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