It’s summer — time to soak up all the Vitamin D we can. In an effort get some sun and relaxation and to spend as much time as possible outdoors, why not take our meals outside?
Outdoor Lunch
A fresh spot for a lunch break outside is the new Urbana District Park. On your way there, why not grab lunch at The Buzz (301.865.4900 or www.thebuzzgreenvalley.com)? The Buzz offers specialty soups and salads made from scratch daily. The menu specials usually change by the week and are inspired by the closest holidays or what’s going on in the nearby community. In early June, the restaurant was celebrating graduating students and later in the month had dishes like the Father Knows Best Frittata and Papa Don’t Preach PuffinStuffin in honor of Father’s Day.
Or head downtown and allow Lunchbox (301.360.0580 or www.voltlunchbox.com) to fuel you up for a stroll down the Carroll Creek Promenade. A simple lunch spot, Lunchbox offers fresh sandwiches pressed to order, soups and salads — dishes created by Volt’s executive chef Bryan Voltaggio. The restaurant will pack everything in an actual lunchbox for you and throw in a free apple, too, which makes a great afternoon snack.
If you find yourself over near Ballenger Creek Park, there’s always a.k.a. Friscos (301.698.0018 or www.akafriscos.com). This spot has been serving Frederick since 1996. My suggestion, order anything that sounds good, but always order a side of Exploded Potatoes.
Dinner on the Go
The still relatively new Freez King (301.624.2994 or www.freezking.com), version 2.0, is the place to go for fresh burgers, hot dogs and milkshakes. There’s no seating available inside, as it is mainly takeout, but several summer-perfect picnic tables do flank the restaurant. If none of those are available, head south on East Street a little ways and Third Street Park will be on your right — or just go a little retro and use the hood of your car as a table.
If you find yourself downtown on a Sunday night this summer, why not grab a picnic dinner at Firestone’s Market on Market (301.696.8586 or www.firestonesmarket.com) and head to Baker Park for a free concert put on by Celebrate Frederick. You’ll be able to find all the necessary picnic accoutrements at the Market. If you’re in the mood for an al fresco meal with Parisian flair, choose from among the selection of wine, cheese and fresh bread baked right in the Firestone’s restaurant kitchen next door. Firestone’s Market has also recently started selling pressed sandwiches all made with ingredients also prepared fresh by the chefs at Firestone’s.
Maybe you’re in the mood for backyard barbecue — let the Black Hog do the cooking for you. From Carolina-style barbecue to St. Louis Spare Ribs and Southern-style greens to corn bread, the carryout menu will cover all of your cravings. There are two locations, downtown Frederick and Urbana (located in the Urbana Village Center), so you won’t have to drive far. At the Urbana location, carryout seems to be a popular option. When asked how many carryout orders the restaurant typically does, the Black Hog staff said there are often nights when carryout orders beat the dine-in orders in quantity.
Shop and Sweets
For an on-the-go snack while you’re shopping downtown, pop into Pretzel & Pizza Creations (301.694.9299 or www.pretzelandpizzacreations.com). The soft pretzels are a signature item and can be topped with a plethora of seasonings. Or order one of the stuffed pretzels and choose from among the sweet, nutty, seedy and cheesy fillings. The restaurant makes its own dough daily, and you will find it used throughout the menu.
If it’s time to indulge your sweet tooth, head over to the Everedy Square/Shab Row neighborhood. You’ll find two cupcake shops and the Frederick Fudge & Ice Cream Co. in that section of downtown. Angelcakes (301.898.2666 or www.angelcakesandcupcakes.com) is located on East Church Street and is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., offering eight daily cupcake flavors. Close by is Sweet Angela’s Cupcakery (301.662.CAKE or www.sweetangelascupcakery.com) — also located on East Church Street — and open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. They have a daily cupcake menu of four flavors and a few specialty flavors as well. Both bakeries can package up your cupcakes to go, but good luck getting far. For me, the temptation to dig in was very great.
Just around the corner, Frederick Fudge & Ice Cream Co. (301.631.5333) has more than 30 flavors of ice cream and 20-plus flavors of fudge made fresh in the shop daily. Other cold treats offered include malts, shakes, smoothies, banana splits, sundaes and snow cones. All are perfect for combating scorching summer temperatures. The shop is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and in the summer from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Editor’s Note: Sarah Withers is the blogger behind www.foodandfrederick.com, where she covers food and life in downtown Frederick. After college at the University of Maryland, Withers moved back to her hometown and has lived here ever since. She loves everything about food — cooking it, eating eat, serving it to others, learning about it, taking photos of it — even traveling for it. By day she works as a proposal coordinator for a local government contractor.
By Sarah Whithers