I love grocery shopping. Absolutely love it. I’m proud to say that I think part of my grocery shopping success — what makes it feel more like a pleasant outing than a chore — is that I don’t subject myself to the giant chains. It’s not hard, since Baltimore is a town with a spectrum of options when it comes to stocking the kitchen, and among the crowd one store stands out: Eddie’s of Roland Park. How, exactly? Well, for generations it has offered the finest meats and produce, fancy foods and one-of-a-kind customer service that families in North Baltimore have come to rely on and cherish.

This Saturday, the Baltimore culinary landmark celebrates 20 years (and three generations) at the Charles Street store with a “Shop Local” anniversary event.  The event is meant as a way to say “thank you” to customers old and new, while offering tastings from some of Maryland’s finest food purveyors. This doesn’t just mean tasty samples (though of course, there’ll be plenty). It also means a meet-and-greet with local vendors.  As Nancy Cohen, President of Eddie’s (and the daughter of its founder, Victor Cohen) tells us, “We have always prided ourselves on our relationships with local vendors. We like to say that we promoted local products before it was fashionable to do so.” And in terms of selecting local products for its shelves, Eddie’s certainly knows how to pick ‘em. The store has been a dedicated carrier of Zeke’s Coffee (the treasured local roaster currently has Orioles themed coffees available in the stores) as well as of Albert Kirchmayr—a noted local purveyor of top-quality, hand-crafted chocolates. They also carry Vanns Spices—locally bottled herbs, spices and seasoning blends favored by chefs and home cooks across the country. “What makes these vendors special,” says Cohen,  “is the care they take in making their products. They use the best ingredients in products that make Baltimore proud. We know our customers like to support local businesses and small businesses, as do we. These vendors are not big corporations, they are small, closely held businesses, just like Eddie’s of Roland Park.” Read More →

$2,590,000
7343 Brightside Road, Baltimore
6 bedroom(s), 8 bathroom(s)
7,700 square feet

From the realtor’s website: “Gorgeous Custom Home under construction in the heart of desirable Ruxton, steps from Lake Roland. Open floor plan boasts 10 ft ceilings throughout, two masonry fireplaces, dual staircases, an elevator and more. Gourmet Kitchen includes Viking 48″ dual fuel range, wine cooler, dishwasher drawer and ceiling height Brookhaven maple cabinets. Still time to select finishes in this exquisite home!”

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Hot House: 25 Woodbrook Lane, Baltimore, Md. 21212

Stone manor-style house, circa 1934, with five acres of land, backing on the seventh hole of the Elkridge Club golf course. Eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms, on three stories, 7,724sq. feet: $2.5 million

What:   Among the finest houses in Baltimore — built for the owner’s family by Laurence Fowler, a well known Baltimore architect (see Guilford) — this is its first time on the market in over fifty years. Rolling front yard feels like the English countryside — giant ginko trees, looming pines — think Downton Abbey (and you, strolling the grounds with your lab). The façade is a warm, weathered stone. You enter the center hall, with black and white marble floors, at once grand and welcoming, and turn to face a large living room, butternut-wood paneled library, and dining room off the main foyer. French doors in nearly every room all seem to have a southern exposure – this is by design. Down the east wing is the large, sunny kitchen. Bathrooms and kitchen probably want redoing, but overall, the house is in mint condition — slate roof appears in perfect shape, the basement warm and dry, and with its baronial fireplace, evoking a medieval mead hall. Bedrooms upstairs are large, bright and generously supplied with both closets and views. Too numerous to mention are the architectural details — carved wooden moldings, casement windows with bronze mullions, etc. — throughout the house. And yes, just past the trees in the back, visible from the stone patio off the library, rolling green hills and the challenge of the seventh hole.  

Where: A prime location, Woodbrook Lane combines the feel of a rural country lane with immediate, but invisible, access to Charles Street.  Coming north on Charles Street, out of the city, Woodbrook Lane is on the left, just past the Brown Memorial Church. The house is second on the left, windows shining in the sun, at the top of the hill. At its end, the street runs into Robert E. Lee Park, so there’s no through traffic, and it’s quiet at all hours.

Would Suit: Lord and Lady Grantham – of Baltimore

Why: Gorgeous old trees, copper gutters, stonework details – they don’t make houses like this anymore.

Why not:  ”Trees, schmees” – you’d rather a newly-built, fully-wired French chateau in Owings Mills.

NB: The original 17-acre lot is being subdivided, so that you will have five new houses — on two acre lots — nearby in a few years.