#16. Take a Sunday morning stroll through the JFX Farmer's Market and #85. Coffee from Zeke's

I really am a morning person... once I’m out of bed.

           My downfall is the snooze button, allowing me to stay under the covers telling myself “just five more minutes” about five times. However, my father does not have a snooze button. At 8:30 AM, about an hour before my alarm clock song and dance was to begin, my dad came in my room and said, “Do you wanna go get breakfast, or do you wanna sleep more?” The foodie in me outweighed the sleeping beauty.  

We found ourselves driving through the city looking for the Baltimore Farmers Market and Bazaar under the JFX at the corner of Holliday & Saratoga streets. I had never been and my father had only driven past several times, so neither of us really knew what we would find for breakfast or where. Upon entering the market, however, all I could smell were good things. The sudden smells of fresh vegetables and spices, sizzling meat, roasting coffee and fresh flowers mingled through the hot, humid air with violin and saxophone music that almost made one dizzy. We followed our noses to the source of a spicy, breakfasty smell to a tent from Ethel & Ramone’s, which surprised me. Ethel & Ramone’s is an upscale restaurant in Mount Washington serving up Maryland/Creole fusion cuisine for lunch and dinner; I definitely was not expecting this establishment to be serving inexpensive breakfast in a tent on a hot summer morning. I remembered reading something a few weeks ago, though, saying to try an Ethel & Ramone’s breakfast sandwich as one of #365 things to try in Baltimore on Groupon.com. I ordered two and stood back to watch breakfast magic happen. The chef started by frying diced onions in clarified butter, then adding beaten eggs, Andouille sausage, peppers and spices. The omelet was placed on two toasted pieces of focaccia bread and smothered in hot sauce. Needless to say, it was amazing, fresh, cheap ($7 for an 8 inch gourmet breakfast sandwich??) and accessible, as it is available every Sunday morning at the Farmers Market. Unfortunately, i did not get a picture of this beautiful sandwich. It smelled so delicious that I scarfed it before I thought about my camera in my back pocket.

Walking around eating our sandwiches, my dad and I caroused dozens of stands selling local fruits, vegetables and flowers, homemade jams and desserts, home-grown spices, specialty meats, incredible foods and even hand crafted lamb’s wool blankets (sold at the same stand as was selling lamb, slightly depressing). It was a cultural display of sustainability, creativity, hard work, delicious food and art. The display was so diverse, I was not surprised to find a few places listen on my blog selling their wares, including Dangerously Delicious Pies and Zeke’s Coffee.  I skipped out on buying pie, since they were almost sold out but I did grab some coffee from Zeke’s.

At $1.50 for a small cup of gourmet coffee, I was more than willing to grab some to walk back to my car with. I decided on the Charm City roast, which they explained was a mix of a few different types of beans that represented the diversity of Baltimore. It was smooth and obviously high-quality, and I really did enjoy it, but since I rely on Diet Coke for my primary source of caffeine I am probably not the best person to ask about coffee. Regardless of my coffee ignorance, I was impressed by the local coffee shop for having a few custom blends of coffee inspired by and named after different neighborhoods and landmarks in Baltimore, such as Little Italy and the Shot Tower. The coffee was cheap, delicious and culturally relevant which was, I believe, the reason for the insanely long line at the tent.

The Farmers Market has been a surprising oasis of color and culture in the center of the city for 34 years, set up in a parking lot right across from the Bourbon Street Nightclub under route 83; not someplace you’d expect such an incredible and diverse array of culture, trucks full of local produce and giant glittering hula hoops laid out for public use on a Sunday Morning. But, like most things I have experienced in this blog, all one has to do is a little exploring in order to find something so delicious and unexpected. I grilled the delicious local peppers i bought for $3/large basket and had local, sweet cantelope for dessert today and I will definitely be back next Sunday with some canvas bags and a larger appetite.  

References:

http://www.ethelandramones.com/about-us.html

http://www.promotionandarts.com/index.cfm?page=events&id=3

http://www.mda.state.md.us/md_products/farmers_market_dir.php

http://www2.citypaper.com/bob/story.asp?id=9075

http://www.zekescoffee.com/

Baltimore Bender Edition: #4, #84 and #91 help me turn twentyone

Turning 21 is a monumental experience for a Baltimore foodie.

      Since I was partying on Kent Island midweek to celebrate being able to (legally) partake in certain festivities, I haven’t had the chance to actually purchase any alcohol in a store or do anything high-class and/or Baltimore related for my blog. But, today, I made up for all of that and then some.

    - #4 Drink a Natty Boh

    - #84 Oysters and Beer at Cross Street Market

    - #91 Clipper City Brewery tour

      This morning, my dad, brother, sister and I made our way to Clipper City Brewery, a brewery that churns out Heavy Seas craft beer less than 2 miles from my house. On most Saturdays, the brewery gives out tours open to the public (of all ages) and offers a pint glass and five (approximately) half pint samples of their artisan beer for only $5 (for those over 21). Not only is the brewery tour cheap, fun and accessible, but it’s actually a mini history and science lesson rolled into one. The energetic tour guide explains the particular science behind brewing and bottling their beer as well as the history of craft beer brewing in Baltimore.

      Clipper City Brewery was founded by Hugh Sisson (still a managing partner!), whose family owns Sisson’s, Maryland’s first brewpub, which was opened in 1979 as the first one since prohibition. Hugh started professionally brewing at Sisson’s in 1989 until he founded Clipper City in 1994 with Ernesto Igot, a former brewmaster at the San Miguel Brewery in the Philippines. Since the brewery’s opening, their craft beers have been sold and shipped all over the east coast.  According to a brewer at the tour, the age bracket and demographic for those purchasing craft beer in Baltimore is exploding, making craft beer a legitimate, sought-after and unique part of the food culture in this eclectic city. Personally, I would count myself in on this burgeoning trend: I sampled 5 different beers and loved each and every one, although my favorite was Loose Cannon, a fruity/citrusy American ale that I imagine would be delicious paired with some spicy sushi…

         

     Naturally, a morning of drinking makes one hungry and the thought of sushi was driving me wild. My dad and I directed our designated driver Maureen to immediately high-tail it to another delicious Baltimore food landmark and a frequent family favorite of many years: Cross Street Market in Federal Hill. Cross Street Market is one of the six original public markets (such as Lexington Market as seen in this blog) established in Baltimore during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The original cross Street Market, located in the historic Federal Hill district in South Baltimore, was an open air shed opened in 1846. As the market’s popularity expanded, a two-story building was constructed and remained for many years until it burned down in 1951. The market bounced back quickly, however, and the current one-story market building was completed by the next year.

      Like Lexington Market, Cross Street is full of stalls selling food but also flowers, candies, vegetables, meats, seafood and miscellaneous objects (such as weaves, electronics and herbal medicines). I would venture to say, though, that Cross Street caters to a different demographic entirely. Federal Hill is an up-and-coming neighborhood full of young professionals; it has become a popular bar and restaurant district downtown and is fairly crowded on most weekend nights. Half of Cross Street actually fits this mold and has more of a restaurant/bar feel than Lexington; this half includes Nick’s Seafood, Samurai Sushi and a raw bar, each stall having its own bar and a shared space of small and picnic tables as well as music and flat-screen televisions. The crowd consists primarily of white couples and families each time I go to Cross Street, which has been frequently over the past twelve years or so. My reasoning behind this is the location, being as the neighborhood is wealthier and further away from the inner-city than Lexington and its reputation as an entertainment district, all factors leading to more expensive and upscale product available at the market. For example, Lexington Market has a multitude of fried chicken and deli stands, while Cross Street has a famous sushi and raw bar.

      Regardless of the product and demographic, Cross Street Market is a relatively affordable and accessible location to experience another side of Baltimore culture: not the old, working-class Baltimore but the young, trendy Baltimore with traditional flavor and history. The blue point oysters were a little expensive at $11/half dozen, but they were large, fresh, salty and freshly shucked. The beer was cold, and the sushi from Samurai’s (an all-time favorite of my familiy’s) was delicious as always. Part of the charm of being a local in Charm City is a little like “Cheers” where everybody knows your name. Every time I walk into Cross Street I’m greeted by Mr. Tony at the sushi bar and I always get a taste of home with his Baltimore Roll (made with REAL crab meat and old bay) and some delicious Maryland seafood at Nick’s. The O’s or the Ravens are always on and, no matter how up-and-coming Federal Hill is, the din of raucous laughter and Baltimore accents is the soundtrack to my meal.

      On the way home from all the fun this afternoon, I figured I’d make one last stop to complete this Baltimore-filled day and keep fueling my buzz: I picked up a 6-pack of National Bohemian beer, affectionately known around these parts as Natty Boh.

      National Bohemian was created by the National Brewing Company in Baltimore in 1885; some other well-known products of this company are National Premium and Colt 45 Malt Liquor. The slogan of the company was (and still is) “From the Land of Pleasant Living,” referencing the beautiful Chesapeake Bay region. After prohibition, the brewery reintroduced Natty Boh with a one-eyed, grinning mascot dubbed “Mr. Boh,” which quickly became a pop-culture icon of Baltimore city, and still appears on all sorts of material culture in the city today. Case in point, in 1965 the beer became the official sponsor of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team in Memorial Stadium and the “official” unofficial beer of Baltimore.

        The brewery at the intersection of O’Donnell and Conkling Streets was eventually closed and the brewing facilities relocated to Halethorpe, MD (where Clipper City is located! See how everything comes together??)Despite the beer’s insane popularity and longevity in Baltimore, in 1996 the company eventually changed hands to the Miller Brewing Company and moved to Eden, North Carolina. Despite the move, Natty Boh culture still permeates Baltimore. When the brewery in Halethorpe was demolished, the business park built in its place was dubbed “Natty Boh Towers.” Even Mr. Boh still watches over the city at night as a larger-than-life neon sign.

      And another fun-fact? Natty Boh also holds the distinction of being one of the first beers ever to be sold in a six-pack when, in the 40’s, aluminum cans became a popular (and less expensive) way to distribute and drink beer.  So what better way to keep celebrating local culture than picking up a six-pack and continuing to enjoy some Baltimore booze?

Terms:

Pop-culture: culture based on a population’s popular taste

Material culture: all things people make and use in a society

References:

http://www.hsbeer.com/

http://thomas.cizauskas.net/articles/sissons.html

http://baltimore.about.com/od/publicmarketsgroceries/a/publicmarkets.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_Street_Market

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Hill,_Baltimore

http://nationalbohemian.com/history/Default.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bohemian

Lexington Market Edition #1, #9, #10 and #52

I finally experienced some culture shock in Baltimore.

        My dad has warned me against going to Lexington Market (on Lexington Street in West Baltimore) without him and I’ve been pretty exasperated as of lately, as I’d been to the general area several times of late for other blog adventures. Before this afternoon, I thought myself capable of walking anywhere in the city at almost any time without any sort of shock or apprehension. I guess I have been a little more sheltered than I thought.

        Lexington Street is actually a tough area. Driving through a neighborhood is nothing compared to walking the streets; seeing people up close instead of flying by them in your car, smelling and hearing everything, avoiding panhandlers, if you’re me, experiencing a culture that is so unlike your own you are shocked in the realization that it is less than ten miles from your quiet suburban neighborhood. Lexington Street is what some of my black friends refer to as “the hood.” It is a predominantly African-American, low-income city neighborhood with above-average crime rates and dilapidated buildings that brings to mind scenes from “The Wire.” Walking into the market, I was hyper-aware of my appearance: skinny white girl in skinny-white girl, preppy clothes and preppy sunglasses. Suddenly and for one of the few times in my life, I felt like the absolute minority. Someone who in no way blended in, in an almost uncomfortable way. You may hear about these feelings in anthropology classes and brush them off or think of them as things you only feel in “exotic” field locations, but I can honestly say I have felt those feelings twice now in the same county, state and country I have lived in all my life.

Lexington Street was not always been the inner-city neighborhood it is today. Lexington Market was a famed shopping district in Baltimore since the 18^th century, home of various department and clothing stores and Lexington Market. The area was also home to a luxury hotel, The Utah House until 1835 when it was replaced with another high-class establishment: The Hippodrome Theater, which was the home to fine arts and one of the most popular Vaudeville destinations in the Mid-Atlantic. Lexington Market, however, was the heart and soul of the area; it is the longest continuously running market in the country, established in 1782 on the original site on land donated by General John E. Howard (who Howard County is named after). What was originally called the Western Precincts Market was an open air market, with farmers from Towson and Reisterstown (farm land back in the day…) pulling their wagons onto the property and selling their wares. In 1803, the market expanded from Eutaw Street all the way down to Lexington Street, the market’s current namesake. Eventually a building with stalls was built as business blossomed and more and more product was sold. Lexington Market became part of the famed Baltimore City Public Market system, including the Hollins, Cross Street, Broadway and Old Town markets, many of which are still open as well.

The downfall of the area came not from the fire of 1949 that destroyed the Hippodrome, but from the riots of 1968 when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. After the riots, urban areas throughout the country deteriorated as product of “white flight;” wealthy businesses moved out of the areas in fear of more violence and unease.

Regardless of the changes in the area, Lexington Market remains as popular as ever, albeit differences in both vendors and customers. The goods sold have expanded from fruits, vegetables, meats and fishmongers to 140 vendors selling all that as well as baked goods, international cuisine, soul food, deli’s, candy, etc. Some of Baltimore’s most well-known hometown favorites have stalls here such as Rheb’s Candies, Mary Mervis Deli, Polack Johnny’s, Faidley’s Seafood and Berger’s Bakery.  

My trip to Lexington Market was not a leisurely stroll through the booths, but rather a mission: I was out to find an authentic chicken box, compare it to ANOTHER chicken box, sample some fried chicken livers and, drum roll please, a famous Faidley’s crab cake

- 9. Get a chicken box (fried wings, western fries, dinner roll) from a Baltimore City public market.

- 10. Maybe the chicken box should be from Tyrone's?

-52. Fried chicken livers from the Lexington Market

- 1. Have a jumbo lump crab cake from Faidley's on a Saltine.

 I was accompanied by my whole family and my dad’s father, my Pop, a retired Baltimore City Mounted Police officer and, like my parents, an old hand at Lexington Market. We split up, a la Scooby Doo, and met in the food court with our findings. While my sister and grandfather opted for huge deli sandwiches, my brother and I both came back with chicken boxes, his from Tyrone’s, mine from Park’s. His box included white bread and two breasts and two slices of white bread and mine had two thighs, two legs and collard greens (which were phenomenal). A traditional chicken box has a half a chicken, white bread and “western fries” but I was more concerned about the flavor of the chicken. Park’s chicken had a thick and crunchy crust and was doused in hot sauce. The meat was dark but just as juicy and tender as any white meat I’ve ever had. Tyrone’s chicken has a bit of a thinner crunchier crust and was the biggest chicken breast I have ever seen in my life. Personally, I think Park’s is the best because of the thick crust but with the plethora of locations where fried chicken is sold in the market, I’m sure my opinion is a bit unreliable.

My last stop in the market today was Faidley’s, which is a Baltimore institution in itself. Not only is Faidley’s is the oldest vendor in Lexington Market, but it may be one of the oldest family-run businesses in the city. Faidley’s is has its own wing in Lexington market, complete with several counters and a raw bar. Founded in 1886 by John W. Faidley, Sr., the seafood has become somewhat of a legend in these parts.

In search of a crab cake, I made my way to one of them and struck up a conversation with the woman helping me. I told her about my blog and she said to me “If you wanna talk to the boss, she’s right there,” pointing to a stately looking older lady at another counter, dressed nicely but still wearing rubber gloves and a Faidley’s apron. A golden opportunity for an interview with the best possible informant I could ask for. I introduced myself to Ms. Nancy Devine, nee Faidley, and asked her if there were any interesting about Faidley’s I had not read online. She told me that she was third generation in a family that sold seafood at Lexington Market, originally just selling fish and other seafood, not yet cooked food. She told me that the market had been popular for everyone in the city and that alumni of University of Baltimore Law School and The UMD Medical, Nursing and Dental schools sometimes met at Faidley’s for reunions, bringing back memories of walking here for lunch when they were just students. She told me that Faidley’’s crab cakes had become such an institution, she personally provided crab cakes to ex-Senator Barbra Mikulski for a birthday luncheon, who’s astounded invitees included female senators from all over the nation; they had never had a crab cake like Faidley’s and were shocked to hear they came from a public market and not a gourmet restaurant.

All in all, Ms. Nancy reminded me of Lexington Market and Baltimore: elegance found in the most unusual setting and not someone you would want to mess with, despite her age. Lexington Market and the city of Baltimore have changed around her for years, but she and Faidley’s are still there and just as successful as ever.

Lexington Market is a testament to the fact that sometimes the best and most authentic foods are found in areas not frequented by tourists (or even more wealthy residents), but low-income areas where the culture of a city is least affected by the effects of globalization like sushi, iphones and Starbucks. What is left is authentic food; the recipes handed down for generations and sold at low prices. The people that serve it are hardworking and experienced, often having done this for most of their lives, and friendly as anything, “Hon’s” and “baby’s” flying around as they only can in this city. The market and the food sold inside have become deeply ingrained into the local culture, as one can see by how well known the food is and the generations of people who flock to the market to eat it. Who can blame them? The food is quintessentially Baltimore; one only has to be a little braver and more open-minded to get to it.

Terms:

Culture shock: The feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexington_Market

http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/services-shopping/lexington-market-PLTRA0000130.topic

http://www.faidleyscrabcakes.com/story.html

http://www.france-merrickpac.com/history/index.html

http://www.lexingtonmarket.com/



#78 & #30. Go to Wockenfuss Candies and eat a caramel apple! Mmmmm.

It’s not hard to have a sweet-tooth in Baltimore.

        Between snowballs, gourmet ice cream shops, a plethora of cake and cupcake bakeries (including a travelling cupcake truck and the Ace of Cakes) and more than a handful of home-grown candy companies (such as Naron, Mary Sue, Rhebs and Wockenfuss) there’s enough sugar here to kill a village of diabetics. Today, feeling kind of like a trip to the mall for a birthday ensemble, my mother and I decided to hit up Wockenfuss Candies for a post-work day sugar fix. We split a caramel apple (which was deliciously sour and sweet with soft, gooey caramel) and got some exotic looking, gourmet dessert truffles for later. The sugar has obviously kept me up very late.

        The Wockenfuss family immigrated to the United States from Germany in the late 19^th century and quickly set up shop (a candy shop) in the early 20^th century. From what I can gather, the family had previous experience and skill as chocolatiers and found a market and a booming economy in the growing port city of Baltimore, as well as a hungry and demanding customer base. The company is still owned by the family, specifically Paul Wockenfuss, and now has eight separate locations all over the Baltimore area including White Marsh, Bel Air, Columbia and Ocean City. Not much information can be garnered about the history of Wockenfuss, but it has become one of those popular Maryland companies that almost everyone knows and loves.

        With their local reputation, familiar product, decent prices ($3 for a caramel apple is less than I pay at the Arbutus Carnival… go figure) it’s no wonder than Wockenfuss has become a part of the culture around Baltimore. In fact, the store has made such a cultural impact to Maryland residents, it has been featured in a legitimate cultural artifact: a children’s book (look here!) by Denise Blum, “The Plot of the Perilous Pirate: Captain Smitty Takes Ocean City.”

        This is a short blog entry, no doubt. Sometimes it’s hard to find out the history of a store, its customer demographic or company statistics; many successful businesses don’t bother to publish that sort of stuff if no immediate gain can be made from its release. Obviously, people of Maryland aren’t particularly bothered by this. Wockenfuss Candy is popular enough to have eight locations and ship candy all over the country, which is a lot to be said for a chocolate company started in Baltimore by German immigrants a century ago. The history of this company is a long, successful one but I’ll leave this blog short and sweet. If you want to see how popular the chocolate is, go to the Mall in Columbia, stand in the perpetual line, buy some chocolate (if you’re lucky, from Katie Savin-Murphy will ring you up) and get lost in a bit of Baltimore bliss.

       ( On a side note, I also helped promote the spread of culture today by introducing my mother to bubble-tea. She loved it. The wonders of a Western shopping mall and its abilities for cultural assimilation…)

Terms:

artifact: an object made by humans, usually for a specific function or purpose

cultural assimilation: a social response to a multi-ethnicity demographic that promotes the absorbtion of many cultures into a single one

References:

http://www.wockenfusscandies.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wockenfuss_Candies

http://www.manta.com/c/mm3vty5/wockenfuss-candy-co

#68. Eat anything on the menu at Andy Nelson's.

Brendan and I went hog-wild today.

          And by hog-wild, I mean we ate a lot of barbeque (get your minds out of the gutter!). Today, Brendan finally earned me telling him he was right when he convinced me Andy Nelson’s Barbeque is, indeed, the best barbeque I have ever had.  I considered myself partial to Red, Hot n’ Blue, however their ‘que is the McDonald’s to Andy Nelson’s Ruth’s Chris. Andy Nelson’s is a delicious down south transplant cuisine-wise, but it is a Baltimore born and bred institution.

          Andy Nelson was not only a purveyor of finger-licking pork product, but a safety for the Baltimore Colts. Born in Tennessee (where he also played college football for Memphis State), he brought his southern football skills and barbeque recipes up north to Baltimore city. After his football career ended, Andy Nelson and his wife Betty opened up their Memphis-style barbeque restaurant on York Road in Cockeysville to instant success and acclaim.

          The three signature sauces (sweet, smoky barbeque, “Carolina Style” [made with mustard and vinegar], and pig-dipping sauce [hot sauce and vinegar-based, I do believe]) only add to the delicious, slow-cooked, divinely seasoned REAL barbeque served up in a simple manner with southern-style sides (collard greens, potato salad, cornbread, etc.).  Normally my blog is very specific on what kind of food I am to eat and/or how to prepare it, but truly, EVERYTHING at Andy Nelson’s is delicious. I sampled the dry-rub pork ribs, pulled pork, pulled turkey, beef brisket… and I really could not tell you which one was my favorite.

          Although the style of food at Andy Nelson’s is actually authentic to Tennessee, the food has been famous around Baltimore for almost as long as my parents have been alive. Although the restaurant is a little far north for some, the low prices and great food draw people from all over the region. The simple restaurant even has an outdoor barn-style room with picnic tables, making Andy Nelson’s accommodating and accessible to nearly everyone from business men to truckers. As for being culturally significant, the restaurant has been repeatedly voted Baltimore’s Best Barbeque and one of the top 15 restaurants in the area; Andy Nelson’s has become a Baltimore institution over the years and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere.

          Which is good for me because honestly, I could eat the pulled turkey BBQ and collard greens every day for the rest of my life. I even ordered an extra sandwich to take home for later. I hope you’re happy, Brendan, because your girlfriend is now an Andy Nelson’s porker.

References:

http://www.andynelsonsbbq.com/

#47. Order any sandwich at Trinacria.

Today has been a lazy, boring day.

          I had a day off but, since it is gloomy and rainy, I have been stuck on the couch watching soccer and a Super Nanny marathon. Thankfully my best friend/cousin combo saved me from monotony and took me out to lunch. I’m really starting to appreciate these daily lunch dates with family… Lunch today was unbelievably not boring and something that I would never had known about if not for this blog.

          On Paca Street, there is a small, hole-in-the wall, run-down looking storefront of a deli that, at first glance, appears to be closed. Pushing in the door, however, one is immediately transported into a Sicilian delicatessen. This blog tries to highlight authentic Baltimore culture, but this store is purely and authentically Italian. Fresh-baked crusty breads are stacked on shelves, home-made pastas and sauces crowding counter-tops, jars upon jars of fresh olives of every shape and variety, and a vat of homemade olive oil make the store visually and aromatically overwhelming in the best way possible.  It is only fitting that this small piece of Sicily is called Trinacria: the island of Sicily is often called the “Kingdom of Trinacria.” A trinacria, or a triskelion, is an ancient symbol of both Greece and Italy; when Sicily was part of Greece, the three-pointed symbol represented the three points of the triangular island. The symbol of the trinacria was also considered a cultural reference to the legend of the tables of Hephaestus: the Greek god had three-legged tables that could run around themselves, serving food to all the gods of Mount Olympus.

But I digress. Let’s get back to the food.

         You all are probably getting very tired of hearing the same old story, but Trinacria was opened by Sicilian immigrants in 1908 and sold fresh pasta, sauces, bread, deli meats and other Italian groceries to Baltimore residents, both Italian and non-Italian. Trinacria values its reputation as an old-world style Italian delicatessen and quality Italian groceries and food products for  relatively low prices; in other words, the average person in Baltimore could probably walk in, buy some pasta, sauce and a nice bottle of wine without too much trouble. It is this accessibility that allows Baltimore residents to absorb Italian culture and let it permeate into their own food culture, like the way a great tomato sauce is absorbed by slow cooking meatballs. In the end, Baltimore food is always flavored with a little bit of the other cultures that exist within the city.

          My only wish? That Trinacria lived up to its mythological namesake and deliver me another smoked turkey, mozzarella, roasted red pepper and artichoke Panini to my front door on a magic little three-legged table. Oh and some of those spicy red cherry peppers stuffed with goat cheese, too. Now that is the food of the gods.

'

References:

http://trinacriafoods.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskelion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hephaestus

#13 & #63. Corned beef on rye and a bologna-wrapped hotdog at Attman's.

My family loves to eat; it must be genetic.

So naturally many of my family members are big supporters of my blog. My cousin Nick, however, is a huge foodie much like myself and has been dying to join me on some of my adventures. Much to my pleasant surprise, he texted me at work today asking if we could go to Attman’s Deli with his lovely girlfriend Taylor (who navigated us there easily and by heart). Needless to say, I responded with a yes and right after I got off of work.

Attman’s Delicatessen on Lombard Street is (ironically) famous for being a little piece of New York in Baltimore. In fact, the sign says “New York Delicatessen.” The Deli is also famous for its Jewish-American food, such as potato knishes, kugle, and fresh kosher dill pickles. This is because the owning family, the Attman’s, are Jewish. Established in 1915 by Harry Attman, Attman's has earned its reputation for some of the best and most authentic corned beef in Baltimore, even being on “Corned Beef Row,” a very unique Baltimore landmark. “Corned Beef Row” is a few blocks of Lombard Street east of Little Italy and Presidents Street; Attman’s is always in competition with Lenny’s Deli and Weiss Deli, two other Jewish-owned, New York-style delicatessens. The reason Attman’s has remained so popular is because of their delicious, unchanging, inexpensive food and restaurant. The owning family is the same, the recipes are the same and by the looks of it the décor, lights, tables and signs are all the same as they have been for over 50 years. My father and grandfather can vouch for that: my dad remembers riding on the back of my grandfather’s horse (he was a Baltimore City Mounted Police Officer) to Attman’s in the 1960’s, which he says looked just as old when he was a kid.

When we got there at 3pm, which I assumed would be off-hours, the line was still to the back of the deli. It was so loud with the sounds of yelling, chatting and chopping that I had to yell over the tall counter that I wanted one corned beef on rye (no mustard), one hot pastrami on rye, two green dill pickles (green meaning freshly pickled) and five spicy red cherry peppers. Waiting for my food, I watched the staff fight and point knives at each other, in a range of accents ranging from inner-city, jewish-American, Italian and middle-eastern. I was absolutely fascinated that it really did seem like I had walked off the streets of Baltimore into a deli in the heart of New York City. I got my food, sat down in the dilapidated dining room adorned with old pictures, signs and paintings and experienced the most delicious pastrami south of New York. Attman’s also happens to be famous for their bologna-wrapped hotdog, a giant kosher beef dog wrapped in fried beef bologna with mustard and onions. Lucky for me, Nick ordered this strangely delicious food (which I remember my mom craving while pregnant with my sister) and saved me oh, a few thousand calories and being a beach ball for the rest of the day.

Although Attman’s food is not authentic to Baltimore, let alone Maryland, the way that the deli has been ingrained into the local culture has made it part of Baltimore, the living, breathing, melting-pot city made by immigrants and outsiders. The food is delicious, cheap and unpretentious, making the deli appealing to almost everyone on this middle-class city. Even those working behind the counter are the epitome of the city: a screaming, multicultural, slightly violent, bustling mess that somehow produces delicious food worthy of lines out the door.

References:

http://www.citypeek.com/baltimore/restaurant/attmans-delicatessen
http://baltimore.about.com/od/fooddrink/tp/cornedbeefrow.htm
http://www.attmansdeli.com/history.php