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They were business associates, I think Baltimore guy as boss in his location, then the Rockville spinoff buying from the same dough maker in NJ that allowed people to sell under the Goldberg's name, the Baltimore guy who seemed more senior in the arrangement registered it before the Rockville guy was open and forgot to renew it, he feels the Rockville guy stole his knowledge and the name but can't afford a prior use/same geographical area/likelihood of confusion trademark infringement case. The Baltimore guy's Black Russian bagel is just stellar, and the best in Baltimore IMHO. Not related, just an eater. Bottom line--is Rockville/Silver Spring as good? Is it better than all other DC? Bagel Smackdown!
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Were you there when it was crowded, and if so, did they handle it well?
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After Cfoodie's report, who I respect, I wanted to stay away, you think it was an aberration and they are nice now?
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The Baltimore location appears similarly disorganized but it all works out, usually. The bialy is great. But the owner is sad the Rockville/Silver Spring guy ripped off his name on a technicality.
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Season is late June to late September. Most crabhouses get LA/TX crabs year-round to stay open, some get them even in MD seasn just to ensure supply and size. Come see us in the summer, there are festivals on the Eastern and Western shores and the eating's good. Stay away from Phillips.
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Sorry. Geno's Steaks is in Philadelphia, Phillips is an absurd tourist pit selling rewarmed imported crabs and uses intentionally deceptive non-local "Maryland-style" Indonesian pasteurized canned crabmeat in their dreadful crabcakes, crab is out of season in April, and Food Network is a collection of misleading tourist delusional entertainment, both in this instance and whenever anything comes out of Guy Fieri (example: his name, born Guy Ramsay Ferry).
But--if you do come to MD in spring, there are very nice crabcakes at Faidley's in Lexington Market in Baltimore,steamed crabs at Costas and Mr. Bill's, a restaurant week on the Eastern Shore, oysters in the cooler months, but no local crab. Season starts late spring, peaks July-September.
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They're having a restaurant week 3/21:
http://www.talbotdining.com/
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No reason to believe dining will be the main thing there. Angelina's is gone and Harford Rd. has other good dining places at which to eat and love life.
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I think people get riled up because they resent celeb "experts" like Raichlen or Bitman telling us Chaps is the best thing since sliced bread when many think it's pretty ordinary, pretty much like all the other pit beef stands we've seen in Baltimore over the years. Some think pit beef itself just isn't that special.
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They announced they're expanding to the parking lot next door.
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It's the Land Of College Sushi, what level of dining are you looking for and will you have a car?
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thanks, when do you think they'll be open
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Invino, by way of explanation, us locals are predisposed to not give this place the benefit of the doubt because they are very expensive, very pretentious, have a history of highly snotty maitre d's, and their food quality has slipped since the celebrity opening chef departed. If you read the original post, the main issue is not their policy, but the waitress attitude to a customer request: "snippily". They just are not nice and those of us who live here, post here, and maybe even eaten here know it. It's not like the somewhat kidding surly attitude at Durgin Park nearer you--the surliness is genuine. And it's one of the most expensive places in the area, with food about Durgin Park level.
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The unrelated Baltimore one is very good. How is the other branch by this GA Ave guy in Rockville?
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And where can we find okonomiyaki like they had anywhere in DC-Baltimore?
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It was to be an Asian development area, the properties were bought, the MVP bus was started to serve it and still stops there, I think by Tony Cheng, but the energy of real Asian development was out Rt 40 West and it kind of petered out. Nam Kang was already near it, Joung Kak and Nak Won opened and still are, Yakitori 1 came and went as did a chicken place and a grocery.
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You're spot on about the vibe, the contempt and their aims. It's the Falls Rd. that runs from Baltimore north to northern MD's horsey area, so the solution could be to pick up from Wegman's nearby for an outing at Oregon Ridge Park behind this restaurant, with concerts, trails and kid activities. Not all equestrian areas are like this, thinking of PG/Bowie, but those with people thinking they honor their ancestors by snobbing newcomers to protect the fatherland have similar vibes from Plains to Monkton.
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I hesitate to bring this up, WH, but I think Asian Court said they're having dragon dancers.
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People are not inclined to cut them slack because they're unjustifiably expensive for the quality of "continental" food they make and overtly mean and snotty to many. If you have a farm that allows foxhunting or buy $400 wines you may be exempt. The owners want it this way. Some still resent the bald attempt to take Miltonn Inn's clientele and the underhanded way they sleazed the zoning laws when they bought the country store and then expanded. Prep-school ties and last names matter to the owners and when someone not in the Elkridge Hunt Club feels dis-included, it's on purpose, even if the customers don't know why. And the quality of the food has slipped notably from opening chef Mark Henry's time--if it was very good they could get away with this.
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New Kam Fong is in Wheaton
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Speaking to a manager there won't help, just cause more embarrassment and stress. It's always been that way. They think an air of snootiness conveys exclusivity and their idea of class. It's a business feature for them. This is the kind of situation that could be mentioned on the current online zagat survey.
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He said he was frustrated by some crimes and the inability of the police to protect the place. Also, he couldn't get the city to move the bus stop further away.
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XO Taste in Arlington does those little puffy buns you fill up yourself.
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Kirby's Szechuan is still there and still good at
1125 S Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21230
and are in the current Zagat online voting period's list.
They were not part of the old Chinatown. Kirby came to be an engineer on the subway construction and brought his parents. They cooked, and learned English by watching daytime soaps. That place on Charles at 25th helped them set up, and dishes dedicated to him are still on the menu, like Chicken Paul. The twice-cooked pork is good. They're used to spicing down for the audience but prefer to cook hot.
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They said there might be snacks but didn't want to compete with Red Canoe, their friend and client, and it would be more like a tasting room than an eat/hangout.
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may be a case for a WHBodyCam
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For another data point, I went Saturday, opted to go late at 1:15 rather than hit the 11:45 line, waited about 15 minutes as a table of two, had an actual table, the drink/special order servers were fairly quick, the cart dim sum was hot, varied and above the quality had there in the past, and there were trays of scallion dumplings and a couple other just-fried items brought around three times by a manager-looking guy and then later a server-level person as runners. The har gow and shu mai, which age badly, were hot and good. I think they suffer from this personpower and issue: Maybe they have little core waitstaff as they are nearly deserted most of the not dim sum time, which is too bad because their regular menu is really nice with a good "pasta-lovers" selection of non-standards, and it seems on the weekend, the staff is pick-up, friends and family, like college kid relatives, not professional servers. The weeknight waitress was their supervisor, in a black pantsuit. The owner woman was running around being gracious, nobody was frantic. The only problem I experienced was the recurring one, it smells like tires at the door from Firestone next door. You can't smell them at the table, but it does create an initial air and it's detectable in the waiting non-area. I think the only choice if you want decent Baltimore-area dim sum without going to Wheaton or the remarkably bad Zhongshow is to go here late and hope they recover from the noon slam, but I will go back soon--it was nicer and better than I expected after the time when dim sum is at peak bloom, 12-1. I've been there alone, seemed similar, you can sit with us anytime, WH. PS, they said they had to-order dim sum weekday lunchtime.
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Thanks for the reminder, haven't been lately, does the Saturday experience happen in winter too? Can one sit there to eat, or is it just screened in?
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my experience was less than B
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From Charmedgirl's Baltimore Magazine story, the Chinatown history project:
http://www.law.umaryland.edu/faculty/...
