Countdown to Christmas

Last night I had the unexpected pleasure of witnessing the 40th annual lighting of the monument which officially kicks off the holiday season in Baltimore. I say unexpected, because I didn’t even know it was happening last night until we went to eat at City Cafe.  My husband and I, in desperate need of a date night after final projects and papers and research, decided to treat ourselves to a dinner at City Cafe directly after work. We called ahead in case they were busy and were told they’d be slammed after the monument lighting ceremony which was scheduled to be done by about 8.

After enjoying another mouth-watering steak at City, we ambled outside to find it was 7:20. Just enough time to stroll down a few blocks to the monument to watch the show. I didn’t know quite what to expect but was thoroughly impressed with the lighting ceremony itself, complete with Christmas lights, laser lights, fireworks and spotlights. A few gourmet food trucks and other food and drink stands did a merry business in the buildup to the event which featured a staged show of choirs and dancers. Definitely worth seeing in my quest to experience all things Baltimore. Speaking of things uniquely Baltimore, I just found out about a great event tomorrow which sounds like a fun place to do some gift shopping: Holiday Heap-Charm City Craft Mania will feature dozens of local artisans and handcrafted wares ranging from pottery, to prints, to purses.  It’ll be happening all day tomorrow. If you can’t make it out tomorrow but are still interested in a unique hand-made gift, check out A Thousand Villages, down in Fells Point. So many things I want to buy there!

With our tree decorated at home, stockings hung, and Bing Crosby’s Christmas hits on the record player, Baltimore is beginning to feel like a cozy spot to appreciate the holidays. We’ll be here for Christmas. Our first one spent away from family. First time on our own which is both exciting-to create new traditions and get to experience Baltimore in a new way-and also a little scary-I may yet get extremely homesick. But I have a feeling we’ll also discovery some neat things right here in Baltimore.  Just like at the ceremony last night, when I was surprised to see blooming flowers juxtaposed with Christmas lights. It’s been so warm here up until the last week which is a far cry from Iowa.  If Charm City has more surprises like this in store though, I think we’re in for a wonderful Christmas season.

Soup’s On!

Last weekend, I finally got to check “Soup’s On!” off my list of places to visit in Baltimore. My husband has eaten there for lunch several times in between law classes at the nearby University of Baltimore campus and assured me it was definitely worth a weekend trip. So after a wonderful morning with the people of The Garden Community, we walked down to Soup’s On! enjoying the spring temperatures on the way.

The place is sandwiched into a rowhouse requiring a walk down a hallway and up a flight of stairs before you can see what you’re getting yourself into. You emerge from the second set of doors into a small lobby with chalkboards, coolers, and the counter at which to place your order. You can see and smell the soup simmering on the stove just behind the counter. After ordering (we got the sandwich and soup combo) we went through another set of french doors towards the front of the building where a charming split level dining room is packed with small tables and chairs, and condiments and plastic silverware are available along an old mantelpiece.

We waited a few minutes for our food to be brought out to us as I soaked in the quirky atmosphere. I love places that have used space creatively, and with our table up on the second level lodged right up against a window I felt we had gotten the best spot in the house. The only suggestion I might make in regards to ambiance, would be to have some music playing in the dining room. Wooden floors and high ceilings make for awkward echoes and silences if there’s not some background noise.  When our food did come, the soup was so hot that I had to wait a few minutes for it to cool. In the meantime, I dug into my fresh mozzarella and tomato sandwich (I’ve been hooked on the Caprese salad/sandwich concept since I first tasted it in Italy-talk about setting the bar high!). The fresh mozzarella was layered with both fresh and sun-dried tomatoes with leaves of real basil sprinkled on top. The sandwich was open-faced, making it slightly hard to eat but well worth it. I love a good Caprese sandwich! This one doesn’t sell you short on fresh ingredients and is generous in its portions. My only correction would have been to leave it under the broiler for another minute to give the bread a good toast and ensure that it was hot.

By this time the soup had cooled enough that I was no longer in danger of burning my mouth, which I am very apt to do with both soups and hot drinks as I am not the world’s most patient person. The soup was worth the wait though: Curry Coconut Chicken with Pasta. Packed full of deliciousness, I quickly slurped up the whole bowl. I was glad I’d gone with a slightly more adventurous soup and even more glad it didn’t turn out to be too spicy. I’m eager to try a bisque next time I’m there because you really can’t compare any broth-based soup to the richness of a creamy bisque in my opinion. Once I had seen the Curry Coconut Chicken soup on the menu though, I hadn’t even bothered to study the rest!

Soup’s On! changes their soups daily and posts their specials online as well as on the chalkboards at their Mount Vernon location. I hear it’s busy on the weekdays but on the weekends the dining room had plenty of seating available. My overall impression was that Soup’s On! does exactly what its name suggests: steers clear of extra frills and just keeps it simple with a wide array of delicious high-quality soups. It’s convenient location just a block off Charles St. makes it an easy destination for lunch if you’re out exploring the city. We’ll be back!