Looking for a new summer drink? Consider Japanese sake. If you think sake is warm, rough and something to avoid, you’re in for a surprise!

One common misconception is that sake is a rice wine. Actually, wine is fermented fruit, whereas sake is made with grain using a process similar to brewing beer. In Japan, producers are referred to as sake breweries. Only natural ingredients are used, the most important being water and rice.

Another myth is that sake is better served hot. In reality, lower-grade varieties are heated, and most Japanese never touch the stuff. Most fine sakes are served at the temperature of white wine, 45 to 50 degrees. Scott Bernas, general manager of Ra Sushi Bar Restaurant, dispels these myths daily. “Not many people know that the best sake comes cold or chilled, which is perfect on a warm summer day,” he says. “Sakes come in various styles with completely different flavors. Something else that makes sake really appealing is that it is all natural and won’t give you that dreaded hangover.”

To understand sake one must first understand the three main categories that are listed on the bottle and define its purity, taste and elegance. The first step in making sake is to polish off the outer shell of the rice, which may add rougher, harsher flavors to sake. The categories define how much the outer shell is polished off; the more the rice is polished the lighter and more fragrant the sake. The three main categories are as follows:

Junmai (juhn-my) sake must be polished to at least 70 percent, i.e., a minimum of 30 percent of the grain is polished away. It is characterized by a full, clean and solid flavor.

Jumai Ginjo (juhn-my Geen-joe) is brewed using traditional handmade techniques, which polish away at least 40 percent of the grain. Junmai Ginjo sake is fermented at lower temperatures and for a longer time. The result is a lighter, fruitier and more refined brew.

Junmai dai Ginjo (juhn-my die-Geen-joe) represents the crème de la crème in sake. This sake is brewed with ultra-polished rice (at least 50 percent) and even more precise production techniques— virtually nothing is left to machinery. Junmai dai Ginjo sake is light, incredibly fragrant with elegant flavors.

Like wine, the quality of sake ranges vastly. Paired with the right dish, it is the perfect addition to a summer gathering. Sake is not just the perfect pairing for sushi, however; there are countless dishes that can benefit from a sake pairing. The guidelines for pairing sake and food are similar to pairings with wine: Match fuller, more powerful Junmai sake with heavier, more powerful flavors, and lighter Gingo and dai Gingo styles with lighter fish, salads, etc.  —Laurie Forster

Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach®, is a wine educator who creates corporate events, group tastings and team-building seminars. She is the author of “The Sipping Point: A Crash Course in Wine,” and can be heard each week on WBAL 1090AM. thewinecoach.com.

Elevation Burger, the growing national chain that’s environmentally friendly and features free-range, hormone-free beef, has opened in Harbor East.  (1006 Aliceanna St., 410-244-6156)

Located in the Marriott Residence Inn downtown, 17 Light is a new restaurant and lounge serving lunch and dinner. (17 Light St., 410-962-1220)

Meridian 54 in Canton (formerly Red Fish) has changed its menu and its chef; Tom Friend is now at the helm in the kitchen. (845 S. Montford Ave., 410-522-0541) 

The Hon Bar at Cafe Hon in Hampden has undergone a chic redesign, courtesy of Steve Appel and Lee Whitehead of Nouveau Contemporary Goods. (1002 W. 36th St.., 410-243-1230) 

Fin, located in the lower level of the Admiral Fell Inn, has closed after a brief run. Paolo’s in Towson has closed its doors, as well.

One-dish pasta meals are a great vehicle for fresh summer vegetables. Making them is a snap for the chef, and cleanup is easy. To assemble these dishes, forgo the grocery store and make a trip to your favorite roadside stand or farmers’ market.

I love green beans, and I’m always trying to get my children to eat them. They actually do, in my recipe for spinach rotini with chicken, a simple dish that bursts with the taste of fresh sweet basil. Grilling summer squash and peppers to include with the trofie (short, squiggly twists of pasta) is easy; pulling them together with fresh pesto takes them to another level. Spaghetti and tomatoes is a classic pairing. Adding feta, crunchy bread crumbs and thyme reinvents the dish. For a more sophisticated option, try the radicchio with shrimp, artichokes and capers— a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for any special occasion.

Don’t let the simplicity of these dishes fool you— ripe, well-sourced vegetables perfectly capture the bright, clean flavors of a summer garden.

Recipes:

• Trofie with Grilled Summer Vegetables and Pesto
• Spaghetti with Feta, Cherry Tomatoes, and Thyme
• Orecchiette Pasta with Shrimp, Radicchio, and Lemon
• Spinach Rotini with Chicken, Basil, and Green Beans

Andrew Evans is owner/chef of Thai Ki in Easton.

Serves 4-6
2 cups dried orecchiette
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup marinated artichokes, chopped
1 tablespoon capers
1 small head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces              
1 cup chicken stock
1 lemon, juiced and zested
25 shrimp, steamed and peeled
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and set aside. Add olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Then add artichokes, capers, radicchio, chicken stock, lemon juice and zest, and cooked shrimp. Warm all ingredients for 1 minute on medium heat and season with salt and pepper. Top with chopped parsley. 

The Polo Grill. Four West. The Colonnade Club. Spice Company. The restaurant space at The Colonnade has housed them all. Now, it’s become Alizee. New owner Joe Chen wanted to open a “boutique bistro” and wine bar, and developed a French-fusion menu that also includes lots of sushi. Choices are categorized as small plates (Thai mussels, glazed calamari, foie gras), large plates (sesame crusted sea bass, New York strip steak, rack of lamb) and “Fushi” (for “fusion-sushi,” which includes eight different types of rolls). The layout and design of the restaurant are fairly familiar, but we’ve always had a soft spot for this location and for the barroom up front. Let’s hope this incarnation stays around for a while. Open seven days for lunch and dinner, including brunch on Sundays.  4 W. University Parkway, 443-449-6200

Growing up, Savvy was never without her classic cotton pique Lacoste polos. Perfect in winter (layered over a white cotton turtleneck and under a Shetland sweater) and summer (she threw on her pale pink Lacoste and khaki shorts on Saturday nights when she wanted to feel like hot stuff), she loved her little alligator looks. Flash forward more years than Savvy would ever admit to: Lacoste has now opened one of its signature boutiques in Towson Town Center, still stocking the shirt that started it all as well as darling sportswear basics for men, women and kids. Want to spot Savvy this summer? She’ll be the one in the polo dress with a (faux) tan, cocktail in her hand and Ray-Bans on her head, feeling once again like hot stuff. Don’t miss: Fun accessories like the sporty and sunny canvas totes and shoppers with stripe trims. Towson Town Center, level 2, 410-321-4782

Historians may be all atwitter this year over the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s New York voyage, but on Aug. 28, 1609, weeks before the captain sailed his ship up the river that would later bear his name, he got stuck on a sandbar in the Delaware Bay.

He wasn’t exactly captivated by the mild breezes or the broad spit of land separating the bay from the Atlantic Ocean. After all, he was looking for a quick route to the East Indies, and North America kept getting in the way. But he lingered long enough for his first mate to write a detailed log of the landing, and in the coming years other explorers came to the sandy stretch Hudson had spurned. One of them, Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, bestowed his name upon it. Thus it became, in the Anglicized aftermath, Cape May.

Crossing the bridge from Route 109 onto Lafayette Street one day earlier this summer, I’m not thinking about Cape May’s 400th anniversary as much as my own 25 years of coming here. Immediately, the traffic slows down, the road narrows to two lanes, a hush comes over the air. I start to recognize the houses, compare color schemes, notice if new sales or rent signs have gone up. And once again, I dream of moving here permanently.

Historic preservation meetings would be my domain. I’d be a docent at the Emlen Physick Estate. I’d eat at Louisa’s all the time and climb the 199 steps of the Cape May Lighthouse to work off the calories. Would I ever get tired of looking at this fairytale architecture, strolling these tree-shaded streets, walking the length of the little boardwalk and gazing at the waves? Not possible. Cape May is a land of magic that always casts a spell.

It was a similar sense of enchantment that made Elan and Susan Zingman-Leith up and leave their Manhattan life 20 years ago and move to Cape May. “Sheer foolishness,” Elan says. “We saw a house for sale and just jumped.” The house is now Leith Hall, a fully restored B&B, and Elan is curator of the Emlen Physick Estate, one of the most distinctive buildings in Cape May.

Known to the local kids in its derelict days as a haunted house, the 18-room stick-style mansion was saved from the ravages of progress in the 1970s by preservation-minded citizens who formed the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts. It’s now a house museum, where you can get a sense of what life was like for a wealthy 19th-century gentleman. Dr. Emlen Physick commissioned celebrated Philadelphia architect Frank Furness to build the house for him and his mother in 1879. Physick and his mother had different tastes, and her various redecorations over the years gave the house the layers of history you see there today. She departed from Furness’ spare, clean, geometric oak and chestnut patterns and “heavied it up,” in Elan’s words, piling on the drapes, doilies, rugs, fabrics and tchotchkes the late Victorians were so well known for. Then, in 1900, with styles again changing, she gave some rooms the Edith Wharton treatment— light, airy, uncluttered, French. Despite the surface changes, Furness’ original work shines through in the moldings, furniture, mantels and stained glass. “Curators like things pure,” says Elan. “But people just like what they like. You get a sense of immediacy in this house, as if the people who lived here just stepped out.”

Another place with that sense of immediacy, and the most spectacular of the dozens of B&Bs in Cape May, is The Mainstay. People from all over the world have heaped praises on this inn, so pardon me while I pile on. But it’s hard to overstate the effect The Mainstay has at first sight. A supremely elegant, symmetrical, Italianate mansion, its enormous veranda sweeps around three sides of the house, supported by slender white columns that lend a Southern plantation feel. The clapboard walls are yellow, the giant floor-to-ceiling shutters green. Its two stories are capped by a square belvedere (a great place to watch thunderstorms). Once you know its history, the house invariably conjures its original, more rakish incarnation: a gentlemen’s gambling club, built by architect Stephen Decatur Button in 1872. One can still imagine the dapper denizens of a hundred years ago sipping port and smoking cigars on the veranda.
Inside, though, it takes your breath away. This is where the Victorian love of ornamentation manifests in all its glory. Fourteen-foot-high ceilings are covered in pattern upon pattern of Bradbury & Bradbury art wallpapers. Elaborate chandeliers, gargantuan pier mirrors, dark mahogany carved furniture and Oriental carpets all grab the eye. And that’s just the entryway.

The parlors and dining room are equally gasp-inducing. It used to be my goal to stay in every one of the guest rooms at least once, six in the main house, another six in the adjoining cottage. But over the years, I’ve chosen my favorites. Give me the dark, moody lushness of the Henry Clay Room or the Cardinal Gibbons Room over the fanciful brightness of the Clara Barton Room any day.

If just looking at all this variety is overwhelming, imagine creating it. That’s what former innkeepers Tom and Sue Carroll did when they bought the property in 1976 and began restoring it. Tom, a native of Towson, was stationed with the Coast Guard at the time and fell in love with Cape May. He and Sue saw potential in the old house. “If your marriage can survive wallpapering together,” he says with a laugh, delivering the old adage, “it can survive anything!”
The Carrolls ran The Mainstay for 30 years then sold it to owners who’ve hired a staff to manage it. Although they no longer sit with guests every morning at breakfast or greet them at 4 o’clock tea, the Carrolls live just around the corner, and Tom, who serves on several historic preservation boards, is still involved with the town’s buildings.

“I loved the interaction with guests,” he says of his years at The Mainstay. “But I also love taking historic buildings and renovating them, giving them a new life, a new purpose.”

Two such projects are the Cape May Stage, a jewel of a theater in a renovated 1850s church that attracts Equity actors from Philadelphia and New York, and the Cape May Designer Show House, an annual fundraiser akin to the Baltimore Symphony’s Decorators’ Show House. This year’s Show House is a cottage in the Gothic Carpenter style, with all the flourishes and furbelows one expects from a charming wooden seaside cottage. It sits behind a white picket fence in the center of town and will be open to the public through December.

A few blocks away is the most recent renovation success story: the Congress Hall Hotel. Dating to 1816, burnt to the ground in 1878 and rebuilt a year later, the Congress Hall hosted four U.S. presidents in its heyday. John Philip Sousa conducted his band on its massive front lawn and even named a march in honor of it. But as the fortunes of Cape May waned in the 1960s and ’70s, so did those of the Congress Hall, and it fell into disrepair. For years, the
L-shaped structure stood there, a whisper of what it once was. Then, in 1996, a visionary developer named Curtis Bashaw came to the rescue. He fully restored it, and it reopened in 2002.

Today, the hotel looks remarkably like it did in postcards from more than a hundred years ago. Dozens of wooden rocking chairs still line the colonnade surrounding it, white-painted balconies still perch outside the windows of many of the 106 rooms, the green lawn in front still stretches to Beach Avenue and the ocean beyond. The decor inside, though, is strictly contemporary. Zebra-patterned carpet covers the floor of the chic, bustling bar, called the Brown Room. The Blue Pig Tavern (named after a gambling parlor once on this site) serves modern cuisine indoors and out. Downstairs the Boiler Room hosts live music and feels like a Manhattan nightclub.

But outside, steps away, there’s still the simple silence of the streets and the ancient sound of the sea. The wind blows through the branches of the sycamore trees, horse-drawn carriages clip-clop down the block. I can follow the sidewalks and stroll past familiar spindles, balustrades and widow’s walks. There’s no hurry. In 25 years, Cape May has never disappointed me. Twenty-five hence, I’m sure she never will.

stay
The Mainstay Inn, 635 Columbia Ave., 609-884-8690, http://www.mainstayinn.com Rooms, $175-$360, including breakfast and afternoon tea.

Congress Hall Hotel, 251 Beach Ave., 888-944-1816 or 609-884-8421, http://www.congresshall.com Rooms and suites $199 to $379.

play
Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, http://www.capemaymac.org Daily house tours, $10 and up.

Cape May Designer Show House, 511 Franklin St., 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, http://www.capemaymac.org June 26 to Jan. 3, $20 adults, $10 children.

Cape May Stage, 31 Perry St., 609-884-1341, http://www.capemaystage.com Season runs May 20 to Dec. 31.

Cape May 400th Anniversary, calendar of events, capemay400.info
eat
Louisa’s Cafe, 104 Jackson St., 609-884-5882. Tiny, cramped, BYOB restaurant serving the best food in Cape May. Expect a busy signal when making reservations, which are essential. Do not expect glamour!

Blue Pig Tavern, Congress Hall Hotel, 609-884-8422. Full menu including fresh seafood, wine list. Excellent.

410 Bank Street, 609-884-2127. New Orleans and Caribbean cuisine. Dinner only, BYOB. Consistently a favorite, though some find the food quite rich.

One of Baltimore’s favorite jewelry stores, Amaryllis, has relocated to Harbor East, in a darling new jewel box of a space. So perfect for finding fun everyday pieces— duck in for the trendy leather and silk bracelets from Erica Honig, the geometric designs of Barbie Levy and the modern but delicate looks of Zoe Chicco. Savvy loved the selection of cuff links for under $100, the AAA pearls and even chic-yet-practical bags from Baggalini. And Amaryllis continues its commitment to local designers like Sloane Brown (is there any woman in Baltimore who doesn’t love her wear-with-everything hoops?) and Nina Scala (her eco-friendly pieces are stylish and smart). Don’t miss: The small but exciting collection of vintage costume jewelry. 612 S. Exeter St., 410-576-7622

“Shock is the reaction of some Americans we have encountered who learn that real French people living in France eat hamburgers,” writes Julia Child in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” Shock was also the reaction when I found a hamburger recipe in her seminal cookbook. Even though the burger is more than a little fussy, it satisfies in an elegant way.

¾ cup finely minced yellow onions
2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 egg
½ cup flour, spread on a plate
1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil
½ cup beef stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, dry white vermouth or red wine
2-3 tablespoons butter, softened

Cook the onions slowly in the butter for about 10 minutes until very tender but not browned. Place in a mixing bowl. Add the beef, butter, seasonings and egg to the onions in the mixing bowl and mix thoroughly to combine ingredients. Form into patties ¾-inch thick. Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Just before sautéing, roll the patties lightly in the flour. Shake off excess flour. Place butter and oil in a skillet and set over moderately high heat. When you see the butter foam begin to subside, sauté the patties for 2 to 3 minutes or more each side, to desired doneness. Remove patties from skillet to warm plate.

Pour the fat out of the skillet. Add the liquid and boil it down rapidly, scraping up the coagulated pan juices, until it had reduced almost to a syrup. Off heat, swirl butter by half-tablespoons into the sauce until it is absorbed. Pour the sauce over the hamburgers and serve. Makes 6 burgers. 

In Thomas Eakins’ painting, “Max Schmitt in a Single Scull,” the rower’s craft is slim and light, skimming the surface of the water as lightly as a dragonfly. When the architecture firm of Ziger/Snead was asked to create a second home for a pair of avid water enthusiasts and rowers, they took this image of a historic rowing scull as inspiration. Like the quiet pastime of rowing, the new house on the Rappahannock River was to be a peaceful weekend retreat, a place to reflect on the convergence of water and land, horizon and sea.

“The water was the most important reason for being there,” says Douglas Bothner, the project architect. “There was something really compelling to the owners about where the water met the land and they wanted to be able to experience that from everywhere in the house.”

To maximize the connection between the structure and the landscape, the house was placed as close to the water as possible, with simplicity underscoring every aspect of its design and construction. In addition to the view of the Rappahannock, it also encompasses vistas of a wetland and a forest.

Historically, rowing sculls consisted of a straightforward frame construction covered in a light skin. Like a scull, the home is a long, slim frame wrapped in glass. The result is that the house becomes a border and the landscape around it a work of art. “If you take a snapshot and put it in a frame on the coffee table, people engage with it differently, as if it has more value,” says Bothner. “This is a way of re-presenting the landscape and the river in that way.”

Though some private spaces in the home are opaque, due to the use of concrete fiberboard siding, interruptions in the transparent frame are kept to a minimum by using floor-to-ceiling glass wherever possible. Even the master bathroom presents an open face to the river, requiring no solid walls for privacy in this rural setting. Sliding doors allow the entire house to be opened to cross breezes, giving the feeling that the structure is one large, pleasant screened porch and blurring the line between house and nature.

The ideal of simplicity carried into the home’s interior finishes, where the owners challenged the architects to use basic materials in creative ways. “They wanted the architecture to be the interior, so architectural materials are the finish materials,” Bothner explains. “The materials are very raw, very pure. There wasn’t to be a distinction between how the building was built and how the building was experienced from a materials point of view.”

The 3,500-square-foot home, which was built during the course of five years on a tight budget, can be summarized with a few choice words. Concrete. Glass. Wood decking. Steel. On the interior, galvanized steel structural columns are left bare, the fireplace and hearth are concrete block and poured concrete, and the light fixtures are cast metal. Ziger/Snead developed the custom stainless steel kitchen and minimalist lacquered cabinetry in keeping with the home’s restrained palette. Because the structure is essentially a glass box, there is little need for artificial light during daylight hours; a glass floor along the south-facing wall of the building allows sunlight to filter into the lower level multi-purpose and storage spaces while giving a lightweight feel to the home’s main floor.

Despite the home’s minimalism, the owners are colorful people who are active in the Baltimore area art community and live in the Canton neighborhood when not at their river retreat. Their personality is evident in the red Ligne Roset “Togo” sofa (which offers a soft counterpoint to the rigor of the architecture), and the vibrant array of Arne Jacobsen “Series 7” chairs and bar stools scattered throughout the home.

“The success [of the home] is its simplicity,” says Bothner. “It’s so lightweight when you are inside. I think, in part, it is a very rigorous thing and yet it allows the life of the river to dominate. It slips away and becomes a wonderful frame for being in the landscape.”

Resources

Architects  Ziger/Snead Architects; Partner in charge, Steve Ziger, AIA; Project architect, Douglas Bothner, AIA/LEED AP; Project team: Jeff Morgan, John Shorb, Glenn Shrum; 410-576-9131
Landscape architect  Lazarus Design Associates, Baltimore, 410-235-7737
Cabinetry  Artisan Interiors, 410-243-1045
General Contractor  Connemara, 804-435-155

Sometimes first impressions are correct. That is certainly true of the plants flanking the entrance to “Stonehouse,” Marla and David Oros’ six-acre estate near the city-county line north of Roland Park. Vivid pink, purple and yellow ‘knockout’ roses, dahlias, perennial sunflowers and salvia play fancifully against the formal, black ornamental fence and the strong green bones of hundreds of trees. These colorful blooms planted at what could be an imposing entrance reflect the property’s owners: friendly, welcoming, accessible.

“We bought the property because of the trees,” says Marla Oros, president of the Mosaic Group, a health and human services consulting firm. “We took out 310 diseased and declining trees and planted 250 new trees before we moved in,” adds her husband, David Oros, founder and chairman of NexCen Brands, Inc.

The first stage of the garden’s development was the creation of an evergreen perimeter. Designed by landscape architect Mark Willard, a tight hedge comprised of 175 mature evergreen trees was planted three years before the couple and their two children moved into the 1920s stone house whose 21st-century renovation and expansion were designed by Baltimore architect Jamie Snead of Ziger/Snead.

“Mark gets a lot of credit for the hardscape and the topography,” says David Oros. Willard changed every grade of the property to create stately lawns, gardens, terraces and stone walls around the house, swimming pool, pool house and teahouse. He transformed a flat backyard (once the home’s entrance) and a steep front yard with a dog run into multi-level, undulating, tree-filled gardens.

When Marla told him she did not want to look out at the adjacent golf course, Willard took a former railroad right-of-way and built a hillside. He planted it with dozens of mature trees and continued the evergreen perimeter plantings: Norway spruce, Cryptomeria japonica, ‘Nellie Stevens’ hollies and magnolia ‘grandifolia’ trees he found in Georgia. “The owners wanted us to establish a landscape that felt like it had been there for a long time, but with the benefit of using modern plant material with long seasons of interest,” says Willard.

In wide island beds and borders below and between the trees around the house, Willard planted massive swaths of leafy, blooming plants: hostas, liriope, ferns, grasses, azaleas and perennials, such as daylilies, gaillardia and coreopsis. “Mark made it park-like,” says Marla.

In the formal garden rooms outside the front and back of the house, trees like clipped hollies and fastigiate European hornbeams stand beside boxwood hedges and rectangular green lawns, with underplantings of bulbs and white-blooming perennials that light up evening parties.

Away from the house, the plantings gradually become more casual. In back, terraces lead to a pool that has the natural look of a rock waterfall, a koi pond filled with lotus and iris, an allée of European hornbeams lining the way to an enchanting white teahouse and a shady woodland garden that connects the pool to the tea house.

The steep hill in front includes wide beds that lead to a curved driveway bordered by native grasses and daylilies and a sloping area planted with swirls of ferns and hostas that complete a circle of broad, textured green ribbons around the house.
When Marla found herself wanting more color in front of the house, she filled in the green plantings with annuals and seasonal plantings. “Every year we had to tear those out and replace them. Many were dying because the underground sprinkler system needed supervision,” she says. “When my good friend Bunny Hathaway said the entrance looked like a hotel, I knew it was time for a change.” 

Hathaway, an experienced gardener, took Marla to Fieldstone Nursery, which specializes in rare and unusual trees. There they bought trees whose barks and leaves featured different textures and colors: red Japanese maples, blue spruce, golden variegated Himalayan pines, as well as flowering trees such as a large weeping Kousa dogwood and a variegated ‘Wolf-eye’ Kousa dogwood.  Hathaway also encouraged Oros to add vines like climbing hydrangeas, mandevilla and clematis to soften and enhance vertical interest both on stone walls and the walls of the tree and pool houses.

Then, because Marla’s mother-in-law knew the owners of the landscaping firm Azaleas to Zinnias, Marla hired them to add bold splashes of color and a looser, English country garden accent to the original beds and borders. Designer Claire Jones replaced white tulips with thousands of colored ones, planted more rhododendron, a Kwanza cherry tree, roses and colorful perennials. In the borders she installed hundreds of perennials to bring four seasons of color to the gardens and created massive containers that overflow with bold plantings of annuals. Dozens of hardy ‘knock out’ roses now punctuate the gardens, along with fragrant and flowering shrubs such as lilacs, daphne, viburnums, rhododendron and tree peonies.

“Enjoyment of the garden is not just a visual experience, it is something that should bring memories of your mother’s old-fashioned flower garden,” says Jones, who has pushed back the edges of some beds, divided others in half, eliminated some and filled in with swaths of green lawn to create a continuous, curvaceous look. The pool area has also taken on a Tidewater flair with grasses and heathers. “Everything now has a wilder, more natural look,” says Marla.

Her next projects include an herb garden and a cutting garden for her mother-in-law to use in making the arrangements that always brighten the first floor. “We need to redo the formal garden off the back terrace. The white lilies are nice, but they look straggly all at a different height,” says Marla. “And we are going to continue putting more flowering shrubs and perennials around the house.” Although Marla claims to be a novice, she is beginning to sound like a more experienced gardener, one who knows for certain that color and texture are the keys to giving “Stonehouse” its welcoming signature.

RESOURCES

Plants Azaleas to Zinnias, 410-828-0509, zaleastozinnias.com;  Fieldstone Nursery, 410-357-5114, fieldstonenurseryinc.com; Landscaping Mark Willard & Associates,  410-377-0703, mwa-us.come

Ten-year-old Joey “Jett” Hornish rolls back and forth across one of the many wooden hills and valleys inside the Baltimore Skate Park in Rosedale, his feet seemingly glued to his skateboard as he performs a “boneless,” a stunt that involves stepping off the board with his front foot and jumping while holding the board with his back hand— all while doing a 180-degree turn in the air.

It’s a difficult trick for skaters twice Joey’s age and size. But besting older skaters has become something of a regular thing for a boy who started skating four years ago, when his mother bought him a SpongeBob Square Pants skateboard for a dime at a yard sale.

After getting that first skateboard, it didn’t take Joey (who is known in the skating world as Joey Jett) long to surpass the skill of the best friend who taught him the basics. Within a year Joey, then 7, was competing against 20-year-olds. “I was completely shocked at how quickly he picked it up,” says Isabel Cumming, Joey’s mom and coach— although coach is a relative term, since Joey, like most skateboarders, learns from watching videos and other skaters, not through formalized training. While their family is athletic (mom is a former gymnast, dad was an All-American lacrosse player at Towson University, and brother Stephen is an expert marksman and competitive tennis player), skateboarding was a completely new endeavor.

Joey’s first competition was the PlayStation Big Hookup Tournament, where, at age 7, he placed first in the under-14 category. Soon after, he scored top finishes at the National Mini Ramp Contest in New Hampshire and the Black Diamond Vert contest in New Jersey. He had been competing on the Baltimore Skate Park team, but since it closed in May and reopened in Harford County as Migration, he will now skate under the Migration name. “When I first met Joey, he had only been skating a couple months,” says skate park owner Beau Barlow. “But I had never seen a kid come through here wanting it so much.”

Since there is no vert ramp in the Baltimore area, Joey and his mom travel once or twice monthly to practice on ramps in Philadelphia, New Jersey or at Ocean Bowl in Ocean City, Md. (one of the oldest skate parks in the nation).

Even though Joey is scared of heights, he’s fearless when it comes to the vert. At age 7, he became the youngest skater ever to land a “540” in competition— to complete 1 ½ rotations in midair on a 14-foot vert ramp— and is now known for a variation on that trick, a “540 rodeo,” which is inverted, making it appear like he is doing a back-flip in the middle of the trick. As if this isn’t enough of a crowd pleaser, Joey has his sights set on doing a 720— or two full rotations— a trick that he has landed a couple times, but hasn’t yet perfected. This shouldn’t take long, Barlow says. “Joey’s one of the quickest learners I’ve ever seen,” says Barlow. “He learns tricks in five minutes that take people months to learn. He’s an obvious prodigy.”

The highlight of Joey’s skating career so far is participating in the Dew Tour, an action sports tour in which athletes from six disciplines, from BMX to skateboarding, compete to win the Dew Cup. For the past three years, Joey has performed at each stop of the tour before the competition begins. At one tour stop, Joey was lucky enough to meet his hero, fellow vert skater from Dundalk, Bucky Lasek.

So, what is a kid who’s known across the country and has the potential to become one of skateboarding’s biggest stars like outside of the skate park? “He’s actually very shy,” says Cumming, chief of economic crimes for the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. “He loves animals, loves his dogs.”

The soon-to-be sixth-grader at Ridgely Middle School also loves football and is an avid Ravens fan. (Joey shares an agent, Ira Rainess, with Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, but he hasn’t gotten to meet Lewis yet.) And while Joey does want to be a pro skateboarder when he grows up, he is practical enough to have a backup plan: becoming a wide receivers coach for a Division II school. Ask him, “Why not a Division I school?” and he says, “Because if you mess up, they’ll be like, ‘You’re fired!’”

At the Baltimore Skate Park, Joey finishes a stunt and jogs over to where his mother is watching. “How was it?” he asks as he scrambles up the edge of a mini-ramp, stopping beside the coach who has been taught everything she knows about skateboarding by her son.

“It was great!” she says.

Joey Jett will be competing in the Ocean Bowl State Contest on July 15 and Aug. 12, http://www.oceanbowl.com Learn more at http://www.joeyjett.com.

After a rocky start as Brasserie 10 South, the now-renamed B10south has jettisoned not only its name, but its initial chef and menu as well. Originally opened with a high-end New American/French Brasserie-style menu, the restaurant now features a more casual, Southern-style bill of fare. It operates as a component of LUX nightclub, which is located upstairs. Open for happy hour and dinner only. 10 S. Calvert St., 410-528-8994

Serves 4-6
2 cups dried trofie pasta
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil              
1 yellow squash, cut into ¼-inch rounds
1 zucchini, cut into ¼-inch rounds        
1 red onion, peeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, cut in half and deseeded
1 yellow pepper, cut in half and deseeded
Salt and freshly cracked pepper    
½ cup prepared pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, pour olive oil into a large bowl and add all of the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables to coat, and char them on a preheated grill for about 5 minutes per side. Cut the cooked vegetables into bite-size pieces and place in the bowl with the pasta. Add the pesto and grated Parmesan cheese, and serve hot or cold.

While most of us would rather eat glass than attend a bridal/ event show, there is quite a lot to be said for being able to walk into one location and check out everything from venues and caterers to entertainment and fun custom items. That notion was the inspiration for The Event Library, the latest venture for Hannah and Lynn Rodewald (yes, the clever duo behind The Pleasure of Your Company). Walk in and get brilliant ideas and all the insider resources you’ll need to execute whatever your party-planning heart desires. Say “I want to do something different for my husband’s 50th” and, after some careful questions about your other half’s interests, Hannah can help you plan a wine tasting at your home, a Baltimore Ducks tour with brunch, a whitewater rafting trip at Wisp, you name it. The most fun? The possibilities for kids parties. Forget the Moon Bounce, The Event Library can hook you up with mini-golf and a batting cage in your backyard. Says Hannah, “This isn’t just a party resource, it’s celebrating life.” And don’t we all need to do more of that these days? Don’t miss: Soon The Event Library will be hosting book signings and offering seminars like creating memorable holiday table settings with pieces you already own. And check out Hannah’s party blog at theventlibraryatgreenspring.blogspot.com. Green Spring Station, 2360 W. Joppa Road, 410-616-9733

Every summer I went with my family to the Skowhegan State Fair in Maine, which was founded in 1819 and claims to be the oldest fair in the nation.

That fair, like the Maryland State Fair, which dates from 1878, was a timeless ritual, celebrating all that was good in America. There were Granges, Knights of Pythias, Patrons of Husbandry, the Daughters of Rebekah and Odd Fellows. You could watch sheep shearing and racing pigs!

There were projects for the betterment of all mankind. A scale model of the State O’ Maine made out of sugar cubes! A replica of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s home hand-hewn from Popsicle sticks! Oil paintings of the Last Supper, Bambi and The Praying Hands. The Jolly Christians proudly displayed the mittens they’d knitted for the boys in Vietnam next to a display of unusual vegetables. I once saw a tomato that its owner believed resembled the comedian Buddy Hackett. Other gardeners touted produce emblazoned with the face of the Nazarene.

We thrilled to Duane’s Hell Cars, the demo derby! And we walked the midway, where there were games of chance (fat chance!) and sleight of hand— and shills, too! “A fool and his money are soon parted,” and all that. You might win a giant stuffed panda that glowed in the dark or a metal Palomino hood ornament that would look pretty nifty on a Buick LeSabre! Or you might not. Everything was fixed.

And there were girlie shows, too, although it had been a few fair seasons since any of these damsels in peignoirs had actually been girls. The pitchman, sweating profusely under the arc lights, would entice the citizens to step inside a tent, where three weary Salome— Stallion, Stormy and Tina— chewed gum and stared blankly.

But mostly there were freaks: fat ladies and bearded ladies and ladies who weren’t ladies and midgets and giants and fire-eating geeks and people who drove hatpins and sharpened objects into themselves or swallowed swords. I once saw an ancient, toothless carny exhibiting a “drug-crazed hippie”— this was in 1974. The signs advised, Banned From Society Forever. Presented In The Public Interest.  Heart patients, small children, expectant mothers and persons of nervous disposition were cautioned against further exposure.

Lately I’ve been wondering: Whither the freak show? Do you think we might be the last generation to have experienced the edifying effects of this sort of entertainment? Well, think again.

We waited all year for such frivolity once, but today you don’t need to go to a carnival midway to get cheated. Brokers will do that for you, and they have shills, too. Motorists now driving on the JFX would put poor Duane and his Hell Cars to shame. And what of the old carnival midway rides— The Zipper, The Cobra, The Rampage, The Flying Bobsled— assembled in the dark and operated by drunkards and jailbirds? You can get this sort of thing at Six Flags.

As for the freak shows, television and the Internet provide streaming video 24/7 with hundreds of freaks to choose from. Why go to a freak show when you can watch “Cops”?  What freak show could top “When Animals Attack: The Mother of all Animal Shockumentaries”? How can Zomo the Deranged compete with Nancy Grace or Hulk Hogan? What two-headed calf could best Glenn Beck?

I actually saw Zomo at the Ohio State Fair once. He was hired to replace Big Billy Pork Chop, a fat man who died in the line of duty, the line of duty being just being fat. (They had a hell of a time getting the body out of his trailer. But that’s show biz!) People paid to see Big Billy. You could talk to him. Ask him stupid questions. I think you could have your photograph taken with the poor fellow.

But why would the sophisticated American pay to see a fat person these days? Half the country is clinically obese. Just hit the mall.

What freak show could rival “Dog the Bounty Hunter” and his family? Or Sarah Palin and her family? How can the humble freak show of yore hope to challenge the delights offered by Maury Povich or Judge Judy or the late Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter?

Even P.T. Barnum, the prince of hucksters, would delight in today’s divertissements. Barnum reveled in the national appetite at its rawest. Rubes and boobs and farmhands and corner boys would pay a day’s wages in the 19th century to see Zip the Pinhead or Chang and Eng, the original Siamese Twins, the Wild Man of Borneo or Jo-Jo the Dog Faced Boy.

    The Fourth of July is upon us and people will naturally be musing on the greatest Americans. Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington.

But to my mind time has proven that P.T. Barnum was the greatest American, for whether in war or in peace he always understood perfectly the hearts of his countrymen. His truths go marching on.

(The Maryland State Fair runs this year from Aug. 28 to Sept. 7. http://www.marylandstatefair.com )

Serves 4-6
1 box dried spaghetti      
1 cup homemade bread crumbs, preferably from ciabatta bread  
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup chicken stock
½ bunch fresh thyme      
1 cup feta cheese        
Salt and freshly cracked pepper

Cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and set aside.

To make bread crumbs, place bread in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Add remaining olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute, then add cherry tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the chicken stock to the pan and the fresh thyme, then the pasta and feta cheese and toss to combine. Divide the pasta into bowls and sprinkle each with the bread crumb mixture.

“I’m going to give you homework!” warns Bob Moore as eight women huddled around mounds of canes, wood molds and almost-finished baskets guffaw at an inaudible joke. “You’re slackers,” he teases.

“Oh, Captain Bob,” Leslie Goldsmith says as she motions him over to help her with the lashing on the top of a Nantucket purse. Goldsmith is one of the original members of the Nantucket Basket Guild, which began in fall 2007 during Roland Park Country School’s evening Kaleidoscope course, Nantucket Baskets 101, and now has a dozen members.

“They all wanted to make those purses first,” says Moore, “but I wouldn’t let ‘em.” Instead, he started them with 8-inch round baskets, and added in the spring semester 102 class three nesting baskets with handles. In between, Moore went on his annual ski and basket-teaching stint to Park City, Utah, and seven women who’d been bitten by the bug continued weaving on Monday nights at Goldsmith’s home.

“Those Monday nights became sacred to me,” says Lynne Troup, who, like many in the group, enjoys other handiwork including needlework, quilting, knitting and cooking. The guild’s ranks include stay-at-home moms, community volunteers, an executive search consultant, a curator, teacher, real estate agent and retired C.P.A. All paint, draw, garden, design garments and, like the Nantucket men who originated these baskets and their current Captain Bob (whom they have dubbed “Ahab”), sail.

The conviviality of the “sailors,” as Moore calls the women, has fostered prolific output, despite the fact that making a single basket can take as long as a month. Guild members have woven more than 100 baskets using wood molds made by Moore, as well as birdhouses, tiny jewelry boxes and napkin rings, wine coolers and ice buckets, round and oval baskets of all sizes, and a sewing basket with a top that Captain Bob calls “the world’s largest purse.” So far, no baby carriages, as one member spotted on Nantucket, although nothing is out of the question for this fearless bunch who range in age from 41 to 60-something.

The art form these women practice originated in the early 1800s on a light ship marking the shoals off Nantucket. With little to occupy their time, the sailors latched onto reed and rattan, which ships brought back from the Orient, and made functional baskets to sell for pocket change. Those original Nantucket Lighthouse baskets, much less polished than today’s creations, can now fetch more than $100,000, while baskets made by Jose Reyes, who migrated from the Philippines to Nantucket and resurrected the art form in the 1950s, regularly fetch tens of thousands of dollars.

“To own a Nantucket basket is to own a piece of American history,” writes Mary Kay Nabit on the tag she has created to accompany her baskets.

Nabit and the rest of the Baltimore guild give away many of their creations as gifts— or donate them to raise money for charities. No one has sold or entered any in art shows yet. 

Captain Bob, on the other hand, has been accepted at every juried show he’s entered, including several in Park City. Retired from the military and his home inspection firm, he began making baskets in 1998 after regular visits to Nantucket, and has sold dozens of the 300 he’s made.

“I’m so proud of you girls for all you have done,” says the 73-year-old captain at the end of the evening. “See what you started?” he asks, nodding to Carol McClees, who took his class in Annapolis then recommended him to R.P.C.S. There the captain has found a home and now fosters not only the fine art of Nantucket Lighthouse basket-making but more “shoal sisters” every year.

Kaleidoscope will offer “Nantucket Baskets 101” starting July 14. To register, go to http://www.rpcs.org or call 410-323-5500, ext. 3045.

One of our favorite spots in Federal Hill (formerly home to Vespa and then Junior’s) is now occupied by Taverna Corvino.  New owner Brian McComas, who also owns Ryleigh’s Oyster around the corner, brought in chef Chris Paternotte (formerly of VIN in Towson) to develop a new Mediterranean/Italian menu. Most items are available as either small plates or as full entrées, so diners can be flexible in their ordering. Calamari, oversized prawns, lamb chops and meatballs are just some of the choices on the evolving menu. Nice wine choices are available, too. The interiors have been given a subtle freshening, with a fun new chalkboard mural in the front room, subdued golden paint colors and refined lighting. The four tables on the front deck are definitely the spots to claim during the warmer months. Open for lunch and dinner; seven days. 1117 S. Charles St., 410-727-1212

If you had asked me at age 5 what my favorite food was, I would have said a hamburger. At age 10, I would have said the same thing. And at age, ahem, I can safely say that hamburgers definitely rank near the top of my list of favorite foods (along with oysters and potatoes). In fact, when challenged recently with the foodie question, “What would you eat for your last meal?” I blurted out, “A burger, fries and a Guinness!” (My questioner chose a far more elegant option: scallops and Sancerre.)

In Baltimore, it’s a good time for hamburger lovers. Elevation Burger, with its emphasis on healthy and ecologically responsible ingredients (“Ingredients matter” is their mantra), opened recently in Harbor East, and gourmet burgers, or gourmet sliders, as the case may be, are appearing on the menu of every smart joint in town. Hamilton Tavern on Harford Road makes its burgers from local Roseda beef and tops them with fried eggs. Abbey Burger Bistro in Federal Hill, a restaurant devoted entirely to burgers, offers ones made from bison, turkey, chicken and lamb. And in a poker-like move, Abbey sees your fried egg and raises the ante by topping a burger with foie gras.

Though I’ll admit I’m sometimes seduced by a grocery list of burger toppings, I also believe the real beauty of hamburgers is their simple carnality. There’s joy in the crusty outside and juicy within of medium rare grilled ground chuck, and in the magic that happens when you mix the tang and sweet of mustard and catsup. It’s what I always wanted in my lunchbox as a kid (magically heated, of course), rather than the plastic-y cheese and crackers I took to school because I wouldn’t eat sandwiches.

That I wouldn’t eat sandwiches made my childhood burger fixation distinctly odd, even though for much of my childhood, I lived on fast food burgers. I’d get double hamburgers with my grandparents at the Burger King on Merritt Boulevard or Buckaroo Burgers from the Roy Rogers on Holabird Avenue that was built in the shape of a covered wagon. I attended birthday parties at the Gino’s on Joppa Road, went on Little Tavern runs with my dad. At all of these places, I peeled the bread away from the meat, discarded the anemic pickle slices and ate only the patty. That is, until that fateful day in the Wendy’s near the intersection of Joppa and Harford roads, when Dad announced that if I didn’t break my disgusting habit and begin eating sandwiches, he’d never take me anywhere again.

But my 1970s hamburger stories have nothing on those of the 1950s and ’60s, when hamburger joints dotted all corners of Baltimore. There was the Varsity in Catonsville, Champ’s in Towson, the Circle in Dundalk. My friend Pat Messick remembers Hamburger Junction in Carney, where the inside was decorated to look like a train depot, and the owner behind the counter wore an engineer’s cap. “You would sit at a counter,” she explains, “and a train would come around and [your burger] would be on a flatbed car.”

Another Pat, Pimlico native and Forest Park High School grad Pat Richman, remembers Friday nights at the original Ameche’s on Reisterstown Road. Founded in 1957 by legendary Colts players Alan Ameche and Joe Campanella, along with Ameche’s friend Lou Fischer (Gino Marchetti joined in later, and subsequent restaurants bore his name)— and with backing from Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom— Ameche’s was the prototypical hamburger drive-in.

“People would ride around to see who was there,” explains Richman. They they’d pull to the cement island where 20 or so parking bays were flanked by hanging menus and place an order for a Powerhouse with its special sauce and onion rings. Kids would get out and visit while they were waiting for food, slipping notes for “late dates” or occasionally picking fights. There were other Ameche’s locations— in Glen Burnie, on Wise Avenue in Dundalk and at Loch Raven Boulevard and Taylor Avenue in Towson— but all are gone now. It’s no longer possible to “meetcha at Ameche’s,” as the old slogan invited.

Nostalgic for a burger memory I never had, I invite my mom to drive to Dundalk with me to look at the old Circle drive-in. For years, we’ve passed the small, round, white building with the big C circled in lights, which sits on the corner of Dundalk Avenue and Gusryan Street across from the United Steel Workers of America offices. Each time we’ve driven by, my mother has remembered aloud the chocolate milkshakes and the burgers with piquant barbecue sauce she had there. But this time, as we turn onto Gusryan, we see the building has changed. Its white paint is now tan, the big C is gone, and red, silver, and blue fringe rings the parking lot of what is now Castle Auto Outlet II. The latest incarnation of the Circle closed last September, the manager tells me, as he invites me into the building and points to where the walk-up window and the counter once were. “There used to be a gravel lot instead of paved,” he explains. There also used to be Chevys and T-birds instead of Toyotas and Mini Coopers.

As I walk back to the car where my mother waits, I sniff the air, trying to catch a faint whiff of hamburger grease ... but it’s gone.

Bleuburger

Julia Child’s Biftek Haché à la Lyonnaise (Ground Beef with Onions and Herbs)

Addresses:

Abbey Burger Bistro,
1041 Marshall St
Baltimore, MD 21230
(443) 453-9698
http://www.abbeyburgerbistro.com/

Hamilton Tavern
5517 Harford Road,
Baltimore, MD
http://www.hamiltontavern.com/

Elevation Burger
655 Aliceanna St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
http://www.elevationburger.com/

Modern Chic Check into the newly opened, 317-room, luxury W Hotel (515 15th St., N.W., 202-661-2400, whotels.com/washingtondc) located in the former Hotel Washington (and directly across the street from the White House). The POV lounge on the rooftop and the W signature ultra lounge both offer walk-in seating (although on more popular evenings, reservations might be wise) and both offer spectacular views of the Capitol. Dianna Wong designed the new W around the theme of “power.” She cleverly pays homage to the idea that behind every strong man is a stronger woman, using pinstriped blankets (a nod to the suit) on the beds, and lace-trimmed curtains on the windows (a hat tipped to the negligee). All the rooms have the handsome modern lushness expected of the W brand, and the Extreme Wow suite has mirrors on both sides of the bathtub window, with a panoramic view of many of the city’s monuments. W’s Bliss Spa has a super “cold feet” mint pedicure for overly tired museum-trekkers. Don’t expect cucumber water here— instead, enjoy the Bliss brownie bar while you wait.  The hotel’s signature restaurant, Jean Georges Steakhouse, serves an upscale take on steakhouse classics.

Georgetown Pleasures Start your day with a blowout at the Hair Lounge Salon (2201 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., 202-337-0951, hairloungesalon.com), where D.C. first coined the term “Upper North West Blond,” and where everyone comes for that wheat-colored oh-so-expensive-looking hair. This is the hair mecca for the political and international jet set (Jessica Alba comes here when she’s in town).  For shopping, begin at Hu’s Wear (2906 M St., N.W., 202-342-2020, husonline.com) and Hu’s Shoes across the street (3005 M St., N.W., 202-342-0202), where Baltimore homegirl Tori Amos shops for chi-chi designer fashions from Devi Kroell, Willow, Megan Park and the like.  Grab lunch at the Tackle Box (3245 M St., N.W., 202-337-8269, tackleboxrestaurant.com), a restaurant with wall-to-wall fishing tackle and large, shared picnic tables throughout.  Fish, burgers, salads, giant teas and great sides— lunch will run you about $13. After lunch, cross Wisconsin Avenue to hit Cady’s Alley, an arcade filled with designer home shops: Waterworks for everything from towels to tiles (3314 M St., N.W., 202-333-7180, waterworks.com), JANUS et Cie for outdoor seating (3304 M St., N.W., 202-333-8111) and Contemporaria for Pucci fabric-covered seats and more (3303 Cady’s Alley, N.W., 202-333-0193). Then head up Wisconsin Avenue, where antique shops and smaller boutiques can be found in historic townhouses. It’s a very pretty place to stroll, and it’s here where you’ll find Georgetown’s sweetspot, Thomas Sweet Ice Cream (3214 P St., N.W., 202-337-0616, thomassweet.com).

Politico Luxury The 175-room, 25-suite St. Regis Hotel (923 16th and K streets, N.W., 202-638-2626, starwoodhotels.com), located two blocks from the White House, recently underwent a 16-month restoration, keeping the 1920s Italian Renaissance-styled historic facade intact, and calling in design firm Sills Huniford to update almost everything else.  Each room is painted in a different color palette (lavenders, greens, rust oranges, etc.), Pratesi linens grace the beds and damask curtains frame the Palladian windows. In the bathrooms, Remède Spa products line the marble sinks, and a 15-inch LCD television is recessed behind the bathroom mirror. In the suites you’ll have a 24-hour, on-call, English-trained butler, who has the ability to answer all your requests via e-mail.  Many American presidents have either stayed or visited here, making the Presidential Suite appropriately named (it has a private entrance, for security).  The outdoor Astor Terrace, with its twinkling lights and garden, takes on the spirit of a Firenze patio, but the real European connection can be found at Adour, the Alain Ducasse restaurant. There, executive chef Julien Jouhannaud whips up French-American fusion classics that practically beg to be served with the more than 400 wines that are available.

more to do…
Fourth of July fireworks on the Mall is the popular spot to be, but if you want to avoid the crowds, the Iwo Jima monument at the Arlington National Cemetery is a prime spot with a fantastic view of fireworks bursting over the Washington Monument. Plus, it’s walkable to one of the most popular restaurants in town, Yaku (1900 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, Va., 703-248-0844, latinconcepts.com/yaku), which serves up delicious seafood dim sum. 

Reserve a table at Blue Ridge restaurant (2340 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., 202-333-4004), where famed chef Barton Seaver (Oprah loves him) serves up sustainable cooking and gourmet Virginia grass-fed beef. 

The Teatro Goldoni (1909 K St., N.W., 202-955-9494, teatrogoldoni.com) charms the palates of many politicians and journalists with experimental tweaks on cuisine, such as the smoked-in-a-cigar-box carpaccio. 

Hot night life can be found at the L2 Lounge (3315 Cady’s Alley, N.W., 202-965-2001, l2lounge.com). Here’s where you’ll see the beautiful people exchanging biz cards and connecting. 

Washington is often called “the ugly man’s Hollywood,” but at Cafe Milano (3251 Prospect St., N.W., 202-333-6183, cafemilano.net) the view will most likely be of Jennifer Lopez, Queen Noor, Tobey Mcguire or Stevie Wonder coming in the front door. If it’s celebrities you want to see, this is where you’re likely to find them.

Although I loved fast food hamburgers as a kid, I eventually graduated to grown-up burgers, and my first, a bleuburger, was at Parkville’s Jerry D’s Restaurant & Tavern. Salty, stinky, blue cheese, be it Maytag, Roquefort, or gorgonzola, was made for grilled ground beef, but soppy bleu cheese dressing was not. Use only the real cheese. I’m not fussy about the cut of beef used, but try at least 15 percent fat; it makes a juicier burger. I also like a toasted bun and a tangle of sautéed onions.

1 pound ground beef (a combination of chuck [for fat]  and sirloin [for flavor] is good, if you can find it)
Salt and pepper
¼ pound blue cheese
1 onion, sliced and sautéed in olive oil until golden (optional)

Season beef with salt and pepper and shape into 4 plump patties. Grill until almost desired doneness (I like medium rare). Top with blue cheese and grill for just a minute or 2, just long enough to melt the cheese. Serve on toasted buns with Dijon mustard and sautéed onions, if desired. Makes 4 burgers.

Though we were sad to see neighborhood bistro Brasserie Tatin exit, we’re very pleased with its replacement, La Famiglia. The layout and decor of the space remain pretty much the same, though they’ve introduced more warm, Mediterranean tones to the palette and changed the artwork and details. Owner Dino Zeytinoglu will be familiar to many as the longtime manager of Little Italy’s noted Baccaccio, and he’s transported much of that friendly, professional staff to this new venture, as well. The menu here concentrates on traditional Italian fare, so all the favorites appear on the menu: osso buco, penne alla vodka, veal scaloppine, pollo saltimbocca, fettuccine primavera… the list goes on. Dessert choices don’t disappoint either, with gelato, cannolis, cheese cake, zabaglione and tiramisu all represented. Entrées are in the $20- $28 range, another plus.  It’s a cozy yet cosmopolitan place to relax with friends and enjoy solid Italian comfort food— just what the neighborhood needed. (105 W. 39th St., 443-449-5555)

Serves 4-6
2 cups dried spinach rotini          
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil            
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, sliced thinly
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 cups trimmed and blanched green beans
1 cup fresh basil leaves    
1 cup chicken stock
Freshly grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, and then add the sliced chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until just done. Add the chicken stock and blanched green beans to the pan. Heat all ingredients and add the pasta and fresh basil leaves. Garnish with Parmesan and serve immediately.

In early 2007, when Shawn James and his partner bought their house in the Parkwood community of Eastport, it wasn’t because the place was perfect. In fact, James describes the 1940s home as “schizophrenic.”

“It was built in the ’40s, renovated in ’61 and another addition was added in 1983,” says James, a defense contractor. “Each of the additions had the flavor of the era, so it wasn’t very cohesive.” But James and his family wanted a home near the water, where they could dock their sailboat and enjoy easy access to downtown Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay. And this house, set on a large lot just spitting distance from a community dock on Back Creek, fit that bill perfectly.

So the couple hired Stephen Price, a building designer with Post & Beam Design/Build in Harford County, to transform the hodgepodge house into a stylish and comfortable family home with historical and nautical accents like those seen a few miles away in Colonial Annapolis.

The neighbors must have trouble believing the current house is the same one they lived next to for decades. Gone is the avocado-green grab bag of additions and rooflines and in its place is a charming yellow two-story home with traditional roof gables, a metal standing-seam roof and round metal gutters and downspouts. To simulate cedar shingles and siding, the home is covered in Hardie plank and shake, a man-made composite material that is low maintenance. Where there had been a red-brick chimney the home has a stone cultured chimney, and a bluestone path leads to a side entrance, where a stairway bordered by a cable railing deposits visitors into the home’s sunny living room.

When the James family bought the house, the living room boasted narrow, ultra-modern casement windows, which were “a dead giveaway that it was an addition,” says Price. The renovation called for regularizing the roof to create a traditional peak, adding larger windows and getting rid of a “catwalk” that had been placed high on the wall. Here again, Price relied on cultured stone to simulate a stacked stone fireplace. He also gave the owners built-in shelving along the shared wall with the kitchen, where they display nautical objects, books and mementos. American cherry floors create a traditional, rustic feel, and the furnishings are unfussy. “We wanted the house to be family-friendly and since we entertain a lot, we wanted it to be able to dress up or dress down depending on the event,” says James.

Due both to the additions and the property grade, the home has seven levels of living space. Up a few stairs from the living room is a spacious dining room, and down a few stairs is the gourmet kitchen, where the family spends most of its time.
“The owners wanted a sunroom feel in the kitchen,” says Price, gesturing to the French doors and wall-height windows that lead to the rear deck. Not only are they Andersen high-efficiency windows, but the owners specifically requested mullions on both the interior and exterior glass to suggest a traditional look. Enhancing the connection between inside and outside was one of the goals of the renovation, and the owners plan to add an outdoor entertainment area with a pool, Jacuzzi and outdoor fireplace in the next phase of renovations.

In the kitchen, gold walls give the space a warm, welcoming feel that is enhanced by a butter-colored ceramic tile floor (warmed by radiant heating), birch wood base cabinets topped by eggshell-colored and sepia-glazed wall cabinets, and Silestone countertops in the brown and gold flecked pattern Black Canyon. It’s a fine place to cook and eat, with GE Monogram appliances, a custom built-in Miele espresso machine and wine chiller, and a sunny nook for a table that seats six comfortably.

Raising the roof on the second floor of the home meant several full-fledged rooms could be created from less usable space— and with two children, James’ family needed the space. The front bedroom, which serves as a guest room, is cheerfully decorated in reds, blues and greens, and features a wrought-iron bed. Though it’s a small room, the vaulted ceiling, which is paneled in white beadboard, gives the space greater volume. “The owner had that idea,” says Price. “We had so many roofs from the years of additions that once we got them off, we were able to see what could be done with the space.”

Sunlight streams into the second-floor hallway thanks to two key elements implemented in the renovation: the formerly walled-in stairwell has become an open stairway bordered by cable railing similar to the exterior stairway leading to the front door. And sun tubes bring natural light down from the roof, illuminating the hall with an efficient and pleasing glow. “They really work well, and they’re a lot easier to do than a skylight,” says Price.

In the master bedroom suite, Price converted a small bedroom into a roomy walk-in closet reached by a short stairway, bumped out a window to create a larger seating area and added a curved deck outside the French doors. The master bathroom features an automated steam shower, towel warmer, skylight and a separate water closet with a stained-glass window inset with a nautilus shell. Just beyond the master bedroom, another set of stairs leads to the children’s wing, where bold and bright colors enliven simply decorated rooms.

Now that the renovation is complete, the family members have everything they wanted: a chic, comfortable home in a thriving sailing community. They can even see their sailboat from the house. 

The owners of this mid-century Pikesville ranch house (designed in 1959 by Jordan Sugarman) liked their home’s modern architecture and they loved their Stevenson neighborhood. But recently, they had found that their needs had changed since they first moved into the home in 2000. With their children getting older, the owners craved more living space and more privacy. They knew that meant only one thing: an addition. But they wanted an addition that blended perfectly with the original house and neighborhood, and that wouldn’t yell “look at me.”

With that goal in mind, they enlisted architect Joe Brandli of Joe Architect Inc., and Dan Proctor, principal of Kirk Designs, to add a master bedroom suite including his/her walk-in closets, a sumptuous master bath and an office, to transform their house into a 4,000-square-foot haven that suits all of their needs.

From the home’s expansive living/dining area, the vestibule leading back to the master suite seems like it was there all along. It was natural to place the addition behind the garage, and by using matching materials, they were able to create a seamless look.

“One of the things we talked about was not being so abrupt with the transition from the original house to the addition,” says Proctor. Pointing to the new vestibule that leads to the master suite, he adds, “This extra space allows your eyes to visually travel on and to say, ‘there’s more room back here,’ but it’s still semi-public. Hopefully, had I not mentioned this opening as the addition, you wouldn’t know that it was an addition.”

All materials used in the addition echo the look of the original house, most notably the wood beams and large expanses of glass. “The owners were concerned about making sure any changes were in keeping with the style and feel of the period of the house, but they also wanted comfortable and aesthetically pleasing changes,” says Proctor. “That was a goal: to warm this living space up, since there’s so much glass here and it’s a big space.”

Maple wood framing was used to trim the existing floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area as well as the addition. Silver travertine tile was laid on the living and dining area floors, as well as the entire new addition, and helped create continuity.

In the master suite, the eyes are drawn to the interior wood beams that seem to connect with the trees outside, and to the matching wood beams of the pool house. The light, golden-beige walls echo the neutral tones in the Tibetan carpet and Donghia linens. They also complement the custom-built, black laminate and cherry wood shelving built by Sensenig Woodworking, which displays a collection of glass vases.

The windows allow a maximum amount of sunlight and nature to spill into the room. “I enjoy reading in all this light, and looking outside and feeling that connection,” says the owner. Between the bed and the shelves is a black and white original le Coubersier cowhide chaise lounge. As an added bonus, what used to be the outside wall of the house is now an interior (and very soundproof) wall. “If we close the door, we don’t have to listen to the loud music of our kids,” says the owner.           

The master bedroom leads into a small office, which resembles a romantic vanity, with a mirror in front of a built-in desk, and a mid-century Mercury Sputnik chandelier hanging above. Beyond this is an area where the owners’ personalities shine through the most— their personal walk-in closets. Hers contains custom- built cherry shelving, with a closet island and walls painted in the same shade as the bedroom. It’s large enough to hold two black-and-white paintings of horses that she’s owned since she was single.

His walk-in closet— with the same cherry shelves and paint color as hers — is reminiscent of the dressing room at Barneys New York, and the owner has plenty of room in front of the large mirror for trying on clothes. His suits hang perfectly on either side. 

The closets segue into a master bath, where the silver travertine continues from the floors to the walls. The Kohler “Bird Bath” double sinks combine simple form with practical function. The large windows have black-out cloth provided by Proctor and his team to offer privacy, but still allow plenty of sunlight if one wants to read a book in the Jacuzzi.

In addition to increased living space in the house, the owners needed more wall space to showcase the extensive art collection— original prints from artists such as Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miró and Marc Chagall. Even with all the art on the walls, the owners didn’t want to feel as if they were living in a museum.

The interior design of the home also reflects the couple’s architectural leanings. The furniture contains many classic examples of mid-century modern design. Signature pieces include furniture designed by Mies van der Rohe— the Barcelona Collection distributed by Knoll Furniture— and a classic leather chair and ottoman by Charles and Ray Eames.

The house is a testimonial to the importance of detail. No surface is overlooked. The owners didn’t want a “McMansion” nor did they get one after this extensive and well thought-out renovation, addition and upgrade of the existing space.

RESOURCES

Architect: Joe Architect Inc.; 7311 York Road, Towson; 410-821-5230; http://www.joearchitect.biz
Interior design: Kirk Designs; 6 E. Eager St.;  410-468-0798; http://www.kirk-designs.com
Artwork: Renaissance Fine Arts; 1848 Reisterstown Road; 410-484-8900
Woodwork: Geoffrey Sensenig Woodworking; 126 W. Millport Road, Lititz, Pa.; 717-627-7798; http://www.sensenigwoodworking.com

Put down that Pinot Grigio! Consider spicing things up by sipping something new this summer. In search of some hip new wines, I asked a few of Baltimore’s sommeliers and culinary experts to share their secret weapons for summer dining. Here are their top picks:

Grüner Veltliner: An indigenous white grape from Austria, Grüner Veltliner is my personal pick for summer get-togethers. Bright flavors of citrus fruits, Granny Smith apples and hints of white pepper, balanced by crisp acidity. These qualities make Grüner Veltliner a great match for a variety of summertime dishes, including fried chicken. In Europe they shorten the name of this grape and simply order a glass of GrüV (pronounced “groovy”), making it fun to order, too! Some GrüV producers to look for include Anton Bauer, Hillinger, Huber and Loimer.

Riesling: If you think Riesling is a dessert wine, you haven’t been paying attention! Food-friendly dry Rieslings are not just found in Germany; California, Australia and Washington State all make stellar examples as well. Patrick Morrow, executive chef at Ryleigh’s Oyster, holds a competition for the best “oyster” wine each October, and last year there was an upset. “It always seems that Sauvignon Blanc is the favorite to win. This year we had a surprise: it was a Riesling,” says Morrow. “Dry Rieslings have great acidity and balance, which pairs well with oysters. The slight sweetness gives a nice sweet and salty contrast as well.” Chef Morrow suggests Washington State Rieslings from Kung Fu Girl or O.S Winery.

Rosé: In the warmer months, we look for lighter wine. But that doesn’t always mean white— sometimes you need to think pink! Marcie Prince, general manager of Iron Bridge Wine Co. in Columbia, says rosé is the perfect summer wine. “Rosé gives you the best of both red and white worlds,” she says. “It has the crisp acidity of a white wine but the balance, body and complexity of a red.” Prince, also known as the “Goddess of Wine,” recommends French Rosé from Domaine de Cambis or Domaine Tempier in the Languedoc-Rousillon region or a sparkling rosé from Burgundy crafted by Louis Bouillot.

Torrontes: Torrontes is an aromatic white grape with aromas of peach, nectarine and citrus fruits. Bright, flamboyant and affordable, this native white grape of Argentina is a summer favorite of Jerry Pellegrino, chef-owner of Corks and Abacrombie restaurants. “In the summer I spend a lot of time in the backyard grilling,” says Pellegrino. “I pair a glass of Torrontes with grilled clams drizzled with olive oil—it’s the perfect starter for my guests and keeps them busy while I am grilling the steaks.” Chef Pellegrino recommends looking for Torrontes producers Trapiche, AVE and Susana Balbo.  —Laurie Forster

Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach®, is a wine educator who creates corporate events, group tastings and seminars. The author of “The Sipping Point: A Crash Course in Wine,” she lives in Easton, Md.  thewinecoach.com.

>> Family favorite Rainforest Cafe in Towson Town Center has closed.

>> At the Colonnade, Spice Company has closed and a new restaurant, Alizee, has replaced it. The menu focuses on Euro-Asian fusian dishes, as well as sushi.

>> Catches Restaurant, Grill & Wine Bar has recently opened, specializing in seafood. (9727 Pulaski Highway, 410-574-3200)

>> In Federal Hill, Taverna Corvino has replaced Junior’s Wine Bar. The new owners (who also own Ryleigh’s Oyster) have a new chef, Chris Paternotte, and a new menu.

>> In Annapolis, Punk’s Backyard Grill, a contemporary, casual restaurant that re-creates the classic backyard cookout, is open in the Westfield Annapolis Mall (410-571-7744).

Let’s face it, aside from our love of seafood, Baltimore is a meat-and-potatoes town. We love our high-end steak joints, and downtown just got another one: Sullivan’s Steakhouse. This is the 19th location to open in the Sullivan’s chain, which is also affiliated with Del Frisco’s. Expect a traditional steakhouse menu with big cuts of beef, fresh seafood, classic salads and family-style side dishes such as creamed spinach and hand-cut onion rings. In addition to the handsome main dining room, there’s a “Library” room, six private dining rooms and an outdoor seating area. The big Art Deco-style barroom features live jazz six nights a week and hosts “Swingin’ at Sully’s” on Thursday and Sunday evenings, with all signature martinis (including the house specialty, the Knockout— Smirnoff orange vodka infused with Hawaiian gold pineapples) priced at $5, and all bar entrées at half-price. They also offer a fully stocked humidor for the cigar aficionados out there. Open daily for dinner and weekdays for lunch.  (1 E.. Pratt St., 410-962-5503)

The original in Pikesville has been a muy popular spot since opening a few years ago. Now chef/ owner Jamie Luna has introduced a sibling restaurant down the street, Mari Luna Latin Grille. Both the menu and the setting are more ambitious and expansive than the older Grill, and have proven to be popular, as evidenced by the crowds that congregate here. The lounge area and the main dining room are done up in rich Caribbean-style colors with lots of tile accents and a playful yet sophisticated vibe. The menu expands on the Mexican dishes of the original to include the cooking styles of the Caribbean and Central and South America. Look for items like Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, ropa vieja (a Cuban dish of shredded beef in a pastry tart with tomato sauce) and a Yucatan-style grilled pork chop. Open seven days for lunch and dinner.  1010 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, 410-653-5151

Local chef Roddy Domacasse has opened a family-run, neighborhood-friendly spot in the Roundwood Center in Lutherville: Restaurant Sabor. The warm, cozy and elegant interiors are done in an Arts & Crafts style, and come courtesy of Rita St. Clair Associates. On the menu? Look for braised short ribs with parsnip puree and chimichurri, duck confit with lentils and plantain dumplings, venison with chestnut foie gras mousse and a Puerto Rican lasagne made with ripe plantains, ground beef and queso blanco. Open for lunch and dinner, and for brunch on weekends.  12240 Tullamore Road, Lutherville, 410-628-7227

My mother used a combination of recipes to make her Lady Baltimore Cake. The cake portion is from a 1991 feature from Gourmet magazine called “A Light Maryland Thanksgiving.” The filling and icing are adapted from John Shields, as published in his “Chesapeake Bay Cooking,” although Mom substituted dried dates for dried figs.  John told me that he, too, often plays with the recipe, substituting genoise for the white cake layers or using native Maryland black walnuts in place of pecans or English walnuts. He likes to decorate the cake with candied violets.

For the cake layers
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
7 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Line 3 buttered 9-inch round cake pans with rounds of wax paper, butter the paper, and dust the pans with flour, knocking out the excess. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy and beat in the vanilla and the almond extract. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and the salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches alternately with the milk, and stir the batter until it is just combined. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, stir 1/3 of them into the batter, and fold in the remaining whites, gently but thoroughly. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, smoothing the tops, and bake the cake layers, in batches if necessary, in the middle of a preheated 325-degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans on racks for 5 minutes, turn them out onto the racks, and let them cool completely. The cake layers may be made 1 week in advance and kept wrapped well in plastic wrap and frozen. Let the layers thaw before proceeding with the recipe.

This owner and president of the Baltimore-based public relations firm, Edie Brown & Associates, has been named one of “Maryland’s Top 100 Women” repeatedly by The Daily Record, and more recently was named one of the Baltimore Business Journal’s “Power 20,” reflecting the fact that Brown is a leader in the business of getting Baltimore on the map, supporting local businesses and bringing big-name events to town. That’s a mighty big title for a little slip of a woman who is as much a nurturing mother as she is a business magnate. And she has a pretty interesting history, as well, starting with her career as a schoolteacher, educating eighth and ninth graders for several years (including film director Barry Levinson and Sen. Ben Cardin) before launching her career in marketing at the Baltimore Civic Center (now 1st Mariner Arena) and founding her own PR firm.

I was the first teacher to ever wear maternity clothes in Baltimore City. It surprised me that some students would turn in such perfect papers that their parents had obviously done for them. I’d say, ‘Your parents get an A, but you fail.’ 

The lesson I learned was that I needed to teach my kids independence. I said, ‘This is your life.  I’m here for support, but you’ve got to think this through. I’m not going to college with you.’ 

I needed to express myself, so I began to teach pottery classes.  One woman, very insecure, would come into every class with a fresh manicure.  She’d plunge her manicure in ice so the polish would set, so she could pot.  I liked that determination she had.  We were all transitioning from being housewives to getting out there. 

At that time, most women were still playing Canasta.  Pottery took them out of that sheltered life a bit. I’d hear, ‘My pot doesn’t look like Jane’s. Why?’ I’d tell them the one fundamental that I knew— it’s not about perfection, it’s about expression.

At one point I decided to open my own pottery store with my ex-college roommate. We had a great concept, Rent-a-Space, where we had our store, and rented out the space we didn’t use. We had a stationery store, a china shop, a dress boutique in with us. Not only did we have to run our store, but we were the landlords. The petty issues of being a landlord were not for me. Some jobs just aren’t for you.

One day I was driving downtown and saw a gorgeous building being built. It was the new Convention Center. All these young and aggressive kids were applying for the new position as assistant in marketing, and I just wanted a place to go different from the pottery world. I was granted an interview the day before Thanksgiving. I didn’t have any writing samples, didn’t have any idea what a press release was. But I knew how to stuff envelopes. They called me that night. I got the job.

Of course, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a little more selective about people I want to spend time with. I’ve gotten rid of clients I don’t like. I try to manage my client list so I can be of service and available to them 24/7. A lot of clients hire me because they know I’ll answer e-mail at midnight. 

Doing a good job means that I have to be caring and honest.  I’ve been on this scene for a very long time. You’ll never see me try to pitch, or sell or lie. PR is a very hands-on business.

My mother was a pessimist. My father was an optimist. I liked his style. 

Life is a joy. Every day I can get up, put my feet on the ground and smell the roses, is a great day.

A strong sense of style— you either have it or you don’t. I know this gal who spends so much money on clothes but she always looks like she just stepped out of the shower. I schmie around and get what fits me. I have my staple black pants and black shirt that I wear. I throw a jacket on, and maybe a handbag that I purchased from a flea market in Florida for $25. It isn’t about money. It’s about the eye that you have or don’t have.

We lived in Holzhausen, Germany, until I was 5. Then we escaped. I can remember hearing the SS troops marching in the village. My father looked so gentile with his blond hair, so when they stopped the train, we were able to continue on. He had 12 siblings. I’m the only second generation from all of them. My parents were so brave to leave everything they had. They could have said, ‘No.’ From them, I learned hard work and the joy of living.

I should have been firmer in expressing my opinion as a parent. My daughter should never have married a jerk. Nobody liked him except my husband, who likes everyone. I kept my mouth shut and she married him.  By the time her triplets were 5, she was raising them by herself.

My secret to being good at what I do is to be there for my clients and my media, not just when I need things, but when they need things. You shouldn’t go to the media just when they need something.  People come to me when they have marital problems, or problems at the station, whatever. Being a sounding board and giving motherhood advice, and sometimes business advice, during a time of crisis, that’s an important part of being successful in PR.  I adore these people. I’m not going to be there just for the things I need.  I’m going to be there at all times.

My career has been an exciting journey. I love my clients.  I love my media.  And every day is a joy. 

When a Texas-based couple decided to purchase a second home in Canton Cove, the busy husband and wife had no intention of undertaking a complete overhaul of their condo— they just wanted to update the kitchen and bathrooms. But after meeting architect and designer Patrick Sutton and learning that his company could handle every aspect of a complete renovation— from knocking down walls to designing the interior to choosing furnishings and decorative objects— one thing led to another, and the couple decided to hire Sutton to “just do the place.” 

Before the renovation, the condo, which was converted from industrial warehouse space to residential homes in the late 1980s, looked like it hadn’t been touched in 20 years. “It was awful at first,” Sutton remarks. “It looked like some sort of ’70s hippie love den.” But Sutton, like the owners, recognized the potential of a place whose wall-to-ceiling windows in the living room offer a particularly long and broad view of the harbor. One of the main goals of the renovation was to move some of that light and openness into the interior of the condo.

Sutton’s first move was to knock down the wall between the entrance hallway and the kitchen, allowing visitors to enter the condo and sense— if not have a direct sightline to— the stunning view. He then replaced the standard builder-issue staircase with a sculptural steel, glass and black walnut version that offers maximum transparency. In the kitchen itself, he widened the opening overlooking the dining room, allowing in more light, and installed blue glass tiles suggestive of water, aniline-dyed maple cabinets and recycled caesarstone counters.

Throughout the first floor, chocolate travertine tile floors provide a design base that Sutton says is “more interesting than standard wood, with a lot more texture.” This all leads up to the main attraction, the two-story living room with a wall of windows spanning 17 ½ feet. With a palette encompassing colors from nature— creams, whites, sage and coffee— and furniture that has clean, sleek lines but is still welcoming, the living room is exactly what the wife wanted in a home: modern and comfortable. “We wanted fresh and invigorating, but you want to feel like you can still sit and put your feet up,” says Sutton.

Though the view was what sold the couple on the place, it comes with two challenges: reducing glare during the day, and warming up the windows, which turn black at night. Sutton solved both by sheathing the glass in beige wool sheers set on a remote-controlled track. “You can completely change the atmosphere with the remote,” says Sutton. “You can close the blinds and be in a cocoon, or open them up to the water.”

The glass wall flows from the living room into the dining area, where the main feature is a table with a custom industrial steel base and a dark walnut top centered under a large blue painting evocative of the water. A driftwood sculpture as well as glazed tree trunks and various other natural decorative objects bring a rustic element to the home.

Throughout the condo, lighting was a key design element, and in the living room, Sutton relies on a large white drum-like fixture to add a sense of intimacy and balance in the tall space. Just behind the main living room is a small nook with 7 ½-foot ceilings that Sutton turned into a snug little library, taking advantage of the close quarters to create a quiet reading and conversation place. Because overhead lighting wasn’t an option in many of the interior rooms— the 3½-inch-thick wood-planked ceilings are essentially the floor above— he utilized wall sconces throughout the rooms and hallways to direct light upward in a soft glow.

The soft, natural feel continues in the master bedroom, where a bed with a light blue upholstered headboard and matching chests of drawers serving as nightstands dominate the room. Sutton “edited” the layout here by removing the L-shaped walk-in closet that once took up half the room and decking in what had been a soaring two-story space. Though that reduced the size of the master bedroom, by regularizing the space, Sutton made it feel bigger. Three white African headdresses made of feathers are placed high on the 17 ½-foot walls, imparting “a great graphic quality,” says Sutton. 

Decking in the bedroom allowed the upstairs study to be expanded from a cubicle into a large, spacious, sunny room. “I absolutely love the study,” says the wife. “It’s my favorite room.”

The study overlooks the living room, but with the addition of glass to the wall cut-outs, a sense of acoustical privacy is maintained without cutting off the flow between rooms. Two strong, stone art pieces bookend the couch. Like many of the objects in the home, Sutton purchased them on buying trips.

This eight-month remodel, completed in August 2007, was a unique treat for Sutton. “It’s rare to be given complete design control,” he says. By using the mantra “modern comfort,” he created a condo that suits the couple’s busy lifestyle. And while the wife says they never intended to buy such a big place, she and her husband “wanted to be on the water, and really wanted a view.” They got both, and more.

Resources

Design, furnishings, art and accessories: Patrick Sutton Associates, 410-783-1500, http://www.psaarchitects.com
General contractor: Highview Construction, Pikesville, 443-874-7000, http://www.highviewconstruction.com
Monorail lighting: Translite Sonoma, http://www.translite-sonoma.com
Sconces Jones Lighting, Towson, 410-828-1010, http://www.joneslighting.com
Window coverings: Drapery Contractors, 410-727-5333
Flooring: StoneExotics, 443-790-8620, http://www.stoneexotics.com
Staircase: Gutierrez Studios, 410-889-5341, http://www.gutierrezstudios.com

Virginia Beach has something that no other Southern beach can claim— a connection with the Chesapeake Bay— which means that some of the most diverse and rich sea life in the region comes to these waters. In the winter, humpback whales migrate along the coast— you can spot them breaching on one of the whale tours offered in the area. The currents are conducive for sailing, and the sands and water are warmer for longer than most mid-Atlantic beaches.

It also shares a proximity to the more famous towns that make up the “Historic Triangle,” which means that after you’ve stood where Gen. Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown, seen Christopher Newport’s ships docked in the harbor at Jamestown, and learned about the importance of wigs to Colonial Americans in Williamsburg, it’s time to hit the beach.

At 250 miles from Baltimore, getting there is a bit of a trek, but the 20 miles of shoreline make it worthwhile. If you want to view the shore from your room, you’ll want to stay at one of the big hotels. Otherwise, what you’ll mostly see are, well, the big hotels.

The Ocean Beach Club— more of a condo than a hotel— fills the bill nicely. With ceiling-to-floor windows that offer sweeping views (insist on an oceanfront apartment, otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a view of the city), the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments come equipped with a fully stocked kitchen, a nice-sized living space, and a multi-jet “rain forest” shower. The four flat-screen TVs may seem inviting, but you’ll probably be too busy to use them for anything other than as background sound while you’re getting ready to hit the beach.

The three-mile-long, concrete boardwalk (the original dates from 1888) is the place most people want to be, and from dawn to dusk it’s packed with rollerbladers, baby carriages, joggers, dog walkers, newlyweds, gum-chewing teenagers and frolicking children. The boardwalk is lined with plenty of restaurants, ice cream shops, video arcades and clothing stores. The shops run the gamut from cheap souvenirs to fashionable clothing and art.

Almost any beach sport or activity you’re looking for can be found here, from kite-flying to kayaking, skiing and jet skiing, fishing (off-shore, beach and pier fishing), sailing, dinner cruises, scuba diving, snorkeling, wave runners, parasailing and more.

As popular as the watersports are though, the food is a big part of the beach experience in Virginia Beach. A few blocks from the Ocean Beach Club is Catch 31 Fish House and Bar, decorated with tiny blue lights and tile, and white sails that appear to blow over a bar that was inspired by the bow of a ship. Fresh fish is flown in daily from around the world, but the daily specials that are caught in the bay and off-shore in the area are the way to go. If you arrive in May, you can still request a seat by the open-pit fire at night to take the edge off the last of the springtime ocean breeze (or provide an excuse for cuddling). Or skip the dinner crowd and arrive for happy hour and order up a bucket of freshly shucked oysters or clams and a cold brew. (In high season, the restaurant shows free outdoor movies; bring a towel and sit on the grass with friends.)

For more casual, family-friendly seafood dining, the rather nondescript-looking Captain George’s on Laskin Road is a favorite with the locals, and it’s obvious why. Everything here is about fresh seafood: crab cakes, she-crab soup, seafood casserole, steamed mussels and clams and anything that’s fresh off the boat. Plus, the kids seem to love it here. (Follow whatever seafood you get with one of the homemade cobblers— yum.)

If you’re visiting before Memorial Day— and even up until mid-June when the kids get out of school— the beach isn’t maillot-to-Speedo overcrowded and the water is just starting to warm up. This is the perfect time to go shelling in the shallow water, or take the 30- to 40-minute drive over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to see the wild ponies at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

After Memorial Day, free concerts start up in the parks along Atlantic Avenue. The season really kicks off with the annual Beach Music Weekend (May 14-17), which takes place along the sand at 30th Street. Popular local “beach music” bands such as the Main Event, Bill Deal’s Rhondels and Chairmen of the Board perform while both tourists and locals turn out to listen and shag (that’s a type of dancing, mind you). May 20 finds Coldplay at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheatre, and the following weekend, Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton, will kick it up with “Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast” and “Danke Schoen” at the Town Center. On June 5, the Hardee’s Latin Fest mixes high-energy salsa and merengue dancing with a blend of Caribbean-cum-Southern foods and dancing on the beach. To see who’s playing when and where, check the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau (vbfun.com).

If you need more good music (but less seafood), stick your head into The Jewish Mother for a a bowl of Penicillin Soup (chicken and homemade matzah balls) or some of Mama Rachel’s Potato Latkes, and find out who’s on the roster for upcoming shows there. Dave Matthews, Hootie & The Blowfish and Leon Russell have all played (and dined) at The Jewish Mother.

The 54th annual June Boardwalk Art Show & Festival is one of the biggest outdoor art events in the region, hosting four days of contemporary fine art along 12 blocks of the boardwalk. The festival is coordinated by the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia— a museum well worth a visit (if for no other reason than to go for the quirky gifts at the museum store: the Midsummer Shade Lights by Tord Boontje are exquisitely fragile and playful). The Art of Glass show (which runs through the end of August) will exhibit works by Hank Murta Adams and Dante Marioni, and Gene Koss will be showing his large glass and metal sculptures.

If all that beach activity gets to be too much, those seeking relaxation can find solace at Oceanfront Yoga. They offer classes targeted to beginners, and the traditional postures are explained and nobody feels out of place. Drop-in classes and classes with varying levels also also available.

The Flowering Almond Spa, located in The Founders Inn, has a Thai massage well worth the 10-minute drive from the boardwalk. Your masseuse alternates a Swedish massage with a relaxing muscle stretch (you can go for 25 minutes at $55, but you’ll want to opt for the 110-minute indulgence for $125). Then stay for the White Tea French Pedicure ($50) so your tootsies will be flip-flop ready.

The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is the only aquarium in America where you can have a two-hour, behind- the-scenes interaction with harbor seals. They also set up whale-watching and dolphin-watching cruises. Or stay in the aquarium and look at the sand and tiger sharks, river otters, loggerhead sea turtles and other aquatic friends. The hands-on exhibits (oceanography, geology, anthropology, meteorology, etc.) are on par with what Baltimore’s National Aquarium has, but on a rainy day, this is a good place to bring the kids.

After you’ve seen animals getting wet, you’ll probably be ready to get wet again yourself, so a trip to the the Ocean Breeze Waterpark could be in order. There are tons of rides to choose from, but the must-dos are the Coconut Drops & Bamboo Shoots, Largo Loop, Paradise Pipeline and the oh-I-cannot-believe-I’m-up-so-high Bahama Mamma. After the screaming stops, head back to the hotel, where two oceanfront pools await you, and the frozen drinks at The Tiki on the Tortuga will make you forget that it isn’t quite August-hot yet. If it’s still too chilly to swim, the hotel also has a gorgeous indoor heated pool.

The fun of Virginia Beach is not only in sunbathing, bodysurfing and building sand castles.  It’s also in the strong presence of art, music and food festivals found along the boardwalk and on the sand, creating an open invitation by the locals to visitors to come on over and play. 

If you are of a certain age, BCBG is one of those stores you may pass by. If the first image that pops into your head is that god-awful black baby-T with rhinestone logo lettering, it’s time for a re-think. Just opened in the new wing at Towson Town Center, BCBG does take a little sorting-through (20-somethings will love the inexpensive chic little work separates, shoes and accessories for nights out, plus sexy swim), but you can find well-made trend pieces. Savvy loved a skirt here, a vest there, even mulled over one of the jackets. But BCBG’s consistently strongest category, oddly enough? Beautifully cut tops in gorgeous printed silks— the pin-perfect updated pairing for last season’s pants and skirts. Scoop them up. Don’t miss: Girls headed to graduation or formals will love the evening collections that manage to be what the younger set wants without wandering too far into the danger zone. Towson Town Center, level two, 410-832-7359

If you’ve ever driven in the North Baltimore neighborhood of Guilford and suddenly slammed on your brakes at the park-like intersection of Greenway, St. Paul Street and University Parkway, you’re not alone. You are, in fact, a familiar sight— and sound— to Bill Roberts, who lives in the French cottage-style house at 3700 Greenway.

“Happens all the time,” says Roberts. “Especially in the spring when the yard is in bloom.”

Roberts had a similarly startled reaction when he and his wife, Ilene, first happened upon the house in 1990. Moving from Los Angeles, they were astounded by Baltimore real estate prices, and even more so by the elegance of this house and its immediate neighbor, a “fraternal twin,” as Roberts calls it. “I thought they were some of the most beautiful houses I had ever seen.”

The Roberts’ house and its twin at 3701 St. Paul, which is owned by Judson and Marya Flanagan, are the so-called Gateway Houses to Guilford, two similar, yet subtly different, private residences designed by architects Edward L. Palmer Jr. and William D. Lamdin.

From 1907, when Palmer served as chief architect for The Roland Park Co., to 1920, when Lamdin joined the firm, on up through World War II, Palmer and Lamdin created some of the most distinctive, graceful, livable buildings in Baltimore. They built more than 200 houses, as well as dozens of other buildings, including the white-steepled Second Presbyterian Church in Guilford, the twin-domed Saint Casimir Church in Canton and apartment buildings boasting Old World charm throughout the city.

The Gateway Houses made the firm’s reputation, according to Baltimore architect Walter Schamu, senior partner of SMG Architects, Inc., who has been studying the architects’ work for more than 30 years. Both men were born and raised in Baltimore— Palmer attended Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania, while Lamdin went to Cornell University— and both returned to the city to practice. Lamdin died in 1945 at the age of 53; Palmer lived until age 75, dying in 1952.

Schamu delights in pointing out the details that make Palmer and Lamdin’s work immediately recognizable. Gazing at the Gateway Houses, he calls attention to the roofs. “Look at that flare at the edge,” he says, “that little kick at the end of the slate. It’s an easing of the roofline before it hits the gutter.” It’s a tiny grace note that’s easily overlooked, but once you see it, you realize it’s one of the reasons the houses look so pretty.

Trademark Palmer and Lamdin features also include unusual brick chimneys— known as Jacobean or diamond-stack chimneys— that appear to twist as they rise.  And their houses are built with a combination of different types of masonry. Drive through Guilford, and Homeland, and you’ll start to notice other refinements: there’s a lot of texture to P&L houses, the facades both project and recede, your eye dances along the rooflines. Flourishes such as dovecotes, turrets, round windows mixed with rectangular ones and the aptly named “eyebrow dormers” peek out. (Lamdin, says Schamu, learned a lot from French architecture during his tour of duty in World War I.) The distinctive slate roofs are composed of hand-cut graduated tiles of green, gray and red, with bigger tiles at the bottom, smaller ones at the top, increasing the sense of steepness to the pitch.

For more information on the Palmer & Lamdin houses, as well as location addresses, visit the University of Baltimore Langsdale Library Special Collections website.

“Tashiding” is the name of the most venerated monastery in Sikkim, one of three historic Himalayan kingdoms. In homage to that holy place, it is also the name a 50-something Baltimore County native and his wife, a member of the royal family of Sikkim, chose for their majestic, 35-acre estate. Tashiding means “the center of all things auspicious,” and that is precisely what it feels like when visiting the expansive, serene garden this couple has created during the past 11 years.

Upon entering a long, curvaceous drive flanked by dozens of deciduous and evergreen trees, visitors are struck by an array of harmonious elements: a wide-open lake with stands of fluttering white prayer flags on its shores, acres of rolling lawns, a stream, artistic islands of plantings, Asian artifacts and fine architecture, all of which converge to provide a peaceful, almost other-worldly space.

The driveway leads to a meticulously restored and expanded 1810 Quaker farmhouse nestled into the hillside. Not only is the view from the house— over the long hillside, past the lake to Western Run— breathtaking, but inside, at the heart of the house, sits an enchant-
ingly simple, yet intricate, courtyard garden. “It’s not a true Japanese garden,” says the owner. “They are awfully fussy. This has the sensibility of a Japanese garden without being overwrought.” Boulders gathered at garden centers and in northern Baltimore County provide vertical interest among rocks collected from the owner’s childhood home in western Baltimore County. Locally bred Kingsdene boxwoods, Japanese maples and an antique Kasuga lantern punctuate the horizontal surface of a drystone stream and a moss carpet. The rock and moss garden recalls the renowned Himalayan mountain Kanchenjunga, which is pictured on a nearby wall. “It’s the sense of place we are trying to evoke,” says the owner.

Under the expertise of architect James R. Grieves, the once-dilapidated stone house in 2003 was completely re-footed, restored and expanded to include this courtyard and various well-integrated wings, taking the house from 2,000 to 7,500 square feet.

Before and during the restoration, the owners cleared the neglected grounds. “Our part-time groundskeeper, who has worked hand in hand with us over the last 10 years, and I spent years removing 40 years of invasive multiflora roses, porcelain berry and poison ivy from virtually every tree and every acre of the property,” says the owner.

Then, without a master plan— or a landscape architect or a designer— the couple began their enthusiastic development of gardens. With 20 years of experience as “serious amateur gardeners” at their Monkton home, and with inspiration from the mountain environment of central Himalaya, the Zen gardens in Kyoto, Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, the Griswold gardens at “Breezewood” in Monkton and the forests of “Emerald Hill,” they slowly transformed the property into a vast and open landscape conducive to both walking and contemplation. It’s a park-like space that showcases “big sky” and 1,000 trees, which the owners planted dozens at a time as they cleared the land. “We planted drifts of trees, just as some plant drifts of bulbs,” explains the owner, who adds that they dragged 600 feet of hoses and relied on a 200-gallon tank of water to keep newly planted trees alive their first years. With so many trees, the couple tries to look ahead and “respect what the property will look like in 50 years.”

But the gardens are not all trees and bigness. Islands of plantings and perennial borders punctuate the open landscape with smaller, more intimate areas. Outside the house, these islands provide focal points of color and texture and offer visual interruptions to the rolling lawns. “The lawns create the negative space,” says the owner, a manufacturing executive who relies on his visual acumen and artistry (inherited from a long line of artists, engineers and designers) to pursue a passion for planting. He is the designer and planter; his wife is the weeder. “I love to weed,” she says. “It is very satisfying.” 

While Tashiding is a study in greens, it is hardly monochromatic. The gardens are a symphony of texture, shape and ever-changing color created by a mixed palette of deciduous and evergreen trees, perennials, shrubs, ground covers and a few annuals.

Exiting the side entrance of the house, the garden begins with a cluster of Japanese granite lanterns and a pagoda nestled under one of the original sycamore trees underplanted with hellebores, azaleas and mock orange. On the hill behind the house, the stone ruins of a corn crib function as a garden folly. Then comes the wife’s private garden, a woodsy area that leads up the hill to a springhouse. “This is my secret garden,” she says. “I’m a haphazard gardener. I want to have fun. I want to plant what I want, where I want. No comments allowed.”

She has moved plants from other locations and added whatever strikes her fancy: a variegated gardenia, several cutleaf Japanese maples, hellebores, skimmia, primrose. “This is also the prayer flag graveyard,” she says, pointing to worn gauze flags whose characters have faded to gray. East, toward the stream, a sunny perennial border showcases peonies, crape myrtles, Knock Out roses, irises and a Katsura tree.

A line of ancient silver maples (with multiple trunks due to many underground springs) leads to an eastern border of poplars that are intermingled with several oaks, which survived harvesting by a previous owner, as well as dozens of new hemlocks,  hollies, spruce, Himalayan pines and cryptomeria. “We couldn’t even get to the stream before, and vines wound through every one of these trees,” says the owner, striding through the woodland to one of the most gorgeous features of the property: a clear, rushing stream beside which the couple added more trees to keep the water cool and to encourage trout.

Three footbridges allow visitors to walk back and forth across the stream. Views alternate between the shady, secluded woodland, where Baltimore Orioles nest and prayer gardens feature antique Japanese granite lanterns and pagodas, and the wide-open lake that is the focal point of Tashiding. A serpentine rock wall, softened by occasional low conifers, shrubs, native plants (such as Joe-pye weed and goldenrod) and thousands of blazing yellow flag iris surround the lake. This curve resonates with the graceful, newly scribed driveway and three curved terraced gardens filled with red and green Japanese maples, dwarf conifers, rocks and ground cover. The repetition of trees in the island beds and throughout the property knits the vast gardens together to give a cohesive feeling and appearance. 

The latest addition to the lake is a Western red cedar and glass teahouse designed by retired architects Peter Paul and Barbara Sandrisser, formerly of New York. Heated in winter, it is used year-round by the owner’s wife for prayer and meditation, as well as by visitors for viewing the sky, water, clouds, gardens and wildlife. On a sunny afternoon a turtle sits motionless on a rock. Koi swim in the pond. Prayer flags flutter on the hill. A dragon fly skims the water. Cosanti bells strung from tall trees, new and old, bring sounds reminiscent of Buddhist monasteries to Western Run. 9

Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage features this Western Run garden, among others. Sunday, May 17. For tickets: 410-821-6933 or http://www.mhgp.org .

Resources

Masonry and stone work: Andreas Grothe, New World Gardens, Parkton, 410-357-4900; Robert Stegman, Stegman Stone Masonry, Sparks, 443-212-5338

Specimen plants and trees: Manor View Nursery, Monkton, 410-771-4700, http://www.manorview.com; Roland Harvey, Natural Concerns, Sparks, 410-472-6860, http://www.naturalconcerns.com; Robert Farmer, Gristmill Landscaping, Jarrettsville, 410-557-4213; Fieldstone Nursery, Parkton, 410-357-5114, http://www.fieldstonenurseryinc.com

Arborist: Frank Fogle, Davey Tree Expert Co., 410-377-4002, http://www.davey.com

Serves 4
4 New York strip steaks, about 8-10 ounces              
1 large yellow onion, peeled, halved and sliced into rings
Salt and pepper
Enough vegetable oil to fill a pot or small tabletop vegetable fryer
8 eggs      
1 bag frozen french fries

Marinade
1 tablespoon chili sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl. Add steaks and turn to coat for 1½ hours. Turn the steaks 2-3 times during the marinating process for even flavoring. In a large sauté pan, add onions, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Caramelize onions over medium heat, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, grill the marinated steaks on an outdoor grill or in s sauté pan to desired doneness. After the steaks are cooked, let them rest 5 to 8 minutes. Fry the eggs sunny side up and cook french fries in an oven or fryer until crisp. Reheat onions and assemble the steak, onions, egg, and french fries on the plate and serve.

Serves 4
3½ cups chicken broth
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts      
1 package Dona Isabel (Aji de Gallina) sauce
1 jar brined aji amarillo (yellow chili peppers)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Idaho potatoes baked, skin on
2 cups cooked jasmine rice
8 or more la fe aceitunas negras de botija (black olives)     
2 red chili peppers, sliced into rings
2 large hard-boiled eggs
Kosher salt

Heat chicken broth to a simmer, add chicken breasts, and turn down heat, allowing chicken breasts to poach slowly until cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove breasts and shred into small pieces. Add 1 packet of Dona Isabel yellow pepper sauce to pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Add ½ tablespoon of salt and the shredded chicken and cook an additional 3 minutes. To increase the spiciness of the yellow pepper sauce, blend 2 brined yellow peppers until smooth, 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, and ¼ cup of the yellow pepper brine juice. Add varying amounts of this puree to the pot to suit your spice requirements. To serve, slice the hot baked potato in half and set on a plate next to a ½ cup of hot cooked rice. Divide the chicken in yellow pepper sauce among the 4 plates by spooning it directly on top of the potato. Garnish the plates with black olives, slices of chilies, and halved boiled eggs.

Whew! Things have always moved quickly in the media business, what with trying to keep abreast of the latest trends and happenings, and delivering the information to our readers in a timely way.

Lately, the media business itself is the big topic of the day, and staying on top of it can be enough to make one’s head spin. While I’ll leave it to you to debate amongst yourselves the state of the newspaper and magazine business, I’d like to provide you a little update on what (and who) is new here at Style.

Please welcome our newest magazine contributor and wine columnist (“Sipping In Style,” page 40) Laurie Forster, aka The Wine Coach. Laurie has built a reputation as a leading local wine guru and educator, and has even authored a book on the topic, “The Sipping Point: A Crash Course in Wine.” We look forward to her sharing her wine perspectives and recommendations in every issue of Style.

On our Style Web site, we welcome three new bloggers to the fold. One, senior editor Laura Wexler, is a familiar voice in the pages of the magazine. On her blog “Charmed Life,” Laura observes what makes living in Charm City unique, and writes about the people and places that make this town fascinating. Longtime Style contributor and fashionista (and familiar voice on NPR) Lisa Simeone blogs on “Glamour Girl” her thoughts and views on all things sartorial. Another name you’re no doubt familiar with is Anne Boone-Simanski, who was the “Socially Speaking” columnist for The Baltimore Examiner for its entire three-year run. Anne comes by her calling naturally— her mom is venerable social columnist Sylvia Badger, who chronicled the comings and goings of Baltimore society for many years in The News American and The Evening Sun. Anne is now dishing via her “Socially Speaking” blog on the Style Web site.

Speaking of the Web site, there are more changes there as well. Vastly expanded Fashion and Beauty content, much of it exclusive to the Web, can be found there— including video footage, fashion advice, shopping deals, trend reports, local store visits, interviews and reviews. In the coming months, the Style site will get a full makeover with even more expanded offerings, so watch for that over the summer.

And if you just can’t get enough of us on the Web, then please join us on Facebook and Twitter (we’re ‘@StyleMagazine’). On both, you’ll get streaming updates on what’s going on at the magazine, what and whom we’re covering, and where you’ll find us around town. So “friend” us! Become a fan! “Tweet” at us! (Three phrases I wouldn’t have dreamed of including in this letter mere months ago— sigh.) Oh, and you can hear my “Style Report” every Thursday on Lite 101.9 FM and Fridays on Mix 106.5 FM. That’s the update— I think we have all the bases covered. For now. Whew! 

Brian Michael Lawrence
editor-in-chief
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
http://www.baltimorestyle.com

Savvy has hated the idea of a green kitchen since that unpleasant moment in her childhood when “avocado” was introduced as an appliance color. She’s decidedly more tolerant of the idea of a “green” kitchen when it looks as good as any in the new Keener Kitchen Showroom. Known for their custom cabinetry, Keener now offers options that conform with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. That means woods that have been harvested sustainably and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Recycled and reclaimed fiberboard. Plywoods that are formaldehyde-free for better indoor air quality. Even cements and glues that are non-toxic and non-carcinogenic. Now if only they offered flooring that extended the five-second rule to five minutes. Don’t miss: The lovely distressed walnut and rustic cherry cabinets. Savvy also was very impressed with Keener’s work on ADA-compliant kitchens. 2101-B Greenspring Dr., Timonium, 410-560-0288

It was Mrs. Tawes who reminded me about Lady Baltimore Cake, the white cake with white frosting and a fruit and nut filling that shares the name of our fair city. She mentions it in the introduction to “My Favorite Maryland Recipes,” published in 1964 while she was still Maryland’s first lady (her husband was Gov. J. Millard Tawes), where she gently boasts about the “delicacies that carried their fame beyond our state’s borders”:  Maryland fried chicken, Maryland beaten biscuits, Maryland spoon bread and Lady Baltimore Cake. Later in the book, the cake appears as part of a sample menu for the “small dinners” held at the Governor’s Mansion at which Mrs. Tawes served “Maryland’s finest food using the finest old Maryland recipes.”

It’s not a revelation that Lady Baltimore Cake was not created in Baltimore. Several local writers, including former Evening Sun columnist Virginia Roeder and former Baltimore magazine food editor Cynthia Glover, have shared the story of the cake’s origins: it was first made by baker Alicia Rhett Mayberry just after the turn of the 19th century at a tearoom in Charleston, S.C., and popularized by writer , who gave it a starring role in his 1906 novel, “Lady Baltimore.” “Oh my goodness,” swoons the book’s narrator. “Did you ever taste it? It’s all soft, and it’s in layers, and it has nuts— but I can’t write any more about it; my mouth waters too much.” The novel set off a nationwide lust for Lady Baltimore Cake, which subsequently edged out pound cake as the wedding cake of choice for a time. (The cake’s name, however, is more of a mystery. No one seems to know why it was named after Joan Calvert, the second wife of George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, whose son Leonard founded St. Mary’s City. )

Lady Baltimore Cake

Filling and frosting for Lady Baltimore Cake

Now that staying in is the new going out, it’s helpful that Baltimore has so many new, wonderful home stores. Stony Run Home feels like a darling little coastal cottage, with a just-right selection of furniture pieces from the 1840s and up (loved the Empire mahogany card table and walnut lady’s writing desk), snappy and stylish slipcovered chairs and even beachy old benches. Savvy also loved seeing so many inexpensive but substantial accessories under $50 (great down accent pillows, glass bottles, large candleholders). Bring a little of Bethany home with a shell chandelier or one of the fun handmade papier-mâché crabs, which will be flying out of the store. Don’t miss: The original, inexpensive oils and clever mirrored botanical prints. 318 Wyndhurst Ave., 410-435-4663

Longtime Towson favorite Café Troia has new digs that are situated across the street from the spot they’ve called home for the last 23 years. Taking up two floors of the building, there’s room for more seating, a larger bar and an expanded kitchen. The classic Italian menu has likewise been expanded to include more steaks and chops in addition to house specialties such as osso buco, freshly prepared fish of the day and, for dessert, tiramisu. The new dining rooms are done in warm Mediterranean shades with subtle lighting and tile floors as a backdrop for the crisp white tablecloths and smooth professional service. In warmer weather, there’s an outdoor deck for dining as well. Open for lunch and dinner; closed Sundays. 31 W. Allegheny Ave., 410-337-0133,

If asked to describe Latin American cooking several years ago, I would have cluelessly replied something about giant blobs of sour cream, guacamole, and dripping cheese sauce—the familiar American take on the cuisine.  
Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first to dive into a plate of nachos the size of a Thanksgiving turkey, but the authentic cuisines of Mexico, Peru, Chile, and other South American countries are much healthier and far less heavy. Sorry, sour cream and puddles of melted Velveeta do not exist south of the border.

I have had the good fortune to become friends with the Peruvian owner of a South American grocery store here in Easton, and I began my quest for authentic Latin cuisine with him. I also contacted a Mexican friend of mine, and I was not disappointed in what they told me. The recipes that follow are easy to prepare with ingredients readily available online, from Latin American markets, or from the international aisle of large supermarkets.

The steak a lo pobre is classic hearty food from Chile that is easy to make and filling. The chicken dish or aji de gallina is Peruvian, tasty and different, and you can adjust the spice to your liking. The refreshing Mexican beet and apple salad is a family recipe from my friend. Various empanada recipes can be found all over South America, but I find this version, made with seafood, to be particularly delicious.

Give these dishes a try and see if they don’t forever change your perception of Latin American food. You may never dump sour cream on a burrito again!

Recipes

• Aji de Gallina or Chicken with Yellow Pepper Sauce
• Grilled Steak a lo Pobre
• Pickled Beets, Apples, Oranges and Pecans
• Mixed Seafood Empanadas

Andrew Evans is the chef at Easton’s Thai Ki.

Serves 4-6
1 large jar pickled beets cut into ½-inch cubes
2 Granny Smith apples cored and cut into ½-inch cubes                  
½ cup pecan halves    
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 12-inch piece raw sugar cane peeled and diced into ¼-inch cubes (optional)
5 cinnamon sticks  
2 naval oranges zested and juiced

In a bowl add the beets, apples, pecans, lettuce, sugar cane, cinnamon sticks and toss with the juice and zest of the oranges. Serve chilled.

Hillwood Estate

The tagline for Hillwood Estate is “Where Fabulous Lives,” and you’re bound to find yourself uttering that “F word” again and again during a visit there. Set on 25 acres bordering Rock Creek in Washington, D.C., Hillwood is the residence of Post cereal heiress, art collector and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post, who moved into the home in 1957 with the idea that it would open as a museum upon her death.

On the outside, Hillwood is an imposing brick Georgian— not drastically different from the other houses in the surrounding neighborhood— but inside looks like an 18th-century palace, with marble columns, rock crystal chandeliers, silk tapestries and finely crafted furniture. In Ms. Post’s day, guests came to Hillwood for three types of occasions— a formal lunch or dinner, a garden party or an evening dance— but for many, the highlight of any visit was the chance to gaze upon Ms. Post’s stunning collection of Fabergé eggs, as well as the
diamond crown worn by Empress Alexandra at her marriage to Nicholas II.

Post began collecting Russian imperial art while married to the third of her four husbands, an ambassador to the Soviet Union in the 1930s, and though her collection is considered one of the best outside Russia, it represents just a portion of the beautiful objects on display at Hillwood. In the drawing room there’s a swivel chair that once belonged to Marie Antoinette. In the dining room is a spectacular Italian marble table with a mosaic top and seating for 30 that was originally designed for Ms. Post’s Palm Beach, Fla., home, Mar-A-Lago (which is now owned by Donald Trump).

It seems Ms. Post thought of every detail when it came to Hillwood. Throughout the first floor, illuminated cases display her unrivaled collection of Russian and French porcelain. In the Pavilion room, where she screened movies, the sofas have pop-up trays to hold drinks. When ladies came for dances, she supplied rubber tips for their high-heeled shoes in color-coordinated shades. She even left a lifetime supply of her favorite perfume for curators to periodically spray in her dressing room, where several of her couture dresses are on display, as well as her Cartier and Harry Winston jewels. Throughout July, a selection of Ms. Post’s Roaring ’20s costumes will be on display in the dacha on the property.

Just off the dining room, there’s a quaint breakfast room where Ms. Post would sit to taste new flavors of Jell-O or Pop Tarts as part of her role as a board member of General Foods Corp. Her father, C.W. Post, had started the Postum Cereal Co. in 1895; at his death in 1914, she inherited the company and his massive fortune, and on her watch, Postum expanded into General Foods. (It’s now part of Kraft Foods.) In the sunny café at Hillwood, you can order a cup of Postum, the “cereal beverage” that launched the family fortune (it tastes like weak coffee with a hint of molasses) or opt for high tea or lunch (the curried egg salad sandwich is divine). Either way, plan to take your time, strolling slowly through the home and taking in the 13 acres of formal gardens. 4155 Linnean Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on select evenings and Sundays. Tickets, $12. 202-686-5807 or http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org.

Nemours Mansion and Gardens

A bit further afield, you’ll find plenty of fabulousness at Nemours Mansion and Gardens, the 300-acre country estate of industrialist and philanthropist Alfred I. duPont in Delaware’s Brandywine Valley. Constructed in 1910— and renovated in 2008— the mansion is an elegant example of the French château style (think Versailles), and one of the grandest buildings ever constructed in Delaware. Though the duPont family hasn’t occupied the mansion since 1970, the place looks much as it did when they lived there, with their family photos and personal collection of paintings, rare rugs, decorative objects and china on display. All of the home’s 102 rooms aren’t open to the public, but the key ones are on the two-hour guided tour, including the main entry hall, which is dominated by a crystal chandelier said to have belonged to the Marquis de Lafayette and the formal dining room, whose table is decorated with one of the floral arrangements that Mrs. duPont loved.

The tour groups are kept small, which helps you feel like an invited guest— that, and the fact that a docent greets you at the door with a flower. It certainly would be tempting to linger inside, but outside the largest formal French garden in North America awaits. As part of the guided tour, you’ll bus through the gardens, but at tour’s end, you have the option to explore on your own. Stroll from the French parterre garden to the sunken garden to the one-acre reflecting pool to the boxwood maze, which culminates in an elegant colonnade. Route 141 and Alapocas Road, Wilmington, Del.. Open Tuesday-Sunday starting May 1. Tickets, $15. Reservations recommended. 302-651-6912 (ext. 3) or 800-651-6912 or http://www.Nemours.org.

Evergreen Museum and Library

Back in the day, Baltimore wasn’t without its own fabulousness. You can find Gilded Age glamour close to home at Evergreen Museum and Library, former residence of the Garrett family of B & O Railroad. On a tour of the splendid 48-room mansion, you’ll be treated to a private theater decorated by designer Leon Bakst, a rare books library housing more than 8,000 volumes, drawings by Degas and
Picasso, and one of the world’s largest private collections of Tiffany glass, among other delights. Open Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Tours offered on the hour. Tickets, $6, 410-516-0341, http://www.museums.jhu.edu/evergreen.

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer
1 16-ounce package of mixed frozen seafood, defrosted
1 cup white wine
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ yellow onion peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced  
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour        
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 package of empanada wrappers
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a saucepot, combine seafood with the wine and gently poach the seafood until just cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Strain the seafood from the wine and set wine aside. Chop seafood into small pieces and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat and sauté onions and garlic until aromas are released. Add the flour, stir well, then add the seafood, cream, and parsley. Adjust the consistency of the seafood mixture with the reserved wine until it’s thickened but not too runny, like the consistency of chili. Cut the empanada dough into quarters and moisten the edges with water. Place 1 tablespoon of the seafood mixture in the center of the wrapper and fold over forming a triangle, using a fork to seal the edges. Fry the empanadas in 350-degree oil in a cast-iron pan or countertop fryer until golden brown and serve hot.

Until it Hurts: America’s Obsession with Youth Sports and How it Harms Our Kids

By Mark Hyman
About 10 years ago, journalist Mark Hyman started to notice what he calls the “global warming” of youth sports, with the temperature of parents on the sidelines inching up a few degrees each year. Hyman, who lives in Mount Washington, was contributing some heat himself. When his eldest son was 14, the boy’s pitching shoulder started to pain him. Coach Hyman sent him out to the mound anyway— it was the playoffs, after all.

In his new book, “Until It Hurts: America’s Obsession with Youth Sports and How It Harms Our Kids,” Hyman, who writes about sports for Business Week, analyzes the commercialization and professionalization of youth sports that has occurred in the last half-century. “Seventy-five years ago, when Joe DiMaggio was a kid, his parents were not sitting in the bleachers watching him practice every day,” says Hyman. “In the ’40s and ’50s, parents started getting involved in youth sports for the first time ... and they became more invested.” That investment has become an obsession for many parents, says Hyman, who view youth sports less as a way for kids to learn sportsmanship and cooperation than to earn prestige and college scholarships.

The downside of this is not only increased pressure on kids, says Hyman. It’s also increased risk of injury. “Instead of kids playing a different sport every season, they’re on a track where they’re encouraged to specialize in one sport starting at age 8 or 8,” he says. “By the time they’re 13 and 14, they have overuse injuries and their bodies are rebelling.”

Since there’s no czar of youth sports, it’s up to parents to stop the madness, says Hyman. As inspiration, he points to programs throughout the country that emphasize healthy attitudes toward youth sports, including Athletes and Authors summer camp here in Baltimore (athletes-andauthors.com).

Mark Hyman will read and sign “Until It Hurts” at 2 p.m. on May 9 at the Roland Park branch, Enoch Pratt Free Library, 5108 Roland Ave. http://www.untilithurts.com

Eiffel’s Tower… And the World’s Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, The Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count.

By Jill Jonnes
Jill Jonnes first visited the Eiffel Tower as a girl of 7, and she still remembers “the sensation of walking down from the second platform on that summer day, round and round and round ... the Paris cityscape revolving around as I descended, a small person on a gigantic structure.”

These days, Jonnes is just as giddy about the tower, which is the centerpiece of her new book, “Eiffel’s Tower… And the World’s Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, The Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count.” A narrative of the construction of the 1,000-foot-tall engineering marvel— which dwarfed the Washington Monument, the tallest building at the time, much to many Americans’ dismay— the book is also a whirlwind chronicle of the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, an event, says Jonnes, that incited “wonderful crossings of paths of unlikely people who came to the fair to make as big a splash as they could.”

Thomas Edison had a huge exhibit with all of his inventions, including the “new improved talking phonograph.” Paul Gauguin and James Whistler showed their paintings. And Buffalo Bill brought his entire Wild West Show, including 100 cowboys, 100 Indians and the sharp-shooting and fast-talking Annie Oakley.

“Buffalo Bill becomes the most beloved American in Paris since Benjamin Franklin,” says Jonnes, who lives in Keswick and is the author of four previous nonfiction books. “This fair is the beginning of the French love affair with cowboys and Indians.”
Jill Jonnes will read and sign “Eiffel’s Tower” at 6:30 p.m. on May 5 at the Central branch of the Enoch Pratt Library. http://www.conqueringgotham.com

Annie’s Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret

By Steve Luxenberg
Steve Luxenberg picked up the phone in his Lauraville home on a spring afternoon in 1995 and heard his sister say, “Did you know that Mom had a sister?”

Their mother had always made a big show of being an only child. To learn she had a sister was nothing short of shocking. As both a son and a journalist— first at The Baltimore Sun for 11 years and now as an associate editor at The Washington Post— Luxenberg yearned for answers. But his mother was in failing health and he didn’t feel right about prodding her to talk.

Four years later, Luxenberg’s mother died with her secret intact, and he got another phone call with another shocking question. This time it was his brother, asking, “Who the heck is Annie?” While sorting through their mother’s records, his brother had found documentation showing a third grave next to their mother’s parents, that of someone named Annie Cohen.

Luxenberg knew immediately that Annie Cohen was his mother’s hidden sister, and after making a few phone calls, he soon learned that she’d been committed to a mental hospital at age 21 and died in a mental hospital 30 years later. In his new book, “Annie’s Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret,” Luxenberg employs his skills as an investigative journalist to tell the story of his Aunt Annie, and of the thousands of nameless people institutionalized for mental illness in the mid-20th century. In probing his family’s history, he uncovers more secrets than he bargained for, but he also learns more than he hoped to about his family’s immigrant past, Annie’s conscribed life and his mother’s reasons for lying about her sister. The result is a detective story that lovingly but insistently teases the truth from one family’s tangled web.

Steve Luxenberg will read from “Annie’s Ghosts” at 4 p.m. on May 9 at Red Canoe Bookstore and Café and at 6:30 p.m. on May 12 at the Central branch of the Enoch Pratt Library. http://www.Steveluxenberg.com

There really is nothing more divine than filling the house with fabulous fresh flowers. While Savvy would love to say that she’s planted the perfect cutting garden ... alas, no. That’s why she leaves it to the experts at The Dutch Connection. She’s long loved nipping in to their Belvedere Square location to pick up whatever has just been flown in, but now she can get her flower fix downtown, too. The newest location in the Bagby Building is simply to die for (though a tad tricky to find— enter through the courtyard on Fleet Street) and she just loves their wonderful European bouquets, garden accessories and great gift selection. No more sad supermarket flowers for Sav, thank you very much! Don’t miss: Savvy just adores their selection of La Rochere beeware. Yes, she just said “beeware.” Oh, just go see it and you’ll understand. 509 S. Exeter St., 410-528-7296

4 egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup chopped raisins
¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
8 figs, finely chopped, or ¾ cup chopped dates
2 tablespoons cognac

In the top of a double boiler, combine egg whites, sugar, salt, cream of tartar and water. Beat with an electric beater over simmering water until soft peaks form. This takes 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from water and beat in the vanilla. Continue beating until frosting is stiff. Put aside half of the frosting.

Beat into remaining half of the frosting the raisins, nuts, figs or dates, and cognac. Use this mixture as a filling between 2 layers of the cake. Ice the entire cake with reserved frosting. Yields 8 servings.

When Bob and Lola Jones moved into their 1928 white brick house in Homeland, many original plantings, including ancient azaleas, ringed the property. “One of the first things we found was an original blueprint of the garden wall,” says Lola.

Lola thought the garden was perfect as it was, but Bob, bitten by the gardening bug at their previous house down the street, had other ideas. He set about tidying the beds inside those brick walls, then planted new trees for privacy: a magnolia tree to resonate with one outside the wall and a few Leyland cypress trees. A large sugar maple grew near the patio, so he planted a shade-tolerant, low-maintenance, green tapestry around it. He punctuated the cool green with seasonal colors of azaleas, bulbs, ferns, perennials and annuals to create a lush environment for outdoor entertaining on the adjacent loggia. “It’s all about views,” he says. He opens a gate in the original garden wall to reveal a new area of sunny, terraced gardens.

In this densely planted area, Bob’s friend, landscaper Bob Jackson, constructed paths and elevated beds. Bob then added shadblow (serviceberry) trees, planting an assortment of hydrangeas underneath three of them. He covered a series of tuteurs with two favorite plants, roses and clematis, and added mildew-resistant ‘Miss Kim’ lilacs. The gardens now overflow with plants that bloom from early spring to late fall:  hyacinths, tulips, alliums, tree peonies, foxgloves, Asiatic lilies, black-eyed Susans, dahlias and Japanese anemones. Edging the adjoining, original, steep staircases are a host of containers filled with pink and white begonias, double impatiens, calla lilies, variegated hostas and varieties of pink and lime coleus.

CONCEPT: Continuous garden interest from every vantage point in the house— breakfast room, kitchen, dining room, living room, outdoor terrace and loggia. To further unify the gardens, Bob repeats plantings of liriope, hosta, hydrangea, ferns, peonies and even trees like Southern magnolias. Not surprisingly, this president of Jones Lighting Specialists also uses lighting to unify his garden in evening. “But I’d rather see a garden underlit than overlit,” he says. “I’ve only up-lighted the three large shadblow, the river Birch and visible areas of the wall. I always make sure to intersperse lots of white-flowering annuals such as impatiens, white caladium and angelonia to reflect the moonlight.”

biggest challenge: “Critters!” Bob recounts the story of the climbing hydrangea he trained to the third floor of the house as a backdrop to the terraced gardens. “One day I hear a rustling, and the *@!*%?*! squirrel had chewed off the entire top to make a nest.” “The bunnies love the lilies,” adds Lola. “We call the garden the bunny buffet.”

biggest satisfaction: “When I entertain, people say they feel like they’re in Tuscany,” says Lola.

“I enjoy getting up, having breakfast and seeing everything,” says Bob.

garden time: Two days a week, Thursdays and Sundays, when Bob is not at work. “I’m no fine gardener,” says Lola, who does a brilliant job of maintaining dozens of coral geraniums in the interior white window boxes in the pentagonal breakfast room.

garden as therapy: “I enjoy the solitude after talking all day,” says Bob. “It’s very nice to have a place where no cell phones are permitted.” A new project this year has been a secluded corner of the upper garden where he’s created a quiet garden room beneath Leyland cypress trees that he’s limbed up and underplanted with ferns. He’s furnished it with tall etagères of pots of asparagus ferns, bamboo-esque furniture and a mirror on one wall for visual interest, more light and horticultural reflections.

tips:

1. You have to give yourself time for trial and error.
2. You have to study the light requirements of the plants. It really does matter. Some like sun, and some like shade.
3. Don’t be afraid to move things around.
4. Unless it is major, plant more than one. Plant six or 12 or 20!

I have no recollection of who spoke at my high school graduation. I remember it was hot for June. I recall the sun pounded down on us, as we lined up alphabetically outside the gymnasium, sweating like lascars in purple academic robes. I don’t remember much else. 

It was miraculous that I was even able to post for the ceremony. The night before, I had drank a vast quantity of something called Blue Nun, a dangerous member of the liebfraumilch family, a really nasty, sweet German white wine that results in savage and debilitating hangovers. Liebfraumilch means “my scalp is on fire” in German. And sure enough, on graduation day my scalp felt like it was on fire. Sounds were much louder. I was dizzy. I was unbearably thirsty. My tongue had something wrong with it, too. Forty years later, I can remember the taste in my mouth. To paraphrase Dylan Thomas, knowing that I would never drink again helped.

I was an eccentric, bookish high school student, a loner, and a year younger than my classmates. I had been accepted early at a university in faraway Chicago and never looked at a book after that acceptance letter arrived in October. What was the point? I spent the rest of my senior year in the school library reading British magazines like Punch and watching documentary films, or drinking coffee in a greasy diner called The Majestic that was kept by an elderly Lebanese man. I thought I was quite sophisticated. My closest friends were the school’s most notorious dope smoker and his sidekick, a fat girl built like a stevedore.

The week leading up to graduation proved to be an occasion for some merriment and misbehavior previously unknown to me. I vividly remember skinny-dipping in a lake with several very bad girls whom I had long been very curious about but had never dared approach. Blue Nun took care of that problem. Blue Nun was the introvert’s friend, a great social emollient.

A few bottles of Blue Nun and I was something of a ladies man. Apparently I knew how to smoke? Dissipation came easily to me. I was a natural. And I was a quick study. The week before graduation was one long bacchanal.  It involved riding in a Volks-wagen bus— fortunately I was not driving. It involved The Doors and the doors of perception. And it involved inhaling. I remember it vividly even if I can’t conjure the name or face of the graduation speaker.

The War in Vietnam was going full tilt then. I had a 42 in the lottery and was classified 1A, almost certain cannon fodder. When I started high school, people still believed the domino theory. Hell, if we don’t stop ’em in ’Nam, they’ll be in Bangor next.  When I graduated from high school, the times they were a’ changing. By the time I got out of university four years later, the war was hopelessly lost, and the draft canceled, thankfully. The only thing Richard Nixon ever did for me.

The world seemed very uncertain. It was hard to find a job. People were worried.  People were not happy. There was war.

Today the world seems uncertain. It’s hard to find a job. People are worried.  People are not happy. And we still have war. The wheel of life goes round and round. A lot of people believe this is a bad time to be young. But I don’t think it’s ever a bad time to be young.

I am thinking a lot about graduation now because my daughter is graduating from college this spring. And graduation naturally reminds me of the Marx brothers’ film “Horse Feathers,” the best assessment of academia available, although it was made in 1932. The American Film Institute rated it among the top 100 comedies in the history of film and ESPN noted it was the best representation of college football ever brought to the screen (even if it was preposterous). Set on the campus of Huxley College and centered on a football game between Huxley and its rival Darwin, it features Groucho Marx as college president Quincy Adams Wagstaff. Everything you need to know about the halls of ivy and college football is contained in this 68-minute film, the basic premise being that higher learning is a hoax and so is college football. They ought to show that film on orientation day to freshmen.

Graduation also reminds me of the venerable student song “Gaudeamus Igitur.” You’ve heard it a thousand times, perhaps on WBJC-FM, Baltimore’s classical radio station. They play it every hour, between Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending” and Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo.”

Long popular in Europe, it pops up in Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture” and in the operetta “The Student Prince,” and is often used for comic effect (as it should be).  But it’s a better song than Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance,” a leaden piece always played at graduations. It speaks to long ago memories: Blue Nun white wine, bad girls, skinny-dipping and the chimes at midnight. Its first two lines translate roughly from the Latin to, “Let us rejoice while we are young.”

And that’s all that graduation speakers really need to tell their audiences. Forget the debt. Forget the job market. Forget the war. Remember only to rejoice. You will be young just once.

Dear Friend,

In these tough economic times, you are probably shopping less, denying yourself that cool hat, great bag, nifty belt, smashing scarf. But I ask you: is it good for the nation if we sacrifice our fashion sense? Dowdiness is not American. (Exhibit A: The Soviets.) Plainness is not patriotic.

So, I am inviting you to an Accessory Swap at my house. Everyone should bring roughly 10 items to give away. The items should not be broken or otherwise on their way to Goodwill or the trash. Rather they should be things you are tired of, or that don’t look good on you or that don’t suit you for some reason. If all goes well, everyone should go home with about 10 new accessories— without a single dollar spent!

I hope you can participate in the Accessory Swap (also known, in honor of our new president, as The Audacity of Accessorizing).

  Sincerely,

  Laura

WHEN I SENT OUT THIS E-MAIL TO 15 OR so girlfriends in and around Baltimore earlier this year, I had no idea what kind of responses I’d get. I knew that, like me, some of the gals I invited shop the local consignment stores— Vogue Revisited in Hampden or Newbury and Smith in Mount Washington, for example— and the Best Dressed Sale at Evergreen Museum and Library in the fall and the Nearly New Sale at GBMC each spring. (Newsflash: It’s May 2 through 9 this year.)

But I didn’t know how they’d feel about bypassing the middleman altogether— or, really, the middle woman, because that’s who presides over consignment stores and hospital sales— and trading face to face. Maybe they’d think it was a little downmarket or weird, kind of like a garage sale in which you don’t make any money. Maybe they didn’t want to run into someone at Rocket to Venus wearing the earrings their own aunt had given them four years before.

Not to worry. Almost immediately, the replies came in saying, to paraphrase, “yes, yes, yes.” And though one friend’s husband made fun of the idea, I could tell he was sad not to be included.

THE IDEA FOR THE ACCESSORY SWAP WAS, like most things in my life, a combination rip-off/modification of something that already existed. Back in November, I’d seen a woman named Nancy Murray wearing a beautiful dress, asked her where she’d gotten it, and she replied, “Switch ’n Bitch.” Though it’s now been renamed Changing Room Parties, the idea hasn’t changed: twice a year, a group of women get together in the Fells Point home of Megan Ryan to swap clothes. Ryan, a former chef at Bicycle restaurant and culinary teacher at Kenwood High School who is now a curriculum writer, started the swap in 2004. “A couple of friends and I used to drive up to Connecticut to go to church rummage sales. What they called junk, we loved,” she says. “We thought about our joy going to those sales and thought, ‘Why don’t we do that with our own clothes?’”

Ryan invited 10 women to the first swap, trying to ensure there would be at least two people of every size, so everyone would have at least one other person whose clothes could potentially fit them. Since then, the core group of eight to 10 swappers has convened twice a year— and they have the clothes to prove it. Ryan’s mother happened to be in town visiting during a swap and scored a vintage leopard print A-line jacket. Heather Blackwell, an elementary school guidance counselor, gets her entire wardrobe at the swap each year. Leah Cooper, who works in graduate admissions at the Maryland Institute College of Art, says there are days when she looks at her outfit and realizes everything, except her underwear, came from the swap. Her most recent prize is a maroon cashmere winter coat. “It’s as fun to find something for yourself as it is to see something of yours on someone else,” says Cooper. “It’s nice to see people walk around Baltimore in your own clothes.”

I loved the spirit of Switch ’n Bitch, but the idea of sorting through and trying on clothes— and finding space in my house for others to do so— didn’t thrill me. Plus, there’s often a painful aspect to shopping for clothes, especially for those of us who are, well, slightly more rounded than we’d like. But trying on jewelry and browsing bags and shoes sounded like the games of dress-up I used to play as a child, i.e., fun. And I was pretty sure that if I had a few (dozen) pairs of earrings or necklaces or purses that were great and good, but not getting any use, others did, too. Thus: the Accessory Swap.

On the appointed Sunday morning, I set up folding tables in my dining and living room, each dedicated to a different genre of accessory. When the first guest, my friend Catharine, arrived and set out her stuff, I immediately saw a few items I coveted: a beaded evening bag, a pair of earrings made from real hydrangea flowers and a beautiful pair of silver flats. She spied a few of my things that appealed to her, too.

“You want to engage in some back-door dealing before the others arrive?” I asked her. Though tempted, we decided to play it clean and instead went into the kitchen, where we discovered what has become a regular occurrence at my parties: my cat had helped herself to the cheesecake I’d planned to serve. No matter— I had made a crustless vegetable quiche and set out some fresh strawberries and the other guests soon arrived with homemade biscuits, banana bread and scones for our potluck brunch.

As people laid out their wares, we chatted about what it was like to comb through our closets and jewelry boxes. “I was worried people wouldn’t like my stuff,” I said. Everyone nodded in agreement, especially Shannon, who was utterly convinced no one would want anything she’d brought. I think many also felt similarly to Catharine, who’d confided to me that she had brought good stuff but not really expensive stuff. (Jessica brought a bracelet that we all decided was “real gold,” and thus advised her to un-swap and sell somewhere.)

Once everyone had brunched and browsed the tables, which were filled to capacity with all manner of earrings, necklaces, scarves, hats, bags and shoes (as well as two Chihuahua-sized sweaters that Shannon said made her dog angry), I explained that our swap would more or less work like the traditional Yankee Swap, with each gal picking a number and taking her turn selecting an item based on the number. “The difference is that no one can steal an item from you once you’ve got it,” I said, a comment that prompted a host of stories about Yankee Swaps-gone-bad. Also, since it wouldn’t be fair if one person always chose last during each round of shopping, we decided that with each new round the order would reverse.

Catharine had picked No. 1 and so she went right over and grabbed a pair of Art Nouveau sterling silver earrings with garnets. “Whose were they?” I asked. Shannon said, beaming, “Mine!” I was second and dithered a bit— the beaded evening bag? the knitted hat?— before finally settling on a choker with a rectangular stained glass pendant. “That was mine,” said Jessica, clearly proud. Then Annliese took a belt brought by Sarah (who wasn’t able to come because she had the stomach flu, but sent her stuff over anyway). Then Elizabeth grabbed a pair of knee-high black leather boots brought by Jessica. And when Jessica picked a red Chinese robe, Elizabeth said, “An ex-boyfriend gave that to me just before we broke up. I never knew what to do with it.” So Jessica made off with a robe and a story.

And that’s the way it went, round after round as each pick caused delight not only for the receiver— “Something new and nifty, for free!”— but also for the giver— “People like my taste!” (And: “Thank God I finally got rid of that!”) It was fun to see what people picked— and to note that some gals who previously didn’t know each other kept picking each other’s stuff. Some people piled their stuff in the corner, but I just put it all right on. After five rounds, I was wearing three necklaces, a bracelet and a scarf.

For most of the swap, my husband was hiding upstairs but I’m sure he rolled his eyes at what, at times, sounded like a “Saturday Night Live” skit lampooning female conversation: “Oh, that looks great on you.” “That really sets off your eyes.” “My head is too big for that, but it works for you.” But, who cares? We were having fun and recycling our butts off. And I’m proud to say that most everything got re-homed (some of it destined for re-gifting— shhhh!).

If the guests had arrived tentatively, they left happy. Catharine seemed shocked by her good fortune at snagging a pair of Dansko sandals that Jessica had worn only once because they were too big. “Those things are freaking $100, so I’m psyched,” she said. Later she told me, “I added all these pieces to my repertoire that I wouldn’t necessarily have spent on.” That’s exactly it. The stuff I got I probably never would have paid money for in a store— not just because of the price, but because it wouldn’t have occurred to me to buy it. But with no risk, I was game to try something different. And, too, each piece carried with it an additional pleasure: the memory of the swap.

A few days later, Annliese e-mailed me saying she felt guilty when she got her stuff home and saw all that she’d gotten. “I made out like a bandit,” she wrote. I told her not to worry. We all did. Besides, she could always bring it back to the next swap. 9

The Swap Scoop

>> Shoot for eight to 10 people and ask them to bring about 10 items each. Any less, there’s not enough variety and quantity. Any more, and the swap could get overwhelming.

>> Be sure to inform guests that the swap is not the place for worn, outdated, stained or broken items, but rather good stuff that just doesn’t suit them anymore.

>> Even if you don’t want to choose numbers out of a hat, decide on some structured method of swapping. Otherwise, as Megan Ryan says, “the alpha females get all the good stuff.”

>> Get creative. Swap accessories, housewares, books— even plantings.

>> Visit changingroomparties.com for resources to help you organize your own swap.

We’ve all heard the stories of poor little rich boys and girls (and men and women). They have every material advantage but are unfocused, unsuccessful or unfulfilled in relationships and careers. Access to the finest education, opportunities for travel, career and global connections— all of which come to them through their family’s financial largesse— doesn’t seem to make them happy.

“Wealthy people can get away with things that don’t allow them to grow and acquire a sense of themselves,” says Peter A. White, a New York-based consultant to U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. White, who is also an educator and wealth management adviser, will give a lecture titled “Wealth & Happiness: The Effect of Affluence on Families and Children” on April 15 at Roland Park Country School. “You can see people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s or later who have never been forced, or have never had the opportunity, to take charge of their lives as adults. ... They rely on pleasures that money can buy, yet the interior experience of life is not a very pleasant thing. Their lives can turn out to become meaningless…”

Style asked six wealthy Baltimore parents to talk about their own experiences of growing up— and how they’ve raised their affluent children to avoid the classic pitfalls. Since none wanted their real names used, we’ve given each parent a pseudonym.

Change of course
Shari, a 50-something mother living in Baltimore County, was raised by one of four children of multi-millionaire parents whose names appear on hospitals, art museums and college buildings in New York, Massachusetts and Israel.

“I always knew my family was wealthy,” says Shari. “When I was 12, I was buying a new pair of skis, and the salesman asked me how much I wanted to spend, and I said, ‘It doesn’t matter how much they cost— my mother will just want me to have the best ones.’ I was in a bubble. When we went to visit my grandparents, it was like visiting the king and queen of England, with chauffeurs, cooks, gardeners and tickets to everything imaginable. We would eat at The Four Seasons, and we developed tastes for escargot and filet mignon. We ordered the most expensive thing, because it must be the best.”

While Shari’s mother flitted from interest to interest, shopped or traveled, divorced, married, divorced and married again, Shari and her three siblings were cared for by a Monday-through-Friday housekeeper. “My mother was clueless,” Shari says. The children made their own decisions about what school they would attend and turned to the housekeeper, even calling her at home, for lost homework assignments and shoes. Shari was a voracious reader and in the Nancy Drew series and books by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Madeleine L’Engle she discovered models of stable households. “I knew what I was experiencing was not the healthy lifestyle,” she says.

As a teenager Shari took the initiative to learn about managing money, asking to open a bank account when she turned 16. Then, at 18, she began dating a boy, Bruce, who had worked in his family’s business since he was 13 and had had a solid middle-class childhood, with devoted parents, hard work and a religious life. After graduation, the two married, went through graduate school and had three children. A small trust fund from Shari’s grandfather helped them get started, but they lived on Bruce’s salary.

“I followed my husband’s lead when it came to raising the children, assigning chores, giving allowances,” says Shari, who made a point not to repeat the mistakes of the past. “Bruce started talking to them about money when they were young— what to buy, what not to buy, and to save, save, save. We always talked about money, and we never hid from the kids what our financial situation was. We were contributing to charity, and we were saving, and we had no compunction about saying, ‘We can’t afford that.’”

Unlike her own parents, Shari and Bruce were fully engaged every day of their children’s growing up; there was no housekeeper. If Bruce was traveling, he called home and talked to his children. Shari was home after school. When she traveled with Bruce, his parents stayed with the children.

Because Shari and Bruce lived a religious life, they wanted to ground their children with a solid Jewish education before attending non-sectarian, private high schools. After Shari’s grandfather died, they used some of her inheritance to help pay for private school and college tuitions. When their children graduated from college, Shari and Bruce gave them the remaining money in their college funds, which the children will use for graduate school or to defray expenses while working toward advanced degrees.

“They are very frugal,” Shari says. “They already give back to their schools and to causes they believe in.” One is in law school and married. Another is preparing for medical school, and the third is about to graduate from college. No doubt they’ll pass on to their children the sense of responsibility, fiscal and otherwise, they learned from Bruce and Shari.

A legacy of connection
“It was really important to both Ned and me that our kids be very well aware that others living in their community and around them were struggling on a lot of fronts—emotionally, financially, whatever,” says Lucy, a 60-something Baltimore City activist. While she was from a solid middle-class family, Ned’s family had had family money on and off, for generations.

When her four children were still young, Lucy volunteered with troubled children, sometimes inviting them to share in family gatherings. Later she had a career in health care, serving city children. Ned, an investment banker who had enlisted to fight in Vietnam right after he graduated from college, undertook hands-on volunteer work, bringing the children with him when he visited city neighborhoods or taking an entire choir to baseball games and buying all of them hats or rain jackets.

“They knew from a very young age how generous their father was, not just in terms of his time, but with anybody and everybody,” says Lucy. “They saw the joy of giving and sharing what you have with others, and that it’s not so much what you get.” Ned wanted the children to be aware of their privilege, not blind to it. He told them that their good fortune began with an accident of birth, and that the things they had were blessings, not entitlements.

One sweltering evening, Ned and Lucy’s three oldest children were whining about the heat in their un-air-conditioned house, begging to go back to the country club, where they’d been earlier in the day. “Get in the car,” said Ned. He drove them in his tiny Chevette deep into the city where people were sitting on their stoops, cooling themselves with handheld fans. Ned didn’t have to say a word this time or any of the other times he drove the children downtown after complaints that they didn’t have something their friends had. Other times they had to earn money baby-sitting or pet-setting to buy things like ice skates.

Though Ned and Lucy sent their children to private school and summer camp, they also sought to expose them to experiences that would give them real-world perspective. A favorite trip involved, first, a raft trip down the Rio Grande River and, second, a week spent in Mexico without electricity or running water. They pumped water and heated it and poured it into a big Mexican tile bath. They all rode horses and grilled. “At night all we saw was stars,” remembers Lucy. 

These days, Lucy contributes to her grandchildren’s education and tries to give each of her adult children funds every year that will help them as parents and in their careers as a teacher, doctor, writer and public health worker who continue the family tradition of reaching out.

Old money
“The issue of money never came up when I was a child,” says Rob, a 60-something Baltimore County resident who is the fifth generation of wealth. “My parents didn’t talk about money at all. ... There was no conscious recognition, ‘Oh boy! I’m wealthy.’ But I knew that we weren’t poor.”
 
At the boarding school Rob attended, he had certain amounts he could draw on, but “I didn’t have any free money that I could run around with,” he remembers. At home, his parents’ spending never seemed excessive, yet there was never an overpowering sense of frugality, either. “If there was something needed, we could do it. ... I never had a sense of any wild sprees or any preening that one does to show off, but I was not starved for things; no hole needed to be filled with things.”
 
Rob didn’t have a summer job when he was a teenager, and usually his own children didn’t either, something he regrets. “I wish their mother and I had required them to,” says Rob now. “Earning money through your own hard work, even if you have no fear of losing your food and shelter, is a good experience. Priceless, in fact.”
 
As his own children grew up, he gave them allowances, but often found it difficult to resist the urge to spend on them. “It’s always the easy thing to do to buy the kids something,” he says. “It’s always harder to suffer their unhappiness, even if the lesson would be a good one. ... Money can be used to coddle and it shouldn’t be.”

Just as his own father had, Rob worked hard when his children were young. He attended law school while he worked full time and later, when he came into some family money, Rob reduced his workload. “Perhaps that wasn’t a good example for my children,” he says. “I could have been more productive professionally, although I was able to spend more time with them, which was a good thing. Before that, when they were younger, I had not done as much as I should have.”

As his children grew up, Rob constantly reminded them: “We are fortunate. You are fortunate. But if you rely on inherited assets, you will join many other people who are in their middle years who have accomplished nothing, who have lived off the skill and hard work of their forebears and have great regrets.”
At one point, Rob says he spent extravagantly, buying what he wanted, invading the principal of his inheritance for fancy trips, but still never going into debt. “I regret having invaded [the principal] for frivolous things,” he says. “The idea previous generations had of not invading principal is very sound.”

When his children turned 18, each inherited a moderate amount. “That way they learn to manage it, and understand if they spend it, it won’t be there,” Rob says. As they grew older, he and his family gave them more, but he sought to do so without making his children dependent on the money.  “I didn’t want to poison the relationship of parent and child over time, so that they depend on the little amounts [of annual gifts]. I don’t care how hard you try, over decades if you receive gifts, you do depend on them.”

He continues to urge his children to rely on their own assets, hard work and their talents to support their needs. “If you have not developed the skills to survive, you have nothing to fall back on,” he says. “Assets not acquired by you can vanish overnight. Inherited wealth can be like welfare; you can be dependent on it. ... It may not be the federal government, but instead, your ancestors, who worked hard and stored up their wealth, and their love.”

In the footsteps of kindness
“My father said the hard thing about having money is that more is expected of you. And more means kinder. You have to use it that way,” says Anne, a mother, grandmother and fifth generation of wealth who lives in Baltimore City.

Anne’s mother never talked about money— “that was tacky,” she says— but Anne first realized her family was well off when they built a big swimming pool. “I always thought that Red Cross size pool É was for the neighborhood.  I didn’t think of it as our pool,” she says. “Mother wasn’t a showy person; she kept a key hidden in a birdhouse so that anyone who wanted to use it did. They didn’t have to ask.”

Her mother, who had a Quaker background, did not give her four children more toys or more allowance than anyone else, and she herself wasn’t interested in acquiring possessions. “There was nothing she couldn’t afford. She didn’t want much,” says Anne. “I feel that way now. I don’t want a fancy watch. They tell the same time as a regular one.”

Anne’s parents’ generosity did not limit itself to their own neighborhood. Her mother did volunteer work at the hospital and with the Junior League. Her physician father would take a load of manure or anything else people wanted to give him in return for an operation they couldn’t afford. As a family, they provided Christmas and birthdays for the family that ran their farm outside of town. Her father even sent one of that family’s children to college, a fact that neither Anne nor her siblings knew until well after his death.
“My parents were so kind,” says Anne, who follows in their footsteps both by giving grants from a family foundation her husband established and in personal encounters. She met a young nursing student while taking pre-nursing classes and ended up sending her through school. She tutored a 6-year-old, then funded her higher education, attending all functions in which the girl participated. “I think it’s power that corrupts, and if you use money as power, you’re dead,” says Anne. “If you use money constructively, it’s empowering to someone else.”

With her children, Anne followed her parents’ model, adopting a family through a city organization and making meals at home together to take to an elderly neighbor. “I never wanted my children to be happy,” she says. “I want my children to be useful. The result of usefulness is being happy.” The overlay of Quaker simplicity continued with birthday parties at home every other year. These parties featured a homemade cake and nothing more elaborate than an occasional clown, magician or trip to the circus.

Anne and her husband gave modest allowances, which the children mostly saved to buy items that cost more than she and her husband would spend.  One daughter, for example, wanted a pair of $40 shoes. “We only spend $20 for shoes,” said Anne. The daughter was saving up for those shoes when another family took her to Florida, and the child came home wearing the shoes, compliments of her friend’s grandmother.

Anne is now teaching her grandchildren the family ethics about wealth.  Recently, she asked one granddaughter, “Have you ever felt that tingle of joy you get when you share?” “Not yet!” answered the little girl. When the girl wanted a second American Girl doll, Anne thought it unnecessary without an occasion. It’s better to wait until her birthday,” advised Anne, who had, years ago, refused to give her own daughter a car just because she wanted it. “There are more subtle things to teach, more to be gained, by waiting.”

Because they love the scratch-off lottery, Anne plays it with two of her grandchildren. When they won $6 recently, she told them $1 had to go to something outside of the family. The same little girl who wanted the American Girl doll said quickly: “Helping animals!” 

It’s not about stuff
When it comes to “things,” the three children of Margaret and John, a young middle-aged Baltimore County couple, both from family money, are not that interested.  “Maybe it’s because they’re boys, but they think it’s cool to have a car with 100,000 miles on it,” says John, whose children have watched him pack brown bag lunches for the family when they’re at ski resorts. “That’s from my parents,” he says, and from a New England sensibility heavily reinforced by an old-fashioned, technology-free, summer camp where John, his father, and now his sons have attended for years. “One guy showed up with scuba gear and a fancy camera, and the boys thought it was crazy,” says John. “It’s not about stuff.”
 

The same philosophy is shared by his wife, Margaret, who when growing up asked if her father didn’t want to re-do the curtains or buy a fancier car, only to have him say a resounding “No.” “He didn’t want to have all the bells and whistles,” she says. Margaret has been the one to tell each child: “You are never going to have a TV in your room!” when they’ve come home from houses where kids did. And although they could easily afford to enlarge the bedrooms in their home, Margaret and John choose not to. One son often jokes that his bedroom is about the size of a relative’s closet.

When the boys complain they’re cold because the thermostat is set at 60 degrees, Margaret says, “Go put on a sweatshirt.” She’s glad to give them money for lunch but not for toys— “those can wait for their birthdays,” she says.  All of this is part of her hope that the children don’t have “that weird sense of entitlement” she can’t stand seeing among some private school children.

If the boys want money, they go to their dad. “He has the softer wallet,” says Margaret. But not that soft. The older boys have debit cards, not credit cards, that draw from savings they’ve earned. If they ask for money, Margaret and John always ask: “What do you need the money for?”

Each child has begun working in the summer at age 16. “My father worked three or four hours every day even when he was 80. Margaret’s father worked every day until he died,” says John, who works long hours while Margaret has a full schedule raising the boys and doing freelance work.

At the boys’ private school, service has been a part of the school since its founding, as has a wide diversity in economic backgrounds. John and Margaret’s oldest son went to Mississippi twice to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, and the middle child, after seeing the homeless at St. Vincent de Paul, said he wanted to do something to help. That began a family tradition of making 150 to 200 sandwiches at Christmas to hand out.

For years the sons have been heavily involved in sports and rec leagues. “Except for shoes, we normally get our sports equipment at Play It Again Sports [where used equipment is sold] and there’s a lot of the hand-me-down thing, too,” says Margaret.

When it comes to the future, the parents think children are ready to inherit when they are somewhere between 30 and 50 years old. “We would never assume our children wouldn’t be working. If one chooses to pursue a less lucrative career, we may be able to help him do that,” says John. “We’d like to create a nest egg they can tap into and say, ‘This is for a down payment on a house, not for a fancy car.’”
Not too long ago one son was overheard saying, “If I had a nice car now, I wouldn’t have anything to look forward to.” Undoubtedly he’ll earn the money to buy that car himself.

New and old
“When my father died, we were left penniless,” remembers Davis, a 50-something banker whose father and grandfather had both been bankers. “Before my father died, I had no idea we were affluent. It took losses to realize what affluent and poor really meant.”

At age 15, Davis, who lives in Baltimore City, went to work to try to support two siblings and his mother, a concert pianist who had never worked a day in her life. “I lied about my age,” he says. “Whether it was lifeguarding or working at a drugstore, it was to support us. We got Social Security, welfare and food stamps. I was on Aid to Families with Dependent Children.”

Davis worked after school and on weekends and was on track for management training in the drugstore chain. “There was a point where there was a decision: should I continue to work for the drugstore chain? Everyone encouraged me to do that. Or, do you go to college and do something traditional? ... Having reference points— what my father, grandfather, uncle did and what my friends had done— were a motivating factor. I thought, ‘I can do it, too. I’m not going to stay.’” He went to college as a scholarship student. “I was working or in school. No football games. It was a different world.”

During his senior year, Davis researched 100 companies, sent personal letters to individuals at those companies and landed a job at a prestigious international bank. He started work in one of his father’s old suits with what he describes as a huge inferiority chip on his shoulder. “There were 25 of us in the training program. They were all interesting people, brilliant or not, most from means, most expected to be there. The difference between ‘expected’ and ‘having to work for,’ is light years. I was the least educated person in my program. I was a token, and I still don’t know how I got that job. There was no way that I wasn’t going to work harder than anyone.”

With a beginning salary of $15,200 a year in 1981, Davis felt like the wealthiest guy in the world. He also found real role models. “I worked my butt off and good things happened.” In five or six years he paid back his college loans and started giving back $1,000 a year to his college. “They took a risk on me I can never forget.”

At work, Davis met his wife, Jean, also an investment banker but one who had gone to a prestigious boarding school and an Ivy League college, one who was the eighth generation of wealth. “My grandmother and great-grandmother had chauffeurs,” says Jean. “I knew we were wealthy, but my mother, who came from a family whose wealth was self-made, said that was their lifestyle; this was ours. We had no drivers.” What they did have was a strong Quaker background, one in which inheritances had been frugally preserved. “Because of the Quaker overlay there was a personal responsibility for others.” For example, a family estate on Long Island was sold in 1929 so the family could help out people who needed jobs and loans.

The tradition of service continues today as Jean and Davis, through their family foundation, positions on community boards and hands-on service with their two children, support health, education, arts and culture. In spite of a privileged lifestyle, Jean was determined her children would not contract the “affluenza” she saw rampant in the ‘80s, with kids having too much. “I never wanted my children to have that disease. ... I told my children that talking about money or your stuff doesn’t make you a better person. In the Depression, the only thing you were certain to have in your possession was your brain. It could be taken around the world. You can’t take your stuff with you.”
 
Their oldest child has underplayed his comfortable situation, so much so that his college buddies seemed surprised to see his massive family home. “They had no clue,” says Davis.

While Jean and Davis don’t dwell on stories of their past, pieces come out, including the story of Jean’s grandparents hiring a man during the Depression as their chauffeur then supporting his son, who became the first African-American in the State Department.

Decades later, when Jean’s oldest was 16, he called a family meeting to figure out ways to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. “The children did all of the research. They drove the giving and the solution,” she remembers. “The mathematical one suggested we give 1 percent of the total assets of the foundation.” Though that was a tough proposal given that pledges were already out to many organizations, Jean and Davis did not say no.

“It was a proud moment,” says Jean. “I felt we were at a good point vis-à-vis ‘affluenza.’”

Peter White speaks on “Wealth & Happiness: The Effect of Affluence on Families and Children” Wednesday, April 15, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Roland Park Country School, 5204 Roland Ave. Tickets, $35. Call 410-323-5500 or rpcs.org.

The Car

The Lamborghini Murcielago (LP640) Roadster purrs in at $455K, with custom-made everything and the world’s most perfect handling. Any ostentatious, in-your-face color is recommended for this see-and-be-seen-in vehicle— purple, lime green, orange with green interior and orange stitching— you’re not buying this car to be sedate. Ferragamo leather seats (the same used in the Italian Parliament) make you want to order the matching luggage. Try hard not to zoom down I-83 at 217 mph.

The Alternative: A pre-owned 2006 Murcielago for $440K, or a pre-owned 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo, for $257K.

Get It: Maserati of Baltimore, 1628 York Road, Timonium, 410-321-8071; playingintraffic.wordpress.com

The yacht

The Hatteras 105 Motoryacht costs just a smidge over $10.5 million and features: twin 2400 hp MTU diesels; 5,000-gallon fuel capacity; displacement weight of over 275,000 pounds; $200K navigational system; sunken wet bar; full-beam master stateroom with an oversized king bed and his/her bathrooms (and a connected office); whirlpool tub; four staterooms; and two crew staterooms (with separate eat-in galley). Hello, Waterworld.

The Alternative: A dealer demo yacht is the ticket. Example: a 47-foot Grand Banks that normally lists for $1.3 million has been reduced to $999K. Or splurge on a day trip on a sportfishing yacht— generally between $1,500 to $2,000.

Get It: Jarrett Bay Yacht Sales, 2736 Lighthouse Point East, Baltimore, 410-213-0051; http://www.jarrettbayyachtsales.com

The fur

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. spells a $150K natural Russian Sable full-length fur coat with a jacquard silk lining, as in the same coat that Aretha Franklin so famously sports. “Natural Russian Sable” defines the word luxury, with its chestnut brown color and silvery highlights throughout. The coat is the warmest, most lightweight you’ll ever put on. Fittings take up to two months in high season. The first place you’ll wear it? Coming out of the dressing room closet of your house with the mirror in front of you. Need we say more?

The Alternative: On the less expensive end, $1,500 will buy a beautiful fur-trimmed (fox, beaver or rex) nylon jacket made in Milan.

Get It: Mano Swartz Furs, 10801 Falls Road, Lutherville, 410-825-9000; http://www.manoswartz.com

The jet

At $49.3 million for just the jet itself, no maintenance included, the Bombardier Global Express XRS has everything and then some, including a Rockwell Collins cabin electronic system with environmental controls; a global office with high-speed connectivity (e-mail, Internet access); a wireless LAN server/printer/fax/scanner; a telephone (ground based and satellite); an on-demand information package (news, weather, sports); and a Standard Bombardier Enhanced Vision System that reportedly gives a more perfect visual than what you can see out the window with your own eyes.

The Alternative: If it’s good enough for Warren Buffett, who serves on the board of directors, it’s good enough for you— Net Jets. Buy into a fractional ownership (starting at $425K) for a private business jet (netjets.com).

Get It: 900 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, 410-573-1515; http://www.avprojets.com

The spa

About Faces Day Spa & Salon offers a “call-in to ask” exclusive Ultimate Luxury package, which indulges with $955 of you’re-worth-it treatments. Start with an aromatic hydrotherapy bath, followed by the Lomi Lomi Polynesian Massage and a Green Coffee Body Wrap. Then a Cell cosmetic facial treatment, a manicure and pedicure with paraffin added, a multi-level highlights and design cut for your hair, lash extensions, a makeup lesson (where you can help mix your own cosmetics with Giella products) and a complimentary lunch with a bottle of champagne tops it all off for a new you.

The Alternative: Go for the Grand Escape ($530), which (minus the hair work, lash extensions, makeup and lunch) makes a grand nod to the Ultimate Luxury package.

Get It: About Faces Day Spa & Salon, 1501 S. Clinton St., Suite 300, Canton, 410-657-0099; http://www.aboutfacesdayspa.com

The art

$5.5 million will buy a signed and dated Claude Monet oil painting, “À Grainval près de Fecamp,” recently shown in the Sotheby’s catalog. Renaissance Fine Arts also sells works by Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Pissarro, Hockney, Degas, Matisse and other classic painters; and they can build a custom, hand-carved, 23 karat, gold leaf frame, for $25,000 (they’re one of the top five frame makers in the world— right here in Charm City).

The Alternative: Alice Pritchard, like Monet, paints local landscapes of the time, impressionistic but in a slightly more contemporary style. $750 and up.

Recommended: a reproduction frame for a few hundred dollars.

Get It: Renaissance Fine Arts, 1809 Reisters-town Road, Pikesville, 410-484-8900

The bag

Michelle Pfeiffer, Diane Lane, Faith Hill and Portia de Rossi are just a few of the celebrities who’ve plunked down $18K for spring’s
trendiest arm fashion— the Lambertson Truex “Princess” Gallo Hobo in a soft-glazed crocodile. The hottest color is the not-for-the-shy coral.

The Alternative: The Lambertson Truex Riviera Genevieve smooth calfskin tote with silvertone hardware and double shoulder straps, $1,500.

Get It: Handbags in the City, 840 Aliceanna St., 410-528-1443; http://www.handbagsinthecity.com

The skybox

The top-of-the-line skybox at M&T Bank Stadium comes in a five-to-seven year lease starting at $300K, giving access to the best 20 seats in the house in your own private living room, with 14 covered seats right outside, and up to 10 extra passes. Multiple plasma TVs are in each suite, with plenty of leather loungers spread about, and an open bar. Your own personal attendant is on hand, of course.

The Alternative: $110K gets a smaller, more bare-bones version, but you’ll be paying too much attention to the Ravens to miss the extras.

Get It: M&T Bank Stadium, 1101 Russell St., Baltimore, 410-547-8100

The penthouse

A $4.5 million, 5,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-story, all-glass panoramic Silo Point penthouse allows you to watch the sun rise and set from the same seat anywhere in this opulent home. Also comes with access to the exclusive STYLE Sky lounge; a 24-hour wellness center; a 24-hour concierge with AMX monitors in units to order room service and dry cleaning pickup, etc.

The Alternative: $264K for a one-bedroom, with 1,125 square feet, a water view and access to the same amenities as the penthouse, but without the million-dollar price.

Get It: Silo Point, 1700 Beason St., Locust Point, 410-539-SILO; http://www.silopoint.com

The sound system

If the $168K McIntosh high-performance audio reference system were a car, it would be an Enzo Ferrari. A CD player, an amplifier and two speakers might sound simple enough, but the cost and quality is in the experience. The appearance is Ferrari sleek— face plates with back-lit crystal glass, and a piano-black finish on the 7-foot-tall speakers (pumping out 2,000 amplified watts, each)— adds to the appeal.

The Alternative: An $18K McIntosh with an integrated amp, a CD player and set of floor standing speakers. Why? It’s still a McIntosh, baby!

Get It: Gramophone, 4 W. Aylesbury Road, Timonium, 410-308-1650; http://www.gramophone.com

“When the boys were young, we used the stone wall as a pony jump,” says Robin Breitenecker. When she, her husband, Rudy, and their three sons moved to 50-acre Broadacre Farm in 1969, she says, “The bones were here, but the farm was in a state of neglect.” Old peonies and a few roses (including an indomitable ‘Dr. Van Fleet’), larkspur and iris grew among vines and weeds by the wall a former owner had built as a backdrop to a perennial border.

In 1980, when the gardening bug bit, Breitenecker cleared the vines and weeds, planted daylilies and astilbes and accepted gift plants from friends and neighbors, including the legendary gardener Ella Calhoun. She became expert at spotting attractive plants along streambeds, in her own fields and at any plant stand from Vermont to North Carolina, where her sons went to college.

Almost 30 years later, a 120-foot-long, 12-foot-deep border flanks both sides of the wall with small trees, shrubbery, perennials, annuals, wildflowers and some original plantings. “I add 300 to 800 bulbs each season,” says Breitenecker, another indication of how perennial is her passion for planting. Gardens now ring the 1900 white clapboard farmhouse, guesthouse, garden shed, barn, tenant house and even the fences.

“I love color,” she adds. She no longer allows ponies in adjoining pastures to jump the stone wall, instead planning and planting bright tapestries filled with varied textures and plant structure. So successful is Breitenecker’s work of art that Broadacre, already on the Ladew Topiary Gardens spring tour, is on this year’s Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage.

CONCEPT:

“Something that does not look contrived. It takes a lot of housekeeping. It tends to get a little wild. I’m trying to keep it a bit tidier,” says Breitenecker. “I’ve given up on delphiniums, lupines and daisies. We’re in the lime belt.” But she couldn’t resist an acid-loving, pink azalea on a construction site dump. “I guess I have a greedy bent,” she says with a laugh. In inclusive combinations she mixes hollies, boxwoods, peonies, a few roses, dahlias, Japanese maples with wild asters, stands of pink and blue larksprur, cleome and phlox, native blue salvia, cosmos, wild evening primrose, annual plantings of zinnia and necotiana. Breitenecker’s environmentally conscious approach brings many wildflowers and natives, and in summer she waters only newly planted trees and bushes, not the perennials. “They curl into themselves like plants in the woods,” she says. “Then they grow like mad with plenty of rain.”

biggest challenge:

Keeping it orderly. “Hard to do when there’s always a good crop of larkspur, buttercups, dame’s rocket and forget-me-nots spreading through the gardens which grow bigger and bigger.” Breitenecker once used horse manure as fertilizer but now sticks to desiccated cow manure. “Fewer weeds,” she says.

biggest satisfaction:

“I like to look at the garden and walk around. I have a thing about digging in the soil… My hands and fingernails recover in winter… But I enjoy bringing order, weeding and then looking at it afterward.”
garden time: At season’s height, she spends two to three hours a day.

garden as therapy: “I find it soothing and calming. I don’t take the phone with me in the gardens. Constant interruption is not very healthy.”

tips:

• 1) Look for drought-resistant perennials and shrubs.
• 2) Feed the birds. (We have bluebird houses.) Encourage ladybugs and praying mantises. Don’t kill too many bugs.
• 3) We have bats in the barn for natural mosquito control, and I’m thinking about installing bat houses. I’m looking for someone to install beehives.
• 4) Mulch, mulch, mulch. I use double shredded hardwood mulch, but I’m about to try some compost mulch.
• 5) No pesticides on the garden beds. I use desiccated cow manure, Holly Tone for the acid-lovers in the spring.
• 6) Divide perennials. It’s good for the garden and good for giving to friends and neighbors.

The Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage features Western Run gardens on Sunday, May 17. For tickets: mhgp.org or 410-821-6933.

Now that Savvy has fully embraced recycled chic (she traces her activist roots less to Al Gore’s inconvenient truth and more to the Anya Hindmarch “I’m not a plastic bag” tote), she finds shops like the newly relocated La Terra much more darling. Next door to the always chic Ruth Shaw in Cross Keys, duck in for practical purchases like Natural Life towels, pillows and lunch bags, the cheerful Blue Q reusable shoppers, Living Green room atomizers and Voluspa candles. What’s also fun? The punky, skull-laden Martha Rotten lead-free tableware and charming Hamart matchboxes with their ornithological prints. Don’t miss: Speaking of ornithology (that’s the study of birds, tweethearts), the wooden birdhouses are almost too fabulous to leave outside for our feathered friends, so get one for you, one for them. Village of Cross Keys, 5100 Falls Road, 410-824-4402

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon coconut extract
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon buttermilk

In the medium bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter, cream cheese, and coconut extract on medium speed until well blended. Add powdered sugar and buttermilk and beat on high speed until thoroughly blended and very smooth. Serves 8 to 10.

That’s the inscription on a handmade Christmas card that has pride of place among hundreds of cards, posters, snippets of paper and framed photographs that line the walls of Gerold & Vincent Graphic Design studio. Sisters Mary Gerold Mobley and Marie Vincent Brothers. Or, to those who know them, G&V.

These two School Sisters of Notre Dame have been a creative force at the College of Notre Dame for 25 years, first as art teachers in the education department, and now as in-house graphic designers. That favored Christmas card was created by celebrated artist and type designer Edward Benguiat, with whom they once studied. They giggle when they point it out— they’re used to being called things like “swingingest.” With their sleek silver hair, baubly jewelry and chic outfits, they’re hardly the nuns of Catholic grade school lore, though they’ve been members of their religious order for 50 years. Don’t ask how old they are, though. Their smiles turn shy and their enthusiasm dims. “It’s just a little quirk we have,” they say.

The sisters first met in 1964 while pursuing graduate studies in English and art at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Later, while both were teaching at a school for gifted and talented youth in St. Louis, they took a silkscreening class that they say changed their lives and made them see art in a new way.

The class was taught by Corita Kent, whose artwork and anti-war activism landed her on a Newsweek cover in 1967— and also landed her in trouble with the Catholic Church (she was a nun at the time). Her colorful rainbow swash design for the “Love” postage stamp in 1985 became a best seller. Hanging in G&V’s studio, which is located in the basement of Meletia Hall on campus, are several Kent silkscreens, including one quoting an e.e. cummings poem, “Damn Everything but the Circus.” “She inspired us,” says Sister Gerold. “She was a wild artist.”

Sister Gerold and Sister Vincent came to the college in 1983 and taught art education to budding elementary school teachers. In 2001, they gave up teaching, but they’ve left deep impressions on their former students. “They are the most amazing and fun-loving people I’ve ever met,” says Anne Walker, who studied with G&V from 1983 to 1988. Walker is now chair of the Art Department at Notre Dame Preparatory School. Another former student is Amy Fister, now an accomplished designer and founder of Fister Lauberth, Inc. in St. Louis. “It’s been 31 years since my last formal class with them,” says Fister, “and I can find a way to trace some aspect of everything I do and who I am back to what I learned from them. They taught me to see.”

Sister Gerold is the more talkative of the two, words rushing out and tumbling over each other. She often finishes the sentences of Sister Vincent, who sits quietly, arms crossed, while Sister Gerold pops in and out of her chair, pointing out prints, retrieving photo albums and beads and cards. Two large iMacs sit on desks to one side of their studio, while shelves and tables throughout the room hold hand-carved fonts, rubber stamps, ink pads, cloth, books and paper.

Sister Gerold and Sister Vincent believe everyone can “see” in an artistic sense and they regard their work as a mission. “Art is so important,” says Sister Gerold. “To look at things we love, to be stimulated by beautiful things. They encourage us. They lift us up.” They’re saddened by the state of art education in the world at large. “I don’t think art is being taught as much as it should be,” they say. “We’re lost in sports, in politics.”

These days, G&V focus their artistic energy on creating greeting cards, most of which sell for 50 cents— “We’re not in this to make money,” they laugh— otherwise, all their work is for the college. The cards combine quotations from literature with G&V designs: hand-stamped lettering by Sister Vincent, photography by Sister Gerold. You can’t find them at your local stationery store. You have to go straight to the source, to the basement of Theresa Hall on the North Charles Street campus. Go in the morning, and you’re likely to find them. But after 1 p.m., they head out to design at home, to pick up inspiration at Michaels (the arts and crafts store) or, sometimes, to work as extras in a movie being filmed in Baltimore. They already have “Enemy of the State,” “Random Hearts,” “Liberty Heights,” “Ladder 49” and “Contact” under their belts.

“Are you really nuns?” actor Will Smith once asked them. “Yes,” Sister Gerold replied, “but we like to have fun.”

After a three-year run, Brasserie Tatin has served its last meal. The French restaurant closed at the end of 2008; an Italian eatery, La Famiglia, is expected to replace it.

At Cross Keys, the new Village Square Café has recently opened, serving breakfast and lunch. (66 Village Square, 410-433-2233)

In Columbia, Jesse Wong’s Hong Kong has closed its doors.

The Dogwood Café has taken over the restaurant space in the Woman’s Industrial Exchange in Mount Vernon. The carryout offers sandwiches, soups and salads, as well as a range of cakes, pies, tarts and cookies. (333 N. Charles St.)

Canton Square’s Daily Grind has morphed into Firehouse Coffee Co. (1030 S. Linwood Ave., 410-522-5046)

Serves 4
4 chicken thighs trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 pound fresh chorizo
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and chopped finely
1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
2 stalks celery, washed and cut into small dice
½ cup white wine
2 dozen scrubbed little neck clams
1 quart clam broth
1 cup cooked cannelloni beans
½ cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Fire up the grill or use a grill plate on the stove. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place them skin-side down on a heated grill. Sear until the skin is marked, and turn the thighs over to mark the other side. Place in a preheated 325-degree oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place chorizo on the grill and cook through, turning the sausage every 5 minutes. While the sausage and chicken are cooking, heat the olive oil over a medium flame in a deep pan. Sauté the garlic, onion, and celery until aromas are released. Add white wine and clams. Cover the pot and steam the clams open. Add the clam broth and sliced cooked chorizo (cut into ¼ inch slices) and beans. Gently heat all ingredients without boiling. Divide the broth, beans, clams, and chorizo amongst 4 deep bowls. Top with grilled chicken and garnish with chopped parsley.

I hear America singing. The songs are “Nobody Knows The Troubles I’ve Seen,” “It’s Only Money” and sometimes, “Hard Times Come Again No More.”
America is not yet ready for “Happy Days Are Here Again” or “Cheer Up! Good Times Are Comin’” or “We’re In The Money” because no one believes that happy days are here again or that good times are coming. And most Americans are not in the money, either.

But Americans are enterprising souls and I fully expect that someone will cover all those old Depression songs like “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime” or “Long As You’ve Got Your Health” or “If I Ever Get a Job Again.” They’re timeless, if you think about it. And timely, too.

When the stock market rollercoastered from a high of 14,164 to a low of 7,449 in roughly a year’s time, I was not alarmed. What, me worry?

The 778-point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average on September 29, 2008 put many on their knees, but not me. The worst single-day point drop in the history of investment in recorded time! A $1.4 trillion dollar loss! Even when Lehman Brothers, the 158-year-old investment giant, collapsed, and friends were putting everything in the mattress, I was calm.

When Linens-N-Things went bye-bye, I thought, “What’s the big deal?” Linens I can get elsewhere. Ditto, things. Office Depot was next. Then Sharper Image. Not a problem. My image is sharp enough.

Then Legg Mason’s Svengali Bill Miller— the man who tamed the S&P— lost his magic touch and it looked like his next stop might be selling the ShamWow on cable TV. “It’s like a chamois, a towel, a sponge. Works wet or dry. It takes up cola, wine and pet stains. You’ll say wow every time!”

Next up, the Big Three auto giants panhandling on Capitol Hill. Even that did not bother me.

But I have to admit I was a bit startled late last year when I got a letter from the guy who used to clean my gutters. He was writing with an investment opportunity of a lifetime. He was writing because he felt “compelled to share a tremendously valuable discovery.” He’d found something bigger than Microsoft. And he had not forgotten me! The guy who used to clean my gutters was now Warren Buffet! That’s when I got scared. That’s when I knew the end was near. I fully expected to see the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse galloping down Club Road.

Truth be told, this guy was a phlegmatic gutterista. His staff of experts was hard to round up. I’m not fussy about who cleans my gutters. Normally, the first aerialist to get here when they need cleaning who can climb the ladder to the third floor gets the job. But the guy who used to clean my gutters once forgot my gutters and we had a freak ice storm and a gutter fell off my house and cost a lot of money to replace. That’s when he became “the guy who used to clean my gutters.”

Gutters are like the economy. You go along day after day and only notice when they back up in a storm. Or peel off the side of the house and cold-cock the UPS man. One day the gutters look fine. Two weeks later they’re sagging. We take them for granted. Like the economy. We sort of think someone else is watching the gutters. But there is no Securities and Exchange Commission for gutters. You are on your own.

And then came the gutter man’s letter inviting me to share in the investment opportunity of a lifetime. He didn’t explain what the opportunity was. Perhaps it was alchemy— pig iron into gold. That would set the commodities market on edge. Perhaps he’d transformed tap water into Chateauneuf-du-Pape? Perhaps he’d found the elixir of life or the seven cities of Cibola? He did hint that his invitation was akin to Bill Gates coming to see me before Microsoft was launched and asking me to invest in his idea of putting PCs in every household.
Bill Gates! Microsoft! PCs in every household! We’re in the money! Happy Days are here again. “You’ll say wow every time!”

Alas, I did not jump at the gutter man’s offer. Timing is everything and this one-in-a-million chance of a lifetime arrived when most Americans were looking for a-chance-of-a-lifeline. And it was just too vague for me. I know the doormen on The Block used to say, “you gotta pay to see the girls dance.” But this was not a time when I needed more risk in my life. And I’ve seen the girls dance. I took a pass. Let others become fabulously wealthy, thank you.

But I liked the guy’s style. I like a man of vision, a man willing to take risks. The world was falling apart but this guy was thinking big, recalling Oscar Wilde, who once mused: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

What a difference a year makes. When we began planning for this issue— our first-ever Money Issue— it was all about luxury. And fulfillment. The Good Life and all its accoutrements.
 
A year down the pike, it’s also about limitations. And making do with less. And the hard reality of a deflated housing market, failing banks and corporations, and a decimated stock market worth about 40 percent less than at this time in 2008.
 
And so we set out to re-make this issue to reflect some of those new realities. Writer Kathy Hudson’s piece was inspired by a lecture she attended last spring by Peter A. White, a consultant to U.S. Trust, Bank of America, whose talk focused on the effects of affluence on families and on children of wealth, in particular. Kathy persuaded six local families to (anonymously) open up about how their wealth has affected them, and how they have tried to raise their children to be productive, responsible and community-oriented— which is to say, to avoid the classic pitfalls of “affluenza.”
 
Senior editor Laura Wexler does double duty in this issue, exploring the increasingly popular trend of clothing and accessory swapping parties and examining the etiquette of check-splitting in restaurants. She even conducted her own accessory swap in order to write about it firsthand, and gained three necklaces, a bracelet and a scarf in the process. Then it was on to investigating the sometimes-delicate dance done at the end of a meal when a group gets together at a restaurant. With some folks’ disposable income a little leaner these days, the prospect of divvying up the check can present some headaches (or at least a little heartburn).
 
But it’s not all doom and gloom. We’ve also included some lighter takes on the money theme, such as our Top Ten list of local luxury items, man-on-the-street interviews about what it takes to be “rich” in Baltimore and a fun look at the cost of 10 iconic Baltimore items, 20 years ago vs. today (hint: not everything has gone up!).
 
Brian Michael Lawrence
editor-in-chief
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
http://www.baltimorestyle.com

Blue Grotto is a pleasant alternative to some of the more “college-friendly” bars in Towson. A stylish and sleek bar, lounge and dining room set the stage for a menu of Greek specialties (kabobs and gyros) as well as good old American bar food (burgers and wings) served late-night. There’s a hardwood dance floor, too, which tends to pack up on the weekends. 7 W. Chesapeake Ave., Towson, 410-337-3780

The way Brendan Hartranft tells it, the two guys had been lifelong Bud drinkers, but they were curious about the new tavern on the corner of Memphis Street and East Cumberland in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood (which happened to be Hartranft’s Memphis Taproom). So they stopped in— and asked for a Bud. But there was no Bud, Hartranft tells me, as we sip espresso in a coffee shop near his newest tavern, Local 44. “No Bud?” they repeated. Hartranft offered to tell them about the rest of the beer selections listed on the blackboard behind the bar, including beer both from local Philadelphia breweries and from as far away as Belgium. “No way, man,” said one of them, astonished. “This is, like, beer school.” Nevertheless, they ended up with a bottle of Hartranft’s favorite beer, Trappist-made Orval, and to his delight, they loved it. “‘It’s kinda like champagne,’” Hartranft reports one of them as saying. Now the two, plus a third buddy, are regulars of the cheerily retro Taproom.

Hartranft’s story is just the kind that folks involved with the Philadelphia beer scene love to tell because it encompasses so much of what makes the city unique in the world of beer: the importance of the local tavern (or “corner tappy,” as it’s sometimes referred to) and the rise of new establishments in many neighborhoods with a wide variety of local and international brews available. But more than anything, it points to the fact that in addition to the Liberty Bell, Pat’s cheesesteaks (or Geno’s, if you insist), a thriving arts scene, and yes, the 2008 world champion Phillies, Philadelphia is also most definitely a beer town.

Last year, the city sponsored its first Philly Beer Week, a seven-day extravaganza of beer tastings hosted by the city’s taverns and breweries. In hopes of catching up (and preparing for this year’s Beer Week festivities, taking place March 6 through 15), I treated myself to three days devoted entirely to drinking beer and becoming better acquainted with the movers and shakers of the beer scene. In other words, a pub crawl to end all pub crawls.

I begin with smoked salmon and a stout at the sleekly contemporary Triumph Brewing Co. on bustling Chestnut Street with beer writer Don Russell, a veteran newspaperman whose “Joe Sixpack” column has run in the Philadelphia Daily News for the last 12 years. Russell knows beer, having traveled the streets of Philadelphia (and the world) researching his books, “Joe Sixpack’s Philly Beer Guide” and “Christmas Beer” (both published in 2008), and I’m counting on him to fill me in on Philly beer history and places to visit.

What makes Philly different from other beer-centric cities, Russell says, as he tucks into a Triumph IPA and a grilled cheese, is the city’s willingness to drink beer from all over. Some cities are more parochial and drink only their own brews (e.g., Portland, Ore.), but “in Philly,” he says with a smile, “we drink theirs plus ours. We joke about it, but Philly drinks it all.”

And there’s a lot to drink. Aside from a bevy of brewpubs (taverns that serve beer made on premises) like Triumph, Dock Street Brewing, Nodding Head and General Lafayette Inn and Brewery in suburban Lafayette Hill, Philadelphia also boasts several breweries (Philadelphia Brewing Co., Yard’s, Victory Brewing in Downingtown) and a plethora of taverns that specialize in high-quality beers. Some, like Standard Tap, serve only locally made beer. Others, like Monk’s Cafe, have a stupefying selection of Belgian ales.

“The first thing William Penn did was to build a brewery,” Russell points out with a laugh. “And the first true porter was brewed here, made by Robert Hare before the Revolution. [George] Washington himself advocated buying Philadelphia Porter.” Like many cities with homegrown breweries (Baltimore, for example), local production fell off after World War II when Midwestern breweries like Anheuser-Busch built vast operations and started distributing beer nationally. With craft brewing in full swing since the ‘90s, it was around 2004 that Russell noticed that every new business that opened, “opened with local taps. It was astonishing,” he says. “You couldn’t say that eight or nine years ago.”

Next, I head to one of my favorite spots in Philadelphia, Monk’s Cafe, whose owner, Tom Peters, was the first in Philadelphia to champion Belgian ales, the result of a beer epiphany in Brussels in 1984 that was meant to be a one-night stopover. (It’s an undocumented rumor that Philadelphia sells more Belgian beer than anywhere outside of Belgium).

“One night led to three,” Peters says wryly, and when he returned to Philly, he called a local distributor and asked him to bring in a case of Chimay. “There’s no risk,” Peters told the distributor. He said that if they didn’t sell he’d buy them himself. But there was no need. “I sold them all in one shift,” he says.

Peters opened Monk’s in 1997, when the only other bar in Philly that served Belgians was Brigid’s, another of Philadelphia’s bar/restaurant treasures with its homey menu and its gravity-powered “down draft” tap dedicated to Yard’s beer. Today Peters has holdings in a handful of Philadelphia taverns, including the Belgian Café and Nodding Head Brewery (which makes a deliciously tart Berliner Weisse in the summer). He’s held beer classes for restaurateurs and the general public and, along with Don Russell, is one of the architects of Beer Week. “This is the most beer savvy town,” he says, while we toast with a glass of the extremely rare Isabella Proximus. “People are adventurous. They’re willing to try anything.”

After talking with these two experts, I’m ready to embark on my own adventures. Prohibition Tap Room offers me deep fried string beans and Stoudt’s Oktoberfest in a newly renovated but still slightly old-fashioned space just south of Spring Garden. With its neon “beer” sign and damask wallpaper, it’s the kind of place you expected your just-off-the-boat uncles would visit in their flat caps, though the bar’s jukebox is unquestionably contemporary.

Standard Tap in North Liberties serves only local brews in its deep red-walled space, and I watch jean-clad hipster couples with children, as well as an Episcopal priest with his formally dressed family, parade through the bar to the dining room while I devour a brunch of smoked fish and a Troeg’s Porter. I leave Standard Tap’s dark and cozy space for a trip across town to Dock Street Brewing, all light and industrial, with a huge woodpile for the brewery’s wood burning oven stacked in the hallway. Its pilsner makes me swoon with its balanced crispness— utterly refreshing, even on a cool day.

The next evening I meet friends for dinner at the General Lafayette Inn and Brewery in Lafayette Hill, where we sample Sunset Red Ale and Abbey Brune, a heady Dubbel, along with some very tasty fish and chips, in a nook of a booth between the beamed low-ceiling bar and the colonial dining room, which is warmed by a giant fireplace. They convince me to stop with them at Earth Bread + Brewery in downtown Mount Airy, where we try its Terra Fume, a smoked wheat beer that’s delightfully fragrant, at its upstairs bar while a jazz combo plays downstairs to the folks enjoying the restaurant’s signature flatbreads.

I devote my last day in Philly to visiting two of its breweries. Yard’s, brewer of the Extra Special Amber and other English-style beers, has a spanking new facility just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Philadelphia Brewing Co., one of Philadelphia’s newest, is housed in an 1885 building that’s been home to several breweries.

“Selling beer in neighborhoods here is my wildest dream,” owner Chris Morris tells me as we sip Kenzinger, the beer named after Kensington, the neighborhood in which the brewery is located, while the two brewery “guard cats” wander through the airy expanse. He’s also enthusiastic that taverns, like Hartranft’s Memphis Taproom and the bar/concert venue Johnny Brenda’s, have made strides into neighborhoods that traditionally might not have supported craft beer. “It’s changed a lot of neighborhoods for the better,” he says, “and there’s still no lack of pioneers.”

Eager to experience my own beer epiphany, I drive the few blocks from Philadelphia Brewing Co. to Hartranft’s Memphis Taproom. Settled in at a high table, I’m charmed by the squash-colored walls, the black-and-white floors, the warm hum of contented voices. As a plate of meat pasties and a Monk’s Sour Flemish Ale is set before me, I make note of all the places I have yet to visit, and raise a toast to the bounty of the City of Brotherly Love and Beer. Cheers.

SAMPLE FOR YOURSELF If you want to taste what the Philadelphia beer community (and the rest of the beer world) has to offer, there’s no better way to become immersed in the scene than the second annual Philly Beer Week, March 6-15, 2009. Activities include meet and greets with brewers from 13 local breweries and around the world, pub crawls, food and beer pairings, historic tours, beer trivia contests, home-brewing demos, even a chance to attend Fermentation School. And don’t miss Zythos America, the festival devoted to Belgian Beer and culture, held at the end of Beer Week at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. For more information, reservations and tickets for individual events go to phillybeerweek.org.

Breweries:

Memphis Taproom
2331 E. Cumberland St. 
Philadelphia, PA 19125
215-425-4460
memphistaproom.com
 
Local 44
4333 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-222-2337
local44beerbar.com
 
Triumph Brewing Company
117 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-625-0855
triumphbrewing.com
 
Dock Street Brewing Co
701 S. 50th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19143
215-726-2337
dockstreetbeer.com
 
Nodding Head
1516 Sansom St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-569-9525
noddinghead.com
 
General Lafayette Inn and Brewery
646 Germantown Pike
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444  
610-941-0600
generallafayetteinn.com
 
Monk’s Café
264 S 16th St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-545-7005
monkscafe.com
 
Prohibition Taproom
501 N. 13th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19123
215-238-1818
theprohibitiontaproom.com

Yards Brewing Co
901 North Delaware Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19123
215-634-2600
yardsbrewing.com

Part One: Exclusive investment advice from financial guru, Jonathan Murray, including the top five things to look for in a broker. (Click here to read Part One with Jonathan Murray.)

Jonathan Murray and his twin brother, David, may be the most personable, invigorating investment gurus in America, appearing on the “Today” show and MSNBC with their financial advice. And their popular book, “Two for the Money: Financial Success for the Sandwich Generation” (Da Capo Press), is now out in paperback.
 
When Style asked Baltimorean Jonathan (David lives in Michigan) how to weather these harsh economic times, he offered a meaty answer: “More than ever, it’s important to step back and try to ignore the day-to-day volatility of the market and remember why it is that you’re investing. If you’re not going to touch your money until you’re 60 to 65 years old and you’re still in the accumulation part of your life, then why would you want your money to be anything other than low today? Where you want investments to be high is the day you retire,” he says. “For the older investor, we would recommend more bonds, CDs, municipals— the biggest risk is that their retirement nest egg gets cut in half. So be conservative.”
 
Murraynever planned to get into the money business— he was the assistant dean of admissions at Dickinson College for several years. In his spare time, he and his brother took their acoustic act to the local pubs (David played the guitar, and Jonathan played the piano and sang lead). We asked Murray if he wore spandex pants during his band days in the ‘80s, to which he replied, “No. I rocked it out in a suit.”

Let’s say you’re talking to someone who’s 50 years old and only has a few bucks a month to invest, and for the most part, they’re not interested in investing. What do you tell them?
I’m going to say, get going now, it’s not too late. We’re all living so much longer now. It’s amazing how much your assets can grow in five years, 10 years, 15 years. The No. 1 thing to do is to get it started now and automate it. Before you even see that paycheck, before you pay your bills, you should have socked away at least 10 percent of that paycheck into your savings and investment account. And if someone comes to me and says, ‘Hey, I work at McDonalds by day, and by night I’m pulling a shift at Chick-fil-A, and I barely have enough money to put food on the table,’ I’m going to say, ‘I’m so sorry for your struggles. I’m so proud of how hard you’re working. Let me ask you one question. Do you think you could survive on 90 percent of what you made last year?’ Very few people will say no. Well, guess what? That’s the exact same thing as saving 10 percent. It’s just a question of perspective and commitment.

What’s one of your most exciting investment discoveries?
I love teaching kids about money. I think financial literacy is a huge thing for kids today— the power of compounding, the evil of credit card debt, etc., teaching them to invest in things they know. I started my boys off early. In fact, they were playing this thing called ‘Guitar Hero.’ I had no clue what it was, but they loved it. So I asked them to tell me about it. Then we researched the company that put it out. Then we bought stock in it, followed it, made a little chart, the thing tripled in value… they just sold half of their stock to buy a surfboard! That was a lesson that taught them the benefit of something they discovered, and a lesson about money. Most of my kids’ investments are in mutual funds. But it’s always nice to get them excited. Find out what they’re wearing, what products they’re using, what food they’re eating, what drinks they’re drinking, what games they’re playing, what sportswear they utilize. In most instances, those products are produced by companies that trade on the stock exchange.

Is it true that many female baby boomers need smart investment advice, fast?
Whenever we can, we try to help women who aren’t comfortable investing. Our book has chapters targeted to these women and the financial trifecta they face— preparing for retirement, taking care of aging parents, and paying for their kids’ education. Many of these women have a separate set of investment issues. Many widows, for example, had their husbands handling the investment. And I can’t tell you the number of divorced women I’ve met that haven’t a clue about their investment portfolios. It’s been really rewarding to take these women in a relatively short amount of time from being totally ignorant about investing, and converting them to stock junkies.

We hear so much today about how buying local is important for our economy. Can the same be said for investing?
We are blessed in Baltimore to have great businesses that make wonderful investments. In fact, if we wanted to, we could even start our own mutual fund and call it the Baltimore Fund. Companies like T.Rowe Price, McCormick, Legg Mason, Procter & Gamble, Black and Decker, Northrop Grumman— all have significant, thriving businesses here. So whether you’re looking for employment or investment opportunity, they’re in our own backyard. The job of investing is to make money, so you don’t want to handcuff yourself. I don’t think that folks should limit their search solely to Baltimore… that would be like going to Eddie’s and only shopping in one aisle. There are so many incredible opportunities around the world. However, to the extent that it helps you get comfortable with investing, local investing has its advantages— going to an annual shareholder meeting, reading the local press to see what’s truly happening to a local company, can be much more satisfying than reading annual reports.

Baltimoreans. They have their own way of doing things. Can the same be said for the way they invest?
Having spent the first part of my professional career in New York City with Kidder, Peabody & Co., I did have a New York perspective prior to coming to Baltimore. And I think that in the old days, Baltimoreans tended to do business with people that they went to elementary school with. When I first moved to Baltimore, I couldn’t believe how, when they asked you where you went to school, they meant high school, not college. As a result, with regard to money, nobody left Baltimore. They just stayed in Baltimore and only did business with people they’d known from the womb. That has changed dramatically. And even though people still love their hometown, and I do— it’s my hometown and I’ll stay here forever— when it comes to serious money management, the trend now is to have the best, most sophisticated advisers, regardless of where they’re located. Financially, Baltimore has become less provincial.

themurraytwins.com

As a candy holiday, Easter has tough competition. Christmas stockings bulge with chocolate Santas and candy canes, Valentine’s pastel hearts promise love and sugar, and Halloween offers just about any sweet imaginable. But I have a soft spot for Easter candy.

Maybe it’s because after 40 days of Lenten sacrifice and reflection (or the good intention to do both), sweet indulgence is all the more treasured; I am ready for a sugar high after a month of sobriety. But it also has to do with something more visceral. I’m a sucker for the gaudy, easily seduced by bunnies swathed in grass-green wrappers, eggs dressed in pink foil and neon yellow Peeps with their gritty sugar crunch.

I grew up with all of these confections at Easter, courtesy of the candy display at my dad’s Rosedale pharmacy. But like most Baltimore kids, the prize in my Easter basket was the navy blue and white box that held a Mary Sue Easter Egg (in chocolate or coconut butter cream but never, ever, fruit and nut).

In the weeks leading up to Easter, my sister and I would sing the Mary Sue jingle to each other or anyone who would listen. “Treat your Easter Bunny to something that’s sunny,” Kathleen would start. “Using real butter makes Mary Sue better, and you’ve never had it so rich,” I would admonish. We had no idea that the tune was a knockoff of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “I’m Called Little Buttercup” from “H.M.S. Pinafore” or that a football player named Johnny Unitas was the first to sing it in a television commercial three months before he became famous for playing in the Greatest Game. We didn’t know that the name “Mary Sue” came from the first names of the original owner’s daughters, who both became nuns, or that the company first made marmalade when it was founded in 1948. We didn’t even know that the eggs were made here in Baltimore.

But they were and still are, so on a whim I decide to call Bill Buppert, president of Ruxton Chocolates (the company that owns Mary Sue Candies, as well as Naron and Glauber’s), to ask for a tour. On a windy day in January, I arrive at the small brick building on Caton Avenue with “Mary Sue Candies” painted on its whitewashed side. I find the facility in full Easter egg production mode.

I immediately discover that the way candy is made at Mary Sue is as old-fashioned as the company’s Easter egg jingle. In the large central kitchen, lit as much by sun-filled windows as it is by artificial light, a 60-year-old metal contraption with arms like a spider’s is ready to pull and stretch the warm fondant bubbling several feet away in temperature-controlled kettles. Bags of coconut wait to be mixed into cooling mounds of fondant-based buttercream, and the air holds the warm fragrance of sugar tempered with an undertone of bitter chocolate. It smells wholesome and rapturous at the same time.

As we walk through the factory, Buppert and I pass trays of drying nougat eggs, which look oddly naked without their coating of caramel and pecans. We see stacks of Mary Sue’s current packaging, brightly decorated with pink bunnies and yellow flowers, and color-coded to ensure coconut eggs (denoted by boxes with green trim) aren’t mixed up with peanut butter eggs (which go in orange boxes). Incidentally, peanut butter eggs are the hardest to make, Buppert confides.
“What are they doing?” I ask, gesturing to two women wearing hairnets and gloves who are drawing their fingertips across freshly coated chocolate-covered coconut cream eggs that move toward them on a cooling belt. They’re making identification patterns, says Buppert, explaining that coconut eggs receive a three-finger swipe, but other varieties receive four- or five-finger patterns. “We try to touch every piece of candy,” he adds with modest pride.

In a small room just past the main kitchen, two women mix melted chocolate and pecans then scoop fingerfuls of the mixture into brown pleated paper candy wrappers to make pecan clusters for the assorted box chocolates Mary Sue produces. In another room, darker and chillier, more women pinch clumps of sticky nougat and, with a practiced motion, roll them into eggs before tossing them onto a scale to make sure they are within a tenth of an ounce of the mandated weight for an eight-ounce egg. Later, I watch as a human assembly line passes eggs down a line: one person dips the nougat in caramel, the next rolls it in pecans, and the third places it in a small cradled mold on another vintage machine. Although the company has plenty of male employees, women do most of the candy-handling, Buppert explains, because, of all reasons, they tend to have colder hands (though there are times when even those with the coolest palms must wash their hands with cold water to bring the temperature of the chocolate down).

Aside from a few new flavors (chocolate chip-studded Triple Chocolate Meltdown has replaced plain old chocolate buttercream) and some updated packaging, “not too much has changed,” admits Buppert. Granted, he has only been president of the company since 2001, when, at age 23, the challenge of running a candy company seemed more compelling to him than finishing an MBA program. But Buppert has managed to keep all of the company’s long-time employees (there’s very little turnover at Mary Sue) and expand the brand across the United States. He won’t say how many employees work for Mary Sue or how many eggs they produce. “Enough to pay the bills,” he allows with a grin. Baltimore holds onto its food traditions, and as long as there are folks who can sing the Mary Sue jingle, I reckon there will still be Mary Sue Easter Eggs.

Before I leave, Buppert gives me a tip. Take a pecan nougat egg, he advises, and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds so the filling warms and expands into a fluffy, exquisite marshmallow mess. “If there’s a God,” Buppert says, “he eats this because it’s incredible.” To which I can only reply, Amen.

Chocolate Coconut Cake

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Stiles Colwill, known for his impeccable design work and expert knowledge of antiques, can add another accolade to his resume—creator of the most fabulous new store in Baltimore. On an adjoining property to his family’s storied Halcyon Farms (and in a clear nod to London’s Charlotte Moss), Stiles and partner Jonathan Gargiulo have completely redone an 18th-century farmhouse and turned the whole structure into Halcyon House Antiques, a retail store filled with early 19th-century Baltimore furniture, John Robshaw bedding, Canton-esque Chinese exports, glorious gardening objects (the sunroom seems to draw its inspiration from Jonathan’s aunt, legendary designer Bunny Williams). Pieces from Stiles’ huge personal collection of 1920s and ‘30s Farmers Arms ware as well as 18th- and 19th-century Maryland silver are sold right alongside fun little things like Barbara Eigen ceramics, John Derian decoupage, Agraria soaps and candles, and even miniature chairs for children. For us, the question isn’t when can it all be delivered; it’s when can we move in? Don’t miss: The sheer experience of being in Halcyon House and the gorgeous horse country setting. 11219 Greenspring Ave., 410-828-8889

Serves 4
2 ounces vegetable oil          
1 tablespoon freshly chopped garlic          
2 shallots, thinly sliced  
2 red chilies, sliced into rings
1 2-inch knob of ginger
4 stalks lemon grass (white part only), thinly sliced into rings            
2 pounds cleaned black mussels                            
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup fresh Thai basil

Heat oil in a large wok, and stir fry the garlic and shallots for 1 minute. Add the chilies, ginger, and lemon grass, and stir fry 1 minute more. Add the mussels, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar, and cover the wok and cook for 2 minutes over high heat. Stir the mussels again, then replace the lid and cook the mussels for an additional 2 minutes. Depending on how hot your stove is, the mussels should be cooked and the shells open. Mix in the Thai basil and place mussels in a large bowl to serve.

Baltimore has always enjoyed a reputation for its very decent cost of living. For years, housing prices here were well below national averages. Ditto the cost of enjoying the things that make Charm City, well, charming. In honor of Style’s 20th anniversary, we decided to take a look back at the cost of 10 iconic Baltimore things to see how the last 20 years have treated them… and our wallets.

Occupying a commanding amount of space on the street level of the new Zenith building across from Camden Yards, Frank & Nic’s West End Grille has made an auspicious debut. The handsome new restaurant walks a successful line between a casual, grab-a-bite vibe and upscale dining. For those looking for a friendly, non-fussy, place to meet up with friends over beers and burgers for a game, there’s a comfortable bar area with mutliple flat-screen TVs (including two 10-foot screens for football games). For more formal dining, there are two rooms dedicated to a menu that includes classic American cuisine with Asian accents (seared sashimi, grilled steaks and chops, Southwest roasted chicken and pasta primavera). We particularly like the options for side dishes, which include red skin mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, sautéed organic mushrooms, sautéed Catalan spinach, mac and cheese, broccolini and Italian-style green beans. The interiors are done in rich, warm tones and feature high-style, mid-century accents to complement the crisp contemporary feel. There’s a decent wine list and 10 specialty cocktails that all go for $10. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., with a latenight menu served until 1:30 a.m. (511 W. Pratt St., 410-685-6800)

For one enchanted evening in December, Boordy Vineyards became a “speakeasy” to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the ratification of the 21st Amendment (which ended Prohibition). The setting for the party was the vineyard’s 1830s stone bank barn in Hydes, set amid Boordy’s lush 230 acres.
 
The barn, embellished with “bootleg” stashes of wine and old oak barrels, quickly filled with partygoers dressed in their best vintage attire. Ladies in flapper headbands and pearls, and gentlemen in gangster hats, honored Prohibition’s demise with an evening of wine tasting and jazz. Eighteen wines, including the estate-grown Landmark Chardonnay, Riesling and the evening’s favorite, Petit Cabernet, were sampled by the guests.
 
Attendees were treated to a retro-style menu that included Waldorf salad, chicken rosé, potatoes Lyonaisse and green beans au gratin. The New Hots Jazz Band’s sounds filled the air with classic backgrounds for the Foxtrot, Charleston, Lindy Hop and Jive. Later in the evening, guests were awarded prizes for costumes, and a staged “raid” hauled off one lucky couple to the slammer, otherwise known as the historic bed and breakfast, Slades Inn.
 
Guests raised a glass of one of Boordy’s award-winning reds to toast the end of Prohibition as the memorable three-hour celebration drew to a close.

boordy.com

Serves 6
1 smoked ham hock
1 quart chicken stock
1 carrot, peeled, cut into chunks
2 stocks celery, cut into chunks
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into chunks
5 sprigs fresh thyme
5 sprigs parsley
1 dried bay leaf
1 clove
4 peeled garlic cloves
10 peppercorns lightly crushed
1 cup French lentils
1 tablespoon butter
2 ounces barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 large sea scallops
4 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place ham hock in a pot with stock and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and place in preheated 350-degree oven for 1 hour. After one hour, add to the pot clove, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, garlic cloves, and peppercorns. Cook for another hour then remove from oven. Remove hock from pot and set aside. Strain stock and return to the pot. Add lentils and cook covered, on medium heat, until tender. Strain the liquid from the lentils into a separate, clean bowl. Set the lentils
aside in a small pot with tablespoon of butter. Mix the barbecue sauce into the strained liquid and gently reduce it to the consistency of cream. Pick the meat from the hock and set aside in a bowl with a little lentil and barbecue sauce to be reheated.

Heat a sauté pan with vegetable oil until very hot. Season scallops with salt and pepper and place in pan without touching. Cook for 2 minutes on high heat without moving scallops. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and cook an additional 2 minutes while using a spoon to baste the top of the scallops with the butter, then remove the pan from the heat. To assemble, reheat the lentils and toss the hock meat until heated and glazed. Place the lentils in a warm, shallow bowl and top with the scallops, seared side up. Top the scallops with hock meat and spoon sauce around the lentils.

As a partner with Johnson Berman Architecture and Interior Design, architect Robert “Bob” Berman has designed countless homes. When he moved from his longtime condominium in Highfield House where he’s lived since 1968 to a larger apartment in the same building, he had the opportunity to become his own client for the first time. It was a unique chance to create a masterpiece from concept to completion.
“I’ve decorated apartments before, but this was completely from scratch,” he explains. “It was a very personal experience. It’s harder to design something for yourself, but it was a labor of love.”

Highfield House is a rare modern architectural gem in Baltimore City designed by renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. When Berman moved to the 1,200-square-foot apartment, it was a time capsule— the last updates were made in 1964. Despite the timeless quality of van der Rohe’s design, the home’s interior had not aged well. Berman undertook a massive renovation that took a year to complete. In the end, the floor plan went from two bedrooms to one and the space opened into a light, contemporary design.

Berman’s inspiration for the redesign came from van der Rohe himself. “This is a Mies van der Rohe building so I thought this was an opportunity to do something that was more reflective of what we think of when we see his architecture.” Specifically he looked to van der Rohe’s iconic glass home, the Farnsworth House in Plano, Ill. Completed in 1951, the Farnsworth House is considered a pivotal project in van der Rohe’s career, one that broke down the boundaries between structure and nature by creating a suspended volume of glass and steel in a natural landscape.

Unlike van der Rohe, Berman did not have the luxury of four glass walls. However, he redesigned the floor plan so that the circulation was directed toward the apartment’s most striking feature— its windows. Where previously each individual room had a window, the new design opens onto a full wall of glass that encompasses an expansive view of northern Baltimore. Other similarities can be seen between the two designs. Berman channeled van der Rohe by working with a limited color palette and minimal materials. And instead of relying on solid walls, these were removed and replaced with wooden, double-sided storage units that separate the open space yet seem to float as plains in the design.

Immediately there were challenges. The building is concrete construction, so relocating plumbing was next to impossible. To create recessed lighting, the ceiling was dropped in the kitchen and bathroom. To access the small powder room, Berman designed a right-angle bend door of stainless steel, which also acts as a focal point in the petite entry foyer.

“I really wanted a more minimal look without being stark,” he explains. Abolishing clutter and fussy design elements were key to the project. To maintain utter simplicity, he selected cork floors throughout the home (a “green” material that is also sealed to be practical for bathrooms and kitchens) and scattered wool rugs throughout. Walls are almost all white except for one Venetian plaster accent wall. Of the galley kitchen, Berman says, “I’m not a cook so it’s really more for show— I picked the cabinetry for aesthetics and the goal was to conceal as much as possible.”

Many of the furnishings are van der Rohe designs (such as the Barcelona Collection coffee table and the dining chairs), or designed by his contemporaries, such as the classic “egg chair” designed by Arne Jacobsen. These are offset by contemporary Italian pieces that include a long, low, black sofa and storage units.

“Mies van der Rohe made the statement that ‘less is more’ and I really wanted as much hidden as possible,” says Berman. “I’ve got a lot of books and things stored in these cabinets that in my previous apartment were on display. I wanted to limit the amount of items on display and change them when I felt the need.”

By displaying his art collection on stainless steel ledges, Berman gave himself the freedom to rotate and reorganize his works depending on his mood, and any extraneous pieces can be stashed in the walls of storage to minimize clutter.
Berman enjoys local artists and his collection includes work by Amanda Johnson (business partner Henry Johnson’s daughter), found-object sculptor Leonard Streckfus and Jacob Hirschey.

Berman’s design celebrates Highfield House’s distinction as one of only two Mies van der Rohe buildings in Baltimore, and exemplifies that architect’s legacy of livable, modern design.

Resources

• Architectural and Interior Design: Johnson/ Berman, Robert S. Berman, 410-752-2030
• Lighting Design: Tigue Lighting, Luke Tigue, 215-790-0230
• Contractor: Main Street Contractors, David Zimlin, 410-239-9852
• Cabinetry: M.S. Moeller, Cabinetry and Millwork, Mark Moeller, 410-875-6455
• Stainless Steel Kitchen Cabinets: Bulthaup Studio, Rachael Hoffman, 215-574-4990
• Custom Stainless Steel Door: Metal Specialties, Inc., Steve Prudhomme, 540-967-4836
• Cork Flooring: Greenspring Carpet Source, Nathan Schapiro, 410-561-9203
• Corian Counters: Counter Collective, Vincent Martinelli, 410-277-3500
• Painting: Final Touch Painting and Wallcovering, Jeff Flynn, 410-671-7611
• Venetian Plaster: Hayles and Howe, Inc., Mark Mordhorst, 410-462-0986

Serves 4-6
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Zest and juice of 3 limes
1 tablespoon tequila
8 sprigs coriander
2 dozen large oysters

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Crack the egg and carefully place it in the pot, adding the lime juice until the portion of the egg floating above the water shrinks to the size of a dime. Add the lime zest, tequila, and coriander to the liquid. Puree the mixture in a blender and strain into a shallow glass baking dish. Place the dish in the freezer and stir with a fork every 10 minutes until the liquid reaches a slushy, Italian ice consistency. Shuck and plate the oysters, and garnish each with a dollop of lime granite. Serve immediately.

Suburbanites in Howard County have a new restaurant and pub to enjoy, and this one isn’t part of a chain. Victoria Gastro Pub has become a popular spot for families and for those with a jones for imported brews. On the pub side, customers can choose from 24 beers on tap and 20 pages of imported bottle beers. The dining rooms have all been comfortably appointed in rich, deep hues, with sturdy wooden chairs, cozy upholstered banquettes and warm lighting. Standouts on the menu include cornmeal fried oysters with chipotle aioli, asparagus fries, lobster grilled cheese, “sloppy Joseph’s” (barbecued beef short ribs and cheddar) and chorizo meatloaf. Savor desserts such as the roasted pineapple upside-down cake and the Baugher’s Farm apple dumplings. The pub offers live music every Sunday night. Open seven days for lunch and dinner. 8201 Snowden River Parkway, Columbia, 410-750-1880

There’s a great episode of “Friends” in which the gang goes out for dinner at a fancy restaurant and Monica, Ross and Chandler— gainfully employed, all— order with abandon while Rachel, Phoebe and Joey who are, shall we say, underemployed, order far more modestly.

When the bill comes, Ross does the math then announces, “Everyone owes $28.” A second later, he realizes he forgot to include the tip and revises upward. “It’s $33.50 apiece.”

The figure stuns Rachel, Phoebe and Joey, who are still ravenous after consuming their meager vittles: a side salad, a cup of soup and a miniature pizza, respectively. Nonetheless, it seems as if they’re going to pay up and shut up, like the thousands before and after them… until Phoebe speaks out.

“No, not gonna happen,” she says.

Cue deer-in-headlights looks on Monica, Ross and Chandler’s faces, then a long, awkward silence. Finally Ross says, “OK, we’ll each just pay for what we had.” The rest of the evening and the next few days are rife with tension before everyone makes nice and lives happily ever after.

But in the real world, as opposed to TV land, such situations don’t always end so neatly. Amanda Krotki, a senior producer at baltimore.metromix.com, a guide to restaurants, bars and events in the city, recalls a similar experience when she was at The Ambassador one evening with a group of 10 or so people. “Some people were only drinking, some people were not drinking but were snacking and some people had full-on dinners,” she says. “Two people were drunk out of their minds and decided everyone should split the bill.” The tariff for each person? $50.

Though Krotki had only ordered an appetizer and didn’t have a drink, she was prepared to seethe silently while paying her share because she didn’t want to argue. “It’s completely socially un-acceptable to speak up,” she says. “It really is.” When one person in the group did exactly that, says Krotki, “it turned into a big, ugly scene. People were actually judging the person who spoke up instead of the two drunk people who wanted to split.”

In the end, each person paid for what he or she owed, but the bitterness remained. “I will never go out to eat with them again,” says Krotki. “They were just really rude and felt so entitled.” And though that was an extreme case, Krotki says group dining rarely works in her favor, at least in the financial sense. “I’m not a huge drinker and I don’t eat meat,” she says. “So a lot of times it does happen to me that I feel I’m being taken advantage of when we split the check evenly. The nights when I drop $50 on a $30 meal I go home really depressed.”

Like many people, Krotki is watching her budget closely these days, so she finds herself behaving strategically when it comes to group restaurant dinners. She turned down an invitation to Pazo recently because she knew it would be a split-check situation that would cost her $75. And, when she does accept invitations to go out with a group, her strategy is to order as much as everyone else, even if she wouldn’t do so if she were paying individually. “I’m not going to go order the steak because everyone else is,” she says. “But I definitely keep up with them in drinking because I feel like… if I’m going to be paying for it, I should enjoy it.”

According to the laws of behavioral economics, Krotki is acting the way most folks do. Back in 2002, three economists from Technion University in Israel did a study showing that people order more when they know the check is going to be split evenly.

But economics is one thing and fairness is another. So, even when the people at his table offer to split the check evenly, Denis Nash oftentimes will throw in more cash. “I like to drink several bourbon drinks at dinner,” says Nash, mid-Atlantic sales manager for Universal Financial. “They run $12 or $13 each. If someone has one glass of wine only and we split the bill, that isn’t fair.”

Nash says he tries to be conscious when his food and drink costs run more than the others in the group, and he appreciates when others return the favor. Recently he ate dinner in a restaurant in Las Vegas with a friend who likes fine wine. “My friend said to the waitress, ‘Hey, can you bring a separate wine check?’ I thought that was really classy and I told him so.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Nash stopped going out with a couple he was friends with because they’d order expensive wine— which he doesn’t drink— and then want to split the check evenly. Since the husband never carried cash, Nash would give him cash for his portion and the husband would pay with his credit card. Then one night Nash noticed that the husband gave the waitress a 10 percent tip even though Nash had given him enough money for a 20 or 25 percent tip. “I felt like I was in a ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ episode,” he says. “That was the last time I hung out with him.” (Tipping is another issue that can cause conflict. “My philosophy is that I tip what people earn,” says Krotki. “There are some people who will tip 20 percent no matter what, and if you’re splitting the bill, you’re stuck with that.”)

All this “check drama” raises an important question: why can’t restaurants offer individual bills? The answer makes sense to anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant, but may be hard for others to understand, says Scott “Scooter” Holt, a server at Corks who has worked in the restaurant industry 15 years . When he approaches a party of, say, six diners and they ask for separate checks, he tells them very clearly why that’s impossible. “I say that if I split the bill before the meal, you’re going to get your meals at six different times,” he says. Kitchens group food according to the bill, he says, so it’s logistically impossible to ensure that a party’s appetizers and entrees come out together if they’re not on the same ticket.

Regarding splitting the bill after the meal, Holt says some restaurants have computer systems that allow waiters to separate out individual meals and print off separate checks, but most do not. That means waiters would have to do the math manually— computing sales tax and a percentage of the 20 percent service charge that’s usually added to the bill for parties of six or more. “That’s time-consuming and time is money in a restaurant,” he says. “Two minutes can seem like an eternity.”

As a server, it’s certainly easiest for him if one person pays the bill and the other folks at the table reimburse that person. Barring that, Holt is happy to split the cost between several different credit cards, “as long as we don’t start getting into, ‘Put $14.98 on this card and $12.34 on this one,’” he says.
 
Ali Dryer, who waits tables at Dougherty’s on Thursday nights, has a strategy for just that situation. “When I get a big group who hands me a bunch of credit cards and wants different amounts charged on each, I give them a pen and a piece of paper and tell them to write the amount to be charged on the card and the last four digits of the card,” she says. “That way it’s up to them.”

Dryer, who waits tables to supplement her income as the creator of Pistol handbags http://www.pistolstitched.com, used to work at Petit Louis, which had a computer system that allowed her to split checks easily. These days, she sometimes picks up shifts at Clementine, which is at the other extreme. “We hand-write our tickets there,” says Dryer. “People need to be understanding when the server instructs them how it’s done at the particular place.”

But restaurant policies governing separate checks apparently generate as much heartburn as diners’ unwritten rules for splitting the bill. Last summer, when Baltimore Sun restaurant critic Elizabeth Large posted on her blog, “Dining@Large,” an e-mail from the owner of Birches about his restaurant’s refusal to provide individual bills for the members of a large party, some people commented that they’d never expect a restaurant to provide individual bills— “how tacky,” they said— but others argued that restaurants should accommodate customers’ needs or risk losing their business, i.e. “The customer is always right.”

Large, who has reviewed restaurants for The Sun for 36 years, says for her part, check-splitting is rarely an issue. “If I’m eating with one other friend and it’s a casual kind of place, I might ask the waitress if it’s OK to have separate checks,” she says. “I would never do that if I’m going out for a really nice dinner. Part of that is due to the pretense that money doesn’t enter into it. You’re having a wonderful time— why do you want to think about money?”

When Large asked readers on her blog how they handle paying the bill when out with a group, the comments ranged from “we always split evenly” to “each pays for what each ate and drank” to some combination of methods, as exemplified by this comment: “If she has chateaubriand and I have a cheeseburger, we’re not splitting the check. On the other hand, if each spends about the same amount of money (say, within $5), we’ll split the check. The other way to go is, ‘I’ll treat this time, you treat next time.’”

The treating trade-off is often favored by friends who dine out together regularly and figure everything will even out in the long run. It’s also the preferred method for those who have no money issues (financial or psychological), who enjoy the frisson of being generous— or who don’t want to risk the evening’s good vibe being dampened by a buzz-killing conversation about whether Joe should help pay for Jim’s appetizer since he ate five of his jalapeño poppers. Both Dryer and Holt have had diners slip them a credit card before the bill even comes so as to avoid such dreary negotiating, although Holt says other diners at the table can get very angry when one person pays the check on the sly.

In general, Holt says he sees less check drama these days than he did in the past, and he thinks that’s because people have gotten savvy about dining with people who dine at a similar level. “I think it’s a conscious thing: ‘Let’s go out with Bob and Sue because they drink wine and appetizers and so do we,’” he says. When he and his friends are planning a dinner out, they agree beforehand that they’re going to “go for it,” and let anyone they invite know as much. “We say, ‘Hey, we’re going to spend some money tonight.’ That gives the person the opportunity to back out beforehand if they don’t have the budget for it,” he says. “People need to communicate when they go out for dinner. Especially in this economy, people need to have these conversations.”

As much as Holt understands the plight of people who don’t want to get stuck funding others’ hedonism when they’re tightening their own belts, he doesn’t want to worry that he’s breaking someone’s bank when he’s dining out in a group. “I don’t want to go to dinner and worry about what I spend. I want to get the maximum experience,” he says, explaining that he expects to spend $100 or $150 when he dines out once every two weeks.

There’s no standard etiquette, as Large says; people have to figure out what works best for themselves, whether it’s avoiding group dinners, arriving late and just having dessert, or paying up and shutting up. Sadder but wiser, Krotki these days avoids dining out with people she knows will order the most expensive steak on the menu and drink three martinis and expect her to pay for it, and instead relishes outings with a group in which one guy tabulates the bill and tells everyone what he or she owes. “It is the fairest way to do it because everyone’s diets and preferences are so varied, no one is ever eating the same thing,” she says. “And he’s usually correct in his calculations.”

Still, if all this check-wrangling seems boring, you could try a radically different approach: credit card roulette. It’s a game in which everyone at the table puts his or her credit card in a bowl and the waiter picks out the cards one by one, leaving the person whose credit card is the last one in the bowl to foot the entire bill. “It’s part entertainment, part solving the problem,” says Todd Sniffin, a manager at ICF international consulting firm in Fairfax, Va. During the 15 years he’s been playing, Sniffin says the game has worked mostly in his financial favor. He escaped an $800 dinner bill during a reunion of his college friends in Atlantic City— whew!— but did have to pony up for a $300 bar tab in D.C. one time.

When the bill arrives at the table the next time you’re out with a group, why not yell, “Credit card roulette!” and try to persuade the others to take a chance on lady luck. Since paying the bill when you’re with a group is a gamble anyway, might as well have some fun.

2 sticks (8 ounces) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon coconut extract
½ cup firmly packed unsweetened cocoa powder
5 eggs
2 ½ cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 ½ cups flaked coconut

For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting, Click here.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add coconut extract and cocoa, beating until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda. With mixer on low speed, add to chocolate mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating only until combined. Stir in 1 ½ cups coconut. Divide batter between two prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pans 15 minutes; then unmold into racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, toast remaining 1 cup coconut in 300 degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool. Place one cake layer on serving dish. Spread with about one-third of the frosting. Place second layer on top of first and cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle toasted coconut over top and press gently into side of cake.

When Savvy recently admired a mirrored cocktail table looking so perfect and chic in her pal Mrs. H’s Ruxton living room, she assumed she knew where her hostess had made the purchase. “No,” Mrs. H corrected her, “I actually found this at Antique Exchange for much less!” Wesley Finnerty, along with her husband Tom, have opened a new venue in Hampden that is room after room of fabulous-yet-affordable design inspiration. Everywhere you look there is 18th-century to 1920s repro, chairs with older frames redone in right-this-minute fabrics, sarouk rugs, decorative art, silver, mirrors and pieces from Wesley’s incredible china collection. These traditional trimmings are punched up with a mix of mock-croc wastebins from Kim Seybert Bar, peel-and-stick artwork by Butch and Harold, hand-crafted lacquer boxes and trays in eye-popping orange by Pacific Connections, plus fun lighting including a huge green glass table lamp with a hot pink shade. As Mrs. H so smartly showed, even just one piece from Antique Exchange can make a whole room feel fresh. Don’t miss: The endless selection of fab pillows from names like D.L. Rhein, Adam & Victoria and Jonathan Adler. 3545 Chestnut Ave., 410-532-7000

Developer Curtis Bashaw wanted to bring back some of the bygone glamour of Atlantic City— and he did just that with the opening last summer of his slick boutique hotel on the beach, The Chelsea. Bashaw has created a one-of-a-kind destination with this property, which brings to mind other hipster haunts such as The Standard in Hollywood and The Delano in South Beach. High-style design is evident everywhere here, beginning with a plush lobby with terrazzo floors, witty furniture groupings and cozy fireplaces just steps from the beach. What you won’t find here is a casino— the hotel focuses on its proximity to the beach, its salt-water spa and its public spaces, which serve as a backdrop for lots of socializing and mingling.

Key to that is the Fifth Floor, a series of lounges and bars that are the social hub of the hotel. Choose from the Living Room, the Game Room, the Oval Bar or the Terrace Lounge and kick back with a cocktail, shoot a game of pool or mellow out to the grooves of celebrity house DJ Paul Sevigny.

Outside, you can choose from a spot on the sand (the hotel employs a fleet of cabana boys to set up your lounge chairs, schlep your towels and take your drink orders), or the terrace of the main pool (which has an outdoor poolside bar and private cabanas) or the saltwater pool area, which adjoins the hotel’s full-line spa.

Dining options include Chelsea Prime, a high-end steakhouse designed with a nod to the swank supper clubs of the 1940s and ’50s, with its tiered dining banquettes and vintage celebrity photographs lining the walls. A classic steak joint menu (including retro appetizers such as oysters Rockefeller and escargots) is provided over by executive chef Jason Hanin, and a serious wine list is worth checking out. The warm pecan-raisin bread pudding on the dessert menu is a standout. For more casual on-site dining, Teplitzky’s offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as cocktails in a fun, mid-century coffee-shop setting. Both restaurants are overseen by chef Stephen Starr, known for his Buddakan restaurants in Philadelphia and New York.

Rooms at The Chelsea are offered at two levels: Chelsea Luxe (in the 20-story tower) and Chelsea Light (surrounding the pool area). Rates range from $89-$199 in low season and $169-$299 in high season.
(111 S. Chelsea Ave., Atlantic City, 866-393-3285, thechelsea-ac.com)

Over on the marina side of Atlantic City is the recently opened new tower at the Borgata, The Water Club. Rising 43 floors and containing 800 guest rooms, the tower is designed with a decidedly Zen feel, and is separated from the Borgata tower (and its casino) by a quiet passageway that contains several high-end boutiques. Rooms in the hotel start at $299.

As the name implies, the water theme is carried out everywhere. The tranquil lobby boasts a water wall, as well as jets of water that play behind the concierge desk. The hotel features five pools— three indoors and two outdoors.

Off the main lobby is an expansive 42-foot-high, glass-ceilinged solarium, which houses two infinity-edge pools surrounded by lush plantings, lounge chairs and a poolside bar. Connecting to that is The Sunroom, another indoor lounge space that offers intimate conversation areas as well as a café featuring cuisine by New York chef Geoffrey Zakarian.

The focal point of the hotel is its luxe 36,000-square-foot Immersion spa, housed on the 32nd and 33rd floors. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the skyline and ocean, offering great views from the 25-yard infinity lap pool, a large coed Jacuzzi and a state-of-the-art fitness center. And a wide range of spa treatments are offered in its 16 “experience” rooms. (1 Renaissance Way, Atlantic City, 609-317-8888, the waterclubhotel.com)

For the first part of his professional life, Highlandtown native Elwood “Bunky” Bartlett worked as a bookkeeper and accountant, keeping track of other people’s finances. These days, Bartlett has his hands full managing his own money. In September 2007, he won roughly $27 million (after taxes), thanks to a winning Mega Millions ticket purchased at a Parkville liquor store. Since then, Bartlett, a Wiccan high priest, has quit his job, bought seven new cars, vacationed in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and become part-owner of Mystickal Voyage, the New Age gift shop and holistic center in White Marsh where he teaches classes on Wicca and Reiki. He and his family also have moved from their 2,000-square-foot house in Dundalk to a 5,000-square-foot house on 23 acres in Westminster. Style looked him up a year after his big windfall to ask him what he’s learned about life, people and, yes, money.

>I learned on a Saturday morning that we won and immediately I knew I had to stop thinking of myself as an individual and start thinking of myself as a corporation.

>They want to mail you a check. I said, ‘No… you are not mailing me a check for all of these millions of dollars.’ They said, ‘You can bring several forms of identification and show up to the state and pick up a check.’ I said, ‘Great. Can we do that tomorrow? Because I’d hate to back-charge you for interest.’

>We bought the ticket as a family— so we shared the money with our two kids and both of our parents. Both of my children could be retired if they chose to be.

>My life really hasn’t changed per se, except for the ability to go where I want, do what I want, buy what I want. Otherwise I live the same life I always have. I still go to Giant for my groceries, still go to Wal-Mart. I need new shoes. I’ll buy them at Wal-Mart.

>My passion is teaching— it’s not accounting.

>When someone in our family is buying a car, we don’t bring me in first, because then we don’t get a good deal.

>If you have to work for a living you have money worries. Now I’m free of them.

>I still haggle. I still don’t pay retail.

>Right now I own four regular cars and three classic cars. I just bought a Cadillac SUV hybrid, the Escalade. That car is one step away from driving itself.

>Before I won, I knew who I was. The money didn’t change that.

>I’m a true believer in ‘Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish, he eats for his lifetime.’ So I won’t just give things to people. They have to earn it.

>My wife and I both started working when we were 15. So did my kids. Kids today believe everything should be given to them. You have to work.

>Before we won, we never traveled anywhere. I was lucky if I left Maryland. Did I take vacations? Sure. What did I do? Stayed home with the kids and played video games. Now we travel.

>The people who aren’t used to handling large amounts of money should go for the annuity. Believe me, you can go through it fast and not even know it. All of a sudden it’s all gone and you don’t even realize.

>An average day for me: play some video games, do some business— check investments, talk to the office, send e-mails, handle any fires that may come up. In the last year, I’ve bought about 10 properties.

>There’s a local carryout restaurant in Dundalk that we love called Mustang Pizza and Subs. We’re going to open one in Westminster, mainly so we can have delivery at our house. If it makes money, all the better.

>You have the money, you can make the rules. I had just opened accounts at a new bank. When I won, I went in and sat down with the branch manager and president and said, ‘I have X millions to put in your bank. What are you going to do for me?’ That’s when they made a special tier of money market to get me the interest rate I wanted.

>Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it does buy time.

>When I won, I was looking to show there are people like me who practice what I do and we’re the same as you. And I think on some level I’ve accomplished that.

>I was very non-materialistic before. I’ve become a bit more materialistic only because I can afford to buy things now.

>Should something occur and I lose my money, I’ll go back to being an accountant. I still have the bookkeeping business— it’s just other people who are doing the work, not me.

>When the jackpot gets over $100 million, I go out and spend $10 on lottery tickets. I could win again. I probably will. What I expect is what will happen. I will win again.

Oysters, scallops, clams and mussels are the complete package— all their briny goodness is conveniently contained right in their own shells. You don’t have to do anything fancy or complicated to prepare any of them. Take an oyster or a clam,
douse it with a squeeze of lime or lemon, and enjoy.

I designed these four dishes to bring out each type of bivalve’s best attributes— without compromising the essence of their flavors. Shucked oysters with lime granita are a perfect party pleaser and so easy to make, while the little neck clams, cannelloni beans, chorizo and grilled chicken makes for a hearty spring entrée. I’ve added a Thai twist to the concept of steamed mussels by serving them with chili, lemon grass and fish sauce. And sautéed sea scallops are dressed up for dinner with the addition of French lentils and a smoked ham hock. Enjoy! 

Shucked Oysters with Lime Granita

Mussels with Lemon Grass and Chili

Little Neck Clams, Cannelloni Beans, Chorizo and Grilled Chicken

Sautéed Sea Scallops with Smoked Ham Hock and French Lentils

Andrew Evans is owner/chef of Thai Ki in Easton.

The space on Charles Street that for so long housed Gampy’s has been given a thorough makeover and emerged as Marie Louise Bistro. Opened by Marie Ransome of Marie Louise Catering (and the old Ransome’s bar in Federal Hill), the bistro is split into two levels. Tile floors, stucco walls, wrought-iron chandeliers overhead and petite marble-topped bistro tables all contribute to the European ambience. On the first floor, a Euro-style coffee bar serves up teas and coffees along with exquisite fruit tarts, croissants, pastries and cakes. A café area farther back offers a full menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and entrées, all with a French/Italian/ Mediterranean flair— look for everything from a Mediterranean chopped salad to a chicken breast with artichokes to beef tenderloin. An upper-level mezzanine holds a bar and lounge area. Open seven days for lunch and dinner. 904 N. Charles St., 410-385-9946

Betty Swindlehurst and Jarrett Skirball met among the charming boulevards and Renaissance artistry of Florence, Italy, while studying abroad in college. So when it came time to select their wedding location, they chose the Walters Art Museum, whose classical elements reminded the couple of where they’d met.

On the wedding day, about 80 close friends and family members sat in a circular arrangement around the bride and groom, who stood with the rabbi beneath a chuppah edged with leafy bouquets in the museum’s sculpture court. “Everyone there had a great view and we were truly surrounded by everyone we loved,” says Swindlehurst.

The bride made her entrance in a strapless gown from Priscilla of Boston that she’d first spotted in a magazine. “When I tried it on I knew it was perfect,” she says. “It blended traditional with modern, which was exactly what I was looking for.” The brides- maids wore dresses in shades of coral and pink that each had chosen for herself at Garnish Boutique in Mount Washington.

Following the ceremony, guests gathered upstairs to sample hors d’oeuvres and sip cocktails and wander freely through the galleries (which fittingly include works of Italian Renaissance art). An hour later, everyone returned to the sculpture court where they were greeted by two banquet tables decorated with candles in glass vases and bouquets of coral and cream flowers (including roses, hydrangea, snapdragons and peonies). In the middle of the room, a lighted projection displayed a calligraphy insignia linking the bride’s and groom’s initials.

A classical guitar, violin and cello combo provided musical accompaniment to the five-course tasting menu with wine pairings catered by Linwoods. The locally inspired cuisine “was a great representation of Maryland for all of our out-of-town guests,” says Swindlehurst. On offer was the bride’s “all-time favorite food,” mac and cheese, as well as miniature crab cakes on top of fried green tomatoes and creamed corn pudding.

Eventually the couple and their guests bid a fond goodnight to the sculptures and went off to the InterContinental Harbor Court Hotel to dance the night away. There the bride and groom cut their cake— made by Swindlehurst’s mom— and guests sampled “personal ice cream creations” from Cold Stone Creamery, espresso drinks and snacks of french fries and sliders.

“The best part for both Jarrett and me was seeing all of our friends and family in one place and having a great time,” says Swindlehurst. “Our friends were asking us if we could do it all again every year. Sounds kind of exhausting to me, but it would be fun!”

Resources

• Locations: Walters Art Museum, 410-547-9000, thewalters.org InterContinental Harbor Court Hotel, 410-234-0550, harborcourt.com
• Photography: Arthur Remanjon, 410-366-2500, remanjon.com
• Flowers: Romance of Flowers, 410-526-7252, romanceofflowers.com
• Bride’s Gown: Priscilla of Boston, priscillaofboston.com
• Bridesmaids’ Gowns: Garnish Boutique, 410-464-0601, garnishboutique.com
• Catering: Linwoods, 410-356-3030, linwoods.com