SoBoBlog.com: news, rumors and oddments by and of the citizens of South Baltimore
by Colleen Wolfe
soboblog@baltimoreguide.com
The weather last Saturday was so gorgeous I thought I would spend the day walking around South Baltimore and check out a few new businesses and a couple of oldies that have been on my list of places to try.
I thought I’d start the day off with a little browsing through a new bookstore in Ridgley’s Delight. The Baltimore Chop, at 625 Washington Blvd., is right around the corner from the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum. As a dyed-in the-wool Baltimore gal and true lover of baseball I only had to see the name of this store to know that I would love it. Named after a hitting technique invented and perfected by the original Baltimore Orioles of the 1890s, the Baltimore Chop has possibly every baseball book imaginable as well as a good selection of other sports books.
Not a baseball fan? Not to worry The Baltimore Chop also has smaller sections for poetry, fiction, best sellers, art, music, and children’s books as well as a special section of antiquarian books, including first editions. And all New York Times best sellers are always 20 percent off.
And the Chop is more than a bookstore. If you are a resident of Ridgely’s Delight than you know doubt already know that this is a great place to stroll to for your morning cup of coffee. They also serve Patisserie Poupon pastries, 15 varieties of bagels, 41 flavors of iced Italian sodas. They also sell Maribelle of New York truffles and hand blown glass from Baltimore Glass Works, CDs of independent musicians and lots of other cute gift ideas. There’s even a knitting group that meets on Wednesdays, although it is on hiatus for the summer. The place was inviting, the coffee made everything smell wonderful and the people were friendly. I would definitely say a great new addition to the neighborhood.
Although I didn’t get a chance to visit it on Saturday I wanted to let everyone know about a new event at another Ridgley’s Delight business, Peace and a Cup of Joe, 731 West Pratt Street. Jabbering @ Joe’s is an interactive conversation event where men and women age 30 or older are invited to share their views on a specific topic. The first Jabbering event will be this Friday, 5-7 p.m. The topic is “Being Single in Baltimore: What’s the Deal?” Drinks are half price for the first 10 people.
After browsing at The Chop for a while it was time to head to the Cross Street Market to investigate a new BBQ place for lunch. Smoke, which opened only three weeks ago, is located at the Light Street end of the market, catty-corner to the Utz Potato Chip stall. I ordered the pulled pork platter. The sandwich came the traditional way, topped with cole slaw. Their menu said the meat is smoked overnight until it shreds at the lightest touch. And I have to say I believe it. It was tender and juicy and tangy. It came with two sides. I chose the cucumber and tomato salad and hush puppies. I’m not usually a fan of hush puppies, finding them rather bland. I got them because I thought my daughter would enjoy them. But they had bits of Serrano pepper in them, which kicked them up a notch. And although the cucumber salad was cool and refreshing it needed a little zest on its own. But between the heat from the peppers in the hush puppies and tangy pork and cole slaw, the whole platter was delicious. Smoke also has brisket, pork loin, spare ribs and chicken. They make all of their own sauces, rubs and side dishes.
While it’s been around since 2003, somehow I had never gotten over to Dangerously Delicious Pies, 1036 Light Street, until now. After lunch at Smoke, I wandered over to find out what was on the dessert menu. As two confirmed chocoholics, my daughter and I split a slice of chocolate chess pie. Wow! All I can say is we’ll be back. There are at least a dozen other varieties I need to sample, including the blueberry peach, chocolate peanut butter, derby, and apple. I could go on and on.
Saturday was a great day. This is why I love the city. I spent almost the entire day browsing through a great bookstore and enjoying some really good food in a couple of great neighborhoods.
After visiting The Baltimore Chop bookstore this past weekend I thought I’d recommend a great baseball book I read several years ago. “Where they Ain’t: The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team that Gave Birth to Modern Baseball” by Burt Solomon is one of the best books on the early years of baseball I’ve come across. This book is about more than the story of the original Orioles. It’s about the culture of the game itself and how those early years were tumultuous for the game and the players as owners were constantly experimenting with contraction, collusion, and team syndicates. Their constant meddling eventually destroyed the Orioles, who became the New York Highlanders and later the Yankees, and gave way to the creation of the American League in 1903.
Through colorful characters such as Orioles manager Ned Hanlon and players Willie Keeler, John McGraw, Joe Kelley and Hughie Jennings, Solomon shows how the Orioles introduced a new and aggressive style of play, the hit-and-run, the double-steal, the drag bunt, and the Baltimore chop. This is a great book for any baseball fan.
A note from the Department of Recreation and Parks: there will be a meeting on Wednesday, August 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ella Bailey Rec Center, 100 East Heath St., to present concepts for the design of new athletic fields at Swann Park. Rec and Parks officials will be on hand to share ideas about field layout, lighting, restrooms and other improvements that will be installed once the park soil issues have been resolved.
