Bays Coffee House in West Friendship

New York bagels just down from the Howard County Fairgrounds?  That's what Adam from GrubGrade found on a jetlagged morning when he walked into Bays Coffee House in West Friendship.  The GrubGrade boys have a national site reviewing everything from neighborhood restaurants to snacks and fast food.  But summertime has brought Adam back to the nest -- and out for a cup of coffee and some breakfast.

Do you know the single greatest travesty of the Howard County dining experience (ok, besides the fact that the Baltimore Sun has long ignored us)?

It’s that West Friendship more or less lacks any decent food stop whatsoever. Sure, there’s the Subway and Friendship Pride pizza place in the old West Friendship plaza, but at 6 AM a guy is sometimes in need of, you know, a decent breakfast. Or if it’s 3:30 in the afternoon, I’m feeling more like chilling on my laptop with free Wi Fi and a fresh-made smoothie – not nibbling on a greasy pizza that’s more flab and fat than crust and flavor.

Has anyone else noticed this glaring problem for all those who live between Waverly Woods and Glenwood?

I know I sure have, which is why I’m stoked to have discovered the newly opened Bays Coffee House in the otherwise out-of-the-way plaza at the corner of 144 and 32, just a stones throw away from the Howard County Fairgrounds.

Affordable, fresh-roasted coffee? Check. Monster, real-deal New York style bagel sandwiches that weigh in at nearly a buck less than what you’d get at an Einstein Brothers? Check. Muffins and croissants the size of my head? You know it. And heck, that’s not even counting Bay’s selection of specialty hot and cold coffee drinks, along with breakfast sandwiches featuring eggs, bacon, and cheese.

Jenny's Market: A Farm Stand on Rte 32

If you're on Rte 32 in the western county, watch for the signs trying to lure you to Jenny's Market.

Just off the 32, a family has established a weekend farm stand in their front yard. I didn't really ask questions. I stopped because the series of roadside signs ("Your spouse called . . . and said to stop at Jenny's . . . for delicious peaches . . . ") were amusing and offered a variety of produce. We bought peaches and tomatoes, and the tomatoes have been heavy with flavor, served once with basil and cheese and sliced once to top burgers.

The array of produce looks too large -- and too perfect -- for any single family to grow. Plus, there are bananas. That suggests that Jenny and her family fill their covered stand from a wholesale market. But everything looked delicious, and there is an extra spice to buying food outside and talking to the family as you do. Mrs. HowChow talked to Jenny and Jenny's mother. You can't even get that at Whole Foods.

(Update: Jenny's is open Tuesday-Sunday for 2009.  BillZ reports that Jenny's market moved a few hundred yards onto Andrea Drive for the summer of 2009.)

(Update:  In early 2012, the market was still operating.  The loops around the new interchange can be confusing the first time, but it's pretty easy if pay attention.)

Jenny's Market is a perfect stop after you have picked-your-own fruit at Larriland Farm in Woodbine. Take the Rte 32 exit south from I-70 and fill out your order on the ride home to supplement the just-picked items.

If you like farm-fresh produce but can't get out to Rte 32, then check out the Columbia farmers markets where the farmers will come to you.

Jenny's Market

through the summer, but watch for the signs on Rte 32

3485 East Ivory Road

West Friendship, MD 21794
443-745-0534

NEAR: This is on Rte 32 about five miles north of the intersection with Rte 108. It is south of I-70.  Follow the signs on Rte 32.