Canadian World Traveller Winter 2018-19 Issue

54
Feeling the Vibe in Maryland
Article and photography by Steve Gillick
WT Photo Library
Maryland is a state of contagious
enthusiasm these days and it
doesn’t take long for visitors to
become infected with excitement.
After we flew into Baltimore and spent the
day exploring some of the city’s 200 neighborhoods,
we settled into Minnow, a lively
South Baltimore seafood-cocktail restaurant,
to immerse our taste buds in
“Balmerese”. This term usually relates to
local pronunciations of the name
‘Baltimore’, as ‘Bodimore’ or “Balmer”. In
the city you often hear references to
‘Warshington’, the Nation’s Capital that
lies about a one hour drive west, and the
use of the word “Hon”, a ubiquitous term of
endearment that is short for “Honey” and
serves as a generic nickname for just about
any person.
The annual “Honfest” in June pays homage
to the Hon stereotype where those vying to
win ‘Baltimore’s Best Hon’ contest sport
50’s and 60’s style skirts, cat eye glasses
and feather boas, in addition to either a
prominent beehive hairdo (“the higher the
hair, the closer to God”, according to the
rules) or “a wash and set” (“because it’s full
of hope and hairspray”). And just a
reminder that the movie “Hairspray”,
filmed in the city, was essentially a celebration
of Baltimore culture.
But Balmerese can also refer to that unique
Baltimore state of mind that includes the
beloved Baltimore Orioles (not only the
State bird but also the baseball team),
Baltimore seafood with the emphasis on
crab cakes, Baltimore desserts such as
Smith Island Cake and Berger Cookies,
Baltimore Rye Whiskey, and of course Fort
McHenry where the American National
Anthem was composed by Francis Scott Key
in September, 1814.
Minnow’s reputation was built on local,
fresh seafood. Jake Lefenfeld the General
Manager explained “we don’t want food to
pass through a number of hands. We are
proud to tell our clients ‘that bad boy on