What’s hot is every day! Was it only 4 months when we were knee deep in snow? Time to make up the Sangria or G&Ts and repair to the veranda. Or grab a couple of six packs and a bushel of jumbo jimmies and spread newspaper on the table on the deck. Should you want to venture far from the AC, here are the best ideas for this week:

JUNE 21:

Movies on the Beach, Dagsworthy St. & the Beach, Dewey Beach. “Planet 51” a fun film for the kids that spoofs a lot of the ‘first contact with aliens’ themes. This time, it’s the human astronaut landing on a new planet. *He’s* the alien. Free. www.beach-fun.com

JUNE 22:

Eastern Shore Brew Tasting, Night Cat, Easton. Fundraiser for Marathon Rocks, which raises money for after school programs at the Talbot County YMCA. $15 gets you light fare and tastings of beers by Eastern Shore Brewing, including some brews not currently bottled. www.nightcatmusic.com

JUNE 23-26

Trappe Volunteer Fire Department annual carnival. 6-10 nightly. All of the traditional events, rides, food, and entertainment. Money goes to making sure they are there to protect you when the unthinkable happens.

JUNE 24:

“True Stories of the Bay” Prime Hook NWR, Milton. Local author and waterman James Milton Hanna tells the stories of the people who lived and worked the waters and coastline, preserving a disappearing history. Free. Light refreshment and reception at 6:30. Presentation starts at 7. www.primehookfws.gov.

Movies under the stars, Chincoteague. The Gods Must Be Crazy tells the story of what happens when a Bushman decides a discarded Coke bottle is the source of all of his tribe’s miseries and decides to return it to the malevolent deity which created it – by tossing it over the edge of the world. At Robert Reed Waterside Park. Free. 8:00 PM

JUNE 25:

Bay Hundred Theatre Company, Tilghman Island. Annual performance by the islanders. This year, it’s three short plays, one by local playwright Paul Briggs. The theme this year is exploring personal and societal attitudes towards disabilities. 8 PM at the elementary school.

Brazilian Jazz at the Mainstay, Rock Hall. Return performance by Duduka Da Fonseca. Last year’s concert was sold out. This year’s looks to be the same. $20. Call early to be sure of seating. 410-659-9133. www.mainstayrockhall.org

JUNE 26:

Stargazers Astronomy Workshop, Wallops Island. 5:30 Presented by the Marine Science Consortium. Learn about constellations, planetary bodies, and other basics for the amateur stargazer, and then go on a sunset cruise to see the stars you just learned about. $10 adults, $7 for kids. Limited number of participants, so make reservations. 757-824-5636.

Chatham Vineyard Summer Concert Series. 6:30. Tom Larson Blues Band kicks off the summer concert series. $20 includes a dinner and Sangria. Children under 12 free (They get fed, but no Sangria). Bring blankets and/or lawn chairs. Advance purchase only. 757-678-5588.

Tilghman Island Seafood Festival. Hot. Steamed. Crabs. Caught. That. Day. Do you need to know anything else? 11-4.

Somerset Strawberry Festival, Marion Station. Everything strawberry, plus crafts, Miss Strawberry competition, vendors. 9-4.

Pirates at Cape Henlopen. Re-enactors from the Sea Rats Atlantic ship show what life was really like in 1715 with blacksmithing, pirate cooking, and displays of watercraft skills. 10-4 www.destateparks.com

Riverwalk Arts & Jazz, Milford. 1PM- 9PM. Arts and artisans, plus live music, food, and entertainment along the water and streets of the historic town. www.downtownmilford.org

JUNE 26-27

Mid-Atlantic Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival, Lewes. Big show of sea glass jewelry and other wonderful things made from glass that’s been weathered, softened, and shaped by the ocean. Other events: displays by decoy carvers and waterfowl artists, speakers, and sea glass shard competition. $5. At the Lewes Historical Society. www.historiclewes.org

The first time I tried The Railroad Junction Grill in Salisbury, my husband and I were looking for some place with outdoor seating, so we could dine with our dog, Rascal. The restaurant has a couple of café tables outside and we’d seen the ‘now open’ sign for a couple of weeks.

We shouldn’t have waited so long.

Chef Michael Smith takes all of the ‘usual’ breakfast and lunch menu items and tweaks them with some personal touches and quality accents to bring them up more than a couple of notches.

My husband’s Gyro was fresh and warm, with a more-than-generous portion of lamb and Tzatziki sauce with just enough crumbled Feta cheese. I opted for the house special, The Conductor: ginger & honey baked ham, bacon, thin slices of apples, cheddar cheese, brushed with apple butter and toasted to a melted mouthful of happiness. (When Mike brought out our meals, he also brought some scraps of lamb to give to Rascal. That boosted him to the top of our ‘preferred establishment’ list for all three of us.)

A few days later, I tried their breakfast menu. I dithered over the omelette, skillet, and breakfast wrap selections. I’m not a big scrapple fan, but Mike was so enthusiastic about his ‘Apple Scrapple’ skillet platter that I couldn’t say no. It was a cousin of my lunch: a huge two-egg scramble with chunks of apples and scrapple and melted cheddar cheese, drizzled with apple butter coulee. That’s the sort of preparation you find at upscale B&Bs in St. Michaels, not a casual diner in a busy intersection in Salisbury. Caffeine addicts take note: the coffee is freshly ground, freshly brewed, and always flowing.

The restaurant is now open on Friday and Saturday nights for dinner. The food has to compensate for the lack of a liquor license (that’s probably two years away). It more than does so!

Our group enjoyed caramelized roast pork with mushroom crème and sautéed spinach, smoked turkey in a citrus brine with cranberry relish and garlic mashed potatoes, and broiled flounder filet stuffed with crab and served with a ‘dirty rice’ risotto. Dessert redefined bread pudding: warm, soft bread baked with vanilla and caramelized walnuts and slathered with a brandy and almond sauce, topped with French vanilla ice cream.

With a background as food & beverage manager for Clarion Hotels International and director of training for the Don Pablos Restaurants, Chef Smith brings extensive experience and a chance to try out ideas his way. One challenge is the restaurant’s location. It’s at the intersection of Carroll Street and Rt. 13, catty-corner across from PRMC, and tucked behind the railroad tracks (hence the name). In past years, other owners have tried pizza, Caribbean, and Indian restaurants, without success. The Carroll Street side of the building now has a huge mural of a bellowing steam engine, so it’s easy to spot. With the quality of the food and the friendly service, it’s right on track to be successful.

Railroad Junction Grill 203 E. Carroll Street, Salisbury. 410-341-4745. It's open Mon-Thur 8-4, Fri/Sat until 9. Closed Sundays.

Guilt-free espresso, eco-friendly operation, support for local artists, and chocolate. Welcome to Common Grounds: A Fair Trade Coffee House in Salisbury.

Since opening in April 2009, Common Grounds has been more than just a place for the AM caffeine fix. It’s not just that there’s a cozy conversation corner with sink-into-them couches or Wi-Fi access and tables with room enough to spread out your papers and work while you sip your double mocha latte. It’s the first certified green restaurant on the Shore (by dinegreen.com). It was built with environmentally friendly materials, uses biodegradable supplies, runs with energy-efficient lighting and HVAC, and recycles just about everything.

It’s also a Fair Trade business. All the coffee, tea, and chocolate come from sources that pay their farmers and suppliers a fair wage to work in safe working conditions. Pictures of the people who grow and harvest the coffee hang on the walls. So does artwork by local painters and photographers with 3-D art in its separate display.

Supporting local artists is almost as important as brewing a superior latte. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, there’s live entertainment that highlights a cross-section of young local talent and groups coming through. On any given night, there’s acoustic folk and blues, swing, jazz, karaoke, oldies, Irish traditional, even the world drum ensemble from Salisbury University.

The food menu, which changes daily, is limited to sandwiches, soups, and pastries. If you’re undecided, go with the soup, that’s always homemade, fresh, and wonderful. Also wonderful are the occasional special event nights, like the recent coffee and chocolate pairing. What more could you ask for?

Common Grounds: 701 E. Naylor Mill Rd., Salisbury. Open Mon-Wed 7-7, Thurs/Fri 7-9, Sat 8-9. Closed Sun. 443-736-4598. www.sbycommongrounds.com. Facebook followers get regular invitations for upcoming concerts and events.