A couple of months ago I realized I know lots of librarians in the DMV--some through my hair club, some through work, a couple from library school, and a few more from an ARL fellowship. I haven't seen most of them in a while because all my career development work has been focused solely around medical librarianship, and they're doing other things--government, academic, and corporate librarianship.
The event planner in me thought we should all get together to talk library talk--I wanted to know what was going on in other areas. I planned for a brunch, a few of us were able to make it, and it turned out really well.
We had an interesting range of experience--from library school Year 1 to new professionals to mid-levelers, mostly academic and government librarians. Discussions centered around job and income security, job satisfaction, what we do and how we do it, future plans, and somehow...hair :)
It was my first time visiting Miss Shirley's Inner Harbor. I've avoided the place because it's always packed and it gives off the vibe of a tourist trap. After dealing with the hassle of seating a large party at a restaurant that doesn't accept reservations at the peak of lunch hour, I ordered the Chesapeake Club with a hot chocolate. The club is 1 of 2 award winning dishes, I expected it to be spectacular. When it arrived, I was impressed. It was massive enough for two meals, with shrimp, bacon, avocado, a crab cake, lettuce, and tomato. Nice. The flavor...not so great. It was just OK. Not bad, but not the kick I expected. It made me sad because shrimp and bacon and a crab cake--something with that much goodness should have been spectacular. To top things off, I'm pretty sure the hot chocolate was just a packet of Nestle topped with whipped cream. Again, not a horrible thing, but I expected more, especially for the cost. The prices were an insult--my sandwich was $21 and the hot chocolate, $3 plus 18% gratuity and 6% tax. The service was mediocre. I was a little ticked off that things were so 'meh'--I've heard people rave about the place.
I think being raised in the South, specifically the lowcountry of SC, has skewed my expectation of good food. We know how to cook. I expected Miss Shirley's to at least be like Gladys Knight's Chicken and Waffles in Atlanta, but it isn't even close. Not by a long shot and don't believe anyone who makes that comparison. They don't know what they're talking about.
The tourists can have Miss Shirley's. I'm slowly losing hope in the East Coast/NE version of comfort food. It kinda sucks. Though Teavolve does have a good East Coaster's take on shrimp and grits....maybe all isn't lost.
My rant for the week :)
Anyway, that shouldn't take away from the point that I got to hang with a great group of ladies. I won't bore you with the details of library talk, but I will say I got a few ideas for that side gig I need. Check back for that update. I'm definitely planning on another LB soon!
Hugs and kisses peeps,
Bethany
The event planner in me thought we should all get together to talk library talk--I wanted to know what was going on in other areas. I planned for a brunch, a few of us were able to make it, and it turned out really well.
We had an interesting range of experience--from library school Year 1 to new professionals to mid-levelers, mostly academic and government librarians. Discussions centered around job and income security, job satisfaction, what we do and how we do it, future plans, and somehow...hair :)
It was my first time visiting Miss Shirley's Inner Harbor. I've avoided the place because it's always packed and it gives off the vibe of a tourist trap. After dealing with the hassle of seating a large party at a restaurant that doesn't accept reservations at the peak of lunch hour, I ordered the Chesapeake Club with a hot chocolate. The club is 1 of 2 award winning dishes, I expected it to be spectacular. When it arrived, I was impressed. It was massive enough for two meals, with shrimp, bacon, avocado, a crab cake, lettuce, and tomato. Nice. The flavor...not so great. It was just OK. Not bad, but not the kick I expected. It made me sad because shrimp and bacon and a crab cake--something with that much goodness should have been spectacular. To top things off, I'm pretty sure the hot chocolate was just a packet of Nestle topped with whipped cream. Again, not a horrible thing, but I expected more, especially for the cost. The prices were an insult--my sandwich was $21 and the hot chocolate, $3 plus 18% gratuity and 6% tax. The service was mediocre. I was a little ticked off that things were so 'meh'--I've heard people rave about the place.
I think being raised in the South, specifically the lowcountry of SC, has skewed my expectation of good food. We know how to cook. I expected Miss Shirley's to at least be like Gladys Knight's Chicken and Waffles in Atlanta, but it isn't even close. Not by a long shot and don't believe anyone who makes that comparison. They don't know what they're talking about.
The tourists can have Miss Shirley's. I'm slowly losing hope in the East Coast/NE version of comfort food. It kinda sucks. Though Teavolve does have a good East Coaster's take on shrimp and grits....maybe all isn't lost.
My rant for the week :)
Anyway, that shouldn't take away from the point that I got to hang with a great group of ladies. I won't bore you with the details of library talk, but I will say I got a few ideas for that side gig I need. Check back for that update. I'm definitely planning on another LB soon!
Hugs and kisses peeps,
Bethany
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