Sip and Bite

Wow! I really am behind on my restaurant reviews. There are plenty of excuses, but none of them matter. Sorry, for the massive delay between the last review and this one. I'll do my best to never let that much time pass between one restaurant review and the next. Even though I've added a lot of beer specific posts lately, I don't want anyone to think the Baltimore restaurant scene is no longer part of this site. So, with all the apologies behind us, let's move on to my first ever visit to Sip and Bite 

Our visit took place at the end of a very nice weekend spent with my brother and his lady. They wanted to hit up a Diners Drive-ins and Dives place before they went home and with only breakfast left before they left we headed to Sip and Bite. With their excellent reputation for breakfast it seemed like a natural choice. Fortunately, we got there at the perfect time as we barely had to wait for a seat in the semi-small old school diner/cafe style restaurant. If there was any advice to offer future visitors it's that you should bring your patience in addition to your appetitte. Waiting for a seat in line can take a bit of time, but in the end it's more than worth it.



What you're looking at in the picture above is one of the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had. If you're getting a late start to your day and you arrive at Sip and Bite when it's not quite breakfast and a little too early for lunch, this is the sandwich for you. Known as the Sip and Bite Supreme Breakfast Sandwich you get a hamburger topped with egg, melty cheese and a nice thick piece of country ham. Delicious doesn't even being to describe it. I think my favorite part of this sandwich is the thick piece of ham they top the sandwich with. It's really juicy and far exceeded the thin piece of lunch meat I was expecting. I also ordered home fries, and they did not disappoint. The potato was crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside with the perfect amount of onion mixed in.

Watching their Diners Drive-Ins and Dives episode we found out they were famous for their crab cakes. Due to some sort of malfunction I don't do crab, but the rest of my party was quite disappointed that we arrived just a bit too late as they had sold out of cakes earlier that morning. Maybe next time! Fortunatly for us the disappointment was short lived as the omelettes and breakfast wraps we ordered kept everyone more than satisfied.

Sip and Bite has definitely earned a second visit from this blogger. The breakfast is some of the best I've had in a very long time and their offerings are unique and tasty. Other than a crabcake or two for some of my friends, what more could I ask for?

Price: Super Cheap
Recommendation: It needs to be your next visit when looking for breakfast
What to order: Sip and Bite Supreme Breakfast Sandwich

Boulevard Diner

Like any good Food Network addicted viewer, when I saw Boulevard Diner on Diners Drive-ins and Dives, I immediately added it to my list of must visit restaurants in the Baltimore area. It's not that I take everything they say on that channel as gospel, but if a place has strong enough word of mouth appeal to get on national TV, I have to do my due diligence to find out what's going on. So, that's what I did.

Right or wrong, I typically assume that the dishes they choose to show on TV are the most popular dishes and thus define what the restaurant is all about. Sticking to that assumption, everything we ordered that day was something cooked on the show.

To start with we ordered the Grape Leaves. Quite frankly, I hated them. The meat inside was fine. It was your basic ground meat, rice, and tomato flavors that reminded me of the stuffing I grew up with in stuffed peppers. But the sauce on top was absolutely disgusting. All I could taste was this bottled lemon flavor that comes across as something akin to chemical cleaning product. I was shocked that something so bad could make it's way onto a television show. Deana and I left three of the grape leaves alone after barely being able to stomach one apiece and at that point we had some seriously low expectations for the rest of the meal.

Unfortunately, from Deana's perspective, they only partially rectified the situation. She ordered the Sour Beef for dinner and it was incredibly average. The dumplings were big and the beef was tender, but the sauce was very one note. I took about two bites and after being inundated with vinegar flavor I had enough. I couldn't imagine eating a whole plate of that stuff and we both found ourselves bored with the overall flavor very quickly.

AT this point we had the Grape Leaves which were bad and moved on to average with the Sour Beef. Gradually, we got ourselves into the realm of delicious when we tasted the Meatloaf Tower. The picture above doesn't give an accurate portrayal of just how big the meal is. When they call it a tower, they aren't kidding. You get delicious mashed potatoes, a few pieces of bread, a heaping portion of meatloaf, and onion rings all topped with some delicious thick brown gravy. I loved this meal and that's coming from someone who doesn't even like meatloaf (and no, not yours either!). I have no idea what compelled me to order this that day but I'm glad I did. There is no way I could eat this entire plate in one sitting, but it's something you should order at least once. Even better, ask them to pack half of it to go for lunch the next day and spread the deliciousness out or share it with whoever you're eating with that day.



If you decide to order the Meatloaf Tower (and you should) be sure to save enough room for the Rice Pudding. This stuff is what desert is all about. Creamy, sticky, sweet, cinnamony perfection. I was stuffed to the brim by the time this giant parfait was delivered to us but it tasted so good I was almost sad when the last bite was gone. I can't recommend this dessert enough and it alone is reason enough to visit the Boulevard Diner no matter how far your drive is or how sub par everything else you order may be.

Yeah, our experience that day was hit and miss but when they hit it they juice up like Sammy Sosa and hit it like you've never seen before. Since that day, we've been back and had a couple of hot turkey sandwiches and it's a place we'll find ourselves visiting a few times every year. Add this one to your visit list.

Price: Average
Recommendation: Add this one to the visit list
What to order: Meatloaf Tower and Rice Pudding.

 

Chaps Pit Beef

If you're from anywhere near Baltimore (and even if you're not) chances are you've heard of the famed Chaps Pit Beef. Thanks to shows like Man vs Food and Diners Drive-ins and Dives it's become a landmark destination for natives of Baltimore and visitors alike. With backing like that, how could I, an amateur food blogger, pass up a place like that?

About a year ago, when I first met my lovely lady Deana we decided to set out and try every single local restaurant featured on Triple D. I was super excited to try Chaps,but unfortunately, I came away wanting. I remember ordering the Habbit (Ham, Beef, Turkey, Cheese) and thinking that while it wasn't bad in any way, it was just your everyday ordinary sandwich.

About a month ago, after seeing the Chaps Triple D episode again, I decided to give them another chance as they made it look so good on TV I knew I must have visited on an off day. This time I ordered the Chaps Special. When you don't know what to order and you weren't thrilled with what you had the first time around is it possible to go wrong with something named after the establishment itself and including the word special? The answer is kinda.

Again, the sandwich wasn't bad but I still sat there looking at the damn thing saying "what the hell is so special about this stuff it makes it on to TV multiple times". The most prominent flavor on my Chaps Special (Corn Beef, Ham, Beef, Cheese) was cheese and Tiger sauce I put on after the fact. Kind of disappointing when you're looking to taste some top notch BBQ. With that said, if you're lucky enough to get some of the beef with bark on it you're in for a pretty taste bite. The problem I had was that those bites were few and far between.

I also ordered the gravy fries and I can happily report that they are top notch. The gravy has some seriously deep beef flavor and that alone gives me hope that sooner or later my visits to Chaps will payoff and I'll be singing the same praises that nearly everyone else seems to heap upon them.

Price: Reasonable
Recommendation: If you consider yourself to be from Baltimore how can you pass them up?
What to order: The Gravy Fries, but I'm still searching for a sandwich.

R&R Taqueria

Not that long ago a new Mexican restaurant opened inside the cafeteria at White Marsh mall. Considering I work within walking distance of the mall, I often find myself meandering through the cafeteria looking for something good to eat on days I forget to pack a lunch. I struck gold when I decided to take a chance and try the R&R Taqueria.

Ever since the day I tried their food I've been telling everyone I can they need to try this place out. If you like Mexican food, it's a must eat as far as I'm concerned. Apparently, I'm not the only who feels this way. As I was putting my order in yesterday, I noticed a big poster in the background touting the fact that the R&R Taqueria will be featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on February, 27. Unbeknownst to me, the location in White Marsh isn't the only R&R restaurant in the Baltimore area. They also have a restaurant in Elkridge in a Shell gas station.

At this point, the only thing I've ordered is the steak burrito. I think what makes their food stand out is the fact that they cook everything to order. Their isn't a whole bunch of grilled chicken or steak sitting in a bin waiting for customers to come along and order. The steak is tender and tastes delicious when combined with the fresh onion and pepper they fry along with it. The pinto beans they top the burrito off with are (to steal a phrase from Guy Fieri) "out of bounds". Beyond creamy is how I like to describe them.

As good as the burritos are, after take a looking at their to-go menu I know know I'll have to venture off and try the rest of their menu ASAP. They have tortas, tacos, huaraches, and a variety of platters. The chili relleno platter and the R&R Tacos Enchilados (lamb tacos!) have my name all over them. Did I mention that the most expensive thing on their menu is less than 10 dollars? I think I might starting "forgetting" my lunch a lot more often now that I have a place like this within walking distance. Even if you can't walk to the R&R Taqueria, don't let the distance get in between you and this sublime Mexican food. It's fantastic.

Price: Cheap

Recommendation: Visit ASAP

What to order: Steak Burrito

Update: I recently went back to R&R after purchasing a Groupon and have a whole slew of new recommendations. You're going to need more than one visit to get an appreciation for all this place has to offer. Their flautas are excellent. They are super crunchy on the outside and filled with tender chicken on the inside. Dip them in their red and green salsas and you're in for a really nice Mexican treat. I was also highly impressed with their lamb tacos. Simply dressed with raw onions and cilantro these tacos will instantly change your mind about what a taco should be. Lastly, they had a lamb soup that blew my mind. It may have been served from  Mexican joint but it reminded me of a mix of beef barley soup and something you'd get at an Asian restaurant. It had a very flavorful and rich beef broth, tender shredded lamb, cilantro, chives, and a little bit of onion. Don't hesitate to try this soup out.