OVER THE EDGE!
BULLS
& BEARS For starters, a great place to eat is Bulls and Bears. As something of a combination of an old-time tavern, a sports bar and a restaurant, it defies categorization while providing some of the best lunchtime fare in the city. Upon walking through the front door you’ll encounter a display of 1920s antiques, including an early model Ford pickup and gas pump. This little mall of antiquity matches nicely with the architecture outside and sits directly across from a firehouse that proudly displays its century-old fire wagon in the front window. But upon entering the seating area of the restaurant, the aesthetic has more of a 19th-century English tavern feel, which is defined by extensive use of dark wood furnishing and low lighting. High above the bar are several flat TV screens displaying sports from all over the country, so you can relax as you follow your favorite team. The lunch menu features extensive lists of soups and sandwiches at reasonable prices and with delicious flavor. The reuben I ordered was piled so high with thick slices of corned beef that I had trouble getting my mouth to fit around it—one of my favorite problems to have! On another day (because you can’t just go to this place once!) I ordered their club sandwich and had even more difficulty in this regard, only with ham. Rarely is it so impossible for me to leave a restaurant without lingering hunger, but they certainly managed the trick. To walk off the heavy meal, I recommend a trip to the Hagerstown City Park. As you approach it from Route 11, it looks like little more than a small hill with a lake at the bottom, but don’t let outward appearances fool you. Besides having more extensive grounds over the hill, the park is home to the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts—one of the best art museums in Maryland outside of Baltimore—and given its quality, I was shocked that I hadn’t heard of it prior to my recent visit. I honestly got excited just approaching the outside of the
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SPRING 2012