Shop Local : Buzz

Two popular blogs are teaming up to create a guide by Baltimoreans for Baltimoreans. Each week they'll ask a question to discern everything from where to buy the best music to where the best neighborhoods are. They want to hear from you.

An excerpt from the post reads:

The Shank is partnering with our friends at Smile Hon to put together a Baltimore Insider's Directory. If we use your answers/submissions, you'll get a free copy when we're done. Just make sure you post your name & email if you want credit and the comp copy.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be asking these types of questions and compiling the results. Please tell your friends to answer too. The more reseponses we get, the better the guide will be.

Read the entire blog post here:

The Maryland Daily Record has reported that Lenny's Delicatessen will not immediately close to make room for museum but will stay in place as long as it can.

An excerpt from the article reads:

Wednesday's reports that Lenny's Delicatessen would leave its spot on East Lombard Street in three years after the sale of its space to the Jewish Museum of Maryland are only partially true.

Owner Alan Smith said Thursday that the deli, on Baltimore's famed Corned Beef Row, has signed a five-year lease with the museum, and the business will look for a new spot on the block when the time comes to move.

"Our immediate plans are we just renovated and we're going to stay there as long as we can," Smith said of the updated dining room, complete with black-and-white photos reflecting the history of that part of Lombard Street.

A year after announcing plans to expand onto the Lenny's lot, the museum said it finalized the deal Wednesday. Lenny's has at least three more years at its Lombard Street location, after which the museum can give the deli a year's notice to find a new home. The deli can leave at any time as long as it is moving and not just closing, Smith said.

Read the entire article here.

Baltimore Magazine hosted its bash honoring the winners of its 2009 Best of Baltimore survey. Winners sporting "I Won It" badges mingled with partygoers and the city's glitterati sampling tasty treats from 50 local eateries. The best offering? The Crispy Creme bread pudding - made from, yes you guessed it Krispy Kreme doughnuts - from Ale Mary's in Fell's Point was the highlight of the evening. A portion of the proceeds from the event, held at the Hippodrome, benefit The Family Tree.

Didn't pick up your August issue of the print mag? Here's a peek at a few of the winners:

Peter's Inn - Best pub food

Larry Doyle - Best humorist

Ali True, True Balance Training Studio - Best personal trainer

Lisa Ponzoli, owner of Babe boutique - Best sweet dresses

Dean Krapf, owner of Lluminaire - Best makeup artist

Leeann Burlbaw, co-owner of Mark and Buttons Chimney Sweeps - Best chimney service

Kara Hanson, owner of Funky Beehive in Federal Hill - Best kitschy home gifts

Bulle Rock Golf Course - Best golf course

Marc Steiner - Best comeback

Rupert Wondolowski, editor Shattered Wig Review - Best literary magazine

Adam Jones - Best Oriole

Panera Bread � Best Bagel

Want to check out the remaining winners of the mag's 45 categories? Read on here

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

The Inner Harbor Arts Festival is a free event that will take place Aug. 22-23 at the Power Plant.

An excerpt from the article reads:

Mayor Sheila Dixon announced the Inner Harbor Arts Festival on Monday. It will be held the weekend of Aug. 22 near Cordish's Power Plant retail center.

More than $15 million in artwork, varying from handmade jewelry to more expensive fine art pieces, will be on display. Dixon said the new festival is not intended to compete with Artscape, the city-sponsored street fair.

Download the entire article here.