misscindy
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Posts posted by misscindy
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I've been to Louisiana but only once and it was more than a few years ago so the details have long escaped me. I do recall that it was good but apparently not good enough to make us go back. Not that I'm not open to eating there again, mind you. A second visit is long overdue. It is on Aliceanna in Fells Point.Has anyone ever tried Louisiana? A friend said it was fabulous, but she isn't very particular if you know what I mean... I think she said it was in Fell's Point? -
Still - food is the priority.
In that case, Charleston is Baltimore's best restaurant, imho. Not far away, in Harbor East.
Also, many are fond of Hampton's in the Harbor Court Hotel. I don't think it is as good as Charleston but I do like the Explorer's Lounge for cocktails.
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Are you looking for fine dining, casual, ethnic? Generally speaking, you'll pretty much have to leave the immediate Inner Harbor area for good food. And, Baltimore isn't big on the outdoor dining thing.
The previous poster mentioned the Ambassador Dining Room and it is an excellent suggestion. A gorgeous outdoor space but it is in North Baltimore, near the JHU campus.
Federal Hill is a good bit closer to the Inner Harbor, walkable, imo. Vespa is a cute, casual Italian restaurant there with fantastic wine service and a few outdoor tables.
Some other suggestions in the downtown area: don't miss Werner's for breakfast or lunch (weekdays only) on Redwood Street, Cypriana for falafel (weekdays, lunch only) on Baltimore Street with some outdoor seating. Afghan Kabob at Charles & Lombard is good for a no frills lunch or dinner.
In good weather, the Mt. Vernon area is a short walk up Charles Street and opens up your dining choices considerably. Happy hour at the Brewer's Art, Thai at Thai Landing, Indian at Mughal Garden or Akbar, Afghan at the Helmand, Abacrombie for reasonably priced fine dining, Ethiopian at Dukem II, which has a few outdoor tables on a corner that isn't particularily scenic. On the other hand, Donna's, a local chain coffee shop (I'm grateful to them because they have saved Baltimore from the Starbucks invasion) has outdoor seating at their Charles & Madison location which is a truly lovely spot to enjoy a coffee and a sandwich or salad.
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I forgot to report back on my Jay's Shave Ice experience...it was great. I got an espresso with a little frothed milk and just a touch of coconut milk. It was very, very nice and I've been meaning to get back there ever since.
I also stopped in at Murky the last time I was in DC. Liked my coffee--I no longer recall exactly what drink I had--but I do know that I really enjoyed it. It was on a very crowded Saturday and the noise in the place was cranked to 11.
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I can’t really define what DelMarVa cusine is, per se, and I don’t know about Delaware but I can tell you about a few local food traditions in Baltimore.
Right now, it is sour beef and dumplings season. Go to a church dinner and give it a try. An old but fading tradition.
There is Maryland fried chicken but, mostly, there is seafood. Blue crabs prepared in every conceivable way (but never, ever, boiled)—steamed crabs, crabcakes, crab fluffs, crab soup and soft shell crabs, which probably deserve a category all their own. Rockfish—baked, broiled, fried. Oysters—raw, baked, broiled, fried, frittered and in stew. Shrimp – steamed with onions and old bay.
There are dishes that add crab to everything, like Chicken Chesapeake – a chicken breast with crab meat on top, “surf and turf”- steak and a crabcake - is still common in old fashioned restaurants here as is rockfish with crab on top.
Coddies (salt cod and mashed potato cakes) are a very old Baltimore tradition. At one time there were sold on the counter of nearly every corner store in town. They still are but to a lesser extent. Faidley’s in Lexington Market makes a good one and for my money, they also make the best crabcake in town.
Black walnuts are a Maryland tradition—they are in season right now and are all over the ground in many neighborhoods. I’ve seen overflowing baskets of them are at the farmer’s market for the past few weeks.
Silver queen corn in the summer.
And, we can’t forget Berger cookies—a Baltimore tradition since the 1830’s. They can be found at Lexington Market, as well as grocery stores and delis all over town.
Last but not least, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, sauerkraut on the Thanksgiving table is a long standing Baltimore tradition.
I know I’m leaving lots of things out but this is a start.
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Agree with the Pazo rec on a weeknight - it does get super crazy on weekends. I like Henninger's Tavern in Fells Point. Henninger's Also, Chameleon Cafe is off the beatin' path but nice. Chameleon
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Ceriello's in Belvedere Square has dry aged beef. As for the veal bones, the last time I was in search of them, I settled for beef bones. I like Regan's in Lexington Market and although they didn't have what we were looking for, they hooked us up with another vendor there who sold us a big bag of beef bones for cheap, cheap, cheap.
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Where in Timonium? I'm in Timonium every Monday night for a class. It would be nice to hit a good coffee house before class begins!
from Baltimore City Paper web site
Jay's Shave Ice and Kona Coffee]On York Road, 1/4 mile south of Timonium Road and next door to Smyth Jewelers
2046 York Road
Timonium, MD 21093 phone 410-561-0405
Summer Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily; winter Hours:7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mon.-Fri.; 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.
Jay's web site appears to be down temporarily so I'll hold off on including that link. He takes his coffee and espresso very seriously and his baristas have served me a few outstanding drinks on the two occasions I stopped in to visit (I live a few hundred miles away - otherwise I'd be a regular both there and at Murky).
Wow...who knew? Jay's Shave Ice? I work in the Timonium area and will check this place out pronto. When the previous post mentioned Timonium I assumed they were talking about Baltimore Coffee & Tea Company. Very interesting.
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Please pardon the crass question, but how much does an evening at minibar cost? Just looking for a ballpark figure.
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Joe - I was recently in Cincinnati and really enjoyed a black raspberry chip cone at Graeter's downtown. How do they keep the chips so soft? But, I have to say that my fav of all time is still Berthillion's armagnac prune.Graeter's is 18% butterfat ice cream hand churned two gallons at a time in a "French Pot" in their commissary. This, literally, is the Gifford's of Cincinnati, in business since the 1880's. The texture of all of their ice cream is the closest to home made of any "store bought" ice cream I have found anywhere. I was at Berthillion near Notre Dame three weeks ago, Toscanini's in Boston two weeks ago and am convinced that Graeter's, for its chip flavors (which have large chunks of chocolate made in house) is the best I have found in a store. Their strawberry chip is a Great flavor, one of the best I have had anywhere. The combination of sweet, creamy seemingly fresh (but not really) strawberry ice cream with sometime inch long, quarter inch thick chunks of good homemade chocolate is truly one of life's worthwhile excesses. For anyone going to Cincinnati, Louisville or Columbus this is worth seeking out. BUT have it hand dipped in one of their stores. And, if possible, invest calories in their "Swiss" sundae which is similar to Gifford's old Swiss sundae except that the fudge and heavy cream are whipped just before being dribbled on the ice cream. -
I think if you are expecting criticism from a city mag, you are barking up the wrong tree. Criticism just isn’t their purpose. As the website for Baltimore Magazine – the first of the genre, btw, says “celebrating Baltimore since 1907.” That pretty much sums it up. I subscribe to B-Mag, mostly because it is actually cheaper to subscribe than to buy two issues off the newsstand. And, occasionally, I actually enjoy it. Last year for instance, they ran a piece about something I’ve always wondered about – the story behind Bob Dylan’s song “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” (disclosure—a good friend of mine wrote it but it really was interesting, swear). And, I also found a recent issue that examined the age old question “Baltimore: Is it a northern or southern town?" mildly interesting. Don’t get me wrong, it will never take the place of Atlantic Monthly (not that it is trying to) and the restaurant reviews must be read in the proper context. Remember, it’s a celebration.
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Ok, so our little road trip to Richmond turned out to be a bit of a mess. It took us FIVE HOURS to drive there from Baltimore. Turns out we were sitting in Nascar traffic. Gotta love that. So, by the time we accomplished what we needed to, we didn't have much time. Walked around the Carytown neighborhood...saw CanCan and it looked good but a tad bit fancy for three grungy people who had just been sitting in a hot car with broken a.c. for five hours...so we ate at the Galaxy Diner. Tuna burger, fries and a yummy cucumber salad with lots of vinegar for me. And, a fried pickle on every plate. There were no complaints. Thanks for the suggestions.
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This thread is quite timely for me - I think I may find myself in Richmond on Saturday. Any ideas for a cheap, veg friendly place for an early dinner, late lunch (4pm-ish)?
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Anita's, because it is the only place I've found in the Mid-Atlantic that makes green chili out of, gasp!, green chiles and not tomatillos holds a place that is near and dear to my heart.
There is at least one other place in the Mid-Atlantic that makes green chili out of green chiles--my favorite hang out, the Golden West Cafe in Baltimore. I love the breakfast burrito covered with the stuff for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
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I've had the armagnac raisin at Berthillon and make hazelnut (toasting and grinding the hazelnuts myself).
Hey Joe - it is armagnac prune at Berthillon. I only point this out because a) it is literally one of my favorite things on earth and b) I think prunes are underrated.
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I am actually headed up to Pazo tonight from DC for dinner. I will report back on the overall experience
Enjoyed a great dinner this past Friday at Pazo. When we got there the entrance was roped off and there was a bouncer complete with clipboard and earphone to ask us if we had a reservation. I found this funny since, after all, this is Baltimore and not New York and South Beach, but hey, at least they are trying.
I think the bouncer with clipboard and earphone is there on weekends because the place gets so packed they probably have to take care not to violate fire codes. I don't think it has a whole lot to do with "trying" to be like New York and South Beach, at least I certainly hope not. Believe me, Baltimoreans are under no illusion that we are in ____ (insert your favorite city here). And, most of us are ok with that.
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Merkado is associated with Soigne (recently closed) somehow, right? If so, that's good news. Can someone fill in the details?
The chef from Soigne, Edward Kim, is associated with Merkado. Keeping in mind that I am somewhat bitter over the loss of Soigne, I looked around yesterday and found the menu for Merkado online (www.merkadodc.com) and I have to say that I am less than impressed. I absolutely cannot believe that Edward Kim left Soigne to make quesadillas and fajitas! Someone please tell me this is a joke.
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Not that it really matters, but I was under the impression that Cindy was not directly involved in this one. Although I have seen her checking in on the line after Charleston hours.
That is, if you call running the show, not being directly involved.
As I understood, this was her/their concept, did the traveling and devised the menu, hired the chef de cuisine, (and everyone else too I thought, including the amazing new bread guy, and also brought a few from Charleston over), along with Tony's business acumen and wine expertise. Cindy/Tony run a VERY TIGHT SHIP: they are savvy, serious and perfectionists in their endeavors, and it shows. Their training is quite rigorous and demanding.
I can't believe Pazo's success is not due to her DIRECT involvement.
I'm also under the impression that Pazo, as my favorite server at Charleston told me, is "Tony's thing." But, I certainly have no trouble believing that she participated in the travel and had input - they are married, after all. And, I've also seen her on the line at Pazo.
All this talk of Pazo reminded me that I hadn't been in a few weeks so I had yet another great dinner there last night. It was the first time I've been there since day light savings time kicked in and the early evening light coming through that huge window is lovely.
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Did you ever cruise the Varsity on 40 West? Or am I a decade or two too early?
Yep, you are. But, I think that my parents probably did...
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Corkage is not allowed we were told on one visit, and on another were told "only for special occasions."
Actually, it is illegal to bring alcohol into an establishment with a liquor license in the state of Maryland. If any restaurant allows you to do so they are allowing it at their own risk.
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I lived at New Hampshire and the Beltway for 20 years. For three of these I dated a girl in Parkville, for two a girl in Fairfax. Parkville was a faster drive. I watched WJZ and remember Oprah when she worked for channel 11. When neighbors went to RFK for the Redskins I went to 33rd and Greenmount for the Colts. In fact to anyone in the Maryland suburbs of D. C. the University of Maryland is THE school; George Mason might as well have been in Richmond.
Joe - just because I know details are important to you, I feel the need to point out that Oprah did actually work for channel 13 (WJZ), not channel 11. She was supposed to be second fiddle to Richard Sher on the show "People Are Talking." It didn't quite work out that way. And, the C-O-L-T-S Colts Memorial Stadium home was a few blocks east of Greenmount on 33rd, at 33rd and Ellerslie.
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There's a puzzle in the back of the magazine for huffy city folk. Who's the Baltimore City Paper critic, btw? Any good?
The CP's critic is Richard Gorelick, the column is Omnivore. I think he's not bad, certainly better than Elizabeth Large in the Sun. Not to pick on her, I'm sure she's a lovely person but I've really had quite enough of her pedestrian palate. Anyway, I really enjoyed a recent piece by Gorelick about waitstaffs. Here's a link, in case you're interested.
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I understand the need to review suburban restaurants, but Baltimore is not the suburbs. Baltimore is a completely separate city that has its own newspaper,
Hmmm....I'm remembering a very recent article on the front page of the Sun about rising housing prices in Baltimore & surrounding area driven by people living in Balmer and commuting to DC. There was a line in the article, something like "Baltimore, welcome to the DC suburbs".
While I'm definitely not saying I think of Baltimore as a suburb, it is unquestionably part of the greater DC area. Heck, I live in Takoma and my husband is interviewing for a job in downtown Charm City as I type -- and we're not planning on moving.
Going up to Baltimore to eat, or catch an O's game, or visit the Aquarium, is not "travel" -- it's just taking advantage of all our area has to offer.
Yea, I saw that "Baltimore, welcome to the DC suburbs" line too. It annoyed me for plenty of reasons. One of them is that Baltimore City is actually more populous than the District but whatever. Of course, I think what they were getting at is the huge number of people in the Baltimore area who work in the DC area. My husband is one of them and much like you, we certainly have no plans to move.
But, back to the topic at hand. I think you all should be really happy to have a restaurant reviewer like Tom Sietsema. I'll trade you for Elizabeth Large and players to be named later so quick your head will spin.
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How does tailgating at Roedown compare to other regional horse events (Preakness, Gold Cup)?
I'm not going and I don't know about the others but I can tell you that "tailgating" at the Preakness (at least in the infield) consists of massive quantities of cheap beer, wet tee shirts and fried chicken from the Royal Farm store.
Baltimore – Where to eat
in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining
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John - I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the Chameleon Cafe on Harford Road. I'm fond of the house made charcuterie.
Have you been to the fairly new Salt in Butcher's Hill? I like it a lot...with the notable exception of the desserts which I've not been impressed with. I did, however, really enjoy the braised lamb stroganoff in a porcini broth. Very nice. I love the space and the vibe.
Both are great neighborhood restaurants, imho.
And, as much as it pains me to say it, I didn't love my visit to Saffron since the return of the much missed Edward Kim. I loved Soigne but his magic just isn't working for me at Saffron. First, I hate the space. When they renovated the old Ruby Lounge they managed to suck every last bit of energy from what was a very happening place. Second, I have questions about the source ingredients at Saffron and have had them long before the return of Sir Edward. Either I'm badly mistaken or they are serving previously frozen fish. And, I'm not talking flash freezing, I'm talking fish that has the texture of something that's been sitting in the Trader Joe's freezer section for the last six months. If not, then maybe someone can explain why fish there (with the exception of tuna) tends to be tough and watery. Ugh.