A weekend in Philly and Baltimore

[Daniel]

My girlfriend and I went on a trip to Baltimore and Philadelphia this weekend.. Our first stop was Morimotos in Philadelphia.. Its one of our favorite places to go.. We left Manhattan around 8 o clock and arrive a little early for our 10 o clock reservation..

We started with a tuna pizza.. Fresh slices of raw tuna are served on a crisp tortilla.. It is served with a spicy cream sauce with pickled jalelpeno peppers and tomatos.. It is refreshing and remarkbly good.. It is a great fusion between japanese and mexican.

Next we had one of our favorite dishes.. It is oysters toped with broiled sea urchin and a piece of seared fois gras with a eel bbq sauce.. This came on top of hot sea salt scented with star anise and cinamon.. It is a outrageously rich and decedant appetizer.. The flavors rich and smooth.

We then went to a tasting of different appetizers.. The paint box it is served in is so cute. In each glass there are different tastes.. I cant remember all of them.. One was a cold sesame kobe beef.. Another was a sea cucumber, there was a sea weed served with ponzu, a fried red snapper ball served in a cream clam sauce..

We then moved onto an assortment of sashimi.. We ordered all the special fish selections.. Most of them didnt have english names.. The standouts were a scallop-mussle hybrid.. A wild exotic yellow tail, and a mini cooked cooked shrimp..

After dinner we went across the street to another Steven Starr owned restaurant called Jones.. Here we got a cinnamon bun bread pudding topped with cream cheese ice cream.. It was pretty good.. The most impressive part of the dessert was the cream cheese ice cream that we are planing on recreating..

No trip to Philly could be complete without a cheese steak.. We prefer them for breakfast.. hehe.. So the following morning we woke and went to Pats.. In this photo you can see how the combination of Provolone cheese and Whiz works so well here.. You can see the Provolone acting as a barrier between the bread, keeping it from being getting soggy.. Then the whiz is placed on top of the steak and melts down.. What a great breakfast.

After going to Pats we then found out in order to go to Baltimore we had to pass Tony Lukes.. I being a safe driver decided to make sure my break lights were working, and since Tony Lukes has ample parking, it would be a perfect place to do my safety check.. After doing the necessary tests to the car, I noticed a sign that said parking is for Tony Luke customers only, so to avoid breaking the law, it was my duty to purchase something at Tony's..

We ordered their famous roast pork sandwich with sharp provolone.. It was excellent.. It was one of the best if not the best pork sandwich i have ever had.. The garlicy sweet pork served with the sharp provolone was wonderfull.. We then topped it off with a mediocre cheese steak.. Not a big fan after going to pats..

We then were ready for our 75 mile drive to Baltimore.. We had been to Baltimore a couple of weekends earlier and had what we thought were great crabs.. Well we were wrong after comparing them to OBrycki's.. When we first arrived we ordered Crabby Mary's.. Served with a chilled crab claw, it was a great way to start our meal.. We then ordered their crab dip.. It was a hot cream cheese dipped with huge chunks of lump crab meat topped with melted cheese.. Very simple and very comforting.. Some times those are the best things.. On to the crabs.. The green spice coated crab arrive on a plastic cafeteria tray and are then proudly dumped onto the middle of the table by our wonderful waitress. .. She unshly picks up one of our crabs and dismantles it in a matter of seconds. Scrapping the lungs, ripping in it half with her hands, and cracking the claws, she then handed us some meat.. The crabs are spiced with this wonderful mix of secret spices.. Unlike most places that just smother them in old bay, the flavoring is much more peppery.. I was hoping to get some insight on what the mixture was, but the bottle didnt offer much help.. The ingredients were listed as salt and spices.. Served with O'Bryckis own beer, a yuengling type, it was a great lunch..

We left the restaurant and went to Lexington Market.. This was one of the more shady places i have been to. Maybe because it was raining and there were homeless people seeking shelter, or maybe its always gross. We were really turned off by it.. There was also a strong smell of urine that kept us away from eating at the raw bars; it was almost liked they washed the floors with it.. As we wondered around, I noticed a sign for Konstants.. A chili dog place that has been around since 1896.. How could one possibly argue with something that has been around for so long.. Easily, the hot dog and chili were both mediocre.. The chili was ground beef seasoned with tabasco.. But i didnt come to Lexington Market for hot dogs, i came for Faidly's Famous Crab Cakes.. A little full after our day of eating so far we decided to split one.. They were really great. They used saltine crackers for their breadcrumbs and of course chunks of maryland blue crab with a little mayo.. Unfortunately, we were met with a really rude and obnoxious duo of thugs at the counter.. Not afraid to curse and grimace while serving our food.. They also werent too concerned with serving the cakes hot either.. Now i have recevied these crab cakes through the mail and were much more happy with the results then.. Its a shame that these people were put in charge of an institution like Faidly's. Oh well..

That night we went for dinner at Charleston..This is a cute restaurant in Fells Point that is serving some really great Low Country cuisine.. It has a great open kitchen and a real cozy feeling. The waitstaff is really warm and knowledgeable and stands behind what their chef is doing..(shout out to Nicholas, our server!) They offer either a tasting menu or they have the menu divided into three different course from which you can pick and choose.. We started with a grilled spiced rub quail served with grilled mango and house pickled green tomatos. The quail was out of this world.. The skin absorb this rub and it just was full of flavor.. It was one of the best quail dishes i have ever eaten.. Also for the first course we had a low country bbq shrimp with button mushroom and tabasco rice.. This dish was also fabulous.. Extremely buttery and creamy.. I could have had this dish as an entree.. Fantastic..

For the second course we had Diver Scallops and and Fried Green Tomato Sandwich with lobster and Crab.. The tomatos acting as a bread in the is dish was really inventive.. And after having a lot of crab that day, I would need a dish this good to not make me grow tired of so much crab. It was really good.. The Scallops were cooked perfectly.. Infact we were very impressed with how everything there was grilled to perfection, seared on the outside pink in the middle.. Everything having such beautiful grill marks.. And look at all those little pieces of bacon.. Enough for every bite of the scallop and more..

We then split the Venison.. This was our least favorite dish of the meal, however it was still wonderfull.

The place also offers a great selection of cheeses that we were too full to order..

The next day we woke up and left for home.. On our way back we decided to stop at my favorite burger place the White Rose System.. Unfortunately it closed 5 minutes prior to our arrival.. So we opted for the next best thing the New Brunswick NJ Grease Trucks.. This is a famous spot on Rutgers Campus..Basically they are mobile trailors where you can order anything under the sun between a sub roll.. I opted for the chicken finger, mozzerla stick, with bacon.. With Hot sauce and white sauce,. A classic!

Edited April 4, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[rockhopper]

After doing the necessary tests to the car,  I noticed a sign that said parking is for Tony Luke customers only, so to avoid breaking the law, it was my duty to purchase something at Tony's..

  We ordered their famous roast pork sandwich with sharp provolone.. It was excellent.. It was one of the best if not the best pork sandwich i have ever had.. The garlicy sweet pork served with the sharp provolone was wonderfull..  We then topped it off with a mediocre cheese steak.. Not a big fan after going to pats..

I notice you skipped the greens on your roast pork. Next time try it with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone. Even if you don't like greens get it and eat it and you'll be happy. (I've had this conversation before...)

[Holly Moore]

So the following morning we woke and went to Pats.. In this photo you can see how the combination of Provolone cheese and Whiz works so well here.. You can see the Provolone acting as a barrier between the bread, keeping it from being getting soggy.. Then the whiz is placed on top of the steak and melts down.. What a great breakfast.

I keep forgetting to recommend Pat's and/or Gino's for breakfast.

And an excellcent warning against provolone cheesesteaks. The bread's there to sop up all the juices and grease. Wiz with, all the way!!!

[DTBarton]

Thanks for the excellent report and pictures. You are an outstanding eater, way to go the distance! Closing it out at a Rutgers grease wagon was an inspired touch of over-the-topness.

Lexington market can be a little rough, goes with the neighborhood, I suppose. On a good day there is fun camaraderie in the Faidley's/raw bar area, but that's certainly not always the case. The Cross Street market in Federal Hill is more gentrified. Still has a lot of good stuff, but not as much as Lexington, quite the spot at happy hour.

http://www.southbaltimore.com/shop/crossmkt.html

If you return to Charm City, hon, bring a cooler and take home some kielbasa from Ostrowski's in Fell's Point, fresh and smoked:

http://ostrowskifamous.homestead.com/index2.html

[Daniel]

After doing the necessary tests to the car,  I noticed a sign that said parking is for Tony Luke customers only, so to avoid breaking the law, it was my duty to purchase something at Tony's..

   We ordered their famous roast pork sandwich with sharp provolone.. It was excellent.. It was one of the best if not the best pork sandwich i have ever had.. The garlicy sweet pork served with the sharp provolone was wonderfull..   We then topped it off with a mediocre cheese steak.. Not a big fan after going to pats..

I notice you skipped the greens on your roast pork. Next time try it with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone. Even if you don't like greens get it and eat it and you'll be happy. (I've had this conversation before...)

←

Yeh i agree with you all the way.. It was my first time there, and while eating the pork sandwich i was thinking i shouldnt have gone rabe

[Daniel]

So the following morning we woke and went to Pats.. In this photo you can see how the combination of Provolone cheese and Whiz works so well here.. You can see the Provolone acting as a barrier between the bread, keeping it from being getting soggy.. Then the whiz is placed on top of the steak and melts down.. What a great breakfast.

I keep forgetting to recommend Pat's and/or Gino's for breakfast.

And an excellcent warning against provolone cheesesteaks. The bread's there to sop up all the juices and grease. Wiz with, all the way!!!

←

Pat's is definately the breakfast spot.. I really dont like Gino's. However, i was surprised at all the interesting pork roll combo's being ordered at TL'S..

I think you misunderstood, I am a pro-provolone and whiz guy.. I like when the sandwich stays together intact.. And the grease falls on the paper which allows one to zupa di pane.. And control the grease. I also love the added cheesiness..

[lancastermike]

So the following morning we woke and went to Pats.. In this photo you can see how the combination of Provolone cheese and Whiz works so well here.. You can see the Provolone acting as a barrier between the bread, keeping it from being getting soggy.. Then the whiz is placed on top of the steak and melts down.. What a great breakfast.

I keep forgetting to recommend Pat's and/or Gino's for breakfast.

And an excellcent warning against provolone cheesesteaks. The bread's there to sop up all the juices and grease. Wiz with, all the way!!!

←

Pat's is definately the breakfast spot.. I really dont like Gino's. However, i was surprised at all the interesting pork roll combo's being ordered at TL'S..

I think you misunderstood, I am a pro-provolone and whiz guy.. I like when the sandwich stays together intact.. And the grease falls on the paper which allows one to zupa di pane.. And control the grease. I also love the added cheesiness..

←

Control the grease? Holly LIVES for the grease

[Daniel]

So the following morning we woke and went to Pats.. In this photo you can see how the combination of Provolone cheese and Whiz works so well here.. You can see the Provolone acting as a barrier between the bread, keeping it from being getting soggy.. Then the whiz is placed on top of the steak and melts down.. What a great breakfast.

I keep forgetting to recommend Pat's and/or Gino's for breakfast.

And an excellcent warning against provolone cheesesteaks. The bread's there to sop up all the juices and grease. Wiz with, all the way!!!

←

Pat's is definately the breakfast spot.. I really dont like Gino's. However, i was surprised at all the interesting pork roll combo's being ordered at TL'S..

I think you misunderstood, I am a pro-provolone and whiz guy.. I like when the sandwich stays together intact.. And the grease falls on the paper which allows one to zupa di pane.. And control the grease. I also love the added cheesiness..

←

Control the grease? Holly LIVES for the grease

←

Its not like the grease disappears or less is created this way.. Most likely there is more with the addition of a second cheese melting.. So if someone wants maximum grease its there to enjoy.

[Holly Moore]

So the following morning we woke and went to Pats.. In this photo you can see how the combination of Provolone cheese and Whiz works so well here.. You can see the Provolone acting as a barrier between the bread, keeping it from being getting soggy.. Then the whiz is placed on top of the steak and melts down.. What a great breakfast.

I keep forgetting to recommend Pat's and/or Gino's for breakfast.

And an excellcent warning against provolone cheesesteaks. The bread's there to sop up all the juices and grease. Wiz with, all the way!!!

←

Pat's is definately the breakfast spot.. I really dont like Gino's. However, i was surprised at all the interesting pork roll combo's being ordered at TL'S..

I think you misunderstood, I am a pro-provolone and whiz guy.. I like when the sandwich stays together intact.. And the grease falls on the paper which allows one to zupa di pane.. And control the grease. I also love the added cheesiness..

←

Control the grease? Holly LIVES for the grease

←

Yes, but nitrates too. Don't forget the nitrates, though none will be found in the basic cheesesteak.

Also, it is not just the grease for grease's sake. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It is also grease's ability to seep and soften, to make one at one with the cheesesteak, inside and outside of the body - sliding down the gullet, smearing the face, and splattering the shirt.

Speaking of which, I recently came across a Zen hot dog vendor who made me one with everything.

[NulloModo]

Yes, but nitrates too.  Don't forget the nitrates, though none will be found in the basic cheesesteak.

Also, it is not just the grease for grease's sake.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  It is also grease's ability to seep and soften, to make one at one with the cheesesteak, inside and outside of the body - sliding down the gullet, smearing the face, and splattering the shirt.

Speaking of which, I recently came across a Zen hot dog vendor who made me one with everything.

←

On that note (and a hint of shame, because I still have yet to make it into Philly for a cheesesteak there, though I'd wager the DE options are pretty close to most) - I've hardly ever seen anyone in the cheesesteak threads or in any program discussing the cheesesteak go for the more esoteric options, like the cheesesteak hoagie, the pizza steak, or the bacon cheesesteak. What's up with that? At least the latter could give some nitrate goodness.

[KatieLoeb]

Speaking of which, I recently came across a Zen hot dog vendor who made me one with everything.

Oh Holly!

[Holly Moore]

With my aiding and abetting we're starting to stray pretty far afield of Daniel's initial post - neat pics by the way and great wrap-up despite the provolone controversary.

If we're going delve deeply into cheesesteaks may a suggest starting a new thread either in general food or Philadelphia, though we could probably just add on to one of many existing Philadelphia Threads.

I'm sorry to hear about Faidley's. I found their crab cakes to be the gold standard, and happened to meet Mrs Faidley who struck me as very hospitable and pround of her crab cakes to the point that she would never permit anything less than a piping hot crab cake. Sounds like she wasn't around during your visit.

[Andrew Fenton]

I'm sorry, too, that you didn't like the Faidley's vibe. Last month, I was there for the first time and just loved it: it's such a defiantly old-school place, tradition in the best possible way. I guess I can see how people might be turned off by Lexington Market, but I liked it fine.

[Daniel]

Yeh i mean, I believe a lot of the vibe had to do with the huge amount of homeless people at the market.. And i blame that on the rain.. The place smelled of urine, this comming from a New Yorker.. But in terms of Faidleys, these kids were just thugs that were working there.. I can take attitude just fine, but it seemed to be more of an out right meaness, and it showed in the quality of food they put out as well.

[Alan7147]

Daniel.... Funny, my girlfriend and I came up to Philly from DC two weeks ago and had dinner at Morimoto and brunch the next day at Jones. I loved the oysters w/ uni and foie gras.

Lexington Market really is, for lack of a better word, a shithole. Bums galore = distinctive smell of urine. Last time I was there I saw bags of chopped racoon and muscrat for sale. Not much in the culinary arena makes me squeamish, but that sure did.

[handmc]

I am...just so very touched.... that your cloesteral level took a bullet for us so that we all might live better richer lives!

You and your girlfriend are true american heros....

You shouda said you were comin to visit we wudda thrown a party for ya.

[Andrew Fenton]

Last time I was there I saw bags of chopped racoon and muscrat for sale. Not much in the culinary arena makes me squeamish, but that sure did.

Really? Because I saw those too (don't know whether they were chopped or not) and thought they were cool: also 'swamp rabbit', whatever that is.

Now bags of chopped circus animals, that'd be a different story. But we know that those only go into hot dogs and elementary school lunch meat.

[Holly Moore]

Last time I was there I saw bags of chopped racoon and muscrat for sale. Not much in the culinary arena makes me squeamish, but that sure did.

Really? Because I saw those too (don't know whether they were chopped or not) and thought they were cool: also 'swamp rabbit', whatever that is.

Now bags of chopped circus animals, that'd be a different story. But we know that those only go into hot dogs and elementary school lunch meat.

←

Interesting because as far as I know all such neats require state or federal or some sort of inspection when sold retail. Wonder if someone is farming racoons and muskrats?