Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 21, 2024

Leisure

Leisure is the section where we highlight the intriguing, exciting and all-around fun events and activities happening in Baltimore over the weekend.



COURTESY OF JESSE WU
Suspended Brewing uses food and drink to push ecological sustainability.

Suspended Brewing Company hosts Atchara Pop-Up

What happens when a bunch of vegans, a crew of baseball cap–sporting Filipino cooks and a few dozen beer fanatics walk into a bar? Nope, this isn’t my most recent atrocious food-themed bar joke, but instead a pretty apt description of Atchara’s pop-up this past Sunday at Suspended Brewing.


COURTESY OF SOFIA VERHEYEN
The second location of Ekiben features new starters and a new mural.

Ekiben opens up a second location in Hampden

Down an alley behind The Avenue in Hampden is not where you would expect to find one of the newest and most popular restaurants among Hopkins students. But the path less travelled is exactly where you will find the second location of Ekiben, a Fells Point Asian fusion restaurant most known for its baos.




PUBLIC DOMAIN
WC Harlan offers a wide variety of drinks close to campus on W 23rd St.

WC Harlan impresses with unique cocktail creations

Baltimore isn’t exactly teeming with craft cocktail bars. There are a few overpriced hotel-adjacent spots with decent execution down near the Inner Harbor, but if we’re being honest, they usually aren’t worth the trip out of shuttle range.


COURTESY OF JESSE WU
The large amount of New York flop in the Ribaldi’s cheese slice isn’t great.

A nice slice of Baltimore’s pizzeria scene: Part 1

I have been searching for a nice slice of pizza ever since my brother brought it up over the dozen egg omelettes we ate during the holiday season. Everyone has been talking about One Bite, and I wanted to watch “Davey Pageviews” review Baltimore pizzerias, but he has never done a review in this city. I didn’t get any closer to having insight on the pizza joints near me, so I decided it was time to take action. 


COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
Andrés has opened a new taco stall in Levering Kitchens at Hopkins.

Butterfly Tacos y Tortas is a welcome dining addition

José Andrés has plenty to be proud of. The Spanish-born chef’s restaurant empire, ThinkFoodGroup, includes 31 concepts, which span from the group’s home base in Washington, D.C., across the country to Los Angeles and way down to the Bahamas. Those spots — with offerings ranging from the haute plates at D.C.’s Minibar to open-fire paellas at New York’s Mercado Little Spain — have garnered a pair of Michelin stars and heaps of critical praise for the celebrated culinary entrepreneur.


MIOSOTISJADE / CC BY-SA 4.0
Long opening hours means Chipotle is great for those seeking late night grub.

The top five places to get food in Charles Village

I think most of us have a pretty good idea of the places where you can obtain provisions from near campus. Call them what you will: restaurants, food places, institutions, gastronomical adventure zones, eating rooms, nourishment chambers, nomz. These dining establishments are a key part of the student experience here, and ranking them is a job not to be taken lightly.




ProjectManhattan/CC-SA 3.0
Dim sum is one of the things Gupta misses most when he’s back on campus in Baltimore.

Celebrating Lunar New Year with dim sum at Chopstix

As some of you may know, this past weekend marked the beginning of the Lunar New Year. To celebrate this auspicious occasion, a few friends and I sought out Chinese food that we would normally be unable to find in the city. We settled on taking an Uber to Chopstix Gourmet, a dim sum restaurant in Rosedale.



COURTESY OF KATIE TAM
Miracle on 34th Street is a tradition that helps usher in the festivities of the holiday season.

Miracle on 34th Street lights up Hampden nights

As I’m sure many of you can relate, I wasn’t as productive as I should have been over Thanksgiving break. This past Saturday, I got back to Baltimore and wasn’t particularly in the mood to get started on the papers and projects with looming deadlines the following week. So, as the master procrastinator that I am, I hit up my friend and asked if she wanted to grab dinner somewhere near campus. 



COURTESY OF JESSE WU
Friendsgiving in Baltimore was the highlight of Wu’s Thanksgiving Break.

Make more time for friends over Thanksgiving

After a long 12 weeks, we are finally here. Thanksgiving break and the last issue of The News-Letter. This year, since Thanksgiving came so late in the semester, it seemed that many of us needed the break more than usual. Personally, I was exhausted from the unsustainable schedule I had established that usually works in other school years.


COURTESY OF JESSE WU
Dry fried pork intestine and chili mung bean noodles: Sichuanese classics.

Taste of home: Mixed feelings about Orient Express

In this issue of The News-Letter, Your Weekend brings you a special theme: Taste of Home. In the other article, you will hear from Aubin, who has found a warm comfort in the homey stews and fried plantains from the newly opened Sobeachy Haitian Cuisine in the renovated Cross Street Market. I, on the other hand, will revisit one of the places I have loved to hate in the two-and-a-half years of my Hopkins undergraduate career: Orient Express.


COURTESY OF JESSE WU
Poisson rouge, or fried red snapper, is served with pikliz, plantains and rice.

Sobeachy Haitian Cuisine sparks childhood memories

Food is a large part of our lives, cultures and identities. Each culture has its own set of unique ingredients, cooking techniques and dishes that distinguish them and set them apart. It is those elements that let us feel closer to our families and ancestors. It is also the taste of those things that give us a sense of belonging and home.



PUBLIC DOMAIN
The Jones Falls Trail is one of the best outdoor options near campus.

An exploration of parks and trails near campus

Many students may believe that the extent of nature which can be found in Baltimore are the trees immediately surrounding campus. However, there are many places nearby full of outdoorsy opportunities for those who feel like exploring nature when they’re not studying for their exams. While not spectacularly expansive, there are areas nearby which are within walking distance from campus. These options provide opportunities for running, hiking or biking depending on what you prefer.


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