Christmas in Bawlmer: Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve day, we took Peter and Rose to Earth Treks in Timonium, MD, where we met our old friend and traveling companion, Dorothy Weatherby, and her granddaughter, Riley. (Actually, Dorothy is younger than we are, just known her forever). After the kids had finished scampering up the climbing walls as if born to it, they got a chance to explore the Lutherville Volunteer Fire Company's station (and equipment) in depth, thanks to Dorothy's son Steve, who serves as the station's Captain. We had a very good lunch (enjoyed by kids and adults alike) at Bluestone Restaurant, just around the corner from EarthTreks.
By the time Christmas Eve, itself, rolled around, Pete's brother, Steve, had arrived from Waterloo in upstate New York to spend his second Christmas in a row with us. The food shopping for dinner was done at Wegmans in Hunt Valley, MD, an extravagant supermarket chain that originated in Rochester, NY and is now overseen by CEO, Danny Wegman, who attended high school with Pete at McQuaid Jesuit. Wegmans has been on FORTUNE Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" every year in which the list has been published and in the top 10 since 2003, topping out at #1 in 2005. It is truly an extraordinary place; the Hunt Valley store is a tour bus destination and a foodie's delight. During our Christmas visit, we overheard one patron remark to his spouse: "If I lived near this store, I'd have to get a second job." As you can see, we are big fans, and we encourage you to pay a visit if you are ever in the vicinity of any of the company's 70+ stores.
Christmas Eve dinner started with champagne and steak tartare, made with choice filet mignon hand chopped by Lissa. That was followed by Pat's mussels and chorizo, served with a green salad and hunks of como bread — perfect for slopping up the residual sauce — and a fruity bottle of Spanish Grenache. If mussels aren’t a favorite, by all means use jumbo shrimp as a replacement. By unanimous consent, the planned cheese course finale was relegated to another day simply for lack of capacity.
By the time Christmas Eve, itself, rolled around, Pete's brother, Steve, had arrived from Waterloo in upstate New York to spend his second Christmas in a row with us. The food shopping for dinner was done at Wegmans in Hunt Valley, MD, an extravagant supermarket chain that originated in Rochester, NY and is now overseen by CEO, Danny Wegman, who attended high school with Pete at McQuaid Jesuit. Wegmans has been on FORTUNE Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" every year in which the list has been published and in the top 10 since 2003, topping out at #1 in 2005. It is truly an extraordinary place; the Hunt Valley store is a tour bus destination and a foodie's delight. During our Christmas visit, we overheard one patron remark to his spouse: "If I lived near this store, I'd have to get a second job." As you can see, we are big fans, and we encourage you to pay a visit if you are ever in the vicinity of any of the company's 70+ stores.
Christmas Eve dinner started with champagne and steak tartare, made with choice filet mignon hand chopped by Lissa. That was followed by Pat's mussels and chorizo, served with a green salad and hunks of como bread — perfect for slopping up the residual sauce — and a fruity bottle of Spanish Grenache. If mussels aren’t a favorite, by all means use jumbo shrimp as a replacement. By unanimous consent, the planned cheese course finale was relegated to another day simply for lack of capacity.
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