A couple of months ago, I received the single least anticipated or welcome letter in the mail. You know the one. The one no one wants but everyone gets. The dreaded jury summons. But unlike most Americans, I have been waiting anxiously for my chance to serve my country as a member of a jury since I turned 18, and that was a while ago.
It may be the fact that I am completely enamored with all things Law & Order: SVU, and other Law & Order franchise branches, CSI, NCIS, and other crime-centric TV and written entertainment. As my parents and husband can attest to, I can sit and watch hours upon hours of these kinds of shows, and then round my night out with a good book, following the same sorts of story lines. What can I say, I'm just a crime and punishment junkie.
Anyway, I was through the roof over receiving my summons, despite the eye rolls, and I excitedly counted down the days until I was able to step foot into a court room, sit as a juror and take part in my very own Law & Order episode. How extremely wrong I was. Life does not mirror television, and this is something that I obviously already know. I mean, I guess my fantasy got the best of me.
The day of, I arrived a little early, found a seat in one of the 4 jury pool rooms, among the other 1200+ potential jurors that were summoned, and after an hour and a half, I finally was registered, received my badge and re-found a seat. I found myself between a retired police officer who was convinced he'd never be selected, since he knew every judge and prosecutor, and Raqui of Raqwell Photography , a photographer who specialized in portraits, and in food photography. Awesome, right?
After she and I proceeded to geek-out back and forth about different Baltimore restaruants and enjoyed other foodie conversation, she introduced me to a place a mere mile from the courthouse in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood, Mt. Vernon Marketplace , "Baltimore's newest foodie destination."
Celebrating the best of a variety of culinary categories, the folks behind Mt. Vernon Marketplace hand-selected some local experts in the area and brought them together in a warm, vibrant, convenient marketplace in the heart of historic Mount Vernon. "To get your taste buds jumping, you'll find delectable offerings such as cupcakes, wines, crepes, gourmet sorbet, beans, pizza, dumplings, and more."
We exchanged information, and planned on going together during our lunch break that day, and I couldn't WAIT! I hadn't expected to make a new friend, and experience a new lunch spot on my day of civil service, but hey, I've come to learn to expect the unexpected.
But then Raqui's number was called, and she went to go live my dream, or so I thought, and an hour later when lunch break was announced, she still hadn't returned. I texted her and she let me know that there was no way she was going to be able to accompany me, but that I should go ahead without her. So, I did. I made the 15-minute trek from the courthouse to Mt. Vernon and before I knew it, I stood in the threshold of the newly established Mt. Vernon Marketplace.
I was really excited when I saw what I saw. The space was pretty large, and flooded with natural light, thanks to the giant floor-to-ceiling windows lining the front.
It also looked semi-unfinished, with vendor stalls and table and chairs scattered throughout, not to mention the random construction equipment and wooden boards, but it was very open. There were high ceilings with exposed piping, and the place gave a vibe of being brand-spankin' new. It felt almost secret, like I had an "in" on somewhere really cool that no one else knew about yet. I know that's not the case, mostly since there were other people there enjoying themselves, but I will continue to myself play into yet another fantasy.
Once I took my cursory look around, I decided to dive head first and tour the vendors. Between The Local Oyster, Mina's Crepes, Cultured Charcuterie, Eat Taste Love and Between 2 Buns, my mouth was a watery mess, and my tummy was grumbling audibly.
But it wasn't until I came back full circle to the front where I saw Pinch, a place serving up gourmet, hand-made Chinese dumplings. Dumplings sounded beyond amazing, and just thinking about them made me, and my tastebuds, smile.
After studying the menu, I made my decision. I went with the Peckish pack of 6 dumplings for $8. Of the three flavors (pork & cabbage, beef & onion with cilantro or vegan cabbage & carrot), I chose the beef, onion and cilantro. It just sounded good. I also decided to round my meal out with a side of garlic cucumber salad, and some Pinch dipping sauce for the dumplings.
Minutes later, my order was ready, and I was heading back out into the blazing sun, heading back to the courthouse. I chose not to eat at the Marketplace, thought it was inviting. I really enjoyed watching a couple of guys playing pingpong, and just people-watching in general was prime, however, I didn't want to be late back to the courthouse. So in the spirit of civil service and a healthy case of paranoia of being tardy, I scooted back.
I arrived at the courthouse with 35 minutes to spare, so I found an outdoor table across the street in a little slice of shade, and decided to enjoy my meal in the great outdoors. I opened my box, and the first thing that hit me was the stunningly mouth-watering aroma. You know the one, that intoxicating Chinese food smell that is almost indescribable, but is most undeniably drool-inducing.
Upon first bite, I knew I'd made a great decision.The dumpling wrapper was tender, and perfectly crafted. The beef, onion and cilantro filling was perfectly juicy and flavorful to the max. The ratio of filling to wrapping was spot on as well, and that dipping sauce was sensational. The garlic cucumber salad was insanely good too. The cucumbers were crunchy, garlicky, light and ultra refreshing.
I enjoyed each and every bite of my delicious lunch, and for a moment, I forgot my disappointment of not being selected to sit in on a rambunctious courtroom setting for the first half of jury duty. I also was able to watch the crew of House of Cards mill about. Pretty sweet!
Anyway, I never actually was afforded the chance to fulfill a life-long dream of sitting in a courtroom as a member of the jury. I never heard pointed opening remarks, the plea of the defendant, the tearful woes of the plaintiff, the echos from a pounding gavel, followed by the bellowing, "ORDER! ORDER IN THE COURT!" I never saw a lawyer jump to his feet in objection or heard a record get stricken. I never had the opportunity to hear dramatic closing arguments with appeals to us members of the jury. I never had the chance to deliberate in a secret room, appoint a leader (me) and then stand to deliver the verdict. And you know what? It's OK.
I was able to meet some neat people, watch some movies, and eat a delicious meal, so I can't say the whole day was wasted. I also can't wait to get back to Mt. Vernon Marketplace with my family and try something new! Have you been to Mt. Vernon Marketplace? What do you think?