Other Reviewer Richard reviews Nam Kang in today's paper. It's one of those restaurants that you don't think of as a Baltimore institution but has been around seemingly forever.

I last reviewed it in 1992, and we were the only Caucasian Americans, as my politically correct daughter called us, in the place.

But it seems to me I remember eating there even before then, when not only was the menu totally in Korean, but no one spoke a word of English.

Most good eaters who have lived in Baltimore long enough have had meal there, and will feel nostalgic reading Richard's good review.

(Karl Merton Ferron/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Just to balance all the closings news, my fellow blogger Suzanne Loudermilk over at In Good Taste reports that a new Jasmine Asian Bistro opened in Timonium Dec. 14.

And Rich tells me that on Preston Street, the former Sylvan Ice Cream, which has been closed for awhile, will soon open as Shapiro's Cafe, "which promises corned beef, falafel and sweets," he says, "quite a combination."

(Photo of lemongrass-crusted tuna at Jasmine Asian Bistro, Quarry Lake/Andre F. Chung/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

The Milton Inn in Sparks is having a complimentary (that sounds so much more elegant than "free," don't you think?) port tasting on Tuesday, Jan. 26. The port houses of Fonseca, Taylor and Croft will be featured.

The tasting starts at 6:30 p.m., which is an interesting time for it. I think of port as a dessert wine, but isn't at least one purpose of a free tasting to encourage people to stay and have dinner at the restaurant afterward? Or maybe that's their way of saying there are no strings attached.

Anyway, seating is very limited. You can call 410-771-4366 if you're interested. And if you do attend, we'd love to have a mini-review.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Wine and Spirits
        

Happy New Year's Eve, boys and girls. If you aren't sick of lists, and even if you are, I have the National Restaurant Association's list of the top restaurant news stories of 2009:

THE YEAR'S TOP TEN

* 129 rules at La Bernardin

* White House chef is named

* What makes a burger?

* Top 10 tips for restaurateurs

* In-N-Out thrives on work force's professionalism

* What was Tom Colicchio's biggest cooking mistake?

* The secrets of the modern burger

* How does Darden Restaurants stay successful?

* Burger King plans edgy interiors

* Custom-burger concept succeeds despite recession

Many of these, maybe most of them, probably mean nothing to you.  ...

When I looked more closely at how the list was made up, it turned out that these were the stories whose links were most clicked on by the readers of the group's e-newsletter.

What struck me about it, though, was how many of them involved burgers. I don't quite know what to make of that. After all, these are mostly people in the restaurant business or media types who are reading the newsletter.

Theories welcome. Just post below.

The one of these stories I remember most and for some reason didn't get around to blogging about was the first, 129 rules at La Bernardin. The rules are real ones, given to employees by the four-star La Bernardin restaurant in New York City. To me this was more interesting than the wish list rules I posted here earlier.

Unfortunately, because of the time span, some of the links to the actual stories are broken. But if there are any that you'd like to know more about, I'll try to hunt them down.

If that burger in the photo looks good to you, don't come asking where you can get it. It's an Elevation burger.

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

At about the same time Community Coordinator Carla told me that DuClaw Brewing Co. in Fells Point was closing for good tonight and I was on the phone calling to find out more, 21224 was posting a comment to that effect on D@L.

Inside Charm City had the news (and blogger Jeff Quinton kindly e-mailed me to give me a heads up), as did City Paper. I had to laugh at CP reporter Anna Ditkoff's description of the person she talked to as "understandably testy." I either spoke to the same person immediately before or immediately after. ...

I was told, yes, it was closing, and to call back after 2 p.m. if I wanted any more information from a manager. I'll update here.

Well, she didn't hang up on me, which I might have been tempted to do if I just learned I was out of a job as of midnight.

The Daily Record posted a story last night that a former executive chef was suing the local chain, saying that he was fired for standing up for another employee who was being discriminated against. That, however, was at the Bel Air location.

Update: Midnight Sun Sam has much more info in the post he did. He isn't at his desk so I didn't think to check his blog until now.

Another update: I just talked to the president of the company, David Benfield, and asked him whether the staff had only been told today that they would lose their jobs. He said that the managers had been told last week when the decision was made, but they were afraid the servers would quit immediately and they wouldn't be able to stay open until the end without a staff. I'll have more of my interview in next week's Table Talk, but it pretty much covers what Sam has already reported on his blog.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

Jo Ann has a question:

We were wondering if any new BYOB restaurants have opened in the Baltimore/Harford county areas since your article in 2/08.

I'm not sure what she means by my "article," but I'm assuming it was the print edition of this Top 10.  I don't have any suggestions for her, but maybe one of you does. ...

In fact, it seems to me fewer restaurants without liquor licenses have been opening lately, but that's just my vague impression. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Grano in Hampden, and I think she means Baltimore county, not Baltimore city.

If there did happen to be enough BYOBs that weren't in my first Top 10, that might be worth another list. In a weak economy, people seem to appreciate BYOBs more.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

I think I want to thank Alexander D. Mitchell IV for discovering this link to 20 Secrets Your Waiter Will Never Tell You for me. It's like watching a train wreck to read them. You don't want to look, but you can't turn away.

And here's the original Reader's Digest article, which unfortunately is in the form of a photo gallery so you have to click through it. ...

I wonder if one casualty of the Internet will be restaurants. After reading about all the ways restaurants and wait staff may be taking advantage of the customer, you start to think delivery pizza at home sounds pretty good.

Some of these "secrets," though, could be helpful. For instance:

We’re not allowed to tell our customers we don’t like a dish. So if you ask your server how something is and she says, “It’s one of our most popular dishes,” chances are she doesn’t like it.
—Waitress at a well-known pizza chain 

The one thing doing this blog has taught me is how much servers resent most customers.

(Photo courtesy of ReadersDigest.com)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

I got this e-mail from CantonK last week while I was off:

I live in Canton and drive by Three... everyday. For the last week, the restaurant has been closed during times it would normally be open. There is a sign on the door but I cant read it driving by. Do you know what is going on? Did it actually close? I know Three... closing rumors have been going around for the last few months. ...

I called and the message said the phone had been "temporarily disconnected." I'm not sure what that means. I hope someone who's walking rather than driving by will tell us what that sign says.

(Photo courtesy of Metromix)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Bra1nchild just sent me a report on airline food. I'll be thinking about this when I'm eating my Southwest peanuts on the way to Florida in a couple of weeks. EL

The question of airplane food was raised some time ago. Mrs. Bra1nchild and I have just returned from visiting our grandchildren (and their parents) in Jakarta. Believe me when I tell you that you eat your way around the world. ...

Because we are of a certain age, we decided long ago that extremely long flights must be experienced in Business Class. Orthopedic difficulties demand the extra width and pitch between seats. As a result, our airborne dining experiences are not typical.

We took off at 11:10 p.m. and were fed starting around 12:15 in the morning EDT and finished after 1 a.m. The appetizer was grilled shrimp, hummus, cucumber salad and broiled tomato wedges; entrees of fish for Mrs. B and sea bass and pork belly in an Asian sauce for me, with a dessert of fresh fruit and cookies.
 
We were fed again over the Pacific around 7 a.m. EDT. Our choice was a ham-and-cheese sandwich or a Chinese soup. We both chose the soup, which was quite tasty; it had very thin noodles, dumplings and something green that resembled broccoli stems, some with leaves. It was like a cruise because all we did that day was eat and sleep.
 
We continued to eat our way around the world with breakfast before landing in Taipei. We opted for cream cheese frittatas accompanied by sliced pork and roasted cherry tomatoes. We had mediocre herb omelets on the flight from Taipei to Singapore, but by this time, we didn’t care.
 
We flew Singapore Airlines’ non-stop from Singapore to Newark for our return and, once again, we ate our way through 12 time zones.
 
About two hours into the 18-hour flight, we were served lunch: lobster and mesclun salad; beef fillet with parsnip puree and roasted vegetables; ice cream; and candy. Several hours later, there was more food -- an appetizer of chicken and lamb satay; a duck liver mouse with salmon; and our entrees – rosemary infused chicken with mushroom timbale, coarse-mustard basted potatoes and peas. The chicken was a little tough but Mrs. Bra1nchild especially liked the mushroom timbale. For dessert, Mrs. B had a peach crumble, which she said was wonderful. 
 
All of our meals were served on china and we had stainless flatware which will probably disappear soon in the name of security.

(Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

I guess it was inevitable. Now there's an online farmer's market at FromtheFarm.com.

It could be a good thing, eliminating the warehouse, but it could be just more jumping on the farm-to-table bandwagon.

What worries me is the prices. I didn't compare everything, but take the apples. ...

They would have to be noticeably better than what I can get in the store for me to be willing to pay more than $1 apiece for them. And they can't be growing apples in Michigan now, so these are cold-storage apples.

And yet there is something to be said for supporting our farmers. But I think I'd rather go to the Waverly Market, which goes on all year, and buy cold-storage apples from one of our local farmers.

There may very well be another side to this that I'm not seeing. If you've ordered anything from the Web site, or know anything more about it, please post below.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

I can't think of another decade while I've been restaurant critic for the Sun in which so much happened on the local dining scene.

Unfortunately, much of news involved the unexpected demise of some very important restaurants. I could do a Top 10 just of closings. No, wait. I did that already.

Although closings dominated, a lot else was going on in the aughts. (And please don't tell me the decade ends next year. You can't call 2010 an aught. It's a teen.)

Anyway, here's my list of the most important local news stories where restaurants were concerned. You may not agree. If  not, please post your suggestions below.

Also, Editor Rebecca has made a photo gallery of the list, which you can check out here. ...

1) The number of restaurants that closed directly or indirectly because of the recession. Of course, the reasons were often more complicated that just a troubled economy, but it seemed to give many of the restaurants that were trying to hang on a final push. I'm thinking of the Brass Elephant, Ixia, Bicycle, Northwoods in Annapolis, to mention just a few.

2) Morris Martick retired in August of 2008, and for many Baltimoreans, it was the end of an era. While the economy may have been a factor, the closing of Martick's Restaurant Francais was an event that transcended the other closings of the decade.

3) The emergence of tapas and small plates as a way to eat in area restaurants. Tapas Teatro opened in 2001, followed by Red Maple in 2002, Iron Bridge Wine Company and Mezze in 2003, and Pazo in 2005. These days many of our restaurants offer tapas even if they aren't small plates places. And tapas restaurants continue to open. Witness La Tasca, Ranazul, Tapabar, Sam's Kid, Talara and Tapas Adela.

4) The dominance of Cindy Wolf and Tony Foreman on the Baltimore restaurant scene. True, Charleston opened in December, 1997; but it wasn't until it was followed by Petit Louis, Pazo and Cinghiale in the 2000s that people began talking about the Wolf-Foreman dynasty.

5) The development of the Harbor East area as destination dining, with a range of restaurants including RA Sushi, Lebanese Taverna, Oceanaire Seafood Room, Roy's, Cinghiale, Charleston, Bagby Pizza Co. and several more.

6) National recognition for our chefs and restaurants. It started with Wolf being nominated for a James Beard Foundation award as best chef in the Mid-Atlantic in mid-decade. It continued with several local chefs appearing on the popular reality show Top Chef. We even had a finalist in Bryan Voltaggio of Volt in Frederick. Restaurants from the Prime Rib to Woodberry Kitchen have been on recent Best Lists in national magazines.

7) The appearance of socially conscious restaurants on the local dining scene. Some have done very well, like Woodberry Kitchen; some have struggled, like Dogwood. But those two led the way, and many restaurants followed to a greater or lesser degree -- even if they merely focused on organic ingredients, local sourcing or recycling. (And, yes, some local restaurants did all these things before this decade; we just didn't hear about it.)

8) The decline of Little Italy and crab houses as places locals frequent. Not to say we don't still go to both; but these eating places don't have the prominence in our dining lives that they used to, and they are often geared to the tourist trade.

9) The rise of the Lauraville/Hamilton neighborhood as a place to get very good food. It began with the Chameleon Cafe, which opened in 2001 but was something of an anomaly. It wasn't until later in this decade that we also got Hamilton Tavern, Clementine, Red Canoe, Parkside and Zeke's Coffee.

10) Although it started in the '90s, the increasing use of imported crab meat in restaurant crab cakes has become a major point of contention in this decade for those who love the Maryland blue crab.

(Kim Hairston/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (80)
Categories: Top Ten Tuesdays
        

I open my Outlook inbox after a week out of the office, and -- surprise! -- I have 10,000 unread e-mails. That's only a slight exaggeration.

Among them is this from a colleague:

So tell me it was the copy desk that let the welsh rabbit hop into your Diablita review... 8-)

I was surprised because everyone I know uses "rabbit," not "rarebit" for this dish of melted cheese flavored with beer and served over toast. My mother always told me it was so called  because when a hunter in Wales didn't come back with any game, this dish was the cook's fallback position. ...

The Sun style, however, seems to prefer "rarebit," judging from the number of times it's been used in our stories in the past 20 years (13) as opposed to "rabbit" (3).

I can counter with a quote from grammarian H. W. Fowler. In his 1926 edition of the Dictionary of Modern English Usage, according to Wikipedia, he says: "Welsh Rabbit is amusing and right. Welsh Rarebit is stupid and wrong."

Here's a recipe for the dish that I found in our archives:

Welsh Rarebit (or Rabbit)

If you want to make the dish more substantial, poach an egg and place it on the toast and nap it with the sauce. Now the dish is called a Golden Buck.    

2 generous servings    

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce    

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard    

dash of cayenne pepper    

dash of paprika    

1/4 cup beer    

1/2 pound natural Cheddar cheese, shredded    

hot toast slices    

In small skillet, combine Worcestershire, mustard, cayenne and paprika. Add beer and cook over low heat until beer is hot. Add cheese; stir until melted. Serve over hot toast. Drink rest of the can of beer.    

(AP Photo/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Mark Hoffman)    

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

Gailor took this photo for me yesterday when she was returning a Christmas gift in Hampden and doing the 34th Street Christmas lights tour.

Unfortunately Dogwood is closed Mondays, so I can't call to get more information. Its site doesn't mention an oyster bar.

I will say this. Dogwood's new Web site is much more colorful than the old one. I like it.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Yesterday my review of Sam's Kid appeared in the A & E section.

This is the latest in what I hope will be a trend in Baltimore's Asian restaurants: places that are stylish and fun as well as having good food. Reasonable prices don't hurt either.

The other restaurant that comes immediately to mind in this category is Minato, after it moved up Charles Street. ...

I can't decide whether Red Maple counts or not. It certainly has lots of cutting-edge style and Asian tapas have been a specialty, but I don't think of it as an Asian restaurant.

It's interesting that Sam's Kid is one of three tapas restaurants in Fells Point. We've had neighborhoods that specialize in bars, and neighborhoods that specialize in cuisines, like Little Italy. Can you have a neighborhood that specializes in how people like to eat these days?

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
        

When I reviewed Diablita Cantina recently,  I mentioned trying the tequila-braised bison burrito, which was excellent in every way except for, well, the bison.

It occurred to me then that every time I have bison in a restaurant, I'm disappointed. As a beef substitute, it doesn't work for me. It always seems dry. No matter how fine the dish, I always find myself thinking it would be even better with beef. ...

That's too bad, because once I got past the image of the noble beast, symbol of our American heritage etc. etc. I embraced the concept of a more flavorful, less fatty, lower-in-cholesterol meat.

Having said all that, the exception that proved the rule was the bison strip steak at the Reserve in South Baltimore. Here's what I said in my review:

"It was evenly rare all the way through, charred on the outside, and full of juicy, meat flavor."

But I don't think it would have been so striking if I hadn't tasted a number of indifferent bison dishes before that at other restaurants.

Maybe I ought to try beefalo, a fertile hybrid of beef and bison. Now that's something I haven't seen on any local restaurant's menu.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

When I reread last week's Top 10, I came upon this sentence: "wait till you see what I come up with for the end-of-the-year Top 10. ..."

Somebody else must have written that. Or I must have been on crack when I wrote it. I have no idea what I was thinking of.

But time and Tuesday wait for no man. I think my best bet for this Tuesday will be to make up a list of the top local restaurant news stories of the decade. This has several advantages. ...

The first, of course, is that it will generate e-mails from readers telling me that actually the decade doesn't end until Dec. 31, 2010; and what's wrong with me that I don't know that. I always enjoy those.

Second, it's a little different from other Top 10 lists, always a good thing in Year Three of them.

Third, the list itself might be interesting.

The down side is that I have to actually come up with the Top 10 local restaurant news stories of the decade. This seems to me to be a little different from Top 10 food and beverage trends, but they could intersect.

Anyway, I would, of course, welcome your thoughts.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

If you had to guess what Ravens and Redskin fans say their favorite game-day snack is, what would it be?

I wouldn't have said wings; but according to a recent survey, wings and chips or other salty snacks (which would have been my guess) are tied at the top the list.

They are followed by spreads -- another unllkely choice -- to go on crackers or veggies.

Hey, this is a surprise: 82 percent of fans say none or only a few of the foods they eat during a football game would be considered healthy or "better for you" (better than what it doesn't say, which is kind of scary). ...

Other football snack traditions among those surveyed in the Baltimore/Washington area included brats, chili and crab.

Thanksgiving and the December holidays came in first and second on the list of times most calories are consumed, of course; but during the Superbowl came in third, beating out both New Year's Eve and birthdays. Of course, that could be just the beer.

Twelve percent of those surveyed said they bought their football-watching snacks at restaurants, caterers, gourmet food stores or delicatessens. That must have annoyed the supermarket chain that conducted the survey, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy.

Go Ravens.

(Robert K. Hamilton/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

"Americanized" seems to have become synonymous with "deplorable" about the same time we became a country. Personally, I like our version of tapas.

Our second winner was, of course, under The Fruitcake Quandary:

i don't know how you could have the patience for this blog if you didn't have a fondness for fruitcakes

Posted by: unbelievaboh | December 21, 2009 2:21 PM

 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

... Exactly nothing.

Under my earlier post on upscale cafes, Amy nominated Cafe Azafran "on the Johns Hopkins campus."

I thought I had never heard of it before, but then I remembered that someone had posted about its having great sweet potato fries. ...

I plan to get over there to check it out when my vacation is over; but meanwhile, what does anyone know about it?

How does it happen to be on the Johns Hopkins campus?

The Web site doesn't tell me much.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Up till now in my recent posts I've been looking back on what happened in the past year and the decade, but now it's time to look forward.

Here's a list put out by the National Restaurant Association of the hottest menu trends for 2010.

The trade group surveyed 1,800 professional chefs who are members of the American Culinary Federation.  ...

The methodology is a little funky, but basically the chefs rated 214 items on how trendy they would be in the coming year. The reason I know that the resulting list is 100 percent accurate? Creme brulee ended up being No. 214.

What struck me first about the top 20 was they aren't new. Expect to see more of same next year, if indeed restaurant chefs use this list to update their menus:

1. Locally grown produce

2. Locally sourced meats and seafood

3. Sustainability

4. Bite-size/mini desserts

5. Locally produced wine and beer

6  Nutritionally balanced children’s dishes

7  Half-portions/smaller portion for a smaller price

8.  Farm/estate-branded ingredients

9.  Gluten-free/food allergy conscious

10.  Sustainable seafood

11.  Superfruits (e.g. acai, goji berry, mangosteen, purslane)

12.  Organic produce

13.  Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients)

14.  Micro-distilled/artisan liquor

15.  Nutrition/health

16.  Simplicity/back to basics

17.  Regional ethnic cuisine

18.  Non-traditional fish (e.g. branzino, Arctic char, barramundi)

19.  Newly fabricated cuts of meat (e.g. Denver steak, pork flat iron, Petite Tender)

20.  Fruit/vegetable children’s side items

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

The cast and crew of Free Market Fridays would like to wish a merry Christmas and a happy holiday season to the Dining@Large community.

Robert of Cross Keys, the Wife, and Mr. Jefferson

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

A dear friend gave me the Mr. Bacon vs. Monsieur Tofu action figures!!!!

Don't be jealous because you didn't get a set.

Only one can remain at the top of the food chain!

Bendable and lots of fun wherever fun is needed!

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

I hope everyone's Christmas is going well so far.

I'm going to try to get a walk in before the freezing rain starts (that sounds like fun, doesn't it?) and make a cold lemon souffle to take to Christmas dinner.

Regular readers know that Christmas dessert is something of a problem for me. The chocolate mousse was a success two years ago (thanks again, Hal); but the other dessert will be a chocolate pecan pie, I've been told. That seems like too much chocolate to me, although the rest of my family wouldn't agree.

The photo to the left, by the way, ran with a wire story on martinis that appeared in the food section, and it intrigued me.

There's something disturbing about it, as if the photographer was saying that Christmas is a holiday of broken dreams. ...

 ...

And on a more physical level, anything that involves broken glass (not one but two broken Christmas balls) and drink -- does the ball have to be hanging directly over the glass? -- is kind of creepy.

I guess it's too early to have a martini yet.

On the other hand, I like the abundance of olives in the martini. Christmas should be a time of overdoing and overindulging.

Clearly I'm not as conflicted about the holiday as the photographer is.

Here's the photo caption:

"The martini is as icy, as silent, as mysterious a messenger as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol.' It's the perfect antidote for the crazed season: clean, crisp, almost cerebral."

Whew.

(Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

As a reviewer, I'm always happy when I discover something unexpected and good, and I can share it with you. I haven't talked to Other Reviewer Richard about his review of the Cornerstone Grille, but I imagine he feels the same way.

I got the best sense of what the place is like when he mentioned the cookies he sampled, banana cookies with a curl of dried banana on top baked by one of the owners. That's not something you find every day in a cafe near the Baltimore Truck Wash.

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

Even though I'm on vacation, I couldn't resist checking my work e-mail this morning. I got this very interesting one from Tim, which I reprint here in its entirety:

Trendy food? Good winter veggie?

A buddy of mine will be visiting soon - and I was wondering if you've run across any good beet dishes in your travels.

B&O Brasserie for their beet tartare?

Tapas Teatro (spelling?) for the beets in olive oil and sea salt?

Suggestions welcome. ...

First of all, usually when friends come to visit, people want to me to tell them where to find the best crab cake in town or great seafood. Not beets.

Now don't get me wrong. I love beets. But clearly this guy is in a whole other class of beet lovers.

If he's serious about this beet thing, he should take his friend to Frederick for Volt's "tasting of Tuscarora Farm beets, upland cress, balsamic, Cherry Glen Farm goat cheese mousse, and cara cara orange" (pictured).

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

I got what I thought was a very astute observation from Trip Klaus recently. He has three examples of what he calls the Momofuku-ing of inventive restaurants.

He knows the secret: If you have three of them, it must be a trend.

And I bet there are more than three. In other words, I think it's a legitimate trend.

By the way, be sure to stop by Sam's Kid in Fells Point and order one of its noodle bowls before my review appears Sunday.

Here's Trip Klaus: ...

With today's temps I was thinking about what I find to be a new trend among "Modern American" restaurants. Call it the Momofuku-ing of inventive restaurants: noodle bowls.
 
Brewer's Art has a shrimp-based noodle bowl, Jack's Bistro a pork-based and Wine Market a lobster bowl. It seems that many "forward thinking" chefs are obsessed with mixing in these bowls with their otherwise incongruous menus. I expect even more like Salt Tavern will follow.
 
Just a thought.

(Sun archives)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

Editor Sarah just sent me a link to an add-on to a story that will appear in next Wednesday's Taste section. The add-on is on the site now. It's Recipes of the Decade.

One of the highlights is Martick's sweet potato soup.

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Portalli's has opened in Ellicott City where Jordan's Steakhouse was.

This is the new Italian restaurant that Lee Biars, frequent commenter and managing partner of Diamondback Tavern is involved with. Today's Table Talk has more details.

I also give the names and hours of more places that are open Christmas Day -- several of which you helped me find. Thank you very much.

I report the closing of a four-star restaurant -- although not in Baltimore. Sad news. ...

Last Tuesday's Top 10, the mail-order delicacies one, appeared in print today. It's not much help for Christmas at this point. Print readers will have to file it away somewhere for the next time you need a food gift.

The main reason I link to it is so you can see if your very wonderful comment made it into "The Readers Respond" section.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

I've been waiting since last Shallow Thought Wednesday to find out about the four ounces of Uganda Gold bourbon vanilla beans. Guest poster John Lindner never fails to come through. EL

Homemade vanilla extract is a wonderful thing. Easy to make. Festive. Lasts forever. And it is, most significantly, vanilla — Wisdom’s chocolate.

It’s also a great co-worker Christmas gift: handmade, homey, 80 proof. ...

From Internet suppliers, I secured a quarter pound of Uganda Gold bourbon vanilla beans and a couple dozen four-ounce corked bottles.

A nearby spiritsmonger provided three liters of Sobieski (not bad for vodka).

I slit each bean lengthwise and folded them so they’d fit in the bottles.

Add vodka. Wait a couple of months (though they become aromatic in a few days).

I call it Vodnilla. My Personal Art Director fashioned the Vodnilla label and tied one to each bottle. (Thanks, Bon!)

I distributed them to co-workers.

Happiness ensued.

Merry Christmas.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Gailor pointed out that Chicago may have horrible weather and a not-so-great football team, but it has one thing Baltimore would do well to emulate: chocolate tours.

There is no reason Baltimore can't have chocolate tours. We have old-fashioned candymakers that are part of our history (Rheb's, Wockenfuss) and we have artisan chocolatiers (Kirchmayr, Glarus, Cacoa Lorenzo). Hey, you could even start with a stop at Harborplace's Fudgery, where the happy fudge makers sing as they work. ...

Of course, you'd need a bus if you were running the tour as a business, because some of the best are in the burbs.

Normally I would spend an hour making up a list of stops, their order and what each place offers as its specialty. This would be for a self-guided tour that you and your friends or family could take as a holiday outing. Because you probably haven't eaten enough bad-for-you food yet this season.

However, I'm on vacation. So what I hope you will do, boys and girls, is make up the list for me. If you're feeling energetic, you can do the whole list in the proper order and what you recommend at each one. Or, more likely, you can just mention your favorite chocolate shop and what you think is best to sample there.

Hey, I might even get a Top 10 out of it.

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I hear that the Elevation Burger in Harbor East has already closed and will become an "All-American deli and pizzeria" as of Feb. 15.

Wow. That was fast. It only opened at the end of March. I guess Baltimore wasn't ready for a healthful burger joint yet, even in Harbor East.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (32)
        

My new most hated commercial is the one with the dog running through the house yelling "baconbaconbaconbacon." It's really loud and obnoxious. But it got me to thinking how bacon has become the most worshiped food in the universe.

How did this happen? And when? ...

I remember when bacon was just, well, bacon. Something you ate for breakfast if you felt like it. Not something half the populace of the country was addicted to. Not something you made dental floss out of. Or chocolate bars.

The weird thing is that bacon doesn't even taste as good as it used to, unless you get it in Virginia or Tennessee.

I have a theory. I think we've removed so much salt and fat from so many of our foods, and made everyone feel guilty if they do eat a food with a lot of salt and fat that a food composed of nothing but salt and fat is a priori the perfect food.

Of course, that doesn't explain why popcorn isn't equally popular.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

I got an e-mail from Clifford lately asking for a list of restaurants with live entertainment. I sent him my Top 10 on the subject, but I told him it was outdated.

Maybe it's time for a new one, if any of you have more recent suggestions. Here's Clifford's e-mail: ...

I was looking for a restaurant or cafe that offered dinner (reasonably good fair) and dancing or live music. I am a child of the 70's and early 80's and so like a lot of different music from R&B to Rock to Country. Any suggestions or recommendations on a site or specific local that you or your readers find fulfilling.
 
Any advice is welcome !!

(Photo taken at Slainte by Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

When I decided to do my most memorable meals of the decade for my almost-end-of-the-year Top 10 (wait till you see what I come up with for the end-of-the-year Top 10), I couldn't decide whether it should include both memorably good and memorably bad meals or not.

But I don't want to be too Scrooge-like during Christmas Week, so I'll stick to the good ones, year by year.

Here's my list: ...

2000: The now-closed M. Gettier's in Towson (3 1/2 stars): The best entree was lamb prepared two ways on the same plate: a fall-off-the-bone tender shank is arranged with a juicy pink chop on a bed of cabbage braised with cream.

2001: My one four-star restaurant was Tapas Teatro in what was then not Station North. I raved about the roasted eggplant, the grilled chicken with cumin and the lamb chops in rhubarb sauce. As you can see, I go with the sure bets a decade later.

2002: My only four-star meal was at the Tasting Room in Frederick. I loved the pork with roasted peach compote; swordfish steak with flavors of char, lemon, olive oil and garlic; panko-crusted shrimp; and veal chop over saffron risotto.

2003: In a year where I had 3 1/2 star meals at Rudys', Bicycle, Rooster Cafe in Columbia and Abacrombie, the one I ended up giving a "Restaurant of the Year" award to was Abacrombie (under former owners). I mentioned the seafood pot-au-feu and chicken with savory bread pudding in particular.

2004: I gave four stars to both Big Bad Wolf's House of Barbeque and Julia's in Centreville; but for a memorable meal I have to go with Julia's red snapper with a julienne of vegetables, avocado, little wonton pillows stuffed with lobster and mayonnaise flavored with garlic, ginger, lime and Chinese mustard.

2005: Charleston's new small plates, fixed-price menu got the nod this year with four-star food including lobster, peaches and limas; confit of pork with black-eyed peas; braised veal shoulder with grilled sweetbreads; and many other daintily proportioned dishes.

2006: The new four-star Salt Tavern topped my list this year, with explosively good New American food, from the foie gras-topped mini-burger to the house-made ravioli stuffed with duck confit. Not to mention the seared tuna and the lamb stroganoff with fresh spinach and noodles.

2007: I would have to put our 3 1/2 star meal at b in the 'quietly memorable" category, with perfectly executed bistro fare like chicken "osso buco," salads and wonderful soups, pizza and wild rockfish with polenta.

2008: I had no four-star meals last year, but I did enjoy my dinner at Fin Steak & Seafood in Fells Point, which promptly closed. Maybe I'll mention the 3 1/2 star gourmet bar food at the Hamilton Tavern, which included a special that evening, salmon with avocado sauce, spinach and empanadas.

2009: This is my hardest to decide, perhaps because I'm too close to it. My meal at Volt was certainly memorable, but the food at the Prime Rib was flawless. Sometimes simple done right trumps even wildly creative and wonderful but with a few slips.

(Photo of the Tasting Room/Sun archives)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Top Ten Tuesdays
        

I have a dirty little secret to confess: I like fruitcake. And what's happened to fruitcake in my lifetime annoys me.

I guess store-bought fruitcakes are the reason it's now the butt of so many jokes, but you simply can't make and give fruitcake anymore and expect it to be appreciated.

I've written about this before on this blog, but I'm bringing up the subject again because the same thing is happening (or has happened) to holiday sweaters. ...

I wish I could cut each of you a slice of my mother's Virginia fruitcake to try. It's a white fruitcake, which means it's made with finely diced citron (cut by hand), Brazil nuts and pecans and is light in color. It is, of course, soaked for months in brandy and rum, so it's quite alcoholic. A very adult treat to have thinly sliced with tea.

Needless to say, it looks nothing like the fruitcake pictured. It has no candied cherries, and all the nuts are chopped quite fine.

I used to make a batch every year until my brother (yes, Brother Bim, that brother) made some really ugly fruitcake jokes one year when I sent him one. Since he worships everything else that ever came out of our mother's kitchen even more than I do, I realized everyone else I gave a fruitcake to must have just been being polite.

My husband and Gailor, of course, aren't interested because it doesn't involve chocolate. 

When I was at Whole Foods the other day, the bakery was handing out samples of its fruitcake. It was nice and moist, and I'm sure the ingredients were all very healthy, but there wasn't even the fragrance of alcohol. I didn't really see the point. 

I love all the old-fashioned Christmas desserts, probably because my father the English professor did. My mother made a plum pudding every year, with suet of course; and he was in charge of making the hard sauce. He insisted on creaming the butter with granulated sugar because that's how the Victorians would have done it. (They didn't have confectioners sugar.) My younger brother and I hated it because it was grainy.

I even made a figgy pudding once.

(AP Photo/Ryan Hasler)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (37)
        

I had heard that people had had very mixed experiences at the new Diablita Cantina, so I didn't go with any great expectations.

In some ways, as you can tell from my review yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised. ...

For one thing, there's no disconnect between the look of the place and the food, which I found disconcerting at Azul 17 in Columbia. I felt like I was eating Mexican in an Asian night club there.

Diablita's aspirations aren't so high, except maybe in some of the food itself. It's a bar first and foremost, with an unpretentious decor that fits with the "cantina" label. The drinks are good. You can pick and choose from the food and be happy for not too much money.

I know some of you who have been have different opinions, so feel free to express them below.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
        

I got this e-mail from one of the regulars about the new version of the pasta bar in Hampden:

Just had dinner at Grano with 3 friends.  The pasta dishes we each ordered were all excellent.  We decided not to get salads after but wanted dessert.  They had none.  This was at 8:30 (Tuesday) and they said they had run out!  Bizarre.  We were so taken aback we thought the waiter was kidding us.  I mean, couldn't someone have run out and bought biscotti somewhere?  Some little chocolates?  When a place has such a simple and limited menu (and no liquor license), they need to at least be able to offer those few things they do have on the menu.

I was sympathetic, but realized I didn't feel the same way. The couple of times I ate at Grano I found I liked it not in spite of its quirks, but because of them. ...

It occurred to me that Grano might be the restaurant that will replace Martick's in the hearts and minds of Baltimoreans.

It doesn't have quite the same funkiness (I'll never forget the night I was eating at Martick's and the sink in the kitchen upstairs above our table overflowed, and my companion who happened to be sitting in the wrong seat that night got drenched), but Grano's does have that love-it or hate-it vibe that Martick's did.

The food is completely different, but owner Gino Troia, like Morris Martick, clearly has the restaurant business in his blood -- otherwise he would have retired long ago.

I saw one of the customers get up casually and pour himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the antique sideboard at Grano. I can't imagine anyone doing that at any other restaurant except maybe Martick's.

You may not agree, but if you don't think Grano is Martick's spiritual successor, what other Baltimore restaurant could possibly claim the title?

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Next Sunday my review of Sam's Kid in Fells Point appears in the A & E section. I've got to call the owner, Andrea Rani, and tell her so.

When I called to set up the photo assignment, I thought it was appearing the following Sunday, Jan. 3, so that when it says "Elizabeth Large is on vacation" I actually am on vacation.

That way those of you who follow my comings and goings on the blog and know I'm not going into work this week don't get all confused. ...

Anyway, the important thing is to go eat there before my review comes out. Normally I don't give you much in the way of hints, but think of it as a little holiday gift.

We had a good meal there, and the place is remarkably inexpensive for the quality of the food and the pleasantness of the staff and the surroundings. Well worth paying it a visit.

(Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun Sam)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Review Preview
        

Under the earlier post on restaurants we miss, there was an abortive discussion on Harborplace in its first few years.

This is a subject I've been meaning to post on. It interested me that there were two different views of Harborplace in the early '80s:

...The wonderful cheese restaurant at Harborplace. Ms. Desserts at harborplace. The good Italian restaurant at the Pratt Street Pavilion that has been replaced by a souped up pizza parlor. ...

The Soup Kitchen in the Light St pavillion

Many of the original restaurants and food stands in Harborplace were inventive and delicious, only to be replaced by second rate chains like the Cheesecake Factory. ...

Posted by: Nick | November 29, 2009 11:42 PM

Nick, you must recall a different Harborplace than the one which opened here in Baltimore in 1980. Its original Italian restaurant was Pronto, which Rouse had to take over after a year or two (yes, it was that bad), and which was succeeded by a revolving door of mediocre Italian joints. The Black Pearl, for "upscale" seafood, closed in short order. City Lights managed to stay open for years, but for no apparent reason other than the view of the harbor. Phillips is just about the only remaining restaurant tenant -- 'nuff said. ...

Posted by: hmpstd | November 30, 2009 6:33 AM

I still remember the excitement we all felt when Harborplace opened. I felt that way in particular because there were suddenly a bunch of new restaurants, none of them chains, to review.  Restaurants didn't open as often in those days. Not like now. Here's how I remembered it in the story I wrote for my 30th anniversary as restaurant critic:

At the end of the '70s and beginning of the '80s, something wonderful happened. The new Harborplace was part of it. A number of intriguing, globally inclined restaurants opened there with names like the Black Pearl, Tandoor, Taverna Athena and Jean-Claude's.

But the exchange above inspired me to go back and look up stories on the opening of Harborplace, not just rely on my memories, which were a bit rosy-hued.

In the Light Street Pavilion, it turns out, there were Phillips Harborplace, City Lights, the Soup Kitchen, Jean-Claude's, the Colonnade Market with "fresh meats, fish, and poultry, cheese produce and seafood." (Not sure of the distinction between fish and seafood here.) The Trading Hall offered "baked goods, gourmet food, flowers, coffee and tea and a fine delicatessen."

All that was separate from the Food Hall, which had "a wide variety of ethnic and other foods including ice cream and desserts...an assemblage of 25 specialty eating places."

The Pratt Street Pavilion housed four restaurants -- again, all of them local: the Athenian Plaka, the Black Pearl, Tandoor and Pronto.

Food was so major a part of the new complex that Rob Kasper wrote the lead story in the features section on Friday, July 4, 1980, two days after the Harborplace opened. It was titled "Sampling Harborplace" and the subhead said, "Crowds, clams and chocolate mark an eater's odyssey."

Included among the yellowing clips in the files (these stories were so old they aren't in the computer archives) were some of my reviews, written when my column was still called Eater's Digest. No stars back then, but each review ran with a nice black-and-white photo. It's amazing how unattractive food looks when it's shot in black and white.

Unfortunately, our Sun photo archives don't go back that far either. This was the oldest photo of Harborplace I could find, taken in 1995 -- at Christmas time, obviously.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

I titled an earlier post The Tapas Trap, and one commenter with the intriguing name of Little men asked what the trap was.

The idea that Americans eat too much isn't new, but Cleatus in his answer to Little men expressed it so eloquently his post deserves to be recognized: ...

The "trap," Little men, is that Americans just don't when the heck to stop.

Tapas traditionally in Spain was a "snack" or a little dish of something you used to literally "cover" your glass of wine (by order of the king!). It was not even a knosh the size of an appetizer.

It evolved in Spanish society as a kind of very light fare you ate standing up at a bar, socializing, usually before or after dinner at 10:00 p.m.

Of course once Americans got hold of it, we had to a. make it "cool" by forcing the issue of people thinking it was some form of hip and arcane European culinary tour de force and b. stuff ourselves silly on tapas.

The Spanish laugh. (Just as the Mexicans laugh at us getting drunk on Cinco de Mayo.)

Tapas was like cocktail peanuts. It was little fried squid in sauce, then drinks, THEN dinner.

It was NEVER supposed to be a thing in and of itself.

So there's the trap.

We Americanized it--and lost it--all at the same time.

Tapas? Go to Bilbao. Go to Barcelona. Go to Madrid, for Pete's sake.

Then talk to me about tapas. ...

Posted by: Cleatus | December 14, 2009 11:10 PM

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Editor Tim just sent me this update about tomorrow's farmers market under the viaduct, which Alan M asked about earlier. This is from the city's Office of Promotion and the Arts:

The Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar, scheduled for Sunday, December 20, has been cancelled.  Join us in 2010 when the market reopens on the first Sunday in May. The market is located at Holliday and Saratoga streets. 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

I'm sorry to hear that the Waverly Market vendors wimped out. They've been there in the past.

I just got in from the Giant, which was hopping, and have been taking a lot of grief from my daughter and the Zen Master for my shopping list: ...

* cake flour

* brass polish

* bananas

* Harvest Wheat Crackers

"All the essentials during a snow emergency. Ha ha ha ha."

Very amusing. Really.

(Chiaki Kawajiri/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Debbie just asked a great question, whether the Waverly Farmers Market is happening this morning. Yes, it is because it prides itself on always being there no matter what the weather conditions. I'm not promising all the vendors will be there.

Now I'm dying for a photo. If any of you goes, please take one and send it to me at elizabeth.large@baltsun.com and I'll post it here.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Yes, it's snowing. And you know what? I'm OK with it.

I just came in from sweeping the walk down to the street (to get the paper, which was in danger of disappearing into a drift).

Interesting. You can sweep five inches of snow off your walk, but the problem is there's no place to put it. If I did it steadily all day, I wonder if I could actually clear my walk of two feet of snow with a broom.

Anyway. I'm OK with the snow.

I got my baby home from the airport late last night without getting stuck in the White Death.

It's beautiful, and I don't have to make my way into the Sun any way I can (usually by walking three miles, not fun in the snow).

I have things to do inside today. Usually I buy Christmas cards but don't actually write them. Today I'm going to write some.

And I'm going to eat snow-appropriate food. ...

That would not be my usual oh-so-good-for-me salad for lunch. Maybe a nice omelet cooked in butter.

Hot chocolate will definitely be served today, made with the Droste unsweetened cocoa I bought to make meringue mushrooms, not with a mix, and whole milk, not skim. Luckily I have whipped cream.

Yesterday morning when I was banging on the door of the Giant at 6 a.m., demanding to be let in before the ravaging hordes arrived, I bought ingredients for soup.

A grilled cheese sandwich also sounds good.

And maybe I better bake some pound cake for dessert. I have a recipe from an old friend, who when she wrote about it said it's so good it's "capable of reducing strong-minded dieters to shattered despair." She's right about that.

Now, please God, don't let the power go out.

Making the pound cake will entail a walk of about a mile to the supermarket to get cake flour, no longer a staple in my kitchen. In fact, the only staples in my kitchen these days are Murchie's tea and wine.

Meekrat and I were on the same wavelength yesterday. She sent me an e-mail suggesting a Top 10 on snowbound foods. I like the way she thinks:

Bourbon, Frozen pizza, Sriracha sauce, popcorn, diet soda, frozen chinese ( being that if one is truly snow bound, there's not going to be much in the way of takeout available).. i could go on, but i'll leave that to you.

Feel free to post your survival list below.

By the way, Sarah KK has posted a snow food photo gallery.

(Sun archives)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (77)
        

What am I doing up so late? Gailor is flying in tonight, and I'm meeting her plane. Wish me luck, and for the snow to hold off for another few hours. Of course, the flight is delayed.

Anyway, what with getting ready to take the week off to stay at home next week, and the panicking over what Editor Tim calls Snowmageddon, I forgot to link to Other Reviewer Richard's review of Geisha yesterday.

It's worth reading if only for his observation that the reason some restaurants aren't as upfront as they should be about the fact that they are more Korean than Japanese may be that Japanese sells better. ...

I hadn't thought about it before, but I'm sure that's true.

Not completely. Our very good Korean restaurants, like Howard Country's Shin Chon, can more than hold their own. And in cities like LA, Korean restaurants can be so upscale, stylish and interesting that there's no question that they are as popular as Japanese restaurants.

But on the whole, in Baltimore at least, Japanese is the cuisine of the moment.

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Guest poster Robert of Cross Keys leads a most interesting life. I wonder what he does for his real job? Here's RoCK's Free Market Friday. EL

Last week I was at the Chapeze House in Bardstown, Ky. for a bourbon tasting and dinner at the Hospitality, Kentucky Style show with Colonel Michael Masters, the host of Kentucky and also a distant cousin of mine via the Boone line.

When you have some Boone blood in you, you are probably related to most everyone from Kentucky – somewhere John McIntyre just winced at the prospect that we might be kin. Unfortunately, the evening didn’t go as planned. The bourbon bottle let me down. ...
 

The first thing on the agenda was a premium bourbon tasting.  The Colonel has an unbelievable collection of bourbons, almost 100 – some dating back the War of Northern Aggression – most of which you’ll never see in liquor stores.  He brought out a nice selection for all of us to try. I tried a few.  Everything was good. I then proceeded to fall asleep … for the rest of the evening.
 
That incident is proof that I am no longer who I used to be.  There was a time when I could throw down with the best of them.  I went to an all-male college in the South, where being able to hold your bourbon was practically a requirement for graduation.  Now, those days are gone. I feel like Willie Mays falling down in the outfield as I try to play a game whose time has passed me by.
 
My early slumber took me away from the dinner table; however, my friends were able to enjoy it. The Colonel was serving up huge pork chops doused with a splash of bourbon and grilled in his backyard.  Sides were a homemade red-skinned potato salad, tangy cole slaw and slow cooked green beans with some snappy vinegar.  Of course, there was also homemade black skillet cornbread. For dessert, ice cream and cream puffs were drenched in bourbon chocolate sauce.
 
Fortunately, a doggie bag was made up for me. I was able to try everything except the ice cream the next day.   It was still really good, but I’m going to have to make it down to Kentucky again to really experience what I missed out on.  

And just to be safe, next time the bourbon sampling will come after dinner. 

(Photo courtesy of Colonel Michael Masters) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)
        

Consuming Interests reporter Liz Kay passed this coupon deal along to me, and it sounds pretty good.

Jesse Wong's Kitchen in Hunt Valley is a respectable restaurant, a good place to stop before or after a movie or shopping. And if you can get $25 worth of mai tais and stir fries for $10...why not?

Actually I've never had a mai tai, but you get what I mean.

(Gene Sweeney Jr./Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

I'm a little late posting this morning. I listened to the weatherman forecasting the White Death and the End of Civilization as We Know It and headed straight for the Giant.

Have you gotten your milk and toilet paper yet?

Anyway, I should have been doing all sorts of posts before this on the best restaurants for celebrating New Year's Eve, because many more people eat out on New Year's Eve than they do on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. ...

The corollary is that many more restaurants are open New Year's Eve, so it's almost impossible to tell you about them. The best thing to do, if you haven't already, is call your favorite restaurant and see what the deal is -- usually a fixed-price menu. 

What I can do is give you examples of the range of offerings I've been sent info about:

At the City Cafe in Mount Vernon, Chef Chad Gauss has created a menu for $55 a person: appetizer, entree, and dessert or glass of wine with the entree. (I like that alternative.)

DJ C-Dubz spins music in the bar beginning at 8 p.m (no cover). The price includes champagne and party favors at midnight. Dinner guests also receive free admission to the Hippo nearby for dancing.

For a bit more money ($249, to be exact), you can spend the evening at Charleston in Harbor East. That will get you a multi-course dinner, all the Louis Roederer Champagne you can drink, an open bar and party favors at midnight.

You'll have a fine view of the Inner Harbor fireworks on the Harbor East promenade outside Charleston's front door. Reservations are accepted at 8:30 p.m., 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Me? What will I be doing?

We'll probably go to an early dinner at a restaurant we can walk to in our neighborhood. I don't drive on New Year's Eve; too many drunks on the road. I'll probably be home and in bed by 9 p.m. Yes, I'm a real party gal. I didn't even stay up for the millennium.

If you have any better suggestions, please post below.

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

I just got off the phone with Baltimore's Jesse Sandlin, the Top Chef contestant who was the only one of the 17 who didn't make it to the reunion show that aired on Bravo last night.

I caught up with her at Sotto Sopra, where she's helping out her good friend, executive chef Bill Crouse, through the holidays.

There were burning questions to ask Jesse: Why weren't you on the Top Chef reunion show? What did you think of the show's finale? What kitchen will you be cooking in next? And what's with the bleached-blond hair?

It turns out Jesse was really ill, with kidney stones. Her appearance on the finale, which had been shot the day before, had been something of a triumph, so she was doubly disappointed not to be part of the reunion. ...

"I love Napa Valley," she said. "It was awesome they decided to shoot  [the finale and reunion] there. Also I thought it was really cool past contestants get to be part of it."

The finalists drew knives to see which former cheftestants they would work with in the finale. Michael Voltaggio, the eventual winner, ended up with Jesse, and praised her as his sous chef on the show.

"I was superstoked to be able to come back and help Michael with the win," she said, "and proud to be part of the winning team from Maryland."

So was finalist Kevin Gillespie's support team, which he said he was disappointed in, a deciding factor in his loss?

Maybe, said Jesse, "but part of being a chef is managing whatever team you have to work with."

As for the blond hair, which made its first appearance on the finale, Jesse said she's a natural blond. Every time her mother watched her on Top Chef, she would call after the show and say, "You don't look like my daughter" because of the brown hair.

Before her mom came for a visit, Jesse decided to go back to being blond.

"I like to change my hair anyway," she said.

So what's next? Jesse isn't sure, but she feels her work on Top Chef was a good thing for her career.

"When I first got back, I was really depressed," she said. "I didn't do as well as I hoped. But I tried to take it a day at a time."

After a month in Australia visiting friends and traveling, Jesse is back and hopes to get a permanent job in the Baltimore area.

"I have a few irons in the fire," she said. "I have a young niece and two nephews here. I want to stick around and be Aunt Jess awhile longer." 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

OK, boys and girls, on the one hand we have the assertion by a Major Food Magazine that sriracha is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and a Hot New Thing besides.

On the other, we have another point of view, elegantly expressed by one of our favorite commenters: "I'm not sure if there's been an ingredient as overused since maybe truffle oil."

Or maybe, come to think of it, those are the same points of view.

So which is it? Anybody else want to weigh in? Or are you one of those saying, "I don't care which it is; what is it?" ...

Sriracha is a Thai hot sauce also called rooster sauce. It's made primarily from chiles and garlic, but also has sugar, vinegar and salt. It's not a staple in my kitchen, but then I let others cook my Thai food for me. They're better at it.

I've heard people sometime use it as a substitute for catsup, but I've never noticed it.

I'm not sure what would make sriracha more trendy now than last year. At least in Baltimore I haven't seen it on restaurant menus as an ingredient any more than usual. Have you?

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (38)
        

If you're looking for someplace to take friends or family in town for the holidays, here's another option. Salt Tavern in Butchers Hill has decided to open for dinner Sunday nights, starting with this Sunday, Dec. 20, at 4 p.m.

Have some duck fat fries for me.

Also, this post gives me the opportunity to use Jed's very cool photo of Salt's bar stools.

(Jed Kirschbaum/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

It's that time of year, folks, when the trends are coming in faster than I can keep up with them.

Let's get started with Bon Appetit's top trends of 2009:

• Dish of the Year: Meatballs
Easy to make and incredibly satisfying, meatballs are bouncing back on the scene.

• Cuisine of the Year: New Austrian
Whether you order it in restaurants or make it at home, Austrian cuisine is a perfect mix of bright flavors and hearty ingredients. ...

The $5 secret ingredient every cook needs: Sriracha appears in dishes at both four-star-restaurants and your favorite neighborhood spot.

•  Party of the Year: Modern Vegetarian
A no-meat menu can still be fantastic — especially with rich Mediterranean flavors and a decadent dessert.

•  Desserts of the Year: All-American Comforts
Think Grandma’s classic brown betty, delicious winter fruit custards, and more.

•  Getaway of the Year: The Foodie Spa Vacation
The new breed of health resorts that are dedicated to total wellness.

Meatballs? New Austrian cuisine? I dunno. But I'll go along with the sriracha hot sauce, the modern vegetarian party (nothing worse than giving a dinner party and one of your guests announces she's a vegetarian at the table), the comfort desserts and maybe even the foodie spa vacation.

It does seem to me when I talk to people these days who have done a spa vacation -- unfortunately I have no first-hand knowledge -- they are always talking about how great the food was. Even if they went to lose weight.

(Photo by Hans Gissinger/courtesy of Bon Appetit)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

If you didn't see my Table Talk column today, check it out. I give more details about Venegas Prime Filet in Maple Lawn. (If any of you tries the $80 Wagyu steak for two, please report back here.)

I also talk about Rosina Gourmet's new wine bar in Harbor East, and expand on the listings of restaurants open Christmas Day. However, I just got a call from Mary Antonas, who told me after 44 years she and her husband have sold Eastern House, and the new owners just decided not to stay open on Christmas. ...

In other news, I just heard from Jason Zinc, frequent commenter and owner of Don't Know, that he thought the Bicycle space in South Baltimore had new tenants. Thanks, Jason! I love tips.

I have a name from the owner of the building; now I just have to track the person down and find out what the plans are.

(Kim Hairston/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Once again our Shallow Thought guru John Lindner has come up with a subject I should have thought of first. However, he didn't have art of Rafael's, and I didn't either, so the photo to the right will have to do as an illustration. Here's John. EL

I’m almost too excited to write, as I have just taken possession of a quarter pound of Uganda Gold bourbon vanilla beans. More on that later.
 
For now, It’s Rafael’s in Westminster. Charmed, I’m sure.
   
It’s a great place. Why not stop in sometime and try it. And if you do, a note to the sensitive: ...

Booths — restaurant booths, not dunking booths or phone booths or kissing booths or Powers Boothe — hold a strange attraction. I like them. I think it’s because they offer a sort of physical boundary, a demarcation of personal space, a near surrounding, like a cave, that tables sticking out in the middle of everywhere do not. You sit at a table. You occupy a booth. I like occupying.

Booths offer at least the illusion of safety. From booths, you can only be approached from one front. Whereas with tables, you can be snuck up on from any line — unless the place is too snugly packed, which of course introduces yet another drawback of tables.
 
And booths, in my experience, tend to offer more creature comfort than do chairs. Cushiness is frequently a factor in favor of booths.
 
I do not wish to denigrate tables, however. In terms of quality, I’m pretty sure all of my best meals have been enjoyed at a table, with chairs. For whatever reason, high-roller restaurants don’t offer booths, nor do friends’ homes (exceptions only prove the rule). Perhaps it’s because they’d have to be really nice booths and no one would ever want to leave them.
   
I like booths. When offered a choice, I’ll take a booth. Alas, there are times when the booth proves a most regrettable decision. Booths, like hand grenades, are fun and effective only when everything goes right.
 
Booth failures, on the other hand, can leave lasting trauma. Ever climb into a booth, find the table too close, cutting into your torso, possibly restricting your breathing if the table’s too high (or benches too low)? Try enjoying that meal.

Ever adjust the table by pushing it away only to watch the eyes of your opposing dinner mates bug out from the sudden pressure of having the table thrust into their solar plexuses? (They always act like you thrust it.) It can ruin what would otherwise have been a pleasantly ho-hum meal.
 
Booths can also present psycho-philosophical problems. Do you prefer the outside or wallside of booths? Wallsides can terrorize the claustrophobic: up against an immovable object, sealed in by a fellow diner; you’re the hands down loser in an elbow-room gambit. It’s practically a coffin.

Or do you acquiesce and spend the entire meal bathed in dread? Or worse, do you cross your arms over your chest and stand your ground,  stake out the open end and thereby ennervate your companions, make a scene, and spend the rest of your mealtime being pointed to and commented upon sotto voce by giggling waitrons? Whether you’re an insy or outsy, I sympathize. Booths are not for the faint. The very characteristics that make sanctuaries of booths, magnify their potential for disaster.
 
Rafael’s in Westminster presents a case in point.
 
Everything about Rafael’s is pleasant. It’s got a hint of Baltimore rowhouse-turned-restaurant/bar charm. Staff impeccably genuine. Long-trod hardwood. Clientele amusing. Medium rare ordered, medium rare served. And it has booths! And I sat in one! And the booth back moved every time the woman behind me breathed, exclaimed (she was an inveterate exclaimer), talked, listened, lived … I swear she had squirrel genes. The booth back moved like a paddle in an old British boarding school. The bloody thing felt like it was on hinges. I spent the entire meal pushed forward or tensed up waiting for the next assault.

I like booths. Therefore, when I return to Rafael’s, which I hope to soon, I’ll insist on a table.

Or better yet, those two guys in feed caps made the bar stools look curiously inviting….    
   
 (Kenneth K. Lam/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)
        

How many of you had a toy oven growing up? Hold up your hands now.

I loved mine so much, but looking back on it I can't remember how the tiny cakes actually baked. Surely the toy ovens weren't electric?

I remember getting "refills," tiny boxes of cake mix and frosting that looked exactly like miniature cake mixes.

This was one of my most thrilling Christmas presents ever. 

I was talking to a friend about food-related toys the other day, and he was saying his was Mr. Potato Head. I loved Mr. Potato Head. What a concept. ...

I'm pretty sure there are other food-related toys. (I vaguely remember a cotton candy machine, but maybe that was just my fantasy toy.)

Gailor was interested in My Little Ponies, as I remember; and during the Cabbage Patch Kid craze I spent $79 on a doll for her (not to mention knocking over the little grandmother who was trying to grab it before me). My low point as a mother.

But she had zero interest in anything kitchen-oriented, so there's a whole generation of food-related toys that I know nothing about.

The odd thing was that I thought my toy oven was an Easy-Bake, but when I looked it up on the 'net just now (yes, there is an Easy-Bake Oven history!), the Easy-Bake wasn't introduced until the '60s, by which time I had graduated to real ovens. I wonder what I played with.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

I just got the Word Spy Word of the Day, and it's "foodoir."

This is a memoir that focuses on food, cooking or meals. A writer for the New York Times called them "one part chick lit and one part chicken lit."

The greatest example, to my mind, is James Beard's Delights and Prejudices.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

Calling Jjk (with the lentil loaf), Nichole (more lentils), Hmpsted (turduken), PCB Rob (Haggis), Lisa (chicken marsala), Ruby (posole) and Kitkat (burrito bar).

Laura would like to speak to you. Do me a favor and e-mail her directly at Laura.Vozzella@baltsun.com. Thanks!

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

My colleague Rob Kasper is like the drug pusher on the school playground.

One afternoon we were standing around talking about Important Work Matters, and he offered me some of his Smartfood White Cheddar-Flavored  Popcorn, which he had gotten from the evil vending machine.

Now usually I turn up my nose at snacks like this.

I like to think that in my private life I eat no prepackaged foods with more than three ingredients, or at least any ingredients I can't pronounce. This is a delusion, of course, but it's how I like to I think of myself.

Or whey. I don't think I should be eating anything that contains whey. Next comes the spider. ...

But what the heck, I said. It had been a stressful day. So I took a handful. And then I took another handful. (Sorry, Rob, that was piggy of me.)

Later I kept thinking about that popcorn. When I saw a large bag at the Giant, I thought, why not?

The why not, of course, is that you think you're going to eat a serving (1 3/4 cups), and suddenly half the bag is gone. And at almost three bucks a bag for popcorn, this is not a cheap snack. Nor are you hungry for the healthful dinner you've been cooking while you had a little snack to hold you.

I have enough old addictions. I don't need any new addictions, Rob.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)
        

At this point if you haven't gotten your holiday shopping done and are a sane human being, you probably don't feel like going to the mall to finish up.

I vaguely remember a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote about only giving things that are transitory, like delicious food. (He probably didn't say "like delicious food.") At this point your best bet is to pick up the phone or get online and order something wonderful to eat for your ungifted friends and family.

I know you know about Harry & David. I sometimes think if we all just picked up the phone and ordered a box of Comice pears for ourselves, we would eliminate the circular giving and not have to write a thank you note. This list is different.

This Top 10 Tuesday of the best sites for gourmet goodies should give you some new ideas: ...

* Amadeus Vanilla Beans: for the serious cook, gourmet vanilla beans from Uganda, plus all sorts of vanilla extract.

* Avocado of the Month Club: If your friend loves avocados as much as I do, this is the perfect gift.

* Cajun Grocer: Here you can order a turducken (not sure why you'd want to), but also crawfish, gumbo, boudin, sauces and marinades and sweets.

* Great Alaska Seafood: Wild salmon, smoked salmon, king crab legs, shrimp and free shipping. (Of course, this isn't a budget gift.)

* La Tienda: Spanish delicacies including cheeses, Serrano ham, chorizo, saffron, olives and sweets.

* Liberty Ducks: This is one food gift I promise will not be duplicated: large, meaty ducks (the kind preferred by restaurant chefs) from a Sonoma County farmer.

* Mackenzie Limited: A Baltimore company that ships all sorts of gourmet treats, some of them local, including Smith Island cake.

* Spice House: An impressive selection of gift boxes with themes, like the Curry Lover's Gift Box, the Peppercorn Gift Box and the Salad Veggie Lover Box.

* Sweet Maria's: Coffee aficionados should try roasting their own coffee beans, and this place has a huge selection of green coffee beans plus all the info and equipment you need.

* Young Plantations: Pecan lovers will appreciate the variety on this site. You can send anything from premium pecans to pecan pies from this South Carolina company.

For more good suggestions from readers, click here.

(Photo courtesy of Mackenzie Limited Web site)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: Top Ten Tuesdays
        

Just after musing this morning that Indian or Japanese food sounded pretty good for Christmas dinner -- the first time in my adult life I've ever thought of venturing beyond what might be at home on any Victorian table -- I got a request from Laura Vozzella, who's writing a story for the Taste section on unconventional holiday dinners.

She's hoping to get readers to share their unusual menus with her for the story. Example: Someone here at the Sun had a meatloaf shaped like a Christmas tree for his holiday dinner. ...

I'm sorry, I try to be open-minded, but that does not sound festive to me.

Anyway, Laura doesn't realize you all are like shy little kittens, so she suggested people e-mail her directly with their weird menus at Laura.Vozzella@baltsun.com. However, if you would prefer, you can simply post a comment here (and fill in your e-mail in the appropriate field), and she'll be in touch with you.

Of course, the person who had the traditional holiday meatloaf each year has never taken a photo of it -- no surprise there -- so we're stuck with a picture of a beautiful turkey dinner. Sorry about that. Although the garnishes look kind of strange, don't they? It looks like a tropical Christmas.

(AP photo)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)
        

A short piece on massively collaborative mathematics in the New York Times this weekend confirmed what all of us at Dining@Large knew intuitively: the power of a blog.

I wonder what our group mind should work on. The recipe for the perfect coq au vin?

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

I don't usually read the comments under my reviews and stories (mostly because I don't usually reread them in "print"), but this time I happened to read the comments by privacy2003 under my review of Mr. Rain's Fun House. ...

I had complained about the overdone duck breast, and privacy2003 -- wonder what the story behind that user name is?  -- wrote: "I ate there on opening night, and the duck was medium rare (and delicious)--but both our server and David Brown came to our table and mentioned that customers tend to be freaked out by medium-rare duck."

Some might say as a restaurateur, you just can't win. Or, of course, you could ask the customer how he or she likes his or her duck.

Anyway, I promise to read carefully any comments posted under this entry about Mr. Rain's Fun House, your weekend, or what you want for Christmas.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
        

I just got an early Christmas present: A potential Top 10 from frequent commenter Mary Roby.

"I was looking at cooking websites for gifts for people who like to cook," she said, "and came up with the following list of things I have that work well or are things I'd like to have."  

Unfortunately, I'm already putting together tomorrow's Top 10 (the gourmet food Web sites), and next Tuesday would be too late for her idea. The solution is to give you a bonus Top 10 now, her list of not-too-expensive gifts for cooks.

Here's Mary's list for Santa: ...

* Progressive Grate-and-Store (assorted cheese grater discs and storage bowl with cover) $15

* Instant Read Thermometer $10

* Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Blender $29.95

* Wüsthof Classic Chef’s Knife, 6" (on sale for $49.96 at Sur la Table, usually $90)

* Microplane Zester Grater, $12.95 (These are great; you won't dread making dishes that call for lemon zest.)

* Whisks (metal, not silicone, which doesn't work for a gumbo roux) $10-$15

* Hot Chocolate Pot $29.95 (This comes with its own frother -- sounded like fun.)

* Message-in-a-Cookie cookie cutters $19.95

* Green Herb Snips $12

* Kuhn Rikon Serrated Paring Knife (comes in cool colors) $12 (These are great for keeping in the car since they have their own cover -- perfect when you come across an apple stand.)

(Photo courtesy of Williams-Sonoma Web site)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

I'm still working on my list of restaurants open Christmas Day. I figure this is helpful for both those who celebrate Christmas (they are usually the ones who ask for a list) and those who don't (who might want to eat out that day). ...

Anyway, my newest additions to the list, which unfortunately I haven't actually made up since the Top 10 a couple of years ago, are the Ambassador Dining Room and Sushi Sono in Columbia.

The Ambassador will be open on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., serving its regular menu of Indian food in an upscale atmosphere.

Sushi Sono, which is one of the area's most highly regarded Japanese restaurants, will be open Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

I'm almost, and let me stress almost, sorry we're eating a traditional Christmas dinner with friends this year. The idea of Indian or Japanese food for Christmas sounds kind of neat. 

(Photo courtesy of Sushi Sono Web site)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Next Sunday I review Diablita Cantina in the space where the short-lived Tsunami was located next to Lemongrass.

It was more of a bar and less of a restaurant than I expected from talking to an owner over the phone, but the chef is trying to do some serious Mexican food beyond nachos and guacamole. ...

The owner was adamant as well that this is Mexican, not Tex-Mex.

In some ways it reminds me of my Top 10 list of bars that are into fine dining. I'm sure Diablita could do quite well just serving margaritas and beer and burritos. It's not content with that.

Does it succeed? To find out, you'll have to read my review in next Sunday's  A & E section.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Review Preview
        

Last night we ate at Tapas Teatro in Station North before seeing the play at Everyman. Wow. I don't know if the place is always that busy, or it was just Saturday night, or because there are no outdoor tables this time of year it seems to be extra crowded. But it was jammin'.

I like their solution of letting you wait for your table at a table in the Charles Theatre lobby.

They bring you the menus and a little bowl of olives, and you can order a glass of wine while you wait. You just can't order food there. ...

It's very much more civilized than the tiny bar (although people were having fun at the bar; you just couldn't get within shouting distance of the bartender if you didn't have a stool).

Anyway, when we got our table we ordered various small plates to share. It didn't seem like a lot of food so we kept ordering, and I kept eating, and by the end I was struck by the fact that I had eaten about twice as much as I normally would -- or that I would if I had ordered a dinner with meat/fish and two sides. Tapas are tricky that way.

Of course, it didn't help that I polished off Tapas Teatro's panna cotta, made in house, with a chocolate shell coating the glass it's served in and salty chopped Marcona almonds on top. In my opinion, it's the best in town.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

Um, gratin does not equal cheese. Gratin means something cooked in a gratin dish (shallow, oval) and with a crust, which is traditionally made from breadcrumbs (gratinee means the equivalent of crusted in French). I have a recipe for potatoes au gratin, in which the potatoes are layered with sage leaves and brushed with olive oil, then topped with bread crumbs and baked. Regi's potatoes au gratin could, of course, have cheese in it, but potatoes au gratin does not necessary imply cheese, only that the potatoes are baked with some kind of crust.

Posted by: Baltofoodie | December 12, 2009 2:59 PM

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

What to my wondering eyes should appear in my e-mail this morning but a rare guest post from Bucky. EL

Elizabeth’s post on unsafe foods, and microwave popcorn’s place on it, jogged my memory.  Last summer when I stopped at a roadside farmer’s fruit stand to buy peaches, I bought — out of curiosity — the “Mr. Popping Cob” pictured to the left.  I stuck it in the console between the seats and forgot about it.
 
I sent EL an e-mail and the picture and said I was going to pop it for the football game this weekend.  She asked if I’d write a post about how it worked.  Of course, once I remembered it, there was no way I could wait until Sunday to pop it. ...

Mr. Popping Cob is a dried-out ear of corn.  The instructions say to put it in a large glass bowl with a lid slightly ajar, zap it for two-and-a-half minutes, add seasoning and eat.
 
Simple.  And you use a glass bowl, so it has to be safer than those toxic popcorn bags cited in the unsafe food article, right?
 
The problem is I don’t have a large, clear glass bowl.  My glass bowls are opaque.  Mr. Popping Cob piqued my curiosity in the first place because I thought watching it pop would be the best part of the whole deal.
 
Instructions?  We don’t need no stinkin’ instructions.
 
I placed Mr. Popping Cob directly on the microwave turntable and pushed the “Popcorn” button on the microwave.
 
Whoo hoo!  This, my friends, is the most fun two minutes I’ve spent in the kitchen in a long time.  As to taste … it tastes like popcorn, which is to say it has no taste, except for whatever you put on it.  EL’s topic, “What Can You Put on Cardboard…” could just as easily been “What Can You Put on Popcorn…”  Mine tasted like Land O’ Lakes butter and salt.  “Too much salt.”  (Which is my strategy for getting to eat the whole bowl of popcorn myself, but don’t tell Kaikala that.)
 
I don’t remember exactly how much Mr. Popping Cob cost, but I do recall thinking, “Yeah, one is enough.”  So it isn’t something you would do every night, or even every weekend.  Lissa’s lunch bag method sounds like the most sensible way to microwave-pop popcorn.  But you should track down a Mr. Popping Cob and try it just once.

 
(Photos by Uncle Larry)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

I always love getting food as a gift from mail-order sources. But they are usually from sites I already get the catalog from (because I now get every catalog in the world).

I'd love to do a Top 10 of great mail-order food, but the only ones I know of are the familiar ones: Harry & David for pears, whatever that site is for Honeybells. The pecan site.

I thought this e-mail for Matthew was more intriguing. I hadn't heard of La Tienda: ...

I’m writing today because a recent gift by our Spanish Music Director got me thinking about all the great foods of the world that we may be missing out on.  He sent us all kinds of Spanish delicacies from the site www.latienda.com.  You’ve probably got Top 10 lists out the wazoo, but as an idea, I’d be curious, and maybe other people maybe as well, if there are other such sites that offer authentic mail order cuisines of the world.  Or perhaps it’s just blog-worthy.

I don't have a Top 10 idea for next Tuesday, so if I get enough good suggestions, I could put one together from them. Even if I don't, you may help out some poor soul who can't figure out what to give someone.

I know it's late, but this is the point when you might start to panic and appreciate the ease of mail order, even if it's expensive. And with most sites, you can order as late as Christmas week and still have your gift arrive in time.

(Photo courtesy of La Tienda)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

I asked some of my Jewish friends here at the Sun if they would be interested in writing a blog post for me about food for Hanukkah, but they just laughed. I guess they're a little busy.

Editor Amanda suggested asking for readers' latke recipes, and certainly if you want to share yours, please post below. But I was hoping for something a little more personal.

Failing that, I got this e-mail from Alan Morstein, the owner of Regi's American Bistro this morning: ...

Just an F.Y.I., Regi's is having its 6th annual Hanukkah Dinner Tuesday, December 15th. In addition to our regular menu we will feature: Chicken Noodle Soup, Hot Beef Brisket with carrots, baby potatoes and brown gravy, Roasted Chicken with au gratin potatoes and sauteed string beans AND our homemade potato latkes. Everyone will receive complimentary jelly donuts baked for us by Goldmans Kosher Bakery.

On you blog you mention Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners, how about spinning the dreidel at Regi's for Hanukkah!

I'm happy to give Regi's Hanukkah dinner some press -- it sounds delicious -- but I'd also like to hear about any other restaurants that are celebrating with a non-Christian meal.

Hanukkah? Kwanzaa? Winter Solstice? Bring 'em on. The more good cheer in these dark days the better!

(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

One commenter, postthepicsalready, asked me to post photos from the Volt viewing party. I wasn't planning to, but, hey, why not? His/her actual request was quite polite.

However, when I checked our archives, I found only two. Here they are.

(Graham Cullen/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Thanks to those of you who suggested nonalcoholic substitutes for the Foodie 100 list.

Because it's all in good fun, and there are many excellent suggestions that didn't make it onto the original list, I can't get too bent out of shape at the idea of making substitutions for those who want 100 things to do but don't drink.

In fact, some day if I have the energy I might even make up a list for vegetarians. (A vegan list is a little beyond me.) ...

I thought this would give me a chance to add some that should have been on the original list, like the peppermint sticks. But then when I did a "find" search, I found that the lemon/peppermint stick was on the original list at No. 46. It's hard to keep track.

4. Drink a Natty Boh.

4. Eat Burke's fried onion rings.

15. Knock back a goblet of Resurrection Ale at Brewer's Art.

15. Decide whether Grace Garden really does have the best Chinese food outside of China.

18. Have a Black Eyed Susan at the Preakness.

18. Get a toffee apple from Lisa Anne's.

23. Order a Tio Pepe sangria (red). It contains fruit, so it counts as food!

23. Order a slice of pine nut roll from the dessert cart at Tio Pepe.

42. Discuss a bottle of wine with Tony Foreman at Cinghiale.

42. Have the Arbuckle's Delight flavor at Lee's Ice cream.

54. Sit at the bar at Cinghiale and order anything. Talk to Rob about wine when Tony isn't in town.

54. Sit at the bar at Cinghiale and order anything.

84. Oysters and beer at Cross Street Market!

84. Oysters from Nick's at Cross Street Market!

87. Go to the Wine Market on a Monday night and enjoy a neighborhood discount (extended to all diners).

87. Go to the Wine Market on a Monday night for the food and enjoy a neighborhood discount (extended to all diners).

90. Margarita in a hubcap from Nacho Mama's.

90. Nachos in a hubcap from Nacho Mama's. 

91. Take the Clipper City brewery tour.

91. Or how about mushroom fritters or mushroom sandwiches or any mushroomy goodness at the mushroom stand at Waverly Market.

95. Sip a Bloody Mary with an Old Bay rimmer. I only see this done at Baltimore restaurants.

95. Sip a Virgin Mary with an Old Bay rimmer. I only see this done at Baltimore restaurants. 

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

I know, I know. Another scare story. But for some reason this list, which appeared in Prevention magazine, creeped me out.

I did think the way the author worded the question to the "experts" was interesting: "What foods do you avoid?"

I think you can also argue that this is a skewed sample of experts, ones who might be overreacting. ...

I still sat up and took notice, particularly about the canned tomatoes. They are a winter staple on my shelves, and somehow I don't think next summer I'm going to end up canning my own tomatoes in glass jars. And if I did, I'd probably end up killing my whole family with botulism.

Here's the list. The link above will give you the full story about each one and what the problems with them are:

1) Canned tomatoes

2) Corn-fed beef

3) Microwave popcorn

4) Nonorganic potatoes

5) Farmed salmon

6) Milk produced with artificial hormones

7) Conventional apples

As usual, the solution to all these problems is to buy the more expensive alternative. And these days, that just isn't feasible for a lot of people.

I will mention my popcorn solution. As convenient as microwave popcorn is, if you're at home it's almost as easy to pop it without oil in a cast iron skillet with a tight-fitting lid. You just have to keep shaking it over medium heat until it stops popping. And if you don't use oil, the corn will absorb more melted butter. Yum.

But that's probably worse for you than the microwave version.

(Jerry Jackson/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

Other Reviewer Richard reviewed the Acropolis in today's paper, and within the review he discusses the restaurant as part of Greektown and says what role he sees the other restaurants there having.

I don't think of Greektown as a neighborhood of restaurants in the same way as I do Little Italy, but of course it is.

The four he mentioned, Ikaros, Samos, Zorba and the Acropolis, are the mainstays; but over the years other Greek restaurants have come and gone, and I think I reviewed most of them. ...

None of them had much staying power.

I'm not sure why these survived and the others didn't. Some of them were pretty good. But the one thing that never happened was that an upscale Greek restaurant tried to open in the neighborhood (that I remember).

And before you say "upscale Greek restaurant" is an oxymoron, consider the now-closed Taverna Athena in Harborplace, or the also closed Opa! on Aliceanna, which both did pretty well while they were around.

Or, of course, the best example of them all: the Black Olive in Fells Point.

Mmmmm...spanakopita.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

If you're one of those people who hates the term "foodie," you'll be interested in this discussion on Prof. McIntyre's blog, You Don't Say. I, of course, find the word too useful to agree. (If I need it, I consider it a word in good standing.)

What's my definition? A self-serving one: People who are interested enough in food beyond just eating it to read Dining@Large regularly. You knew exactly what I meant when I called my story "100 Things Every Foodie in Baltimore Should Do."

Of course, if you have a better word for the job, please post below.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Why 11, you may ask? It's because that's the number of the original 100 things every foodie in Baltimore should do that involve alcohol.

I got this nice e-mail from Erica, and I thought others may be in her situation:

...so I saw your list and immediately decided and posted on twitter that it is my 2010 bucket list – born and raised in Baltimore, I’ve done some of them – but heck who can’t have another Berger Cookie?

So I set out, got my list and I’m checking it twice…planning to hit the ground running come the new year and use it to play Foursquare…Ahhhh!

But….I don’t drink and neither does my partner that I will most likely be doing all of these things with over the new year – I have another notion to blog about my experiences as I check them off of my bucket list.  So, my ask….would you be willing to fill in the alcohol related spots with something us non-drinkers can do – no Black-Eyed Susans for me? Is that asking too much?  I’d like a complete list of 100 things that I can do without exception, near or far.

That seems reasonable to me. ...

Of course, I could give her 11, but I thought it would be fun to give you a chance to rectify any glaring omissions on the original list. Suggest one or 11, however many you want, but be careful not to repeat any that are already on the list. I'll be the final judge if we get more than 11.

Here are the ones Erica asks us to replace for non-drinkers:

4. Drink a Natty Boh.

15. Knock back a goblet of Resurrection Ale at Brewer's Art.

18. Have a Black Eyed Susan at the Preakness.

23. Order a Tio Pepe sangria (red). It contains fruit, so it counts as food!

42. Discuss a bottle of wine with Tony Foreman at Cinghiale.

54. Sit at the bar at Cinghiale and order anything. Talk to Rob about wine when Tony isn't in town.

84. Oysters and beer at Cross Street Market!

87. Go to the Wine Market on a Monday night and enjoy a neighborhood discount (extended to all diners).

90. Margarita in a hubcap from Nacho Mama's.

91. Take the Clipper City brewery tour.

95. Sip a Bloody Mary with an Old Bay rimmer. I only see this done at Baltimore restaurants.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

My guess is that this isn't a good holiday season for restaurant gift cards.

More people just don't have the money to buy them this year, for one thing.

For another, customers who held onto gift certificates too long have gotten burned when restaurants closed unexpectedly, so they are wary about giving them to others in this economy.

That may mean there are deals to be had out there. For instance, the Oceanaire Seafood Room has sent out an e-mail announcing that you'll get a $25 gift card for every $100 you spend on its holiday gift cards. ...

I'm sure there are other equivalent deals, I just haven't heard about them. If you do, please post below.

As usual, I'm going to add that if you give a restaurant gift card, suggest that the person use it sooner rather than later. Restaurants you never expect to go out of business do these days.

By the way, we've talked about getting more generic restaurant gift cards; but I totally understand that if you have a favorite place, you both want to introduce your friends to it specifically and want that particular restaurant to benefit from your gift.

It's more fun to receive a specific restaurant gift card, too, particularly to restaurants that are too expensive to try on your own.

(Kenneth K. Lam/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

I guess some people in Frederick aren't interested that brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio are among the three finalists on Bravo's reality show Top Chef tonight.

They won't be at the celebration (or, perhaps, pity party) being held at Bryan's restaurant, Volt. It's invitation-only, with some 250 people expected to attend. The restaurant will be open and the finalist will probably be cooking. ...

The Sun's Laura Vozzella will be there, with a report for us appearing in the paper tomorrow. However, Bravo won't let us send a photographer with her, which I find strange.

I understood why Bravo's PR person had to be on the line when I interviewed Bryan earlier in the season in case he let something slip, but it puzzles me why they don't want photos taken of a finale viewing party.

Update: Clever Editor Tim finally got photographic access to the viewing party, so there will be pictures in tomorrow's paper.

(Photo courtesy of Volt's Web site)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Ed Gunts has an interesting story in today's paper on the Spiliadis family's new "green" inn. It's scheduled to open around the first of March.

The Spiliadis parents and son own the Black Olive seafood restaurant in Fells Point. (Hence the photo.)

The building at 803 S. Caroline St. will house a "gourmet market with a bakery, fish market and wine shop, 12 upscale guest suites (each named after a different Greek grape), and a rooftop wine bar and banquet facility called the Olive Room."

Ed told me he's going to the press conference today and will report back with any more details about the food-related parts of the project. I'll update here.

(Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Gender neutral food? No such thing, John. Here's our Shallow Thought Wednesday guest poster John Lindner, who only now found out. EL

Recently, and for the second time in my life, a passing observer informed me that I was eating “guy food” (and both times the observer, a woman in each case, said it with a tone of disdain, real sneery like).

Huh?

I was eating steak. All the meat-eating women I know enjoy steak. Since when is steak manfood? ...  

I get that some foods are daintier and some brawnier, but male and female?

Not content to mope through life in ignorance, I surveyed a group of women. I asked first if they recognized some foods as guy and some as gal. They said yes. I requested examples. Here is the result of the survey:

Guy Food: Steak, hamburger, chili, hot dogs, pizza (pizza!!??).

Gal Food: Asian salad, chocolate (!!??), Chinese food.

Wow.   

Now I’m going to sit back and await the sage responses of the Elizabethans. Because I am in shock.           

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (43)
        

The other day I was cleaning off some shelves and pulled down the obligatory grits (obligatory in my house).

For some reason, I looked at the expiration date, and it was 1996. I was astounded. I haven't made grits often in recent years, but I know it hasn't been that long since the last time. ...

Had I been poisoning my family? Would they be full of bugs? I threw them away without (shudder) opening them.

In my family, grits aren't a cereal. If you have them for breakfast, you have them with butter, salt and freshly ground pepper with eggs and crisp bacon. You might have them for a starch at night with a slice of ham. (When did we last have ham?)

Anyway, since then I'm seeing them on every restaurant menu -- or at least it seems that way. Are grits the new trendy food?

We had grits at Mr. Rain's Fun House in the American Visionary Art Museum with shrimp, pheasant sausage and kale. I see from Suzanne's In Good Taste blog that the new Langermann's in the Can Co. will feature grits on its southern-style menu.

And it goes without saying, of course, that you'll find them at Charleston.

By the way, when I was writing this I couldn't think of the word for the cardboard cylinder grits and oatmeal come in. Box doesn't seem right, or container, or carton. Is there a word?

(Tasha Treadwell/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (38)
        

... Along with some other great ones.

One of the things I was doing on my vacation was making meringue mushrooms for the cookie story in tomorrow's Taste section.

Now Editor Amanda has posted a photo gallery with the recipes and pictures of each cookie contributed by Sun staffers. ...

I've written about meringue mushrooms on this blog before. I'm a little worried that the abbreviated version of Maida Heatter's recipe that I've adapted for my own use doesn't have enough direction if you aren't experienced in dealing with meringue. (The original recipe takes about three pages, but she's a detail freak.)

If you want to try them but haven't made meringue before, supplement my recipe in the paper by searching the 'net for "meringue mushrooms Heatter."

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

I'm grateful for how gracefully commenters on this blog have embraced the Captcha and made it their own. However, I didn't realize how annoying it could be until I got e-mail after e-mail from first-timers wanting to comment on either 100 Things or Restaurants We Miss Terribly. They kept getting Captcha error messages and e-mailing me about it.

I did post a comment for Peter after he tried and failed twice, but it was the first and last time I do it for anyone. My first captcha word was backwards C, period, backwards Q. I puzzled over that and finally asked Editor Amanda what she would do, and she showed me the refresh button next to the Captcha. That way you can keep getting new ones until there's one you can copy.

I did ask Web Editor Lauren to fix the preview so you can enter the Captcha and don't have to go back. 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Well, that's not quite true. There is such a thing as a free lunch at Sofi's Crepes next Tuesday, Dec. 15, from noon to 1:30 p.m. (The Sofi's at 333 N. Charles St.).

To get a voucher for your free lunch for two, e-mail promotions@dpob.org. Lunch includes one savory crepe and a drink for each of you.

The first 50 people to e-mail will get the vouchers. ...

Winners will be notified Dec. 9.

The sort-of-bad news is that vouchers must be picked up from the Downtown Partnership offices at 217 N. Charles St., by 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, so this makes sense mostly for people who work downtown.

While I'm at it, I want to link to a post over at Consuming Interests about free $10 gift certificates from Restaurant.com. I've been meaning to do it before, and just got bogged down. Check it out.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

When I first did a post on upscale cafes, I had only three to put on this list. With your help I've almost come up with 10.

In some cases, I've had to stretch the definition a bit; but basically I stayed with the criteria Other Reviewer Richard suggested:

...to qualify the place would have to have a) have a cappuccino machine, and accommodations for someone who just wanted a cup of coffee b) not be a place anyone would insist is really a bar c) have table service 4) also have a beer/wine list. ...

It goes without saying that the upscale part means something beyond soup or a sandwich on the menu. I may have been misunderstood in my earlier post when I quoted Richard as saying they had to have "at least the veneer of quality food" and then I said, "That lets Cafe Hon out."

I meant that upscale cafes are stylish and a bit high-falutin' (in a nice way), and Hon doesn't try to be.

I'm not totally happy with my list. For instance, a couple of them have soda cases on display, which goes against the spirit of the category. But I did my best.

* 49 West in Annapolis. Yes, it calls itself a coffee house and wine bar, but it's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which makes it a good candidate to be an upscale cafe.

* Artful Gourmet in Owings Mills offers imaginative food in a small storefront with an open kitchen. The name refers to fine art; it's not the owner bragging. The dishes are all named after artists.

* City Cafe in Mount Vernon has been recently renovated and is more of a restaurant than some on this list, but you'll still feel perfectly comfortable just ordering a coffee here.

* Donna's (area locations) introduced the concept of upscale cafe to Baltimore, with its stylish interiors, olive oil for dipping rustic breads into, specialty coffee drinks, roasted vegetables and no ranch dressing to go on the salads.

* Marie Louise in Mount Vernon is a serious restaurant at night, but as the Web site says, "Stop in for a meal or just a cup of coffee." And while you're at it, pick up one of those French pastries from the bakery counter.

* Sascha's 527 in Mount Vernon is a bit of a stretch in this category, but it is a place where no one is going to kick you out because you want to sit around reading with a cup of coffee and one of the big cookies.

* People may think of Spoons in Federal Hill as just a coffee house if they haven't been there, but it has an elaborate menu of good things, a beer and wine license, and to solidify its reputation as an upscale cafe, a wonderful collection of latte art photos on its Web site.

* Teavolve in Harbor East epitomizes the genre: It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a chic setting where you can have a coffee or a pot of tea and work on your laptop or get a drink after work.

* Village Square Cafe in Cross Keys has food ranging from pancakes and roasted vegetable pizza with goat cheese. It also has a great place to eat outdoors when the weather is good again -- always important for a cafe.

* I simply can't come up with a tenth upscale cafe, so I'm going to have to say that I have high hopes for the soon-to-be-opened Falls where Freda's Kitchen was in Mount Washington. It meets all the criteria, and I liked the Evergreen a lot, which was the owner's last cafe/coffee house.

(Gene Sweeney Jr./Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (28)
Categories: Top Ten Tuesdays
        

This is a first for Dining@Large. We've inspired a new blog. Michael Hoffman and two co-workers have decided to take the Baltimore 100 Challenge, do all 100 things on the foodie list, and chronicle their adventures on a blog.

OK, so far they've only gotten as far as Faidley's, but they hope to get through the list in the next 12 months. We'll be watching -- or anyway, reading.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

A reader wrote me that she had seen Tony Bennett eating with owner Mary Ann Cricchio and her son, Mimmo, at Da Mimmo Saturday.

I called to find out if it was true, and if so, what he ate. Sometimes I feel as if celebrities only go to Little Italy when they come to town.

Apparently Bennett has been eating at Da Mimmo since 1984. He was their second celebrity (Jim Palmer was the first), Mary Ann told me. ...

Bennett arrived at the restaurant at 4 p.m., before the show. He used to come in twice a day when he was in Baltimore, Mary Ann said -- for lunch and then after the show. But at 83 he no longer goes out after his performance.

I asked what he ate.

"He's a simple man," she said, who likes his pasta and a glass of chianti.

The chef sent out a half order of what Bennett had asked for, penne marinara, and a second half order of penne amatriciana, tomato with prosciutto, garlic, onion and fresh basil. Bennett finished them both, as well as a plate of grilled asparagus on a bed of radicchio with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. The table shared a bottle of Valiano Chianti Classico Riserva 2004.

During his performance afterward, Bennett gave a shout out to Da Mimmo, calling it the best restaurant in Baltimore.

(2008 photo courtesy of the Da Mimmo Web site)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

My deskmate, Arts Critic Tim, who went with us on the Stoney River Legendary Steaks review that appeared in the paper yesterday, told me that when his significant other called to make reservations for us, the hostess said there's a built-in 20-minute window (although she didn't use that word).

Midnight Sun Sam, who was standing here talking to us, went nuts. ...

"When I went to Fogo de Chao recently and made reservations, they didn't tell us there was a [air quotes] window. If you make reservations at Prime Rib, they don't tell you there's a [another set of air quotes] window."

Oh, well. I thought it was odd, too; but considering that many mid-range steak houses don't let you make reservations at all, I can't feel too upset about it.

We had a fun time that evening, but obviously I gave it a mixed review. From what people have said earlier, I gather some of you have had great experiences, some not. It'll be interesting to see how it shakes out once the newness factor wears off.

(Kim Hairston/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
        

As I was going through the comments on an earlier post, I came across this intriguing one by Cleatus:

Re: JM's Granny Early's Sour Cream Cookies (sounds great, BTW): There are only a few food substances like sour cream, but it's true: you can spread it on old wet cardboard and it'll taste great. Soy sauce is another one. Chocolate, of course is another. Almond paste. Brie. Nominations?

Hal nominated garlic butter, and Joyce W. came up with grilling (which I'm not sure counts) and Nutella. ...

What interests me is that my "food you can dip/spread/pour on wet cardboard and it will taste great" isn't any of these.

Well, maybe garlic butter.

But if I can only have one, I would say brown butter. When I was going through my high-calorie breakfast phase I would make waffles every morning and eat them with brown butter, real maple syrup and crisp bacon.

Its nutty brown butteryness is equally good on vegetables, meat, fish, popcorn, frosting and I don't know what all.

(AP Photo of catfish with brown butter, prosciutto and almonds/Catfish Institute) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (42)
        

Next Sunday I review Mr. Rain's Fun House, the new restaurant in the American Visionary Art Museum. It's in a space that stood empty for what seemed like forever, and it's great AVAM now has a tenant for it.

I remember when Joy America, the previous restaurant there, closed. It was being run by Spike and Charlie Gjerde. I thought at the time that it was the end of the career of someone who had been an important chef in Baltimore and had once had a mini-empire here. ...

Hah.

Have you heard of a little place called Woodberry Kitchen?

I don't have any idea if Mr. Rain's Fun House will be the same sort of stepping stone for the current chef, Bill Buszinski, but you never know. Meanwhile, find out what I thought of our evening there in next week's Arts & Entertainment section.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

When I spoke to Saundra Batey, co-owner of Ullswater, last week for next Wednesday's Table Talk, she mentioned a minor but interesting fact. Although their new restaurant in Riverside is Italian, she said that by far their best selling wine by the glass was a Malbec from Argentina.

I had noticed since my trip to Argentina last Christmas (and, boy did I drink a lot of Malbec there) that it was showing up on wines-by-the-glass lists more here in Baltimore, but I hadn't realized it was that popular. ...

I wonder what makes a particular wine in fashion as a by-the-glass drink, and if it's different from what people are drinking by the bottle in restaurants. I would think it would, because the latter you're more likely to be drinking with food.

Maybe certain wines "hold" better once the bottle is open, so therefore they taste better when you get a glass from the last of a bottle that's sitting around.

Remember that song "Friday Night Fever" by George Strait where his significant other drinks only "a sip from a small glass of chablis" when they go out? Can you even get "chablis" by the glass in a bar anymore? I don't think so. (Occasionally I still see it as the house wine in a Chinese restaurant.)

I'm not even sure what the most popular white wine by the glass is these days. I would guess it's either Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Wine and Spirits
        

This gem was posted under Revenge of the Steakhouses!!!!:

So the Ritz Cafe nudie bar is going into the steakhouse biz. I can't wait for it. "Do you want your meal topless or chopless?" "Sorry, sir, Filet Mignon is not our French lap dancer." "Would you prefer a sirloin or lady loin?" "Our strip steak does just what the name suggests." The wordplay on T-bone boggles the mind. If the new eatery violates the law, will the vice squad stage a steak-out?

Posted by: Michael A. Gray | December 1, 2009 12:03 PM

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Owner/chef Brian Boston of the Milton Inn in Sparks wrote to say that he's extending a special that was popular earlier this year, a 6-ounce filet mignon and 6-ounce lobster tail dinner for $35.

The catch is that you have to mention you're going for it when you make your reservation.

Everybody has specials these days; but what interested me was this sentence in his e-mail, for those of you who are looking for holiday party sites or places to meet friends:

Decorations are up, the fireplaces are burning and the restaurant is at its most charming this time of year. We are booking for Christmas eve and New Years Eve and all of our menus are on our web site...

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I don't want you to miss this video featuring Midnight Sun Sam on the Guardian Web site. He takes us on a tour of Baltimore nightlife.

 I wish I were half as cool as Sam.

Plus I learned something fascinating: about the chartreuse drinking.

Don't try to click on the picture; it's not the video. I just got it with my handy-dandy Mac screen capture.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

While I hesitate to prolong the discussion because positions have hardened to the point that no one is listening to anyone else, the lure of John McIntyre's grandmother's sour cream cookie recipe compels me to publish this guest post. Anyway, John is so uncool he's cool. Here he is. EL

When I get up in the morning, I sneak a look out the window to see if the Hipster Anti-Defamation League is picketing my house. BOURGEOIS! PHILISTINE! BABBITT! Seeing none, I go gingerly about my business. ...

Elizabeth Large, the Baltimore Sun, and the Sandbox loyalists at Dining@Large have not been so lucky, coming under fire for this item in a published list of 100 things for foodies to do in Baltimore:

34. Make fun of the hipsters at Golden West and Rocket to Venus in Hampden.

An early comment by a member of the HADL set the tone for critical responses:

I don't think going somewhere to "make fun of the hipsters" has any place on that list. It has nothing to do with food, first of all. And I think the whole idea is tired and frankly, stupid. I'm really surprised it made the list and think it's beneath the tone of the article. It certainly should be beneath the tone of the author/editor. *

Comments, of which I wrote several, responding to this and other HADL complaints tended to urge people to lighten up, as well as to adopt a more civil tone. But I realize now that that approach was a mistake. People who don’t get a joke or who can’t take a joke are probably incurable. Just as “you can’t fix stupid,” you can’t jolly humorless. **

So I offer a different perspective. What the members of the HADL ought to take into account is how much they need me and people like me. To be hip, to be with it, inherently requires people who are without it. Without petty bourgeois types like me, hipsters would lack a background against which to contrast themselves. A world in which everyone is a hipster is no different from a world in which everyone is bourgeois — conformist.

The proper response, therefore, to a remark about hipsters at Dining@Large is not anger, but amusement. “Look at the drab little conformists trying to be funny at our expense.” Like that.

No need to picket me. And no need to thank me for helping to define hipsterdom. I’m happy to be of service.

Oh yes, this is a food blog. So here is one of my grandmother’s recipes for your holiday baking. Don’t eat all the batter.

Clara Rhodes Early’s Sour Cream Cookies

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 well-beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
5 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon soda
1 ½ cups nuts (optional)

Drop from teaspoon onto cookie sheet.
Press down.
Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.


* Oddly, the item about eating roasted vegetables at Donna’s while wearing black — another blatant hipster jab — provoked no comment. Selective outrage is puzzling.

** I wear bow ties, so I am inured to ridicule. 

(David Hobby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (50)
        

One thing I like about Robert of Cross Key's guest posts is that he usually has a socko boffo ending, something I can rarely come up with. The second thing is that wow, that boy can eat. Here's Robert with the latest of his dining adventures. EL

Recently I went with the wife to the Oceanaire Seafood Room, where I was treated to one of my Henry the VIII dining experiences.  It was a lot of food, and it was oh so good.

Normally, when I go to the Oceanaire, I eat off of the bar menu.  I’ll get things like the calamari, the sliders and the fish and chips. They are very good, and the prices are actually cheaper than what you spend on nachos or wings at any bar in the city or the suburbs.  ...

This meal, however, would be different. It would showcase some the finest selections on their menu, and it would be very special.

I started off with the relish tray that features pickled herring.  I don’t care for the taste of herring under normal circumstances, but when paired with my glass of sauvignon blanc it was beyond not good. Nevertheless, I like the fact that something as old school and strong-flavored as pickled herring is served to everyone.  

Appetizers followed, and I sampled stone crab claws and Nantucket Bay scallops.  

The crab claws were very fresh, chilled and paired with a mustard mayonnaise. What I like about stone crab claws is they are probably the most sustainable seafood out there because stone crab claws are harvested one claw at a time.  Eventually the claw grows back and will one day end up on someone else’s plate.   What I don’t like about them is there is more difficulty in eating them than it would appear at first.  The claws are cracked in the kitchen, but I always seem to have trouble working through the heavy shells.  Inevitably, a few of the shells end up in my mouth.

The Nantucket Bay scallops served in a white wine and garlic sauce were simply one of the best things I’ve tasted in a long time.  Usually, bay scallops taste of low tide with the texture of pencil erasers.  The bay scallops from Nantucket, however, were sweet and tender, and the sauce was very simple so as not to overshadow the mollusk.  

Salad was next, and I went with a mesculin mix with fresh citrus and pomegranate vinaigrette. What was interesting was the citrus mix, in addition to orange and grapefruit, also had chunks of fresh lime.   Lime juice is very common, but lime flesh is not normally something you eat unless you’ve reached the bottom of a gin and tonic and you can’t get a refill.  It actually worked very well in this salad, and wasn’t as tart as I would have expected.  

For entrees, I was able to try both a surf and turf consisting of filet mignon and a whole, cold water lobster along with a few pounds of king crab legs. Yes, I told you this was a Henry VIII dinner, only without the marital and papal difficulties.

Surf and turf is not something I usually get because the turf is normally filet mignon.  I tend to go for prime rib and rib eyes with their marbling.  This filet, however, was pretty good.  It was seasoned with a nice dose of pepper, and it was cooked perfectly to medium rare.  What I noticed was the filet didn’t have that grey ring beyond the outer char that is indicative of overcooking or broilers that are not hot enough. It was deep red throughout.

As for the surf, the lobster was excellent. Fresh from the tank and weighing a little over a pound, it was a nice size with plenty of sweet meat.  Like my problem with most scallops, I find a lot of lobster to be chewy.  And like the scallops I had as an appetizer, this lobster was not. It was very tender and succulent.

The king crab legs were fantastic. Two huge legs weighing around two pounds were simply served on a platter with a side of melted butter.  There was nothing more needed.  The meat was sweet, supple and abundant.  

The king crab is flown in fresh from Alaska, and it comes from the Wizard as seen on Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel.  Now, I normally root for Captain Sig and the Northwestern, but I have to say that Captain Keith hauls in a pretty tasty crab.  

I was talking to the chef about the king crab legs, and he told me the crab was running strong this season. I guess that is a spoiler for the upcoming season of Deadliest Catch.

Speaking of the chef, he’s from Cleveland.  A place not normally associated with great seafood -- although there is something to be said for fried perch and walleye.  When I heard about his origins, I had my provincial doubts about a Midwesterner cooking seafood in Baltimore.  Like some, perhaps many, of my sweeping generalizations, this opinion was misplaced.  

What I like about his cooking style is that he procures quality ingredients and lets them stand on their own.  I’m not saying that it’s all about ingredients because I know highlighting good ingredients requires good technique.  (In my own kitchen I’ve destroyed prime steaks, wrecked fresh rockfish and mangled many other gourmet products)   But in the end his crab is about fresh crab, not some herb and spice combination. His scallops are about fresh scallops, not bacon or cheese or some other flavoring.

I don’t want to convey the idea that there are no interesting recipes at Oceanaire.  For dessert -- yes, I had dessert -- there was a delightful chocolate-espresso semifreddo.  Chocolate and coffee is one of my favorite combinations.  I love the taste of bittersweet. That flavor works well in a semifreddo, particularly when it is executed as well as this one was. Too often a semifreddo is either filled with ice crystals or it's pudding.  This one was able to reach that ideal state of both temperature and texture.

It was a great meal, but it probably won’t be recreated in its entirety any time soon.  For several reasons, I doubt my wife likes the idea of being married to Henry VIII.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

A few days ago Alan M, owner of Regi's American Bistro in Federal Hill and periodic contributor to this blog, posted this intriguing comment:

Possible Top Ten List:
The Top 10 entrees or side dishes that Chefs love to put on their menu that no one wants to eat except the Chef.
Posted by: Alan M | November 28, 2009 9:29 AM

Now I don't know Alan M except through this blog, so I don't know if he's speaking from personal experience. ...

Unfortunately, the online Regi's menu is "a sampling of some of our favorites." It's a sure bet Alan M isn't going to put one of those dishes on it, if indeed his chef, Ben Troast, has a dish that no one but himself wants to eat on the regular menu. Otherwise we could play "guess the dish."

From the Mr. Rain's Fun House menu (that's the new restaurant in the American Visionary Art Museum), I'm guessing the dish is the Chicken Liver Two Ways. Obviously the pate would do well on its own, but pairing it with chicken livers with dried plum sauce?

I don't know.

I'm not saying the combination isn't clever and delicious; I'm just saying it could be a tough sell. Anyway, I could be completely wrong about this. It's just a guess. Which is why this would be a difficult Top 10 to come up with. However, if you have any nominations for dishes that chefs love that no one else wants to eat, feel free to post below.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Obviously it was Other Reviewer Richard's review of Donna's in Charles Village that inspired the conversation I posted about earlier today on upscale cafes. If you didn't read the comments under it, I recommend them. I was particularly interested in this one by Cheap Jim:

I mean, I think the trouble is that you're looking to create a very narrow category, and I don't see the purpose. Then again, I don't drink coffee.

I was surprised because upscale cafes are one of my favorite categories of restaurants if I'm eating out on my own dime. ...

There are several reasons for that. I'm not a big drinker. I try to limit my intake of fried foods. Sandwiches never seem like a meal to me except at lunchtime, and then they are often too much unless I make them.

All that means bars and delis aren't my first choice when I want a not-too-expensive meal.

Upscale cafes usually have interesting small plates, imaginative salads, and entrees that aren't more than I can eat. (Why I don't like taking leftovers home is the subject of another discussion.)

I like a bit of atmosphere, which upscale cafes have. I like a place where I can get a pot of tea or a glass of wine or a latte depending on my mood.

I like the fact that these places expect people to linger, unless it's dinnertime and sometimes even then. 

And, hey, I like to be waited on even when I'm not spending much money, so table service is nice.

Plus upscale cafes often have good bread and pastries. 

(Kim Hairston/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Our friend Nilay Gandhi over at the 750 mL blog, who helped readers out recently with wine pairings, is now asking our help.

As usual, his posts are extremely readable, so even if you don't want to buy the wine, I think his post on Eyrie will be of interest to you.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Wine and Spirits
        

I loved the ambiguous feelings of the person who wrote me this e-mail with the subject line "request...":

for a column on Christmas Eve restaurants (downtown or midtown Baltimore) that will be open.  Every year I join my friend to decorate her tree and then we go out to eat.  The last few years it seems that more and more restaurants are closed (as they should be!) on Christmas Eve and we would like to know from out there in restaurant land what poor souls will be open then.  Last year even the Owl Bar was closed! HELP! ...

I did find two links on the Restaurant Association of Maryland's Web site that might eventually be of help. But at the moment, the list of places open Christmas Eve and the one of places open Christmas Day are pretty skimpy.

I'll keep you updated on restaurants that are open both Christmas Eve and Christmas as I learn about them, and if you hear of any, I hope you'll post below.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Other Reviewer Richard and I were e-mailing yesterday, and he made the interesting observation that he wasn't sure how many other upscale cafes we had in this area "with at least the veneer of quality food" besides Donna's, City Cafe and Artful Gourmet.

That meant you couldn't include places just because they had "cafe" in their name, like Cafe Hon, which specializes in homey comfort food. And you couldn't include wine bars, of course. ...

Later, after he had thought about it awhile, he wrote back and added:

...to qualify the place would have to have a) have a cappuccino machine, and accommodations for someone who just wanted a cup of coffee b) not be a place anyone would insist is really a bar c) have table service 4) also have a beer/wine list.

It seems to me there's a Top 10 list here for next week. Yes, folks, they just keep coming; but I'm up to the task.

However, a Top 10 list with three items isn't going to cut it. I need nominations for other upscale cafes, preferably that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner; but I may have to forget about that. They don't have to be limited to Baltimore, of course.

There is one on the horizon, but it won't be open in time. It's the Falls, which is going to be opening in Mount Washington where Freda's Kitchen was. However, I'm perfectly capable of outraging the drop-ins by putting it on the list anyway if I don't get another seven. 

 (Kim Hairston/Sun photographer) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

It's nondenominational! It keeps on giving! It's the 100 things holiday gift! No, this wasn't my idea, but I was pleased and flattered when I got this e-mail:

First of all GREAT article!! Loved it. Question for you..I would like to get a print or maybe even glossy to frame for several people for Christmas gifts of the 100 things..Is there a way to go about doing that?
Thanks for your help

I had no clue, but I passed the request along and got these directions. Disclaimer: I am not connected to the store nor do I get a cut of the proceeds (although I suppose it helps pay my salary indirectly if you order enough reprints). ...

If you want a high-quality page reprint on photographic paper of a recent issue and you know the date, section and page number . . . .

Visit www.baltimoresunstore.com

Under “Page Reprints” and “request a reprint”, click on “2001 – current.”

Enter the information about the page(s) you want.  

Note: The sample image shown is a generic one and does not represent your specific page.

We will upload a digital image of the page you requested to our vendor, Pictopia.

Pictopia will then send you an email showing you a thumbnail image of the actual page you requested, with pricing and instructions for ordering.

While we're on the subject of the list, locust point man asked if I could link to the original story. It's no longer posted on the Web site separate from the photo gallery, unfortunately. However, I can copy and paste it here:

A couple of months ago I asked readers on my blog, Dining@Large, to help me come up with a list of 100 Things Every Foodie Should Do in Baltimore. The only rule was that they be quintessentially Baltimore (and by Baltimore I meant Baltimore and the surrounding area). It wasn’t enough to say “eat a crab cake.” They had to be more specific.
I got 150 comments, some with multiple suggestions. They were from people who have lived in Baltimore all their lives, and others who have discovered what’s new and great in the city. Some are serious, some are simply fun. I tried to include a mix of both.
I got so many ideas that there were more than I could use. If you want more, you can find all of them at baltimoresun.com/foodie100.
I tried to keep the suggestions pretty much in the contributors’ voices to give you a flavor of the list online. I’d like to credit all of them, but there were simply too many. You’ll find their names, or at least their user names, under the blog post itself.
And if we left something off that should be on? Please sign on and post your suggestion.
1) Have a jumbo lump crab cake from Faidley’s on a Saltine.
2) Pick steamed hard shells at Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn in Essex.
3) Eat Bertha’s mussels.
4) Drink a Natty Boh.
5) Snack on a Berger’s cookie.
6) Put marshmallow on your snowball.
7) Split Maryland beaten biscuits and put some thin slices of ham in them.
8) Serve sauerkraut with your turkey.
9) Get a chicken box (fried wings, western fries, dinner roll) from a Baltimore City public market.
10) Maybe the chicken box should be from Tyrone’s?
11) Lake trout. And for those of us that watched The Wire, have a grape soda with it.
12) Breakfast at Blue Moon Cafe down in Fells Point.
13) Corned beef on rye at Attman’s.
14) Chiapparelli’s house salad.
15) Knock back a goblet of Resurrection Ale at Brewer’s Art.
16) Take a Sunday morning stroll through the JFX Farmer’s Market.
17) Thrasher’s french fries from the boardwalk in Ocean City.
18) Have a Black Eyed Susan at the Preakness.
19) Chow down on a pit beef sandwich at Boog’s during an O’s game.
20) Shop for shoes and chocolate at Ma Petit Shoe in Hampden.
21) Have a soft crab sandwich on white bread.
22) Eat a box of Rheb’s buttercreams. Not at one sitting, of course...on the other hand, why not?
23) Order a Tio Pepe sangria (red). It contains fruit so it counts as food!
24) Polish sausage from one of the two Ostrowski shops.
25) German sausage from Binkert’s
26) Fisher’s popcorn downy ocean, hon!
27) Sunday brunch on the terrace at Ambassador Dining Room, an atypical setting for an Indian restaurant.
28) Get peach cake from Woodlea Bakery.
29)Eat the pumpkin appetizer at the Helmand.
30) Eat a Wockenfuss caramel apple! Mmmmm.
31) Thin crust pizza! Iggies and Joe Squared.
32) Savory muffins at Red Canoe in Lauraville.
33) Try some of the special flavors from Taharka Bros. (formerly Sylvan Beach) ice cream and Pitango Gelato.
34) Make fun of the hipsters at Golden West and Rocket to Venus in Hampden.
35) Have a special occasion dinner at Charleston. Ask Chef Cindy Wolf to fix what she thinks is best that night.
36) Change your mind about vegan/vegetarian food at Liquid Earth.
37) Try the charcuterie at Clementine.
38) Macaroni and cheese with bittersweet chocolate from Jack’s Bistro.
39) Throw in a shrimp salad from Kibby’s and/or Mary Mervis.
40) Smith Island Cake, but only from Sugarbakers.
41) Gorge yourself on the Monday night all-you-can-eat at Vaccaro’s.
42) Discuss a bottle of wine with Tony Foreman at Cinghiale.
43) Eat roasted vegetables at Donna’s...wearing black.
44) Veal Chop at Da Mimmo.
45) Bookmaker salad at Sabatino’s.
46) Get a crabcake and a lemon/peppermint stick at the Flower Mart. Isn’t a fabulous crab cake, but even an average crab cake in Baltimore is better than anywhere else!
47) Order any sandwich at Trinacria. But no calling ahead to order like I do. You must wait in line for the full effect.
48) Order the popcorn and deviled eggs at Woodberry Kitchen. Before your appetizers, not in lieu of.
49) Have lunch on the patio at Sanders Corner overlooking the Lock Raven reservoir.
50) Head to Carroll County for the best cream of crab soup at Smokey’s BBQ on Liberty Road.
51) Stop at Dipasquales in Highlandtown for their Italian and meatball subs.
52) Fried chicken livers from the Lexington Market.
53) Bagel with lox and cream cheese or apricot spread from Greg’s.
54) Sit at the bar at Cinghiale and order anything. Talk to Rob about wine when Tony isn’t in town.
55) Tamales from the food truck on Broadway.
56) Coddies on a cracker from a row house bar.
57) Wander aisles of exotic produce -- lychees! jackfruit! Indian eggplant!-- at H Mart or Lotte Plaza in Ellicott City. Eat some yummy bi bim bap or udon soup at the food court and then pick up a beautiful fresh whole fish for dinner before you head home.
58) Go to a bull/oyster roast or crab/shrimp feast at any number of Baltimore venues as long as you go to at least one at a V.F.W hall, American Legion, Steelworkers Hall, Fire hall, State Park, etc.
59) Prime rib at the Prime Rib.
60) Greenberg Potato Skins from Prime Rib.
61) How about the fried green pepper rings at Gunnings!!
62) You have to get a Popular Mozzarella Pie from Matthew’s Pizza!
63) A baloney-wrapped hot dog from Attman’s.
64) Pit beef from anywhere without a door.
65) Late night dinner at the Bel Loc Diner.
66) Eat a "Tour of Samos" at Samos in Greektown (Greek salad, tzatziki and pita, kalamari, spinach pie, chicken souvlaki, dolmades, lamb chops, garlic shrimp, gyro, roasted potatoes).
67) Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding at Ale Mary’s
68) Eat anything on the menu at Andy Nelson’s.
69) Gravy fries.
70) Chicken salad from Graul’s Market!
71) Old-fashioned Maryland stuffed ham.
72) OTTERBEIN"S COOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!
73) Raw beef and onion sandwich with raw yellow onion and salt and pepper on fresh rye bread (or pumpernickel).
74) Buy a crepe at Sofi’s and enjoy it while watching a movie at the Charles.
75) Naron candy.
76) Polish dog with "the works" at Polock Johnny’s.
77) Italian cold cut sub at Pastore’s in Towson.
78) WOCKENFUSS CANDIES!!!!!!!!!!
79) Order the chocolate-chili bread pudding at the Blue Agave.
80) Have a picnic at Fort McHenry.
81) Any sandwich from Eddie’s in Roland Park.
82) String bean rolls at Cafe Zen.
83) Rosemary garlic fries at Brewer’s Art.
84) Oysters and beer at Cross Street Market!
85) Coffee from Zeke’s.
86) Smoked platter from Neopol at Belvedere.
87) Go to the Wine Market on a Monday night and enjoy a neighborhood discount (extended to all diners).
88) Have an ice cream that contains vegetables at Dominion Ice Cream in Charles Village. [Ed.’s note: Now relocated to Hampden.]
89) Have Old Bay on things other than seafood. For instance, corn on the cob, potato salad, coleslaw.
90) Margarita in a hubcap from Nacho Mama’s.
91) Take the Clipper City brewery tour.
92) Have a Black Eyed Susan cupcake at Charm City Cupcakes. It’s one of my favorite things about Baltimore!
93) Get fruit and veggies from an arabber.
94) Sip ‘n Bite.
95) Sip a Bloody Mary with a Old Bay rimmer. I only see this done at Baltimore restaurants.
96) Enjoy a meal at Salt.
97) Eat the Berger cookie pie at Dangerously Delicious Pies in Federal Hill. A new tradition built on the old.
98) Mary Sue Easter Eggs.
99) Eat sushi in Towson.
100) Wiener schnitzel, red cabbage, and more at Eichenkranz in Highlandtown. The last traditional German food in the city.
 

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

Once again our Shallow Thought Wednesday guru and guest poster John Lindner is willing to come out and say what we've all been secretly thinking but were embarrassed to sound so childish. Just take a moment to roll some of these words around on your tongue. Mooooooo-ousse, for instance. You'll see what I mean. Here's John with the ...

Top 10 Worst Food Names for Stuff That’s Not as Bad (sometimes close though) as It Sounds

1. mousse

2. tofu (sounds too much like “toe food”)

3. scrapple *

4. Spam (made worse by its association with inbox constipating junk mail)

5. leeks

6. scrod

7. groats

8. pad prik

9. ratatouille

10. spotted dick (and to think the British almost conquered the world) 

* Regarding scrapple’s taste, I’m basing this on reputation, not experience.

Note: Tongue would be on here but there’s no other word for it – tongue is tongue – so it’s disqualified.

(Photo of Yabba Pot tofu kabobs by Patrick Smith/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)
        

I want to thank everyone on the blog who made today's centerpiece story in the Taste section possible. It was a lot of fun for me to read your suggestions for 100 things every foodie should do in Baltimore, and I know it was for readers of the print edition.

I tried to use your words (and even capitalizations and exclamation points) whenever I could, but for space reasons I couldn't credit each of you.

I'm delighted to see that at least a few print readers are signing on this morning to add their suggestions.

The only problem is that if you read the story online, you won't see the great layout with art. Maybe we can talk Editor Amanda into setting up a photo gallery for us.

Update: Editor Amanda tells me that the story link above now links to -- ta-da! -- a photo gallery.

(Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (86)
        

I know I'll get a number of requests for a list of restaurants serving Christmas dinner this year because I do every year.

The choice usually boils down to Chinese restaurants or hotel dining rooms.

However, Sotto Sopra, the Italian restaurant in Mount Vernon, has stayed open for limited hours and with a limited menu on Christmas Day in the past. ...

It will be doing so again this year. That interests me because I think of the traditional big holiday dinner for Italians to be Christmas Eve. I often make my own-mini version for the three of us with shrimp, salmon, pasta, a red sauce, salad, and biscotti. Maybe I ought to look into what Italian restaurants are doing for Christmas Eve.

Anyway, Sotto Sopra will be open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Dec. 25, with what the restaurant describes as a "smaller regular menu."

Obviously I'd love to hear of any other restaurants that are open Christmas Day with specifics on what they will be serving. Please post below.

(Chiaki Kawajiri/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

I'm turning this e-mail over to you who live in northwest Baltimore or Ellicott City. Any suggestions as to where to go after symphony or the theater?

I'm having a little trouble picturing the scenario, but I think the idea is that you go downtown for the performance, then head to someplace near home afterward for dinner or drinks:

I know I’m showing my age, but at one time there were so many nice places where you could go for a late-night snack after the symphony or theatre, i.e., The Chesapeake, Harvey House, McCafferty’s.  Now there seems to be a dearth of establishments that remain open later than 11 p.m.  If you should wander into such a restaurant at even 10:30, you get looks of disgust from the servers who want to go home on time and truthfully I can’t blame them.  While I know there are several such places in SoBo, Canton, and Fells Point, for those of us who live in Northwest Baltimore and Ellicott City, there don’t seem to be too many places available that I’m aware of.

(Christopher T. Assaf/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Editor Amanda has just posted a photo gallery of eggs Benedict dishes to be found at various restaurants around town.

I'm just sorry she beat me to the punch. Sounds like a good Top 10 to me.

(Photo by Molly V. Strzelecki, special to the Sun) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

From the Fells Point Main Street newsletter I got the info that the now-closed Eastern Auto Supply building at Broadway and Eastern Avenue has been bought by the Ritz Cabaret owners. They plan to open a steakhouse there. 
 
The newsletter also confirmed that Ms. Irene's has closed, which we knew, and will reopen as an oyster bar and steakhouse "in coming weeks."

Couple that with the news that Venegas Prime Filet is now open in Maple Lawn, and my having just eaten at the new Stoney River Legendary Steaks in Towson, and I'm  beginning to feel we'll never have to ask, "Where's the beef?" again.

Is steak the new crab cake? ...

Seriously, I would love to know what's behind all these steakhouse openings. I know it's comfort food time, but surely we're going to reach a saturation point soon.

Also, while I'm at it, I want to open the floor to a discussion of why if steakhouses are so much in demand they sometimes close? I'm thinking of oZ. Chophouse, which Venegas replaces, at the moment. Is it because the steaks aren't prime at the more moderately priced places?

(Kim Hairston/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

The cake we had recently at Stoney River Legendary Steaks inspired this Top 10 Tuesday. It cost $11, which shocked me until I saw the slice, which was roughly the size of Manhattan. Four of us didn't come close to finishing it, even though it was delicious and we got only one other dessert.

It got me thinking about how expensive desserts are these days, often out of proportion to the rest of the meal. Sad to say, $8 is pretty much the norm in nice restaurants.

Anyway, I thought I would do a Top 10 of expensive desserts that are worth the cost. Of course, there are plenty of fine local restaurants that may have even better desserts than these, but I haven't been to them lately. For those, we'll have to rely on you to tell us about them.

Here's my list in alphabetical order: ...

* The pretty tiramisu with a demitasse cup of bittersweet homemade hot chocolate sauce at Alizee near Hopkins University.

* The chocolate-studded bread pudding with black pepper ice cream at B & O American Brasserie downtown.

* A warm chocolate pudding/souffle that comes with vanilla gelato at Bistro Blanc in Glenelg.

* The chocolate silk pie with a chocolate cookie crumb crust. It's so dense the softly whipped cream actually cuts the richness. At Blue Hill Tavern in Brewers Hill. 

* The "strawberry shortcake" at Marie Louise Bistro in Mount Vernon. A fabulous combination of spongecake, cream and fruit with fondant on top.

* A simple but delicious tres leche cake at Pairings Bistro in Bel Air.

* The bread pudding, warm, moist and bourbon-scented, at the Prime Rib downtown.

* One of the best key lime pies I've had with the texture of a chiffon pie at Real Seafood Co. in Annapolis.

* Busby's Orange Cake, actually two small sponge cakes, or babas, soaked in orange syrup rather than rum at Restaurant Sabor in Lutherville.

* A "banana split," at Volt in Frederick, with a ribbon of banana and white chocolate ganache and three little ovals of house-made ice cream.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)
Categories: Top Ten Tuesdays