Exit 43 - MD-157 (Peninsula Expy) and MD-158 (Bethlehem Blvd), to Dundalk

We are nearing the end of our culinary journey around I-695. I can tell because of all those signs that say "Key Bridge - this way" and "Last exit before toll". But perhaps an even bigger indicator is that this penultimate exit is, in fact, the last exit on the inner loop. That's right. Exit 44 - the final exit - is only found on the outer loop (whose numbers go down). In order to make it from the inner loop, you have to do some funky U-turn thing - which of course I'll have to do, unless I come from Glen Burnie. But technically, if I was just doing the inner loop of the Beltway, I'd be done!

No such luck for me or my schedule. But we'll save that for the next post.

When you get off of this exit, you have two options to turn: Bethlehem Blvd (MD-158) and the Peninsula Expressway (MD-157). I headed for 157, which I reasoned would be an easier route for finding food. It's a long but mostly scenic drive into Dundalk along this route, and wouldn't you know it? Going this way took me directly back to Merritt Blvd and CCBC Dundalk. Since I covered this area a few posts ago (Exit 39), I found myself driving around a lot - I mean a lot - to find something different to eat. It didn't hit me that I could've just gone straight across Merritt along Sollers Point Road and Delvale Avenue - past Dundalk High School on to Holabird. Another option was to continue along Sollers Point towards Dundalk Avenue. That last bit I will save for the next post.

Along the way I didn't find a whole lot until quite late. When you're on Peninsula Expressway, there really isn't a whole lot to eat, unless you catch it yourself. You find a few marinas and parks - quite a few - but eateries are sparse. The only one I found off of Peninsula was the Hard Yacht Café (map), in the Anchor Bay East Marina on Cove Road. Well, at least I would have found it. You see, I found it difficult to get to, even with my GPS. So to be honest, I couldn't really find it. I probably just didn't look enough. And it would've been difficult anyway - the only street is a narrow residential one. Maybe it's easier to get to by boat? When you do get there, you can order anything from sandwiches to burgers to hot dogs to seafood, and of course there's beer.

A few more along the Peninsula-to-Sollers Point route took me past a very large Moose Lodge, and a few businesses that looked either closed down for the day or forever. Tony's Carry-Out (map) looked like it was shut down for good, since - again - there were no vehicles anywhere to be found. Nearby was a Pizza Boli's and the Oriental Wok (map). This place was indeed open, but I got the impression that I needed to phone in my order first.

Hello?

I almost stopped by yet another Filleti's (map) - there seems to be three locations in all, including one on Sollers Point Road - and that probably would've resulted in a pretty good meal. But I wanted to find an unfamiliar name first so I pressed on. Along the way I found Minnick's (map), apparently right across from Dundalk High School. At least it's supposed to be - I could only find what looked like houses. I must have missed it. But at least I know its general location. Minnick's has a bar that is open to the public, and its a jeans and T-shirt sort of place. Its restaurant is only open to private parties and wakes, which you probably shouldn't wear jeans and a T-shirt to anyway.

Once you hit Holabird you can go west towards Dundalk Avenue, or east back to Merritt, and to restaurants I have been to before. The westbound locations I will save for the next post. Eastbound, I found only one restaurant that I haven't written about before. This is Bada Bing Bada Beef (map), next to the Mars supermarket. Bada Bing does catering, bull roasts and all manner of pit beef, pit ham, pit poultry and pulled pork, as well as things you don't usually expect a pit beef outlet to provide, from fried mushrooms to crabcakes to snowballs. That's right - there's a snowball stand!

I needed a minute to look over the menu, and finally decided on the standard pit beef sandwich - rare for $5.60 (you can also get it medium and well done) - and a small fries with gravy (about $2, though typically it costs almost $3). I spent about $8 total.

These were shoestring fries, unlike most pit beef stand fries I have had, which are the thicker variety

The pit beef survived the half hour drive home, though I can't say the same for the fries. I'm not much of a fry person, and I didn't really like these fries a whole bunch. Maybe it's also because they looked a little overdone, even though they didn't taste that way. They were okay. The pit beef was much better. It was one of the more tender pit beefs that I've eaten, and very juicy. It was also a little stringy in some spots, though I've found that with every pit beef I've eaten. It just seems par for the course. The horseradish, BBQ sauce and onion that they put on it (by my request - they ask these things while you're there) also tasted quite good. Only the roll was a soggy let down, but any roll would be after a 30-minute car ride, so that's not their fault. In short, Bada Bing gave me a very good pit beef sandwich, even though I'd avoid the fries in the future.

Sigh - 43 down (counting A, B and C exits, it's more like 60), one to go! Off I go to Broening Highway...

Is there a toll coming up?

Other photos -

A porch with a view - Bada Bing Bada Beef (B⁴?)

You would think that one of these things would help me not get lost, but noooooooooooooo... (Also, I don't advise that you click and drive. It's not easy.)

The legendary Loyal Order of Moose. I think this is the biggest Moose Lodge I have ever seen.

Places I visited -

Bada Bing Bada Beef (pit beef / snowballs) - 7210 Holabird Ave Dundalk, MD 21222 (410) 282-9500

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Yes, but not for the fries

Places to look up later -

Filleti's Carry-Out (pizza and subs) - 2917 Sollers Point Rd, Dundalk, MD 21222; Phone: (410) 285-5300‎

Hard Yacht Café (American / seafood / bar - in the Anchor Bay East Marina) - 8500 Cove Road, Dundalk, MD 21222 (39°15'02.5" N, 76°29'15.2" W); Phone: (410) 284-1044

Minnick's (bar / restaurant - restaurant is only open to private parties) - 7100 Sollers Point Rd, Dundalk, MD 21222; Phone: (410) 285-5828

Oriental Wok (Chinese) - 2109 Merritt Ave, Dundalk, MD 21222; Phone: (410) 288-3663

Tony's Carry-Out (American) - 2102 Merritt Ave, Dundalk, MD 21222; Phone: (410) 288-4220‎




for Bada Bing Bada Beef