a DIAMOND in the WHARF

Ok, so how about some laid back non-bourgeoisie dining? I can use a bit of that being that I come from the laid back/Mom and Pop’s restaurant business.

Just when I thought seafood couldn’t get better than seafood with my Dad during his time on Earth. Well, I may have stumbled across something fairly close. This place is special, a true diamond in the (whar)rough - Cameron’s Seafood Market.

Finding Cameron’s Seafood Market was by pure chance and it surprised me because I consider the DC Metro area my second home and for the most part I know where to find some good eats. So, I was driving on Route 5, headed to Scotland, MD, where I was partaking in a two-week Arts Residency. Suddenly my coworker and I had a taste for food. “Something less fattening and non-fried,” my fellow coworker said. Now, on Route 5, you have many fast food options such as Wendy’s, McDonalds, Bojangles, etc. Not an option for us. Then as we passed Iverson Mall, we spotted seafood…Cameron’s Seafood!

Pulling into the driveway, my taste buds began to do fan kicks and flips. I was an instant ball of excitement and just knew we struck it big (ok my excitement - word to the wise - maybe it’s my southern superstitions but whenever you see a pick up truck parked next to a seafood market, and it’s owned by the market, chances are they get fresh catch from the fisherman’s wharf on a daily basis - so you’re in for an appetizing meal!).

Cameron’s hit the spot! My coworker and I shared the stuff salmon platter, which is 2 salmon steaks stuffed with crabmeat, and the broiled scallop dinner. Now the packaging wasn’t fancy, Styrofoam plates and plastic ware, but it was not about the look…it was all about the food! Oh and did I mention the stuffed salmon platter was only $10.99!!! We chose to continue this laid back journey by chowing down inside the car. With our bellies full and a slight need for a nap, we continued our journey to Scotland, MD. After a meal like that, I hope I prayed I had energy to teach.

If you’re looking for some real seafood from the neighborhood…make sure you find a Cameron’s Seafood Market near you. Do a google or yahoo search. There are tons in the D.C., Maryland, and Philadelphia area.

Cameron’s Seafood Market

3919 Branch Avenue

Temple Hills, MD 20748

301.316.2000

The New Shockoe Bottom

I remember growing up in Shockoe Bottom, located east of downtown along the James River, in my hometown of Richmond, VA.  Before the millennium ages, Shockoe Bottom was the more industrial part of Richmond, where many goods were loaded and unloaded.  Apart from the industrial feel, for me, Shockoe Bottom was like a gregarious countryside Caribbean Island.  Within a five block radius you were surrounded by several small family owned businesses and the largest Farmer’s Market.  There would even be, on rare occasions, a man on a mule or tugging a cow, passing through.  The people of Shockoe Bottom were a community of friends, whom bonded well and supported each other’s businesses. And I remember my Dad’s business, Pacific Seafood Market, located at 19 18^th St. 

 

On a recent trip home (to lend a hand in my mom’s latest entrepreneurial venture) my burning desire led me to revisit Shockoe Bottom, the community which felt like immediate family during my adolescent days.  It’s been over 17 years, since my Daddy, sold his Seafood Market, and that was probably the last time I visited the neighborhood and stepped foot into the market, and boy has a lot changed.

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Busboys and Poets

Imagine a place where you can grab a sandwich, attend an open mic, have a cocktail, pick up the latest books by America’s leading black intellectuals, attend a lecture by a nobel laureate, and plug-in to free wi-fi.  Well, you will find all this and more at Busboys and Poets in DC’s vibrant U street/Shaw neighborhood.  Named after a reference to famed Black poet, Langston Hughes, Busboys and Poets is not just a restaurant, it’s a community center.  Busboys and Poets makes no secret about promoting progressive values, but you will find everybody and their mama here.  Looking around during a packed Sunday brunch you will see Howard University students, young white hipsters, and older Black ladies with their pastel hats and church suits.   

I almost always inevitably show up here for at least one meal when I have out of town guests.  They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night food at reasonable prices.  It’s a fantastic spot for brunch and is packed on weekend mornings.  The menu is eclectic and global.  The food is consistently good and everybody will find something they enjoy.  The baristas are top-notch, and the coffee is always perfect.    

Busboys and Poets hosts daily events.  On any given day you can attend a film screening, lecture, open mic, concert, or networking event.  They also were quite popular during election season, and lines formed down the block to get in for debate and inaugural parties.   

Busboys and Poets business is so booming that they opened two more locations in the DC area, but I am loyal to the original on 14^th street.  If I ever leave DC, Busboy and Poets will be one of the places I will really miss.  There is a vibe and energy here that is so unique. Few places these days are as community focused and there is always something going on here, interesting people to meet, great art to look at, and good times to be had.   

2021 14th St NW 
(between N U St & N V St) 
Washington, DC 20009

202) 387-7638

www.busboysandpoets.com

A Book Addicts Fix

It is said that the first step of seeking help for an addiction is admitting that you have a problem. Here’s mine. I admit I have an addiction with books. Reading, collecting, spending precious free time anywhere books are found, I am guilty. And I love it. If you are like me, though, you can’t see paying your hard earned gas money on a book you could get for free, am I right? And by free, I mean yours to keep–not having to return it to the library a few weeks later (and incur $3.25 in overdue fees in the process). Here’s my go-to spot for such gems: The Book Thing of Baltimore. This place is a haven for people like me. Shelves and shelves filled with all types of books, on any topic: fiction, non-fiction, magazines, children’s books, and even encyclopedias. Romance your thing? Got it. Traveling to Istanbul? Look no further. Want the newest best-seller? It’s there. All they ask is to sign a roster with what you’ve taken and to be greedy. Seriously. They also accept donations, so you can get rid of the books that have been cluttering your life for years. I always find something to add to my overflowing bookcases. I guess there are worse things to be addicted to.
The Book Thing of Baltimore, Inc.
3001 Vineyard Lane
Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 622-5631
Open Sat-Sun, 12pm - 6pm

Arts Festival in my Backyard

It’s Artscape weekend!!  The largest free arts festival in the country is literally in my backyard (and around the corner and up the street), and I had my apartment to clean.  What would you have done?  Exactly.  My dishes can wait. 

 I walked to the festival and found myself immersed in Baltimore’s arts culture.  Thousands of people of all ages and colors strolled through wide streets as if some tropical market.  At Artscape, hundreds of vendors from various places sell all types of wares, from jewelry, original t-shirts and paintings, to clocks made out of Cuban cigar boxes and magnificent, colorful (amazingly unharmed) framed insects, ready to mount on a wall.   Performances both stage and musical are feasts for the eyes, and are free to enjoy.  Even though it was exhilarating to be among all the people and the arts, I came specifically for Baltimore’s own Mario/Dru Hill free concert.  I got to the old Mt. Royal Station just in time to hear Mario sing his hits off of his most current album.  I parked myself on the side of a very steep hill among throngs of people and let my inner teenager come through.  I sang along to song after song bopping to the beat.  About an hour after Mario left the stage, Dru Hill commanded the attention of hundreds in the audience.  They belted out their classic songs to their Baltimore hometown family.  I left right when they were wrapping up and walked the few blocks back to my messy place.  That’s the joy about living in the heart of B’more: everything out of the ordinary is a few steps or a short drive away.  If that means another day of dirty dishes in my sink, so be it.

Artscape is usually the second to last week in July. Learn more at www.artscape.org