Monday Morning Quarterbacking: Mari Luna
Yesterday my review of the new Mari Luna Latin Grille appeared in the Sunday paper, and I did something I've never done in all my years of reviewing. I went to a restaurant I had given a positive review to the same day it appeared in the paper.
I had an excuse. ...
I told my brother about it, and he just really wanted to go. He lives in Silverlake, a neighborhood where there is easy access to some wonderful Latino restaurants, and I was curious what he would think.
We had to be in Pikesville anyway for another event, so I didn't try too hard to dissuade him. I just made sure I had the addresses of a couple of alternatives in the area. He said let's make sure we got there early and we'd be fine.
Unfortunately early in LA is 6:30 p.m., and when we got there it was an hour's wait. By the way, Mari Luna's doesn't take reservations on the weekend: Friday, Saturday or Sunday. That last turns out to be a weekend night. Who knew?
We would have gone down to Mari Luna Mexican Grill, south on Reisterstown Road, but the owner had transferred the liquor license to the new place. Apparently in the county you can do that if the two places are within a certain distance of each other, something you can't do in the city. I wanted my brother to be able to have a beer, and I doubted if the liquor store nearby would be open.
So where did we end up? The answer's not very exciting, but Gailor took a nice photo of it, so I'll wait to tell you until she wakes up and uploads it for me.
(Monica Loppossay/Sun photographer)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
Comments
surely not that fancy new McDonald's....the horror!
Posted by: qzans | November 24, 2008 8:10 AM
Much of the Pikesville dining crowd are rather geriatric. Early Bird specials would really fly there! When we wish to eat in Pikesville with my dad, we normally wait til 7 and have no trouble at all.
Posted by: Joyce W. | November 24, 2008 8:36 AM
EL wrote: I wanted my brother to be able to have a beer, and I doubted if the liquor store nearby would be open.
Does this mean that if a restaurant doesn't have a liquor license, you can bring your own liquor in to drink with dinner?
Posted by: Bucky | November 24, 2008 9:26 AM
THe "old" Mari Luna MEXICAN Grill is BYOB....you can bring your own.
Posted by: richiesdad | November 25, 2008 7:14 AM
richiesdad - it was Sunday - where could she have gotten it from? Actually, maybe Jilly's or Pike's Diner's bar area?
Posted by: Joyce W. | November 25, 2008 8:03 AM
Bucky -- I believe that restaurants that lack a liquor license can decide whether or not to allow a BYOB policy. (For example, I'm not aware of any local McDonald's or Burger King that permits BYOB.) Those that permit BYOB may also impose the dreaded corkage fee, which has been a topic of controversy in prior D@L topics.
Posted by: hmpstd | November 25, 2008 8:24 AM
Thanks, hmpstd & richiesdad.
Posted by: Bucky | November 25, 2008 9:40 AM