Warthog's Profile
Best Chap Chae in the Baltimore/AA County area?
A friend is craving chap chae, and I'd like to be able to point her to the best choices in the area. Recommendations?
Goodbye, Ayubi's
The fellow I spoke to (one of the long-time Ayubi's staff) says that the Ayubi's owners will not be trying another location. He said (I cannot confirm any of this independently) that the owner also has other businesses, including the New York Fried Chicken shops, and he's going to focus on those businesses rather than trying again with Afghani cuisine elsewhere.
The one potential bright spot is that I was told that the new owner is going to at least keep the kabobs on the menu, though he is not going to keep any of the non-kabob Afghan items. Maybe he figures that if the equipment is already there, it's worth using it for a while and seeing if it pays off, rather than incurring the cost of pulling it all out.
Again, just passing on what I was told, so if things play out differently, please don't shoot the messenger!
Goodbye, Ayubi's
I went to Ayubi's in Glen Burnie tonight and got the bad news that they have been sold, and will change over in two weeks to Hip Hop Chicken and Fish - apparently a local Baltimore chain. They are currently selling off the remaining Afghan food so if you want one last taste of the Afghan part of the menu, go soon.
Good gluten-free pizza in Baltimore?
I'm not aware of any gluten-free pizzas available in this area, but others might chime in on that aspect. If there turn out to be any, however, the other half of the question should also be discussed - what sort of pizza do you consider "good"? Do you like NYC-style, Neapolitan, Chicago deep-dish, California-style "gourmet" pizza, or ??? Not trying to be a wise guy, it's just that I'd hate to have you get a recommendation from somebody based on the "gluten free" aspect, only to have you be disappointed that the pizza itself is not of the style you prefer.
Best authentic Mexican in Baltimore?
If you really meant Mexican/Hispanic (as in "Spanish speaking" vs. "from Spain") cuisines, there are a lot of good hole-in-the-wall Salvadoran places in the area. Many of the "Mexican" places are actually run by Salvadorans.
In the Mexican vein, I second the rec for Fiesta Mexicana, and there is now a second location on Conkling street, just a block or so south of Eastern.
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Fiesta Mexicana
8304 Philadelphia Rd, Rosedale, MD 21237
Gelato on B&A north of Linthicum
The new name is Three Bears Creamery, and it's at 4501 Annapolis Road in the Baltimore Highlands area. Open until ten most nights - don't remember what the sign said about how early they open. Of the flavors I've tried full portions of or sampled the little micro-spoon taste of, the only one I haven't liked was the "Orchid Cream Vanilla" - tastes like cake frosting to me, and I really don't need the after-effects on lips and tongue of the blue food coloring they use in that one.
Gelato on B&A north of Linthicum
Some of you may recall that on 648/B&A Boulevard going toward Baltimore from the B&A/Nursery Road intersection, just on the Baltimore side of the 895 overpass there's a little strip of three or four storefronts that had a gelato place that had very erratic hours, and was run as something of a hobby by a fellow whose main business was selling the gelato making machines and training people to use them.
I went by there recently, and that shop has now been taken over by the people who run the sub shop a couple doors down, and the hours are now a bit more predictable. The gelato is still quite good, and the new proprietors promise lots of snowball flavors, too, come summer. Definitely worth checking out.
Bummer news about Mi Viejo Pueblito
We went last night, and had a chance to talk to Federico, the owner. He indicated that they'd only been in the space for a couple of weeks. He said that at first he tried leaving the menu unchanged from what Mi Viejo Pueblito had been doing, but found that he was not comfortable recommending things to customers that were not his food and his recipes, or as he put it "This food is from my heart". It didn't sound like he had anything against what had come before, it's just that being in the restaurant biz is hard work, and he feels he needs to be 100% committed to the product he puts out.
I'm sad to see Mi Viejo Pueblito go, as I saw it and Fiesta Mexicano as being complimentary - different, but good, variations on the same style. On the other hand, if somebody had to take over the space, it's nice to see that it's going to stay in the same vein, and be a good solid replacement. And of course, for those of us who found the drive from their homes to Rosedale a limitation, perhaps the new location will allow a view more taste of this style of Mexican food. For those who find the original FM space crowded and the parking problematic, the new space will allow us to eat without feeling like we need to rush to make room for somebody else.
Federico indicates that there will be only minor changes to the decor, such as solid colors to replace the sponge painting on the walls, and he plans to open the wall to the kitchen area so diners have the same view of their food being prepared that one has in the Rosedale spaces.
Four Days Only - Baltimore Pizza Smackdown!
This week, Joe Squared has a brussel sprout and pancetta pizza as their special of the week, with a tip of the hat to Motorino's in NY, where Joe states that he got the idea. - it's apparently a "signature" pie at Motorino's. Unbeknownst to Joe, however, (and I believe him on that point), a very similar pizza is the January Pizza of the Month at Iggie's, with the main difference that Iggie's also has chestnuts on theirs.
Here's a neat chance to do a head-to-head comparison of two of the top pizza places in Baltimore on their renditions of what sounds like a very interesting combination of toppings. I fully intend to try both, probably on the same night. While I know some prefer one place or the other, I'm a big fan of both (and of Johnny Rad's, Bagby's and others trying to raise the bar for pizza in Baltimore), so I hope that pizza-loving Baltimore hounds get out and show some love to two of our best this week in this rare alignment of the pizza special planets.
The one catch is that Joe Squared's weekly special changes Friday, so you only have until Thursday to do that half of the "comparison test". Iggie's special runs for the rest of the month, so the window of opportunity for that one is a little longer.
Asian Market near Annapolis
A bit up Route 2, near the intersection of Route 2 and Mountain Road is one such (or at least it was the last time I went there a few months back). I think the current name is Green Market, or something close to it. You can turn in off of Route 2 at the light just past Mountain Road - the same light that would be the first opportunity to turn left into Marley Station Mall, coming from that direction. While not strictly Asian, it does have the wide range of international products and the sorts of specialty produce one expects from H-mart and the like. As with the strictly Asian markets, the meat and seafood sections are also the source of wid variety and some good bargains.
I'm sure others will jump in and correct anything I got wrong!
Best Chinese in Tidewater
Just to clarify, my query wasn't meant as a knock on the area's Chinese options. It's just that the particular restaurant had gotten good reveiws, and I wanted to give them a fair shot if my experience was just an off night, or if I ordered things that didn't show off their best.
I can fully understand and sympathize with the "You can't get good [fill in the blank] here" issue. For example, in the Baltimore/DC area, which is my normal haunt, we get people bemoaning the lack of a good New York style pizza by the slice shop. Yes, there are places that try, but according to the NY-style pizza fans, it's just not the same. The answer to the question on Chowhound is usually a listing of the best available options, followed by some variant of "Sorry, but to be honest, you can't get a slice here like you had back in NYC. Why not try to enjoy the things we DO have in the area that are good, that you may not have had wherever you are from?"
In my case, I come down to your area enough for meetings that I'm always scouting for "nothing like this back home" places, too, but that should probably be another thread.
Best Chinese in Tidewater
For the Jade Villa fans, do you have any specific dishes to recommend? I occasionally have meetings in the area, and would like to have a "go to" Chinese option, but my visit this week (hot and sour soup, tripe in black bean sauce) was competent, but not up to the level I expected from the recs here. I want to believe that they are really good, not just "good compared to the other options in the same genre in the area", but at this point, I'm not entirely convinced.
If you have any hints as to specific dishes, or other hints ("Get the specials", "avoid the specials", "anything with {specific ingredient, specific sauce} tends to be good", "go for dim sum, not dinner", etc.), that guidance would be welcome. I'd like to give the place another try on a future trip.
As background to help you understand my approach, I tend to prefer the "not Americanized" version of ethnic cuisine, and I do tend to follow the "If I'm the only one speaking English, I might be in the right place" rule of ethnic restaurants. In this case, I wasn't blown away on this first visit, but this seemed like the sort of place where it might be crucial to know what to order, or even how to convey that one is seriously interested in the real versions. All hints or suggestions would be appreciated!
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Jade Villa
353 Independence Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Most creative kitchen in Baltimore area?
Jon,
I'll definitely agree on the creative tendencies at Joe Squared. The kitchen crew there comes up with ideas for pizzas and risottos that are certainly inventive. And so far, of the ones I've tried, they've usually worked pretty well.
Every so often, I'll be there when Joe (the owner) is there, and he'll sit down and chat. Sometimes he'll tell me about something he's thinking of trying, and the "mad scientist" gleam he gets on his face is quite infectious. Gotta love somebody who has that much fun with food. And to his credit, he seems to do some serious research in his quest for ingredient and spice combination that work, and then putting in some effort to adapt those ideas to a new pizza, or risotto, or whatever.
His stuff isn't necessarily to everybody's taste, but I applaud his willingness to try things that might not work, or to go beyond the "safe" things that "everybody" will like.
And you're right, there probably isn't a single answer as to which one restaurant is "the most creative". In general, I am looking to find more places to try that have the trait of going beyond the safe and familiar, in whatever manner. So often, it seems like 95% of the restaurants draw their ideas from the same limited "play list" of menu items, and I'd like to shine a light on those who are bold enough to go with their own vision.
Most creative kitchen in Baltimore area?
Fellow Chowhounds, I'd like your opinion on which restaurant currently has the most creative kitchen in Baltimore. Any price point, any cuisine, whether "old school" or dabbling in the most cutting edge or trendy stuff. I'm looking for the sort of place that comes up with ingredients one hasn't tried before (o9r doesn't often see on a menu), or combinations of ingredients that are not just the same old "usual suspects", or that does ingredient/cooking technique pairings that aren't just the same old thing of Ingredient A as always/typically cooked by method B.
In general, I'm looking for the sort of place where one looks at the menu, or one's empty plate after the meal, and thinks "I wish I had thought of that!" or "I wasn't sure that would work, but it sure tasted good."
Thai place near Grace Garden?
sweth,
Most of the entrees are in the $8.95-$12.95 range, with the vegetarian options in the $6.95-$8.95 range, and a couple dishes that have the choice of meat go up to $14.95 if you choose the "seafood" option. Appetizers, soups and desserts are within the respective ranges that one would expect based on the entree pricing.
Portions are not huge, but let's face it - most restaurant portion sizes these days actually are a little bit bigger (or in some cases, a lot bigger) than what is really good for us, so I would say that the portions here are well within what one should reasonably expect.
Thanks for the rec on Arun's. I'm originally from the south suburbs of Chicago, and maybe I'll try it one day on a trip home. I've heard the name mentioned in favorable tones for years, but have not yet gotten there. you just pushed it up a few notches on my "to do" list.
Thai place near Grace Garden?
Warthog stoops, picks up a gauntlet.
Crackers, did you drop this? ;-)
OK, I went last night to "Take one for the team. Bottom line up front, if Grace Garden is packed, walk down a couple doors and try Bangkok Kitchen Thai. It might not rise to the "destination" status we have accorded Grace Garden, but it's actually quite a good meal.
First, appearances. The decor is probably one step up from Grace Garden, and it's much larger. Unfortunately, it was also empty, other than one other patron, and a steady stream of customers for carry-out orders.
What I had (I pigged out a bit in the interests of trying to get a better sample of what they could do):
Yum Pla Meuk - squid, red onion, sliced celery, scallions, spices, lime juice, all presented simply but attractively on a couple of lettuce leaves. This dish did bring the heat (I had said the magic words "Native Thai" when ordering), but it was a nice contrast of flavors and textures, with the sort of fresh, light flavor impression one gets with good Thai and Vietnamese.
Thoum Ka Gai: chicken in broth with galangal, coconut milk, mushrooms, lemon grass. Very nice rendition of a familiar favorite.
Which brings to mind a point - has anyone ever had bad Thai food? As I think of it, most of the Thai restaurants I know of are clustered in a range between "good" and "very good". I've never been to one that stood far out from the pack in creativity or excellence of execution, and I've never had a really disappointing Thai meal. Most of the difference in my experience comes down to personal preference and "style points". YMMV.
Now back to the meal.
House special catfish: Crispy catfish fillets, stir fried with special house chili sauce and basil leaves. The only downside to this one was that either the oil temperature was off during cooking, or the fillets were in the oil just a bit too long. It was not oily or greasy, but the light breading on the catfish was a bit past optimal, and could see "burnt" on the horizon ahead. Even with that minor miscue, it was still a nice dish, especially for those who like it three star spicy on a zero to three star scale. The least successful dish of the night, but still good. Even had this been the only dish I'd had, Bangkok Kitchen would still have been in the "worth coming back to" column at the end of the evening.
I still had room (I'm blessed and/or cursed with a big appetite), so I decided to get another entree, at least in part to be able to give a wider-ranging review. I chose to save the curries for another night, and went with a noodle dish to try that aspect of the menu. While I was tempted to go with one of the canonical dishes like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, or Drunken Noodles, I went in stead with one I'd not seen before, Bamee Racha, which was shrimp, chicken, and egg stir-fried with thin (angel hair, vermicelli) egg noodles. If you've ever had "Singapore Noodles" at a Chinese restaurant, imagine it with chicken, egg, and shrimp, and you'll have a good idea of what it was like. A nice, simple dish, nicely presented, and very satisfying. On the basis of this one, I'd be very interested in exploring the noodle section further.
Dessert: Sticky Rice with Mango. They have a fairly wide range of desserts, some of which go beyond the standards, but it was late, and they were out of several, so I went with the old stand-by. Not sure if it's possible to screw this up, and they did a fine job with it.
On the whole, I'd say this place is deserving of some Chowhound love, especially if you live in the area and don't have a whole lot of Thai options closer to where you live. It's also a very convenient Plan B for those times when Grace Garden is full. Will it take your breath away with exhibitions of creativity and tempt you with Thai dishes you've never dreamed of before? Probably not. But they do seem to be capable of delivering high quality Thai at reasonable prices, in a location that is not exactly overrun with nearby competitors for your Thai dining dollars.
In short, this appears to be the sort of "good value for good food" place that we on Chowhound like to support. As much as I like the folks at Grace Garden, I do hope that some of us give their neighbors some business, too.
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Grace Garden
1690 Annapolis Rd, Odenton, MD
Bangkok Kitchen Thai Restaurant
1696 Annapolis Rd, Odenton, MD 21113
Sticky Rice
1224 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Chinese like I'm used to from Atlanta
The one plus at Grace Garden is that if the OP were to go there on a slow night, there's a possibility that a conversation with the chef may lead to the OP getting the desired outcome. Even if it's not on the menu, if the OP can convey to the chef what is desried, it's quite likely he can fix it, and if it's not quite on the mark, he can adjust next time.
I suspect that at least some of the kitchen staff at Hunan Taste are also capable of producing what you want, but I'm not sure of how much ability one may have to make special requests. At Grace Garden, you may be able to talk directly to the chef, he speaks English, and he's eager to help figure out exactly what the customer prefers. At Hunan Taste, by contrast, I've never seen any of the chefs emerge from the kitchen (or if they have, I've not recognized that they were the chefs) and I'm not sure of their language skills, so one's request might need to get passed through the waiter or manager to the kitchen, adding another layer of possible confusion or misunderstanding.
In any case, the more specific one can be with one's requests, and the more accurate one can be after the fact in describing how what was served differed from what one is looking for, the more chance of nailing it over time.
And of course, when making such request, politeness, patience, gratitude, and a nice tip go a long way. Wherever you try this sort of thing, make it clear that you appreciate the extra effort , and that you're willing to work on it over several visits. Most chefs who are good at what they do seem to enjoy these sorts of "change of pace" requests, as long as they are not busy at the time.
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Grace Garden
1690 Annapolis Rd, Odenton, MD
Hunan Taste
718 N Rolling Rd, Catonsville, MD 21228
Thai place near Grace Garden?
Has anybody got any scouting reports on the Thai place a couple of doors down from Grace Garden in the same strip?
I know, the first response is "If you are that close, why go anyplace other than Grace Garden?", but the contrarian approach might be to ask "If they are good enough to still be in business after a couple years with Grace Garden next door, maybe they are doing something right! If there's a terrific Chinese place in a location we'd never expect one, maybe there's an undiscovered Thai treasure there, too."
Has anybody succumbed to the same pangs of curiosity that I have, and actually tried that Thai place?
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Grace Garden
1690 Annapolis Rd, Odenton, MD
Hot dogs in Bmore
How about Polock Johnny's - or do they get vetoed for having more than one location?
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Polock Johnny's
3212 Washington Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21230
Hot dogs in Bmore
I'm not aware of Zack's being a chain - even a small local one. Did they open up more locations besides the original? To the best of my recollection, Zack's opened up a few years ago, and is the sort of "small local business" you are looking for. I could be wrong.
Hot dogs in Bmore
Given that your list so far indicates a rather loose interpretation of "in Baltimore" (within driving distance from Baltimore, maybe?), I'd add Zack's. If you want to stretch the boundaries, there are a couple of places in Hanover, PA specializing in variations on the "Texas Hot Dog" theme. I also recall there being a hot dog truck somewhere in the Glen Burnie area - I think in a church parking lot someplace. Perhaps somebody will recognize that vague description and post more details.
Mexican next to Pho Dat Trahn - Columbia?
Thanks for the data point. I'm the sort who is much more interested in the chow (preferably at a "good value" price point) than the decor and other trappings of "upscale", so your review was a useful input. I'm willing to pay a bit of a premium for other aspects of the total experience, if the price point is still a good value when considering the food, but it sounds like that might not be the case here.
Mexican next to Pho Dat Trahn - Columbia?
Has anybody tried the new "Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar" that moved into the space that used to be the little Asian grocery store next to Pho Dat Trahn in Columbia?
About to move to D.C. from Austin. Will need TexMex, Fajitas, and BBQ
I've seldom had brisket in my visits to Austin, but there is a place in Clinton, MD just off of route 5 called Texas BBQ that at least claims to be aiming for what you're looking for. How well you feel they succeed is a matter of personal taste. In my sampling of various things on their menu over a few visits, including the brisket, I've found them to be pretty good, but none of the items I've tried so far have registered as life-changing Chow experiences. It is good enough that I'd say it's worth checking out and seeing if it meets your needs on the brisket front.
I will echo the theme of other replies, though, and say that this isn't Texas, and it sure as heck isn't Austin, so try to manage your expectations and go with the flow.
Best/Cheapest Carry Out Crabs in Maryland Line Through Towson Area
Best and cheapest tend not to be the same, but from the rest of your query, would I be correct in assuming you are looking for the best crabs on the "cheap" end of the spectrum, rather than the cheapest crabs on the "best" end of the spectrum? I'm just trying to clarify so you get responses that meet your needs.
Indigma
My point was that the "didn't taste good" was preceded by "not authentic". There's stuff that flat out doesn't taste good by any standards and in any context, and then there's stuff that we say doesn't taste good because we were expecting something entirely different.
Never having eaten at Indigma, I can't say which might be the case there, but I did think that it might be worth pointing out that the poster who didn't like Indigma apparently went in expecting "authentic", which is not what the place is aiming for.
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Indigma
802 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Food Feuds
While I don't think there are any "feuds" or even strong factionalism in most food categories in this area, one could come up with lots of shoot-outs among area pizza places that are serving roughly similar pizza demographics.
Joe Squared vs. Iggies for "gourmet" thin crust dominance
Pizza John's (Essex) vs. Squires (Dundalk) - very similar styles, both with long local heritage
Matthews vs. Uno's (yes, I know Uno's is a chain, and not really native to Baltimore) - Uno's "Chicago style" (sort of) deep dish vs. the uniquely Baltimore Matthew's "not exactly thin" crust
Zella's vs. Facci for those who prefer a yeasty-chewy crust.
I'm sure there would be several candidates for "best slice" from those who like NYC style
On another front, one could take a drive up to Hanover, PA for "Texas Weiner wars" among the various places that serve them there, or stay closer to Baltimore by pitting Zack's against Weenie World for a multi-style hot dog smackdown.
Any contenders for shad roe? The Peppermill vs. ????
How about a Coddie Competition (do local churches still do coddies as part of fund-raiser dinners)?
Andy Nelson's vs. Big Bad Wolf for the best of BBQ?
Zorba's vs. Samos, or maybe Ikaros vs. Acropolis for Greektown glory?
Sabs vs. Chips for "old school Little Italy" honors?
Vaccarro's vs. ???? for the title of Cannoli King?
Five Guys vs. one of the old school Baltimore bars (Duda's or Kisling's, perhaps?) for best burger?
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Zorba's
4710 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224
Peppermill Restaurant
1301 York Rd Ste G5, Lutherville Timonium, MD 21093
Weenie World
1099 Merritt Blvd, Dundalk, MD 21222
Little Italy Restaurant
6920 Bradlick Shopping Ctr, Annandale, VA 22003
Pizza Johns
113 Back River Neck Rd, Essex, MD 21221
The Front Porch in Leonardtown
The Front Porch is a new place just opened on the square in Leonardtown, but when I was down there last weekend, the only time I had available to try the place was Sunday night, and they are closed on Sundays. If anybody has tried this place, I'd appreciate a review.
The one thing that intrigued me as I read a notice in one of the local papers announcing the opening was that the owners and chef want to put an emphasis on local food and local suppliers. I have often wondered why, with all the farms and watermen in Southern Maryland, more restaurants aren't getting on the "locavore" bandwagon. In Southern Maryland, one would think it would be a natural fit for a restaurant to be doing something like the Sheppard Mansion does up in Hanover, Pennsylvania, where the menu actually names the local farms that supply the ingredients for each dish. It also makes economic sense, because by dealing direct with the farmers and watermen, the price point might be better for both parties than if one or more middlemen had to take their cut.
Perhaps The Front Porch will be the start of a trend if they follow through on the idea and show it can be successful. But in the end, the concept is only of interest if the outcome is good, so any reports on whether this place passes the taste test would be welcome. I should be back down in that area soon, and I'd like to know if this is a "must try" or merely "more of the same".
Indigma
IIRC, Indigma is not trying to be "authentic" (by whatever standard). I believe that the concept is a sort of Indian fusion or Nouvelle Indian cuisine - Indian concepts, ingredients and techniques taken beyond the normal bounds of what would be considered "traditional" or "authentic".
Whether or not this is what the OP is looking for is for the OP to decide, I suppose.
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Indigma
802 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201
New pizza place in Silver Spring, MD
A friend and I went, and had the house salad (quite nice), a Margherrita pizza (good, but needed more than two or three leaves of basil) a four-section pizza (per the menu - "Four unique pizzas in one…. San Marzano with mozzarella, Mushroom & Ham, Salami with mozzarella, and fresh cherry tomato with mozzarella"), and a pizza Marinara (Tomato, garlic, oregano and fresh basil, no cheese) with anchovies added.
It sounds like a lot of food, but the pizzas are a standard 12" size, which is effectively at the large end of the "individual pizza" range, or the small end of the "pizza to share" range. And we were bringing some of it home for her hubby.
The pizzas are baked in a wood-fired oven, thin crust, with a slightly puffy rim. They have a nice char on the bottom, but the crust is still on the chewy end of the chewy-crispy spectrum.
Of other pizzas in the area, the one that I would consder to be most comparable is that at Facci near JHU APL. They both seem to be aiming at the same type opf product, with similar results.
On the plus side, everything we had seemed to be prepared with care, and with top-quality ingredients, so it seems to be a matter of what style of pizza you prefer. If you like the style of pizza that Pacci is aiming for, the execution and quality level should leave few complaints.
I wouldn't make another special trip from the Baltimore area just for the pizza at Pacci, but if I lived in the area, it would likely be on my list of pizza places worth going to. As with Facci, my personal preference would be for the crust to be a little more balanced between chewy and crispy, but pizza preference is a personal thing, and others may enjuoy the style that Pacci is turning out just as it is.
