R&R Taqueria

It's been about a month since I've posted anything but I have been busy with wedding plans, prepping for Christmas festivities, C.'s graduation from graduate school and my big trip to New Orleans for New Years so please forgive my slackness. I have explored quite a few places in the past month, but today's post is about a hidden gem called R&R Taqueria.

R&R is in Elkridge, Maryland so it's just outside of Baltimore. I stumbled upon this hole-in-the-wall while pumping gas at the Shell Station literally 1 minute from my house. I noticed there was this looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong line coming from a small section of the gas station, but it wasn't going into the actual store so I became instantly curious. A gentleman pumping gas next to me clued me in when he noticed my craning neck and look of confusion. He informed me that it was a little "taco joint," as he put it. I then noticed a banner over the door with the name and decided I would come back when the line wasn't absurdly long. That time came and I ended up convincing C. and a friend to try it out with me. When we go there it was a little chaotic inside because it is VERY small and there seems to always be a group of people fumbling about. You see, the seating arrangement is 6 stools and a tiny little countertop. It's certainly not made for dining in, but a lucky few get there in time to grab a stool. Anywhooooo... We each got two tacos. I ordered one chicken and one pork belly and we ordered them to go! I was SO, SO excited to try these tacos because not only had the locals talked them up BUT this place had also been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. If you're not familiar, it's a Food Network show hosted by Guy Fieri. Not to mention, R&R has been visited by some pretty well known folks including a few NFL players... all of whom have signed the wall with their football numbers and teams. I can't read any of them but C. knew who some of them were and seemed to be in awe. BOYS! Now that I have gotten off track again, my point is... THIS PLACE WAS HYPED UP. Well, I bit into what was going to be the most amazing taco of my life only to be let down. It was cold, soggy and just not what I was expecting. I was so mad. I really didn't understand why everyone was so obsessed with this place so I just wrote it off as one of those mysteries of life and filed R&R under my "bad review" drafts. 

BUT THAT WAS SO WRONG!

That's right, folks. I have changed my mind. If you know me, then you shouldn't be surprised. I change my mind quite often. R&R Taqueria is actually amazing. The first time I went they must have been having an off day. Also, I think getting the food to go is a MISTAKE. If you eat the food there, in your car, or wherever you can find a place to shove it in your mouth... do it. It's so much better when the cheese hasn't cooled from that car ride home and the chicken hasn't fallen out of the shell because it's been sloshed around. I had dinner there just recently and cannot wait to go huddle inside that little gas station and get accidentally felt up by strangers because we can't all fit for another quesadilla. It was AMAZEBALLS. It was so simple too. Just cheese and chicken. But with the hot sauce and sour cream mixture... my tastebuds are doing cartwheels just thinking about it. I also just learned that R&R Taqueria has opened a new location in Perry Hall, Maryland and apparently that location is an actual sit down restaurant. I will definitely be venturing over that way to try it out... sitting down. 

This just goes to show that everyone deserves a second chance! 

There's Always a Downside...

Before I moved to Baltimore, everyone told me how incredibly terrifying and crime riddled it was and while that may be true for parts of Baltimore, it's certainly not true for all of it. Baltimore has some absolutely incredible places and lots of fun things to do. That being said, Charm City has a few less than charming qualities. If you rep Baltimore or if you are easily offended by 5 feet tall bloggers talking smack about it... stop reading now. For those of you still with me, here we go!

1. The very first thing I noticed when I moved here is how BAD everyone is at driving. Let's just say if I'm the standard of good driving, you're doing it wrong. YOU.ARE.DOING.IT.WRONG. 

I can tolerate speeding because I have been known to go a few miles over here and there BUT I cannot tolerate people who are reaching levels of fast that Vin Diesel would cringe at. Yeah... I made a Fast and Furious reference. Don't like it? TOOOOOOOOOO BAD! Seriously though... if I'm already doing 15 over, you shouldn't be zooming by me like I'm the slow poke. Here's another tip for all you crazy motorists: TURN YOUR BLINKERS ON! TURN THEM ON RIGHT EFFING NOW! It drives me insane (pun intended!) that the people here never use their turn signals! And it wouldn't be SO bad if they didn't just dart across 3 lanes of highway to cut you off because they missed their exit. I have had cars almost send me off the road because they just zig zag in and out of lanes all willy nilly and don't look where they're going. They just do what they want and expect the other person to adjust. If you're ever driving up here, please proceed with caution. This Chow meme used to be a joke about me because my friends think I'm a bad driver but... it doesn't compare. IT DOESN'T COMPARE.

2. The next thing I noticed in "Charm" city was just how UNcharming the general population is. There are obviously exceptions to this because I have met some pretty fabulous people here BUT the overall consensus? A-HOLES. Let me give you a few examples so you can see that I'm not just comparing it to the friendliness of South Carolina folks (oh wait, I am). The first week we moved in, I had no idea where anything was. I googled Wal-Mart (even though I have come to hate the superstore) because I just needed a few quick things and it was closer (or so I thought) than the Target. When I walked in, I immediately noticed this particular Wal-Mart was seriously lacking in cleanliness, for one thing, and in organization. It was laid out very poorly which led to me not being able to find a few things. While browsing, I asked A WAL-MART EMPLOYEE where I could find a lunch box (C. takes his lunch to work sometimes ... aww!) and instead of just guiding me in the right direction, this lady freaked out. She turned towards me and ripped her name tag off while she screamed: "DANG!! I NEED TO TAKE THIS SHIT OFF BECAUSE I AM OFF DUTY!" Of course, I stood there stunned as all get out because I had no idea how to react to this lunatic. When she realized I wasn't moving or speaking, she replied "I DON'T KNOW... IT'S IN THE HOME AREA SOMEWHERE." That was experience number one. Yes, there have been more. Needless to say, I have not stepped even a toe in that store since and I always go to Target, which I later found out was just on the other side of the highway. It just so happens that incident number two took place in Target! I was wandering about the aisles, collecting my items when I came to a shelf with something I needed. Unfortunately, there was a gentleman complete asshole standing right in front of what I needed. Oh, and just my luck! He was on the phone. I said "Excuse me" a few times before I finally tapped him to let him know I needed to grab the thing he was in front of. This douchehole turned around (still on his phone!) and says "JESUS CHRIST LADY! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M ON THE PHONE?" I was in complete shock that he raised his voice over something so tiny. My reply was simply, "I have said excuse me several times and you're blocking the product I need to get. If you don't need any of this stuff, you shouldn't be blocking the aisle and chatting while other people are waiting." He just threw his hands up, rolled his eyes and probably muttered several choice words about me to the person he was chatting with. I just don't understand it. Those were just a couple unfriendly encounters but I feel like I see them on a daily basis here. Even when I'm jogging or out walking the dogs, people are not quick to say hello or just throw up a wave. I mean, whatever happened to just being kind to each other. Sheesh! Like I said before, this negative quality isn't extended to ALL of Baltimore, but certainly a large part of it. If you're living in Charm City.... be charming. Dang. 

3. The crime and poverty in parts of the city are sometimes frightening but they are also very sad. I haven't encountered a lot of these areas but I have taken the occasional wrong turn and immediately navigated my way back to the good parts. There are a few bridges I drive by once in a while and see homeless people living under them using old, tattered couches for bedding. I even saw one man drinking puddle water during a rainstorm once. When we were deciding where to live in up here, I made the mistake (not really a mistake if you're looking for a safe part of town) of pulling up the Baltimore crime map and I was just floored. The crime varied in levels starting with purse snatchings and ending with the most brutal, rape and murder. There are exceptions like Fed Hill, Fells Point, The Inner Harbor etc. but if you don't know those places, make sure you learn them quickly! I mean, I always knew what people said about Bmore and I've seen some of The Wire, but it doesn't really hit you until you're about to live smack dab in it. Even when our real estate agent took us around to look at houses, we opted not to get out in some locations because it was so scary looking. I don't do drugs but from what I hear on the news and from locals, drugs are everywhere in certain parts of the city. To be clear, I've only driven through (at Vin Diesel speeds!) a few bad neighborhoods so I've never actually come face to face with it but I'm very aware of what parts of Baltimore I'm in and which parts I need to stay in whenever I go to the city. And that's just sad. I know there are several organizations and programs working hard to clean up the really bad neighborhoods and I can only hope they succeed. 

Tips: If you are ever in an area where there are blue alert lights all over the place or if you're in an area with a lot of vacant/boarded up rowhomes... probably not the best place to be unless you're looking for trouble.

Welp, there you have it. 

The Friend Zone

Despite the title of this post, it's not actually about getting friend zoned by that one person you think you're in love with. It's just about hanging out with friends on a Friday night in Odenton, Maryland. Odenton is about 20-30 minutes outside of Baltimore but C. and I have a good friend that resides in O-town and just typing the word "O'Town" has me flashing back to THIS. If you didn't click that link, you're missing out on a lot of spiked hair and denim. And now that I got that out of my system, back to Odenton. We met our homeboy and his girlfriend out for some good ol' Mexican food at a little place called Pachanga Grill and let me tell you.. the tequila was flowing! The food was pretty standard Mexican food but their queso was really good and not at all like the standard cheese dip most Mexican restaurants serve. Also, I had guacamole on my nachos and it was pretty delish! The real hoot was the argument about single margaritas versus ordering a pitcher. Our server told us that a pitcher was approximately 4 margs so after already gulping down 3 margs each, we ordered a pitcher to see just how many it actually was. There was a little more than 4 in a pitcher but certainly not THAT much more. After that many margaritas we were already feeling good but that didn't stop us. If anything, it encouraged more bad behavior like ZJ stealing the wooden spoon from the margarita pitcher (it was returned before we left!) and C. telling the waitress my "tiny tummy" just couldn't handle all the food there. I mean she probably thought we were all crazy. 

So what did we do after leaving Pachanga Grill? We obviously picked up some beer and headed back to ZJ's to continue the party. It was at his place that I learned why Lisa Left Eye Lopez was called "Left Eye." Apparently, she wore a condom on her left eye to promote safe sex. Yep, didn't know that!  It was also where we watched this hilarious video and brought this song back from the grave. There is always something to do in Baltimore because it's such a big city but sometimes you just want to have a ridiculous dinner with some close friends and hang out with the comforts of home and YouTube videos. 

Sidenote: I'm pretty sure I was the only one that didn't wake up with a hangover on Saturday. WINNING! 

Fed Hill-oween!

This post is going to be pretty short because there's really not a whole lot you can say about Halloween. I mean... you know the drill... COSTUMES, BOOZE, DANCING.

I can't even explain how I excited I get when Halloween rolls around. It is absolutely one of the funnest holidays to celebrate, especially as an adult! As a kid, Halloween is fun because you get to stuff your face full of candy and go into a sugar coma, whereas adults stuff their faces with alcohol and usually dress inappropriately for their ages... and sometimes body types. Even though it wasn't quite All Hallow's Eve yet, we celebrated last weekend in Fed Hill with one of my best friends and our main squeezes. CJ and her man went as Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox while C. and I went as Minions! We all looked super adorbs and ended up having so much fun. Federal Hill does Halloween up big with a celebration called Fed-Hill-Oween which is totally worth the $7 ($10 the night of) they charge you to participate. It's basically a bar crawl throughout the neighborhood and a super fun costume contest. We arrived around 7pm to the headquarters, Mother's. This is where we picked up our wristbands which is crucial! The wristband guarantees you discounted drink specials at each bar participating and when you pick up the wristband, you are also given a number. We put our number on C.'s back so people along the bar hop or just people on the street could text it in to vote for our costumes. The best part of the entire night was just people watching and judging everyone's ridiculous costumes. It was so much fun. Lots of drinking and dancing (including CJ and C.'s dance off at Ropewalk Tavern) and just a ton of fun. If you are ever in the Baltimore area for Halloween and you love dressing up... please participate! You won't regret it... unless your costume is bad. And trust me, there were some bad ones...

Below are some pictures of our shenanigans from the night. It's ok if you laugh at our ridiculousness... we did! :)

Babe the Blue Ox (CJ) and 2 crazy minions. Thanks for being my sidekick, C.!

Babe and Paul Bunyan! What a beautimous couple <3

CJ found Ted. Ted was so sad.... 

Double the Drinks, Double the Fun!

A few of our good friends have been telling us about a local bar nearby called Pub Dog and I suggested we try it out since we were looking for something to do for the football games this past weekend. They have two locations, one in Federal Hill and one in Columbia. Since Columbia is right around the corner from us, that's the location we opted for, but there's no difference in the two except for the geography and probably the age of people that frequent them.

Since our game was a noon game, it wasn't busy at all but they started filling up right around evening time when we rolled out. I'm told they get packed on weekend nights and after trying it out, I can see why. If you're looking for a 5 star dinner and some snooty wine, this isn't the place for you but if you're looking for a good beer (or two!), then pop in. And when I say a beer or two... I mean it. Pub Dog's claim to fame is when you order a beer, they bring you two! "Same time, Same kind" is how they word it on their menus, so don't order 2 different beers unless you want 4 mugs in front of you. This is what they call their "Dog Deal." It is only $4.50 and the beers are all their own, crafted right in house so it's definitely worth it. You aren't just seeing double with the beer either! If you order a water, they bring you 2. If you order a coke, they bring you 2. I think you get the picture by now, but if you've never been or if you weren't expecting it, it sort of throws you off a little. The beers were all pretty good but C. ordered a Raspberry Dog beer his first go-round and I have to say.. YUCKKKK! I'm sure there are some of you out there that would like it, but no one in our group liked it AT ALL. So just be warned. Anywayyyy, I'm sure you're thinking "Wow, they must really be trying to get people hammered if they bring you two beers at a time," but not at all. The trick is you are getting two mugs of beer, but it's not much different than ordering a pint because the mugs are only 8oz. Of course, they have to serve food with all that beer flowing from the taps and what goes better with booze than pizza?! Their menu consists mostly of personal thin crust pizzas and a few appetizers and salads. The pizzas were pretty decent. I had the Cajun Dog Pizza which was pretty good, but it wasn't the best pizza I've ever had. They also have a menu item called a pizza sandwich, where you pick two pizzas and they smash them together to make... well, a pizza sandwich. The atmosphere was a lot of fun (which is why I think most people go here).. we played shuffleboard, met a few nice people and watched the bartenders get drunk. Yeppp, they were drinking beers and taking shots with some of the customers... where do I apply, right?! We also learned that dogs are more than welcome here! And why not? I mean, it is called Pub DOG and all of their beers and pizzas have dog somewhere in the name. The dogs aren't allowed inside, but you can have them outside on the deck and they get served as well. The dogs are served up a bowl of water and dog biscuits. I love restaurants/bars that do this sort of thing because it gives me just one more excuse to take my dogs out with me! I had a really good time and will definitely be back... with my furry friends, of course. :)

A couple of other fun facts:

• They offer a "Kennel Club" lunch card. It's valid Monday-Saturday 11-3. You receive a "punch" whenever you order a salad or pizza. After 8 punches, the next pizza or salad is free! I have mine and received my first punch this past weekend. :)

• The Columbia location offers live trivia on Monday nights at 7:30. You can have a team of up to 12 people and you can win cash prizes. Definitely worth checking out of you're closer to the Columbia location! 

Things That go Bump in the Night

This past weekend was terrifying for me and I'm not just talking about South Carolina losing to Tennessee by 2 points in the last few seconds of the game... because that was pertty horrible. I'm referring to a haunted house known as Bennett's Curse in Jessup, Maryland that was absolutely one of the scariest adventures I have ever been on. If you know me at all, you know I am FREAKED OUT by haunted houses. I don't know why but I seriously have panic attacks and go crazy even though I know it isn't real. Just click on the link to their website and you can tell that it's no joke in that place. I made the mistake of reading about this attraction, which has been featured on the Travel Channel and was also voted scariest haunt in Baltimore/Washington for the past 5 years, so I think I had it hyped up so much in my head that it was even scarier when I actually went in. The tickets range in prices depending on if you want VIP treatment (i.e., you don't want to wait in line because they can get pretty long) but we opted for the $30 general admission tickets because even those tickets come with some perks. For example, there is a Bavarian Beer Garden called Blob's Park right beside Bennett's Curse that sometimes has a cover charge, but if you go into the haunted house, they will waive your cover charge. So that's kind of nice if you go on a super busy night when there's a cover. It wasn't very busy at all on the night we went so there weren't long lines for the haunted houses (there's 3 different haunted houses inside this one giant dome) and there was no cover for Blob's Park. Anyway, let me break this crazy horrifying place down for you.

Basically it's THREE haunted houses in ONE and they were all pretty legit as far as monster makeup and levels of scariness. When you enter, this super creepy guy follows you all the way to the ticket lady so you are immediately ready to get out as fast as possible. He eventually gets to the door and it turns out, he's a vampire they hired to give you the rules. No running, no touching anything, no pictures and no turning back. The last rule was incredibly difficult for me because as soon as he said it, I wanted to turn around. We bravely lined up and entered the darkness. This is where the journey became really uncomfortable for my fiance because I literally had a death grip on his shirt and refused to let go no matter how much he was swatting me. I also kept burying my head in his back... sorry, C., but it couldn't be helped. 

The first phase of the dome is "House of the Vampyres." When you walk in, you know there is no Edward Cullen around the corner to sparkle and light your way through. Oh no, shit stuff gets real. They have real people dressed up in the most elaborate makeup (no wonder they were featured on Making Monsters) and they also have insane mechanical aspects too. We rounded one corner and was face to face with this GINORMOUS vampire head that shot out of the wall and was seriously about to eat me. This monster also had a giant hand that came out as well, and while I didn't see it, apparently it cut our friends off from us altogether and they had to squeeze by to escape and catch up to us. When leaving the Vampire phase, a wall LITERALLY starts to shut you in, so you have to hurry it up before you are crushed. I'm sure they don't actually crush people, but if you're claustrophobic, it's going to be a bad time. 

Then begins phase two: "Zombie Kingdom 3D!" That's right... 3D. These creepy zombies chase you down to give you 3D glasses which you wear while the living dead is trying to maul you. Everything was painted with glow in the dark neon paint, which made the skulls on the wall literally pop out and every zombie was painted brightly as well, so you knew just how close death was. At the end you walk through a giant vinyl tube that feels like you are trapped but you eventually reach the end. Downside to this tube? It REEKED of body odor. I seriously thought I was going to pass out from the awful smell, but I was sweating like crazy because it was hot and I was all freaked out thinking I was going to die, so I can see how it happens. It was definitely insane which brings me to phase 3...

"Sanctuary of Insanity!" This was probably the BEST and WORST part of the whole place. Definitely the scariest, which is probably why they saved it for last. It's COMPLETELY dark. I mean PITCH BLACK so you are feeling your way through the whole thing and then out of nowhere, creepers with flashlights appear right beside or behind you screaming in your ears. And sometimes when you were searching or feeling for a wall or which way to turn, BOOM... you are actually grabbing a "mental patient." I mean, it was truly the stuff of my nightmares. The very last room had tons of strobe lights going and was filled with crazy people locked in cells all trying to get out and grab you. They were all in straight jackets with crazy hair and make up, but some of them were loose and would just run up RIGHT beside you and screech as loud as possible in your ear and they just kept saying they were going to get you. It was absolutely horrifying. We finally made it to the end, where of course a guy with a chainsaw chases you out. I think that's just a rule if you have a haunted house because I've never been to one that didn't have a crazy chainsaw man at the end.

Anyway, after we caught our breath and realized we weren't going to die, we wandered over to the beer garden to drink our fears away. It was HUGE but it was also completely empty. The bartender was really nice though and told us that usually they have performers/bands/dancers so I'll definitely be going back on a night where they have something going on. Their beer was really, really good and just what I needed after being chased by vampires, zombies and crazies. Even if haunted houses aren't your thing, you should try this one out just to see the makeup and elaborate special effects! It was incredible how life like they make some of their monsters. Even if you can't make it out, at least YouTube their work. They certainly have some talented people working for them! 

Cheers to surviving Bennett's Curse! 

B. and Z. Take the Zoo

One of my very good friends was in town for about a week and on his last day here, we wanted to do something low key because he had an early morning flight. Obviously, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is what came to mind. I LOVE zoos. I cannot emphasize that enough. Every single time I go to the zoo, I come away having discovered some new crazy animal I had never heard of, like for example, the Hellbender. As disgusting as this salamander (or "snot otter" as some call them) is, I never knew he was out there! If you can't tell, whenever I'm at the zoo my inner nerd does cartwheels and somersaults. The only part about the zoo that freaks me out would have to be the caves and the Baltimore zoo had plenty of them. The caves are usually dedicated to the snakes and spiders and other horrifying creepy crawlies. I push through so I can look brave but inside I'm running away screaming. Since it was a Tuesday, Z. and I had NO problem getting in and wandering around because it was completely empty. They offer a courtesy shuttle to the main zoo area if you don't want to use the walking path and when we reached the shuttle stop, we were the only ones in line and the only ones on the bus, which was kind of nice because normally zoos are filled with crying children and that one annoying little boy that wants to stick his gum in your hair (yeah, that happened to me once). It was a pretty standard zoo... they had all the big animals including: lions, chimpanzees, cheetahs, giraffes, rhinos, etc. They were all absolutely fascinating, but the one I loved the most was the POLAR BEAR! They house two polar bears but we only got to gander at the female and she was so funny. She actually woke up while we were there and started rolling around to appease an itch and then stretched out and yawned a bit before finding another spot to plop down and go back to sleep. I instantly fell in love. I'm gushing over all the animals we got to see but there were a few that were missing. They didn't have pandas (which isn't that uncommon because only a few zoos in the nation have a panda bear), koalas, gorillas, and a couple of others that I can't think of right off the top of my head. I know they have most of those at the D.C. zoo, so I can always just go there if I'm in the mood to ogle a koala. One of the biggest downsides to this zoo is the construction they have going on. There were several areas that were closed off due to construction. There was one very large work zone right by the cafeteria and carousel that is apparently going to be the new home for the penguins in 2015. Honestly, those penguins are going to have a baller house because it looked MASSIVE. There were also a few other small construction areas but the penguin habitat definitely is an eyesore at this point. Of course, it can't be helped. The cafeteria food was pretty standard and certainly nothing spectacular. I mean, it's just frozen food they stick in a fryer, right? We did the whole zoo in about 2.5-3 hours but that was because we knew it closed at 4 and wanted to see everything so we weren't really taking a lot of breaks.  If I go again, I'd probably make a whole day out of it and go on the weekend because it seemed like most of the talks and animal feedings happen on Saturdays. We did happen upon a "Big Tree Slide" at the end of a cave and really, really wanted to slide down it regardless of the "No Adults Allowed" signs but there were a couple of kids going down it and I didn't want their parents to judge me. It was a lot of fun and I would definitely go again, but I have been spoiled by the zoo in Columbia, SC and just kept comparing them in my head.


Perks of going on a random weekday: No lines and no crowds

Cons of going on a random weekday: The adult cafes that serve "Marga-cheetahs" are closed, there are no live feedings, and no talks/seminars on some of the animals

And yes, Marga-cheetahs are a real drink they serve.

All in all, I would give the zoo itself 3 out of 5 stars, but I would give the day 5 out of 5 stars! The zoo rating may change if I go back on the weekend or if I go back when they open the penguin exhibit in 2015!

I snapped a few shots while we were there so here's a few of my faves....

Leopard!

Polar bear! ... So adorbs...

Warthog, aka, a real life Pumba! Where's Timone?

Man's (and woman's!) Best Friend

A dog will teach you unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things won't be too bad.

I think Robert Wagner hit the nail on the head when he made that statement some years ago. My fiance and I own TWO Boykin Spaniels, a.k.a Swamp Poodles, and they are the sweetest, most loyal dogs we could ask for BUT if you know anything about the breed then you know they are hyper as fudge energetic! I am constantly looking for things to do with them to wear them out. Dog parks, ponds, even trips to PetSmart... anything to make them less hyper in the evenings. Fortunately, in a city this big there is ALWAYS something to do with them. Last weekend we discovered the Baltimore Humane Society Dog Fest so we immediately made plans to go. It was on a Saturday during the day which was perfect because it meant my fiance could go instead of me trying to wrangle both dogs all day by myself. We loaded up the Mini Cooper and headed out around noon. It was REALLY, REALLY hot outside which was one of the biggest downsides, because ALL of the dogs there were panting like crazy and trying to lay down as much as possible. There was a $10 entrance fee for the humans but it was worth it because all proceeds go to helping the humane society which is something I never mind. I mean, I can't even watch those Sarah McLachlan commercials without tearing up and scrambling to turn the channel as fast as humanly possibly so I'm certainly not even going to think twice about giving them $10. It's such a good cause and I can only hope more people get involved in helping out the humane society in their communities. Anyhoo, when you entered the Dog Fest, they gave you a bottle of cold water and a bowl for your little critters (thankfully, because like I said... it was burning up!) and they directed you to a GINORMOUS field set up with all sorts of fun for our furry friends. Some of the stations were free and some of them were $2-3 bucks. The dog swim was $3 and we really wanted to participate but the line was way too long by the time we got there so we decided to explore some of the other stations. They had so many fun games and contests including: Find the Treasure, Hide and Seek, Most Photogenic, Best Kisser, Smallest Dog, and the list goes on and on. The volunteers were all very helpful and really great with all the dogs. They even had an agility course if you wanted to see how skilled your pups could be at seesaws and jumping through hoops. Let's just say... you won't be seeing Rusty and Huck (our Boykins) on Animal Planet anytime soon! Eventually, it did get too hot for our pooches. Rusty just started plopping down anytime we found shade so we knew it was time to head back to the shaded area where they were serving food. They had 4-5 food trucks, including a SC BBQ truck that made me so happy to see, and lots of drink and dessert stands. Some of the food was a little bit pricey but a portion of it was all going to help the animals so I didn't mind as much. I had some delicious Ahi Tuna Tacos from the WOLO truck and C. got some concoction called a "Crab Cone" from a food truck called The Gypsy Queen. His food wasn't as good as mine, but we wanted to try a variety instead of both eating at the same truck. The fresh squeezed lemonade was probably my favorite part of the day, and it was probably only that good to me because of the heat but I don't care. We finally came full circle and ended up back at the beginning. While the Dog Fest was a lot of fun for the pooches and it was for a good cause, I still can't give it 5 stars. Obviously, they can't help the weather but some of the festivity lines could have been helped by letting more than one dog participate at a time. For example, the dog swim was the most popular event but so many people were skipping it because they would only let one dog swim at a time and the line just kept growing and growing. It was even longer when we left than we we arrived and it was pretty long when we got there. All in all, I give it 3.5 stars out of 5 and yes, I would do it again. Even if the humans don't have as much fun, the dogs had a blast and that's really why you go in the first place, right? I can't wait to do it again next year!

Oh yeah, another annoying aspect for us was people trying to guess what breed our dogs were. Being that they are a South Carolina breed, no one here has really ever seen them so we kept getting random people guessing things like "Is that the rare Lakota retriever?" or "Is that there a large cocker spaniel?"  <--- What the heck is a Large Cocker Spaniel? Is that even a thing? Needless to say, if you have a rare breed, beware the crazy questions. 

Bonus: Can you guess which one is Rusty and which one is Huck?

Fiesta... Wednesday?

We have been a one car couple since we moved to Baltimore so meeting in the city for lunch hasn't been an option but now that we finally have two cars, I decided to take advantage! I called up my beau and set a date for noon at a restaurant right across from where he works called Blue Agave!

It's a small Mexican restaurant that we have been wanting to try since we moved here but just never found the time. But boy, am I glad we did! Their daily lunch special was "Choose 2" for $8 and the list to choose from was pretty decent. There were 3 of us lunching (yes, I just used lunch as a verb) together and not one person was unhappy with their order. All 3 of us ordered the Soup of the Day which was Baja Chicken and it was absolutely one of the most delicious soups I've ever had at a Mexican restaurant. The table was full of chips and 4 types of salsa including guacamole. If you know me at all, you know that I am a guac snob. For some reason a lot of places just don't know how to make it very well. It's always too salty, or too watery or too chunky but not here! It is by far one of my favorite guacs anywhere and they bring a lot of it so we ended up taking it home and it is still good several hours later (refridgerate it, of course). Along with my soup, I ordered the Chicken Tacos and WOW. They were SO, SO, SO good. I will definitely be getting them again and from what I took from it, my fiance will be going to lunch there a lot more since he's right across the street. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try their drinks but they sure did sound tasty. Most Mexican restaurants are all the same to me, but I really enjoyed the food here and the openness of the building. We sat indoors but they have large shutter windows that they open on nice days so you can get the fresh air without sitting in the heat outdoors. And normally, I wouldn't have passed up the chance to try a Watermelon Margarita but I knew I was going to be driving all over getting errands done. Safety first, y'all! The next time I go, I'll make sure I hit up Happy Hour and see if it's worth it to pop in for some tequila inspired cocktails. ;)

Cha-Ching!

Yesterday, one of my very good friends flew to Baltimore to visit which gave me the perfect excuse to visit the local casino. Why did he give me the perfect excuse? Because he's a professional poker player! Super exciting, right? His lifestyle is fascinating, but I assure you I don't have the stamina or nerves for it. Staying up into the wee hours of the night and tossing around stacks of thousands of dollars like it's candy... talk about STRESS! I mean, I have a hard time losing $5, much less $50,000. He loves it though so it's the ideal job for him. When he arrived yesterday (after not sleeping all night from poker shenanigans!), we dropped his luggage off and headed straight for Maryland Live! Casino. 

*Sidenote: Maryland Live! Casino is not in Baltimore. It's in the Arundel Mills area which is about 10-15 minutes outside of downtown Baltimore.*

This casino is ALWAYS packed for some reason. It was a Tuesday at 2:00 in the afternoon and table games were still full. They also have unusually high minimums for all the games. The lowest minimum bet for Craps was $25, whereas in a lot of Vegas and Atlantic City casinos, you can easily find $5-$10 minimums. We played a few slot machines, one being Wheel of Fortune, because I am the master at slots. He put $300 in and within a few minutes the machine was lighting up and we cashed out for $625. Like I said... I'm the master at slots. Well, maybe not but I do get lucky a lot. I also became the shooter (person who rolls the dice) for a Craps game and was rolling pretty well! It was so much fun and we left a little richer which is probably not the norm in casinos. As fun as it was, I am just not a fan of casinos. This one in particular was a little less fun because it's a Maryland state law that they cannot serve alcoholic drinks for free. So if you are planning on posting up at the penny slots and drinking the night away, think again. Drinks here add up and if you're already gambling, it's not worth it. It is also a Maryland state law that you cannot smoke inside public buildings, including casinos. This doesn't bother me at all, but it is the first casino I have ever been to that didn't have smoking sections. The restaurants in this casino are all pretty standard: Cheesecake Factory, The Prime Rib, Etc. They do have a Bobby's Burger Palace (Bobby Flay's burgers!) that is outstanding. The burgers are SO good and the milkshakes are to die for. Seriously, if you go to this casino, just go for the food. We had dinner at a ritzy steak restaurant, The Prime Rib, and even though it was really good, it simply wasn't worth what you pay for it. Anyway, out of 5 stars, I give this casino a 2.5. But apparently if you're a high stakes gambler and you love poker, you would like it a lot more than little ol' me! There is a Harrah's casino opening in downtown Baltimore next year, so I'll be sure to check it out and let you know which one I like better... more than likely it will be the Harrah's, but you never know!

New Surroundings

I grew up in a small beach town in South Carolina so I've never really been in a city. I went to college in a "city" in SC but let's be real... cities in South Carolina are nowhere near the hustle and bustle as they are up north. 

Tangent: While I am aware that Maryland is below the Mason-Dixon line and parts of it are steeped in southern heritage, throughout my entire blog, I will maintain that Baltimore is very much a "northern" city. 

I have two rules about what makes an area "southern:" 

1. You can go into a local restaurant and order sweet tea without getting funny looks.

2. People are generally kind and hospitable. 

Baltimore does not adhere to either of those rules so in my book it's not the south. 

OKokok, enough of my ramblings on sweet tea and the south. The point is I am VERY excited and a little nervous about living in a "big" city! Not to mention, when most people think of Baltimore, they automatically picture scenes from The Wire and assume I'm going to be dead by the end of the year. Albeit, parts of Charm City are far less than charming, the heart of Baltimore is absolutely incredible! I mean have you ever been to the Inner Harbor or out in Fed Hill on a Saturday night? There is just so much to take in and so much to be a part of. My fiance works at a start up smack dab in the center of Fed Hill and he gets free valet parking so we don't encounter a lot of the parking woes that we hear about, which I'm guessing makes the city that much better for us. I have only been here for a couple of weeks but here's a few places I am already obsessed with:

1. Wegman's! 

It is the local grocery store where we live and I absolutely LOVE it. They are HUGE and they have just about anything you can think of. They have Seafood stations (pictured), butcher stations, Indian/Asian/Mediterranean/American/Mexican buffet bars if you're on the go and need a lunch fix. I mean, they are just amazing. My fiance is particularly ooo-ing and ahh-ing over their "Create your own Trail Mix" bar and while I am in love with the candy aisle, my butt isn't. Anyway... if you have never been to a Wegman's, you don't know what you're missing! 

2. Heavy Seas Beer! 

This is a local brand of beer that is ACTUALLY brewed in Baltimore unlike Natty Bo which claims to be. I recently went on the brew tour and it was just fascinating. We have done a bout of home brewing before so I have only known the process on such a small scale. First of all, the staff at this place was phenomenal and the beer was even better. I couldn't have asked for a better experience for $5. That's right! The tour was free but you could pay $5 bucks and try the beers while you toured! It is one of the funnest things I've done in Baltimore so far. Not to mention they are opening a new lounge on site so you can just go have a beer after work if you want. If you are ever in this area, DO IT! 

3. Social Pub and Pie!

Such a fun pub and GREAT prices. Forever, all people told me about was how pricey everything was in the city, especially eating out and having drinks. If you know me, you know I am a social butterfly but I was skeptical about going out here because I didn't want Good Time Charlie to get a hold of my wallet. I am lucky that one of my best friends has lived here for a while and she invited us out one evening to this little place! It was SO much fun. They have the best happy hour prices around and it doesn't just apply to drinks! You can get $5 pizzas, 50% off salads (that are only $9) and they also have an Orange Crush liquor drink that is to die for. I stuck to beer but CJ was helping herself to those crushes. ;) Needless to say, if you're in the city and you want a fun atmosphere with cheap dinner/drinks... this is the place to be! 

Baltimore is certainly a big place and I have tons more to explore but those are just a few little gems I have found so far. My fiance is going on a "Crabcake Tour" to discover which restaurant has Baltimore's BEST EVER crabcake. I'm sure he'll be sick of crab soon enough, but I'll keep you updated on the process once he gets started. Hope you enjoyed the read!