Cheap eats in Charm City

A little bit of Cuba can be found at Havana Road Cafe in Towson

2011-06-27T17:38:00.000-04:00

I was recently invited to try the Cuban cuisine at Havana Road Cuban Café in Towson. I never tried Cuban food before, so I was quite eager to agree to the review request.

I arrived a few minutes before noon to an empty eating area and a warm welcome from the hostess. I handed her my business card and she happily replied, “Oh yes, we knew you were coming!” This sufficiently puffed up my over-inflated sense of self-importance one more notch and I chose a seat where I could get a nice view of the entire dining area during my meal. The dark ceiling with strings of white Christmas lights was a stark contrast to the bright, hot sun of the day. Each table was decorated with a cigar box and a vase with a single flower.

I had the pleasure of emailing the owner and talking with the manager on the phone when scheduling my meal, but unfortunately they were out of town when I arrived and did not get the pleasure of meeting them. However, the VP of Culinary Operations, Alan Manfredonia (Mr. Man for short), was quite friendly and happy to answer my endless questions about Cuban fare. For instance, many menu selections came with Mojo sauce and he explained that Mojo sauce to Cubans is what Old Bay is to Marylanders: it adorns many food items in the area. This tasty sauce is made from chopped garlic and onions mixed with olive oil, citrus juices, and various spices. This basic concoction can be altered to fit the entrée, such as adding chopped mango to sweeten it up for a salad or adding chopped pickles for a more relish-like garnish. At this time, a steady lunch crowd started to file in and fill up the inside and outside seating. The place was full by time I left.

With this bit of information, I ordered the Tostones with Mojo ($4.50). I was thinking these were going to be thin-sliced pieces of fried plantains, but the pieces were quite thick and substantial. Mr. Man explained how they are twice fried: thick cuts of plantains are fried, then mashed flat, then refried to create a disc-inside-a-disk look then sprinkled with seasoned salt. Not knowing any better, I broke the tostones into smaller pieces and used them to scoop small piles of the mojo. I thought the tostones were bland, but I LOVED the mojo! The fresh onions gave a satisfying crunch as well as a sharp flavor, and who doesn’t love fresh garlic? The citrus juices gave a nice tang to the mix. I can see why mojo is added to so many food items. As I was munching away, the aforementioned friendly server asked if I’d like to try their Nali Te. This is an iced tea made from tea, citrus juices, spices and cinnamon. On a hot day like this, this looked like heaven in a glass! I sipped and expected a strong citrus flavor, but the cinnamon was the prominent flavor of the drink.

Now, to the entrée. I could have my pick of the menu and there were many tempting items, but I decided to stay true to my “Mr. Cheap” rules and picked the Classic Cuban Sandwich ($9.00). A few summers back, I discovered the beautiful union of pork and mustard, and this sandwich boasts tender, slow-roasted pork, mustard, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and pressed between two slices of traditional Cuban bread. The firm crust, the gratifying crunch, the thickness of the sandwich, and the tenderness of the tasty pork makes this sandwich a must-try! I scooped mojo with the sharper edges of the sandwich to intensify the flavor. As I was eating, the manager explained how their mojo has actually been picked up by Whole Foods in Annapolis and they’re looking into expand into creating frozen Cuban dinners, which will be carried by Whole Foods in the Baltimore, Annapolis, DC areas. That’s definitely something I’m going to follow up on and look into once they’re available! Another thing I loved about this order was, instead of typical potato chips, they come with thin, crisp plantain chips. This is a nice difference from the typical sandwich side.

After the substantial sandwich, if I wasn’t so full and the day wasn’t so hot, I would have considered a Cuban hot chocolate with fresh churros, but I just couldn’t. Even though most entrees on the menu cash in above my cheap eats price range, this is one item that qualifies as a 'cheap eat' and it is worth it. I am glad this was my first experience with Cuban food.

- Mr. Cheap

Phillips Seafood has a remedy for the summer heat: cold seafood selections

2011-06-04T23:34:00.000-04:00

The heat is rising and one way shellfish lovers can beat the heat is to head to Phillips Seafood for the Cold Seafood Sampler. I was invited to a blogger event where Ms. Classy and I met the ladies who write Girl Meets Food, Lunching in the DMV, and Johnna Knows Good Food and we sampled their cold seafood selections and I am happy to help spread the word.

Our band of bloggers were presented with a beautiful display of cold oysters, crab, lobster, and shrimp while sampling drinks from their happy hour menu. This impressive sight is called “The Chilled Sampler” which consists a bottom layer circled with oysters with a red wine, shallot, and garlic mignonette. The middle layer held shrimp, jumbo lump crabmeat, and tuna tartar with cocktail and mustard sauces. All of this was topped off with a stunning Main lobster surrounded by mouth-watering king crab legs. If you’re a fan of raw bars, this is a must have!

If you’re hankering for some clams, they offer Steamed Mojito Clams. They’re chock full of ginger, so they will bite you back.

After we had our fill (by that I mean cleared the two plateaus) of the various cold meats, we were brought out a platter full of their crab cakes. One thing I have to point out about these babies: almost no filler. They definitely didn’t cut any corners with this meal.

Just when we thought we couldn’t eat anymore, they brought out the dessert plates. On them were Key Lime Pie, Kentucky Bourbon Pie, Chocolate Lava Cake, and Black and White Chocolate Mousse Espresso. My favorite was the Key Lime Pie and Ms. Classy expressed her preference for the Kentucky Bourbon Pie.

Will we be back? Most definitely! We plan to bring a couple friends with us to introduce them to some of the delicious treats we sampled today.

Review request: P.F. Chang's Home Menu

2011-05-28T16:52:00.002-04:00

How does P.F. Chang's Home Menu rate on a Yum to Yuck scale?

So, as you may recall, I review more than restaurants. If it’s tasty and cheap it belongs on this blog. I was contacted by a person representing P.F. Chang’s Home Menu asking if I’d be interested in trying a variety of their flavors in exchange for an honest review. Of course, they had my yes at free. But as you will see, free food will not automatically buy a good review (though free food is more tempting to me than a flat out monetary bribe). I have already unofficially reviewed the Shanghai Style Beef in a previous post so I already had some preset expectations for their other selections. I have rated the meals by three categories: the sauces, other ingredients (noodles, veggies, etc), and the meats. I've also included smileys to further reinforce my opinions and, well, I like smileys.

We, Ms. Classy and I, were given three coupons, each good for one P.F. Chang’s Home Menu selection. We browsed through the freezer section of our local Giant and decided on the Orange Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Shrimp Lo Mein. Each dinner’s retail value is $7.99 for two alleged servings. Obviously, this is much cheaper than heading out to your local P.F. Chang’s but as you will see, you get what you pay for. So without further ado, here’s my in-depth critical analysis in descending order of goodness:

The sauces

The sauces for each selection were perfect. Strong, full flavors in the exact amount to fit the serving size. I could really taste the combination of orange, ginger, and spices in the Orange Chicken. The sweet and sour sauce in the Sweet and Sour Chicken ranks up there with dine-in restaurant quality. You can really taste the sweet and the sourness of the sauce. The sauces are what makes these meals. If they bottled these sauces for individual sale, I would buy them like I do the Nado’s Peri-Peri sauces.

Other Ingredients

These were mediocre at best. The bell peppers and carrot shreds were the best at staying crisp and flavorful through the process of being injected with preservatives, frozen for who knows how long, then cooked. The chunks of pineapple in the Sweet and Sour Chicken held on to their flavor decently, but the texture was not very pleasant to mush around in my mouth. The mushrooms, noodles, edamame, celery, and bok choy seemed to lose their flavors completely, which wasn’t immediately noticeable due to the enjoyment of the sauces that coated them.

The meats

Now we’ve come to the thoroughly disappointing part of the P.F. Chang’s Home Menu offerings. The chicken in the two selections were completely bland and the breading was soggy. The shrimp was tough, which I expected when the cooking directions instructed that I cook the already precooked shrimp for nine minutes. Again, the meats’ flavorlessness was not immediately noticeable due to the powerful flavor of the sauces.

The skinny

Did I say “yuck” and not finish any of these selections? No. If you’re busy and on the go, they’ll work because they’re so quick and easy to prepare and the sauces are so good that you may not notice the other shortcomings. However, will I be purchasing any of these in the future? No.

You have to try the Maryland Tots at Alexander's Tavern in Fells Point

2011-04-18T23:21:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I love it when I’m wrong. The most recent example is when I went to visit Alexander’s Tavern in Fells Point. I solicited suggestions on the best meal in Baltimore for $10 or under and the Maryland Tots at Alexander’s Tavern was a recurring suggestion. The online menu describes them as “tater tots smothered in our crab dip” and at an even $10, it hits the edge of my ‘cheap eats’ limit. I took my dear sweet time coming around to this suggestion because of the description. Sure I love crab dip, but prefer to gobble it up on small slices of fresh, warm bread instead of drizzled over some greasy tots.

An acquaintance from the dark and frozen north, Ms. Stoli, was in town for a prestigious function involving educators from over the country (read: drunken debauchery) and since I was also attending this same prestigious event, we decided to catch a bite at Alexander’s Tavern. First off, I love the neighborhood. Fells Point has that nice “old town” feeling that I really enjoy. Next, Alexander’s Tavern has that down home pub atmosphere, which I also enjoyed.

We sat ourselves at the bar and looked at the happy hour snack menu. There were an impressive amount of selections for only $3 and I was tempted by the tuna bites, but I held firm to my decision to try the Maryland Tots.

I am so glad I did.

As earlier mentioned, I was expecting to see a pile of tots with a thick, cream cheese based crab dip drizzled over top and the dip to be more creamy and less crabby. I was wrong. What came out was a plate of greasy, cheesy, crabby heaven. The tots absorbed a lot of the dip, leaving impressively large pieces of crab mixed in the large potato nugget pile underneath a layer of melted cheese. Be sure to eat these with a fork unless you bring an oil rag to sop up the slick coating from your fingers after every bite. This makes the perfect bar food: cheap, sizable, and able to absorb plenty of alcohol in your stomach to prolong a day dedicated to drunken debauchery. Even though the $10 tips the cheap eat scale, it’s large enough to share.

Now, if you’re a calorie counter, don’t even think about the tots. I shudder to think about the number of smaller arteries that were clogged as a result of that dish. If you want the lighter side of pub fare, try the Mahi-Mahi Gourmet Tacos. The blackened mahi-mahi have a kick which is countered by the coolness of the fresh greens, avocado, and salsa. Don’t apply the sour cream if you want reduced guilt. There are three to an order and if your stomach happens to nearly full with half an order of Maryland Tots, they keep well in the fridge and reheat wonderfully. Ms. Stoli was also feeling the guilt of the tots and ordered a turkey burger on a croissant. She cut me off a piece for posterity sake and I have to say, this was the juiciest turkey patty I have ever sampled. In fact, it was so juicy that the bottom side of the croissant was saturated so I don’t know how guilt free this turkey burger was. But, this isn’t a place you should go if you’re overly calorie conscious.

Was it worth my time and money? Oh yeah. Those Maryland Tots were worthy of Mama’s on the Half Shell status and those mahi-mahi tacos were a good taste of the lighter side of their selections.

-Mr. Cheap Eats

Upcomming events sponsored by Phillips Seafood

2011-03-15T13:29:00.002-04:00

The Art of Cooking with Seafood

Cook, crack & Eat

A Series of Cooking Classes at Baltimore's

Phillips Seafood Restaurant at Harborplace

Ever wonder how to create the most incredible seafood dishes in your own kitchen? Well, wonder no more. Baltimore's Phillips Seafood Restaurant is bringing back Cook, Crack & Eat, a series of seafood cooking classes designed to help you learn the tricks of the trade. Join Chef Todd Weisz for a guaranteed afternoon of learning, laughing and lingering over a demonstration, some wine and a great meal with the chef. Here's the schedule:

Crabology. Saturday, March 19. What is the difference between crab claw meat and jumbo lump crab meat? Enjoy a tasting of the various grades of crab meat with a glass of wine and a demonstration on how to make your own hors d'oeuvres.
Clam Bake for Two. Saturday, April 16. Learn how to shop for fresh seafood, select it and whip up an easy one-pot meal. Then, learn how to combine it all to create a clam bake that includes a whole Maine lobster, snow crab legs, shrimp, clams, mussels, potatoes and corn on the cob. We'll supply all of the tips and some of the tools you'll need. Sip on some wine and sample a clam bake with us in the restaurant before you head home prepared to share your new skills with friends and family. Yum!
The Freshest Catch. Saturday, May 7. Salmon. Barramundi. Flounder. Mahi-mahi. It's all so good but how do you select it, clean it, grill it, or stuff it with crab? Learn all of this and more from one of America's most proficient seafood experts. Enjoy lunch, wine, and discuss all the intricacies of a great meal with the chef. This is no fish tale!

Cook, Crack & Eat presents a great opportunity to meet and learn from one of Baltimore's top toques. Chef Weisz's crowd-pleasing style is sure to entertain and each class will be fun, as well as educational.

Interested? The cost for one class is $50 and it includes the chef demo, wine, lunch, and a swag bag to go. All three classes are $125. Classes begin at 11:30, and space is limited, so register early. Call the restaurant to register at 410.685.6600. Visit their website at http://www.phillipsseafood.com. Phillips Seafood is located in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, 301 Light Street, Baltimore MD 21202.

Chick-fil-A giving away free medium Waffle Potato Fries to introduce new Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup Packets

2011-02-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

As I’ve said on more than one occasion, free is the ultimate cheap eat. In the spirit of getting something for nothing, I’d like to announce that on March 4^th, from 2pm-4pm, will be Free Fry Day. Chick-fil-A will be giving out free medium Waffle Potato Fries in celebration of their new Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup. This offer is good at good at all locations nation wide, not just Charm City (that’s Baltimore to anyone in other states who accidentally stumbled across this site).

This is THE first packet to cater to the dippers and the squeezers out there and Chick-fil-A is the first chain to offer these little tidbits of joy nationwide.

Ketchup lovers can join the fun by posting photos of FryDay dipping and squeezing action on the Heinz Ketchup and Chick-fil-A Facebook pages: www.facebook.com/HeinzKetchup and www.facebook.com/ChickfilA. Twitter users can follow @DipAndSqueeze and @ChickfilA and use the hashtag #FreeFryDay on FryDay, March 4 for a chance to win prizes!

Also, if you tell them that Mr Cheap Eats sent you, I guarantee they’ll respond with a confused “Who?”

Help a good cause and sample some tasty chili!

2011-02-08T06:49:00.000-05:00

Ride For The Feast Chili Cook-Off!

On Sunday, February 27th, east Baltimore will be host to an exciting chili showdown - the 2011 Ride For The Feast Chili Cook-Off! The Cook-Off is organized by the Ride For The Feast, a 2-day, 140-mile bike ride that supports Moveable Feast, a nonprofit dedicated to feeding homebound Marylanders with life-threatening conditions.

Join a chili-loving crowd as they congregate at the Moveable Feast kitchens, located at 901 N. Milton Ave, Baltimore MD 21205. Ride for the Feast riders and volunteers will team up and compete to have the best chili at the competition! Winners will be decided by both popular opinion as well as a judging panel. The event will also feature a raffle of a fabulous (secret) prize!

Last year, charisma & culinary creativity were key factors in winning the crowd's approval. Hundreds of dollars were raised to benefit the Ride for the Feast. It is a great opportunity to enjoy some homemade, unique chili recipes, meet new people, and support a good cause. Visit http://www.rideforthefeast.org and click on "Team Fundraisers" for more information about the Chili Cook-Off.

The Chili Cook-Off will be held on Feb. 27th from 1:00PM to 3:30PM at 901 N. Milton Ave. This event is open to the public. Tickets will be $15 at the door and include chili samples, snacks, and beverages. Raffle tickets will be sold at the door for $5 or inside for $7. Kids twelve and under are free.

Sticky Rice in Fell's Point

2011-01-23T11:51:00.001-05:00

It’s been a while since I posted my last review of one of Charm City’s fine eateries and I had a difficult time selecting a location. Luckily, my better half was on top of the situation and helped narrow down my indecisiveness with suggesting Sticky Rice in Fell’s Point.

I arrived around 5pm and expected all alcohol serving establishments be packed for playoff mania. However, there were a few groups of patrons scattered about the dining area, but I surprised at the relative emptiness of the place. I sat myself at the bar for a good view of the game and browsed the menu. Thanks to Ms. Classy’s research, I already had a good idea of what I was going to order, but I browsed nonetheless in case something else looked more appetizing.

I really liked the mood of the place. It was very dark (bring a miner’s headlamp to help read the menu) which explains the grainy pictures, and the music was set at the perfect volume. I could chat without shouting, listen without cupping my hand behind my ear and jutting it toward the speaker, and still enjoy the full sound of the music. The bar and drink preparation area was beautiful. Carved wood and other decorations (BIG GONG!) reminded me that this was an Asian food establishment.

I’ve said several times before how you should forgo the drink to save a few bucks. Well, I need to level with you: I’m a hypocrite. One of the tantalizing tap levers displayed the Strongbow logo which melted my penny pinching resolve. It’s a good thing I ordered one, too. With a drink in hand and a game on the television, I passed the surprisingly long wait time (considering how empty the place was) for my food.

Speaking of food (like the hokey pokey, this is what it’s all about, isn’t it?), I ordered the small Coconut Shrimp for $9. I asked the friendly server which noodles would best fit and she suggested the thick udon noodles. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the server brought an extra plate for me to discard the tails. I like crushed peanuts, and the coconut pepper sauce mixed everything together in a nice combination. The portion was large enough for me to take some leftovers for Ms. Classy to enjoy.

Too bad I was completely full. There were plenty of interesting and creative creations coming from the sushi bar. Their spicy tuna rolls have whole pieces of tuna instead of the more widespread minced tuna. As I’ve quoted the historical Nathan Hale, “I regret I have but one stomach to give to my dinner.” I left the establishment with a belly full of food and a head full of Strongbow buzz and contented with my experience. It’s not often you find shrimp meals this good and filling for only $9.

-Mr. Cheap

Contest Winner!

2010-12-21T21:45:00.000-05:00

Well, looks like the drawing comes down to three contestants. Luckily, I do carry around my reality defying three sided coin for this exact type of occasion! (My, they seem to happen to me all of the time!) I flipped and #2 came up.

Nikaya@Taste of Baltimore, shoot me an email so I can send you the information to redeem your prize.

Sorry I couldn't give something to everyone. Again, thanks for reading!

-Mr. Cheap Eats.

One $45 gift card give away good at luggage.com, cookware.com, and many other sites!

2010-12-16T19:41:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from Mr. Cheap Eats (and CSNstores.com)! To put a little extra merry in one lucky reader’s Christmas, I’m giving away one $45 gift card to CSNstores.com. CSNstores.com consists of over 200 online stores where you can find anything from Delsey Luggage to Le Creuset cookware. Have a little one that needs one more gift to have the perfect Christmas? Click here! Does your four legged friend need a new chew toy? Browse here. To see a list of all the websites you can choose from, click here.

Rules are simple: just leave a comment on this post or my Facebook page of what you would like to order. I will compile a list of everyone who enters in alphabetical order and randomly pick one lucky winner. Contest will end Monday, December 20^th. Even though it may be a little late for Christmas, it’ll be nice to know there’s still one gift on the way!

Thanks for reading!

-Mr. Cheap Eats

Wendy's Natural Cut French Fries with sea salt

2010-12-06T21:34:00.001-05:00

Following the trend other fast food chains set by refreshing old menu items, Wendy’s, in an effort not to be left out, revamped their old, unnaturally cut fries to a new “Natural Cut” fries. I took no notice of this, since I only turn to fast food when I can only scrounge a meager $2.00 instead of rolling high on my $10.00 cheap eats budget. That is, until one day I checked my email and found a message from foodbuzz.com offering a chance to taste these new Natural Cut Fries in exchange for an honest blog post. Of course, I accepted and have now concluded my legal disclosure obligation.

Now, onto more important things, such as the French fries. It has been a while since I’ve had their old fries and I had to dig deep back into memory to conjure their flavor. I do remember they were thicker with a slight mealy texture. The new fries are slimmer, crisper, and made completely of russet potatoes. They had a distinct potato flavor (unlike the old ones, which tasted like “fried”) and I am a fan of the stronger tasting sea salt as apposed to the conventional salt of old. In the end, Wendy’s Natural Cut fries are better than their old ones, though I’m unsure what “Natural Cut” is supposed to mean.

Just remember, the word “natural” does not mean healthy. A medium serving of these fries contain 420 calories with 20 grams of fat.

-Mr. Cheap

Recipe: Guinness Beef Stew

2010-11-01T21:31:00.000-04:00

As much as I love the summer, there’s one thing I really enjoy about the colder weather. It’s now time to bust out the slow cooker and make large amounts of hot, hearty meals. I don’t do a lot of recipes, but this one is so good it’s worth sharing. It’s based on a recipe we got from elsewhere, but we changed it to fit our likes. I’ll call it “Guinness Beef Stew”, though I’m sure there are thousands of beef stew recipes have this name. So without further ado, here’s the recipe:

4 tsp of cooking oil

2 lbs of stew beef, cubed

¾ lb of white button mushrooms

3 tbs of flour

3 cups of Guinness

4 large carrots, peeled and chopped into large pieces

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, crushed (we LOVE garlic, you may want to use less)

1 ½ tbs Dijon mustard

2 bay leaves

Seasoned salt to taste

Garlic powder to taste

Pepper to taste

First, I took the task of browning the meat while Ms. Classy chopped the onion, carrots, and mushrooms. We have quite a large frying pan so we can brown all two pounds, but those with smaller frying pans may need to do one pound at a time. I oiled the pan, tossed in the meat, and then seasoned the daylights out of it with seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder. After a nice seared outside formed, I flipped the meat, then proceeded to season the daylights out of the other side. Ms. Classy chopped the onions and carrots and put them into the slow cooker. Once the meat was browned on all sides, I tossed in the double-daylight seasoned meat, then drained the excess fat but did not clean the pan.

Place the chopped mushrooms into the pan with essence of cooked meat then cooked for 5-7 minutes. The mushrooms will release their moisture and it will evaporate into a glaze, also absorbing the left-over meat flavoring. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and leave it sit cooking for 10 seconds. Now stir in the flour with the mushrooms and cook for about 30 seconds. Now comes my favorite part (maybe because we use three cups and we bought two-cup cans, leaving the extraneous cup for myself), pour in the Guinness and whisk/stir constantly until it thickens and starts bubbling, about 3-5 minutes.

Once that’s finished, place it all into the slow cooker along with the garlic, mustard, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir to evenly combine it all and set the slow cooker on low for about eight hours or until you can’t resist the beefy aroma filling your whole place, just make sure the meat is nice and tender if you give in. I recommend the use of Guinness because it accents the beef taste in every bite. It is so good. However, I will ease off a bit on the seasoned salt next time.

This makes eight servings and at 275 calories a serving, it may stick to your ribs, but not your waste. Those of you dining alone or just in a duo, it reheats wonderfully and you’ll look forward to these leftovers for lunch and dinner the next day.

Correction - Abbey Burger Bistro

2010-10-14T11:07:00.002-04:00

I have recently posted about my dining experience at Abbey Burger Bistro and mistakenly claimed their beef as roseda beef. Abbey Burger Bistro gets their beef from Piedmont Ridge, a local farm that is family owned and operated.

You can read about them and make orders at http://www.piedmontridge.com/

Sorry for the misidentification!

-Mr. Cheap

October Weekend Activities in Maryland - Quite the 'Spirited' Month

2010-10-13T19:46:00.002-04:00

· Boordy Vineyards Autumn WineFest (Baltimore County): Every Sunday in October, celebrate 2010 Vintage by visiting Boordy Vineyards from 1-5 pm. Get a taste of gourmet foods, local cheeses, and organic breads while you enjoy live music, dancing, and vineyard wagon rides. Brings friends to the vineyard and sip on wine; while taking in the beautiful scenery and celebrate the spirit of Maryland.

· Maryland Autumn Wine Festival (Salisbury): This is a two-day wine festival on October 16 and 17 at Pemberton Historical Park in Salisbury, Maryland. The festival offers wine tastings, wine by the glass, and full bottles available for purchase from the many local wineries and vineyards such as Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, Maryland and Penn Oaks Winery in Silver Spring. The eighth annual Wine Festival feature arts and crafts, live musical performances, and regional cuisine from all corners of the state including chicken, pit beef, funnel cakes, blooming onions, and deep fried Twinkies.

· 2010 Reggae Wine Festival (Mt. Airy): Also on October 16-17, happening at Linganore Winecellers – Berrywine Plantations. Try over 30 wines for all taste-palettes, ranging from red diner wines, to sweet fruity wines. Enjoy two days of live music, browse the work of local craftsmen and artisans, and taste delicious foods on this family-owned vineyard. The vineyard is nestled on 230 acres of beautiful Maryland countryside. Gates to the festival open at 11 am.

· Brewer’s Alley (Frederick): Maryland has over 30 local breweries, including The Brewers Art in Baltimore City, and DOG Brewing Co. in Westminster. Pay tribute to Maryland beer, and check out Brewer’s Alley, the first Brewpub in Frederick County. Meet Maggie Lenz, the only female head brewer in the State and enjoy house beers and culinary creations in the heart of Historic Frederick. Feeling ‘spirited’ mid-week? Go on a Tuesday night and enjoy live music from local musicians and bands.

Abbey Burger Bistro - Best burgers I've had in Baltimore

2010-10-07T19:25:00.002-04:00

When I visited Burger Brother’s in Towson, I noted that they had the best onion rings in Baltimore, but not the best burgers (I do repeat: they are the best burgers in Towson). I do apologize for any sleep you all have lost waiting in desperate anticipation for naming the restaurant I’ve dubbed best burgers in Baltimore. We’ll, wait no more. Abbey Burger Bistro has the best burgers in Baltimore. You can read my examiner article about it here. If I’m wrong, please let me know and I will be happy to sample the competition.

Before starting my blog, I frequented Thai Arroy and Kiku Sushi on a semi-regular basis. When parking proved to be a pain, we would park a few blocks out of our way. Sometimes, our trek to the restaurant would take us within the fragrance perimeter of Abbey Burger Bistro and the aroma of sizzling meat was almost enough to pluck me off my path and redirect me to burger heaven.

Well, finally, we allowed ourselves to give in the Power of the Burger and visited. I knew I wanted the peanut butter burger before even looking the menu, but allowed myself to browse the selections in case something that sounded more amazing jumped out at me. Well, as Nathan Hale bravely said, “I regret that I have but one life to give to my country,” I patriotically echo centuries later with, “I regret that I have but one stomach to give to my meal.” It was hard to stick with my conviction once I saw the out of the ordinary options on the menu.

Peanut butter on a hamburger may raise the eyebrows of the culinary unadventurous, but I’m willing to try anything that features peanuts or peanut butter (I love those little legumes!) I heeded the suggestion of a few food blogs that when ordering the peanut butter burger, have the meat cooked no more than medium because you need juicy meat to counter act the stickiness of the peanut butter. I was hooked after the first bite: the thick, juicy meat, the sweet peanut butter, and the salty bacon complimented each other amazingly. If you love a good sweet and salty combo, put this on your ‘to try’ list.

Ms. Classy ordered Harry’s Bistro Burger, which consists of local beef from Piedmont Rdige, bacon, melted cheddar cheese, a sunny-side up egg, rested inside an English muffin. The egg and beef flavor combo work quite well together, but this should be no surprise to anyone who has ever had steak and eggs for breakfast. The thick, salty bacon and English muffin complete this hybrid of breakfast and dinner.

If you aren’t impressed with their unorthodox selections (I admit, I’ve never had an ostrich burger), then they have a build-a-burger checklist. If you’re half the proud cheapskate as I am, you’ll exercise caution using this because piling on the toppings will also pile on your bill. The sides also come at an extra cost, aside from the homemade chips. We had the sweet potato fries which were firm and crispy on the outside, and soft and sweet on the inside.

What better to wash it all down with than one of their tasty beers on tap? We had the Ommegang Hennepin and Magners Irish Cider. The Ommegang Hennepin has a sour-citrus flavor slightly reminiscent of Blue Moon. The spicy finish gives the feeling of autumn and evoked a “sit around a campfire on a chilly night” feeling. If you find Woodchuck too sweet, the Magners is a bit on the dry side and should suite you just fine.

-Mr. Cheap

Miss Shirley's is having a FREE happy hour for Facebook fans.

2010-09-24T20:41:00.001-04:00

As I always say, free is the ultimate cheap eat. October 7th from 5:30 to 7pm Miss Shirley's will host a free happy hour to all those who RSVP on their Facebook page. However, only the first one hundred attendees at both locations will be invited in for complimentary cocktails and samples of their menu selections.

I know I've posted a less than stellar review of Miss Shirley's, but I did also mention I've had positive experiences before I decided to share my dining experiences with anyone who would care to listen. If you choose to visit, here's my advice: stick to the savory selections. I've had plenty of success with their non-sweet menu selections (the Southern Slammer is a good example).

If you're interested in attending, here's the Facebook link so you can RSVP http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102657629798832&ref=ts

Dine out tomorrow, September 23, and help bring delicious meals to house-bound people

2010-09-22T15:58:00.000-04:00

If you go out for dinner at any day this week, make it tomorrow, September 23. Why? Because a portion of your bill will be donated to bring food to house-bound people with debilitating diseases such as HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and other life-threatening conditions. To find out more about this wonderful program, visit http://www.mfeast.org.

Do you need to sign up anywhere or buy tickets before hand? No. Just go out to eat. Here’s a list of participating restaurants. I really hope you find something to your liking. Go out, enjoy the meal, and help bring good, nutritious food to a home-bound person. A list of participating restaurants can be found here: http://www.diningoutforlife.com/baltimore/participating

You can also find Moveable Feast on facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dining-Out-for-Life-Baltimore/133249760024192

Here’s a cut and paste of the media advisory:

GOING TO YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT CAN

MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE’S LIFE

Dining Out for Life Fundraiser Benefits Moveable Feast

Baltimore, MD- Whether you like burgers and beer at your favorite local pub or you like fancy cocktails and filet mignon, there is a way you can feed others by simply making a reservation! Join hundreds of Baltimoreans as they participate in “Dining out for Life,” taking place on Thursday, September 23, 2010 benefiting Moveable Feast, the area’s sole provider of meals for people living with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging conditions, such as breast cancer. For more information, please visit www.mfeast.org or call 410-327-3420, ext. 11.

Dining Out for Life is an annual fundraiser that encourages local residents to dine at participating restaurants and eateries who agree to donate at least 20% of their check total to Moveable Feast. The event takes place in the Baltimore Metropolitan area and a complete listing can be found on the web site.

Moveable Feast was founded in 1989 by a group of dedicated volunteers as a tax exempt nonprofit and is the only meal delivery program for homebound People Living with AIDS and their families in the Greater Baltimore area. Moveable Feast also provides meals to women in treatment for breast cancer, transportation services, and a culinary training program. They are located in downtown Baltimore City.

WHAT: Dining Out for Life

To benefit Moveable Feast of the Baltimore Metropolitan Area

WHEN: Thursday, September 23. 2010

WHERE: Various Restaurants and Eateries throughout the region. Log onto the web site at www.mfeast.org for a complete listing.

MORE

INFORMATION: Call 410-327-3420.

Can you be the next Food Network Star?

2010-09-15T21:41:00.001-04:00

The Next Food Network Star

is NOW CASTING Season 7 in Baltimore!

Do you think you have what it takes to host your own show on the Food Network?

Calling all Chefs, Line Cooks, Home Cooks, Caterers and Culinary Enthusiasts!

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Strong Culinary Skills Personality that Pops

Passion for Cooking Food Knowledge

Lots of Energy and Enthusiasm

Baltimore Open Call

Date: Sunday, September 26, 2010

Time: 10am-3pm

Location: Pier 5 Hotel

711 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202

What to Bring:

1. Two recent photos

2. A copy of your resume

3. A COMPLETED application (found at www.FoodNetwork.com/star)

For more information or questions please e-mail at nfns7baltimore@gmail.com or visit www.nfns7casting.com.

Deadline extended for the crab recipe contest.

2010-08-12T10:08:00.000-04:00

I posted earlier of a crab recipe contest (read about it here in case you missed it). The original deadline has been extended from August 15th to August 23rd.

More details can be found at the Ultimate Crab Challenge web page.

Last year's birthday fine dining selection: Fogo De Chao

2010-08-09T15:29:00.000-04:00

Well, it’s that time of year again. My birthday is looming at the end of the week and I’m slowly dragging my feet, reluctant to meet it head on. However, on this day, I throw off the shackles of “cheap eats” and choose a fine dining establishment where I would outwardly disdain for its overinflated prices, yet inwardly long to try the delectable fancy menu items.

Last year, my fine dining selection was Fogo De Chao. It’s the top buzz on Baltimore’s urbanspoon.com page and my friends from Hoboken raved about the unlimited, high quality meat selections. So 361 days ago, I chose this expensive place. We choose to go during lunch because it is a bit cheaper than their dinner hours. First, we were dressed casually, not slovenly mind you, polo and jeans casual. Due to the reputation and fancy façade of Fogo De Chao, we were momentarily concerned if we were dressed appropriately. If that were the case, we would have happily chosen another place that would be just as happy to accept our money. We were instantly greeted and welcomed and when we entered the dining area, our under dressed concerns were completely dismissed as we gazed upon patrons dressed in tank tops and cut off sweat pants. Once we were shown to our table, our host explained how everything works by signaling with a two sided disc (green side up for MORE MEAT, red side up for NO MEAT – complicated stuff). Sure enough, once you turn your green side up, you can hardly count the moments before a server with a skewer of meat arrives at your table. Once you get a plateful, do remember to turn it back to red lest you be buried underneath the ensuing meatalanche. I was excited to see how much meat I could consume, as I’ve mentioned before, my eyes are always bigger than my stomach.

Did I like it? Sort of, I was quit lukewarm feeling about it. Factoring in the cost of the meal along with the quality, my opinion veers slightly toward the negative. It wasn’t long before a lot of the different meat cuts tasted the same, honestly. There seemed to be a lot of dryness and a lot of saltiness throughout many of the cuts. One the up side, the salad bar was amazing. It honestly was the best salad bar I have ever experienced. Gigantic, fresh, crisp asparagus stalks, slices of smoked salmon, fresh mozzarella cheese, and much more. However, even the best salad bar ever couldn’t make up for the price. I did walk away, like everybody that walks out of there, stuffed sickeningly full and did not need to eat for the rest of the day.

People say they’d go once for the experience, which I don’t understand. If you want to overpay for some meat that’s on the dry side, I’ll sell you that last piece of dried bologna in the back of my fridge for $30, and you don’t even have to tip me. Okay, I’m stretching the truth there since I don’t actually eat bologna. If you’re looking to stuff yourself silly, I know of several places where you can do just that at half the price. If you are looking for high quality dining that’s actually fancy, I would suggest looking into fine dining spots were people go for artisan cooking instead of the soul purpose of engorging themselves.

Any suggestions for this year's fine dining selection?

The homemade jam is worth the wait at Blue Moon Café

2010-08-06T10:11:00.003-04:00

Many people rant and rave about Blue Moon Café and I suppose I couldn’t be a proper cheapskate connoisseur without throwing in my two cents (which is all I have at any given moment, anyway). First off, there seems no getting around the wait. One tactic I’ve employed is put my name down on the list then head across the street to Liquid Earth, share a healthy and tasty vegetable smoothie with a confidant of some sort, and play a game of Fluxx or two.

If not, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the weather and the breath taking scenery of Aliceanna St. while up and coming comedians will practice their routines on the captive audience as they park their vehicles, view the accumulated crowd, then announce, “The place is closed! Everyone go home!” then smirk at their own wit as they walk inside to add their names to the list. This will happen about two or three times.

Once the powers that be decide you have wasted away in purgatory long enough, you will be permitted to enter. If you’ve never been here, you maybe disconcerted by the lights shining up through the gaps in the floorboards. Will the dining area full of patrons crash through at any moment? I’ve been there about a half dozen times and it hasn’t happened yet, but the gaps combined with the constant creaking did unsettle me a little.

In the dead of winter, you wouldn’t want to be seated by the door. The place is small with no breezeway so patrons will be hit with an arctic blast every time new additions to the surrounding crowd come in to put their names on the list. The atmosphere, other than cramped, is ‘eclectic’. The eerie paintings and wiccan-esque nick nacks are hopefully enough to keep those sympathetic with Fred Phelps and his ilk away. There’s a small dry erase board up near the ceiling with a daily 80s trivia quote and once upon a time, a prize of a free coffee would be presented to anyone who correctly guessed which movie/song/tv show that was quoted, but the proliferation of smart phones also lead to a proliferation of cheaters, so a correct guess will only get you the satisfaction of being reminded of living through the 80s. Many on staff have an impressive display of body art. I am by no means judging (well, I look down my nose at this guy’s tattoos. I judge thee, sir!), I enjoy looking at intricate tattoos as much as tattooed people liked to be stared at by strangers. I was particularly impressed with a very detailed scene of the rumpus from a childhood’s favorite Where the Wild Things Are covering the upper arm of one of the workers.

Now, finally, to the food: is it worth the wait? The menu has a nice range of ‘cheap eats’ and some pricier selections containing crab and salmon. In all my times here, I’ve tried the Cap’n Crunch French toast, and in the fall, the pumpkin French toast. These are very sweet selections, but I grew up slathering my pancakes with peanut butter then soaking them with maple syrup, so I likes me a sweet breakfast. However, today I had the chorizo with three scrambled eggs for $8.95. They came with a side of hash browns and a flour tortilla. I was hoping the chorizo would be on the hotter side of spicy, but it only registered ‘slight zing’ on my patented sausage spice calibration kit, but it was alright. The scrambled eggs were good: fluffy and not overdone. I didn’t bother with the tortilla, just eating my sausage and eggs with a fork. I did like the hash browns quite a bit. The portion size was pretty large and the potatoes were sizzled to a crisp on the outside, with the tender little strips of hot potatoes on the inside. Just sprinkle with salt to taste and you’re in hash brown heaven, baby.

Is this alone worth the wait? Well, honestly, depends on how large the waiting crowd is. For simple breakfasts, Pete’s Grill is a good rival, but Pete’s Grill also has a space issue and there’s a wait sometimes, but I’ve never waited as long as I had at Blue Moon.

But wait, I’m not finished with that lukewarm review of my meal. There is one thing at Blue Moon Café that I love: the home made jam. Most breakfast places have those little packages of gross grape jelly or might add to their impressive selections with little packages of strawberry jelly, and if you’re really lucky, little packages of orange marmalade. Today, their jam du jour was blueberry and it tasted like the warm innards of homemade blueberry pie. A side biscuit or toast will add $2.25 to your bill, so if you want to keep your status as a proud cheapskate, order a menu item that explicitly states it comes with toast or a biscuit.

Crab cake recipe contest. Deadline is August 15th and top prize is $1,000

2010-08-04T13:51:00.002-04:00

Crab Lovers, Cooks Invited to Submit Relished Recipes to Win Cash Prize and Spot on Phillips Menu

LANDOVER, Md. (July 15, 2010) – Giant Food of Landover, Md. and Phillips Seafood will host the first “Ultimate Crab Challenge” recipe contest, inviting crab gourmets to submit their favorite original crab recipes for a chance to win $1,000 and the opportunity to have their recipe featured on Phillips Harborplace’s menu. Entries will be accepted online at www.UltimateCrabChallenge.com beginning July 16 through August 15, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. A panel of Giant and Phillips Seafood chefs will serve as preliminary judges. The top three finalists of the recipe contest will participate in a cook-off on Saturday, September 11, at the Maryland Seafood Festival taking place at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, Md.

General rules of participation in the competition are as follows:

All recipes must be original creations and submitted electronically at http://www.ultimatecrabchallenge.com/ by 11:59 p.m. on August 15, 2010
Crab meat must be the primary ingredient and recipes must call for at least one pound of crab
Recipes can be for a hot or cold dish
Preparation time, including cooking time, must not exceed 30 minutes
Three finalists will be selected by a panel of Giant and Phillips Seafood chefs; if selected as finalists, participants will be allowed 30 minutes to prepare their original crab creations during a cook-off at the Maryland Seafood Festival on Saturday, September 11, 2010
All U.S. residents of at least 18 years of age and of the legal age in their state are welcome to participate

Recipes will be judged based upon taste, ease of preparation, creativity and clarity of cooking instructions. Three finalists will be selected and notified on or before September 2, 2010. Finalists will be invited to participate in the inaugural “Ultimate Crab Recipe Challenge” cook-off at the Maryland Seafood Festival from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. on September 11, 2010. The first prize winner will receive the grand prize of $1,000 and the honor of having their recipe featured on Phillips Harborplace’s menu. The second and third place winners will receive $100 gift cards to Giant Food and Phillips Seafood Restaurants.

For contest rules and to enter, please visit http://www.ultimatecrabchallenge.com/.

Big Bad Wolf's House of Barbecue has unique and tasty sauce selections

2010-08-04T12:28:00.002-04:00

Ms. Classy and I were jonesing for a cheap dinner and I also felt it high time to grace my readers with another Pulitzer-worthy post (oh mark my words, when the people from the Pulitzer Board come down to the Baltimore, get hungry, then realize they have little more than pocket change on them, who do YOU think they’ll come to for advice? Hmmmm?) I hopped onto urbanspoon.com and checked my wish list and barbecue ribs seemed to hit the spot. We had been to Andy Nelson’s twice (blog post still to come and I’ll link to it as soon as I bother to post it) and we wanted to try some place different. So we set sail (read: hopped into my little Ford Focus) and set our navigation equipment (read: dashboard GPS) for the exotic Harford Road.

The ordering, serving,

dining, and waiting

area - All in one.

We arrived at the little yellow shack unscathed. We stepped to the ordering area, which also serves as the waiting/seating/dining area and pondered the menu. Like every barbecue shop, the aroma alone would turn any vegetarians who are questioning their lifestyle choice. Ms. Classy even noted they could increase their profits if they figured out how to package and sell it. We had read the sides were not good at all, but we don’t go for ribs for the sake of the sides. However, we were intrigued by a limited time only sauce: blueberry barbecue. We inquired and the gentleman said they were out for the day and it was his brother who concocted the recipe, who was also out for the day. On a happier note, their Carolina Mustard Sauce was in ample supply. We placed two half racks of spare ribs, one with Carolina Mustard Sauce, the other with Kansas City Sweet Sauce. Since the “cozy” spatial arrangements of the dining area would require us to be more intimate with strangers, we decided to take our order to go.

This is one of two plates
filled by our order.

When we got home, I hit that meat like a lawn mower. I had to remind myself to slow down, savor the meat and sauces, and put my eating experience into soul-moving, unforgettable prose (Pulitzer, remember?). After removing the meat from the Styrofoam package, we sopped up the sauce drippings with the cornbread (not the greatest cornbread, but good enough). The Carolina Mustard Sauce was my favorite. If you’ve never tried such a thing, I suggest you go out and try it. A half rack of spare ribs is only $8.49 and enough meat for a full meal. The Kansas City Sweet sauce was also perfect for that style: smoky and sweet! As far as the meat goes, I found it on the not-so-tender side: no falling off the bones, no pulling into little shreds. I prefered the meat from Andy Nelson’s, but liked the sauce selection at Big Bad Wolf’s House of Barbecue better than Andy Nelson’s. Ms. Classy endorsed Big Bad Wolf’s all the way.

Maybe if Andy Nelson’s utilized those plastic pigs in some sort of Big Bad Wolf’s unique sauce smuggling ring, or if the Big Bad Wolf huffed and puffed and stole Andy Nelson’s piggy meat, then either place could brag the best ribs this close to the Mason-Dixon, but not this side of the Mason-Dixon.

Does anyone have any suggestions about a barbecue place that can rival the meat of Andy Nelson’s or the sauces of Big Bad Wolf’s House of Barbecue?

-Mr. Cheap

My favorite summer snack: Light, delicious, and very low in calories!

2010-07-27T14:16:00.000-04:00

My specialty may be finding good restaurant meals for $10 and under. Even though I’ve found plenty of meals that were light on the wallet, that doesn’t necessarily mean they were light on the calories. To keep ourselves in check, Ms. Classy and I do snoop out ways to cut calories from our meals at home much like I find ways to shave dollars from our dining tab. I’d like to share one of our favorite summer time snacks. It’s cool, light, and so tasty, you may opt for one of these instead of a slab of strawberry shortcake if you are calorie conscious. If you're new to the dieting scene, you may feel like this when you hear 'reduced calorie', but I promise you, if reduced calorie is truly what you desire, you will not be disappointed.

We decided to pick up some crunchy puffed wheat/rice/corn patties called Coco Pops, even though there’s nothing coco about them. There are fifteen of these thin, practically flavorless patties per bag. At only sixteen calories per patty, they way undercut a slice of bread or gourmet crackers (and about half the calories of a standard rice cake as well) for a spreading surface. They’re thin and don’t have the problem with crumbling that rice cakes tend to have. You can find them at Wegmans, firing fresh from the machine like hockey pucks at a plexi-glass backboard, along the back wall between the dairy and fresh meat sections. On their own, they’re pretty flavorless, but their wide surface areas gives a creative mind limitless opportunities for dressing up.

Next, spread on some light whipped topping. At 20 calories for two table spoons, feel free to be much more generous with yourself than if you were using anything cream cheese based, including light cream cheese.

Now, here’s the part that will fool your taste buds into believing you are eating strawberry shortcake. Get a tub of frozen strawberries in light syrup. When they thaw, the strawberry ‘juice’ drizzled over the whipped topping fooled my taste buds and it’s worth trying to see if it’ll fool yours. I know fresh strawberries or frozen without syrup will save a few calories, but we can spare a few here. They are only 50 calories for half a cup and we're not going to use anything near that. Finally, I top it off with a few fresh blueberries.

And tah-dah! You have something that can sedate the savage sweet beastie in all of us. Just one consideration: this is very light and is not very filling. Like a candy bar, this does not satisfy hunger, just your sweet tooth. If you love strawberry shortcake, you should give this a try.

Andy Nelson's: The best restaurant with a drive through

2010-07-25T12:17:00.001-04:00

Baltimore is known for pit beef style barbecue, which is good stuff, but sometimes I want some ribs and many local food blogs pointed me towards Andy Nelson’s. Not just any ribs, mind you, but some place where they really master the craft. Ms. Classy and I headed down to South Carolina last summer and I was convinced I would never be content with barbecued ribs or breaded shrimp around here again (what’s up with boiled peanuts by the way?)

Shortly after moving here, I couldn’t help but notice the big plastic pig along York Road when we were hopping from Target to Wegmans. If you have never been to Andy Nelson’s, I recommend the drive through. The over-the-top pig paraphernalia, the human horde swarming the waiting area, and a huffy worker rolling her eyes and sighing every time she had to mop around a waiting patron were just a few things I didn’t like about the atmosphere. However, if you do opt for the drive through, you will miss out on the aroma. Like any barbecue joint, the smell inside is amazing. The smell of smoke and roasting meat is enough to bring out the primal carnivore inside everyone. I prayed the aroma flowing from the barbecued meats would continue to overpower any smells that may be seeping up from the tightly packed corpulent crowd on this very hot day.

I’ve read a few online reviews mentioning their Carolina Mustard Sauce and I inquired about getting the tangy sauce slathered over our ribs. The staff member on duty seemed confused about by query. He could do it, he supposed, but he never had such a request and he did seem genuinely puzzled that someone would want such a thing. I was then informed that the mustard sauce was only offered on Thursdays with their pulled chicken sandwich, which was also only offered on Thursdays. Oh well, bring on the Bama BBQ Sauce.

We got ourselves a rib platter. At $20.83, this is $0.83 over my cheap eats limit for two, but a few hours of checking the coin returns of soda machines and pay phones should cover that discrepancy. I’ve read several posts of people raving about the corn bread and I cannot. I found Andy Nelson’s cornbread too dry. This may sound like heresy to endorse a bland, soulless chain over a lovable local joint, but the corn bread I had at the Smokey Bones in Lansing, MI was preferable. The barbecue potato wedges were good, but very “potato-y” and not so much “barbecue-y” which may turn some people off. But really, who goes to a barbecue place because they heard the sides were good? Now to the meat: yummy. You can order the ribs wet or with a dry rub and we always prefer wet. Their signature Bama BBQ Sauce is good: smoky, a hint of pepper, and not so strong as to overpower the meat. The meat was tender in most spots. I got the piece with the ends of the ribs, so it had some tougher areas, but not so much as to dislike them. Ms. Classy got the better cut and did not have this hitch. Even though they were good and I did like them, they weren’t the oh-my-god-fly-me-up-to-heaven-on-the-back-of-a-feather-winged-angelic-pig good, like in South Carolina. But in all fairness, I’m sure South Carolina has a thing or two to learn about creating the perfect crab cake.

Will we go back? Yes. However, I would like to pass on the ribs but not because I didn't enjoy them. Many people have raved about the wings (barbecued, not fried!) and missing out on the Turkey Q is considered a mortal sin in some of the more extreme religious sects in the area.

Domino® Sugar to hold Great American Bake Sale®

2010-07-20T13:57:00.001-04:00

Company to match funds raised to help Share Our Strength® end childhood hunger in America

BALTIMORE, MD—Employees of the Domino® Sugar Baltimore plant will host a bake sale on Wednesday, July 21st at the Inner Harbor from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., as part of Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale® campaign to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. The event will be held on the corner of Light St. and E. Pratt St. on McKeldin Square, where Domino® Sugar employees will offer a variety of donated baked goods to raise funds. As a major sponsor of Share Our Strength, Domino® Sugar has agreed to match contributions raised at the Baltimore bake sale dollar for dollar. Success of this event will be measured not only by the dollar amount of funds raised, but also by the number of people who become aware of the seriousness of our nation’s hunger epidemic among children.

WHAT: Domino® Sugar & Share Our Strength® Great American Bake Sale

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, July 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. McKeldin Square - Intersection of E. Pratt St. and Light St. Baltimore, MD 21202

It's not too late to participate in Maryland's Buy Local Challenge Week!

2010-07-19T15:24:00.001-04:00

If you have not already heard, this week is Maryland’s Buy Local Challenge Week (June 17-25). Marylanders who take the challenge are asked to eat at least one item from a local farm every day of the week. The easiest way to participate is, obviously, visit a farmer’s market and pick up a week’s worth of fruits and veggies. However, if you want a night out on the town, here’s a list of places to go around Maryland that are participating in the ‘buy local food’ movement:

Boordy Vineyards , Maryland's oldest family-run winery (established in 1945), presents Good Life Thursdays – a "sustainable happy hour," 4-8 p.m. The weekly summer event features organic and local food, wine, and entertainment by local musicians. Boordy, located in Baltimore County, also stages Saturday night concerts.

More than 25 of Howard County’s finest restaurants are serving up savings and locally grown products to help budgets and the environment during Farm2Table Summer Restaurant Weeks (July 26-Aug 8). Fabulous prix fixe chef’s menus from $10.10 (yes, you can still support local farms and be cheap!) to $40.10 will feature local produce, products, cut flowers, herbs, meats, eggs and game often paired with Maryland Wine or local beers. Here’s a laundry list of participating restaurants of various price ranges http://www.howardcountyrestaurantweek.com/restaurants.html.

Have you participated yet this week or plan to participate? Please let me know what you bought/ordered/cooked and how you liked it!

Burger Brothers: Best burgers in Towson and best onion rings in all of Baltimore

2010-07-17T08:59:00.002-04:00

If you want a simple, affordable, burger and fries meal, try Burger Brothers in Towson. We were in a burger and fries mood and we decided to swing up to Towson and try Burger Brothers. Burger Brothers is located on the same street that the farmer’s market is held, near the traffic circle.

This is an ‘order at the counter’ style place, with a large menu attached to the wall. On top of burgers/fries/onion rings, there are chicken burgers, salads, buffalo and boneless wings, and all-beef hot dogs. There are also turkey burger selections and a marinated portabello burger, which I am curious to try the latter. We were enticed by the honey bourbon sauce, so we ordered a single order of boneless wings with said sauce. Since we fell victim to the power of the wings, we decided to split one burger instead of ordering two, and one order of onion rings.

If you care to peek over the dividing wall, you can watch them prepare your meal step by step: patting out a hunk of fresh meat into a patty, chopping the fresh toppings, and so on. We took a seat in the dining area and waited for our order and chatted and snapped photos. There was only one other couple in the place so our order was up fairly quickly.

We dug in and the burger was similar to 5 Guys quality, but a little less greasy. The meat was juicy, barbecue sauce nice and tangy, and perfectly-suited-for-a-burger cheddar cheese. The sauce on the boneless wings was really good: a mix of sweet and tang, but not spicy. The meat, however, seemed a bit dry and it was the honey bourbon sauce that saved this part of the meal.

Now we come to the highlight of dinner: the onion rings. We have not found onion rings like this in all of the Baltimore area. They may exist, but we haven’t found them. I usually don’t make a big deal of onion rings one way or another, they’re either “fine” or “over/under cooked”. The coating was crunchy with an almost subtle buttery hint. Some may argue that Abbey Burger Bistro has the edge on onion rings, but if you prefer the thinner, crunchier onion rings to the thick breaded, almost like a mini onion-ring funnel cake, you will agree that these are the best onion rings in town. This was flat out my favorite part of the meal because I’ve had better wings elsewhere, the burger was very good (best in Towson) but there are other very good burgers in Baltimore, but no other place has onion rings quite like Burger Brothers. I’m sorry for not getting a clear photo of the onion rings. Once we tried one, the rest were gone in a matter of moments.

Battle of the frozen entrees: P. F. Chang's Shanghai Style Beef vs. Buitoni Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli

2010-07-15T15:31:00.008-04:00

A while back, I was asked by foodbuzz.com if I’d be willing to accept a free coupon for any Buitoni frozen dinner in exchange for an honest blog post about my home dining experience. About two weeks after my acceptance, I received the coupon in the mail accompanied a strongly worded letter warning me of the necessity to disclose the offer proposed by foodbuzz.com and my acceptance thereof, …or else.

After recovering from a severe case of jitters and performance anxiety, we trotted to the nearest grocery store and rummaged through the frozen entrée section until we found the crown jewel of the Buitoni selections: the Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli! We checked the nutrition facts on the two serving sized package, and even though the sodium was a concern, the five hundred calories for something drizzled in garlic butter wasn’t as horrendous as we feared.

So I don’t sound like a complete sell-out shill that will positively review any freebie (and because I’m kind of a stinker as it is), we also bought a P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Shanghai Style Beef and put them in a head to head competition. Just to get this out of the way: I bought the P.F. Chang’s entrée and this post was in no way sponsored, or even known by, P.F. Chang’s.

The comparison would be easy if it was between two different brands of the same entrée because some may say this is an “apples vs. oranges” comparison, but I will judge them in three categories: ease of preparation, tastiness, and appetite satisfaction.

Round 1: Ease of Preparation

By definition, a frozen entrée shouldn’t be hard to prepare. The convenience is a huge reason why these things exist. I’m particularly lazy and prefer to stay as brain dead as possible after working hours. The Shanghai Style Beef required the mental capacity of a lobotomized guinea pig: pour in pan, stir, cover, remember to turn on the burner, stir again, cover, wait, stir again, finish cooking uncovered, scoop onto a plate.

The Buitoni Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli needed a little more attention, so it required the brain activity of a fully functional guinea pig. Boil a big pot of water, add frozen ravioli and unopened package of sauce, wait, drain the pasta, toss pasta and sauce together, scoop into a bowl. Even though the effort needed to prepare the Buitoni Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli wouldn’t deter the laziest of people, the Shanghai Style Beef was still technically easier. Round one goes to P.F. Chang’s Shanghai Style Beef.

Round 2: Tastiness

Okay, here’s where the review is completely subjective. As far as frozen products go, they were both quite tasty. The Shanghai Style Beef’s vegetables were surprisingly fresh and crisp. I joked that they were probably filled with so many preservatives that embalming fluid wouldn’t be necessary come the time to make funeral arrangements (note: I didn’t bother to check the preservatives, this was only a joke). The beans were a healthy green color and snapped instead of bent and the peppers were full of flavor. The meat didn’t have the frozen-in-time-is-this-really-even-meat quality that many frozen entrées have and the tangy sauce clung well to all the other ingredients.

I was also impressed with the Buitoni Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli. Surprisingly large chunks of shrimp and lobster lurk inside each piece of ravioli. I would chew as slowly as I could in order to enjoy the seafood and tasty ricotta cheese for as long as possible. For all you shrimp and lobster fans, stop reading now and buy a box then finish reading this post as you wait for the water to boil. What best to compliment these pieces of amazingness wrapped inside pasta? Garlic butter sauce, of course! The package claims it's the "lightest of garlic butter sauce" which I disagree, but I love garlic/buttery/greasy with my shellfish. I’m a complete sucker for seafood, as you can see here. Though the Shanghai Style Beef was good, Round two goes to Buitoni Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli.

Round 3: Appetite Satisfaction

The first thing my fiancée and I said when pouring the frozen Shanghai Style Beef into the pan was, “This is meant for two?” For one person, it would be more than filling. Also, the lack of rice was a glaring disappointment. There are other Asian style frozen foods that come with a microwavable steam pouch of rice so why doesn’t P. F. Chang’s capitalize on this already existing elsewhere component? Only the shadow knows. We had to supplement the main course for a fully satisfying dinner. However, those of you that feel that this is a ‘must try’, I suggest trotting over to Trader Joes and picking up their microwaveable jasmine rice. Doing so, however, will remove the ease of preparation advantage.

The shrimp and lobster ravioli was enough for a satisfying meal for two. The only thing we added was a sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese, no side salad, veggies, or anything of the sort. We were both full and free of any sort of cravings for late evening snacking. A few years back, we stopped at Macaroni Grill for dinner and I ordered the lobster ravioli and ended up with much less appetite satisfaction for over double the price. Round three goes to Buitoni Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli!

The Winner: Buitoni Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli!

If the P.F. Chang’s Shanghai Style Beef came with microwaveable steamed rice, this competition would have been much harder to judge and the winner would come down to a matter of taste preference and nothing else. The beef also had a slight advantage in price, $8.99 as compared to the bank-breaking $9.99 ravioli. However, I don’t think there’s a more satisfying shrimp and lobster meal for two for $9.99 in existence. If there is, let me know….now!

Nacho Mama's: The Pork Chimi is a must have

2010-07-01T08:09:00.001-04:00

I have a total of three reviews for Mama’s on the Half Shell and I figured it was time to try Nacho Mama’s. I was excited to try Nacho Mama’s due to my absolute love of her sister restaurant so my expectations were quite high.

First of all, the armless Elvis in the doorway kind of startled me (I should have snapped a picture) but it definitely made all the other Elvis paraphernalia that occupied the place seem quite normal by comparison. I did dig Nacho Mama’s nostalgic throwback to the fifties. The feel reminded me of a small restaurant I frequented in my younger days in a town not much larger than the restaurant itself, Pixie Burger. Even though my old haunt was more of a diner/burger/fries/drive through (sadly, no bar), they both evoked an old time rock and roll atmosphere.

The sun was blazing, so we started with the obvious, margaritas. Some party pooper may say, “But Mr. Cheap, you shouldn’t order drinks to keep your bill low!” Well, I wanted a margarita, so sue me. On second thought, don’t. You’d probably find a lawyer who would take the case and I’m not “Mr. Cheap” because I’m a Scrooge who barely spends a penny during the day then dives in a pool of gold coins at night. I’m the moths-in-the-wallet variety of Mr. Cheap. They offer a variety of ice cold margaritas that are a tasty way to combat the summer heat. Before our drinks were delivered, the server plunked down some complimentary chips and salsa. I have to respect any establishment that gives complimentary anything, excluding water, obviously. The chips weren’t made in house, like some other complimentary chips and salsa I’ve had, but then again, I never complain about freebies. The salsa was good enough.

We browsed the menu and I was immediately attracted to the crab dip and crab nachos. The crab dip recipe is the same used at their sister restaurant so I knew I would love it, but I couldn’t order it. If I want to blog, I need to try new things (yes, I know I have three posts about Mama’s on the Half Shell, so sue…oh just bear with me) and not keep repeating “OMG THE CRAB DIP IS AWESOME!!!” So for the sake of blogging, I branched out. For the appetizer, we ordered the Pork Chimi and it is one of the best things I’ve ever put into my mouth. The pork was slow cooked in apple cider and it was so tender and held the cider flavor. The mango and habanero barbecue sauce gave an amazing sweet/spice mixture that fit right in with the tangy barbecue flavor. Make sure to smear a nice swath of the guacamole on each bite, it's filled with nice big chunks of avocado. If you are not dining alone, you will be reluctant to share. This dish alone is reason enough for me to come back. If you’ve either never been to Nacho Mama’s or never tried the Pork Chimi appetizer, you really need to make a point to do so. Once you gobble it up, you will inspect the dish for a fallen shred of pork or piece of barbecue encrusted tortilla. Sometimes really good things happen when you decide to branch out. With the complimentary chips and salsa, frosty margaritas, and one of the greatest uses of pork and barbecue sauce I’ve ever encountered (yes I know I just threw down a huge statement, but if you haven't tried it, you can't argue), our visit was turning out to be quite satisfying indeed.

Next came our main dish: The Ultimate Fajita Thing. These ingredient-packed fajitas contain jumbo shrimp, tenderloin, and portabello mushroom mixed with sautéed peppers and onions. I was glad to have the option of three main ingredients instead of being put in the impossible position of choosing just one. One note of caution, this platter comes with only a few tortillas. If you’re sharing or don’t like to stuff your tortilla so much that you need to eat it like a heaping soft taco, you need to order additional tortillas for an additional charge. In the end, the fajitas were good, but just good. Everything was properly cooked and had a good flavor, but I wasn’t as “wow-ed” as I was with the Pork Chimi. In the end, I have a fajita marinade recipe that can make fajitas equal to what I had at Nacho Mama’s. If you want the recipe, just ask and I’ll be happy to share.

We did end up with leftovers of the fajita and they reheated very well. Maybe the overnight stay in the fridge allowed the flavors to blend further and tasted better the next day. Day-long marinades make great fajitas and at the restaurant, the ingredients weren’t given long enough to stew in their own flavors. I repeat, they were good and to be fair, the Pork Chimi was a tough act to follow.

W
ill we go back? Yes and you know what we’ll order again. However, we will try our luck with a different entrée.

Crabology 101

2010-06-29T13:01:00.004-04:00

Are you still wondering what to do this holiday weekend? Do you love crab cakes? Better yet, do you love free crab cakes? Then come to Crabology 101 and learn the proper way to prepare crab cakes and indulge in plenty of free samples! Cover charge? Nope. I call myself "Mr. Cheap Eats" for a reason.

When:
07/02/2010 at 12:00 pm

Where:
Harborplace Amphitheater
200 East Pratt Street
Baltimore Maryland, 21202

What's the difference between crab claw meat and jumbo lump? Which should you use for your crab cakes? For a rich crab bisque? Crabologist Donald Manning will answer these questions and more at Crabology 101, an educational culinary event that is part of Harborplace's 30th Anniversary celebration. The event is free and open to the public. Recipes and samplings will be available.

On the Hill Cafe - I can't wait to visit again

2010-06-26T08:31:00.001-04:00

A fellow foodie gave me a tip on this ‘must try’ dish for under $10 and it is my duty as a journalist (ha!) to follow promising leads. At least that’s what I tell myself when I’m snooping out new places to try. I was told “On the Hill Café has the most amazing meal for under $10. You have to try the rice, beans, and sweet plantains with the cumin crusted pork!” They proceeded to describe the meal, but they had me at “amazing meal for under $10.”

I checked their online menu and there the dish was for $7.75 with the cumin crusted pork adding an additional $1.50. Since math was involved, I whipped out my trusty fingers and began counting. $9.25, I was set to research (eat) another item for my blog! Just then, excitement turned to panic, up in the corner in small lettering, “Served from 4 to 8pm.” It was only 11:30 am and lunch was upon us all. I scoured the menu, hoping to find something more than soup and salad – and there it was: the Rutter Burrito. Your choice of chipotle chicken or pork with rice, beans, guacamole, pico gallo, sour cream, and jack cheese wrapped in a spinach tortilla. Jackpot! I grabbed my wallet, camera, and notebook and jumped into my oven of a car and scrammed. The sun was unforgiving and even with my car’s air conditioning set to full blast, it was still almost unbearable.

If you do not know what you’re looking for, you may miss it. It’s a little corner café with a few seats and umbrella tables and a modest sign. I snapped a few pictures and even though the searing sun rays made me feel as if I were moments away from recreating that nightmare inducing scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the quiet serenity of the neighborhood made me consider dining outside. Once I stepped in and felt the cool breeze of cold, processed air, I decided to stay indoors.

Now here’s where I had the most pleasant surprise. In my experience, cafes that have a full, elaborate menu tend to have modest drink selections and vice versa. The coffee and drink menu alone should pull market share from even the staunchest Starbucks junkie. Add the food selections and Starbucks would not be able to compete with quality nor prices. Take a look at their menu and you'll see how tantalizing the items are at very reasonable prices. I ordered the Rutter Burrito for $8.00 and the perfect drink for a code red temperature day, a 20oz ice cold half and half for $2.00. I was given my half and half immediately and found a seat and waited for my burrito.

This is a very small place. The few tables outside was nearly half the total available seating. However, there wasn’t a crowd and people seemed to file in at the same rate as others filed out. Even in this small space, lack of elbow room was not an issue. Couples and trios talked of politics, movies, and art. Considering the neighborhood, the bohemian atmosphere is not surprising. Framed photos hung on the walls for $50 a piece, $25 of which would go to the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanical Gardens of Baltimore. The coffee is proudly advertised as organic and free trade. This definitely seems a place where all conscientious consumers can dine at ease.

After a few moments of noting the atmosphere, my burrito was ready. Wrapped in foil and accompanied by a single-serving bag of Utz all natural kettle cooked chips, this lunch definitely looked sufficient to please an appetite. I unwrapped the foil then bit into the spinach tortilla wrapped parcel. The cold sour cream, guacamole, and pico gallo balanced the heat of the hot beans, rice, and chipotle pork. The pork was so tender, the black beans added a nice bulk, the pico gallo was fresh and zesty. This has to be one of the best “non split in half to reach the $10 limit” meal I have ever had. How can this place not be packed? The food is great and the prices are more than reasonable. With plenty of elbowroom and enjoyable peace and quiet, maybe some regulars won’t appreciate me bringing more attention to this little corner nook.

The Diet Killer!

2010-06-23T09:39:00.001-04:00

I saw a bag of these at the store and searched them online to see the flavor. All I have to say is, "Holy crap, Wasabi Doritos!"

Has anyone tried these? Are they as awsome as they sound?

$50 giveaway to Baltimore's Happy Hour Hotspot!

2010-06-21T10:23:00.001-04:00

I loved my experience at Talara so much, I want to share it with you. I have a $50 dollar gift card to Talara that I’m going to give to one of my lucky readers. All you need to do is visit their menu and leave a comment either on Facebook or on my blog on how you would spend your free $50. I will randomly choose a winner from those who respond. This is the first of hopefully many Cheap Eats giveaways, so make sure to follow me on Facebook or subscribe to my blog posts.

Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you are selected. Contest will end at noon on Tuesday.

Talara: Baltimore's new happy hour hotspot!

2010-06-21T10:01:00.004-04:00

My fiancée and I were invited to a tasting of the variety of tapas at a Baltimore Happy Hour hotspot, Talara. Located right at the edge of Little Italy, parking is free for the skilled spot hunter and the location is far enough away from the tourist magnet of the Inner Harbor.

We started with the drinks. I ordered a key lime mojito and my fiancée ordered the caipirinha. The key lime mojito had a nice hint of vanilla which made this drink smooth and very dangerous. My fiancée was a little reluctant to hand over the caipirinha, but she relented for the sake of posterity. I neglected to stir the potent drink before my first sip and got hit with the powerful cachaca. I shook it off, stirred, then tried another. The sugar and lime juice soften the blow of the alcohol, but didn’t make it overly sweet. Both drinks scored a thumbs up from both of us but we each had our favorite.

After a few moments of sampling and discussing the drinks our appetizer was presented to us. The playfully named “chips and salsa” is far from the simplicity of its title. The chips consist of freshly made tortilla, plantain, and malanga chips. The black bean hummus was to die for and the house salsa is only made when only the most perfect of tomatoes can be found. The curry adds quite a new element to the finely chopped tropical fruit. Each type of chip also adds something unique to the mixture. Try each chip with each salsa and find your favorite combo.

Next, we had the triple tray seviche and I strongly recommend the crab “fire and ice.” I first had reservations about the habanero (I like a bit of spice, but I do have my limits), but the prickly pear granite granite works in perfect antagonism. You get a strong sense of spice and heat, but it is immediately kept in check by the sweet cold. Many people make the mistake of picking the bits of meat and peppers out of the serving spoon, but to get full medley of flavors, it needs to be eaten like a shooter. It is amazing. For those who like traditional sushi but want something more than the standard rolls you find at most places, you will love the Asian tartare. Presentation is part of a fine sushi experience and the fried lotus root creates a beautiful display that will immediately draw your attention. Our favorite part of the Tiradito was the jicama and calabaza slaw.

The roasted corn and goat cheese croquettas came with the most amazing peanut sauce I have ever had. Sorry Mekong Delta, your peanut sauce has been trumped. The thick layer of breading and roasted corn had a slight blandness, which tried to be counteracted by the goat cheese center and the flavorful sauce. However, we felt there was too much blandness in the coating.

On top of seviche selections and other tapas, Talara offers larger food items for those who want more than bite sized goodness. Next, came the Crabmeat Chili Relleno. This dish was made specifically for the Baltimore crowd; delicious crab cakes served in a south-of-the-border style. The Pork Empanada dough layer wasn’t too thick and the pork was juicy, tender, and expertly cooked. The side salsa again was the epitome of freshness.

And finally, the desserts. I want to start with saying the perfect drink for the dessert portion is a Pisco Sour. Chilled to the point of ice crystal formation, the sour taste really enhances the sweetness of whatever you choose for dessert. I recommend the Tres leches Cake. Literally translated as “three milks” cake, sure it’s heavy on the calories, but the creaminess saturates thoroughly through the cake. This may become your favorite cake ever.

Obviously, this is not the typical seviche experience. You really need to come to this new Baltimore hotspot during happy hour. Come in Monday through Friday from 4-7pm and Saturday from 10pm-1am (you know, when most bars roll out their full priced menus). You can find various $5 cocktails (including the Key Lime Mojito and Caipirinha), $4 glasses of wine, and $3 authentic south of the border beers. This Baltimore happy hour hotspot also has a list of a variety of $5 tapas. So come with your friends, grab a drink, and each order a different tapas to share with the group. I promise you, you will not be sorry.

All the crab cakes you can eat in 3 1/2 minutes!

2010-06-14T20:57:00.002-04:00

"Free" is the ultimate cheap eat and all of you crab cake lovers with beastly appetites will have 3 1/2 minutes to showcase your true love of crab cakes. Top prize is a dinner for six at Phillips Harborplace Restaurants and all participants will receive a $30 gift certificate to Phillips Harborplace Restaurants.

Even if you get out-chowed, you still get a belly full of crab and a $30 gift card so there's no loser in this contest as far as I can tell.

How do you enter? Easy, just go to Phillips Seafood page on Facebook, I've added this to my page's favorites for your convenience, hit 'like' then just post a wall comment expressing your wish to join the competition. Deadline to enter is June 18th, so warm up your "like" buttons and post now!

Here's a cut and paste of the official press release:

Baltimore Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Harborplace

CALLING ALL CRAB CAKE LOVERS
Phillips Seafood Restaurant to Host Crab Cake Eating Contest

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 1 P.M.

Calling all crab-lovers!!! Phillips Seafood Restaurant has announced a Crab Cake Eating Contest. The contest is part of the weekend-long celebrations of Baltimore Harborplace’s 30th Anniversary.

Contestants will have 3½ minutes to eat as many crab cakes as possible. The champion will win a crab feast for six at Phillips Harborplace restaurant. All participants will receive a $30 gift certificate to Phillips Seafood Restaurants.

To enter, visit the official Phillips Seafood page on Facebook.com and leave a short wall post telling us why you’d make a great contestant. Deadline to enter is June 18th.

Phillips Seafood Restaurant in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor has been a part of the Maryland landscape since it opened on July 2, 1980. While the company has grown to encompass more than 15 locations up and down the Eastern Seaboard, the combination of tradition and innovation has kept the Harborplace restaurant dynamic and fun for three decades. Chef Arturo Paz has earned a reputation for his menu of comfort food that manages to be consistent yet exciting. Chef Paz specializes in creating new twists on retro dishes, a perfect compliment to Phillips longstanding legacy of family recipes.

Phillips Seafood Restaurant is located at 301 Light Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202. For more information, visit http://www.phillipsseafood.com. For reservations, call 410-685-6600.

Red Lobster Vs. Bonefish Grill: Not even a close contest!

2010-06-10T15:16:00.002-04:00

Since blogging about my dining experiences, I have received several emails from agencies asking for me to promote certain promotions , contests , and other things so bloggers can spread the word. One day, I received an email offering me a $25 gift card to try Bonefish Grill. They also offered a $25 gift card to another local restaurant (Red Lobster) so I could compare the meals. They asked for an honest blog post of my experience in return. I was never expecting this sort of thing when starting my blog, but FREE is the ultimate ‘cheap eats’, so I accepted. Does this mean they bought my opinion? No. They wanted an honest blog post, and that's what they're about to get.

Now here’s a sad confession. Growing up in rural Michigan, my idea of top quality dining was Red Lobster. This was the “go to” place for all special occasions. I even remember my first visit, hardly annunciating any words as I did not take pause when eating butter-dipped shellfish. And those cheddar biscuits, who in their right mind did not love those biscuits? Well, times have changed. Either Red Lobster has seriously fallen in quality, or my tastes have evolved. Either way, my last visit will indeed be my last. Looks like the people at the PR firm hired by Bonefish Grill already expected something like this.

So here’s the play by play: Red Lobster vs. Bonefish Grill.

Round 1 – The complimentary bread: If there was one thing I thought could never go wrong at Red Lobster, it would be those biscuits. I fondly remember eating them so slowly to not rush the experience and a second basket would always be required. This time they just seemed greasy, fatty, and salty. I could not taste any hint of cheddar. I have to admit complete disappointment as a childhood treat now only exists in memory. The bread at Bonefish Grill came in one loaf, sectioned, and quite warm. But the bread wasn't the focus of this starter, the pesto was. The mixture of olive oil, minced olives, and various other herbs knocked the biscuits out of the ring.

Round 2 – The drinks: Red Lobster did have our stand-by restaurant Riesling, Chateua St. Michelle, but their ‘specialty’ drinks appeared to be pre-frozen mixtures that didn’t require a knowledgeable bartender to create. Just someone who knew how to push a button on a blender then pour the puree into a glass without spilling too much. My lovely fiancée had the Fresh Watermelon Martini at Bonefish grill and our server told her she was the lucky patron to receive the last one of the night. The kitchen staff underestimated the amount of chopped watermelon needed for the evening and discontinued the drink from there on. After sipping the sweet melon drink, she felt very fortunate to not miss out. We both commented about how even the drinks were mixed fresh from individual ingredients instead from premade frozen mixtures.

Round 3 – The salad: Red Lobster’s salad consisted of a plate of mixed greens that could have been one of those premade mixtures bought from a grocery store. It was a mixture of shredded lettuce, cabbage, and carrots. You had your choice of a few grocery store quality dressings. The lettuce used for the garnish underneath Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp made a better salad than the premixed, plastic bagged salad that Red Lobster tried to pass off as salad. Round three went to Bonefish Grill by default. Even though we had no salad there, there’s no way it could be worse than what Red Lobster served.

Round 4 –The shrimp: Red Lobster’s shrimp scampi was okay, but just okay. The breaded shrimp tasted only of something breaded and deep fried but no real shrimp flavor. The unfortunately named Bang Bang Shrimp won this round, also. The lightly coated breading did not conceal the tender shrimp underneath and the spicy sauce gave them an enjoyable zip.

Round 5 – The sides: Red Lobster’s broccoli was overcooked and squishy, the rice pilaf was completely dry, and the garlic mashed potatoes had a good flavor, but were cold. Bonefish Grill has an herbed jasmine rice that is light, fluffy, and moist. Their garlic whipped potatoes were pleasantly seasoned, garlicy, without too much of a heavy butter taste (AND served at a properly cooked temperature). They also added on julienned zucchini and chopped tomato, topped with grated parmesan cheese. The freshness gave the impression that each helping was individually prepared and not an evening’s worth of vegetables mass boiled in a vat until overdone and soggy, waiting to be portioned out over the night. And that so called shrimp linguini, UGH! The little shrimp were so tough and tasted as if they came from a can. The pasta and sauce were so bland that we had to douse it in pepper just to have any sort of flavor.

Round 6 – The tilapia: Here was Red Lobster’s only dish that didn’t completely disappoint me. The tilapia was nicely cooked, moist, and easily flaked into bite-sized pieces. The shrimp bruschetta topping was a good pick but it could have been better. The pieces of chopped tomato hadn’t ripened and therefore hadn’t matured into their full flavor. Also, and I have no idea why they did this, they heavily salted the tilapia. Tilapia has such a light flavor that it can be completely overpowered and they salted the daylights out of it. The Bonefish Grill tilapia was also cooked to perfection, moist, and flaked into bite-sized portions. I could also taste the wood fire sear with each bite. Your server will have suggestions on which of the four sauces goes best with each fish, but go ahead and try all four and see which fits your personal preference. The Lemon Butter and Pan Asian went well with the tilapia.

Round 7 – Dessert: We didn’t bother with dessert at Red Lobster. Go ahead and check out their menu and decide for yourself if everything looks premade, frozen, shipped, and warmed up when ordered. That’s how they looked to us. We had Bonefish Grill’s key lime pie. Thick, creamy, with only the slightest tartness, it was great. The roasted pecan crust was not uniform (it had thicker and thinner parts) which seemed like the pie was made on site. If it was frozen and shipped, it fooled me.

In the end, Bonefish was great, which was exactly what I was expecting. They obviously thought it was a sure bet to get me to compare them to Red Lobster. But honestly, I thought it would be a closer match. Not that I expected a lower quality from Bonefish Grill, but I expected Red Lobster to be so much better. I know it has been quite some time since I had dined at my favorite restaurant of my youth, but has it really gone down hill that far or has my taste matured that much? Maybe it’s a combination of both. Everything just seemed so mass produced instead of individually prepared. Red Lobster has gone over to the dark side of quantity over quality. I’m sure this surprises no one in the foodie world who avoid all mass commercialized chains like the plague. I guess this is similar to catching an old syndication of a favorite childhood show and realizing just how inane and ludicrous it actually was.

Mama's on the Half Shell continues to deliver even after multiple visits

2010-06-02T21:32:00.005-04:00

As all seafood lovers (and we do travel in groups, er, um schools?) know, when you find a good seafood place, you can’t say enough about it. And like any good seafood place, you’ll have to go back multiple times to taste every appealing menu item. At any given visit, you will love what you ordered, but you won’t be able to help but wonder ‘should I have ordered that?’ when looking at your table mate’s plate.

As difficult as it was, I did narrow down two items that every cheap diner should try. I will start with the breaded tilapia sandwich. Even though this is far from the best item on the menu, it is only $8.95 and will silence even the largest stomach rumbles. For most people (and so far, I do consider myself among the ranks of ‘most people’), this sandwich will serve as two meals. The crispy breading, the spicy mayo, and the side of hot, salty fries, I’m hard pressed to find anything seafood-oriented that’s better and more filling than this sandwich. If you do save half fo a later meal, the bread on the bottom will get quite soggy so you may want to eat it with a fork and knife.

The next item up for review is the seafood melt. Since this item slightly tops my spending limit (by a mere $0.50), this sandwich needs to be split in half to stay true to my ‘cheap eats’ standard. As you can see by the picture, my elitist clique I call ‘most people’ should be satisfied with half the serving. This is a picture of only one melt the kitchen staff so graciously served on two plates per our request. To quote my fiancée, “The sandwich consisted of a lightly sauced seafood salad made of crab, shrimp and scallops, piled high on an English muffin and toasted with cheddar cheese. The seafood salad mix was really savory and pleasant and had little minced bits of celery and onion that really rounded out the flavor. There was nothing bland and mayonnaise-y about this.” For those of you diving into this dish solo, it does reheat better than the tilapia sandwich. The English muffin is much sturdier than the thick slab of white bread.

So far, my party of four has ordered a grand total of $19.45 worth of food, just under $5 per person. Of course, we didn’t stop here. We couldn’t resist the crab artichoke dip for $9.99. This is the best crab artichoke dip I have ever had. Too many dips of this genre taste strongly of cream cheese. This one does not. It is nice and creamy and the tender artichoke and savory crab lumps shined through. Leaving the slightest drop behind (including every crumb of the bread bowl) would be an insult to the cooking staff, culinary etiquette, and an affront to humanity itself. I do appoligize to history as I did not provide pictorial documentation the amazing scene of a fresh, untouched dip, but it was too good to resist and from the time it was placed on the table and the time I unsheathed my camera, this was all that was left.

For those of you with dainty appetites, order the seafood chowder for a mere $5.99. Very substantial, filled with shrimp, scallops, clams, and applewood smoked bacon. I tell you this much, the smoked bacon flavor gives this item that flavorful zing that adds so much to the savory seafood creaminess.

At the end of the meal, my future father in law remarked, “For the food you get for your dollar, this is better than that Woodberry place.” I don’t know how many people would agree with that, but I know where I’d go when I only have a ten in my pocket.

For my few high roller readers, go ahead and squeeze out a few more dollars for an Orange Crush drink. If your palate is a bit pedestrian and seafood is seafood is seafood, then come for the Orange Crush. It’s a mix of orange vodka, triple sec, and orange juice that packs a wallop and drinks down as easily as orange soda.

This is my third post about Mama’s (first with any sort of an audience), but those of you who have been there understand the desire to go back for something new time and time again.

Woodberry Kitchen - So deserving of its reputation

2010-05-29T09:07:00.002-04:00

I know you may ask, “What’s a cheap guy like you doing in a fine place like this?” Here’s my answer: proving that good dining deals can be found anywhere in Baltimore. This is not just the standard “order the cheapest thing on the menu, split it in half, then go home half hungry” strategy. Yes, I did split my order and no, I didn’t limit myself to the cheapest item. However, you will have to afford me this luxury: bumping up my cheap eats standard from $10 per dining adult to $15. This IS Woodberry Kitchen so anyone coming here should expect to drop a few more dollars than normal and in turn get higher quality food.

To start, enjoy the bread. It’s fresh, the butter is soft and creamy, and they’ll happily refill the basket when they notice it’s empty and your sheepishly pleading look. I followed the advice of a comment on Facebook and ordered a flatbread to start. Even though I would have been happy with all four offered, my fiancée showed a preference for the Andoulle, and I was ever-thankful she did (honestly, I probably would have said that for any of them). The meat was just so good: spicy, yet in a way that did not impede any of the meat’s natural flavor. And the crust, the oh-so-good smoky-charred flavor around the outer edge. Dear God, it was perfect. Or as perfect as a $15 purchase can every be.

Now, if you’re a fan of buttery, creamy soups, order the oyster stew for only $9. Our server claimed four large oysters inside a creamy broth, but that was a lie. There were seven of the largest oysters I’ve ever had lurking underneath the surface. If this were an Ebay review, I would write something like “AAAAAAAA++++++++++++ SOUP, WOULD ORDER AGAIN!!!”

If we called for our bill here, it would have been $12 a piece, not including tax and tip. However, we had a table full of merry-makers, so there was plenty more to sample. The entrée I would like to highlight for “best deal for the amount of food” is the pork shoulder. I couldn’t find it on the online menu, but it was there. The meat was so tender it could be split with a fork. There was a noticeable saltiness to it, but it was still quite good. This $23 entrée is substantial enough to split into two $11.50 meals without feeling dissatisfied with the portion size.

But wait a moment, I allowed myself $15 a person. I’m not certainly walking out of a classy place like this when I still have $3 to throw around. I’m such a high roller these days. Even though it broke the bank by going over our spending ceiling by a whopping $2, we couldn’t resist the strawberry shortcake. I made sure each spoonful was part strawberry, part cream, part sherbet, and part orange biscuit. What really made this desert rocket to greatness was the orange biscuit. We all know it’s difficult to find a bad strawberry shortcake, but the small detail of the orange biscuit really sets this one above the rest.

Mt. Washington Tavern

2010-05-19T21:37:00.004-04:00

I had been itching to try Mt. Washington Tavern for some time. I’d hear tantalizing testimonies on the radio and last summer, a neighbor went on about their good food. She then began talking of their atmosphere, which I promptly stopped her by saying, “You had me at good food.” My better half, on the other hand, listened politely then told me of her less than satisfactory dining experiences there.

Fast forward several months and we finally find ourselves at the Mt. Washington Tavern. The happy hour deal for complimentary steamed shrimp went from 5-7, and we arrived at 6:45 to an empty serving tray. We assumed it would not be refilled so close to 7, and we were correct. Oh well, maybe next time. This establishment isn’t known to be a ‘discount dining’ place, but we stick to certain dining tips to keep our bill down. For the both of us, we started with a plate of Old Bay dusted chicken wings and a Kobe burger to split.

Now, here comes the most memorable part of our visit. This is not a criticism of the establishment or the food preparation, but I would like to share it. The place was busy, so we haunted the bar and waited for two spots to come open, which eventually happened. We placed our order for food and drinks and happily waited as our sips of beer gave us a quick buzz due to our empty stomachs. The wings came in visual and aromatic splendor and were placed in front of my fiancée. At that precise moment, the big and scary looking man beside us finishes paying and swoops up one of our wings, saying “thank you!” and walks out. We both sat stunned for a few moments, processing that an adult (judging by his attire, definitely not relying on plate scraps for sustenance) would have the audacity to do such a thing. Disbelief mixed with annoyance bubbled around in my beer buzzed brain, but that soon went away as we dug into our remaining wings.

And now, to the actual critique of the food:

Old Bay dusted wings: The breading wasn’t too heavy, they were cooked perfectly, and the bleu cheese dipping sauce was the perfect compliment with a very mild flavor.

Kobe burger: We ordered our burger well done, but it was medium at best. A small cluster of shoestring potatoes topped the lettuce and tomato. The potatoes added an enjoyable crunchy texture and I found the beef very delectable. Even though I enjoyed the meat, we did order it well done.

My fiancée then told about eating here before. Her salad greens were wilted to the point that a discerning chef would deem them not servable. We finished our meal and overheard the unhappy utterances of the couple to our left. Only one of their meals arrived and they were still waiting for the other dish fifteen minutes later.

Will we go again? Yes, but not for dinner. Our medium burger and the inedible salad from her previous visit suggest there may be some lack of attention to detail in the kitchen. However, we are interested in checking out future happy hours. Each weeknight, they offer a limitless appetizer and drink deals from 5pm-7pm. Of course, we will be sure to be on the look out for large looming men ready to pilfer our prawns.

I can't bring myself to try one....

2010-05-19T14:15:00.001-04:00

The KFC Double Down.

I can only imagine keeling over from "hardening of the heart a-stroke." According to the article, it's not too much worse than the Big Mac, but if that's your diet yard stick, your knees and ankles will be cursing your existence some day.

Has anyone tried this yet? If so, please share your experience. Is there anyone who also thinks this grease bomb looks unpalatable to try?

Also, I just Cheap Eats in Charm City on Facebook. I would like some "likes."

A trip to Pasta Mista in Towson

2010-05-16T19:39:00.003-04:00

Pasta Mista in Towson has some good pizza by the slice selections and a great Greek salad.

To continue the Pizza-thon, we decided to visit Pasta Mista. This little strip mall joint will never attract anyone’s attention, but affordable and filling pizza will. We visited on an early weekend afternoon and noticed a family or two, but mostly what seemed to be college students who revived themselves from the night before, dug through the couch cushions and car seats to buy themselves the most filling, tastiest meal a gathering of discarded quarters could buy.

After sampling their Greek salad and several slices, I would have to say Pasta Mista should get top billing for those who find themselves scooping out handfuls of change from their pockets onto the discontented cashier left to count the pennies, two by two.

All in all, we sampled the Greek salad, deluxe (very thick) sausage and pepperoni slice, a slice of chicken parmesan, and a piece of chicken pesto pizza, and a nice big piece of caprese bread. I have mentioned Fortunato Brothers good Greek salad and their lack of a matching dressing the only detractor. Pasta Mista has a tasty balsamic vinaigrette house dressing to match dress their tasty Greek salad. All the ingredients were fresh and flavorful, but it was quite heavy on the onions. Anyone who dares finish off the whole pile of onions would emit an oral radioactive death cloud that would have your local bio hazard team rope off and quarantine everything within half a mile radius. Enjoy the salad, but keep some of those knock-out strength breath strips handy.

Now, as almost an afterthought, we had the pizza. The chicken parmesan did have tender breaded chicken pieces with a thin layer of marinara sauce, but it wasn’t my favorite of the afternoon. Even though it was better than its Fortunato’s counterpart, I didn’t really care for it. The caprese bread was large, tasty, and filling and very enjoyable. The pepperoni and sausage deluxe pizza was a bit too thick for my liking. The effort of chewing and swallowing down the thick bread detracted from the meaty toppings. My favorite of the whole bunch was the chicken pesto pizza. The creamy, herby pesto tied the flavors of the tender chicken and chopped red peppers so well that the Dude would be proud.

So far, here are the results of my pizza-thon:

Best Pizza: Chopped tomato from Fortunato Brothers

Second Best: Chicken Pesto from Pasta Mitsa

Worst Pizza: Chicken parmesan from Fortunato Brothers

Best salad: Pasta Mista. Chef Paolino Café deserves an honorable mention for the salad, but a good house dressing will get me every time.

Waiting and fantasizing about food...

2010-05-06T22:38:00.001-04:00

So here I am, sitting in an empty classroom and waiting for my class to arrive in about twenty minutes. I'm guest teaching at a new school today and I have way over prepared for the lesson, which always beats being under prepared when fighting the forces of ignorance and illiteracy.

I find myself fantasizing about the quick and yummy dinner planned for tonight. It's fast, tasty, and for all of you watching your waistlines, Weight-Watcher friendly: Barbecue Turkey (very sloppy) Joes. I know it's quite simple compared to some of these food blogs I've been reading, but this recipe has been key in shrinking from a rolly-polly 245 lbs to having-a-slight-paunch 188 lbs.

The original recipe calls for one pound of ground turkey (94/6) but we cut it down to half a pound. Brown it in a frying pan until it's nice and crumbly. Chop up one sweet onion and one red pepper (consider more if using only half a pound of turkey, tumble it all in the pan and enjoy their mouth-watering aromas while they saute. Once everything looks nice and cooked, douse with a hefty amount of barbecue sauce. I'm not going to tell how much/little to use. It's up to you. We use about half a bottle of the sweet and smokey Memphis barbecue sauce from Wegmans. We've played with seasonings a few times, but found the powerful flavor of the sauce really nullifies any seasoning used during cooking. If you have a seasoning or mixture of seasonings to suggest, please let me know.

We selected pain de campagne for our bread, which was the most exotic and syllable-filled ingredient in the whole dish. We slathered some slices with margarine (excuse me, I mean Beccel), sprinkled a dash of garlic powder, then broiled the suckers until toasty and fragrant from the garlic granules.

I've also learned the best way to eat this earns-its-name sandwich is open face, unless I want to look like a five year old at a 4th of July picnic with barbecue sauce smears on my cheeks.

Extravagant? No. Exotic? No. Advanced kitchen hocus-pocus? No.
However, it's cheap (four servings), takes 10 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to cook, very filling, and weight watcher friendly. This recipe scores a 10 on the cheap-filling-guiltless scale.

Sorry for this

2010-04-30T14:02:00.001-04:00

This is a rewrite of my Fortunato Brothers Pizza review. I like this one better.

Fortunato Brother’s chopped tomato pizza is the best meatless pizza in Baltimore

When I was in the mood for pizza, I used to be drawn to the pies with names like “meat lovers”, “carnivore”, and the most meat-laden to the point of revolting, the “artery-clogger.” I was under the mistaken impression that the higher the pile of spiced meat, the higher the quality of the pizza. I have never been so happy to be so wrong. Once again, thanks to my wonderful fiancée, my pedestrian palate has become further refined.

Fortunato Brothers Pizza in Towson has long been my fiancée’s favorite, and I was promptly introduced to it when I moved to Charm City. Of course, she wanted the chopped tomato, but the fuzzy-unibrow-on-a-sloped-forehead-havin’, knuckle-draggin’, club wavin’ caveman inside me howled “MEAT GOOD!” and piled all sorts of meat on my half of the pizza.

This happened for several visits to Fortunato Brothers when my inner Neanderthal evolved to an inner Cro-Magnon and agreed to try the sacrilegious meat-free pizza. I reluctantly allowed myself to inhale the aroma and I grudgingly admitted the fragrant basil and garlic were enticing. At the first bite, my inner Cro-Magnon evolved into an Ivory Tower Elitist. I don’t like soft and squishy tomatoes and I usually avoid them with any hot food, but these were perfect. They remained firm and kept the fresh-from-the-garden flavor. The basil was fragrant and strong; the perfect matching for the tomato. The garlic was present but didn’t overpower the two other toppings. Finally, it is sauce-less so the main ingredients keep the center stage in the never ending comedy of my mouth.

So I came away with two learning experiences:
1. Always be willing to try a new food no matter how loudly your inner Neanderthal protests.
2. One chopped tomato pizza was responsible for 30,000 years of human evolution.

Fortunato Brothers in Towson

2010-04-27T14:22:00.001-04:00

Please forgive my long absence. I have been enjoying some dining outside of my “cheap eats” cost limit and also hitting up a lot of chain and fast food places. This hasn't been the best for my waistline and I am wondering if I should revisit the C25K program.

I always get excited when we decide to have a pizza night, because my fiancée slides her uneaten crusts onto my plate when she finishes. Win-win, well, I don’t know where her ‘win’ is, but it’s a definite ‘win’ for me.

I'll start off my review of the pizza by saying Fortunato Brothers has the best chopped tomato pizza I have ever had. We ordered a large pizza, half chopped tomato and half pepperoni. After a few bites of pepperoni, we wished we would have ordered straight up chopped tomato.

The quality of the tomato was perfect: firm and full of flavor. The basil was fragrant and added the perfect compliment to the tomato. Finally, the garlic. Like a child holding a hand of each parent to complete the perfect family as they skip through the park, the garlic adds a nice subtle flavor to complete the ensemble. Another great quality, in my not-so-humble opinion, of this pizza is that it’s sauce less. The flavor harmony is perfect and I imagine the sauce just wouldn’t quite fit.

The pepperoni half was the lesser of the two. The pepperoni was more salty than spicy and my preference is the other way around. It was light on the sauce, which is a good thing because it is sweet and too much would distract from the rest of the flavors (much like the powerful salty pepperoni).

Will we go back again? Yes. This is the best pizza place within pick-up-and-drive-it-home distance from my house. We will not bother with the pepperoni ever again, but I can’t say enough about the chopped tomato. This is big coming from a person who doesn’t care for tomatoes unless they’re absolutely perfect.

Come for the drink deals and atmosphere, not the food

2010-02-27T20:12:00.001-05:00

The Wharf Rat is a maritime-themed pub in Fells Point. Parking may prove to be a pain, but this should be a favorite of anyone who lives within stumbling distance. This is a British style pub where the bar tender serves as your waiter, cook, and server.

Wooden mermaids, ship steering wheels, and maritime themed paintings decorate the walls. Like most bars, the lighting is quite dim and the walls are covered in dark brown paneling. The smell of a wood fire wafts throughout the building and those who explore to the back will find a large fireplace, giving the bar a cozy living-room feeling of British pubs.

Their menu is filled with selections under $10.00, but aren’t the best quality cheap eats. Just over a mile away is Mama's on the Half Shell and both serve a crab and artichoke dip with only a nickel difference in price and Mama’s is far superior. The cream cheese overpowered the less than ample lumps of crab and I was hard pressed to find any artichoke. They do not profess to be a dinner place and most customers order very affordable selections to help temper their drunkeness. So if you are looking for dinner, this is not the place.

That being said, I do plan on many more visits. Unlike many downtown bars, you do not have to elbow through tightly packed crows of people to get served or to the restroom, though I hear the crowds can be quite thick during a home Oriels game. The pleasant demeanor of the staff and owners, not to mention their own tasty micro brews, keep the regulars returning. During hockey season, all Canadian beers are $2.50 while a game is playing. For anyone who may ask “When is there a game?” The Wharf Rat subscribes to Center Ice, so a better question is “When isn’t there a game?”

"We few, we happy few, we band of bloggers!"

2010-02-24T15:23:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your readership and being introduced to the online foodie culture has been quite the experience.

I just wanted to announce that examiner.com expressed interest in syndicating my cheap eats reviews. I will still blog here in my 1st person informal style, but I'll provide links to my tightened up 3rd person reviews if you care to check them out.

Again, thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

Chef Paolino's Cafe

2010-02-22T16:07:00.001-05:00

We were hankerin’ for some fresh pizza and my fiancée read some favorable reviews of Chef Paolino’s Cafe. Our standard “go to” for pizza is Fortunato Brothers in Towson, but we were up for trying something different. When we entered, we grabbed a menu and walked up to the deli-style counter that displayed all the pizza slices and various rolls ready to order. There were so many selections that looked appetizing, garlic knots (garlic bread sticks tied up into little knots) and the bruschetta rolls (a long, thick roll smothered in chopped tomato, basil, and melted mozzarella) immediately caught my eye. But we came for pizza, so pizza it was. Instead of deciding on a single pizza, we bought it by the slice: a slice of mushroom and a slice of pepperoni and sausage for me, a slice of feta and tomato and a slice of pepperoni and sausage for her. We supplemented our slices with a Greek salad to share.

The do-it-yourself ordering and seating gave the process a cafeteria feel, but the dining area reasserted the standard dining experience. I did enjoy looking at the large murals depicting Italian landscapes and other scenery, but the drywall painted as brick with mini arched recesses holding wine bottles struck me as extremely tacky. Thanks to our dining between the lunch and dinner crowds, or order number was called almost immediately after we sat. I walked back to the counter, expecting to be able to carry everything back to our table, and then I saw the size of the salad. I looked like a mountain of greenery topped off by a feta snowcap. My two hands could only carry the four pieces of pizza and my fiancée came and carried the giant salad. Once we were all placed, we wondered if maybe we suffered again from our Eyesbiggerthanourstomaches Syndrome as the gigantic wedges of pizza laid next to the enormous mound of greens, onion, tomato, olives, peppers, and our dressing on the side. The dressing wasn’t nearly as wonderful as house dressing at Samos, but what can’t really compare these two places fairly.

Unfortunately, the pizza didn’t live up to the reviews and was overshadowed by our enjoyment of the salad. I do prefer a crispy, firm crust to my pizza and Paolino’s fit that bill, but I found the overall flavor incredibly salty. I understand that sausage and pepperoni can be prone to saltiness, but the mushroom and tomato and feta also brackish flavor. She decided not to finish her pizza, but since I always feel obligated to eat what I purchased (I know, very counter-intuitive to a diet), I packed my remaining slice and we both focused on finishing the salad.

Will we come back? Yes, probably when we’re heading back home from Columbia, but it won’t be for the pizza. We really did enjoy the salad enough for a return visit and the bruschetta roll and garlic knots looked very tempting. I hope it doesn’t lead to disappointment.

Mekong Delta

2010-02-21T18:33:00.002-05:00

Due to the snowpacolypse of two weeks ago, we were shut in for a while, as was the rest of Baltimore. Luckily we had plenty of stock to keep us supplied until the roads became more accessible.

When it’s this cold, there’s nothing better than a good hot soup as you feel the warm broth course through your body all the way to the fingers. And when I think of a good hot soup, I think Vietnamese. I had Mekong Delta on my wish list for several weeks and decided today was the day to go. We intentionally timed our visit for around 3pm in order to miss the lunch rush and be out before the dinner crowd started to form. The dining area was empty and we were attended to immediately right near the front windows with the full view of Saratoga Street (not that Saratoga Street boasts anything spectacular to view). The simple décor and the family element of the restaurant I found quite charming. The father seated and served us, the mother calling out from an unseen area behind the counter, and the son working on his math and reading at a table in the far corner of the dining room. At one point, the boy called out, “Daddy, can you help me?” and since we were the only customers, he sat down and worked on story problems.

I knew what I wanted before I arrived: the seafood soup. My fiancée browsed the menu for a few minutes and decided on the lemon grass beef with vermicelli. To begin, we had shrimp and pork summer rolls that came with the most amazing peanut sauce.

Summer rolls – you can see the pork and shrimp running along the inside of the thin wrapping. Cool and refreshing with the crisp cilantro flavor taking center stage, they would make a nice summer treat. Make sure to use every drop of the strong peanut sauce, it’s very addicting.

Seafood Soup – Menu item H2 was my choice. Full of cilantro and the aroma of garlic, this soup did not disappoint. I added a small bit of the chili sauce because I always like a little bite to my food, but was careful not to detract from the overall flavor. This dish came with sprouts, basil, and large deep green slices of jalapeño, and a wedge of lime. I tore, not plucked, the basil leaves and stirred them in the broth along with the bean sprouts. The soup had scallops, shrimp, and lumps of crab floating around the bowl, much more seafood than anyone could expect for $8.95. This soup is so good, it will make you want to forgo any sense of manners and lift the bowl to your lips to sip down the last drops the spoon cannot get. The clear noodles and bean sprouts help give the soup some bulk for appetite appeasement.

Lemongrass beef with vermicelli – Rice can be substituted for the vermicelli if desired. The beef was savory and the lemongrass flavor definitely shined and the fish sauce added a nice tang to start off each bite.

These two dishes are great for anyone who may be shy to try Vietnamese food. Obviously, as shown by length of descriptions, we both agreed the seafood soup was the preferred selection. Will we go again? Definitely. We will still time our visits to avoid meal crowds because we’ve read that due to it being a single family operation, the service can be slow when there’s a full house.

Pioneer Pit Beef

2010-02-03T20:36:00.001-05:00

Last week, I reviewed Chap’s Pit Beef, and after reviewing the comments to my post, I decided to give Pioneer’s Pit Beef a try. Due to the weather, we wanted to call and confirm that they were open for business. To our surprise, Pioneer has no business phone number and only a cross-street for an address. We crossed our fingers and headed out.

To get to this little out-of-the-way meat shack, take exit 17 Security Blvd/MD 122 off 695 you turn LEFT onto N Rolling Road from Security. Pass by the Security Square Mall and under the I-70 overpass. Turn right at the next light and you're there.

They stick to what they know: turkey, ham, and beef and don’t offer much for side selections. Their fries are completely homemade, cut and prepared right in house. While I was deciding, they gave me a sample slice and I did enjoy the savory, smoky, slightly charred piece of roast beef. For sides, we had a small ($0.75) order of coleslaw and fries with gravy. We got two roast beef sandwiches (1/2 lb for me, 1/3 lb for her), topped with horse radish, barbeque sauce, and fresh onions. The coleslaw was excellent. It had a little kick to it which we suspected was a hint of horse radish. The fries and gravy were also a pleasing part of the meal. What I didn’t like was the flavor of their florescent barbeque sauce and not having control over the application of the condiments. I’m aware that many elite pit-beef fans go very light on the sauce, if using any sauce at all, but that’s what we like so that’s what we eat.

I heard I should try the turkey, and I will be sure to at some point. However, I will be using my own sauce and asking for a double application of onions.

Chap's Pit Beef

2010-01-31T18:46:00.001-05:00

We have been here twice before, and the first thing any first-time patron will notice that this small establishment shares a parking lot with a “gentleman’s club” complete with the gaudy flashing marquee. Across the street lies an adult bookstore, so it took a moment to find a decent angle to photograph the entrance without also getting a shot of any nearby adult establishment. Once you step out of your vehicle, you will forget Chap’s questionable neighbors as the aroma of the cooking pit immediately takes you back to your favorite memories of summer barbeques past. Even though it was below freezing, we did stop a moment to inhale as much as we could.

Overall, the building and seating area are a bit shabby, with wooden picnic tables as the seating in the dining area. However, the real quality of this place is where it counts: the meat. We kept our order simple: two roast beef sandwiches, one large order of fries, and one large half-and-half to drink (iced tea/lemonade). They got on our sandwiches quickly as we watched them pull a large slab of beef off the pit fire and begin slicing.

There are two counter tops along the sides of the order pick-up area with a variety of sauces and condiments. Once our sandwiches were handed to us (fresh Kaiser rolls and not the cheap, value pack little grocery store burger buns) I slathered on the barbecue sauce and, since I like my sandwiches to bite back, slapped on a healthy amount of horseradish then topped it off with a nice pile of onions. There’s been plenty of times when eating at a sandwich place, I would say “heavy on the this” or “light on the that” and when my sandwich was served, I wondered if the preparer knew the concept of light and heavy. At Chap’s, all the condiments are laid out on a couple of counters by the pick up area, so you have complete control over the amounts to be your own Sandwich Guru.

As everyone in Baltimore who cares about local dining knows, this is one of Guy Fieri's favorite stops and it only takes one bite to know why. The meat is juicy and tender and had the same smoky “bring back memories of barbeques past” quality as the enticing air outside.

Will we go again? Oh yeah. The roast beef sandwich is the best $4.75 anyone could ever spend and I'm surprised I've never had to wait more than ten minutes to put in my order and even less from order to delivery.

A wonderful snack

2010-01-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

I know I said the main point of this blog was to review restaurants in the Baltimore area, but I had to share this. My better half had a wonderfully tasty surprise waiting for me when I came home from work Friday evening. During the day, she went to Trader Joe's and picked up some garlic and herb boursin, a package of red and green grapes, and house brand bruschetta. To complete the ensemble she had in mind, she headed over to Whole Foods and picked up polish sausage made from turkey, parrano cheese, and a package of whole wheat mini-toasts.

I have loved parrano for a long time. My favorite way to eat it is pairing it with something sweet (the grapes) and alternating bite for bite. The cheese enhances the grapes' sweetness while the grapes really amplifies the cheese's mild sharpness. She's not so into this snack, but she knows I love it.

Next, following my fiancee's lead, I took a mini toast, spread on some creamy boursin and topped it with a spoonful of bruschetta. At first, the main flavor my tastebuds detected was the tomato. I usually don't care for tomato by itself, but if used in concert with other ingrediants, I can like it. I chewwed slowly, making sure to savor every flavor as they emerged. Soon, the garlic, basil, zestiness, and the creaminess of the boursin all merged with the tomato and made one of the most wonderful snacks I've ever had.

We spread out a blanket on the floor and had a delightful indoor evening picnic. I'm also keeping this in mind once the spring hits and we want to snack outdoors. Just remember to bring a cutting surface for the cheese and sausage.

Lunch at Mama's on the Half Shell

2010-01-25T14:28:00.002-05:00

My fiancee had lunch with an old high school friend who happens to be passing through town as part of the musical Young Frankenstein cast. Without hesitation, she chose Mama’s on the Half Shell. I asked her to write about her experience so I could share with anyone who cared to read, so here’s a cut and paste of her direct words:

I enjoyed Saturday's dinner at Mama's on the Half-Shell so much that, when I met an old friend from Canada who is in Baltimore for 2 weeks while touring with Young Frankenstein, I convinced her she had to have lunch with me at Mama's to get a *real* Baltimore experience. We each had a drink; I enjoyed ANOTHER Orange Crush, which is an amazing orange vodka-triple sec-orange juice mix that tastes somewhere between orange pop and an Orangina. It has a double shot in it which you don't taste at all and don't even realize you've ingested until you get up to go to the bathroom and things feel nice and fuzzy. Delish! To start we shared a crab and artichoke dip, which came in a MASSIVE bread bowl and could easily feed 4-6 (my friend took the leftovers back to her hotel mini-fridge, gleefully anticipating so many post-show midnight snacks). She had a special of blackened tilapia which she said was amazing; I had the seafood melt. With fries on the side (double fried I think? And very tasty), the sandwich consisted of a lightly sauced seafood salad made of crab, shrimp and scallops, piled high on an english muffin and toasted with cheddar cheese. The seafood salad mix was really savoury and pleasant and had little minced bits of celery and onion that really rounded out the flavour. There was nothing bland and mayonnaise-y about this. It was AMAZING. Also very filling; for just over $10, you basically get 2 meals as I took home half my fries and half the sandwich for a late-in-the-day pick-me-up. The seafood was of good quality and it just struck me as a really tasty but still economical meal. The experience definitely confirmed for me that Mama's is good at any time of day or night, and who doesn't like to return to work on a weekday with a nice little Orange Crush buzz on? Obviously.

Color me jealous for missing out on that.

Samos Restaurant

2010-01-24T21:54:00.003-05:00

The only less than pleasurable experience about Samos is the waiting area. If you chose to dine here on a Friday or Saturday night, you may want to practice a yoga position called the ‘Samos Sardine’ in order to fit yourself into the cramped waiting area. If you fold your arms and interlace your fingers behind your neck while tucking your shoulders into your ears and sucking in your gut until your navel is firmly against your spine.

Samos is BYOB and a good way to kill some of the wait time is to put your name on the list, head out to find a nearby liquor store and take your time when browsing drink selections. The 2.00 per drinking adult fee is worth avoiding a game of human Tetris as more people try to awkwardly fit themselves in the waiting area. They do not take reservations so the wait is unavoidable, but worth it.

The seating area for two is also quite compact. Make sure to keep your knees and elbows in as some of the waiting crowd may spill over. As we were waiting for our check, the closeness of the neighboring tables invited friendly chit chat with the other diners. We felt Samos could use one or two more staff to help expedite the seating and cashing out and those on duty were zipping around as fast as humanly possible.

What we ordered:

Sampler Trio – You can choose three Greek spreads. We chose the tzatziki and two portions melitzanosalata. I enjoyed scooping them with the warm pita, but a spoon is provided for those with a sense of propriety. If you enjoy hummus and are hesitant to branch out, the trio sampler is the way to go. The yogurt-based tzatziki had a wonderful impression of garlic. The melitzanosalata was made with pureed roasted eggplant mixed with garlic, olive oil, and a lemon twist. Our favorite was the melitzanosalata, which is why it was 2/3 of our trio. If you like hummus, you may be asking for extra pita to swab up every trace.

Samos Special Salad (large) – We ordered the large salad and it was enough for us both. Lettuce, red onion, black olives (with the pit), firm and juicy tomato wedges, cucumber slices, substantial hunks of feta cheese, and pepperoncinis. The house dressing was homemade Greek-style vinaigrette and I could taste hints of lemon and garlic. The salad was topped with a single skewer of five pieces of grilled, seasoned chicken. We were slightly disappointed since that’s the same amount that comes with the small order and we had to split the small amount of tastiness. In the end, there was enough salad to fill our plates three times apiece.

Our drink – Voga Pinot Grigio. The light, sweet flavor went well with the zesty Greek flavors.

Will we go again? Definitely. The spanakopita is already in my sights.

Mama's on the Half Shell

2010-01-22T15:20:00.003-05:00

ATTENTION ALL SHELLFISH LOVERS! ATTENTION ALL SHELLFISH LOVERS! Your presence is required at Mama’s on the Half Shell, STAT! I repeat, your presence is required at Mama’s on the Half Shell, STAT!

The only displeasing element of our experience was our own fault. We were thoughtless enough to go during the Ravens vs. Colts playoff game. Once we got inside Mama’s, the wait wasn’t terrible considering the crowds outside of other places (about 20 minutes), and we each enjoyed a drink while we waited at the less-crowded end of the bar. The hostess kept track of our whereabouts and sought us out when our table was ready. Other than the half mile walk from our parking space and a rowdy crowd hollering f-bombs as the Ravens received a thorough pounding, this was an incredible experience.

We were given the menu and as you can see, it will take several visits to try everything that interested us. We happened to be seated next to a couple who also made the mistake of daring to hope for a romantic evening in the midst of a play-off fan frenzy. The loudness of the crowd and the marathon-like distance to our car was worth it. Did I mention it took an hour to even find parking? Knowing what I know now, I would have been willing to search another hour. The meal was that good.

Our server was very personable and made the effort to time our entrees to come out one at a time so the table wouldn’t overcrowd our chess-board sized table. And now without further ado, our food:

Steamed Jumbo Shrimp – We discussed on whether we should order half or a full pound, and obviously, I lobbied for the full pound. My persuasive powers prevailed and they were brought out in a large, round plate with a small dish of lime-chipotle cocktail sauce and a dish of melted butter. Each one was a satisfying two bites, one for a dip in the butter and the other for the sauce. If you love shrimp half as much as I do, you would return just for this. For those of you with smaller appetites, the half pound would make a wonderful and affordable appetizer for two.

Steamed Pei Mussels – With the white wine garlic herb sauce, of course. The pile of shells was quite substantial and we sopped up the excess sauce with bread. Usually mussel sauces are more broth-like and this was more of a thicker gravy consistency. We visited Monks in Philadelphia last year and had the world’s most perfect mussels and have been on a quest to find something as good in Baltimore. Mama’s didn’t quite hit that standard, but they were still very good. We heard the beer broth was exceptional, so we’re going to try that next time.

Scallops – This does tip our dollar scale, but we were celebrating our 2nd anniversary so we splurged. They were perfectly pan seared and large in size (3 bites). I dipped my first bite into the butter, which was perfection on a fork. Ultimately, these sweet and tender cylinders of succulence needed no sauce or butter and we enjoyed the remaining ones dry.

Macaroni and Cheese, – Probably the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. There was a reason for the goodness, copious usage of butter. Even the breadcrumbs that topped it had a distinct butter flavor. Once the top layer was gone, we noticed the deep pool of melted butter with the remaining pieces of macaroni submerged in its saffron-colored depths. I took one last forkful, and a macaroni piece fell to the table, leaving quite a large greasy splat. I was no longer delightfully ignorant of the amount of fat, so out of respect for my heart and arteries, I did not finish it.

Seasonal Vegetables – Green beans with an almond garnish. I’m a huge almond fan and enjoy most things with an almond twist. We both agreed they were slightly underdone, which was fine with me. I would rather have my veggies on the firm and crunchy side than overdone and wilted. My fiancée disagreed.

The John Daily Crush (drink) – Since I was the primary driver, this potent drink was enjoyed by my lovely fiancée but I did ask for a sip for posterity’s sake. It tasted like a deadly Arnold Palmer: sweet tea, lemon aid, infused with a substantial dose of vodka. She’s driving next time.

I have not left a restaurant this stuffed in a very long time. I personally made sure that no delectable shrimp and succulent scallop went to waste. With what felt like a bowling ball in my stomach, we left for the long walk to the car. I was both grateful and grumpy for the walk. It was good to walk off some of the over-stuffed-uncomfortable feeling, yet I wished the world’s most comfortable couch would materialize so I could lapse into a food coma. Will we return? Yes, the sooner the better.

Pete's Grill

2010-01-21T14:17:00.002-05:00

Here is the restaurant info. Unfortunately, they don't have an official website and online menu for me to link for you. Here is a link to their info and other online reviews from google.

I have been here a few times and only for the breakfast, so I cannot comment on the lunch portion of the menu. There is nothing unique or avant-garde about the menu: standard North American breakfast items: pancakes, waffles, eggs of different styles, the usual breakfast meats, egg sandwiches, etc. However, if Baltimore could brag a few more of these places, it would help put the Charm back in Charm City. Not only will you walk away satisfied, but you will have a ‘real’ Baltimore experience.

The seating are stools along a lengthy counter with no division among individuals or groups. Be prepared to accidentally elbow and be elbowed by neighboring patrons. You will also overhear several conversations from the currently unemployed, blue color workers, and PhD students. My fiancee’s neighbors swapped stories about adventuring in the world of Dungeons and Dragons while my neighbors were recommending museum exhibits to one another. Also, we were treated to a man in a long black wool coat stepping into the establishment, raising his arms then announcing, “May the Lord bless and keep you all!” Apparently, he’s a regular since a lady behind the counter addressed him by first name and informed him that the police would be called if he didn’t leave. He didn’t leave immediately, but remained with his hands folded and mumbled unintelligibly. He eventually left and, to my knowledge, the police were never summoned. You get a full sense of the cross section of classes in the city as the proletariat and the opulent crowd each other for counter space.

What we ordered:

Blueberry Pancakes - Nice, fluffy, filling. There’s just something comforting about large pancakes with blueberries cooked inside, dripping with butter and syrup. An order of three thick and fluffy pancakes will definitely tide you over until lunch and possibly even dinner.

Turkey Sausage – We choose turkey sausage over pork sausage whenever it’s available. We both put a lot of effort in losing a combined total of 100 lbs. As much as we like to dine out, we find ways to cut a few calories here and a few grams of fat there. We shared the three links and if all turkey sausage was this good, the pork industry would be seriously hurting.

Blueberry waffle – I have been wanting to order one of these since my first visit. I would watch a cook pull one from the waffle iron and slap it on a plate, the four corners jutting over the edge of the plate, then dump a handful of fresh blueberries over top. PROS – firm, crisp outside and doughy inside and deep craters for holding pools of flavorful syrup. CONS – You just can’t spread butter over waffles and in the end, I like the blueberries cooked inside the batter.

One egg, over medium – Done to perfection: not overdone with a hardened yolk and not underdone with a completely runny snot-like yolk. You can cut it up with a fork.

Would I go again? Definitely and fairly soon. You might have trouble getting seated with a party larger than two and you may have to bring a magazine for the wait as you stand directly behind the seated people who are already jammed in shoulder to shoulder.

Miss Shirley's Cafe

2010-01-20T17:53:00.002-05:00

This place is on the more pricey side of our spending spectrum, but you can still manage a great meal for under $15 a person, especially if you avoid the crab dishes, which today we didn't. We have been here plenty of times and I was excited about returning. This is the type of place were several items practically jump off the menu and yell "PICK ME!" Even though there are several tried and true items, we wanted to try something new (well, one selection we have had before at a different restaurant). Here is their full menu.

Before I get started on my review, I just wanted to say I do like this place overall and I recommend it to anyone who would ask, but today's experience was below what I've come to expect. I never thought this would happen, but here comes a less than perfect review for Miss Shirley's.

The Mac Crabby - Both of our eyes were drawn to this selection. Mac and cheese made with high quality, creamy cheese and savory crab, what's not to love? Our high hopes were dashed. We agreed the main problem was the cheese. It was a thick get-stuck-in-your-throat cheese that muscled out any other flavors. When a savory and pricey ingredient, oh let's say crab, is featured in a dish, I personally would like to taste it but that's just me. We separated several pieces of crab from the cheese, cleaned them off, and enjoyed them separately. The Old Bay seasoning came across as regular salt after being submerged in the over powering cheese.

Pumpkin Cheesecake-Stuffed French Toast - We have ordered this before at Blue Moon Cafe and we were expecting a similar, if not better, quality. The first thing I noticed was the thickness of the bread. I suffer from chronic Eyesbiggerthanmystomache Syndrome, so this excited me. But the thickness turned out to be a negative as it overwhelmed the dish and made it seem dry. The pumpkin cheesecake filling between slices was good, but spread to thinly to compensate for the dryness of the bread. Have you ever had a dry roast beef sandwich with too little mayo? Similar situation. I added some syrup, but I would have had to drench it. There was also a thin layer of raspberry coulis along the underside, but it didn't mix well. I would have rather had slices of fresh bananas and strawberries to balance with the sweetness of the syrup, cheesecake filling, and whipped cream.

I don't leave my food unfinished often, but today I did. Again, I want to stress that I do recommend Miss Shirley's. Unfortunately, we chose two-star selections from a typically five-star menu. Will we return? Yes, eventually but no rush.

Grace Garden

2010-01-20T17:26:00.001-05:00

I'll take a quick moment to introduce myself and my blog. I live in Baltimore and I love food. I do not have either culinary nor critique training. I would simply like to write about my dining experiences, including when travel away from the Baltimore area. I will report where we (my fiancée and I) dined, why we chose said restaurant, what I ordered, our opinions, if we plan to return, and what we may order upon our return. We typically eat out once a weekend, or if strapped for time/money, every other weekend so I'll only be able to update 2-4 times per month. If my fiancée knew I was doing this, she would give me one of her reproachful, disapproving looks. We do love our little diamonds-in-the-rough and do not like long waits. I mentioned telling coworkers about the place I'm about to review and she replied, "Why would you do that? Do you want to wait longer for a table?"

Well, I'll not waste any more of your time. I'm starting my blog with a review of Grace Garden. Here is their website.
We chose this restaurant because the Chinese cuisine in Baltimore is quite disappointing and we read glowing reviews online. It is a bit outside the Baltimore area (25 miles from my apartment), but close enough that we're willing to make the journey when the mood for Chinese strikes.

They have two menus: typical Americanized Chinese food, and traditional Chinese food and we selected from both. We ordered tea, the Grace Garden Shrimp, Crispy Beef, and Crispy Eggplant. We chose the meat dishes first and assumed there would be little to no vegetables cooked with the dish, ordered the Crispy Eggplant for a vegetable dish. You know what they say about 'assume' and we definitely made the wrong assumption. The shrimp came with a nice portion of steamed broccoli and the beef had a nice mix of shredded celery and carrots.

And now for my self-important, opinionated itemization:

The tea - I'm not a huge tea fan, but I liked this. Very fragrant with a nice flowery aroma and flavor; a good drink on a cold night.

Crispy Beef - This dish is a definite classic of American Chinese food and my fiancée’s favorite by far. This is a must-have whenever we have a chance to dine Chinese. I know it's a common favorite among Chinese food fanatics, but please indulge one who loves to hear his own opinion (or at least the gratifying clicking noises of the keyboard as I share my opinion). I love the crispy texture of the beef and the sweet flavor of the Szechuan sauce. The shredded celery and carrots give nice, flavorful filler, along with the rice to help sop up the remaining sauce on your plate. I know it's not an adventurous selection, but if it's good, it's good, regardless of how pedestrian it may be.

Grace Garden Shrimp - We were both happy with this selection as well. The shrimp were good sized (as shrimp go) and well-battered. I've had enough over-done breaded shrimp that I usually avoid it entirely, but these were cooked to perfection. The sauce was a sweet and sour ginger sauce, which was a nice alternative to the crispy beef's Szechuan and another good sauce to mop up with the rice.

Crispy Eggplant - This was technically our vegetable selection. However, it counts as a vegetable as much as those deep-fried vegetables that are peddled at county fairs and other events. However, the difference is in the quality of the preparation. Also, I noticed the website offers a picture of this dish and what was served to us did not look like what is on the photo. Those look like pan-fried slices of eggplant. What we received was battered and deep fried. Oh well, it was good, although too much for two people. If you have a family-sized dinner party, the portion is perfect. I chose this dish because o the spicy/sweet sauce and knowing that eggplant absorbs flavors, so I was gambling that a good sauce would make this dish. It did. My only reservation was that it was battered and deep-fried. I'm not saying it wasn't good, I'm saying it really made us hold back (which was for the better) since it turned out all of our selections were also breaded. These also made the best next-day left overs because the sauce completely saturated the breading overnight and, in my opinion, made it even better.

Will we go again? Definitely. Will we order the same dishes? The Crispy Beef, since that is my fiancée’s utmost favorite Chinese dish in existence. There is another vegetable dish we almost ordered instead of the eggplant, a bean dish, and I don't see it on the online menu. Next time, we plan on ordering Crispy Beef, Salt and Pepper Shrimp, and that mysterious, enigmatic bean dish.

Where will we go next? Only the shadow knows.