Gunpowder Lodge: A Hungry Hiker's Haven 05/14/2012
 Yesterday afternoon, Tom and I broke one of our golden rules: "Never Eat in an Empty Restaurant!". We learned from experience it's usually a bad sign..... However, after hiking for two hours in Rocks State Park we were so hungry we would have eaten anything, anywhere! "How about the Gunpowder Lodge?" I suggested. We had been wanting to visit anyway, but kept  putting it off at the request of our wimpy kids -- who swore it was a biker bar! So silly. Pulling up we noticed two older women leaving the restaurant and no they did not drive off on their Harleys! So, we figured our kids must be a little mistaken. Oh yes they were, it's not a biker bar, it's more of a ski lodge with warmly painted walls adorned with snow  shoes, big wooden canoes and ski bindings cleverly fastened to the booths for hanging your jacket. Entering through the rustic bar we were greeted by a friendly waitress and led to a comfy booth. A soccer match was playing on the huge flat screen TV hanging on a stone fireplace flanked by sunny windows and one other group of "safe" looking diners were happily eating in the other corner. "Whew,  I think we're gonna be OK in here!" One thing that's so great about this place is it's location across from the Big Gunpowder Falls parking area. Belair Road is too dangerous to cross so it's best to drive. I suppose you could swim across the river and climb up the embankment, however the hostess might be a bit upset. There is plenty of outdoor seating on the deck and grassy picnic area below. Perhaps she'd let  you sit there? Oh and there's a fun wooden jungle gym for the kids! Being it was mid-afternoon (no man's land between lunch and dinner) we were a little skeptical about what to order. We decided to share the Ahi Tuna Wrap Sandwich and a large house salad. I let Tom splurge by ordering Potato Salad as our side. Yum! The wrap was delicious! And as you can see in the photo, the salad wasn't  too shabby either. We had asked for the tuna to be medium rare and it really was -- Kudos to the chef. I swear some restaurants cook everything to the same temperature no matter what you order. We happily ate every single bite and it wasn't just because we were famished. Our only complaint was they were playing different music in the bar and the dining area. We were sitting on the  borderline of the two sounds and so we listened to mixed up music the entire time. Perhaps they might consider playing the same music or reworking the speakers a little. Stuffed, we skipped dessert and asked for the bill. I handed the waitress my "Hon Fun" business card and explained what I do. She immediately disappeared and returned with an oval bumper sticker. Cute!  Then she excitedly told me the owners had bought a second location in Essex, "The Old Duck Inn." she said as I earnestly wrote this down. "No," she laughed. "It used to be the Duck Inn!" Embarrassed, I quickly crossed that out. "They renamed it 'Sunset Cove'". Apparently it's on (or close to) the water and if it's as good at the Lodge, it'll be another nice place to eat. That evening we  told our kids all about it, assuring them it's a wholesome environment and no need to worry about 'bikers', which by the way, I want you to know I have no prejudice against. So, the next time we go, they're coming too! Gunpowder Lodge 10092 Belair Road Kingsville, MD 21087 (410) 256-2626 Local Homes for Sale 6 Shoreham Court, Nottingham $1,350/month to buy! 9407 Seven Courts Drive, Perry Hall $1,215/month to buy! 9307 Carlisle Avenue, Perry Hall $1,150/month to buy! 124 Milton Avenue, Fallston $1,705/month to buy! 9501 Kingscroft Terrace, Apt D, Perry Hall $1,100/month to buy Local Homes for Rent 5054 Cameo Terrace, Perry Hall $2,200/month to rent Add Comment  Happy, after two cups of joe.... They say food is the way to a man's heart. I say a great cup of coffee (followed by a wicked sense of humor) is the way to mine and Tom knew where to find it.... Zeke's Coffee shop on Harford Road in the up and coming city neighbohood called Lauraville.
"Founded in 2005, Zeke’s Coffee is a family owned and operated company. Fresh-roasting each pound with a small fluid bed roaster, and using only the finest available beans, Zeke’s boasts high quality, locally roasted coffee." -- www.zekescoffee.com  Gino's is back in town and primed to open it's second store on Monday the 5th in our very own Perry Hall! My daughter was lucky enough to land a job with Marchetti's famed franchise and has been busy training for the past week with her fun co-workers.
Yesterday, she admitted she'd forgotten to get her work permit signed and so - as teenagers often do - begged me to get it all worked out. Ugh, grumble, grumble... but the upshot was I met her awesome manager, Debbie, and scored an invite to come to a trial run for a  A few weeks ago I nabbed an amazing deal from Restaurant.com via The Today Show. $500 worth of dining certificates for only $30! Wow! We made our maiden voyage to Alexander's Tavern in the historic waterfront area of Baltimore called Fell's Point. Tom checked the tavern's score on UrbanSpoon and it was rated 93% so we figured it was a pretty good bet.
 While slogging away at our computers the other day, Tom asked me out of the blue if I wanted to go with him to the BMA for a couple of hours. Sure, I love art and even better, there's no entrance fee! Even the main exhibit, Print by Print: Series from Dürer to Lichtenstein, is free! For those who've never been to this local gem in Charles Village right next to Johns Hopkins University
 Recently while working in Owings Mills, my famished husband, Tom, happened to find the Hummus Corner with the help of what else but his handy dandy App, UrbanSpoon. This little gem in is rated a whopping 95%! Whilst in Hummus heaven, he was texting me, raving about his meal and the lovely Lebanese couple who own the place -- Johnny and Carla Mattar. Carla is amazingly personable and somehow
 November is such a cold dreary month. Last Thursday seemed extra dreary. Tom and I were out working and decided to grab an afternoon coffee in Charles Village. We contemplated Starbucks for a nano second and decided "nah". Urbanspoon to the rescue! The snappy app suggested Carma's Cafe on 32nd between Charles and St. Paul a couple of blocks from Johns Hopkin's University, tucked along  the side of the large stucco apartment building that also houses Video Americain. I had previously noticed customers sitting outside in the summertime, but this day only a charismatic elderly gentleman, enjoying his afternoon coffee and cigarette (ever so French looking!), was brave enough. Carma's is very tiny, cozy and has a real Parisian vibe. I find it awkward to enter a....
 Who could pass up an invite to go witness the filming of the show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" with Guy Fieri and even get a chance to meet him and be on TV? My fun and talented neighbor Marc (he's also an artist/musician) is part owner and operator of the popular Boulevard Diner in Dundalk. It's a super cool retro diner built on the location of Marc's grandfathers' original restaurant, The House of Neptune (sounds like it could be on Sponge Bob, Square Pants). It's the most upscale diner I have ever been in with shiny stainless steel everywhere, upholstered booth seats, and a large
An Evening at the Ram's Head Tavern with Drunken Runners, Matthew Sweet and his "Girlfriend" 11/04/2011
 Photo by Faithdesired Last week Tom and I were treated to free tickets to see Matthew Sweet ("Girlfriend", "Evengeline") at the Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis. My Dad's former band manager, Joe Stella, was managing Sweet's "20th Anniversary Girlfriend" tour in addition to working on the Bangles tour (remember "Manic
 I can't tell you how many times I've visited Annapolis and must have walked right past this gem of an eatery. My British father, a rock musician, performed at the Rams Head Tavern and then had a couple of days off. We picked him up and decided to go to a local "Mom & Pop's" for lunch. Tom did a quick search on Urbanspoon and promptly brought us to Chick & Ruth's Delly -- as seen on The Travel Channel's Man vs. Food.
Inside everything is orange! It's a long thin restaurant with the kitchen and counters running along the left and tiny booths along the right with a few tables next to the front window. Feeling a little out of place, we tried to park ourselves in... |  Jackie McTear
Hi! I'm Jackie, AKA "Hon Fun". Tom and I love to enjoy Baltimore to it's fullest and would like to share with you some of our adventures dining and visiting cool places in our quirky yet beloved town!    ArchivesMay 2012 CategoriesAll |
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