High End Italian Cuisine and Prices

Aldo"s Ristorante

306 S. High St.

Baltimore, MD 21202

www.aldositaly.com

Flawless Cuisine in Little Italy

I have been determined to make up for all the years I avoided Little Italy in Baltimore, going to great distances to search out great Italian cuisine. Now I find myself in search of a bad meal in Little Italy as one trattoria outdoes the one that preceded it.

In deciding which restaurant to choose next I referred to several of the menus available online and was stopped in my tracks by the one at Aldo’s. There are many appetizers and entrees that I could sample over time, if my purse would allow it for the place is not for those who are on a budget other than a corporate expense account, which I certainly am not.

Like most of the restaurants in Little Italy, Aldo’s offers valet parking, which we took advantage of the evening we visited because of some broken toes I mangled a week earlier. There appears to be a valet parking concessionaire that has pretty well cornered the market in Little Italy, adding a quick $9.00 for their very prompt service. A self-serve public parking lot is located but a city block away and I’ll be using that venue in the future.

After turning over my car fob to the valet I was immediately welcomed at the entrance to Aldo’s by our tuxedoed waiter, a thorough professional who new every detail of the menu and extensive wine list. Dress at Aldo’s for the patrons is merely business casual so leave your Raven’s shirt and hole ridden jeans at home for the evening.

Aldo’s boasts several dining rooms and I am certain that regulars there have their favorite. The restaurant is beautifully appointed and we settled into the atrium room seen in the picture above. Notice that the tables have actual linen table cloths, something rarely seen in our native county and certainly never in the typical Italian franchise eatery, like Olive Garden. I am still impressed by such a little detail and yes I am aware that the linen service adds to the cost of the meal as overhead.

The evening’s appetizer and entrée specials were impressive but not enough to persuade me from the prize I had in mind from previewing the menu. Instead of an appetizer I settled for a nicely prepared Caesar salad but when I return to Aldo’s I’ll be sure to order the cold antipasti of meats and cheeses.  I chose a quite nice bottle of Nicholas’ Ambrosan Amarone to accompany the meal.  One would be hard pressed to find any bottle of wine on the extensive list that is priced under $60.00 and many are well over the $100.00 edge. Like I said, it is an expense account sort of restaurant.

Fresh bread is served promptly accompanied by a dish of extra virgin olive oil for dipping. No doubt butter is available on request but I have taken a real liking to using olive oil on my bread, with or without added spices or a green olive tapenade as is used at Restaurant Timpano in Rockville.

My steady date for the night ordered the veal chop prepared Milanese style, which it turns out to be quite spectacular. The chop is left on the bone but pounded out thinly, lightly breaded, then grilled perfectly and presented with a mess of diced fresh tomatoes and onion atop it with some sliced pecorino chese and arugula on the side. I’ve not seen this style presentation before but it is a welcome and refreshing change from the typical preparation which is smothered in melted provolone cheese and a tomato sauce. Alas it is one of the more expensive entrees on the menu at $45.00. Did I mention that Aldo’s would be a swell place to visit regularly if one had access to an expense account?

The entrée that brought me to Aldo’s to begin with was the veal shank or Ossobuco. I was not disappointed as it was prepared to perfection. The meat was so tender I never had to raise a knife to it as it slid off the sizeable bone it was attached to and was perfectly seasoned; accompanied by a delicious gravy reduction and superb side of risotto and mushrooms. It is certainly worth the $32.00 charged for it and the drive down that $#!&! Jones Falls Expressway to get to Little Italy. Unless one is dealing with traffic stacked up on the JFX due to an accident on a rainy night as we were, one can get to Little Italy comfortably in 35 to 40 minutes from Finksburg. Hell, it can take 30 minutes to reach Taneytown from my home on a good day and there you will find similar dining prices at the sole actual restaurant located there, Antrim 1844. Hmm, what a choice for those living in Taneytown: a pizza without anchovies, a McBurger or a $200.00 meal at Antrim.

I may be a bit poorer for the experience of dining at Aldo’s but  I shouldn’t make such a fuss about the menu pricing there as it has become typical of that in many of the fine, special occasion restaurants found in the Baltimore area … including Taneytown. No regrets about this meal other than that neither of us had room for dessert and that dessert menu does look promising. Check out their menu on line at the link provided above and you may find some combinations that aren’t worthy of the expense account crowd, and if you don’t care for wine, you are either truly blessed or damned to live an unfulfilled life.

A Nearby Treasure

Mia Carolina


4844 Butler Road


Glyndon Square


Glyndon, MD 21071


410-526-5711

www.miacarolina.com


An Italian Masterpiece right in our midst.

Our most recent visit to Mia Carolina was the first since I started writing this blog and has made me sorry that we have not gone there more often as it is but 10 minutes from Finksburg. This trip was inspired by some seats we had for a concert at the BSO and wanting to improve on the fare that is served at restaurants near the Meyerhof Hall. Sure there are plenty of good restaurants in Baltimore but we haven’t found a worthy one in walking distance and with already having to pay for parking next to the concert hall I have not wanted to spend an additional $10 for the privilege at a restaurant.

So it is we decided to experiment by eating locally and driving to the BSO without any traffic issues, arriving closer to the usual 8 PM start. When we arrived at Mia Carolina we asked our excellent server to make sure we did not order anything that took exceptionally long for the kitchen to prepare. She assured us we would be out within an hour and sure enough we were, comfortably so with a relaxed by promptly served meal.

Mia Carolina has an excellent assortment of appetizers and I’m particularly fond of both the regular Antipasti di Mia Carolina and the Antipasti Frutti de Mare Griglia, both are large servings suitable for two. I believe the house specialty antipasti of meats, cheeses, and roasted vegetables is enough to make an excellent entrée for one. This trip I forgo the appetizer course and have a simple Caesar salad instead.

The restaurant itself is a very comfortable tratoria with fresh flowers and white lines set on each table and an eager, knowledgeable staff waiting to serve diners. The bread, actually a fresh roll, arrives warm and is accompanied with a wonderful trio of accompaniments – fresh butter, an arugula and garlic paste and a particularly nice dish of olive oil/tapenade that the term “zesty” doesn’t do justice.

My partner in crime decided to have the more traditional of our dinners, settling on a well prepared Veal Parmigiana. The veal cutlet was a very nice portion and served with cappellini pasta and a tomato sauce. A restaurant that shall remain unnamed, in proximity of the Meyerhof, managed to blow the preparation of this most standard fare of Italian eateries while throwing in rushed, sloppy service with their limited BSO night menu. That meal made us appreciate the one at Mia Carolina all the more.

My entrée was ordered with low expectations but turned out to be a spectacularly flavorful treat, the chicken with an assortment olives, artichoke hearts, and sundried tomatoes over fettuccini pasta. Wow, this dish really shows off Executive Chef Jay Cohen’s talent and the capabilities in the Mia Carolina kitchen. This simple dish, served with two nicely sized chicken breast cutlets is loaded with different tastes in every bite. The very moderately priced bottle of Barolo wine we shared actually stood up well to the sharp tastes in the dish that the olives and artichoke lend it. I was also pleased to see a dish that was not smothered in a red tomato sauce – this dish does not need a heavy sauce to bring in any more flavors.

We shall return again soon so I can order the grilled veal chop and it will probably be on a slow Thursday night when Mia Carolina offers its very nice wine list at half price.

This fine restaurant is within a comfortable drive time for even the most remote corners of Carroll County and gets a two thumbs up recommendation regardless of the drive. The chef here has mastered my keys to Italian cooking: the olives, the oil and the balsamic.

Reservations are recommended and I’m so glad when compared to being given a blinking toy to hold while you wait like a passenger on the Titanic for a seat on a lifeboat at the likes of an Olive Garden. Why settle for franchise food at prices hardly any less expensive when you can get excellent service, fresh linens, flowers & a comfortable trattoria atmosphere along with a real menu of delicious fare at Mia Carolina.

A Bit of a Drive but O Mamma

Vinnie’s

Neighborhood Italian

641 Merrimon Avenue

Asheville, NC 28804

828.253.1077

www.Vinniesitalian.com

OK, so you may not want to drive the 8 hours to Asheville, North Carolina just for the Antipasti alone but you could take in a side trip to the 230 room Biltmore Estate while there if it would make you feel the trip was more worthwhile.

Asheville is a happening place and town full of fiercely independent restaurants and art / craft galleries. With well over 100 downtown great eateries and many more on the periphery I counted a total of three franchise restaurants – a Bojangles, Hardees, and a McDonalds and you would never know the latter two from the low key signage compared to what they exhibit elsewhere (it’s also the only McDonalds I have ever seen a real grand piano in). You may be in the South but you’ll swear you are in Seattle or Vancouver or even Montreal for the nightlife scene and mix of redneccks, grunge, wealthy touristas, and lost souls. It’s a place where you can get an artsy draft beer for $9 or a 16 oz. tall boy can of PBJ anywhere for $3 (that’s Pabst Blue Ribbon y’all and why it is king in Asheville I don’t know … yet)

So after two nights of swank fois gras, elk tenderloin, and sweetbreads at some very nice 5 star restaurants we were ready for a real Italian meal and casual dining. Thank heavens we chose to cross town to stumble upon Vinnie’s on Merrimon Avenue. It’s the real deal for real Italian food. Not fancy but a very friendly place with a menu that just won’t quit with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin singing in the background. If I lived in Asheville I’d be there at least once a week and never get bored with the great regular selections and specials.

They start you with some nice fresh bread and an infused olive oil and some balsamic vinegar for dipping. From a large selection of reasonably priced wines I chose a Montepulciano for our meal and the wonderful Antipasti di Famiglia appetizer. Fortunately, Debbie does not enjoy many of the pickled delights on the Antipasti, leaving them for me and they are so many I have to list them: 3 meats, Sopressata, mortadella, & genoa salami. There is romano, and provolone cheese; cherry peppers, huge marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, assorted olives, and pepper berries. Itsa masterpiece!

Not expecting such a large Antipasti, I had also ordered a bowl of Pasta Fazool. I couldn’t do it justice and still eat my entrée as well but the wonderful combination of pasta, sausage and beans was very flavorful and on another day would make a stand alone appetizer or even lunch of its own.

For our dinner entrees we chose the Veal Parmigiana and Veal Piccata. The Parmigiana was a large serving with a marinara sauce over spaghetti done perfectly. The Picatta was in a light olive oil and lemon caper butter sauce with the pasta in the same sauce along with a serving of sautéed spinach. A few more capers wouldn’t hurt matters any.  

The residents of Asheville are fortunate to have such a great Italian eatery among all the choices there. Yes, we have good Italian restaurants in Washington and Baltimore but I cannot remember the last time seeing such a spectacular Antipasti for two with so much variety and a wine list that didn’t have bottle prices that exceeded the entire cost of the meal.

Asheville is worth the trip. Just don’t miss Vinnie’s when you go.

Restaurant Week Carroll County

Various Locations

Names Not Provided to Protect the Innocent and Keep Me From Being Sued

 

If there is any wonder why I do so few reviews of restaurants inside my home county of Carroll, Restaurant Week there provided the answers. There is damn little here to keep one here if it is fine food and a restaurant-like atmosphere one is in search of. In my dining experiences at three restaurants during the week of August 22^nd through the 26^th 2011 I found the all shared three of the same qualities, if that’s what you want to call them:

• They apparently believe that quantity is what it is all about. One had five huge courses – nothing extraordinary mind you, just 5 big courses of food.  Another, for $15, let you select an appetizer and two – yes two- full size entrees. Why the hell would anyone need two entrees? All the food was mediocre. Am I supposed to vote on these restaurants based on the number of plates of food I carry home as left-overs?

• The water sucks in every restaurant in Westminster. If they gave you a whole lemon to put in it the water it would still taste awful. They should either give you a bottle of Deer Park water or a demi bottle of white wine to atone for the lousy municipal tap water they are stuck with. What, they never heard of a Brita or a decent water treatment system of their own?

• They all play music for people who are not listening to it. It isn’t ambient white noise, it is noisy noise – annoying noise that makes everyone speak louder and the restaurant be louder than it need be. Yes, I have been to noisy fine restaurants but that’s because the people there were having a good time and the plates were clanging – not because Abba was playing the same old same old over speakers positions everywhere or the TV’s had some sports nonsense on while the dining room was pretending to be a restaurant in a sports bar.

None of the formula / chain restaurants participated in restaurant week, for example Olive Garden and Chili’s. From what I can tell, they did not need to as business there is quite good and for what it is, so is the food for the price. I try to avoid these type restaurants but you’ll catch me in one occasionally, particularly for their lunch specials.

I do hope Restaurant Week grows in Carroll County next year with more restaurants participating, particularly some of the Chinese restaurants who may have the originality to put something special together on their menus. Let’s hope that other restaurants realize that the occasion is more about the challenge of fine food than the quantity of it.

Happenstance Lunch Happens to be Perfect

Timpano Chophouse

12021 Rockville Pike

Rockville, MD 20852

301-881-6939

www.TimpanoChophouse.net

We had been to Timpano twice before for dinner while going to the incredible Strathmore Concert Hall in Montgomery County. Both dinners were quite successful with the skillet roasted mussels appetizer really remaining in my memory as a hit. This large, dual level dining room right off Rockville Pike is very popular and from the looks of it one night we were there the drinks at the bar must be either very cheap or awfully good as people were three deep.

We were in the neighborhood this Saturday to check out the extraordinary tile and fixtures at Porcelanosa USA’s store / gallery a few miles away for a planned bathroom remodeling. Being close to lunch when we finished up at Porcelanosa we thought we’d revisit Timpano but when we arrived there was hardly a car on the parking lot. However the lights were on inside so the four of us piled into an almost empty restaurant. My first thought was oh oh, somebody died eating a bad clam the prior week and the resultant bad press had killed them. The waiter assured us it wasn’t so – just that it was a typical weekend lunchtime when people vacate town for the beach. The huge, open grill kitchen was abuzz preparing dishes and baked goods for the evening menu so we must have walked into a strange time warp indeed.

Warm rolls and an olive oil dipping sauce come out quickly. The rolls could really do without being pre-buttered, particularly since the olive oil dip is so good - it has a green olive tapenade, garlic and red peppers in it from what I could tell.

The lunch menu is quite extensive. Those mussels were on there calling me but I was determined to resist ordering them again in the name of trying something different and brother am I glad I did. Two among us ordered the flatbread style pizzas, one with Italian sausage, caramelized onions  and a tomato – garlic sauce; the other a  Four cheese special with pesto – both were big hits and required boxing up for the leftovers.

One of us settled on the Shrimp Diablo, a selection that got a real nod of approval from our attentive waiter. The shrimp were mixed in a large portion of fettuccini with asparagus, pine nuts and spinach with a rosa sauce. I was envious…until my order of lemon caper pasta arrived. It was just what I hoped for and more with angel hair pasta tossed with lemon zest, parsley, olive oil and many, many capers. Some might say too many capers but I love them and no one forced me to eat all of them. Since I wasn’t driving I broke my standby rule and had a glass of their house Pinot Grigio which was extremely fruity and served very, very cold as I believe it should be.

There is a nice selection of salads, chicken, fish and sandwiches on this lunch menu with prices running from $9.00 to $15.00 per entrée. That large order of mussels with olive oil and kosher salt is $12. Mind you this is the Washington DC market so prices are going to be a bit high compared to Carroll County. Check out their dinner menu on the very thorough web site and reservations are a must for dinner. Throw in a show at the Strathmore to make a full evening of it - that beautiful concert hall is acoustically and aesthetically perfect.

Little Italy Calls

Rocco’s Capriccio

846 Fawn Street

Baltimore, Md 21202

410-685-2710

 Itsa the real deal!

This dinner visit with friends was inspired by Baltimore Restaurant Week with its $35 per person menus. The story at Rocco’s is all about the sauces. While the menus at all participating restaurants provide limited selections from their full menus, the one offered by Rocco’s capriccio included a very large selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts. All four diners this evening were easily able to choose selections without duplicating one another.

It had been many years since our last meal in Baltimore’s Little Italy as we have been travelling to the superb Mama Filomena’s in Georgetown for our Italian food fixes. My family used to go to Maria’s 500 in Little Italy several times a year for the simplest of inexpensive cuisine and house red wine. This trip to Fawn Street recalled many of my memories of those good times as I stepped out of our car and engaged an entire neighborhood overwhelmed with the aroma of cooked garlic on a warm evening.

Parking in Little Italy has become competitive and expensive. The residents there are certainly entitled to most of the street parking but it makes for a nice business for those with nearby lots of valet services. One entrepreneurial fellow has staked out the restaurants on the four corners of Fawn St. and rather than cruise the neighborhood for 20 minutes looking for a free spot I paid the $10 tariff and moved onto our meal. Parking is even more difficult and expensive in Georgetown.

The dining room is not large at Rocco’s and it certainly has a homey mediterranean feel to it. Reservations are suggested for any evening meal regardless of which night you choose. The bread that comes out shortly after you are seated is the flavorful white loaf that has accompanied many a meal in many a restaurant in Little Italy. It did not need the butter that accompanied it but it would have been nice if some olive oil and herbs had been available for dipping it in.

Two of the appetizers we ordered were remarkable, the Prosciutto over melon and Insalata Del Mare. The Prosciutto was thinly sliced sheets of perfectly lean meat in over sweet green melon slices. The portion was huge. My mix of shrimp, mussels and clams were in a totally perfect red sauce that must have been cooking for days with EVVO and garlic. Everyone at the table took occasion to put that bread to use.

All of the dinner entrees were impressive. The Fettuccini and Shrimp in a white cream sauce was spectacular. The Stuffed Veal was a nice size portion in a wonderful brown / mushroom sauce with a stuffing of prosciutto & asiago and gorgonzola cheeses. My Rack of Lamb was cooked to medium just as I asked and the final dish of Costa Rican Snapper with leeks and carrots left only a very empty plate in front of my friend. The side dishes of penne pasta with marinara sauce that some ordered were fine but a bit disappointing.

Desserts of fresh cannoli and tiramisu finished our leisurely meal. I liked the tiramisu quite a bit because it was so moist from the rum saturation, another among us found it to be too mushy; less than the expected firmness. Oh well.

Looking over the regular dinner menu I found many reasons to return to Rocco’s with entrée prices ranging from $20 for the veal dishes to $32 for Rack of Veal. Chef Rocco Gargano twice visited tables in the dining room during our visit. It’s a family business there with his daughter serving tables and his son as bartender. I’ll return to this restaurant if only for some more of his incredible tomato sauce, perhaps with the calamari over linguini. Only next time I’m going to arrive early and walk the neighborhood, taking in as much of the aromas as I can. 



Oh My, Monsieur

Marie Louise Bistro

904 N. Charles Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

410-385-9946

www.marielouisebistrocatering.com

Magnificent food and terrific service!

I am a Baltimore native. I must also live in a cave because until visiting this wonderful restaurant during Restaurant Week Baltimore I had not been there before and hardly heard of it. Shame on me.

On a weeknight, it took only 35 minutes from Finksburg to arrive at the parking lot adjoining this Mount Vernon restaurant. The whole way home I blamed myself for not having eaten at this very fine restaurant years ago. Places like the Prime Rib and McCormick Schmucks get all the fanfare in Baltimore, some of it deserved, but here this French bistro with its incredible dessert pastry display at the entrance has evaded me and others I have spoken to about it since our meal there. The prices are downright reasonable compared to those big-name restaurants too.

Restaurant Week offers fixed price, limited menu fare at many good restaurants in the Monumental City. Its success has been copied in Howard County and now I see restaurants in Carroll County is jumping on the bandwagon during the week of August 21^st.  Washington ,DC has one as I'm sure many other areas outside my cave must too. Multiple course dinners are all $35.11 at every restaurant on the list, including even some of the most expensive eateries like Fogo de Chow. Lunches are also available at reduced prices so check out that web site http://www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com/

I admit that a review of Marie Louise Bistro in the Baltimore Sun  many moons ago piqued my interest, although there are so many restaurants on my list of eateries to explore that I could have chosen another during Restaurant Week and missed this gem. We hit it rich in Mount Vernon with this one.

It is not an ostentatious place and many of the diners the weeknight we stopped in were dressed very casually. Dumb me with my wear a jacket to a nice dinner philosophy! After absorbing the atmosphere and menu I can see why people were dressed down – this place has a huge neighborhood following. Many people came by just for a jumbo martini and one of the incredible pastries available until 10 PM. (11 on Friday & Saturday). The sidewalks outside the Bistro were buzzing with people as the neighborhood is just loaded with bars and restaurants of all sorts. Double recession be damned, drink up!

Our excellent server, Kirsten, was attentive throughout the meal and more helpful than most in her business when dumb questions about the food and the restaurant itself.

I momentarily excused myself from the pre fixe menu when I saw an appetizer for two that I could not resist – the Charcuterie Plate. Not wanting to dwell on how pate’ is made, I am a lush for it.  Unfortunately, my wife is not as crazy about pureed and cured meats so I was obligated to eat most of this large portion myself. I hope other diners are able to share more of the Plate than me but hey, I’m not complaining. Along with the basket of fresh baguette bread, the plate consists of slices of a rough, pepper-coated salami, a delightful house pate, larger still slices of a house fois gras torchon and cured / dried slices of prosciutto all accompanied by cured olives, some cornichons and a homemade, coarse Dijon mustard. In all fairness, this plate alone could make an entrée for most people and then you’d not have to share it with anyone. I thought the meal would surely go downhill from that point because the meats were just extraordinary. The picture above is an internet capture - the actual Charcuterie at the Bistro is much nicer.

Back onto the Restaurant Week special menu my wife had the cold Butternut Squash soup. There are very few cold soups that I like, save those made with berries. She loved the large, and I do mean large, bowl of the soup. I forced myself to try the Mushroom and Leek tart without regret.

Once again, we both chose the same dinner entree. I was not about to forgo the Trio of Lamb Chops just because my spouse insisted on having it. Three nice, small lamb chops accompanied as many incredible Merguez lamb sausages and two B’Steeya, a lamb compote in a fluffy pastry, all over delightful baked potato wedges with lamb jus and accompanied with pickled red onion (hey, it works!). We asked to have the tzasiki sauce on the side and were glad we did. This thick white sauce had a sharp dill flavor and I thought it unnecessary and overpowering. Had it not been served aside I think it could have ruined a marvelous entrée for both of us.

We only had dessert because it came with the package meal. Yeah, right. Wifey had the chocolate hazelnut dome and took no prisoners home. I had an incredibly light crepe with a heavenly crème filling and peaches in a glaze sauce. I would not normally order a dessert (honest), particularly after a large meal like this BUT before leaving we asked Kirsten to box up two pastries to go for the next evening’s delight. The next evening I enjoyed a coconut tart with a moist cake interior and fresh fruit topping. The Chocolate Purse that my wife took home was a visual wonder and delicious (she says, as she refused to share). This incredible dessert is made of a hard but thin chocolate exterior that you would swear is a small leather purse, complete with marks from the strings being pulled to close it at the top. It was filled with chocolate mousse. Now that is decadence at its visual best and a huge compliment to the pastry chef.

Wines are available by the bottle or glass. Bottles range from $29 to almost $100. If you are into the martini thing they have an impressive list as well as other liqueurs and ports. I have to make a comment here that no matter where we dine, the after dinner drink list never (so far at least) includes Absinthe and that is just a shame. This anise - like gift of the Green Fairies has been legal in the US since 2007 after getting a bad rap a century ago by tea toddlers who believed the wormwood in it brought out the demons in those who drank it. More nonsense from those so hypocritically pure of spirit themselves in that era accompanying Prohibition. I say put Absinthe on the menus and be dammed ye of demon spirit. Let the Green Fairies it is supposed to induce on imbibers dance into the night. Few would want to drink it straight and even diluted with the typical sugar cube and ice cold water it may be an acquired taste but I have seen the younger generation drink far more bitter chartreuse-colored spirits.

So, I will certainly be going back to Marie Louise Bistro, if only to have the Bouillabaisse. There are so many delicious items on their menu; check out the web site. And thanks to our server Kristin for making a very good meal a great one.

Go for the Gumbo!

Ethel and Ramone’s

1615 Sulgrave Avenue

Baltimore (Mount Washington), MD

410-664-2971

www.ethelandramones.com

Even with the oppressive hot weather we’ve had in Maryland recently, it hadn’t quenched my recent desire for some authentic Cajun food. Although there may be some jambalayas available in Carroll County, the place in the Baltimore region for the best in Louisiana’s spice fare is Ethel and Ramone’s in nearby Mount Washington.

It takes almost ½ an hour to reach Taneytown from our home in Finksburg so the mid-day ½ hour drive in the opposite direction for a specialty lunch seemed fair enough. Had I know how good our lunch would be I would have driven twice the distance and will certainly be returning one evening for dinner there.

I thought for sure we were off to a bad start when General manager Jeff  Berkow suggested we dine on the porch overlooking shady Sulgrave Avenue because the dining room was actually warmer. Fortunately, this afternoon was much less warm than those preceding it and it was very comfortable sitting in the shade on a day when the owners could be excused for a broken air conditioning unit. The HVAC repairman was actually sizing up situation while we were there and explaining that he would have been there sooner were it not for the toll that several consecutive 100 degree days had taken on Baltimore’s AC  and food refrigeration units.

Enough said about a minor faux pas. Jeff also quickly changed the music in the restaurant from the chef’s preferred acid rock to much more agreeable piano jazz (Ray Brown Trio I believe) for customers now arriving for lunch. There’s a nice selection of wines available by the bottle or glass but I stuck to my rule about afternoon imbibing and opted for some freshly made lemonade instead. The menu’s here are on plain paper and while I could have selected any one of several entrees, I spied the mention of a roux which was simmered for days before it was ready for use in the gumbo. Forgedabout everything else, it was a matter of just choosing from the “plain” Andouille sausage, chicken, crab, seafood or shrimp gumbos at that point. My wife decided to have the chicken version of their Po’ Boy sandwich.  I am quite glad I settled on the shrimp gumbo because it was full of extremely large cooked shrimp with Andouille in a beautiful, thick, dark brown sauce akin to what one would expect in a serious stew. A heap of spicy rice accompanied the gumbo, leaving it up to the diner to decide on the right context of each for their meal – I found this much preferable to a more typical serving of the gumbo over the rice. One needs to take ample time to savor this very spicy dish, that brown sauce is extraordinary, the sausage and shrimp just delicious.

That Po’ Boy sandwich was very nice but not $5 nicer than one you get at Chick-fil-A. Served on ciabatta bread with roasted greens, tomato and a skim of fried potatoes, it’s no ordinary sandwich yet I wasn’t all that impressed considering all the advance fanfare given it in a Baltimore newspaper. Typically this sandwich is served with a remoulade dressing but with my spouse’s allergy to mayonnaise, the dressing was served on the side so I could evaluate it on the corner of her sandwich that I claimed. The remoulade does not make the sandwich but it is a nice accompaniment for some extra spice if so desired but then I wouldn’t miss the secret sauce on a Big Mac either.

Altogether, the gumbo alone makes this restaurant worth the trip. I plan on returning for a dinner to try either the Jambalaya or the pan fried Maryland Fried Chicken and their red beans and rice. Jeff did forewarn me to make a reservation for any Friday night or weekend dinner plans. They do serve that gumbo in the evenings too and an encore is not out of question.

Red, Hot, and Blue! Annapolis, MD

I've never been to Kansas City or St. Louis but I did spend quite some time in a Missouri backwater Army camp learning how to blow just about anything up. No Matter, it doesn't take a Southern drawl to appreciate good cookin', especially spareribs.
This review is specific to the one and only Red, Hot, and Blue (RHB) in Annapolis, Maryland. I've been to other franchise locations and they simply are not as good; their menu not as deep as the one at the site of the famous flying pigs on a windmill in Annapolis, no more than an hours non-rush-hour drive from most points in Carroll County. It's worth the trip and yeah I know all about the rib shacks and restaurants in Carroll County & nearby Baltimore County, including Dave's and Andy Nelson's pig palaces. Keep driving!
Why drive that far, as I once did in a blizzard for some expected guests at my home?
It's the dry rub Lousiana - style ribs man! The menu at RH&B has many great entrees and sandwiches but it's the ribs that make the drive more than worth it. Little wonder I recently needed a triple heart bypass!
There are pork spare ribs and then there are those at RH&B whcih are extra meaty and the rack is so big it hangs off both sides of the plate. Yes, you can order a 1/2 rack or even a  sampler plate with a few ribs on it but if you are driving to Annapolis to eat ribs, go for the full rack and take some home for breakfast the next day. The ribs are acccompanied by a choice of sides but I find the collard greens and special zingy baked beans to be the best. Where else you gonna get collard greens, Burger King?
Most rib places slather on some gooey sauce which hides the flavor of the pork and doubles the calories. The calories on dry spice rubbed ribs at RH&B are just fine the way they are, although you can ask for them prepared with a sauce if you wish. There are also 4 kinds of sauce on each table, 3 of increasing heat and one just a special vinegar for those collards and the ribs.
There are many appetizers available at RH&B, with the crispy onion loaf being the most popular...unless you are a RH&B insider and know that the best one isn't on the menu. You have to ask knowingly for the smoked sausage and cheese platter to really get a jump on the meal, although, considering the large size entree portions you may want to save the dough and go straight to the main meal, which will likely be served by an enthusiastic and talented young person who knows how to work for a tip.
The pulled pork sandwich is as popular as BBQ sandwich, each coming with your choice of two sides. There is a full bar with several beers on tap. The one negative I have for this restaurant is that they do not take reservations so if you arrive at a typical dinner hour any day of the week, you're in for a wait - the place has been there for decades and is very popular with all sorts of folks who enjoy this style of home cooking.
That full slab of ribs will cost you $21.00 Overstuffed Sandwiches run around $10.00. Be sure to sign up for their birthday club so you receive an invitation once a year for a free entree.
RH&B is a quirky kind of place with quirky decor and of course blues music playing all hours of the day and night. Don't go with the thought of having a McRib sandwich there - this is the real deal.

You Won't Leave hungry

Illiano’s J&P Restaurant

490 Meadow Creek Rd., Westminster

http://www.illianojandppizza.com/ 

You won’t leave hungry

There are many Illiano Family restaurants in Carroll County although not all are under the same family ownership. The one thing they all have in common is their origins with the creation of these popular eateries by Francesco “Frank” Illiano who arrived in the US decades ago with a talent for pizza making and spirit of entrepreneurship. It’s been quite a while since Frank made a pizza for restaurant guests as his hard work has bloomed into a small empire of restaurants. Why some restaurants are owned by some family members and others now headed by Frank I can’t say; business is business and I’m not here to do a financial portrait of the pizza kingdom, just the food, which is remarkably similar and consistent no matter the sign over the front door.

My friend and I decided to visit the J&P newest location on the West side of Westminster in a new shopping center located across MD Rt. 140 from the Best Western Inn. This is a large, attractive, independent building in the center and the menu suggests that it is operated by Frank’s brother Augusto. We were there at lunch time but no matter the full menu of pizza’s subs and entrée’s is available for both lunch and dinner. The restaurant is spacious with comfortable booths and tables set comfortably apart from one another.

One thing I insist on having anytime I dine at a J&P is the zucchini sticks. There are ample “sticks” in an order to share as an appetizer; they are accompanied by tubs or marinara sauce and ranch dressing for dipping in. The lightly breaded zucchini makes a great alternative to the many other tasty appetizers on the menu. No doubt some folks are equally as big a fan of the French fries or breaded mushroom caps at J&P.

Ideally we would have ordered very different lunch selections but the subs at J&P are so good we couldn’t convince one another to order differently. My friend chose the Steak & Cheese sub with the works, a monster of a sub with plenty of grilled minute steak smothered in melted mozzarella cheese.  I chose a veal parmigiana sub with mozzarella, marinara sauce and fried onions. Again, the portion is very large and the breaded veal a very tasty option.

This restaurant has a full bar of liquors, wines and beers. Were it dinner time I would have had a glass or two of ice cold Pinot Grigio to go with the meal but I find any liquor at lunch times leads me to an urge for an afternoon siesta so I seldom imbibe at lunch. Notice I did say seldom. Our server was very attentive and the food came out from the kitchen promptly.

Admittedly, it’s difficult to write a restaurant review for what one may call a “pizza joint” but the vast majority of us in Carroll County eat far more often in places like this than we do in fine dining establishments. Our expectations for each are deservedly different; however, because of the frequency for our eating out in a Pizza Parlor the one thing we are entitled to is consistency. I find all of the J&P restaurants to serve up consistently good food at reasonable prices and I certainly can’t say that of many of the lunch establishments I visit. I certainly endorse this new location of the J&P family of restaurants. You’ll go home neither disappointed nor hungry if you go.  

No Shoes, No service

A compendium on the demise of dressing for dinner.

The Prime Rib
http://www.theprimerib.com/bal/index.html

Morton’s Steakhouse
http://www.mortons.com/baltimore/

The Oregon Grill
http://www.theoregongrille.com/

Tio Pepe
(no official web site, call 410-539-4675)

All four of the above restaurants are considered “special occasion” places because for any of us without company expense accounts, they are all too bloody expensive to dine at on a regular basis.

From the start, I have to say that the food at all four is extraordinarily good and the service never less than mediocre. I’ll touch on the menus of each but with one exception, The Oregon Grill; I have to put the slam on them for totally eliminating their dress codes in recent years.

Let me begin with Morton’s in Baltimore, one of the many nationally known steakhouses that originated in Chicago. Morton’s is located in the part of downtown Baltimore that relies on tourist income to support itself. I had heard that the food there surpassed typical tourist fare so off we went after first making a reservation and checking their web site for the dress code if any. “Business Casual” is what the web site suggested, along with a firm recommendation for reservations. When talking to the Maître ‘d he suggested that if we thought we would be ordering Prime Rib for dinner, that we do so in advance, and further, if we wanted end cuts to do so as well. It seemed a bit strange that a steakhouse wouldn’t have an ample supply of aged prime rib steaks for any night of the week but perhaps at the price of $45 each it wasn’t too much to ask, so I predicted we’d want one serving of prime rib in advance. Where I once insisted that all my meat be cooked well done I’ve eased up considerably in recent time to understand that medium-rare does the anything other than chicken or pork justice.

Parking is not free at Morton’s, as it is at the Oregon Grill and The Prime Rib, so expect at least an additional $6.00 in expense for the evening. The restaurant is large and spread-out with very comfortable booths which seat the diners facing the center of the room. Staffs is dressed in tuxedos and are very polished and accommodating. Let’s just say the dinner went extremely well with the expensive entrees not leaving any room for complaint, from appetizer to dessert. The entrees were cooked to perfection and portions quite large.

However, this trip to Town was an eye opener for what passes as “business casual”.  A weeknight, the restaurants was not full of patrons but at one point a group of men were seated across from our tables, all wearing Harley Davidson t-shirts and sneakers. Hmm, I looked around the room to find that only one man besides me had worn a jacket to dinner. Most other men did at least have collars on their shirts. Women wore everything from dress jeans to dresses. I assumed that things must be awfully competitive in Harborplace area restaurants that they couldn’t afford to ask guests for better than t-shirts. Frankly, with wine and tip, this dinner cost over $200 for two and I’ll be damned if I want to wear a t-shirt and jeans for a special occasion with that sort of price tag. As we were paying our tab a table of four was seated beside up. The lead male in the party had a sports team shirt on, hanging outside his pants. One of the party had on a cologne so strong in scent that were we not leaving I would have asked the Maître‘d to either seat them elsewhere or move us so I could smell the food over whatever that male/female concoction was. If all of this sounds stuck-up and blue-blooded but I’m sticking to my guns on believing that attire fit for McDonalds is not suited to fine dining establishments. Shame, I won’t go back for it and both the meal and service at Morton’s were extraordinary.

Tio Pepe. Business may be off at some Baltimore restaurants but not so here, where consistently over the decades, regardless of the time of your reservation, you are in for a long, uncomfortable wait of 15 to 30 minutes to be seated. Here the tables are jammed in tightly and the rooms very noisy from all of the tables full of patrons celebrating all sorts of special occasions. Here too the food is consistently good and actually not as expensive as the other three restaurants I have bundled into this group review. This is a great place to visit with friends, if only to share the large pitchers of Sangria which are a tradition here (watch it, the stuff will sneak up on you!) Also a tradition is the Paella a la Valenciana. Prepared only for two at $49, this is a huge, delicious concoction of lobster, mussels, chorizo, shrimp and chicken over Spanish rice. Where else would they dare to serve minute steak with a Béarnaise sauce and charge $30 for it? Parking is in a nearby garage but not included in the price of dinner. The desserts are quite famous at Tio Pepe, particularly the Pine Nut Roll cake but it’s hard to imagine anyone having room for desserts here, where the portions are so large.

Tio Pepe does not advertise a dress code although we found most of the diners there in actual business casual or more formal dress. And then there were the exceptions, mostly young adults, who decided that the appropriate dress was similar to costumes from Cirque de Soleil. When did it become fashionable for plump young women to wear costumes with bare mid-drifts exposing really unattractive fat bellies? Must be part of the tattoo fashionista craze that many will come to regret in just a few years.  Alas, Tio Pepe is none the worse for it so if a noisy, crowded restaurant with excellent food is your thing, go for it. I get the feeling your wait for a table will be quite long if you decide to wear a T-shirt though.

The Prime Rib, on Calvert Street does provide free valet parking and if the expense finds its way onto menu by disguise, it’s OK with me because trying to find a parking space on the surrounding crowded residential streets is an impossibility. The Prime Rib in Baltimore is the original, with newer locations now in Washington, DC and Philadelphia. This is the home of a consistently great dining experience. When making a reservation, I suggest you ask to be seated near the grand piano in the larger of the two rooms there. Here, the decor is black lacquered walls with bold modern paintings. All of the staff knows how to treat you as if you were a regular patron even if it’s your first trip there and to make you feel as special as the occasion that brought you there. Regardless of what you may have in mind for dinner (gee, guess what I had), I really don’t recommend that you order an appetizer unless you certainly want to take considerable left-overs home.

The Prime Rib is no more expensive than the other tree steakhouses in this review but do be prepared to spend lavishly. All side dishes are extra cost items, the Greenberg Potato skins can be split for two and make a nice addition to the meal. Freshly shaved raw horseradish accompanies all of the beef dishes. The seafood entrees I have seen served there looked delicious but then they don’t call it “House of Salmon” for a reason.

Here you are forewarned that business casual is appropriate prior to 5 PM and that a jacket will be provided for gentlemen without one after 5; however on my last visit there some of the Cirque de Soleil set had escaped Top Pepes and landed there – it didn’t appear to me that the Maître d’ was going to give that large party the boot, or a jacket, or refuse service. At least they all did have shoes on. In thirty years of going to Tio Pepe I’ve never regretted the choice and they now offer reduced fare menus on weeknights and specials for those attending BSO concerts. Get on their e mail list.

Finally, there is the thoroughly blue-blooded, thoroughbreded Oregon Grill on Schwan Rd. in Hunt Valley. It’s only recently that they relaxed their requirement for neckties on gentlemen, however they do require jackets after 5 PM inside the restaurant and they mean it. They do have a huge, attractive patio dining area / bar which I informal. Parking is free on the large lot adjoin the restaurant. When you consider the very expensive menu at The Oregon Grill, it’s astounding that the parking lot is so full for lunch or dinner, weekday or weekend. It is certainly a very attractive restaurant with both floors having their distinctive racing themed flavor; however, the first floor is where you’ll find the piano and jazz trio playing quietly.

Appetizers are extraordinary here and I recommend you find one to your suiting from the very large offering. .  I thoroughly recommend the grilled oysters as an appetizer; they are market priced but a very special preparation that will have you searching for more bread to take up the accompanying rue.

The entrees specialize in steaks and chops but I thoroughly recommend the rack of Colorado veal. Here you will encounter Cowboy Steaks, which are various sizes of rib-eye steaks. The wine list is huge with some bottles approaching the cost of your monthly car payment. Actually, some of the bottles from the great growths from France approximate a hefty mortgage payment for many folks.  Service has always been attentive here to me but I have heard some complain that it is “snooty”. Considering that the wait staff here can and do earn that monthly car payment in an evening’s tips I would suggest that the diners are more likely to be snooty than the servers. Forgedabout it if you don’t have a reservation, the place is packed for a reason.

Well that sums up my attempt to lump 4 good restaurants into one review and file my complaint on the state of what passes for dress in such places. Next birthday, anniversary or bonus check, I hope you do try one of them and feel them worth the expense.

Sidney

101 East King St., East Berlin, PA 17316

www.restaurantsidney.com

Dress, business casual

Reservations recommended

Worth the Drive

There are at least three ways to look upon one’s decision to eat away from the home. There is “eating out,” which could be as simple as a drive to the local Burger King or J&P Pizza parlor. There is “dining out” which is a click up the scale; it might be a meal at an Olive Garden, or another upper-end franchise restaurant, or a local bistro. And then there is “Really Dining Out,” a place where you expect to spend the wad on a fine meal for a special occasion, steak houses like Morton’s or The Prime Rib, the Oregon Grill, or Sidney.

Actually, one can get through a very fine meal at Sidney without spending a bundle, very easy if you leave out the wine and order their three-course Prix Fixe dinner, or better still, go and have the wine on a Tuesday night when it is half price and combine it with the $36 Prix Fixe dinner. I like restaurants on weeknights, because the food is always as good but the service can be more attentive than on a busy Friday or weekend night. I absolutely hate all restaurants on holidays like Valentine’s Day when the menu is reduced to special offerings and the places are jam packed.

We went to Sidney on the recommendation of a friend who appreciates fine cuisine. Yes it’s a bit of a drive, 50 minutes from Westminster, but well worth it. Hey it’s 30 minutes to the best in Baltimore and an hour to those in D.C. Once past the congestion that can occur in Manchester, MD, and Hanover, PA, the drive is through scenic countryside and small villages. Go figure why Chef Neil Annis would locate a fine restaurant in East Berlin, PA, but our waiter told us the restaurant draws diners from as far away as New York City and Pittsburgh, with many regulars coming from Philadelphia.

Sidney offers a flight of Grahams Ports, aged 10, 20, 30 and 40 years old for $40. Some may consider them all dessert wines but I started my meal with the first two flights to accompany a terrific first course of a terrine of Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Pate, accompanied by a cornichon, grain mustard, apricot marmalade, ripe olives and several slices of a toasted country-style bread. The remaining two flights of port I enjoyed while my partner had a more traditional dessert, a concoction of chocolate and cinnamon stick ice cream with chocolate sauce. Very nice, but not my sort of dessert.

There were four seafood choices on the main menu, all nice I’m sure, but we decided on two orders of the Prime Rib, one a nice size 9-ounce portion and mine the 14-ounce. I like my Prime Rib done medium-rare and that’s exactly what I got. It was not the tenderest cut I’ve ever had but nothing to complain about either. The smaller cut was served medium, as requested, and gained a little extra flavor from a quick grilling. Both were accompanied by a serving of incredibly rich potato puree and spring vegetables. In the future, I’d be sure to order an end cut of meat in advance, as you can do at Morton’s in Baltimore.

Oh, more about the bread. A basket of assorted breads comes to the table, similar to what is offered at Filomena’s in Georgetown. One is a bit like a refined cornbread, but oh, the country style white bread is special. Bread is a great part of every meal and I had to ask for more while finishing off that port.

We included a bottle of the full-bodied Super Tuscan, Casali di Bibliano with our meals. It certainly added to the overall price of the meal, but did I mention this was a special occasion? Next time back I’ll have the Petite Syrah from the Lodi appellation in California. They actually decant the wine here.

Décor is a factor in a dining experience, even McDonalds knows that. Sidney is very refined with well-spaced tables and contemporary art hung everywhere. It’s what you would expect of such a restaurant. Detracting from the décor is the incredibly atrocious clothing some people wore to this nice restaurant. It doesn’t happen just at Sidney, when people who have less taste in clothing than in food show up in an outfit more fitting for the public pool or a softball game. It’s not too much to ask for coats on men – or at least a shirt with a collar - and dresses or dress slacks on women. T-shirts and tennis shoes, you should wear comfortably to a crab house, not a nice restaurant. This is not an appeal to return to the days of required ties, but why spend the money for a nice meal out and then treat it like a trip to Taco Bell or Wal-Mart?

We had a very good, but not great, meal with attentive service. Sidney is certainly worth the drive and represents the shame that such restaurants aren’t really represented in Carroll County.