Wag the Dog

It's been a little while since I've been in Wags on South Market Street...at least since my days with the Gazette ended last August. I used to go there on occasion with some of the other reporters for lunch. I'm happy to report that it's the same old Wags.

Wags is pretty much just your friendly neighborhood bar. The fact that it's downstairs will evoke thoughts of Cheers, but darker and with American pub-grub. You're pretty much looking at a menu of sandwiches, burgers, and fries. However, don't go there looking for wings - it is not an item on their menu.

They do a good burger, and for my dollar, have the best fries in town.

If you're looking for the high-end bar with 100 different beers from around the world, this isn't the place for you. If you're looking for a decent burger, a bottle of Sam Adams or Yeungling, and fast, friendly service, then you've found the right place.

As always, the servers and bartenders are a bit informal, but very attentive and the kitchen has a fast turn around. It's a great place to go if you're in a hurry but still want to sit down to eat, because you can be out of there in less than a half-hour, but the atmosphere is conducive to staying longer if you so choose.

Two issues, one a warning for non-smokers - Wags is a small place and the smoke is noticeable even in the non-smoking section (their filtration unit doesn't appear to do a whole hell of a lot). The other issue is that the bathrooms both appear dingy and dirty (my wife used the men's room because of the perceived state of the women's room).

On a different note -

Drivers in and around Frederick County take note! As you are driving in the evening please beware. With the most recent snowfalls deer and other animals have been wandering more and more into the developed areas and ending up dead on the roads. While multiple deer on the side of the road has become a common place item for me to see, this is not the issue (though hitting one can total your car).

The issue is the other animal that I have commonly seen over the last ten days. I have seen, or caught heavy wind of the carcasses of at least half-a-dozen skunks over the same period. Please try, whenever possible, to avoid hitting the little buggers - not only is it like setting off chemical weapons that linger in an area, but the scent will stay on your car for sometime afterwards.

First Friday Calling again...

Brunswick is holding their monthly First-Friday event this week with an "Art Abounds" theme. It appears that the focus is heavily on the families with the art displays and events related to the kids.

Things to do will include a performance by the Brunswick High School Jazz Band and sidewalk chalk drawing for the rugrats.

Wish I'd caught this sooner - http://www.downtownfrederick.org/play/ProgressiveDinner.htm

Oh well - will try to keep an eye out for it for next year.

However, this Saturday's Gallery Walk in downtown Frederick is a celebration of the event's 4th birthday -

On Saturday, March 3rd from 5 - 9 PM, First Saturday Gallery Walk turns 4 years old! Help First Saturday celebrate its birthday with FREE birthday cake & punch at three locations, birthday-themed decor on the streets of Downtown Frederick, and party favors given out by participating
merchants!

Will post more for this weekend as I become aware of it.

And a fun time was had by all...

I'm not going to go into great detail as I was covering the event for the Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, but the people who didn't show up at the Talley Rec Center on Saturday night for the Frederick Winterfest missed out. However, it's always been my contention that any night that features Blues, brews, and barbecue is a good night.

The evening kicked off with local favorite Flatfoot Sam, featured beer from Wild Goose, Barley and Hops, and Brewer's Alley, as well as food from the Hempen Hill BBQ Bar and Grill out of Hagerstown. Look for the beer information in MABN, but I'll touch very briefly on the bands (enjoyable if you're thing is Blues, classic rock or even a bit of Jazz) and the food.

Hempen Hill offered pulled pork and beef sandwiches, a variety of non-alcoholic drinks, as well as sides such as their own smokehouse macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw (amongst other items). I had a pulled pork sandwich and side of the Mac & Cheese.

While I prefer a "wet-style" barbecue, Hempen Hill makes their pull with a dry-rub, which was decent, though not powerful. As caterers though, they did have barbecue sauces available for those who were dining.

The Mac & Cheese appeared to be topped with smoked Gouda - a nice if surprising addition to a standard.

Keep an eye out for this event next year, it's worth your time. And remember to get a babysitter - it is an over 21 only event.

Westminster Ink: A Tale of Two Cities...

As I'm sure many readers are aware, this month Westminster banned tattoo parlors from opening in its downtown historic district because, to quote from a Baltimore Examiner story, "'Our Main Street is a historic Main Street that is quaint and has small boutiques that are family-oriented,' Council Member Gregory Pecoraro said. 'This is part of what we are trying to create.'"

There are so many things wrong with that statement, I'm not even completely sure where to begin - so I'm just going to choose a random place and work my way through the issues.

Let's start with this concept - the City of Frederick, which, by all accounts, has experienced something of a Renaissance over the course of the last decade, is very family friendly. The city hosts four tattoo parlors either in, or on the edge of the Historic District - three are within a block of each other. The three within a block of each other are in a block and a half stretch that until recently has struggled to retain businesses. In the last twenty months the area has welcomed three new retail presences, two new restaurants, and a salon.

In previous discussions I have had with the director of Westminster's Department of Economic Development (when working for the Gazette), Stanley Ruchlewicz said that the hopes are that Westminster can experience the same success Frederick has experienced in revitalizing its downtown. For the record, Ruchlewicz was against this ban.

Let's take a look at the concept of "family oriented" from both a financial and a social standpoint. Sure, the tattoo parlor is not exactly the first place that most Americans are looking to bring their children, but you have to look at what a destination business does for other businesses.

Tattoos are not short work, and college age people through their mid-twenties will often go with friends to get their tattoos - the friend might not be getting one, but you often get the moral supporter along for the ride. These people spend significant time in these areas and will often spend other money at the local bars and restaurants. There's the financial, now for the social.

When I was growing up in the 1970's and 1980's there was a certain perception about people with tattoos. They were worn by the rebellious, the fringe, the dangerous. They were a warning sign telling the middle and upper-classes "beware of me, I'm the boogeyman." With everyone and their mother getting them now of days, the idea that people with tattoos are not the "family-oriented" types that Westminster wants to attract, then maybe it would be for the best that the tattooed freaks don't visit Westminster.

By the way - that dragonfly on the left is on my wife and I designed it for her.

This Weekend's Big Event in Frederick

Frederick area blog hoppers have probably already seen the listing from the Frederick Winterfest over at Frednet, so I'll keep this short.

The Winterfest is this Saturday at the Talley Rec Center on Bentz Street. Doors open at 5:00 PM, tickets are $20.00 per person and includes two beers or two glasses of wine, and live music. Barley and Hops, Brewers Alley, and Wild Goose/Flying Dog will be represented at the little soiree, and food can be purchased from Hempen Hill BBQ Bar and Grill, a Hagerstown-based pub.

I will be attending the event, covering it for The Mid-Atlantic Brewing News.

For the beauty pageant set, the annual Miss Frederick pageant is taking place this Saturday at Frederick Community College. The event is scheduled for 7:00 PM in the Jack Kussmaul Theater.

Tickets are available by phoning 301-845-4893, or can be purchased at the door. The box office will open at 6 p.m. and tickets are $15 each, which includes a program book.

On a sad note, Jim's Liquors in Antietam Plaza was burned down under what, right now, appear to be a set of murky circumstances. The conflagration took with it a number of other businesses in that resided in the building.

Initial reports are that the incident stemmed from a botched robbery attempt, but friends and family of the would-be robber deny that this was the case, citing a personal relationship with the liquor store owner. Curiously, the liquor store owner, who is supposedly the one who contacted the police in the first place (or whatever employee was working there at the time), has not corroborated this telling. Also, and I will be quite honest about this, when your nickname is "Menace" and you're not a five year old blond haired boy, it seriously puts intentions into question.

My condolences do go out to the family, and I understand the instinct to defend one of your own, but there are things that just don't add up in the family's defense of "Menace."

A Little Word on The Departed...

Caught Best Pic nominee The Departed at Holiday Cinemas this past weekend and it was definitely worth the price of admission. That's saying a lot considering I don't generally like Leonardo DiCaprio. If you like a good gang flick, this fits the bill.

If you have a problem with violent films...well, you're probably not going to go to a Scorsese film anyway.

With strong performances all around, it's difficult to point to one that outshines any of the others. Damon and DiCaprio work as opposite sides of the same coin. Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg were excellent as the men trying to put Jack Nicholson away, and Jack, as always, is Jack.

The film is 151 minutes, but moves much faster than that. Currently the movie is available on DVD, however, if you're a fan of Martin Scorsese then its worth your time to catch this on the big screen.

Daytrippin Culpeper

Approximately an hour and forty minutes away, Culpeper makes a good meeting point for the day if one has friends or relatives coming from points south, but doesn't currently have enough to merit a day trip.

One of the town's problems in its quaint historic district is the lack of restaurants that are actually open for lunch. It's prize-jewel, the well reviewed Foti's Italian restaurant, is open for lunch during the week, but is not on Saturday - a common issue amongst the finer establishments in downtown.

For that reason, the It's About Thyme cafe does very good business during the Saturday lunch rush. Don't get me wrong, the meal I had was excellent - fettuccine Alfredo with sun-dried tomatoes followed by a flowerless chocolate torte - but there were constantly people waiting to be seated due to the fact that there were few other dining options.

The main drag in the historic district was lined with small boutiques, but none of the shops were out of the ordinary. The Cameleer was worth a visit, but was reminiscent of Ten Thousand Villages, and there was a nice Irish shop that carried the typical items for that sort of store.

Culpeper might work better as a base of operations - the sort of place where you get a room at a bed and breakfast in order to visit the attractions that are within half an hour of the location, including the multiple wineries and equestrian farms.