When a fire broke out two years ago at the Sailor Oyster Bar in downtown Annapolis, engulfing the beloved watering hole and its circa-1897 building in flames, a mantra of sorts emerged among the owners, staff, and their loyal local following: “Don’t give up the ship.”

And now, walking through the doors at 196 West Street, which reopened in February, it’s clear that those five simple words were lived by. In all those months in between, from the central raw bar packed to the gills with fresh seafood to the vintage Playboys once again plastered across the bathroom walls, SOB—their tongue-in-cheek acronym—has not missed a beat.

“We’re so grateful to be back,” says Scott Herbst, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Gabrielle. “We want to thank everyone for their support, in the past, and now—and hopefully into the future.”

It’s an allegiance formed in part because, since their first service in 2016, Sailor has been decidedly different than the other dining establishments in Maryland’s state capital, catering to all the politicians, preps, and tourists though those folks are welcome here, too.

For starters, then and now, there’s the industrial-chic-meets-salty-dog aesthetic, drawing cool kids and creative types to its A. Aubrey Bodine photographs, Navy memorabilia, and brothel posters beneath exposed beams and warehouse lights.

And then, of course, there’s the fact of no conventional kitchen, with staff relying on little more than a blowtorch, toaster, and sous vide. Yet that’s been anything but a limiting approach; the nimble menu manages to be posh, playful, and a little punk all at once.

See for yourself at the dining-side bar—the best seat in the house beside the front bay windows—where executive chef Lorenza Aznar works her magic. Each plating is a flurry of flavors. A drop of chile oil here. A dash of miso there. The raw, cured, and seasonal specials are always our go-tos, like the hamachi crudo we ate this spring. In an unexpected contrast, its hyper-fresh, finely filleted fish came swimming in a smokey carrot-habanero hot sauce. On top, a tangle of shiso and mizuna provided the perfect texture and touch.

But old favorites are not to be overlooked, either. Indeed, there are oysters—plenty of  oysters, all ice-cold and on display as soon as you walk in—including several from the Chesapeake Bay. And the pantry-staple-turned-trendy snack that is tinned fish is a hat tip to the old-school meals that fed the city’s once-bustling working waterfront (and Sailor might have been the first restaurant in the region to feature it). We still have a soft spot for the boquerón toast, too—an umami bomb of aged white anchovies, salted honey butter, shaved fresno chile, and a pinch of cocoa.

Go ahead, indulge in the caviar and truffle, which can be well-paired with a glass from the dedicated “le bubs” list. But always start with an expertly crafted house cocktail—like the mezcal-forward, blood orange-rich Chupa Sangre—that could tempt even the best-behaved midshipmen.

Past patrons will recognize much of the tightknit, often-tattooed staff from dinners of yore, and despite extensive renovations, the space itself feels uncannily akin to the old SOB, too—like a bar that’s always been here, and hopefully always will be. Which is clearly how the community feels, donating more than $100,000 to help rebuild.

And that mantra that got everyone through the fire? It remains as relevant as ever.

“It’s a daily reminder, even working through a shift together,” says Herbst. “It takes a team.”

SAILOR OYSTER BAR: 196 West St., Annapolis. HOURS: Tues.- Sun. 4 p.m.-12 a.m. PRICES: Starters: $5-22; raw bar: $1-170; mains: $12-34; desserts: $10-15.

This spring, Annapolis Town Center welcomed Green & Bean Boutique, a slow-luxury shop for all your eco-friendly gifts and home goods. “Intentional” is the word we’d use when describing this curation of products. Ali Mulaga filled her store with brands that resonate with modern design and strong, sustainable integrity, providing that rare blend of products that look and do good.

How Green & Bean was created?
I’ve been making candles out of repurposed bottles and essential oils for the past couple of years and wanted to move away from the market space and into a brick-and-mortar, but I wanted to carry more than just candles. I still wanted to keep that same ethos of sustainability and eco-consciousness, so when I started looking around for products to sell, I was looking for brands that matched those values rather than specific product types. We knew what we wanted to do and what we wanted the space to become, and the opportunity to open in Annapolis came up.

How do you source Green & Bean products?
I have criteria in mind: The items must be beautiful, ethically sourced, and eco-conscious. It doesn’t really matter what the product is; it could be anything from kid’s stuff to hair accessories, a bag to a greeting card, so long as it matches the ethics of what we hold dear. I want to show a more design-driven side to sustainability. I feel like there’s an aesthetic associated with sustainable goods, and if that doesn’t match your personal style, then you might not really care to delve into the eco-friendly world that much. But from what I see and continue to find are sustainably made items that exist for any person of any style. And often, mindful ethics at the forefront can lead to better design.

What are some of your favorite brands you stock?
We have a vegan leather brand, Allégorie, where everything is made with apples and cactuses instead of animal or PVC leather, which is just plastic. They actually don’t do a lot of wholesale, but I reached out and told them what Green & Bean was about and asked if they would want to sell in the store, and they liked what we were doing enough. Leather literally made from plants is just incredible to me. Anchal is another brand. They’re a nonprofit, and all the money they make goes into financial, educational, and health benefits for the women who work for them in India. The textile goods they make are so beautiful. You can’t tell from looking at their products that they’re driven by sustainability and fair trade like there’s more substance the more you examine it. It’s nice to be able to tell people more about where the things they’re purchasing came from and show how good of an impact these brands can make.

What’s the story behind the name?
Gwyneth Paltrow said that names with a double letter always do better: GOOP is literally just her initials with a double “O” in the middle. I really just like green and everyone associates sustainability with green, right? My friend and I were saying names out loud, and Green & Bean sounded cute, fit the formula, and—green beans, it felt catchy and familiar enough.

ue and Thom Rinker, age 74 and 75 respectively, were feeling very isolated in their condo in Baltimore County. “We were ready for a change,” says Sue.
“My mother had lived at a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) for 20 years and some of our friends had moved to that type of community. We really liked what a CCRC offered.”

According to seniorliving.org, a CCRC (also known as a Life Plan Community) delivers independent living and an amenity-rich lifestyle with access to onsite, higher-level care should a resident’s medical needs progress. The levels of care usually include independent, assisted, memory care, and skilled nursing as well as rehabilitation therapy on the campus. This continuum of care ensures residents that they have the comfort of remaining in the place they call home and the peace of mind that comes from knowing their future care is figured out.

“We wanted a CCRC so our two children who live in the area wouldn’t be burdened with our future healthcare,” Sue continues. “But for now, we are healthy and wanted lots of great amenities.” The Rinkers, who live at Blakehurst in Towson, say that it’s like living at a five-star resort.

Robin Somers, CEO of Broadmead, a Life Plan Community in Cockeysville, says, “Today we are seeing many of our residents coming in younger. Rather than in their 80s, they come in their 70s.”

Elizabeth O’Conner, director of marketing and sales at Blakehurst, adds that not only are residents younger, “they are very active.”

Without the drudgery of home maintenance, doing daily chores like cleaning and meal planning, and even trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine booster, there’s time for residents to be physically active and explore myriad intellectual and cultural opportunities. But for those who prefer to spend time alone or with a few friends, there’s that too.

A fitness center ranks high on must-have lists for incoming residents. In many CCRCs, residents will find state-of-the-art equipment, classes including yoga, tai chi, and aerobics, and a heated pool. Sometimes there’s even a juice bar and a spa for manicures, pedicures, and massages. Parker Williamson, 81, is an avid sailor who lives at BayWoods of Annapolis, a waterfront community. He says, “I exercise every other day, but don’t like group classes, so the personal trainer worked up a routine just for me.”

“Today’s residents want individualization,” remarks Somers.

Sharon Krulak, 79, is a new resident at Blakehurst. She’s also an artist who works in mixed-media. When the Krulaks were looking at Blakehurst, she told O’Connor, “I need a room to do my art. And they made it happen.”

At Broadmead, two residents who were trained and experienced beekeepers had a conversation with the Broadmead executive director, and the Broadmead Apiary was established in 2013. Today, there is a group of six residents who are involved. Throughout the year they inspect the beehives, feed the bees sugar syrup, and harvest the honey into jars for sale.

Usually, CCRCs have councils, committees, and their own governing body where residents can make things happen. “At Blakehurst we have 43 residential-run committees,” says Sue Rinker. “Thom is on the residents’ board and I’m on the refurbishing and jigsaw committees.”

CCRCs have concerts, guest speakers, and some arrange continuing education through Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (university-based education specifically for people 50 and older) or nearby universities. At Broadmead, they recognize artists within their community and in the greater Baltimore vicinity by having exhibits, programs, and educational outreach. This April, the Broadmead Art Council will host an exhibit of the works of Herman Maril, a Baltimore native known for painting seascapes, interiors, and landscapes. These exhibits and lectures will be open to the greater community.

Other amenities usually include endless clubs, beautiful walking trails, gardens where residents can plant vegetables and flowers, a movie theater, a library, woodworking, a beauty salon and barber shop, card and poker rooms, billiards, bocce, and a resident computer and business center. Some communities have a croquet court, a putting green, and pickleball. As most CCRCs welcome your four-legged family members, there are even dog parks. And in keeping with making life effortless, some places will deliver your incoming packages right to your door. The list of concierge services goes on, including scheduled transportation to grocery stores, shops and more. At Edenwald, a CCRC in Towson, a bus transports residents to cultural events and attractions like the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerhoff, a string quartet at Shriver Hall, and plays.

Cuisine plays an important part in daily life. The number of dining venues depends on the CCRC and so do the plans they offer. Many have a grill, café, bar, and outdoor dining. CCRCs pride themselves on having an excellent chef, offering plenty of choices on the menu, high quality ingredients, and dining experiences resembling a great restaurant.

In this area, all CCRCs are close to vibrant cities—Annapolis, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. As Parker Williamson, resident at BayWoods, says with a laugh, “What’s great is we can visit Baltimore and D.C. and take advantage of all they have to offer, but we don’t have to live there.”

The Guide to Regional Continuing Care Facilities & Senior Resources

ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE
201 Russell Ave.
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
(301) 216-4001
asbury.org/asbury-methodist-village

ASBURY-SOLOMONS ISLAND
11100 Asbury Circle
Solomons, MD 20688
(410) 394-3000
asbury.org/asbury-solomons

BAYLEIGH CHASE
501 Dutchmans Lane
Easton, MD 21601
(410) 657-4900
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/bayleigh-chase-easton

BAYWOODS OF ANNAPOLIS
7101 Bay Front Drive
Annapolis, MD 21403
(410) 268-9222
baywoodsofannapolis.com

BEDFORD COURT
3701 International Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20906
(301) 598-2900
sunriseseniorliving.com/communities/bedford

BLAKEHURST
1055 W. Joppa Road
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 296-2900
blakehurstlcs.com

BRIGHTVIEW SENIOR LIVING
Multiple locations
(888) 566-8854
brightviewseniorliving.com

BROADMEAD
13801 York Road
Cockeysville, MD 21030
(410) 527-1900
www.broadmead.org

BROOKE GROVE
18100 Slade School Road
Sandy Spring, MD 20860
(301) 924-2811
www.bgf.org

BUCKINGHAM’S CHOICE
3200 Baker Circle
Adamstown, MD 21710
(301) 804-2159
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/buckinghams-choice-adamstown

CARROLL LUTHERAN VILLAGE
300 St. Luke Circle
Westminster, MD 21158
(410) 848-0090
clvillage.org

CHARLESTOWN RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
715 Maiden Choice Lane
Catonsville, MD 21228
(410) 405-7683
ericksonseniorliving.com/charlestown

COLLINGTON EPISCOPAL LIFE CARE COMMUNITY
10450 Lottsford Road
Mitchellville, MD 20721
(301) 925-9610
collington.kendal.org

EDENWALD
800 Southerly Road
Towson, MD 21286
(410) 339-6000
edenwald.org

ELIZABETH COONEY CARE NETWORK
1107 Kenilworth Drive, Ste. 200
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 323-1700
Elizabethcooneyagency.com

FAHRNEY-KEEDY
8507 Mapleville Road
Boonsboro, MD 21713-1818
(301) 733-6284
fkhv.org

FAIRHAVEN
7200 Third Ave.
Sykesville, MD 21784
(410) 892-1946
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/fairhaven-sykesville

FRIENDS HOUSE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
17340 Quaker Lane
Sandy Spring, MD 20860
(301) 924-5100
friendshouse.com

GINGER COVE ANNAPOLIS LIFE CARE
4000 River Crescent Drive
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 266-7300
gingercove.com

GLEN MEADOWS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
11630 Glen Arm Road
Glen Arm, MD 21057
(410) 592-5310
presbyterianseniorliving.org/glen-meadows-retirement-community

GOODWILL RETIREMENT VILLAGE
891 Dorsey Hotel Road
Grantsville, MD 21536
(301) 895-5194
goodwillhome.org

HARMONY AT WALDORF
11239 Berry Road
Waldorf, MD 20603
(240) 270-2759
harmonyseniorservices.com/senior-living/md/waldorf/berry-road

HERON POINT OF CHESTERTOWN
501 Campus Ave.
Chestertown, MD 21620
(443) 214-3605
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/heron-point-of-chestertown

HOMEWOOD AT FREDERICK
7407 Willow Road
Frederick, MD 21702
(301) 644-5600
homewoodfrederick.com

HOMEWOOD AT WILLIAMSPORT
16505 Virginia Ave.
Williamsport, MD 21795
(301) 582-1472
homewoodwilliamsport.com

INGLESIDE AT KING FARM
701 King Farm Blvd.
Rockville, Maryland 20850
(240) 557-8791
inglesideonline.org/ingleside-king-farm

LEISURE CARE: THE LANDING OF SILVER SPRINGS
13908 New Hampshire Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20904
(301) 388-7700
leisurecare.com/our-communities/landing-of-silver-spring

LUTHERAN VILLAGE AT MILLER’S GRANT
9000 Fathers Legacy
Ellicott City, MD 21042
(410) 465-2005
millersgrant.org

MAPLEWOOD PARK PLACE
9707 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 571-7444
maplewoodparkplace.com

MARYLAND MASONIC HOMES
300 International Circle
Cockeysville, MD 21030
(410) 527-1111
mdmasonichomes.com

MERCY RIDGE
2525 Pot Spring Road
Timonium, MD 21093
(410) 561-0200
mercyridge.com

NORTH OAKS
725 Mount Wilson Lane
Pikesville, MD 21208
(410) 484-7300
northoaksseniorliving.com

RIDERWOOD VILLAGE
3140 Gracefield Road
Silver Spring, MD 20904
(301) 701-4076
ericksonseniorliving.com/riderwood

ROLAND PARK PLACE
830 W. 40th St.
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 243-5700
rolandparkplace.org

THE RESIDENCES AT VANTAGE POINT
5400 Vantage Point Road
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 964-5454
vantagepointresidences.org

OAK CREST VILLAGE
8800 Walther Blvd.
Parkville, MD 21234
(410) 405-7419
ericksonseniorliving.com/oak-crest

ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATES OF CENTRAL MARYLAND
Six locations in the area
(410) 644-1880
mdbonedocs.com

RECORD STREET HOME–HOME OF THE AGED
115 Record St.
Frederick, MD 21701
(301) 663-6822
recordstreethome.org

THE VILLAGE AT AUGSBURG
6811 Campfield Road
Baltimore, MD 21207
(410) 834-4143
thevillageataugsburg.org

THE VILLAGE AT ROCKVILLE
9701 Veirs Drive
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 424-9560
thevillageatrockville.org

WECARE
1852 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208
(410) 602-3993
wecarepds.com

WILLOW VALLEY
600 Willow Valley Sq.
Lancaster, PA 17602
(717) 464-6800
willowvalleycommunities.org

If you want a white chair, then do not call Monica Cortright. But if you want a colorful creation that’s as much a work of art as a place to sit, then you’ve found the right woman.

Cortright creates original and custom chair designs in her Annapolis studio that are whimsical, exuberant, colorful—anything but dull.

Born in Alaska, Cortright has lived all over the United States. She was living in
California when she decided she “needed a
break” and came to Baltimore, where her
mother and sister were living. She completed her degree in theater and costume
design at Towson University, working her
way through school as a salesperson at The
Bead, the iconic Baltimore boutique known for its hippie-inspired fashions.

After graduation, she went to New York to create costumes for an off-Broadway production. “I realized, with theater, you have to be completely devoted to it 24 hours a day,” she says. “And I realized I wanted to do more than costumes.”

Cortright says she always knew she would work in design, but her passion for chairs only began about five years ago.

After leaving costuming, her career included designing jewelry, children’s clothing, and home decorating products. When she inherited two chairs from her father, she found her calling.

“I had more fun doing those chairs than designing anything I’ve ever designed in my life,” she recalls, noting that it wasn’t a far leap from costume design. “Chairs are like characters in a play to me. I treat them as individuals: I name them, I take my time, and give them their own personalities.”

No two chairs are alike, and, if anything, Cortright says she’s gotten more outrageous and creative with time. For her original pieces, she trolls estate sales and auctions to find well-built chairs that simply need Cortright’s touch to give them some pizzaz. Her studio brims with hundreds of fabrics, tassels sourced from Morocco, and trims from Thailand.

Her creations are sought after for their mix of colors, patterns, and texture. She credits her keen design eye to her years attending Grateful Dead shows, where the over-the-top outfits inspired her to put together unusual fabric combinations—a geometric pattern with a floral interspersed with decadent, colorful velvet, for example.

“That’s definitely part of my story, seeing shows and being a part of that counter-culture, wearing a lot of hippie clothes and Indian-inspired patterns that maybe didn’t match but worked together,” she says, “That definitely plays into my sense of putting different fabrics together that most people wouldn’t.”

Music remains a strong influence on her original designs and an important part of her life. Cortright’s husband, Alex, is a radio personality at WTMD, and together they’ve met numerous rock stars and attended countless shows. Her chairs are often named for music, like the “Kashmir” chair inspired by the Led Zeppelin song.

Although many of her creations are her own, she does work with clients on custom pieces. For the founder of the world’s largest Rolling Stones fan club, she was asked to create a chair inspired by the album Beggars Banquet.

“I listened to it over and over and over again, I looked at all the pictures I could find related to the album and read everything I could,” she recalls. “It was a riot, it was super challenging. I had a blast doing it, and it’s a treasure for him, he loves it.”

When she’s not designing chairs, Cortright likes tinkering with interior design and renovation projects in her own home, which she shares with her husband, their children, Sky and Snowy, and two rescue pups, Shakespeare and Shylo. Lately, she’s been working on her meditation practice, creating a center for her otherwise free-spirited, creative life.

“I’m still totally a hippie,” she says with a laugh. “I’m all about nature and peace, love, and happiness.” And chairs.

There was a moment in our meal at Flamant when, suddenly, everything made sense. It came after several starters. The herb-crusted potato cakes looked so much like scallops—did we actually order these, we asked? And then there were the Maryland Blue crab rolls. We knew we had ordered those, but as we consulted the menu, we wondered, what was that unexpected floral flavor? Oh, it was a splash of gin mixed with Old Bay and ketchup in the dipping sauce.

Despite our ongoing confusion, clarity came just as our server put down a plate of what was listed as “Peas-Shrimp” on the menu, which he’d described as “salad,” but, in reality, looked nothing like any greens we’d seen. “You’re never going to get what you expect here,” our server explained. Strangely, this helped clear up the confusion.

Indeed, this “salad,” an edible homage to spring, featured a custard-like pea jelly (peas mixed with gelatin) ringed by pickled shrimp, whole snap peas, red shiso micro greens, and a warm, still-runny poached egg, which lent a silken texture. It was beautiful and delicious, which is pretty much all you need to know.

Everything about Flamant (the French word for “flaming,” a nod to the fireplace in one of the dramatic dining rooms), situated along West Annapolis Street in a quaint, 65-seat cedar bungalow, takes you by surprise, including the structure itself. The restaurant is not what you might expect in this suburban stretch of Anne Arundel County, where chains and nautically themed restaurants rule. On the site of a former children’s clothing store, Flamant has been transformed into a stylish dining den, with its sculptural mid-century Cherner chairs, black flatware, light woods, blue Spanish floor tiles, and airy, light-filled rooms.

Owner-chef Frederik De Pue hails from Flanders, Belgium, and honed his culinary craft working with Michelin-starred chefs including Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo and Alain Chapel in Lyon, France. After coming stateside, he owned several restaurants in D.C., then opened this seasonally driven, chef-forward spot in the spring of 2017.

The peas-shrimp starter; the dining room. -Kate Grewal

The dinner menu, with ingredients sourced from local farms and fishermen, is concise (a sure sign that all ingredients are up-to-the-minute fresh—pulled from the sea and just arrived from field and farm), with six mains and about the same number of shareable snacks and starters. De Pue’s dishes—innovative, flavorful, even celestial—are unlike anything you’ll find on other area menus.

“Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness,” the top of the menu reads. When you’re quoting the father of modern French cooking, Auguste Escoffier, the bar is automatically set high.

Fortunately, De Pue delivers.

Flamant features classic, but edgy, European fare. His presentations are always artistic, which is not surprising given that De Pue draws his dishes on paper when he is developing recipes to help him visualize not only what’s on the plate, but what flavors his combinations will yield.

Among the appetizers, something that might appear as charcuterie or a cheese plate on any other menu is listed as ricotta-feta custard here and turns up as crisp prosciutto “cups” served with a dollop of house-made ricotta and feta cheese and ripe cherry tomatoes exploding with flavor. A bowl of mussels swimming in white wine broth appears as if it rolled through a tangle of seaweed—actually threads of leeks and rosemary sprigs—on its way up the beach.

Entrees are equally appealing, both visually and from the standpoint of flavor. Among the most noteworthy on our visit was the luxurious riff on a burger. De Pue’s version is a slightly sweet duck confit patty blanketed by the pungent addition of orange-blue cheese sauce. A slice of green tomato and arugula add, respectively, tangy and nutty notes. As with most of the menu, no detail is missed. De Pue pan sears the potato bun with butter and then steams it, which helps all of the ingredients stick together, thus ensuring perfection in every bite. The tarragon chicken schnitzel—thinly sliced cutlets stuffed with capers, parsley, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, and almonds and paired with potatoes and mushroom mousseline—is a delightfully deconstructed take on a German classic.

Even if you don’t usually indulge, hold out for dessert. The turnover-shaped seasonal doughnuts, more like Belgian beignets, can count as a fruit serving here.

Ours were stuffed with local strawberries and rhubarb and accompanied by a dollop of house-made fromage blanc gelato, a satisfying way to end the meal. After cleaning the plate, we settled our check and headed out into the night, feeling fortified—genuinely happy, even. Somewhere, Escoffier is smiling.

FLAMANT 17 Annapolis St., 410-267-0274. HOURS: Tues.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m., Sat. 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m. PRICES: Snacks and appetizers: $9-20; mains: $20-35; desserts: $9-11. AMBIANCE: Cottage chic.

Cirque du Soleil is what dreams are made of, but not many people get to live out the dream of being a gymnast with the largest theatrical producer in the world. Annapolis native Betsy Zander is one of the lucky few to travel and perform with the Canadian entertainment company. From July 3-7, Zander is returning to her home state for the enchanting arena production of Corteo at Royal Farms Arena.

Corteo is the story of a clown Mauro’s funeral, but instead of mourning, the procession celebrates memories and the hereafter with laughter and exuberance. Zander participates in an act titled “A Bed That Puts Some Bounce Into Life,” which is a celebration of the mischievous prankster’s gleeful past. We sat down with Zander to talk gymnastics, the message of Corteo, and her favorite memories of Baltimore.

How long have you been practicing gymnastics?
I’ve been doing gymnastics since before I can remember, and I love it now just as much as I did when I was a little kid. I started when I was 2 years old at Docksiders Gymnastics [in Millersville] and continued through division one athletics at George Washington University. I auditioned for Cirque du Soleil after graduation.

What is your day-to-day like working with Cirque du Soleil?
The day-to-day work mostly revolves around recovery, training, and generally maintaining a healthy lifestyle in order to perform the way we do. Unlike many other professional athletes, we don’t train for one or two competitions or games every so often. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. We perform every night, sometimes two to three times per night. So the day-to-day training really evolves into a lifestyle for us.

What is the hardest part of your routine for Corteo?
Corteo was touring as a big top show from 2005-2015, where the big top tent would stay in one city for one to two months. In 2018, it was brought back as an arena show that travels to a new city every week. So one of the hard parts about it is the constant travel. We all live our lives out of suitcases. One of the craziest realizations is finding out how much stuff you don’t really need. The average person would find it hard to live out of two suitcases, but that’s our normal. A couple of nice pairs of clothes, some good shoes, toiletries, and training clothes gets you a long way.

What is the atmosphere like behind the scenes?
The atmosphere backstage is just as intense as it is onstage. There’s a show going on for the audience, but there’s also a show going on behind the curtain. Between technicians, artists, coaches, and wardrobe everyone is “on” during the show. We all work so hard to produce the same level on premiere night as we do for the last show of the city. Sometimes it chaos, but it’s organized chaos.

How do you connect with the overall message of Corteo?
Something so special about Corteo’s story is the humanity of the show. The performers don’t apply a ton of makeup. We are portraying real feelings everyone has had in their own life, whether that be joy, sorrow, or just pure excitement. What you see on stage is an emotion every person can connect with. The overall message of the show is a celebration of life, and for me personally, connecting with that isn’t difficult. As one of the trampo-bed artists, if I can’t be happy going to work jumping on a bed and throwing pillows at my friends, there’s something wrong.

How is the performance in Baltimore going to be different for you?
Personally, the performance in Baltimore is so unique because my people are in the audience. Whether that be family and friends, or just Maryland folk, this is where I grew up. I couldn’t be more proud to represent that.

What is your fondest memory of visiting Baltimore growing up?
I started going to Ravens tailgates when I met my now fiancè, and there is truly nothing like it. There is so much pride and heart in the city of Baltimore. It’s contagious.

Fleetwood Mac
March 24. 8 p.m. $73.50-207.50. Across its 50-year history, legendary rock-blues band Fleetwood Mac has had a revolving door of guitarists and singers, but despite its rotating crew, it has cemented its place as one of the world’s bestselling bands. During this one-night stop on the group’s 50-city tour, hear original bandmates Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, longtime members Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, and newcomers Mike Campbell and Neil Finn rock the Royal Farms Arena with classics such as “The Chain” and “Dreams.”

Ed Schrader’s Music Beat
March 2. 9 p.m. $13-15. We’ve been following this post-punk duo’s climb through the city’s DIY scene for years and, following the release of Riddles last spring, have watched them finally get the kudos they deserve. To tie up a year of touring around the U.S. and Europe, frontmen Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice will rock this hometown show with crowd favorites such as “Dunce” and “Kid Radium,” following sets by up-and-coming acts Param Anand Singh and Infinity Knives + Randi.

Jonathan Van Ness
March 2. 7 p.m. $55-318.30. Whether you recognize his flowing locks and gut-busting catchphrases from the popular Netflix series Queer Eye or his parody web series Gay of Thrones, you know Jonathan Van Ness. This month, the grooming guru is bringing his pop culture quips to the Hippodrome Theatre as part of his first-ever stand-up comedy tour, where fans can laugh along with “America’s sassiest sweetheart.” Can you believe?

Expressions
March 2-3, 5. $20-375. The Baltimore School for the Arts has long been heralded as a shining star in the city’s arts community, and its annual fundraiser, Expressions, has become a can’t-miss event. This year, the series of performances—along with the traditional gala and cocktail party—is dedicated to the beloved creator of Expressions, Sally Michel, who passed away in August. Support the esteemed local art school during this honorary benefit and celebrate the memory of one of BSA’s longtime leaders.

Love Thy Self
March 7. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. In our February issue, we featured a few of the love-inspired letters and drawings included in Beyond Beautiful: One Thousand Love Letters, an exhibition by Baltimore-based artist Peter Bruun that explores expressions of love. In conjunction with the final days of this heart-stirring exhibit, hear testimonials and performances from exhibit participants, including singer-songwriter ellen cherry and artist Phylicia Ghee, during this one-night event. Arrive to Maryland Art Place early to hear local jazz keyboardist George Spicka perform during the opening reception.

Dinner with Friends
March 12-April 7. Times vary. $43-52. With serendipitous timing to our Best Restaurants issue, the latest production from Everyman Theatre takes on a tension-filled dinner party thrown by two food writers whose guests are grappling with loyalty and commitment issues. Head to the downtown theater to see resident company actors Megan Anderson, Danny Gavigan, and Beth Hylton bring this Pulitzer Prize-winning drama to life and prove that even a picture-perfect dinner can get messy.

National Cherry Blossom Festival
March 20-April 14. Times and prices vary. In the DMV, spring has not officially sprung until the trees surrounding D.C.’s Tidal Basin turn pale pink and white with an abundance of cherry blossoms. Celebrate the nearly four weeks that these famed trees are in bloom with springtime festivities such as a pink-tie party, a kite festival, a lavish parade, and an all-out festival along the National Harbor.

Burn Baby Burn
March 23. 12-4 p.m. $25-85. On the first day of spring in 1978, Annapolis boatbuilder Bob Turner decided he was sick of wearing his “oppressive” winter socks and invited his fellow sailing enthusiasts to join him in burning his socks to celebrate the start of another sailing season. Although Turner moved south in 1994, the sock-torching tradition lives on through the Annapolis Maritime Museum’s annual Oyster Roast & Sock Burning (this year on March 23), where locals and visitors alike recite the poem “Ode to the Equinox” before tossing their mid-calfs into the bonfire. “Let’s face it: We all have socks that have gotten worn out by March,” says AMM executive director Alice Estrada, middle. “That moment when socks of all different sizes and colors are cascading onto the fire just fills my heart.”

The Big Baltimore Kite Fest
March 30. 12-4 p.m. Blowing into Patterson Park for the first time, this high-flying festival invites artists, kids, and kite-lovers to enter nontraditional kites in its park-wide contest. For a birds-eye view, watch the vibrant sky-flyers from the top of the Pagoda. Back on the ground, enjoy live music and the chance to be a part of this brand-new springtime tradition.

The Ghost of Johns Hopkins
March 24. 4-5:30 p.m. $10. There’s no debating that the philanthropist Johns Hopkins and his namesake institutions have shaped modern-day Baltimore. In his latest book, The Ghost of Johns Hopkins, longtime Baltimore Sun journalist Antero Pietila examines the effect they’ve had on the racial patchwork of our city. Hear the well-regarded writer at The Engineers Club in Mt. Vernon for an in-depth discussion about what has been deemed the first real biography of Hopkins and how it explores the city’s complicated relationship with race and community.

Annapolis, our state capital, beckons with its adorable shops, fancy sailboats at the City Dock, and grand historic homes and buildings. There’s lots to see and do, but some time during your visit, you’ll need to rest your weary feet and grab a bite. With this in mind, we thought it was time to find out exactly what is available for hungry visitors in the historic district and nearby Eastport. So we set out on a culinary expedition, sampling much of the city’s fare. After ingesting mounds of crab cakes, juicy steaks, and fat sushi rolls, we think you’ll find that our Annapolis restaurant guide gives you a comprehensive overview of the city’s culinary offerings and an assortment of eating places to satisfy your appetite whether you’re taking in the sites by sea or land.

Café Normandie

This cute and cozy Main Street mainstay has been around forever and is wildly popular with locals, maybe because it offers a number of opportunities for decent dining (along with huge portions) at bargain prices. Normandie features French country cuisine, in keeping with its rather cramped, rustic interior of exposed wood beams and its humongous fireplace smack in the middle of the dining room. Choose from the wide selection of crêpes (a buckwheat crêpe stuffed with ratatouille is a favorite) and omelets to accompany a simple salad or charcuterie platter and a glass of wine—a perfect way to dine out without breaking the bank. Best bets for entrées are, unsurprisingly, Normandy-inspired dishes like breast of chicken with apples, veal Normandie with creamy mushroom sauce, or most of the seafood dishes. When the kitchen backs up—as it frequently does—you may find yourself getting antsy for the next course, but the wine always seems to arrive on time. 185 Main St., 410-263-3382

Carrol’s Creek Cafe

The best seat in the house is probably outside—on the deck on a summer afternoon, where you can sip a brew, enjoy a meal, and watch the boat traffic with downtown Annapolis in the background. But it’s pleasant inside Carrol’s Creek, too. This contemporary restaurant has plenty going for it, including its location just over the Eastport bridge. The restaurant’s design makes the most of that location. With plenty of windows facing Spa (originally Carrol’s) Creek and tables on different levels and at different angles, almost everyone has a water view. And as night falls, the view includes the majesty of the U.S. Naval Academy chapel dome and lights from the constant cars on the bridge. Inside, the atmosphere is bustling, but not hurried. The menu is large with traditional seafood and steak, alongside soups, salads, and other light fare. Carrol’s Creek offers an interesting menu option: For $18 more than the price of an entrée, you can also get cream of crab soup, a house salad (mixed greens with bleu cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts) and a choice of dessert. It’s a fair value for the hungry. The filet mignon is excellent, and the rockfish topped with spinach and scallops over risotto tastes even better than it sounds. Locals and tourists seem to intermingle in this casual, family-friendly atmosphere. 410 Severn Ave., Eastport, 410-263-8102

The Chart House

Talk about a room with a view. This waterside restaurant on Spa Creek captures a postcard-picture look at historic Annapolis from its Eastport vantage point. Yes, it’s a chain, but it’s also a tourist magnet with its great location. We’ve found that it’s worth a stop if you focus on appetizers, fresh fish, and certain seafood dishes. For Marylanders, the crab entrées, especially the crab cakes, may not measure up to our inbred expectations. But the blue crab dip with crostini is an excellent nosh to bolster tired spirits after walking around our state capital. Kimchi calamari with crisp vegetables is another delicious way to revive your energy. In the open, comfortable dining room, you can count on the kitchen to deliver wonderfully prepared fresh fish, like a dynamite cedar-wrapped King salmon in a fig vinaigrette. You also won’t go wrong with baked shrimp topped with crab. There’s a salad bar, but the chopped spinach salad on the menu is a beautiful mix of shredded greens, mushrooms, and radishes with hot bacon dressing. 300 Second St., Eastport, 410-268-7166

Flamant

Seasonally sourced ingredients coupled with classic European techniques are the recipe for success at this West Annapolis gem. The intimate dining space features a partially open kitchen that gives diners a front-row seat to see Belgian chef Frederik De Pue in action. Snack on red snapper tartare and blue crab rolls before moving on to larger entrees like lacquered cornish hen and beef stroganoff with hanger steak and local mushrooms. Dessert is not to be skipped, as pretty pastries abound—ranging from a goat cheese tart to a caramelized banana doughnut with Grand Marnier gelato. 17 Annapolis St. 410-264-0274

Galway Bay

After a relaxed stroll around the City Dock, consider hoofing up toward State Circle and popping into Galway Bay; the appetite you build up will be more than satisfied. This replica of a typical Connaught pub boasts a fine bar and plenty of booths in which to relax with a pint and friends. But it also contains a spacious, casual dining room that can accommodate large parties and families. The food at Galway Bay is centered on pub fare with mass appeal. The menu abounds with classics like shepherd’s pie and fish and chips, but also more ambitious items like fresh fish and beef short ribs. And there are many other Celtic dishes such as Irish curry fries or whiskey-and-tomato soup. It’s so much the better with what we can honestly say is a perfectly pulled pint. 63 Maryland Ave., 410-263-8333

Harry Browne’s

Harry Browne’s offers a window on Annapolis—literally for those lucky enough to be seated at one of the few front tables—and figuratively for those within. This is a city staple, a longtime gathering spot for legislators, lobbyists, lawyers, and reporters. But on a cool weekend, the crowd is early baby-boomer couples and foursomes. Those who do get a window table have the State House dome in clear view and a front row seat on the passing State Circle parade of tourists and teens. Other diners enjoy a casually sophisticated room with dark wood, leaded glass, and striking chandeliers. Wherever you sit, you are treated to excellent food infused with unusual flavors that are beautifully presented. Amid many great tastes, the rack of lamb stands out for its richness, its size, and its melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, and for the accompanying stuffed eggplant, garlic mashed potatoes, and mint coulis. The salmon, one of the specials, has a gentle sweetness that makes it special with artichoke hearts and grape tomatoes in a light sauce. The homemade ice cream at Harry Browne’s is notable, too. There isn’t anything plain about the vanilla that goes with the delicate creme brulee. The friendly, unhurried yet professional service, stunning atmosphere, and culinary intrigue make Harry Browne’s a thoroughly enjoyable evening worth lingering over. 66 State Circle, 410-263-4332

Joss Café and Sushi Bar

“This is the best food I’ve had in ages,” a happy diner, two tables down, remarks dreamily. Hey, it’s hard not to eavesdrop at Joss Café and Sushi Bar, where the tables are packed cheek-by-jowl into a warren of well-used dining rooms, and the clients—lots of them—are usually rhapsodizing about the food. They couldn’t care less about the modest surroundings or the crowds—they’re here for the sushi. And what sushi it is: fat, silky toro; creamy, unctuous uni; crisp-crunchy baby octopus. Pretty much everything you order here, whether it’s one of the sparkling fresh seaweed salads or a selection from the daunting array of rolls, is guaranteed to be perfectly prepared. The menu is staggering, so we usually zoom in on a few favorites. We love the maguro poke, chopped raw tuna marinated in soy and sesame oil, and blended with pine nuts, sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, and scallions. The shiitake tempura is an exemplar of umami—that elusive, mysterious fifth taste best described as heavenly-funky. Bite into a cloud of batter to the earthy mushroom beneath, and you’ll find heaven indeed. And if you’re an adventurous diner, nothing could be better than the pork shumai. These light, little dumpling bombs, imbued with fiery wasabi, provide an instant, overwhelming blast of intense heat, which miraculously fades in seconds. Everything is pretty wow here, including the service, faster than a speeding bullet train. 195 Main St., 410-263-4688

Lemongrass

An easygoing, Far-East atmosphere and food that practically pops with flavor are the two characteristics that define Lemongrass. Service is friendly and welcoming, and we are immediately at ease in a dining room that is bright and cheery without being kitsch or formal. The menu overflows with Thai-inspired cooking, and everything is scrumptious. This is not a place for the meek of palate, however; spicy means spicy on this menu, and the ingredients are so fresh that acids tingle while sweet and salty dance jubilantly across one’s tongue. A great example is the pa ram long song, a bewitching amalgam of chicken breast and light yellow curry that sings with a little sweetness, zings with citrus, and stings, but just ever so little, with spice. Another home run is the spicy eggplant. A generous plateful of Asian eggplant that has been lightly fried and doused in garlic sauce, then sprinkled with pepper and basil, this plate satisfies a craving for the savoriness of fried food without paying the price in heavy fats, fatty fillings, or soggy leftovers for next day’s lunch. Not much is on offer for dessert, but we will say the mango sticky rice at Lemongrass is the best we’ve tasted in Maryland. 167 West St., 410-280-0086

Les Folies Brasserie

Take a trip to Paris by way of Naptown at this 20-year-old neighborhood standby. Decorated with burgundy banquettes, white linen tablecloths, and Bohemian art pieces, the restaurant has become a is a go-to spot for French onion soup and classic coq au vin, but it also features flavorful pastas and fresh fish ranging from salmon to snapper. Other filling favorites include the filet mignon with red wine shallots and classic moules frites with white wine-steamed mussels and crispy French fries. Be sure to order the scratch-made souffle ahead of time, as each one takes upward of 45 minutes to prepare. 2552 Riva Rd. 410-573-0970

Level

At Level, the happy hour, with its $6 artisanal cocktails—made with such quirky ingredients as egg white and baked apple bitters, lime foam, and fresh persimmon—and similarly priced small plates of gnocchi with green peas, grilled eggplant, or hummus with roasted pear seamlessly blends into the dinner hour. You soon realize that Level is happy at all hours. And its small plates can add up to a wide array of flavors, from a duck torchon with a purée of garlic to the dessert-you-can-drink concoction of dark, malty Belgian black ale, served in a Mason jar with a scoop of ice cream. Level’s two bars—upstairs and down—are consistently crowded after work, and it recently added a second dining room. A chalkboard, pictured right, on one of the exposed-brick walls lists words related to the headings Food, Drink, and Socialize. It’s a list—with the addition of affordable—that will keep us returning. 69 West St. 410-268-0003

Lewnes’ Steakhouse

The Lewnes family has been at this Eastport corner since 1921, the last 14 years as a steakhouse. Recently expanded—an old family home became another dining room—Lewnes’ seems to hold its own against the upscale chain steakhouse nearby. The new space is more open than the original dining room. Tables are well-spaced, windows look into the wine room, and vintage photos give this somewhat clubby space a homey feel. The windows into the wine room afford a view of hundreds of bottles. Dabbling on this wine list is not for the faint-hearted; it is huge, sophisticated, and high-end, though there are half bottles and wines by the glass plus waiters who gladly make recommendations. The steaks are a la carte; vegetables and salads, family style, with half orders available. We recommend the small filet mignon—the flavor is huge—although the New York strip is not as tender or as flavorful. Although beef is the star, the menu includes almost as many seafood items. Service is knowledgeable and efficient, though at times, food arrives too quickly. We leave with an invitation to return from a server, a nice touch and one more reason Lewnes’ remains an Annapolis tradition. 401 Fourth St., Eastport, 410-263-1617

Luna Blu

The only reason not to order the $35 dinner special Luna Blu offers—appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert from the regular menu—would be that you weren’t very hungry. But that could change once you got started, because the food just keeps getting better with each course in this comfortable and welcoming Italian restaurant. Chef/owner Ivano Scotto puts the “Napoli” in Annapolis, and vice versa, literally wrapping the cuisine of his native Italian Campania region around Maryland classics, and garnishing them with whimsy. Southern Italy melts atop Southern Maryland in the fried green tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella, but Luna Blu also offers the straight-up Caprese original. The entrée choices are surprising for this relatively small restaurant—with a risotto of the day, as well as pastas, sautéed chicken breast or veal. Seafood is plentiful: A grilled salmon with spinach entrée includes a generous dividend of scallops and lump crab scattered on top, all of it enveloped in a richly flavorful cream sauce. That same sauce binds spaghetti and prosciutto in the carbonara, a decadent dish that probably should be enjoyed in moderation—if you can exercise restraint. But pacing yourself will pay off when it’s time for dessert, which is so good that it is worth coming to Luna Blu just for that. Go for the sophisticated zabaglione or classic tiramisu. Lunch offerings include a more modest pizza-and-sandwich menu. A bonus at this unpretentious place—children are welcome, and servers helpfully suggest a smaller $10 pasta portion for a child. It will provide enough for his dad’s lunch the next day. 36 West St., Annapolis, 410-267-9950

Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge

This neighborhood hangout is known for hosting cover bands, tribute groups, and open mic nights—and the food is equally as appealing as the live entertainment. Worldly wines and craft cocktails (the “Suits and Ladders” fuses bourbon with aperol and honey) pair nicely with small plates and customizable charcuterie boards. There are also burgers, flatbreads, and plenty of larger entrees if you’re going the solo route. Sample standouts including cedar salmon, vegan jambalaya, and rockfish imperial with charred lemon beurre blanc. 175 West St. 410-280-5160

O’Learys Seafood

Insofar as “Annapolis seafood restaurant” usually signifies crab dip, crab soup, and, well, crabs, O’Learys breaks the mold. In a wood-beamed dining room that manages to exude buzz and calm at the same time, fish gets treatment that is refined but never fussy. “Close your eyes and point,” a waiter says when asked which appetizers are excellent, and so far he hasn’t been proven wrong. It’s hard to imagine doing better than two perfectly cooked, moist scallops bundled into phyllo and accented by pesto. There’s nothing innovative about the three preparations in the tuna trio—one seared piece, one pile of tartare tossed with soy, and one generous slab of sashimi—but the fish, impeccably fresh, needs no fireworks. (The silver chopsticks on the side are a lovely touch.) For entrées, it’s all about the extra details. A crispy rockfish is elevated by a tomato-cilantro salsa, sauteed shrimp, and chipotle aioli. The crab cakes are good in a city where they must be; one bite through to the bottom reveals they have been delightfully crisped, and you wonder why everybody doesn’t do that. Desserts deliver, too, especially a seasonal berry shortcake with fresh whipped cream. Two thoughts linger after you’re out the door: Why didn’t we order two slices, and when can we make reservations again? 310 Third St., Eastport, 410-263-0884

Osteria 177

This luxurious Italian-Mediterranean restaurant—a sister-spot to Arturo’s Trattoria in Glen Burnie—inhabits a prime location on Main and Conduit streets in the heart of Annapolis. Opened in November 2006, its décor is reminiscent of a regal old New York restaurant with high ceilings and ample booths. Chandeliers glitter, original paintings hang from the walls, and angular, high-backed white chairs give the place a contemporary look. While it’s clear that chef/owner Arturo Ottaviano put a lot of thought into this décor, it’s even more apparent that tremendous effort goes into everything that comes out of the kitchen. From the classic calamari to a salad of shaved parmesan and bresaola (cured beef) with arugula, to the grilled salmon in a lemon-butter sauce, each dish is prepared with great skill and care. A duck breast in pear reduction and a veal chop stuffed with fontinella and prosciutto could not be more succulent. A buttery branzino, a Mediterranean sea bass, is cooked perfectly and expertly filleted at the table. Dinner includes fine Italian wines by the glass and continual refills of sparkling mineral water. A splendid meal with fine service ends with tiramisu, hiding delightful cherries in the bottom, and a lovely dark and white chocolate mousse. 177 Main St., 410-267-7700

Paul’s Homewood Cafe

Paul’s Homewood Café is one Annapolis restaurant where you don’t go for the view. Unless, that is, you like to watch traffic whiz by on busy West Street and take in the gas station, transmission repair place, and bail bondsman’s office across the street. But do come for the food. Paul’s has been at this spot for 70 years, most of that time as a diner. After a recent renovation and expansion, however, Paul’s is a white-tablecloth restaurant at dinnertime and offers exquisite food, much of it Greek. While the décor is sleek and new, the menu leans to traditional dishes, such as lamb kebab, crab cakes, fish specials, pastas, a huge list of Greek appetizers and, of course, Greek salad. All are very good, as is the service. The manageable wine list features the products of what it describes as small and independent vintners. The bottles in racks and on shelves contribute to the attractive surroundings. There is a lot of bustle—the kitchen opens onto one dining room, which also includes the bar—a high table turnover, and, consequently, a parade of food being hurried to diners. Paul’s is quite busy, and we can see why. We are told there are a lot of regulars. But diners do not seem rushed. It’s a comfortable place to pause over a drink, savor your meal, and enjoy your coffee after some wonderful desserts. 919 West St., 410-267-7891

Preserve

We won’t soon forget the palate-pleasing and fresh-breath-destroying meal we recently enjoyed at this 3-year-old treasure, and not just because the leftover kimchi we took home after dinner stunk up the car with the smell of garlic. As the name suggests, pickling is the not-so-secret weapon here, with husband-and-wife team Jeremy and Michelle Hoffman obsessively pickling the kimchi. Milder than many Asian versions we’ve tried, it’s just as flavorful, and it makes a perfect appetizer, side, or snack. Indeed, pickled pleasures are used throughout the small-but-bold menu. Curtido, a Salvadorian-style fermented cabbage, goes perfectly with Relajo sausage and grain pasta, one of a dozen starters. Kimchi spices the broth in the gnocchi; dill pickles are served with the exquisitely prepared rockfish; pickled onions grace the glazed beef rice bowl. Preserve sells pickled goods in jars, too, so your vehicle’s new-car smell will be safe. 164 Main St. 443-598-6920

Reynolds Tavern

Eclectic
The elegant dining rooms in one of the town’s oldest buildings remind you why you’re in the Colonial capital—to get a taste of its charms. It’s all about capturing the grandeur of the past in an authentic setting. And what better way to savor the experience than with an English tea. There are several choices, including afternoon tea (an assortment of sweet and savory nibbles), champagne tea (a glass of bubbly and chocolate-covered strawberries with the afternoon tea), and high tea (choice of soup, salad, or quiche with tea). The treats with the tea are hit and miss—lemon squares, mushroom tarts, macaroons, and cucumber sandwiches are dainty and delicious; but the quiche Lorraine was too soggy and the scones too dry on one visit. The tavern also has lunch (such as turkey Reuben and crab cake sandwich) and dinner (including Cajun shrimp and steak frites) if you want to go a more traditional route. 7 Church Circle, 410-295-9555

Severn Inn

Take in postcard vistas of Annapolis, the Naval Academy, and the Severn River while enjoying fine dining and a great wine list at this longtime favorite. Consisting of small plates, raw bar favorites, salads, steaks, and seafood, the menu is ideal for any occasion. Start things off with tuna poke or grilled sourdough toast topped with avocado, radish, sesame oil, and lemon aioli. Appetizers for the table (a crowd-pleasing sampler features sweet chili wings, yucca tots, and deviled eggs) are also plentiful. Entrees include Maryland favorites like fried chicken with Chesapeake white sauce, South Carolina wreckfish with corn cream and sauteed baby kale, and stellar surf and turf. During the warmer months, grab a seat on the outdoor deck to watch the sunset over the river while sipping a sweet Orange Crush. 1993 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. 410-349-4000

Treaty of Paris Restaurant

The Treaty of Paris Restaurant at the Maryland Inn is surely a contender for the capital’s most romantic dining room with its fireplaces, toile drapes, crisp white linens, and subtle lighting reminiscent of the days when America’s forefathers supped there. On a weekend evening not in high tourist season, the Treaty of Paris was sadly underutilized. Nothing in our experience there warranted a lack of diners. In addition to beautiful surroundings, the restaurant offers friendly and attentive service, and a traditional menu excellently prepared and reasonably priced. The popovers that spill from the breadbasket are a stand out, crusty on the outside, warm and soft inside. The menu is filled with Maryland favorites—crab cakes, rockfish, salmon, shrimp, and steak. The two crab cakes are light and flavorful, broiled as ordered without being dry. The rockfish served over braised spinach in a light white sauce is a thoroughly satisfying combination. Our meal is leisurely, capped by desserts made in house: crème brûlée and chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream. Tradition has its virtues, and Treaty of Paris seems to be mining the feel and flavor of a bygone era for the benefit of the here and now. More people should partake. Maryland Inn, 16 Church Circle, 410-216-6340

Tsunami

The best part about this hip Annapolis restaurant is how it lives up to its concept of Asian fusion cuisine—that “East meets West” marriage of unlikely ingredients, flavors, and cooking styles. In what otherwise is a slightly cramped, noisy restaurant, where the large light globes are turned down so low it’s hard to read the menu, the food and service deserve their own spotlight. A generous appetizer of popcorn-sized fried shrimp is transformed in an addictive Japanese tempura batter, while spring rolls are stuffed with avocado and ginger soy. Appetizers come with an unannounced bonus of crisp salads of greens and curlicues of raw beets and carrots in lime dressing. Bibb tacos are filled with lobster and miso butter, while wok-seared scallops sit on watercress with orange and vanilla salt and pepper. Generous desserts include bananas fried in thin, crispy lumpia wrappers (think egg roll), served with ice cream infused with a subtle ginger flavor. A delicious lychee sorbet disappears too fast as it melts into a fruity lime soup. You can’t get more exotic than that, just two blocks from the Maryland State House. 51 West St., 410-990-9868

Vin 909

Italian
The word “charming” comes to mind as you enter this cozy cottage-cum-wine bar that’s in the Annapolis area, though it’s well worth a visit whatever county you’re coming from. Inexpensive glasses of wine are the focal point here, but the brick-oven pizza, hearty meatball sandwiches, and, when last we visited, a seasonal dish of clams with pumpkin in curry cream broth also deserve top billing. This hideaway is the perfect place for a first date—or 100th date. When we went, we took barstools at the open kitchen next to a regular who told us he eats there at least three times a week. It can be a challenge to get a table at this no-reservations restaurant, so we suggest going for lunch—the menu is no different than at dinner. Just beware the boat shows! 909 Bay Ridge Ave. 410-990-1846

→ BREAKFAST

Whatever the hour, start your day at Chick & Ruth’s Delly, a stalwart breakfast counter for homemade pies, award-winning crab cakes, and massive platters named after local politicians. (Order the “Congressman Elijah E. Cummings” for a one-pound ham steak, two eggs, potatoes, and toast.)

→ MORNING

The best way to get to know “Naptown,” as its locally known, is to go off and explore. Partake in various Watermark walking tours to learn about African-American heritage or ghost lore, or hop aboard a classic Woodwind schooner to admire the city by water. We also recommend meandering the likes of Main Street and Maryland Avenue for historic-home browsing and boutique shopping (especially at McBride Gallery, KA-CHUNK!! Records, and Annebeth’s wine shop).

→ LUNCH

For your midday meal, it’s all about local seafood. At City Dock, grab a street-side booth at the circa-1740 Middleton Tavern—once patronized by founding fathers George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin—for people watching, oyster shooters, and lump-filled crab dip. For more world-class crab cakes, try Davis’ Pub in Eastport, while Cantler’s Riverside Inn across the Severn River is your destination for hard shells.

→ AFTERNOON

Often called a museum without walls, Annapolis is a history buff’s version of bliss. On State Circle, the Maryland State House once housed the Continental Congress and still serves as the General Assembly’s gathering place today. For more colonial history, saunter through the verdant gardens of the William Paca House and Historic London Town in nearby Edgewater. Of course, no trip is complete without a visit to the U.S. Naval Academy. Before football season rolls around, tour the grounds, museum, and campus chapel, where you can view the crypt of John Paul Jones, aka the father of the U.S. Navy.

→ DINNER

To experience the best of the city’s restaurant renaissance, start with happy hour at Sailor Oyster Bar for craft cocktails and fancy takes on fish before moving onto your main course at Preserve. This farm-to-table eatery, featured on our list of 50 Best Restaurants, focuses on sustainable sourcing and seasonal dishes such as grilled Maryland blue catfish or coffee-glazed local beef. Enjoy dessert a few doors up at the Annapolis Ice Cream Company, with homemade flavors including blueberry and Key lime pie.

→ EVENING

Live music abounds in Annapolis, with the original Rams Head Tavern featuring premier acts such as Taj Mahal and the Kingston Trio on its intimate stage. (On July 31, catch Baltimore’s own Thomas Dolby of “She Blinded Me With Science” fame.) Also check out the Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge for up-and-coming artists, and the Annapolis Maritime Museum for summer evening concerts. The Annapolis Summer Garden Theater is another nightlife must, with al frecso plays beneath the stars.

Here’s a perfect tableau: a charming century-old bungalow perched on the Severn River in an upscale Annapolis community. That picture, however, needed to be just a little more perfect for John and Po Martin, who—despite stringent regulations on new waterfront construction—also wanted a great property for entertaining, complete with a striking and contemporary pool.

A party on a recent spring afternoon was proof the couple achieved their goal: They effortlessly hosted more than 100 guests, mostly past and present members of the sailing team at the University of Maryland, where their daughter, Jaimie, graduated in May.

“My mother went there in the early ’50s, and she was on the sailing team, so there were multiple generations of kids who grew up on the water and appreciate it,” says John Martin.

Hosting these types of gatherings has become something of a habit for the family, whose house is nestled in the historic Bay Ridge community, once home to a Victorian-era vacation destination known as “The Queen Resort of the Chesapeake.”

Born and raised in Annapolis, Martin, an insurance broker, was attracted to the property not just because it was on the water, but because of its acreage. “It was a big piece of land for the neighborhood, so we just decided to make the most of it,” he says. “The lot is an acre and a quarter, and half the lot we weren’t using at all.”

So a little more than 10 years ago, the big—and ongoing—re-do got underway: The Martins, who bought the property in 1995, called on Cathy Purple Cherry, of the eponymous Annapolis-based design firm, to customize both the interior and exterior living spaces, and Jones Contracting to do the work. “They chose to maintain the one-story bungalow character and not to build up,” Cherry recalls. “So the main house was renovated and expanded to a 3,000-square-foot footprint, with another living space below.”

The outdoor area, which includes a 14-foot-by-40-foot pool, a 650-square-foot deck, and a screened porch off of the main house with views of the Chesapeake Bay, presented its own special challenges because of the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Protection Program. “It’s a state law to minimize the amount of hard surface that you put on your property in order to reduce the erosion and runoff into the waterways that lead to the Chesapeake Bay,” Cherry explains.

The pool’s placement adjacent to the house was dictated by the bungalow. “The house was expanded for maximizing its water view, and there’s no place for the pool to have gone between the house and the water—the pool could only go in the side yard.”

Because pools count as hard surfaces, the redesign of the surrounding area, which features grass and additional landscaping, had to be careful not to violate the Critical Area Protection rules. “The Martins have an amazing landscaper,” says Cherry of local firm Campion Hruby Landscape Architects (Martin also credits Estrada Landscaping, which did the actual plant installation). “They created this wonderful vegetative surround that is so successful on this property.”

Despite living in the home for 23 years, Martin says it’s still a work in progress. A recent project included tearing down and rebuilding the small guest house to offer better views of the pool and bay. “We wanted to have a place for my kids to do art and for me to do different projects,” says Martin. Today the new three-bedroom, two-bath guest house, with its large screened porch and expansive deck and open lawn, is perfect for playing games such as croquet and bocce. “It’s just set up to be the playhouse,” he adds with a laugh.

“I love to play with the landscape, and the outcome is going to be phenomenal,” Martin says. “I think we planted over 100 hydrangeas and another 50 trees. When all that matures, it’s going to be like a little Alice in Wonderland.”

In the wake of the mass shooting that occurred at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis last month, many Marylanders are looking for ways to lend a hand as the community recovers. This weekend, locals can support survivors and families of the victims by purchasing tickets to The Nextival—an annual summer fundraiser featuring food trucks, craft vendors, kids’ activities, and a jam-packed live music lineup spanning three days.

“A lot of people are looking at this as a healing event,” says Billy Gallagher, aka DJ Billy Zero, an Anne Arundel County native who founded the festival in 2016. “We want everyone to come out and experience the love that these musicians and this community can create in one space.”

Now in its third year, The Nextival will return to the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds in Crownsville July 13-15. The event has always had a charitable focus—benefiting organizations such as The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Baltimore and MusiCares—but, in the wake of the tragedy in Annapolis, Gallagher is taking a hyper-local approach this year.

All proceeds from this summer’s festival will be distributed evenly between The Capital Gazette Families Fund, the Annapolis Music Fund for Musicians (AMFM), and Juice Box Jams—a local nonprofit founded by Gallagher, which provides accessible music education and performances for children. In addition, all military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their families will receive free admission on Friday, July 13.

“Once the tragedy happened at the Gazette, it became evident that I not only had to focus on giving money to that fund, but also focus on supporting the first responders who got there in 60 seconds and saved even more lives,” Gallagher says. “We’re trying to change the way that charity is viewed and produced. Sometimes it’s by raising money, and other times that charity is to the individual people just by letting them in the gates.”

When organizing the inaugural event in 2016, Gallagher—a music industry veteran whose resume includes stints at WHFS, Sirius XM, and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences—was inspired by the kid-friendly gatherings that he attended with his family while living in California for six years.

Hoping to bring the same kind of entertainment to his hometown, he launched The Nextival (his vision for showcasing the “next best bands”) as a gathering for local families to enjoy, and also a way to give back to the community.

The musical lineup this year features more than 40 bands, including Annapolis’ own pop-rockers Starbelly, indie funk group Higher Hands, swamp music collective Swampcandy, kids reggae band Guava Jelly, and garage folk artist Skribe. There will also be visiting bands like Elovaters from Boston and RDGLDGRN from Washington, D.C.

“Musicians help keep our communities together,” Gallagher says. “I’ve been all around this country and visited a lot of the big music cities, but there’s something slightly different about the Baltimore-Annapolis music scene. It just seems a little tighter, and the musicians are always willing to help.”

Other highlights to look forward to this year include helicopter rides around Annapolis, a 68-foot obstacle course, an inflatable rock climbing wall, pony rides, mini-golf, and DIY Pinewood Derby car races. Plus, for the first time ever, the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds is permitting camping on Friday and Saturday nights.

Of course, there will also be plenty of grub to go around with more than 25 food trucks including Baltimore favorites Quinn’s Ice, Cream Cruiser, and GoGanics. Other mobile kitchens will serve everything from crab cakes and mac and cheese to sliders and D.C.’s signature jumbo pizza slices.

“There’s a little bit of everything,” Gallagher says. “You can listen to a band that you might not have listened to before or try new food. That’s really what the event is all about.”

Aside from providing the diverse entertainment, he is looking forward to bringing thousands of people together at a time when the community needs it most.

“I want people to realize that music can actually heal us,” he says. “If you’re doing right by the community and paying it forward, we can all leave with a sense of pride. When you remove capitalism from it and you replace it with your heart, things completely change.”

Five people lost their lives in the Capital Gazette newsroom on Thursday. Local journalists, politicians, and Gazette reporters themselves share their perspectives on the tragedy through words and images.

“It’s a journalist’s duty to tell the public what is happening. We buckle up and mourn later,” said Adrianne Flynn, an ethics professor at University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Read more on the lives and legacies of the victims here.

Five people were fatally shot and two others were injured at the Annapolis offices of the Capital Gazette Thursday afternoon. Jarrod Ramos, a 38-year-old Laurel man, who had long carried a resentment for the publication, was charged with five counts of first-degree murder.

Many journalists in the state are reeling with the loss of colleagues and the attack on their industry as a whole.

“I just read the news with tears in my eyes because these people are family,” said Adrianne Flynn, career development director and ethics professor at University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. “We instill in our students that in times of tragedy, it’s a journalist’s duty to tell the public what is happening. We buckle up and mourn later.”

That was exactly the response of Capital reporters, who, within hours of gunfire in their newsroom, released the Friday edition of the paper. The opinion section stated “Today we are speechless” and was dedicated to the five victims who lost their lives: Rob Hiaasen, Wendi Winters, Gerald Fischman, Rebecca Smith,­ and John McNamara.

“I worked with Rob and I knew John for 37 years,” said Milton Kent, a lecturer at Morgan State University, former Baltimore Sun reporter, and head of the MSU Spokesman. “We all, even in our worst moments, have to put aside whatever there is and get the job done. I can speak for John and Rob, they wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Several regional reporters have weighed in on the tragedy and how it speaks to the journalism landscape as a whole. Maryland Matters editor Josh Kurtz wrote a poignant essay about hearing the news while standing in the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

“There’s a towering artifact dedicated to journalists who have been killed in the line of duty,” he says about the museum. “But usually you’re a foreign correspondent covering a war, not sitting at your desk. Journalism is a noble profession and it always will be.”

The Capital Gazette, which incredibly traces its origins back to 1727, has been owned by the Baltimore Sun Media Group since May 2014. Many Sun reporters assisted with getting the paper out today. University of Maryland’s Capital News Service has offered its newsroom up to Capital employees.

“We have sent so many kids to work there,” says Flynn, who has been at University of Maryland since 1999. “Rob has been an adjunct here for the past year and always said he wanted to help young journalists. He wanted to instill good values.”

In July 2011, columnist Eric Hartley wrote a story about a criminal harassment case against Ramos, who then brought a defamation case against Hartley and the Capital publisher at the time Thomas Marquardt. The court ruled in favor of the newspaper.

“The randomness of it is so shocking,” Kent said. “This guy had a beef and a gun. I’m starting to call these American days. Because this is uniquely American. There has been a mass shooting almost every day this year. No other civilized country on the planet lives this way.”

The 154th mass shooting this year comes at a time when the political landscape centers around a particular vitriol against journalism. As recently as June 18, President Trump tweeted that the media is “the enemy of the people” and “truth doesn’t matter to them.”

“As far back as ancient times, it’s been about ‘don’t shoot the messenger’ and that holds today even more powerfully,” Flynn said. “The climate in the country right now is so anti-information. Our community is under attack.”

More than 30 years ago, veteran journalist McKay Jenkins got his start in the Capital Gazette newsroom. He considered McNamara a “close personal friend.”

“What makes the newsroom shooting so unsettling is the grotesque fact that we live at a time when political voices in our country are openly calling for repression, harassment, and even outright violence against journalists,” Jenkins said in an email. “Strong, unfettered journalism is a fundamental structure undergirding the very possibility of democracy.”

The shooting feels reminiscent of the January 2015 terrorist attack on satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris. As a small staff of about 20, the Capital Gazette lost a quarter of its newsroom to the violence yesterday.

Bloomberg government reporter, Madi Alexander, started a GoFundMe campaign for the journalists and it has already reached nearly $120,000. Gov. Larry Hogan ordered that the flag above the State House be flown at half-staff and two vigils are planned for Friday night in Annapolis.

“A fool doesn’t seek out danger, but in the course of our lives as journalists you can’t live your life in those terms,” Kent says. “The challenge for the staff moving forward is to do justice by the people who were killed. In the end, it’s going to be really hard, but they are professionals.”

Additional reporting was provided by senior editor Lydia Woolever.

Expressions

Mar. 3-4, 6. Baltimore School for the Arts, 712 Cathedral St. Sat. 6:30 p.m., Sun. 2 & 5:30 p.m., Tues. 6:30 p.m. $15-375. 443-642-5165. At the end of every winter, there comes a bright moment in the form of the Baltimore School for the Arts’ annual fundraiser, Expressions. Support the local art school during one of four awe-inspiring student shows—plus a cocktail party and evening gala—which we consider among the don’t-miss performance art events of the year.

Stephen Towns: Rumination and A Reckoning

Mar. 7-Sept. 2. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 443-573-1700. In late 2016, Stephen Towns became an official artist to watch in Baltimore with the debut of his Take Me Away to the Stars exhibit at Galerie Myrtis. Towns’ installations were used to draw parallels between Nat Turner’s historic slave rebellion in 1831 and the modern violence and inequities that still plague African Americans today. Many of these profound textile works are now on display at the BMA, continuing both the conversation and the artist’s compelling reputation in Baltimore.

Intercambio

Mar. 9. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. 8 p.m. $25-30. As part of Stoop Storytelling’s “Stoop Special Engagement” series, and coinciding with the closing of the BMA’s Mexican modernist print exhibit, these two cultural institutions are teaming up for a night of positive foreign relations. Seven Baltimoreans will share personal stories about exchange and inspiration found across the U.S.-Mexico border.

National Cherry Blossom Festival
Mar. 20-Apr. 15. Tidal Basin, 1500 Maine Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. Times & prices vary. 877-442-5666. In the DMV, spring is marked by a bounty of flowers— including daffodils, dogwoods, and, of course, an abundance of cherry blossoms. At the end of the month, those blooms reach their peak in Washington, D.C., with the entire tidal basin turning pale pink and pillowy white. For nearly four weeks, admire their beauty and celebrate the new season with a variety of festivities, including a pink-tie party, parade, kite festival, and world-renowned performances.

Snail Mail

Mar. 21. Ottobar, 2549 N Howard St. 8:30 p.m. $10. 410-662-0069. It wasn’t long after the 2016 release of Snail Mail’s debut album, Habit, that Lindsey Jordan and her two bandmates started to get national attention. The band’s lo-fi indie rock music was suddenly getting written up in Pitchfork and, before long, sprawled across a multi-faceted feature in The New York Times. The trio sold out local shows at WTMD and the Ottobar, recorded an NPR Tiny Desk concert, signed a deal with national label Matador Records, and then went off on tour with indie darlings Beach Fossils. (We also awarded them a Best of Baltimore for “Rising Star” this past August.) Fresh out of high school and already well beyond their years, it’s safe to say that they are officially the next big thing to come out of Baltimore. See for yourself as the trio returns home to perform at the Ottobar on March 21.

BSO Pulse: Valerie June

Mar. 22. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. 8:30 p.m. $35-55. 410-783-8000. After three short years, the BSO Pulse concert series has become a beloved arts institution here in Baltimore thanks to its unlikely fusion of classical music and indie rock that features artists from near and far. This time, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and WTMD team up with June, the vibrant singer-songwriter from Tennessee whose Memphis roots shine in her soulful blend of gospel, folk, and blues. Before the show, be sure to catch a performance in the lobby by local Americana musicians Nick and Luke.

Mobile Unit: Twelfth Night

Mar. 22–25. Various Locations. $25. 410-332-0033. They say that all the world’s a stage, and Mount Vernon’s Center Stage takes that adage literally. In 2017, the local theater company launched the Mobile Unit, a free-wheeling production project, in the belief that everyone deserves access to the arts. For those who don’t have the option to enjoy a night of theater, the Mobile Unit brings it to them, and to date, actors have delivered dramatic, whimsical, and comedic performances in such unconventional spaces as shelters, jails, retirement homes, and recreation centers in underserved communities. From March 22-25, a cast of five will perform Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at various sites around the city. Center Stage calls these shows “minimal,” but we think they’re pretty grand.

Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning

Mar. 24. Annapolis Maritime Museum, 723 Second St., Annapolis. 12-4 p.m. $25-75. 410-295-0104. Every March, it’s worth the drive down I-97 for this spring tradition in the state capital. For the 40th year, celebrate the spring equinox with roasted oysters, live music, and an oddball sock burning (literally) in Annapolis to welcome the beginning of boating season (for brave, blanket-wearing souls) on the Chesapeake Bay.

Crowning Glory: Art of the Americas

Mar.-Oct. 7. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thurs. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. The exhibits at the internationally renowned Walters have long traversed the globe, from the tapestries of Medieval Europe to the textiles of the Middle East. In this new exhibit, the museum stays close to home with a collection culled together from North, Central, and South America. Some 20 objects spanning thousands of years will explore the two continents’ various cultures and their relationships to power, spirituality, and identity through head-worn decorations.

Jimmy Buffett

Mar. 30. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. 8 p.m. $52.50-152.50. 410-347-2020. For one evening at the end of the month, Baltimore will transform into the blue waters of the Florida Keys with the island-themed country-pop music of the legendary Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band. Whatever the weather—lion or lamb—imagine sun, sand, and margaritas in hand during this feel-good Friday night show.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: We bought a hand-blown chandelier and two sconces maybe 35 years ago in Murano, Italy, and we thought one day we’d have a house to put them in. We actually hadn’t taken them out of the box since we got back from that trip. The chandelier is a more traditional fixture but we put it in this room and mixed it up with some modern stuff. 

SET THE TABLE: For the table, we found this company that handles hand-blown Murano glass tripods, and then we just cut a glass top to fit them, making it more clear, neutral, and modern. 

HAPPY ACCIDENT: I found the installation in the window by accident. I’m a collector of antique cars and motorcycles and while I was online looking up auctions, I saw one by a guy in Minnesota who went into bankruptcy. I had a car in mind, but when I checked the catalog, there was also a mention of this glass piece, and they had a picture of it. I did some research on the artist, and I thought since it was a car auction, no one would be paying attention to this glass piece. And of course there were three or four more people who knew exactly what it was and bid against me. But I was still able to buy it for less than 15 percent of what he paid for it 30 years ago. 

SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY: The gold and brown artwork on the right was actually painted by my daughter, Emily, who is an artist that lives in Portland, OR now. When she painted it, it got a little press and someone stole it and started making productions from it. My daughter got a few calls from friends saying they had seen her work in other places, so she found the guy that copied it. And interestingly enough, he started an internet fight with her, saying he painted it and Emily stole it from him. However, she blew up a portion of the picture and you can see her name woven into the geometric design.

CENTER OF ATTENTION: I was at a doctor’s appointment in D.C. and just came down the stairs in the office building and there was an art gallery on the first floor. The rhino we have on the table was in the window. It’s a cast acrylic piece by an artist in North Carolina, and I thought it would be a great touch of color.   

What would you eat if you were stranded on a deserted island? That’s what Sailor Oyster Bar co-owner Scott Herbst asked himself when he came up with the concept for this adorable Naptown newbie that’s been serving up oysters—and other fruits of the bay and beyond—since last August. 

Set inside an early 1900s rowhouse in the heart of historic Annapolis, SOB (their acronym, not ours!) has no ovens, no stoves, no microwaves, not even a kitchen. Just a toaster oven, a blowtorch, and ingredients that get prepped in the intimate bar area. 

Herbst, who also co-owns Tsunami, a popular sushi spot down the street, accomplishes a lot with the limited parameters he has set for himself, and there’s tons of ingenuity at work here. In less able hands, this concept could easily be nothing more than gimmickry, but Herbst is a real pro.  

 The menu, featuring oysters from both coasts, various types of crudo, and ceviche, is a celebration of seafood. Highlights include a nod to what sailors ate on their voyages in the 18th and 19th centuries, in the form of trendy Jose Gourmet premium tinned fish, including crème de la crème Bemka white sturgeon caviar (to the tune of $75) served with salted butter, toast, and greens. Salads, “sammys,” snacks like torched octopus, and artisanal toasts round out the menu. (Okay, it’s likely that no one ever ate this well after a shipwreck, but we’re willing to give Herbst a little poetic license here.)

On an early May visit, we sampled a good cross section of the menu, including a seasonally inspired kale salad with goat cheese, strawberries, and spiced walnuts, and a wow-worthy charcuterie board piled high with mortadella, coppa, manchego, spiced nuts, and dabs of fig spread and avocado purée. A standout among standouts was the escolar crudo, a type of mackerel that Herbst describes as the “Camembert of the sea” because of its creamy quality. 

The crudo was served with a cucumber-avocado chimichurri that cut the richness of the fish and delivered a rush of fantastic flavor. Another favorite dish was the torched salmon toast, a novel take on lox and bagels featuring whipped cheese, Norwegian salmon, and dill topped with salmon roe on slices of baguette.   

Everything about the experience was intimate, from our jovial server, Frank, who told us, “My job is to make you happy,” to the vintage vibe—including black-and-white photographs of Herbst’s father and other family members who served in the Navy—and the classic Vargas-style pinup girls papering the bathroom walls. 

If we ever find ourselves shipwrecked, we can only hope that Herbst is on the manifest. 

SAILOR OYSTER BAR 196 West Street, Annapolis, 410-571-5449. HOURS Tue.-Sun. 4-11 p.m. PRICES Snacks: $4-16; crudo: $14; tinned fish: $12-75; toast: $10-15. AMBIANCE Steampunk sailor. 

Monday, April 10, marked the final day of the 437th Maryland General Assembly where, for 90 days, lawmakers met in Annapolis to review bills. In this year’s case, Gov. Larry Hogan signed 11 of the 27 bills that came across his desk, including the fiscal responsibility bill, school funding bill for Baltimore City Public Schools, an extension on the time frame in which sexually abused children can sue their abusers, and a permanent ban on hydraulic fracturing in Maryland. Here are the most big-ticket items from the grueling 90-day session.

Planned Parenthood Gets Funding.
Maryland is now the first state to enact legislation to provide funding for Planned Parenthood should the federal government cut its support. The measure was enacted last week after Gov. Hogan allowed the bill to move forward—he didn’t veto it or sign it. The new measure will protect preventative care for over 20,000 patients across nine centers in the state and takes affect on July 1.

The state has allotted $2 million from Maryland’s Medicaid budget and $700,000 for the state’s general fund the services. It’s worth noting that federal law prohibits using this funding for abortions; the bill is to ensure that patients will be able to receive basic healthcare.

Fracking Ban Passes
After years of debate and study, The Maryland General Assembly and Gov. Hogan cooperated to outlaw the controversial natural gas extraction method known as fracking. In doing so, Maryland became the first state (in which fracking is viable) to ban the practice by statute. (New York banned the practice by executive order in 2014, and Vermont banned the practice by law in 2012, but has no harvestable natural gas deposits, meaning the ban was largely symbolic.)

Western Maryland—particularly Garret and Allegheny counties—sits upon a portion of the Marcellus Formation, a large shale-rich geologic area that underpins much of the Appalachian range from Tennessee to New York. Proponents of fracking in Maryland had hoped the practice would bring jobs to Western Maryland and further lower energy prices. Opponents resisted fracking because of its ability to pollute air and groundwater. Anti-fracking activists hope Maryland’s ban will inspire neighboring states, such as Pennsylvania and Virginia to enact similar laws.

Oyster Sanctuaries to Remain Closed to Watermen
Blocking a proposal floated by the Hogan administration, the General Assembly voted to keep the state’s oyster sanctuaries off-limits to watermen until a study of the bivalve’s health is completed in 2018. According to The Sun, Gov. Hogan’s administration and a state commission were “considering a plan that could have periodically opened 11 percent of the [state’s] 8,600 acres of sanctuaries to watermen.”

Environmentalists opposed the idea, citing the fragility of the bay’s oyster population, which is estimated at about 1 percent of its pre-Colonial level, due to disease, pollution, habitat destruction, and over-harvesting. A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day and oyster reefs provide habitat for numerous other species.

Styrofoam Ban Fails, For Now
Despite support from environmental advocates, a ban on the use of expanded polystyrene foam products—including food containers and packaging peanuts—failed to pass this year. The bill, co-sponsored by Del. Brooke Lierman of (District 46, Baltimore City) and state Sen. Cheryl Kagan (District 17, Montgomery County), called for a statewide ban on the hard, white plastic material, often mistakenly referred to as Styrofoam. (Styrofoam is a trademark of Dow Chemical Company and a separate substance.)

Advocates had hoped the measure would help combat litter and improve water quality, especially in Baltimore City, where expanded polystyrene products are the second-most collected items in the harbor trash wheels, after cigarette butts. Though Julie Lawson, the executive director of the nonprofit Trash Free Maryland, admitted disappointment, she also expressed hope for next year’s session. “The House Environment & Transportation Committee, having heard our bills for the past several years, has decided they want to take the summer to dig deeper into the issue . . . with an eye toward developing policies that the General Assembly should pursue in coming years,” she said.

Internet Privacy Bill Fails
The House of Representatives voted at the end of March to grant Internet service providers (ISPs) like AT&T and Verizon the ability to collect, store, and sell users’ browser history for advertising purposes. SB 1200 was an emergency bill that would “prohibit ISP’s from selling or transferring a consumer’s personally identifying information to a person without the consumer’s express and affirmative permission.”

Current state law does not regulate the sale or sharing of personal information by ISPs. However, the bill died in a House Committee meeting late last night. According to House Economic Matters Committee Chairman Derek Davis, lawmakers need more time to study the issue.

Watered Down Immigration Bill Gets Rejected
Immigration advocates were pushing for a bill that would limit police involvement in federal deportation. The House passed the bill, known as the Trust Act, in March, however, a Senate committee only advanced portions of the original bill. The act would have prohibited local police from stopping and questioning people to determine their immigration status solely based on factors like as race and religion.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. spoke out against the bill last week, saying: “Maryland is not going to become a sanctuary state.” Gov. Hogan vowed to veto the original version of the bill should it reach his desk, but it died before the deadline. The bill was diluted so much that it lost the support of liberal lawmakers and committee chairman Derek Davis said that the issue was too complicated to make a decision in the final hours.

Education Accountability Act
This measure prohibits the state school board from converting declining public schools into charters, offering students taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private schools and placing said schools in a state-run “recovery” district.

This new legislation sets up an accountability system for the schools, where 65 percent of ratings will be based on academic assessments, including standardized test scores. This is the only piece of legislation Gov. Hogan rejected stating that the bill was “misguided” and would have a “disastrous effect” on the education system.

Child Sexual Abuse Laws Amended
Gov. Hogan also signed HB 642 into law, which extends “the statute of limitations on civil actions arising out of an alleged incident or incidents of sexual abuse that occurred while the victim was a minor.” The bill will be effective October 1 of this year and will not be applicable for any cases prior to that date.

Under the current law, a victim must file a compliant within “seven years of the date that the victim attains the age of majority” or age 25. Under the new law, the period has been extended from seven to 20 years from the incident or age 38.

New Brewery Bill Gets Pushed Through
After much controversy, a revised version of HB 1283 makes big changes to the local craft-brewing scene in Maryland. Inspired by the first American Guinness brewery coming to Baltimore County in the fall, the bill raises caps on barrel production to 3,000 per year, permits some contract brewing, and allows existing breweries to maintain their normal hours. However, the bill prohibits new or future breweries—which are not grandfathered into the bill—to be closed after 10 p.m.

Fractal Cat

The Tower (self-released)

The past and the present always intertwine, a concept evident in the cosmic rock of local septet Fractal Cat. Through sunny guitar strums, golden harmonies, and lyrical commentary, you hear the echoes of midcentury America, where artists of all genres used music to react to a tumultuous time in our nation’s history. The group’s third album tackles the tough issues of today, including political oppression, police-community relations, and religious tolerance. Their energetic and surreal sound offers urgent calls to trust your intuition, spread love, and give peace a chance. Showcasing the influence of artists who came before—The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Pink Floyd—these musicians might be old souls, but their music (and message) is for people of all ages.

Pressing Strings

Most of Us (DJ Boy Records)

We tell you about Baltimore bands a lot, but we’ll let you in on a little secret: Some of the region’s best music is coming out of Annapolis right now, thanks to the roots-rock trio Pressing Strings. If you listen to local radio, you might have heard their bright ballad, “What It Means,” off of the band’s soulful EP. The Naptown natives keep it real, combining robust rhythms and bluesy songwriting that’s folksy and heartfelt yet funky and feel-good. Toeing the line between hometown darlings and rising stars, these boys-next-door exude the laid-back authenticity you might expect to come out of Maryland. But after their first big tour last fall, we won’t be surprised if their catchy songs capture big-label interest soon enough.

Will Baker was literally standing in a tree when he was asked to join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation some 40 years ago. As a tree surgeon, he was working on the property of a CBF trustee (and now mentor) who looked up at him and said, “Will, would you like to save the bay?”

Baker, who went on to become CBF president at age 27, has watched the now 50-year-old nonprofit, which focuses on education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration for the Chesapeake, blossom from a 22-person team in an old church annex in Annapolis to a 200-person staff with more than 200,000 memberships across the mid-Atlantic.

“Since we started, the Chesapeake Bay has really emerged as a national treasure,” says Baker. “I often say the bay sells itself, both in terms of reasons for concern and worry, and for love and determination to make it better.”

CBF, known for its blue-and-white bumper stickers and biennial State of the Bay reports (last year: a slightly encouraging C-), has become the largest organization dedicated to saving the bay. Through the decades, it has helped protect tidal wetlands, create critical areas for shoreline development, and drastically reduce pollution throughout the watershed, including here at home with Blue Water Baltimore and the Waterfront Partnership.

“We’re lobbyists in the broadest sense,” says Baker. “You have to be determined and keep fighting.”

And while there have been some positive changes, including improved water clarity and regrowth of underwater grasses, Baker says more work needs to be done. “We’re starting to see major, systemic improvements, but it’s nowhere near enough.” He hopes Gov. Hogan will place more emphasis on pollution reduction, fisheries and habitat restoration, and oyster sanctuary protection in the months ahead.

“I love this job because it’s big enough but small enough to think you can really make a difference in a lifetime,” he says. “I am so glad I looked down from that tree and said yes.”

As he looks through his photographs, Jay Fleming becomes an encyclopedia of the Chesapeake Bay. He talks about the weight of a pound net teeming with rockfish, or the life cycle of a blue crab, shedding its shell. He throws out names you’ve never heard before, let alone associated with our waters—sugar toads, ribbonfish—and remembers every weathered waterman he has met along the way.

“There’s a lot more to the bay than crabs, oysters, and rockfish,” he says. “Spend enough time swimming around the grass beds and you’ll be amazed at what you can find.”

Fleming, 29, is flipping through the pages of his first book, Working the Water, a visual narrative of our state estuary, but his story goes back even further, to his childhood in Annapolis, where he inherited a love for photography and the outdoors from his father, Kevin, then a National Geographic photographer. From an early age, with his dad’s hand-me-down Nikon, Fleming created his own aesthetic, heading out on nearby waters with little more than a kayak and film.

By the time he reached his 20s, after stints at the Department of Natural Resources and Yellowstone National Park, Fleming decided to pursue photography full-time, focusing his lens on the majestic waterway where he grew up. From winter through summer, he explored its characters and creatures, waking as early as 2 a.m. to travel all over the bay—by buyboat, clam rig, skipjack, even his own trusty kayak—snapping everything from fish and crustaceans to bivalves and turtles in Maryland and Virginia. Beyond the wildlife, Fleming endeavored to document the culture of Chesapeake watermen and their communities.

“Some were apprehensive at first,” he says with a smile. “But now those same people have become great friends.”

After three years, Fleming’s 280-page coffee-table book hits shelves this month, filled with poignant portraits and a breathtaking snapshot of life on the bay.

“If I had more time, I could have done even more,” he says. “The more I went out, the more I learned, and the more I realized how many people still make a living off the water. I saw how the industry was aging and how many people who were passing away had seen parts of the bay and its culture that we’ll never see again. That has motivated me to keep taking pictures.”

9/10: SAUSAGE FESTIVAL
Heavy Seas Beer, 4615 Hollins Ferry Road, Halethorpe. Celebrate Oktoberfest early with all-you-can-taste Heavy Seas beer, German sausages, and live music from local band Bond & Bentley.

9/17: CLASSICS & CRABS
Maryland Theater, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Experience the best Maryland has to offer: Crabs, Flying Dog beer, and musical performances from The Maryland Symphony Orchestra.

9/17: ANNAPOLIS CRAFT BEER & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, 550 Taylor Ave., Annapolis. Spend the day filling (and refilling) your glass with unlimited tastings from 50 local breweries, music, food, and seminars in the state’s capital.

9/17-18: MARYLAND WINE FESTIVAL
Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St., Westminster. 410-386-3880. At this 33rd festival, sample wines from over 30 Maryland wineries.

9/24: MARYLAND MICROBREWERY FESTIVAL
Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster. At this national historic landmark, tip back micro and craft beers, listen to live music, and attend presentations on brewing.

9/24-25: OKTOBERFEST
Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Lutherville-Timonium. Break out the lederhosen for the Oktoberfest barrel parade, German food, music, and of course, beer.

It’s part of the Annapolis civic rhythm: More than a thousand teenagers from every corner of the country descending on the burg for a bittersweet annual affair known as Induction Day. This arrival of the newest class at the U. S. Naval Academy is a whirlwind, as kids have their locks shorn and trade colorful T-shirts and baseball caps for clean “white works” sailor uniforms and “Dixie cup” hats. Bands play, oaths are taken, and erstwhile civilian high schoolers turn into entry-level midshipmen called plebes.

Parents are on hand for most of the spectacle, swelling with pride. And rightly so, given that the Naval Academy’s acceptance rate is just north of 7 percent. But there’s apprehension in the air, too. Worry over what lies ahead. In the short term, the concern is Plebe Summer—the seven-week, boot-camp-esque baptism-of-fire into the world of naval discipline and a plebe’s bottom-rung place in the hierarchy. Sir, yes, sir! Ma’am, yes, ma’am!

Sharon Disher knows this all too well, and not just as an Annapolitan who’s gotten caught in the annual traffic jam of out-of-state plates. Forty years ago, her parents delivered her to “the Yard” (as the academy’s campus is called) as part of the Class of 1980—the first class to include women since the school’s founding in 1845.

On a broiling hot July day back in that bicentennial summer, her arm stinging from inoculations and her eyes welling with tears, Disher threw her Air Force-officer father her first salute. She hugged and kissed the whole clan who’d come out to see her off and joined a swelling stream of white works marching down to dinner at Bancroft Hall, the world’s largest dormitory, which dominates the Yard like a run-aground, beaux-arts battleship. Its looming metal door shut behind her.

“I was like, hang it up? Oh really? Just watch me,” recalls Sharon Disher.

For Disher, it was her first Navy chow—and her first taste of what life would be like over the next four years. “When I asked to be excused from the table, I did it the wrong way,” she says. “An upperclassman stood up, put his knuckles on the table and stared at me, saying, ‘I don’t like women at my school. I don’t want women at my school. It will be my mission to make sure you’re gone before I graduate. Is that clear?’

“I’m like, oh my gosh, welcome aboard.”

Ultimately, Disher persevered and became one of the first 55 women to graduate from the Naval Academy. And the country has since watched as many of the women from those early coed classes launched brilliant naval careers—becoming admirals, astronauts, and aircraft-carrier fighter pilots. Today, the “armored ceiling” appears broken. But it’s still too soon to say all is right between the sexes. Accusations of disturbing episodes at the academy have filled headlines these last few years. Sexual harassment and assault plague the military schools as they do civilian universities. Nonetheless, that plucky band of brave women who made history four decades ago certainly helped steer the ship in the right direction.

On this, the 40th anniversary of women being accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy, the incoming class includes the largest number of female plebes ever enrolled. The 2020 class starts this fall with 331 women, including 19 daughters of academy alumni.

But, no, it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing for the ladies who had burst into this 131-year-old boys’ club. “Everything we did was wrong because we were girls,” Disher says of the days—the years—that followed her initial Navy meal. “Everything. We were fat. We were ugly. We didn’t belong there.”

Not every male classmate shared this view, but thanks to the power of peer pressure, such gender animosity was the norm. “The females had an incredibly tough time—much harder than I did,” says Severna Park resident Tim Kobosko, also a member of the Class of 1980. “I don’t think they got treated fairly. There was a lot of groupthink going on and it was unfortunate.”

Even the ladies’ room wasn’t safe. When the academic year began after Plebe Summer, Disher was assigned a new dorm room with a new women’s lavatory. A surprise, however, awaited the first time nature called and she closed the stall door behind her. “Somebody had taken a pencil and written on the back of the door: ‘Hang it up, bitch!’” Disher recalls.

But this toilet-stall graffiti energized more than it angered. “We never erased it,” Disher continues. “We never really talked about it, but we left it there on purpose. I was like, hang it up? Oh really? Just watch me.”

It was no coincidence that all this was going down in the 1970s. The U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 included Title IX, which ended sexual discrimination at any education program receiving federal aid. The service academies, including West Point and the Air Force Academy, were ripe plums for women seeking equality. In exchange for at least five years of military service as officers, the academies provide a free, first-rate education—and even small stipends.

Some big guns were opposed from the get-go, however. The giant general of the Vietnam War, William Westmoreland, said accepting women at the academies was “silly,” while George C. Scott, the actor who portrayed Patton, the giant general of Word War II, called the concept “tragic.” It’s perhaps fitting that the Naval Academy doors opened to women in 1976 when academy grad Jimmy Carter was elected to the White House. To be fair, however, it was President Gerald Ford, himself a former Navy man, who’d signed the enabling legislation a year earlier.

Barbara Morris Ives, raised in Langhorne, Pa., and now living in St. Mary’s County, was unaware that the Naval Academy was accepting applications from young women until a high school guidance counselor mentioned it to her. She had several uncles in the Navy and initially planned to go to another college through the Navy ROTC program, but was lured to Annapolis by the promise of a more direct route to becoming a Naval officer. She felt male animosity right away, and the intent of many upperclassmen to run the women out.

“Some guys swore the only reason we were there was to get a ‘Mrs. Degree,’” Ives says. “Like we’d put up with so much junk just to get married.”

The women, widely dispersed among the thousands of men, experienced isolation within their isolation. Aside from spending time with their roommates, there were few opportunities for women to get together. Ives thinks the Naval Academy brass might have kept women apart by design.

“I think they were worried about what kind of bad publicity they could get if we got together and compared notes,” she says. “There were a few midshipmen that were harassing us in ways that were really not good.”

“How men and women could interact were limited back then,” adds Mary Andrews Gunther, ’81, who says being an Annapolis native with eight brothers helped her navigate her four years. She says most of her interactions with men were positive, but acknowledges, “We hadn’t developed a sense of how to walk along this mission together.”

Disher had grown up loving the mobile, military-brat lifestyle and wanted to serve her country. Poor eyesight kept her out of the Air Force Academy, but she was accepted at West Point and Annapolis. The Navy’s greater academic offerings brought her to Maryland.

“The administration did a pretty good job logistically and physically in preparing for us,” Disher says of their efforts to put in new bathrooms and arrange housing. The uniform was another matter. The plebes’ white works probably hadn’t changed since the days of three-masted frigates. Only now the Navy was thrown some curves.

“A number of us girls could not get the square bottom of the blouse [in truth, a men’s top] over our hips,” Disher says. “We ended up rolling it under and stapling it in place just to get it to sit on top of our hips.”

The patent-leather, lace-up shoes were the next problem, as the women’s version included a 3-inch heel. Plebes, she adds, pretty much have to run—or “chop”—everywhere they go, stairs included. “Within a week, a lot of the gals had shin splits or were on crutches,” Disher says. The women were told to take their shoes to the cobbler shop to have the heels cut down to half an inch. “But now you have a shoe designed for a 3-inch heel that has you leaning backwards with an awkward fit,” she adds. Soon enough, all the women were allowed to buy new shoes.

Acknowledging that female plebes would sometimes need to carry feminine hygiene products with them—and not wanting any woman singled out when it was her time of the month—was something entirely new for the Navy as well. In response, the academy initially mandated that clunky, faux-leather purses be part of the women’s uniform.

“I’m like, are you kidding?” Disher says. “I had to run up 94 stairs to my room on the fourth deck—and with this big old honking purse banging against me?”

Oddly enough, the guys complained as much about the purses as the women. They figured women could use them to carry study materials and get a leg up on all the required memorization. The purse was soon ditched for a money-belt-like pouch under the uniform—which was also inconvenient. But the tailor shop did resolve the blouse issue.

In 1998, Disher wrote a warts-and-all book about her four years at the academy, called First Class. Much of it deals with the daily struggles and indignities: pies in the face, dead mice in mailboxes, constant name-calling (dogs, dykes, ploobs, oinkers). When Disher joined the cheerleading squad, she roused more boos than cheers.

“Everything I wrote about in the book happened to somebody who told me her story firsthand,” she says. Among the more harrowing tales is the story of a woman awaking to find a male midshipman in her bed kissing her neck and pleading for more. Another describes a woman abducted from her room by three male classmates wearing pantyhose over their heads, who blindfolded and gagged her, and drank shots out of her navel.

“We hadn’t developed a sense of how to walk along this mission together.”

Neither incident got reported. Disher chalks it up partly to the sexually unenlightened times. And then there was the impulse to fit in. “I hazard a guess that anybody who was sexually assaulted didn’t report it because we were trying so hard to blend in and show we were not a problem and just another midshipman,” says 1980 graduate Stefanie Goebel. “To raise your hand and say you’ve got a problem is only going to draw attention to your gender and how you don’t fit in.”

Goebel saw the Naval Academy as a way to launch a “grand adventure underwritten by the government” and escape her dusty hometown of Midland, Texas. It’s a feat she accomplished in a 13-year naval career that took her from London to Hawaii to Guam. Now living in Northern California and out of the Navy, she volunteers for Academy Women, a mentoring group providing leadership development and career advice for female officers. That more women are in the upper ranks, she says, makes it easier for women to come forward with sexual complaints.

And they do. Reports of sexual assault have doubled at the academies in the past seven years. For the 2014-15 academic year, the Naval Academy had 25 reports of sexual assault and 13 for sexual harassment.

“It’s definitely not good that sexual assault numbers are as high as they are, and it still shows that there is a significant cultural problem,” says Goebel. “However, I think the fact that reporting is up could be a positive sign that the women—and men—who are assaulted now feel like they will receive the support they need and see justice when they come forward.”

In the end, some of the biggest changes for women in the military came well after pioneering Class of ’80. Until the early ’90s, women faced all manner of combat restrictions that prevented them from serving on most naval ships or flying most aircraft. A constant cry during the Naval Academy’s early coed days was that the women were “wasting space” since they couldn’t serve the way men could. Disher, who saw her two sons and her daughter graduate from the academy, says the elimination of combat restrictions brought a “night and day” difference to male midshipmen’s attitude toward women.

Of course, graduation day, like Induction Day, was—and remains—a biggie on the Annapolis calendar. Gathering with their families, graduating seniors toss their hats in the air and jets fly overhead. It’s smiles all around. But it turns out that the first women who entered in 1976 had one final gender snafu waiting for them on their final day.

As they walked across the stage, they received diplomas bearing their names and the inscription: “The Academic Board confers on him the degree of . . . ”

Disher says then Academy Superintendent Kinnaird McKee was mortified by the error and sent apologies to each woman along with their reprinted diplomas. She laughs about it now—about how this typo serves as a symbolic capstone of all they endured.

“I would venture to say,” Disher concludes, “that almost all of us women framed the diploma that says ‘him.’”

Festival Classics

Sword Swallower Extraordinaire
Is it magic, quick wit, or a combination of the two that allows legendary Johnny Fox to thrill audiences beyond his sword-swallowing abilities? You be the judge.

The Free Lancers
These jousting junkies don their armor and take to their noble steeds for full-contact, action-packed competitions. Believe us or not, it’s real, not staged.

The London Broil
Nothing is planned and anything goes when this charming trio performs a mix of improvisational comedy and team juggling routines.

Shakespeare’s Skum
Whether a true fan or someone who skimmed the plays in high school, these miniplays will have you laughing to the Bard’s most popular works.

New Talents

Douglas Stafford
Mom always says you shouldn’t play with fire, but that doesn’t stop master juggler Douglas Stafford from fiercely throwing flames.

Blades of Death
Sharp knives and tightropes? Don’t miss the Blades of Death daredevil duo.

Erin Jeannier
Think you were good at Hula-Hooping as a kid? Think again, as Erin Jeannier twirls up to six circles at once.

By The Numbers

Food & Drink

Eat like a king
With colossal turkey legs, hot apple dumplings, cheesecake on a stick, and steak on a stake.

Drink like a sailor
With five taverns for filling up on mead, cider, beer, and wine.

>> Maryland Renaissance Festival, weekends Aug. 27-Oct 23, 10 a.m., $8-24, 1821 Crownsville Rd, Annapolis, 410-266-7304.

When sisters Chrissy and Farah Fitzgerald found out their favorite consignment store in downtown Annapolis was closing in 2012, they knew it was a sign that they should start one of their own. And within a few months, that’s just what they did.

Chrissy, left, who has an extensive fashion background, and Farah, a graphic designer, grew up in Severna Park and were attracted to their store’s Maryland Avenue address in Annapolis because of the sense of community.

“It’s like Gilmore Girls,” says Chrissy. “We liked the idea of being able to make a difference in this area. We noticed right away how appreciated we were by the locals.”

The sisters chose the name Navette—which means “little ship” or “shuttle” in French—because when the store opened, they collected consignment from New York City and “shuttled” it down to their shop to mix with the local offerings, allowing their customers access to unique fashions they wouldn’t typically see in the area.

“All of our shoppers have such different tastes,” says Chrissy. “Some want Lilly Pulitzer, some want designer labels, and some want Free People.”

Navette gained popularity by sharing its varied consignment goods on Instagram and other forms of social media, but the sisters always had plans to start their own brand and fashion line. So in March 2015, they began designing their first in-house line of silk shirts and dresses.

“We are really influenced by Japanese designers,” says Farah. “We love the idea of having classic silhouettes with kind of quirky prints.”

The first collection, which consists of four styles in 14 variations, with three original prints and two solids, is designed to be seasonally versatile and day-to-night friendly, not to mention flattering for all ages and body types.

“We kept the working women in mind,” says Chrissy. “Whether you [own] an art gallery or you are an attorney, you can wear [our pieces].”