Exits 4, 5 and 6A-B Revisited

I admit: I don't get to the I-97 section of the Beltway very often, and so I have explored it very little. But when I got around here the first time, I simply did not explore nearly enough. I've tried to rectify this second go round. I know I'm probably missing other noteworthy eateries. It's up to all y'all to point them out.

Exits 4, 5 and 6A-B -
Section of the Beltway - the Glen Burnie Section (S. Baltimore City, N. Anne Arundel County)
Towns & neighborhoods along the way - Ferndale, Nottingham, Linthicum, Linthicum Heights, Pumphrey, BWI Airport
Routes that branch off - I-97, MD-648, MD-170

Places that have shut down since I last visited

Many of the victims of the recent recession in this part of town were of the Chinese carry-out variety. Gone is the massive Beijing Buffet (website no longer works) in the Burwood Village Plaza on B&A Blvd - in its place is, well, nothing.

Yep, empty.

Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant off of I-97 still seems to be around, surprisingly so, but then again the incredibly cheap food may have improved since the last time I was there, and almost got sick off it.

Restaurants I didn't get around to the first time

Despite the empty hull of what was Beijing Buffet, most of the locations in Burwood have not shut down: for example, there's still the Buffalo Wings & Beer (map) and Italia's Corner Café (same map). Italia's is a nice place. It's not a suit and tie place, but it is a satisfying evening out with Mee-Maw and the kids. Or your rambunctious little league football team, which one guy brought with him. That wasn't really a problem for me since I was doing take-out. But you may want to sit yourself down (if that little league football team isn't around, that is): Italia's is inviting, bright and comfortable, with both indoor and (for the warmer weather) outdoor seating. And somebody there must be quick of foot since there are a few prominent soccer trophies mounted above the counter. I could only hope to earn even one in my lifetime.

Italia's offers much more than the typical pizza and subs fare: they've got soup and pasta, antipasti and tiramisù, plus a wine selection. And of course, they do have pizza and subs. I went for the stromboli ($7.50), featuring various types of meat (sausage, ham, pepperoni) wrapped in mozzarella.

The stromboli, outside...

...and inside

It was filling, but I just about finished the whole thing in one sitting. Rarely these days do I find Italian take-out that I actually enjoy eating. I enjoyed this: the dough wasn't hard and dry like so many stromboli doughs can be. The mozzarella and meat together were just soft and sinful. I feel almost like I'm channeling my napoletano ancestors here! Though in truth, I have no idea if they ate stromboli in their little mountain village outside of Salerno 110 years ago (Yes I know Stromboli the town is in Sicily. I have ancestors from Sicily, too. And I am certain none of them was orange). If you want this stromboli you can most easily reach Italia's off of Exit 5.

As for Exit 6: when I took it the last time I went about half a mile in each direction, lulling myself into that false sense of being sure that all I would continue to see were houses. I should have bothered to keep going, as I learned to do with future exits. I would have found a Ferndale-area institution in the Shipley Linthicum Shopping Center on South Camp Meade Road, just on the other side of BWI. Keller's Bakery (map), now in its 70th year, was taking orders for Thanksgiving pies when I stopped by (yes, I'm only now getting around to writing this). It's a small operation, but they take many orders and always run out. The woman behind the counter when I showed up showed me some of their popular flavors - well, those they had left at least: apple, French apple, blueberry, just to name a handful. Hopefully you've gotten your order in for Christmas, too. Commenters on the Baltimore City Search site for Keller's also rave about their turnovers and donuts. I had no cash on me at all, so I was out of luck altogether, seeing as how they do not take cards.

Restaurants that have since opened

A few doors down in the Shipley Shopping Center, one place that I don't think was around at all the first time I stopped by was Matsu Japanese (map), which has two locations, in Linthicum and Annapolis. Matsu is a smallish, few frills sushi and Japanese restaurant that satisfies your sushi need quickly and cheaply. I was impressed at how fast I got served - granted, there were, maybe, five people there for the lunch rush. Their lunch specials are good for the price: a $10 bento box was what caught my eye before anything else, and unlike most times when I dawdle over the menu I knew I had to get this. A relatively quick ten minutes later, if that, I had my lunch.


Matsu's lunch bento box is smaller than most you will have had. With just four modest compartments, you get a few slices of California roll, a couple shumai dumplings and your choice of one other item, with soup and rice on the side. In my case, I got the 5 piece sashimi. The items in the bento box were about as modest as the restaurant itself: smaller amounts of things, which I guess justifies the $10 price. The flavor could also best be described as modest. While the food was good, it was not great - once again, $10 bento box. Nevertheless, it got the job done. Matsu is at least worth a visit.

I just wish that the entire staff - and I mean the entire staff - had not sat down to lunch right as I had finished eating and was anticipating my check. No, I did not need my check right away. But I figured that, since my waitress had sat down to eat like everybody else, it might be a good long while before anyone even noticed I was done. Fortunately, my waitress happened to look behind her and see that I was done. She quickly stopped her lunch, got my check, and proceeded to toss it in front of me. Well, more half-toss, half-drop it in front of me. Way to make your customer feel like he's not a burden! I never leave anything less than a 15% tip, and rarely leave less than 20%. I left 10% this time.

A few other restaurants have popped up around BWI. One I have yet to try is the Acqua Restaurant (map) - offering, as it says right on its splash page, "bay fresh cuisine in an elegant setting" near the BWI Hilton. Another is the snazzy Los Portales Restaurant (map), to meet your craving for Mexican food as soon as you get out of the airport. And if you head back to Burwood you can at least try the Bamboo House (same map as Italia's), which is the only Chinese food you will find in lieu of the Beijing Buffet.

So, what did I miss?

Again I need your help and suggestions. Tell me what I missed. I know I missed something. Or what about the places I didn't visit this time: ringing endorsements of Acqua or Los Portales, or something in the airport that I need to check out the next time I'm taking a flight?

Places I got back to

Italia's Corner Café (Italian/pizza and subs) - 7089 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd. (Burwood Village Plaza), Suite F, Glen Burnie, MD 21061; Phone: (410) 684-3817

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Sure

Matsu Japanese Restaurant (Japanese/sushi) - 517 South Camp Meade Road (Shipley Linthicum Shopping Center), Linthicum, MD 21090 ; Phone: (410) 850-0009 or (410) 850-0012

• Would I eat there again? If I was in the area
  
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Likely not

A few places to look up later

Acqua Restaurant (Chesapeake/seafood) - 1739 West Nursery Rd., Linthicum, MD 21090; Phone: (410) 694-0808 ext. 5176

Bamboo House (Chinese/sushi) - 7089 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd (Burwood Village Plaza), Glen Burnie, MD 21061

Buffalo Wings & Beer (pub fare; wings) - 7089 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd (Burwood Village Plaza), Suites C & D, Glen Burnie MD 21061; Phone: (410) 760-2337

Keller's Bakery (bakery) - 509 South Camp Meade Rd. (Shipley Linthicum Shopping Center), Linthicum Heights, MD 21090; Phone: (410) 859-8228

Los Portales Restaurant (Mexican) - 6938 Aviation Boulevard, Suites D & E, Glen Burnie, MD 21061; Phone: (410) 766-9800

Exits 1, 2 and 3A-B Revisited

I had serious plans to resume my explorations of the Beltway and its foodie finds. I would revisit places that I originally visited, explore new locations, report on those that have succumbed to the Great Recession, etcetera, etcetera.

That was half a year ago.

Since then, life has happened, and I went on a most restful sabbatical, causing me to put off my return to the Beltway Snacking series. Plus, the first post is always the toughest, since that's the one that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the series.

When I first got the notion to revisit the exits from my first culinary tour around the Baltimore Beltway, I was not quite sure how I would go about it. I thought I might seek out new places I did not even know about the first time, maybe taking note of which places had closed down before. It dawned on me as I was going back into Glen Burnie just how ambitious this project has been and would have to be. Perhaps tackling each exit one at a time takes longer, but it preserves the sanity. Biting off a few at once? Now there's a task. So because I have a desperate need to organize myself (HA!), I'll break down these revisits in a somewhat different way than before.

Restaurants that have shut down - Well this is pretty self-explanatory: places that I visited or wanted to visit, but can't now because they ain't there no more, hons. NB: If something shut down and I missed it, please help me out and let me know what I missed.

Restaurants I didn't get around to the first time - These are the places in my "Places to look up later" section from the first go-round, as well as places that commenters recommended to me that I didn't even think about. These are also places that both I and my commenters just completely missed altogether. As with the first go-round, I will try to avoid places I have blogged about in the past, though I may play hard and fast with this rule if I need to)

Restaurants that have since opened - This one isn't hard, people. Just as the recession has taken out some places, so have others opened up since.

Exits 1, 2 and 3A-B -
Section of the Beltway - the Glen Burnie Section (S. Baltimore City, N. Anne Arundel County)
Towns & neighborhoods along the way - Hawkins Point, Curtis Bay, Pasadena, Brooklyn Park, Glen Burnie
Routes that branch off - MD 173, MD 10, MD 2

Places that have shut down since I last visited

Of the various restaurants I mentioned on the first go round, none have really shut down. One notable location that never made it into the Beltway Snacking series but is now gone speaks volumes about this recession: Krispy Kreme. There used to be a stand-alone Krispy Kreme restaurant right across from the MVA, complete with the ditzy teenage boy who had no idea what "Do you have any hot ones?" meant. Well, young Master Clueless has probably found another job by now, and you have to go to Royal Farms to find any Krispy Kremes around these parts - or the Harris Teeter all the way out in Columbia.

Restaurants that have since opened

In Krispy Kreme's place has opened up Ayubi's Chicken and Kabob (map). This location, which had been open just a few months once I got there, has a mix of foods I hadn't really anticipated: fried chicken (think New York Fried Chicken) and lake trout, ice cream, and a full menu of Afghan and Central Asian kabobs, lawands and pullows (pilafs). Notable is the inclusion of the area-famous kaddo borawni made known to Bawlamorons at the wonderful Helmand restaurant in Mount Vernon. Though I didn't get to try Ayubi's version (I think they were out of pumpkin or something), I did order a typical lamb kabob with an Afghan pullow and bread. Half an hour later I had it at home, and I must say it survived the ride. The kabob was juicy and nicely spiced, while the pullow featured nice bits of raisin , carrot and onion. A nice and memorable addition was the finely chopped cucumber and carrot salad that came with the dinner. All of this came to about $10 before tax and drink, and was quite a change from the donuts that were being served there just twelve months before.

A particularly filling meal from Ayubi's

Restaurants I didn't get around to the first time

When I first hit Exits 1 through 3 (A & B - 4 exits in total), I noted a few restaurants that, for whatever reason, I just did not get around to visiting.

The Olive Tree Italian Restaurant (map) was one that some of my fellow Men's Chorus members suggested to me, and after one performance at a local South Baltimore church, a few of us headed over there. We would've gotten in, too, had it not been for the wait. So the Olive Tree is one that I had to save for another day. Instead, we all met up at Romano's Restaurant (map) for dinner. While others of us got things like spaghetti or crabcakes, I opted for the shish kebab ($15). Extremely filling, and it lasted me a while as a take home dish. Still, I wish I had gotten the crabcake platter instead.

One location that I had passed often but never ventured to try was Martitha's Restaurant (map). This restaurant offers up a combination of Mexican, Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Honduran offerings that will pleasantly fill you up. One day I ordered some take out, waiting with a major soccer game on the flat panel TV hovering behind the bar, tuned in to Univision. Martitha's is an unassuming, homey little restaurant, with the various flags of Latin America hanging around the counter. Don't let that unassuming atmosphere daunt you. Order away! I ordered a breakfast dish of three bean and scrambled egg tacos ($10 - UPDATE: this is known as a baleada) that came with Salvadoran slaw, lettuce and tomato, and what seemed like enough slices for a quarter of an avocado. I had to order a nice thick pupusa along with it. This was gone before I even got home. I'm a sucker for a good pupusa.

These are not pupusas.

When I first visited Glen Burnie, I got about as far as the intersection of Crain and Ritchie Highways, where you can and must visit the likes of Pho Miss Saigon (which I reviewed the first time around), and Thai Café (which I did not - the sister and I headed there the other day after I helped her find a dress for a big anniversary dinner). Ann's Dari Creme (map) is much further down Ritchie Highway, nestled right in front of Marley Station Mall (looking much better inside, I might add), and across from the Plaza Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant (map) which I still have not ventured to. It had been a while since I first visited Ann's. I'm talking decades here. The place is an area institution, and after listening to a little blurb about it on the Midday with Dan Rodricks show on WYPR (NB: please continue doing that County by County segment) I was reminded of this comment from commenter TW on my original Beltway Snacking post about Exit 3:

You definitely should hit Ann's again. Cheeseburger sub or a footlong or get someone to split with you and get half of each. Banana milkshake to go with.

It was settled. I had to go back. The folks at Ann's are quite efficient. They've been doing this for years, and they know how to get you in and out and get you your food fast. I did order the foot long, but opted merely for the vanilla shake. Hey, I like vanilla. I should have eaten it there while it was still warm, but even 45 minutes later in the comfort of my apartment, the foot long was still pretty good. It would've been excellent had I eaten it right away. As for the milkshake: oh good Lord, I haven't had a milkshake as good since my last visit to In N Out when I last visited California. Thick, very strong of vanilla, very cold. It's a memorable milkshake. All this for about $5.

That's a lotta milkshakes...

So, what did I miss?

Perhaps there will be yet another future installment of the Beltway Snacking series. If so, there will always be places that I fail to get to the first or second time around. I could write a whole series just on the restaurants I have missed. But I'm not doing that. I will just let y'all give me some suggestions. So: what else did I miss in Curtis Bay? Pasadena? Glen Burnie and around Marley Station?

Places I got back to

Ann's Dari Creme (ice cream/hot dogs/fast food) - 7918 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061; Phone: (410) 761-1231

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? If I was in the mood
  

Ayubi's Chicken and Kabob (Afghan/lake trout/fast food) - 6604 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061; Phone: (410) 766-9585

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Maybe

Romano's Restaurant (Italian/Greek/American/family-style) - 6905 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Maybe, but only if there is no wait

Martitha's Restaurant (Salvadoran/Guatemalan/Honduran/Mexican) - 602 Crain Hwy N, Glen Burnie, MD 21061; Phone: (410) 424-3974

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Maybe

Thai Café, (formerly Thai Gour Café; Thai) - 7477 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd #1, Glen Burnie, MD 21061; Phone: (410) 761-8399

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Probably

A few places to look up later

Olive Tree Italian Restaurant (Italian) - 7005 Ritchie Hwy; Glen Burnie, MD 21061; Phone: (410) 761-8237

Plaza Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant (Mexican) - 7917 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061; Phone: (410) 761-2447