Catrin Davies

The Friends of Mount Vernon Place are looking for volunteers to help beautify our parks; specifically the East Park in Mount Vernon Place. The North and West Park were tackled a few weeks ago, so now it's time to finish the job and plant bulbs in the remaining area. If you're interested, come to the Park this Saturday at 9am. If you have them, please bring your gardening gloves and a trowel. The event will take place in rain or shine, so dress appropriately. (As we're supposed to have great weather, hopefully raincoats and wellies will not be needed.) Munchies and good company will be provided! And you do not need to be an experienced gardener, just someone who is willing to learn. If you're interested, please contact Cathy Rosenbaum at 410-560-0180 or cathy@ccrrar.com

We're almost through the holiday season! In fact, since this is the last day of 2008, I shall end it in style: with a blog entry. Clearly, I am getting a head start on my new year's resolution of blogging more frequently. Less clear is what I should blog about in this installment. I have had so many wonderful Christmas treats this year, many of which have been in Mount Vernon, that it's hard to pick just one. But one highlight keeps jumping out at me: the Holly Tour. www.hollytour.com

I've been one of the Mount Vermin for eight years, and have managed to attend the Holly Tour on several occasions. It is an amazing opportunity to snoop into other peoples' houses. Seriously though, it's an amazing opportunity to see, in detail, the architectural beauty of Mount Vernon, and its beautiful décor, Christmas and otherwise. The Holly Tour is organized by the Friends of Mount Vernon Place, "a membership organization, which is dedicated to the conservation and revitalization of the Mount Vernon Place parks to make them more civil public spaces. [Their] purpose is to enable residents and visitors to enjoy the wealth of natural beauty, historical significance and cultural resources of Mount Vernon Place." www.friendsofmountvernonplace.org All proceeds from the Tour goes to this organization. Tickets can be ordered online, for the bargain price of $25.

This year, the Tour registration was at the Monumental Life Building. You were issued a Holly Tour Guidebook, which served not only as a wealth of information about the 12 fabulous buildings on the route, but also as your ticket to gain entry into them. Despite gusty, chilly weather, intrepid tourers viewed the properties, taking as much time as they wanted in each property. The 2008 Holly Tour focused on Biddle Street, with three properties within a two block radius, and a fourth just off of Biddle on Hunter St. The entire route spanned much of the neighborhood, with the farthest afield being Tyson St. The properties included personal residences, as well as Government House (www.ci.baltimore.md.us/visitor/inn@gh/), The Belvedere (www.belvederebaltimore.com ), decorative arts design firm McLain Wiesand (www.mclainwiesand.com), and Agora Publishing (www.agora-inc.com/Mtvrn.htm ), among others.

The only complaint I heard was that the distance of the route was a bit much for some of the guests with impaired mobility. However, since the tour is self-guided, it is easy to go to as many or as few of the properties as one chooses. And with all of the restaurants and coffee shops in Mount Vernon, there were plenty of places from which to choose to sit for a break or have a hot drink along the way. The only suggestion I heard for the 2009 Holly Tour organizers was that they consider having a spring tour, too! I second this idea, not because they weather was too cold, but because then I'd get to snoop...I mean see... into peoples' gardens, as well as their homes! Many thanks to the organizers and volunteers of the 2008 Holly Tour. A job well done!

As everyone knows, I love my neighborhood. In my opinion, Mount Vernon is the best place to live in Baltimore City. (I will entertain arguments to the contrary, of course, so please feel free to respond with why your neighborhood is the pinnacle of city living.)

I was reminded of the joys of Mount Vernon while helping a few clients look for rentals. My partner and I primarily work in sales, but about 10% of our business comes from rentals, with that percentage most likely increasing in this economic climate.

One of the most popular buildings for rent is 1101 Saint Paul, or the Saint Paul at Chase. www.stpaulatchase.com/spac_home.htm It might not be the most esthetically pleasing structure to look at, but the views from the building are spectacular. If the position of the unit is on the southern side, and you're above the 6^th floor, you can usually see all the way down to the water. The rooms are spacious and light, with a functional layout. There is 24 hour security and parking (for rent) in the lower level. Additionally, 1101 Saint Paul has one of the best staffs in the city. The doormen and the ladies who work the front desk are charming, with colorful personalities that reflect the diversity of experience in Baltimore. As you enter the lobby, you can always expect a welcome from the employees - they become an integral part of your neighborhood. One of my most treasured memories associated with 1101 Saint Paul is when one of the doormen allowed me to hear about his experiences in World War II, and did me the honor of showing me both a picture of him as a young man in uniform, and his dog tags, which he still wears.

Another popular building is The Belvedere, or 1 East Chase. www.belvederebaltimore.com It is a beautiful example of Beaux Arts architecture, with a magnificent lobby of marble and gilt. It's located at the top of Mount Vernon, and has commanding views of the city, especially from its bar/lounge, the 13^th Floor. There are other bars and restaurants in the building, including the Owl Bar (which was a speak-easy during Prohibition) and Red Square. www.redsqauremd.com The Belvedere opened its doors in 1903 as a hotel, and countless luminaries stayed there during its reign as the "Grand Dame of Baltimore." If you'd like a glimpse of some of those actors, politicians, musicians and royalty who frequented the hotel, the hallway leading from the lobby to the Owl Bar displays a variety of photographs.

Still another sought-after building in the same few blocks is 1001 Saint Paul. Like Saint Paul at Chase and the Belvedere, one can rent or buy a unit in this building, subject to availability. Unlike the other buildings, 1001 Saint Paul does not have 2 bedroom units. It has 1 bedroom units, and efficiencies. It has a concierge desk and a convenience store in the basement. It also has a wonderful roof deck which is open to all of its residents, and a newly opened garage on the lower level.

Stay tuned for other installments on rentals in Mount Vernon! There are so many types and styles of buildings in our neighborhood, and I think they all deserve to be blogged about. I'll write a few entries on what is available.

There are plenty of restaurants in Mount Vernon, which is one of the benefits of this fabulous neighborhood. (Along with the boutiques, the park, the cultural institutions, the performing venues, etc.) And I love food. So I suspect that quite a few of my blogs will be about meals that I've had in and around Baltimore.

This past weekend I had the good fortune to go to a restaurant that is a staple of not only the Mount Vernon scene, but the entire city. Restaurants come and go, and it's exciting when a new and interesting one pops onto the radar. But I confess that I am a sucker for tradition, and I greatly enjoy the establishments that have been a mainstay for many years.

So, on Saturday night I put on my Loehmanns find and some sparkly shoes and walked up Saint Paul St. I hooked a right on Chase, and walked a block and a half to the architectural monstrosity that is Horizon House. In such unprepossessing surroundings, it is always a surprise to find that in the basement of that building resides "The Prime Rib."

When you step inside, the bland, cement block feeling inspired by Horizon House dissolves. You are greeted by a tuxedoed maitre d', who is unfailingly attentive, but not stuffy. This is Baltimore, after all. The décor is dated, but purposefully so. The Prime Rib first opened its doors in 1965, but the décor is reminiscent of a 1940's supper club. There is dark lacquered paneling with gold trim, comfy leather chairs, white starched tablecloths and napkins, and leopard print carpet. I would usually go out on a limb and say that wall-to-wall animal print is not a good design choice, but trust me, it works. The bar is on the left, and serves all of the classic cocktails. I couldn't resist ordering a dirty Martini and watching as old Baltimore came in for their special occasions. I only eavesdropped for a short time, but there were at least two birthdays and an anniversary being celebrated. If my snooping capabilities were in doubt, the jazz trio cleared it up by playing tasteful renditions of "Happy Birthday" at the diners' request. May I say that it was delightful to have live music throughout the evening. I know of no other restaurant in Charm City that has live music every night. If I had my way, every establishment would have a piano and a talented musician behind it adding atmosphere to the dining experience.

When we finished our cocktails and were shown to our seats, we were squashed in, cheek by jowl, between two other couples. Since we were also celebrating a birthday, we decided to ask for a change of table. It was a busy Saturday night, so I was skeptical that the maitre d' would be able to accommodate our request. However, not two minutes later we were seated at a table that lent itself to a much more intimate evening. That kind of hospitality and attention to detail was consistent throughout the meal.

We decided, because it was a special occasion, to each have a starter and split them between us. Luckily for us, the chef made a mistake on the portions, so instead of half a portion of Lobster bisque, we both had a whole portion. And this bisque is not for the faint-hearted. I think it was the thickest I've ever had, but not lumpy in the slightest. The shrimp cocktail consisted of four enormous shrimp, and was good but unremarkable. For the main course, we had the New York Strip, done medium and in Pittsburgh style. It was superb, and I had enough to take home for the next day. And I only had the twelve ounce! The sides were creamed spinach and the stuffed baked potato, a Prime Rib specialty. When we inquired of our waiter with what it was stuffed, he responded that it was a mixture of seven cheeses, but he was unable to reveal the secret recipe. Our interested piqued, we ordered it and were glad we did. Finally, we finished off with the bourbon bread pudding, which was excellent.

If you are reading this thinking that I am an enormous glutton, you are correct, and I was very glad of a gentle walk home. However, in my defense, we arrived at the restaurant at 7:30, and did not depart until 11:30, taking the concept of a leisurely meal to heart. It was an added graciousness on the part of the staff that no one made us feel as if we needed to rush. It was a wonderful evening, and all within a few blocks of my home. There's a reason The Prime Rib has been around for over forty years - you just can't get enough of a classic.