Whether you’re entertaining guests, children or a date, create a great experience with your own “Taste of Frederick” dinner. Fortunately, Frederick County is full of great options for a fun and flavorful day, with a few stories on the side. Spend time gathering supplies, then collectively prepare your meal at home. Just remember to pack your cooler and some ice blocks as you walk out the door. Don’t forget your reusable bag, too—a big one!
As a start or in advance, go for protein sources. Wagner’s Meats in Mt. Airy has fresh, local meats. In fact, they process beef, pork and lamb in-house. WagnersMeats.com
Pumpernickle + Rye in Urbana offers responsibly sourced, house-smoked meats and cured fish. While there, grab a few bagels for breakfast the next morning. They even offer gluten-free choices. PumpAndRye.com
Hillside Turkey Farm in Thurmont has—you guessed it—turkey! Options include fresh or smoked, whole, sausage and more. They also offer a variety of other meats. HillsideTurkey.com
Venture into Hemp’s Meats in Jefferson. Way back in 1849, Abraham Hemp, Sr. established a meat market company. His descendants have now been providing top quality meats for Frederick County for nearly 175 years! HempsMeat.com
For vegetarian options, visit one of Common Market’s two locations. If your local farmers’ market is closed, this is a great place to pick up your greens, too. CommonMarket.coop The Pasta Palette on Market Street in Frederick has a vast selection of pastas including gluten-free choices. ThePastaPalette.com
Next door, you can be severely tempted at Zoe’s Chocolate Co. Alongside the rich, full chocolate choices, you’ll also find gluten free and vegan sweets. ZoesChocolate.com Look down the street the other way and you’ll see Firestone’s Market on Market with their many locally made specialty foods. FirestoneRestaurant.com/Market-On-Market
Before the morning is too far gone, visit Stone Hearth Bakery on East Street. The owner, Ronald Balcazar, a Bolivian immigrant entrepreneur, grew up in his parents’ bakery amidst sweet baked goods and Spanish breads. After taking business classes there, he emigrated to the United States in search of the American dream. StoneHearthBakeryllc.com
While studying European bread baking at Montgomery College, Ronald apprenticed to a master baker at Sutton Place Gourmet in Bethesda. He came to Stone Hearth Bakery in 2005. One week after the owner said he was thinking of selling, Ronald bought the business. He accomplished his American dream!
Although Ronald expanded the offerings to include a wider variety of European breads, one of Ronald’s specialties is sourdough bread. It’s strictly made from his own starter resulting in loaves loved by aficionado visitors from San Francisco.
As you expand your collection of foods, there are two Frederick shops that can enhance your meal. Lebherz Oil and Vinegar Emporium can offer some interesting suggestions for your side dishes. Oil and vinegar don’t just come in standard flavors, nor are they solely used for salads. Here you’ll discover some new options. LoveOliveOilVinegar.com
You can find another source of inspiration at The Spice & Tea Exchange of Frederick. Talk with Keith about your collection of foods so far and discover which of the myriad of spice options could wrap it all together. Maybe some tea, too. SpiceAndTea.com
Keith Campbell-Rosen was so hooked when he walked into a Spice & Tea Exchange several years ago that he opened his own Exchange in Georgetown. He chose to move his business of individual and in-house mixes of teas and spices to Frederick a few years later. Keith says Frederick has offered better foot traffic, better space, a better building and location, a better life. He loves it here and his store exudes that homey feeling of good tastes.
Here you’ll discover an array of spice blends for nearly any global cuisine. If you’d like, you could purchase individual fresh spices in whatever quantity you need. It’s the perfect place to get that tiny bit of something for a unique recipe.
Wander down to Carroll Creek and over to McCutcheon’s Factory Store for sauces, baking mixes, honey, jams and LOTS more. Check out the recipe for their apricot jam to use with a pork tenderloin you may have purchased earlier. McCutcheons.com
Heading back up East Street, drop into Frederick Gift Basket Co. The shelves are packed with a range of choices from Chocolate Salt, bruschetta toppings, unique charcuterie items and more. You can even pick up a mixed six-pack of local beers. FrederickGiftBasket.com
Speaking of beer, be sure you’ve added some beverages to enhance that meal you’re planning. For non-alcoholic drink choices, there’s an amazing selection at The North Market Pop Shop. NorthMarketPopShop.com You could also stop at Hippy Chick Hummus. Yes, a hummus place. Owner, Erika Brown, carries an assortment of organic and healthy drinks. (Plus, of course, great fresh hummus to go.) Hippy-Chick-Hummus.Square.Site
Depending on who you’re entertaining, Frederick County has nearly forty options for locally-made beer, wine and ordinary-to-unique distilled beverages. According to Dave Ziedelis, Executive Director of the Tourism Council of Frederick County, the cluster of beverage options is a primary reason for many tourists to visit Frederick County. Choose some that appeal to you on the Visit Frederick web site. VisitFrederick.org For a unique taste, the newly-opened Rosie Cheeks Distillery invites you out to Woodsboro Pike for a tasting of their flavored moonshines. Many selections seem sweet flavored, but some others could be delicious with your barbecue. RosieCheeksDistilling.com
And, the new Cugino Forno on North Market Street has some great cannoli to pick up for dessert. CuginoForno.com
Wherever you choose to wander, whatever you choose to explore, whether you’re on your feet or a bike, your Do-It-Yourself tasting day will create your own Frederick lifestyle. It will be fun, adventurous, perhaps even a bit tiring. But, oh, so delicious!
Find Your Favorites
Common Market
927 West Seventh Street, Frederick, MD 21701
5728 Buckeystown Pike B1, Frederick, MD 21704
Cugino Forno
1705 N Market St Suite 100, Frederick, MD 21701
Firestone's Market on Market
113 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701
Frederick Gift Basket Co.
12 North East Street Everedy Square, Frederick, MD 21701
Hemp's Meat
3740 Jefferson Pike, Jefferson, MD 21755
Hillside Turkey Farms
30 Elm St, Thurmont, MD 21788
Hippy Chick Hummus
237 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701
Lebherz Oil & Vinegar Emporium
214 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701
McCutcheon's Factory
13 S Wisner St, Frederick, MD 21701
North Market Pop Shop
241 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701
Pumpernickle + Rye
3538 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD 21704
Rosie Cheeks Distillery
10229 Woodsboro Pike, Walkersville, MD 21793
Stone Hearth Bakery
138 N East St, Frederick, MD 21701
The Pasta Palette
121 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701
The Spice & Tea Exchange of Frederick
28 E Patrick St, Frederick, MD 21701
Wagner's Meats
604 N Main St, Mt Airy, MD 21771
Zoe's Chocolate Co.
121 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701