give and get locally.”

On their website, GiveCorps describes their mission simply as:

“Through GiveCorps, you can support causes that move you, and get rewarded for your generosity with great deals from Continue reading →

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