The Best of Baltimore dining awards
Sadly, I must now put away my wonderful award from City Paper for best Sun blog 2007. I've wrung all the lording-it-over-my-colleagues out of it that I can. It's a new year, at least as far as the City Paper Best of Baltimore awards are concerned.
However, we can have the fun of discussing the paper's picks for dining. Multimedia Editor Mary suggested a Top 10 of the City Paper's awards; and while that might be, as she thought, a little meta, here are the 10 I most agree with: ...
* Best Tapas/Small Plates: Tapas Teatro
* Best New Restaurant: Woodberry Kitchen
* Best Fancy Restaurant: Charleston
* Best Restaurant Service: The Prime Rib
* Best Former Employees: The Brewers Art employees opening restaurants
* Best Homemade Meats: Clementine
* Best Vietnamese: Baltimore Pho
* Best Reason Not to Have a State Dessert: Smith Island cake (although I did have a great one made by Sugar Bakers at Catonsville Gourmet)
* Best Cake: Patisserie Poupon
* Best Crab House: Mr. Bill's Terrace Inn
I'm not sure these would be my picks in every one of these categories, but they are all good picks. I do find some of the other winners more problematic, such as the now-closed Parthenon Diner. But I feel the City Paper's pain. Restaurants are always closing on me, too. That's the problem with print.
Besides, De Gustibus Non Disputandum Est, which as faithful readers know is the second motto of Dining@Large.
(Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)
Comments
Cheer up, EL -- City Paper still considers your restaurant coverage to be must-read copy on the Sun's website, as noted here. Also, they recognized John McIntyre for the Most Civilized Blog, even if they had to include a mention of Cincinnati "chili" (I hope that isn't why they gave him the award).
Thanks very much. I feel better now. EL
Posted by: hmpstd | September 18, 2008 7:04 AM
Don't worry, Elizabeth. Dining@Large is in the running for one of Midnight Sun's 2008 Best of the Best of the Best awards.
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/midnight_sun/blog/2008/08/best_of_the_best_of_the_best.html
Posted by: Sam Sessa | September 18, 2008 8:01 AM
Baltimore Pho isn't bad, I just wish Bmore had more pho options.
Posted by: Cheese | September 18, 2008 8:17 AM
The Smith Island cake at Catonsville Gourmet is sooooooo good. It is like eating a big, soft Berger cookie. NOMNOMNOMNOMNOM!
Posted by: dcdiva | September 18, 2008 8:25 AM
hahahaha cookie monster!
Posted by: Sam Sessa | September 18, 2008 9:48 AM
Is Baltimore Pho considered the best Vietnamese in Baltimore proper, because it IS NOT better than An Loi in Columbia or Miss Saigon in Glen Burnie. Balto Pho's pho is ok, nothing special, but their other dishes are definitely NOT GOOD. Service has been bad on the times when I've been there even when it wasn't crowded. Recount the votes ... please!
Posted by: nrp | September 18, 2008 10:13 AM
This seems like a good time to mention that in my latest copy of that awful little ad mag "the consumer eye" that shows up in my mailbox, you were mentioned in the Grand Opening ad for a mexican place called, I think, "El Nayar" or something similar who is apparently opening a Catonsville location in addition to it's Elkridge location. The ad claims they are one of the areas best mexican restaurants according to Elizabeth Large. If this is truely the case, maybe I'll give the new place a try. And, YES the smith island cake at Catonsville gourmet is yummy!!
I've never been to El Nayar. EL
Posted by: Debra | September 18, 2008 10:33 AM
Smith Island Cake. Never heard of it until my recent trip to OC. How do they make all those thin layers?
Tasty for sure, all those layers of icing.
Posted by: PCB Rob | September 18, 2008 12:37 PM
Hey EL, You mentioned other winners like the closed Parthenon Diner... I didn't see them on the City Paper's awards list. Would you point me in the right directeion? Thanks!
If you click on the word "picks" in my entry, it should get you there. EL
Posted by: Stephen B. | September 18, 2008 2:47 PM
Stephen B. -- the print edition of this week's City Paper, at page 95, had named Parthenon Diner as "Best Late-Night Dining". However, that award has mysteriously disappeared from the online list of awards. I guess that's proof positive that the City Paper editorial staff does read D@L!
Posted by: hmpstd | September 18, 2008 3:56 PM
Sam Sessa - Very kind and considerate of you to include Dining@Large in your Best of the Best via Midnight Sun.
May I be the first to nominate you for the cutest pic of all the Sun's writers?
Posted by: Piano Rob | September 21, 2008 4:47 AM
Stephen B. -- further to the City Paper's mention of the Parthenon Diner, their current issue includes a correction (scroll to bottom of page), noting that the diner had been closed for several months prior to being named for Best Late-Night Dining.
Posted by: hmpstd | September 24, 2008 9:47 AM