BLOG: My Honeypot Haul

If you haven’t been to Bear’s Honeypot in Odenton yet, go there now. It with a great crowd, despite the rain. Even though I was there on opening day, I felt the need to go back today so I could really get a chance to explore all the local offerings that Barret Lang, owner, brings to our town. And I’m glad I did, because I brought home a bag (and a hand) full of goodies.

Before I get into the specifics of what I bought, let me tell you that you need not fear going into a store like this for the first time. I know that I am still hesitant about going into small, specialty shops because I’ll be out of my element. But Barret was there to answer all my questions, make recommendations, and probably even hold my hand, if I had asked. Bear’s Honeypot has more variety than a pool hall’s juke box—fruits, vegies, pasta, sauces, jams, jellies, breads, honey, meats, eggs, ice cream, soaps, sweets, and probably a host of other things I am failing to mention. And if you aren’t into any of that, Barret powers all of the inventory and point-of-sale stuff with an iPad with one of those fancy credit/debit card swipy things attached to it. I’m not an Apple geek nor a fan of Steve Jobs, but I admit that I was impressed with the system Barret has going on in there.

Here is what I ended up with:

• Fresh blackberries. For those who care about such things, these are organic and not treated with any sprays. What this meant to me was that I could enjoy them on my drive home (but only at stop signs and stop lights so I wouldn’t be a distracted driver….). Outstanding, fresh produce like this should come with a cigarette. Totally reminds me of growing up on the family farm and having fresh fruit all the time.
• Double-chocolate cupcake. As the assortment was a bit too daunting for my mortal brain, I asked Barret to make a recommendation. The double-chocolate cupcake was one of the best things I ever put in my mouth. Moist. Chocolaty. Everything you’d want in a cupcake. Plus, none of that hassle of those silly cupcake wrapper things that always either destroy delicate treats like this or end up taking more of the cupcake stump than it leaves behind. These are in an easily-peeled wrapper. Maybe these are common out there in the world of cupcakes, but this was the first time I’ve seen them.
• Loaf of challah bread. See below.
• Blueberry Lime Jam. I admit that I’m a bit of a junkie for blueberry lime jam. Before my wife and I separated (and later divorced) she had made a huge batch of blueberry lime jam. Needless to say that it didn’t last long because I just love this stuff. So, when I saw jars of this divine stuff at Bear’s, I had to get some. And I was not disappointed. I popped the seal on the jar, and in one whiff of the gooey contents, I knew I was in for something special. I ripped a piece of the challah bread from the loaf and spooned on some of the jam. You can taste the freshness of the jam and the bread. But not only freshness, but simplicity of a very short list of ingredients. Both the bread and jam have that homemade feel to them. Definitely a new personal favorite snack.
• Bar of lime soap. As a straight razor shaver and someone who has given up on the cans of goo that those sexy guys on TV push on you, I’m always on the lookout for new soaps and creams to try. When I saw a colorful assortment of glycerin soaps at Bear’s, I got excited. I settled on a bar of lime soap that smells like freshly-squeezed limes. Very aromatic. And even though glycerin soaps don’t typically lather very well on their own, I figured I’d still give it a shot. I was able to get a pretty decent lather, and the shave was comfortable. I’ll probably stick to using it in conjunction with one of my creams to build some uberlather, but as glycerin soap goes, this was very good. Barret did say that the maker of the soap, his girlfriend and co-owner of the shop, is looking into making shaving soap. I look forward to that.

I have no doubt that Bear’s Honeypot will be a regular destination for me as I need to taste all of those types of cupcakes that I left behind. That, and now that I follow the store on Facebook, I will be able to get Barret’s notices of what fresh fruit he has on hand. So, when the fresh grapes start coming in, I’ll be there when he opens that day.