Samos: Home to My Favorite Sandwich in Baltimore

Long before this blog was in existence you could find me perusing the internet looking for ideas of places to visit, hoping I could find a bite of food that might be considered a step above the usual. And on one such occasion I was fortunate enough to have discovered a restaurant that has become one of my all time favorites. This restaurant is small, a little off the beaten path, and home to my favorite sandwich (is a wrap a sandwich?) in all of Baltimore. I’m talking about Samos of Greektown.

In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
-Benjamin Franklin 

With all due respect to Mr. Franklin, I’m going to need to modify this famous quote to represent one of my own universal truths. In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and Baltimore’s favorite food blogger ordering Hummus and Pita with a Grilled Chicken Pita Wrap at Samos.

One of my pet peeve’s in life is the type of person who only ever orders the same exact thing at restaurants, visit after visit. How boring, right? But if you try to get in the way of my Hummus and Grilled Chicken Wrap while at Samos, we’re going to have a serious problem. It’s just that good. And when you come across something as delicious as this wrap, you just leave well enough alone and savor one of the best parts about living in our city.

What makes the wrap great is the simplicity of the ingredients involved. There’s pita, grilled chicken, tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce. You can’t get much more straight forward than that, but every ingredient is cooked and served perfectly. The pita is served hot which helps keep biting through easy since it’s so tender. Inside the pita is OVERFLOWING with tender chunks of chicken, onion and tomato, and the best tzatziki sauce I’ve ever come across. The sauce is so thick and tangy, full of fresh cucumbers and herbs, and served cool. The drastic temperature difference between the hot pita and chicken versus the cool tzatziki is a fun contrast to experience. Most importantly, the wrap boasts one of the most important traits every truly inspired sandwich must have…it’s a dripping, sloppy, mess.

If you've never been to Samos or perhaps permitted a little too much time slide by between visits, be sure to hunt down a parking spot in Greektown, hop in line, and order a wrap. You've no longer got an excuse for letting such an awesome spot go without your business any longer.

Noodle Charm

This review was written by Deana

Spice and Dice is one of our favorite places to visit for a lunch date.  They’re quick, friendly, and have consistently good Thai food.  So when the owners of Spice and Dice opened up Noodle charm right next door a few months ago, we had to try their Thai noodle dishes.

We visited Noodle charm right after it opened, and then again a few weeks ago when we were looking for something good and fast to eat on our way out of town for the weekend. Noodle Charm was every bit as good as we remembered it being the first time.

On this visit, we chose to start with crispy wontons.  These were deep fried wontons filled with yellow curry potatoes and served with an awesome sweet and sour sauce.  The wontons were perfectly crispy with a soft, creamy potato mixture in the middle. The filling had a good flavor that pairs very well with the sauce.  The sweet sauce was complemented with spicy red pepper flakes, cilantro and green onions.  These might end up being one of those things we order regularly when visiting Noodle Charm.

For dinner we both ordered the tofu veggie noodle soup.  They also offer many choices with chicken broth and beef broth and several choices of meat, but this time we chose to try tofu for the first time. Douglas was a much bigger fan of the Tofu than I was, but it was nothing to be scared of trying.  It had slightly chewy bread like consistency, and took on the flavor of the mushroom broth which was fantastic. The broth  was full of crisp veggies and the noodles of our choice along with the tofu. I chose a flat rice noodle while Douglas chose egg noodles. Oddly enough, we both had noodle envy and preferred the others to our own.

The soup was the perfect option for a cold snowy night’s dinner and I’m sure we will be visiting again for more noodle soup as soon as possible.With the friendly staff, great food food, and super affordable prices you just can't go wrong.

Price: Very affordable
Recommendation: Must visit
What to Order: Crispy Wonton and whichever noodle bowl speaks to you. You can't go wrong.

Ashland Cafe

When I first moved to Baltimore I lived in the Towson area and made York Road my domain. Compared to where I grew up York Road had everything a young bumpkin could dream of and I rarely felt the need to venture out of my comfort zone. On one of those early adventures up the road I found Ashland Cafe and it became a staple of mine on weekends for a two or three year stretch. I knew it had to be good the first time I ever pulled up and people were waiting outside for a seat while flurries were falling from the sky. 

Ashland Cafe isn't fancy by any stretch of the imagination. You know what it is? It is a tiny little restaurant that puts out good food every single day. And that's all it has to be. Sometimes I just want good food for a good price and I want to be able to go in my sweat pants. Jessica Simpson felt good when Nick loved her with nothing but a t-shirt on. Well, I feel good when I can get a good breakfast without "getting ready" to go out.

After moving away from Towson my trips to Ashland Cafe have been few and far between so it was nice to visit an oldie but goodie with Deana a few weeks ago.  We went for breakfast and we left filled to the brim. My French Toast breakfast was so big it came on two plates! Moist French Toast, proper eggs cooked over easy, and a delicious ham steak....man I'd take that all day every day if my body could handle it. 

You might feel like my description of the food is lacking, but that's by design. This is food everyone knows but it's done right. I've never had a bad breakfast there, but if you're driving from far and get there a little late you can't go wrong with their French Dip and French Onion Soup. I made a habit out of that lunch combo to the point that the wait staff didn't even have to ask my order. If you want good food and you want it without all the pomp and circumstance of "going out to eat" make sure you take a trip down York Road and find out what this place is all about for yourself. 

Price: Cheap

Recommendation: It's one of my favorites. 

What to Order: Whatever you want. It's all good.

Burger Brothers

Wow. A restaurant review. I bet you thought I quit doing these. Nope, I just took one of those unintended sabbaticals I'm apparently so fond of. But worry not, for I have what seems like an endless backlog of reviews to get through for you guys.

Today, we're going to visit Burger Brothers in Towson. Deana and I found them one day before she headed back to work for one of her late Fridays. On those days, we usually walk around the Towson Town Center and then meander out to the circle until we end up in a restaurant. On this particular day, we found Burger Brothers. Before then, I'm not sure I'd heard much about the place, but I'm glad we went in because we were served a very good burger for an even better price. As far as burgers that are sold for less than $10 this has got to be one of the best options out there. 

Apparently, I was in a healthy/spicy mood on that day because I ordered a cheese turkey burger with caramelized onions, lettuce, mustard, ketchup, mayo, and a heaping mound of jalapenos. Something about pickled jalapenos and a burger really gets my Pavlov's Dog going. I was a little hesitant about ordering a turkey burger because most restaurants usually just serve you a round piece of cardboard or communion wafer. In other words, a burger with no flavor. That's why I asked for 7, 803 different condiments. I figured if the burger was dry I could always drowned it in stuff, but it turns out I didn't need all the extras after all. The burger was fantastic.

As much as I like burgers, I don't always want to spend $14 to get something good. That's where this place comes in. Burger Brothers provides a burger that is right up there with the best of the best, but at a price that will keep you coming back often. Give them a try and see if you don't agree. 

Price: Cheap
Recommendation: Definitely visit
What to Order: Any burger that peaks your interest

Mr. Rain's Fun House

When you hear the name Mr. Rain's Fun House are you not intrigued? And on top of having an awesome name isn't it cool that they are part of the American Visionary Art Museum. So many cool things about this place and then I hear that they are known for putting together some charismatic cocktails. Add that all together and Mr. Rain's Fun House was one of the most anticipated restaurant visits I've made since starting this blog. 

Mr. Rain's Fun House greeted us with complimentary pretzels and mustard and I've got to tell you they were incredible. It feels silly to get so worked up over something so simple but it really was that good. I could have snacked on them all night and would have been happy sipping a few cocktails alongside them. As good as the pretzels were, though, we decided we still wanted an appetizer and ordered the pickle dish. The dish included 5 different types of pickled veggies including carrots, beets, cucumbers, and if memory serves me correct daikon and cabbage. I wouldn't say this was my favorite appetizer of all time, but  it's not something you find on many menus and it was a lot of fun to try the veggies in a way that was slightly out of my typical wheelhouse. 

For dinner, I ordered the Hanger Steak with whisky sauce, brussel sprouts, and a fancy little potato au gratin. The steak was prepared quite simply. It was tender, but the seasoning was underplayed allowing the meat to shine through with only the whisky sauce adding a touch of sweetness. I loved the sprouts as well. In addition to tasting great half the fun of eating them was knowing how rare it is to find them on a typical menu. I was really excited about the potatos when they came out, but they ended up being in dire need of salt and pepper and a bit undercooked . The dish had a few missteps, but overall I really enjoyed the plate of food put before me.

Deana definitely won the battle of "who can order the better dinner". She ordered a roasted chicken topped with gravy and stuffing and served with a side of carrots. As a homecook I always have trouble getting my skin to crisp up so I really appreciated how much crunch they were able to achieve with the chicken. The skin was perfect and the meat itself was juicy and tender. We both really loved the simple presentation of the carrots with the little bits of green left on top. Their sweetness and the added sweetness from the stuffing played really well with the more savory chicken.

And now here is where my dinner notes get bad.....at cocktail time. Neither of us are much on cocktails, but after hearing good things about their cocktail program we decided we had to try them out. And so we did, but we didn't stop at just one round. That's quite impressive when you consider that it might be the first time in our dining history either of us ordered more than one cocktail. As I mentioned earlier, the details of the particular drinks we had are wanting, but I can happily attest to their deliciousness. I remember being quite impressed with how approachable they were able to make drinks where whisky was the main star. 

So, did Mr. Rain's Fun House live up to the big expectations I set for them prior to my visit? Despite some parts of the meal that didn't wow us, I think Deana and I both left content and would be more than happy to dine their again. The cocktails were great and the menu was really fun to look through just because it was so different than what we're used to looking at after so many restaurant visits. 

Price: A little pricey

Recommendation: Great choice for a quiet date night with unique food and drinks

What to Order: With an ever changing menu it's a little hard to make a recommendation. Go with your instincts.

Alewife

Every time I visit Alewife I leave with mixed feelings. Did I just visit an awesome bar? Did I just eat at a great restaurant? Did I do both at the same time? The debate is on going even as I write this.

On this particular visit we were greeted in a semi-scattered brained way.

"Do you have reservations?"

"No. We were just hoping to find a seat."

"Okay. We are full."

I wasn't sure if that meant forget it they weren't seating anyone else for the rest of the night, but I didn't have time to ask because the hostess ran away before I could open my mouth. Deana and I walked down near the entrance/exit to discuss our options for a few minutes and right as we were about to leave the hostess came back wondering if we still wanted to sit down. We said yes and took our seat, but the whole exchange was odd.

Oh well. We were there to eat and after looking over the menu the call for red meat overcame both of us and we decided on the Smoked Burger. My great hamburger gauge is controlled by Hamilton Tavern's burger. Happily, I can report that Alewife has a burger that gives Hamilton all they want as far as burger battles are concerned. For my money, they don't quite edge them out, but they put up one hell of a fight. This is definitely one of the top burgers in Baltimore.

Alewife's Smoked burger, as they would say in NBA Jam back in the day, is on fire. It's thick, juicy, topped with fantastically gooey Gouda and Gruyere cheese, the crunchiest bacon, caramelized onions, and accented perfectly by a faint smokey flavor that separates them from most other burgers. And did I mention that it's a huge 11 ounce burger?

As far as Alewife and it's bar scene is concerned, though, I never feel the need to visit them simply to get a drink despite the fact that have 40 or so beers on tap. It's always crowded and parking in the area isn't the greatest. It's just not convenient for me and unless you live in that area I doubt it is for you either. That stinks, but it's no reason to stay away from Alewife. Every time I've been there the food has been delicious and there are plenty of quality craft beer options to pair up with. Just be sure to make reservations first.

Price: A little above average
Recommendation: Great place for a beer and quality food.
What to Order: Smoked Burger

Jad's Caddy Shack

I lived within walking distance of Jad's for a good year and a half before Deana and I decided we ought to finally try them out. Since then, we've probably been back ten to fifteen times. I think it's safe to say we eat there more than any other restaurant. Not only is the location great (for us), but it reminds me of the restaurants I grew up eating at in Uniontown, PA. The decor isn't fancy but the food is great, the portions are huge, and the prices are more than fair.

The main reason we return to Jad's so often is my addiction to their Beef Stroganoff. It's such a simple dish, but it's not something you find on menus very often. I can't get enough of it. The Stroganoff has tons of beef and mushrooms served on top of egg noodles and all of it is smothered in a savory beef gravy. Just as surprising is the delicious garden salad that comes on the side. I'm not the biggest fan of creamy salad dressings, but I've always loved Creamy Italian. The only problem with liking Creamy Italian is the fact that it seems like only 1 out of every 500 restaurants seem to have it as an option. It's simple items like this found throughout Jad's menu that makes me love it so much.

Deana has been a little more adventurous with the menu and has tried the Hot Turkey Sandwich, Cream of Crab Soup, and Country Fried Chicken. She loves them all, but the Soup and Chicken seem to stand out. I can't speak to the soup, but the chicken is great. You get two big pieces of chicken breast with a crispy crust that are smothered in gravy. If I weren't a certified Stroganoff addict I could definitely see getting my Jad's fix via Country Fried Chicken.

This isn't going to be one of those restaurants you see reviewed by most people. To be honest, some people might turn their nose up at a place like this because Jad's doesn't go out of their way to be fancy or put items on their menu that are trendy. But what they do, they do well and they deserve you're patronage. Jad's serves delicious food for prices that are beyond fair and sure to make you happy. And for all of you craft beer fans out there, they do a surprisingly good job with their local offerings. I've seen Raven and Flying Dog Raging Bitch on tap, and I've seen quite a few different Dogfish Head offerings in bottle. So, the clock is ticking. Get to Jad's and get there quick. There are no excuses.

Price: Cheap
Recommendation: Try something and new and visit them ASAP.
What to Order: Beef Stroganoff, Cream of Crab, or Country Fried Chicken

 

Havana Road Cuban Cafe

Other than a Cuban Sandwich I had never tried Cuban cuisine. Recently, while wandering around Towson looking for somewhere to eat, the sign for Havana Road tripped my "place I need to eat for blog" radar and I excitedly entered ready to try some new flavors.

Other than the Cuban sandwich, I think it's safe to say the next most popular Cuban dish is Ropa Vieja. I decided to go with that and Deana chose Vieja Lechon Asado. We were both pleased with our meals and it quickly became quite obvious why Havana Road is talked about so often as a must visit restaurant.

The Ropa Vieja was right up my alley. Tender strands of  beef were coated and topped in a savory tomato based sauce that ultimately reminded me of a Cuban version of goulash. Meat that is cooked slowly and transformed into magical tender bites of perfection always remind me of "home cooking" and this Ropa Vieja had me conjuring memories of a Cuban childhood I never had. On the side I was served a cup of deliciously creamy black beans that I mixed in with my rice and a couple perfectly fried plantains. The slightly sweet plantains were a nice counter balance to the savory Ropa Vieja.  

Deana enjoyed her Vieja Lechon Asado, but not quite as much as we enjoyed the Ropa Vieja. There is just something about the sauce that is hard to top. However, the Vieja Lechon Asado was delicious in its own right. Anyone who enjoys good BBQ would like this dish as it reminded me a slowly cooked BBQ pork butt. The pork was juicy and tender with plenty of spicy bark pieces mixed in. It was topped with a nice helping of sauteed onions that added a nice sweetness to the dish. 

For dessert we had Pineapple Rum Cake that was a great finish to an already exceptional dinner. The cake was thick, dense, moist and filled with flavor in every bite. Rum, caramel, pineapple, brown sugar......do I need to go on? This cake was one of the best desserts I've had in a restaurant setting and does a great job of once again making you feel like you're eating a meal from your own home. 

Our visit to Havana Road ended up being a real eye opening experience. Considering my exposure to Cuban food was so limited, it was great to learn a little bit more about the food and flavors offered. Not only will I be back to Havana Road Cuban Cafe again, but in the mean time I plan on doing my best to recreate some of these dishes in my own home. 

Price: Average

Recommendation: One of Baltimore's best.

What to Order: Ropa Vieja and Pineapple Rum Cake

Casa Mia's

It shouldn't have taken this long. It shouldn't have taken me damn near 7 years of working within a quarter mile of this place to find out about Casa Mia's . Shame. On. Me.

Always on the lunch hunt, I went to a co-worker desperate for a new idea and he mentioned that Casa Mia's made good club sandwiches and cheese steaks. Sounded good to me, so I drove over and hoped for the best. And the best is just what I received.

Knowing I was going to order a cheese steak, I decided I needed to make an attempt at balance by ordering a salad. They offered their house dressing and I accepted. I assumed it would be the typical vinaigrette, but instead I sat down with a creamy dressing that offered hints of dill and lemon. Surprised by the fact that I enjoyed a mayo based dressing so much, I was happy to bring Deana back with me for dinner a few days later to try it out for herself. And boom, just like that Casa Mia's had two new fans.

But that's enough about lettuce. Unless you're a rabbit reading this , I'm sure you want to know about the cheese steak you're staring down in the picture above. To sum it up, it's damn good. The roll is fantastic. It's got a slightly crusty outside and soft inside that is perfect for a cheese steak. Strong enough to keep everything from sogging through, but soft enough that you aren't tugging at the bread like an animal. I chose provolone, mayo, onions,peppers and hots to go with the boatload of juicy steak they pile inside. The caramelized onions are what makes this sandwich. With all of the salty cheese and meat, the little bit of sweetness you get from the onions rounds everything out in the perfect way.

Once again, I found a gem right under my nose. I went in to Casa Mia's looking for a good lunch, but left with a new staple in my local dining rotation. Lunch, dinner, it doesn't matter what time of day it is, Casa Mia's is a great option to get tasty food without a long wait.

Price: Average
Recommendation: Great place for a sub
What to Order:  Cheese Steak.

Portside Pub

I have to admit that writing a food blog can get a bit redundant. There are times when you are going through the motions because you're talking about a restaurant that wasn't anything special. It wasn't bad. It wasn't great. It just was and it's those middle of the road visits that are harder than others to write about. But then there are visits to restaurants like the Portside Pub in Essex that remind me why I started a blog to begin with.

Recently, a reader of my blog and daughter of a local restaurant/pub owner asked me if I'd like to visit her dad's establishment. Always happy to try something new, I said yes, which turned out to be the best decision I've made in recent memory.

Upon entering we were greeted by owner Joe Bressi and his wife. They were some of the friendliest folks I've ever come across and were happy to make suggestions about which menu items we should try. I decided to go with Joe's Italian Hoagie and Deana ordered a cup of cream of crab soup and a cheeseburger.

Deana really enjoyed the cream of crab. Creamy and topped with a ton of crab Deana was very impressed with freshness of the crab. She commented a few times that the crab tasted fresh "like someone was in the back breaking down the crab" minutes before they served it. Visually, the soup had me wishing my taste buds got along better with crab because it REALLY  looked good. But you, native Marylander, with the taste of crab ingrained in your blood will be one happy customer when you sit down with this delicious soup. 

The burger was every bit as tasty. We learned that every burger is made to order with meat purchased from a local butcher. That attention to detail makes all the difference as you can really taste the freshness in this 1/2 lb meat monster. The burger was juicy and had really good char flavor. Topped with fresh condiments and housed on a really tasty roll this burger can hold its own.

And then there was Joe's Italian Hoagie. Look at that thing. Seriously, look at it. Actually, gawk at it, because that's what I did for a solid minute before I built up the confidence to attack this thing. Have you ever seen anything like that before? I sure as hell haven't. I'm always complaining to Deana that there aren't enough good Italian Hoagies around here so you can imagine how happy I was when I finally sunk my teeth into this behemoth. Everything about this hoagie is good. Not only do you get 45 lbs of meat, but the quality of meat is top notch. It's dressed with a little lettuce, a simple vinaigrette, and sweet red peppers which help cut through all the salty meat.  Oh, and the roll it resides in is quality as well.

I implore you to visit the Portside Pub. It's not the easiest place to find as it's off on a little side street. And you're not going to be blown away by some ultra trendy nouveau chique decor. But what you are going to get is awesome food at a price that is beyond reasonable and served to you by some of the nicest people around and who truly care if you leave satisfied and happy.

Price: Cheap
Recommendation: If you pass this place up consider yourself an L7 wienie
What to Order: Cream of Crab soup and Joe's Italian Hoagie

 

Cafe Euro

As you're all well aware, I've been on a never ending quest to find quality lunchtime spots. Thanks to a nice Groupon deal that Deana purchased we found this little Cafe tucked away in Parkville.

Cafe Euro is the perfect place to find yourself when it's been "one of those days" at the office. Inside, it feels very intimate with a few small tables and I really enjoyed the ambient electronic music they had playing. Do they live up to the title Cafe Euro? I can honestly say that it reminded me of some of the small cafes Deana and I visited on our way to and from train stops on our trip across the pond last fall and I really appreciated that.

On the day of our visit I kept it simple with a Ham and Cheese Panini and a cup of Black Bean Soup. The owner takes your order and makes your order. You have to wait a little longer, but I didn't mind. I'd rather wait 5 extra minutes for a sandwich made fresh than to have something put together knowing that the meat and cheese were sitting out in a bucket for the last hour. I'm not going to embellish and pretend that the sandwich and soup were life changing. Afterall, I had a ham and cheese sandwich and black bean soup and neither of them are very complex dishes. But with that said, they were tasty and would be able to satisfy any lunchtime visitor. 

But as good as lunch was and as relaxed as we were in the cafe what sold Deana and I on Cafe Euro was their selection of unique coffee. We ended up with a bag of apple cinnamon coffee that they freshly ground for us. It was great to wake up on weekends during the fall and start our day off with a freshly brewed cup of this stuff. I'd say it's about time I find myself back there for a little lunch and a new bag of delicious coffee. And if you're a fan of relaxing environments, good food, and great coffee you should find yourself there as well.

Price: Cheap

Recommendation: A must visit for a relaxing time and good coffee

What to Order: Ham & Cheese Panini and Coffee.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop

What are you doing for lunch?

I think I'm going to hit up Subway real quick.

If you're anything like me you've probably had that quick lunchtime back and forth a million times in the last decade. You're probably sick of always having the same answer and moreso you're tired of the same flavors. Fear not, for I have a solution and it goes by the name Potbelly Sandwich Shop.

Despite the fact that I was tired of eating the same old sandwiches on repeat, my craving for a good sub never abated. There were other options for a good sub local to me, but when you factor in turnaround time and price (almost as important as the food itself during lunch) my choice for a good sub were slim indeed. However, about once a week I venture into Towson to have lunch with my lady and that's how I first came across Potbelly.

As soon as you enter Potbelly you realize that this isn't your average fast food sub spot. The staff is always happy to serve you and the products they serve are quality. The bread is chewy and ends up with a nice toasty flavor when it finally makes its way through the conveyor. The meats themselves are always tasty. Turkey tastes like turkey. Ham tastes like ham. And the meat isn't weightless like some of the stuff you might be used to. You might not end up with a 12 inch sub at Potbelly, but you won't need it because you're eating real substantial food. My favorite part of any sub at Potbelly are the condiments. Without fail, I order lettuce, Italian Seasoning, Oil, and what they refer to as Hot Peppers. The Hot Peppers are basically a giardiniera and they bring a flavor to the sub you won't find anywhere else. Man, I can't wait until my next visit! The vinegar tang and spicy peppers are addictive.

What makes Potbelly especially unique is how they show they value the customer by repeating your order back to you in order to ensure that they are preparing exactly what you're asking for. It probably drives them nuts to endlessly repeat orders all day, but that small attention to detail really pays off. And it might sound like a small detail, but the fact that they offer chips that aren't your typical gas station stock also pays dividends with a guy like me.

I'm not one of those people who get so wrapped into work that they skip lunch or eat something insignificant just to hold them over until dinner. I need a good lunch and if I'm going to eat I want it to be worth my while. Potbelly has my back and they have made the idea of eating another sub for lunch exciting once again. The food is way above average and the staff is top notch. So today, when you're debating if you have time for lunch do yourself a favor and see if there is Potbelly nearby. Your tastebuds will thank you and before you know it you'll be looking forward to lunchtime again just like me.

Price: Cheap
Recommendation: Hit 'em up on your next lunch break.
What to Order: Turkey Breast w/ Swiss, lettuce, Italian seasoning, oil and hot peppers.

Orient

"Do you want Chinese?"

"Eh, not really."

Sigh. "Okay. But you know I had to try". 

And so goes the weekly conversation with Deana in regards to Chinese food. For whatever reason, I rarely find myself excited about eating Chinese. I've lived all around the Beltway and no matter where I find myself I'm rarely pleased when it comes to what Baltimore offers in the way of Chinese food. It always surprises me that I can live so close to a city and the pickings can be so slim. I'll never understand it....especially when I can drive to my hometown in podunk nowhere and find Chinese that is better than 95% of what I've tasted around here. And now that we have all that negativity behind us, let's talk about one of the restaurants I've actually made return trips to. I'm talking about Orient in the center of Towson. 

Because I haven't fallen in love with Chinese food at this point in my culinary adventures, I'm always willing to try something new in hopes of sparking a match between tastebud and food. On the night of our visit I decided to get a little adventurous and ordered Cold Noodles with shredded cucumbers. Yes, they were literally cold noodles and they were topped with some sort of peanut sauce and cucumbers. I won't be ordering that again and I can't recommend it either. I always joke that I could eat peanut butter off of cardboard, but I can confidently declare bullshit on myself now. It wasn't literally peanut butter, but it just wasn't appealing. It was too sweet and the peanut sauce was much too thick. Oh well, I gave it a shot. 

We had much better luck with our main courses. Deana went with Kung Pao and I went the spicy route with Szechuan Crispy Beef. I loved mine. I don't know how they do it, but the way they get the outside of the beef so crispy while keeping the inside tender is one of the world's great mysteries. At least to me, but I'm sure there is a perfectly understandable cooking technique behind it all. The sauce is a spicy sweet concoction that would have Guy Fieri all jammed up about the sweet and the heat. But for me, this meal is all about the texture. The beef and crunch veggies on top of tender rice is where it's at. 

Deana's Kung Pao was also a clinic in texture. The chicken was some of the most tender chicken I've come across and it played really well against the peanuts. Personally, I've never been a huge fan of Kung Pao sauce so my opinion doesn't mean much, but Deana gave it high marks. As a Kung Pao connoisseur from way back you can take her endorsement to the bank. 

And there you have it...a review of Chinese food from someone who admittedly isn't the biggest fan (at least in regards to that of Baltimore). Feel free to dismiss this or do what I hope you'll do and take into consideration that Orient is one of only two or three Chinese restaurants in the area I'll visit more than once.

Price: Average

Recommendation: Worth a shot

What to Order: Crispy Beef

Tavern on the Square

I just realized earlier today that I have a serious stockpile of reviews to get through. It was 3 days before Xmas when we visited Tavern on the Square and I can remember gingerly walking through the snow the night we visited. I always mean to reel back on the new restaurant visits until I catch up with my reviews, but it's so fun eating my way through Baltimore I inevitably find myself buried neck deep with future reviews. It's visits to places like Tavern on the Square that make it so hard to keep myself from finding more good food.

The night of our visit Deana and I were in share mode. I'm normally a you eat your dinner and I'll eat mine kind of guy, but on this night we ordered a bunch of stuff and split it. We started off the night with Pecan Crusted Chicken Fingers (which isn't showing up on their online menu) and they were delicious. Chicken Fingers are such a simple thing, but way too often people go the easy route and serve the frozen garbage. You can tell the kitchen used fresh chicken and breaded the chicken themselves. The chicken was tender and the addition of pecans gave them that little something extra to make them interesting. For dipping, they were served with a honey mustard that was above the board as well.

The second item we decided to share was the Roast Beef Grinder. I'm a sucker for any type of sandwich like this and I was not let down. The meat was juicy and cooked to a proper medium temperature. The bun was nice and soft. And the provolone cheese and horseradish kept everything nice and moist (not that it needed the help). There isn't much else to say about it, but don't let my lack of eloquence trick you into passing this by. It's a damn good sandwich.

To round out our dinner we added the Blackened Chicken Pizza to our table. Deana and I really enjoyed the pizza. The chicken warmed us up on this snowy night with a spicy Cajun rub that was nicely counterbalanced by sweet caramelized peppers and onion. Most intriguing of all was the white sauce they used in place of traditional red pizza sauce. It was a creamy garlic sauce and it also helped mellow the spice from the chicken. Because I'm only looking at cheese pizza in the Great Baltimore Pizza Pursuit this doesn't qualify, but as far as pizza is concerned I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one. In fact, this was the pizza that sparked the idea about a Pizza Pursuit in the first place.

Overall, our meal at Tavern on the Square was a success. The food was good, the prices were nice, and we were able to enjoy it all in a cozy little restaurant that we'll be sure to head back to in the future.

Price: Very affordable given the quality
Recommendation: Give them a try
What to Order: I think you'd be safe ordering anything I talked about above. They did a great job of putting a new spin on something you're already very familiar with.

Taco Love Grill

I was invited to Taco Love Grill by owner Mena earlier this week. Yesterday, we took her up on the invitation and left the restaurant full and happy. The food was great and the staff was extremely welcoming and attentive. Had we not been invited we may never have found this hidden gem as it's very much hidden and off the beaten path. Let this be your invitation to seek out this restaurant as soon as possible. The extra miles in the car are well worth it.

We started off our meal with a basket of chips and salsa. The chips were freshly fried and the salsa verde and roja they served on the side were both delicious. The verde was the more mild of the two and offered a fresh citrus flavor. The roja had a nice smokey flavor and brought some nice heat to the party. I shouldn't forget to mention our beverages. I had Tamarindo and Deana had a Hibiscus tea. Normally, I wouldn't mention my drink choice when it's not a cocktail or beer but these stood out. I was having a heck of a time coming up with a descriptive way to explain these drinks yesterday and I'm still at a bit of a loss today. All I can say is that these drinks are a much better choice than the everyday soda or bottled beverage.

For dinner I ordered the shrimpotle burrito which came recommended by Mena and Deana ordered the verde Enchiladas. Both meals were filling and full of flavor. In fact, I can say with confidence that I haven't had a better burrito in the area. It comes stuffed full of shrimp with a cheesy rice mixture and bits of cilantro and guacamole. It didn't need help, but I still had fun putting on the salsas I mentioned previously and also another corn salsa they offered.

Deana's enchiladas were also a hit. The chicken was tender and I don't know who wouldn't be happy with anything found underneath their out of this world verde. As we were driving home Deana happily proclaimed these were the best enchiladas she has had. It was hard for me to disagree.

As good as our meals were, though, the highlight of the night for me was the Mexican Corn on the Cob. I love corn on the cob, but this variation might have spoiled me for life. I'm not sure I ever want a plain piece of corn again. I woke up today thinking about the flavors on this little masterpiece. The corn is topped with mayonnaise (don't be afraid), cheese, and something spicy like cayenne, and I suspect some lime was squirted on it. The flavor was out of this world. The corn was sweet, the mayo and cheese were creamy, there was spice there, and the citrus made everything pop. If you end up at Taco Love Grill and find yourself confused about what you want to order be sure you don't pass this up. As far as I know, nobody else in the area is serving anything like this.

As if that wasn't enough food we were also treated to a delicious dessert. We had a plate of sweet tortilla chips that were sprinkled in cinnamon and sugar. The taste was reminiscent of a crunchier churro and they were served with a raspberry dipping sauce. They were very good, but if you save room for dessert the chocoflan is the way to go.  Until last night I had never tried flan, but that definitely won't be the last time. I never really knew what flan was but if I knew it was basically a light and airy custard like concoction I wouldn't have waited so long to seek some out. The flan sat on top of a super moist piece of chocolate cake and all of it was topped in a thin caramel sauce. This is a dessert worth breaking a diet for.

If you've made it this far into my post, please do yourself a favor and seek Taco Love Grill out. This restaurant has great food and it deserves to be talked about and frequented by people from all over the area. Best of all, the staff is great and they go out of their way to make sure that you're happy with your dinner experience.

Price: Cheap
Recommendation: Visit them today and tomorrow!
What to Order: Don't pass on the Mexican Corn on the Cob and Chocoflan.