Exit 2: MD-10 South (to Severna Park)

After buying ingredients for my potato chip chocolate chip cookies (see previous post), I decided on an early dinner and headed toward Exit 2 to discover what deliciousness lie ahead.

Never really having taken Exit 2 before, I soon found that it led to MD-710, Ordnance Road and Glen Burnie. I took the Glen Burnie exit and found myself in easy walking distance of Exit 3 off the beltway. Wanting to save that for a future post, I did a U-ey (pronounced "you-ee") and got back onto the freeway. I continued south on MD-10 and got off the next exit, leading to Furnace Branch Rd. (MD-270). With two ways to go, I turned left at the light and sought food.

Boy did I find food.

Best Seafood (map) caught my eye because it was pretty close to the on-ramp, and because it was next to a BBQ joint (more on that in a paragraph or two). Hemming and hawing a little bit, I chose the seafood place. This turned out to be a very small take-out place, no seating at all. Sandwiched in between fake crabs and a calendar with a very large picture of Jesus and some kids on it was a menu. The adjacent wall had more, impromptu printed-out specials. I told the cheerful middle-aged Korean woman behind the counter that I needed a minute, then quickly changed my mind when my attentions were diverted to the fried fish. Lots of it - catfish, whiting, flounder. All they had today were those three things. I went with the fried catfish for $7.75, choosing fries over cole slaw (my mistake, actually), half-expecting some warm-over ick of an excuse for fish.

Since it would not be ready for another 10 minutes, I meandered outside and looked in the window for Dotson's Barbeque (map, though why bother because it's the same one as for Best Seafood). This is the next-door BBQ/soul food take-out. This place even got written up in Baltimore Magazine oh, seven years ago. I asked the elderly African American gentleman about the corn muffins advertised on the menu, even older and crustier than the one next door, for only 50 cents! I ordered four, and he heated them up for me. Dotson's, which also has a larger building across the street, has various tasty items in addition to their ribs: mince chicken, greens (I bought a small bowl for $1.75), pig's feet, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, all homemade.

I'd have to come back to try the ribs, though, because my fish was waiting next door. I put my greens and corn muffins in my car and went in for my fish. I forked over my card for the fish, and also ordered some hush puppies (mmmm) which I paid for with cash (only $1.25, so I did have it to spare). I got all this wonderful, cheap food home, photographed the hell out of it (for your viewing pleasure) and sat down to eat.

What I was most impressed with was the catfish. The coating was crispy and crunchy and - here's the best part, in my opinion - the fish tasted like fish! You may be thinking "Um, duh, what else does it taste like?" But so many fish fillets I have ordered, takeout or sit-down, have been flavorless. All the fish flavor just leached right out of 'em. This, on the other hand, tasted like fish. How novel! And I had two large fillets, one of which is sitting in the fridge as I write this. So I have more. Now please don't stop to remind me: I am sure there are better fish out there than Best Seafood's. But this hole-in-the-wall offered up surprisingly good product, so I am glowing about it.

The other parts were less memorable, but mostly good. The hush puppies were in some strange potato wedge shape - I couldn't visually distinguish them from the little, forgettable potato wedges that came with the fish. But the hush puppies were good. Same with the greens, a little bitter and a little salty, but tasty. The corn muffin never really got touched, on account of the hush puppies. But I've bagged the rest for further consumption.

Places I visited:

Best Seafood (seafood) – 7319 E Furnace Branch Rd, Glen Burnie, MD, Phone: (410) 761-4666

• Would I eat there again? Sure
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Sure, but only for the fish

Dotson's Barbeque (barbecue, African American cuisine/soul food, Southern cuisine) – 7317 E Furnace Branch Rd, Glen Burnie, MD 21060, Phone: (410) 768-2784.

• Would I eat there again? Sure
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Sure, mostly to try what I haven't yet

Other photos

If you're looking for Best Seafood, here's what it looks like.

This is the whole, tasty mix of Dotson's greens and corn muffin and Best Seafood's catfish and hush puppies.