We surprised a bunch of kids with giant versions of their favorite foods.
Posted by BuzzFeed Parents on Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Quite a hiatus...
Well, been about 8 years since my last post. We had a daughter in July of '08, moved out of the city to the Towson area in 2013, and had twins in November of '13. One thing is for certain, I/we have eaten out a ton. I have food experiences to share, but first let me share this quirky video on kids and their favorite foods:
I will be updating the blog more regularly as we go out to eat, or there are any stories I'd like to share...
Mike
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Winter Restaurant Week...
Hey folks!
Welcome to another edition of 5 Within 5. This time around I'm going to share a couple of experiences from Winter 2008 Restaurant Week. This amazing culinary event debuted in Baltimore during the Summer of 2006, and Meggan and I have been devout followers ever since. So the first two reviews I have to offer are experiences from this past Restaurant Week, and the last three are some new finds and old favorites I thought you should know about.
The Prime Rib (1101 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, 410-539-1804): When I first walked into the Prime Rib, it was just as I thought it would be: A dated steak house containing hard wood surfaces and commercial carpeting throughout. The walls were pretty dark, and the atmosphere wasn't all that inviting. For what it's worth, the service wasn't that great that evening (although, in fairness, our group was on the larger side for dinner—we rolled 9 deep). We had reservations for 8pm, and weren't seated til around 8:30pm. This is one of my big pet peeves: restaurants that try to milk their customers into spending money at the bar before dinner (see my next blog entry on Woodberry Kitchen for more on that).
When we did sit down, I ended up ordering the prime rib, which, ironically, cost an additional $4 on top of the set price of $30.08 for the prix fixe Restaurant Week menu (after all, the place is named "The Prime Rib"). But I figured I might as well see if its namesake is worth writing about.
The house salad that came before the entree was your standard lettuce, carrot, tomato combination, but it did have a pretty good creamy house dressing.
Then came the main event.
I’ll be honest: When I first saw the cut of prime rib they brought out to me, I thought to myself, "What a scrappy looking piece of meat." But it turns out that looks were completely deceiving. It arrived cooked to order (I’d asked for “medium”), the flavor was indeed delicious, and the texture was very tender. I wasn't a fan of the fresh horseradish that came along with the entrée (in general I prefer mayonnaise-based horseradish sauces). Unfortunately both side dishes that accompanied the meal—creamed spinach and mashed potatoes—were rather forgettable, although I do remember the potatoes being soupy.
I chose the key lime pie for dessert, and thought it was a decent attempt, but I wondered then, and again now, if it's even made on the premises, because it almost seemed like a “defrost-and-serve” dessert that could have easily come from the local Costco.
I don't think I would have gone to the Prime Rib if it weren't during Restaurant Week, and I’m not eager to go back. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say you could get a better dining experience at an Outback Steakhouse. That being said, if you want a truly satisfying steak dinner, save your money or go check out a place like Peter's Inn where you can easily get an amazing caesar salad, garlic bread, and a filet mignon along with a glass of wine for around $40.
Brassarie Tatin (105 W. 39th Street, Baltimore, MD 21210, 443-278-9110): The location of Brassarie Tatin is kind of weird—right near the neighborhood of Tuscany-Canterbury. But it's literally a straight shot down Argonne Road, and is less than 5 minutes away by car. The actual restaurant is so brightly lit that it takes away from the concept of creating an intimate, French bistro atmosphere. But that's pretty much the only complaint that I had for Brassarie Tatin.
Our waiter was on top of his game. When we asked for his recommendations, he was refreshingly honest with us regarding portions and if a certain entree or appetizer was worth ordering. After considering his input, I ended up going with the pâté de campagne maison for my appetizer, and it consisted of a house-made country pâté, cornichons, toast points, and a couple of dollops of grainy mustard. I’d never had pâté before, so I admit I was a bit nervous about it at first, but being the daring eater that I am, I took a chance—and absolutely loved it.
I went with our waiter's favorite dish for my entree: Poitrine de Canard Fumée au Bois de Cerisier which, in plain English, was a cherrywood-smoked sliced duck breast served with cauliflower purée and a cherry & duck reduction. There was plenty of duck on the plate (a rarity in most restaurant duck dishes) and the flavor combination was particularly magical.
For dessert, I went with another recommendation from our waiter: Marjolaine Le Bec Fin which was a hazelnut meringue layered with chocolate mousse, hazelnut buttercream, and whipped cream, all glazed with ganache. It was a delightful dish to finish off the meal. On the way out, the owner even mentioned to us that they had gotten such a good turnout for Restaurant Week that they extended the discount pricing for an additional week. I had a great time at Brassarie Tatin and, while I didn’t make it back during the extended restaurant week, I look forward to returning again soon.
Cafe Zen (438 East Belvedere Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21212, 410-532-0022): I went to Loyola College from 1994 through 1998, and spent a lot of time socializing next door to Cafe Zen at Gator's Pub. Yet all that time I never realized that a great Chinese restaurant was within a stone's throw. My wife first introduced me to Cafe Zen four or five years ago while we where dating and living in Federal Hill. That's right, we'd travel all the way up Charles Street away from Downtown just for some Chinese food—that’s how good it is. They just do things right at Cafe Zen, and it keeps us coming back for more. In fact, we have their phone number on speed dial, and one evening a few months ago we called in our usual takeout order: an egg roll and wonton soup for Meggan, General Tsao chicken for me, and chicken fried rice for us to share.
General Tsao is usually pretty standard at most Chinese Restaurants, but Cafe Zen manages to change it up a bit. They use extra corn starch for an unbelievably crunchy coating, and the sauce is extra thick and sweet. Trust me: It's like no General Tsao I've ever tried before.
But even though we’ve got our “usual” down pat, we've tried many other dishes there too, including their chicken with tender spinach, basil chicken, and many of their sushi rolls. Everything has been enjoyable, and reasonably priced for what you get.
Miss Shirley's (513 W Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21210, 410-889-5272): Miss Shirley's is a part of the family of restaurants owned by Classic Catering: Spaghetti Eddie's, Alonso's, and Loco Hombre. They’re all popular places, so it’s no real surprise that whenever Meggan and I have driven past Miss Shirley's on a Sunday during brunch time, it looks like complete chaos. There’s always a line out the door and the front tent/waiting area is usually jam packed—which makes it pretty much the last place I'd want to be during brunch. But on a whim we decided to try it on a Saturday, and discovered that Saturdays for brunch at Miss Shirley's aren't nearly as bad as far as it being overly crowded.
Of course, it wouldn't be a meal out at a restaurant if Meggan and I didn't start with an appetizer, so we kicked things off with some shredded potato cakes. They where delightfully crisp and flavorful, with bits of onion nestled inside the potatoes.
For my entree I got bayou biscuits, which were basically a Maryland take on sausage gravy and biscuits topped with some Old Bay. But what could have been trite wasn’t at all: The sausage was fresh diced andoullie that had a lot of bite to it, and made the entree an amazing experience.
Meggan ordered a simple breakfast of two scrambled eggs , sausage, and rye toast. She commented on how great her scrambled eggs were, which sounds like a simple thing, but sometimes it's hard to find a place that can make good eggs. Overall, I'd say that Miss Shirley's was a pleasant experience, but it all depends on the amount of time you're willing to wait for brunch!
Cake Love: (2500 Boston Street, Suite 4B, Baltimore MD 21224, 410-522-1825): Meggan and I are both huge Food Network fans and were curious when we heard about Warren Brown opening up one of his Cake Love shops at the Can Company in Canton.
For the most part, if you want to get a full-sized cake from them, you'll need to order at least a couple of days to a week of lead time. But Meggan and I didn't need an entire cake, so we just bought a couple of the specialty pastries and cupcakes that are always on display in the case.
We each sampled a bedroll, which is a walnut cake filled with cream cheese icing all rolled up. It was a good treat that reminded me of a rolled up carrot cake (probably because of the cream cheese). As for the cupcakes, we tried four different flavors: new German chocolate, chocolate on chocolate, chocolate velvet, and chocolate on vanilla. There were no real surprises flavor-wise: The names pretty much describe what you’re getting. But the new German chocloate cupcake was my favorite of the bunch because of the sprinkling of toasted coconut on top.
Overall, the pastries and cupcakes were good, but we came to the conclusion that we were just paying for the owner's name. Feel free to give it a try, but make sure to get pre-approved for a home equity loan, since the cupcakes will run you $3 each, and the pastires (like the Bedroll) start at $4.
That's all for now! But please make sure to checkout my next blog (available online around mid-June) where I'll be posting reviews of the following eateries: Woodberry Kitchen, Sushi Hanna, Alexander's Tavern, Mother's Bar & Grille, and The Fractured Prune.
As always, feel free to leave any comments online about my blog, or if you have questions about a particular eatery feel free to email me: michael dot saulo at gmail dot com!
Bye for now...
Mike
Welcome to another edition of 5 Within 5. This time around I'm going to share a couple of experiences from Winter 2008 Restaurant Week. This amazing culinary event debuted in Baltimore during the Summer of 2006, and Meggan and I have been devout followers ever since. So the first two reviews I have to offer are experiences from this past Restaurant Week, and the last three are some new finds and old favorites I thought you should know about.
The Prime Rib (1101 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, 410-539-1804): When I first walked into the Prime Rib, it was just as I thought it would be: A dated steak house containing hard wood surfaces and commercial carpeting throughout. The walls were pretty dark, and the atmosphere wasn't all that inviting. For what it's worth, the service wasn't that great that evening (although, in fairness, our group was on the larger side for dinner—we rolled 9 deep). We had reservations for 8pm, and weren't seated til around 8:30pm. This is one of my big pet peeves: restaurants that try to milk their customers into spending money at the bar before dinner (see my next blog entry on Woodberry Kitchen for more on that).
When we did sit down, I ended up ordering the prime rib, which, ironically, cost an additional $4 on top of the set price of $30.08 for the prix fixe Restaurant Week menu (after all, the place is named "The Prime Rib"). But I figured I might as well see if its namesake is worth writing about.
The house salad that came before the entree was your standard lettuce, carrot, tomato combination, but it did have a pretty good creamy house dressing.
Then came the main event.
I’ll be honest: When I first saw the cut of prime rib they brought out to me, I thought to myself, "What a scrappy looking piece of meat." But it turns out that looks were completely deceiving. It arrived cooked to order (I’d asked for “medium”), the flavor was indeed delicious, and the texture was very tender. I wasn't a fan of the fresh horseradish that came along with the entrée (in general I prefer mayonnaise-based horseradish sauces). Unfortunately both side dishes that accompanied the meal—creamed spinach and mashed potatoes—were rather forgettable, although I do remember the potatoes being soupy.
I chose the key lime pie for dessert, and thought it was a decent attempt, but I wondered then, and again now, if it's even made on the premises, because it almost seemed like a “defrost-and-serve” dessert that could have easily come from the local Costco.
I don't think I would have gone to the Prime Rib if it weren't during Restaurant Week, and I’m not eager to go back. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say you could get a better dining experience at an Outback Steakhouse. That being said, if you want a truly satisfying steak dinner, save your money or go check out a place like Peter's Inn where you can easily get an amazing caesar salad, garlic bread, and a filet mignon along with a glass of wine for around $40.
Brassarie Tatin (105 W. 39th Street, Baltimore, MD 21210, 443-278-9110): The location of Brassarie Tatin is kind of weird—right near the neighborhood of Tuscany-Canterbury. But it's literally a straight shot down Argonne Road, and is less than 5 minutes away by car. The actual restaurant is so brightly lit that it takes away from the concept of creating an intimate, French bistro atmosphere. But that's pretty much the only complaint that I had for Brassarie Tatin.
Our waiter was on top of his game. When we asked for his recommendations, he was refreshingly honest with us regarding portions and if a certain entree or appetizer was worth ordering. After considering his input, I ended up going with the pâté de campagne maison for my appetizer, and it consisted of a house-made country pâté, cornichons, toast points, and a couple of dollops of grainy mustard. I’d never had pâté before, so I admit I was a bit nervous about it at first, but being the daring eater that I am, I took a chance—and absolutely loved it.
I went with our waiter's favorite dish for my entree: Poitrine de Canard Fumée au Bois de Cerisier which, in plain English, was a cherrywood-smoked sliced duck breast served with cauliflower purée and a cherry & duck reduction. There was plenty of duck on the plate (a rarity in most restaurant duck dishes) and the flavor combination was particularly magical.
For dessert, I went with another recommendation from our waiter: Marjolaine Le Bec Fin which was a hazelnut meringue layered with chocolate mousse, hazelnut buttercream, and whipped cream, all glazed with ganache. It was a delightful dish to finish off the meal. On the way out, the owner even mentioned to us that they had gotten such a good turnout for Restaurant Week that they extended the discount pricing for an additional week. I had a great time at Brassarie Tatin and, while I didn’t make it back during the extended restaurant week, I look forward to returning again soon.
Cafe Zen (438 East Belvedere Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21212, 410-532-0022): I went to Loyola College from 1994 through 1998, and spent a lot of time socializing next door to Cafe Zen at Gator's Pub. Yet all that time I never realized that a great Chinese restaurant was within a stone's throw. My wife first introduced me to Cafe Zen four or five years ago while we where dating and living in Federal Hill. That's right, we'd travel all the way up Charles Street away from Downtown just for some Chinese food—that’s how good it is. They just do things right at Cafe Zen, and it keeps us coming back for more. In fact, we have their phone number on speed dial, and one evening a few months ago we called in our usual takeout order: an egg roll and wonton soup for Meggan, General Tsao chicken for me, and chicken fried rice for us to share.
General Tsao is usually pretty standard at most Chinese Restaurants, but Cafe Zen manages to change it up a bit. They use extra corn starch for an unbelievably crunchy coating, and the sauce is extra thick and sweet. Trust me: It's like no General Tsao I've ever tried before.
But even though we’ve got our “usual” down pat, we've tried many other dishes there too, including their chicken with tender spinach, basil chicken, and many of their sushi rolls. Everything has been enjoyable, and reasonably priced for what you get.
Miss Shirley's (513 W Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21210, 410-889-5272): Miss Shirley's is a part of the family of restaurants owned by Classic Catering: Spaghetti Eddie's, Alonso's, and Loco Hombre. They’re all popular places, so it’s no real surprise that whenever Meggan and I have driven past Miss Shirley's on a Sunday during brunch time, it looks like complete chaos. There’s always a line out the door and the front tent/waiting area is usually jam packed—which makes it pretty much the last place I'd want to be during brunch. But on a whim we decided to try it on a Saturday, and discovered that Saturdays for brunch at Miss Shirley's aren't nearly as bad as far as it being overly crowded.
Of course, it wouldn't be a meal out at a restaurant if Meggan and I didn't start with an appetizer, so we kicked things off with some shredded potato cakes. They where delightfully crisp and flavorful, with bits of onion nestled inside the potatoes.
For my entree I got bayou biscuits, which were basically a Maryland take on sausage gravy and biscuits topped with some Old Bay. But what could have been trite wasn’t at all: The sausage was fresh diced andoullie that had a lot of bite to it, and made the entree an amazing experience.
Meggan ordered a simple breakfast of two scrambled eggs , sausage, and rye toast. She commented on how great her scrambled eggs were, which sounds like a simple thing, but sometimes it's hard to find a place that can make good eggs. Overall, I'd say that Miss Shirley's was a pleasant experience, but it all depends on the amount of time you're willing to wait for brunch!
Cake Love: (2500 Boston Street, Suite 4B, Baltimore MD 21224, 410-522-1825): Meggan and I are both huge Food Network fans and were curious when we heard about Warren Brown opening up one of his Cake Love shops at the Can Company in Canton.
For the most part, if you want to get a full-sized cake from them, you'll need to order at least a couple of days to a week of lead time. But Meggan and I didn't need an entire cake, so we just bought a couple of the specialty pastries and cupcakes that are always on display in the case.
We each sampled a bedroll, which is a walnut cake filled with cream cheese icing all rolled up. It was a good treat that reminded me of a rolled up carrot cake (probably because of the cream cheese). As for the cupcakes, we tried four different flavors: new German chocolate, chocolate on chocolate, chocolate velvet, and chocolate on vanilla. There were no real surprises flavor-wise: The names pretty much describe what you’re getting. But the new German chocloate cupcake was my favorite of the bunch because of the sprinkling of toasted coconut on top.
Overall, the pastries and cupcakes were good, but we came to the conclusion that we were just paying for the owner's name. Feel free to give it a try, but make sure to get pre-approved for a home equity loan, since the cupcakes will run you $3 each, and the pastires (like the Bedroll) start at $4.
That's all for now! But please make sure to checkout my next blog (available online around mid-June) where I'll be posting reviews of the following eateries: Woodberry Kitchen, Sushi Hanna, Alexander's Tavern, Mother's Bar & Grille, and The Fractured Prune.
As always, feel free to leave any comments online about my blog, or if you have questions about a particular eatery feel free to email me: michael dot saulo at gmail dot com!
Bye for now...
Mike
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Welcome to 5 Within 5!
Hey everyone! Welcome to 5 within 5...What's with the name you ask? Simply put, I hope to write about 5 dining experiences (possibly more) as often as possible that take place within 5 miles of Original Northwood, our great hidden treasure of Baltimore City. The dining experiences I am going to relay aren't necessarily all "sit-down" meals, but may also encompass some run-of-the-mill, pick-up and take-home options, as well. That being said, here are some of the encounters I’ve had so far. Enjoy!
1) Rocket to Venus (3360 Chestnut Ave, Baltimore, MD 21211, 410-235-7887) As soon as my wife and I stepped foot in this place, we knew it was a great find. Think of a scene from the Jetsons with really great music playing in the background. (Intrigued? Their website features The Top 15 on their Jukebox.) On our first trip we started with the Fried Pickles. These were great: not weighed down at all by a heavy breading, but instead featured a light tempura-like batter that still left the pickle a bit crispy. I ordered Wimpies (four 2-oz. burgers), which were delightful -- great, moist burgers. The sliders were topped with a nice blend of onions, cheese, and some relish(I think). Since our initial visit, Meggan and I have gone back for Rocket to Venus’ Happy Hour Special: Monday through Friday, 5-7pm, 3 "toddler" 8 oz. drafts for $3. They have Hoegarden on tap, along with Pabst: There's quite a variety to be had! Rocket to Venus has quickly become one of our favorite places, because of the inexpensive prices and the quality of the food.
2) Eddie's (Charles Village) - (3117 St. Paul St, Baltimore, Md 21218, 410-889-1558) I was working from home one afternoon when I realized there wasn't anything to eat. Instead of going to the McDonalds at the corner of Havenwood/Loch Raven I decided to venture to Eddie's for a sandwich to take back home. The guy behind the deli counter was extremely nice; he asked me if I had any questions about the menu and told me to take my time with figuring out what I wanted to order. I took a look through the menu on the wall, and decided on the Charles Villager: oven roasted turkey breast with muenster cheese, coleslaw, and dijonnaise on your choice of a french or kaiser roll. I was reluctant at first to order this sandwich to go for fear that it would be soggy by the time I got home. But they proved me wrong: Thumbs up on the sandwich and service at Eddie's. I'm looking forward to trying some other selections in the future.
3) b (A Bolton Hill Bistro) - (1501 Bolton Street, Baltimore, MD 21217, 410-383-8600) Sunday Brunch is such a great meal in general, but the staff at b help make the trek to Bolton Hill worthwhile. A couple of weeks ago, Meggan and I went there on a whim. I ordered the scramble, which is basically a fancy farmer's skillet: Tesso ham, green and red peppers, potatoes, and onions scrambled up with some fresh eggs and topped with a heavy portion of jack cheese. Meggan ordered a simple dish of scrambled eggs, Applewood bacon, sunflower seed or seven grain toast, and a large freshly squeezed orange juice. The eggs at b are perfect; not too light, not too fluffy, just right. And Meggan went so far as to say that the glass of OJ was the best she’d ever had. The prices are reasonable, and the food is excellent at b. Be warned though, seating can be tough to come by, and we were very lucky that there was a table available when we arrived. Our waiter told us that they do take reservations for dinner, and, after glancing at their evening menu over our thoroughly enjoyable brunch, we're looking forward to making one in the near future.
4) Vito's Pizza - (6304 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21212, 410-323-8486) Ah Vito's. My wife Meggan and I are both originally from New Jersey, and as much as I hated to say it, pizza south of the Delaware Memorial Bridge just isn't pizza... But then along came Vito's. Their pie has the thinnest crust I’ve found in Baltimore, and the selections remind me of trips into New York City with my dad. We'd stop at Rose's pizza in Penn Station before catching a New York Knickerbockers game. I remember all of the different types of pie on display: white pizza, chicken parm pizza, cheesesteak pizza, Hawaiian pizza, margherita pizza, sausage & pepperoni pizza – basically your one-stop pizza wonderland. And now I can transfer that scene to the pizzeria located just North of Historic Cedarcroft. The pizza at Vito's is amazing. Two slices are more than enough for one person. Just an FYI, I've been to Vito's probably 6 or 7 times over the past couple of months, and the best suggestion I can give is to get a slice or two from one of the pies that have been sitting in the glass display. Once they reheat the slices for you, the crust gets deliciously crispy.
5) Cinghiale - (822 Lancaster Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, 410-547-8282) Meggan and I attended a wine tasting with our friends Rob and Beth one Monday night this past November. For $49 per person our sommelier (Tony Foreman) guided us through a “Flight of Tuscany” (8 wines), which was accompanied by a traditional antipasti and salumi. All 8 pours were a good size, but I have to admit I felt pretty out of place with the rest of the crowd that attended the tasting -- definitely a bit stuffy, but that was expected. Tony's knowledge of the wines and the Tuscan region were great to hear about. (Some might argue that 8 wines for $49 is a pretty good deal, and while I don’t necessarily disagree, someday soon I'll have to write about Winesdays at The Vine, which is located in South Baltimore, $5 for 5 wines.) After the Flight of Tuscany we decided on dinner at Cinghiale. The beauty of Cinghiale is that it can be as inexpensive or as expensive as you'd like it to be. The menu is constantly changing according to the season, and the variety of courses is as mouth-watering as it is intriguing. On our visit in November, the food and the service were superior. I ordered a crispy suckling pig dish that was accompanied by gnocchi; Meggan had a creamy stuffed pasta dish that featured sausage. Both were outstanding. For any of you not familiar with the Harbor East Area where Cinghiale is located, it's a great place to head for a night out on the town. There are a number of restaurants nearby: The Oceanaire, Roy's (Hawaiian Fusion), James Joyce, Fleming's, Chiu's Sushi, Taco Fiesta, & Charleston. There's also a great new Indie movie theater that just opened up a couple of months ago, The Landmark Theatre, which actually has a bar on the premises. So you can enjoy an “adult beverage” with your Twizzlers and Sour Patch kids while you watch a movie.
There's a ton more I could write about, but I'll have to save up and let you all know about some of our Restaurant Week experiences. So that's it for now, folks. Remember, nothing beats great food along with great conversation. Treat yourself every once in awhile to a number of unique dining experiences within miles of our hidden oasis.
Bye for now...
Mike
1) Rocket to Venus (3360 Chestnut Ave, Baltimore, MD 21211, 410-235-7887) As soon as my wife and I stepped foot in this place, we knew it was a great find. Think of a scene from the Jetsons with really great music playing in the background. (Intrigued? Their website features The Top 15 on their Jukebox.) On our first trip we started with the Fried Pickles. These were great: not weighed down at all by a heavy breading, but instead featured a light tempura-like batter that still left the pickle a bit crispy. I ordered Wimpies (four 2-oz. burgers), which were delightful -- great, moist burgers. The sliders were topped with a nice blend of onions, cheese, and some relish(I think). Since our initial visit, Meggan and I have gone back for Rocket to Venus’ Happy Hour Special: Monday through Friday, 5-7pm, 3 "toddler" 8 oz. drafts for $3. They have Hoegarden on tap, along with Pabst: There's quite a variety to be had! Rocket to Venus has quickly become one of our favorite places, because of the inexpensive prices and the quality of the food.
2) Eddie's (Charles Village) - (3117 St. Paul St, Baltimore, Md 21218, 410-889-1558) I was working from home one afternoon when I realized there wasn't anything to eat. Instead of going to the McDonalds at the corner of Havenwood/Loch Raven I decided to venture to Eddie's for a sandwich to take back home. The guy behind the deli counter was extremely nice; he asked me if I had any questions about the menu and told me to take my time with figuring out what I wanted to order. I took a look through the menu on the wall, and decided on the Charles Villager: oven roasted turkey breast with muenster cheese, coleslaw, and dijonnaise on your choice of a french or kaiser roll. I was reluctant at first to order this sandwich to go for fear that it would be soggy by the time I got home. But they proved me wrong: Thumbs up on the sandwich and service at Eddie's. I'm looking forward to trying some other selections in the future.
3) b (A Bolton Hill Bistro) - (1501 Bolton Street, Baltimore, MD 21217, 410-383-8600) Sunday Brunch is such a great meal in general, but the staff at b help make the trek to Bolton Hill worthwhile. A couple of weeks ago, Meggan and I went there on a whim. I ordered the scramble, which is basically a fancy farmer's skillet: Tesso ham, green and red peppers, potatoes, and onions scrambled up with some fresh eggs and topped with a heavy portion of jack cheese. Meggan ordered a simple dish of scrambled eggs, Applewood bacon, sunflower seed or seven grain toast, and a large freshly squeezed orange juice. The eggs at b are perfect; not too light, not too fluffy, just right. And Meggan went so far as to say that the glass of OJ was the best she’d ever had. The prices are reasonable, and the food is excellent at b. Be warned though, seating can be tough to come by, and we were very lucky that there was a table available when we arrived. Our waiter told us that they do take reservations for dinner, and, after glancing at their evening menu over our thoroughly enjoyable brunch, we're looking forward to making one in the near future.
4) Vito's Pizza - (6304 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21212, 410-323-8486) Ah Vito's. My wife Meggan and I are both originally from New Jersey, and as much as I hated to say it, pizza south of the Delaware Memorial Bridge just isn't pizza... But then along came Vito's. Their pie has the thinnest crust I’ve found in Baltimore, and the selections remind me of trips into New York City with my dad. We'd stop at Rose's pizza in Penn Station before catching a New York Knickerbockers game. I remember all of the different types of pie on display: white pizza, chicken parm pizza, cheesesteak pizza, Hawaiian pizza, margherita pizza, sausage & pepperoni pizza – basically your one-stop pizza wonderland. And now I can transfer that scene to the pizzeria located just North of Historic Cedarcroft. The pizza at Vito's is amazing. Two slices are more than enough for one person. Just an FYI, I've been to Vito's probably 6 or 7 times over the past couple of months, and the best suggestion I can give is to get a slice or two from one of the pies that have been sitting in the glass display. Once they reheat the slices for you, the crust gets deliciously crispy.
5) Cinghiale - (822 Lancaster Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, 410-547-8282) Meggan and I attended a wine tasting with our friends Rob and Beth one Monday night this past November. For $49 per person our sommelier (Tony Foreman) guided us through a “Flight of Tuscany” (8 wines), which was accompanied by a traditional antipasti and salumi. All 8 pours were a good size, but I have to admit I felt pretty out of place with the rest of the crowd that attended the tasting -- definitely a bit stuffy, but that was expected. Tony's knowledge of the wines and the Tuscan region were great to hear about. (Some might argue that 8 wines for $49 is a pretty good deal, and while I don’t necessarily disagree, someday soon I'll have to write about Winesdays at The Vine, which is located in South Baltimore, $5 for 5 wines.) After the Flight of Tuscany we decided on dinner at Cinghiale. The beauty of Cinghiale is that it can be as inexpensive or as expensive as you'd like it to be. The menu is constantly changing according to the season, and the variety of courses is as mouth-watering as it is intriguing. On our visit in November, the food and the service were superior. I ordered a crispy suckling pig dish that was accompanied by gnocchi; Meggan had a creamy stuffed pasta dish that featured sausage. Both were outstanding. For any of you not familiar with the Harbor East Area where Cinghiale is located, it's a great place to head for a night out on the town. There are a number of restaurants nearby: The Oceanaire, Roy's (Hawaiian Fusion), James Joyce, Fleming's, Chiu's Sushi, Taco Fiesta, & Charleston. There's also a great new Indie movie theater that just opened up a couple of months ago, The Landmark Theatre, which actually has a bar on the premises. So you can enjoy an “adult beverage” with your Twizzlers and Sour Patch kids while you watch a movie.
There's a ton more I could write about, but I'll have to save up and let you all know about some of our Restaurant Week experiences. So that's it for now, folks. Remember, nothing beats great food along with great conversation. Treat yourself every once in awhile to a number of unique dining experiences within miles of our hidden oasis.
Bye for now...
Mike
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