'Greener' city bars wood chip driveway - baltimoresun.com - http://shar.es/aSTOk

Poe descendants reject moving his body from Baltimore - baltimoresun.com - http://shar.es/aSTR1

Poe sites map in Baltimore: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/poe/bal-poesites,0,7148278.htmlpage

Everything Edgar Allan Poe: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/poe/

Bonaparte Bread & Cafe - Fells Point

Bonaparte (903 South Ann Street -(410)432-4000) is a hidden jewel in Baltimore. Actually, Baltimore is full of them. Living in Baltimore, one stumbles on hidden jewels all the time. That is probably the reason for it to be called the Charm City. But the jewels have to be kept hidden, otherwise Sheyla Dixon would take them home.

Back to Bonaparte, it is very surprising. The interior is decorated in a faux French style. It is not perfect, as the word "faux" suggests, however it makes a beautiful place and interesting experience. I dare to say it is almost like going to Napoleon's France without leaving present Baltimore. Just gay, as the word "French" suggests.

There are a lot of complaints about Bonaparte Bread & Cafe in the Internet. I personally can't say anything bad about it. Maybe because I am not snooty or self-entitled (Ouch!). Actually, the staff at Bonaparte are the ones who probably have something to complain about me. I am kind of broke presently. Not willing to spend too much, I asked if they served bagel with butter. The waitress almost had a heart attack. I can't blame her. At least she was polite enough to almost have a heart attack in very settled, soothing way. Probably, because that is the way they do it in France.

In the end, I bought a cup of decaf coffee and a loaf of bread (the butter came for free). My wife had tea. The cups are big enough for you to swim in them. The amount of the tea leaves was enough to fill a mattress. Looking back now, it feels like we spent two hours in Napoleon's France for ten bucks. It was faux but it was beautiful and nice, ah! and cheap. It was like being part of a display in a live museum, where we looked very important and interesting to ourselves. And you know it is a good deal when feeling important and interesting to yourself costs only ten bucks. Even if it is feeling important and interesting to yourself only.

By the way, the waitress with tattoos and piercings was great... ah! and they need a website. Jeez! What kind of business does not have a website, says my wife.

Baltimore, Beer-ltimore, Bar-ltimore.

The good news is that my wife has been in a good mood for a few days . The bad news is that she still thinks that my blog sucks. I can't blame her. I only read my blog because I am the one who writes it. And even then, I read only while I write it. The proof of what I am saying is that you can find more typos in my website than Seagull poop in Fort McHenry's lawn (Sorry, my wife just edited out all the poop from this page to avoid public humiliation).

OK. Let's talk about Baltimore.

I have to say that I was impressed by the enormous amount of neighborhoods bars in Baltimore when I first moved here. I've traveled extensively all over the US, and have never seen a city with neighborhoods so crowded with bars like Baltimore. In the end, it is all just for a good reason - Baltimore people are love fun. It's not for nothing that Baltimore was elected the best alternative scene by Rolling Stone Magazine in 2008.

Baltimore is much more fun than DC, I can tell you that much. DC is a city without a soul. Most of people who live there weren't born there and are planning to leave as soon as possible. The average young Washingtonian is a lounge goer, daily Starbucks latte drinker, desk worker, condo dweller, apartment dog owner. DC has many more apartment dogs than children. This last sentence alone should be enough for you to understand what DC is about.

Anyway, enough bashing DC. This blog is about Beer Bar-ltimore fun town.

One of the things that I most appreciate about Baltimore is the availability of high quality locally brewed and international beers. That is just amazing. Here is a list of the main places where you can find beer that will drive your soul to a whole level of sublime spiritual development.

Clipper City (Brewery) - "Currently Clipper City Brewing produces over 14 styles of ales and lagers, is distributed in over 18 states and has won hundreds of International, National, and regional awards." - Cut and Pasted straight from their website.

The Brewer's Art (Brewery & brewpub) - The brew their beer on premises and they also have a large selection of imported beer. The food is great. The atmosphere is great. Located inside a beautiful historic building. They need a better website though.

The Wharf Rat (Brewpub) - Their ales (Oliver Ales) are "open fermented, fined and dry hopped. Served at 54F and dispensed by pumps. As "true and proper" as ales found in any English pub". Their website states an address in downtown Baltimore, but as I was told by one of their managers, that place has been sold. They only have the Fells Point place now.

Max's Tap House - They don't brew their own beer, but their website sates that they have the East Coast's largest fresh beer selection. They've been rated as the 18th best beer bar in the world by Ratebeer.com survey in 2007, and voted Best Beer Selection by City paper in 2005.
You should check out their "Tuesday beer social" with beer tasting and guest speakers.

Mahaffey's Pub - House of the "100 beers club" and of the meeting place of "Cross Street Irregulars Brew Club" based here in Baltimore is one of the oldest homebrew clubs in Maryland. "This club’s primary mission is to promote the art and science of homebrewing, offer technical assistance, skills, and experience to homebrewers."

DuClaw Brewery - I don't know what to say about it. I've never been there and never tried their beer. They got a B- (Very good) from Beeradvocate.com and a so-so rating from Ratebeer.com. I admit that I am a little suspicious about chain companies in general.

And last on the list, but not the least (Actually, to tell the truth, the least) :P

Pub Dog (Draft House) - Their house-brewed craft beer is not great, but it is fun. Their special is two mugs of their house crafted beer for $4.00. Paying that kind of price for the beer, I shouldn't complain about its quality. It is the only place where one can find a decent selection of imported (or any) beer in Federal Hill too. That means in in Federal Hill, regarding beer, one has two choices: Pub Dog's beers or Dog pee beer (ex. Bud light, Miller, Heineken, Pabst,...).

I am tired now. Enough blogging.

Tortilleria Sinaloa - God has Forgiven Upper Fells Point of its Sins.

Damn! After eating at Tortilleria Sinaloa I hate Chipotle forever. Chipotle that used to be my only love.

If you want decent and affordable Mexican food, Tortilleria Sinaloa is the place to go. It is in Upper Fells Point. But don't tell people who lives in Fells Point that you call that area Upper Fells Point, or they will punch you in the face - several times. Just say its on Eastern Avenue, and you will save yourself some pain.
I found Tortilleria Sinaloa by chance. Because of a severe case of sudden starvation in Upper Fells Point I was desperately looking for anything to eat. Even old soggy newspaper would do it, so hungry I was. Affordable food was important too, because I am cheap enough to choose death by starvation over paying too much for food. And too much for me is $3.00.

Anyway, I saw Tortilleria Sinaloa from the distance because it was packed with Latinos, people crowding around the door. I know, for being one, that Latinos have deadly allergies to expensive food, so I said to myself "You just found the answer to your prayers. Your miserable life has been given the grace to continue". There it was Tortilleria Sinaloa to save me from certain death by "scroogeness" (Sorry, I just had to invent a new word to describe my condition, so severe is the case).

Tortilleria Sinaloa offers all you know of Mexican food plus things that you thought weren't eatable or allowed by law like cow tongue. It is all very well-made and delicious. The presentation of the dishes is great, with bowls of fresh sauce and succulent lime slices.

The service is amazing, the owners really want you to feel great there, they make a point of it. The owners look like just plain white Americans. That is probably why the place is clean and sanitary. But even though the owners are Americans you have to request the English version of the menu that is deeply hidden among the paraphernalia on top of the fridge.

There are no tables. The place is small, what in this case means cozy not claustrophobic. You can sit on a counter looking at the the wall contemplating very nice decoration with Mexican motifs. Or you can sit on a counter at the window looking at Eastern Avenue realizing how Upper Fells Point must have been great 100 years ago, but it sucks really bad now.

Don't worry though, God forgave Upper Fells Point from all its sins and have sent Tortilleria Sinaloa for its salvation. Just pretend that you are a human being, get off the internet right now, and go spend your miserable $3.00 at Tortilleria Sinaloa. You may even start feeling some respect for yourself after eating there.

Oh! And don't forget to order the Sangria soda... and eat Cafe Justo's macaroon around the corner (see earlier blogpage).

For the Love of Lord Baltimore! Landscapes of Baltimore by Crystal Moll

Never there were more beautiful painted landscapes of a city than the ones of Baltimore painted by Crystal Moll.

IN my way to get money from a ATM to pay off a debt with my psychiatrist, I was lucky enough to come across a solitary and lonely flyer announcing Crystal Moll's exhibit. I was even luckier to just go to it after a last minute decision while making some copies in a Kinko's in Glen Burnie.

I and my wife drove 20 miles away from Baltimore (thank God she wasn't PMSing anymore) in a adventure to find painter Crystal Moll's house. We had no idea if the paintings would be any interesting , all we really knew is that complimentary wine would be provided. Knowing that a glass of good wine is much more expensive than two gallons of gasoline, off we drove.

Now, I have to say something, I came back from the exhibit inebriated. Inebriated not by excess of alcohol (because I don't drink anyway. I am crazy enough already. I don't need no chemical help thank you very much). I only drank the beauty from the, as said before, most beautiful painted landscapes I've ever seen of a city. I am glad that the city in those pictures (most of them, at least) was Baltimore.

Crysta Moll, as I understand, has been compared to Edward Hopper. In my humble opinion (Actually, you know by now, my opinion is never humble), she is much better than him. A Edward Hopper's painting doesn't make life any better. Crystal Moll's paintings are life itself. Edward Hopper's paintings have people in it, and who like people, anyway? Crystal Moll's paintings have no people, and mostly no cars either. One get to see beauty and just beauty, without someone with their ugly face in it and without a car parked in front of your face.

Summarizing, take your head out of the hole of limited intelligence where you keep it, and go find some of Crystal Moll's pictures (All you have to do is to click on the damn links above). If you die without seeing any of them, your eyes weren't worth having, and the worms will gag biting them after your death.

If you don't love yourself enough to go see the pictures, do it at least for the Love of Lord Baltimore.

The Baltimorean version of the Japanese version of Seven-Eleven

Last night I was insomniac. The overcharge of boredom, irritation, meaningless idle time with nothing to distract me from myself made me think a comparison of the ethical principles and consequences of me writing this blog and emptying out my bowels. Well, the value and meaning of the things I put down in both occasions are about the same. The difference is that what I put down in the bathroom goes to nevermore with the flush. Here at BaltimoreEvermore what I put down will stay around, stinking up everything and coming back to haunt me forever.

OK. Enough of Ethics and high moral Philosophy. Let's talk about "Services General", the coolest Laundromat in the World (They call themselves "Prepaid Services center"). That is where Cafe Justo is (Don't panic. I won't talk again about the divine macaroon they sell. I've talked enough about it in the last blog). ...

Wow! I just found out that "Service General" is actually a chain and has a website...



No surprise there, though. If even someone like me is allowed to have a blog, anything is morally possible.

So, "Service General" is really cool. It has Cafe Justo and its macaroon (oops! I talked about it again), a huge laundromat. You can buy a huge variety of snacks there, cash checks, buy money orders, play lottery, make a call on a pay phone (Does anybody still knows what a payphone is?), consult a lawyer (!!!! :O), and the most incredible of everything, you can play in the last surviving Pac-man machine in the whole planet. Yes, they have a Pac-man machine and etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

That place reminds me very much of Seven-eleven stores in Japan where you can buy anything and a little bit more. Tokyo alone has around 1,600 of them. And Japan has 1/3 of all seven-eleven stores in the world, more than the US. I have to remind you that Japan is slightly smaller than California. Now, you see, here in the US you can't spit out from inside your car without hitting a Seven-Eleven. In Japan, I imagine, everybody lives in a Seven-Eleven because all buildings are Seven-Eleven.

Incredibly, two things you can't find in a Japanese Seven-eleven are Slurpees (!!!) and Big Gulp (because the Japanese think humans should drink soda, not swim in it).

OK. Enough. This blog is boring my eyeballs off today. But, you should go to General Services on 501 S. Broadway in Fells Point. Even if it is just to see pre-historic devices that your ancestors couldn't live without: payphones and Pac-man machines...

...or just go for Cafe Justo's macaroons.

I am sorry again. Hopefully, I won't keep writing this blog for too long for the sake of your sanity.