Looking forward to a less contentious week.

I've only been to three of these. Guess I like to live on the wild side.

The Peppermill as least controversial? Perhaps this would true, if you pulled the sample group from the patrons of the Lutherville Senior Center.

What's the controversy? EL

I predict fewer than 20 comments for this one. Absolutely appropriate after last week, but least controversial also means least conversational.

Dahlink, I've got you beat, I've only been to 2 of these! I suspect someone out there will find something to complain about on this list, it's just how they are.

Catonsville Gourmet= True Love.

In the last week I've been to the top 2 listed and continue to visit them on a regular basis especially Catonsville Gourmet where we seem to dine at least once a week.

Good call on Amicci's. I always refer "out of towners" there when they want to go to Little Italy. I know they won't be let down. Of course, it then becomes known as "that place with the bread bowl".
I would add Red Star to the list, very dependable.

Errr... Only 1 - Thai Landing. I find the lack of hipster servers at most of these places disturbing.

I haven't been to Thai Landing in a long long time, but I loved the waiter we used to always get. We'd come in and both order the pad thai, sometimes some soup or an app. One time I spent some time looking at the menu and told him I might get something different. He just waved his hand and said, "Get the pad thai - that's what you want!"

He was right.

Do they still give Andes candies with the bill? Mmmm...

A Top Ten so dull, er, not controversial that the Sun's homepage tender dumped your photo for a plate of shrimp. Next week: Top Ten table cloths.

EL, the controversy over the Peppermill is that if you are older than 70 you love the place, but if you are younger than 40 you probably hate it.

I don't see the controversy. Its clientele is older and they like it. Under 30s don't go there. I'm not saying these restaurants are all things to all people. EL

Dagnabbit! They never cut up my salad small enough at the Peppermill. Irene and Thelma sure can shake up a nice Sidecar though. 23 skidoo!

RoCK - I have always enjoyed The Peppermill, and am no way near 70. My family would go there sometimes for special occassions while I was growing up, and I still enjoy the food and service. I think the older crowd is fun to watch. Especially at the bar!

Orchard Market is extemely underwhelming. I don't say this out of spite, but my love and first hand knowledge of Mid-Eastern food tell me so.

I'd throw Mr. Bill's Terrace Inn on this list, as the only bad thing anyone has ever said about it is that there can be upwards of a 2-hour long wait to get a table, just about every weekend in the summer months. That's because the crabs there are worth the wait. Yeah, it's THAT good!

Good call on Amicci's. It really is what it is, and doesn't claim to be anything but. Good, cheap homeade pasta and classic Italian dishes. The only way a person could not like it is if they just don't like homestyle Italian food.

Mari Luna is another good call. Although I have never dined there personally, I know lots of people who have and NEVER heard one bad word about it.

Love Catonsville Gourmet. The people are so nice and the food is consistantly good. Like being able to bring my own wine into the restaurant. Now that soft shells are coming in season they are the best at the Ville Gourmet,
Prime Rib is equally as good, but a bit noisy!

I'm with Ham. Underwhelmed is an understatement for Orchard Landing.

A friend and I had lunch at The Peppermill a couple years ago. We were like....the kids. Just that morning, I'd attempted to explain about carbon paper and typewriters (specifically, erasing thereon) in the days before Xerox to a 20something Admin who looked at me like I was reliving The Flood. (Some very, very old files had turned up) It was nice to be decades younger than everyone else in the room.

I remember Prime Rib fondly. If expense reports are ever again worth having, I'm headed there for sure.

Bubbles - I second Red Star.

They are opening a new restaurant in early July near Mustang Alley. I heard it is suppose to be New Mexican.

i don't know about amicci's. i wanted to see what all the hype was about so i went, and realized it was just hype. extremely underseasoned. almost sent two dishes back because the chef forgot to add the secret ingredient: taste. i didn't understand why there are so many shrimp dishes either.

Went to Orchard Market Saturday night for the first time in many years. Was reminded why I stopped going. Awful!

Red Star is a nightmare of bad service. I once waited 15 minutes before the server took our drink order, and then 10 more minutes for the drinks before giving up. This was in a near-empty restaurant. It took so long because instead of making our martinis, the bartender was flirting with our server. For 10 minutes. While we watched, thirstily. I timed it to an exact 10 minutes, then gave up and left. That is only one of the many unpleasant experiences that forced me to swear off going to Red Star about a year ago. I still miss their sweet potato fries, but they're SO not worth the frustration. I live in the neighborhood, and I know I'm not the only one who stopped going there long ago.

PCB Rob,
I haven't checked it out myself yet, but I heard that The Golden Key diner on Harford rd. has been transformed int a 50's themed diner.

RayRay,
I hope they've cleaned the place up some, it always looked kind of nasty in there.

Thanks for the info though.

I love good homestyle Italian Food and do not like Amiccis, the last time I ate there (and it will be my last) I got the clam sauce, the sauce had breading in it and some of the clams had breading on them. Um it was pretty yuck. I find the place underwelming and very over-hyped.

PCB Rob,
Yeah, it did have a "patina", but the food was cheap ($3.50 for chipped beef and home fries). I would regularly see groups of cops eating there and they usually know the best places to eat in a neighborhood.

The 50s-themed diner that replaced the Golden Key has the same weird hours. Since I live in the neighborhood, I'd love to go, but it's just never open. In fact, I haven't found anyone who's been. It would be nice to hear from someone who has.

At Perring Place -- or as its sometimes known, the Blue Hair Cafe -- they consider the crowd at the Peppermill a bunch of young whippersnappers.

If you'd like I could revive my rant about Catonsville Gourmet's corkage policy, just to liven things up.

I have a friend who refers to The Peppermill as "God's Waiting Room."

Good, cheap homeade pasta and classic Italian dishes. The only way a person could not like it is if they just don't like homestyle Italian food.

Ugh. You've got to be kidding. Dull fake Italian food with no flavor.

Name one homemade pasta there? Store bought does not mean homemade. Mushy overcooked pasta? Classic dishes? Really? Like what? Sausage alfredo? LOL. Mozzarella caprese made with Sysco Italian dressing (a guess)? Homestyle? Not like any home in Italy.

Trixie wrote I think the older crowd is fun to watch. Especially at the bar! That is certainly true of some of the relatives we have known and loved. We once attended an 80th birthday party for a family member. The oldest person in attendance was 92, if I remember correctly, and she was whipped after her journey, but she certainly perked up after she had a couple of stiff drinks!

We obviously need at least 2 more Catonsville Gourmets in Catonsville. I would love to go more often, but its always so busy. After years living downtown, I consider this the only decent restaurant in Catonsville.

Eve

Your remarks regarding carbon paper made me choke on my soda. When I started working in the early seventies, I had a dedicated typist who did such things.

By the mid 80's the PC made the typist unnecessary and carbon paper too.

I have to disagree on Amicci's. We started going there about the time it opened, when it was a tiny hole in the wall and kept going right up until the last year or so, when it expanded into the next building. Its where we always went when family came to town. But we've been disappointed the last few times and felt like it was just another big mass producing Little Italy restaurant.

LEC, I have an aunt who started as a secretary in the mid-50s.

In the early-to-mid-80s, I worked for a contractor (I don't think they were called that) who went into a compay and taught the secretaries word processing (Wang) and then made spot visits over a period of time to answer any questions (and find out what the problems were). I saw women a some of Baltimore's major companies using a (hidden in a back office) typewriter when a rush was called for.

Amicci's bar is about two and half years old and is a very good place, except for the nerd in the corner with the laptop. Starting today they have extended Happy Hour to crazy happy hours. It's now 3 -10 PM. House wines are $3, most domestic beers $2, and rail martinis and cosmos $5. $5 food: calamari, house or Caesar salad with chicken, fresh mozzarella and tomato salad, and mussels.

No controversy on the awesomeness of that.

I've thought about hanging out at Amicci's, but I have doubts about the clientele. I'm looking for a place with patrons who are both classy and awesome. The problem is in order to find such a place, I'd probably have to drive into Canton.

RoCK, a hipster like you is bound to find classy and awesome in Canton!

I would 100% take off Charleston and add Restaurant Sabor in Mays Chapel. Charleston's plates are too small to fill you and way over priced while Sabor offers generous portions along with allowing its customers to bring their own alcohol....I believe they only charge a $5 corkage fee for the entire table no matter how many bottles are opened! Plus, their service is top notched!I Perfect addition to Mays Chapel! I LOVE Sabor!!!!

for real--

You'll never see corned beef & cabbage in Ireland, but damn if it wasn't a staple in Irish households when they immigrated to New York and made their way up to New England, and it's on the menu of just about every Irish pub in America.

I didn't mean that the actual pasta at Ammici's itself was homemade.. Their dishes are homemade though, and I do know they make their own dressing in-house.

I am of the school of thought where there are basically two (2) types of "Italian food" categories--"Italian" as in what you would typically find "in Italy", and "Italian-American" as in what the Italians started serving on their dinner table when they immigrated to this country (the meatballs, baked ziti, lasagna, alfredo, clam sauce, "parm" dishes, etc.).

The latter is what you would find at places like Ammici's, Sabitino's (who DOES make thir own pasta in-house), and Chiparelli's, and they do them well. Yet when some people come to restaurants who specialize in this type of cuisine, they bad mouth it because it's not "what they serve at restaurants in Italy."

Well no crap! It's not meant to be like a place you'd find in Italy. Amicci's has never claimed to be as such, either.

Every time I've gone there, it's been good, fresh, simple, plentiful and the best part--cheap! Plus, I love shrimp and am quite fond of their shrimp dishes.

Okay, so why did my response come up 3 times?? Freaky. Sorry gang.

I would guess you hit "post" three times. Just a guess. :-) EL

I vote Bill's Lighthouse Inn for #1, because it rules.

You'll never see corned beef & cabbage in Ireland

And that's why it's American food. Given that we are mostly a nation of immigrants (Hey why aren't there any American Indian restaurants?), food that immigrants invent here is American.

Their dishes are homemade though

What else would they be? Oh yeah, Cheesecake Factory's meals are all boil-ina-bag and made at some other place. You know they do call it a factory, that's fair warning.

Sabitino's (who DOES make thir own pasta in-house

No they don't.

BTW most of the "homemade" ravioli and gnocchi are homemade by Casa di Pasta or other vendor. Pssst... restaurants lie.

As far as I'm concerned "homemade" is meaningloess now.

People like what they like and Americans like American food.

If I go to a Japanese restaurant (or Italian or Thai etc) I really do want what they serve in those countries and not some dumbed down crap for stupid Americans.

Why don't we drop the current semantics and call some of the Little Italy food Italo-American fusion cuisine.

Or perhaps fission would be better.

I'm about to have a very non-trad $5 big salad with grilled chicken at Amicci's now for happy hour. Mmm... call it ... I have no clever today. I think something happened when Bourbon Girl hit me in the back of the head with a horse shoe yesterday.

2of my friends worked at Sabs and they dont even use real veal for their cooking. They use cheap pork and slice it thin and pound it and bread it and cover it in sauces. Ha ha

Owl,
I was wondering when you'd chime in on Amicci's, people were busting on it and that seems to be your favorite roost.

RayRay,
Yes, the Golden Key has a certain "patina" for sure. Speaking of Baltimore's Finest, remember the Hamilton beat cop, Officer Spalone? Many of my friends hated him, because he had a way of interrupting their "plans".

As to corned beef, the Irish discovered that dish from their Jewish neighbors in American cities.

With the Cheesecake Factory, oddly more of their items are made at the restaurant than you would think. I'm not saying it is Woodberry Kitchen, but you are more likely to get some scratch items at the Cheesecake Factory than you are at many independently owned restaurants where the food is straight out of a Sysco box.

If you want an American Indian restaurant, try the cafe at the American Indian Museum in Washington. It is my favorite museum cafe. Much better than the Air and Space Museum with their freeze dried ice cream and Tang.

When it comes to home made pasta, it may be one of the more over-rated items. I know that when I make home made pasta it is awful.

Sorry, but I have been treated like a chump on two occasions at Charleston. So much so that it affected my enjoyment of the meal. Won't go back.

Why the dumping on Orchard Market Cafe? I love the place! Every time we go, we're treated well, and the food is delicious and reasonably priced. I particularly like the traditional stews--so complex and wonderful, not to mention enough for two meals.

Dottie, thanks for coming to the defense of the Orchard Market Cafe. We haven't been for a few years, but when we did go it was always delightful.

Nice try, Ms. L. But when I saw the headline, "10 Least Controversial Restaurants," I knew it was gonna' be a battle cry.

Ah, Mr. Gray, you seem to have overlooked something. Yours was the 50th comment on this topic, and you made it about 26 hours after EL's original post. By contrast, the "Most Controversial" topic got (by my count) 123 comments in the first 24 hours alone. Going by the volume of comments, I'd say EL got it right.

I agree with you, hmpstd. EL got it right. But I suspect that when she wrote the list, she knew that with this crowd, universal approval was just about impossible and that she'd draw out at least a few detractors. Which makes for lively reading.

When I think "Least controversial" I think Double-T Diner. The kind of place where a group of people can go, and everyone can find something decent (not great) on the menu.

Sabor is [expletive deleted]. I really wanted to have a good meal there and we just didn't. The hostess was wearing jeans and the servers looked to be about 18 and clueless. Chaleston is not in the same league as Sabor. C'mon.

PCB Rob,
I hadn't thought about Baloney Spalone in years. ( Like how I worked in that food reference?) As I recall he was rather portly and rarely got out of his car.

Growing up in the Boston area in the 50's with Irish heritage grandmothers, I never ever remember having corned beef. It was always a boiled smoked pork shoulder; with cabbage and potatoes.

Can I get a what-what for the Helmand?

Has anyone seriously heard even a single ill-word spoken of our beloved Afghani institution?

I can't think of a single review I've read over the years (including the many user-submitted sites) that's been anything but glowing.

As for other sources of controversy, I'm reminded of the almost instantaneous outpourings of support for Karzai and the Helmand after both 9/11 and the invasion of Afghanistan.

The joint is loved for a good reason; it seems virtually impervious to criticism, not that anyone has any to offer.

Oh, El Generalissimo, if you do a search here you will find that the general love for the Helmand is not universal. Some people find it too crowded and have felt rushed. I do love the food, though.

I think that there's so much buzz about certain restaurants (both good and bad) because people feel passionately about them. That's why, joel, there's no arguement about Double T. It's adequate for what it does and while no one adores the food, it's all ok and sometimes very good.

People argue over G&M because for every 10 folks who think they have the best crab cake in Maryland there's at least 10 more who think their crab cake is not good.

EG, a number of people, including me, think the Helmand is so-so, at best.

I just had a very good meal with excellent, professional service at Ikaros, which could qualify for this list. Solid, well-prepared Greek food at a reasonable price, experienced, professional waitresses who notice when your water glass is getting close to empty and fill it in a room that won't win interior decorating awards but is kind of charming.

Ikaros is old-fashioned in all the good ways. You know exactly what you'll get when you go there, and you get it.

No controversy there.

RayRay,
We could get served in the Wilkens at 16 or so, courtesy of Cathy or Miriam, and sometimes Baloney (food reference) Spalone would be there to hassle us if he saw us coming out of the bar.

A blast from the past for sure, and a 70s memory I won't forget.

Dahlink, Lissa: well, color me surprised.

This is the first time in over a decade I think I've ever had anyone having anything critical to say about the Helmand.

It seems though, we can perhaps at least agree that Helmand elicits less vociferous opinion than Orchard Market.

I mean, seriously -- if the worst you can say about it is "rushed" or "so-so", I'd say that still doesn't qualify it for the degree of controversy that Golden West seemed to inspire last week.

El G.--I'll grant you that!

Amicci's is horrible. From the very hairy man in a tank top, shorts, and flip-flops (at dinner) sweating at the next table, to the 100-plus degree wine, to the fact they do not have meatballs (and who ever heard of that at an Italian place) to the fact that they don't serve tuna in their antipasto (because, we were informed, they have a hard time keeping it fresh-and what about everything else?!?), I will never go there again.

Amicci's is horrible. From the very hairy man in a tank top, shorts, and flip-flops (at dinner) sweating at the next table, to the 100-plus degree wine, to the fact they do not have meatballs (and who ever heard of that at an Italian place) to the fact that they don't serve tuna in their antipasto (because, we were informed, they have a hard time keeping it fresh-and what about everything else?!?), I will never go there again.

From the very hairy man in a tank top, shorts, and flip-flops (at dinner) sweating at the next table,

Made me laugh out loud at the mental picture.

This could, unfortunately, describe several of the gulf-front restaurants here. Then again, in an open-air restaurant where the sun is beaming in and the temperature is in the 90s and the humidity not far behind, sweating is normal. But the very cool gulf breezes make it worthwhile. And the sunsets are awesome.

Who wants tuna in antipasto? I doubt that anybody told you that. Amicci's has an amazingly high standard for freshness.

If the wine if too warm, have them chill it. You're in charge. I doubt that their cellar or any cellar gets that hot or hot at all. Most people think red wine should be served at room temperature, but that's too warm. There's no sin in chilling your reds to cellar temperature. Take control.

Uh, the sign outside says A "Very" Casual Eatery. Very casual for Baltimore is very casual. Meatballs are American, not Italian. Get over it. Plus meatballs are a dumb food. They are ,morphologically incompatible with spaghetti, Blech,, wads of meat. Artless.

So tell us about the food and service, that you actually ate, not the imaginary food they didn't have. That's what really matters. The menu and dress code are what they are. Give us something to chew on.

Go Amicci's!

Who cares about meatballs when there's Pane rotundo, bread covered with shrimp in a creamy sauce! YUM!

"From the very hairy man in a tank top, shorts, and flip-flops (at dinner) sweating at the next table"

At first I thought that Sook was going to reveal the identity of the man to be OMG.

I have never seen OMG in flip flops!! And it's a good bet that he's never in his adult life donned a tank top!!!

Kimmer, let's hold him down and force him into a tank top! I have a camera...

OMG has way more class than a tank top or flip flops.

He's actually quite the dresser, if you all recall his purple velvet suit.

I found the guy we're looking for.

Ahhhh, that's a spicy meatball.

1) Smooth as a dolphin. Hirsute is the restraining order that Salma Hayek filed against me. Except for my rugged winter Viking beard, I'm like a baby squirrel ... ladies ....
2) Tank top? I was rocking some fashion-forward gear when I was still playing in a, uh, well, box of finely ground rocks. I would never even wear a sleeveless undershirt UNDER my clothes, let alone in public. For shame.
3) Flip-flops? Oh sweet fancy Ludacris. What next, me in a pinafore wearing Crocks? BG can conrfirm that none of these descriptors are possible. I have a violent dislike of men in sandals. Really. Please stop. Flip flops are for walking from the changing room at the yacht club to the pool, that's it. Wearing flip flops around town is like wearing paper mache shorts or a shirt made of bees. It's just stupid.

So no, that wasn't me.

OMG

You have restored your image in my mind.

Flip- flops, who could wear them with any sense of couth.

I wear flip flops. I have a delightful pair that has my college crest on them. To make matters worse, this week I was wearing them with a seersucker sportcoat. Stylin and Profilin.

Something tells me that Owlie wouldn't approve of my Ravens Crocs. Even if I got them on sale.

Apparently I can't even spell Croc right, That's okay. Chicks can wear crocks I guess, but growed up men? NO NO NO.

I can barely type. I've been giving free shiatsu massage and reflexology to the Russian girls at Amicci's tonight. It's very slow.