The Waterstone Bar & Grille—on West Madison Street as it makes its way from Mt. Vernon to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard—was buzzing on a recent Friday. It's one of the more diverse after-work crowds we've seen in a while: a mix of med students and hospital techs (some in scrubs), doctors (both medical and the Ph.D. sort), government office workers, and even a suit or two. A nicely dressed couple in the dining room may well be heading to the Meyerhoff or the Hippodrome.

Bourbon is so potently popular these days that on a recent visit to Bluegrass Tavern (1500 S. Hanover St., 410-244-5101), Baltimore's corn-based whisky watering hole, we were informed that a few menu selections were temporarily unavailable because "Kentucky's running low." Luckily, Bluegrass isn't. On a bone-chilling evening, forced hot air isn't enough to warm the skin and soul—that takes bourbon.

One sign that Regions has already acquired a following is that the only reservations available on a recent Saturday night were 5:15 and 8:45 p.m. We claimed the latter time but requested an earlier spot if one became available. The restaurant nicely followed up with several phone calls, eventually letting us know that we could be seated at 8.

Renee Shuman-Powell is not one to judge a cookbook by its cover, or even by its mouth-watering photographs. What the Upper Fells Point home cook wants to know is how well the recipes work. Most importantly, is this a book she should add to the 75-plus cookbooks already in her collection? Fortunately, she has a supper club dedicated to helping her find out. The club, which Shuman-Powell founded in September 2008, gets together monthly to cook its way through a cookbook.

Orchard Market & Café in Towson is like an old friend who seems a little weary but still musters up the grace of her glory days. The service may be slow, the wait between courses toe-tappingly long, and the décor and columns dated, but the Persian food is as elegant and polished as ever.

Despite its name, Orchard Market is a restaurant. At one time, early in its 22-year history, it did have products for sale. Now, it’s all about the authentic food served in a peaceful setting of olive and mustard hues.

Being seasonal and sustainable is paramount at Milk & Honey Market, a new specialty food shop in Mt. Vernon (816 Cathedral St., 410-685-6455). From the street, vast windows offer a glimpse at wooden crates, pictured, holding apples from local farms alongside baskets of garlic and onions. Inside, you’ll find gourmet staples like dried pastas, olive oils, and canned tomatoes, as well as local eggs, meats, and, yes, milk and honey.

Want to really impress your sweetheart? Give a gift for Valentine's Day—or any occasion—and give back to the community as well. Benevolent Baskets, a Baltimore online gift-basket enterprise, helps needy women build self-esteem and confidence. "It's very rewarding for them," says Rhonda English, a residential supervisor at My Sister's Place Lodge, a Catholic Charities facility that houses formerly homeless women.