We Should Call It Herbie!

The city just bought two new "green" vehicles.

Remember the Disney Love Bug movies? I think we should call one of the new cars Herbie and the other "Tennessee Steinmetz."

Don't you just feel like grabbing one of these vehicles by the roof and going, vroom, vroom?

See the Mayor's blog for the rest of the story.

For a ride down memory lane, watch Herbie.

Hopeful Sign of Spring

A Sunday afternoon walk along the Patuxent River. The first sign of spring? Thanks to Gary H. for pointing them out.

Does anyone know what kind of flower this is? The flowers are about 1 inch long.

Extra Crispy

A half a dozen fire trucks responded to a fire at the Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant on Washington Blvd. today.

Sunday Stroll in Riverfront Park

This is the little steel foot bridge fifty yards east of the Avondale Mill site in Riverfront Park. Its metal surfaces have rusted to match February's colors.

We bought a new digital camera. It has more buttons than I can possibly learn to use in a year. So if you see me walking along trying to read a manual and squinting at a camera, you'll know that I'm trying to learn a few more buttons this weekend.

Do you have any interesting pictures of people, places or incidents in or near Laurel? I'd be happy to link to them. Please contact me via g dot rick dot wilson at gmail dot com.

N.B. (You can click here for a much larger image. )

The Tunu Made Me Do It

Have you ever had one of these magical evenings at a new restaurant?

It's a chilly, rainy evening. You're weary of the familiar neighborhood spots. So you decide to try a totally new place that's still close to home. When you arrive you're treated like a favorite regular, shown to a warm table and then served one of the best meals of your life. After finishing off the last of the wine, you sit back totally satisfied and wonder why it took you so long to try this place.

Last night Joanne and I had this kind of magical experience at the Trapeze restaurant in Fulton, Maryland. Although we've been talking about the Trapeze since it opened, we had not yet made the 5 mile trek out rt 216 to the Maple Lawn area. We also had the chance to catch up with a old Laurel friend. But first to the food.

We started with jumbo shrimp, served unusually in a bread cup and drizzled with a lightly spiced, garlic butter sauce. Joanne's main event was the fried monkfish with a balsamic reduction. I had the pepper crusted Ahi Tuna, seared perfectly to medium rare. The sushi grade tuna was paired exquisitely with a delicate wasabi sauce that did not overpower the tuna. A fruity Pinot Grigio was the perfect accompaniment to the shrimp, our fish and our mood.

We also had the chance to catch up with Mark Steckbeck, Trapeze's Director of Operations. Mark, originally from Laurel, is an old friend who we had not seen in years. Mark has been a leader in the fine dining industry for a long time and is associated with the Trapeze and its sister restaurants, Nottinghams in Columbia and the Bluestone in Timonium. We enjoyed reconnecting with Mark and learning about the Trapeze.

Tired of the same old, same old? Looking for reasonably priced but fine food in a casual setting not far from home? Please do yourself a favor and try the Trapeze. Please say hello to Mark, and be prepared for a warm, filling and memorable evening out.

N.B. Be sure to check out the Trapeze website. They have a clever video called "Fish Tales."