Next Sunday I tell you about our dinner at the new Grano, the Hampden pasta bar that moved from 36th Street to larger quarters where Dangerously Delicious Pies Savory House used to be at 3547 Chestnut Ave.

I'm not sure what the status of the old location is. I know the Cuban shop/cafe or whatever it was going to be decided not to move in. Someone on this blog commented that the old location was still open, but when I called today no one answered, and there isn't a voicemail message that says it's Grano. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Grano " »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Next Sunday I review Hell Point Seafood in Annapolis.

This is the seafood restaurant that Robert Kinkead, the well-known Washington restaurateur, opened.

I've heard that he calls it "Kinkead Lite," but since I've never been to Kinkead's in DC, I had nothing to compare it to. Maybe that's a good thing.

To see what I thought of our dinner there, please look for my review in the Arts & Entertainment section. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Hell Point Seafood" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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My daughter laughed when I told her we had just eaten at Azul 17 because the friends she had been with had spent time at two hot spots in Chicago that same evening: Hub 51 and Bin 36.

Is it a trend in the making?

Next Sunday I'll be reviewing Columbia's new Mexican restaurant and tequila lounge. Anyone who expects Mexican food to be cheap, plentiful and not hip probably isn't going to be happy here. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Azul 17" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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As some of you may have guessed from my bacon soap post, next Sunday I'll be reviewing Volt in Frederick. This is the restaurant suddenly made famous because owner/chef Bryan Voltaggio is a contestant on Bravo's Top Chef this season.

We had trouble getting a table, and we went during the week. Most Baltimoreans who want to try Voltaggio's elaborate and pricey New American cuisine will probably want to make the long drive to Frederick on a weekend. You'd better call weeks in advance for a reservation. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Volt" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)
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I'm afraid I've been a little slow with this post -- about two days slow -- but I have an excuse.

The photo for the review isn't going to be shot until later today, so when I ate at Umi Sake in Cockeysville I took a few pictures with my phone camera  to go with this preview. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Umi Sake" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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I'm afraid there isn't going to be one. I'm having fun with my daughter here in Evanston, although the fun consists of going to the movies and reading instead of the sightseeing in Chicago because she's under the weather.

Next Sunday you'll find a little box that says, "Elizabeth Large is on vacation. Her review will return next week." Although by the time you read that, of course, I will no longer be on vacation.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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The changes at Alizee in the Inn at the Colonnade have been so major I decided to go see for myself, even though it was reviewed recently. Other Reviewer Richard was there not so long ago when it had a different chef, different owners, a different kind of cusine and a different menu.

The new chef, Christian deLutis, was at the Wine Market in Locust Point and helped make it the success it is. I'll be interested to see what he can do for Alizee. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Alizee" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
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Next Sunday I review the new Blue Hill Tavern in Brewers Hill. Everyone who writes about it (that I've read) comments as much about the striking decor as anything else, so it wasn't quite as startling for me as it would have been if I hadn't known about it in advance. You're more likely to find out the name of the firm that designed it (Cahill Studio in New Jersey) from the press it's getting than the name of the chef.

The Blue Hill Tavern is very handsome, but noise is a real issue in a space like this because so little fabric is involved. I do think  you can use industrial carpeting if nothing else to get some soundproofing and still maintain the bare minimalist chic look. That's what, for instance, the new B & O American Brasserie did.

Anyway, is the food as good as the design? You'll have to wait until next Sunday to find out my opinion.

(Photo courtesy of the Blue Hill Tavern Web site)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Next Sunday I review the new B & O  American Brasserie next to the Hotel Monaco Baltimore. I've started to worry about the restaurants along the N. Charles corridor now that several good ones have closed, but I think this one will be OK. It doesn't hurt to be attached to a hotel and be this close to the Inner Harbor.

When I called to make reservations for 7 p.m. (I know, I know) on a weeknight, I was surprised to have the hostess suggest that they were pretty busy then and maybe it would be better to pick another time.

It does have all the ingredients to be Baltimore's newest hot spot. To find out why I think so, please read my review in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section.

(Kim Hairston/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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Next Sunday I review Maisy's, the restaurant that opened this summer where Copra used to be on N. Charles Street. I wish them well, but I have no idea why restaurants stay open for dinner along this stretch of Charles; the customers just don't seem to be there. I'm sure Maisy's does a decent lunch business, but I wonder who comes here for dinner.

Yet several restaurants do, and they seem to be surviving if not thriving.

Parking isn't difficult if you're willing to go around the block a time or two. And something I forgot to mention in my review: Sunday through Wednesday, Maisy's has a New York strip steak dinner for $11.95.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Next Sunday I review Pizzazz Tuscan Grille, the newest restaurant in the Pier V Hotel. It's an unusual concept because Italian pasta and pizza don't always go hand in hand with highly nutritious food. But the owner is trying. Prices are right, and it's cute as a button. Not to mention that great deck overlooking the water.

However, I worry about any restaurant in that space that's trying to attract a dinner crowd. Even if it does everything right, it's still contending with the fact that it's so tucked away, and parking is expensive.

The two things that may save it are a) people stopping there for a bite after work before they get their cars out for the commute home and b) the folks who now live in the area because of Harbor East. If Pizzazz can lure folks away from all the restaurants in Harbor East proper, that is.

(Tasha Treadwell/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
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Ranazul in Maple Lawn has been on my mental to-do list since it opened, but it kept getting pushed down as other restaurants closer to home needed reviewing. The events of the last couple of weeks got me thinking about it again.

As regular readers know, the owner of Ranazul has teamed up with the owner of Jordan's Steakhouse in Ellicott City to reopen what was the oZ. Chophouse in Maple Lawn. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Ranazul" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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I had to get out of town for next Sunday's review.

Restaurant Week is a killer for critics. Even if a restaurant is offering its regular menu as well as the fixed-price one, I worry that the kitchen's attention is on the special offerings and not what we'll be ordering. Plus the wait staff may be dealing with more than it normally has to.

So next Sunday's review will be of a new Annapolis restaurant, the Real Seafood Co. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Real Seafood Co." »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Suzanne Loudermilk and I are going to have to stop meeting like this. This is the second time we've reviewed a new restaurant on the same night. (The first was at Taverna Corvino in Federal Hill.)

Last week at the 13.5 % Wine Bar in Hampden, Suzanne, the restaurant critic at Baltimore magazine and a friend from when she worked at the Sun, was sitting at a table next to ours.

It's hard to keep a straight face when we run into each other on the job. I keep thinking about the poor server who might have both our tables.

Maybe we should just pool resources and start reviewing together. We'd get to try more food, which could only be to the readers' advantage. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: 13.5 % Wine Bar" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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Well, this is awkward. Yes, I will have a review next Sunday -- barring even more complications -- but I can't tell you what the restaurant will be.

That's because, for reasons I can't disclose right now, I had to postpone my visit until later this week. Obviously I can't announce what the place will be before I actually go there.

Usually I work fairly far ahead exactly for times like this where I'll need a little wiggle room to get the review done. But this is the first time I've needed it since I started doing review previews the Sunday before.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
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I've been hearing good things about a wine  shop and restaurant called Pairings Bistro that opened not too long ago in Bel Air. The chef/owner, Jon Kohler, has a Belgian wife, so the food is an interesting mix of Mediterranean and Belgian cuisine. The dishes on the menu (mostly small plates but a few more substantial offerings) are paired with a suggested wine, available by the glass or bottle.

So last week we drove up to Bel Air to check it out. Like so many wine bars in the burbs, Pairings doesn't have the atmosphere one in the city would. It's in a newish shopping center, and the outdoor seating overlooks the parking lot. But don't hold that against it; Pairings is definitely worth a try.

To find out more, look for my review in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section.

(Photo courtesy of Pairings Web site)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
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Next week I review the new Hill Restaurant in Federal Hill. The owner, Antoine Petteway, was the chef at the Metropolitan a couple of blocks north. I'm guessing he's got a loyal following, and a lot of his customers are now enjoying his cooking at the new place.

But it isn't easy locating the phone number if you want to make a reservation, so save that link. With the Hill, I've finally found a restaurant name even harder to Google than Three... Especially because it's in Federal Hill.

To find out what I thought of the food and how our evening went, check out my review in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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And now for a change of pace. Enough of these new, trendy, Harbor East, high-energy, tapas kinds of places. Next Sunday I review Pappas Restaurant in Parkville.

It's a classic Old Baltimore restaurant, the kind that used to be everywhere but is now a dying breed.  Seafood and steaks are the specialty. You have to have the crab cakes. And prices are surprisingly reasonable.

These days when most restaurants are struggling, Pappas had every table filled the night we were there. To find out how our meal was, please look for my review in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section.

(Photo courtesy of Pappas's Web site) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
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Next Sunday I review Talara, the new ceviche and Nuevo Latino tapas bar (with a little sushi thrown in for good measure) in Harbor East. I got around the ceviche/seviche question by not mentioning Talara's sister restaurant, Seviche in Pittsburgh. That way I can go with our style book and spell the raw fish marinated in citrus juice with a "c" without confusing folks.

If you've been thinking of trying Talara's Happy Hour, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and after 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, do it before my review comes out. I think it's a great deal, and I say so. You spend about two-thirds of what you'd be spending otherwise. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Talara " »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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Next Sunday my review of the Village Square Cafe in the Village of Cross Keys will appear in the Arts & Entertainment section.

Originally it was a restaurant I thought Other Reviewer Richard would review, but he happened to know the chef so he recused himself. And once the cafe -- which has a liquor license, by the way, although it's been primarily a breakfast and lunch place till now -- started serving dinner three nights a week, it became more the kind of restaurant I review. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Village Square Cafe" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
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It's kind of an odd photo for this post, but it does show you something of what the subject of next week's review, Crepe du Jour in Mount Washington, looks like. It's a very cheerful place.

I remember when Crepe du Jour was a cart in the Cross Keys Village Square selling crepes in good weather. When it moved to Mount Washington, it was reviewed by other critics in Live eight years ago. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Crepe du Jour" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (33)
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I kept meaning to get to Bistro Blanc. Honest I did. But a lot of new restaurants were opening closer to home than Glenelg, and somehow I didn't get around to it until now. 

The funny thing was that when we pulled into the whatever it's in (strip industrial park?) I almost turned around and went home. But not to worry, the interior is much, much nicer. And the food is well worth the drive. The menu is the creation of Marc Dixon, the chef who opened Iron Bridge Wine Company in Columbia. He's still there after almost a year, which is something of a record for chefs and new restaurants these days.

(Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
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Next Sunday I'll tell you about my meal at Si Salsa in Pikesville. If they decide to publish the review. Hahaha, just having a little fun, Editor Tim.

You have to give the place credit. I'm not sure I would have the nerve to open another South of the Border restaurant here, where two of the most popular Latino restaurants in the area are located.

Anyway, check out next week's Arts & Entertainment section to see what I thought of it.

(Doug Kapustin/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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OK, let's take it from the top. Once more with feeling. Because of a bit of a glitch in the production process (new editors, vacations, yada, yada, yada), today's review of Taverna Corvino in Federal Hill was not in the paper. No review was in the paper. (Although it did say I was on vacation.) Nor will there be a Monday Morning Quarterbacking tomorrow.

I did get a very nice e-mail from one of my editors saying it wasn't my fault, which was very nice because at this point I was so confused I was perfectly willing to think it was.

So next week, I promise, my review of Taverna Corvino will appear in the Sunday Arts & Entertainment section.

The good news is that it's given me the opportunity to use lots of Jed Kirschbaum's very fine photos of the place. This one is of housemade linguine with Gorgonzola cream, toasted chestnuts and basil.

(Jed Kirschbaum/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
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Next Sunday I review the Taverna Corvino in Federal Hill, the restaurant that took over the Juniors' location.

The most surprising thing happened the night I reviewed it. Who should be standing in front of me waiting to be seated but Suzanne Loudermilk, the reviewer for Baltimore magazine. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Taverna Corvino" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
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Oh, look. It's raining again. Isn't that nice. And to think I turned down a chance to live in Seattle, where it would have been drier.

Anyway, next Sunday I review the reinvented Carlyle Club in, sigh, Tuscany/Canterbury. I don't say Homewood anymore because there's a guy who always sends me a nasty e-mail when I do.

I shouldn't be mean. The poor man is probably head of the Tuscany/Canterbury Neighborhood Association and is tired of people saying, "Where's that? Ohhhh, you mean near the Homewood campus."

The Carlyle Club is now a "coastal Indian" restaurant, which translates to "We're offering something different from the Ambassador, our other Indian restaurant in the same neighborhood [Tuscany/Canterbury]."

So check out my review in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section. And, of course, I'll link to it here in my Monday Morning Quarterbacking feature.

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (39)
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Now that it seems like fewer restaurants are opening because of the economy, I may be returning to my old ways. I may be revisiting restaurants more often than I do now to see how they have changed (or not).

If I had to guess, I would say that my readership is about evenly divided between those who want to know about the just-opened restaurants because they like to try new places, and those who prefer that I keep an eye on established places because it's fun to read about familiar restaurants.

Next Sunday I'll be reviewing Sascha's 527 in Mount Vernon, a restaurant many of you know best as a lunch spot. I went for dinner, when it's a very different restaurant.

Check out my review in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun Photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
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If you judged from the number of e-mails I get wanting to know the phone number of La Famiglia, the new Italian restaurant in Tuscany/Canterbury, you would assume it's the hottest table in Baltimore.

That may be the case. Or it may be that the place had trouble with the phone company at the beginning, and it didn't get straightened out until after the restaurant was open a short while.

Apparently 411 is still confused. So as a public service, I'll give you the number here: 443-449-5555.

To find out what I thought of the food, you'll have to wait until next Sunday, when my review appears in the Arts & Entertainment section.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
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So I finally went to Meridian 54 (formerly Red Fish, Le Bistro Midi and Weber's on Boston) in Canton and had a nice meal. I wrote up my review and turned it in.

My editor read it and thought maybe I should give the food 3 stars instead of 2 1/2 based on my description. I read it again and agreed, although I had said I thought the accompaniments were better than the entrees, but so complicated (different ones for each of 13 entrees), I didn't see how it was cost effective when the place had so few dining room customers.

Why am I telling you all this a week in advance? ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Meridian 54 -- not" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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When I was making up my Top 10 list of new restaurants I was looking forward to visiting, I completely forgot Frank & Nic's West End Grille. It opened late last year. I really haven't heard much at all about it, which can sometimes be a bad sign

It turned out not to be a bad sign at all, although the place wasn't exactly what I expected from the Table Talk column I had written about it.

For the details, please look for my review in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section.

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
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Next Sunday I review Sullivan's Steakhouse, and in my review I answer the question "Can another upscale steakhouse thrive in Baltimore?"

I also mention but don't go into detail the fact that the tables outside on the restaurant's little deck were surprisingly busy, even though it was cold the evening we were there.

My theory is that Baltimoreans are yearning to eat outside, if only a restaurant will make it possible. Making it possible means having those big propane heaters for chilly days. You can just barely see one in the photo.

I know that they are an investment, and I know a lot of people just want to eat outside so they can smoke, and I know it isn't easy to get a liquor license for outdoor tables. But I still like the fact that more and more places are offering outdoor seating. In fact, I think I'll do a separate post on the subject.

(Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)
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Next Sunday we take a trip to Middle River and visit Catches Restaurant, Grill & Wine Bar.

Pulaski Highway isn't exactly where you'd expect to find a purely seafood restaurant, and indeed Catches is much more than that: There are just as many steaks, pastas and chicken dishes as fish. Not to mention the unlimited salad bowl a la Olive Garden and breadsticks.

Did I mention the karaoke?

To find out whether I did my rendition of "Moon River" while we were there, you'll have to look for my review in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section.

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)
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Next Sunday I review Vito's Cafe, a moderately priced BYOB restaurant in Cockeysville that might not usually catch my eye.

But Luca Pesci, formerly of the now-closed Boccaccio, took over the kitchen and told me he was offering some intriguing specials and would eventually redo the menu. That sparked my interest.

My one regret, after looking at the photo to the left, is that we didn't get a pizza.

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Next Sunday I review the reinvented Bicycle in Federal Hill, to see how its new lower prices and more casual fare compare to the old Bicycle's prices and menu. I last reviewed the restaurant a few years ago when current owner/chef Nicholas Batey took over.

It's not exactly a budget restaurant these days, and it's still a fine place for a special occasion meal; but a real effort has been made to make the menu more appealing and affordable to casual diners, particularly neighborhood folks who are being careful about eating out in this economy.

The photo, by the way, is of a caramelized onion naan pizza, which may look a little weird but is really tasty.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I just put Gailor on the plane back to Illinois. Sad. She borrowed a hammer from her dad and took it with her in her carryon luggage. I mean, really. She can't take 3.5 ounces of eye makeup remover with her, but she can take a hammer. 

Anyway, it was chance that I turned in my review of Brasserie 10 South about the time we had one of our most interesting series of comments in recent memory -- about that very restaurant. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review: Brasserie 10 South" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
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Next Sunday I review Cafe Troia in Towson, one of the few fine-dining restaurants in the area.

Recently the Italian restaurant moved to bigger quarters across the street from the original location, and also expanded its menu. That was enough of an excuse for me to go back and see what I thought of the changes.

My review will appear in the Arts & Entertainment section of the Sunday Sun.

(Kim Hairston/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Roddy Domacasse is a chef who has certainly paid his dues at any number of well-respected restaurants around town, from Linwoods to the now-closed Brasserie Tatin.

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

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

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)
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Next week in the Arts & Entertainment section I review a restaurant that there's been remarkably little information about since it opened quietly a few months ago.

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

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

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

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
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Peter's Inn in Fells Point is one of those restaurants that people love passionately because there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. If there's any restaurant that's the exact opposite of a chain, Peter's is it.

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

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

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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It's very confusing, I know, because as a Dining@Large reader you know when I'm actually on vacation, and then in the print edition -- usually about two weeks later -- it says there will be no review this week because Elizabeth Large is on vacation. I work farther ahead than I really need to just in case something comes up (like the stomach flu, or it turns out the chef left the day after I ate there so I have to quickly go somewhere else).

But next week I will have a review in the paper because I didn't need to use the one I did before I left for today's paper because today was my year ender. And, no, I'm not going to link to it today because then what would I do for Monday Morning Quarterbacking tomorrow? ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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The closing of the Hyatt Regeny's Pisces got me to wondering what new hotels were doing when they had to open a dining room downtown where the competition is fierce.

The Hilton Baltimore decided on a hybrid: not fine dining, but not a sports bar either. ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Next Sunday I return to Juniors Wine Bar in Federal Hill, which has a new Executive/Concept Chef. (Chiaki, the photographer, says that's how he writes it, with the slash, but I don't think I'll do that more than this once.)

Anthony Marini has come up with a new menu of "Nibbles" and "Plates." He says he doesn't like the terms "tapas" or "small plates," but for the most part that's what they resemble.

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the reinvented Juniors, and you can read my review in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section.

Pictured are the $100 Potatoes, which, you'll be glad to know, cost $14.

(Chiaki Kawajiri/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
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It might have been our discussion of places in Mount Vernon that are alternatives to the Helmand. Or it could have been the information I got about the restaurant's truffle dinner. But I was inspired to go to Feast@4East in the 4 East Madison Inn for next Sunday's review.

This is an interesting  place. It opened last June for dinner. (It had been serving lunch in the courtyard before then.) And it's only open for dinner three nights a week. 

If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive dinner out (not cheap, relatively inexpensive) or if you're a vegan, Feast is a good place to know about. Look for my review in next week's Arts & Entertainment section. 

(Glenn Fawcett/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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I've never eaten at Mari Luna Mexican Grill in Pikesville (the other reviewer wrote about it), so I didn't realized the full extent of its popularity.

Mari Luna Latin Grille, its new, more ambitious sister restaurant, is on its way to being just as big a success.

Why? In this economy particularly, people value decent food at good prices, friendly service and a fun place to be. What they don't seem to be caring as much about is whether a restaurant is "in," cutting-edge or so overpriced you must be important to be eating there.

So how was my experience at the new Mari Luna? Please look for my review next Sunday in the Arts & Entertainment section or online.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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Next Sunday I review Corks in Federal Hill.

This was a fine-dining restaurant we hadn't been hearing much about with all the new places opening up in Harbor East and other neighborhoods around town. So maybe owner/chef Jerry Pellegrino did a smart thing in closing  Corks for a couple of months to reinvent it.

It's certainly more in tune with the times now. You can still spend a lot on a traditional appetizer-entree-dessert-with-wine meal; but there's much more flexibility in the menu now, and it's more fun, with sandwiches, fondues, entree salads and even a gourmet corn dog on offer.

To see what I thought of the food, please check out my review next week in the Arts & Entertainment section or online.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Next Sunday I review the Brewer's Art in Mount Vernon. Because I'm not a beer drinker, I sort of forget about it although I've had very good meals when I've eaten there in the past.

I love dishes made with beer, though, so I was happy to hear that the restaurant's new chef was getting into that. The fact that there is a new chef and a new menu, and also all the places that have opened in the Hamilton/Lauraville area that have some connection to Brewer's Art, inspired me to pay it a return visit.

Please look for my review next Sunday in the Arts & Entertainment section, or online.

(Photo courtesy of the Brewer's Art Web site)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
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I don't usually review hotel restaurants around the airport. I mean, what's the point? They exist mainly to serve the people who are staying there. But Luminous in the Westin at BWI is interesting because local celeb chef Edward Kim of Soigne fame is the executive chef.

He's not doing the day-to-day cooking, but he did design the menu at Luminous, and he did bring his sous chef from Saffron,  another stop of his, to be the chef de cuisine.

To see how Luminous stacks up against some of the other restaurants Kim has been involved with, please read my review in next week's Arts & Entertainment section or online.

(Photo courtesy of the Luminous Web site)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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This rather ominous photo is from Red Maple, the tapas lounge in Mount Vernon. Once I heard its executive chef, Jill Snyder, had been chosen as a contestant on Bravo's reality show Top Chef, I had to go try the food for myself. 

I had reviewed Red Maple when it first opened, but she wasn't the head chef then, so I had never tried her cooking. 

To find out what I thought you'll have to read my review in next week's Arts & Entertainment section or online, but I will say both this time and last I was impressed that the staff seemed genuinely glad we were there -- even though we aren't nearly cool enough for the surroundings. (Well, maybe I am, especially when I'm wearing the silver Corso Comos Gailor gave me for Mother's Day; but the rest of my companions aren't.)

And now off to the block party.

(Chiaki Kawajiri/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Next Sunday I'll review Michael's Steak & Lobster House in Bayview. This is not going to come as a surprise to many of you, considering that I've milked it for so many posts already: Old Baltimore restaurants, a Top 10 and even champagne cocktails.

I believe this is the kind of restaurant where if you're a regular you know what and what not to order on the menu, so you never have a bad meal. Coming in cold, we had some hits and misses.

I was impressed that the place offers steamed crabs year round. Not many white tablecloth restaurants do that.

Anyway, look for my review in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section or, of course, online.

There won't be a Monday Morning Quarterbacking tomorrow, by the way, because Elizabeth Large Was on Vacation in the section today. Do you get as confused with my deadlines as I do?

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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Next Sunday I review Tapabar in Little Italy. I talk a lot about whether a non-Italian restaurant can survive in Little Italy, but maybe I ought to have thought about the question in broader terms.

I don't have much sense about how Little Italy's restaurant scene is doing in general.

I know there are several spots that have been empty for awhile. I'm not sure if and when Boccaccio is going to open again after its owner's death.

Tourists are always going to want to go to Little Italy. Locals seem to realize that there are other neighborhoods in Baltimore that have good Italian restaurants, but a lot of us still love Little Italy.

Anyway, is there room for a Spanish-Venezuelan tapas bar in Little Italy?

(Gene Sweeney Jr./Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Those of you who only read the Sun online and this blog only sporadically may not realize that the Top 10 from Tuesday the week before is reprinted in the Wednesday food section. In the interval between the two I may have a whole new candidate.

This happened with the Top 10 Noisiest Restaurants. One of people who went with me to the Hamilton Tavern in, where else, Hamilton went nuts when he saw it wasn't No. 1 on the list. I had to assure him it would have been, but when the list was originally made up we hadn't been yet.

So just to let you know if you go back to the Top 10 archives, none of those restaurants, except maybe RA Sushi, holds a candle to it.

But what about the food? Ah, for that you'll have to wait for my review next week in the Sunday Arts & Entertainment section.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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One of the most anticipated restaurant openings recently has been Crush, which took the place of Taste in Belvedere Square.

Although Baltimoreans never embraced Ann Nault's creation, everyone agreed the neighborhood would suffer without another restaurant anchoring the square. So when Daniel Chaustit, formerly of Linwoods in Owings Mills and Christopher Daniel in Timonium, took over, you could practically hear a collective sigh of relief.

The question is whether Crush is enough of a neighborhood place to survive, considering Chaustit's fine-dining background. Find out what I think in next Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
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As faithful readers know, I'm "on vacation" today as far as my review is concerned because I didn't write one the week I was in Chicago for a couple of days. I work pretty far ahead.

For next week, I ventured out to Annapolis, and Carpaccio, the new Italian restaurant in the Park Plaza complex.

Like so many restaurants that are in these big new complexes and malls, it has a chain feel to it, even though it's not. I think no matter how nicely they are decorated (and this one is), it's hard to overcome the soullessness of the space.

Note to self: Maybe restaurants with soul have to be in older buildings? ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
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I almost forgot to tell you about next Sunday's review. I went to Pisces in the Hyatt, the dining room with the best view in Baltimore.

It also has a new chef and some very good seafood, but I'm always struck when I review a hotel dining room these days that people don't seem to take them (hotel dining rooms) seriously. Whatever happened to the restaurant in the Brookshire, for instance? Or the Tremont?

Odd that once hotel dining rooms were the best restaurants in a city. I'm not sure why that changed.

(Glenn Fawcett/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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The reason I'm using a photo from two years ago to promo my review of Shin Chon (in the Lotte Plaza in Ellicott City) is that there was a bit of miscommunication about the photo assignment.

I spoke on the phone to a waitress who seemed to understand what I was asking, but I realize now she was just agreeing with everything I said to be polite.

When the photographer arrived for the shoot, the owner (Jum Suh, pictured) knew nothing about it.

Not to worry. There will be new photographs for the review. They're being taken Tuesday. I'm hoping they will show you the major renovations that this Korean restaurant underwent. It was closed "a hundred days," the owner told me.

If you enjoy Korean barbecue cooked at your table by you or your server (you can do it yourself or not), don't miss my review in next Sunday's Arts & Life section. I think this is the only place in Howard County that offers it, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Jumbo Seafood is probably my favorite of the Chinese-American restaurants in the Baltimore area, although I've only eaten there maybe three times over the years. The people are just so darned nice, and the delicate Peking pancakes are to die for.

Recently the place added a sushi bar to keep up with the times, but really this is the restaurant to come to when you feel like the classics -- won ton soup, beef with broccoli and so on. I was going to say it's a place where you don't expect any surprises, and then I came across this striking photo that was taken for the review. Pictured is a special that was on last week, sliced tuna with orange slices, olive oil and capers for $11.95. Not something that was offered when I was there, but I love the photo.

Anyway, read my review of Jumbo Seafood in next Sunday's Arts & Life Today section.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (39)
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Next week I review an old favorite with a new owner, Sanders' Corner in Loch Raven.

The two best things about it have always been the breakfasts served until 1 p.m. every day and the fine outside seating on the covered porch overlooking the Loch Raven Reservoir area.

When I looked over the photos for the review, I realized I hadn't asked for one of the view. Luckily I had taken one from the porch when we ate there, so I'll post it below.

And look for my review in next Sunday's Arts & Life Today section. 

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Bliss Coffee & Wine Bar in Riverside is something of an oddity because it's a coffee house that opens at 6 a.m. and serves a continental breakfast, a wine bar and a full-fledged restaurant. That's a lot of directions for one place to go.

How successfully does Bliss manage it? Please read my review in next Sunday's Arts & Life Today section to find out.

I wonder, though, if this is something of a model for suburban coffee houses/wine bars. I say that on the basis of one other, in nearby Bel Air, which is basically a breakfast and lunch place that turns into a wine bar on Thursday and Friday nights. Nah, it must just be coincidence.
 

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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The dining room in the basement of the Admiral Fell Inn is most famous for being the place where Cindy Wolf of Charleston first made a name for herself in Baltimore. The series of restaurants that occupied the space after her Savannah closed were all pretty good as I remember, but none seemed to strike the public's fancy in the same way.

The latest is Fin Steak & Seafood, a not-so-memorable name for a restaurant whose kitchen can produce some memorable food. For more on Fells Point's newest fine-dining spot, please read my review next Sunday in the Arts & Life Today section. 

(Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)
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When we got to the new Riptide by the Bay (1718 Thames St., 410-732-3474) in Fells Point, I was surprised to find that it had steamed crabs (no one had mentioned them when I called for Table Talk) -- and they are practically its raison d'etre.

I don't know if Riptide is Fells Point's only crab house or not. Both Mo's and Obrycki's are nearby, but I don't think of them as Fells Point proper. Anyway, we jumped at the chance to try the crabs, and we also sampled the regular dinners of this casual seafood place. (Always a messy business to do both at the same time, but as usual your restaurant critic will undergo any hardship for you. Did I mention the corn on the cob steamed in its husk?)

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Next Sunday I review Clementine (5402 Harford Road) in Hamilton. As the Chameleon Cafe down the street did, it started off as a neighborhood dining spot.

But also like Chameleon, I won't be surprised if Clementine ends up having citywide appeal. 

(Andre Chung/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
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Next Sunday I review the Oregon Grille in Cockeysville, which has a new chef after more than a decade. By chance, Dan Thanh featured the restaurant in her consumer column today. I can't imagine why what she describes ever became an issue, but I'd be interested in your take on it.

(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)
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I'm sitting on the floor of a darkened motel room in Dublin, Va. so as not to wake up my other driver, and I'm wondering if Dublin needs a restaurant critic because I'M NOT GETTING BACK IN THE CAR.

We got a late start yesterday (gee, that's a surprise) and didn't roll in until 10:30 p.m. At that point we simply fell into bed, and as soon as Gailor wakes up we're supposed to hit the road again. This seems a lot worse than our road trip because she hurt her back and I have to do more of the driving.

Luckily there are some really fine eating establishments along I-81 to make me feel better. ...

Continue reading "No review next Sunday" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (32)
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Next Sunday I review the new Sushi Hana in Lake Falls Village shopping center. I was so terrified about Neighborhood Rage I placed it in North Baltimore, not Mount Washington or Roland Park.

Sushi Hana is certainly is doing better than its predecessor, Panda Gourmet, did in that spot. Getting a liquor license, which is in the works, will also help.

Look for my review in next Sunday's Arts & Life Today section. 

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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Saute (2844 Hudson St.) in Canton is a restaurant and bar that opened with lofty ambitions and high expectations. The space is handsome, particularly when the weather is nice enough to allow the big windows on two sides to be opened wide. You almost feel like you're eating outdoors.

I'll be interested to see if and how the place changes as it discovers its constituency. I can't believe in six months there won't be a burger on the menu. But I admire the place for attempting more. For details, please read my review in next Sunday's Arts & life Today section.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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Because I forgot of the holiday last Monday and the fact that I was in computer class all day Friday, I didn't assign the photo for next week's review in time to have it taken and put in the system to go with this entry. So no visuals today.

The restaurant is Ciao Pizza Bistro Italiano in the Shops at Quarry Lake, and I know the name sounds like something I'm making up as a generic Italian chain restaurant name.

Not so. This is a local, independently owned place. And it's a big success. Someone was telling me a lawyer friend who could afford to eat anywhere in the city eats at Ciao several times a week. It's his new favorite place. Just because that's hard for me to believe doesn't mean I didn't like the restaurant. Read my review next Sunday in the Arts & Life Today section.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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For the next couple of Sundays I'm going to look at some moderately priced alternatives to chains in my reviews in the Arts & Life Today section. 

My first one is Stone Mill Bakery in Green Spring Station. It now offers dinner from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. every evening. 

This comes at a good time for two reasons. One, the economy. All entrees are $14.95, which includes salad and bread.

Two, it's summer, and Stone Mill has a great patio.

This would be a good place to post any suggestions you have for places that aren't chains that have very reasonably priced dinners that aren't bar food. Or even a particular dish, even if the rest of the menu isn't a bargain.

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Next Sunday I review the Catonsville Gourmet Market & Fine Foods. One of the partners has been in the wholesale seafood business for years, which explains the market part. But the restaurant has been so successful in its first weeks that I wouldn't be surprised if the retail cases disappear to make room for more tables.

Read my review of the Catonsville Gourmet in next Sunday's Arts & Life Today section. 

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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You may have a preconceived notion of what a patisserie and bistro named "honey" would be like. I know I did.

Meli, which means "honey" in Greek, is the Kali's Restaurant Group's third place. It's nothing like I imagined it. For one thing, it's much more of a restaurant and night spot than I expected. I'll be writing about our meal there next Sunday in the Arts & Life Today section. We can talk about it Monday.

(Chiaki Kawajiri/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Next week I revisit the Brass Elephant in Mount Vernon. It's been given new life with a new chef, Andrew Maggitti, and a new cuisine. The menu is now Italian once again.

To see what I think of the changes, please read my review next Sunday in the Arts & Life Today section. And if you've eaten there since Chef Maggitti came on board, let us know what you think by posting below.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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When people first heard that someone connected to the much beloved Matthew's Pizza in Highlandtown was opening a restaurant in Locust Point, they expected a sort of Matthew's West. That's not what Luca's Cafe is at all.

It does have pizza, but a thin-crusted kind with very different sorts of ingredients. And pizza isn't even the star of its bistro menu.

Luca's fills a gap in the Locust Point dining scene. (Imagine saying those words a decade ago.) To find out more, you'll have to wait for my review in next Sunday's Arts & Life Today section. 

(Picture of Shrimp on Fire by Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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This is why I never get anything done. I go out to dinner, I write a thoughtful review, it gets thoughtfully edited, I post a snappy little entry about its being Next Sunday's Review, and then it all goes out the window.

I just got this e-mail from Night of the Cooker's Executive Chef Joshau Hill: ...

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review isn't" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
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Restaurants in this area have had success serving upscale Southern cuisine (most notably Louisiana and Savannah/Charleston), but I can't think of one that has introduced upscale Southern Sunday supper cuisine to Baltimore. Until now.

The menu at Night of the Cookers on Antique Row is an unusual combination of barbecue (and other down home cooking) and high-class dishes like duck breast with risotto and blood orange vinaigrette. It will be interesting to see how this plays in Baltimore.

You know I don't like to say much about a restaurant before the actual review runs, but I will tell you this: I wouldn't mind some more of that etouffee.

Look for the review in next Sunday's Arts & Life Today section. 

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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It's weird but true that I never ate at Mencken's Cultured Pearl, the Mexican cafe in Southwest Baltimore that closed in '98. (It got reviewed, of course -- the last time by a LIVE critic.)

I hope Baltimore Pho gets more support than its predecessor did. I liked it a lot, in spite of a few flaws.

It wasn't what I expected; but to get the details, you'll have to wait for my review next Sunday in the Arts & Life Today section.

By the way, I've listed the address as 1116 Hollins St. because that's how the manager asked me to. Although technically the restaurant is at 1114 and 1116, the main entrance is at 1116 (unlike the Pearl).

(Kenneth K. Lam/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Well, surprise. I've been on vacation so there isn't a review for next week. However, if you've been someplace good lately, feel free to tell us about it below. (Hey, if you've been somewhere bad or even just mediocre, we'll listen.)

To get things started, here's a review of Peter's Inn in Fells Point that ex-deskmate Steve Kiehl sent me. The only art for Peter's I could come up with is to the left. Mmmm, maybe time for a real review. (Sorry, Steve.) : ... 

Continue reading "Next Sunday's review" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
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It's hard on a restaurant, I imagine, when people expect it to fail because of its location. But Tark's Grill in Green Spring Station seems to be making an early success of it, for reasons I'll tell you about in my review next week in the Sunday Arts & Life Today section.

(Kenneth K. Lam/Sun photographer) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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This is a view of the Helmand, the Afghan restaurant in Mount Vernon, that you'll never see in real life: with empty tables.

Even after all these years, and even after all the hot new restaurants that have opened up, the Helmand always seems to be busy.

Next Sunday we're doing the Arts & Life Today section for those on a budget (or if you just like to be careful with your money). It wasn't hard to pick the restaurant that would be the best bang for your buck -- especially because I hadn't reviewed the Helmand since 1992, although I've been there on my own since then.

 
(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
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When you’ve had all you can take of trendy new hot spots, one cure is to turn to Baltimore’s bar-restaurants, the ones that have been around forever and pride themselves on their crab cakes, hamburgers and steaks.

When you have one in your neighborhood like McCabe’s in Hampden, which offers five homemade soups to begin with and freshly baked desserts to end, all the better. 

But with rising food costs, places like these could be hurting. The cost of beef and crab meat has skyrocketed, and what was once a bargain meal is no longer.

Then, too, has the smoking ban hurt McCabe’s — or helped? The open dining room is so close to the bar it wasn’t possible to have a no-smoking section before.

Find out what I think in my review in next Sunday’s Arts & Life Today section. And check out tomorrow's Monday Morning Quarterbacking if you want to talk about today's review of Abacrombie.

(Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)
 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Baltimore foodies having been wondering what Abacrombie, once one of our finest restaurants, is like under its new management. After it and the bed and breakfast that housed it were sold, the dining room had a couple of false starts and then finally closed. Diners who ate there during that period sometimes had some pretty bad experiences. I actually wondered if it would ever reopen.

But now Jerry Pellegrino, owner of Corks in Federal Hill, has taken over the restaurant and is working with Jesse Sandlin as executive chef and Greta Clausen as general manager. The question is whether they will be able to duplicate the success of former owner/chef Sonny Sweetman. He’s a hard act to follow.

Find out what I think in my review in next week’s Arts & Life Today section.

(Chiaki Kawajiri/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Next Sunday I go back to Kali's Court, the upscale seafood restaurant in Fells Point, to see how new executive chef Damon Hersh is or isn't changing things. He's the chef who made his name in Baltimore by opening Louisiana, also in Fells Point.

The shrimp dish pictured is still on the menu under Hersh, but the photo is from the archives because the ones for this review haven't been shot yet.

Read my review in next Sunday's Arts & Life Today to find out more. 

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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I almost forgot to tell you about next Sunday's review, which will appear in the Arts & Life Today section.  In honor of Chains Week, as this is turning out to be, I'll be reviewing the city's newest, Arizona-based RA Sushi in Harbor East. This is the rock-n-roll sushi bar and restaurant that specializes in whacko maki rolls like the one pictured (Viva Las Vegas).

If you can put aside for the moment that this is the loudest restaurant you've ever been in, and probably the reddest (not the most soothing combination) -- and if you're over 30 you probably won't be able to put the ambience aside for a moment; that's the point -- you may be wondering how the food is.

I'll tell you everything you need to know.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
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The wait for Junior’s Wine Bar to open in Federal Hill has been a long one.  This is the restaurant located where Vespa once was, and at first glance there are many similarities. For one thing, Junior’s co-owner  and executive chef, Mike Russell, is the chef who opened Vespa. Like its predecessor, Junior’s offers moderately priced bistro fare and an affordable wine list.

But the renovations that took so long have also made it a very different place. The back has been opened up so this is a much larger restaurant.

The focus has broadened, too. No longer is the emphasis completely on Italian food and wine, which gives Russell more latitude to show his range. 

To see what I thought of our meal there, please look for my review in next Sunday’s Arts & Life Today section.

(Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Todd Conner’s is one of the new breed of Fells Point bar-restaurants that are stylish, neighborhood oriented and family friendly -- although so far the dining room isn’t doing as brisk a business as the owners would like, according to the bartender and partner, Michael “Reds” Cassidy. 

It’s a tough time of year to open a restaurant; but if the food is good, the customers will eventually find you. Specials at Todd Conner's like Wednesday Neighborhood Night -- where if you can prove you live in the neighborhood you get 25 percent off your check -- will help.

So is the food good? To find out how our visit went, look for my review in next Sunday’s Arts & Life Today section.

(Monica Lopossay/Sun photographer) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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I want you to forget about the name Victoria Gastro Pub for a minute. Yes, it's a bit medical-sounding, but just be glad that Columbia has another independent upscale casual restaurant. It's an area that routinely votes Clyde's as most popular restaurant in the Zagat surveys. Nothing against Clyde's, but that does suggest chains are the norm, not the exception in the area.

I won't tell you how our meal went until next Sunday in the Arts & Life Today section, but I will say the menu is as offbeat as the name -- not quite pub food, not quite fine dining.

Too bad Victoria is located in a former Bennigan's. I imagine most people just assume it's another chain they hadn't heard of before.

(Doug Kapustin/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
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So many new restaurants have been opening up downtown lately I haven't had time to revisit some of the classics in the burbs.

I would put the Kings Contrivance in that category, part of the restaurant group that includes the Brass Elephant and the Milton Inn among others.

There's comparatively little in the Columbia area that's not a chain and offers fine dining, so it was definitely time after 13 years for me to take another look.

You'll find my review -- and what I think of the restaurant's major renovations that were just completed -- in next Sunday's Arts & Life Today section. I'm hoping the page will be in color because of the beautiful photos Sun photog extraordinaire Algerina took. But if not, I'll post some here.

(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Last Sunday I reviewed the new Lemongrass in the Tack Factory complex behind Little Italy, and next week I take a look at Tsunami, its sister restaurant. The two are separated by an interior courtyard.

Lemongrass, a Thai restaurant and lounge, is already a certified hit -- impressive considering it's a little out of the mainstream of downtown hot spots. But that doesn't mean Tsunami automatically will be. Standards will be higher for this Asian fusion and sushi restaurant because prices are.

I'll tell you what I think in my review next Sunday in the Arts & Life Today section. But one thing I didn't mention in the review is that after dinner at either of these restaurants, you can extend the evening's fun by getting on the elevator and going up one floor where Baltimore's most upscale bowling alley is located.

(Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Practically since the day it opened, Lemongrass has been one of  Annapolis’ most successful Thai restaurants — so much so that the owners opened “Lemongrass Too” on Housley Road. Now they have brought their formula of moderately priced Thai food, good-looking  surroundings, and incredibly cool servers to Baltimore.

Lemongrass Baltimore is located at 1300 Bank St. in a renovated tack factory behind Little Italy. It has more style that you can shake a stick at and a jazzy night life scene, with a limited menu from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. seven nights a week. Nothing on the menu is priced over $16. But what’s important to most of us is whether the Thai food is any good. To find out what I thought about our meal there, you’ll have to read my review in next Sunday’s Arts & Life Today section. 

 (Elizabeth Malby/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Much has been written about Woodberry Kitchen’s being Baltimore’s first “green” restaurant. The owners, Spike and Amy Gjerde and Nelson Carey of Grand Cru, a wine bar, have used reclaimed materials to build a stunning restaurant inside a 19th century foundry in the Clipper Mill complex.

The kitchen, headed by Spike Gjerde of Spike & Charlie’s fame, uses local and organic ingredients whenever possible. The quirky menu is a lot of fun. But does this entertaining restaurant, which has become the hottest table in town, live up to the advance billing? See what I think in next Sunday’s Arts & Life Today section.
 

(Kenneth K. Lam/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Next Sunday, where my review usually appears in the Arts & Life Today section, I'll take a look back at the area's restaurant scene in 2007. 

As I do every year, I'll talk about the important openings and closings, the trends I see happening locally, and also hand out a few awards, including Weirdest Name for a Restaurant. (This year there was also a runner up.) Feel free to post your guesses below, but keep them local, please.

The photo is of oven chef Mariano Rios at the new Woodberry Kitchen working on an appetizer, Sizzling Shrimp, which is also pictured in the foreground.

(Kenneth K. Lam/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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While we're discussing the decline of Chinese restaurants, it's hard to ignore the fact that pan-Asian restaurants seem to be the way to go these days. Witness the opening of the Jasmine Asian Bistro in the Shops at Quarry Lake.

This is the restaurant that moved from Towson to the new development in not-quite-Pikesville. It was a smart move because now Jasmine has bigger and better quarters, a liquor license, lots of parking, and is no longer surrounded by other Asian restaurants.

To see how our meal went in the new location, you can read my review in next Sunday's Arts & Life Today section.

(Andre Chung/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Review Preview
        

I’ve been meaning to get back to Ze Mean Bean in Fells Point ever since I heard this fall that it had been extensively renovated and had a new (actually returning) executive chef, Dennis Keruly.  

This Eastern European restaurant and wine bar has been a Fells Point fixture since 1995 when it opened as a coffee house.  Over the years, it’s become much more of a restaurant, and now serves an intriguing mixture of Slavic comfort food and complicated dishes using fine-dining ingredients and techniques.

To find out how my latest visit went, look for my review in next week’s Arts & Life Today section.

(Photo courtesy of Matthew Dornic) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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More than any other new restaurant this year, Cinghiale in Harbor East has been the most eagerly awaited and the most critically examined once it did open.  (OK, maybe Fogo de Chao was more eagerly awaited, but I doubt if the customer base is the same.)

The road has been a bit rocky for Tony Foreman’s pet project, an enoteca, Italian wine bar, and osteria, tavern. The executive chef who opened it has already left for family reasons, and the menu has changed to accommodate the way Baltimoreans like to eat.

But now the kitchen has had time to settle down. Is Cinghiale as good as everyone expected? Read my review in next Sunday’s Arts & Life Today section to see what I think.

(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Review Preview
        

So many new restaurants have opened this year I haven’t had much time to go back to revisit old favorites. Next Sunday, though, I take time out to review Henninger’s Tavern in Upper Fells Point, a place I haven’t been to since 1995. 

It’s an appealing place, one that will be even more appealing when the smoking ban goes into effect in January. (The smoke does drift into the dining room from the bar next to it.)

Henninger’s has become one of those Baltimore institutions, known for offering New American cuisine rather than the expected pub grub. To find out if I think the food is still as good as it used to be, look for my review in next Sunday’s Arts & Life section.

(Gene Sweeney Jr./Sun Photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Review Preview