Since I spent a few days in Baltimore for the Drupal Camp, I used my free time to tour and explore restaurants nearby. Long before Baltimore was known as Mob Town, she was named the “Monument City.” 70 years before the iconic Washington Monument was dedicated at the National Mall in D.C., Baltimore’s own monument was erected to become the first landmark dedicated to President George Washington. The 178-foot white marble colossal column with GW standing on the top overlooks historic Mount Vernon, Johns Hopkins University, and various museums and galleries. Mounted on his horse, directly south of Washington, is the Marquis de La Fayette, a general from France whose contributions were instrumental during the American Revolution.
Despite the ornate memorials and classic architecture, Mount Vernon, once a haven for millennials and college students had recently turned into a ruinous corridor for crime. Lately, there have been many incidents where law-abiding citizens have been mugged or gunned down leaving many Baltimoreans feeling vulnerable and subjugated.
And this was during a time when many retail businesses were still on a rebound after being roiled by weeks of tense protests after the April 19th death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who was tossed around the back of a police van while he was shackled by his hands and feet. He died a few days later from a severe injury to his spine.
The protests began on April 25th, 2015 as a peaceful demonstration outside the Camden Yards baseball park but eventually turned violent when demonstrators clashed with fans. Over the weekend, a plan at circulated on social media
The following Monday, April 27th, a plan had circulated on social media for a purge event — a reference to the 2013 dystopian film in which all crime is made legal for one night — to start at Mondawmin Mall in NW Baltimore and to proceed down Pennsylvania Ave towards downtown. The police got wind of this plan and stopped all buses and forced all riders to disembark. The students then gathered together and started pelting bottles and bricks at the police. Violence escalated and rioters started looting the Mondawmin Mall. The violence continued for the next few days, resulting in 144 vehicles and 15 buildings being burned. Even after the curfew was lifted a week later, it took weeks before customers found it safe to return.
Sirenat, the owner of Thai Landing on N Charles St. was a 30-something, slim woman with a bright smile and positive attitude. She agreed to hire me to design their website. Many people were still scared to come out, but they were keen on online ordering. She also needed help in drumming up her business and attracting positive publicity.
I didn’t know too many people from Baltimore, but I did know someone from D.C. who had spent a lot of time there. His family was in the restaurant business, and as a realtor, he was familiar with the lay of the land up north. As president of D.C. Asian Professionals and the founder of the Charm City Eats meetup group, Joe Nam Do is very well connected. Just like John Tinpe from Burma, he was well regarded by the D.C. Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.
Joe wholeheartedly agreed it was time to patronize local businesses and host events that showed our true support.
“It is a Prix fixed menu of their top Thai dishes for $25 per person,” I said. “The owner wants good reviews on Google and Yelp and wants the dishes featured on RUNINOut.”
“As long as she’s serving my favorites: pad thai, drunken noodles, and massaman curry, I’m down,” he said.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Sirenat will be serving Tom Yum Goong, pineapple fried rice, grilled fish with lemongrass, and papaya salad.”
“But we have a couple of vegetarians in our group.”
“No worries, they have veggie chicken and duck and it’s hard to tell the difference.”
“That sounds amazing – I love Thai food, and I have lots of faith in our community. Let’s support Thai Landing and Go Charm City!”
October 29, 2015
Over two dozen Thai food enthusiasts showed up that crisp fall night for good food and to bring good tidings.
We tasted several dishes on the menu, all large portions and all Thai sizzling hot.
“This is as hot as the real estate market in Baltimore right now,” Joe said.
I was devouring my honey duck curry. “There are some nice neighborhoods like Mount Vernon, but much of the city is run down.”
“Even homes in war-zone areas are selling like hot cakes. Yeah, you might have to invest $30K to rehab, but you’ll be getting a steal and there’s plenty of room for appreciation.”
“Well, I’m already invested in a low-income neighborhood — Anacostia in D.C., and I’ve lived there for 12 years.”
“I had a dream this morning that woke me up a bit early. I bought goldfish in N.Y. and had to bring them back to Baltimore. Unfortunately, the bag was too small and it was crammed with goldfish. I separated the fish into several bags and changed the water frequently to keep the oxygen fresh. Still, some fish died and a few jumped from the bags into the sink I was getting the water from. There was a sense of loss, but most of the fish did make it home. I woke up immediately and realized what the goldfish represented. Dreams and the subconscious are honest with us even when we don’t want to admit the truth.”
“Wow, Joe, you actually remember your dreams?”
“The ones that matter — these I write down so I don’t forget.”
