Time for another road trip, Laurie Katz and I chose
Annapolis, Maryland. It’s been over 50
years since I learned the names of the Capitol cities of the United
States. I have a feeling that I’m not
the only one who thought that Baltimore was the Capitol. I suppose I should have gotten the hint when
I saw a photo of the State House on their website.
We were so looking forward to the destination and
not the weather…rain for days.
Thursday,
our first stop was at Baltimore Coffee and Tea, located at 890 Bestgate
Rd. just out from the downtown area. Kim
and Becky are the very friendly and helpful managers. The beans themselves are roasted at their
main plant in Timonium. You’ll want to
inhale that great aroma when you enter and view a whole load of bags
conspicuously placed there. Yes, you can
buy the beans and even have them grind it to your liking.
It looks as though the beans are divided into three
categories: regular, decaffeinated and flavored. I, personally, do not like flavored coffees
as they tend to be artificial. Although
caffeine hits me, I time it with not having it first thing in the morning or
before I go to sleep.
Sauntered over to the counter to peer at the
menu. There were six brewed coffees to
choose from and was able to taste them all, if I wanted to. Opting for an Iced Latte, the coffee choice is
their Italian Espresso Milano. It is
described as an artful blending of Costa Rican Tarazzu, Fancy Bourbon Santos,
Tanzania Peaberry & Ethiopian Harrar.
It gives this blend incredible flavor
with a rich caramel crema for an extraordinary espresso.
Since it was
lunchtime, I ordered their Cranberry Walnut chicken salad with lettuce and
tomatoes. Looks like both Laurie and myself were in the mood for an iced coffee drink and this salad.
With the help of Kim and Becky, I chose 4 ounces of
four coffees to use in my Aeropress. It
was recommended to be ground between espresso and drip. Baltimore Blend (darkest roast) - Our famous
and best-selling house blend, we're proud to feature this as our homage to our
home city. A careful blending of Guatemala Antiqua, Colombian Supremo, and
Fancy Bourbon Santos this coffee gives a combination rich taste with a mellow
body. Renaissance Blend (dark roast) - This coffee holds all the promise of the
flavors of Italy. An indulgent blend of French Roast, Italian Roast and
Viennese Colombian. Indian Monsoon
Malabar (medium roast) - This incredible coffee from the Malabar region of
Southern India offers a brew with a sweetly fermented fruit flavor that has an
intriguing musty tone, but one that is not at all sharply bitter. Very low in
acidity, the muskiness of this coffee is obtained by exposing the beans to the
humid monsoon winds for 12 - 16 months prior to export. Loved the latte so I got the Espresso Milano.
Taking photos I noticed that they carry an entire
line of teas as well. Black, green, white,
decaffeinated, mixtures of tea and herbs, herbal and herbal mixtures. Herbals
are always caffeine free due to there not deriving from a tea leaf. Love the packaging. You can get loose tea or tea bags. Surprisingly, many of the loose teas come with
a reusable tea bag. The 3-oz packages
under the name of Eastern Shore Tea Company, brew 50-60 cups of tea. That is because you only need 1 teaspoon per
cup. What did I get? African Red Bush
Tea (rooibos). Nantucket Mint Herbal Tea
– redbush, vanilla, spearmint, hibiscus.
The back of the bag has a history and full description of the teas. Got a cranberry-apple muffin to go…it was
delish. www.baltcoffee.com
Time to check into the Westin Annapolis Hotel at 100
Westgate Circle and West Street. I must
congratulate myself for choosing such a perfect location as I’ll get to it
later on. The lobby is bright and
inviting with many “stations” including the check in and business (must check
email and don’t want to bring a computer of any sorts). The atmosphere spews tranquility. I had requested an accessible room having
taken both my rollator and cane. Pretty
spacious. Entering the bathroom, a long shower stall with a shower chair is
right there. The shower chair is
attached to the wall and folds up. This
is smart as it allows me to close the shower curtain. One can opt to stand. The water automatically comes out from a
portable shower head.
I requested a refrigerator just in case there were
leftovers, although there is a cupboard that does have an area of refrigeration
that doesn’t seem as cold. Microwave
included.
Westin has a Green program with a reward. If you choose not to use the facilities of
the maid service, you are rewarded with a card that allows you $5.00 voucher
for food or non-alcoholic drinks served at the hotel. The lobby has a snack bar called Grab and Go,
located just outside the restaurant.
They sell the basic coffee, tea, juice, bagels and pastry.
Westin also has a program for runners. They rent the gear that comes from New
Balance. Shoes that comes with socks
(you keep them) and workout clothing such as shorts, long shorts, and sports
bra. I had trouble with getting the
shoes as I have a very wide width. You can actually saunter along West Street to the other end at Dock Street as the distance is just less than a mile. Needless
to say, I had no intention of running…especially in the rain. Neither of us made use of the indoor pool,
workout gym, or spa.
New to the hotel is the Rooftop Beehive. They have installed rooftop honey beehives
which can host up to 35,000 honey bees.
It hopes to be a haven for the depleted honey bee population. Chef Barnett plans to use the honey in a wide
variety of signature dishes once it is harvested. Not sure but I think you can buy a
jar.
www.westinannapolis.com
Baltimore has its crab art. Annapolis has Chicks along West Street. We were hoping to get a photo of all 13 if it
weren’t for the rain and figuring out where they are.
What’s with the chicks? Gavin Buckley was heading an art project as
part of a newly created art district.
Going to City Hall he sat in on a heavy debate about people having live
chickens in their backyard and if so, how many.
It appeared that some people had been fined for doing so. This debate went on for about two years
before the decision back in 2012. Gavin
thought that the whole thing was ridiculous to spend so much time with. That’s when the idea came up for this project
that involved both schools and artists.
Due to vandalism and some in total disrepair, not all of the original
chicks are around. Tourism has a map of
their location and “author”.
You can get a map from tourism, and would
have been easier doing “rainless”. We
got a total of four, two of which were near the hotel.
Dinner this night was at Carpaccio Tuscan Kitchen
located just across the hotel’s main driveway. The restaurant is located at One Park Plaza
where we encountered a piazza with a fountain and statue of a perhaps a Roman man
standing above two horses. Open to the
public there are about 4-5 tables where you can bring food, your pet, or lap
top if you want. Carpaccio does not have
table service in this area.
Laurie and I shared each of the chosen menu items beginning with a
buratta salad. I love the creaminess of
burrata. It came with prosciutto, asparagus, basil, yellow and red tomatoes and
baby arugula…which seemed to be a better substitute for parsley.
Carpaccio Di Manzo Parma uses thin slices of
filet mignon along with capers, shaved parm and…arugula. It was drizzled with a
Dijon mustard aoli. Although it comes
with toasted bread, I passed it up knowing that there was more to eat.
Shrimp Arugula…yes, there it is. Four freshly tasting prawns roasted in a
garlic sauce sitting atop cannellini beans with…arugula. The sauce was so good
that I wanted to consume all of the beans.
I wanted to try a few other tidbits.
One was a Pappardelle with a tomato based lamb ragu topped with crumbled
goat cheese. Savory sauce and cooked
well.
Corvina on the left. Pappardelle on the right
Branzino
Fish is necessary. Branzino Mediterraneo - grilled and drizzled
with lemon infused olive oil and fresh herbs.
It is served with escarole relish and olives and walnuts. I was also curious about a fish called
Corvina. It is a basic white fish the way we use the term “scrod”. The Corvina Livornese was pan seared with fire
roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes, asparagus tips, Kalamata olives, capers in a light
marinara sauce with garlic and olive oil, finished with a splash of chardonnay
and the chef’s blend of seasonings. Yes,
we were getting full. Along came a plate
of a cheese risotto. All I could think
of was Gordon Ramsey screaming in Hell’s Kitchen. At least the chef here knew how to perfect
it. We skipped dessert. www.carpacciotuscankitchen.com
Our final destination for the evening was Wine and
Design at 32 West Street. It is becoming
a “craze” to have a sort of painting party or just a night out with friends
doing something you don’t normally do.
Nobody judges your work as it is all in fun. We were all painting a pink rose that had
already been drawn onto the canvas and using acrylics. Denise was the instructor this evening. The
goal was to learn how to paint shades of the pink color in order to emphasize
the petals as well as the green shades of the leaves. It turned out okay, I guess…although I
think a photo of it looks better than what was on the canvas. That’s ME doing the judging. Their policy is “no mistakes” and to make
sure you distinguish your wine glass from you water glass. Wine is extra. www.wineanddesign.com
Friday. Up and at um! Breakfast is in order. When it Rome…I went for the Chesapeake Eggs
Benedict. Lump crab substituted for the
usual Canadian Bacon.
It continues to rain as we drive to the Spice and
Tea Exchange at 155 Main Street. Melanie
and Erica were at the store as we toured the goods. Spices and teas are packaged on the
premises. There are different areas to
view and you can get a whiff of anything you want. You
can get single spices or blends. With so
many to choose from….really…I asked for recommendations. Coastal Blend – garlic, ground green
peppercorns, kosher salt, onion powder, chives, shallots, dill, lemon zest, and
lemon verbena. Ginger Teriyaki – garlic,
ginger sugar, soy sauce, ginger, kosher salt, onion, Worcestershire powder, and
white pepper. Tuscany – garlic, tomato
powder, lime frost sea salt, onion, salt, black pepper, olive oil, rosemary,
basil, green and red bell peppers, parsley, red pepper flakes, aji amanilo
pepper, coriander, cumin, oregano and thyme.
Their Signature spice blend has: black pepper, garlic, green and red
bell peppers, kosher salt, celery, paprika, tomato powder, chives, onion,
horseradish powder and Datil pepper (from St. Augustine). It’s amazing how anything goes well with
chicken!
Let’s get to the salts. I only chose two. Applewood Smoked Sea Salt and Olive Sea Salt
(kalamata and green olives). It’s not as
if they don’t have a line of tea.
However, after going to Baltimore Coffee I opted for two. Cinnamon Plum:
organic cinnamon, organic hibiscus flowers, organic currants, organic licorice
root, and natural plum flavoring. Berry
White: organic white tea, organic rose hips, organic blueberry, organic
raspberries, organic schizandra berries, organic strawberries, organic hibiscus
flowers, natural flavor or lychee and plum, organic white tea with jasmine. Sing it to me! www.spiceandtea.com
We then traveled down to the flooded docks (hey, the
rain had been nonstop since we got there).
Supposed to have lunch at Sofie’s Crepes until we realized that there is
no seating at this venue. Lunch was
elsewhere in the area. Drove around the
area until time for the 3 pm Trolley tour that started at the Visitors Center,
26 West Street.
This is the best for an
overview of the city as well as being able to hear about the history and
perhaps some inside information. Close up to US Naval Academy, St. John’s
College, City Dock. Oldest of homes and
historic buildings, although not directly in front of the State House. Joe, the driver, was kind enough to take us to where some of the chicks are located dropping us off right in front of where Laurie parked her car. www.towntransport.com
Circulatior Trolley is another form of
transportation. For a buck a ride, you
can take the whole loop just to get acquainted with the city. Two dollars if you’re going outside the
Central Business District. One of the
stops is in the parking lot area of the Westin Hotel. It runs at 20-minute intervals. Perhaps someone will be able to point out
where the 13 ceramic art chicks are located.
Back to the hotel to relax before dinner at their
Restaurant, Azure. I was most interested
on sampling some of the appetizers and soup. Chesapeake Cream of Crab is a
house specialty. Quite tasty and quite
rich. Laurie was up for some fried oysters. I didn't pass up on tasting. We will later taste them raw to compare. Duck Confit Flatbread had smoked
gouda, mushrooms tomato preserve and arugula.
I wonder if both Carpaccio and Azure have an investment in baby
arugula. This would have been great if
it weren’t that the duck was much too salty for my taste. Chicken wings that are honey spiked with
sweet chili. They came out crispy
without taking away from the tenderness of the chicken. Barbecue Beef Bites had a homemade sauce and
resting on brioche with a side of house made potato chips. I wanted to save room for dessert as they
make their own ice cream. The dessert
was Milk Shake and Ice Cream. I had a
chocolate milk shake and vanilla and chocolate ice cream. I would have loved the milk shake if it
weren’t that it was too sweet from the chocolate syrup used in it.
Entertainment for the evening over at Compass Rose
Theater located at 49 Spa Road, just across the street from the hotel…if you
leave by one of the dining room doors…didn’t realize we couldn’t get back in
that way. Production was The Roar of the
Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd. I
was looking forward to seeing this as I had been in this production back when I
was seventeen and having the role of The Kid as well as being the Musical
Director. Feature songs are: “Who Can I
Turn To”, “Feeling Good” and “Wonderful Day”.
Plot: Sir,
who represents the upper class and Cocky, who represents the lower class play a
board game where Sir is always in control.
The Kid is Sir’s sidekick. There
is a chorus of urchins. A few characters
come onto the board to play such as The Girl and The Foreigner (originally
called The Negro).
Compass Rose is a small non-profit organization that
in my opinion is better than Community Theater and bills itself as a
Professional Teaching Theater.
Lucinda
Merry-Brown is both the founder and artistic director. They made quite a good
use of the stage by building what looks like a wooden cat walk. The actors would climb up to it or swing down
from a rope. Not much in terms of sets
or costumes as the script does not make it necessary. However, I did not see this show on Broadway. Some great vocals from the cast and music
provided by simply a pianist. Lucinda
made changes in the script, although it did not take away from the
original. “On a wonderful day like
today/I defy any cloud to appear in the sky/Dare any raindrop to plop in my
eye.” Poor timing for that song as it
continued to rain. www.compassrosetheater.org
Saturday and breakfast. This time I had Eggs Benedict with smoked
salmon atop an English muffin. I
requested the egg to be over easy but I got poached instead. It came with a salad of asparagus spears and
tomatoes. Needed a healthy juice and got
a combo of orange, carrot, and ginger.
The rain stopped and it is time to check out and
head for the City Dock as we are taking the 11 a.m. cruise with Watermark Tours
on the Harbor Queen.
This 40-minute
cruise took us along the Chesapeake Bay where we toured the Annapolis Harbor
and U.S. Naval Academy shore line.
History is told and homes and buildings were pointed out as we sailed
around. I took a seat downstairs in the
front of the boat for picture taking. I
enjoy the relaxation of a cruise, so long as the water isn’t rough. www.cruisesonthebay.com
I wanted to make sure that I had the experience of
eating Maryland crabs and found a fantabulous restaurant in the town of Riva,
about ten minutes away from Annapolis.
Mike’s Crab House on the banks of South River, located at 3030 Riva
Road.
Thank goodness it is large. This place was packed and for a good
reason. Seated I looked around to see
people using a mallet to break up the crabs and get the meat. Knife and fork doesn’t work for this. Trays of a dozen or so crabs going by. A heavy duty roll of paper is placed on the
table. I’m now in the mood for a beer
and order a Blue Moon. I wanted to try
everything. Laurie and I shared the
various delicacies starting with their famous Maryland Crab Soup. Kind of like a Manhattan clam chowder using a
tomato base. Loved it even though I tend
to get a cream based soup.
Don’t let anyone tell you that the large crabs come
from Maryland as they are fished from the waters of the Gulf Coast. Their local raw oysters are totally
awesome! Meaty and not very briny. Came with horseradish and cocktail sauce…a
bottle of hot sauce provided in case you want.
We continued the experience with a soft shell crab for each of us.
OMG. It is the best fried soft shell crab
going! Everything is edible.
Lastly, the Lump Crab Cake.
I asked if all lump crab
meat is sourced from one company. NOT. I think that is why this crab meat tasted
different from the one that I had at the hotel.
With a choice of either cole slaw or a salad bar, we opted for the cole
slaw. Creamy, no celery salt or added
vinegar. Just the way I like it. www.mikescrabhouse.com
FYI Handicapped Parking:
Cars with handicapped license plates or with a current hang tag may park at our
meters for twice the allowed time at no charge. If you wish to remain in
the spot, you must pay the meter rate and stay only the allotted time.
Handicapped licensed cars may also park in our residential district for four
hours.
I was so looking forward to a destination going back
to New York. I love alpacas. We found a farm call Painted Sky Alpaca Farm,
located in Earleville, MD. I arranged to
meet with the owners at a particular time.
Unfortunately Christopher Dickinson got stuck at a flower market. Alpaca owners tend to bring a few to events
where children are present as well as hospitals to ease the tension of
patients. We did get to meet four of
them as they were grazing in the front.
However, I did not get to pet any of them. However, it appear that a Maine Coon cat greets everyone and makes sure that he/she gets attention.
These particular alpacas are male. I’m not sure if it makes a difference with
their behavior towards humans. I decided
to adopt an alpaca. Her name is Dee Dee and will be sharing her with the rubber chickens.
www.paintedskyalpacafarm.com
