Baltimore, MD

There is a new coffee shop in the works on Falls Road and 36th Street (The Avenue). I’ve been eying the place for a couple months, waiting for its doors to finally open, but no luck yet. Here is what I know: It will be a late night cafe, open until 2am. They’ve already painted the exterior in bright colors. Unfortunately, its difficult to get a peak inside beause there is a plastic cover over the windows. Although there is Common Ground Cafe on 36th and Evergreen on Coldspring Ave, both places close early. Doubledutch Boutique and Atomic Pop have helped to improve Falls Rd and hopefully the new cafe will bring more success to an area of Hampden that could use some improvement.

coffee, cafe, Falls Road, Hampden, Doubledutch, Atomic Pop, Common Ground, Evergreen, Baltimore

What is your favorite restaurant, coffee shop, and/or bar in Baltimore? I would love to hear from readers about their most loved spots to visit in Charm City! I’ll post the results next week.

Gallery G is an unexpected treasure, tucked inside the Rotunda in Hampden. Sculptures, paintings, textiles, and mixed media artwork is displayed throughout the gallery space. In addition, Gallery G offers the following framing services:
* Art and custom framing for individual, corporate and institutional clients
* Art and framing design and consultation — on and off-site
* Art and framing installation
* Art and framing restoration and conservation
* Crating and shipping

Currently, Gallery G is showing the GUIDED SPIRITS exhibit “featuring paintings by Hunt Slonem and jewelry by Phil and Sandye Jurus…on view through September 29.”

The staff is incredibly helpful and will work with you to find the frame and/or artwork that fits your price range and taste.

410-235-9060 | 711 W. 40th Street | Baltimore, Maryland 21211
Email:galleryg@thebevelededge.com

art, framing, Gallery G at the Beveled Edge, gallery, Baltimore, MD, Rotunda

On 95 degree days like today, a smoothie is especially needed, but you can always stop by Dogwood Deli if you are looking for a healthy, refreshing, and delicious treat. Although the smoothies are a little pricey, Dogwood doesn’t cut any corners and their smoothies are so filling they could be a meal. Although its a small place, the brightly colored tiles and tasty smells from the kitchen below make the deli an inviting and enjoyable place to visit. Dogwood also offers coffee, tea, ice cream, salads, sandwiches, and breakfast sandwiches and omelettes.

Here is a list of the smoothies:
Green Pit Bull
a highly nutritious meal in a glass with tons of parsley, one
banana, pineapple juice, almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame
seeds, flaxseed, soy milk, vanilla, and protein powder : $5.50
Chai-huahua
house-made, refreshing chai smoothie with soy milk, bananas,
honey, and the following fresh ground spices: cinnamon,
cardamom, coriander, cloves, and black pepper : $5.00
Dingo
a delicious carob peanut butter shake with soy milk,
bananas, peanut butter, carob powder, and vitamin c
powder : $5.00
Blue Lacy
an elegant, healthy blueberry shake with fresh blueberries
unsweetened organic applesauce, soy milk, no-fat blueberry
yogurt, and pumpkin seeds : $5.50
Canary Dog
a tropical delight made with pineapple juice, mango,
gingerroot, and banana : $5.00

Address:
911 W. 36th St.
Hampden
Baltimore, MD

Phone:
(410) 889-0952

smoothie, Hampden, Dogwood Deli, organic, all-natural, Baltimore, MD

Patterson Perk is the perfect place to stop before a stroll through Patterson Park across the street. Patterson Perk’s myspace page lists their coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches and specialty drinks. An except from their myspace page illustrates their philosophy:

We are big supporters of the arts, and feature a monthly rotation of local art on our walls. Our coffee is organic, fair-trade, shade-grown and is roasted for us locally. If you would like to purchase a pound or two, please just ask! We don’t pre-bag because we want your coffee to be fresh. We make all our drinks and sandwiches to order- if there’s something you like or don’t like, please, tell us! Sit down, relax, read a book, and enjoy life & your coffee. We love ya, and really appreciate your business!

After you’ve picked up a coffee, venture across the street to walk around the pond and up the path to the Pagoda. If you’ve never seen the pagoda, you’ll be surprised and mystified by the size and unique beauty of this unexpected landmark. The view from the top of the pagoda is fantastic!

coffee, Patterson Park, Patterson Perk, myspace, fair-trade, organic, pastries, Pagoda

Red Emma’s describes itself as, “a worker-owned and collectively-managed bookstore and coffeehouse”. It is located at 800 St. Paul St. Walking into Red Emma’s is like no other bookstore and coffeehouse experience. The mission of the place is clear: read, explore, and act; and Red Emma’s provides the tools to do just that.

The first thing you see as you descend the stairs and push through the front door, are a line of internet-surfing patrons. Both times I’ve visited Red Emma’s there have been a few people at the counter ready to help with anything from a cup of coffee to finding a book. The menu is vegetarian and vegan friendly, and the coffee and espresso are fair trade and organic.

Red Emma’s also hosts events supporting groups such as the United Workers Association, the Underground Literacy Alliance, independent films, and many, many more social, literary, and arts organizations. This is a bookstore and coffeehouse that is much more than it seems at a glance. Red Emma’s is making a strong, positive impact on our community. Here are their plans for the future (from the Red Emma’s website):

As you may have heard, Red Emma’s is seriously considering moving to a new location, where we hope to be able to offer a much larger space for events as well as a greatly expanded menu with a vastly expanded amount of places to sit (not to mention the radical children’s activity corner, the expanded free computer lab, the cooperative produce purchasing pick up location, the activist conference room, the outdoor tables, and most importantly accessible entrances!)

But in order to make this dream a reality, we need your help. In order to take on a project of this magnitude, we need to raise about $50,000. If you can help us by making a donation(we’re happy to announce that it is now possible to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Red Emma’s project) or a long-term no-interest loan, or know of potential sources for funding for a project of this sort, please drop us a line at info@redemmas.org.

The next time you’re looking for a book, a cup of coffee, or a delicious meal, check out Red Emma’s. You’ll be fully satisfied and you’ll be supporting a place that is working to build a healthier Baltimore everyday. You can even check Red Emma’s inventory online by clicking here. Let us know what you think of your visit or past experiences by commenting here.

Address: 800 St. Paul St.Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: (410) 230-0450
Email: info@redemmas.org
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 10AM-10PM, and Sunday from 10AM-6PM
Weekly collective meetings: Sunday at 7PM (open to anyone interested in the project)

books, worker cooperative, Red Emma’s, Mt. Vernon, coffee, vegetarian, vegan, Baltimore, MD

The first place my fiance and I rented in Baltimore was a carriage house in Ridgely’s Delight (a small downtown neighborhood between Martin Luther King Blvd. and Russell Street). We LOVE coffee and bookstores and there was a “coming soon” sign in the window of nearby shop. A huge coffee cup was hanging above the door, which read, “Baltimore Chop”. We sneaked peeks into the store almost everyday hoping that the doors would open soon.

A week after we moved to Hampden, Baltimore Chop was open for business. Luckily, we still visit the neighborhood and we popped in to explore one Saturday afternoon. There are so many reasons to visit this bookstore/coffee shop/music venue. First of all, there is a fantastic selection of books. Every genre you could imagine (especially indie ones) are represented, plus there is a children’s section and a section devoted to the neighborhood’s most famous late resident, Babe Ruth and his passion-baseball.

In the front of Baltimore Chop is the cafe. Just to give you a heads up, their coffee drinks are all espresso based. That doesn’t mean you can’t have your morning coffee, it just means you’ll call it a “cafe americano”. There are also many other drinks including chai and other specialty drinks.

This Saturday, July 15, at 8:00pm, Baltimore Chop is hosting: Lexington, KY Indie/Pop band-Watson Park and Pittsburgh Indie/Pop band-Bridgley Moore. There are many more shows, pictures, book updates, etc. that you will find on their myspace page.

They are even dog friendly and the staff are very pleasant! Be sure to drop by soon, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Baltimore, Bookstore, music, Baltimore Chop, Ridgely’s Delight, Coffee, Coffee Shop, myspace, Bridgley Moore, Watson Park