Eat Charm City

Catonsville Gourmet

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 03:11:00 +0000

Catonsville Gourmet
829 Frederick Road
Catonsville, MD 21228
(410) 788-0005

Catonsville Gourmet was the third is a series of restaurants I visited while my friend from Colorado was in town. I picked three places that I've never been, and I wasn't disappointed by any of them.

Catonsville Gourmet is located right down in beautiful downtown Catonsville in the ritzy section. We required no reservation, but the restaurant seemed busy enough. They do not serve alcohol, which immediately makes one wonder how they stay in business. But they do allow you to BYOB. Fortunately for us, there was a liquor store across the street, so we BYOW. We bought a bottle of Aveleda Alvarinho wine.

Catonsville Gourmet Seafood

We started with some appetizers. My wife never lets me get an appetizer when we go out, so when she's not around it's all about the appetizers. Catonsville Gourmet is supposedly known for the seafood, especially their oysters. They had 6 or 7 different varieties from which to choose. I was like a kid in a candy store. "Which one? Which one???" I got the ones from Chincoteague, which were briny, but very good. I told another friend about my dinner and he asked why I didn't just get one of each? Dolt!!! And is it just me, or does it seem like a rip-off that 6 oysters cost $12??? My friend got the fried green tomatoes with bacon. He said they were good, but he expected them to be a bit saltier. "How can they not be saltier when they have bacon on them???"

For dinner I selected one of the specials, the macadamia nut crusted halibut. It was served over a bed of asparagus and potatoes with some carrots and chives. I thought the asparagus were a bit like small logs and they even tasted a bit woody. Normally asparagus is best when they thin and tender. The fish was magnificent. The potatoes were salty and crispy on the outside, just like I like them.

Since my wife wasn't there, I also knew that I was getting dessert. My friend that recommended the restaurant also recommended the Smith Island cake, which comes from Sugar Bakers. My friend didn't know what he wanted, so he went and checked out the dessert counter and came back with this amazing photo. I feel like I can lick it and taste them now.

Believe it or not, this was the first time in my life that I've ever had a Smith Island cake. Crazy, right? Lived in Maryland for 40 years of my life and never had a slice of the official state cake. It was sooooo good. Sweet, dense. I was full about 1/3 of the way into it, but that minor inconvenience wasn't going to stop me. It was too good.

My friend got the Chocolate Peanut Butter sponge cake. I took liberties with it and took a chunk. It tasted as good as it looks. It's hard to go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.

Catonsville Gourmet is a nice restaurant. The dining area is open and light. The staff are all attractive, which made me suspicious. Seriously, all of the girls were pretty and the men were handsome. That's just not normal.

The total bill came to $114. That was for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts. Our drinks were from across the street and that included a second bottle that I bought after the appetizers when we discovered that the first bottle was mysteriously empty. So 2 bottles at about $12 each. That is what I would expect to pay for a nice restaurant.

So if you're in Catonsville, or even if you're not, make it a destination. You'll like Catonsville Gourmet.

Taste of Aloha

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 02:54:00 +0000

Taste of Aloha
1405 Sulphur Spring Road
Arbutus, MD 21227
(410) 501-3030

I found Taste of Aloha by accident. I was looking on Google trying to find a quick way to get from I-95 to UMBC. As I was scrolling around the map, I found a restaurant called Taste of Aloha. I went to the website and I liked what I saw. Having been to Hawaii a couple of years ago, I had a yearning for some Polynesian food.

My daughter had an appointment at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore the next day, so I asked my wife is she wanted to stop here. She liked what she saw, so we made a plan.

We found the restaurant, but by then had accidentally drove right past it. It's on one end of an older red building. We quickly circled back and parked.

At Taste of Aloha, you order first at the counter, then they bring it to you. They have what you would expect in Hawaii. Kalua Pig, Chicken Katsu, Spam.... My daughter ordered a Hamburger, which came with a slice of grilled pineapple and fries with Old Bay. Not sure that the Old Bay is very Polynesian. My wife ordered the Chicken Katsu with rice, and I ordered the Kalua Pig with Kimchi.

The meals came out in about 5 minutes. The Kalua Pig was amazing! It was bursting with flavor and juices. It was so good I couldn't stand it. I wasn't sure if I had Kimchi previously, but I think I have. It was served cold and it was fairly spicy. I finished it quickly but I wasn't full.

My wife really enjoyed the chicken Katsu. However, she didn't share it with me. Booo!!! My daughter loved the hamburger with cheddar cheese. It really did look good, though she gave me the grilled pineapple.

The dining area is small. There are probably 6 tables total. There was a gaggle of deaf seniors that had escaped from the local senior center staging a sit-in. It was difficult to have a conversation at our table as they were drowning us out. However, we really loved the food. As you can see the prices are reasonable.

We'll definitely be going back to Taste of Aloha!

White Rose Bar & Grille - York, PA

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 01:39:00 +0000

My daughter got tickets to the Evil Dead: The Musical at The Strand in York, Pennsylvania. We have never really visited York other than to drive through on our way to Hershey Park or to Lancaster, PA. I decided that a lovely evening with my 15 year old daughter wouldn't be complete without a nice dinner. York is about 45-60 minutes from us, so it was a fair hike. I nice restaurant was in order.

I got recommendations from several friends and The White Rose was on multiple lists. Additionally, it was only a block from the theater, so it seemed perfect.

We arrived an hour and a half before the performance. I hadn't made reservations. When we went in I put my name on the list. The restaurant was fairly crowded and there were about 6 people standing and waiting. I asked the hostess how long it would be before we would be seated. She said she wasn't allowed to tell me. What???? That makes absolutely no sense. So I rephrased it. I asked her if she thought it would be closer to 15 minutes or an hour. She said she wasn't allowed to tell me. What kind of ridiculousnous is this?

We stood there for a while and several other people came in and put their names on the list. They also asked approximately how long it would be before they could be seated. They were all greeted with the same arrogant evasive response. She wasn't allowed to tell them. Most of them just walked out.

As I stood there I got more irritated by the minute. I realize that the hostess was probably told not to give approximate seating times. She seemed too young to come up with that logic on her own. But that is terrible customer service. Since the restaurant was crowded, I guess they can be jackasses and get away with it.

I then went outside and Googled restaurants in York. I found Bisto 19 and gave them a call. I asked if there was a wait and she said there was a small wait, but she expected that we could be seated within 5 minutes. Bingo! I went inside, handed her the little buzzer thingy. I said that I wasn't prepared to wait an unspecified amount of time for a table. She took my buzzy thingy and dismissed me. I was more than pleased to leave. Perhaps I gave off the aura of an out-of-towner. You can treat out-of-towners like crap cuz most likely they are not coming back anyway.

So, if you're thinking about going to York, Pennsylvania and want to get treated like you're insignificant like I did on my visit? Try the White Rose Bar and Grille. However, if you want to get treated like you're important, better stay away from this place.

Mezcal Mexican Restaurant & Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 02:18:00 +0000

Mezcal Mexican Restaurant & Bar
9958 Reisterstown Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117
(410) 205-7150

I noticed this restaurant in the former China Best site in the St. Thomas Plaza in Owings Mills. I decided to try it out as the exterior looked inviting.

The interior was just as inviting and I find it amazing that this is in fact the same place as China Best, which seemed as if it hadn't been updated since Carter administration. The side wall is stone, the ceiling is dark, and I remember a lot of reds. My friend and I were quickly seated next to the lengthy bar. And what's a restaurant without an array of flat screen televisions piping in the latest mid-day sports news about nothing.

Our server gave us a basket of tortilla chips and salsa, very similar in taste and style to Don Pablo's. Mezcal offers a lunch menu with items under $9 or so. I got a platter where you get 3 main items and one side. I got a hard taco with beef, an enchilada with spinach, and a soft taco with chicken. My side dish was an avocado salad, which was basically avocado over lettuce with a wedge of tomato.

The food was quite good. I slammed down the spinach tamale. I then ate the chicken soft taco, which was good, but the chicken pieces were quite a mouthful. I then ventured to the hard taco. By the time I got to it, the hard taco shell was mushy. It was still tasty, but a bit flaccid.

The service was attentive. My iced tea was refreshed without asking and they gave us an extra basket of tortillas and salsa.

Overall, I thought the place was good. It is very similar to Don Pablo's, but on a much smaller scale. It felt less commercial than the DP.

My only complaint was when we were leaving the manager-type guy asked how everything was. I told him that the hard taco was laying on the avocado salad and by the time I ate it it was soggy. It was a deer in the headlights moment. Not a "thank you for telling us", just an awkward stare in silence. And then we left. I wasn't expecting a free meal or anything, just an acknowledgement. Regardless, we'll definitely go there again. You should check it out.

Oscar's Alehouse

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 21:03:00 +0000

Oscar's Ale House
1438 Liberty Road
Eldersburg, MD 21784
(410) 795-7001
oscars@oscarsalehouse.net

My wife and I just celebrated our 23 date-iversary. Meaning - we started dating 23 years ago. We always celebrate this seemingly odd day, but it is special in our life. I asked my wife if she wanted to go on a date, maybe go to dinner. She agreed. I threw out some suggestions - Baldwin Station, Johannson's, The Grille At Harryman House. She chose Oscar's Alehouse.

Oscar's opened probably a year ago. I heard the opening was an absolute disaster. Not sure if what I heard is true, but I heard that the kitchen staff walked out on opening night. Oscar's is the successor to Cobblestone, Meiklejohn's, and The Chop House. Did I miss any?

I made reservations for 2 at 6pm. This place is always crowded on Fridays. You can how crowded they are by the number of cars that are illegally parked in the fire lane. If Carroll County and Maryland State Police were smart, they'd swing by every Friday evening and handout about 2 dozen parking tickets every hour. Imagine the revenue that would add up over time.

My wife and I were fortunate enough to get a seat right by the front window. The seat and the table are awkwardly spaced. Not sure if there is 3 feet from the back of the chair to the table so that fat people can sit there, or if it is just the way they had to divide the space evenly. I had to sit at the edge of my seat to reach the table. Really weird.

Our waitress was prompt and courteous, as was the staff that delivered our meals. I wasn't sure if my wife wanted a drink or not, so we ordered a round of waters first. We're not like most couples who both drink and get lit at dinner, then drive home drunk.

My wife finally decided she didn't want a drink, so with my dinner order I ordered a Victory Golden Monkey, which is a Belgian-style ale from Pennsylvania. It was really good. If anything, Oscar's Alehouse has a nice selection of beers. They have varieties of beer from Dogfish Head, Brooklyn Brewery, Rogue, Heavy Seas, and Harpoon. And if you don't like beer, they also have Budweiser and Miller Light.

We ordered appetizers, if you classify soups as appetizers. I got a bowl of French Onion soup. Instead of having melted cheese over top, there was a slice of cheese on top of a slice of bread. The cheese was nearly melted, but it seemed like a lame attempt to make French Onion soup. My wife ordered the Maryland Cream of Crab soup. It was orange. She said it tasted like cheese, by the menu said it was prepared with Sherry, so I suspect the Sherry is the cause of the orange color. She was not impressed with the soup.

For dinner I ordered the Oscar's Creole Pasta. Instead of pasta, I got it with wild rice. It was served with blackened chicken, which is fancy food talk for burnt chicken, shrimp, and Andouille sausage, peppers, onions, and a spicy cream sauce. When they say spicy, they're not kidding. I LOVE spicy food. I drop hot sauce on everything. I could not eat this dish. It was so freakin' spicy that I drained my glass of water and my entire beer putting out the flames from a quarter of the dish. The taste? Not sure. The main flavor of the dish was fire.

My wife ordered the Wood Grilled Shrimp and Bacon club. Her only response was that it was, "eh...". When we finished, she confidently stated, "We're not coming back here again."

I could give this restaurant a second chance, but it may be a while. They have half priced burgers on Mondays and was told that the burgers are actually pretty good. I may go there with some friends and drink some beer. But I doubt I'll be taking my wife back there again. She was too disappointed to want to go back.

Overall, Oscar's looks very nice. It has a nice ambiance. The staff are dressed neatly, though not professionally, and they were polite, friendly, quick, and responsive. Oscar's seems like a great place to hang out. That is, unless you want to order dinner and actually like food that tastes good. I'll admit that I spoke to someone that says that the Friday food always seems to be worse than food served on any other day. Perhaps the kitchen staff is in such a rush on Fridays because of the crowd that they prepare food with the intention of getting it done fast rather than getting it done well.

It's hard for me to recommend this place. Have you been there before? If so, what do you think?

Pizza Town

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 02:59:00 +0000

Pizza Town
9217 Lakeside Blvd
Owings Mills, MD 21117
410-902-1533

website: http://www.mypizzatown.net/

Owings Mills sports many presumably family-owned restaurants. I'm not if Pizza Town is family-owned, but it seems like it. And I'm not even sure if the strip mall where it is located has a name, but it's on Lake Side Boulevard near the Food Lion.

Pizza Town seems to be run by Russians, or some Eastern European people, which is fine. I'm just merely pointing it out. I find it a interesting that Eastern Europeans are running a restaurant that specializes in Italian food.

So what did I get on my recent trip? Greek food! I got the Gyro, fries, and a soda for $7.99. I'm a sucker for a value meal. They offer this lunch deal with a handful of different sandwiches, and a choice of fries or onion rings.

I've also had their pizza. It's decent. I wouldn't make a special trip there to get their pizza, but it's definitely a nice place to get a quick meal in Owings Mills.

As you can see, the gyro is jam-packed with with onions, some lettuce, tomatoes, and the gyro sauce, as it should. It tasted good. I would have liked more lamb, but then again, it was a $7.99 deal, so I shouldn't expect a lamb fatty, right?

So if you're in Owings Mills and you're looking for a slice of pizza, a sub, or a gryo, check out Pizza Town. It's good cheap eats.

Papa Joe's

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 02:18:00 +0000

Papa Joe's
27 East Main Street Rear 1
Westminster, MD 21157-5039
(410) 871-2505

Papa Joe's Authentic Mexican Restaurant is located on the backside of one of main blocks in downtown Westminster near the intersection of Main Street and Railroad Avenue, Route 27. The first time I went there we walked around the block aimlessly trying to find it when I finally asked someone in the Chamber of Commerce building where it was. The nice lady walked us through the building to the back alley right to the restaurant. However, you can access it from the rear in in the parking lot.

There are about 6 tables outside and maybe 15 tables (maybe) inside, so the place is small.

Tonight was the third time we ate at Papa Joe's. This was, unfortunately, one of the more memorable dining experiences there. When we arrived the hostess informed us that there was a 25 minute wait. Since it was the day before the 4th of July, American Independence Day, it felt like a Friday and I was sure that no matter where we went there would be a long wait.

We were seated right around 25 minutes and seated outside on the patio. After scanning the menu and deciding what we wanted, we small-talked and waited for our server to come take our drinks. Then we waited some more. Then I watched one table clear and another couple get seated. Then another. Then another. Then the first table got their drinks. Then their order was taken. Then the next table, And then the next table. I was really starting to get irritated. I unsuccessfully kept trying to make eye contact with the various servers outside. After nearly 15 minutes, my wife got up from the table and went to a server and demanded that we be served.

A few minutes later a server finally came to our table and apologized for the delay, but said she just got assigned to our table and was not aware that we had been waiting so long. Whatever. She asked to take our drink order and we demandingly told her that we were ready to give her our order. She apologized vociferously.

A short time later another server came out with chips and a variety of salsas. Then the manager came to our table and apologized to us and said that there was a miscommunication on their part and our server honestly did not know she was assigned to our table. As a sign of their goodwill, they offered us a complimentary plate of chicken & cheese nachos. They were really good!

Our order finally came, again with some more apologies, but honestly at this point we've cooled off. I ordered the Chilaquiles Verdes Con Pollo. My wife ordered the taco salad in a tortilla bowl. My oldest ordered the grilled chicken quesadilla, my son begrudgingly ordered the chicken tenders and fries as he says that place makes him want to puke (he's a bit of a dramatist), and my youngest ordered the children's cheese quesadilla.

Everyone in my family enjoyed their meals. They were piping hot and a bit spicy, which is the way I like it. This photo is of the Chilaquiles Verdes Con Pollo, which looked a lot like the chicken and cheese nachos with the verdes salsa that we got with our nachos. Oh, well. It was awesome. I can't believe I ate half of it!

Though the experience started off on a bad note, our server did a great job of tending to us and being very friendly. We gave her the benefit of the doubt and were nice in return once we had placed our order. The food there is really good. I've also had the seafood burrito, which was amazing, and the enchilada platter, which is usually my go-to meal.

The meals range in prices from around $10 to less than $20. Our family of five with drinks paid $50..

If you're in Westminster, or if not and you're looking for some place different to try, go to Papa Joe's.

Jin's Asian Bistro

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 02:24:00 +0000

Jin's Asian Bistro

1720 Liberty Road
Eldersburg, MD 21784
(410) 552-5535

Jin's Asian Bistro opened in the Oklahoma Shopping Center in Eldersburg in February of 2012. I never made it a point to go there until my birthday. I decided to try some place new this year.

We arrived about 6:30pm on a Friday and there were only a few people there. The decor is nice, very aesthetically pleasing, and definitely a nicer Asian restaurant than some of the others in town. We sat at a table up against the wall. There was a sign that said to 'Bring Your Own Alcohol'. That's disappointing. I thought for sure some of my friends that went there bought drinks there. Perhaps they lost their liquor license?

The menu is overwhelming. It's as long as the M's in the Britannica Encyclopedia. My intent was to get sushi, but obviously I don't want my children to have that. They weren't sure what to get. Lo Mein. Mei Fun. Chow Mein. Moo Goo Gui Pan. They don't know what all these things are. Heck. I'm not even that sure. We ordered our food and the sushi came back fairly quick, but it took FOREVER for my kids food to be served. The waitress apologized for the delay and she was very accommodating, so I cannot complain about her at all. She did a great job trying to satisfy us.

My son decided he wanted seafood, so he got the Seafood Mei Fun, which says it has shrimp, crab, and scallops. The shrimp was definitely real, but the crab was the fake crab that's actually fish. The scallops - those weren't scallops. It was either squid or sting ray. This meal was a total lie.

My daughter ordered Triple Delight, which includes jumbo shrimp, chicken, and beef, with mixed vegetables. There was definitely vegetables in it. The jumbo shrimp looked like shrimp at first glance, but they oddly looked all the same. When you bit into it, it did not have the consistency of shrimp. It was more like that fake crab meat. Or tofu. Face it, it was imitation shrimp. The beef? Yeah, not beef either. Reconstituted something. The chicken? 0 for 3. It was a wide thinly sliced sliver of ......meat product? It did not taste like chicken at all. All of the meats in this dish were terrible.

I got a salmon roll and a tuna roll, which were both very good. I also had a bowl of Hot-n-Sour soup, which was okay. The consistency was a bit too think. And my water in a glass was very good.

My wife got a Shrimp Tempura roll and she said it was pretty good.

My youngest daughter got what they called chicken tenders. It was long chicken strips coated in shrimp tempura flakes and fried. She thought it was okay, but mostly scraped the tempura flakes off of the chicken.

As I said, this . was my first visit to Jin's Asian Bistro and honestly, I'm probably never going to go back unless they offer me a free meal and a back rub. I might get carry-out sushi, but I will never let my family eat Asian food that is not what is advertised. Nor would I want to wait 20 minutes for food that is fake and tastes like crap. I think they owe me $29 for the two meals my older kids ordered.

Plazuelas

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:28:00 +0000

1834 Liberty Rd

Eldersburg, MD 21784

(410) 552-5502

Plazuelas in Eldersburg does not have a website, but they do serve some great authentic Mexican food. And I mean Mexican, not Texican like you get at Don Pablos, Qdoba, Chipoltle, or Chi-Chi's.

My wife and daughter were heading to the Mall in Columbia to look at dresses (boring!), so I took my youngest daughter and son to Plazuelas in Eldersburg. We went there when they first opened years ago, but I wasn't overly impressed then. I decided to give it a second try. I had plenty of company on Friday night. The place was packed.

The building is the former Pizza Hut on Liberty Road (Pizza Hut moved to its current location on Route 32 in the late 1990's. The interior looks new and different than what I remember the first time. We grabbed a booth and were quickly served a basket of hot tortilla chips and salsa in a mini-decanter (or whatever it's called). I thought that was a nice quirky touch. The chips were okay, maybe a little bland. They definitely needed some salt.

It took a while for the waiter to come take our order. I'd say about 15 minutes. Once we placed our order it wasn't too long before we were served. I ordered 2 beef enchiladas with a taco and rice. My son ordered a cheese burrito. My 4 year old daughter ordered the most authentic Mexican dish you can imagine - chicken tenders and French fries.

My meal was very good. Not cheesy like you think of Texican dishes. Just very flavorful. I chose not to eat it all because I am trying to lose weight, so it made an excellent lunch the next day. My son loved his cheese burrito, but was not able to finish it, so he ate the remainder the next day. I tried the chicken tenders and French fries and they were pretty good, too!

There are many choices on the menu and I think they had 9 different vegetarian options. The prices are excellent. My meal was only $7.95 and my son's was $5.95. I didn't have any drinks as I was the only adult there, but they do offer several domestic and imported beers in addition to the quintessential Margarita.

If you're looking for a decent well-priced authentic meal where you can have a drink served by a friendly staff, Plazuelas is definitely one of those places you should try.

The Blue Ox Bar and Grill

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:23:00 +0000

127th Street
Ocean City, MD
(410) 250-6440

Where do people from Charm City eat when they go to Ocean City, Maryland? One option is the Blue Ox Bar and Grill on 127th Street. This was an unintended option for us because it was my daughter's birthday and unfortunately Tequila Mockingbird is closed on Wednesdays during the off-season.

The Blue Ox is an Americana restaurant with a fare of steaks, burgers, and seafood - just like 80% of all restaurants in Ocean City. We had a party of 9, so I initially asked the hostess if they would be able to accommodate us as it seemed there were few people working there. She was confident they could help us.

We were seated in the bar area as the dining room was closed, possibly for the season. As we were seated we were given a list of items that are on the menu but not available this evening. And it seemed like quite a list. She followed up her list with the statement that the bar is open. Translate that to mean "please buy over-priced alcohol so that you can give me a big tip."

My wife's cousin ordered nachos for everyone and we got our drinks. The nachos arrived after a while and there is no way they were made on the same day that we ordered them. Teh cheese was already congealed and at room temperature. Additionally, they were topped with diced bell peppers and oregano. Who puts oregano on nachos???

Our meal finally arrived. I ordered blackened tuna cooked medium rare. It arrived whitened fully cooked. No blacken. No pink. It tasted fine, but wasn't prepared how I requested it. My daughter ordered the crab bisque. She said it tasted fine, but it was cold when she got it. My nephew ordered chicken wings. They smelled funky and tasted funkier.

We may have said something to the waitress, but she seemed to be single-handidly waitressing the entire restaurant and we rarely saw her. I'm not blaming her as they were entirely too busy for the staff at-hand. Sort of like them not being able to accommodate a family of 9. Some of our guests got a refill on our drinks. Others never did.

The bill for 9 people came to about $110. We promptly paid and skedaddled.

I was thoroughly unimpressed. I understand that it is difficult to serve a large family at a restaurant. But despite this condition, I can confidently say that I will not go to this restaurant again in the future. I think we would have been better off going to the Dough Roller or Dumser's.

So the next time you visit Ocean City from Charm City, be forewarned about The Blue Ox, because you'll be leaving feeling blue.

R & R Deli: A Deli like No Other

noreply@blogger.com (bricknhymr) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:06:00 +0000

R&R Deli

7894 Washington Blvd

Elkridge, MD

Visited September 2nd, 2011

Let's start with this - R&R Deli is sorta in a gas station. Okay, that is not all together true. This place is separated from a gas station by a plexiglass wall. A thick piece of plastic is all that separates you from a land of slowly rotating hot dogs and beef jerky. But, if you are lucky enough to be on the right side of the plastic, you are in for a fantastic world of authentic Mexican flavors. Oh, I didn't mention that? This is not the type of Deli where you get a pastrami on rye. R&R Deli, located attached to a Shell station in Elkridge, may be one of the best kept restaurant secrets I have ever experienced and a taste of Mexico north of the border.

The first time you step into R&R you get a couple of sensations. The first is a sense of awkwardness and then, potentially, claustrophobia. The place is small and if you happen to be there when there are more than three people ordering you will find yourself saying "excuse me" and shifting around for some space more than once. When you are able to make it up to the counter to order you may also be in for a little surprise. "Menu" is a pretty loose term at R&R. There are a couple laminated sheets with some basics, but the good stuff is up on the wall, under the daily specials, which are written using a Sharpie and in spanish.

If you want to "go safe" or are just looking to try something small that R&R has to offer, go for a couple tacos. Carne Asada, Chicken, Chorizo and a marinated pork called Pastor are just some of the many options. Each taco, served on a corn tortilla and simply garnished with chopped onion and cilantro, packs quite a bit of punch for just $2. The meats are well spiced and are highlighted with the simple preparations. These are the epitome of "Dirty Tacos."

While the tacos are excellent, there are a number of great choices, if you can translate the writing on the wall. Two standouts are the chile relleno and a dish called huaraches. The chile, stuffed with a dense cheese, fried and served with a spicy red sauce, is an excellent balance of heat, flavor, and texture. The huaraches, served with the meat of your choice (go with the pastor) are corn cakes with cheese, meat, avocado and a creamy sour cream like sauce is filling and delicious.

A really nice part of R&R is found in the refrigerator next to the counter. Instead of a fountain soda, or even a standard bottle of soda from the food mart, the fridge contains a selection of Mexican sodas and juices. While the fanciest restaurants are serving Mexican coke, not many places can say that they have Fanta or apple soda made with real sugar. The selection really complements the authentic Mexican fare.

R&R shows that you don't need to be in a big, fancy restaurant, or a trendy food truck to serve really good food that will keep people coming back. If you are anywhere close, battle those who are in the parking lot just to fill up their cars. The real gem at the corner of Routes 1 and 175 is a small little deli where the tastes of Mexico shine through in a truly big way.

Glory Days Grill

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 01:13:00 +0000

Glory Days Grill
1348 Liberty Road
Sykesville, MD 21784-6411
(410) 552-5160

So I finally got a chance to eat at the new Glory Days Grill in Eldersburg, Maryland. Glory Days opened in the 1348 Liberty Road lcoation that had been built and seemed abandoned for several years. Finally the building is occupied!

I have seen many reviews (in under 148 characters or less) on Facebook and have spoken to several people that have been there and I always seemed to have received the same feedback. It's....okay.

One comment was something to the effect of 'it would be a nice place to watch a game, probably not a place to go on a date'. Others said it was like Applebees ( the death-knell of restaurant reviews). Still others said it was bar food - burgers, cheap pizzas, and some sandwiches, and some meat thrown over salads. But mostly a place to drink alcohol while eating food.

Yesterday was the perfect occasion to make my presense known there. It was my birthday! We arrived a little after 5pm and the place was already packed. There was no wait at the time, but scanning the crowd we got one of the last couple tables that were available. Our hostess reminded my of Miley Cirus. I don't think that's a bad thing. She's a cute girl. My daughter agreed. My wife thought I was nuts.

I started the meal with a Glory Days Cosmo. No, I'm not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just read the ingredients and thought it sounded yummy. It was delivered in an over-sized Martini glass and it was pink with a slice of lime. Okay. Stop. It was still good.

I ordered the Pittsburger, but I demanded that the waitress let me order it as the Ravensburger, as I refuse to order something from Pittsburgh. The Ravensburger, as I know it, is corned beef, pastrami, Swiss cheese, deli mustard, and cole slaw on a toasted flatbread. Let me tell you - this was an excellent sandwich. Since I'm trying to eat reasonably, I only ate half of it, and saved the 2nd half for lunch today. It was fantastic the 2nd time around!

My eldest daughter ordered the grilled chicken penne with Vodka cream sauce. She said it was really good. My wife ordered the chicken cheese steak, but she said it was only okay. Nothing special.

The service was prompt and friendly. The food was hot. The atmosphere was casual. I think we were in and out of there in less than an hour. The prices were reasonable - about the same as you would find at Chili's and Applebee's. But unlike Applebee's, the food was fully cooked and served hot.

Overall, I have no complaints about Glory Days Grill. Sure, it's not a 5 star restaurant. But as a chain restaurant that aims to provide decent food and an atmosphere for big-game camaraderie, it serves us well.

It's been open for a while. If you haven't been there yet, check it out.

Grilled Cheese & Company

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:32:00 +0000

Grilled Cheese & Company
577 Johnsville Road Suite 1
Eldersburg, Maryland 21784
443-920-3238

I met a friend and her daughter one day for lunch at the Grilled Cheese & Company in the Johnsville Station in Eldersburg on Route 32, just south of Route 26. I always get a giggle out of the name Johnsville Station. I always think of Brownsville Station, the band that originally sang "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" before Motley Crue remade it.

The Grilled Cheese & Company restaurant is an 'order at the counter and we'll bring it to you' kind of restaurant. There are not a lot of tables, so I assume they want to get you in and get you out. As I always said when I worked at the Burger King in Bel Air, 'Get 'em in, get 'em out'.

I brought my daughter, as well, but she wasn't much interested in the menu. She wanted a drink and fries. That's fine. Potatoes are vegetables, right? I ordered the Smashed Meatball sandwich. There are several Italian-spiced meatballs that are smashed (hence the name), topped with tomato sauce and Provolone cheese. Sounds like a meatball sub, right? However, this was served on fresh grilled bread soaked in butter. Mmmmmm......butter.

I didn't have to wait too long for my food. The place was fairly busy. The entire time we were eating there was a line at the cash register and most of the seats were filled. My sandwich was hot. Way hot! Once it finally cooled off a bit, I really enjoyed it. It was appropriate spiced with pleasing amounts of cheese sprinkled about the sandwich. It was very tasty. My daughter enjoyed her fries, too. And the company of my friend's daughter.

There are other items on the menu that seem good, too. There is the Sarducci, which is Italian peppers and cheese, the Blue Ox, which has roast beef, blue cheese, and horseradish sauce, and the Crabby Melt, which has crab meat and Monterrey Jack cheese. Of course, there is also an original grilled cheese sandwich. They also offer soups and salads, for those who like those things.

While I liked the food and the decor, I did think it was a bit pricey. I paid about $8 for my sandwich. A plain grilled cheese is $5. I might go back with a friend, but I doubt that I'd take my whole family because with drinks I'd end up spending close to $50. Grilled Cheese & Company is not worth $50 to feed a family.

Baldwin's Station

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 01:48:00 +0000

Baldwin's Station
7618 Main Street
Sykesville, MD 21784
(410) 795-1041

My sister-in-law called and said that she wanted to come to our house and watch our kids so that we could go out for dinner. More specifically so that I could take my wife out to dinner for her birthday.

Just outside of Charm City is the small town of Sykesville in Carroll County. If you've ever been to downtown Sykesville, you'll know that there are two restaurants - E.W. Beck's and Baldwin's Station. Situated on the railroad tracks just feet north of the Howard County line, Baldwin's Station is in a renovated train station, one that in a simpler time would take people eastward to Baltimore City or Frederick and other points west.

The restaurant is decorated with scenic railroad memorabilia. It's not particularly fancy inside the restaurant, but once you look a the menu you'll know that it's fancy. I've been there a couple of times and it seems like the menu changes often. There are daily (or weekly?) specials. Staples on the menu are Sweet Espresso Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, the Lamb T-Bone, the Jumbo Crab Cake, and the Stuffed Filet Mignon.

For the vegetarians there is the Ravioli, whose contents have changed from pumpkin, squash, to mushroom. The current Porcini Mushroom Ravioli is served with Sun Dried Tomatoes, asparagus tips, and a creamy truffle Marsala Sauce. Another non-meat dish is the Tuscan Pasta served with sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, capers, Asiago, and light olive oil. I suspect these dishes are not vegan though (not that it matters to me!).

When my wife and I went, she ordered the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and I ordered a special, which was a Creole pasta dish. I also ordered a 3 Philosophers beer. It is SO good. I actually drank two of them, which pretty much prevents you from being able to legally drive a vehicle for like a day and a half.

We were served dinner rolls, which unfortunately were hard and burnt-tasting. We complained to the waitress, who apologized, removed them, but did not offer to bring more. That was a bit disappointing.

We next got side salads, which tasted like salads. Nothing special. I was hoping to get a cup of soup, but my wife wouldn't let me. I supposed she was allowing me to save room for dessert.

Dinner was finally served and it was good! My pasta Creole dish was full of large lumps of seafood. It was slightly spicy, just as I like it. My wife's crab cakes were not spectacularly large, but the lumps of crab meat within them were jumbo, as advertised. She really enjoyed them.

To top it off we got the standard volcano chocolate sundae whatchamacallit. It was basically a single-serving formed chocolate cake heated and covered with chocolate drizzle topped with vanilla ice cream. It was okay. Don't get me wrong - we ate it all! But I certainly wouldn't classify it as dessert heaven.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was quaint and quiet. The sun had not set and light filled the room with the many windows. We really enjoy going there, but on our budget, that is not too often. Meals range in price from about $20 to $35. They have a fine selection of wines that range in price from around $18 if my recollection is correct, up to nearly $100 for a bottle.

For a somewhat fancy dining experience, Baldwin's Station is definitely a nice place to go. You won't see flat screen televisions in the corner with the latest game on, so you'll be forced to talk to your spouse. They have outdoor seating for when the weather is nice. You can also rent the restaurant for special events and on some nights they have a singers. There is also a small bar. And as you can tell by some of the pictures on their website, if you're lucky you may even get to experience a train going by.

E.W. Beck's

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:26:00 +0000

E.W. Beck's
7565 Main Street
Sykesville, MD 21784
(410) 795-1001

A staple for anyone who lives in Southern Carroll County, Beck's is the ultimate family pub. Located right in the heart of downtown Sykesville on Main Street, Beck's offers a variety of family fair, seafood, sandwiches, burgers, and entrées. And beer!

My family has dined there many times and we are friends with the owners. They were actually our neighbors for a while. We had the pleasure of dining there last Sunday with my wife's cousin who wanted to treat us to a late lunch (brunch?). Thanks, Kizzy!

Beck's wasn't too crowded on this particular Sunday, which is quite contrary to any other night. Try getting a table there on a Friday at 6pm or on a Saturday night. You may be waiting a little while - a testament of its popularity. It's always good to get there early or go on a non-weekend night.

Beck's has a bar in the center of the restaurant surrounded by tables, then another room which they annexed with more tables. The other room can be rented for special occasions, like Ravens' Nest meetings.

We were quickly seated and we ordered our drinks. Though Beck's has a nice selection of draft beers, I only got iced tea. I ordered the Filet Mignon sandwich. It's a filet topped with Brie on a bun and served with fries for $12.59. My wife's cousin got the fajitas, my wife got Shrimp Quesadillas, and my oldest daughter got Chicken Quesadillas. My two younger children both ordered the standard chicken strips with fries.

I've also had numerous sub sandwiches and the Prime Buffalo Burger - all very good. If you go there on a Friday, they have seafood chowder that it one of the best soups I've ever had in my life. It's so good that I suspect it's not good for you, but who cares? It's full of chunks of shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops, and clams.

Our service on Sunday was a little slow. Fortunately I was there with my family to make conversation and the NCAA tournament was on, as well, so my son and I were catching glimpses of that.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend trying E.W. Beck's. I always prefer to support a family-owned restaurant rather than the chain-restaurant. Spend local!!!

Beck's - Good food. Good times!

Steve's Deli

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:47:00 +0000

Steve's Deli
11299 Owings Mills Blvd #106
Owings Mills, MD 21117
(410) 753-3354

Some friends from work asked if I was interested in going to Steve's Deli. I had never heard of it. They said it was in the strip mall at the corner of Crondall Lane, near the Owings Mills MVA VEIP. Deli sandwiches? I'm game!

When we walked in the smell hit my face. And it was a good smell. The smell of roasting meat. If you're a vegetarian you can probably stop reading right now. The menu is huge. And it's on the website. With prices. That's a rarity these days. And they have all kinds of deli sandwiches - pastrami, roast beef, turkey, corned beef, brisket, ham, salads, kosher foods. You name it. If you would expect it to be at a deli, Steven's Deli probably has it. They even have chopped liver and tongue.

A young man behind the counter asked us if we were interested in sampling the pastrami. Do you really need to ask people that? Of course I would like a sample of meat. And it was good. And not only was it a sample, it was nearly half a sandwich. So I decided to get it. I got the pastrami sandwich with Swiss cheese on toasted rye, with chips and a drink. I think it came to a little over $10.

The sandwich was packed! It was perfect. I must say one of the best pastrami sandwiches I've ever had. Some in our group even took out some of the meat because they said it was too much. Too much meat? Yes, they were females.

I was very pleased with Steve's Deli and I totally plan to go there again. Check it out!

Cobblestone Tavern & Grille

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:54:00 +0000

Cobblestone Tavern & Grille
1438 Liberty Road
Eldersburg, Maryland 21784
410-795-7001
info@cobblestonetavernandgrille.com

Having been locked up in quarantine for the last couple of months because my daughter has leukemia, we finally got out of the house this weekend. Thanks to a gift card from some very dear friends we have from Church, my wife and I were able to enjoy some much needed time alone and have a wonderful meal together.

Step 1 - babysitting. Our friend, the most selfless person you'll ever meet, came and stayed with my kids for a few hours so we could get out. Fortunately, her son and my son are best friends.

Step 2 - get to Cobblestone. Cobblestone is located smack in the middle of Eldersburg off of Liberty Road behind the nearly vacant Arby's.

Step 3 - seating. There wasn't a huge crowd at Cobblestone, but it was 1:30 in the afternoon on a Sunday. Football season is over, so the beer-drinking crowd is home working on the honey-do list. There were probably 5 other tables with diners and we were told there was a party of 25 in the back room. The decor is classy - dark hardwood, stone, and fake exposed brick. I liked it!

Step 5 - the menu. The menu is fairly reasonable. Steaks, seafood, sandwiches. I was torn between the 10 oz Mignon and the Grilled Mahi Mahi. Mahi Mahi is my favorite fish. Then I realized that my wife's menu had the Valentine's weekend insert that my menu was lacking. It showed Surf and Turf for $25. A fresh lobster tail and a 6 oz. Mignon steak, with 2 sides. My wife and I both chose the Sweet Potato Soufflé and a side salad. I added a bowl of Cream of Crab soup and a pint of Cobblestone Ale.

Step 6 - eating! The ale quickly arrived and it was light. It was okay in taste, but not super special, but not bad either. A good average ale it was. The soup and salads soon followed. The crab soup was magnificent. Creamy. Not very spicy (though I like it a little bit spicier), but it was chocked full of crab meat. Most crab soups these days show a crab to the soup and call it crab soup. Some soups are lucky enough to have the crab take a 5 second dip in the pot.

We finished our appetizers and seemed to wait a fair amount of time for our entree'. However, when it arrived it was fantastic. I ordered my steak medium rare and it was medium rare. Usually the steak is pulled off of the grill when it's medium rare and by the time it gets to you the internal heat cooks it to a medium well. The lobster was buttery and perfectly tender. The Sweet Potato Soufflé was like a dessert - creamy and sweet.

Step 7 - dessert. My wife insisted that she was stuffed, so I ordered the Brownie Sundae. It came with 2 spoons (of course!) a nice sized chunk of hot brownie, a big heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream, and 3 big dollops of homemade whipped cream, topped with Maraschino cherries.

My wife helped me eat it, despite insisting she wasn't hungry as she spooned scoop after scoop of the homemade whipped cream into her mouth.

The total bill came to $73. That's about what we end up paying for our family of 5 on the rare occasion we go out to dinner.

The service was friendly, the atmosphere was relaxing and enjoyable, and the food was really good. I would be more than happy to go there again.

Chilis

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 01:59:00 +0000

Chilis
1312 Londontown Boulevard
Eldersburg, MD 21784
(410) 552-9970

I wouldn't normally write about Chili's. It's not fancy. It's not unique. It's just different meats covered in melted cheeses and bacon. Nothing more. But this is a my forum to write about eating at restaurants. And when you have an absolutely crappy experience, it deserves to be written about.

Some background to add emotion to the whole situation - in October my 3 year old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. My wife had to quit working, so we had a sizable loss of income. We have wonderful friends and family and many gave us gift cards to restaurants that we could use when we didn't have time to cook a meal or just needed to get out.

I hadn't gotten anything out of the freezer for dinner tonight, so I convinced my wife that this was a good opportunity to use our Chili's cards. My wife placed an order online. Chili's has a 2 for $20 special - an appetizer and 2 entres for $20. We got the Texas Cheese Fries, she got the Southwestern Quesadillas with Bacon and Ranch and I got the Jalapeno Chicken Quesadillas (all 3 covered in cheese and bacon). We also ordered the Cheese Quesadillas for my son. She submitted the order. It came to $26.07. It said it would be ready at 6:44pm, which was 15 minutes from when we placed it.

Living 15 minutes away, I left immediately. When I got there the place was packed. There were several people ahead of me in the carry-out line. Once I got up to the counter she gave me my total and I paid - $25 on the gift card and I gave her a buck seven.

We waited for a while, but that was expected given how many people were there to eat. We finally got our food at 7:04pm. I'm not going to complain about that. It was busy. I get it.

When I got home 15 minutes later, I realized that the Jalapeno Chicken Quesadillas were not in the bag. Shame on me for not checking before I left. I called the restaurant, she seemed confused, but said to return and I could get the missing part of me meal.

When I got there she said that I never ordered the Jalapeno Chicken Quesadillas. She then showed me an itemized receipt that just showed "2 for $20 on one line and the Kids Cheese Quesadillas" on the other. "See?", she said. "You didn't order the Jalapeno Chicken Quesadillas."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This doesn't even freakin' make sense. First of all - she was blaming me for not ordering the quesadillas, but then she was inaccurately telling me that the itemized receipt showed I didn't order it. It didn't show anything except that we ordered the 2 for $20 deal! Okay, whatever. She reordered the quesadillas and I waited another 10 minutes or so for them.

I finally got home (it was now 7:48 - more than an hour and 15 minutes after I had originally placed my order). After I ate my meal, I went back to their website and tried to reorder the 2 for $20 deal without including the 2nd meal. It's impossible. You MUST select 2 items. Therefore, there is a flaw somewhere. Either Chili's got it wrong or the error was between the seat and the keyboard.

So in summary, I am less inclined to revisit Chili's in the future. Unfortunately, we still have $30 in gift cards to there. Perhaps I could give them as presents and let someone else deal with the grief that they deliver. By the way, the food was decent. No complaints on the taste.

The Green Turtle

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 02:12:00 +0000

2 Restaurant Park Drive
Owings Mills, MD 21117
443-501-3822
443-510-3834

This is my birthday week and I've been milking it to the best of my ability. My coworkers treated me to lunch at The Green Turtle in the Owings Mills Restaurant Park in Owings Mills in what was formerly the horrible Hops Restaurant.

They (The Green Turtle) have done some work in the restaurant since the days of service the speed of glacial movements provided by Hops. There is now an outside patio with seats and T.V.'s. The bar was moved from the middle to the back corner. The seats have been rearranged and there are more bar tables and stools and less booths.

The fair is Americana - subs, sandwiches, some grilled items, and some salads. I ordered the Reuben sandwich with fries. Another friend got the sliders, one got a hamburger, one a veggie wrap, another a shrimp salad, and the final member of our group got the grilled chicken platter.

The waitress was definitely friendly. Drinks were quickly served, but the delivery of the meal was a bit slow. Not Hops slow, but definitely not as fast as the nearby Red Robin would be.

When the meal finally came the presentation was good. My sandwich was buried under an avalanche of fries. The sandwich was phenomenal. The meat was salty, yet tender. The saurkraut was perfect - not too much, and the cheese was tasty. The fries were pretty good, too. I easily could have eaten another sandwich is was that good.

My friends enjoyed their meals and had no complaints. In celebration of my birthday my friends treated me to the ice cream over chocolate cookie desert. It was really good. The cookie was half-baked (maybe three-quarters). Amazingly (well, not really) I was able to eat it all.

I was very impressed with my first lunchtime visit to The Green Turtle. I would have hoped for the service to be a little quicker, but I can't complain too much. The food definitely made up for it.

Also, if you're in the happy hour crowd, you can reserve a mug. It'll always be there for you. It's a great place. Check it out!

Vito's Express

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 02:03:00 +0000

Vito's Express
11000 Owings Mills Blvd
Owings Mills, MD
410-363-8486

I recently had to run a few errands during lunch at work. A coworker went with me and we decided to go to Vito's Express in Owings Mills for lunch.

Located across the street from the Owings Mills campus of Stevenson University in a small strip-mall, Vito's Express offers your regular pizza, subs, fries, and Italian deserts.

My friend ordered 2 slices of plain cheese pizza because he hates cheese. I don't get it either. I ordered a slice of the cheesesteak pizza and a slice of meat lover's pizza and we split an order of fries. With 2 sodas, our bill was $17 (4 slices of pizza, fries, and 2 large drinks).

The meal was quickly delivered and it was hot and toasty. And ENORMOUS. Why did I not realize how big the slices were? Each slice was the equivalent of 2 slices. I can hear you asking the question - did you eat both of the slices? No.

I started with the cheesesteak pizza. And it was G.O.O.D. It was loaded with steak, onions, peppers, and different kinds of cheese. I'm salivating thinking about it now. And by the time I ate that and some fries, I was d.o.n.e. I could eat no more.

The great thing about this is I got to eat the other slice later! Let me tell you - the meat lover's pizza did not disappoint. Full of sausage, ham, pepperoni, maybe even some burger? Lots of cheese. And I wasn't able to eat the entire second piece in one sitting. It took me two meals to finish the meat lover's pizza.

So basically for $9 I got 3 lunches. Not a bad deal! If you're in the area and looking for great pizza, check them out! It's pretty darn good!

Fuddruckers

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:55:00 +0000

11515 Reisterstown Road
Owings Mills
MD, 21117
410) 654-3001

Not the fanciest place in the world, but I got a coupon for a free burger there and, gosh darn it, I intended on using it!

I happened to take off from work the other day and I gave my kids a choice of several places where we could go for lunch. They all wanted Fuddruckers.

While standing in line I noticed they had some new items - an Elk Burger, a Boar sandwich, an Ostrich Burger (which I don't think is new), and a Bison Burger (which we eat at home all the time).

My daughter and I both decided to order the Elk Burger with a side of fries, and my son got the cheeseburger kids' meal. Even with my coupon, the meal came to $23. Yikes! Hint - always ask for a to-go cup. Otherwise they give you a plastic cup and you can't take any with you!

Fuddrucker's has a great fixin' bar. Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles (really good pickles), tomato and onion relish, and jalapenos. And I always load up on the cheese dispenser cheese. Why pay extra for cheese when you can get liquid cheese from a bag that heated up and dispensed like ketchup.

My elk burger was medium rare and very tasty. Little or no fat. Topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese and jalapenos, I was in heaven. So tasty. And I'm not sure what they do to make their buns taste so good. And the fries are seasoned really well. Good stuff.

My daughter also like her burger, so overall, I think lunch at Fuddruckers was a success. If you're looking for a good burger and willing to pay a little more for it, this is a good place to get it. And you get those vibrating coasters that the kids can play with while you're waiting!

Ginza Japanese Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:24:00 +0000

9616 Reisterstown Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117-4139
(410) 363-4636‎

Today seemed like a good day to go out to lunch. I hadn't had sushi in over a month, so that was the obvious choice. Now the difficult question - which one? China Best? Yuki Sushi? Edo Sushi?

A friend suggested we go to Ginza for their lunch buffet. They have some fancy rolls that if ordered separately would cost about $13. Plus they have an assortment of other items to try.

The first thing I notice when I walked in was water dripping fairly rapidly through a recessed light fixture and into a bucket on the floor. The carpeting was soaked. I could not keep my eye off of the water running across the warped boards on the ceiling, growing heavy, before finally dripping downward.

I finally got the courage to get up and get a plate of sushi. I was then confused by the lack of utensils to get the sushi. There were about 10-12 plates of different kinds of sushi. And there were maybe 3 pairs of tongs - at the other end of the bar. So one had to use a pair of utensils for multiple plates. When I worked at Burger King in high school this was called cross-contamination. Perhaps cross-contamination is now tolerated.

A lot of the sushi was fried or had some creamy sauce on it. I couldn't make out what fish was in most of them. So I just held my breath and took my chances.

The sushi was average. Okay, sightly below average. Not a fan. It didn't seem very fresh - despite seeing the guy behind the counter making it. The pork skewer was good. But that was about it. The wasabi was not that spicy - and I had a lot of it. It was very bland.

I hate to say this - I had a very difficult time understanding the servers. I found myself just shaking my head yes. I know a lot of ethnic restaurants have family members working there where English is a 2nd or 3rd language. But I got the feeling that English wasn't even on the list for most of the servers at Ginza.

The meal was about $13 person. This is what I would pay at Yuki Sushi and more than I'd pay at China Best, so I was not impressed.

Additionally, I would not be surprised to hear that the health department had come in and shut that place down. Water dripping through a light fixture? I'm no safety expert, but I think I learned in first grade that water and electricity don't mix.

So if you're in Owings Mills and in the mood for sushi, you'd be doing yourself a favor and avoiding Ginza.

Salsarita's Fresh Cantina

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:14:00 +0000

324 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 962-8270

I won tickets to see the Baltimore Blast play in a semi-final game on Monday. For those of you not familiar with Baltimore (or sports), the Blast are an indoor soccer team. They were playing La Raza de Monterrey.

The game started at 7:30, I got home at 4:30, and I had to decide between getting a cheap good parking spot and battling traffic or getting a bad expensive parking spot and battling no traffic. I chose the good parking spot.

When my 8 year old son and I arrived at the garage, I scouted a couple of places to eat. I am definitely more adventurous when it comes to eating than your typical 8 year old, so I decided to narrow my choices down to something that wasn't fast food and something that didn't look too ghetto. In Baltimore City, A LOT looks ghetto. To top it off, there was a ghetto McDonald's at the end of the street.

We decided on Salsaritas Fresh Cantina less than a block away from the fabulous 1st Mariner Arena. The restaurant was situated in a renovated building probably built in the late 19th or early 20th century. It was very architecturally pleasing.

Inside we found a clean, modern, quiet, interesting restaurant. Like its cousins Qdoba and Chipotles, you order your food at the counter, they make it right there in front of you and you take it to your seat and eat it.

My son wasn't interested in the kids' menu. It had a cheese quesadilla or a taco. Instead he wanted a steak burrito that cost $6.99. Whatever. We were there to have fun. He got his burrito with only cheese and the corn salsa.

I did notice that they had veggie burritos and a veggie pizza, so for those of you that are anti-meat (God bless the anti-meat crowd - that leaves more for me!) you do have options.

I ordered the white shrimp and cilantro Pizza. Their service was quick and the lady behind the counter was pleasant. With 2 drinks our order came to about $15. I filled up my cup with lemonade and tea before I noticed that they have Mr. Pibb, my favorite soda. So I made that my 2nd drink. My son got the exciting Sprite with no ice.

The pizza shell was basically a burrito wrap. It was very thin and crispy, but did not have much taste on its own. The shrimp were very good and a decent size. The white cheese sauce was just average and there was not much zest to the food. Just not a whole lot of flavor. And with such a thin crust it definitely did not fill me up. Thank goodness for....

As expected, my son couldn't finish his burrito, so my bottomless stomach came to the rescue. I can't throw food out. Even though I'm 37 I lived through the Great Depression. His burrito was fairly small, but the steak was good. However, it was not hot at all and the cheese hadn't melted. This is after it had been in the wrap (which was heated) for at least 15 minutes.

It was definitely interesting eating at Salsaritas. I think the place has potential, but due to the cold burrito and lack of flavor on the pizza, I am not too enthusiastic to return. If given the choice I wouldn't definitely visit the cousins - Qdoba or Chipotle instead.

Nordstrom Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:43:00 +0000

I was recently in Columbia, Maryland for a 2 part seminar. I'm not a big fan of Columbia, Maryland. It's a planned community and everything is hidden so that you can't find it. Then they import traffic so that while you're looking for things that you can't find there are hundreds of cars there to cut you off and distract you. It's a well-planned conspiracy.

Fortunately, my seminar was being held at hotel right across the street from The Mall in Columbia. If worse came to worse I could always eat at the Chick-fil-a in the eatery. However, when I got to the mall I remembered that the Nordstrom's had a cafe that's really good. So I stopped there.

Packed full of stay-at-home mom's and ladies' groups, I think I was the only male patron in the restaurant. Being outnumbered in that respect is usually not a bad thing. The gaggle of side-cheek kissing women in front of me let me go ahead of them, so I graciously accepted there pass and ordered the Italian Ciabatta and a drink. I figured it would be quick and easy.

I paid for my meal, quick and easy, and headed to a small table and broke out my book, Going Rogue by Sarah Palin (but that's a different blog). I wasn't there but a couple of minutes when a splendidly nice hostess (?) came by and asked if I needed anything before my meal was served.

Within a few more minutes my Ciabatta was served and let me tell you it was good! The bread so crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. The meats and cheese were fresh and delicious and a bit spicy, as they should be.

It was a perfectly tasting meal for a lunch break. At about $12, it was a little more than I would have spent on a chicken sandwich at the eatery, but let me tell you it was well worth the price. Additionally, the hostess (what is her official title???) approached me several times to make sure everything was okay. At the end of my meal she took my plate and gave me 2 of those delicious chocolate mint sticks. So yummy! I'd go there just for the chocolate mint sticks!

So if you are ever in the Columbia, Maryland area for lunch, check out the Nordstrom Cafe. Located right next to the women's lingerie section (hubba-hubba), it's the perfect place to get a great tasting meal and watch gaggles of women.

Asian Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Eludius) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:16:00 +0000

9351 Lakeside Boulevard
Owings Mills, MD 21117-5063
(443) 394-2650

Located in the Brookside Center in Owings Mills off of Lakeside Boulevard, this is easily my favorite Asian restaurant in the world. Not only is the food fantastic, the prices are cheap. This is a common place for coworkers to meet for cheap good eats.

I recently went there with 7 coworkers. I like to try different entrees every time I eat there. But I ALWAYS get the Hot and Sour soup. This time I ordered the Hunan Chicken.

As always, the meals are quickly served. It's like they know what we want and have it ready for us. I understand that they probably have most of it premade. but when it's served it's always nice and hot and the portions are bountiful!!!

I was first served my cup (more like a bowl) of Hot and Sour soup. Easily the BEST Hot & Sour soup I've ever had. It's filled with hearty portions of mushrooms, tofu, and bamboo shoots. And it's spicy. Not so spicy that you can't eat it, but just right!!!

Our meals arrived soon after the soups. The Hunan Chicken was piled high. And it was so tasty. Spicy and tasty. And good. And spicy. And tasty!!! There was no way I was going to be able to eat all of it. Julianne-style strips of chicken, mushrooms, and carrots were piled atop a mound of fried rice. Additionally, a fat hot and juicy spring roll was served on the side.

I could only finish half of my meal, which is fine with my wife since I bring it home for her to finish. Everyone at our table loved our meal. I think my portion came to about $6. How can you beat that for a fantastic meal?

So the next time you're in the Owings Mills area for lunch, stop by the Asian Kitchen. You will not be disappointed.