baltoellen's Profile
Crabs... with a dog
Yes, that's the place. I can't speak to the non-seafood options there, since I've only had crabs and sides. There are a lot of options in the area to pick up something for a non-seafood eater, including a nearby Safeway if you don't want to think too long & hard about it. (Others can give you better suggestions.)
You're not supposed to have beer in parks here, and you're not supposed to have dogs off leash, but people get creative......(BTW, if you don't know this, beer isn't sold in supermarkets here, but there's a little strip mall convenience store, maybe called Canton Convenience Store, diagonally across the street from Chris' that has a surprising decent selection of beer.)
Also, if you're coming in to town via 95 & getting off at the Eastern Ave exit, you might also want to consider getting carry out crabs from Gaffney's, which is actually a lot more straightforward than getting to Chris' & is generally very good & less expensive.
Whatever you do, make sure you call first for your crabs.
Crabs... with a dog
I believe the place in Fells Point is called Riptide by the Bay.
Dock of the Bay, in southeast Baltimore County, has outdoor space and may allow dogs. It's been years since I've had crabs there, but I don't remember them being great, and the service is horrible, but it's a nice place to spend the a pretty afternoon on the deck looking out at the water. I've no idea if they allow dogs.
I think your best bet is to get carry out crabs, Chris' Seafood in Canton is a good bet, and then take them nearby to a picnic table by the pagoda in Patterson Park. (People definitely do this, btw.) You could stop at numerous places along the way to get food for the non-seafood eater in your group. As a bonus, there should be loads of four legged friends for your dog.
JFX 2012
I actually think this neighbor will be grilling up pizza starting this Sunday. Regarding Red Zebra, I believe they are spending their Sundays at Eastern Market in DC.
In other news: Heard from someone who was satisfied with her newly sharpened knives and will bring in more. This person did ask for a loyalty card (or whatever they're called, you know, get six knives sharpened, get the seventh one free) & sharpener said he'd consider a discount if she brought in volume, like 300! In any event, it's probably worth asking about.
I'm sort of surprised that no one has mentioned that Blacksauce is there this year. They seem to be a favorite at other markets.
Kabab Hut off Route 40 in Catonsville
Thought it was worth resurrecting this ancient thread since I happened on Kabab Hut when running around today.
I ordered the Kabab Hut combo of chicken, beef, and lamb, and thought the chicken tikka was perhaps the best I've ever had, well spiced and juicy. The beef was ok: I liked the spices but it was dry, and the lamb was disappointing. However, the nan was out of this world. It was light with a great crust.
The time thing is an issue if you're in a rush. I think at minimum it's a 15 minute wait. I imagine longer if there are more than one person ordering at a time.
If I lived or worked in the area I would definitely put this place on the rotation. It's been three years since the last post, and I think Kabab Hut may have gotten their act together. It may be worth another (or first) shot.
Need Current Info re: Best Crabcake
My advice is don't bother with the Eastern Ave Michael's. (Oh, and thanks for the compliment, btw.)
Maryland Style Fried Chicken???
Seeing "chicken Maryland" at a small restaurant in a town around Inle Lake in Myanmar/Burma was so notable that I took a photo of the menu and the dish.
Charcuterie in Baltimore
If you do go to Krakus--which I second--don't miss their crazy good cold smoked pork loin.
Comfort food with an old unremodeled interior
Yeah, it's been on my "rotation" since the 80s--minus the years when I left the warm confines of Charm City. It's one of those it's just not what it once was. In fact, when driving by yesterday I sighed when seeing the ongoing renovations. The son doesn't seem to realize that what is (was) special about the Sip & Bite was how it fit squarely in that "a place that time forgot" genre.
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Charm City Cafe
Baltimore, MD, Baltimore, MD
Sip & Bite Restaurant
2200 Boston St, Baltimore, MD 21231
Comfort food with an old unremodeled interior
I'm not sure what they've been doing to the Sip & Bite but it's been going through a pretty extensive remodel for the past--well, forever. Personally, I don't think it's been the same since the son took it over more than a few years ago.
You might want to check out Honey Bee Diner in Glen Burnie. In Catonsville, check out Jennings Cafe.
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Honey Bee Diner
7346 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061
Sip & Bite Restaurant
2200 Boston St, Baltimore, MD 21231
Tandoor House of Kabob-Taylor Ave (Parkville)
Finally made it here tonight and agree with much of what's been posted here. The owner, Daniel, is a gem: warm and funny, and obviously passionate about his food. The place is simple, but warm. And, they played some tourist bureau-y loop with scenes of Iran that made us want to hop the next flight to Tehran.
From this thread--and from talking to Daniel-- kabobs are the thing the order, and we did order a chicken kabob sandwich (and Pam's description about it being as big as your forearm was spot on--also, like Pam, I was really craving a gyro and they were out). The chicken was juicy and tender. The standout, however, was the okra and beef stew. Now that it's stew weather, we plan to try several others, especially the pomegranate and walnut, and the mushroom. The stew came with some of the best rice I've had.
I really wasn't crazy about the bread, even though it came just out of the tandoor. That said, the sesame seeds sprinkled on it was a nice touch.
The place in BYOB, and inexpensive. There's a dearth of Middle Eastern and kabob places in the area, so we think we'll find ourselves there often.
Georgian Restaurants
If you're willing to go to a Baltimore 'burb (sort of a far away & particularly sterile one) you can get Azerbaijani, http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/797490 but I think that's as close as you'll come (geographically at least) to Georgian since I didn't find the food all that similar.
Detroit Trip Report (long!)
There's actually a thread about this place, by actual DTW hounds! http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/809563
It will probably be easier to follow their directions than mine!
Detroit Trip Report (long!)
I looked for those urban gardens near Polish Yacht Club, but must have missed them. Chao Zhou is definitely solid, but from what I had, not someplace I'd think of as a destination restaurant.
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Polish Yacht Club
5249 Joseph Campau St, Detroit, MI 48211
Detroit Food Tour
Thanks to everyone for their spot on suggestions! I wrote up my food report while waiting for my flight to board, and you can find it here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/815893
Detroit Trip Report (long!)
A great big thanks to all the Detroit ‘hounds for their recs. While we didn’t love everything we ate equally, there were no real duds in the bunch.
This long report is, more or less, in chronological order:
Mr Kabob— kabob place in Berkeley gas station: My first stop in the Motor City ‘burbs. We were definitely heartened by the steady stream of customers, and all the props that place seems to get. While we weren’t disappointed by anything, we weren’t blown away either, with the exception of the garlic sauce. I imagined that if I lived in the area Mr Kabob would be a great place to grab a decent, quick, and inexpensive lunch.
Price’s Pastries—Middle Eastern pastry shop: Not a lot to compare this place to, but the owner (I assume) was patient in explaining and generous with samples. Would return.
Sheeba’s—Yemini in Hamtramck: This place is probably the winner of the trip. All in my party, especially my brother in law, loved, loved, loved it. Not being the least familiar with Yemen food, one of the servers was very patient and helpful with us as we tried to make sense of the menu. We quickly realized that almost everything had lamb, not that this is a problem. We started with lamb soup, which tasted like something my grandmother would have made if I had had a Yemini grandmother. The hummus was good, and generously doused with olive oil. There was some frothy lamb dish (it’s described as having froth on the menu & I forget the name) which was lovely and had great totally unfamiliar flavors. We also had a roast lamb over basmati rice. The perfectly cooked rice absorbed all of the lovely lamb fat, and was delectable. My BIL was so enchanted by some fried white bean dish—which I thought was sort of meh—which he talked about it for at least two days. A particular standout was Sheeba’s hot, freshly baked bread served on a mat. This place is on the top of my list for when I return.
Polish Yacht Club—Polish (d’oh!), Detroit: What a step back into the past. I liked it the moment I sat down and they gave us a relish tray, which I think of as a particularly sweet Midwestern touch. Coleslaw was fantastic and addictive. Fried perch was solid, but could have used a bit of spice. The standouts in the Polish sampler platter were the kielbasa and the perfect potato pancakes. (Try saying that three times fast!) The pierogies were somewhat disappointing. For people who might read this and haven’t been there and aren’t familiar with the area, the restaurant is located on a street that isn’t near other establishments, or even many houses. Had we not seen photos beforehand on Yelp, we would have thought that we were in the wrong place. Oh, and I really loved the name.
Royal Eagle-for Russian Tea Room at St Stabbas Orthodox Monastery, Harper Woods: If there was a miss this trip food-wise, this was definitely it, although it wasn’t actually bad, just not especially good. I’d rate the food a solid C, going up to an A- for the dessert, which included a moist, floral tasting pound cake. While we didn’t love the food—and, it was the most expensive of the meals we had, at $20 a person—we gave the experience of being at the monastery and the tea room an A.
Al Ameer- Middle Eastern in Dearborn: What a place Warren Avenue is! I’d like to take days to explore the shops and bakeries and restaurants. I mainly picked Al Ameer out of the many suggestions because they offered raw kibbeh, which I’ve been eager to try. I’m happy to say that it was good (I’ve nothing to compare it to, though). I thought the tabouli was truly outstanding, and unlike the tabouli that I’m familiar with, which is mostly bulghur with a bunch of parsley, Al Ameer’s tabuli turned that proportion on its head to great results. Adored my lamb kabob sandwich that had the right amount char and was a perfect medium rare. I will order that again. Al Ameer hit all the right notes of being a warm, comfortable, affordable place with very nice service.
Chao Zhou Restaurant—Chinese in Madison Heights: This place has been open a month (ooh, hope I’m giving the DTW hounds a tip!), has non-Americanized Chinese food, and seems to specialize in noodles, rice, and dim sum. Had a great wonton noodle soup with homemade large flat rice noodles. (I don’t know if the thinner noodles they serve are hand pulled. My guess is that they aren’t since places with hand pulled noodles seem to advertise that fact.) Ordered generous shrimp dumplings from the dim sum menu. The place had a steady stream of customers throughout lunch. From what I tried, and from the look on the other diners’ faces—who all appeared to be Chinese—this place is a winner. I’d be overjoyed if there was a place like this in my neighborhood.
Good People Popcorn: This was a late rec. Good popcorn in cheery downtown setting.
And, yes, I had a coney at Layfette downtown. And will leave it at that.
There were more places that I wanted to try than I had time for. I’ll definitely be back. Thanks again to all the Detroit hounds. If any of you are headed to Baltimore, I’ll definitely return the favor.
Jury Duty in Baltimore
I have jury duty tomorrow, and it's supposed to be a nice day. Anyone know if this halal cart is still around, and the exact corner? Any updated recs? Thanks.
Sun. nite football in Balt.
Bring Berger cookies back to Boston. You can get them at Lexington Market. There are quite a few threads on Lexington Market worth searching through, but highlights also include Parks Fried Chicken (go for the gizzards), Pollock Johnny's dogs, and shrimp salad from Mary Mervis.
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Lexington Market
400 W Lexington St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Chicken and Dumplings near Dover, DE?
Jimmy's Grille in Bridgeville, also know as The Bridgeville Diner is what you're after.
Good recs for Inner Harbor area without a car?
These are good recs. Krakus Deli is a gem, and rarely gets mentioned on this board. If you want Polish food to eat in, Sophia's, right across from Vicki's at the Broadway Market has pierogies and other foods to eat at their little counter. A bit of the way up Paca Street from Lexington Market is Trinacria's, a little Italian store, that has great sandwiches to go.
For Fells Point, you should search this board for Duda's, a small bar with a tinier kitchen that churns out good crabcakes, burgers, and has good beer on tap.
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Lexington Market
400 W Lexington St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Krakus Deli
1737 Fleet St, Baltimore, MD 21231
Crabs on the Waterfront in Baltimore
I don't remember seeing any recs here for Riptide by the Bay, and I've never been, but it's in Fells Point and fits your parameters. Another option would be to get carry out crabs from Chris' Seafood in Canton, and walk up the hill to the top of Patterson Park where the pagoda is, get a picnic table, and eat with an expansive view of the harbor. (A taxi back to the train station should be in the $10+ range, or you could take a bit of a walk and pick up the Charm City Circulator.)
BTW, I had local crabs last night, and the season isn't over everywhere! :-)
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Riptide by the Bay
1718 Thames St, Baltimore, MD 21231
Detroit Food Tour
Honestly, this entire rough 'hood/not rough 'hood discussion is reminiscent of ones we sometimes have over the Baltimore/DC board. (Mostly the Baltimore side.) I'm enchanted by this Polish Yacht Club area with the urban farming and trying hard to avoid doing the oh so tired Detroit Ruin Porn Tour, so this area will fit right in.
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Polish Yacht Club
5249 Joseph Campau St, Detroit, MI 48211
Detroit Food Tour
The link is fantastic! Thanks! I'm a bit more interested in Detroit style pizza, so Loui's is definitely on the itinerary. I've had to google "Chaledean" since it's totally unfamiliar to me, so incredibly excited about learning about it through its food.
We've loads of good Korean places in the 'burbs here, so we'll probably skip it for this trip, but will definitely pass info along to sister.
Thanks for head's up about area around Polish Yacht Club.
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Polish Yacht Club
5249 Joseph Campau St, Detroit, MI 48211
Detroit Food Tour
Thanks. The Eastern Mkt website says the Tuesday market closed for the season on 9/27. I'd be delighted, though, if the website was in error! :-)
Good recs for Inner Harbor area without a car?
The idea to check this board for recs, especially for the Inner Harbor, is a good one. I'm not being a nit picker, but the name of the deli is ATTMAN'S and not Altman's, in the event that the OP wants to do a search. (I am a big, big fan. Go for corned beef and white fish salad. Also, go for this weird Baltimore invention of a kosher hot dog wrapped in grilled bologna.)
When you search these boards you'll learn that there's really no place right at the Inner Harbor that's considered chowworthy. This is a frequent question on this board--along with where to get steamed crabs at the IH--so you should find tons of advice.
As far as Greek, also check out Zorba's, for stellar lamb chops and grilled octopus--although, sadly, the prices have skyrocketed.
Also a fan of Lexington Market, but, in fairness, many on this board are not. I'd encourage you to go but you might want to have a sense of what others think. Do a search. Cross Street Market is closer to Inner Harbor. And, as far as markets, if you're here on a Sunday morning, do not miss the JFX Farmers' Market.
Sadly, there is absolutely no pit beef places that I know of, good or not, anywhere near the Inner Harbor. All require a car or very long cab ride. (Although there is pit beef at the JFX market.)
That should get you started. If you want to get your list together, we're sure to give you more advice.
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Zorba's
4710 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224
Lexington Market
400 W Lexington St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Detroit Food Tour
Sheeba's it is! I'm having a hard time with the other Dearborn places, since everyone seems to have a different favorite. I'm hoping to do a roving tour, just eating a little of what's best at a few places. (This is easier said that done.) I also know that I want to try raw kibbe. Thanks for your recs.
Detroit Food Tour
Shatila does look amazing, if overwhelming. Besides baklava, I'm relatively clueless about Middle Eastern desserts so hope I hit it at a quiet time, if there is one, so that I can ask a zillion questions. Many thanks!
Detroit Food Tour
I do think we'll fit in a visit to Loui's. I adore farmers' markets, but I'll only be there a Tuesday afternoon to a Friday afternoon, so will miss Eastern Market on Saturday. What day is the Royal Oak market? (I need to time that Coney Island! ;-)) Thanks.
Detroit Food Tour
Oh, will most definitely post a follow up. Maybe even with photos! I realized I started researching too early, and still won't be there for weeks, and am spending far, far too much time reading menus online and looking at maps. I don't know what it is about Detroit, but I don't research this thoroughly for a trip halfway around the world. In the meantime, my sister, who's currently living between Chicago & Detroit, is planning to check out a few of these recs this weekend. From what I've seen so far, Detroit seems to be a chowish wonderland! Thank you all for these recs.
Detroit Food Tour
Thanks. Will avoid Dragos Family, but enchanted by idea of Macedonian. (Planning to travel there & Albania in the Spring, so good to get a sense of what culinary delights await.) Perhaps we'll fit in Ellie's. Detroit style pizza sounds like it definitely belongs on the itinerary, too.
Detroit Food Tour
Well, when you it put it that way....will try a bite or two of a Coney Island! (When in Rome and all that....) Was just talking about ice cream sodas, so a Boston Cooler might be in order. (How weird that two iconic foods of the Motor City are named after places on the east coast...) And, hot fudge, too!
Checking out Yelp (yeah, I know, not the most trustworthy source) didn't provide glowing reviews of food at Cadieux Cafe. Perhaps I should eat somewhere more Chow worthy beforehand?
Thanks.
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Cadieux Cafe
4300 Cadieux Rd, Detroit, MI 48224
