This week's Comment of the Week was under last week's Comment of the Week, which seems a little weird, but what the heck. It's something we haven't discussed, and there aren't that many of those topics left. I, too, wonder  how often this happens.

Here's Robert of Cross Keys:

As to walking out on the bill at restaurants, I've always wondered how common that is. It seems like it could be very easy.  There are really not that many places in our economy where you can consume a good/service first and then pay. A restaurant puts a great deal of trust in its patrons that they will actually pay for what they used but in theory no longer need.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Under an earlier post on the best chili in town, Mary Roby offered to share her spicy vegetarian chili recipe if folks were interested. I told her I would publish it if she sent me a photo of the chili as well.

Here it is, just in time for the Super Bowl. Although I'm going to hear it from the Real Men who don't think vegetarian chili is an appropriate dish for the most important Sunday of the year.

The recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine. ...

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

As of right now, I'm on vacation for a week.

Not to worry. Not from the blog, of course. Just from my desk.

I may make you do more of the work when I post, but I will be posting. (I've never sunk so low as to post "Veal: Discuss," but that may be coming one day.)

Before I sign off for tonight I wanted to link to a story in today's paper about Timothy Dean's TD Lounge. It makes me sad, because when it was Timothy Dean's Bistro the food was so good.

It sounds like he's in a heap o' trouble.

(File photo of Timothy Dean's Bistro)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (45)
        

Usually Bucky doesn't get involved in politics, but in this case it's clearly an issue near and dear to his heart: cheeseburgers. Here's Bucky with his guest post. EL

I don’t know how many Sandboxers caught the new show, running on the National Geographic channel, about Air Force One.  Very interesting.  I never knew, for example, that whenever the President flies on Air Force One, a second, backup 747 that is exactly like the primary aircraft, follows him around in case the primary Air Force One breaks down.  That’s good planning. ...

Air Force One, it turns out, has a full kitchen staffed by five chefs who are capable of preparing dinners normally found in the finest restaurants.

The hour-long show ends with Barack Obama’s very first flight on Air Force One.  He boards in Chicago, destination Washington, D.C.  After the aircraft gets airborne, you see SMSGT Reggie Dickson, the Chief Flight Attendant, and President Obama in the dining room.  Dickson hands the President a menu and asks what he would like for dinner.

The President:  We’ll see how you guys do with a burger.  Make it medium-well.  And cheddar cheese if you got it.

SMSGT Dickson: Sir, you know I’ve got it.

The President:  And I’ll take some Dijon mustard…

SMSGT Dickson: You got it.  Dijon or Grey Poupon?

The President:  That’s fine.  And lettuce, tomato…

SMSGT Dickson: Yes, sir.

The President:  And if you have a salad or vegetable…

SMSGT Dickson: Yes, sir.  No fries or anything like that?

The President (chuckling):  Oh, I’ll still take the fries…

The President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief, the Leader of the Free World, the Guy With His Finger on the Button gets on Air Force One for the very first time and orders a cheeseburger and fries.  With, I want to stress, cheddar cheese, not goofy bleu cheese.

There is hope.

(Alex Brandon/AP photo)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

If you're looking for a romantic restaurant for Valentine's Day, my advice is to take your sweetie out on one of the nights near Feb. 14, not The Day itself.

The fact that it falls on a Saturday this year means places will probably be packed and you won't have as much fun as you would if you go Friday or Sunday, or better yet, Thursday.

I know, I know. There's something about celebrating on Valentine's Day itself. ...

We did a Top 10 Romantic Restaurants awhile back, although not for Valentine's Day. My choices still stand, although I would substitute Sotto Sopra or Kali's Court for the now-closed Metropolitan in Annapolis.

Both made it on OpenTable.com's list, supposedly voted on by more than 29,600 diners. Looking at its list, with the Melting Pot taking up three places, I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't do a Dining@Large Top 10 Romantic Restaurants 2009 after all.

Here's Open Table's Top 10 Most Romantic Restaurants list:

1) Aldo's

2) Milton Inn

3) 208 Talbot Restaurant & Wine Bar

4) The Melting Pot - Columbia

5) The Melting Pot - Towson

6) Tersiguel's French Country Restaurant

7) The Melting Pot - Annapolis

8) Sotto Sopra

9) Brass Elephant

10) Kali's Court

I'm not going to bother linking to all their Web sites. You can find that on Open Table.

If you're wondering about the art, I couldn't find any file photos of couples looking longing into each other's eyes in a restaurant, so I thought I'd just publish a picture of a chocolate caramel cashew tart instead. Just as sexy, right?

(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

I love the folks at PETA. They have actually come up with an ad entitled "Veggie Love" about, yes, vegetables that was banned from the Super Bowl broadcast.

Those football fans are such prudes.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

It turns out that the Obamas are bringing their own chef on board after all. He's Sam Kass, who was their private chef in Chicago.

Who even knew they had a private chef in Chicago? Why wasn't he mentioned more prominently when there was all that speculation that Oprah's private chef and others would be running the White House kitchen?

Kass will be working as assistant chef to Cristeta Comerford, executive chef at the White House since 2005 and the first woman to hold that job.

(Tribune file photo)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

In its old location on Antique Row, Cafe Mocha developed quite a following. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough foot traffic to keep the place busy, or so owner Kader Camara told me when I interviewed him over the phone.

Later when he moved his cafe to a new location across from the train station, I dropped in for a latte. I worried about it then because it seemed like the customer base was tenants in the Railway Express building, and no one else would know it existed. ...

Eats reviewer Richard Gorelick reviews the cafe in its new location in today's Weekend section. He seems worried by the same thing. You can't help but root for this nice little place.

So if you're driving down St. Paul and feel like a coffee, stop for it at Cafe Mocha. There are parking places in the little lot beside the building.

I'd hate to see it go under.

(Gene Sweeney Jr./Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I thought I had told you about Sotto Sopra's Chef for a Day program, but I guess not.

Why anyone would want to work as hard as restaurant chefs and their staffs do is beyond me, let alone pay $100 for the privilege; but at the same time the idea is fascinating in a scary way.

For your money you get to be on your feet all day and evening, working under Sotto Sopra's executive chef, Bill Crouse. You do get a good meal at the end of the day. ... 

Some would-be chefs actually plan and help execute a prix fixe menu that customers can partake of (but Sotto Sopra's regular menu is always available).

Unfortunately I didn't get around to telling you about the latest one in time for you to sign up for it, but Katie Baxter and Brandon Cohen, students at Towson and Johns Hopkins, were the stars on Jan. 22.

Just to give you some idea, here was their menu (the cost was $45):

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

My Table Talk column today in the Taste section featured a very nice photo of prawns stuffed with chorizo at the new Brasserie 10 South, but I kind of like this group shot of the staff (caption info below). The restaurant opened earlier this month on Calvert Street near the harbor, and details are in the column.

While you're at it, take a look at the lead story on the baker who created Michelle Obama's birthday cakes. And where was this news first broken? Yes, right here on Dining@Large. ...

Finally, here's the link to the reprint of Top 10 Tuesday a week ago, on favorite foods of past presidents. Even though I know you read it then, you might be interested in which comments made it into the paper.

(Some of the staff at Brasserie 10 South. Left to right, Eva Barbaro (server/manager), sous chef Jacob Raitt, bartender Stephanie Zrinski, sous chef Jesse Curtis, director of operations Tony D'Angelo and head chef Cyrus Keefer. Jed Kirschbaum/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Several of you have asked me about La Famiglia, the Italian restaurant that will be replacing Brasserie Tatin. It was supposed to open in January, but -- no surprise -- so far it hasn't.

I e-mailed Dino Zeytinoglu, the new owner, yesterday to find out what was happening, and his reply was in my inbox this morning:

Ms. Large,

We have been working on some slight modifications to the site. We are in the final stages, waiting for fire and health department inspections, and hope to be open early next week.

Thank you for your continued interest.

Dino

Here's what I said in my Table Talk column when I reported La  Famiglia's opening: ...

"By the time you read this, Baltimore will have one less French restaurant. Brasserie Tatin in Homewood was scheduled to close its doors last night.

"The good news is that we'll have a new Italian restaurant, La Famiglia.It sounds a bit like Boccaccio North. Gerard Billebault, who owned Tatin with his wife, Gayle Brier, sold the business last week to his general manager, Dino Zeytinoglu, who had come to Tatin from the presently closed Boccaccio in Little Italy. Zeytinoglu is hoping to open his northern Italian restaurant the first week in January, if all goes as planned with the paperwork.    

"He's bringing 16 or 17 staff people from Boccaccio - everyone from chefs to valets to park the cars. (La Famiglia will have complimentary valet parking seven days a week.)    

"Zeytinoglu said he plans to be at his new restaurant every day, 18 hours a day.    

"'We will treat customers like guests at home,' he said.

"He promised that prices will be lower than at Boccaccio, with entrees such as osso buco and soft-shell crabs running from $22 to $26. He also said that 'no fish will go in the freezer,' and he's planning to get his vegetables and fruit locally. The wine list will be mostly Italian and California bottles."    

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

Monday, in honor of the Chinese New Year, I got a press release from P. F. Chang's enumerating the new, special dishes debuting in honor of the Year of the Ox.

They were mahi-mahi, VIP duck, sesame chicken and "traditional egg rolls."

This last fascinates me. ...

It's just hard to imagine that "traditional egg rolls" would be worth a press release.

I know I could pick up the phone and call the PR person to get the story behind the egg rolls, but I prefer just to imagine the brainstorming session that came up with this. 

"I have an idea. Let's celebrate the New Year by adding EGG ROLLS  to the menu."

Gee, no Chinese restaurant has ever thought of that before.

But maybe "traditional egg rolls" are different from what we usually get on Chinese menus. Again, I know I could find out from the PR person. But what fun is that?

Here's the description:

An enticing appetizer filled with fresh pork and marinated vegetables. Served as a pair, the flavorful egg rolls are perfect for dipping in a special sweet & sour mustard sauce.

Actually I can't remember the last time I had an old-fashioned egg roll. I used to get them every once in awhile until Vietnamese spring rolls made their appearance on the local dining scene. When is the last time you had a fried egg roll? Maybe what's old is new again.

While I'm at it, in honor of the New Year I'm going to share a couple of e-mails I got from readers about Chinese restaurants they like. Here we go:

We have eaten several times at a recently opened, family run Chinese restaurant.  Not only is the food outstanding, but the owners are extremely accommodating.  The decor is very attractive and the restaurant appears to be quite clean. The prices are reasonable, the menu extensive, and the food is always fresh.  Because of it's hidden location and limited advertising budget many people are not aware of it  Since it is a small business I am hoping it will be successful.  Perhaps a review ( hopefully positive)  will introduce this restaurant to many more people. 

Please note that we have no financial interest in this restaurant other than it's success. The information about the restaurant is as follows:

Fortune House
3755 Old Court Road   suite F
Pikesville, Maryland  21208
410-580-1155
Hours are
M-Th 11 am - 10 pm
F & S 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
Closed Sunday

And here's a second one:

We would like to call your attention to the fact that China Taste in the Perry Hall Crossing Shopping Center at 8750 Belair Road, Nottingham has changed hands. We had tried it a few times over the years and been unhappy with the food we were served.

We live quite close to the Lucky Inn in Parkville and used to eat there frequently. Our delightful waitress, Jenny Huang, was always most pleasant and accommodated all our needs. One day last year we learned that Jenny was leaving to take over China Taste. Her husband is a chef and a very good one. We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas at China Taste. Mr. Huang on both days made Chinese style turkey and gifted each table with a platter of his creation.

Our small family cleaned that plate and it was delightful, more so considering the fact that our son is the only person who likes turkey.

We have switched our allegiance to China Taste because we eat there on a weekly basis and have had nothing that was not delicious. They also have a Sushi menu which is very good. We can't speak for the raw dishes as we are not that adventurous. Please consider visiting these kind and delightful people. We feel you would surely not be disappointed.

Lunch is served from 11:00 to 3:00 each day and they are open 7 days a week. Phone 410-529-9300

If you've eaten at either of these, let us know if they are as good as these readers say they are.

(Kenneth K. Lam/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

I can't find the e-mail right now to credit him, but someone pointed out that while bars and pizza joints will be hopping Sunday night, some fine-dining restaurants will be closed during the Super Bowl. He had tried to make reservations at the Prime Rib, and was disappointed to find he couldn't.

I called to check, and apparently this isn't the first year the Prime Rib has closed on Sunday because of the Super Bowl. (The steakhouse is usually open every night for dinner.)

If you've heard of other restaurants that are throwing in their chips -- settling for a field goal? -- and will be closed this Sunday, please post below.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (35)
        

Last night, what with the White Death weather forecast and all, I thought it would be a really good idea to go to the supermarket after work. I only needed one item, a package of ramen noodles.

I never learn. ...

I did eventually get home with my purchase. I toss out the seasonings package and cook the noodles in chicken stock with snow peas, sliced mushrooms, bean sprouts, red bell pepper, broccoli florets, sliced carrots, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger root, garlic, peanuts -- whatever strikes my fancy.

On the surface, this seems like a healthful enough supper, but when you look at the nutrition information for the noodles, you find that one serving (there are two to a package) provides you with 190 calories, 16 percent of your saturated fat allowance for the day and 20 percent of your sodium. Add to that the sodium in the chicken stock and soy sauce, plus the fat of the sesame oil and peanuts...All I'm saying is, don't kid yourself.

The last time I bought ramen noodles must have been a couple of years ago, so I was surprised to find that you can no longer buy individual packages, at least not at my supermarket. When my daughter was little, Oodles of Noodles was one of the four major food groups, and the only one she would eat, so I could have used up a six-pack quickly.

Now I've got enough ramen noodles to last me the next 10 years.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

Enough people have asked for a Top 10 on best restaurants to eat by yourself in that I felt I finally had to do it.

I needed a lot of help on this one because a) I rarely eat alone and b) when I do, it never occurs to me that I won't be treated just as well as when I'm with my husband. 

I always am. And, no, I don't think the staff recognizes me.

I started this list with a couple of places where I had fun and good food even though I was alone; these were fairly recent visits. I also asked other Sun reviewers Richard Gorelick and Rob Kasper for recommendations.

Then I took into account what commenters had to say. (Of course, I had to have had a good meal in the restaurants they recommended before I put them on this list.)

Anyway, here are our suggestions in no particular order. If you have other recommendations, tell us a little about your experiences in dining alone there. ...

* Faithful readers will remember that I had a delightful time by myself at Ruth's Chris in Pikesville.

* After I reviewed it, I went back to the relatively new Mari Luna Latin Grille by myself on a rainy Sunday night, when it wasn't very busy, and I had an enjoyable meal at the bar. (Yes, I was given the option of a table.)

* Other Reviewer Richard suggested the Spice Company, which has a pretty lounge, with small tables at banquettes. Because it's a hotel dining room, he pointed out, they are used to single diners. Good point.

* He also likes Henninger's Tavern, with little tables in the bar area where he sees people reading all the time. When I reviewed it, I enjoyed the New American fare.

* One commenter suggested  the Stone Mill Bakery, where you can now get real dinners. For sure you wouldn't be made to feel uncomfortable there, and the food is very good. No liquor license, though.

* A couple of commenters liked Linwoods for both its dining bar for solo eaters and a few small tables that are out of the mainstream of traffic. Expensive but usually worth it.

* Rob Kasper suggested On the Hill Cafe because it's small, cozy and its evening menu has good, casual food -- from burgers to rice, beans and sweet plantains.

* A commenter liked eating alone at one of the high-tops in Juniors' bar. I liked the imaginative food there when I reviewed it, so that sounds good to me.

* One commenter ate at the Prime Rib alone for both her birthday and New Year's Eve, and she said the wait staff could not have been more gracious. If a restaurant is nice to solo diners on New Year's Eve, one of its busiest nights, that's good enough for me.

* Sushi bars are used to people who are eating alone. I enjoy Minato, but probably any local sushi bar you like would be a good bet.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Top Ten Tuesdays
        

Now it's time for a different sort of Monday Morning Quarterbacking. After the first weekend of Restaurant Week, I'm hoping those of you who took advantage of it will tell us what you thought of the fixed-price menus you tried. Were they worth the $30.09? Did your meal show off the restaurant to best advantage?

If you tried more than one, which was the best bargain?

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (136)
        

Usually I know a lot about new restaurants before I get to them, but not Marie Louise Bistro in Mount Vernon.

In fact, Rob Kasper had heard it was doing mostly catering and takeout, and he was going to review it in his carryout column until we realized it had a bar and a full dinner menu. ...

I'm glad I went. You can read my  review, which appeared in yesterday's paper; but the bottom line is that we had a good meal and a good time.

However, I have heard from some people who thought I was too positive -- or not positive enough. So if you want to add your two cents, please post below.

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (43)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
        

Yesterday Hal Laurent, VofR, directed me to a thread on Chowhound.com suggesting that Alabama BBQ Company on Harford Road is closed.

I've learned my lesson over the years. Just because there's a sign on the door that says "closed" doesn't mean that the place is, you know, closed.

In fact, one restaurant miraculously reopened for about three days when I reported it was closed while the owner called my boss to see if he could get some money out of the Sun. When he found out the answer was no, he closed for good.

A barbecue joint, it seems to me, is more likely to be closed temporarily this time of year and reopen for the summer season. I mean, it's possible. However, the Alabama BBQ Company's Web site has disappeared, and when I called the original location on Kent Island, that number has been disconnected.

Too bad. From what I heard, the barbecue was excellent.

(Photo courtesy of Martin Johnson/Metromix)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

Learn something new every day.

I didn't know that Christian DeLutis had worked under Galen Sampson as chef de cuisine at Hampton's in Harbor Court before it closed. That was before he was chef de cuisine at Corks.

After his stint at Corks, DeLutis made a name for himself citywide as executive chef of the Wine Market. Eventually he left the Wine Market to go to Ireland, but couldn't get a visa to work there. ...

When DeLutis returned, he seemed to be drifting a bit, although he eventually landed a job as a chef-consultant at Brasserie Tatin, now closed.

But now DeLutis is back with Sampson as chef de cuisine of Dogwood Restaurant in Hampden. (Sampson is the co-owner and executive chef.)

That's quite a culinary duo in one kitchen.

By the way, the photo is what I got when I typed "Christian DeLutis" into Google images. It's from my blog, supposedly, but I'm drawing a blank as to what it is. Can anyone help out? If not, I'll check out our photo archives tomorrow when I get to work.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Roddy Domacasse is a chef who has certainly paid his dues at any number of well-respected restaurants around town, from Linwoods to the now-closed Brasserie Tatin.

Now he has his own restaurant in the Timonium/Lutherville area, where he can not only produce the fine-dining dishes he was known for elsewhere, but also some of the specialties of his native Puerto Rico.

Pretty soon I'm going to have to stop bemoaning the fact that there are so many chains and so few local nice restaurants north of the city, as more places (I hope) like his Restaurant Sabor open up.

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)
Categories: Review Preview
        

My friend Robert was telling me about the Wine Underground, a neat little wine store he had stumbled upon in the Hampden/Roland Park area.

It's hidden away on Evans Chapel Road, and the last time I drove past the location -- which admittedly wasn't any time recently -- it seems to me it was a liquor store, not a wine shop.

Anyway, Robert mentioned that the place does wine and food pairings on an irregular basis, and that he would send me details of the next one because he was now on the Wine Underground's e-mail list.

Here it is. If any of you has participated in one of these events, please let us know more about it:

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Wine and Spirits
        

It's that time again, boys and girls. I need a great topic for next Tuesday's Top 10.

When I get a good idea from people, I put it on the list; but the list is sparse lately. Right now I have Top 10 Restaurants You Wouldn't Expect to Be Kid Friendly and Top 10 Restaurants That Make You Feel Like You're Not in Baltimore (whether you think this is a good thing or not). ...

I also have Top 10 Cold Cut Subs, which I promise to do as soon as it's time for a one-dish list.

Any thoughts about these, or any new suggestions?

The photo is of Todd Conner's in Fells Point, by the way. I used it because a) I liked the photo and b) it's doing a Restaurant Week alternative special, which consists of half-price entries (in case you want a deal but don't want three courses). The crab cakes for $12 and the chef's steak for $10 sound pretty good to me.

I guess we could also do a Top 10 of the most spectacular deals going on that are probably the result of the recession.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)
        

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting story today on how high-end restaurants in New York and other cities known for their dining scene are dealing with the recession.

Of course, whenever I read an article like this I think to myself, "What would Owl Meat say about the statistics?" But he isn't back yet from wherever he is.

Restaurants in Baltimore that are affected by the recession seem to be dealing with it in one of three ways: lowering menu prices, offering deals or, sadly, just closing. I don't know of any restaurants that have cut staff noticeably or reduced hours, although both may be happening.

(Photo of Taste courtesy of Riley & Rohrer)
 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

You know and I know that I've been doing this job a long time, and probably plenty of people in the restaurant business know what I look like. I don't worry about it too much, because I get back to a restaurant only about every five or six years unless something major happens, and I don't do repeat visits for a review.

If so many people recognize me as the Sun's restaurant critic, I often wonder, why don't I get better food and better service? ...

If these people are smart, they won't let me know they know. But sometimes they just can't resist. Case in point: When I interviewed Benjamin Greene over the phone about his new restaurant, Miss Irene's in Fells Point, he invited me to come down and take a tour. I refused, saying I had to stay anonymous.

"Oh, we know what you look like," he told me. "We knew you when you reviewed the Waterfront Hotel and when you were at Red Star" -- two other restaurants he was involved with.

I was sorry he told me that because now I won't be able to review Miss Irene's. And it's a restaurant that probably should be reviewed in the Sunday paper. (Maybe he preferred it not be, and this was all a ploy.)

Oh, well. If you've eaten there, let us know what you thought of the place.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (54)
        

The comment that made me laugh out loud last week was this from Bucky:

"the cook is bagging up your order and you are fixing your own salad, then the server isn't doing anything but taking your money, it seems to me. That makes him/her a cashier, doesn't it? Do we tip cashiers now?

(In these instances, I always find it helpful to ask myself, 'What would Springs1 do?')"

I didn't want to make it the Comment of the Week because a) it would involve too much explaining if you aren't a regular, and b) I don't want Bucky to get a swelled head.

But then when I got the following guest post from him, I realized we'll have to explain Springs1 to those who have just joined us. Here's the link. It will take awhile to read through all the comments, but it's well worth it.

And here's Bucky's guest post. EL...

So, I don’t think we’ve ever discussed tipping in this blog.  Have we?  

I crack myself up.

Of course we have.  But today is different.  Today we are going to have a calm, reasoned, rational and fact-based discussion on tipping because, while looking on the internet this week for something entirely different, I ran across “Beyond Gratitude and Gratuity:  A Meta-Analytic Review of the Predictors of Restaurant Tipping” by Michael Lynn and Michael McCall.

Yessiree, I found an honest-to-goodness, 42-page research paper on tipping that was funded with a grant from the Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University, a well-known institution of higher learning and the alma mater of Andy Bernard on the hit television show “The Office."  And I read a lot of it, except for the parts like this:  

“For each of the effects included in this meta-analysis we calculated two statistics – a correlation coefficient r that reflects the size of the effect and a z-score that reflects the statistical significance of the effect.”

Let me save you, too, from having to read those parts and tell you that Lynn’s and McCall’s research found servers get bigger tips when they:

* Sell more food and drink (especially alcohol)

* Give their names to customers

* Squat down next to the customers’ tables

* Touch the customers

* Give after-dinner mints to their customers

* Encourage customers to pay with credit cards

* Use tip trays embossed with credit card logos

What you don’t find in that list is a relationship between a bigger tip and the quality of service.  Don’t be cussin’ me out.  I didn’t do the study.  

But, apparently, while we say we tip more or less based on the service we receive, in fact when the server comes, squats down next to the table, puts her hand on your knee and says, “Hi, I’m Bunny and I’ll be a-waitin’ on y’all today.  You look thirsty, can I bring each of you a six-pack with your dinner?” she is well on her way to a week on Ka’anapali Beach. 

If she can get you to put it on your Visa and brings your check on an American Express tip tray with a couple dozen of those little green-foil-wrapped chocolate mints, she might even buy a time-share while she’s there.

Lynn and McCall summarized their findings thusly: “The larger picture to emerge from this body of work is likely to integrate a collage of theoretical viewpoints and to enhance our general understanding of consumer behavior.”

Which pretty much settles it:  We can eliminate both Lynn and McCall.  Neither of them is Springs1.

(Photo by Uncle Larry/Kai's Kountry Kitchen Kafe)
 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

John McIntyre sent me this query yesterday, and it got me thinking about my private stores:

Have you ever polled your readers on what stores they maintain at work?
 
In the pantry drawer of my desk, I keep the makings of tea and coffee, some salt and pepper and a bottle of Tabasco. I've recently added a small bottle of malt vinegar. I think I have some packets of Austin peanut butter crackers somewhere that I don't plan on eating. Do other people keep elaborate stocks of food to save them from trips to the limited, and expensive, vending machines? Containers of microwave soup? Snacks? Sweet or savory? Perishables in the office refrigerator? (And do those get pillaged if left too long?)  How long can they hold out if other supplies fail? ...

At first I was going to say that I don't keep anything in my desk. After all, we have a very fine vending machine on our floor that has such goodies as chocolate bars, chips, sugar wafers, pretzels and the occasional trail mix. But I usually don't get hungry for anything extra at work because I bring a lot of stuff from home that makes me feel virtuous like a salad for lunch, fruit and yogurt.

And there is always food floating around. Just the other day, for instance, the assistant design director for features brought around fat chocolate chip cookies that she had made from a recipe in the New York Times, supposedly the ultimate chocolate chip recipe. We agreed that they were good, but that the original Toll House recipe is, too. They did have sea salt sprinkled on them before baking, which was a weird but nice touch.

Sorry, I'm starting to drift here. Anyway, the one exception to my not having stores in my desk is that in winter I'm a chocolate hoarder. If someone sends the food editor, say, a new variety of Hershey's Kisses, hoping she'll review it, she'll put the bag out for everyone to enjoy. I grab a few, and instead of eating them, I hide them in my desk. It just makes me feel more secure to know that if there's, oh, I don't know, a 12-inch snowfall while I'm at work, or some reader is mean to me about my Top 10, I'll have a few pieces of chocolate to fall back on.

Actually I do this at home, too, which makes my family very angry. They don't like uneaten chocolate in the house.

But before I get too far off topic again, here are three questions for you to ponder:

a) Do you keep food in your desk, and if so, what is it?

b) What is McIntyre going to do with the malt vinegar?

c) Is he not eating the peanut butter crackers because of the salmonella scare?

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

OK, this is a first. I've been asked to promote restaurants before, but not chefs' babies. I love it.

Hi Elizabeth, My name Is J.R. Hobbs I am the Chef of "Henninger's Tavern".  I'm writing to you to ask if you would mention in your Blog That my newborn son Max is a finalist in Turbo Taxes www.cutesttaxdeduction.com contest he and four other babies chosen from  hundreds all over the country are up for a $5000 savings bond for the winner, for college.  If baltimore could get out the vote for Max it would be great.   ABC 2 Morning show will be doing a segment on Max and the contest this week trying to in their words" get our baltimore baby a win "by asking for votes. if you could help or just vote that would be great.  Cheers  J.R.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

In today's Weekend section, Richard reviews one of the most unusual bar/restaurants in Baltimore.

It's the Glass Grill east of Highlandtown, and it sound as if it would be worth visiting for the art alone.

Meanwhile, Rob reviewed Bonjour, one of my favorite bakeries, for his takeout column. I still don't get why he didn't try the pastries, though.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

I hear that Michelle Obama's birthday cakes were created locally by Sabine Breintenstein, the pastry chef for the Donna's group of restaurants and Donna's catering. Nothing too exotic -- one was chocolate with vanilla icing, the other vanilla with chocolate icing.

On Saturday someone on the Presidential Inauguration Committee ordered two cakes to be decorated with "Happy Birthday," but didn't say who they were for (I suppose for security reasons). They were then delivered to the Presidential train for the birthday celebration, although Donna's wasn't told who the cakes were for until after the train left Baltimore.

Their creator said she was glad she didn't know until afterward who the birthday girl was.

"I would have been too nervous."

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

I was curious if Baltimore's Winter Restaurant Week, which kicks off tomorrow, had any new entries this year. It seems likely that more places might decide to participate, given the economy.

Indeed, there are a number of first-time restaurants offering the three-course menu for $30.09: Luckie's Tavern, Geisha, Mt. Washington Tavern, Bo Brooks, J. Pauls, Frank & Nic’s, Regi’s, Meridian 54, Marie Louis Bistro and Lucas Café. Rather than link each one individually, I'm going to do it the lazy way and send you to the Baltimore Restaurant Week Web site. ...

 

More than 90 area restaurants are participating this time. The special deals, which include some lunches for $20.09, run through Feb. 1. Some will surely continue for even longer, as they have in the past.

As usual, I'm hoping experienced Restaurant Week goers will offer tips for those who want to try the event for the first time. I'm also hoping those who participate this weekend will let us know if their meal was a good one, and if the economy has encouraged restaurants to give us more bang for our bucks.

(Photo of Frank & Nic's West End Grille by Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I'm glad to see that President Obama isn't taking this change thing to extremes, or at least the First Lady isn't. I never liked the rumor that the new occupants of the White House were going to hire Oprah's personal chef. It seemed somehow, I don't know, undignified. Like using Dr. Phil for your psychotherapist.

It turns out that Cristeta Comerford, President Bush's executive chef and the first woman to hold that position, will be staying on. She's been there since 2005. ...

Newsweek had an amusing article about how overzealous foodies tried to get involved in the process of choosing the Obamas' chef.

I agree that there ought to be more information available about what the First Family eats, but not because I think it will improve America's eating habits. I'm just curious, and it doesn't seem like that terrible an invasion of privacy.

(AP Photo of Cristeta Comerford /Tina Hager)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

In today's Table Talk column in the Taste section, I discuss the changes at the Bicycle in south Baltimore, both physical and conceptual. If any of you has been there since it reopened, we'd love to hear from you.

As usual, the Top 10 from a week ago appears in the print edition today. This is the one on sweet potato fries. You might want to check it out to see if your comment made the cut.

Hey, and while I'm sending you places, here's Michael Dresser's Wine Find.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Yesterday I got a newsletter with the headline "The FDA has urged caution on all products containing peanuts." Wow.

One problem, of course, is that if you read the nutritional information about ANY food it always has a disclaimer that it may contain peanuts (who knew?) or that peanuts are processed in the same factory as it is or whatever.

But the larger problem is that just reading about peanuts and salmonella causes an unbearable craving for peanuts and peanut butter. First, no tomatoes. Then no jalapeno peppers. And now no peanuts? ...

Remember, I just bought those gourmet red-skin peanuts from Virginia that are so expensive I only let myself eat one of them at a time. And I buy Planters Peanuts for my husband because he once said, "I don't  think those red-skin peanuts are so special." I've never given him a second crack at them.

As for peanut butter, I know that our story says that peanut butter in jars is OK. But what mother is going to take a chance? And what are mothers going to do now for a lunch that a) doesn't need refrigeration and b) their kids will actually eat?

What will we make peanut butter cookies with if we can't trust peanut butter in a jar?

Or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups?

Or peanut-butter-swirl ice cream, the salty, peanut-buttery vein running through smooth, sweet vanilla ice cream?

(Photo of peanut butter cookies with raspberry jelly filling by Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

I know all of you have been waiting with bated breath for my corn pones recipe. I'm happy to share it, but I wonder if you will have the same craving for corn pones that I do if they aren't a food of your childhood. I'm also worried that the directions won't make sense unless you've seen your mother do it.

I love corn pones slathered in butter with almost anything, but particularly dishes like ham hock and cabbage, or black-eyed peas with chopped onion sauteed in bacon fat.

But, hey, corn pones would also be great with duck confit. ...

Corn pones

2 cups white cornmeal

3 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons bacon fat (heaping)

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat two cookie sheets in the oven.

Add water to cornmeal, stir well. Add bacon fat and salt. While the batter is still hot, shake from a wet spoon onto HOT greased cookie sheets. Press the round of batter on top with wet fingers lengthwise to form ridges that look nice, get crisp and also hold butter in a delicious way. (If you don't keep rewetting your fingers, the batter will stick to them.)

Bake 25 minutes. Makes 20 to 24. These freeze and reheat well. Please understand, unlike cornbread, these don't rise at all.

Report back here after you make them.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

I was catching up with my Sun blog reading today and came upon a lively discussion on Midnight Sun about something we haven't touched on here before. Which is amazing, when you think about it. I thought we had covered all bases having to do with restaurants, weird food products and hot trends.

The question is whether a restaurant is wrong in telling you when you make reservations that you only have your table for two hours. After that, someone else has reserved it. ...

I wish someone had taken the restaurant's side in the Midnight Sun discussion, just so we'd know both sides of the story. I don't know enough about how reservation times are calculated to do so.

I do know it's more complicated than it seems. There must be some formula for calculating how many reservations you can take at 6 p.m. when you have X number at 7 p.m. and Y number at 8 p.m., assuming an average stay of, say, 1 1/2 hours at each table. So I'm guessing that it's not literally that the diner's table was reserved at 8 p.m. The person she talked to just assumed they would need it for some 8 p.m. reservation.

It sounds as if the problem could have been expressed a little more diplomatically, such as, "All our tables are booked at 8 p.m., and I'm afraid we can't take you at 6 p.m. Would you be able to come at 5:30 p.m.?" Or something like that.

I hate waiting for a table when I have a reservation, so I'm on the side of anything that guarantees those 8 p.m. people who made their reservations earlier getting their tables on time.

Then there's the question of whether a restaurant should ask you if you would mind moving to the bar if you're lingering too long at a table when others with reservations are waiting. That's something else entirely.

(Christopher T. Assaf/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

We've discussed what a foodie is in the past, but I had no idea the subject was of interest to librarians until Dahlink passed along the following definitions for the purpose of cataloging books. Here's what Dahlink had to say, and then below it is the post by Heidi Hoermann, who works at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina. EL

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I was going to skip Top 10 this Tuesday because we were off yesterday, but then I got to reading that Barack Obama's favorite food is pizza from Italian Fiesta Pizzeria in Hyde Park, Chicago.

This amazed me because it's so specific. And also I'm pretty sure that this kind of question is useless. He probably has 10 favorite foods and just picked the first thing that popped into his head when asked.

That doesn't make the information any less interesting, so then I decided to see what our last 10 presidents liked to eat best. I tried to get at least two sources for each food, but I'm sure my list is debatable.

Here we go. ...

1) George W. Bush: Mexican food

2) William J. Clinton: Chicken enchiladas (allergic to chocolate!)

3) George H. W. Bush: Pork rinds

4) Ronald Reagan:Macaroni and cheese

5) Jimmy Carter: Sirloin steak

6) Gerald Ford: Pot roast and red cabbage

7) Richard Nixon: Cottage cheese and ketchup

8) Lyndon Johnson: He liked Fresca so much he had a fountain dispensing the soda pop installed in the Oval Office.

9) John F. Kennedy: Tomato soup with sour cream

10) Dwight Eisenhower: Vegetable soup and steak

(AFP/Getty Images) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)
Categories: Top Ten Tuesdays
        

I decided to walk to the supermarket just now, mostly to get out of the house. I've been in all day out of sheer laziness. I got it into my head to make corn pones, which have only four ingredients: white cornmeal, bacon fat, water and salt, and I was out of cornmeal. But when I got there, I found my local Giant has stopped carrying Indian Head Stone-Ground White Cornmeal after all these years.

However, it does carry King Arthur Popover Mix, the first time I've ever seen it. I stood there a long time with the box in my hands just looking. It costs $7.59 and, as far as I could tell, contains two things: flour and powdered milk. It makes 12 popovers.

Wonder how many of those the Giant sells in a year?

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

One of the effects of the recession is that not having a liquor license is not the problem for a restaurant that it once was. People actually welcome the opportunity to save a little money by bringing their own bottle.

What got me thinking about this was a look at the Wine Source's Web site. This Hampden liquor store's site has a list of local BYOB restaurants. It also offers these four BYOB "rules":...

1) Always call ahead to confirm a restaurant's BYOB policy.

2) Choose a wine that will be commensurate with both your food and your surroundings.

3) When in doubt, always bring along two bottles, a white and a red.

4) Make it absolutely clear that no wine is to be opened until you give the word.

I would disagree with No. 3. The last time I went to a BYOB restaurant, I took a red and a white; and everyone wanted white -- even though two of us were eating red meat and two, seafood. I think it's better to take two bottles of the same wine, whatever you feel like drinking since you're supplying it. But that's just me.

Also I noticed something on the Web site that my editor and I discussed recently. I'm seeing BYO used a lot these days instead of BYOB. (The Sun's style is still to use BYOB.) When did that happen? Any reason for it?

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Wine and Spirits
        

Local Ruth's Chris Steak House locations are running an Inaugural Menu deal through tomorrow. Barack Obama will be the 44th president, so the Inaugural Menu costs $44. Get it?

The special consists of appetizer, salad, main course and dessert (several choices in each), plus a glass of wine or champagne.

The Inaugural Menu has been running all this weekend, so if you tried it, let us know how it was. I usually like steak house specials because you get the same good meat but just smaller portions, which is fine by me.

(Photo courtesy of Ruth's Chris)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Ever alert reader Retired in Elkridge brought this fine Inaugural product to my attention:

Elizabeth, I was at Giant Food yesterday and picked up a 4-pack of Jones Soda in a new "Orange 'You Glad For Change' Cola." Complete with a picture of our incoming President. Label says "At Jones Soda our motto has always been 'Run with the little guy  ... Create some change.' Well, you chose change and Orange you glad that you did." Also a boxed statement "Barack Obana does not endorse Jones Soda and Jones Soda isn't affiliated with the President Elect." Makes an interesting souvenir. Haven't tried it yet 'cause it isn't diet and has 40 grams of sugar per 12-oz bottle. Picture enclosed.

I'm very fond of Jones Soda because they make a black cherry flavor, a favorite flavor of my youth. I never thought to look for it in the supermarket; I just drink it occasionally for nostalgia's sake when I eat lunch at Sascha's 527.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

I'm not very freezer friendly. I hate eating food I've frozen. I hate labeling it, for one thing, so sometimes I just stick leftovers in without labeling them, certain I'll remember what they are and the date I froze them, and of course I don't. So six months later I pull out some mysterious item, look at it, and toss it. For one thing, my crack freezer forms ice crystals on everything. Ugh.

In an ideal world, I would have nothing to do but buy my groceries fresh every day. ...

However, that's not what I'm musing about today. When I went into my freezer to get some of Giant's excellent ciabatta rolls that I had frozen (I don't mind freezing bread) to go with the soup I'm making, I noticed that the lid of the ice cream carton I bought earlier this week had half come off.

I was struck by the fact that I go to all this trouble to freeze things by putting them in special bags and pumping the air out, but ice cream cartons I just stick in the freezer. We don't finish off ice cream very quickly, so is there any way freezing it in its original carton makes sense (other than convenience)? It's certainly not airtight. 

Does anyone have any suggestions for keeping ice cream in its original state?

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Next week in the Arts & Entertainment section I review a restaurant that there's been remarkably little information about since it opened quietly a few months ago.

Marie Louise Bistro (904 N. Charles St.) in Mount Vernon may soon have a grand opening, our waitress told us, but by that time it will have been open longer than some restaurants' total lifespan. (See Tsunami Baltimore.) OK, a slight exaggeration, but  you know what I mean.

I can understand a new restaurant wanting to get the kinks out before attracting crowds; but I would think in this economy, an even greater imperative would be just drawing customers in for the first time and trying to please them so they tell their friends. But what do I know.

Has any of you eaten at Marie Louise Bistro? I bet very few. And if so, what did you think?

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Review Preview
        

Posted by: sean | January 16, 2009 10:13 AM

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

I feel like I'm rediscovering the wheel here, but I ate at the Bel-Loc Diner at Joppa and Loch Raven for the first time this morning. My tennis opponent didn't feel like playing singles, so she talked two of our friends into showing up at 7:30 a.m. by saying we would go out to breakfast afterward.

You wouldn't believe the breakfast we put away. It was our version of whale blubber. ...

I was impressed by everything: eggs scrambled soft as ordered; really good sausage and crisp bacon; real butter for the English muffin that came exactly as I asked, toasted dark but not burned; and tea with milk, not cream. (Yes, I'm a pain for waitresses even when I'm not reviewing.)

A few other people were eating there, too. Not only do you have to wait for a table at prime time, you have to wait for a parking place first. I was surprised so many people had ventured out on the coldest morning of the year. (Although I think today is a lot more pleasant than yesterday because there's no wind.) But I guess breakfast at the Bel-Loc Diner must be a Saturday morning ritual for a lot of folks.

By the way, the diner is no longer open 24 hours a day. It closes at 11:30 p.m.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Faithful readers will remember that when I went to visit my daughter in Evanston, Ill. this fall, I poked fun at a chain restaurant called the Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop. It's funny how these things come back to bite you in the backside.

Now it turns out that Dixie Kitchen is one of President-Elect Obama's three favorite restaurants in the Chicago area. This will give the chain such immediate cachet that, you wait and see, Dixie Kitchens will start opening all over the country -- particularly in the Washington, DC area.

Next thing you know, I'm going to have to review it.

(Photo by me)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

I don't know why the following press release from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene makes me laugh, but it does. Frankly, I'd think more in terms of a flask of brandy. EL

Many residents are preparing to attend the upcoming inaugural events and due to expected large crowds and long lines, some may plan to bring food. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recommends  the following examples of small,  pocket-size packs of simple, easy to carry, healthy, non-perishable food items: ... 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

I guess he has a second career if the White House thing doesn't work out.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

I have to post this quickly, while it's still lunchtime. Here are the lunch specials for today from the Artful Gourmet Bistro in Owings Mills. Thanks, Alisa, for forwarding them to me: ...

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I'm terrified that my daughter will read this guest post from Bucky.

We never regularly had dessert after dinner in my family; but when I married, "I promise to love, honor and cherish and provide dessert every night, preferably in the form of chocolate" was actually incorporated into the service. Gailor grew up expecting dessert after dinner every single night.

Then one day she came up with the concept of "lunch dessert."

You can see how Bucky's post could be a problem. Anyway, here he is. EL

So, last Saturday evening, we did what we often do; we had breakfast for supper.  We had scrambled eggs, bacon and toast.  When we were done, I asked Kaikala, “What’s for dessert?”

She gave me that look and replied, “We had breakfast.  There is no dessert.” ...

I said, “No, we had supper.  We had scrambled eggs and bacon, but it was supper.  There should be dessert.”

Why don’t people eat dessert with breakfast?  Or maybe people do?  We don’t.  We don’t eat dessert any time we eat breakfast food, even if we eat breakfast food at some time of day other than morning.

It’s true whether we eat in or out.  If we go to a restaurant that serves breakfast all day long, and I order a breakfast entree, I don’t order dessert after my meal.  But if I order, say, a burger, a sandwich or a chicken fried steak, I’ll finish my meal with a piece of pie.

I have never eaten a piece of pie at a Waffle House.

I don’t think I’m odd in this regard.  How many of you eat dessert with breakfast food?

(Photo by Uncle Larry/Food by Kai's Kountry Kitchen Kafe)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (32)
        

The worst thing about Gailor's living in Evanston, Ill. is that I can't get any sympathy from her when I complain about the weather.

For instance, I called her yesterday and when I told her how cold it was, she laughed at me. She pointed out that it was minus 7 degrees where she was. That's the actual temperature, not the wind chill.

The liquid in her eyeballs freezes when she goes out.

And she keeps sending me photos of snow.

Anyway, I wanted to expand on an earlier post about how this weather is affecting my grocery shopping habits. Is this true of everyone? ...

I go to the store with my usual mental shopping list, which is really specific:

1) something for dinner

2) bananas

3) milk

In the summer I might come home with, oh, I don't know, chicken breasts that were on sale, organic carrots, green beans, bananas, milk and, as a special treat, Bing cherries.

In weather like this I open my ecologically correct reusable market bags when I get home, and it's like an alien has taken over my body in the store. Did I actually buy this stuff? Surely that mental shopping list didn't result in my actually buying:

* A jar of Major Grey's chutney

* A can of Baugher's locally canned peaches

* High-fat vanilla ice cream

* A jar of melba sauce that will be used once and then languish in the fridge for six months before it's thrown away

* Gourmet red-skin peanuts from Virginia

* Half-gallon of 2 percent milk

* Half-pound of already cooked and peeled shrimp because peeling and cooking shrimp would take too much effort

* Crosse & Blackwell seafood sauce, which won't be used even once because that's not how I'll serve the shrimp, but was bought because I fleetingly contemplated serving shrimp with cocktail sauce and then discarded the idea

* Severely out-of-season asparagus

* Multi-grain loaf from Bonaparte costing a mind-blowing $7.79

* Jasmati rice, because you can't have too many carbs

* Foil-wrapped milk chocolate Valentine hearts

And, oh yes, I forgot to buy the bananas.

(Photo of snow by Gailor)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

Rob Kasper didn't have a takeout column in the paper today, but that's OK because I forgot to link to his review last Thursday, when he got carryout from Rosina Gourmet. This is the one on Water Street, and Rob managed to spend almost $20 on lunch. Good going, Rob.

While I'm at it, I'm also going to link to his column on malbecs, just because I drank so many of them in Argentina recently. It's a red that grows on you, and the price is right.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (32)
        

I actually have a bit of Lauraville/Hamilton fatigue because I've reviewed so many new restaurants there recently, so I'm glad Ace Critic Richard took over the Hippest Neighborhood of the Year duties this time.

In today's Weekend section, he reviewed the Parkside Fine Food & Spirits, and I thought he did a great job of conveying the flavor of the area as well as the flavors of his meal. ...

Of all the neighborhoods that have become destinations for eating out in Baltimore, this is the first that really accommodates kids.

I think with this review we've covered the eating places in Lauraville/Hamilton pretty well, but if there are any we haven't reviewed recently that you think deserves it, please let us know by posting below.

(Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Crowsonguy posted this comment under an earlier entry, and I thought it would make a good topic of conversation if not a Top 10 list. After all, you would think comfortable seating would be one of the first things a restaurant that wants you to stay awhile and keep ordering would think of, but that doesn't seem to be so.

Elizabeth, how about an article on the most comfortable/ romantic seating in a good restaurant?  
My favorite at the moment is the armchairs in front of the fireplace at the Carlyle Club on University Parkway (their lamb with dates and almonds in a yogurt sauce is fine too) ...
 

I'm not sure when the trendiest restaurants decided that large, padded seats were only for old, overweight folks and that hipsters really enjoy parking their backsides on teeny, hard seats; but sometimes it seems like restaurants make that conscious decision.

Anyway, the floor is open for nominations of good restaurants that also have comfortable seating.

(Photo of seating that is trendy but not comfortable by Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

I'm sitting here at my desk taking deep, calming breaths. I just saw the print edition of Taste for the first time today, and the teaser to the Top 10 list (which appeared on the blog last Tuesday) says: "Elizabeth Large wants Urth Caffe, which sells soy-milk lattes, to open here."

Oh, GACK.

The Urth Caffe sells fruit plates with mangoes, fresh pineapple, papaya, pomegranate seeds and exotic melons. The Urth Caffe sells the best salads in the world. (My favorite has fennel, spinach, candied pecans, Asiago cheese, radish slices and other good things.)

The Urth Caffe's fabulous sour dough bread comes from La Brea Bakery, and the butter is organic.

I would kill for the Urth Caffe's tortilla soup filled with fat chunks of ripe avocado right now. The Urth Caffe has the most beautiful pastries in the world. ...

I could go on, but the point is you would have to put a gun to my head to get me to drink a soy-milk latte. The fact that Urth Caffe makes one is an aberration I prefer to ignore, certainly not a reason it's on my list of places I'd like to see open in Baltimore.

Anyway, if you want to see the Top 10 as it looked in print with comments, here it is. And if you want to know more about the new Roland Park Bagel Co. and other restaurant news, here's the link to my Table Talk column.

(Gene Sweeney Jr./Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Columnist and Food Writer Susan requested that I post something on Dining@Large asking folks what restaurant in town serves the best chili.

She's working on a Super Bowl story for the food section, and wants to interview some local chefs.

One of these days the food section is going to feature a creme brulee story for the Super Bowl, and then I'll be able to help.

(AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (50)
        

Multimedia Editor Emeritus and Motorcycle Dude John Lindner makes a startling revelation in this edition of Shallow Thought Wednesday. I will say no more. EL

My introduction to fine dining came in the form of a dare. On a lark, a food page editor challenged me to cover a four-day cooking class conducted by some guy named Jacques Pepin. Seeing an opportunity to poke fun at frou-frou bourgeois dilettanti and possibly get a free meal to boot, I accepted the assignment.

Four days later I was lugging home 20 pounds of cookbooks whose recipes are so complex and intimidating that I now open them only to gaze at Mr. Pepin's inscriptions or to refresh my chicken deboning skills. (It should take no longer than 60 seconds.)

What impresses me to this day is Pepin's power as a teacher. He was able to take me in the very first class from culinary imbecile to eager student. He demystified fine food preparation while adding magic to fine dining.

I presume my path to haute cuisine is one less traveled. I'm curious to know how other Sandboxers fell in love with food. Were you born to it? Inspired? Did you discover on your own or were you led by a mentor?

How did we go from Betty Crocker nation to Anthony Bourdain's underbelly?

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

If I had to guess, I would say the Oregon Grille in Cockeysville, only because I think I once saw a Raven walking in there with his significant other as we were walking out. I didn't recognize him; I'm just guessing from his size (enormous) and their clothes (expensive and beautiful).

On the other hand, I'm not sure more than 30 Ravens could watch the game there. Maybe they went to sme bar or RayRay's barbecue place, which has a TV at every booth. But if they went to a football player's restaurant, wouldn't Rachel Nichols have said so?

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

The day ended uneventfully. I wasn't selected. Not that I mind serving on a jury; when you get called as much as I do, you get used to it. I've been a forewoman and even served for 18 months on a grand jury. What I mind is the process leading up to either being selected or not. Wow, is it tedious. I want that eight hours of my life back.

I did discover the Cypriana Cafe. Maybe I'll walk down from the Sun at lunchtime tomorrow and get a pita sandwich. 

Or not, looking at the weather forecast.

Maybe in March.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Here I am, eating a late lunch at the Cypriana Cafe. Thanks for the recommendation. My lunch was a Greek salad. After I ordered, I looked around I saw I had made a mistake. Everyone else was eating a pita sandwich, and they looked great.

Next time.

It was just your ordinary Greek salad, except for the dressing, which tasted like yogurt and tarragon and was a big improvement over the usual uninteresting oil and vinegar.

Sorry, no photo. I figure the guards would never let me bring a camera into the courthouse.

Now back to the tedious process of jury selection, in which all 400 potential jurors stand up to say they are victims of personal violence and then have to tell their stories to the bench individually.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

I'm sitting here in the jury assembly quiet room, supposedly working. Ha ha. I've almost finished the sudoku. Two workmen have just dragged in ladders and are proceeding to do major construction.

Having finished with hammering stuff, the workmen are now sitting on top of the the Pepsi machine tearing up the ceiling and laughing and talking. It would probably be quieter in the main room where that fine movie Sleepless in Seattle is showing. The workmen also can't seem to help engaging the jurors around them in conversation.

The weird thing is that I can't see that their hammering did anything, and I can't figure out what they're doing now on top of the Pepsi machine except pulling wires out of the ceiling. But it's probably the most excitement I'm going to enjoy all day.

Is it really only 10:43 a.m.? Aaarrgghh.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (31)
        

When I started working on today's topic in earnest I was surprised to find that very few places in Baltimore actually have sweet potato fries on their menus. When I went back to the Sun's archives to check out what other reviewers had found, I didn't come up with any that hadn't been mentioned in the previous post asking for suggestions.

Oh, well. The good news is that those restaurants and bars that do have sweet potato fries on the menu do a fine job of this salty-sweet treat.

Here's my list: ...

* Abbey Burger Bistro in Federal Hill. The menu is limited, so the kitchen can get important things like the fries right.

* Annabel Lee Tavern in Canton. These got the most votes when I asked for suggestions.

* Artful Gourmet Bistro in Owings Mills. Thin, crisp-edged and lightly salted, so seductive you have to keep taking just one more.

* Donna's in Cross Keys. Disclaimer: Donna is a friend of mine. However, these are really good sweet potato fries. The ones from Donna's in Columbia got Midnight Sun Sam's vote.

* Gertrude's at the BMA. You won't find them listed among the sides.They come with Cranky Hank's BBQ Pork.

* Golden West Cafe in Hampden. These are rosemary sweet potato fries. Normally I believe in not messing with a good thing, but Golden West manages to pull off the combination.

* Mad River Bar & Grille in Federal Hill. When Sam did a carryout column on sweet potato fries, these were awarded his Best Bite. "None of the other restaurants we tried nailed it quite like Mad River," he said.

* Miss Shirley's in Roland Park. Hot and crisp, served with a sprinkle of coarse salt and wrapped in a cone of black-and-white checked paper. Mango ketchup and citrus aioli come on the side.

* oZ. Chophouse in Maple Lawn. The best of all the sides we had there: hot, grease-free, salty and sweet.

* Rub in South Baltimore. The sweet potato fries have a red pepper, garlic and onion seasoning, which could be too much, but isn't.

(Chiaki Kawajiri/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Top Ten Tuesdays
        

Regular readers know how much I like guest reviews, especially of places I haven't gotten to yet. Not only has Retired in Elkridge sent us a first look at the new Fatburger in Columbia, but it sounds like he and his wife were the first customers. Shouldn't they have gotten some sort of prize for that? EL

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (47)
        

Reporter Jonathan Pitts just told me the Rainforest Cafe in Towson Town Center unexpectedly closed its doors for good last night.

I was surprised because a) I thought people around here loved it and b) with the new stores in the mall, I thought other businesses, including the Rainforest Cafe, would benefit. Jonathan is reporting the story now, so look for it in tomorrow's paper.

I wonder if the mall booted them out because it wanted a place more attractive to the kind of people who buy their furniture at Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn?

That's the great thing about a blog, you can speculate. Look for some facts tomorrow. ...

For some weird reason I decided to review the Rainforest Cafe when it opened in 1999. Here's what I said about it (among other things):

If you can't stand the thunderstorm, get out of the jungle. What you must be prepared for above all is the noise. Just before the thunder, for instance, the animated gorillas start chittering and growling and howling in alarm. This is terrifying to small children and would make it difficult to conclude a business deal. Rock music plays and elephants trumpet. On the positive side, no one will complain if your 2-year-old throws a tantrum because he can't have a second dessert. No one will be able to hear him.

(John Makely/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (109)
        

The discussion continues under the post on "upscale" ethnic restaurants, and it occurred to me that I use the term "ethnic" without really being able to define it.

For instance, we got a couple of good suggestions under the post that hadn't occurred to me -- Black Olive and Tio Pepe -- but I can't decide whether they are truly ethnic restaurants.

Is that precisely because they are upscale? I don't think so. ...

Yes, Tio Pepe serves regional dishes of Spain. But what it's best known for are its Continental dishes, which might be filet mignon in a wine sauce or soft shell crabs fixed some fancy but not necessarily Spanish way. I would label it a special occasion restaurant rather than an ethnic restaurant if I was allowed only one label.

Likewise Black Olive's owners are Greek, but I think of it as a seafood restaurant with Greek accents, not a Greek seafood restaurant.

I'm not saying I'm right in my perceptions, but I bet I'm not the only one who has them.

I also don't think of French or Italian restaurants as ethnic restaurants. Technically they are, but the term conveys to me cuisines that are less familiar to Americans.

Would you consider a restaurant ethnic if it's owned by an American even if the food is another country's regional cuisine? Are Baltimore's Japanese restaurants that are mostly Korean-owned somehow less ethnic because they are? What is an ethnic restaurant anyway?

(Seafood display at Black Olive by Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

As you can tell from my review yesterday of Peter's Inn in Fells Point, I liked the place a lot. It's a restaurant where the whole is more than the sum of the parts.

I've had better food. I've had better service. I've had better atmosphere. But off the top of my head I can't say I've had a more enjoyable evening for the price, which was quite reasonable.

Faithful readers know I would love to have a neighborhood bar, cafe, bistro, or whatever within easy walking distance of my house to get a bite after a long day at work. I wouldn't mind if it was modeled on Peter's Inn. However, the flip side is I don't know when I'll ever get back to the place because I can't walk to it, and its parking situation is as abysmal as any in the city.

Plus I don't like fighting for a table.

(Kenneth K. Lam/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
        

I was going to post this yesterday, when it would have been appropriate, and then I forgot about it. Oh, well, maybe it's better for those who want to make their plans in advance.

I got the following e-mail from Queenie:

Hello!  I continually have a restaurant problem:  I can never remember what places serve breakfast (or brunch) on Saturday as well as on Sunday.

Do you have any plans to make a list?  If not, may I suggest it as a topic?  Thanks!

I wasn't planning to make a list because besides Miss Shirley's the only one I could think of off the top of my head was Alexander's Tavern (pictured) in Fells Point, which seems to have let its Web site go. I called to make sure that it still does serve Saturday brunch. It does, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

But there must be lots of other places. Anybody?

(Kim Hairston/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Brunch
        

Just a reminder that next week I won't have a review because, in the convoluted way of deadlines, "Elizabeth Large is on vacation." Actually, this time I could have squeezed an extra one except that I have jury duty Tuesday. Look for many exciting posts from the jury room.

Should I be worried that my husband is walking through the house murmuring, "Here we come. Here come the Ravens. The team you don't want to see" a la Ed Reed in his press conference last week?

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I thought this was an interesting comment by JoAnne under Top 10 Restaurants the Baltimore Area Needs. I didn't realize this was ever a problem, but then I almost always have a glass of wine when I eat out.

How about more restaurants where they don't look at you like you have two heads if you say you're not going to have an alcoholic beverage?  Where it's understood that a meal can be a meal without wine or beer? ...

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

On Jan. 11, 1984, Da Mimmo opened in Little Italy, and quickly became one of the neighborhood's most respected (and expensive) restaurants.

Those prices would seem laughably reasonable now, as you'll see if you eat there tomorrow. As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, Da Mimmo will feature the 1984 menu -- both the food and the prices. The retro menu will be served all day from noon on. 

Owner Mary Ann Cricchio (pictured) will open the festivities at 11:30 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. I love the fact that she'll be wearing the same dress she wore when Da Mimmo opened that first Jan. 11 -- and that she can still get into it. Good job, Mary Ann. ...

In addition, Da Mimmo is featuring the following promotions in honor of the anniversary. Reservations can be made by calling 410-727-6876.

* Jan. 12-16: a featured three-course meal for $25. (Believe me, this is a bargain for Da Mimmo.)

* Jan. 18: Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from dinner will be donated to the Associated Italian-American Charities.

* Jan. 21: Da Mimmo's signature veal chop, regularly priced at $45, will be $25.

(Doug Kapustin/Sun photographer, 2003)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

I was talking to Eddie Dopkin in a phone interview the other day about his newest venture, the Roland Park Bagel Co., which is supposed to open Monday. I asked about parking, which could have been one of the factors that did in the bagel shop that was there before.

He told me customers will be able to park at any of the lots of his other restaurants in the area: S'ghetti Eddie's, Loco Hombre and so on.

Parking has become such a problem for restaurants in the city I thought I'd mention a couple of other solutions I heard about when I got back this week. ...

Salt Tavern is the beneficiary of a new program in the Butcher's Hill area that has created angled parking around the restaurant. The PR person told me it gives the restaurant about 77 percent more spaces. I'm not sure how they came up with that figure, but it sounds good to me.

Then I got an e-mail from Jason Zink, owner of Don't Know Tavern, who sometimes comments here. It said in part:

I am going to start paying for people's cab fare to Don't Know.  We are going to take half off the customer's check up to the amount of the cab fare.  Specials do not apply and we need a printed receipt from the cab.  This should help ease the parking situation a tad bit and I am hoping that maybe other places might follow if it is successful.  This will also help with drinking and driving.

Naturally I'll keep you posted about any other parking news that comes my way.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

This is the time of year when something salty, sweet, carb-loaded and full o' fat starts to sound pretty good. If you can throw in a supposed health benefit, all the better.

That's why I think I'll make next Tuesday's Top 10, as promised long ago, a list of where to get the best sweet potato fries in the area. It's one of those topics where I could use help, as I don't think I've ever met a sweet potato fry I didn't like.

However, if you hate that idea, please post another suggestion; and if it's so good I can't resist it, I'll use it instead. (Or save it until the next week.)

(Photo of Miss Shirley's fries courtesy of Brent Weber/Metromix)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (42)
        

I'll try not to overwhelm you with Inauguration food posts. Oh, heck, why not? Here's the first one: the menu for the Inaugural luncheon, which will follow the swearing in of the President and Vice-President.

It will be an intimate affair, only about 200 guests. The menu is based on foods favored by Abraham Lincoln. Apparently he liked wild game, oysters, root vegetables, and apples or apple cake for dessert.

The first course will be served on replicas of china (pictured) selected by Mary Todd Lincoln, the President's wife.

Here's the link to the recipes. ...

The 2009 Inaugural Luncheon Menu

First Course

Seafood stew

Duckhorn Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

Second Course

A brace of American birds (pheasant and duck), served with sour cherry chutney and molasses

Sweet potatoes

Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

Third Course

Apple-cinnamon sponge cake and sweet cream glacé

Korbel Natural "Special Inaugural Cuvée," California sparkling wine

(Photo courtesy of the Inauguration Web site)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

How did I somehow know I was going to regret my introduction to Bucky's post last week? But I can't let him get away with talking about the weather. I'm the only one who's allowed to talk about the weather on this blog. For instance, I was sitting here brooding about tomorrow's forecast on the Sun's weather page instead of publishing his guest entry. By the time you read this, it may change, but as of now the forecast for tomorrow in its entirety is: ice pellets.

Ice pellets? What kind of forecast is that?

Anyway, here's Bucky. EL

EL‘s introduction to my topic last Friday said, "Sorry, Bucky. Nice try. But you have to have more food in a post on a food blog."

I guess this means that Elizabeth has a beef with me.  She can be a real tough cookie, if you didn’t know. ...

But if she had just picked up the phone and called me, I wouldn’t have been chicken.  I would have argued, “Orange you glad that I don’t try to write about food and dining?”  

See, I could try to write about fine dining establishments in Baltimore.  But an old editor of mine, Rosemary, once gave me a big tip.  It was sage advice:  “Write what you know,” she said.  If I wrote a review of Michael’s Steak and Lobster House (my favorite Baltimore restaurant) and peppered it with compliments, it wouldn’t fool the people of the Sand, which is understandable.  You would think to yourselves, “This is just a bunch of baloney.”

Said another way, it wouldn’t cut the mustard with y’all.  It would make everyone bleu, it would be so cheesy.  You would butcher me for even trying.  I’ll steak my reputation on it.

I am aware of my limitations.  I don’t know nearly as much about the culinary arts as Elizabeth’s other guest posters, who are two peas in a pod.  (In fact, they may be the same pea; who can tell anymore?)  When I try to do food humor, it turns out like this:  

Q:  Why is six afraid of seven?
A:  Because seven eight nine.

I wouldn’t get many brownie points for that, now would I?  Y’all would probably give me the ol’ raspberry.  You might even give me a finger, uh, sandwich.

Oh, I suppose that if I worked harder, I might be able to write more directly about food and restaurants.  But, you know, the Sun doesn’t pay me for my Friday posts.  I work for free.  If Elizabeth wants me to spend 10 to 12 hours doing research for each Bucky’s World topic, she’ll be raisin my celery, to at least minimum wage.

The exercise for today is for y’all to carry on what I’ve begun here.  The goal:  a 100-comment post, with each comment having a culinary reference.  I know you can do it.

(Photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (113)
        

1) Regi's American Bistro in Federal Hill is serving purple (Peruvian) mashed or roasted potatoes with its entrees for lunch and dinner.

"We hope to continue serving up these tasty sides all the way to the Super Bowl," owner Alan Morstein told me.

2) Should I be worried that my daughter has changed her name to "Gailor Large Reed" on her Facebook page?

(Gene Sweeney Jr./Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Poor Richard. For every Grace Garden, there's a Dangerously Delicious Savory Pie House and all the problems entailed in critiquing it.

You'll see what I mean when you read his review today, which appeared in the Weekend section.

(Photo of Rodney Henry and pies by Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I guess one of our posters neglected to read the part about "Please do not resubmit comments if they do not immediately appear" because she resubmitted it nine times.

Aarrgggh.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Much as I enjoyed the following description of John McIntyre's delightful meal at T.G.I. Friday's, I would have liked to have read his "strong note" on the restaurant's Guest Comments site even more. I got an e-mail from John yesterday saying he still hadn't heard back from the chain's headquarters. Ah, they are going to regret ignoring him, I have the feeling. EL

After an interval, the waitress returned to say that the bar was out of Beefeater. So I ordered Tanqueray. After another interval, she returned to say that the bar was also out of Tanqueray. I ordered Bombay. After another longish interval, punctuated by screams of delight from the crowd at the bar over Ravens touchdowns, our beverages were delivered. A small glass contained what appeared to be a martini, straight up. No twist. I accepted it without complaint, not wanting to incur another delay. I sipped it. It was at room temperature.  Quite the worst drink I have ever been served in a restaurant.

And my daughter had to send the onion soup back, TWICE, because it was tepid.

No reply yet to my strong note to Friday's electronic "guest comments" site.

(I wonder what John would think of the basil-flavored martini pictured. Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (37)
Categories: Wine and Spirits
        

When your work cafeteria starts serving it.

Case in point: sliders. Actually they looked pretty good (food envy alert), but I'm not allowed to eat beef again after my Argentina trip until 2010.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

All my guest posters this week are picking subjects I wish I had thought of first.

My grocery lists are always models of decorum. The problem is that I don't want anyone I know to see what's actually in my grocery cart. That's one of the hazards of being a restaurant critic. If you happen to have a box of Twinkies resting on top of the organic grape tomatoes (and, no, I never have) and you're spotted, it's all over.

But Owl Meat Groceryshopper has his own take on lists. Here he is with another fantastic Funtastic Thursday. EL

In my ongoing search for meaning in the mundane, I have landed on grocery lists. Yahtzee! The list to the right is from grocerylists.org, a site that has collected nearly 2,000 found grocery lists. ...

Some of them are funny and some are scary.  I don't know how your week is going, but sweet sassy molassy, mine is way better than No. 849's (pictured).  In addition to anhedonia, algesia, and other conditions, he or she has tangled kid hair.  
 
Here is my shopping list for last week:  Eggs, milk, apples, ketchup, bottled water, and a watermelon.  I even have a video of the party I bought everything for.


 
Did you know that there are programs and Web sites that will generate a grocery list for you?  That reminds me of an old Lithuanian expression. 

Heloise (the hinter, not Abelard's paramour) suggests using the back of your grocery store receipt for next week's list.  I can't believe I just wrote that. 
 
When YHWH was handing out languages after the Tower of Babel fiasco, I always thought that the Israelites got a bad deal because Hebrew lacks vowels.  Then I realized that although quite useful, we tend to omit vowels for our to-do and grocery lists.  Given the history of Israelites as merchants, Hebrew may be the ultimate grocery list language.
 
My grocery list will never be seen by anyone else and yet I still write it as if it might be interpreted by scholars coming through the Stargate in a thousand years.   God forbid that they not know whether I was buying toilet paper or toothpaste in January of 2009 C.E.  -- thus "TPaste." 

Our list-making has influenced our language, too.  Everyone knows what you mean by "OJ," because it's a common American grocery list item, although "Get OJ" now has a darker meaning, too.   
 
What is the likelihood that your list is exactly what you will buy?  Mine is a superset of things I should buy.  Rarely is it honest though.  I never write down "smthg 2 fll emptnss."  That's ice cream, by the way.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (42)
        

Yesterday a dear friend at work brought me (OK, technically my husband, Gailor and me) four beautiful pastries from Stone Mill Bakery, each in its own little container: a fruit tart with pastry cream, a lemon bar, chocolate mousse in a chocolate cup, and a pear half in puff pastry (pictured just before being devoured).

After the other deaths in my family -- father, mother, stepmother and father-in-law -- I don't ever remember people bringing food, although they may have.  I know casseroles and such are more conventional, but that's usually when family has gathered, not when the service will be held at a later time, as my mother-in-law's will.

If you want to tell me about the best food anyone ever brought you, I'd love to hear about it; but next time there's a death in a friend's family, I'm taking luxury pastries to the bereaved.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

I was going to include an upscale ethnic restaurant on my wish list yesterday, my point being that Baltimoreans tend to insist that ethnic food has to be cheap, come in huge portions and be served in a hole-in-the-wall.

I got used to a very different attitude -- especially as far as Asian restaurants were concerned -- when I went out so often to visit my daughter in LA. (Sigh. I have the winter blues today.)

I still think that's our tendency as a city, but we also have some notable exceptions: the Helmand, the Ambassador, the Carlyle Club and the Mari Luna Latin Grille come to mind. ...

Among the chains, Fogo de Chao and Roy's (if you consider Hawaiian an ethnic cuisine) are pretty fancy.

They all present their food with plenty of style and in a very nice atmosphere. All have liquor licenses. You could dress up a bit for dinner at all of them without feeling out of place.

I can't decide. Are Baltimoreans more willing than they have been in the past to pay for style and ambiance with their ethnic food? That said, the Helmand has the best of both worlds. People consider it a bargain even though you can't BYOB and the dining room is candlelit and charming (when it's not too packed).

(Andre F. Chung/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

I got this e-mail from a colleague about her meal at a restaurant recently, and I have to say I sympathize:

The wait staff was super nice, but this thing where they don't write down your order is so annoying. It doesn't impress me when they don't write it down. They get stuff wrong when they don't write it down. And they got a lot wrong, from forgetting to put in two of four salads, to serving caffeinated coffee to a decaf drinker to leaving out an ingredient.

Today (the first day I'm back in the office) we were talking and ended up talking about her e-mail. She asked me why servers don't write down orders. ...

I guess it's to differentiate a higher-end restaurant from diners and such. Probably it seems more European, too.

Actually I don't know why.

I'm often very impressed that the wait staff does as well as it does when nothing is written down. But these days people have gotten so much pickier about their orders, and they make so many more special requests and do so much more tweaking of the dishes (I call it the Starbucks Effect), that it must be getting more difficult to get it right.

We'd love to hear from any of you servers out there who want to speak up and explain why your boss doesn't want you to write orders down.

(Photo of waitress who has nothing to do with my colleague's e-mail by Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

I was just thinking about Yellow + Blue = Green, the malbec made from organic grapes and eco-packaged in a box like juice, when John Lindner sent me this Shallow Thought  Wednesday. It's not exactly a high-end wine, but someone estimated it would sell for about $20 if it came in a glass bottle. Anyway, here's our guest poster. EL

My predictions for the new year:
 
* jl will eat duck fat fries in '09.
 
* Economic downturn will cause sharp increase in packaging and sales of high-end wine in boxes.
 
* John McIntyre will star in at least two "You Don't Say" cooking videos.
 
* In a stunning "Why Didn't I Think of That" move, Pizza Hut and Budweiser will team up with Netflix and take over the world.
 
* D@L will win two prestigious blog awards; ensuing loss of anonymity and increased ad revenue frees EL to pen memoirs, blog in her jammies every day.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

I know the photo to the right is a little fuzzy. OK, a lot fuzzy. But it's the only digital photo I have of my 94-year-old mother-in-law, Kathryn Large. I wasn't going to mention this, but my editor Kate persuaded me I should because Kay has become a character on Dining@Large.

If you're a faithful reader, you know I've been eating more meals than any restaurant critic should at Clyde's and Chadwick's Pub in DC. Sometimes, if I was lucky, we got to go to Ardeo, and once to La Ferme.

Only a few months ago I watched Kay put away a whole lobster at Clyde's, although usually she preferred to pick off her son's plate or have a glass of pinot grigio and a couple of Saltines when we went out. ...

Anyway, a couple of hours after I got off the plane last Friday and we drove over to visit her, Kay died. She died as she would have wanted, standing between her granddaughter and son, who caught and held her as she fell.

No condolences are in order. I was so sad over the weekend, but now the "what a blessing" part has taken over. Her own special hell on earth was the Care Center at the retirement community where she lived. I'm sure it's a very nice facility, but she had seen too many of her friends have to move there after breaking a hip or with Alzheimers. As a former nurse, she had seen too many long, lingering deaths. Hers was quick and relatively painless, with her family at her side.

I may boil up a couple of lobsters tonight in her honor.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

With this Top 10 Tuesday I tried to avoid simply listing every ethnic cuisine we don't have a restaurant for. That would be easy. I also decided to make it very personal. This is my list of places I'd like to see open in 2009; for more general suggestions, here are the restaurants other readers yearn for.

If you're a first-time Top 10 Tuesday reader, please take a look at this before you jump into the fray.

Here's my list: ...

1) Every visitor wants Baltimore to have one great, local, nontouristy seafood restaurant on the water, and by "water" I mean "Inner Harbor." I know and you know that every good restaurant in the city has good seafood, even the steak houses, but I can't convince the tourists who call and e-mail me. If we had such a place that I could recommend, it would make my life easier.

2) A fine-dining vegetarian restaurant.

3) The best Italian food I've ever had was not in Italy (where admittedly we were eating on the cheap) but in St. Pete Beach, Fla.  It was a tiny, mom-and-pop operation; and its owner was an exquisite chef. When he had to have a knee replacement, he had to sell his restaurant. I want that restaurant here.

4) A Moroccan restaurant.

5) I want a decent place in my neighborhood that I can walk to that has a $10 blue plate special every weeknight. When I'm too tired to cook that's where I'll go, but I don't want to have to get in the car.

6)  An elegant little place for lunch that has ladies' food -- dainty servings of curried shrimp salad with fresh fruit and little biscuits, that sort of thing. Tea in the afternoon, of course, will be a given.

7) An In-N-Out Burger.

8) And while I'm asking for West Coast places, could we please have an Urth Caffe?

9) An authentic Chinese restaurant that everyone agrees is wonderful and isn't in Odenton.

10) A classic French restaurant, as opposed to a bistro.

(I couldn't figure out how to illustrate this, so the photo is of a restaurant in Italy I couldn't afford but thought was quite beautiful.)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (118)
Categories: Top Ten Tuesdays
        

I noticed this on Abacrombie's Web site recently:

We offer a fine dining experience and leave the dress code up to our guests' good taste.

Of course, leaving anything up to people's good taste is a chancy proposition at best. But maybe it works for Abacrombie.

I'm not sure which Baltimore restaurants, if any, have dress codes any more. The only one I know of in the area is the Oregon Grille in Cockeysville, which requires jackets after 5 p.m. ...

We've talked about this before, but I wonder if you've noticed any changes in the past six months? Is it my imagination, or do people look a little more dressed up at fine-dining restaurants these days?

I have zero data to back this up, but I wonder if because of the recession, when people go out to dinner it's more of an occasion than it used to be, and people are dressing up a bit more to befit that occasion. 

I'm going to go dig the little black dress out of the back of my closet now.

(Kenneth K. Lam/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (41)
        

Yesterday I reviewed the Abbey Burger Bistro in Federal Hill. I hope my thoughts on the burgers themselves didn't come across as too negative because it's a nice place, and I know that my taste in burgers is like that Jerry Jeff Walker song that goes, "I like my women a tad on the trashy side."

I like my burgers a tad on the trashy side, more guilty pleasure than gourmet food; but I could totally understand how others would disagree with me.  Anyway, this is your chance to defend the lean, meaty burger that Abbey offers. Please do so below. ...

This is a random thought, but I noticed that there's a Burger Bistro at the Shops in Kenilworth, no relation. I wonder what kinds of problems that causes.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (43)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
        

I finally snapped out of vacation mode this morning and realized I hadn't come up with a Top 10 topic for tomorrow.

I'm thinking of making up a list of the 10 restaurants the Baltimore area is lacking -- what places I would most like to see open up here in the new year.

Actually, I'm pretty happy with our restaurant scene because I remember what it was like even a decade ago, and I love how far we've come without discarding too much of what made us our own town. While I can think of four or five places off the top of my head, I could use some suggestions to round out the list.

Let's get started.

(I picked out a photo from our Italy trip a couple of years ago to inspire you.)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (79)
        

Peter's Inn in Fells Point is one of those restaurants that people love passionately because there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. If there's any restaurant that's the exact opposite of a chain, Peter's is it.

Having said that, I also have to admit I never got around to eating there under the present owners until recently. I wasn't disappointed when I finally did. It was a lot of fun.

If you want to know more about my experience, please look for my review next Sunday in the Arts & Entertainment section or online.

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Review Preview
        

It’s that time of year -- when I always get material on food industry trends for the new year. The most recent was from the Chicago-based research firm Technomic, in the past a solid and reliable source, which came up with these five trends:

“1) Experimentation and innovation will flower.

2) Ethnic flavors continue to star.

3) ‘Local’ is the magic word.

4) Goldilocks serving sizes: big, little and just right.

5) Kids’ menus will be upscaled and expanded.”

What was most striking to me was just how uninspired these seem. (Hasn’t “local” been the magic word for about two years now?) ...

When I read further about Trend No. 1, for instance, it’s “experimentation with new menu items, delivery services, price/bundling schemes and unit designs” because of the recession, not opening fabulous new Chinese-Spanish restaurants.

Trend No. 5, though, did spark my interest. I know children have more sophisticated tastes than they used to, but will it really fly to offer a crab cake -- the example Technomic gives -- on a menu for kids? My guess is that chicken fingers and grilled cheese sandwiches will still rule, and we won’t be seeing a lot of exciting new trends in the restaurant business or on kids’ menus in 2009.

(Asian food at Luminous by Christopher T. Assaf/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

I didn't really get a chance to read a lot of the comments this week until now because my editors were doing much of the publishing. When I went back over the week, the ones that were most interesting to me were too long and involved to repost here. They were the negative ones about Buenos Aires.

I was fascinated, because before I went, everyone had only positive things to say about the city. Yet I didn't fall in love with it the way I did with Italy.

It was still a fun place to visit, the weather was wonderful, the people were great, the dollar actually had some value, and I enjoyed being able to get a huge, excellent piece of tenderloin for about $10. But I understand why you wouldn't want to live there. ...

Things like people not cleaning up after their dogs around the parks began to get to me after awhile. I can also see how as the summer wears on, pollution would start to build up.

And I can't feel comfortable in a city where you can't easily get vegetables. As I'm typing this, the most enormous pot of vegetable soup the world has ever seen is cooking on the back burner. I'm laying off meat for a week or I'm afraid my heart will stop.

Tomorrow maybe I'll have broccoli for breakfast.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

My last image of food in Buenos Aires was a funny one. I wish I had thought to take out my camera. It was New Year's night, it was dark and the wind was blowing, and the streets were even more deserted than they had been Christmas Day.

Suddenly the Burger King delivery guy came around the corner, delivering burgers in an insulated bag the way pizza gets delivered here. He slipped into an apartment building before I thought to take a photo.

Is this a great country or what? We have created a product that people in another country love so much they actually have delivered to their door. Of course, with the quality and cost of beef in Argentina, a Burger King hamburger probably tastes a heck of a lot better there than it does here.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)
        

I took this with me and read it on my trip. At first I was going to send Bucky an e-mail that said, "Sorry, Bucky. Nice try. But you have to have more food in a post on a food blog." (This is a continuing problem with all my guest posters.)

But then I realized it was 90 degrees and sunny where I was, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a legitimate gloat. Just skip to the last sentence if you want to stay on topic. EL

We have this little e-mail game in my family that starts out with one of us sending an e-mail that says, “Geeze, it’s cold this morning…6 degrees.”  That will prompt a response from another family member something like, “It’s really cold here…minus 3 degrees.”  That will be followed by an email from yet another family member saying, “Cold?  You call that cold?  It’s minus 11 degrees here this morning and it hasn’t been above zero for a week.”

I call this game, “The First Liar Doesn’t Stand a Chance.”  

These are the days when I wish I was a big wave surfer dude.

Do you want to know what “cold” is?  Last January I ran across this news item and I was so fascinated by it that I saved it:

“Moscow, Russia (AHN) - Russians are bracing for temperatures of as low as minus 55 degrees Celsius (minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit) in Siberia as Russia's emergencies ministry warns on Wednesday of its impending dangers in the coming weeks.

The ministry warned that the unusually cold weather could kill, cause frost-bite, conk heaters and cut electricity to homes, disrupt transport, increase the rate of car accidents and even destroy buildings across Siberia."

So cold that buildings fall down.  That, my friends, is cold.

Some of my friends and I discussed one time what the definition of “really cold” might be.  We decided that the definition of “really cold” is minus 40 degrees.  That is the temperature where the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales intersect, so it is the temperature where nobody gains an argumentative advantage because of measurement methodology.

Here’s the assignment for today, Sandboxers:  give us your favorite cold-weather drink.  Extra credit will be awarded to those who include the recipe.        

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (38)
        

Baltimore has never been a one-restaurant town, the way Philadephia once was with Bookbinders. But if many years ago I had had to name one place that typified Baltimore, it probably would have been Haussner's.

Nowadays we have too many different kinds of restaurants to even think of making that kind of generalization. Which is exactly why, boys and girls, we're going to do exactly that on this blog.

If you were forced at gun point to name the one restaurant that typifies Baltimore, what would it be?

And give us the reason, in 25 words or less, for your choice.

(Photograph of Haussner's by Richard Childress, published March 3, 1984)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (66)
        

For a restaurant critic, the best way to start off a new year is with a four-star review. It doesn't happen very often, but it did for Richard today, who ate at Grace Garden in Odenton.

Not only will you be glad to discover this Chinese restaurant if you haven't already, but his review has some excellent suggestions in it, such as planning your meal in advance by using Grace Garden's Web site.

Just his descriptions of the food are making me crave Chinese.

Lovely review, Richard. And a very happy new year to you! 

(Gene Sweeney Jr./Sun photographer) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

I would put New Year's Eve in Buenos Aires in the mildly interesting category. After dinner at the stroke of midnight, people surged out of the restaurant and the city exploded. Or at least that's what it sounded like. In the States we're used to contained fireworks, but here there were official and unofficial explosions everywhere.

On the other hand, on the walk back to the hotel, I was struck by how eerily deserted the streets were. Some people, but not as many as you might expect, were standing in the doorways to look at the fireworks and one father was playing with sparklers with his kids, but mostly very few folks were out and about. Maybe in an area with a lot of bars, it would have been different.

Here was our menu last night. Dinner included all the champagne, wine and agua sin gas you could drink, and entertainment -- a singer. You can see from the photo that there were two figs on my plate and a pound of prosciutto for the appetizer. Also, in reading the menu, note that in Argentina, entrees are appetizers.

I also had the lamb and the pear tart, which were poor choices I decided after I tasted my tablemates' food. Naturally there were no vegetables involved in the meal except some diced ones in one of the pastas. ... 

Entrees

(options)

Parma Prosciutto with Watermelon [which turned out to be cantaloupe] or figs

Turkey with Tuna Sauce

Skallops, Prawns, Arugula and Mushrooms Salad

Salmon Carpaccio 

Main Course

(Options)

Home-Made Maltagliatti Pasta with Ragu

Home-Made Prawn Ravioli

Roasted Lamb with Fondant Potatoes

Tenderloin with Marsala Sauce, Cream Potatoes and Braised Onions

Home-Made Tagliolini Pasta with Vegetables

Desserts

(Options)

Crepes a la Creme

Chocolate Volcano with Vanilla Ice-cream

Cheese Cake

Warm Pear Tart with Ice-cream 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Owl Meat starts out the new year with just what we need. Thank you, Owlie. Did I mention that you drink a lot of malbec when you're in Buenos Aires? Wow. These computer keys are really loud. EL

You have all heard the expression "hair of the dog," meaning that the best cure for a hangover is more of what got you there.  Did you know that the expression comes from an old belief that a cure for rabies was to put the hairs from the dog that bit you on the wound? 

I suspect that more than a few people are looking for relief today after whatever happened last night, so here is my guide to ancient and exotic hangover cures: ...

1) Pray to Saint Viviana, the patron saint of overindulgers and hangovers.  Good luck with that.  Praying to Saint Tiberius, the patron saint of starship captains, has not gotten me any farther from Earth.

2) Tweet Relief - Deep fried canary was an old Roman cure.  Don't forget to pull the skin and feathers off.  Sometimes flambéed in cognac.

3) Menudo - Mexican cow stomach soup (tripe).  If it's really fresh tripe, you might get some of the cow's last meal.  Mmm... quadruple digested grass.

4) Voodoo - Embrace the Haitian cure and plunge 13 black pins into the cork of the last bottle you drained.   It's unclear how this would work for a beer hangover.

5) The Thumper - Not just any tea but rabbit droppings tea.  This was favored among the rough and tumble cowboys of the Wild West.

6) A Cup of Thou -  Asian Indians sip a cup of their own urine.  Hey, it's part of the ancient Ayurvedic system of medicine.

7) Here's Looking at Ewe - Mongolians favor a pickled sheep's eyeball in tomato juice.  

8) Mr. Ed Head - Horse brains were an ancient Chinese cure. Just a small amount for breakfast following a night of too much drinking helped to calm their nerves.

9) Hair of the Dog Deluxe - In ancient Greece Pliny the Elder also liked an eel "suffocated in wine."  After dispatching the eel he mashed it up with bitter almonds until it was a paste, then ate it with bread.  Eelzipan anyone?

10) The Best of All -  Another remedy favored by Pliny the Elder (and my personal favorite) is two raw owl eggs.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

Just so everyone understands the ground rules of commenting on Dining@Large, I'm going to state them here, as I did last Jan. 1 -- so we can start off the year on the right foot.

1) You don't have to use your real name or any name. You don't have to put in an e-mail, although there are certain advantages for you if you do.

2) I can't "publish" comments that might get me and/or you sued. If you are served a well-done steak at a restaurant when you ordered rare and want to talk about it, that's one thing. Saying that a place has rats unless the health department has reported it is another, even if I know you're probably right. If you've left a valid e-mail, I will tell you why I couldn't publish your comment.

3) I'm assuming that faithful readers have two things in common, no matter what their differences: They love good food, and their Holy Grail is the perfect restaurant experience.  That seems to me a good enough basis for a certain degree of civility when you're responding to other posts. In fact, please bend over backwards to be polite unless you know your comment won't be misinterpreted. I also hope people will try to not be too thin-skinned and realize that not every disagreement is a personal attack.

4) Posts that make me queasy are off-limits. To paraphrase Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop, my stomach is my life. Also I don't like juvenile bathroom humor. And, of course, profanity etc. etc.

5) I'm fair game, but not other reviewers, or really hateful comments about anyone else. See Rule No. 3. And frankly, if I'm having a bad day, really hateful comments about me aren't going to get published either.

6) I hope regulars will continue to encourage new people to participate by acknowledging their comments in some way, and will be extra-gentle when responding to first-timers. Commenting for the first -- or second or third -- time can be scary for everyone but Bucky. As I said to someone once, getting folks to comment is like trying to coax shy little kittens out from under the sofa. It's nice to have new voices in the discussion.

Thanks for reading -- and commenting,

Elizabeth

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
Categories: Commenting