With the Christmas season (beginning the day after Halloween, the day after Thanksgiving, or December 1, depending on who you’re asking) comes the yearly deluge of Christmas movies.

Big-city girls rediscover their holiday spirit with struggling small-town single dads/Christmas tree farmers/exceptionally handsome handymen; kids confirm that yes, [insert name], there is a Santa Claus; and scary movies insert themselves into the season by murdering people near snow.

The Christmas genre is, in a word, varied. But whether your tastes lean toward Capra or Krampus, there’s likely a place for you among the city’s many holiday-themed screenings. And, yes, we have included a section for celebrated Christmas classic Die Hard. Yippee-ki-yay to all, and to all a good movie night.

Fun for the Whole Family:

The sparkling Senator Theatre plays host to a couple of holiday hits leading up to Christmas. The Griswold family will hit the big screen for one night only on Dec. 18 in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and film lovers looking to give back can stop by early on Dec. 21 and 24 for the theater’s annual charity screening of It’s a Wonderful Life. Admission to the 9:45 a.m. shows is free, but a donation of at least $5-worth of non-perishable food items is encouraged. Doors open at 8:45 a.m., and brunch cocktails will be available.

Those who aren’t such early risers can visit SweetSide Cafe in Hampden over the next few weeks to catch an array of Christmas favorites at its regular Lights, Camera, Action! Movie Nights, including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf, and all four (yes, four) Home Alone installments.

Nightmares Before Christmas:

Golden West Cafe’s regular Shocktail Hour with Aurora Gorealis will take on a holiday twist on Dec. 12 with a screening of Baltimore-made holiday horror flick Two Front Teeth. Bring a gift for an exchange presided over by both Santa and Krampus, and take in this wild tale of a vampiric St. Nick, zombie elves, and a Christmas conspiracy.

For even more haunted holiday offerings, revelers can head to Dr. Gloom’s Crypt of Curiosities at Protean Books & Records for the first-ever Cryptmas. This packed night will include a screening of I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday, in addition to a lecture, reading, and other seasonal spooky programming. While admission is free, attendees who bring donations for local homeless shelters will receive a Christmas gift from the venerable Dr. Gloom.

Season’s Greetings from Nakatomi:

We can fight about whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie, or we can all just enjoy some explosions, iconic catchphrases, and German Alan Rickman. Lucky fans of John McClane’s terrorist-fighting antics have multiple options for screenings ranging from low-key to full immersion.

If you’re looking for another chance to catch the explosion at the top of Nakatomi Plaza in a theater, head to The Charles. The first installment of McClane’s adventures will be back on the big screen at the cozy Charles Street theater on Dec. 19. The Backbar Movies series at Paulie Gee’s Hampden offers a more casual Die Hard experience on Dec. 17, featuring drink specials and $6 cheese pizzas to snack on while you watch the action unfold.

For something a little more intense, visit Creative Alliance on Dec. 12 for their Interactive Movie Night version of the film, complete with Bruce Willis drink specials, a Die Hard game, and prizes for the audience members rocking the best ’80s corporate party attire.

Bonus Round: Test your Christmas movie knowledge.

If you’ve already worked your way through all the holiday flicks that streaming services and the Hallmark Channel have to offer, prove your superior knowledge against other bar patrons at these Christmas movie-themed trivia nights.

Charm City Trivia’s Christmas Movie Quiz, Dec. 17: Gather your team and grab a table at Frank and Nic’s West End Grille for this themed version of Charm City Trivia’s usual six-round quiz. Winners receive a $20, $15, or $10 gift card, but everyone playing can enjoy all-night happy hour pricing on food and drinks.

Christmas Movie Trivia at Smaltimore, Dec. 18: Compete in three rounds of trivia covering Elf, A Christmas Story, and, Die Hard while enjoying food specials and themed cocktails. Prizes will be available for first, second, and third place.

Holiday Movie Trivia at Tin Roof, Dec. 19: This quiz is open to all ages and covers everything from Miracle on 34th Street to The Nightmare Before Christmas and offers big-time prizes. First place receives a whopping $200 to spend at the Power Plant Live! hangout.

While there are plenty of pizza purveyors around town these days, few get it just right. One place’s crust is too toothsome, another’s too flimsy. And ovens that are perfectly capable of generating the immense energy that a properly blistered and charred crust necessitates are often set at a pedestrian 500 degrees.

Enter Paulie Gee’s. The Hampden location was originally slated to be the first franchise of the original restaurant in Brooklyn, but the opening was pushed back for a few (painful) years to this past summer, and it is now the fifth outpost of the pizza palace. At the Hampden location—the cavernous building that once housed the Hampden Republican Club—two ovens serve as the restaurant’s centerpiece, with dark wood paneling all around. (And with the exception of two salads, pizza dominates the menu.) Seating consists of a mix of long communal tables and bistro tables, with a spacious, lounge-y bar located in the rear.

The aforementioned ovens are fed a steady stream of logs, stacked high and contributing a pervasive campfire whiff to the air. Coal proponents can rest easier knowing that cooking temperatures hover around 900 degrees, right in the money zone for pizzas to develop leopard spots in 90 seconds or so of cooking time. This ripping heat is kept at a safe distance from the pizzaiolo via extra long peels used to rhythmically rotate the pies, which are ultimately swung around in a graceful pirouette onto the counter, where finishing touches are dotingly added before being served.

The other critical component to good char is, of course, the dough, and the dough here is the real deal. It’s the right mix of good flour and water to respond well to intense heat, it’s tender with chewiness, it has the right amount of bubbly poofiness and savory flavor indicative of a slow, steady rise, and it’s sturdy enough to support the toppings even while cardstock-thin.

Whatever pizza you pick (there are 22 varieties in all), toppings are all high quality. We’re talking excellent fresh mozzarella, Berkshire guanciale, simple slices of lemon, and brisket supplied from Blue Pit BBQ. Toppings are paired thoughtfully and applied with deliberate precision, balanced in both arrangement and flavor. Judicious applications of honey or hot chili oil provide provocative punctuation. Yet the outstanding crust is never overdressed. This is the faithful, skillful expression of this style of pizza that we’ve been waiting for.

›› Paulie Gee’s 3535 Chestnut Ave., 410-889-1048. Hours: Tue.-Thu., Sun. 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Prices: $9-18.

Cooking has changed a lot over the years—a trendy ingredient here, a futuristic technique there—but throughout the ages, one thing has remained the same: our obsession with the ancient element of fire. Since the dawn of civilization, we’ve been roasting, grilling, and toasting food over an open flame, using its smoke and embers to enhance the flavors of our meals. And while heat has never lost its cool in the kitchen, it’s now gaining newfound favor as chefs get back to the farm-to-table basics.

In Baltimore, most of those fires are ignited by Blue Moon Farms off Liberty Road in Randallstown. At this second-generation firewood business, owner Ben Cole provides fuel to more than 50 of the region’s top restaurants, from Cosima and La Cuchara to Linwoods and Cunningham’s. On any given day, he has multiple piles of oak, hickory, and cherry brought in from the forests of Pennsylvania and Western Maryland that are then split down to size, stacked a story high, and seasoned in the sun until the calls come in from local chefs. When they do, whatever the hour, he hops in his Ford F550 and sets off on deliveries, as early as three in the morning or as late as 11 at night.

The restaurant boom began about three years ago, says Cole, who used to focus on residential firewood, and now, he can barely keep up. These days, whether you’re having pizza at Paulie Gee’s or steak and potatoes at Parts & Labor, there’s a good chance that your dish was kindled by Cole’s woodpile. Luckily, though, he has one diehard employee—his 9-year-old son, Will—who happily helps around the yard. “It’s a family operation,” says Cole with a smile. “He would skip school [to work] if his mother let him.”

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Caveman 101

Your primitive primer for playing with fire.

All woods are not created equal. Whether it’s oak, cherry, or walnut, each comes with distinct aromas and flavors, as well as densities and moisture levels that effect the output of heat and steam. Heavier woods, such as oak and hickory, are best for rich meats like pork and beef, while lighter woods, such as maple and fruit or nut varietals, lend themselves better to chicken and fish. 

License to Grill

Some local eateries that burn
Blue Moon wood.

Cosima
Mill No. 1, 3000 Falls Rd. 

Cunningham’s 
1 Olympic Pl. 

Gunther & Co.
3650 Toone St. 

Handlebar Café
511 S. Caroline St. 

La Cuchara
3600 Clipper Mill Rd. 

Linwoods
25 Crossroads Dr. 

Minnow
2 E. Wells St. 

Mission BBQ
3701 Boston St. 

Neopol Savory Smokery
529 E. Belvedere Ave. 

Parts & Labor
2600 N. Howard St. 

Paulie Gee’s
3535 Chestnut Ave. 

Rye Street Tavern
225 E. Cromwell St. 

Well Crafted Pizza
Locations vary.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

June 30: Sac and Pizza

Paulie Gee’s, 3535 Chestnut Ave. 9 p.m. Free.

When you think of New Orleans, you don’t necessarily think of pizza, but this Friday, head to the back bar of Paulie Gee’s in Hampden for slices of pie alongside the Big Easy sound of Sac Au Lait. The quirky six-piece is known around Charm City for their energy and humor, and has performed everywhere from bars and restaurants to parades and Mardi Gras festivals for more than 10 years. Just don’t miss the “Stinger Bell,” named after Idris Elba’s infamous character from The Wire, and covered with mozzarella, lemon slices, and fresh basil. 

 DRINK

July 1-2: Hysteria Brewing Company Grand Opening

Hysteria Brewing Company, 9570 Berger Road, Columbia. Sat. 12-11 p.m., Sun. 8-11 p.m. Free. 

Just as Maryland’s beer scene seems like its about to burst, along comes Hysteria Brewing Company, ready to join the ranks in Columbia. During their grand opening weekend, test their new brews in a pop-up beer garden, with local food trucks, lawn games, and live music. Check out the new digs with group tours and come back a week later when they open for full service. The weekend’s festivities are family friendly—just leave your four-legged friends at home.

 SEE

July 1 through 2018: Reverend Albert Lee Wagner’s Miracle at Midnight

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Tue.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free-$15.95.

One small moment in time was all it took for Albert Lee Wagner to have an epiphany that would completely alter the course of his life. On the eve of his 50th birthday, the Cleveland moving-company owner was struck by the inspiration to start marking art. His hobby progressed into a movement, and Wagner (who went onto become a reverend) became one of America’s most prominent visionary artists with his plethora of bold and colorful paintings and sculptures. Commemorating that pivotal eureka moment and the man himself, this new exhibit will include more than 50 of his recently donated masterpieces, including the featured Red Sea.

 HEAR

June 30: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia.7:30 p.m. $40-55. 

Okay, so we’re suggesting you go to Columbia a lot this weekend, but with summer concert season officially upon us, it’s time to shake out that old camping blanket and head over to Merriweather for some quality lawn time. This Friday, hear the acclaimed musical sounds of former Drive-By Truckers frontman Jason Isbell and his four-piece band. Since his departure from the group in 2007, the singer-songwriter has pursued a successful solo career, and his blues-riddled Southern sound is perfect for a warm summer night beneath the stars. 

 DO

June 30: Baltimore Bike Party: 2000s

Ride starts at St. Mary’s Park, 600 N. Paca St. Party starts at Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St.  6:30 p.m. Free.

Throw it back to the days of Avril Lavigne, MySpace, and trucker hats with this month’s Baltimore Bike Party. In a celebration of the early aughts, the monthly bike ride will end with an outdoor party at Lexington market, complete with DJs, food vendors, and Heavy Seas beers. After avoiding potholes and obeying traffic signals, flaunt your best “Hey Ya” dance moves in your low-rise, boot-cut jeans.