As readers of this blog know, I eat a lot of meat.  A lot.  And a lot of sweets.  And I also love things fried.  But so does Mr. Tummy.  Since moving back to Baltimore after nine years in uber health conscious Southern California, I’ve been able to enjoy so many of the foods that I loved growing up.  And most of them are meat, sweet or deep fried.  So earlier this year I inexplicably agreed to join my wife Jen on “The Ultimate Reset” by Beachbody.  As a Beachbody coach, she had been successful last year in changing some of her diet habits and losing weight and I thought it may be worth it to both support her but also change some of my own eating patterns as well.  Now, I rarely admit it but by the end I thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of flavors and food options that the progressively vegan diet had introduced.

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Don and Renee Gorman of Harmony Bakery at their established spot at the Waverly Market.  After hearing high praise from a steady stream of customers, then raving about them ourselves back at home (technically, as soon as we got into our car) I thought it would be nice to visit their new storefront and cafe in Hampden.  As longtime business owners and restauranteurs, Harmony Bakery is the perfect manifestation of their work and passion.  As not only the owners but chefs and servers, the Gorman family provides healthy, vegan and gluten free food that is both delicious and inexpensive.  I was impressed with not only their wide array of sweet and savory offerings, but their beautiful presentation.

“We wanted an open kitchen,” Renee explains “so that we could talk with our customers.”  Don beams with pride when talking about this neighborhood, particularly the up and coming Chestnut Avenue shops.  With their daughters on hand as well, it is readily apparent that Harmony Bakery truly cares about what they do and who they do it for.  The whole time I was there, loyal customers praised them and brought along friends and family.  Patrons ate outside and took treats to go.  It truly was a reflection of the neighborhood, a beacon of harmony.