Two local Baltimore chefs—Steve Chu of Ekiben and Chris Amendola of Foraged—are semi-finalists for best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region. Robyne and I can’t speak to Foraged, only because we’ve spent too many evenings carrying-in Ekiben’s tofu that we’ve begun to neglect the local dining scene. Foraged is next on our list for sure…if we can get a table.
Finalists will be announced March 29th, but in our book anyone who’s nominated for a James Beard is a winner. Do you hear that, Cindy Wolf? (Nominated 16 times previously and this year for Best Hospitality at her Charleston Restaurant.) Is Baltimore a secret culinary center of the universe? James Beard is saying we are.
Meet the Beast: the first of two 2023 Toyota Sequoia Hybrids to arrive this month. Within hours of its arrival it had been dispatched to a three-day assignment in snowy PA. It’s big and brawny and ready for a winter apocalypse, but far smoother, quieter, and more fuel efficient than the previous generation of SUV’s we’re retiring as these arrive.
Then there’s our newest “car”—something smaller, less costly, and easier to get into, but also with AWD and lots of room for luggage: A Toyota Highlander. We wanted a Hybrid, but chip shortages are making those nearly impossible to find. We wanted an Avalon, but they’re no longer made in 2023 and the replacement sedan (the Crown) is months behind schedule. These days, you get what you can get and this is it. Are we happy? Sure. Is it what we wanted? No. Welcome to the post-pandemic auto market.
Whether you need a ride down to Ekiben and Foraged, or if you're headed to check out the Baltimore landmarks listed by AFAR, FreedomCar will take you where you want to go.
