Charm City Weekend

Last weekend we headed up to Charm City to visit a friend and had a quick tour, so busy and fun that I didn't take photos.  Plus it was cold so that detracts from wanting to take my hands out of my pockets or gloves (or both!).  Quick recap:

Drove up for lunch on Saturday, she lives in the Mount Vernon neighborhood so we got a great tour.  Started with awesome falafel at Shapiro's Cafe, an unmarked door on the street (but there are signs on the window, just not on the door), where everything (including the heat) seems to go wrong but the food makes up for it!

Then drove over to Fells Point.  When we lived in Baltimore (late 1990s), Fells Point and Little Italy was not a place you go for a day, my parents report it was a place that you go to get the best Italian food, but leave by 9pm.  So much has changed!  Such a cute area along the waterfront!  Grabbed coffee at the Daily Grind, walked around before settling on a pint at the Admiral's Cup, who played awesome 80s Pop.  Chris was in heaven!  Around 5 we headed back to Mt. Vernon for dinner at City Cafe.  They were awesome with my allergies, the server went back to talk to the chef and they had several options they could modify for me.  Settled on the duck confit with a white bean and sausage - delicious!

We then headed to 13th Floor, which is on the 13th floor of the Belvedere Building, great views of the city and jazz trio playing.  Service was a bit slow and the Cucumber Collins was too strong and too sweet, especially for the price.  After a drink we headed downstairs to Owl Bar, a totally different, but really neat atmosphere that has great Moscow Mules.  Story has it they were a speakeasy during Prohibition and if the owl was blinking then all was ok and there were no feds around.  Their pizza looked delicious and we enjoyed a round (or two) before calling it a night.  (Mom and Dad remembered 13 fondly, less memory of Owl Bar as they only went once.)

Woke up to snow/sleet combo the next morning so we walked (carefully! like a penguin!) over to brunch at XS on Charles St.  They were also great with my allergies, but had run out of soy milk that morning for coffee.  Had the Southwestern Omelet, just for the avocado, which was great, but was over stuffed with chicken.  Really neat atmosphere and they were even willing to turn down the fans when it got a bit cold!

Drove back south in the snow/sleet/rain mess, timing it right so there were not many accidents on the road.  All in all a good trip to Baltimore (just hoping for warmer weather next time!)