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Bookmark this page, as it will be updated semi-regularly (or as often as I get out to eat, which in my estimation, isn't often enough!)
Rating system
* * * *=A must try |
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Dish Cafe |
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Dish Cafe - visited 1/29/98 Harbor Inn Pier 5 Baltimore
The Dish Cafe, located where the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream shop used to be in
the Harbor Inn Pier 5, has transformed the former shop-front into an elegant, modern,
spacious restaurant with high ceilings and lovely decor.
With brushed steel tables and pea-soup green velvet banquettes, the restaurant gives off a chic aura.
Mondrian-inspired multi-colored tile on walls and columns add more subtle color accents.
We were the only diners the night we gave the place a try. We were seated by a window with a
harbor-front view and handed menus which were single sheets with more of the Mondrian pattern as a border, clipped to brushed
steel clipboards. We had a hard time deciding on which of the delicious-sounding items we wanted to try. As we
contemplated, we tucked into the fresh and hot loaf of wonderful French bread which was presented with our water.
For starters, I decided on the shrimp capelli soup, a wide-rimmed bowl full of a light chicken-y
broth with shredded fresh basil leaves and roasted tomato, and three fat shrimp, each coated
with a garlicky shrimp paste and fried in a light tempura-style batter. A nest of vermicelli
noodles at the bottom of the bowl caused the need for fork as well as soup spoon. The flavors were
wonderful together, but I don't think the pasta was necessary. In fact, the shrimp would do very well
alone as an appetizer, perhaps served with a Thai-style sweet-and-sour dipping sauce.
My dining companion had the mixed salad of baby greens, fresh pears, walnuts and
Stilton cheese. The salad arrived a mile high with a garnish of grissini breadsticks and a
radicchio leaf heaped with the crumbly rich Stilton. The portion was huge and the salad would have
worked nicely as a lunch entree.
For his entree, a Porterhouse steak 2 inches thick and about 8" long, a manly portion of meat, served
with steamed fresh spinach and garlic mashed potatoes, all swamped by a rich dark burgundy colored
beefy jus, satisfied his appetite. Perhaps the swamp of gravy made the plate a tad inelegant, but the flavors
more than compensated for the presentation.
I chose a salad for my entree, from the "Light Fare" portion of the menu. It was topped with a petit filet, so tender I didnt need a knife.
It was served in a fan of medium-rare slices atop the mountain of mesclun, with a gorgonzola vinagrette, generous with lumps of snowy
cheese.
Dessert for both of us was banana bread pudding, served in individual timbales with slices of roasted
banana on top and a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream, with a suprise of chocolate sauce on the side. Very rich
and very delicious.
Service was more than attentive; especially since we were the only customers for most of the time
we were there. My napkin was placed on my lap for me; water was refilled regularly from
our own carafe. With every course presentation, the waiter asked, "how does it look", later returning
to ask how things tasted. We both agreed that executive chef Carl Hackett and his endeavor deserve
to be patronized on a regular basis. We hope that the next time we dine at the Dish Cafe, all the tables will be filled.
Dish Cafe
Chili's - visited 2/15/98
Chili's has long been one of my favorite restaurants. The decor is chain-restaurant eclectic; like TGIFriday's and innumerable other establishments,
the place is full of interesting bric-a-brac. There are bits of old advertising memorabilia, lots of plants, and framed announcements for chili cookoffs.
I think a lot of this stuff means lots of places for dust to collect. To their credit, I have yet to see a cobweb or dustball in Chili's.
The menu, which seems to change weekly, is chock-full of Southwestern style goodies. From chili to Southwestern Eggrolls to ribs and Guiltless Gourmet
selections, there is something on the menu for everyone. Usually, my dining companions and I start out with a bottomless order of freshly fried and nicely
greasy tortilla chips with salsa, and occasionally a margarita. The Presidente margarita is a real winner; with premium tequila and fresh lime juice, served in a miniature shaker which fills a standard margarita glass one and a half times. Except for alcoholic beverages and the IBC Root Beer, drink
refills are bottomless.
One of my favorite starters is the Southwestern Eggrolls: flour tortillas stuffed with corn, black beans, tomato, and spices, rolled and deep fried and cut on an
angle to display the filling. They are served with a dipping sauce of sour cream mixed with salsa. Another good starter is the quesadilla, available with
a variety of fillings, but I like the chicken version best. Enough for a meal, as are most of the appetizers, the two large flour tortillas are filled with just enough
cheese and chicken to satisfy. Topped with salsa and sour cream garnished with a sprinkle of cilantro, they are hard to beat.
As far as entrees are concerned, the fajitas seem to be the most popular. The sizzling platters are constantly being brought past me from the kitchen and I am
left sniffing their fragrant wake. Both the steak and chicken version are served with onions and accompanied by flour tortillas and fixings to turn the meat into
tasty soft tacos.
I usually try to be good and order a salad from their selection of several yummy varieties. However, the salads are so huge, it is hard to consider eating one of the monsters
"being good". The Guiltless Chicken Salad is the closest one will get to achieving diet nirvana: a giant bowl of romaine topped with pico de gallo, kidney beans,
and chunks of grilled chicken, served with a creamy fat-free ranch-style dressing on the side. Other salad choices include the Tossed Grill, which includes bacon, cheese,
black beans and grilled chicken in a creamy cilantro dressing; rather like a Southwestern-style Cobb Salad.
Other winning entrees include the Monterey chicken, Grilled Tuna Steak Sandwich, and all the burgers, in which turkey or bean can be substituted for beef burgers.
Chili's also offers dessert, with banana bread pudding, Diet by Chocolate cake (supposedly only 3g of fat per serving), and Ice Cream Pie.
There is usually a wait on weekends, as Chili's seems to be the place for everyone to go for a nosh, from singles on dates to families with grandparents and small kids
in tow. Either try to get there on off-peak hours, or go during the week.
Chili's
Egyptian Pizza
Of the many outlets of this rapidly-multiplying chain of brick oven pizza restaurants named either Al Pacino Cafe (no, not for the actor) or Egyptian Pizza,
the one at Belvedere Square is probably my favorite. They have remodeled since the last time I was there; the decor is much
more Egyptian in theme, with ruins of papyrus-blossom-topped columns, faux-crumbling plaster work on the walls, and relief "carvings"
of scarabs, falcons, and the like. Some might think it a bit much for the small restaurant, but the Egyptophile in me finds it quite charming.
I come here primarily for the pizza, which comes in three sizes, and is available in numerous yummy variations, all on chewy pita-like crusts
with nicely charred edges. My dining companion and I were attracted to the eggplant fries appetizer, as both of us are big eggplant fiends.
They came out dark brown and crispy, long thin shoestrings of eggplant. Delicious.
My companion always orders the same thing at Egyptian Pizza, the India. It is topped with tandoori shrimp or chicken, zucchini, cheese,
and a sprinkling of cilantro, with a dish of mango chutney on the side. A strange combination, one might think, but it is suprisingly good,
especially the shrimp version. Of course, I am fond of seafood in any form, so if I can get it on a pizza, I am sure to go for it. My choice
was the Fells Point: cheese, crabmeat, garlic butter, and cilantro. An ethereal combination for my palate.
The individual pizzas are about 8" in diameter, and usually provide enough leftovers to constitute a snack for the next day. In my opinion,
the softness of the crust works best on these small pizzas; the large size tends to be soggy in the middle and requires a knife and fork, especially
if it is carry-out and allowed to steam in the box for a few minutes. But it is still delicious, nonetheless.
Egyptian pizza offers dinner salads with various toppings of meat and seafood, Middle Eastern specialties, and pasta, in addition to the pizza.
I tried a salad at the Mt. Vernon branch, and was disappointed, so have stuck to the pizza ever since. The restaurant also offers desserts. But after
devouring an appetizer and pizza, I have never had room to try one. Perhaps a visit on a day-empty stomach is in order for the future.
The only black mark on our dining experience was the arrival of a group I call "the Lynch Mob": a mother and her three small daughters, none of which
have ever been told "no" in their lives. Luckily, they were return customers with a reputation, and were seated behind a partition away from the other
diners. But the noise made by the little darlings was unfortunately not escapable.
Egyptian Pizza
Bamboo House
My family has been going to the Bamboo House in Cockeysville for many years, and have always enjoyed its consistantly
good food. Recently I went with my dad to have a little supper.
We were greeted in the vestibule by a large tank full of live lobsters, the bar dining special for the evening, sold by the pound. I eyeballed
a specimen that was probably worth $50.00, allowed myself to dream of the taste of a fresh lobster stir-fry, and then proceeded with a sigh to our
table in the dining room.
After ordering a pot of hot tea, we decided on one entree and several appetizers: orange duck, with shrimp toast, roast pork and fried dumplings.
The shrimp toast was exemplary: unctous and plump wedges of shrimp-stuffed toast, crisp and tender. Dipped in a mixture of duck sauce
and hot mustard, they were finger-licking good. The dumplings were not as successful. The pork filling was a little tough and the wrapper soggy.
The standard dipping sauce of sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and scallions seemed to be lacking all but the soy. Disappointing. The roast pork, long
a favorite appetizer of mine, was also not up to par. The skimpy serving was tough and salty.
Between courses, were brought a salad of iceberg lettuce and cellophane noodles, topped with a gingery dressing. This salad serving
has always struck me as being strange for a Chinese restaurant. Growing up, I never really enjoyed the dressing with its tart vinegar element and strong
ginger flavor. Now I find I wish it had more ginger in it. Probably the result of years of chili pepper abuse on my part.
The entree was far better. Half a duck, boned and fried until crisp, was served sliced and topped with a sweet, but not cloying, orange-flavored
sauce. The duck was only mildy fatty, and there was plenty of meat. It made a nice meal with a mound of rice on the side. I am often wanting for
vegetables when I go to a Chinese restaurant though. A shame less do not cater to the American taste of meat meat and more meat and serve more vegetables with the
entrees.
We ended the meal with a plate of fortune cookies, almond cookies, and orange slices. I would always order a dish of peppermint ice cream
at the end of a Chinese meal, but I guess have outgrown that habit and am satisfied with the cookies. I just wish that once in a while I would get
an actual "fortune" rather than a status report.
Bamboo House
Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen - visited 3/13/98
Even at 5:15 on a Friday evening, there was a wait of 10-15 minutes for a table. My dining companion and I took seats near the bar to wait and helped ourselves to the warm corn tortilla chips
and boldly seasoned salsa. Don Pablo's had only been open for a week, but it was already hopping. Resembling a cavernous warehouse, the place is furnished
with an eclectic mix of diner-style booths, tables and chairs, and rustic wooden tables, some topped with tile. There are replicas of Mexican advertisements
painted on the brick walls, and clusters of potted plants here and there. Huge Dr. Seussian ductwork runs along the ceiling, concealing speakers out of which emanated
quite a din. My dining companion helpfully suggested that the noise was there to mask the sounds of the many children in the place. Yes, Don Pablo's is a family kinda restaurant. Definitely not a place
to attempt any sort of romantic evening.
We were finally seated near a fountain, which added to the noise, and handed the rather voluminous menu. Squinting at the tiny print, we attempted to devise a meatless meal for two Catholic girls on a
Friday in Lent. I decided on the chiles rellenos, while my companion chose the Pecos Vegetable Fajitas. All entrees can be had with a side salad for a dollar more, so we both chose to try the Caesar.
The restaurant is staffed by a batallion of wait persons. The one who took the order was not the one who brought us our food. Actually, two came with the food, one pushed the hospital-style serving cart,
the other placed the food before us. And yet another person brought us the salads, which we ordered to arrive before the meal, but came after the entree was in front of us.
The rellenos were tasty, two mild green chiles both stuffed and smothered with cheese, accompanied by refritos (actually "refried" beans in name only; they are not fried) and very bland, almost medicinal, Spanish rice. There was
also an amusing dollop of mashed potatoes on one end, savory with cheese, garlic, and chiles and flecked with bits of skin. My favorite part of the meal. The fajitas, which came with the same sides minus
the potatos, consisted of the usual sizzling iron platter, heaped with onions, peppers, corn, and other veggies, with a tasty blend of chile-pepper based (but not hot) seasonings. The ala carte order of guacamole was
fresh and flavorful.
On to the salads, which were obviously not the Caesar we ordered; the bowls of tossed carrots, tomatoes, romaine and fried corn tortilla strips were dressed with a ranch-style cream dressing. I hope
this was just a mistake and that we were brought the house salad. There was a bit too much dressing, but it was otherwise tasty.
I was very impressed by the prompt drink refills. No sooner did my companion or I slurp down the last drop of our soft drink, when we were brought a fresh glass of beverage (by the same wait person who took our
order, in case you are keeping score.)
All in all, despite the noise, a pleasant meal. We vowed to come back after Lent to try some of the many offerings which contained meat.
Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen
Strapazza - visited 3/20/98
Yet another restaurant has popped up in the new shopping area near White Marsh Mall, this one with an Italian flavor. When called to
see if they were indeed open, it was a pleasant surprise to hear a real Italian accent answer the phone.
Hiding in the shadow of Don Pablo's, Strapazza is a much quieter presence on the Avenue. The smallish restaurant has a rather stark, beige decor, punctuated by semi-tacky prints of Mediterranean scenes, and just escapes
being chic. The main dining room is dominated by a semi-circular bar; the rooms are somewhat narrow, but well-lit, so there is little feeling of crowding. Indeed, on the dreary Friday night
my dining companion and I chose to eat there, there were few patrons and no wait. I overheard the hostess say, as I was seated too near the front door, that there is usually never more than a five
minute wait for dinner.
The menu lists several pasta dishes, along with pizza, and veal and chicken specialties. There are also salads and appetizers. Being yet another Friday in Lent, we chose this particular
restaurant because we knew we would find some tasty meatless options here. We decided on angelhair campagnola and linguine with white clam sauce, and a side of garlic bread.
We demolished our breadsticks while waiting for the meal. They were brought to the table warm, a good thing, but had a decidedly commercial flavor, a bad thing. But we were famished and asked for more, along with
more butter. The garlic bread arrived first. It was typical, but the butter was real, and the red pepper flakes here and there livened it up a bit.
The entrees were huge: large round platters heaped with pasta and toppings. My companion's dish was a large mound of angelhair pasta topped with marinara and chunks of artichoke, broccoli, red pepper, mushrooms, and
spinach. She proclaimed it very good. My linguine was also very tasty. The pile of pasta was coated in a sauce redolent of garlic, with white wine, butter and clam juice, sprinkled with a little parsley, and ringed by six whole clams in the shells.
The sauce was conspicuously missing any clam pieces, but it was a tasty dish nonetheless. We asked for more bread sticks to mop up the yummy sauce...and of course, more butter.
Our waiter must have been new at this job. He seemed a bit stiff, and alternately called us "ladies" and "guys". Everything put on the table was announced with the peculiar sentence, "Here you ladies are." When he would come back to inquire on us, he would ask, "How are you guys doing?"
We doggy-bagged the remainder of our meals and perused the dessert selections. We chose to share the tiramisu cake. My dining companion ordered it saying..."We'll share the tiramisu, please. And can you bring us
more butter with that?" Our waiter blinked, and we laughed. He then knew she was kidding, took a deep breath, and headed to the kitchen for our cake.
The cake was obviously not made on-premises, but it was tasty nonetheless. Not-too-sweet layers of coffee and rum flavored cream alternating with a light sponge cake was just the right thing to end the meal.
Strapazza is one of many rapidly-growing restaurant chains in the Baltimore area. The White Marsh one is consistent with the other ones in the chain, with reliably good food. A nice addition to the Avenue and it's fleet
of new places to dine.
Strapazza
PaperMoon Diner
The PaperMoon Diner has long been a favorite haunt of mine. It's a suitable place for dates, friendly get-togethers, even casual "business" lunches. The menu is eclectic and
the decor even more so. With Barbie dolls hanging from the ceiling fans and silverwear embedded into the counter, Pez containter collections and mannequins scattered about, there is
always something at which to look. The tables and chairs are Grandma's old kitchen/dinette set, mismatched and sometimes uncomfortable. The whimsy tends to hide the
awkwardness of the place. At best, the PaperMoon is cramped and noisy, with poor temperature control and often inattentive wait staff.
But the food is good. At least, I have not had any major disappointments there.
When I find a dish that I like, I tend to stick to it. At the PaperMoon, this dish is the Egg Planet: a sandwich of thinly sliced marinated eggplant with tomato and cheese on a baguette with vinaigrette.
The eggplant is rich, with a complex sweet-and-sour flavor and crisp edges, the baguette firm yet soft, with just enough moistness added by the tomato. Sometimes I pair this sandwich with an order
of shoestring fries, which are always crisp and greaseless.
On a recent visit to the diner, my companions and I tried the fried green tomatoes, served with a cornmeal crust and salsa on the side. They were good, but I thought a tad too thickly sliced. We also tried the
portabello mushroom and mesclun salad. It was served with warm wedges of fresh soft pita bread and a vinaigrette. Simple and tasty. Another hit was the "Un Salmon", a grilled cheese sandwich with
smoked salmon.
In addition to the typical diner fare of omelettes, hash browns, milkshakes, burgers, meatloaf, the PaperMoon also has trendy specials, seafood dishes, and good desserts. The bread pudding
is served warm with rum sauce and whipped cream. The death by chocolate is a slab of rich chocolate heaven. And for those people who have less of a sweet tooth than some of us, a different way
to end a meal there might be an order of the sweet fries: finger-shaped croquettes of sweet potato, crisp on the outside and molten on the inside, dusted with cinnamon. Sweet, but not too.
PaperMoon Diner
Bayou Blues Cafe - visited 3/27/98 The Bayou Blues Cafe is another new restaurant at the Avenue at White Marsh, this time featuring live jazz and blues music and
creole/cajun cuisine. The restaurant is divided into two areas: bar and dining room. We were seated at quite possibly the worst table in the restaurant, in any restaurant: by both the
kitchen and the waitron station. The place has not been open very long, so many of the waitstaff were still being trained on the restaurant's computer, which was, of course, on the waitron station.
Also, we were just by the entrance to the bar, and had to shout over the live jazz that was emanating from that area.
The dining room was meant to resemble a modern version of a grand New Orleans dining room, with its ceiling fans and crystal chandelier. My dining companion, however, felt otherwise. She said, "I feel like I am
in a hotel lobby."
Aside from all that, the food was very good. The menu boasts all sorts of cajun and creole goodies: alligator tail, gumbo, blackened redfish, maque choux. We nibbled the breads while we perused the
menu: warm corn muffins that were slightly sweet and unusual with bits of peach, and nice warm biscuits.
I selected the crawfish etouffee and received a large oval platter with a mound of rice covered with an abundance of crawfish tails in a rich brown sauce. It tasted extremely authentic - I could tell this sauce
had been made with a long-cooked roux. Both the taste and the color confirmed that. I was impressed by the authenticity. Of course, there are probably as many recipes for etouffee as there are cooks. Having
spent many years with a man whose family came from Louisiana, I have been exposed to the Real Thing. And this was pretty darn close.
My companion had the seafood creole. The creole sauce was lively with creole seasonings, and chock full of shrimp, crawfish tails, and crab meat. It was also served with rice and both entrees came with
a pile of barely-steamed fresh veggies.
Even though we were stuffed, we could not resist the temptation of dessert. We tried the bread pudding, which arrived in two immense triangular slabs, redolent of cinnamon. It could have used just a touch of
creme anglaise or maybe some heavy cream to moisten it, but it was still quite good. We also sampled the pecan pie, which had chopped pecans in a oddly butterscotch-flavored base, on a truly bad crust which
tasted cardboard-y. The pie was strangely off-putting in overall flavor, but not as bad as I make it sound.
The restaurant was barely a quarter full when we arrived, but was close to capacity when we left two hours later. Yes, it took that long to get served, and longer to get our check. The booth next to our table had
been turned over three times while we were there. Perhaps our waitress should consider a new career as an AOL operator.
Bayou Blues Cafe |
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