Saturday, October 31, 2009

Saturday

Lots of breakfast baked goods including scones and ginger muffins with gran marnier frosting.

and a Tuscan Black Bean Strata

Soups:

Borscht - vegan
Creamy Mushroom - vegetarian

Panini:
The Torpedo is back! Italian sausage and pepperonata stuffed in a ciabatta sub roll.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Friday Specials

Soups:
Borscht - vegan
Cauliflower Potato Curry - vegetarian
Harvest Split Pea- vegan

Panini:
The Torpedo is back! Italian sausage and pepperonata stuffed in a ciabatta sub roll.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Thursday Specials

Soups:
Harvest Split Pea (vegan)
Cauliflower Potato Curry - vegetarian

Panini:
Curried Parmesan Tuna Salad

There are also Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones and Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Wednesday Specials

Soups:
Cauliflower Potato Curry (inspired by Alu Gobi Masala, my favorite Indian dish)
Potato Leek - both are vegetarian

Panini:
Green Gobbler - turkey, guacamole, havarti, red onion and mesclun on a toasted ciabatta sub roll

Spicy Jack - turkey, grilled red onions, very spicy jack cheese and zebra sauce (horseradish mayo spread) grilled on a ciabatta sub roll

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tuesday Specials

Spicy Jack Panino --
Turkey, Caramelized Red Onions, Habanero Jack Cheese, and Zebra Sauce

Soups:

Morrocon Chick Pea
Tomato Basil (while it lasts)
Potato Leek

Monday, October 26, 2009

Monday Specials

Soups:
Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup
Creamy Tomato Basil (vegetarian

Panini:
Pesto Caprese

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Happy Birthday Sophie!

Breakfast Special: French Toast Jumble - french toast casserole made with cinnamon raisin, blueberry & egg bagels, a layer of raspberry cream filling, and a handfull of blueberries and chocolate chips. Oh yea, sometimes it's great to be a grown-up.

We also have Spicy Sausage & Cheddar Scones.

Today's Soups are Mulligatawny - an anglo-indian chicken soup and Creamy Tomato Basil.

Happy Birthday to Miss Sophie who is having a "Geology Rocks!" birthday party today. I find it encouraging there is a little girl who chose geology as her party theme and I was delighted to make her a pile of geodes cake.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Fabulous Fall Friday

Soup: Creamy Tomato Basil (vegetarian), the Anglo-Indian chicken soup Mulligatawny and Potage (poe-tazh)- a thick French vegetable soup (ours is vegetarian, traditionally there might be scrapes of all sorts of meat).

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Going international! Japanese greens and French soup

Sandwich Special: Curried Parmesan Tuna Salad with Mizuna (a spiky Japanese green)

Soup: Potage (poe-tazh)- a thick French vegetable soup (ours is vegetarian, traditionally there might be scrapes of all sorts of meat). This is the first time I've had this soup and it is delicious! It's also loaded with some of the more unusual root vegetables - celeriac and jerusalem artichokes to name a couple.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tuesday Specials

Spicy Jack Panini - turkey, grilled red onions, spicy jack cheese and zebra sauce.
Tortilla Soup and Cauliflower Pistachio Soup, both of which are vegetarian.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Manic Monday

Spicy Jack Panini - turkey, grilled red onions, spicy jack cheese and zebra sauce.
Tortilla Soup and Cauliflower Pistachio Soup, both of which are vegetarian.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

A comfort food kind of day.....

Breakfast Special:
Sausage Gravy on Cracked Pepper Scones
(okay, so it's really just biscuits & gravy, but it's really, really good biscuits and gravy!)

And Chocolate Chocolate Chip Scones

Veggie Grill Panino with hummus, red onions, grilled zucchini and eggplants, and swiss cheese.

BBQ Chicken served up in toasted ciabatta with ooey gooey mozzarella. Tangy !

SOUPS:
Cauliflower Pistachio (vegetarian)
Seems to be everyone's favorite this year Pumpkin Black Bean (vegan).

Friday, October 16, 2009

Friday Friday Friday

Veggie Grill Panino with hummus, red onions, grilled zucchini and eggplants, and swiss cheese.

BBQ Chicken served up in toasted ciabatta with ooey gooey mozzarella. Tangy !

SOUPS:

Seems to be everyone's favorite this year Pumpkin Black Bean (vegan).

Split Pea (also vegan).

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Rainy Thursday Specials

Soups:
Autumn Chowder
Split Pea Soup (vegan)

Panini:
Nutter Butter - peanut butter, banana & bacon
BBQ Chicken with Gooey Mozzarella

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wednesday Specials

"Stuffed" Pork Loin Panini with Gravy - pork loin on a toasted roll with gravy - yum!
The Rowhouse sundried-tomato-basil cream cheese, crunchy sprouts, cucumbers, sliced red onion, swiss cheese all on a toasted ciabatta sub roll

Autumn Chowder with potatoes, corn, squash, bacon and cheddar cheese
Creamy Mushroom Soup
Tomato Fennel Soup

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Lights. Camera. Action!

We have a couple really nice specials today including Homemade Mac & Cheese served with a Green Salad, a "Stuffed" Pork Loin Panini with Gravy and The Rowhouse sundried-tomato-basil cream cheese, crunchy sprouts, cucumbers, sliced red onion, swiss cheese all on a toasted ciabatta sub roll. There is also a tray of Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones - which are fast becoming a signature pastry for the Cafe.

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This afternoon I'll be making dinner for one of my favorite local groups - Wide Angle Youth Media. WAYM is a non-profit organization that creates opportunities for Baltimore's youth to express themselves and tell the stories of their lives through video technology. The organization and participants harnass the power of media and use it to make a difference in the lives of young people and our community. Throughout the year WAYM works through after school programs, community events (including the annual Youth Media Festival) and a youth-run television program. By fostering self confidence and the skills to articulate a message, Wide Angle Youth Media is giving Baltimore's youth a powerful tool to make their voices heard.


Wide Angle Youth Media is also a new neighbor! They have taken one of the commercial spaces at Miller's Court at the corner of 26th and Howard.

If you would like to support this great program, I encourage you to take a look at Wide Angle Youth Media's 2009 Wish List or call Susan Hayman at 410-338-0947.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Notice to Good Patrons of Cafe


Today our soups are Creamy Mushroom and Tomato Fennel.

The Panini Special is Turkey Swiss.

It seems that every year I realize the Maryland Renaissance Festival is going on just a week or two before it closes for the season - in large part because I've tied RenFest to autumn when it actually starts the last week of August. So Maid Katie and I made our way down to Revel Grove (the "16th century" village in Crownsville, MD) on Sunday past and enjoyed much merriment, revelry and food on sticks.

There are only two weekends left until you have to wait almost a year for the opportunity to eat turkey legs, cheesecake on a stick and scotch eggs while watching jousting and women in chain maille lingerie.



Saturday, October 10, 2009

Baltimore Marathon Day

I have made a Spicy Sausage, Black Bean & Corn Strata with Cheddar Cheese and a Broccoli Mushroom Strata with Swiss Cheese. There are also Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry Muffins, Pumpkin Cranberry Scones and Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones.

Soups:

Tomato Fennel
vegetarian
Potato Leek Soup
vegetarian

Panino:
The Rowhouse
sundried-tomato-basil cream cheese, crunchy sprouts, cucumbers, sliced red onion, swiss cheese all on a toasty ciabatta sub roll

Friday, October 9, 2009

Friday Specials

Vegetable Barley Soup vegetarian
Potato Leek Soup
vegetarian

Panino:
The Rowhouse
sundried-tomato-basil cream cheese, crunchy sprouts, cucumbers, sliced red onion, swiss cheese all on a toasty ciabatta sub roll

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Thursday

Soups:
Kale & White Bean

Mixed Mushroom & Barley vegan

Kasey is making Potato Leek soup for later today.

Panino:
The Rowhouse
sundried-tomato-basil cream cheese, crunchy sprouts, cucumbers, sliced red onion, swiss cheese all on a toasty ciabatta sub roll

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

The cheese really does stand alone!

Soups:
Smoked Beef Sausage, Kale & White Bean
African Peanut vegetarian

Panino:
The Lighthouse is a sweet delight with brie, fresh fig spread, and candied pecans, grilled to gooey perfection.

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If you find yourself down the Jersey Shore (as the locals say), stop by the Seaside Cheese Company and tell them I sent you. Steve is a gregarious guy who can dish out some of the most elegant cheeses, perfectly describe their character and, in the next breath, tell a "pull my finger" joke.















Cheeses from all over the world including many excellent American cheeses are available to sample. The shop also carries a great selection of crackers, locally baked breads, spreads, patés and olives. They make a small number of sandwiches that are just the thing to satisfy your beach picnic needs.















I love all types of cheese but am not that knowledgeable about them. Steve was great about asking the right questions and suggesting new cheeses to try. Anne on the other hand, has quite a bit of cheese knowledge (you know, being Swiss and all) and she was very impressed with the selection and was delighted to find cheeses she had not seen for sale in the U.S.

Especially, if you are planning an off-season visit consider booking a tasting party. SCC hosts private cheese parties for $30 per person and can accommodate up to 10 guests. You are welcome to bring a selection of wine (stop by Collier's Liquor Store which is just off the downtown area).

I know one thing for certain. The cheese, olive, bread/cracker, pickles and spreads "knosh meal" has become a Cape May tradition for me.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Tuesday

Soups:

African Peanut vegetarian
Jersey Clam & Corn (while it lasts)

Panini:

Spicy Jack turkey, caramelized red onions, habanero jack cheese, and zebra sauce. FYI vegetarians, this sandwich is also delicious when replacing the turkey with our hummus, and this sandwich has been dubbed the Spicy Jeremy.

The Lighthouse is a sweet delight with brie, fresh fig spread, and candied pecans, grilled to gooey perfection.

Monday, October 5, 2009

A Jersey Girl in a New York State of mind

Cape May Clam and Corn Soup (pescaterian) and Pumpkin Black Bean Soup.

Aaron made a delicious Tucson Strata with jalapeno jack cheese, corn, and beans.

Panino Special: The Lighthouse - a flagrant rip-off of a lovely lunch prepared for me by Steve at Seaside Cheese Company. Brie, fig spread and candied pecans grilled to gooey sweet perfection.

Thank you so much for being the driving force behind our success. Michael and I share a passion for food and hospitality, but without the best customers and staff we could wish for it wouldn't amount to a hill of (coffee) beans. The New York Times article has absolutely thrilled the cafe family and extended family. And it is just the beginning of exciting news and changes coming in October.

Aren't I a shameful tease?

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Saturday

SOUPS: Gypsy Soup a customer favorite with sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and smoked spansih paprika. Pumpkin Black Bean Soup. Both soups are vegan.

Aaron made a delicious Tuscon Strata with jalapeno jack cheese, corn, and beans.

Panino Special: Basil Pesto Caprese

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Who says it's just for summer?!

Today's Soups:
Potato Soup au Gratin (vegetarian)
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (vegetarian)
Roasted Garlic Red Pepper ABC Soup (vegan)

We also have Pumpkin Cranberry Scones with Walnuts.

I'm running away for a three day weekend in Cape May and started celebrating early by having Moorenko's Red Hot Chocolate Ice Cream for breakfast. It's a locally produced ice cream that is available at Eddies Market in Charles Village. Chocolate ice cream with bittersweet chocolate chunks, hot pepper flakes and cayenne make a tasty, tasty treat. During blueberry season Michael got a pint of their blueberry ice cream made with wild blueberries and it was delicious. They also make sorbets and I am dying to try the Grapefruit Campari.

Some of the other stand-out flavors are Gianduia - chocolate hazelnut; Cherries with the Works - Bordeaux cherries, semi-sweet chocolate flakes, toasted pignolis; Banana; Cotton Candy Gummy Bear; Pistachio White Chocolate; Megajolt - coffee ice cream, made with Italian ingredients and semi-sweet chocolate flakes. Richer, deeper and smoother than regular old coffee ice cream; Lemon Custard; Dried Plum Armagnac; Fresh Ginger; and Lavendar.

If you happen to be in Silver Spring you can stop by their retail location at 8030 Georgia Avenue or buy at pint at Eddies and enjoy it in your pajamas.