Adventures with MC

  • Embracing Different Cultures

    Celebrating the many different cultures in Baltimore

    My friends and I decided that we need to go to more events in the city, and experience different cultures. It is important to participate in community activities and enjoy the place you are living in. We planned on attending Fiesta Baltimore to see how the different cultures in Baltimore are celebrated, but unfortunately the event was cancelled due to weather. We did not check ahead of time and showed up to Patterson Park anyways. My friends and I were very excited to have a good time and more importantly eat good food. After realizing our mistake, we started looking for places to have lunch and saw Taqueria El Sabor Del Parque (2901 Eastern Ave. Baltimore MD, 21224) on the corner. We decided to try something new and see how this culture was celebrated.

    We saw the restaurant on the corner and wanted to try for ourselves

    When we walked in, we were met with a warm welcome by one of the employees at the restaurant. There was one other family eating there so the place was empty, but it was not quiet. They had Spanish music playing and you could hear everyone talking. It was a homey feeling, like you were safe and comfortable to just be there. The decorations were not like what you would see in an American restaurant. There was a large mural of Spanish symbols with a mix of some Baltimore landmarks. In addition there were some religious symbols, lots of animals, and special Mexican decorations hanging around the restaurant. It felt like you were no longer in Baltimore.

    The walls were covered with art- No part of the restaurant wasn’t decorated

    We got the menus and instead of being only in English the first part was all in Spanish. I thought that was so interesting because it is more common than I realize that people speak Spanish as their first language. Everything on the menu looked to be authentic food, items you wouldn’t find at a Tex-Mex place. I played it safe and got chicken tacos, but there were many interesting options (some that I didn’t even know you could eat, such as tongue and cactus). We got our food quickly after ordering and dug in immediately.

    Genuinely, these were the greatest tacos I have ever had. They came with lettuce and were served on corn tortillas. I typically prefer having tons of toppings, but the chicken was so perfect I did not want anything else on them. Everything tasted so fresh and the chicken was, like I said, perfect. I attempted to try the sauces that they provided, but unfortunately they were too spicy for me. Even though this was not trying new food, I still feel like I had a new experience. The staff were so kind and made sure everything was to our liking. They made sure that nothing was too spicy, while also staying true to their roots.

    I wish we were able to go to the fiesta, but I am glad that we pivoted. I have a new favorite taco place and we were able to support a local business. I think it’s really important to go out of your comfort zone because you can find your new favorite place.

  • Trying Trends

    Visiting the places you’ve seen on Social Media

    Saw this local cafe on my ride to school everyday.

    For the first time, in a long time, my roommate and I had a day off to do absolutely nothing. We have been talking about visiting La Maison by Cafe Dear Leon for the longest time, we drive past it everyday and say “We should go there”. Instead of just saying this, we finally went. Café Dear Leon has been going viral on TikTok recently, La Maison is one of their additional locations (2600 N. Howard St., Baltimore) there’s more seating and the location is conveniently right by Johns Hopkins University.

    The unique part about this cafe, and one of the reasons that it has been going viral is the changing menu. At 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, and 11:00 AM the menu has new items. What is being sold depends on the time of day for example; breakfast-y foods are sold at 7:00 and 9:00 AM, while lunch food starts being sold at 11:00 AM . Desserts are available through out the day so your sweet tooth can always be satisfied.

    A little bit of everything

    If you are interested in a good cup of coffee, I would really recommend this cafe. They do not have all of the intricate drinks that chain coffee places will have, but they did the basics very well. I had a latte and added their homemade caramel. I am not a coffee expert, but I can definitely tell when a cup is good – or bad, and this was particularly good. My roommate and I split two of their sandwiches, we had the Stracciatella & Romesco on Focaccia, and the Smoked Salmon Sandwich. They were sandwiches that I normally would not have chosen but I am glad we did. The flavors were amazing, it was nothing like I had before. We also had to get some sweets, so we got the chocolate chip cookies, and their money bread. The cookies were warm, soft in the center but crunchy on the ends (the best way), and topped with a piece of chocolate and salt. The monkey bread was moist, soft, and had a passion fruit caramel on top which added a lovely different taste that I haven’t had before. Everything was a bit pricey so I would not consider this a place that I will go daily, but it was nice to treat myself. I throughly enjoyed everything I ate and the atmosphere was relaxing and cosy. It was the perfect fall day.

  • Ciao, Baltimore!

    Exploring the special neighborhoods this city has to offer

    One of my schools requirements is to take language classes while attending. I have been taking Italian classes for the past couple of years after I studied abroad in Rome, Italy. One of the requirements on these classes is to participate in three cultural events to have a better understanding of what we are learning. A couple of my friends who are taking the class with me decided that we should visit “Little Italy” to have a fun outing in our city while completing an assignment.

    Little Italy is an adorable neighborhood in Baltimore, it is in the heart of the city and about a 20 minute walk from Fells Point. The streets are lined with restaurants, houses, and covered with lights. The streets are a nice quiet escape from the rest of the busy city, you feel a warm, comfortable feeling while you’re walking around. We heard about Chipparelli’s through a family friend and decided to grab dinner there. I would describe the atmosphere of the restaurant as classy and cozy. We sat there for a while just chatting having a good time together, but felt no rush at all. In addition to the perfect atmosphere, the food was immaculate. We got bread to start which was delicious as always, but my entree was even better. I ordered a pasta dish that came with shrimp, mushrooms, broccoli, and a creamy tomato sauce. It was genuinely amazing (not an exaggeration). The fettuccini pasta was just like I remember when I was in Italy. The other girls meals were also great, you cannot make a wrong decision when you order here.

    Unfortunately, we did not save room for dessert, so after chatting for a while we left the restaurant and started walking around the streets. Obviously, we eventually had room for a sweet treat and walked right past Vaccaros Italian Pasty Shop. They had all of the Italian cookies that you could want, and they had delicious gelato. It was the perfect way to end the night.

    Baltimore has so many neighborhoods that are all unique. It was so fun to visit Little Italy and see one of the many cultures celebrated in our city. This girls night out was so much and I am so glad I got to explore more of Baltimore.

  • Harbor Cleanup

    If we want to enjoy our community, it is vital to take care of the community.

    I have the privilege of being on the Loyola Women’s Rowing team. We row on the Patapsco River in Baltimore, right around the corner from Ft. McHenry and the Inner Harbor. The water is where we spend hours perfecting our strokes and getting faster. The Patapsco River has helped our team, and our team has decided to give back. Waterways in a city tend to be more polluted than other waterways and will be forgotten about. We spent one afternoon going out in canoes and kayaks with trash pickers and trash bags and rowed around picking up any litter that we saw.

    Doing this for just one short afternoon meant a lot to our team. We were able to spend our time cleaning up a place that is very special to us. We have a team of about 30 girls and we picked up a large amount of trash in a very small time. Unfortunately there is so much more out there that we were not able to get. We also got to explore our area in a new way. Baltimore is a city on the water, which allows for beautiful areas to see, restaurants, and fun activities. Going out in a canoe gave me a new perspective of Baltimore and I was able to discover places on my own. It is important to go out and take in your surroundings because you never know what you are going to find. When you go and clean up the river you are not only taking care of your home, but you are rediscovering your city.

  • One Day Getaway

    Day Trip to Annapolis

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    Baltimore is a wonderful city with many places to see, restaurants to try, and fun activities to enjoy. However, even with all of these wonderful perks, living in a city can be overwhelming. Luckily for Baltimore residents, the capital of Maryland is a short car ride away. Annapolis is a quaint small town. The town has something for everyone, history buffs, shoppers, and people who love a good meal (and Orange Crush).

    Annapolis is home to The United States Naval Academy, tours are offered or you can just walk around and see the beautiful campus for yourself. There are also a number of historic pubs that are still active to this day. Middleton Tavern, opened since 1750, has famously served George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. It continues to be a bar and is now a seafood restaurant that has live music on the weekends. Tours are also offered to see Declaration of Independence signer William Paca’s house. Annapolis possesses the Maryland State house, which is a beautiful building that is open to the public everyday except holidays. There are many other beautiful historic places to see and discover.

    If history is not your niche, downtown Annapolis has main streets with adorable boutiques and shops and many different cafes, restaurants and bars to try. My personal restaurant is The Choptank. Their menu has many different seafood options, including classic Maryland bites. Their crab dip is outstanding and they make a delicious Orange crush. The views from the rooftop are also beautiful. You will overlook the town and be able to see the boats on the water. Another key place to visit is Bitty and Beau’s cafe. This is not just any other cafe, it is special. Their business is based on the idea that everyone deserves a chance and all of their employees are people with special needs. The coffee and baked goods are great and you cannot fail to leave without a smile on your face.

    Everyone needs some peace and quiet every once in a while no matter how much they love the hustle and bustle of a city. There is no better place to do that than a Hallmark-esque town. Annapolis has just what someone needs for a quick relaxing day trip.