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Don't get too excited.
I'm still your (temporary) blog hostess.
But as of right now, I'm on vacation for the rest of this week and all of next.
I'll still keep Dining@Large fed from the beach, but please understand if the posts are a little fewer and farther between.
AP photo
Dining@Large regular BankStreet writes with this request:
"I am flying out on Saturday morning to a family wedding in Boston.Can anyone suggest a feasible way for me to carry either crabcakes or crabmeat as a gift for my hosts?
"Faidley's seems one option."
He continues:
"I live in East Baltimore, by the way, and my flight is VERY early Saturday morning, so any purchase would have to be done on Friday night. I had hoped to find a kiosk at BWI, much like the Lobster@Logan phenomenon ... but Phillips would probably be hawking Vietnamese crabmeat."
Any suggestions?
Shallow Thought Wednesday guru John Lindner sends news of a restaurant that did not live up to its billing. He wonders: "Was it me?" Here's John. LV
We hit Mimi’s Café in Elkridge after hearing raves.
Mimi’s styles itself as a New Orleans/French café, and Lord knows it was hot and muggy enough outside to be Louisiana.
But inside Mimi’s?
Their iced tea was good! It tasted like tea.
The pasta dish was nearly bland. My companion had a burger which she liked a lot. They did get her request for medium rare right; that alone wins extra points. And the thing came with bacon, so that’s sort of seals the goodness deal. The artichoke and spinach dip (we’d heard special raves about it) was OK.
Besides my immediate company, the most fun I had was people watching. In that sense, Mimi’s was not without character(s). There was a guy in a booth near ours who was laying some convincing war stories on his kids. I don’t know how they were receiving the tales, but I wanted to lean in closer and listen in. And there was a woman with a Joan Cusack thing going on. Her expressions ran a scale from impatient annoyance to fawning bonhomie. What a delight to watch the transformations.
Our server was competent, giggly. The bartender seemed disgruntled and possibly coming down off something … or still on the wrong thing: he frowned a lot and appeared to be very busily doing nothing.
My guess: Mimi’s has a long menu that has (may have) a short list of things they do well. (Muffins? Anybody know?) That or it really is just a step sideways from Applebee’s. Not to slight Applebee’s; it’s a perfect example of its niche.
Had our raver’s characterized the place as a glorified “family restaurant” chain, I’d have gone in with lowered expectations. I’d have cleaved to what appeared to be their specialties. Maybe I’d have left without the bitter taste of … not disappointment (it wasn’t that bad, just not … ravey) … yeah, actually, disappointment.
Was it me? Did I miss something?
I don’t want to smash a place because on one random shot it didn’t live up to billing.
Photo by Mary Margaret Webster courtesy Stock Xchng
I have a story in today's Taste section about something I blogged about a while ago: Duff Goldman has a line of cake-baking supplies.
The lead-in to the story will look very familiar to anyone who read the original blog post. (Hey, in this new media age, it's called "re-purposing," not cutting and pasting.)
A couple new things turned up in the course of my reporting for the story.
No. 1. The company that makes the pans, spatulas, fondant smoothers, fondant cutters, spray food coloring and other doohickeys that make extreme cake-baking possible had no background in baking.
It's primarily a stationery company, one that is betting the same design-minded do-it-yourselfers who go for its line of scrapbooking supplies and make-your-own wedding invitations would have an interest in Duff stuff.
As an avid home baker who has zippo artistic skills, I think that's interesting. I imagine attempting a cake with those supplies could be a fun project to do with my kids, but honestly, I'm more into how my cakes taste than how they look. But crafters, even those who aren't bakers, could be really good at this.
No. 2. Some of the stuff is rather expensive, and I just don't mean the anodized aluminum pans, which are an investment. I mean the 2-pound tub of fondant icing, which will cover multiple cakes but will also set you back $24.99. And the cake mixes, which make a single 8- or 9-inch double layer cake and fetch $8.99.
You can see the products, plus some fun videos of Goldman demonstrating basic cake decorating techniques, at Duff.com.
I just got a call from a reporter working for a New York-based financial publication.
He wanted to know about the pizzeria that has given convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff a job.
I've never been.
Anybody familiar with Tov Pizza on Reisterstown Road?
Jack Abramoff, looking ready to catch some just-tossed pizza dough as he arrived for work at Tov Pizza last week. AP photo
I just heard back from Harford Countian, who sought Baltimore restaurant advice from The Sandbox last week. Looks like you steered him right. Here's his report. LV
First off....I want to thank you, Laura, and everyone that wrote telling me of their suggestions!
You gave me names of some very good restaurants.
I wanted to be close to downtown. I hadn't tried anything yet in the Harbor East area of the city, so I decided to go to Cinghiale on Lancaster Street.
I was glad I did! I made reservations on Wednesday and was happy to have the restaurant call me back on Friday to confirm the date and time.
Cinghiale is large with a long bar toward the back and seating on two sides of the bar. Our reservations were for 8 p.m. and we got there a little early. We found a place at the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. (The bartenders were prompt and terrific!).
A few minutes after 8, our table was ready and we were shown to our table.
Appetizers were ordered and along with our entrees. I had the rockfish and my date had pasta. Both dishes were delicious as was dessert! The service is what you'd expect at an upscale restaurant, efficient, without being obtrusive.
I would recommend Cinghiale in a heart beat! Saturday Night, it was crowded, a little loud, but a great place to take a date or celebrate a special occasion.
Thanks again everyone for your suggestions!!
Harford Countian
Sun photo of Cinghiale table setting by Jed Kirschbaum
A co-worker came back to the office chuckling after picking up an Iggies pizza for lunch the other day.
There was nothing funny about her pie. (I believe she had the pizza of the month, the PLT, which involves nothing more humorous than sliced fresh tomatoes, pancetta, mozzarella and arugula.)
What amused her were the many customer rules Iggies has plastered on its front windows.
That got me thinking about doing a Top Ten persnickety restaurant rules post, with a sampling from different eateries. Then I got a look at the Iggies website and realized the pizzeria merited a list of its own.
The place actually lists eight rules, under the title, "A few helpful hints to enhance your experience."Let me pause here to say that I adore Iggies' thin-crust pizzas and inventive salads. I also appreciate the place because it is just a few blocks from my office. I'm sure the rules really are meant to enhance the dining experience. It's just that when you see how many there are, and how strongly they're worded and punctuated -- they use exclamation points here like most pizzerias use mozzarella -- it brings back memories of "Seinfeld's" Soup Nazi.
Like the TV soup-maker, it seems Iggies pizza-makers are perfectionists. So they have high standards for themselves -- and for their guests. For pizza this good, I'm willing to make sure I don't grab a four top when a table for two will do. Does that make me a food-Nazi sympathizer?
I'm sure there are lots of other restaurants out there with strict rules. Golden West's no-sauce-on-the-side stance comes to mind, as does Pazo's "no visible underpants" policy. (Personally, I appreciate the undies rule more than the sauce thing.) Please share your favorites here if you are so inclined.
And now, finally, we come to this week's list.
Dining@Large reader mededitor sent me a link to something she described as "sorta food-related."
It is related to food in the sense that food goes with wine, and what she sent me involves a drinking song.
A drinking song sung in a food market for that matter. So really, there's no doubt it belongs here on Dining@Large.
Besides, it's lovely.
She writes: "The Opera Company of Philadelphia coordinated with the Reading Terminal in Philly for the Terminal’s Italian Heritage week.
"They staged a 'flash' performance of the drinking song from 'La Traviata.'
"Not as boring as it may sound. Have a look; I think many of the sandboxers might be closet or not-so-closet opera fans and would get a kick out of this."
Soprano Renee Fleming and tenor Ramon Vargas in the Metropolitan Opera production of Verdi's "La Traviata." Photo by Ken Howard of the Metropolitan Opera.
Jack's Bistro in Canton is putting its "rooftop strawberries" to use in a drink called a shandy.Jack's first put the drink on the menu about a year ago. Served year-round, it is especially popular in hot weather, Smertycha said.
And these days, it is made with strawberries grown in the restaurant's rooftop garden. Despite the recent heat wave, Smertycha said the berry plants are still going strong.
Getty Images
I put corn in my garden this year, not really with the expectation that I'd get a whole lot of ears out of it. I just thought it would be fun to give it a try.
I proudly pointed the plants out to my father-in-law, who grew up on a farm and was visiting last week.
He pronounced my crop "anemic" and said it wouldn't do anything without a lot of Miracle-Gro.
So now, naturally, I'm a woman on a mission, out to prove I can grow corn without chemical fertilizers.
I've already bought some compost "tea" from the Hamilton Crop Circle guy, who sells jugs of the low-tide smelling stuff at the JFX farmers' market and at Mill Valley General Store in Remington. (He was just the subject of a story by The Sun's Rob Kasper because he hauls farmers' market waste over to Our Daily Bread.)
Anybody have any corn-growing tips for me?
AP photo of a slightly more successful corn farm than my own
Some scary food news in The New York Times this weekend.
"The Food and Drug Administration is seriously considering whether to approve the first genetically engineered animal that people would eat — salmon that can grow at twice the normal rate," the story says.
If the salmon is approved, there is no guarantee that it would be labeled as genetically engineered; genetically engineered crops are not identified as such, the paper notes.
Nor is there any guarantee that the genetically modified salmon wouldn't mess with the wild stuff.
"Some experts have speculated that fast-growing fish could out-compete wild fish for food or mates," the paper said. A rep for the company developing the fish tells The Times that "the salmon would be grown only in inland tanks or other contained facilities, not in ocean pens where they might escape into the wild. And the fish would all be female and sterile, making it impossible for them to mate."
Haven't they seen "Jurassic Park"? Life finds a way. And not just in the movies.
Baltimore's own Dr. Joshua Sharfstein may have a hand in what happens. The former city health commissioner is deputy commissioner of the F.D.A. He's quoted in the story saying they're looking at labeling and going to keep the public informed on the whole thing.
So c'mon, Doc. Do the right thing. As a local guy, you must know we've already had our fill of Frankenfish.
Detroit Free Press photo
It seems that Sears is trying to cultivate an image of appliance-supplier to the chefs.Full disclosure: Before I can go on with this report, I'll have to put aside my bitterness over the Kenmore dishwasher that I bought in late 2008 and that I had to pay $400 to repair 14 months later -- two months out of warranty, the customer service rep mercilessly informed me.
So, I'm over it. Really.
Riq Glsipy, 36, is a "a personal fitness chef" who works at Hamburger Hamlet in Bethesda. He has participated in a series of cooking demonstrations at Sears stores. He's technically cooking for his home state, New York, but we won't quibble.
Now he's hoping enough people will vote for him online so he can advance to the finals in the Kenmore studio kitchen in Chicago. Voting started Saturday and continues through July 10.
Riq Glsipy in the Sears Chef Challenge. Sears photo
Alan Morstein of Regi's sends news from this morning's Waverly Farmers' Market. Here's Alan. LV
Another morning of firsts at the Waverly Market: the first peaches, nectarines, eggplant, blackberries, okra and cantaloupes of the season.
The white corn from the Eastern Shore has small kernels so fresh and sweet that you can eat it -- and I did -- right of the cob.
Nothing can beat the flavor and freshness of farm to table.
Other local favorites such as tomatoes, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, leaf lettuce, new potatoes, cherries and herbs were in plentiful supply.
Next up we'll be looking for watermelons!
Sun photo by Kim Hairston
A while back I mentioned that Petit Louis was planning a special event for its 10th anniversary.
It takes place at the Roland Park restaurant Sunday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
"Outdoor grills, can-can dancers, a roving musician and of course, Birthday Cake, wine and more!" says the promo. Tickets are $50 for adults, $30 for children.
Here's the menu:
MISE EN BOUCHE
GOUGERE: Traditional Burgundy Cheese Pastry
BEIGNETS de CREVETTES: Shrimp & Zucchini Beignets, Espelette Aioli.
GRAVLAX: House Cured Salmon, Capers, Creme Fraiche
MOUSSE AU ROQUEFORT: Endive, Roquefort Mousse, Walnuts
PATE MAISON: Louis’ Country Style Pate, Cornichons & Dijon Mustard
HORS D'OEUVRES FROIDS
SALADE VERTE: Local Mesclun Greens, Reggiano, Red Wine Vinaigrette
CELERIE REMOULADE: Celery Root, Capers, Aioli
SALADE DE POMME DE TERRE: Local Potatoes, Shallots, Dill
LES GRILLADES
LEGUMES GRILLES: Local Grilled Vegetables
POULET PAILLARD: Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast
SAUMON GRILLE: Grilled Salmon
MERGUEZ: Spicy Lamb Sausage
SAUCISSE DE TOULOUSE: Garlic Pork Sausage
BOEUF MARINE: Beef, Rosemary Marinade
DESSERTS
ALMOND COOKIES
BIRTHDAY CAKE
Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr.
I love how blueberries and other tasty fruits get touted as much as broccoli these days for their health benefits.
I'm with George H.W. Bush on broccoli. But berries? I can, and do, eat them by the bowlful.
Of course, I also eat them in pie -- blueberry is my husband's specialty -- which doesn't do much for my bid for longevity.
I'm looking for some interesting and preferably healthful uses for blueberries for a story I'm writing for the food section -- something along the lines of blueberries in hamburgers, a recipe I just came across online but can't vouch for personally. (That combo sounds just weird enough to be great. But then again, maybe it's just weird.)
Anybody out there have a good blueberry recipe they'd like to share? Or have you had any interesting blueberry dishes at area restaurants?
Sun photo by Algerina Perna
Yet another reason to be wary of bagged veggies:
"Jessup-based Lancaster Foods has recalled 67,000 bags of packaged fresh spinach sold in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia due to possible Listeria contamination," my colleague Liz Kay reports on The Sun's Consuming Interests blog.
There are no reports of any illnesses, but Listeria was detected in a random sample of spinach sold under the Krisp-Pak name, Liz reports.
In addition to Krisp-Pak -- an oxymoron right up there with jumbo shrimp, if you ask me -- the recall affects spinach sold under the names Lancaster Fresh, Giant, and America’s Choice.
Details on the recall at Liz's blog.
A Giant grocery store produce section stripped of all bagged spinach following an outbreak of E. coli in 2006. Sun photo by Amy Davis
Construction has gotten underway at the Fells Point location that once was Admiral's Cup.
The restaurant group that owns Kali's Court, Mezze, Meli and Tapas Adela bought the building, at 1645 Thames St., and had the liquor license transferred more than a year ago. Work on the new restaurant has just begun.
"We've started construction on a new concept for that space," Kenneth Petty, a partner in the restaurant group told me.
The concept is yet to be determined, said Petty, who wasn't saying much more than that.
"We’re going to be very tight lipped for the next couple months," he said.
Petty was willing to add this much: "It's going to be a very large restaurant. We're going to restore it to its old glory."
A Kali's plate. Sun photo by Jed Kirschbaum
For those of you keeping tabs on Baltimore chef Timothy Dean on "Top Chef," The Sun's Sarah Kelber has the blow-by-blow on her Reality Check blog.
The Dean-related highlights:
Still no mention of Baltimore, home of Dean's Prime Steakhouse.
Dean earns quote-of-the-episode honors. He's reacting to a challenge that forces competitors to pair up to make sandwiches -- wearing aprons that have been sewn together, leaving each chef with just one free hand.
"Who got high and came up with this idea?" Dean says in a clip played over and over in promos.
Dean's knife skills, which helped him shine early in the first episode, have his apron-mate worried, as Sarah writes on the blog.
"Every time I grab the knife, he's like, 'Tim, Tim, don't cut me, please don't cut me,'" Dean says. "I'm like, 'I'm not going to cut you -- at least not yet!'"
Later in the episode, the contestants split into teams to make a healthful but inexpensive school lunch, which is eventually sampled by D.C. schoolkids. Tim's team works well together, Sarah writes.
"The judges stop by Alex, Tim, Kevin and Andrea's station, and they explain they've gone with a picnic theme, making healthier versions of coleslaw (with yogurt subbing for some of the mayo), barbecued chicken (no skin, and apple cider in the sauce instead of sugar), mac and cheese (whole wheat crust) and melon skewers with yogurt foam that looks like whipped cream," Sarah writes. "They love everything, but Tom says that Tim's mac and cheese is 'the weak link.'"
In the end, Dean lives to cook another day.
The school lunch produced by Dean's team. Bravo photo
Just last week, I learned about a special goat dinner at Woodberry Kitchen, where they serve the whole animal, head and all.
Then this morning, I heard about plans to serve cow's head at Cuadrado, the Mexican barbecue restaurant scheduled to open this fall on North Avenue, across the street from Joe Squared Pizza.
"Everything but the brain," is how Joe Edwardsen described the future menu item. Edwardsen is the Joe in Joe Squared and will also own the barbacoa joint.
"It's all that face meat, which is the most delicious meat on the cow," he said.
The cow's head will be smoked whole, but the meat will be served off the bone in deference to those "nothing-with-a-face meat-type people," he said.
"We’ll tear it off so you’ll just get the meat," he said.
Meats of all kind -- goat, pig, chicken, turkey -- will be available at the restaurant, slow-cooked in banana and agave leaves. The restaurant will seat about 116.
I asked Edwardsen about the name, which means square in Spanish. At Joe Squared, the pizzas are square. How will the square theme play out at Cuadrado?
"I'll have some square plates," he said, "but we're not serving square tacos."
Photo courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago
Food Network Magazine -- magazine, who knew? -- names the tastiest breakfast in every state in the July/August issue that hits newsstands next week.
"Food Network Magazine traveled to every state in the country, looking for the one breakfast you just have to try," says the promo. "Some breakfasts were chosen because they’re classics and others because they’re outrageous. One thing is guaranteed, each one is worth the trip."
The winner in Maryland: Shirley’s Affair with Oscar at Miss Shirley’s Cafe.
Here are the details on that dish from the restaurant's online menu:
"Two 2-Ounce Beef Fillets, topped with Asparagus, Jumbo Lump Crab Meat & Hollandaise Sauce, on Fried Green Tomatoes & Savory Grits made with Bacon, Dusted with Old Bay."
It will set you back $19.99 at Miss Shirley's two locations, in Roland Park and the Inner Harbor.
The complete state-by-state list from the magazine:
STATE BREAKFAST RESTAURANT
Alabama Eggs Mauvila Café 615, Mobile
Alaska Reindeer Sausage Omelet Gwennie’s Old Alaska Restaurant
Arizona The Over Easy Over Easy
Arkansas Banana Pancakes The Pancake Shop
California Fantastic French Toast Marston’s Restaurant
Colorado Breakfast Burrito King’s Chef Diner
Connecticut The Portuguese Fisherman Kitchen Little
Delaware Sausage Sandwich Helen’s Famous Sausage House
Florida Philadelphia Scrapple Skyway Jack’s
Georgia HabersHam and Eggs B. Matthew’s Eatery
Hawaii Ahi Steak and Eggs Eggs ‘n Things
Idaho Oatmeal Soufflé Red Feather Lounge
Illinois Vegetarian Scrapple Ina’s
Indiana Paxton’s Potatoes Village Deli
Iowa Our Famous Pancake Grove Café
Kansas Buenos Dias Frittata The Chef
Kentucky French Toast Lynn’s Paradise Café
Louisiana Got Boudin? Omelet Café Des Amis
Maine Fresh Buttermilk Pancakes Boyton-McKay Food Co.
Maryland Shirley’s Affair with Oscar Miss Shirley’s Café
Massachusetts Doughnut Craigie on Main
Michigan The Cowboy Curtis The Fly Trap: A Finer Diner
Minnesota Pastrami & Egg Be’wiched Deli
Mississippi Beignets Triplett-Day Drug Company Soda Fountain
Missouri Rooster Slinger Rooster
Montana Haystack Goode’s Q & Bayou Grill
Nebraska Belgain Waffle Petrow’s Restaurant
Nevada Cowpoke Quiche Dish Café
New Hampshire Littleton Buckwheat Pancakes The Littleton Diner
New Jersey The Slider Summit Diner
New Mexico Atole Piñon Hotcakes Tecolote Café
New York Poached Eggs with Curried The Breslin
Lentils, Yoghurt and Cilantro
North Carolina Fried Chicken Biscuit Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen
North Dakota Rancher Skillet Kroll’s Diner
Ohio Cinnamon Rolls Omega Artisan Baking
Oklahoma Steak and Eggs Cattlemen’s Steakhouse
Oregon Triple Berry Toast Green Salmon Coffee House
Pennsylvania Strawberry Hotcakes Pamela’s P&G Diner
Rhode Island Johnnycakes Jigger’s Diner
South Carolina Fried Green Tomatoes and Marina Variety Store Restaurant
Shrimp with Grits
South Dakota Buffalo Steak Tips and Eggs Blue Bell Lodge at Custer State Park Resort
Tennessee Tennessee “Jack” Egg Sandwich The Capital Grille
Texas Reggie’s Weekend Special Torres Taco Haven
Utah Sill’s Famous Scone Sill’s Café
Vermont Penny Cluse Penny Cluse Café
Virginia California Huevos Ranchero Kuba Kuba
Washington Corned Beef Mash The Braeburn Restaurant
Washington DC Fried Chicken, Eggs and Waffles Founding Fathers
West Virginia He-Man Breakfast The Poky Dot Diner
Wisconsin Swedish Pancakes Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik
Wyoming Chicken-Fried Steak, Sherri’s Place
Eggs and Potatoes
Pancakes, another Miss Shirley's breakfast option. Sun photo by Algerina Perna
Shallow Thoughts guru John Lindner describes a wedding guest -- himself -- who got things wrong, and restaurant -- The Morningside Inn -- that got things right. Here's John. LV
I arrived at the wedding wearing the wrong shoes and with my fly wide open.
As I re-read that, it sounds like the opening line of a trashy detective novel wherein the author, via embarrassing personal detail, attempts to establish sympathy for his schlep of a narrator/hero.
If only. In this story, there will be no later scenes in which I redeem myself with brilliant dectecting or raw good-at-heart self-sacrifice. In fact it gets worse: I arrived late because I got lost because I wasn’t paying attention.
I discovered the shoe flaw (I’m getting to the food part) in the car after it was too late to turn back. I discovered the fly flaw after the service and the cocktail hour, just as we were being seated for dinner. I excused myself, hunker-walked to a secluded redoubt and zipped up. Then came dinner.
My experiences with large scale wedding buffets set me up for a pleasant surprise at The Morningside Inn. The kitchen delivered flavor and freshness and did it while staying in bounds of the mass palate array goal of committing the least possible offense to the largest possible number.
I opted for the mashed potatoes because I saw the red skins were left in. You don’t usually get that from a box. The spuds were subtly seasoned, fresh, fluffy. The chicken with wild rice in cream sauce was distinctly herby and not overcooked or rendered rubbery under a heat lamp. The penne in marinara had zip without committing an outrageous taste sensation that might have alarmed the church-basement spaghetti set. Everything, in fact, suggested skill and good timing.
Morningside offered comfort food that didn’t look different from so many other banquet standards. But they got it right on flavor and freshness. Maybe they feel they have to try harder because they’re surrounded by vast rolling farm fields — the site’s photos do not capture the isolation of the place, which is a good measure of its charm.
So there. A wedding buffet review. My first. And no clever wrap-up that miraculously synthesizes brown shoes with black suit and open fly into a neat denouement that perfectly captures the thrills and perils of marriage.
I can, however, leave you with this discovery: not all greatness comes in a neat package and, sometimes, what we really need is a Bad Boy. If you’re a cigar smoker, the next time you’re in Westminster, check out this gem of a cheroot. Amazing.
Photo by Johnny Ioannidis courtesy stock xchng
I just heard from a Harford Countian seeking Baltimore restaurant advice.
"I’m taking someone out to dinner on Saturday night from out of town, and I would like to take her to a nice restaurant in the Baltimore area," he writes. "Cuisine could be anything from Italian, French, Asian or American. Could I ask you to name a few restaurants that would fit the bill?"
Since that request was rather broad, I asked Harford Countian to give us a little better idea of what he's looking for.
He e-mailed back:
"The restaurant doesn’t have to be super fancy, but nice. On the order of a Tio Pepe's or Morton’s but maybe something a little newer and trendier and a little low key.
"I’d like to go into Baltimore City. ... Price range can be moderate $$-$$$ (I thought I’d use the international symbols that all restaurant reviewers use for pricing! LOL)."
Can someone help him out?
Harford Countian is looking for Morton's-level nice, but maybe something a little hipper than a place with a 48-ounce Porterhouse for two. Sun photo by Amy Davis
Here's a funny tidbit from my rooftop-to-tabletop restaurants story, which appears in today's Sun.
Joe Edwardsen, owner of Joe Squared Pizza & Bar on North Avenue, is growing tarragon, thyme, oregano and a ton of basil on his rooftop.
"We drop over $3,000 in an average week in produce, so growing the herbs, I think, probably saves $200 to $300 a week, especially with all the pesto we make," Edwardsen said.
It helps that he picked up his big growing tubs and hydroponic equipment for free.
"The police threw it out when they were busting the pot-growing operation next door," Edwardsen said.
His rooftop garden is not just about saving money. The herbs Edwardsen grows are more flavorful because he doesn't have to wash them as thoroughly as produce from a commercial farm.
"Growing on the roof, you don't have the pest problem," he said. "You don't have to use pesticides. We can keep most things off our plants. You get things from these farms, and you have to have it soaked three times in bins of water before you serve it because you don't know what they've put on it."
With the rooftop herbs, Edwardsen said, "We can give it a quick rinse, and that's about it. So we don't have to soak all those oils off it. ... You want all that flavor."
The sort of weed that first sprouted in the bins now used for basil, oregano and other legal herbs at Joe Squared. Chicago Tribune photo
I don't typically think of Harbor East as a place to get a super low-budget meal, but Bagby Pizza Co. seems to be filling that niche.
It's B.Y.O.B. It sells relatively inexpensive pizza and pasta dishes. And now -- pizza by the slice.
You can get out of there for $3.25 for a slice of cheese pizza, $3.50 for pepperoni.
The restaurant added the by-the-slice option in response to customer demand, said chef-manager Kyle Gillies. "It was an outcry from the public in a certain respect," he said.
He said the slices, made ahead of time, are reheated in the same brick oven that the pizzas are originally baked in. "Our crust really does react well to reheating," he said.
Bagby's white pizza. Sun photo by Barbara Haddock Taylor
I wrote the other day about the tomato farmette sprouting atop Regi's American Bistro in Federal Hill and asked if anyone out there knew of other restaurants with rooftop gardens.
One of the more interesting tips I received (thanks, M&M!) led me to the Westin Annapolis, where chef James Barrett recently installed two beehives on the roof of the hotel.
Barrett inherited the hives from his father, a bee-keeping hobbyist who died in November. The project began as a way to honor him. But now Barrett has become very interested in the role the bees can play in helping local farmers, especially in light of the mysterious colony collapse that has plagued bees around the world.
Barrett plans to set up more hives at area farms. And he intends to use the honey in the restaurant.He's also thinking about expanding his rooftop venture.
"We're talking to two different people about a rooftop garden -- or we have a huge courtyard," Barrett said. "If we could put in a two-season garden in there, that would be outstanding for what I would have readily available for us to use here. Talk about using fresh, using local -- it doesn't get any fresher than that."
Getty Images
The raw foods movement never looked so good, what with the heat lately.
Which brings me to this week's list.
Top Ten ways to cook without turning on your oven
1. Grilled everything -- even pizza
I've never had much luck with grilled pizzas, but I'd be wiling to give it another go before cranking my oven up to 500.
2. Ceviche
No cooking method hotter than citrus juice should be allowed on days like this.
3. Gazpacho
I know the local tomatoes aren't ready for this, but I am.
4. Salad
5. Pasta
Boiling water atop the stove makes some heat, but it still beats the oven.
6. Sandwiches
Friends had us over for lunch Sunday and we had simple ham sandwiches -- on Atwater's bread, so they were lovely.
7. Mooch
Get yourself invited to somebody's house for dinner. Eat. Then retreat to your still-cool home.
8. Microwaved [your recipe here]
I've never really cooked anything in the microwave. I just use it to reheat things. But somebody out there must have a good microwaved something-or-other recipe. Please advise.
9. Smoked salmon
Let someone else prepare the protein, but in a way that doesn't make you feel like you've stooped to buying one of those store-roasted chickens.
10. Store-roasted chicken
Go ahead, stoop. You know you can roast a chicken. Your family knows you can roast a chicken. You have nothing to prove except that you know how to have a chicken dinner in a nice, cool kitchen.
Even cooler than homemade ceviche -- ceviche in a restaurant, like Cindy Wolf's shrimp, scallop and rockfish melange at Charleston. Sun photo by Lloyd Fox
If you plan to tune in this week to watch Timothy Dean on Bravo's "Top Chef," prepare yourself for a very bad pun.
I just saw the title for Wednesday's episode. It's a play on this season's Washington location.
"House of Chef-presentatives."
And you thought it couldn't get worse than "cheftestants."
Bravo photo
Kombucha, the fermented tea drink sometimes credited with promoting good gut health and boosting the immune system, may have given drinkers something else: a good buzz.
Whole Foods pulled the drink from its shelves last week when some of it turned out to be a tad too fermented, exceeding the usual 0.5 percent alcohol level, which is considered a trace amount.
"Some of the varieties had more alcohol, slightly elevated levels," Seth Goldman, president of Honest Tea, told me in a phone interview.
The Bethesda-based company added kombucha to its line of tea drinks last fall.
Whole Foods pulled all brands of kombucha from its shelves, not just Honest Tea's.
An Honest Tea rep said the company tests every batch of the stuff to make sure the alcohol level is no higher than 0.5 percent. The company is investigating what might have lead the alcohol level to rise after bottling.
Honest Tea's kombucha is still available at other natural food stores, including Mom's Organic Market, Roots Market.
Sun photo by Lloyd Fox
A new study by a San Francisco Bay-area environmental group finds 85 percent of kids' juice drinks and packaged fruit exceed federal lead limits, according to a story on the website inhabitots.
The drinks and fruits tested included 365 Organic (Whole Foods' store brand), Trader Joe's, Earth's Best Organic, Welch's, Minute Maid, Dole and Gerber, inhabitots reports.
I give up.
Sun file photo
A little box on the bottom of the menu at Columbia's Victoria Gastro Pub reads:
"Unfortunately, due to the Gulf oil disaster, we have been forced to temporarily increase the price of our seafood offerings."
No huge surprise here. But I'm wondering: has anyone out there seen that sort of disclaimer on other menus yet?
Getty Images
Alan Morstein of Regi's sends exciting news from Waverly. Here's Alan. LV
The moment we having been waiting for ... fresh-picked Eastern Shore white corn has arrived at Waverly just in time for the first day of summer and Father's Day.
Other new arrivals included: green tomatoes, yellow wax beans, cherries of all varieties, gooseberries, cauliflower and broccoli.
Popular local favorites on display included: Eastern Shore tomatoes, apricots, rhubarb, leaf veggies, blueberries, zucchini, squash, patty pan, baby redskin and white potatoes, sweet potatoes, fresh herbs, root vegetables, cucumbers and onions.
According to the sign from "THE Bean Man" this is the LAST week for sweet baby peas. Strawberries are said to be ending their run and asparagus has left the market entirely.
Enjoy the weekend, lots of choices for that Father's Day BBQ.
AP photo
Farm-to-table is such a trendy restaurant concept these day that it has become a cliche.
But this sounds like the real deal: dinner in a barn.
Aida Bistro and Wine Bar in Columbia presents a wine dinner at Gorman Farm in Howard County Monday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Local produce from the farm will be paired with meat and fish from local producers and six wines from Black Ankle Winery in Mt Airy.
"This will be a fun and casual event," the restaurant's website says. "We may also ask you to pick your own greens for dinner!! ... Since it is hosted on a farm, you will have a chance to roam the grounds and see where the food is grown. Dress comfortably, we will be dining in the barn and will have protection in the event of rain."
I'm afraid I can't tell you the price of the dinner. A description of the event on the restaurant's website said the pricing was still being finalized.
UPDATE: Just got the price info: $75 per person, which includes food, wine, tax and tip.
Ditto for the menu.
"Dave Liker from Gorman Farm is gazing into his farmer's crystal ball and we'll know soon what he has popping up in the fields," the website said.
If you want make a reservation, the number to call is (410) 953-0500.
If price and menu details come to me, I'll pass them on.
Aida's goat cheese antipasto stuffed with homemade peperoncini, prosciutto and basil over grilled crostini, finished with balsamic reduction and white truffle oil. Sun file photo
Dads need their caffeine, too.
Baltimore Coffee & Tea Co. is offering free coffee to all dads on Father’s Day at all three of its stores, in Timonium, Frederick and Annapolis.
"Dads are welcome to have a medium drink of their choice on Sunday," says the promotion. "By the looks of the forecast, it’s going to be more of an iced coffee or tea day for dad, with temperatures in the 90’s!"
Baltimore Coffee & Tea Co. photo
An article in The New York Times' Dining section makes me wonder: is there hope for the snowball?
The classic Baltimore summertime treat, sometimes spelled "snoball," combines shaved ice with fake-o fruity syrups.
Could the ice be paired instead with -- wait for it -- actual fruit syrups?
"American food lovers, who seem to be re-examining every humble snack -- beef jerky, pretzels, soft-serve -- for artisanal potential, are now turning their attention to shaved ice," says the NYT story by Julia Moskin. "They are abandoning the Day-Glo aesthetic and fake flavors that they grew up with in favor of the true colors of summer fruit."
They're doing that in New York, New Orleans and Los Angeles, anyway.
But how about here in Baltimore? Is anybody making natural snowballs?
Sun file photo of the real, fake thing in Catonsville
A cry for canning help went out recently on the Baltimore Food Makers Google group.
"just inherited a pressure canner -- now what???" read the subject line.
"It is a bit retro having previously belonged to my late mother in law," the message continued. "Let's start at the beginning, umm, how do I open this thing?"
Can anybody help?
Sun photo by Kim Hairston
Timothy Dean's performance was mixed on the first week of "Top Chef."
My colleague Sarah Kelber has all the details, plus video, on her reality TV blog, Reality Check.
Here's the short(er) version:
Dean's knife skills made him one of the top performers early on. Contestants were asked to peel potatoes, dice onions and carve up raw chickens in the first quickfire challenge of the season. Of the 17 contestants, Dean finished among the top four.
The four then had 30 minutes to prepare a dish with those ingredients for the chance to win $20,000. Dean's potato galette was declared too creamy, but still, a strong start.
Things got worse for Dean from there. All of the contestants had to prepare a dish representing their regional cuisine. D.C. native Dean prepared pan-seared rockfish with pickled leeks, ginger and sesame seeds. Chef-judge Eric Ripert found the skin too chewy.
"Timothy knows better than to take striped bass and cook it in a pan that way," Ripert said.
As a result, Dean suddenly found himself at the bottom of the pack. He was surprised to hear his name called when the judges summoned the four least-successful chefs.
"Are you serious?" Dean asked. "Are you joking me?"
Dean escaped the indignity of being asked to pack his knives and go home. But the judges noted that Dean was the only one of the top four performers from the early part of the show to wind up on the verge of elimination.
"I let myself down today," Dean said.
Maybe we can expect a season full of highs and lows from Dean. But let's not forget, even Michael and Bryan Voltaggio, the brothers from Frederick who competed last season, had their errant salmon bone and grainy ganache before landing in first and second place.
Timothy Dean, on top of things, on "Top Chef." Bravo photo
Maybe organic and Amish go together after all.
The Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills opens a brand-new farmers' market today, with produce and meats provided by the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, a nonprofit organic farmers cooperative of 64 farmers in Lancaster County, Pa.
"The Cooperative delivers the best local organic produce, value added products and humanely raised animal products to retail establishments, co-ops, restaurants and institutions," according to the Nature Center.
The market will be open today and every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through mid-November.
Sun photo by Doug Kapustin
Well, apparently tonight will be a big night for Baltimore-related reality food TV.
Just as Timothy Dean makes his debut on Bravo's "Top Chef," Rodney Henry of Dangerously Delicious pies will have a quiche throwdown with Bobby Flay on the Food Network.
The show starts at 9 p.m.
Here's the promo:
"They say real men do not eat quiche, but try telling that to tattooed rocker-turned-pie-guru Rodney Henry. Rodney's Dangerously Delicious Pie shop keeps his Baltimore neighborhood in pie heaven, and his meaty cheesy Cowboy Quiche is the shop's must-have slice. But, can Rodney's quiche cowboy up to the savory pie Bobby Flay brings along? Find out on the Quiche Throwdown!"
Sun file photo of a Dangerously Delicious steak and mushroom pie
If you're looking for the farmers' market that used to take place on Wednesdays in the parking lot of Whole Foods in Mount Washington, it has moved.
Its new home is across the street, in the parking lot of Mt. Washington United Methodist Church, 5800 Cottonwood Avenue.
Whole Foods still organizes the market, but the store moved it to the church lot because there's more room there. The market takes place every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. until Nov. 17.
The vendors:
One Straw Farm Organic Produce
Pond View Farm produce, eggs, relish
Belvedere Farm flowers
Eula’s Cuisine Savory Soups
Hickory Chance Beef
Hawks Hill Creamery cheese and ice cream
Infused Spreads gourmet fruit butters
Wilson Mill peaches and apples (in season)
Baltimore Backyard Nurseries potted flowers and produce
KareDan Farming Initiative goat soaps, hand-dyed wool
Paolo’s Pestos
Sun file photo
In this week's Shallow Thought Wednesday post, John Lindner discovers there's decent pizza in Monkton. He lets us in on another, even more shocking, discovery at the end of this post. Make sure you read all the way through. Here's John. LV
It was Sunday around four in the afternoon. We hadn’t eaten since seven a.m. Hadn’t found a worthy looking restaurant on the back roads we were exploring. While our standards lowered with each curve and hilltop, all we saw were more curves and hilltops.
We had entertained blasts of rain and what felt like hail but probably wasn’t because it didn’t bounce. All day an annoyingly shifty wind battered us. And as we headed into Monkton down from PA the temp dropped and iced our bright new sunburns for about five shaded miles. So yeah, we’d been sitting all day, but we were sitting at fifty to sixty miles and hour and that can work a strain voodoo on you, especially if you’re just coming out of your winter cocoon.
I was pretty sure there was a deli at the confluence of 137, York Road and 138. I was kind of wrong. It’s a pizza place. Michael’s Pizza, 16952 York Road (couldn’t find a web site), is wedged into a brief strip mall grandly named Hereford Plaza Shopping Center (there must be a lot of money in nail places: I see them everywhere). We ordered a large pepperoni and sausage.
After placing the order we went back out to the parking lot to check on a headlight. My friend rode over a nasty bump on Route 1 that popped him out of the saddle (It was funny. I laughed. He didn’t hear me. Perhaps loud pipes do save lives … and friendships) and, mysteriously, knocked out his headlight. It wasn’t dark out. But headlights help you get seen and besides, like all good ideas, Mother Maryland mandates motorcycle headlight use 24/7, rain or shine and dark of night. What would we do without that law?
We popped back into Michael's a few minutes later and the young woman behind the counter apologized for not alerting us that the pie had been waiting for us. By my calculations, our pizza went from ordered to boxed in seven minutes. Uh oh.
Even adjusting for the acute hunger and complete indifference to quality I was experiencing, I’d have to rate Michael’s pizza well above average. Or better yet, in a class, not by itself, but among a rare, perhaps dying type. The only way I can think to explain it is as a cult movie. What it lacked (deliberately, I’m guessing) in subtlety, it made up for in character. It’s like Michael made a pizza suited to his taste and dared the rest of the world to get down with it. The sausage’s piquant notes led the, by comparison, less boisterous pepperoni. And while it looked a bit like the cooking process might have been convection thermo nuclear that united the cheese and sauce at the molecular level to create a third unique element (chauce or seese?) it tasted great, nicely supporting the meaty leads on a crust somewhere between the-ingredients-slide-off limp and cut-yer-gums crisp.
Yes, I neglected to get a picture. But maybe I’ll take a camera when I go back.
We spent maybe 45 minutes at Michael's. While there – late afternoon, well after lunch but, well, before dinner – we watched a thin but steady stream of customers come in for carry-outs. And there were two, maybe three cars (if Jeeps count as cars – no offense Jeep guy) with Michael's delivery signs coming and going. A big sign inside – where there’s seating for maybe six-seven depending on one’s mood and flexibility – tucked behind a glittering forest of baseball trophies, announced Michael’s 15th year serving Monkton. I got the sense that the place is a pizza institution in Monkton. And I think Michael knows his market.
By the way, Michael’s menu sports about every damn thing, from burgers and wings to sandwiches and, if memory serves, pasta. I curse myself for not thinking to look for crabcakes, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the kids behind the counter serve those, too.
So there you have it. I think Michael’s is the place to go after a day on the NCR trail or rafting the adjacent Gunpowder River. Or if you happen to be dying of starvation and wondering what possessed you to take up motorcycling, check the place out. It’ll renew your faith in stubborn resistance to conformity.
There’s just no smooth seque from Michaels to my discovery this Monday that they make Nair for men. But there it is. I’m still in shock.
A young pizza fan who was not -- full disclosure -- dining with John Lindner, nor out out riding a motorcycle with him. (I considered going with generic motorcycle art, but figured I'd pick the wrong bike. So there you have it.) Sun photo by Doug Kapustin
I was on the roof of Regi's American Bistro in Federal Hill the other day, checking out the future of locavore restaurant dining.
Owner Alan Morstein has more than 50 heirloom tomato plants -- each about six feet tall -- growing in big pots on top of his rowhouse restaurant.
First came farm-to-table restaurants, now "rooftop-to-tabletop," Morstein's term for it.
Some restaurateurs have always grown their own herbs, but raising their own produce is something else. Morstein created his tomato farmette because he wanted a more affordable, dependable source for tasty heirloom varieties that can fetch $4 to $5 a pound at the farmers' market.
If there are other restaurants out there doing similar things, I'd like to hear about it for a story I'm writing for the Taste section.
I've never thought of Father's Day as a big restaurant holiday, but maybe it is.
Restaurants as diverse as Pazo, Red Springs Cafe and Ranazul are all offering Father's Day deals. And an e-mail I received from a reader suggests it might be a busy day for eating out.
The reader writes:
"I have a dilemma and thought perhaps your readers might have some suggestions. My mother's 60th birthday is Sunday, which also happens to be Father's Day. We wanted to take her out for a nice brunch, but out go-to spot for special meals, Baldwin's Station, is all booked up."
"Any suggestions for a nice brunch spot for eight in the NW Baltimore County or Carroll County area? We have one vegetarian and a few non-adventurous food people in our group."
Can anyone help her out?
Sun photo by Lloyd Fox
A new "Top Chef" season begins Wednesday night with Baltimore chef Timothy Dean among the contestants, and I have the inside scoop on the first episode, courtesy of a rough cut that Bravo distributed to the media.
I'm sworn to secrecy when in comes to who's eliminated in the first show, but I can tell you this much: alpha males dominate, a statement that should require no spoiler alert given the outsized personalities of chefs in general, and aspiring TV chefs in particular.
One of the contestants flatly states that he wants his competitors to size him up and conclude, "This guy is truly the alpha male."
As I write in a profile of Dean that appears in Wednesday's Sun, the Prime Steakhouse owner does not come off as having the biggest ego of the bunch. But he doesn't play shrinking violet either.
Before they get down to the business of cooking on that first episode, Dean is shown chatting with other contestants at a getting-to-know-you cocktail party.
One of those he meets is Angelo Sosa, a chef with an Asian-influenced sandwich restaurant, Xie Xie. Dean recalls in a solo interview spliced into the cocktail-party footage: "Angelo is like, 'I got it going on.' And I'm like, 'This is some bull [expletive].' "
Dean has displayed that sort of bravado in real life. Even Prime Steakhouse opened its doors this year, Dean talked about expanding the concept to other markets.
"Emeril and Thomas Keller and Wolfgang [Puck] are doing it," he said. "Why not me?"
Bravo photo
It's been a while since Dining@Large has taken up the Great Crab Cake Question.
And I just got a good excuse to revisit it.
Someone with the Food Network phoned a little while ago to say they're doing a program on crab cakes. They want to know the two best places to get them around here.
Have at it.
Faidley's all-lump crab cake. Sun photo by Jeffrey F. Bill
Phillips Seafood is looking for people who are willing to eat as many crab cakes as humanly possible in 3 1/2 minutes.
The restaurant is putting on a crab cake-eating contest July 3 to celebrate Harborplace's 30th anniversary. (Harborplace opened July 2, 1980, but the contest is on the 3rd because that's a Saturday.)
All participants will receive $30 gift certificates to Phillips, and the winner gets a crab feast for six.
Personally, I'd sooner slip into a Gay Nineties swimsuit and take a dip in the seal pool than cram a bunch of food into mouth for a contest. (Last time I witnessed that sort of thing -- it was a spaghetti-eating contest -- it was so gross I had to look away.)
But if you're interested, post something on Phillips Seafood's Facebook page telling them why you'd make a great contestant. Deadline to enter is Friday.
Sun photo by Christopher T. Assaf
I have what I consider to be a perfectly rational fear of industrial beef, one that anyone who's seen "Food Inc." or read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" should understand.Which makes this, the season of potluck cook-outs, a little awkward.
Somebody invites the family over for burgers and hot dogs. Are you going to inquire about the provenance of the meat?
"Just so I bring the right wine, let me ask: Will you be serving grass-fed beef or downer cattle?"
It'd be easier to feign vegetarianism than to explain a preference for meat that hasn't dined on ground-up animal parts, wallowed ankle deep in feedlot manure or flown through an industrial slaughterhouse.
Vegetarians care about animals. Who's going to fault them for that? But meat snobs come across as snob snobs: "Your meat's not good enough for me."
I'm fortunate to live on a street where there are lots of neighborhood gatherings. By now, my neighbors know I'm going to bring my own burgers. They might roll their eyes or even tease me, but nobody's offended.
But just last week, I found myself conspiring with my husband to sneak a Whole Foods hot dog to our daughter at her school cookout. Could my husband, who was helping out at the event, have simply been open about it? Could he have said to the teacher, "I've brought a natural hot dog for my daughter and anyone else who wants one"?
Probably. But I took the coward's way out. I asked him to slip the dog to her if possible, which he managed to do while handing out buns.
If sneaky hadn't worked, my husband had instructions to throw me under the bus: "Tell them I'm neurotic." Which is true enough.
And which brings me to this week's list
Top Ten excuses for bringing your own beef to the neighborhood cook-out
1. I'm a New York Times subscriber.
2. We're not vegetarians, we just want our cows to be.
3. We are vegetarians. And isn't it amazing what they can do with tofu these days? These "veggie" burgers we've brought could pass for the real thing!
4. We ate at home.
5. The whole family just got off Atkins and, boy, are we tired of meat! Just a burger bun with ketchup will do it for us.
6. This ambrosia is sooo tasty, I could make a meal of it!
7. We gave up industrial meat for Lent, which our parish is observing year-round.
8. We've just converted to (pick one) Islam/Judaism, so we've brought our own halal/kosher meat.
9. You said, "Bring a side DISH"? I thought you said, "side of BEEF." Might as well serve it.
10. What a deal they had on meat at the farmers' market today! Put yours in the freezer. I insist. It's my treat.
iStock Photo
Alan Morstein of Regi's didn't send me his usual Waverly farmers' market report Saturday, and that got me worrying. Had the restaurateur fallen off the locavore wagon and gone Sysco on us?
Not a chance. Alan did go to Waverly and even wrote something up about it. But he e-mailed it to someone else by mistake. So, even though it's late, here's Alan's dispatch from the market. It will give you an idea of what to look for next week. LV
It was a cornucopia of local at Waverly today. New local arrivals included BLUEBERRIES, apricots, cucumbers, cherries, zucchini, squash, yellow zucchini, radishes, cabbage, leaf lettuce, green peas (always a line), pickles, beets, hydroponic lettuce and tomatoes, mushrooms and sweet red peppers.
Many farmers anticipate the return of Maryland corn in the next 1 1/2 to two weeks.
The market was very busy at 7 a.m. as shoppers realize the taste and quality of farm to table.
Sun photo by Algerina Perna
Just got off the phone with George Marsh, chef de cuisine at Woodberry Kitchen, who was good enough to fill me in on that goat dinner I blogged about earlier today.
"We basically do the whole goat, roasted -- slow-roasted ahead of time," Marsh said.
The meat, raised on Washington County pasture with no added hormones or routine antibiotics, is simply prepared, with salt, pepper and fresh herbs. A whole head of garlic goes into the animal's mouth.
Woodberry presents the roasted goat to the table on a big cutting board, then takes it back to the kitchen for carving. It returns with the head and two back legs still on the bone, and the rest of the meat piled on a platter. Flatbreads, a variety of sauces and raw, pickled and roasted vegetables round out the meal, which serves four and costs $185.
I asked Marsh if diners were weirded out by the goat head.
"At least a couple people have cracked into the head and eaten the brains and especially the eyes," he said, adding that they eyes are "really gelatinous" but tasty. "They’re really a delicacy. Not a lot in this country, but throughout Europe and South America, the eyes of most animals are treated as a delicacy."
Many Rocks Farm Suckling Goat is not always on the menu, and it takes about four hours to roast the six- to seven-pound animal. So customers should pre-order by calling Woodberry if they want one.
Many Rocks Farm goat. Sun photo by Kim Hairston
Just got some interesting news about a special goat dinner at Woodberry Kitchen.
It came to me by way of Jeanne Dietz-Band, who raises goat on Washington County's Many Rocks Farm and started selling the meat this year at the Sunday Farmers' Market under the JFX.
"Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen has been offering a meal deal for parties of 6 featuring Many Rocks Farm cabrito goat," Dietz-Band said in an e-mail. "The dinner consists of one whole (with head) roasted young goat with an array of sides."
I hope to reach someone at Woodberry shortly to get a few more details about the dinner, including the price. In the meantime, here's the rest of what Dietz-Band had to say.
"Spike tells me it has gone very well, and the groups that have this special offering have been very happy. Spike just picked up more cabrito this past Sunday at market. ... I am SO thrilled that such a wonderful restaurant is pioneering this type of goat cuisine in our area!"
Many Rocks Farm goats. Sun photo by Kim Hairston
So there I was in Whole Foods, looking at the case of cold drinks, when I noticed something floating in one of the glass bottles. Looked like mold.
I took it to the customer service desk, where the clerk informed me the goop was supposed to be in there. In fact, the goop was the whole point of the drink.
The drink in question was kombucha, a fermented tea that you can buy at the store or make yourself as long as you don't mind sharing your home with a "jellyfish-like" bacteria starter.
The drink is popular with people looking for a low-cal fizzy drink, not to mention a purported immune-system booster, cancer preventer, digestive aid, appetite suppressant, skin and hair revitalizer, and overall fountain of youth.
The Mayo Clinic and other health experts note that the health claims are unproven. They also caution that the drink has made people sick, at least when made at home under non-sterile conditions.
But some people swear by it.
Any kombucha fans out there care to share?
The Kombucha starter or "mother." AP photo
I didn't get my usual Waverly market report this weekend, so here's one from the Sunday JFX market.
My husband and daughter headed there this morning while my son and I watered the garden and played Monopoly.
They came home with some good-looking bacon and spareribs from Truck Patch Farms, a bunch of red-skinned potatoes, fantastic cherries and strawberries that were, well, kinda blah.
I know local strawberry season is winding down, but I've had more than one underwhelming basket from the farmers' market this year.
The ones my husband and daughter brought home were red to the center and all that. And the first one I bit into was wonderfully sweet. But the rest I tried just didn't have much flavor, even when I sprinkled on some sugar.
Anybody know if it was it a bad year for strawberries? Or have I just been buying from the wrong farmers?
Getty Images
Fellini's "Roma" opened today at The Charles Theatre and food lovers have reason to take note.
Your "Roma" ticket stub will get you a deal at Sotto Sopra through Friday.
"Bring in your movie ticket stub from Fellini's Roma from Saturday June 12th through Friday, June 18th and get a FREE entrée or pasta with the purchase of another entrée or pasta," says the promotion.
You can find out more about Sotto's Sopra's menu online.
And here's what I can tell you about the the movie, which was made in 1972. Directed by Federico Fellini, it stars Peter Gonzales Falcon, Fiona Florence, Britta Barnes and Pia De Doses. It's in Italian, English and French with English subtitles.
"Rome exerted a powerful influence over Fellini throughout his life but rarely did he express his love for it more clearly than here," says the summary Sotto Sopra e-mailed along with the dinner promotion. "Mixing documentary-style reportage, self-contained dramatic set-pieces and strange, impressionistic sequences, 'Roma' explores the director's youth, the process of film-making and the mysterious allure of The Eternal City itself.
"Essentially a series of loosely-connected vignettes, the first section of the film sees the young Fellini (Gonzales) arriving in Rome in the 1920s. Thereafter the focus moves to a wartime variety show at the Barafonda Theatre. We visit a brothel, witness Fellini fall in love with a prostitute and listen to the American writer Gore Vidal's bleak assessment of the city's future. Binding these threads together is a team of documentary filmmakers shooting in 1972, when traffic chokes the ancient streets and hippies gather to get stoned on the steps of the Basilica."
Sound like something you could sit through, even without the promise of free food?
Sun file photo
I know it's only Saturday morning, but if you're already thinking ahead to cocktail hour, I have a suggestion for something to nibble on with whatever you're sipping: gougeres.
They're made from essentially the same eggy dough used for cream puffs, but for the addition of Parmesan. A little more Parm gets sprinkled on top with some crunchy sea salt.
They bake in just 20 minutes, which is a good thing on a hot day. And they're at their best hot, right out of the oven.
I made a batch last weekend for a gathering in a neighbor's garden and they were quickly gobbled up.
Warm Gougeres With Crunchy Sea Salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt or kosher salt
1 cup whole-milk yogurt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese (divided use)
coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk, butter, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the yogurt and reduce the heat to medium. Add the flour and stir until the mixture dries out slightly and no longer tastes of raw flour, 7 to 9 minutes.
Transfer the batter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese.
Use 2 spoons to drop 1 1/4-inch (walnut size) blobs of batter on the lined baking sheets. Sprinkle each puff with a pinch of the remaining grated cheese and pinch of coarse salt.
Bake until puffed and brown, about 20 minutes. Serve as soon as possible.
From "Chef Interrupted" by Melissa Clark.
Los Angeles Times photo
Regions quietly opened in Catonsville two weeks ago, just down Frederick Road from the spot where the owners also have the popular Catonsville Gourmet.
The 38-seat Regions is smaller, darker and quieter than the bright and bustling place up the street, said Sean Dunworth, who owns the restaurants with chef Rob Rehmert and Ed Geil.
"There's a more relaxed pace -- quieter, more subdued," Dunworth said.
The menu is a mix of small and big plates from various cuisines: Maryland, Asian, Cajun, Italian, French, Southwest and American comfort food.
OK, those are not all technically "regions," but who can argue with American comfort food as a category?
Regions photo
I was on the phone with Baltimore-based restaurant consultant Diane Feffer Neas yesterday, interviewing her for a story for next week's Taste section.
Out of the blue, she mentioned her new favorite restaurant in town is Dogwood. (And no, she's not doing work for the Hampden restaurant.)
And her new favorite dish? The side of blue cheese mac-n-cheese that came with her Dogwood ribeye steak.
“I have to tell you, I’m still dreaming about that blue cheese mac-n-cheese,” she said. "And my girlfriend -- I made the mistake of letting her taste some and she ate half of it."
Mac and Blue, as Dogwood calls it, is made with ruffled bow tie pasta, artisan blue cheese and ginger breadcrumbs.
"Umami to the max," is how Neas described it.
You can get the pasta along with a 14-ounce grass-fed Hereford Ribeye Steak and rosemary demi glace for $33.
Or it can be ordered as a side dish for $7.
Dogwood photo
Those of you waiting to shop at the nation's largest kosher supermarket will have to wait a little longer.
Seven Mile Market doesn't expect to open its store before October.
When the Pikesville kosher market announced plans in February to move and nearly double in size, owner Hershel Boehm told The Sun he hoped to open by summer.
I'd heard recently that those plans had been pushed back, so I phoned the store this morning and asked to speak with the owner or manager.
"We’re looking at no earlier than October," said the man who came to the phone.
(It wasn't clear if he was the owner, manager or someone else. He declined to give his name.)
The market, which opened in 1988, plans to move from its current, 28,000-square-foot location on Seven Mile Lane to a 55,000-square-foot former Safeway on Reisterstown Road.
Seven Mile Market owner Hershel Boehm. Sun photo by Kim Hairston
Why should Baltimore City get all the fun?
Baltimore County is planning a restaurant week of its own this summer -- the same week as the city's.
"All of our restaurants see a decline in business when the city has its restaurant week, so we're hoping to capture some of that magic that they have downtown," said Brian Boston, executive chef and owner of the The Milton Inn in Sparks, who is organizing the promotion.
Boston added: "One thing we have that the city doesn't have is free parking."
The county restaurant week, like the city's, will be Aug. 13 to 22.
Along with Milton Inn, participating restaurants are Cafe Troia, The Grill at Harryman House, Patrick's, Greystone Grill, Vito's Cafe, The Peppermill, The Melting Pot, Stoney River, Michael's, Sabor, Jesse Wong's Kitchen, Christopher Daniel and Artful Gourmet Bistro.
Some are doing lunch and dinner, others just dinner. The deal: lunch for $20.10, dinner for $35.10.
Chef Brian Boston at The Milton Inn. Sun photo by Barbara Haddock Taylor
I just got word of a wine dinner at Ranazul in Fulton Thursday night.
The $69-per-person dinner by executive sous chef Jared Radas will feature wines from Mt. Airy's Black Ankle Vineyards.
I'm afraid the event is already sold out, but I pass along the menu for your reading pleasure.
Course 1
Warm Grilled Peach Frisee and a Goat Cheese Dressing
Black Ankle Vineyards Albarino – 2009
Course 2
Rockfish with a Cornmeal Crust Arugula Salad and a Lemon Burre Blanc
Black Ankle Vineyards Chardonnay – 2009
Course 3
Seared Duck Breast
Toasted Walnuts, Shallots and Port Hydrated Cherries
Black Ankle Vineyards Rolling Hills – 2007
Course 4
Roasted Lamb Tenderloin
Fennel, Blueberries and a Blackberry Jus
Black Ankle Vineyards Leaf Stone Syrah – 2007
Course 5
Warm Strawberries and Rhubarb
Crisp Topping and a Spiced Creme Anglaise
Black Ankle Vineyards Passegiata 2008 and Bedlam 2009
Sun file photo of Ranazul
Hate to break your hearts, foodies, but it looks like ESPN Zone in the Inner Harbor is closing.
At least that's what an unidentified source tells the LA Times.
The source tells the Times that Walt Disney Co., which owns the chain, is shutting seven of the sports-themed restaurants.
The only ones to remain open are those located in Disney properties, such as the Downtown Disney shopping district in Anaheim, Calif.
Sun photo by Barbara Haddock Taylor
In this week's Shallow Thought Wednesday post, John Lindner wants to hear about your feelings. Not about Sabor, the restaurant that inspired his post. But about the stroll through the parking lot to the BYOB's front door. Here's John. LV
Visited Sabor recently. Lots to say about it, but will keep this short.
Great food. My fave is the Halloumi cheese appetizer allegedly invented by the chef’s 10-year-old (approx) son. Ravishing spice/texture concert: like buying a ticket for a Van Morrison gig and getting surprise guest appearances by Hooker, Raitt, Guy and … and … and … Orbison. (I realize some of these folks are dead, so much the cooler to have them cameo, right?)
Also loved the salmon on risotto, the bacon-(mmmm….etc)wrapped monkfish on mushroom ragout, and the smoked salmon spring roll resting on the best cole slaw I’ve ever tasted. Also learned that I can take one bite of bread pudding and leave the rest. Bread pudding not bad, mind you; just not worth getting hurt over, much less to die for (a reflection on my taste, not on the talents suffusing Sabor).
For a reliable opinion on Sabor, go here and see if the link to EL’s review loads for you. Didn’t for me. Whatever she said, I concur.
Here’s the thing: Sabor is strictly BYOB on adult beverages. We brought a nice Peter Howland’s ’08 Suitcase Pinot Noir that for $13 captivates.
My STW: “I walked through the parking lot of a strip mall on my way to a really nice restaurant holding a bottle of booze and felt _____!”
For a chance to get a date with John McIntyre*, fill in the blank.
Photo -- of plate just before I licked it clean -- by Bon.
* also include recent picture, bank statements, list of ten favorite books
There's an old saying in journalism: If your mother says she loves you, check it out. Reporters are supposed to be skeptical.
But when an Amish guy in a straw hat and one of those mustache-free beards told me he was selling grass-fed beef raised without antibiotics or added hormones on a Lancaster County farm, I quite literally bought it. When I was done reporting at Baltimore's new Amish market, I happily shelled out for some ground beef and flank steak for home.
Only later, when I prepared to write a story on the market for The Sun's Taste section, did I bother to Google the farm where the meat guy said the beef had been raised. John F. Martin & Sons wasn't bragging about any grass-fed beef on its website, so I called. The owner told me the company only processes and distributes beef -- all of it raised in conventional feedlots around the country.
I like a good gotcha story as well as the next reporter, but I honestly felt sick about calling up an Amish guy -- even an Amish guy with a cell phone -- to ask if he'd lied to me. I told Meat Guy what the Martin's owner had said. He said that was news to him, and that he'd have to talk to Martin's. Meat Guy called back shortly thereafter to say he'd been deceived about his meat. But then he went on to say how the price of land in Lancaster County was such that no one was raising beef there, at least not on the scale required to supply his three-day market.
Another vendor at the market made no bones about where his chicken came from.
"Sysco," J.R. Beiler reported cheerfully.As I write in the story, the Amish have as much right as anyone else to sell Sysco chicken and factory-farmed beef. The question is whether someone shopping at an Amish market would assume — even without the sort of assurances Meat Guy initially offered — that the products come from Amish growers, not some international food distributor.
I asked Meat Guy what was particularly Amish about selling meats raised on industrial farms far from Amish country.
"I don't know," he said. "I guess it's a million-dollar question."
He added, after a moment's reflection, "We are Lancaster County, and we are coming down here."
Meat Guy, aka isaac Esh, with his daughter, Cynthia Joy, at the market. Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron
Let me assure you that it really is
Tuesday.
But I'm not thinking 10. I'm thinking 101.6, 103, 102.9.
My little boy has had a fever for a few days, and I'm home with him today.
I'll still keep the blog posts coming, but I don't have a Top Ten list for you. Sorry.
If you have a Top Ten list of your own you'd like to share, here's your chance.
Somebody else's little boy gets his temperature taken in this Sun file photo
I got an e-mail yesterday from a reader looking for some restaurant advice. She writes:
"I am an event coordinator, and represent a large company that will be a large exhibitor at a conference in October at the Convention Center. Throughout the conference week, my client entertains customers at dinner in groups ranging from small (4-6) to larger (40+).
"Can you give me any good suggestions for restaurants in or near the Inner Harbor, Little Italy, Fells Point (and other close areas) that would be good entertainment spots? Especially those with private or semi private dining areas."
I asked her what type of convention it would be, since what might appeal to, say, conventioneers at last year's Conference on Paranormal Phenomena (Rocket to Venus) might not be the first choice for the crowd at another convention, like the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society International Symposium (any restaurant without freshwater mollusks on the menu).
The convention in question is the American Association of Blood Banks conference. The woman's client is a medical specialty company.Any suggestions?
Sun photo by Lloyd Fox
Sergio Vitale of Aldo's got quite a response -- much of it negative -- when he trumpeted news that Lookin at Lucky's owner dined at the restaurant after winning the Preakness.
When another celebrity supped at Aldo's Sunday, Vitale still wanted to share the news, but in little more understated way.
"Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates just called us to make a reservation for dinner tonight after their Pier 6 concert," he e-mailed me Sunday afternoon. "Needless to say, (given my recent experience), I won't be preparing a press release after this dinner (LOL) but I'll share any details if interested."
I told him I was interested. If you are, too, here are the details of the dinner enjoyed by Hall and two companions. Here's Sergio. LV
They had: Chef Aldo's House-cured Charcuterie: Pancetta & Sopressata
Arancini - Risotto Balls stuffed with Meat Sauce, Peas and Carrots
Soft Shell Crab, Brown Butter & Remoulade with Sweet Corn Fritter
Crab Cake Appetizer, Beef Carpaccio Hall had Zuppa di Pesce (assorted fresh seafood in a tomato bouillon) for dinner.
He [Hall] was vacillating between the Osso Buco and the Zuppa, then decided on the Zuppa.
Affogato for dessert (vanilla gelato, espresso and sambuca)
Vitale, left; Hall, center; and Chef Aldo Vitale at the restaurant. Aldo's photo
The American Visionary Art Museum, which has brought us a whole lot of unusual sculptures over the years, wants to give us a whole lot of food and drink, too.
They're dishing and pouring it out Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. an event called Sante. It's a fundraiser for the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland, but let's get to the part you really want to hear about -- the food, which will be provided by chefs from several restaurants. Here's the menu:
B&O American Brasserie – crispy pork belly with cherries and smoked balsamic
Chesapeake Fine Foods – caviar, crab cakes, smoked salmon and pastries
Crush – tuna tartare paired with a mini-cocktail
Linwoods – coconut shrimp, crab cakes, crispy oysters, five-spiced duck and papaya served in wonton cups, filet of beef roulade, smoked salmon tartare, Moroccan meatballs and Thai-seared tuna
Milan – lobster mac-n-cheese
Parfections – chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate bark and filled truffles
Blue Hill Tavern, Caroline's Cupcakery, Clementine, Corks, RA Sushi, Taharka Bros. Ice Cream and The Wine Market will round out the menu.
Culinary demonstrations will be conducted by Joy Ludwig (pastry chef at Charleston), Sandy Lawler (chef/owner of Feast @ 4 East) and Jesse Sandlin (executive chef at Vino Rosina and former "Top Chef" contestant).
Guests can wash all that down with American craft beers from The Brewer’s Art, Flying Dog, Harpoon, Heavy Seas, Lagunitas, North Coast, Smuttynose, Stillwater Artisanal Ales, Stone, 21st Amendment and Weyerbacher. European beers include Ayinger (Germany), Lindeman’s (Belgium), Orval (Belgium), Pinkus Organic (Germany), Rochefort, (Belgium), Samuel Smith (England), Traquair House Ale (Scotland), Westmalle (Belgium) and Zatec (Czech Republic).
Aveniu Brands will pour wines from around the world. The Maryland Wine Association will serve local wines. Laurie Forster, aka “The Wine Coach,” will offer informal wine-tasting instruction. Boylan Bottling will provide artisanal natural sodas.
If that doesn't sound like enough to eat and drink, there's a VIP reception at 2 p.m. with "premium" foods and drink not available at the main event. No word on what the foods will be, but the drinks will include tastings of gin led by Nelson Carey, sommelier and owner of Grand Cru wine bar; rum by Joe Squared owner Joe Edwardsen; and tequila by Blue Agave owner Liz Atwood.
Tickets are $100 for the premium tasting; $75 for general admission in advance, $85 at the door; and $40 for designated drivers (no alcohol).
Tickets are available online or by calling 443-322-0377.
Fifi the Pink Poodle is a regular at the museum's kinetic sculpture race. Maybe she'll show at Sante. Sun file photo
Ever watch those "reality" cooking shows where chefs are running around supermarkets, frantically filling their carts? That never happens in real life, right?
Except Sunday morning, when I was supposed to make something for a bake sale to benefit a family at my church.
The couple had four children of their own and have, over the years, adopted four more from China, all little girls with health problems. They are in the process of adopting yet another little girl, this one with serious heart defects. The sale was to raise money for adoption and medical expenses.
A good cause to say the least, and I very much wanted to contribute by baking something.
I'd worked Saturday, but figured I could bake for the Sunday morning sale when I got home. And I could have, if my husband hadn't decided to make a batch of hard-boiled eggs, leaving none for the sour cream coffee cakes I'd planned to bake.
I'm not complaining about my husband. All he wanted was some protein in his salad. And he was good enough to go to the store for me after dinner. But by the time he got home, it was late and I was beat. I figured I could get up at 6 Sunday and have plenty of time to have the cakes at church before 9 a.m. Mass. The sale would begin right afterward.
So I got up, creamed the butter and sugar, added the eggs, combined my dry ingredients. All going according to schedule. Until i cracked open my container of Breakstone's. Curdled.
It wasn't Breakstone's fault. I'd had that container in the fridge for longer than I'd realized. It had never been opened, but it was well past its expiration date.
So it was off to Safeway, where I made a mad dash to the dairy case -- why is that always in the back of the store?!! -- and then to the register and out the door.
Back at home, I was able to get the cakes quickly into the oven. Once baked, they seemed to take forever to cool enough to be wrapped for the sale. But I managed to get the cakes to church in time. Not quite before the start of Mass, as I'd intended, but well before it let out. So we were late for church, but in time for the bake sale.
i was good with that. So good, I didn't even mind when I took my kids over to the sale and my son chose a store-bought doughnut.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
The origins of this recipe are unclear. I got it from my mom. I think she got it from her sister-in-law.
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Cream butter with white sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat a couple minutes. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat about a third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Beat in about half of the sour cream. Beat in another third of the flour mixture, then the remaining sour cream, then the rest of the flour.
In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon.
Pour half of the batter into a 10-by-4-inch tube pan. Top with half of the brown sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter on top, and sprinkle the rest of the sugar mixture on top of that.
Bake at 350 degrees for ...
OK, now you'll really know this is a family recipe. Maybe 40 minutes. My copy doesn't actually indicate a cooking time. I doubled the recipe for the bake sale but used a bunch of smaller loaf pans. I can't even tell you how long those smaller cakes took. Seemed like for-ev-er, but it was one of those mornings. Just bake until it is browned on the top and it passes the toothpick test.
Miami Herald photo
Crepe Du Jour in Mount Washington has started offering gluten-free crepes.
Owner Mustapha Snoussi said he decided to add them to the menu about two months ago, partly because customers sometimes ask for them, but also because his 8-year-old daughter has Celiac Disease.
"I knew it was a challenge for her," he said.
Snoussi makes the crepes with a special gluten-free flour made of potato starch, sorghum, tapioca and chick pea flours.
"With Nutella, I tried it," he said. "It was very nice."
Then again, what isn't nice with Nutella?
Local cherries already? Wow, this spring is just whipping by! Alan Morstein of Regi's reports their appearance at Waverly this morning. Here's Alan. LV
It was like hitting the three cherry slot machine jackpot at Waverly this morning. Cherries sweet and plump from Black Rock Orchard in Lineboro, Maryland.
Other local favorites included: zucchini, squash, baby patty pan, asparagus, leaf lettuce of all types, strawberries, some local tomatoes, heirloom hot house tomatoes and sweet baby peas.
Potted flowers and herb plants are a closeout price of 1.00. A good sign of better things to come from the farm.
Waverly Market, which is the only year round Farmer's Market, allows its farmers to display produce from outside the state. Taking advantage of that opportunity you can buy top quality seasonal favorites from the south: silver queen corn, sweet red peppers, cantaloupes, potatoes, broccoli and fresh mint for that backyard mojito.
Sun photo by Algerina Perna
People go to restaurants all the time to celebrate their own birthdays.
But what about the restaurants' birthdays? Totally overlooked!
Until now.
Petit Louis Bistro is throwing itself a 10th birthday party Sunday, June 27.
Cancan dancers, live music and French bistro fare by Executive Chef Ben Lefenfeld will be offered from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tickets are $50 per person, $30 for children.
"Join us for celebratory wines and surprises for all!" the announcement says.
For more information or to make a reservation, call the restaurant at (410) 366-9393.
AP photo
Bar owner walks into a liquor board hearing.
He hands out menus with things like "A**Byte Burgers" and "Lil Cluckers" chicken tenders, telling the board: "You won't remember what you ate, but you'll remember you had a good time."
The board votes (Thursday) to grant Dick's Last Resort a liquor license for its soon-to-open outpost in the Inner Harbor.
Punchline:
[Your punchline here]
Roy's, the Hawaiian fusion restaurant in Harbor East, puts on a beer dinner Monday night.
The event is a send-off for two servers, who are about to begin a cross-country bike ride to benefit a charity they created.
Over the next four months, Paul Lebelle and Adam Burkowske will bike from Baltimore to San Diego to raise money for Bikefree, which will give free bicycles to the children of active-duty military personnel.
The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday and costs $55 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 410/659-0099.I'm afraid I don't have a menu yet for the dinner. If I'm able to get one from Roy's, I'll post it here.
Roy's photo
Ever wonder where chefs eat out on their night off?Benjamin Erjavec of The Oceanaire Seafood Room e-mailed me recently to say how much he likes the "great pub food" at Second Chance Saloon in Columbia.
Tucked away in the Oakland Mills Village Center -- what isn't tucked away in Columbia? -- the saloon is in the spot once occupied by Last Chance Saloon.
Erjavec lives nearby, and he often comes in for a bite after work or on his days off.
And what does the chef who turns out seafood dishes like $46.95 Dover sole select for himself from the Second Chance menu?
"Old Bay wings are probably his favorite," said Wendy Binder, one of Second Chance's owners.
Those set the chef back $7.99.
While it serves simple pub fare, Second Chance does it right, Binder said.
"We make everything, down to our chips," she said. "Our tortilla chips and potato chips are all homemade. We cut and batter our fried vegetables. We do everything fresh."
The saloon, at 5888 Robert Oliver Place, opens its patio bar for the season Friday night with acoustic rock music outside. The "all-girl" rock band Wicked Jezebel will perform inside from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.
When Chef Erjavec gets his fill of Oceanaire cuisine, he heads to Second Chance Saloon for wings. Sun photo by Amy Davis
In the dark days of winter, when we're staring at supermarket produce and another round of whopper blizzards, try to remember back to this moment, when you're asking yourself: how can LV possibly write about another farmers' market?
As it turns out, I'm not writing about another farmers' market. But a Dining@Large reader is. The reader, who goes by mededitor, has sent me this dispatch from the brand-new market at the Timonium Fairgrounds, which features vendors exclusively from Baltimore County.
Mededitor reports seeing garlic "pigtails," which are otherwise known as garlic scapes. They make a great pesto.
Here's mededitor's report. LV
I thought the Sandbox might appreciate a report on the latest Farmers’ Market to open.
A friend and I headed to the Timonium Fairgrounds yesterday for the “sneak preview” opening of the Baltimore County (only) Farmers’ Market. We got there about 3, and there were just a few folks strolling among the stands -- admittedly it was hot, hot, hot. A young woman was polling people to find out how they’d heard about it -- I mentioned that I’d read about it on D@L (thanks for spreading the word!).
Happy to see the following vendors: Atwater’s Bread (yay!), One Straw Farm, Springfield Farm, Gunpowder Bison, Albright Farms, and a few other familiar faces whose names I forget. Several flowers-only vendors, a spice/barbecue/hot sauce guy, a chutney vendor, and several others.
On offer were sweet strawberries, lots of greens, those funny little garlic “pigtails,” lovely peppery pink French radishes, delicate squashes and their blossoms, some kohlrabi and what might be the last of the asparagus. Lovely stuff. I got almost teary when I picked up a small, tightly clustered, shiny, tender head of red-leaf lettuce from One Straw Farm. Beautiful. (I actually winced when I chopped off the bottom of it last night to make a salad … )
So: Verdict? Off to a slow but promising start, I think. I’ll be spreading the word as much as I can, not only to support the farmers, but to support the FM there in general. If it starts to bustle like Waverly and JFX, it could be solid hit.
Would like to see it come back next year. (We live in Parkton, so it’s a 60-mile r/t to head to the Jones Falls FM on Sunday. Urgh. I’ll be a regular at this new one.)
Details: North entrance to Fairgrounds on York Road. Easy parking right on the lawn. Grand opening next week.
Inside scoop: One vendor told me that during the Maryland State Fair, the plan is to hold the market inside, every single day (not just Weds), and rotate to different vendors daily.
Garlic scape pesto. Sun photo by Algerina Perna
Here's some foodie news from an unlikely source: The Baltimore Museum of Industry.
The museum holds a wine tasting Thursday night featuring Maryland wines and charcuterie prepared with local ingredients by Clementine restaurant.
The event begins at 6:30. Cost is $15 for museum members, $20 for non-members.
For reservations, call (410)727-4808 ext 132 or email gmorris@bmi.org.
On Saturday, the BMI's farmers' market begins for the season. It is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Sept. 25.
The last surviving crane from Bethlehem Steel's Key Highway shipyard, at the entrance to the Museum of Industry. Sun photo by Jed Kirschbaum
Sorry to be so farmers' market-centric, but another one opens today, and it's brand new, so I think it deserves a mention.
The Park Heights Community Farmers' Market, run by the Park Heights Community Health Alliance, is located at Pimlico Racecourse.
Produce vendors include Barbour Farms, Greenwood Farms, Woerner's Orchard, Marshall Farms, Valley Produce and Baltimore Hoop Village, a Civic Works agricultural project at Clifton Park. Vendors for cooked foods include Cake Cre8tions, Snipes Barbecue and Stone Hearth Bakery. Catch of the Day fish market and Captain Don's Maryland crabs and fish offer seafood.
The market accepts the Independence Card (the new name for food stamps). Customers are able to double their Independence Card dollars up to $5 at the market, which also accepts WIC Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Vegetable checks and Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers for seniors and mothers with young children.
The hours for the market were not immediately available. I'll post them when I get them, but I know the market is celebrating its grand opening this hour, which is why no one is available to fill me in on the schedule right this moment.
UPDATE: The market is open Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
UPDATE No. 2: Whoops. I misunderstood. The market is not new to Pimlico. What is new is that it accepts Independence Cards this year. Sorry about that.
Baltimore Hoop Village veggies. Sun photo by Lloyd Fox
Another farmers' market gets going for the season today, this one at a time and location that's convenient for downtown workers.
The market will be open at the Baltimore State Office Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The hours should work for state office employees and others who can pop out to do a little shopping at lunch.
Let's just hope there's room in the office fridge for anything that needs to be kept cold.
This is the second year that the Maryland Departments of General Services, Health and Mental Hygiene, and Agriculture will host the market, at 300 W. Preston St. The market will be open every Wednesday through late October.
Sun file photo by Glenn Fawcett
Qdoba Mexican Grill in Ellicott City is giving away free Mini Street Tacos Wednesday night.
The catch: customers only get one order of the tacos, and they have to buy a drink, too.
So it might not be the deal of the century. But it is a chance to try out the new menu item. Here's how the restaurant describes the tacos:
"Each taco starts with a small, soft corn tortilla filled with the guest’s choice of Qdoba’s signature, slow-roasted pulled pork or seasoned shredded beef and then topped with a tangy red onion and fresh cilantro relish."
The event is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the chain's Ellicott City location, 9050 Baltimore National Parkway, Suite 101.
Qdoba fare. Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron
Choosing a winner in the Anthony Bourdain/Paula Deen/Mrs. Butterworth poetry contest was no easy task.
I anticipated sorting through a few ribald limericks given the subject matter: sex, syrup and two TV foodies. But instead of the man from Peru, I got Shakespeare and Coleridge. Not to mention a spare, and startling, haiku.
The winner is:
Lord Marmalade's homage to Coleridge (below).
The last line of the poem put it over the top: "spiteful rake you got your butter's worth."
His Lordship will receive a free bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, or real maple syrup, if he prefers.
In Xanadu would Tony do
what a boar deigns beneath him,
to grunt in rut of cunning stunt,
a grudge, a nudge, lust's labored affront.
This carnal feast, a hoary beast,
brings the chef's skill to bear.
To bone a duck no mean feat,
but this deep-fried bird
would best the mettle and sway
of even august Escoffier.
The bird once boned, now time to stuff
with tangy delights, plums and nuts.
An act of depravity in that cavity,
the fowl laden succumbs to love's gravity.
Now baste it slow in warm afterglow
of pungent unguents, work in your tallow,
wick away your lip-licked labored sighs
pay attention kneading knuckles to the thighs.
Exhausted, spent, of effort no dearth,
spiteful rake you got your butter's worth.
AP photo
Great Sage, a vegetarian restaurant in Clarksvile, has gone completely vegan.
"It was just going with our feelings and our respect for all animal life and all life in general," manager Angel Shorter told me by phone just now.
The change is not exactly breaking news. The restaurant made it back on Jan. 1. But I was unaware of the shift until friends who'd been there recently happened to mention it over the weekend.
Shorter said the change has been generally well received. She also said that the restaurant has expanded its gluten-free options, and that many parents appreciate how seriously the Great Sage kitchen takes food allergies.
"Ninety percent of our menu had been vegan. We had some dairy options," she said. "We've just eliminated the dairy options and the customer base is growing more and more by the day. I think we've made a lot more people believe that vegan food can be delicious as well as good for you."
But my friends were not pleased with the change. They were particularly disappointed in the mac-n-"cheese" their young son had ordered. My own kids loved the dish when it was made with real cheese. But the vegan version, presumably made with some sort of tofu-based substitute, didn't go over so well with my friends' son.
Though I'm not a vegetarian, much less a vegan, I've always enjoyed Great Sage, not just because the food was good, but because the owners seemed to care quite a bit about where their ingredients came from. If that concern has led the owners down the path of veganism, I can't quarrel with that. I just hope, selfishly, that some of my favorites are still on the menu.
A Great Sage mac-n-cheese, from when it was made with cheese. Sun photo by Kenneth K. Lam
I had to work Saturday, which was kind of a bummer but for one thing: I had a morning assignment around the corner from the Waverly Farmers Market. With any luck, I could swing by before returning to the office and pick up a falafel sandwich for lunch.
Luck, however, was not with me. By the time I finished interviewing people at the newly reopened firehouse, the Waverly vendors were packing up.
I still had falafel on the brain by the time I finished up my work day, so I decided to make some at home. I've made serviceable falafel many times over the years, following a recipe in a cookbook so old that it brags about being high carb.
But it didn't come close to the falafel from the vendor who sells at Waverly and under the JFX. His is terrific because he pairs chickpea patties with more than a little tahini sauce and pita. He adds things like grated carrots, grated beets, strawberries and herbs.
So this time, the recipe in "Jane Brody's Good Food Book: Living the High-Carbohydrate Way" was just my starting point. I added lots of other stuff to the sandwich, either because Falafel Guy uses it or because it happened to be growing in my garden.
The result was a very tasty sandwich that my husband, 7-year-old daughter and I happily ate for three days straight. (My 5-year-old son wouldn't go near anything but the warmed whole-wheat pita.)
Which brings me to this week's list:
Top Ten essentials to farmers' market-worthy falafel
1. Cayenne pepper
A sprinkle on the mild patties gave them some needed heat
2. Grated beets and carrots
3. Chopped strawberries
4. Swiss chard
This addition could also serve as the missing No. 5 in last week's list of solutions for "The Locavore's Dilemma," a problem otherwise known as Swiss Chard overabundance. A few torn leaves, along with some lettuces from the garden, were a nice addition to the sandwich.
5. Cilantro
6. Dill
7. More dill
You can't have too much when there's a yogurt sauce involved.
8. Arugula
9. Parsley
10. Mint
Here are the basic falafel and tahini sauce recipes from "Jane Brody's Good Food Book." (1985, W.W. Norton)
Falafel
1 egg
1 T water
1 Tsp. lemon juice
2 T minced fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup tahini
2 C cooked, drained chick peas
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground chili powder
1/3 cup wheat germ
In a food processor, combine the egg, water, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, soy sauce and tahini until they form a smooth mixture. Add the chickpeas and spices and blend again. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the wheat germ. Form into patties (six or more) and fry on a lightly oiled skillet until lightly browned on both sides.
Yogurt-Tahini Sauce
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate, covered, until serving time.
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