Local Business Guide 2017
AFC Urgent Care
Providing the best patient experience possible, when you need it most
AFC Urgent Care, formerly Doctors Express, is a well-established full-service urgent care center. Husband Rick and I opened our center in Edgewater over five years ago to bring the best possible urgent care to people in and traveling through this centrally located community.
Every patient always sees a fully qualified physician. Digital X-ray and lab services are on site. After every visit, we follow up with a phone call to ensure treatment was successful and you are satisfied.
AFC is your wellness stop, too, offering annual flu vaccinations, school and sports physicals and a comprehensive Occupational Health Program for area businesses.
For us as business owners, providing a needed service to the community is a daily reward. I love to see patients hugging our staff or calling or writing to tell us how satisfied they are with our services. Some successes are extra rewarding, such as when our staff helps to save a person’s life.
AFC Urgent Care: Full-service urgent care center provides walk-in medical care for all non-emergency illnesses and injuries; plus flu vaccines, school and sports physicals.
3059 Solomons Island Rd., Suite. F-2, Edgewater; 410-697-1492; www.AFCUrgentCareEdgewater.com
American Bus & Sprinter Van Sales
The bus and Sprinter professionals
This business grew out of interest in all aspects of vehicle transportation in general and in taking great products to the market in particular. We take pride in representing top manufacturers, including Daimler and ElDorado-REV buses.
We’re as interested in our customers as in buses and vans. Our goal is to partner with our customers to solve their transportation needs with the vehicles we sell and the solutions we provide for safe and efficient operation.
The American staff is a group of true individuals who accomplish great things as a team. Setting aside modesty, we are recognized by our manufacturers as a top-performing company that does things right. On our team, we all work together, and each of us is needed so others can effectively complete their jobs.
Our business philosophy is to always be moving forward with a vision to the future.
Thus we believe in being environmentally and socially responsible. Our office building and shop are covered with solar panels, and we extensively engage in recycling.
Vision is why we commissioned an artist this year to paint a mural in our two-story service stairwell. It begins in western Maryland with Wisp in the winter and works its way around to Ocean City in the summer. The entire staff got involved picking the points of interest to include: Wisp, western Maryland farms and waterfalls, Cumberland, Frederick, Antietam, Camp David, Great Falls, Washington, the University of Maryland, Goddard, Annapolis, the U.S. Naval Academy, our facility, Baltimore, Fort McHenry, Pimlico, the Bay Bridge, Thomas Point Lighthouse, Patuxent Naval Station, Ocean City and Assateague Island.
It’s great. You should come see it.
American Bus & Sprinter Van Sales: The area’s most trusted source of school and commercial buses in all sizes plus Sprinter cargo, cab, chassis and passenger vans
195 Defense Hwy., Annapolis; 800-888-5466; http://american-bus.com
Anthony’s Bar and Grill
Celebrating its fifth anniversary, Anthony’s has become a favorite gathering spot for good food, drinks and good times in and around Dunkirk
We make Anthony’s feel like a second home,” says co-owner Charlene Ward.
Food offers the comfort you remember — or wish you got — from home: slow-cooked, hand-pulled BossMan’s pork BBQ, mouth-watering pork chops, and classic sandwiches including reubens and Cubans. Many dishes, including really good coleslaw, are made in-house from special recipes. Daily specials give you tasty bargains to look forward to.
In drink as well as food, Anthony’s wants to make you welcome. The bar is an easy place to relax, try a new craft beer, a glass of wine or something harder. There are daily drink specials as you mingle with the crowd, meet your neighbors and make some new friends.
“This is our community, not just where we’ve chosen to own a business,” says Ward. “So Ronnie and I are proud to give back our support.”
Anthony’s Bar and Grill: 10371 Southern Maryland Blvd., Dunkirk;
301-327-5219; www.anthonysdunkirk.com
Art Things
Wanted: A new owner to lead Art Things into the lives of more generations
Art Things is both proud and fortunate to have served creative people in Annapolis and beyond for 50 years, providing both value and a unique experience to our local community.
Thank you so much for the support and encouragement you have given us. We could not have built this wonderful art institution without you!
After more than five decades of Nolan family ownership, I have decided to retire from retail. With Kim, who hopes to remain a part of the new Art Things, I am working to identify the right new owner.
We know from experience that’s a person who loves art, art materials and artists … enjoys serving others and wants to provide a fun, quality experience to shoppers … is energetic and wants to be their own boss … welcomes everyone into an inspiring and safe place … and, most of all, has great patience and likes to problem-solve.
Art Things’ foundation is strong, with room for significant growth. The current business model could be improved, for example, by computerizing systems, actively engaging social media and offering workshops.
Perhaps you’re the one to lead Art Things into the lives of even more generations? Please contact our broker Bob Phillips ([email protected]).
Art Things, Inc.: Supplying all the tools your inner artist needs in a friendly, helpful environment
2 Annapolis St., Annapolis; 410-268-3520;
www.ArtThingsInc.com
Babes Boys Tavern
At the top of the hill
We enjoy the hometown Cheers feel of our tavern.
We make your experience with us fun and relaxing always with our hoping-to-see-you-again attitude. We are a welcoming family, and we love to see new people.
The food is great. We have a wide range of seafood, steak, burgers tavern food, plus specials Monday through Friday. Soup is homemade every day, and that’s wonderful when the days get cold.
Our customers are part of the gang, playing a very special part in making Top of the Hill a place you want to be.
Sports are big at Babes with Redskins on our four widescreen TV’s.
There’s a lot of history here. Our tavern is one of the oldest buildings in southern Upper Marlboro. Come to our Halloween Party on October 27 (listen to the Miller Bros.) and wear a costume to win a prize.
You may even see a ghost or two — living or dead.
Babes Boys Tavern: Your hometown comfort food tavern
15903 Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro; 301-627-2012; www.babesboystavernattop.com
Belair Engineering
Keeping your home and family comfortable since 1962
Blizzards and heat waves belong outside. As seasons change, you can depend on the experts at Belair Engineering to control your indoor climate.
Services extend to installing gas fireplaces, gas furnaces, humidifiers, air cleaners, heat pumps, air conditioners and standby generators. Belair Engineering is also your reliable source for installed commodes, water heaters, garbage disposals and kitchen or bathroom fixtures. A full-service heating, air-conditioning and gas-fireplace contractor serving Maryland for 55 years, we have earned our reputation for reliability and quality craftsmanship.
Woman-owned and managed, we’ve won the Small Business of the Year award from the Prince George’s County Board of Trade. Owner Debbie Risher is one of the few women nominated to serve on the executive board for the Air Conditioning Contractors of America.
All of our technicians are drug-screened and mom-approved. A 100% satisfaction guarantee is provided for your added peace of mind.
Visit the office, and you’ll see another side of this down-to-business company. Partner Don Risher decorates for every holiday.
“It’s purely for the fun of it,” he says of his seasonal labor. “It raises office spirit, the coworkers, and the customers who come in dig it.”
Belair Engineering: Assuring indoor comfort, in temperature and convenience
15881 Commerce Court, Upper Marlboro;
301-249-0300; BelairEngineering.com
Bowen’s Grocery
Old-fashioned good food to cook and carry out
A Southern Maryland landmark since 1929, Bowen’s Grocery sells high-quality meats, poultry, seafood, grocery and gifts with personal service. Our deli offers homemade soups, salads, desserts, sandwiches and subs, wraps, hot breakfast sandwiches, rotisserie chicken and freshly baked rolls.
Depending on the season, our hot daily specials include baked turkey, homemade meatloaf, country fried chicken, and hot roast beef – all served with mashed potatoes, gravy and vegetables.
The Bowens were born and raised in the business. The store was originally owned by my grandparents. My wife Gracie and I bought the store from them in 1964.
We’ve kept the old-style values we inherited, but we’ve made some changes. Since 1986, we’ve advertised our butcher business with a bigger-than-life model of a bull on our roof. It was stolen once but recovered nine months later from the roof of a high school in the suburbs of Washington.
This year we celebrate 88 years of being a family-owned business in the same location.
Bowen’s Grocery: Full-service deli, grocery, meat, seafood, produce and prepared-foods market
4300 Hunting Creek Rd., Huntingtown; 410-257-2222; 410-535-1304; www.bowensgrocery.com
Catalina Pool Builders
Create your oasis
As the pool enjoyment season closes, the pool-building season opens.
Catalina Pools is a family-owned and run business that began with a desire to build quality pools at a reasonable price. We are proud to be able to help homeowners design a backyard oasis that will last for years and years to come.
With more than 36 years of experience, Catalina Pools can liberate you from the heat and humidity Maryland summer 2018 is sure to bring. We have the designers to create your backyard oasis around a custom-made, in-ground, concrete pool.
We’re the alternative to the cookie-cutter designs of franchise pool companies. Each Catalina design is created to your situation and aspirations. We provide personalized service from the initial project consultation to the completion of your pool.
We also renovate older pools, making them look like new.
Call us now, while the heat and humidity of Maryland summer 2017 are fresh in your memory.
Catalina Pool Builders: Creating custom in-ground pools and renovating older pools
836 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 8, Severna Park; 410-647-7665; www.catalinapoolbuilders.com
Chesapeake Health & Fitness/ Body & Soul Spa
We support you on your journey to fitness or relaxation
When Linda Strohecker opened Chesapeake Health and Fitness in 2010 she realized her dream of a state-of-the-art health club with world-class expertise and a small-town feel.
Classes are small, so professional trainers spend the time with each person for maximum results. They’re frequent, to meet your schedule. You will not be lost in the crowd.
Group classes include Body Pump, cardio dance, kickboxing, Pilates, spin, step, yoga. New and extremely popular is Extreme Water Rowing, which promises to burn calories and tone muscles. Or choose private classes in cardiovascular endurance, nutrition and weight training.
Body & Soul Spa offers massage, facials, spray-tanning and waxing plus henna tattoos so you can make a statement without permanent commitment.
Chesapeake Health and Fitness Club: Offering a wide range of private and group classes, all professionally designed and led, to target your unique needs.
624 E. Bay Front Rd., Deale; 410-867-7440; chesfitclub.com
The Clay Bakers
A studio for people of all ages to relax doing art that’s fun and functional
I started The Clay Bakers because I just love the arts. When I moved to Annapolis and wanted to get involved, a Clay Bakers studio seemed a natural choice for combining art and community.
It’s a studio that combines many elements that can make any day go better.
There’s fun in the creative experience of painting pottery to create art perfect for your taste and season. You choose the piece to decorate with paints to be fired in our kilns and ready for pickup in a week. We’re also a fun place to have parties.
There’s function in that all pieces are lead-free and food-safe, so you can enjoy using them at home or giving as gifts.
There’s joy in decompressing — for both me and my customers. Seeing people decompress strikes a heartstring for me, and I see it every day. Most of us have quite a few things going on in our lives that seem overwhelming, so a creative distraction is welcomed. Pottery painting lets us relax and focus our minds on a creative vision. This is true for all ages. Just slow down, without distraction, and enjoy the music and experience.
Smiles and conversation have kept me loving my business for 17 years, here in Annapolis since 2010 plus a decade before that. I love art, but what I enjoy most is the people.
We offer workshops for all ages. With studio hours seven days a week, art time can be fitted into even the busiest schedule. Popular with adults is our monthly Ladies Night 5-10pm on the first Thursday and third Tuesday. Families are always welcome, except on Ladies Nights. Birthday and private parties for all ages are available by reservation.
The Clay Bakers: 151 Main St., Annapolis;
410-990-0244; www.theclaybakers.com
Cleaning Maid Easy
We clean the way you want it done
Here at Cleaning Maid Easy, we all love being able to provide families with more time. We collectively take pride in doing our best to ensure that we can spread a little ease and happiness to all our clients.
So when we were honored as Bay Weekly’s Best of the Bay cleaning service in 2016, we were shocked. With our heads down focusing on doing our best work, we never knew there was a light shining on us.
That honor reminded me we’d come a long way in 15 years.
Back in 2001, I was freshly graduated from high school and seeking what to do with my future, when I decided that cleaning houses would be a fun way to earn income while feeling fulfilled by working to help others. As my few clients told their friends about the quality of my work, word of mouth sent me into a whirlwind where I hired help to work with me. At that point I knew this wouldn’t be temporary.
With so many people in our corner helping and promoting us over the years, we’ve grown in many ways. From a small 10-by-10-foot space in the Chamber of Commerce, we now occupy a 1,200-square-foot office in the Anchor Centre. We operate a fleet of 11 vehicles to bring our 18 dedicated cleaners to your home, business — even your Airbnb. To keep our standards consistently high, I’ve made a training video of my cleaning specifications.
As we approach our 15th anniversary next June, we are happy to say that we are here to stay.
Cleaning Maid Easy, Inc.: Top-to-bottom home, rental and commercial cleaning, including windows, dish-washing and laundry, with free estimates.
5851 Deale Churchton Rd., Suite 1, Deale; 410-867-7773; www.cmeofmd.com
Dave Wright: Champion Realty
Make the Wright choice
I’ve worked to develop the resume I bring to your search for home.
An associate broker with Champion Realty, I was president of the local Association of Realtors in 2006 and co-owner of Manis & Wright Realty from 1989 to 1994. My depth of experience and longevity in the business set me apart from my competition.
What’s more, I’m a homegrown Annapolitan with the local information, key contacts and first-hand knowledge of the people and places that make our county special.
My father, the late John B. Wright, a well-known local attorney, encouraged me in the business. He had a keen eye for real estate and acquired unimproved buildable tax sale lots in areas of Annapolis that had, or were about to receive, public sewage. I sold the lots to local builders who often hired me to sell the new homes on these affordable lots.
Since entering the real estate industry in 1976, I have survived and thrived through three recessions. I attribute my success to serving customers and clients with honesty, integrity and professionalism.
I don’t see my job as just selling homes. I solve problems to help you achieve your dreams, whether it’s purchasing your first home or selling a home to move on.
Look to wife Laury and me for the experienced, proven professional realty team to help you sell, or find, your dream home.
Dave Wright, Champion Realty, Inc.: 410-353-1040; ww.thewrightteamhomesofannapolis.com
D. Miller Associates
As a small computer company, we have to be better
As long as there have been computers, we’ve been around to help get yours to work the way you want.
As a full-service computer company, we sell, service, repair, upgrade and refurbish computers of every size, for personal, business and retail clients.
Once you’ve found the right computer, we’ll customize your desktop, configure and install networks and solve every problem that bugs you.
Transferring your settings to your new computer? We’re experts.
Updating? We go beyond the basics to solve your problems. We even clean the inside of your computer.
Keeping your computer safe? With properly configured, up-to-date security software, we can help prevent intrusions, including ransomware and scareware.
Service and support at every step sets our business apart from big box stores or ordering online.
We even give you answers and advice you can understand.
Being in the computer business for over 30 years means changing with the times. We can now often work with you online to resolve issues that used to require you to bring your computer into our shop or schedule a service call.
With construction-specific software and hardware, we can provide and support new and exciting applications for document imaging, remote time payroll collection and service software.
D. Miller Associates: 5720-C Deale-Churchton Rd., Deale; 301-261-5989; www.dmillerassociates.com
Dr. Glass
Clean windows let the light in
Washing windows is a daylong chore or more for weekend warriors. Dr. Glass pros can do the task in just a few hours.
High-quality, streak-free window cleaning can increase natural light inside your home by 25 to 30 percent.
Dr. Glass is the area’s best professional window cleaning service for the past 10 years. We are reliable, conscientious, careful and respectful of your time and property as we make your windows sparkle.
Call or e-mail Dr. Glass Window Washing for a free estimate and to schedule an appointment.
Bill, George, Joe and Julio are your professional window washing and power washing experts.
Dr. Glass: [email protected]; 410-626-0782; www.annapoliswindowclean.com
Dunkirk Kitchen And Bath
Depend on us for the rooms you most depend on
Kitchens and baths are your home’s most interactive spaces. In those rooms, you depend on appliances to get essential jobs done, whether cooking a Thanksgiving feast for a houseful or bathing to be ready for a day on the job. Because you spend a lot of time in those rooms, you want them to be appealing as well as efficient.
That’s why we’re in business. A love for customer service and wanting to make people happy is what got our company started. We love meeting new people and working with good people. So we make sure the people we hire will be there for you for every step of the remodeling process, from design to installation. We stand behind all our work.
Dunkirk Kitchen and Bath: Kitchen and bath renovation and remodeling, including cabinet restoration, new appliances and countertops or complete transformations.
10357 Southern Maryland Blvd., Dunkirk;
301-327-5490; www.dunkirkkitchenbath.com
Dunkirk Vision
Helping you achieve and maintain clear vision for years to come
In this time of such corporate consolidation in healthcare, we wanted to continue caring for our patients in and surrounding the Calvert county area. To do that, the two of us, both optometrists, opened Dunkirk Vision as an independent eye care practice in 2013.
Our practice is focused on providing you excellence in all aspects of patient care through the latest in technology, staff education and premium products.
Our motivation is service to our patients. We love our patients, and that’s why we invest our time and energy in building this practice. We have grown quickly, and we attribute that success to putting our patients first and listening to their feedback. Most often, we hear how our staff provides a friendly, warm atmosphere. Patients can tell that we try our best to provide an excellent experience for them.
Dunkirk Vision: Vision improvement with glasses, contact lenses and surgical co-management; management for eye conditions, including cataracts, computer vision syndrome and dry eyes; and eye diseases, from pink eye to diabetic eye disease.
10335 Southern Maryland Blvd., Dunkirk;
443-964-6730; www.dunkirkvision.com
En-Tice-Ment Farms and Stables
A fourth-generation farm family diversified to modern tastes
On two farms just 10 miles south of Annapolis, the Tice family continues a four-generation tradition on 440 combined acres.
At En-Tice-Ment Farm-Raised Meats, animals graze on 90 green acres. Down the road, En-Tice-Ment Stables at Obligation Farms provides 350 acres of riding grounds.
En-Tice-Ment Farm is home to free-range beef cows, pigs, lambs, broiler chickens and laying hens, naturally raised — no drugs or hormones — to yield high-quality meat.
The Tice family bought En-Tice-Ment Farm in Harwood in 1974. When Deana and Joey married in 1986, they went to work on the farm together. Now teenage sons Josh, Cody and Justin manage the pigs and 250 laying hens.
En-Tice-Ment is also a part of 4H, the national club for kids ages 8 to 18 who raise and show livestock at fairs.
The 350-acre Obligation Farms is home to 75 horses. Deana — daughter of a horse trainer and blacksmith — runs the stables on this leased farm as a training ground for riders of all skill levels.
Joey, Deana, Josh, Cody, and Justin Tice are carrying on their family traditions. They would not have it any other way.
For your En-Tice-Ment meats, visit the farm Tuesday thru Friday 3-6pm or Saturday 8am-noon; or the Anne Arundel County Farmers Market in Annapolis on Saturdays and Sundays, where En-Tice-Ment breakfast sandwiches are a favorite.
En-Tice-Ment Farms: Beef, pork and lamb, plus broiler chickens, all sold in familiar super-market cuts. All meat is butchered under U.S. Department of Agriculture standards and immediately frozen
231 Polling House Rd., Harwood; 443-336-8492; www.enticementfarmraisedmeats.com
En-Tice-Ment Stables at Obligation Farm: Training in riding and horse care for beginners to experts.
4016 Solomons Island Rd., Harwood; 410-798-4980; www.enticementstables.com
Evelyn’s
Good eating from locals for locals
At Evelyn’s, we’re so local that some of our best ingredients, such as beans, figs, kale, peaches, are grown by our customers. In the few months since we opened, we’ve grown into the kind of place we hoped to create just a year ago, when Evelyn’s was only a bright idea.
Working in restaurants when I was younger showed me the joy brought to customers by food made with fresh ingredients and love. I bought the former Regina’s building to bring that joy to Annapolis. We transformed the space with lots of light and stainless steel and kept it small and intimate, with 24 seats.
Named for my daughter, Evelyn’s breakfast and lunch café serves you food made from organic, locally sourced ingredients from farms in Anne Arundel County and the Tri-State area — plus organic herbs and spices from our garden. Service is friendly, parking free and you can eat outdoors — and bring your dog.
Evelyn’s: An organic locally sourced breakfast and lunch café
26 Annpolis St., West Annapolis; 410-263-4794; www.evelynsannapolis.com
GypsyFaire
Find treasures at our monthly Marketplace
With GypsyFaire, we created a business that channels our passion for creating interesting and unique home furnishings from salvaged furniture and architectural parts. Our work is satisfying in so many ways.
First, we love the hunt. We do most of our buying at auctions. It is always a treasure hunt. You never know where and when you will find something fantastic — whether at an estate sale, an auction or pieces passed along by friends and family. Even a hard day can feel like an adventure. We once traveled three hours to an auction, driving a box truck that had to be jump-started again and again. It was pouring rain, and the cab leaked. All we could do beyond duct tape was tough it out and laugh!
Second, we love taking pieces that our parents or even our grandparents remember and transforming them into something new and current. It’s a job that lets us use all our creativity, from reimagining to finding a perfect paint color for a cute little table.
Third, we really appreciate how much you love our transformations. We’re thrilled by your excitement when we open the doors on show day. It’s such a good feeling to see you find the perfect piece you have been searching for.
October marks our four-year anniversary. Come celebrate with us Saturday October 7 and Sunday October 8.
GypsyFaire: Multiple vendors and an eclectic collection of vintage and upcycled furnishings, architectural salvage and home décor. Shop with us the first weekend (or second, if the first weekend is a holiday) of every month Sat. 9am-5pm and Sun. 10am-3pm.
1306 Mt. Zion Marlboro Rd., Lothian; www.GypsyFaire.com
Granados Automotive Service Centers
Your one-stop shop for vehicle maintenance
Does your car rattle? Is your truck or RV in need of new tires? How long has it been since your car’s oil was changed? Granados Automotive Service Centers has four locations in Calvert and Charles counties that will provide you with expert vehicle service at an affordable price.
Owners Dino Granados Sr. and Dino Jr. have been working in the automotive industry since 1980. Their four locations in Owings, Prince Frederick, Lusby and La Plata serve thousands of customers throughout Calvert and Charles counties. They are Calvert County’s oldest auto repair shop.
Dino Sr. began his career with NAPA Auto Parts and then became a part of the Goodyear tire family in 1983. In 1990, he decided to become a Goodyear Gemini Automotive Service Dealer. He built up his Southern Maryland and Calvert County clientele when Dino Jr. came on board in 2000. The father and son operation has been providing quality auto repair for over twenty years.
Their fully trained ASE-certified technicians provide many services on cars, trucks, SUVs, vans and commercial fleet vehicles. Services include state inspections, tire replacement, engine and transmission repair, steering and suspension, A/C, mufflers, battery replacement, brakes, tune-ups, transmission, electrical, driveline repair, belt and hose replacement, headlight restoration, windshield wiper blade replacement and more. They are proud to be a certified dealer of Goodyear, Dunlop and Kelly Tires.
As the Granados advocate, “regular service and preventive maintenance is the best way to extend the life of your vehicle.”
The Granados believe that customer satisfaction is key. With a dedicated staff and high quality service, their loyal customers are well taken care of.
Granados Automotive Service Centers: Owings, 410-257-2830: Prince Frederick, 301-855-1740; Lusby, 410-326-2672; www.granadostires.com
The Hair Bizz
Life isn’t always perfect, but your hair can be
I had been working for The Hair Bizz, Inc., for about a year when, the previous owners asked to speak with me in our breakroom. I thought I was in trouble, but to my surprise they wanted to discuss the possibility of my interest in purchasing the salon.
My answer, of course, was YES! On October 1, 1998, I purchased the Hair Bizz, Inc. So this week I will be celebrating my 19th anniversary as owner.
I love so many things about owning my own business, making my own schedule and having flexible hours. Each day is different and exciting; no day is ever the same. But what I love and enjoy the most are my wonderful clients, getting to meet new people and serving our great SOCO community for over 28 years.
There can be tough days, too, but I have a great staff, dedicated managers and reliable employees that I can depend on to make those days easier.
Our salon thrives on innovation and novelty, I recently remodeled again for the third time to reinvent our brand and style.
Together our team works to make your experience at The Hair Bizz, Inc. a great one!
The Hair Bizz, Inc.: Our services: Hair grooming for woman, men and children, custom and trending cuts, styling, specialty colors and special occasion design, perms, conditioning and clarifying treatments and waxing. Walk-ins are always welcome.
5720 Deale-Churchton Rd., Suite A, Deale; 410-867-0338
Happy Harbor
Comfort center for locals and sight-seers from far and wide
Come for comfort food, fresh seafood, a good strong Crush or Bloody Mary or a cold beer and a front-row waterfront view.
Come to relax. At Happy Harbor, nobody dresses up.
Come to hang out with the gang.
Come to eat heartily and happily. We serve the best burger around, all Angus beef — and on Mondays specially priced at $5. With lunch and dinner specials every day, Happy Harbor food ranges from solidly comfortable — biscuits and gravy or meatloaf — to fresh and local. When the moon is right, we’ll serve you soft-shell crab many ways, including Benedict. Oysters are in season every day, and starting mid-October we’ll have Monday on-the-half-shell oysters for 25 cents.
Come to watch sports on 14 TVs. Or sit all afternoon with friends over bridge.
Come to Happy Harbor to get happy. And as long as the weather holds, you can do it all outdoors, with your dogs.
Happy Harbor: 533 Deale Rd., Deale; 410-867-0949; www.happyharbordeale.com
Harbour Cove Marina
Home for your boat, vacation for you
My grandmother started a marina in Edgewater in the 1960s, so since I can remember, the boating industry has been in my blood. I spent my summers working for my father, sanding and painting bottoms and waxing boats. Working in the industry started as a summer job during my teenage years, but it has since become my passion, my hobby and now my livelihood. I cannot think of another job or career that would give me greater satisfaction than continuing my family’s tradition.
I learned about boats and how to respect the Chesapeake Bay from my father, and I now look forward to passing on that legacy to my six-year-old son. Though he is a very picky eater, one of his favorite foods is steamed crabs. Like me, he has the Chesapeake Bay in his blood.
I really enjoy seeing our customers at Harbour Cove Marina learn about and appreciate everything the Bay has to offer — from fishing to crabbing to exploring the different islands or enjoying the waterfront restaurants along the Bay.
Our team enjoys listening to our customers’ boating stories and fish tales. Boating gives people a way to put the daily grind and all of their worries on hold while on the water. We are proud that we have created a community at Harbour Cove that allows our customers to do this.
Life is so short, so I try to enjoy life every day. I am extremely fortunate that I have been given the opportunity to fulfill my passion in life by managing Harbour Cove. Each day I look forward to working with an incredible team and interacting with great customers. I also have strong faith in God, so prayer and reflection always works on my tough days.
In 2007, my father had a terrible accident at my family’s marina, and he passed away in front of me. This tragedy shaped who I have become. Every challenging experience in my life — from my eight-year military career and deployment to Iraq, to my father’s death — has led me to where I am today.
We are always looking for ways to improve Harbour Cove Marina. Last month we became a Mercury Outboard Marine dealer. This is an exciting addition to our operation. Our second annual Crab Feast in August was a huge success. We always look forward to bringing our customers together, as this helps us build a strong boating community.
–Peter Mueller, general manager
Harbour Cove Marina: Berth your boat in one of over 185 high-and-dry boatel spaces — our unique offering in the area — plus 62 water slips. A full-service marina, we also offer mid-grade fuel, pump-out service, hauling, maintenance and winter protection. Clean Marina certification assures you that Harbour Cove is as friendly to the environment as to you.
5910 Vacation Lane, Deale; 301-261-9500; www.harbourcove.com
Helly Hansen
Celebrating 140 years of innovation
Outfitting active people since 1877, Helly Hansen is one of the oldest and most respected brands in the outdoor industry. The city’s active sailing community drew us to Annapolis a decade ago, where we remain the only corporate Helly Hansen flagship store in the U.S. Our 10 years in Annapolis is one of two big anniversaries we’re celebrating. The other is Helly Hansen’s 140th year in business.
We pride ourselves on both working hard and helping you enjoy yourself while you are here. It really makes a big difference when you can get your customers to have a good time with you.
This week, we are getting ready to have the most successful U.S. Sailboat show ever. We look forward to seeing you at both the Sail and Power shows.
–Cameron Kennedy, store manager
Helly Hansen: Head-to-toe gear worn and trusted by professionals on oceans, mountains and worksites.
132 Main St., Annapolis; 410-990-4359; www.hellyhansen.com
Inspired Interiors
We’re passionate about working to bring spaces to life, together with you
Three years ago, after working for a few design firms, I was ready to take the risk and strike out on my own. Interior design was a passion for me growing up. I loved decorating my bedroom, picking paint, wall coverings, pillows and accessories. I was tuned into fashion and design at an early age, and I studied interior design at Kent State University.
I enjoy meeting with new clients, learning about their lifestyle and working with them to achieve their design goals. As a designer, I get to see new colors, furnishings, art and accessories before they’re released in the marketplace. I enjoy my relationship with clients, contractors and vendors alike.
I get my reward when clients tell me they love their new space. I worked with one recently who told me he was so happy with his new bedroom he could cry! Many days in this business are long, 10 to 12 hours. So knowing that a client is pleased with the final product is very rewarding.
Currently I’m working to update and restore the beauty and charm of an apartment building in D.C. that was built in 1938. It’s a co-op building. I started out designing three apartments for one owner. She then asked me to design the laundry room, lobbies and hallways. Now I am restoring each apartment in the 36-unit building and enjoying every minute of it.
–Sharon O’Brien, principal designer and owner
Inspired Interiors: A full-service residential and commercial interior design firm located in the heart of Annapolis. Our philosophy is to create a unique design based on your needs while taking into consideration your lifestyle. Our services include full-service interior design consulting, project management, color consultations, staging services for real estate, home organization and space planning, downsizing services for empty nesters, design for short term rentals and vacation homes.
443-949-7878; www.inspiredinteriors.info
Jalapeños
Add a little spice to your life
Owners Gonzalo Fernandez, from Asturias, Spain, and Alberto Serrano, from Oaxaca, Mexico, unite Spanish and Mexican cuisine for a refined dining experience. Favorites from Spain, Mexico and Cuba include appetizing preparations of shrimp, scallops, fish, chicken, pork, beef, lamb and vegetables in both small and large plates, plus seven authentic taco varieties, salads and guacamole made fresh to order.
Popular in-culture drinks including margaritas, sangria, cervezas and 50 tequilas are served at the full bar.
The partners bring a combined 50 years in the restaurant industry to Jalapeños, and it shows in every aspect of your experience. Stepping from Forest Plaza into Jalapeños, you find yourself in a haçienda: warmed by color, soothed by a wall of water, transported by olive-grove murals and solidly seated at colorful tables. Quality and value are consistent, and service is smooth and personal.
Happy hour, with $6 and $7 tapas and special beverage prices, runs from 4 to 7pm Sunday through Thursday and 4 to 6pm Friday and Saturday. Thursday nights bring live music. Bimonthly Flamenco dinners with live dancers, a singer and guitarist are so popular that both shows sell out. Watch Bay Weekly for flamenco nights; they book quickly.
Jalapeños: Spanish and Mexican cuisine for lunch, dinner and happy hour 85 Forest Plaza, Annapolis; 410-266-7580; www.jalapenosonline.com
Kirsten’s Cakery
Special cakes for special days — and everyday
I’m dedicated to helping you find your dream dessert. So dedicated that I bring 18 years of experience to creating cakes with a personal touch.
So I promise you’ll get exactly what you want, in design and deliciousness. Choose from over 25 flavors and 19 fillings, all made from scratch. Will you have traditional vanilla and chocolate? Orange blossom or lavender? Irish Cream, Eggnog or Kahlua? Scrumptious fillings include strawberry, ganache, Chambord, Grand Marnier, coconut, key lime and many others. Top your cake with fondant or buttercream, cream cheese or fudge icing.
Your order is baked fresh. My cakes are never frozen; there’s not even a freezer on the premises.
To satisfy your cravings on the spot, we bake a daily supply of cupcakes, cakes, cake truffles, mini cupcakes and cookies. Cupcakes are a real specialty, and each day we bake an array of special flavors. For October it’s English toffee, German chocolate, Hostess, candy corn and pumpkin spice. Plus, over 20 different varieties of cupcakes are offered daily. Check our online menu for each day and month. Once you taste, you’ll want more.
–Kirsten Rose, owner
Kirsten’s Cakery: Custom cakes for every occasion. 541-C Baltimore Annapolis Blvd., Severna Park; 410-431-5005; www.kirstenscakery.com
Luna Blu
Your neighborhood restaurant in Annapolis
“I am so excited to be in our 15th year of business at Luna Blu,” says owner Erin Dryden. “After many years of working in different aspects of the restaurant business I came to work at Luna Blu when it opened. I bought out the partners about 9 years ago and have kept a lot of the original charm of the neighborhood restaurant and added a bit of my own style along the way.
“I am very proud to be the place people pop into on a Wednesday night to enjoy a half-price bottle of wine and a mid-week break from cooking and also for a special occasion such as their anniversary dinner in our front window table looking out at West Street.
“We have so many wonderful local customers who support the restaurant and word of mouth has been a huge part of our success. Guests love the small intimate atmosphere along with our friendly staff and accommodating kitchen help. All dishes are made to order and can be customized. We also bake fresh bread and prepare our homemade desserts every day.
“Our monthly charity wine dinners have become a huge success! I have been so fortunate and was looking for a great way to give back, so I started my dinners about four years ago. I choose a different local charity each month and donate a portion of the sales along with a cash wine raffle. We raise $500 to $600 at each dinner. I have had the opportunity to meet and work with so many wonderful people from the different charities. The five-course dinner is the last Sunday of each month at 5pm, paired with wines and a speaker to discuss the different wineries and pairings.
“Inner West Street has continued to evolve over the past 15 years with Dining Under the Stars and live local music and festivals throughout the year.
“We have such a wonderful group of business owners who have a passion for food and our community. I’m very proud to be a part of it, and I look forward to our continued growth.”
Luna Blu: 36 West St., Annapolis; 410-267-9950; www.lunabluofannapolis.com
Magnolia Shoppe
Great style does not have to equate to big dollars
The Magnolia Shoppe is a retail boutique offering an ever-changing selection of unique furniture, beautiful home accessories and personal fashion accessories. It is a great place to gather inspiration and find your new favorite things. Our patrons enjoy the colors, scents and textiles of each season. Our services include a gift registry, lay-away, gift certificates and special orders.
We are so thrilled to be celebrating our 14th anniversary in October.
Owning a business in the community in which I live sets the bar high.
It is a pleasure and joy to support our local schools, organizations and the U.S. Armed Forces.
Magnolia Shoppe: Magnolia Shoppe is a home furnishings and accents boutique, offering unique furniture at fair prices and beautiful home accessories, changing with the season, including lamps, mirrors, pictures and table-top accents. We also feature sterling silver jewelry, handbags and fashion accessories.
2 W. Friendship Rd., Friendship; 410-257-7510; [email protected]
Medart Galleries
Showcasing art for home and gifts since 1968
Stationed at NATO headquarters in Naples, Italy, over half a century ago, William Radosevic found his wife, Annamaria, and his future. Traveling throughout Europe, the couple met many artists and began collecting original works of art.
Back in the States, William and old shipmate Jim Fletcher planned how to turn their shared hobby into a career. Fletcher returned to Italy, selling art to American forces stationed there and exporting oil paintings to William and Annamaria back home. Thus Medart was born.
Medart began as a wholesaler of Italian oil paintings to art galleries. William and Annamaria’s children, Frank and Teresa, grew up in the business traveling up and down the East Coast with their parents.
In 1979, when Medart’s first retail location opened on Andrews Air Force Base, the whole family was involved. The kids helped their parents tend the shop after school, a tradition that continued when Medart moved to Owings in 1985. Frank became a skilled custom framer, and Teresa developed an eye for color and design.
Medart remains all in the family. The business has expanded to include original art and objet d’art by artists of renown both local and international. You can still find original oil paintings in Medart, plus handcrafted Christian icons and the occasional original botanical tableware imported from Tuscany. Photo restoration as well as custom framing are additional specialties.
Medart enters its 24th season renting quality musical instruments as a Music and Arts Affiliate partner to expand students’ talents in school bands and orchestras.
Medart Galleries: 10735 Town Center Blvd., Dunkirk; 410-257-6616; www.medartgalleries.com
Malibu Window Cleaning
Clean windows open your eyes to the beauty of your world
Window cleaning was not the original plan.
Millennials take heed: the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray. What do you do then? A million things are outside your control. Wallow in self-pity, try to go back into the corporate world or decide your fate, even doing something completely insane and striking out on your own?
I did the latter.
I’m not saying it’s easy. Small business is rough. Employees need constant work, the weather changes, bills increase, payments slow, every one needs something … Then you get a customer who refers someone else … Now we wash windows at the Maryland State House.
And that’s the site of a memory that keeps me going when times get tough …
We are in the main lobby of the State House. One of my crew, Deshon, is 30 feet in the air, cleaning the governor’s office window. Me, with my male model figure (plus about 1000 pints of ice cream) I’m standing on the floor below looking up — when Gov. Hogan bellows down from the terrace to me, “I bet I can guess who does all the work, and who makes the money.”
To which I responded, “God Bless America.”
Malibu Window Cleaning: Employing local college students and recently retired Annapolitans, Malibu Window Cleaning is a uniquely old-fashioned small business set apart by workmanship, pride and quality.
410-263-1910; www.annapoliswindowcleaning.com
Maryland Clock Company
We keep your clocks running
Working on clocks dating from 1700 to 2017, every day is an adventure. After 48 years, we still enjoy seeing different clocks come into the shop for repairs. The endless variety is astounding.
“I wish clocks could talk,” Doris says. “They were privy to every conversation in every home, office and government building since time began to be recorded.”
That satisfaction is a good part of the reason husband Rick and I have kept our small mom-and-pop business going since 1950.
Clock work is our heritage and history. Rick began working in his father’s clock repair shop at the age of 16. We started our own in Washington, D.C. Today’s storefront located in Davidsonville, halfway between D.C. and Annapolis, makes us convenient to customers in the whole region.
As much as we love clocks, we love working with our clients. Many clients are older — like their clocks — but we’re seeing more young people. Some come to us to restore clocks that belonged to parents, grandparents, great-grandparents. Others have bought or inherited clocks that they need to learn how to care for.
It’s an honor for us to be trusted with our clients’ family heirlooms. We love making people happy by bringing their clock memories back to life.
Maryland Clock Company: Professional clock repair, from minor to complete restorations. Mon.-Fri. 10am-4pm, Sat. 10am-2pm.
1251 West Central Ave., Suite G-3, Davidsonville;
410-798-6380; www.marylandclockco.com
Maryland Disc Institute
Solving the puzzle of pain
At the Maryland Disc Institute each patient is a complex puzzle of health issues. “My job is to solve that puzzle, and motivate them to seek a healthier lifestyle,” says Dr. Kathryn Hodges. “Patients who never thought they would walk again or be free of pain now have achieved a quality of life they thought was gone forever.”
Spinal decompression is obtained using the DRX 9000, a machine that gently decompresses the spine, creating a negative disc pressure within the pathological discs that allows the herniated material to re-center and relieve the nerve pressure that causes pain.
It is so gentle that most patients fall asleep while undergoing treatment. There is no downtime, as opposed to invasive back surgery, which can require four to eight weeks lost time, lost income and potentially addictive pain killers.
It was Dr. Hodges’ own experience with spinal decompression that saved the practice she loves and convinced her to implement this groundbreaking technology used by surgeons around the country.
However effective spinal decompression can be, it’s not for everyone. That’s why the initial consultation is free. After your examination, Dr. Hodges evaluates your prognosis and explains procedures, costs and insurance coverage.
Call for your phone screening to see if you may be a candidate for this highly successful disc treatment with the DRX9000 non-surgical spine decompression system.
Maryland Disc Institute, Dr. Kathryn Hodges, director: 43 Old Solomon’s Island Rd., Annapolis;
410-266-3888; www.mddiscinstitute.com
McBride Gallery
Teaching you to see art, know art and bring art into your life
I wasn’t a big city girl. In truth, I was a Minnesota farm girl. But while my father worked the farm, and I helped him, my mother managed the house and painted in her home studio. I did not have her talent — though my daughter Abigail does — but I enjoyed art and artists, which led me into the gallery end of the business. It was a business I could take with me as my husband’s career moved us around the country. It kept my hand in art, gave me a career of my own and gave work to many other women too, as staff in my early home-business days was often family women who thrived on part-time work.
When we settled in Anne Arundel County, I began planning to open my second gallery (first one was in Hull, MA). The Annapolis Marine Art Gallery on Dock Street opened in October of 1974, just in time for the boat shows. After it was sold two years later, I developed a plan for McBride Gallery at 215 Main Street, which opened in June of 1980. When I made my move, Main Street had long been lined with stores that supplied their neighbors with groceries, shoes and medicine. But new merchants were coming in, catering to tourism, which meant restaurants, gift shops, and bookstores. Another gallery would bring more people — and more culture — to our capital city.
Needing more space for framing, I opened Benfield Gallery in Severna Park in February of 1984 to offer framing services and gallery ‘show’ space to local and regional artists.
Part of the reason for my success is that I love to work with artists to help them showcase their paintings, sculpture and ceramics.
I also enjoy working with people who want to add art to their homes or offices. Galleries bring together artists and people who want to have the beauty of art in their surroundings, which leads to success all around. I’ve tried to make McBride Gallery a local center for seeing and learning what’s happening in the art world locally, regionally and nationally, with great artists, themed shows, artists giving talks and doing demonstrations.
Promoting artists and their creations is work I love. At the same time, I enjoy giving back to my community through volunteer work. I was the first woman president of the Rotary Club of Annapolis 1998-99, less than a decade after women were allowed to join Rotary. I continue to enjoy supporting our community through Rotary.
My mother taught me to look at art another way, too: as a way to make your life bigger than the everyday world you can see and touch. I hope you’ll come in and see the art we have to offer. I hope you’ll introduce yourself. Whether you’re an arts novice, admirer or advocate, there is a bond in enjoying the beauty found in art.
Through October 15, come in to see the 10th Annual Best of the Chesapeake, an invitational group show of 20 artists featuring vintage boats: schooners to steamboats; wildlife, marshes, small coves, family farms and harbor towns that define our waterway.
McBride Gallery: Art sales and resales, framing, appraisals, restoration and cleaning plus residential and commercial consultation and custom museum-quality framing
215 Main St., Annapolis; 410-267-7077; www.mcbridegallery.com; www.facebook.com/McBride-Gallery-339773595357/?fref=ts
Meadow Hill Wellness
Live, love, heal
Having struggled with migraine headaches as a teenager, I sought acupuncture treatments and became migraine free. Anyone struggling with migraines knows how debilitating they can be. Once acupuncture cured my migraines, I knew I was hooked. Years later, after undergrad, I decided to go back to grad school and become an acupuncturist. I’ve since completed my doctorate.
Meadow Hill Wellness, which I created over a decade ago, has grown to one of the area’s largest acupuncture practices with highly trained health professionals helping people get well with acupuncture and many other drug- and surgery-free solutions for health, including natural medicines, massage therapy and nutritional counseling.
Lots of our patients look so forward to their treatment that they show up early. They leave looking so calm and relaxed and that is extremely rewarding. Our work has been so well received that we’re now looking to expand.
Wellness is a way of life in my family as well as my professional life. My daughter Heili, now 13, was only four or five when she helped me out at a lecture I was giving on acupuncture and holistic health at Whole Foods. “Old MacDonalds is not healthy,” she announced to the audience as she ran up to share the stage with me. “Everybody should eat vegetables!”
Meadow Hill Wellness: We work closely with physicians and other medical professionals to ensure that you receive high-quality, safe and effective health care. Acupuncture is a covered benefit under many health insurance plans; Meadow Hill Wellness is a network provider with most major insurance carriers.
53 Old Solomons Island Rd., Suite C, Annapolis;
410-263-0411; www.meadowhillwellness.com
The Old Stein Inn and Bier Bar
Oktoberfest at its best
The Old Stein Inn is the place to celebrate Oktoberfest.
Founders Karl and Ursula Selinger brought that month of outdoor celebration, with its free-flowing music and beer, to Chesapeake Country. For 34 years, The Old Stein — now under second-generation ownership with son Michael and wife Beth — has been the place to go for gemutlichkeit: the celebration and comfort of German food, beer, wine and spirits.
With its all-season Bier Bar, The Old Stein may be the best place in Chesapeake Country for outdoor eating, drinking and good times, with German music on weekends and local music on Fridays.
As fall deepens, Oktoberfest’s raised steins lead to November’s wild game menu, with boar, bird and venison.
The good times just keep getting better.
The Old Stein Inn: Serving traditional German cuisine, entertainment and a wide selection of imported and craft beers, inside and out in the Bier Bar
1143 E. Central Ave., Edgewater; 410-798-6807; www.oldstein-inn.com
Owensville Primary Care
No neighbor shall go without needed health care
Owensville Primary Care has been serving southern Anne Arundel and neighboring counties as a Community Health Center for over 40 years. We provide internal and family medicine, behavioral health, insurance eligibility/enrollment and care management services in a patient-centered medical home environment.
Owensville Primary Care continues its pledge to provide quality medical services at a reasonable cost to our patients. As a nonprofit organization, we return our financial gains to our under-served patients through free or discounted services. This is our vision and commitment to our fellow citizens. We are also a proud partner with Johns Hopkins Health Systems through our partnership in Maryland Community Health Systems with Priority Partners Managed Care Organization.
Our staff is committed to delivering services to our patients in a compassionate, caring, confidential and professional environment. We are committed to a constant review of standards of care and quality improvement. Fifty-one percent of our Board of Directors are consumers of our services, and all members of our volunteer board are dedicated to our mission and vision.
Owensville Primary Care: Offering affordable premium health care to a wide variety of patients in our community. Owensville Primary Care is honored to be one of eight federally qualified community health centers that make up the Priority Partners Managed Care Organization through a partnership with the Johns Hopkins Health Systems.
134 Owensville Rd., West River; 410-867-4700; www.owensvillepc.com
Parks Excavating and Trucking
We move mountains for our customers
I grew up on a working tobacco farm in Lothian and was raised on tractors, machines and heavy equipment. In my teens and early 20s, I worked for various companies to gain experience.
At age 25, I knew I wanted more, so I decided to go out on my own. That was almost 20 years ago.
There are many things I like about owning my own business, serving the local community and having satisfied customers. There are also plenty of bumps in the road in this business.
One of those bumps was the recession of 2008. Like other businesses, we were struggling. But in December, 2009, I was blessed personally with the birth of my first son, and Mother Nature blessed us with a blizzard.
With the help of dedicated employees, our hard work and perseverance got us to the successful company that we are today.
Parks Excavating and Trucking, Inc.: Excavating, grading, hauling, demo, concrete construction, rentals, materials, asphalt millings, topsoil, fill dirt, mulch, stone, sand and gravel
5741 Nutwell Sudley Rd., Deale, 410-867-0357
Pepper’s Pet Pantry
Abandoned animals brought me where I am today.
Pepper, a terrier mix dumped in the high desert of southern California, found her way to me in 2001 when I was having a serious bout of depression. She changed my life forever. I started baking organic dog biscuits for her, as I, like my mother, have always found baking to be therapeutic. After many trials and errors, Pepper finally gave me four paws up on the recipes I created and registered.
We lost Pepper in 2007, but she was there to see the opening of our first store.
We are celebrating 10 years as a brick-and-mortar store this November. The business has evolved beyond my expectations. Customers have been amazingly supportive. Many people have shopped with us all those years. Pepper’s Pet Pantry began because of this sweet dog no one wanted. Now, knowing that people — both employees and customers — are relying on me keeps me going. I don’t want to let anyone down.
Plus, getting to know our two- and four-legged customers is such a pleasure!
Adoption days at the store are my favorite. Volunteers show up with their rescued cats and dogs, and we are always thrilled when they find fur-ever homes! At our last event, four kittens got adopted. That and 10 years both sound like good reasons to celebrate.
Pepper’s Pet Pantry: Our friendly, knowledgeable staff helps you choose the right quality pet foods and supplies for your pet. We also offer a self-service dog wash.
13372 HG Trueman Rd., Solomons; 410-326-4006; www.pepperspetpantry.com
Pirates Cove
It’s all in the experience
Taking over Pirates Cove was like leaping onto a speeding train. Bob Platt — who had owned the business for decades — left April 14, 2015. We took over the restaurant — including menus, staff, systems — April 15, and we couldn’t stop the moving train.
That’s not quite as desperate as it sounds, because we’d worked with Bob before, purchasing the fire-damaged restaurant that’s become Killarney House.
But with the Irish Restaurant Company — Brian Boru Pub, Galway Bay and Killarney House — we knew the industry. Whether it’s Irish cuisine and culture or seafood, it’s making the best of what you have.
In every restaurant we run, we specialize in making people feel welcome and keeping them happy. That’s a cultured instinct in Ireland, where partner Anthony Clarke and I are both from, he from Dublin and I from County Kilkenny in the southeast. With his experience from hotel school in Ireland and hotels in London, Anthony is the brains behind the effort. I’m the big-picture man.
What we’ve tried to do is welcome you as if you were walking into a friend’s home with good food, good service and people who are genuine.
It’s all in the experience. When people have a lot of choice, they’ll return to places where they have the best experience — not necessarily the fanciest, most expensive or cheapest places. That’s what we try to capture, from the moment you walk in and are greeted with a smile to the moment you leave and in between.
Starting there, our plan has been to improve as we went along. Now, we’re halfway through our five-year plan.
People come to Pirates Cove for the water view in particular, so we wanted to make sure as many people as possible could see the water. We’ve done that by opening walls and adding windows and sliding doors.
We’ve also just expanded the banquet room to seat 90 people for dinner and opened it to the main, waterfront dining room to seat 50 more for dinner. For cocktails, over 200 can fit in comfortably, with the outside deck to enhance the experience.
There have also been a lot of improvements to the building and its support you’d only notice if they weren’t there. You could have great food and a great wait staff, but if you’re too hot or cold it infringes on the experience. So does light that’s too bright, music that’s too loud, chairs that are uncomfortable.
Hardison, our chef, is another part of the formula. Without him, we would not be anywhere near so successful. Steve is the main reason why customers are returning on a regular basis to eat at Pirates Cove. He has developed relationships with local farmers and fishermen and continues to purchase the freshest of products for the restaurant. He makes all our dressings and sauces in-house and is responsible for all of the recipes and cooking methods. With his extensive banquet experience, Steve makes large and smaller dinners and parties consistently successful.
I just had our rockfish and chips for lunch, straight from a fishing boat out of Deale. We also serve the rockfish baked, from our high-temp convection steam oven, with a simple seafood garlic butter sauce. Crab Imperial, fresh Norwegian salmon, jumbo lump crab cakes are equally popular dishes on our menu.
Pirates Cove: Waterfront restaurant, dock bar, marina and inn on the West River
4817 Riverside Dr., Galesville; 410-867-2300; www.piratescovemd.com
Priority Care Clinic in Severna Park
Fast and affordable medical care
Priority Care recognized an unmet need for fast, affordable and quality urgent medical care in the community. Often people cannot get in to see their doctor when they are suffering from simple problems like sore throat, flu, allergies or injuries. We are able to treat them the same day.
That makes a huge difference in the quality of everyday life, as it did for the patient who came in after cutting her finger while preparing food for her July Fourth party. We stitched her up and got her back to the party in time for dinner and fireworks.
Knowing that I am helping my patients feel better and get back on their feet keeps me going.
We consider it a privilege to treat you and your family and to get to know you. In turn, our business is thriving with patients referred to us by their friends and family.
We are now gearing up for this year’s cold and flu season with flu shots, tests, and treatments to take care of your whole family.
Priority Care Clinic: Our services: Urgent and routine care, including school, camp and work physicals, plus radiology, lab services and an on-site pharmacy. We accept most insurance and promise to save you time and money when compared to an emergency room
550 Ritchie Hwy., Suite K, Severna Park; 443-242-2200; www.prioritycareclinics.com
Real Chill Heating & Air Conditioning
Your home’s comfort is as important as our own.
As a young man, Rob enjoyed providing reliable, quality, dependable HVAC service to customers and dreamt of starting his own company. He attended apprentice school in the field, went on to get his Masters and soon started Real Chill.
“Doing business in a way that was respected by the community was something I always strived for,” he says.
After 18 years in business, Rob is able to confidently say that Real Chill provides reliable, respectable, affordable service to its customers.
We are a family business. We all work well together, and all of our roles mesh to create a wholesome team. The time we are able to spend together makes all of the hours and dedicated time we put in worth it at the end of every week.
In turn, the service we provide is exactly what we would expect to receive for ourselves. We pride ourselves on being timely and dependable, and we enjoy walking into customers’ homes to resolve their HVAC concerns.
We also love seeing the satisfaction on our customer’s faces when we are able to get their HVAC system back in working order or replaced with a new efficient system.
Real Chill Heating & Air Conditioning: Installation and repair of all makes and models of heating and air conditioning equipment.
5865 Deale-Churchton Rd., Deale; 410-867-3626; www.realchill.com
Red Apron Estate Sales
We help with the overwhelming prospect of sorting through a loved one’s property
When a neighbor’s wife died, he was left with a house full of items that neither he nor his children wanted. It inspired me to start my business offering full-service personal property resale and estate liquidation services. My focus is on assisting families dealing with the estate of a loved one, downsizing and relocating.
To maximize your profits and save you time, we give buyers a variety of ways to sell items. On-site sales, auction houses, specialty dealers and online sales, alone or in combination with other clients, provide maximum exposure to reach the right buyers quickly and efficiently. What’s more, we spare you the daunting effort and all upfront costs.
The best part of my job is meeting people, both sellers and buyers. Having recently purchased Empty Nest Estate Sales, we are excited to meet our new customers.
Red Apron Estate Sales: Full and partial estate sales, online sales and consignment, property cleanouts, residential tag sale services and professional marketing.
443-534-0863; www.redapronestatesales.com
Response Senior Care LLC
Helping realize your desire to live in your own home.
We’re lucky to live to grow older. Yet as age advances, we lose some of our youthful agility and independence. That needn’t be the time to check into the nursing home. This in-between stage of life calls for a companion who can check on you when your family can’t, drive you where you want to go, help around the house. When you need assistance to continue to live at home, what you need is Response Senior Care.
Response Senior Care’s mission is to provide the highest level of non-medical in-home care for adults. Response caregivers are competent, well-trained and ready to provide friendly care to meet your individual needs. Caregivers help you realize your desire to live in your own home.
Response Senior Care is locally owned and operated, with a staff that has a combined 50 years of experience in direct care, registered nursing, administration and clinical social work. Quality and service are undertaken seriously to support you and ensure your health and safety. Every day, you will be treated with respect and care.
Gary Franklin, MSW, LCSW-C, founded Response Senior Care in 2004. After 35 years in geriatric work, Franklin saw a local need for a home care agency to help seniors remain at home safely rather than leave familiar, beloved space to move into an assisted living home or nursing home. His satisfaction is assisting you in being comfortable living in your own home.
Response Senior Care LLC: 1831 Forest Dr., Annapolis; 410-571-2744; www.response-seniorcare.com
Ridgely Retreat
Meditative movement and self-care in a quiet, nurturing environment
Listening to the clanking of weights, people conversing loudly and music pumping while trying to find peace in yoga practice, I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to practice yoga in a quiet nurturing environment surrounded by nature? From this thought, a dream was born.
That dream continues to unfold 15 years later with the newly unveiled rooftop space for yoga classes on parquet floors outdoors under the tree. In October, we are celebrating the opening of Tree Top with renowned yogi Wah! leading a kirtan call-and-response chanting experience on Saturday, October 14, 7:30-9:30pm, and a self-healing yoga workshop Sunday, October 22, 2-4pm.
To better serve you, we’re offering new product lines and estheticians for facials. We’re also now open Sunday mornings for massages and facials.
Our goal, as always, is helping you feel better than you did before you came in.
Ridgely Retreat: We offer a wide range of services including acupuncture, yoga, aerial yoga, tai chi and qi-ong — plus massage, facials, pedicures and more, all in a relaxing, peaceful atmosphere.
203 Ridgely Ave., Annapolis; 443-433-0462; www.ridgelyretreat.com
Rogue Pierogies
Tasty dumplings ready to eat in seconds
I saw that life was short and that I should spend mine in q way that I enjoyed, not just watching the clock. So after three years practicing law — on top of law school — I switched careers to cooking, an art I loved.
With one baby in diapers and the second on the way, I knew restaurant work wasn’t for me. Staring into the frozen food cases in a grocery, I realized somebody has to make all of this stuff!
I knew I could do it, too — and do it better.
I’d learned to make pierogis from my grandmother, who had learned from her mother. Pierogis are an Eastern European dumpling, a small pocket of dough stuffed with potatoes, cheese and onions.
Instead of traditional pierogis, mine are Rogue Pierogies: Red Gandolfini with tomato dough and roasted red pepper, mozzarella, sausage, basil and garlic filling. Green spinach and feta, which proves that people will eat green food if it tastes good. Closer to tradition — and perfect for Sunday afternoons watching football — is sharp cheddar, bacon and potato.
All are fully cooked and quick to prepare.
Find Rogue Pierogies at many farmers markets, Graul’s Family Markets, online or at our kitchen off Chinquapin Round Road in Annapolis.
Rogue Pierogies: 1825 George Ave., Suite 1, Annapolis; 410-858-7088; www.roguepierogies.com; www.facebook.com/Rogue-Pierogies-LLC-276918959077834
Schwartz Realty
Voted Best of the Bay by Bay Weekly readers four years in a row
Schwartz Realty has been a mover and shaker in Anne Arundel County since 1949 when Max C. Schwartz and his wife Bertie established their first office in Deale.
Through hurricanes, recessions, war and gas shortages, Schwartz has made integrity, honesty and solid business practices the norm. Max and Bertie passed those qualities onto their son George and encouraged him to establish a career in real estate. Today George G. Heine Jr. is the broker-president at Schwartz.
Schwartz Realty agents take pride in their knowledge of real estate laws and procedures, which change on a regular basis. Helping the homebuyer to understand the transactions eliminates unnecessary stress.
Want to be the first to know what just came on the market? Schwartz Realty agents invite you to stop in and see all that Schwartz has to offer — and experience hometown hospitality.
“It is so rewarding to hand a buyer the keys to their first home and to be a part of the American dream of home ownership,” says Heine. “We help people achieve their goals.”
Schwartz Realty: 5801 Deale-Churchton Rd., Deale; 301-261-9700, 410-867-9700; www.schwartzrealty.com
Second Wind Consignments
Something different every day
Since creating Second Wind Consignments in 2009, I’ve never had a day that I’ve gone home wishing I was doing something different. No two days are the same.
The wide range of personalities in our customers and wide variety of merchandise we receive creates a new environment every day.
Last August, for example, local celebrities The Brothers Osborne, came into the shop while home for a visit. Among other things, they bought a carved-wood tobacco store Indian. They loaded him into the car and took him on tour. That was not the last time I would see him, because they used him as a prop in their Pawn Shop theme. It was exciting to see our Indian on stage, and the consignor was absolutely thrilled.
For consistency, I rely on my staff. They are the greatest, and they have a way of pulling together and getting the job done.
Every day is different you never know what opportunity will blow in.
Second Wind Consignments: Your old-favorites get a second lease on life, and you get to hunt for treasures in home furnishings, clothing, hard-to-find collectibles and marine paraphernalia, all affordably priced.
661 Deale Rd., Deale; 410-867-0480; www.secondwindconsignments.com
The Shops at Ogden’s Commons
See you next month with all new wares in the same old store
Our business is all about giving new life to old objects, down to the old country story we’ve made our home. We are keeping a piece of the community alive by creating a new chapter in its life of the Ogden Store, built in 1890.
As a Calvert County native and former interior decorator, I was drawn to this wonderful old building with the dream of creating a one-of-a-kind shopping destination that would be open once a month and present a brand new experience each time.
With the help of our permanent and guest vendors, we’re assured of a steady supply of new and unique items. Our eclectic and affordable mix of goods ranges from restored farmhouse furniture to classic vintage décor.
Unique shops fill each room with coastal, farmhouse, industrial, romantic, rustic and vintage furniture and home goods. Each month, vendors show off new creations.
The Shops at Ogden’s Commons: Calvert County’s newest destination of choice for savvy home décor shoppers looking for unique and vintage items inspired by the region’s coastal, farming and industrial heritage. Open the second weekend of each month: Fri. 3-7pm, Sat. 9-5pm, Sun. 10am-3pm.
Parkers Creek Rd. at Hurry Lane, Port Republic;
443-532-5981; Facebook: The Shops at Ogden’s Commons
Side Street Framers
Preserving and displaying your cherished memories
Our family has always been very artistic. We all have a passion for art, design and home decor. With such natural resources, I invited my three daughters — Sandy, Dawn and Donna — to join in a family business that would allow us to work together, be creative together and offer a great service to our community.
Our family liked the idea, and 28 years later we are still here enjoying what we do and doing it together.
Our creativity is continually challenged and refreshed by the interesting projects people bring us. We love helping choose the right colors and frames and finding solutions for three-dimensional items.
We’re also nourished by the community we’ve helped create. A memory we’ll keep forever is the surprise party we had in April for our framer, Stephanie Lavis. We had invited our customers and her family, and friends for a full day of surprises, catered food and fun. We had no idea how many people would attend.
The entire day from open to close our store was packed with people who had come for the party. Some brought gifts, flowers, very touching cards all recognizing how much Stephanie and her work for them had touched their lives — as they, in turn, touched ours. There were many tears that day, and many warm thoughts of appreciation for us to have the most amazing framer and the absolute best customers we could ever ask for.
We continue to add new services, including printing on Plexiglas and aluminum. Send us an electronic file of the image you want printed, and we can turn it into an amazing piece to hang on your walls.
Side Street Frames & Gift Gallery: A unique store restoring photos and transferring videos to DVDs, plus selling custom frames, art, furniture, home decor, gifts, jewelry, signs and antiques
558 Ritchie Hwy., Severna Park; 410-544-9050; www.sidestreetframers.com
Sisk Auto Body
Keeping your car’s body in shape is our family business
Doug Sisk grew up hanging out in his best friend’s parents’ auto body shop. While holding down a day job, he spent evenings and weekends working on cars for his friends and their mothers.
“Young guys like cars,” he says. “I remember one of the first cars I fixed. The workmanship was good, but” — he shakes his head — “it didn’t shine. Everything else was perfect. You learn from mistakes.”
Doug’s parents ran their own small business, Sisk Mailing Service, which inspired him. His father warned him that running a business wouldn’t be easy, citing national small business failure rates. “But he instilled a work ethic in me,” Doug says. “You have to stick with it. You have to be there.”
When Doug and wife Terri opened Sisk Auto Body in 1981, they stuck with it.
Terri’s plans to stay home with their children ended when the new business needed four hands rather than two. “I was hanging sheetrock and building a spray booth when I was pregnant with Muffy,” she says.
Their devotion to the business was not always appreciated by their children, Barbara Chase and Muffy Revel.
“When you’re working, time gets away from you,” says now-adult Muffy, remembering the times she spent waiting at the Dash-In across Route 260 when her mother forget to pick her up after school. “I still don’t like going to Dash-In because I was traumatized when she didn’t show up.”
Experiences like that have not stopped Doug and Terri’s children from following in their footsteps.
Neither Barbara nor Muffy longed to spend life in a body shop. But one step led to another, and before they knew it, they’d joined the family business.
Now 35 years later, the tables have turned, and the second Sisk generation is in charge, with a new generation of children growing up in the shop.
“Doug and I have retired, so the girls completely run the business, and they do a wonderful job,” Terri says. “Doug and I help out with our beautiful granddaughters.”
Sisk Auto Body: Repairs, from dings to disasters
167 Thomas Ave., Owings; 301-855-5525; www.siskautobody.com
Then … & Again Antiques
For the (bargain) treasure hunter
I’m one of the lucky ones able to make a business of what I love: old things.
My family home was filled with antiques. As my father grew older, I joined him on treasure hunts at the estate and yard sales he loved, then restored or updated our finds.
Before long, I’d acquired so many treasures that I needed to find a way to share them. That’s how Then … & Again Antiques got started. It’s worked for 20 years so far, and it will for many more to come as long as I’ve got plenty of fuel: Peanut M&Ms and Diet Coke.
As well as a treasure collector I’m a people person. I love, love, love my customers and their stories. It’s great when a treasure — be it jewelry, furniture, coins, or home décor — finds a home with the right customer. We are the perfect fit when you are looking for quality goods for your home, personal use or gifts. Our knowledgeable staff enjoy helping our customers find unique purchases.
We’re good at helping people get rid of things, too. An estate sale run by knowledgeable people is an efficient and relatively quick way to downsize or liquidate an estate. To meet that need, we’ve expanded our estate sales services.
I also enjoy it when parents bring children into the shop. One young lad about four years old was fascinated by a rotary phone. He kept pressing numbers and was shocked and amazed by the dialing action.
As much as I love old things, I’m in a business — retail — that depends on change. So after 10 years on West Street in Annapolis, we will be relocating in the spring of 2018. The exact location still isn’t known, but when it is, I’ll let you know.
Then … & Again Antiques: 5,000 square feet of goods ranging from jewelry to vintage clothing and furniture to coins, currency and maps to war memorabilia, with three-dozen dealers keeping the “new” stock coming in.
2009 West St., Annapolis; 410-573-0313; www.facebook.com/Then-Again-Antiques-Mall-92517606404
Thursday’s
Good times, good food
Each week has only one Thursday, but Chesapeake Country has two: Thursday’s Steak and Crab House on the water in Galesville and Thursday’s Bar and Grill on Rt. 260 at the gateway to Calvert County’s Twin Beaches. Both Thursday’s mean good times and good food.
Thursday’s Bar and Grill has been a Calvert County gathering spot for 18 years, in the Paris Oaks Shopping Center for the last five. Locals gather for the long happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 to 7pm. The sports bar plays every NFL game, pleasing both Redskins and Ravens fans. Crabs are standard summer fare, replaced by local oysters as the weather cools.
Thursday’s Steak and Crab House opened in 2004. Situated over the water in Galesville, it offers both indoor and outdoor eating, accommodating more than 100 people on the deck. With 24 slips reserved for customers — and two floating docks for jet skiers and kayakers — it’s a favorite spot for boaters. Happy hour at the Tiki Bar runs Monday through Friday from 3 to 7pm.
Staff at both locations are local, knowledgeable and friendly, knowing customers by their first names. They’re also loyal and upwardly mobile. Mitch LeFevre started at Thursdays Bar as a 16-year-old dishwasher. He worked his way up to lead line cook, then a manager. Six years ago he was promoted to general manager; now he shares ownership. Joey Curtin has recently moved from kitchen to management. At the Galesville location, Monique Morgan has come out from behind the bar to join the management team.
Owner Dave Hysan decided in college that he didn’t want a 9-to-5 sit-down job. He was intrigued by the excitement of the restaurant business. Now, more than 30 years later, he’s still doing what he loves.
“Every day is different,” Hysan says. “Customers change, but daily challenges are the same.”
Both Thursday’s are open every day of the week, year round, for lunch and dinner.
Thursday’s Bar and Grill: 1751 Horace Ward Rd., Owings; 410-286-8800
Thursday’s Steak and Crab House: 4851 Riverside Dr., Galesville; 410-867-7200
The Twisted Bead & Rock Shop
Beads, rocks and crystals hand-picked with love and care
Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, I knew I would have my own business one day. During autumn 2009, I was looking for a new hobby. I took a basic beading class and was hooked. My entrepreneurial spirit took over a year later. In October 2010, I opened the doors to The Twisted Bead.
The store features jewelry-making supplies and how-to classes that guide younger and older students in successfully creating their own art and jewelry. We believe in sharing our knowledge. We are here to help with your jewelry repairs and provide encouragement or answer questions.
Throughout the years we have had the pleasure of working with so many wonderful and interesting local friends, while growing extended friendships with visitors from around the country. Even international travelers stop in to buy beads, gifts and get inspired.
As demand for our products and services increased, we moved into our current Edgewater location. Our new space features a larger design and class studio and space for our expanding inventory.
The studio is also a great space to host birthday parties with friends and family or be motivated while working on a personal project. Rock and crystal selections include tumbled and rough stones, pendulums, pendants, palm stones and amethyst clusters for meditative and wellness healing. Same as our beads, all the rocks and crystals are hand-selected with love and care.
The Twisted Bead & Rock Shop: Your dependable source of beads, rocks, crystals and skill for beading, meditation and wellness healing — plus fun parties.
9 Lee Airpark Dr., Edgewater; 410-956-5529; www.thetwistedbead.com
Umai Sushi House
An American success story with Korean and Japanese flavors
Umai Sushi House is a success story.
It’s a success for Korean-born owner Chang Hee Park, who saw opportunity rather than obstacles as an immigrant to the United States. Now she’s the proprietor of a thriving restaurant that combines authentic Korean and Japanese cuisine with Chesapeake charm.
Friendliness comes natural to Chang. She greets you with a big smile, often an embrace, gathers you in, serves you a hot treat. Walls display local children’s drawings alongside Japanese waves and fishes.
Beauty is a drive for Chang. “I formerly ran a restaurant in Washington but sought beautiful surroundings near water with plenty of space for flowers,” she says. She’s made a garden in the center of Deale, filling the asphalt parking lot that fronts her restaurant with flowering trees and vines taller than she is. Eating outside under an umbrella in this garden patio is a pleasure.
“For many years, people hungry for Korean or Japanese dishes had to go to Annapolis, Bowie or Prince Frederick,” Chang says. “In 2011, I filled the gap with Deale Umai Sushi House.”
Korean is a rarity here, with no competition within 40-plus miles. Umai satisfies that appetite with such dishes as Bulgogi, marinated beef and vegetable stew; Jap Chae, a beef and vegetable dish with sweet-potato noodles; and vegetarian Bibimbap, rice with a sunny-side-up egg and Korean vegetables.
On the Japanese side are sushi, sashimi and rolls, tempura, teriyaki and bento boxes.
Whatever you choose will be umai: that’s Japanese for delicious.
Umai Sushi House: 657 Deale Rd., Deale; 410-867-4433
Vintage Stew
Rare, unusual, quirky, cool and affordable finds
Like a big ole pot of stew … we’re a mix of ingredients.
We’re open Thursdays through Saturdays to leave us time for visiting estates sales, auctions, downsizings to discover the pickin’s you’ll find in our shop: eclectic and unconventional home decor, art and furnishings.
Once we’ve made our discoveries, we research the items for artist, material, year made and country of origin. Sometimes, we remain puzzled until a shopper or buyer solves the mystery.
It’s interesting because we learn new facts every day.
The traveling and transient population of the Washington metropolitan area adds items to the mix from all over the world.
Many pieces end up in Barry’s workshop for restoration or transformation as he strives to bring new life to furniture while holding the history intact.
We never know what we’ll find — or make — so neither do you.
Inventory changes week to week. We have great merchandise for a fair price. We are not in Georgetown, and we do not charge Georgetown prices.
We also help customers appraise art, downsize their homes and figure out how to handle a loved one’s estate.
Vintage Stew is a friendly and welcoming shop. Come in to browse and touch stuff.
Vintage Stew: An eclectic, high-quality home décor and miscellanea shop full of pleasant surprises
655 Deale Rd., Deale; 443-607-6601; www.vintagestew.com; www.facebook.com/VintageStew
Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm
We offer you the beauty of flowers and knowledge
Ours is a love story.
Maria Price-Nowakowski started Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm after falling in love with herb farms in New England.
Thirty-seven years later, we’re a sustainable farm in many ways. We farm in a responsible manner, and we are enrolled in the Severn River Land Trust, so Willow Oak will always remain a farm.
We’re also sustainable over three generations. I work the farm with my mother, Maria, enjoying the pleasure of starting, then transplanting seeds and watching the plants grow into something that we can use to make people happy. Grandmother helps at the shop and with watching my son.
Part of our continuing love story is how much we love sharing our eco-friendly place and our knowledge with you. Visit our gardens and you’ll find not only flowers for your yard, home and events — including weddings! — but also ideas and inspiration to create beauty in your gardens.
We also offer classes and events to help you learn the best techniques and tips for all aspects of gardening. We have a new garden pavilion for classes and events and more flower-arranging classes. You can cut from our fields and create beautiful arrangements with a little guidance from us.
We’re particularly good at helping you celebrate the holidays. We have many flower arranging classes for autumn, as well as our Fall Harvest Day and Fall English Tea.
For Christmas, we are adding a talking reindeer and many new Christmas ideas and decorations to our Holiday trail to the North Pole.
Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm: Our small family farm is dedicated to helping you find the beauty in nature through gardening, cut flowers and healing herbs
8109 Telegraph Rd., Severn; 410-551-2237; www.willowoakherbs.com
Wimsey Cove Framing and Art
Connecting art with frames, artists with opportunity
At Wimsey Cove, owner Elizabeth Ramirez knows what you need. With her artist’s eye and quick insight into character, she envisions how the treasures you bring her for framing will look their best in your home.
When Ramirez earned her Bachelor of Arts in painting, she wondered what to do with “her starving artist degree.” Because she loved art and helping other artists, she took a job at Michael’s arts and crafts store in the framing section.
Now she has made framing her art.
Wimsey Cove started on the porch of her grandmother’s Weem’s Creek home, named Wimsey Cove. In 2007, Ramirez opened her own store, naming it Wimsey Cove.
She enjoys the novelty of her work, which ranges from framing a sports uniform to pieces of a horse bridle dating back to World War II.
Building relationships is Ramirez’s parallel satisfaction as a business owner. She’s a connector, drawing everybody she meets into a community of artists.
Her connections also serve her six local organizations on whose boards she serves. As president of the Annapolis Arts Alliance, co-vice president of the Creative and Performing Arts of South County, secretary of the Four Rivers board, Reflections Chair of the Anne Arundel County Council PTA and a board member of the Muddy Creek Artists Guild and the Arts Advisory Board for the Arundel Lodge, Ramirez enjoys connecting people with opportunity.
A new feature at Wimsey Cove is scanning and printing of images up to 44 inches. The shop prints on paper of many types, and Ramirez will recommend which to use. Wimsey Cove also offers canvas gallery wraps and canvas museum wraps, along with many other options to protect your piece once it’s printed.
To preserve a thing of beauty or a memory, Wimsey Cove is the right place.
Wimsey Cove Framing and Art: 3141 Solomon’s Island Rd., Edgewater; 410-956-7278; www.marylandframing.com
Woodcraft Artisans
Our teak and silk treasures will make you dream of voyages
Our story is a sea yarn.
Once upon a time long ago, Peter Washburn bought a sunken sailboat. He raised it and sailed from Florida to the Virgin Islands. Restoring the boat took years. Buxom II’s maiden voyage took even longer: 13 years. Along the way, Peter married a travelling journalist from Finland — that’s me, Merja Laakso. Our two children were born during the voyage.
In our travels, we spent several years in Southeast Asia. As a boatbuilder and woodworker, Peter appreciated the region’s woodworking traditions. He got to know crafts people in many woodworking areas very well.
When we settled in Puerto Rico, we opened two stores specializing in teak furniture and home decor. We stayed nine years, but our traveling wasn’t over. Our next move — so far — brought us to Annapolis, a town we’d fallen in love with in our sailing days. We knew Main Street was the ideal area for a business like ours. Eight years ago Woodcraft Artisans was born at 155 Main Street, Annapolis. Teak furniture is still the core, with nautical 3-D maps our second specialty.
Since then, we’ve made one more move. We now have a second location in St Michaels, and we travel happily between two stores in beautiful historic towns.
Woodcraft Artisans: Selling nautically inspired home accessories, handcrafted teak furniture, decorative art and wearable silk
155 Main St., Annapolis; 410-280-0008; www.woodcraftartisans.com
Zü Coffee
An island of sanity amid the Annapolis Zu
Zü Coffee started as a simple idea: serving freshly roasted coffee, freshly roasted beans, in an environment where people would leave feeling better than when they came in. We wanted a place that could make people feel rejuvenated about life. The name Zü is a reflection of what we stand for: that modern life may be a zoo, but there’s an island of sanity where you can enjoy exceptional fresh-roasted coffee in an environment that restores your spirit.
The spelling Zü makes us easy to remember and phonetically reminds you that Zü Coffee is your Annapolis refuge from the zoo that is daily life. We offer a comfortable atmosphere with lots of seating plus a drive-thru if you are on the go.
In many ways, we are a part of the community that has supported us all these years. We have a debate tentatively planned for October 17 at 7pm between Ward Seven candidates Frankel and Savage.
In keeping with our global values, five percent of current sales are being directed toward hurricane relief.
Of course changes must happen in our world. I will be retiring, moving west to be with family, and the shop is for sale with a few interested parties who will keep the spirit of Zü alive.
Zü Coffee: Serving freshly roasted coffee and supporting peace of mind; home of the friendliest wait staff, or so you’ve told us year in and out in Bay Weekly’s Best of the Bay ballots since 2011.
934 Bay Ridge Rd., Annapolis; 410-990-0731; www.zucoffee.com