Industrial Exchange

One of the state secrets of downtown Baltimore can now be exposed.The waitresses and saleswomen at the Woman's Industrial Exchange have released their ages.The most senior member of the perfectly aproned staff is 94. Four are in their 80s. One each is in her 70s, 60s and 50s."We are as famous as the Harvey Girls," said the indomitable Marguerite Schertle, recalling the 1945 Judy Garland movie of women who went west and worked as waitresses. Mrs. Schertle, who brushes off the attention about being the oldest and who may still be the fastest on her feet, has worked the midday lunch trade of the tearoom at Charles and Pleasant streets since the 1950s.

Woman's Industrial Exchange, 333 N. Charles St., (410) 685-4388. Open Mondays to Fridays for breakfast. No credit cards. No-smoking area: yes. Wheelchair access: no.Morning Edition Cafe, Patterson Park Avenue at Fayette Street, (410) 732-5133. Open Thursdays to Sundays for breakfast. MC, V. No-smoking area: yes. Wheelchair access: no.Breakfast is an overlooked meal these days. Too many of us grab a slice of toast as we head out the door, in spite of what our mothers told us about starting the day right.