"I've never really seen one, but that's got all the earmarks of a Berger Cookie stampede." The atlas of affection for Berger Cookies is primarily the Mid-Atlantic states, but nowhere is the passion for these handmade confections — chocolate-topped discs of shortbread — more intense than right here in Baltimore, where they are produced by … Continue reading The Berger Cookie crowd crush
Annie, suddenly the less socially distant retriever
BREAKING NEWS: Annie, the socially distant rescued retriever, recently brought me a toy. She recently licked my hand. She now regularly approaches my desk in the hopes that the top right drawer will open and a treat will therein be found. It has been a time of break-throughs as Annie, rescued off the streets of … Continue reading Annie, suddenly the less socially distant retriever
Announcing a free student matinee of “No Mean City: Baltimore 1966.” Taking reservations now.
The run of my next play, "No Mean City: Baltimore 1966," will include a free student matinee on Wednesday, March 11 at noon. Seating in the Meyerhoff Theater of the Baltimore Museum of Art is limited to 350, so Baltimore-area high schools are urged to make reservations now. "No Mean City" is a historical drama … Continue reading Announcing a free student matinee of “No Mean City: Baltimore 1966.” Taking reservations now.
A model train metropolis 40 years in the making
Antoni Gaudi won’t be around to see the completion of his masterwork; the basilica Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is not scheduled for completion until 2026 — 144 years after Gaudi designed it and 100 after his death. Gustav Mahler took six years to compose his magnificent Symphony No. 2, and Freddie Mercury needed most of … Continue reading A model train metropolis 40 years in the making
Fishing lures in the wind
On Veterans Day, during a drive through Maryland's Washington County, I took a side trip to see Dam No. 5, also known as the Honeywood Dam, on the Potomac River. It was a sunny but cold and blustery day, with some big winds bending trees and the dried sorghum I passed on the way through … Continue reading Fishing lures in the wind
My daughter asked for ‘various salads’ for a birthday dinner . . .
And so I obliged her, digging into one of my favorite recipe books, The Foods of Italy by the late great Giuliano Bugialli, who was a guest on my television show in the 1990s. Bugialli was a champion of simple, authentic vegetable dishes from all over Italy. I found a variety of his insalata recipes … Continue reading My daughter asked for ‘various salads’ for a birthday dinner . . .
An old tradition: Naming places on rivers and trails
Those who fish — and I’m sure it’s true of those who hunt and hike — have a habit of naming familiar places in the great outdoors, branding them in some personal way. Gunpowder River Along the Gunpowder River in northern Baltimore County, most anglers know where to find Whale Rock. Given the large boulder … Continue reading An old tradition: Naming places on rivers and trails
World Series 2025 was epic. So were ticket prices. In 1966, you could have a box seat for ….
The 2025 World Series was epic. Too bad one team had to lose, and too bad it was the Toronto Blue Jays. We were rooting for them, and I’m sure that was the case throughout most of Birdland, home of the soon-to-be-great-again (and Blue Jays AL East rival) Baltimore Orioles. Next year will bring the … Continue reading World Series 2025 was epic. So were ticket prices. In 1966, you could have a box seat for ….
Maryland se une a otros 23 estados para presentar una demanda contra Trump por la suspensión ilegal de los beneficios del SNAP.
La Coalición urge que la Corte restaure de inmediato los fondos de SNAP, de los que dependen 42 millones de estadounidenses Comunicado de prensa del Fiscal General de Maryland BALTIMORE, MD (28 de octubre de 2025)– El Fiscal General Anthony G. Brown se unió hoy a una coalición de otros 22 fiscales generales y tres … Continue reading Maryland se une a otros 23 estados para presentar una demanda contra Trump por la suspensión ilegal de los beneficios del SNAP.
Proustian memory: Steamed windows and chop suey
A Proustian memory is the sudden, involuntary recall of a forgotten moment or experience, triggered by an aroma, taste or touch. It was a madeleine dipped in tea that sent Marcel Proust back in time. My latest Proustian memory — I’ve had many — occurred during a search for a recipe for French cassoulet. I … Continue reading Proustian memory: Steamed windows and chop suey
New play: The 1966 Orioles, the fight for civil rights and Baltimore’s last Republican mayor
My new play, “No Mean City: Baltimore 1966,” will open in March for a run of performances — including, we hope, a *weekday matinee for students — in the Meyerhoff Theater of the Baltimore Museum of Art. A historic drama, “No Mean City” tells stories about Baltimore that have long been overshadowed by the biggest … Continue reading New play: The 1966 Orioles, the fight for civil rights and Baltimore’s last Republican mayor
Love America Rallies: No Kings Day, October 2025
The MAGA Republican response to the second No Kings protest has been a combination of laughably extreme invective and childish hissy fit. Republican after Republican issued over-the-top criticism of the organized demonstrations against the Trump regime, calling them Soros-sponsored antifa gatherings. House Speaker Mike Johnson called them “hate America” rallies. White House press secretary Karoline … Continue reading Love America Rallies: No Kings Day, October 2025
No Kings Day events: Find a place to join the protest
No matter where you live, you can find fellow Americans who will be protesting Trump's efforts to kill our democracy on Saturday Oct. 18. Try this link to see a list of protest points near you. In Baltimore, No Kings 2 will take place along the route of the Baltimore Running Festival. You can catch … Continue reading No Kings Day events: Find a place to join the protest
Seasonal reminder: Maryland’s best deck
I did not want to let October pass without telling you about this again. It's the big deck in Green Ridge State Forest, between the communities of Bellegrove and Flintstone. Interstate 68 takes you right there. Attached to one of the highway exit signs -- for exit 64, to be exact -- you'll find one of … Continue reading Seasonal reminder: Maryland’s best deck
Dusting off memories
“Nostalgia is death” always sounded pretty harsh. Bob Dylan made that pronouncement during a newspaper interview in 1991. He meant that he did not wish to be defined by the music of his past, or to dwell on it, no matter how much his fans wanted to hear it. When you stop focusing on the … Continue reading Dusting off memories
How a young journalist and future Nobel laureate exposed the corruption of a dictator: Gabriel García Márquez, 1955
A castaway sailor and the shuttering of a great newspaper Rojas Seventy years ago, the military dictatorship of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla of Colombia shut down one of the nation’s best newspapers, El Espectador, after an expose by a 28-year-old reporter who would go on to become one of the world’s most famous novelists. It’s a … Continue reading How a young journalist and future Nobel laureate exposed the corruption of a dictator: Gabriel García Márquez, 1955
WWYD: What Would You Do?
So you park your car in the shopping center parking lot, a couple of safe spaces from a carriage corral. You get out. You grab a carriage from the carriage corral. As you do this, you notice a double-roll package of paper towels in the lower tray of one of the other carriages. Having watched … Continue reading WWYD: What Would You Do?
Charging people to park at Baltimore Peninsula?
Nobody asked me, but charging people to park their cars on a surface lot at Baltimore Peninsula, a new neighborhood still waiting to happen in South Baltimore, is one of the most daft ideas I’ve seen within the city limits. Does Kevin Plank know about this? The sign accompanying this post stands on a mostly … Continue reading Charging people to park at Baltimore Peninsula?
Making the call from center field
Sept. 11, 2025: Baltimore Orioles v Pittsburgh Pirates: At Camden Yards on warm and sunny Thursday afternoon, the Orioles scored a go-ahead run shortly after fans had taken their 7th-inning stretch. Dylan Beavers’ clutch single brought Jackson Holliday home from second, putting the Orioles in the lead, 3-2. These photos, taken from a plaza above … Continue reading Making the call from center field
An osprey awaits an easy meal
It’s speculation on my part, but I suspect that the osprey perched high in a tree above the river was hoping for an assist from the two anglers down below. The bird was no freeloader, just an opportunist looking for an easy meal. Consider that this "fish hawk" had picked a spot directly above a … Continue reading An osprey awaits an easy meal
The best three-fish day of fishing ever
Fishing Journal Entry: Sept. 1, 2025, Labor Day Sometimes you just want to write things down so you don’t forget them, and that’s the case today: I just need to describe what the day was like and how it ended so that my son and I will have a record should one day memory fail … Continue reading The best three-fish day of fishing ever
Try this at home: Poached Peaches
With peaches bountiful in late summer, we tried this recipe for Poached Peaches on Sweet Cream from the 25th anniversary edition of John Shields' popular Chesapeake cookbook. You can find it on page 298. The poaching calls for spiced white wine, with a caution not to overcook the peaches -- they should be tender but … Continue reading Try this at home: Poached Peaches
Roadside assistance for a fellow angler who “ain’t from around here”
I had just come from the river when a big man in a big pickup truck pulled suddenly off the main road after spotting me in the parking lot, where I was about to take my waders off. He stopped in a cloud of dust and rolled his window down.“How’d ya do?” he asked, which … Continue reading Roadside assistance for a fellow angler who “ain’t from around here”
Annual Reminder: The official sandwich of Labor Day
Pardon me if you've heard this before, but as a champion of a good peppers-and-eggs sandwich I feel a need to keep reminding American workers -- and retired workers -- that it constitutes the official meal of Labor Day. It was so established in 2014 in the void of any official dish being associated with … Continue reading Annual Reminder: The official sandwich of Labor Day
The ‘moral stoplight’ that Trump and Vance blow through
Michael Davis, a former Evening Sun and Sun colleague, wrote in response to my Substack post on J.D. Vance's demonization of the homeless of Washington, D.C. A Baltimore rabbi and friend once told me that the homeless present a "moral stoplight." When you are in their presence, he said, you need to stop and acknowledge … Continue reading The ‘moral stoplight’ that Trump and Vance blow through
A son’s gratitude
I have heard many fine eulogies over the years, struggled to give a few myself. The intention is to render tribute to the deceased and to comfort mourners with memories. At a funeral Mass Saturday morning at St. Leo’s Church in Baltimore's Little Italy, a brother eulogized his younger sister who had died after a … Continue reading A son’s gratitude
Dan Can Cook: Swiss chard quiche (or maybe a pie)
If you run into a massive pile of Swiss chard — from your garden or from a neighbor’s or, in my case, from my daughter Julia’s — here’s a delicious way to dispose of it: Make a quiche or pie. Wash, break in half and blanch a bunch of chard with the stems; after a few … Continue reading Dan Can Cook: Swiss chard quiche (or maybe a pie)
A wow-inducing theater we didn’t know was there
Wenger reclining in one of his theaters at Eastpoint Note to readers: Certain stories require an overtime period or two. My latest for the Baltimore Brew is such a story. I found that Paul Wenger, president of Flagship Premium Cinemas, had a good story to tell — about his career in movie theaters and about … Continue reading A wow-inducing theater we didn’t know was there
Photo Gallery: Potomac River Vistas
Some photographs from a recent summer fishing adventure on the Nation's River, between Seneca Breaks and Riverbend Park -- that is, between Montgomery County on the Maryland side, Fairfax County on the Virginia side. Sunrise just downstream of Pennyfield Lock in Potomac, Maryland. So much of the Potomac looks like this, wide and flat and … Continue reading Photo Gallery: Potomac River Vistas
Afishionado: A ‘large minnow’ that builds and shares a spawning bed
It’s always the first example of an oxymoronic phrase — jumbo shrimp. Here’s a new one — large minnow. Yes, there is such a thing. It’s called a fallfish, a silvery species that swims in rivers of the U.S. Northeast and Canada. It’s a chub of the family Cyprinidae, and the largest minnow species native … Continue reading Afishionado: A ‘large minnow’ that builds and shares a spawning bed
For taste of Ukraine, try this simple, good potato dish
There are many ways to show solidarity with Ukraine in its fight for survival against the homicidal maniac in Moscow — fly a Ukrainian flag, send money to support organizations, write to your congressional representative. You might consider buying a Ukrainian product, despite Trump’s tariffs on imports from that country. I purchased a bottle of … Continue reading For taste of Ukraine, try this simple, good potato dish
The August Wilson Celebration continues in Baltimore theaters
A reminder that the Baltimore August Wilson Celebration continues in September with Everyman Theatre’s staging of “The Piano Lesson.” That production will mark the fourth of the 10 Wilson plays that 10 Baltimore theater companies agreed to stage over three years, giving a whole new generation of theatergoers multiple opportunities to see live performances of … Continue reading The August Wilson Celebration continues in Baltimore theaters
The Susquehanna Swarm
It might seem like a freak of nature, a bizarre phenomenon set off by the latent effects of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident 50 miles (and more than 46 years) upstream. But it’s actually a natural phenomenon and a sign of environmental health. Workers at Conowingo Dam, on the Susquehanna River, were recently awed … Continue reading The Susquehanna Swarm
On immigration, a shocking poll result that should not have been shocking
I saw something in the recent Gallup Poll on immigration that shocked me: “Support for allowing undocumented immigrants to become U.S. citizens has risen to 78%, up from 70% last year. This is also back to the level of support seen in 2019 (81%) while slightly lower than in 2016 (84%). Approval is higher still, … Continue reading On immigration, a shocking poll result that should not have been shocking
In praise of San Marzano
Our San Marzano tomatoes, the Champagne of plum tomatoes, are starting to come in, though apparently it’s a violation of European Union rules to call them San Marzano tomatoes when they are grown in a Baltimore backyard or anywhere other than in the Sarno Valley of Italy. The Italians will dispatch consiglieres and Carbiniere if … Continue reading In praise of San Marzano
Nothing funny about climate change denial
I noticed several laughing emojis in a Facebook post last week about climate change, stormwater runoff and flash floods. Some people — almost all white males, many of them clearly Trumpies — apparently still mock the fact that a warming planet is causing more extreme weather, and that 100-year storms are happening more frequently. I’ve … Continue reading Nothing funny about climate change denial
A little nostalgia with your coffee
I decided to extract this blue coffee pot from a closet and give it a try again. It’s been a long time. I brew coffee by multiple methods but have avoided percolation primarily because it takes too long and, with a gas stovetop, too much energy. But the other day, Bastille Day, I thought the … Continue reading A little nostalgia with your coffee
The McGraw Mausoleum
McGraw John McGraw, Baseball Hall of Fame player and manager, resting here. . . . New Cathedral Cemetery, a sprawling, hilly burial ground on the southwestern side of Baltimore, has the distinction of being the final resting place of four Hall of Fame baseball players. This photo, taken in early spring, is of the mausoleum … Continue reading The McGraw Mausoleum
The Harbaughs visited Trump because they’re Trumpies
Until proven otherwise, there’s likely only one reason John and Jim Harbaugh visited Trump in the White House: They’re fans; they like the felon president. Otherwise, they’d have said no to the invitation. Trump is the most divisive president in history; he lies constantly, has policies that are either cruel or confusing; he’s clearly a … Continue reading The Harbaughs visited Trump because they’re Trumpies
A preference for beaver videos
On Monday, I listened to Nicole Wallace and guests on MSNBC try to make sense of Trump’s latest blurt about tariffs. It was the same mind-numbing discussion we’ve heard since “Liberation Day” in April. Nothing about Trump's tariff business makes sense in the modern global economy, but the talking heads keep talking as if the … Continue reading A preference for beaver videos
Tortellini: The aroma of things past
Ever had a Proustian memory? Clinically speaking, it’s the “involuntary memory” triggered by the senses: something you taste or smell or see for the briefest moment. Marcel Proust famously described it in a passage from his book, À la recherche du temps perdu (Remembrance of Things Past, or In Search of Lost Time), when he … Continue reading Tortellini: The aroma of things past
Van Hollen: The cruel end of USAID under Trump
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on State Department & USAID Management, International Operations, & Bilateral International Development, released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): “Today marks a dark day in U.S. foreign policy as the Trump … Continue reading Van Hollen: The cruel end of USAID under Trump
The lasting gratitude of a small French village for the sacrifice of an American soldier
Pvt. Kreiner Those who were in the audiences for my play, “Baltimore, You Have No Idea,” might recall the story of Private John Kreiner. I spoke of him from the stage: A young soldier from Baltimore who died in the U.S. Army’s liberation of a small French village that had been occupied by Nazi Germany … Continue reading The lasting gratitude of a small French village for the sacrifice of an American soldier
On days like this, the reality of Trump seems especially stark
“It goes without saying.” . . . People use that phrase when they’re about to state something everyone within earshot knows. Or they might start a sentence with, “Needless to say,” which bears the same meaning. Usually, one word will do: “Clearly,” for instance, is a common starter. “Obviously” is the most direct way of … Continue reading On days like this, the reality of Trump seems especially stark
July in Baltimore: One night, twelve plays
Rapid Lemon Productions will continue its 2025 season in July with Variations on Night, an evening of 12 short plays by local authors. Produced each year since 2005, The Variations Project is an annual highlight of the Baltimore theatrical calendar. Performances will be at Strand Theater, 5426 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214. Tickets are general … Continue reading July in Baltimore: One night, twelve plays
Afishionado: The stubborn guy with a fly rod
The fly-fishing angler who won’t fish with nymph imitations is a stubborn fool. He will stand there, 20 feet downstream of a fishy-looking pool, and hope for a rise. He will hope for a trout to nose into the surface and give away both its position and its interest in devouring a fly on the … Continue reading Afishionado: The stubborn guy with a fly rod
The buzz about ‘The Baltimorons’ continues; this new film could become a holiday perennial
Accolades for The Baltimorons continue to pop up as the set-in-Baltimore comedy about an unlikely May-December romance screens at film festivals out west. In March, I reported on the effusive praise the Jay Duplass-directed movie received at the South By Southwest Film and TV Festival in Austin, with one critic declaring it the “feel good … Continue reading The buzz about ‘The Baltimorons’ continues; this new film could become a holiday perennial
Van Hollen on Trump’s war with Iran: Full statement
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on President Trump’s decision to attack Iran: “Trump said he would end wars; now he has dragged America into one. His actions are a clear violation of our Constitution – ignoring the requirement that only the Congress has the authority to declare war. While we all agree that Iran must … Continue reading Van Hollen on Trump’s war with Iran: Full statement
How to make Portuguese stuffing for Thanksgiving
I am just going to wing this because I don’t have the recipe, but I know how to make it. It’s a great stuffing, a traditional New England recipe adopted by a Portuguese immigrant named Justina Gomes Rodrigues (the little lady in the photo, my paternal grandmother) and made to her Madeiran tastes. Ingredients:One pound … Continue reading How to make Portuguese stuffing for Thanksgiving
Dan Rodricks 