Speaking of La Brea bread, I'm still looking for a local source since my Giant discontinued it. Anyone?

Eddie's has it. But it's not like you get in LA. EL

spago's

I've got two requests. Ok, three.

I want a good, authentic Lebanese restaurant, like Al Ameer in Detroit. I was there last weekend, and I so miss their shish kafta, the hummous with lamb, the arayes, the stuffed lamb, the fresh juices...in fact about everything on the menu.

For added happiness, while it isn't a restaurant strictly (although they have tables where you can gain weight), Shatila's, also in Detroit, is heaven. They make their own ice cream (the pistacio is incredible, their canteloupe tastes like the sweetest, juiciest most flavourful canteloupe you've ever had), their Lebanese sweets are so good they ship to Lebanon and their French sweets are pretty good, too. Just stay away from the savoury stuff.

I had one of the best breakfasts of my life (outside of Germany, anyway) at Cora's in Ottawa. It is a Quebecois chain, so they are in Montreal and other places, too. What thrilled my egg-hating stomach was the fresh fruit. When they say "mountains of fruit", they aren't kidding. And it is arranged, cut and sliced like it was on the way to a food pr0n shooting (there are pics on the website). Edible art, fresh, tasty and plentiful.

I need all three of these here now. Please?

Mustards

Tell us more. EL

In N Out Burger.

Even tho they are chains, I am super excited about Cheesecake Factory and PF Changs coming to Towson. It was like a dream come true all on one corner. Cheesecake Factory's "navajo" sandwich is too good for words. I wanna kiss whoever decided to fry bread dough.....yum.

Will I be banned from future comments if I say... Jack in the Box? Oh how I miss you, Jack.

White Castle. I haven't had a belly bomber in nearly four years. I think it was the lack of White Castle that caused my colon cancer.

I would love a German restaurant with a beer garden. The closest place might be the Old Stein Inn outside of Annapolis, but even that isn't quite what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, what few German restaurants are left in Baltimore seem to have the feel of a senior center dining hall.

How about a decent ice cream parlor in the old-fashioned style? Boston had Bailey's, which had sundaes with gooey sauces that dripped onto the silver saucer underneath the silver ice cream bowl. Alas, even Bailey's has bit the dust, but people are obscessed to this day with trying to recreate its sauces, as this Boston Globe article indicates. (Yes, the butterscotch sauce was my favorite.)

In that case, I want a Bojangles too. I know exactly where the first one is in VA on 95 South. I stop everytime I pass it. And a closer Waffle House.

Maybe I should just move down south......but then that'd be further to drive for NYC pizza.....oh decisions, decisions....

incunabulum - I was just recently talking about the bag of grease you used to get at Jack in the Box and of course, talking to the clown. I fear I my stomach could no longer handle the Jack.

I'd love to transplant the House of Munich from Chula Vista, California, if only for its German style roast duck -- crisp, dark, delicious -- with spaetzle and red cabbage. Then there's another Southern California institution, the Boll Weevil which has the tastiest burgers on the planet and killer French fries. Finally, there's the Barco Baracho (the 'Drunken Boat') on the island of Ibiza, only place I've ever seen -- or tasted -- beef paella. But I'm not sure it would be the same without a Flamenco guitarist, stoked on Fundador, wailing "Camino Verde."

NOBU. Never been to one - but they sound fabulous.

Carey, there is a fairly new WaHo just off of 95 in the Edgewood area.

Don't look at those air fares to LA, EL. You'll definitely lose your appetite.

I assume sas means Mustards in Yountville, CA up in Napa. They call themselves a roadhouse. Great food, great wine. It's one of the places I never miss (along with Chez Panisse) when I visit the Bay area.

Moroccan restaurant and a Pinkberry, please.

Is this possible? You have no Waffle Houses in Baltimore? That's what their website indicates.

You need a Waffle House, for after Friday night poker games, if no other time.

I will now attempt a response in Sandboxian:

GACK! EL, an upscale crabhouse?? No thank you ma'am!! This is Bawlmer, Hon, and we like to pull apart our savory beautiful swimmers (Latin=callinectus sapidus, but of course those of us who went to publik skool, unlike Bristol Palin) in a grimy old firehall or in Aunt Nancy's backyard with plenty of ice- cold Natty Bo. and never, NEVER, a glass of pinot grigio-ACK! And I hate Old Bay (too much paprika vs. celery salt), so I make my own. It's really very easy and for the life of me I can't understand why everyone else doesn't too. .

So no "upcale" "crabhouse," thank you very much.

That was my little joke. :-) EL

The closest Waffle House to Baltimore that I know of is on Rt 543 off of 95. There's also one in Bel Air I believe. Still a good 30 minute hike from Baltimore.

I second White Castle. It has been a while since my last fix. Normally when I go to visit family in New York, I bring home with me a Crave Case. It is 30 of the those little, wonderful, delicious, belly bombing burgers.

Waffle House lost all their appeal for me when they went non-smoking. I don't smoke anymore, but a place like that needs to be smoke-filled, and the grill cook needs one dangling from his mouth.

A second vote for In N Out!

Bucky: WH is in Maryland, but not in Baltimore.

My wish: Sonic.
We have no Sonic close by.

I am nostalgic for:

Del Taco (a million times better than Taco Bell)
Samurai Sam's or Yokohama Rice Bowl (teriyaki chicken/rice bowl - nothing like it out here)
In-N-Out (best burgers)
Macayo's (AZ chain - best chimichangas ever)
Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation (are there even any soup/salad buffet restaurants in MD?)
Marie Callendar's (oh Strawberry pie, how I miss you!)
El Pollo Loco (yummiest chicken take out ever)

Maybe I just need to move back out West.

Baltimore ( and most cities) could use a real Beer Garden. Not some plastic "bavarian" place but a real beer garden in the model of Max Blob's.

"My wish: Sonic.
We have no Sonic close by."

No but we certainly have commercials for them. What's up with that?!

Other commericals I see every day but have no clue where the nearest one is:

Cici's (pizza buffett?)
Joe's Crab Shack

gorelick - for a guy from The City Paper - most f-bombs per column inch in the history of newsprint - to make mock of any another group's dialect is very, very tacky.

I can't speak to its authenticity, but Mandalay, the Burmese Restaurant in downtown Silver Spring, makes me SO happy. I wish they'd open a branch up here. When I lived in HoCo and they were located right off Rt. 1 north of College Park, I was there several times a month. Now it's a much rarer trip. But, oh, the pork with pickled mango! Shrimp with sour mustard! Ginger salad! Mmmm!!!!

It looks like "gack" has become our signature song.

Eve -- touche ;-)

>

Wow,

We must have Waffle Houses every 1/2 mile or so down here.
As for Sonic, there's one just down the street from where I work. The burgers are pretty good there. They make a great diet limeade too.

Cici's Pizza Buffet just opened here and from what I hear, its not all that.

And the only Joe's Crab Shacks I've seen are in Norfolk VA and Destin down here.

Cinnamon Girl said "Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation (are there even any soup/salad buffet restaurants in MD?)" - There was one in Columbia at the Lakefront and sort of diagonal from Clydes. I'm not sure if it's still there because we're going back 15 or so years here. Same with Towson Town Mall food court. Anybody been recently and know? I too would love a place like that!

Carey, I agree we suddenly have tons of commercials for places we don't have. Joes Crab Shack comes on several times a day! This morning I was talking to my partner on the phone and asked her was there one around that we just don't know about yet?

Carey,
There is a CiCi's pizza place in Glen Burnie...It is in the shopping center across Ritchie Hwy from Marley Station Mall.

Sonic has a bunch of locations in Hanover and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. There is also a couple in Delaware. Just none in the Baltimore area.

I was watching Good Eats last night and Alton Brown was making spinach salad. I recalled the first spinach salad I ever had was at the old Soup Kitchen.

I used to go there and get the sampler - little cups of each of the soups available that day - and a spinach salad for lunch. Enough food for the whole day. Kind of like eating at Atwater's.

I know there are a few new soup places around. Do any of them have anything like the Soup Kitchen sampler?

What about a truly wonderful completely veggie restaurant a la Blind Faith (http://www.blindfaithcafe.com/) in Evanston, IL? Or Greens in SF (http://www.greensrestaurant.com)

I know Great Sage is not that far, but it is not Baltimore, and honestly, I have never been more than averagely impressed. And Yabba Pot is just too small and doesn't quite give a full-on restaurant experience.

i wish chi-chi's would reopen

I wish Baltimore had a Tequila Mockingbird, a great Mexican restaurant in Ocean City.

We've got two Sonics here on the beach and the only times I go is when friends from Baltimore come down and want to try it.

Joyce, I ate at Columbia Clyde's about 5 years ago and didn't see a Soup & Salad type place in the vicinity.

While on a business trip to New Jersey with husband a couple of weeks ago, we made the obligatory white castle run. Two crave boxes. The contents of one are in the freezer for the snowed in days this winter. Alas, the other has been consumed. Long live the slider.

Lauriol Plaza from DC. The wife and I went there almost weekly. Tortillas made in-house, mesquite smoked fabulous fajita meat, incredible homemade chipotle salsa and crispy, home made chips. To top it off, service was quick and the experience was inexpensive. There isn't solid tex mex in this town - so sad.

Belated answer for Dahlink: the Harris-Teeter in Columbia has La Brea breads. They also make some of their own. Earlier in the week I got one of their German Rye Boules. Very nice.

I'm still looking for a Deli (or anyplace else) that has potato salad like I get up in New York - sliced, not diced, potatoes. I will likely bring back several pounds when my DW and I visit New York for what has become out annual "Broadway marathon." This year its four shows in three days. Plus a last minute visit to the Stage Delicatessen to buy the aforementioned potato salad. Last year more than half a pound disappeared on the train ride home.

There is also a CiCi's in Catonsville, in the Office Depot/Pet Smart/BabiesRUs shopping center.
Pizza is not great but they have plenty of choices including dessert pizza, and lots of salad.

It looks like "gack" has become our signature song. Which reminds me--where is Piano Rob?

Thanks very much, RiE, but I'd rather fly to California than drive to Columbia. EL, I went to Eddie's on North Charles and didn't see any La Brea bread there. Does Eddie's carry it at both locations?

I saw it by the bakery at the Roland Park branch, in the baskets. EL

Newton Circus Hawker Centres from Singapore please.

Ok, Eve, I got curious enough to check it out and found this on line:
The Tomato Palace
10221 Wincopin Circle, Columbia, MD 21044
Phone: 410.715.0211

The Tomato Palace, opened in 1993, is the family-style Italian restaurant adjacent to Clyde's of Columbia on Lake Kittamaqundi.
If it's still there? I couldn't say!

I do remember a restaurant right next to Clyde's, as you come down those step-things from the parking garage across the street. It wasn't called the Tomato Palace, that I noticed, although I may have missed it's name.

Wagamama! I have their cookbooks, but it's not the same. I think they finally have one in Boston, but that may be the only one in this hemisphere. :-(

It may be something else by now, Eve. I find all kinds of internet posts for now out of business restaurants. Besides IMHO it's very hard to really get a look at what's in those darned village centers. The trees and the wood overhangs make it so that you can be right in front of something and not even know it! But if it is Tomato Palace, it was very good in a salad/soup buffet kind of way all those years ago!

Yard House. During my brief time in California, I fell in love with the one in Pasadena.

yes it's still the tomato palace and it has been there forever. i think the food is terrible though personally. it's not so much soup and salad as boring generic italian-esque.

After giving this some serious thought I would add Dogfish Head Ale House to the list. Already in Delaware, Virginia and Gaithersburg, MD I know they are scouting for a location in the greater Baltimore area. Great Beer and grilled pizza. Everytime we visit our daughter in Rockville we end up at the Dogfish for either lunch or dinner.

Hey Eve, I say we get a bunch of us together and beat the crap out mr. gorelick Sun-style.

I wish there was a Roy Rogers near me. It's the only fast food I've ever eaten. I used to look forward to stopping at the one in Glen Burnie after riding the B&A trail. I'd get three plain roast beef sandwiches and smother them in pickles and BBQ sauce. Then I'd wrap them up and let them marinate in my backpack until I got back to Little Italy.

Portillo's hot dogs - a staple in the Chicago suburbs

I'd love to see a Detroit style coney island here. Gotta love a place where you can get a great chili(coney) dog, while also serving some amazing greek salads.

Also, how about a decent deli. Attman's is ok, but I'm looking for a corned beef sandwich with meat that doesn't take like it soggy.

Owl: you may already know this, but there are a couple of Roy Rogers in Frederick. Whenever we go out that way we stop there.

Corey, G&A Coney on Eastern Ave. in Highlandtown has what looks like real coneys. I haven't had one, not being horribly fond of them.

In other Detroit food news, you can get Vernors at DiPasquale's in Highlandtown, but they charge premium soda prices for it. I've also gotten it in the Alley Cafe across from the Walters. I found Faygo Redpop once in a dollar store at Mondawmin mall, but the store is no longer there.

Corey, Try Suburban House on Reisterstown Rd in Pikesville. You may get the corned beef you are looking for. Any to-go sandwich kind of sogs. You have to eat in for the real experience, or buy the meat and bread separate and assemble at home.

There is also a Roy Rogers in Westminister, rte 140 close to McDaniel College.

There is a Bojangles in Maryland on Route 301 south in PG County about a half an hour south of Bowie. I just stoped there last week. They make a pretty good chicken biscuit.

When I was a kid there was a Bojangles on Route 40 East just outside the city line, where all the strip clubs and no-tell-motels are. I used to pester my dad to take me down there.

RoCK - to the strip clubs?

1. Mellow Mushroom - based out of Athens/Atlanta and a staple in many southern college towns. Great pizza and normally a pretty good beer selection.

2. Jersey Mike's! A look at their locations shows they are in pretty much every eastern, southern, and midwestern state - but no Maryland. Even though its a chain, the subs, "Mike's way," are ridiculous.

3. The Tavern - in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. An upscale bar with classy servers wearing dresses that put Hooters girls to shame.

That is the first time I have seen "classy" and "hooters girls" in the same sentence.

Yeah, it sucks that the closest Jersey Mike's is located in Charles Town, WV.

Ston,

Mellow Mushroom just opened a place here, right near the big clubs and where Spring Break has most of its activities.

I haven't been there yet, but the menu looks really good.

Amen on Roy Rogers being sorely missed in these parts. According to their website, their closest locations appear to be in Westminster and the Maryland House on I-95 in Aberdeen. While they were looking to expand, the current economic climate may put at least a temporary damper on those plans.

I'm amazed at all the chains us food snobs are coming up with here.

And to think I was scared to post a chain at first.....

The thing with chains is, you always know what you're getting. It may not be the best, but it's (usually) the same, no matter what state you're in. Then add in the whole "wanting what you can't have" thing, and you just gotta love them.

PCB Rob,

Are you referring to the Power Plant area? I'm about to move back to Baltimore, and if you're correct about a Mellow Mushroom opening I will pumped. You are right about the menu looking good. I'm not sure you can classify it as NY style pizza, but whatever it is its awesome. The crust is amazing.

Ston,
No, I'm referring to an area down here in Panama City Beach. Sorry.

Ston -- PCB Rob currently hails from Panama City Beach, Florida, so I take it that he's referring to a recently opened Mellow Mushroom down in the Redneck Riviera.

Ston -- PCB Rob currently hails from Panama City Beach, Florida, so I take it that he's referring to a recently opened Mellow Mushroom down in the Redneck Riviera.

Yes, I am. Its on Thomas Drive, across from Club LaVela (Party With Thousands!)

El Torito -- smallish California chain of upscale Mexican. Great grilled shrimp and tenderloin enchiladas was the special "surf & turf" that I had last night. Ymmmm!

Something new opened in Owings Mills (I think today) in between Noodles and Co. and Qdoba. I think it's call Samantha's or Sabrina's or something like that. Anybody know anything about it? I meant to double back down this evening to check it out but got too tired and lazy (it was dark before 5!).

I still like my Carne Asada Burritos with guac and sour cream from 24hr Roberto's/Alberto's/Umberto's in San Diego. I also miss 3 rolled chicken tacos. I now get my fix whenever I go to Del Ray Beach or Vegas. I also hit In N Out while in Vegas.

Chevy's Fresh Mex in Annapolis/Parole on Route 2 is pretty good. The only other one I've been to is in San Francisco on the Embarcadero.

Is there one (or more) in Baltimore?

Timothy: Del Ray Beach, like in Florida between Palm Beach and Boca Raton? I get to DRB once a year in March, and would love to know another place to nosh.

PCB Rob -- the Chevy's nearest to Baltimore City is in Arundel Mills Mall.

MD Canon -- there's a Roberto's Taco Shop at 1530 South Federal Highway in Delray Beach -- it's apparently the only Florida outpost of the San Diego based Roberto's chain.