The Universe was kind to me at Great Grapes. Despite my complete conviction that I was destined to, at some point, put my foot in my mouth, I managed to avoid saying anything so utterly embarrassing that I wanted to crawl under the table. Those gems, I save for this here blog. But as the Universe giveth, the Universe taketh away. And what it took away was every ounce of energy that the heat and humidity could wring out of me. Because it was hot and humid. And when I say hot, I mean like the kind of searing heat I expect in the dog days of August when people start talking about frying eggs on sidewalks. And humidity that made me think I had walked into a sauna instead of a park.
But humid or not, there was a panel of local food bloggers ready to share insights, experiences, and our favorite place to get a crabcake. My thanks to Dara Bunjon of Dining Dish, Liz Stambaugh of What’s To Eat Baltimore, Wendy Tien of The Upstart Kitchen, and Jessica Lemmo of Adventures in Baltimore Restaurants for not running me off the panel when I admitted that I don’t really eat out so I couldn’t respond to a question about what kind of restaurant Baltimore is lacking.
Thanks also to Jen of My Morning Chocolate and Mary of Sweet Mary for attending the event, despite the unholy heat and humidity. Had I mentioned it was hot and humid?
In case you missed the chance to sample all that Great Grapes had to offer last weekend, you’re in luck. Mark your calendar for July 24th and 25th when Great Grapes goes to Annapolis. If you are there on the 25th, stop by the Food Blogger Panel and say hi to Sweet Mary. Maybe she’ll tell you where her favorite crab cake joint is.
Just in case you’re wondering:
My favorite crab cake is from Victoria’s Gastro Pub in Columbia.
And the tattoo? That graced the arm of Liz Stambaugh’s husband. The man is committed to his love of pork.
Bon Appetit Hon 
That tattoo made me laugh out loud! Now that’s commitment!
Kitch, I didn’t even put up the full color cheeseburger he had on the other side of the arm. But it’s up on my Flickr if you’re curious.
I always imagined that if I ever had the desire to get a tattoo, it would be something cheeky like a billboard with “Your Name Here”. But after seeing the pig in ink, I don’t know. In my completely hypothetical scenario, the pig might win out.
I saw the tat on flickr and thought that was awesome. Glad things went well for you – but then again, we all knew they would.
Oh Boo, my performance was far from a guaranteed success. In the real world, I am plagued by many awkward moments. On the blog, I can hit ‘undo’ or ‘delete’ and maintain the illusion of being smooth.
I’m really loving the image of the wine bottles. Might have to consider that for the Fair this year.
Wendi, awkward? Never!
Beth, you’re too kind.
Wendi, I didn’t think you were awkward at all! You sounded very composed. Thanks again – I wouldn’t have known about Great Grapes if you hadn’t blogged about it.
Jen, it was great to meet you…despite the unholy heat and humidity. Hope you enjoyed the rest of the festival.
i’m with everyone else, that tattoo is brilliant!!! that is one brave man. and it looks like you guys had a great time. so jealous.
Katie, if I weren’t such a chicken, I’d get a pig tattoo in a heartbeat. Because my love of bacon knows no limit.
Nathan may have inspired me!
Thanks for the shouts!