FiND iT FREDERiCK - Fall/Holiday 2022

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: FREDDY KATANA

THE MET: CELEBRATING A MILESTONE

TIME TO BAKE

“Put some play in your day!”

I can’t remember where I first heard that expression. I’m sure it was in some marketing materials for an amusement park or something like that.

It’s a fun thing to say and the rhyming bit makes it stick in your head.

I’ve been thinking a lot about that phrase lately in the context of Frederick. Because in this area it is so easy to put some play in your day in a million different ways. Especially in the fall and holiday season.

We’ve entered some of the best few months Frederick has to offer.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Frederick no matter the time of year. But there’s something about fall that makes this place extra special. Cooler temperatures and cozy vibes abound. And there’s never a shortage of things to do. The fall and holiday season can be busy, crazy and sometimes a bit overwhelming.

But what if we all took some time to put some play in our days?

One of our favorite family activities this time of year is apple or pumpkin picking. We’re lucky to live in Frederick, a rich agricultural area, where farms full of beautiful produce are only a short drive away in any direction. Taking a hayride out to the pumpkin patch and choosing your favorite gourd then grabbing a gallon of apple cider on your way out is a great way to have some weekend fun.

But Frederick is home to so many more creative ways to put some play in your day. For instance, did you know that a bank of genuine old-school skeeball machines now exist in our city, ready for you to play any day?

Spinners Pinball Arcade on East Street in Frederick has long been known as an excellent place to spend a few hours losing yourself in a wide variety of video or pinball games. But Spinners took the level of fun up a notch this year, getting their hands on a bunch of skeeball machines and offering a competitive skeeball league on weeknights.

My husband, Dave, and I are always “game” for a round of skeeball and we took the leap a few months ago and joined the league. And now you’ll find us (team name: the Spence-Skees) most Monday nights at Spinners, enjoying a beer, and doing our best to break 300 alongside a bunch of really fun people who’ve also learned how to put some play in their day.

Life can be so serious and so busy – how will you find the play in your day this season?

Let me know by emailing me at molly@pulsepublishing.net!

Molly Fellin Spence, Executive Editor

ON THE COVER: Seasonal light display. Photo courtesy of Longwood Gardens

published by PULSE PUBLISHING, LLC 12 S. MARKET STREET, SUITE 101 FREDERICK, MARYLAND 21701 O 301.662.6050 d 301.662.5102 w PULSEPUBLISHING.NET

FiND iT Frederick is a free quarterly publication of Pulse Publishing, LLC. Customer inquiries should be directed to Pulse Publishing, LLC, 12 S. Market Street, Suite 101, Frederick, MD 21701. All contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part for any reason without prior consent of the publisher.

For information about advertising in an upcoming issue of FiND iT Frederick, please contact Donna Elbert at 301-662-6050, ext. 11, email donna@pulsepublishing.net or visit FindItFrederick.com.

If you have questions or comments regarding FiND iT Frederick, you may contact the editor, Molly Fellin Spence at molly@pulsepublishing.net.

Many thanks to the numerous individuals and businesses that provided information and their time for our articles and features. We wish to thank our advertisers for their continued support.

DISCLAIMER:  The opinions expressed here are the views of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of FiND iT Frederick or Pulse Publishing, LLC

SHUAN BUTCHER An Army veteran, Shuan has spent most of his life working in the nonprofit sector on issues such as arts and culture, heritage tourism, civic engagement, and community development. He is a member of the National Press Club. He published “Inspiration to Serve: 101 Quotes about Kindness, Caring, and Giving,” co-authored “Making Change for the Better: The Importance of Youth Giving,” and contributes to a variety of local, regional, and national publications.

GINA GALLUCCI-WHITE is an award-winning writer based in Frederick. Her work has been featured in a number of local, regional and national publications including USA Today 10Best website, Baltimore STYLE, Frederick Magazine and the Maryland Daily Record

CHRIS SLATTERY is an avid storyteller who covered the arts and entertainment for The Gazette and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County’s CultureSpotMC and now writes for a variety of corporations and publications while procrastinating over several unfinished works of fiction.

EXPLORE. ENJOY. EXPERIENCE.

No matter your age or interests, Thurmont has something to offer everyone for every season! The scenic beauty of the Catoctin Mountains surrounds our historic Main Street where you will find our Murals on Main, trolley car, & entrance to the Thurmont Trolley Trail. Thurmont is home to Cunningham Falls State Park, Catoctin Mountain Park (home to Camp David), 3 wineries, 3 orchards, & 3 covered bridges. Be sure to dine in one of our locally owned restaurants! The perfect getaway so close to home. Only 60 miles from D.C. and Baltimore, 15 minutes south of Gettysburg.

Freddy Katana was born in Kenya, grew up in New York, lives in Montgomery County and recently opened an art gallery in Downtown Frederick.

A behavioral research scientist by trade, Katana, 26, believes that his formal background in experimental psychology informs his artistic work.

“My study of psychology is instrumental to my practice as an artist,” Katana says.

His own work is not currently on view. Instead, he has focused the last several months on creating a platform for others at Shungu Gallery at 125 S. Carroll St. We asked Katana to tell us more about him and his work. Here’s what we found…

QWhen and how did you get started as an artist? What type of art did you start creating then and how does it compare to your work now?

AMy start as an artist was very young. I was always good at drawing, even winning competitions, but I never pursued it until college. My art really came out of a position of boredom and self-indulgence. I wanted to go see art one day, but I couldn’t, so I just spent the day making some.

QHow would you describe your art to someone who knows nothing about it?

AMy practice is largely focused on being simple in execution, but meaningful in its message. I resonate with other conceptual artists like Marcel DuChamp, Yves Klein, On Kawara and more. The message and meaning behind the work is more important than the aesthetic value. I believe this is also counter-cultural to our age where social media pushes the idea that aesthetic value is the main value.

Katana

owner of Shungu Gallery

QDescribe a piece that you have created that makes you most proud or most inspired.

AThere's a work I made titled “Lamb's Blood.”

It's a depiction of a white streak on a red background. The meaning of the conceptual work is to communicate Christ's sacrifice. His blood has been described figuratively as having a cleansing quality to it, which is why the streak is white not red. The work only took mere minutes to create, but the contemplation of what I wanted to communicate and how I would communicate it took months.

QWhat is it like to be an artist in Frederick?

ABeing an artist in Frederick is refreshing. My work was well received in my second exhibition in this area; however, I believe Frederick could use more art galleries that are pushing boundaries of what they showcase. More studio space for artists would also help invite more artists or provide opportunities to existing artists that are constantly working on their craft. Know a great artist we should feature in a future edition of Find iT Frederick? Email molly@ pulsepublishing.net with your suggestions.

ART IS ALL AROUND

Engage with Frederick’s Remarkable Arts Community by Becoming a Frederick Arts Council Member Today! For questions email info@frederickartscouncil.org

5 East Second Street www.frederickartscouncil.org

Celebrating AMilestone

More than 25 years ago,

a bunch of kids had a couple of bucks and a dream, and that dream turned into what all of Frederick now knows as the Maryland Ensemble Theatre.

We say “more than” 25 years ago because, technically, though they’re celebrating their 25th season this year the group started a few years before that, with the celebrated Comedy Pigs sketch comedy/improv group performing shows around town.

But the MET’s first official produced main-stage theatre production happened in 1997, and Frederick has been treated to an amazing array of original plays, well-loved classics, children’s shows (via The Fun Company) and more ever since then.

Photo by David S. Spence / Spence Photographics

Top and bottom Photos by David S. Spence / Spence Photographics

Play banners courtesy of the MET

Producing Artistic Director Tad Janes and his wife, Associate Artistic Director Gené Fouché, founded the professional, collaborative theatre ensemble with a goal of inspiring the Frederick community to find a passion for the arts “with courageous, relevant, accessible programs that enable people to feel more, think deeper, and laugh longer,” according to the MET’s mission statement.

The MET not only offers thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud funny performances, but also has a wide array of educational programming for kids through adults.

And, along with celebrating 25 years of theatre in Frederick, the MET is also celebrating its brandnew renovated black-box theatre space on Patrick Street, complete with new, comfy chairs, enhanced lighting and sound and more. Oh, and did we mention those new seats also have cup holders?!

The MET’s fancy, new digs allow for three different performance set-ups with slightly different capacities. But, generally speaking, shows seat about 100 people per performance.

Tickets will go fast for the MET’s new season, which kicks off Sept. 29-Oct. 30 with “The Life Span of a Fact,” a profane and witty comedy, directed by Fouché.

Other shows in the 25th mainstage season include “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly,” Dec. 2-23, a sequel to “Pride and Prejudice” sure to delight Jane Austen fans, directed by Suzanne Beal; “Angels in America: Part 1, Millennium Approaches,” the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Tony Kushner, will be shown Feb. 10-March 5 and be directed by Janes; “Craft Town,” a comedy/mystery noir written by local playwright Lydia Hadfield, March 24-April 23, directed by Jeremy Myers; and “South & Saints,” a MET premiere exploring the rich and valuable history of the African-American community in Frederick, May 12-June 4, directed by Ray Hatch.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick 301.694.4744 marylandensemble.org F facebook.com/MarylandEnsemble d @marylandensemble

As a hiker and runner, Patricia Beall noticed she often had tight quadricep muscles. Beall participated in an endurance event in Vermont a few years ago and noticed a number of people helping participants with stretching exercises. She wanted in.

“When I came back from the event, I tried to find a place I could go to get stretched but I could not find anyone,” she said, so she started doing research. She discovered Kika Stretch Studios and flew to Atlanta, Georgia in 2020 to learn more about the business. Two years later, she opened her own franchise in Frederick.

Kika Stretch focuses on gentle assisted stretching to help the body relax and release tension. Clients meet with a coach, one-on-one, for 45- or 60-minute sessions.

Stretching helps create better posture and reduce stress and also increases energy levels, enhances flexibility and eliminates pain and muscle tension.

Founder Hakika Wise says that many people go dayto-day being as busy as possible.

“What is happening is our bodies are morphing into this tight restricted stress ball of tension,” she said. “(The stretching we do) helps release and take away all of the tension that has been trapped inside of the body so it helps your body reset to being just you without all of the tension.”

The company began in 2008 and now has nearly a dozen franchises across the country.

Wise considers it her mission to educate the general public about the benefits of using a dancer’s approach to stretching. The Kika method was formed from her own routine to maintain flexibility that she learned when studying dance in college.

The Kika method differs from yoga and Pilates. During those exercises, the body is actively holding positions, but not releasing tension. With Kika stretching, clients do not hold body parts or muscles. They are limp as a coach moves their body around.

A free 30-minute introductory session is available for first time clients. Single or multi-sessions or monthly memberships are available.

Beall says she’s already seeing a difference in clients she has begun working with over the last few months in Frederick.

After only a few sessions one older adult can now turn his head without having to shift his whole body and another client now has better balance while working out.

“The benefits are so varied for individual people,” Beall said. “Everyone walks away with some benefit.”

-by Gina Gallucci-White

Photos of Kika Studios

New Market is a little gem along I-70, hidden in plain sight. The charming Main Street is home to relaxed, friendly restaurants and cafés as well as eclectic boutiques, antiques and plant shops, professional offices and services, a Children’s Museum, a lovely town park and ample walking paths.

With seasonal celebrations, yearround events, along with dedicated volunteers who embrace progress while preserving history, New Market is the place to come to experience the flavor and vitality of a small town. New Market is less than an hour from D.C., Baltimore and major historical sites such as Antietam and Gettysburg.

Come Make Some History With

Photo courtesy of Hive Cake Shop

The holidays are almost here, so whether you decide to do it yourself or call in the experts it’s…

Timeto Bake

by Chris Slattery

In the age of Instagram the holiday baking season seems to start even before the air-conditioning switches off. Whether you’re hoping for perfect posts to elevate your social media presence or just want to spend time with family and friends making memories in real time, baking (or buying!) festive foodstuffs can be fun and fulfilling. We tracked down a few Frederick pastry chefs who shared their own baking stories — and offered some secrets and strategies for holiday home bakers.

Background Photo: Macarons and fresh succulents and roses (all non-toxic and edible) adorn a birthday cake from Hive Bakery.

BAKED ALASKA

Before opening Hive Cake Shop in Brunswick, the Ontiveros sisters were STEM-centered students baking their way through the long cold winters in their native Anchorage, Alaska.

“The name came from my sister, Sally,” says Rebekah Ontiveros, who runs the shop now with her partner Chris Gardner and a staff of pastry artists. “When we were kids our dad was a beekeeper; we grew up taking care of bees — our father would make mead — and it was a feeling of community.

“But there’s a community inside the beehive, too, and they take care of each other. That’s what we always hoped the Hive in Brunswick would be: this comfy place where people could eat wonderful baked goods and have wonderful memories and make new connections.”

Mission accomplished. When the road to Ontiveros’s childhood dream of becoming a physician took a detour, she earned an English degree from the University of Maryland and forged a career in education. But now the self-taught pastry chef has settled into the baking business, bringing pastries to the people, competing on televised cake competitions, such as “Sugar Rush” on Netflix, and holding classes in baking and decorating for every level, from novice to pro, at the shop — with more online blog and video content to come in 2023.

“I’m so excited to bring that to the Hive,” Ontiveros says. “The perfect combination of my education background and what I’m doing now. It’s kismet.”

Hive Cake Shop Petersville Road

Rebekah’s Tips

• There’s a huge difference between regular gingerbread and construction grade — the latter is key for building structures and moveable accessories. Holiday gingerbread baking can encourage creativity, solidify kids’ STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills, and build lasting memories.

• Many traditional holiday recipes, especially those from Eastern Europe, call for vanilla sugar. Rebekah reports that while recipe-enhancing vanilla sugar may be hard to find stateside, it’s easy to make — just fill an airtight container with granulated sugar and for every one or two cups add a whole, uncut vanilla bean. Seal it up and let it sit for up to two months to make any recipe special.

• Baking cookies? First, get a good recipe (Rebekah recommends the one on Nestle’s website) and then make sure to do what professional bakers do: Freeze! The key to uniform cookies, she says, is making sure the dough is at least chilled before baking — the longer the chill, the better. She also points out that always making a full recipe and freezing what you don’t need is a great way to make sure you have fresh-baked cookies ready to go, even when the holidays get hectic.

Photos courtesy of Hive Cake Shop

SUPER NATURAL

Nikkie Byrd has been baking in Frederick since she was 14 years old.

“My very first job was at Valley Donuts in the Green Valley Shopping Center off Fingerboard Road,” Byrd says. “I worked every Saturday and Sunday morning, super early.”

Back then bakery owners Shirley and John Vitchock tended their business with “so much passion and love,” firing up Byrd’s entrepreneurial spirit and encouraging her to follow her own dreams of bakery ownership.

Those dreams, burnished with a stint studying holistic health and wellness at herb school and jumpstarted with a cake-decorating class at Michael’s, led Byrd to open Sage Cakery, the café and specialty bakery she runs in Frederick with her lifeand business partner, Kurtis, and a roster of talented pastry chefs, many with culinary school training.

“I decided, eventually, to let it all go, take the leap, and open a brick-and-mortar store,” she muses. “And here we are.”

Sage does custom orders but also offers a daily selection of cupcakes, cookies, dessert bars and macarons, plus seasonal specials such as a snickerdoodle-apple pie cookie sandwich that’s perfect for autumn.

As the holidays roll around there’s a Harvest Season Pre-order Menu, lots of Christmas treats and gift boxes, and the perennial bestseller: mini pies in a variety of flavors.

True to its name and the background of its owner/ creative director, Sage Cakery offers herb-infused flavors that can’t be found in a box: cardamompear, blackberry-sage, peach-coriander, rosemaryfig, orange-ginger, and lavender-honey. “My palate likes flavor,” Byrd shrugs.

But flavor, she insists, goes hand in hand with presentation, and Sage specializes in both.

“If you are making everything from scratch, and with local ingredients, it really comes through in the quality of the products,” she explains. “And as far as the visual is concerned, it’s fun to be able to custom design for a special event.

Nikkie’s Tips

• Read your recipe first! It sounds simple, but Nikkie points out that relevant instructions might be buried a few paragraphs into a recipe and “you might end up mixing the wrong things together.”

• Mise en place (“putting into place” or setting up ingredients before cooking) is for bakers as well as chefs de cuisine.

“Measure out all your ingredients ahead of time, so you can just go through the recipe,” says Byrd … and don’t forget to preheat the oven completely.

• Chill your cookie dough. “Most doughs will bake up more deliciously plump once they’ve been refrigerated.”

“We just had one of our lead decorators make the coolest monster cake you’ve ever seen for a 4-yearold’s birthday party,” she adds. “A 3-D work of art!”

And that’s the bottom line for Byrd, who grew up baking with her mom, sister, grandmother, aunts and cousins, and learned the tricks of the trade from world-renowned cake designer and sugarflower artist Maggie Austin of Alexandria, Virginia.

“You can learn techniques from other people,” Byrd says, “but once you learn to use the material — sugar, fondant, gum paste, buttercream, wafer paper — once you know your medium, it’s limitless.”

Sage Cakery 3401 Urbana Pike, Suite E2 Frederick 240.341.2710 www.sagecakery.com

MOTHER OF INVENTION

If Instagram feeds full of sourdough bread are any indication, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of people face-to-face with their own inner baker. New Market mom and mathematician Leigh Welsh is no exception.

“I’ve baked along the way,” says Welsh, proprietor of The Well-Dressed Cookie. “Cookies and cakes out of boxes. But it was three years ago, during the pandemic, when I looked on ‘Everything Frederick’ and learned about cookie decorating.”

At first it was just for fun, buying DIY kits to break up the monotony of remote work and school.

“Then my husband lost his job, and I needed a source of income,” Welsh explains, “so I got to work learning how to decorate cookies, and it blossomed from there.

“I came up with a name, applied for an LLC from the Maryland Business Express website, and boom! On my way.”

With some lessons from cookie guru Dotty Raleigh of Sugar Dot Cookies — and lots of help from her daughter, who still helps with the business — Welsh launched The Well-Dressed Cookie, baking and decorating cookies at night, selling to customers who order online, and still holding down her day job with the government.

“Our first few were an epic fail,” she laughs. “But we learned, and in October 2020 we launched our website.”

Leigh’s Tips

• Cookies are fragile, and fun — handlewith care, and don’t be too particularabout achieving perfection.

• Enjoy the experience as much as theresults. At first the cookies Welshdecorated with her girls “weren’tPicasso-worthy. But spending that timetogether, sharing the experience, waspriceless.” In cookies and in life, shesays, things won’t always be perfectand beautiful, but we should learn totreasure the experience.

Their biggest sellers? Custom-decorated cookies for weddings, bridal showers, kids’ birthday parties, baptisms, and baby showers. They’ll have cookie Advent calendars available in November; Halloween and Thanksgiving cookies, and special holiday gifts for teachers as well as traditional Christmas cookies.

“At the end of the day, my daughters and I get to play a small part in somebody’s celebration,” says Welsh. “And what an honor that is!”

The Well-Dressed Cookie, LLC www.thewelldressedcookiellc.com

Photos courtesy of The Well-Dressed Cookie

THE SWEETHEARTS

Andrew Griffin and Ariana Garcia have a plan.

“We go to events, we go to farmer’s markets, we do catering, we take orders for cakes,” says Griffin, co-owner with Garcia of Corazoncitos Bakery “We do our own pop-up shops out of the kitchen, with the hope of doing our own shop someday.”

Corazoncitos — the name translates to “little hearts” or “sweethearts” — was born when Griffin, a bartender, and Garcia, a chef, elevated their relationship status from boyfriend-and-girlfriendco-workers to partners-in-a-baking-business during summer 2020.

“We started talking about it and developing our menu during COVID,” recalls Griffin. “We’d sell cottage goods to family and friends, and everyone was like: ‘You guys gotta get a kitchen!’”

Which they did, along with a business license, forming an LLC and applying to farmers markets while they created labels and packaging and tested recipes in their shared commercial kitchen at MD Bakes in Frederick. In July 2022 they held their Grand Opening Pop Up, doing “a ton of business,” according to Griffin, who studied business at the University of Maryland, College Park and never expected to be a baker.

“I never had anything against baking,” he says. “I just never thought of it as what I would be doing — but here I am, and I love it!”

Garcia loves it, too.

Pop of Flavor:

“I’ve loved baking ever since I was young,” she explains. “My mom was the one that taught me to make cupcakes and chocolate-covered strawberries, and my love for baking grew from there. In 2021 I joined culinary school.”

According to Griffin, Garcia has a special talent for recreating classic cakes and desserts, such as tiramisu and tres leches cake, into perfect, personalsized pastries that, he says, “look amazing.

“The bestseller right now is the Ghirardelli chocolate chip Bundt cakes that she makes,” he says. “And we’re doing a new one for fall, a pumpkin spice version with cream cheese frosting.”

They’ll be joined by specially decorated, scarygood cupcakes for Halloween, which Corazoncitos will sell by the dozen and half-dozen to customers who order online, stop in at their farmers market booth, or come to their planned holiday pop up.

Ari and Andrew’s Tips

• Recipes are great, but creativity counts, too. Griffin and Garcia recommend finding a good base recipe for holiday cookies and seeing where you can take it by adding signature flavors, colors, and textures.

• When baking, it’s important to understand what type of oven you have at home. Recipes are based on standard home ovens in terms of temperature, but most commercial ovens—and an increasing number of home ovens—are now convection ovens, which tend to be hotter and bake faster. When using convection ovens, Griffin and Garcia typically bake at a temperature 25 degrees below what the recipe calls for (i.e., 325 degrees instead of 350)

“We have a form on our website that people can fill out to contact us about large orders and catering requests,” Griffin explains. For now, it’s all about scheduling kitchen time and getting those orders out, making it work until they can open a brick-andmortar bakery of their own. But Griffin has faith in the plan. “We’ve always been the kind of people to do exactly what we talk about doing,” he says. And then he gets back to baking.

Corazoncitos Bakery

https://corazoncitosbakery.square.site/

Photos courtesy of Corazoncitos Bakery

Corozocitos’ chocolate mousse, vanilla lemon cake with fresh berries, sopapilla cheesecake bars, and mini Ghirardelli chocolate chip Bundt cakes are available online, at pop ups and at farmers markets.

Over the years, Gina O’Rourke has often put together charcuterie trays for family events. “I would always try to do something artistic with the food,” she says.

When pandemic lockdowns were lifted, O’Rourke took note at how wonderful it was for folks to gather together again. That thought became a business idea.

During parties, she says the perfect spot to gather is around a beautifully crafted charcuterie tray, board or table. And so, Gather was born in August 2021.

With more than 20 years experience in food and customer service, she and her husband, Evan, decided to open Gather, a catering company focused on creating charcuterie for all occasions. While charcuterie traditionally focuses on a variety of meats and cheeses, Gather offers a number of different styles such as a s’mores topping tray as well as seasonal and custom options.

The Frederick-based business offers trays, grazing boxes, platters, cups, cones and homemade cheese truffles for delivery within a 10-mile radius and for pickup. Grazing tables and tea tray sandwiches and watermelon cake are among the offerings. Gather is also planning a line of craft cocktail kits beginning this holiday season.

Some of Gather’s best sellers include an extralarge charcuterie tray serving 10 to 12 people and a birthday tray that feeds six to eight.

Products are created using local and seasonal items and are featured at a variety of events such as weddings, bridal and baby showers, birthday gatherings and anniversary parties.

When patrons receive their orders, all they have to do is unwrap and set on a table. The order comes with all the disposable utensils needed to serve.

“People love that it is easy,” O’Rourke says. “(Charcuterie) is something that gets people up and socializing and coming around the table.”

O’Rourke enjoys creating each order because it is an opportunity for her to put together an artistic creation.

“I just try to come up with something that is going to be pleasing for everybody,” she says. “The most fun is seeing somebody come pick up the tray and be like, ‘This looks like a piece of art.’”

-by Gina Gallucci-White

Gather, Charcuterie For All Occasions 300 E. Second St., Frederick 240.315.3696 gathercharcuterie.com F facebook.com/gathercharcuterie @letsgathercatering

Photos courtesy of Gather Charcuterie

HOURS:

Mon. 10am-4pm Wed. 10am-6pm Thurs.-Sat. 10am-8pm Sun. 11am-6pm Tues. CLOSED for 301-732-6943

Surprisingly great rates that fit any budget.

Richard Belles already owns the much-beloved Cellar Door Restaurant in Downtown Frederick, and wasn’t looking to expand anytime soon. That is, until a restaurant space about a half-block away unexpectedly became available in late spring.

“Both of (the restaurants) can work together and support each other,” he says. “That is what really attracted me to the location. I have seen how that can work downtown for other restaurateurs. It’s a great location and it was a good opportunity.”

In early September, Agave 137 Tequila Bar & Kitchen opened, featuring a Mid-Atlantic-inspired modern Mexican cuisine concept.

“We didn’t want to do just a regular authentic Mexican restaurant,” Belles says. “We wanted to give (guests) more of a creative experience.”

Their new-world tacos are large part of the menu that features classic techniques using contemporary ingredients.

Some of the most popular choices include Korean beef, chicken tinga, chorizo, buttermilk fried rockfish and citrus shrimp. The menu also features unique offerings such as chips and blue crab salsa as well as green cangrejo — fried avocado with crab salad. Guests can much on appetizers such as yuca fries and blistered shishito peppers and a variety of

nachos and ensaladas. Entrees include dishes like coconut curry shrimp and sizzlin’ brisket. A churro basket makes an excellent dessert.

To wash down all the food, the venue has an extensively stocked bar with 70 different tequilas and mescals available. Patrons can also get speciality crafted cocktails, margaritas and frozen drinks. Mexi-Crushes, a take on the popular Eastern Shore drink, are made fresh with orange and grapefruit flavors.

The restaurant plans to host live music and entertainment events throughout the week including karaoke, DJs and bands.

If your pocketbook is hurting but you still want to go out head to Agave 137 on Tuesdays for all-day $3 tacos or Thursdays when tequila flights are 25% off.

Every Wednesday an extended happy hour with specially priced drinks lasts until 9 p.m.

-by Gina Gallucci-White

Agave137.com F facebook.com/Agave137

d @agave.137

Photos courtesy of Agave 137 Tequila Bar & Kitchen

FREDERICK (TJ) OFFICE

87 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 101, Frederick, MD 21702

HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm; Walk-Ins 8-8:30am Saturday, 9am–noon (by appointment only) PHONE: 301-694-0606

TEXT MESSAGES ARE PREFERRED TO: 301-205-5112

BALLENGER CREEK OFFICE

6550 Mercantile Drive, Suite 106, Frederick, MD 21703

HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm PHONE: 301-668-6347

MOUNT AIRY OFFICE

1311 South Main Street, Suite 304, Mount Airy, MD 21771

HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm PHONE: 301-829-6146

URBANA OFFICE

3500 Campus Drive, Suite 101, Urbana, MD 21704

HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm PHONE: 301-874-6107

Photography by Becca Mathias

by Shuan Butcher

All photos on this spread courtesy of Longwood Gardens

One of America’s finest gardens is located in the Brandywine River Valley of Pennsylvania. Created by Pierre du Pont, Longwood Gardens is a magnificent place, regardless of the time of year you choose to visit.

More than 11,000 plants are displayed among its 1,000 acres of diverse landscapes including meadows, woodlands, lakes and a farm.

Photo by Scott Hummel Top Photo courtesy of Longwood Gardens

Everywhere you go, there is something amazing to see.

The Italian Water Garden is presented as a formal lawn with décor that recalls a Tuscan villa. Take a short walk to the Canopy Cathedral, an ornate timber frame structure inspired by Norwegian churches. Climb the stairs to the open deck to get a magnificent lakefront view of the Italian Water Gardens.

On the other side of the property, the Topiary Garden has trees and shrubs elaborately manicured into and fun shapes. The nearby Chimes Tower, a carillon crafted in The Netherlands with 62 cast bells, sends lovely music your way as you enjoy the views.

Not all the fun is outdoors at Longwood Gardens. Many of its indoor spaces are worth your time as well.

The historic du Pont house is the oldest structure on the property, dating to 1730 when it served as a homestead for Joshua Peirce. The Conservatory, one of the largest greenhouses in the world, was built in 1921. Its neo-classical architecture stands out yet also seems to blend into the landscape. Inside, you will find the Orangery, Orchid Room, and other spaces dedicated to tropical flora and fauna. Be sure to check out the Organ Museum and the historic organ with more than 10,000 pipes.

During your visit you’ll have plenty of food options, too. At 1906, named for the year du Pont purchased the property, visitors can enjoy a fullservice dining experience. The menu includes locally sourced seasonal fare and sustainable ingredients whenever possible.

For a less formal or quick bite, grab a sandwich, salad or hot entrée at The Café.

At either space be sure to order the famous Longwood Gardens Mushroom Soup.

Top photo by Becca Mathias

Photo by Scott Hummel

Top Photo by Harold Hank Davis

Throughout the year, Longwood hosts a number of special events, such as concerts and art installations. Don’t miss “Light: Installations by Bruce Munro,” on view until Oct. 30.

It includes a breathtaking Field of Light with 18,000 illuminated bulbs stretching across the lakes, pulses and streams of light and sound in the Orchard, an immersive sensory environment in the Exhibition Hall and an illuminated fountain experience. Through Nov. 13, visitors can celebrate fall’s quintessential flower with the Chrysanthemum Festival. But one of the Gardens’ most popular events begins the following week. Starting Nov. 18 and running through Jan. 8 is A Longwood Christmas. Stroll amid a splendor of lights and marvel at the botanical splendor of poinsettia displays and festive trees decorated for the holiday season.

During this same timeframe, guests can also enjoy a whimsical Garden Railway exhibit that has been a tradition for more than two decades. A collection of dozens of locomotives, steam engines, diesel engines and specialty engines are featured as the world of miniature comes to life along nearly 500 feet of tracks.

Regardless of what time of year you visit Longwood Gardens, you will find something in bloom and something fantastic to see.

Find out more Longwood Gardens 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 610.388.1000 longwoodgardens.org

Photography by Harold Hank Davis

Rustic Elegance& Historic Charm for the Holidays

Perched atop one of the highest ridgelines in Gettysburg, framed by historic wood and stone architecture and stunning views of historic Gettysburg battlefields and Hunter Lake, The Lodges at Gettysburg is a destination unlike any other in the area.

The best place to warm your hearts for the holidays. Come join us for festive events such as family gatherings, company holiday and appreciation parties or enjoy a spectacular meal in Gloryridge Restaurant & Tavern while taking in our beautifully decorated lodge. Thanksgiving Day Buffet is available for dine in or take out. Want to bring your meal home or to the office? Ask us about carry-out options!

It’s peaceful here with a timeless tranquility and rustic elegance that settle you into a relaxed state of mind. Beautifully maintained grounds and lodging are surrounded by 63 acres of rolling Gettysburg countryside, the perfect backdrop for family vacations, outside-the-box meetings and romantic weddings with a dash of historic charm.

685 Camp Gettysburg Road Gettysburg, PA 17325 717-642-2500 www.thelodgesatgettysburg.com

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