May 24, 2012

Editor’s Note: Before we begin, I want to thank everyone who made our Let’s Eat Charles Street Festival such a success!

It seemed like the whole city came out to celebrate on Saturday, May 12th.

The weather couldn’t have been nicer, and our food and retail vendors said it was their best year yet for sales.

Plus I keep hearing from folks who had a great time shopping & listening to our 6 musical acts. Many thanks again to Carrollton Bank for their generous sponsorship, and be sure to check out all of the photos on Facebook! We’ll definitely be doing this again.

-Laura

Spicy Grilled Lamb

It’s almost lunchtime…

And I bet your stomach’s growling.

Think of it like this: I’m not trying to make you hungry… just letting you know what your options are!

The dish above is Cazbar’s signature entree, called Adanna Iskender. It’s made with spicy lamb that’s grilled on a skewer and served on toasted garlic bread.

The yogurt garlic butter you see dribbling across the photo is a mouth-watering finish.

“I’m constantly challenging my chefs,” says owner Haluk Kantar. “We serve Turkish food with a twist. I have a vision in my head – that sets us apart from the rest – and am always striving to reach it.”

Haluk created the lamb dish above by playing off another famous Turkish lamb dish made with cubed meat.

“Cazbar is my eighth restaurant. Before I opened it, I thought I’d never open another restaurant again, because it ages you 10 years, you know?”

Cazbar’s main dining room

“But I came to this building (at 316 N. Charles Street) with my Dad,” he continued. “I wasn’t planning on buying it, but I immediately fell in love with the space.”

“I mean, what’s better than Charles Street in Baltimore?!”

In addition to excellent food in a cozy atmosphere, Cazbar features two belly dancing shows on Friday and Saturday nights.

So you really can enjoy Cazbar one of two ways – for a quiet lunch or an adventure-filled dinner.

And right now, Cazbar has teamed up with the folks at Groupon. Ever heard of them? They’re a ‘deal of the day’ website based in urban centers across the country. The service is free to sign up, and the coupons are amazing.

For instance, Cazbar is currently offering a $90 for $45 deal on Groupon. That means that you can enjoy $90 worth of their delicious food (including the Adanna Iskender), but you only have to pay $45 to get it! That’s the beauty of Groupon. It’s a great program, and I’m glad to see Cazbar’s a part of it.

Cazbar’s Groupon will be valid all summer. But the deal itself won’t last long. So pick up your $90 for $45 Groupon before midnight on Thursday, May 24 (that’s tonight), or you will really be missing out! Click here for all of the Groupon details, and let me know what you order off Cazbar’s $90 menu!

Cazbar is located at 316 N Charles Street and is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for dinner only. Phone 410-518-1222. Website.

What’s Your Plan B?

You may have noticed Sheena Lewis and the Impresa Business & Marketing team at our Let’s Eat Charles Street Festival. They’re one of the newest members of our Historic Charles Street Association, and they’ve come all the way from Houston Texas!

“I relocated to Baltimore at the end of 2011,” Sheena says. “It was a conscious decision, as I became aware of the revitalization efforts within the Baltimore city area and felt that my company could impact these efforts by providing necessary resources for small business development.”

“Our business and marketing services target individuals who have lost their jobs, want to launch a side business, or need effective marketing solutions to further enhance their existing business.”

Sheena knows first-hand how turbulent the corporate world can be. After 21 years as a high-level manager for a Fortune 500 company, she was let go.

But one thing was certain: whatever she did next, she wasn’t going back to Corporate America. So she and her business partner started Impresa with the goal of revolutionizing the way small businesses are developed, sustained, and expanded, at affordable costs.

“We provide resources to help set the foundation necessary to build a successful small business. From helping develop a business concept to preparing a comprehensive investor’s portfolio for start-up capital, we have all the tools necessary to turn a business vision into reality,” Sheena says.

Other services include:

-Guidance on business filing and registration
-Business and marketing coaching and consultation
-Strategic business and marketing plans
-Conference and exhibition production
-Brand identity packaging (logo and stationery design)
-Presentation support
-And Market research

Impresa’s client list includes a few notable restaurants on Charles Street as well as TQ Consultants, a managed care company serving the Baltimore metropolitan and surrounding areas for over 20 years.

You don’t have to lose your job to benefit from Impresa’s expertise – right now, Impresa is offering a FREE one-hour Webinar, entitled, “What’s Your Plan B? 10 Simple Steps to Starting Your New Business” that can put you on the fast track to being your own boss.

This webinar, which is a video presentation that is broadcast on the Internet, will be held on Tuesday June 5 at 2pm ET.

It’s completely free to attend, and the best thing is, you can watch it from the comfort of your own home or office. The presentation will cover topics such as:

-The importance of a business and marketing strategic plan
-Effective management of business start-up costs
-Maryland business registration & filing processes
-Resources for inexpensive legal & accounting advice
-The importance of aligning yourself with people, organizations and associations that will help your business grow

Sheena will lead the hour-long presentation and even feature an interview with Dr. Alycia Marshall, CEO & Founder of Educational Excellence (www.educationalexcel.com). Dr. Marshall will discuss her triumphs and challenges when starting her small business and also share her secrets to business success.

So if you’ve ever dreamt of starting your own business, or creating another income stream to supplement your current job, you’ll definitely want to check out Sheena’s webinar. Register now at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/316443927

I myself am looking forward to it. Welcome to the neighborhood, Impresa! We’re lucky to have you.

Contact Information:
Website: www.impresainc.com
Email: info@impresainc.com
#:866.727.9370
516 N. Charles St. ste. #307
Baltimore, MD 21201

A Design Contest From The Mount Vernon-Belvedere Association

Calling all you Frank Lloyd Wrights! Our friends at the Mount Vernon-Belvedere Association are sponsoring a design contest:

Come up with the winning design for their new, super-cool Visitor Information cart, and you could win a night’s stay at the beautiful Hotel Brexton!

Full details are below. The contest ends June 5. Best of luck!

Fun Things to Do the Rest of This Week

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! On Friday, May 25th, come to the Charles Street Friday Market located at the 1700 of N Charles Street (at Lanvale). Everything for sale is 100% local and natural! Plus there’s great live music.

On Saturday, May 26, learn how to make a Shamballa bracelet at Beadazzled! This trendy look harnesses the spiritual healing properties of gemstones and is the perfect gift for women and MEN!

Students will learn basic knotting techniques to secure stones and other beads into a sleek looking mala style bracelet. When choosing your stones you should keep in mind that these bracelets are an extension of your personality and also give the opportunity to bring to life the opportunity for change or healing. $30. Call 410-837-2323 to register. Beadazzled is located at 501 N. Charles Street. http://www.beadazzled.net/

On Sunday, May 27, welcome piano legend Freddie Redd as he plays at An Die Musik! Don’t miss this rare opportunity to enjoy a musician who truly shaped the jazz tradition.

Redd is best known for his early 1960′s recordings for the legendary Blue Note label (which some consider to be the quintessential Blue Note albums) as well as his starring role in the Broadway play and movie “The Connection”, which he also wrote the music for. Freddie’s debut recording as a leader was in 1955 on the Prestige label. He also enjoyed a stint in Charles Mingus’ band, led a quintet with Jackie McLean and Tina Brooks, played with many other greats including Art Blakey, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins and Lou Donaldson, and recorded with Gene Ammons, Tiny Grimes, Art Farmer and Howard McGhee among others. Tickets $15 and showtimes at 5pm and 7pm. Call 410-385-2638. An Die Musik is located at 409 N. Charles Street.

And on Wednesday, May 30 at 7pm, bring a blanket or lawn chair and head up to Mt. Vernon’s East Park! Our friends, the Friends of the Mt. Vernon Conservancy, are hosting their Wednesday Evening Artistic Performances Series, and they’ll be kicking things off with a performance from Mark Meadow’s Jazz Trio. Visit http://www.mvpcbalt.org/ for more info.

For a complete listing of Charles Street’s events, be sure you’re following us on Facebook – we have a Friend Page and a Fan Page; we’re also on Twitter, and even on LinkedIn!

Anyone who’s ever been in a book club, listen up: This one’s for you.

photo courtesy Greg Pease

Our beautiful Washington Monument has appeared in at least one major work of English Literature.

In fact, this work has been called “The Greatest American novel.”

So tell me its title, author, and the sentence in which it’s found, and you could win a very nice prize!

Until next week,

Laura Rodini
Executive Director, The Historic Charles Street Association

 

The Historic Charles Street Association (HCSA) is a non-profit organization, 501 (c)(3),whose mission is to support and promote the businesses, cultural attractions, entertainment venues, restaurants and retail establishments along the Charles Street corridor. HCSA serves as a problem solving and information resource for its members, as well as provides a forum for networking, communication and collaboration.