My personal favorite was this one, which is so absurd it's funny. I also like this one.

Dove has spent the last few months putting together season two -- a series of 10 videos. This time around, they're based on a (semi) fictitious story about Dove's band performing with actor Adrian Grenier's band, and the drama that ensues.

Dove even made a trailer for season two. Here it is:

Watching him prepare the Spanish coffee was pretty wild -- it involved flames and liquor and heavy cream and general craziness. It's traditionally made table side, and is quite the show. Here is a Web site with all the ingredients and directions on how to make Spanish coffee.

The drink itself is super sweet and heavy, which, after a large dinner, almost made my stomach explode.

I had forgotten about Spanish coffee until Midnight Sunner Sarah asked me where she could get it in Baltimore ...

And Patrick's (550 Cranbrook Road in Cockeysville) also does Spanish coffee, depending on who is working on a particular night. The woman who answered the phone said it's best to call ahead and ask before going. Their number is 410-683-0604.

So there are two options for you, Sarah. 

Any other places she should know about?

(Baltimore Sun archive photo)

Benton is one of the new owners of Hideaways, which replaced the Tavern on Key (1400 Key Highway) less than a month ago. As soon as Benton and his business partner took over the space, they set about fixing it up, he said.

"We've made a ton of changes," he said. "Just cleaning the place up and painting was a challenge. When you come in here, it looks completely diff than it did before."

Hideaways has its grand opening tonight ...

Benton said they're working on getting the kitchen up and running and have hired two chefs. Neither Benton or his partner have worked in the bar business before, but there's a first for everything.

"We've been looking to do it for a long time," he said. "This was the right opportunity at the right time."

Thanks to Evan for the tip. 

This one's from Midnight Sun reader Ben:

I've got a girlfriend coming to visit from out of town this weekend.  I'd like to impress her by taking her to a nice, classy lounge/bar in Baltimore that would hopefully have a nice view of the city.  I thought of the 13th Floor but read some reviews that indicated it wasn't that great a spot.  If it isn't an imposition, could you make a suggestion? ...

Though I've never had a drink there, I've heard good things about the Explorer's Lounge in the Intercontinental Harbor Court Hotel. It's worth looking into.

I think this exposes a much larger issue: Baltimore doesn't have enough bars in tall buildings. Why is that? 

Also, are there any spots I'm missing here? Help out Ben!

(Baltimore Sun archive photo)

Heh.

I've read that wearing this new fragrance is supposed to empower you to be your own VIP. This weekend, I'm going to put that theory to the test.

Either tonight or tomorrow night, I'm going to drench myself in Usher's VIP and try to breeze past the bouncers at one of Baltimore's high-end clubs.

What do you think will happen? 

There's only one way to find out.

(Photo by Getty Images)

Not only does this shoe method look like a fun party trick (or an ace in the hole, if you don't have a corkscrew), it seems like even tipsy Frenchmen can do it. And if tipsy Frenchmen can do it, so can we. Thanks to Owl Meat for sharing the vid:

Canton Arts and Entertainment (whew, that's tough to type, let alone say aloud) is split into three spaces: A restaurant named Gutman's, an oyster bar called the Black Pearl and a bar, My Generation.

Does Canton Arts and Entertainment have a Web site?

"They're in the process of getting the Web site," Carey said.

When's the grand opening?

"They're trying to get that together for a grand opening," she said.

I see ...

When I asked Dawn about how the neighborhood was receiving Canton Arts and Entertainment, she sounded hopeful.

"So far, they're getting a fairly good response," she said. "It's a little slow in taking off, but we figured it would be, especially with the economy the way it is."

Dawn didn't have many details about My Generation, though.

"It's more of a retro bar," she said. "They are trying to do a big thing with football. They do have the NFL package. There's a bar, with barstools, leather sofas, love seats and coffee tables where you can kick back, enjoy the game and stuff."

I'll have to check it out sometime soon.

(AP photo)

I've got a chef from a popular DE brewery/brewpub coming into town tomorrow afternoon and evening for a show at Ram's Head.  He's asking me to suggest places "besides Max's, Wharf Rat/Pratt St., Brewers Art, Cat's Eye for some great beer and food."

I'm the beer guy and can name a few more great beer spots like Mahaffey's.... but he's also asking about good food. Care to help?!

I've got a few suggestions, but I'd appreciate some help with this one, too ...

The Metropolitan Coffeehouse and Wine Bar (902 S. Charles St.) also does food and beer well. Their beer selection tends to be better than Abbey's, but the Metro's service leaves a lot to be desired.

Don't rule out DuClaw (901 S. Bond St.), either. I'm not a huge fan of their beers, but I do enjoy sampling their latest brews, and their food is solid.

What other options can you think of, gang?

(Baltimore Sun photo by Jed Kirschbaum)

In fact, the 38-year-old Pennsylvania native, who performs at the Lyric Opera House tomorrow, was wanted to be a professional musician since college.

Instead, Lynch has made a name for himself by combining a little music and a little comedy.

The result? Some raunchy, dirty, nasty (but funny) songs ...

"I didn't set out to become a comedian," he said. "I still don't think I have a real knack for it. I just happen to have found this really small window of opportunity that allows me to play music and use whatever skills I have at being funny."

In 2006, Lynch starred in the Broadway adaptation of "The Wedding Singer." He liked the show, but not the schedule, which had him performing eight (8) times a week. Given the chance, he wouldn't do it again, he said.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing," he said. "The schedule's too brutal for my delicate sensibilities. ... Toward the end, I was secretly wishing for its demise so I could get back to doing what I like to do."

Though its Web site survived and its Twitter account continued to be updated, the direct line to Sonar, 410-783-7888, was disconnected.

Surely, this must be an ominous sign, right?

Manager Lauren Friant cleared the air. Friant says the disconnected number was an "accident." Apparently, someone forgot to pay the bill ...

Soon after Mark spoke to Friant, talent buyer Adam Savage called me with some details about the Talking Head. The powers that be at Sonar are interested in turning the Talking Head room into a lounge again, potentially with food, Savage said. The space will still host shows -- just sporadically, Savage said.

"I didn't want to make some big thing about it closing, because I don't want it to close," he said. "But I'm not actively booking it."

(Baltimore Sun archive photo)

For Halloween this year, ryan97ou and a couple of his buddies went as the Yip Yip Aliens (from "Sesame Street").

This is quite possibly the best possible Halloween costume of the year.

Unsurprisingly, they had their photo taken hundreds of times, ryan97ou said. Next year, he wants to organize an army of Yip Yips -- not necessarily for Halloween. Just for kicks.

Should this idea get the Midnight Sun stamp of approval? Yip yip yip yipyipyipyipyipyipyip!

Also, bonus points if you guess what Midnight Sunner HottieMcSexyPants went as ...

This pessimist doesn't believe Baltimore's bar and club scene has anything -- besides an excellent local music community -- that you couldn't get in other cities.

But Baltimore is cheap, I wrote, and though Baltimore doesn't have many high-end lounges, it has plenty of charming, quirky corner bars.

Corner bars are in every city, the pessimist shot back. This irritated me, but also got me thinking. What, after all, is so special about Baltimore's bar scene? ...

I haven't lived in many cities, and I haven't drank in enough bars nationwide to make any broad generalizations. But I will say this: There are some awesomely bizarre (and genuinely awesome) bars in Baltimore. And the strangers you meet and friends you make here can be incredibly colorful. 

Does any of this make sense? Am I on the right track here? Or is Baltimore's bar scene just like everywhere else?

(Baltimore Sun archive photo)

When I first heard a high-end Mexican restaurant and lounge named Azul 17 had opened in Columbia, I couldn't help but scratch my head.

A fancy lounge? In a strip mall? In Columbia?

Yes. And guess what? It's a hit. 

When Amie and I paid Azul 17 a visit on a recent Saturday night, there was barely a seat left in the place. The line for tables was nearly out the door at 8:30 p.m. We bee-lined for the bar area, and snagged the last two open seats.

Azul 17 is split into two sections -- a long, semi-narrow dining room and a square-shaped adjacent bar.

Owners Julio and Lily Soto must have pulled out all the stops: The chairs in the bar appeared to be made of white leather and the back-lit bar glowed different colors over the course of the night, while Latin house music pumped through the speakers. I don't think I've ever seen a trendier spot in Columbia.

Azul 17's only stumble decor-wise were the long white drapes, which covered the windows and looked tacky from the outside.

As stylish as a high-end lounge might be, substance is always going to win out in the end. Snazzy decor and fancy furniture don't trump good service and well-made drinks. And Azul 17 came through ...

There are plenty to practice on, too: I counted more than 100 different tequilas on their list. Add to that the 17 signature cocktails, 17 signature margaritas, 38 wines and 30-some beers and you've got oodles of options.

I opted for La Raspa ($11), a fiery margarita made with Milagro Silver tequila and lulo nectar and garnished with a Serrano pepper boat and fresh lime with a Chile pequin rim.

Believe it or not, the margarita wasn't that peppery -- until I got greedy and nibbled at the end of the Serrano pepper. That set the drink (and my mouth) ablaze. I kept sipping to cool down my mouth, but the margarita only made it hotter. Yowsa!

Amie ordered a Latin-American classic: The mojito ($9). Served in a tall, thin glass with plenty of fresh lime and Bacardi rum, Azul 17's mojito was crisp and citrusy -- but not worth $9.

It's good to see a high-end lounge prospering in a recession, in a strip mall, in the suburbs. It's clear the Sotos know their market well. Azul 17 has a bright future ahead of it. 

(Baltimore Sun photo by Amy Davis) 

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