Didn't know about Clementine but am anxious to read the review. My fiancee lives very near the Chameleon and we love the place. It would be cool to find another restaurant near her that is really good. She is lucky! The Chameleon, Koco's...perhaps I should move back up there rather than her move down here!

Rob - there's another one opening soon where O'Donnell's pub used to be, the space has been undergoing what looks like extensive renovations. I think the guy who owns the upholstery place nearby is doing it.

And don't forget Big Bad Wolf BBQ - not much space for dining in, but everything I've had from there has been spectacular. My mom had a blackened salmon sandwich a couple months ago that she said was one of the best lunches she has ever had.

Rob in PCB FL--come on home, hon!

Rob makes an interesting point about the Harford Road area. It does seem like that neighborhood has more than its fair share of foodie finds. In addition to the one's he's mentioned, there's also places like Big Bad Wolf BBQ, Mueller's Deli, Mastellone's and Angelina's (which I understand is back to being good again). It's a shame the Edelweiss Bakery had to close in the midst of this culinary renaissance in northeast Baltimore.

RoCK - We've always had John Waters, but it seems we've finally made it, if people from Cross Keys are slumming it over here.

Being fairly new to Baltimore (if you consider 7 years "new") I've tried to immerse myself in the culture. After watching "A Dirty Shame", anything having to do with Harford Road makes me giggle.

Rob in PCB - reconsider (moving up here) after Novemeber when Baltimore turns into the North Pole and you're down there wearing shorts! Remember, you can always visit!!!

I live right off of Harford Rd and love the idea of Clementine but on each one of my many visits, they were out of at least a 1/3 of the menu, during peak times like noon for lunch. Very frustrating! It isn't a very large menu and the "missing" items seem to rotate so despite being a fairly frequent visitor, I've only been able to try a handful of items. This has happened to everyone I know who has been there.

I'd like to support a local business, but if they want to keep my business and hopefully draw others from outside the neighborhood in, they really need to figure out how to keep menu items in stock or change the menu to reflect foods that are actually available to them. It is a little tiresome to go to a restuarant and not once be able to order your first choice.

That's not good. Luckily it didn't happen to us. EL

I don't get Big Bad Wolf BBQ. Only ate there once, but the meat didn't taste smokey. My idea of good BBQ is smoked meat that is good enough to eat without any sauce.

Maybe I caught them on an off day.

Gack - Lissa - I hate the taste of smoked meat. I'll have to try Big Bad Wolf if the meat doesn't taste smoky.

I've heard a rumor that Alabama Barbecue (the current favorite of many in my office) may be moving north up Harford Road. It'd be nice to be able to get two flavors of BBQ in one trip.

A colleague of mine mentioned good things about Clementine today, even before I saw this on the blog.

Thanks All!
Yes, that is a good thing about being here, when it does get cold here, it only lasts for a day or two.

Big Bad Wolf was okay when we ate there. I got the deluxe (I think) and it had a couple different kinds of meat on it. The brisket wasn't thinly sliced, it was a large slab and not really suited for a sandwich. But it tasted good.

Down here, that is what real BBQ is, slow-smoked meat. Then you put the sauce of your choice (sweet, spicy, hot, etc.) on it.

Is the Puerto del Sol still open on Harford, just above Hamilton?

This critique is for the accompanying photograph. I'm repelled by the quality of the photograph. Some might say this is being picky. But good food styling and photography is an art. This photograph is a bit of a failure. Although I'd like to make mention that the inclusion (whether PhotoShop'ed or not) of the shadow of "restaurant" is cool. The meat looks disgusting and I'm not even sure what is in the gratin dish.

Food photography is meant to entice the reader into wanting to practically lick the screen. EL, I hope you get better photographs in the future.

Yeah, what's with the photo? I had to blow it up, because my thought was "What the hell is that stuff?" And even then I didn't know. It does have a simple color palatte though. Is that good or bad? I'm a photo moron. It has a certain Dickensian feel.

I thought that photo was great. Every time I see it, I want to head out Harford Rd.

The brisket, pulled pork and pork ribs at Big Bad Wolf are only ok. The thing to order there is the beef ribs with the cherry bbq sauce. It is so hard to find beef ribs in Baltimore, so is great that one of the few places to serve them does such a good job with them.

Rob where I come from (Texas) brisket is not all that thinly sliced - not sure what you got though, since the brisket sandwich at Big Bad Wolf has several-many slices of not too thin but not too thick brisket, easy to eat as a sandwich.

Anyway, outside Texas, it's the best BBQ I have ever had, by far. That includes their brisket, pulled pork, beef and pork ribs, grilled chicken, and grilled salmon. Plus, the sides are expertly done. And the service is always perfect.

I thought the food photography original and conveyed the worn and woody homey feeling of the place and its approach to hearty housemade food. It took work and imagination by the photographer, who could have taken the easy way out and done a plate closeup--but tried to show us more.

The photo was used once before - talking about the Harford Road food renaissance, maybe - and I had the same urge to run right over to Clementine.

It makes my mouth water...

LJ,
The brisket I got at Big Bad Wolf was at least a 1/4 inch or maybe even a half inch. It was still tasty. I pulled it off and cut it up to eat it with knife and fork.

There is a place in town here called Outlaw BBQ (not sure if it is chain or not-they smoke the meat on-premises) but they slice the brisket real thin.

As I was looking for a Clementine's menu, I stumbled onto some blog about the harford road area. It seemed the blogger was upset at our very own EL for lumping Lauraville and Hamilton together. Apparently, and this is news to me, all of those neighborhoods aren't the same.

Ha ha, RoCK, you haven't seen anything til you get people arguing over what's "Southside"! Neighborhoods in Balmer are very territorial (often with the lines drawn depending upon whom you ask!)