It's just a week before Thanksgiving! If you want to give yourself a break from cooking this year, I know that Tersiguel's French Country Restaurant, newly reopened, will be serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that day, with choices including beef and rockfish if you don't want turkey. Dinner is $59 per person; $30 for those ages 10 and under. Reservations can be made by calling 410-465-4004. In a big departure from my norm, I will be cooking for just three of us this year — I predict a lot of leftovers as I'm not sure I can scale down all the dishes I like to make.
Every day work continues on the rebuilding of Main Street and currently about half the buildings are occupied with new and returning businesses. One new business I'm looking forward to visiting is The Marketplace, which opened on Nov. 11. It's at 8307 Main St., under Su Casa, near LaPalapa. The entrance is in the rear, off Parking Lot D. This is an interesting concept, featuring boutique and artisan items, furniture and specialty food vendors. I am also impressed with the way neighbors are helping neighbors on the street. I see where Sweet Cascades has a temporary home in the Wine Bin, which sounds to me like a wonderful combination. Also, don't forget that Turf Valley is hosting a group of shops open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 17, Robin Holliday hosted a gala ribbon cutting at HorseSpiritArts Gallery last week and while Sara Arditti hasn't been able to reopen her Still Life Gallery, she is still supporting the arts. She is presenting artist Tim Kelly at the Columbia Arts Center, 6100 Freeland Garth in Columbia. There will be a reception there on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. And, the B&O Railroad Museum, Ellicott City Station, reopens with its Holiday Festival of Trains the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 25. Railroad Santa will be on hand all weekend to greet the kids.
The Howard County Historical Society has opened a new exhibit called "A River Runs Through It." Research for this exhibit was actually begun before the disastrous July flood, but that flood has been added to the ones from 1868, 1952 and 1975 that are featured. The exhibit is at its Museum of Howard County History on Court Avenue, and is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 1 to 5 p.m. The Society's next "Lunch Date With History" will be on Friday, Dec. 2. I am delighted to be taking part in that. The topic will be the Enchanted Forest. Along with Martha Clark, who has many of the displays from the Enchanted Forest at Clark's Eli oak Farm, and Linda Harrison Gardner, a daughter of Enchanted Forest creator Howard Harrison Jr., we will discuss passages from our book about the Enchanted Forest and hopefully inspire those in attendance to share their memories of "Maryland's Storybook Playground." Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The event is free to Society members, $5 to the general public. The Society is also hosting its 40th annual "Holiday House Tour" on Sunday, Dec. 11. This event sells out early so get your tickets now. This year the houses on the tour all have a Clark connection, in honor of the family who started the Society. Also, the Society's "Music at the Museum" series is featuring "Living in Song Ukrainian" music by a Ukrainian-American a cappella group on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12, free to members who reserve ahead of time. For reservations and information about all of these events, call 410-480-3250 or visit www.hchsmd.org.
Since this is just MOSTLY Main Street, I think it's OK to mention how happy I am to see that the folks who used to have the Crab Shanty are opening a new seafood restaurant, the Sea King Crab House, behind their carryout shop on Plumtree Drive just west of the historic district. From what I have seen of the menu, a lot of my old favorites will be back. Can't wait.