Pride Weekend Eats

There's a popular saying from Fran Leibowitz: 'If you removed all of the homosexuals and homosexual influence from what is generally regarded as American culture, you would pretty much be left with "Let's Make a Deal”' While I don't know about that - and while I'm flattered to think that could ever be the case - her quote sure as hell does not explain the culinary wasteland that is the typical gay pride festival. This is why it is so fortunate that at least the Pride Fest Block Party on Saturday is centered around Mount Vernon. There, the food is a bit better than the "crab on a pita drowning in melted cheese" I had at the Sunday festival in Druid Hill Park a few years ago, and which many people will have chosen again for this year's Festival in the Park. It's disappointing that Pride Fest coincides with the African American Festival at M&T Bank Stadium just about every year. I would hope that the food is a good bit better, and hopefully not of the "crab on a shingle" variety.

And so, because gay (truly, LGBT) pride is truly not a foodie event, you have to avoid most if not all of the kiosks and head for the restaurants. Which I did.

• City Café - I must say, this is quickly becoming a semi-regular hangout for me. It's always a good place to go on a weekend night for a cappuccino and some sort of dessert. The problem for me lies with the entrées, because they're often pricier than I want to spend. (The expense in general is also why I don't eat out that much anymore.) But I did something different on Friday night and just had some appetizers, always a good idea if you're trying to save money and sample the food at the same time. I was not disappointed with the appetizers I got. The first was a fried green tomato with crab meat plate ($11): two slice o' green maters in sweet lump crab with a lemony beurre-blanc. It didn't look like much, but I did not exactly snarf it down. The coating on the fried green tomato was dark, dense and crispy. I found that it overpowered the nice sour tang of the green tomato just a little bit, but it was something I could deal with. It was a lovely dish, but what really stood out were the grilled lamb chops ($11): four small "lollipop" lamb chops with a limoncello glaze, sprinkled with pecans and dried apricots. the lamb chops were almost caramel-like in their sweetness, and packed a good amount of juicy, tender meat. Even these two appetizers together cost $22, but it's a bit cheaper than either one of these plus an entrée, which would set you back at least $30.
  
• Lunch was a half-buffet/half-fixed menu outing at Indigma. They're trying something I've never seen at an Indian restaurant before: their "table side buffet". Here's how it goes: 1) Choose one of three prix-fixe lunches, veg, non-veg and mixed, each of which consists of eight Indian tapas in small square bowls (including the rice), with hot naan. You get as much as you want, but it may fill you up; 2) then go to the buffet, which includes salads, chutneys, raitas, pickles and desserts. I ordered the mixed combination for the surprisingly low price of $10, plus a ginger lassi for $4. The lassi was a little thin, and the ginger was subtle. Really, the lunch offerings overpowered it. My favorite among the tapas was their fenugreek (methi) chicken. It was so juicy and not at all tough or dry, with a nice color and texture. It was chicken the way I would always like to eat it. A potato fritter went all too fast (maybe I should've eaten another one) and the butter chicken had a nice, buttery sauce. There also was a lemon pickle I got at the salad bar that was very different from most Indian pickles I have ever had. The food was pretty good but for the price it was amazing.

• Dinner was at Minato, where I met up with several friends, including my neighbor, for sushi. This time I let them choose what to get, and they made no mistakes. I just can't identify the rolls but we had the typical sushi-sashimi platters. My share was around $30 or so. That includes a sake and plum wine martini that gave me all the sake I needed without having to order my own bottle, and at $7.25 it was cheaper than most of the good cold sake they have. Again, I left satisfied. For me, Minato never disappoints!

Of course, the festival itself didn't exactly please me food wise. I got an okay crab cake sandwich for $7, and a cold sweet tea which, depressingly, was neither all that cold nor all that sweet. Add to that a $6 piña colada in a peensy plastic cup that had less alcohol in it than if I had just asked them to give it to me "dry" and hold all the rum in the first place. At least we in the Men's Chorus went out to Tamber's afterwards. I ordered the chicken tikka ($14) which tasted more like a barbeque fajita than anything Indian. But still it was so much more preferable to the eats at the festival in Druid Hill Park. Yes, even then my theory was confirmed: the typical Pride Festival is itself a culinary wasteland.

Best of 2009 Part II: 10 Places, 10 Recipes, 10 Items, and then some

I know it's taken a while. But as far as we are into the new year (half a month!), I've finally narrowed down my favorite eating experiences of 2009 down to tens: ten restaurants (and then some), ten recipes and ten foods.

Ten (Plus) Restaurants of Note

13.5% Wine Bar (Italian, American, wine - Hampden) - A smallish wine bar, hip but not in an in-your-face sort of way. But it's got so much more than that. It's got beers and cocktails. It's got appetizers, panini, salads, a roving cheese cart, and a massive wine selection. And you can buy whole bottles if you want. Even on Sunday. Plus, their desserts are walked over fresh from the nearby Puffs and Pastries (see below). My favorite dish: the "Mack N. Cheese PhD" which sports mascarpone and several other cheeses ($10 except on Sunday evenings, when it and several other small plates are 1/2 off).

Carlyle Club (Indian, coastal Indian - Roland Park) - The formerly Lebanese restaurant now serves haute coastal Indian food. Specifically try their dosas, though most things are good to eat. And much of it is local.


El Nayar (Mexican, Western Mexico - Catonsville, Elkridge) - It's very difficult to find particularly good Mexican food in the Baltimore area, but it is there. The favorite place I found this year has been sitting in Elkridge for a while now. I had the chance to eat at their new Catonsville location. I was impressed by the quality, variety and reasonable price of their soft tacos, a quality of which I just haven't found in Baltimore yet.

Grano (Italian - Hampden) - Not only has it stuck around (unlike most of the businesses in its same location on the Avenue) but it's expanded to a second location down the street. The mix-and-match pastas with sauces are a revelation to me, and you have to try very hard to spend more than $15 to $20 there. Their coconut flan is also tasty, more coconut milk than coconut flakes.


Joong Kak (Korean - Charles Village / Koreatown) - The filling, tender, flavorful Korean barbeque is just the tip of the iceberg. The soju, the pajeon, the panchan, the homey atmosphere, the pleasant and quick service - well, here's the rest of the delicious iceberg. A fave of my friends.

Kooper's Chowhound Burger Wagon (burgers - various locations, depending on the day) - I love a good burger, but lately they have gotten tiring. Kooper's has helped by delivering deceptively juicy burgers, available in beef, turkey, bison and veggie. I first found them at Tide Point, where I got a juicy, packed beefy hamburger for about $8. And they cook it to your taste. The next time I found them they were at the Rotunda, where I benefitted from their Rotunda lunch special: $5 for the burger of your choice, plus sweet potato fries.

Minato (Japanese - Mount Vernon) - This has become my favorite sushi restaurant, though certainly not my only favorite. It's more than just a flashy interior: their rolls, their selection of martinis, their sake and wine selections, and (especially) their sashimi are all consistently delicious, and their service is regularly friendly. My favorite thing to order: the sashimi, which is juicy and comforting.



Puffs and Pastries (bakery - Hampden) - Yes, there's a lot from Hampden. I am biased by the places I spend the most time, and I pass through often. This itty bitty and inviting bakery has some of the most amazing cookies I have ever eaten. They've had to raise the price of their humongous chocolate chip cookie, about 7" across, to $2. Considering most places would likely charge at least thrice as much for half the quality, I mean it's a steal, people. A delicious, buttery, sinful steal. I just hope they don't read this lest they raise the prices of their wonderful cookies.

Tamber's (diner, Indian - Charles Village) - I went here with a large group after a Christmas concert (I was in the concert). They all raved about this diner that I hadn't heard of before. Tamber's has two diverse sides to its menu: its diner side and its Indian side. the chicken tikka masala was buttery and wonderful, and the naan soft and hot. It's not difficult to please me with Indian, but in a place that makes it just one of its specialities, it was kind of a surprise to me. Plus, the service was pretty quick for a large groups such as ours.

Trinacria (Italian, deli - Downtown) - Why did I never stop in here before? They sell quality groceries from Italy, quality pre-made foods in their refrigerated section, and inexpensive wines, bulk pastas and ready-made sandwiches. Try their tiramisù, in the refrigerated section. It's rich and light at the same time, and I don't know how they manage to do that. Wonderful stuff.

Also deserving of high praise

Dukem (Ethiopian - Mount Vernon) - The service was a wee bit slow the last time, but still friendly. The food was rich and spicy as always.

Mughal Garden (Indian - Mount Vernon) - Now serving dosas! But their northern offerings are still filling and flavorful.

Sotto Sopra (Italian - Downtown) - I haven't eaten there in a while, but I'm really, really looking forward to going back.

Wine Source (wine, beer - Hampden) - It's a market, not an eatery. But their constant tastings, extensive cheese section and always helpful staff have made it my favorite beer-wine-and-liquor store by far.

Woodberry Kitchen (Chesapeake, slow food - North Baltimore) - They really pride themselves on serving up local foods with local ingredients, in unique, somewhat pricey ways. I ordered a helping of their bacon wrapped Chincoteague clams ($9). Small, but every bite was lovely.

And if you're in...

Inland Empire and LA County: In addition to all the praise I must heap on Fresh and Easy (that is, Tesco stateside), I also have great things to say about Pepito's (Mexican - Riverside) who serves a darn fine soft taco, the Ocean Star (dim sum - Monterey Park) with all the dim sum you can eat (I think they undercharged us, too), and the consistently delicious tapas to be found at Café Sevilla (Spanish - Riverside).


New York City: My summer trip to NYC was actually the first trip where I was truly happy with everything I ate. Among the best things I found: the Northeast's answer to In-N-Out: the Shake Shack (burgers, shakes - Manhattan, Upper West Side), who make ALL their burgers from freshly ground meat and ALL their shakes from freshly made ice cream. La Carbonara (Italian - Manhattan, Chelsea) was also a good food find thanks to a lucky recommendation. I haven't been able to replicate those caramelized zucchini slices yet. Plus, for those of us who aren't from New York, we often forget how much great stuff can be found outside Manhattan. The spacious Jackson Diner (Indian - Queens, Jackson Heights) has a buffet that'll knock your socks off, including ready-to-order dosas.


Raleigh: The delicious Asian fusion of Duck & Dumpling (pan-Asian - Inside the Beltline) is a bargain in a beautiful space, just a few blocks away from the city's museums. I am now sold for good on cha chiang noodles. I just hope I can find some in my neck of the woods. I also enjoyed my stop at Flex (Inside the Beltline), one of the friendliest gay bars I've ever had the pleasure to set foot in.

Savannah and the Fort Stewart area: If in Savannah, pass on the Lady and Sons unless you've reserved a few months in advance, and head for the Moon River Brewing Company (Lowcountry, burgers, brewpub - Savannah), whose samplers of microbrew and selection of Lowcountry favorites should have a wait, since it's pretty damn good. And please don't leave Savannah until you stop by the Savannah Candy Kitchen (candy - Savannah and various other locations). Get a warm chocolate praline if you're able. There are also many, many places to find wonderful barbeque in the area, such as the Clubhouse at Rye Patch (Southern, Lowcountry, barbeque - Ludowici). But I am surprised to admit that the ribs and mac & cheese at the Kroger of all places (supermarket - various locations), though not nearly as good as at the Clubhouse or most other restaurants, is better than from any other supermarket.

Washington: ThaiPhoon (Thai - Dupont Circle) gives you some hearty tom kha gai and a hearty and satisfying pad thai. But they give you so much that you might not be able to finish it. Just a warning.

Ten Recipes of Note

Cantonese style stir fried greens and/or seafood - I found myself stir-frying a lot of things this year, Cantonese-style, using Chinese rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic, among other things. Sweet potato leaves, beet greens, bok choy, Boston lettuce all work quite well. Swiss chard? Well, okay, I don't like Swiss chard.

Hot Milk Cake - A classic Baltimore sponge cake, if done right it is velvety and moist and will keep for a while. It's also extremely sweet.

Irish Soda Bread - 2009 was a year that I started using the bread machine I bought from my landlady in California for eight bucks. She used it three times. I've already used it about ten times as much. I've made a dizzying variety of breads and rice dishes in this thing. My favorite was an Irish soda bread I found from a recipe on the ChefMom website. It was so much better than the store-bought version that comes out every St. Patrick's Day, with juicier raisins, softer bread and a strong caraway flavor that holds up ridiculously well to the pre-made stuff that I can only describe as "grainy" and "cardboard-flavored".


Mozzarella Cheese - What can I say? I made mozzarella! And it was much creamier than the store-bought kind. Again, it'll be difficult to go back.


Nataing - The first main dish I made in my new Food Ethnography project, this Cambodian meat dish from The Elephant Walk Cookbook is extremely rich with all that pork and coconut milk and fish sauce. I had to make a second for Dara's blogger dinner party.

Neapolitan Tomato Sauce - I haven't used a jarred tomato sauce since I learned how easy it was to make it from scratch, and to freeze it so I can have more later. It freezes very well.

Old Bay Boiled Peanuts - After eating so many boiled peanuts and driving in Georgia this past summer, I had to make my own, with a Chesapeake twist. But you have to add a lot of Old Bay to get the flavor. These also freeze very well.


Old Bay Caramels - I swapped out the sea salt in a Fleur de Sal Caramel recipe for some Old Bay, in a kitchen experiment. While it didn't turn out at first, particularly the ones that I added extra Old Bay to since I couldn't taste it at first, the ones with less Old Bay ended up tasting quite nice after sitting for a week or two - the perfect blend of crumbly, sweet caramel and salty, spicy Old Bay. A strange mix, to be sure, but an interesting one.

Pan-Fried Soft Crabs - Most Baltimore families have a soft crab recipe, I imagine. My mother's mother pan-fried hers with nothing more than some flour and butter. I added cornmeal since I like the taste. Even better in a soft taco with some sliced onions or scallions.

Roasted Vegetables (peppers, chilis, tomatoes, broccoli) - Quite simply, there are fewer things more satisfying than a nice oven-roasted tomato or flame-roasted pepper. Don't even need bread crumbs or anything like that. Just drizzle in olive oil and salt and bake for about an hour at 350°F.

Ten Other Food Items of Note


anything made by Fresh and Easy - Despite their almost-Scientological zeal, the folks at Fresh and Easy (supermarket - various locations throughout Southern California) have every reason to be enthusiastic about their wonderful products, which often end up half-priced in a special, prominent aisle when they are a day or two old. Their lemon bars, brownies, and many of their bottled sauces are sorely missed in my apartment.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale - On tap during the fall months at the Hippo!

Farmers' Market Milk - Like most milks bought at a farmers' market or CSA, South Mountain Creamery's rich homogenized and cream top milks (available year-round at Waverly Farmers' Market on 33rd Street) have spoiled me for supermarket milk in the same way that Fractured Prune donuts have spoiled me for Krispy Kremes. Just tastes like water now.

Fat Tire (and beers like it) - Since we still can't get Fat Tire in Maryland, the best we can do is the Gordon Biersch Märzen out of San Jose. It has a similar fatty and rich feel in the mouth, I have found.

Fresh Berger's Cookies - The fresh ones you buy at the booth in Lexington Market have now spoiled me for the Berger's Cookies you buy at the store. But if I can't make it downtown, the ones at the store'll do, hon.

Mo's Milk and Dark Bacon Bars - The Dark Bacon Bar (available at Ma Petite Shoe and Whole Foods, among other locations) is better, but the Milk Bacon Bar is still pretty good.

Mrs. Holmes Boiled Peanuts - Fresh out of South Carolina, you had best stop in almost any convenience store to buy some to eat along the way to wherever you're going. Plentiful in Georgia.


Palmiers from Sarabeth's Kitchen at Chelsea Market - I know, I'm the last foodie to ever realize that the Chelsea Market is where the Food Network offices are located (and I'm the first one to accidentally stumble upon the place without that knowledge). The wing-shaped (or "elephant ear") palmiers cookie is the only palmiers cookie I have ever eaten that is, well, edible. And its buttery flakiness makes up for all those other nasty, gummy, sticky, cardboard-flavored ones I've eaten in the past.

Southern Tier Choklit Stout - My favorite part of Baltimore Beer Week was a beer from a brewery I already knew quite well. Southern Tier's Choklit Stout is among the best from a brewery that puts out some of the best beers on the East Coast.

Whoopie Pies - My first exposure to whoopie pies, ever, was this year. Before I just thought they were some type of moon pie. Silly me! They really are tasty, with a rich buttercream filling (or marshmallow, or "bettercreme" - yekhkh - depending on where you get yours) sandwiched between two soft and moist devil's food buns. I guess this Yankee-slash-Amish dessert has crossed the Mason-Dixon Line for good! My favorite is the one Trader Joe's puts out in a six pack (regular or pumpkin). Not so good: the one from Giant, but hey, Marylanders are just learning about whoopie pies, okay?

That's it for what I liked the most in food in '09. Coming soon: what I disliked the most.

Random Notes...

1. I now agree with pretty much everyone I've talked to: Chopped is stupid.

2. I made those brownies I shipped back from California - the ones I bought from the wonderful Fresh & Easy. It's a better-tasting mix than the regular ones. Didn't have anything partially hydrogenated or high fructose-y.

3. Now that's I've had cream top milk, I don't think I can ever go back to the stuff in the plastic jug. Thank you, South Mountain Creamery.

4. Had two job interviews in a row this morning in Harford County (and a headache now, here). Stopped by Venetian Palace in Edgewood - I visited it when I stopped by Exit 33B for the Beltway Snacking series. Got the same thing - a fried oyster sandwich. The fries were just as savory and tasty. The oysters weren't as good after sitting for half an hour in the car.

5. My sister's father-in-law went a-crabbin' today. Got lots! Three of them are in mah BELL-LEH!

6. It never ceases to amaze me or my friends just how much food you can get at Jong Kak for so little money. Oh, duh, and I forgot to take those vegetables when I was visiting them before we went out to dinner (sorry, guys)!

7.. Now that my DirecTV is working, I may go ahead and re-upgrade it so I can watch Top Chef: Vegas, and Project Runway: Lifetime. Very excited about Runway. Not as much about Chef. No live blogging (as of yet anyway) but I may write some haiku about it later. Check out Minx's All Top Chef blog for more Top Chef goofiness.

Gertrude's at the BMA helps kick off Pride Weekend

Just read this on the website for Baltimore's LGBT Pride Festival, which runs all weekend. Gertrude's will be kicking off the festivities on Friday night! From the Pride 09 website:

The festivities begin on Friday, June 19th with our signature pride kick-off cocktail party, Twilight on the Terrace. Held at Gertrude's restaurant at the the BMA, the party begins at 8:00 pm, and features open bar, hors d'oeuvres, and a silent auction. On Saturday, the Pride Parade begins at 4:00 pm, followed by the Block Party from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. On Sunday, the Pride Festival begins at 12:00 pm in Druid Hill park, and goes until 6:00 pm.

Hmmm. I wonder what it costs to get in, since I'm not exactly rollin' in it.

UPDATE: I just found out: it's $75. I'll just put some cheese on a cracker and wave a rainbow flag on my porch instead.

My First Soju

Deceptively smooth, like a vodka, and deceptively strong, also like a vodka. Eric & Alan and our friend Patrick all did the foursome at Jong Kak last night for a belated birthday present. I finally ordered the $12 bottle of soju. Since the guys hate sake - and pretty much any rice-based alcohol - they were a little, um, unenthusiastic about sharing it. But they did try some.

If you don't like sake (I love sake, so I'm not one to ask), don't pass on the soju. It's good. But watch out, because this isn't a buzz that just hits you full force. Three and a half shots of soju will hit you very gradually until you don't know where it came from. Just don't drive anywhere for a while!

Nak Won

I called up my friends Alan and Eric (Eric has started reading this blog more and more lately) to suggest a night out. I remember Alan suggesting a trip to Nak Won (look at this amazing review), near our most recent excursion to Baltimore's mini-Koreatown, when we went to Jong Kak with another friend. Sadly, he didn't join us. He did not take to Korean food too well. In fact, he couldn't stop freaking out about our visit to Jong Kak. I mean that in a bad way. The rest of us loved it but he freaked out. To each his own. Alan had heard that Nak Won has excellent pajeon, and I was game to try it.

When we got into Nak Won, I noticed that it was perhaps the most sparsely decorated Korean restaurant I have seen here, save for some random soju posters and a pattern of bricks exposed in the wall resembling some little man running around with a bouquet of flowers. Eric was initially deterred by the simplistic English translations for only some of the menu items, and none for the rest. The easiest solution: ask the waitress what some of this stuff was. I wound up asking her what she would recommend. She said that the seafood pajeon was a favorite of the patrons, most of whom were young Korean-Americans, and almost all of whom were speaking English. That is unremarkable, except that I was surprised at the sheer lack of Korean being spoken in the restaurant. Most Korean places I've been in are aflutter with Korean conversations. Not Nak Won.

The barbeque was also highly recommended. So we got two orders of the BBQ ($20 each) to share amongst the three of us (I did suggest just one in case we over-ordered, but noooooooo), and one seafood pajeon ($17 about $15), a large, thick, crispy Korean pancake that's about as large as a large pizza, and feeds as many people. In addition we got two bottles of crisp Hite (hi-tay) beer to share.

Everything was wonderful. The panchan was interesting and the waitress helped us by quizzing us to see if we could figure out what each bowl comprised (she didn't test us on the kimchee, which was fairly obvious). Among the more interesting and surprising ones were green beans in a shrimp paste sauce, gelatin slices topped with chili sauce, and slices of marinated fish cake with carrot slices.

Panchan, panchan everywhere

The BBQ came immediately after that, raw and cooked at the table with a portable table top grill. All the beef was juicy and sweet, a grade-A certified vegan nightmare. There was more than enough, as I feared. Though that would turn into a plus.

OMGWTFKoreanBBQ!

Then came the pajeon, which was indeed crispy without being very greasy. I tried to tear off pieces with my chopsticks but eventually just gave up and dunked the whole thing in the chili soy sauce provided for the purpose. The individual flavors of the seafood sort of blended together, but I did see some octopus. It was a very tasty dish. And there was so much left over that I not only could not finish the soup that came out next (!) but I got to take the rest of the panchan, pajeon and BBQ home (Eric doesn't do leftovers).

The pajeon, surrounded by various fixin's, including lettuce for wrapping the BBQ pieces. They also gave us thin slices of large radish that were as wide as a tennis ball, so you could actually wrap the BBQ pieces in them if you wanted to. The stuff in the bottom left corner: raw jalapeño and raw garlic.

The total came to $80 ($96 after tip). We weren't sure which was better, Nak Won or Jong Kak. Each has its pluses. I will say this: I would happily rush back to Nak Won for their pajeon anyday.

Jong Kak

I don't know why my friends bother to ask me if I'm going to post about our eating experiences! They asked me this as we sat down at Jong Kak, one of the several Korean restaurants near "lower Charles Village" and North Avenue. Alan and Eric wanted to try one of the Korean restaurants in the area. They knew I had gone to Nam Kang about a year ago (it made me sick, but again I think I know exactly what I ate that did it). They saw a few of the Korean places that were raved about in the City Paper's recent Eat Guide. There were two specifically mentioned restaurants: Jong Kak, which has excellent bulgogi (Korean barbecue), and Nak Won, which apparently has equally excellent pajeon (Korean pancakes). The Nak Won we will visit some other time - we wanted bulgogi, dammit.

We all went with a friend who wasn't too sure about Korean food. The place smelled absolutely wonderful from the outside. Inside were more of those delicious smells, and the sight of two different rooms, one with barbecue tables and one without. This place serves the authentic stuff, as do many of the Korean joints in this area. I saw too much to choose from on the menu. Luckily my friends find it easier to make these choices. We deliberated between the beef-pork-chicken barbecue for four to five people ($82 total, about $20.50 per person) and the all-beef barbecue for four to five ($75 total, about $18.75 each). We went for the former, and ordered nothing else but drinks. Half of us got Hite (pronounced "hai-tay") beer, and the rest got iced tea. I asked about getting some soju but I would've been the only one drinking it. An entire bottle of soju ($13) for me would not be good. It's not beer we're talking about - it will f*%k you up. I did at least get the promise that the next time we did this they would consent to splitting a bottle of soju, even if I drink most of it.

We had two women serving us, one of whom I think was the maitre'd; her English was much better than the other waitress - though really, still better than my Korean. All I know is yes, no, hello, goodbye and "I would like to drink some soju"). The first thing the maitre'd brought us was several bowls of banchan. I liked most of them, but only a few did I really like a lot. The bowl of raw garlic and chilies did take me by surprise, though they were interesting with the bean sauce they gave us. Other banchan that I liked a lot included the buckwheat noodles, cucumber salad and of course the kim chi. The bean sprouts were alright, as were many others that I just cannot remember. I didn't care much for the reconstituted dried fish.


Lots - and I mean lots - more food came out, enough that it could have easily fed five people:

• A hot pot of seafood soup, with fish cake slices, mussel, clam and half a blue crab. Tasty stuff.
  
• Two stone bowls of freshly scrambled eggs, enough to share amongst the four of us.
• A plate of (not enough) lettuce leaves in which to wrap all the meat we were about to get.
• And then there's the meat: two or three different kinds of beef barbecue, marinated pork, marinated chicken, and thick raw onions all cooked right in front of us. It all smelled great, even though the smoke kept wafting in my face. And it all tasted wonderful. I was worried that the tongs being used to handle both the raw and cooked meat might make me a little sick, and y'all know my system is especially prone to getting a little sick. But here I am, almost 24 hours later and all I feel is a few pounds heavier. It was great stuff.

With tax and tip the grand total came to about $120 ($100 without tip). Plus, we got free yogurt drinks for dessert. Before we left we were already planning our next trip back. Though one favorite bartender of mine recommended Nak Won, specifically for the pajeon. Again, one or the other. I just know I'm going back to Jong Kak at some point.

Anniversary Trip: Tapas Teatro

My very first restaurant review was for the hip and always-crowded Tapas Teatro, next to the Charles Theatre. During that review, I raved about tempura veggies:

A little bit about these veggies: the chefs take onions, eggplant and asparagus and fry it in what seems like a tempura-like batter. The chefs at Tapas Teatro then serve it up hot with a spicy, smooth mango-jalapeño salsa (actually, it's more like a jelly), with pieces of red pepper on the sides. The presentation on a square white plate is also gorgeous.

I'm gettin' all sweaty just thinkin' about it.

Since then I've been a few times, but I haven't been lately. So I decided to go this past weekend. There were some seats outside, but even more people waiting to be seated, so I figured I wasn't going to sit outside. I eventually ponied up to the bar and looked at the menu.

Maybe it's been a while, but some of the prices seem to have risen since the last time I went! Only by about a dollar or two, but it caught me by surprise. So I ordered the requisite Guinness (about $4) and decided on a meal. I got a little more than I usually do:

• lamb albóndigas (meatballs) in a tangy tomato sauce with cilantro (about $8)
  
• dried tomato on hearty bread slices, with a little tomato sauce underneath (about $4)
  

These were good tapas, with the beer coming to about $17 after tax. I left $20 and headed out for the next part of my night. I didn't go far. In fact, I went to the other side of the Charles. Sofi's Crepes offers crepes - just crepes, dinner crepes, dessert crepes, fancy veggie, cheese and meat crepes and simple crepes with butterscotch or chocolate. And they always serve them up hot. The best part is that you can create your own. Instead I took a pre-existing one and added to it. I wanted dessert and I wanted cheap. So I went for the simplest and cheapest dessert crepe I could find, their homemade butterscotch crepe. The kicker is that it's the butterscotch that's homemade. To this decadent crepe I added nutella for an extra buck. Total cost: $5, for a hot, steaming, fattening, wonderful crepe. I also got an iced tea. It wasn't remarkable - just your standard iced tea. I doubt people go to Sofi's for the tea anyway.

All in all, I'd say this was an extremely satisfying anniversary meal. I don't know why I had never gone into Sofi's Crepes after the Charles. Glad I did this time.

You Can't Stop the Beat!

Saw the critically-acclaimed Hairspray remake last night at the Charles (it really is a Senator sort of film, but oh well). I dunno. I couldn't help comparing it to the musical. I've long since stopped the comparison with the original movie - the two are different creatures altogether. It is a little different, with some situations that just didn't feature into the musical (Velma Von Tussle seducing Wilbur? Umm, interesting...) But I enjoyed it, and laughed enough that by film's end, I got tired from it and couldn't laugh anymore. That happens on occasion. And there were one or two new songs. There always are - after all, they want something that can be nominated for an Oscar (original music only, nothing pre-existing). Yahoo! Movies averages the critic and audience reviews to an A-. I'd say that about sums it up, a B+/A-. I can never choose.

Before hand was dinner at the Zodiac. It was what I usually order: their standard burger with cheese and fries, with as much Guinness - on tap - as I can stand and afford (that's about 2 pints to get me slightly buzzed by the end of the meal, and the start of the film). With tip, this usually costs me about $21 (I left an extra tip this time - the waitress did put in a rush order, which I appreciated). I love their cheese choices: mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, fontina, bleu, and - I think - cheddar. I got mozzarella, which is just lovely on a hamburger. My last burger at the Zodiac fell apart; this one didn't. Actually, the mozzarella kept it from doing so. And far from being shriveled out and gummy, the fries were memorably crunchy and tasty. It's not only one of the cheapest dinners you can get there; it's one of the most consistently tasty ones (avoid the braised duck barbecue - nothing to write home about).

I know they say the place is haunted. It's part of their "mystique" in fact. I've never felt it. But I did feel like someone was standing right behind me before I got my meal, like I was being watched. Nobody there. I feel that way once in a while. Curious, very curious.

Festival Addendum: Charles Village Festival

I am heading to the Polish Festival in Patterson Park today. But I had no idea there was another festival happening this weekend. But the Charles Village Festival is this weekend! I probably will not get to it, but if you do, let me know.

Hopefully they won't get rained out.

For a list of festivals, with the newly-added Charles Village one, check out this post.

I seem to like the places everybody hates.

I was taken with Paper Moon Papermoon Diner, where I ate with a friend a few nights ago. A few others were not so taken - qv the Comments section for this earlier post. Here are some horror stories, as well as some happy stories, over the Papermoon.

Maybe I'm just eating out too much? Pt. 1 of 2: Papermoon Diner

I got rear-ended today! Lucky me. Even luckier that the damage was mostly to my trunk. Even luckier than that, the woman who hit me also belongs to my insurance company. Best of all, I don't have to pay for the damages, or the rental while the repairs are being made. And it could've been worse. It could've been a tractor trailer.

I was just getting back from eating a delicious Greek dinner. I think I am eating out too much again. Not that I've paid too much for doing so these past few days. Two examples of food I've tried in as many days:

Papermoon Diner - My friend from England - well, who lives in England, the same friend whose partner works at the US Embassy - is in town. After meeting up at the Grand Central (yes, I got a Guinness), he suggested the Papermoon Diner on 29th Street. This place has good old American food, which my friend finds very little of in London that's worth eating. Paper Moon's was delicious, and their decor is a fun, brightly-colored, almost Hampdenish kind of decor. Only it's not Hampden, but Charles Village (that's Charles Village, right?). And the outside is just as fun and rainbow-colorful as the inside.

The menus are in old book covers, and show some typical diner food. My friend ordered a large plate of multicolored nachos with guacamole and melted cheese oozing all over the place. Nachos in the UK? Well, London has lots of good dishes, but your typical order of nachos is not among them: Doritos with melted mozzarella. Ick. These, however, were artery-clogging, tough to get out from under all that cheese, salsa, guac, sour cream. OMG, 'twas divine, simply divine.

For dinner, my friend ordered a cheese steak, which he seemed satisfied with. I ordered the patty melt with swiss on rye, medium rare ($8.50), but with sweet (potato) fries instead of the regular (add another $1.50). Again, I was very impressed, satiated, satisfied, what have you. The patty melt was heaven, and the bread slightly salty and buttery. Oh yes, I know I have to go to the gym tomorrow. * And the fries were better if sparser than those from the Golden West Cafe - and came out a helluva lot faster (and hotter).

The whole cost came to about $32, which he covered; he just asked me to get the tip. So in exchange, I bought him a drink at a favorite bar of his, the Phoenix. A two-story gay pub, it's far less seedy than I had thought from stories I've heard. I got two Bud Lights for the price of one - Thursday night special.

* That is, if I can trust that my trunk will not be un-bungeed (it's currently being held "shut" with a bungee cord) by some ass who sees that it's, well, open.

Nam Kang

Korean food is a fascinating mix of foods! I found this out as never before when I went to the Nam Kang Korean Restaurant on Maryland Ave. last night. Amazingly, it's open from 11 AM all the way through to 4 AM (you read that right, 4 in the morning)!

I went here Saturday night for food that the City Paper swears tastes like home-cookin'. It seemed rather laid-back, with stairs leading down to the restaurant. The restaurant looks very homey, and only had a few people when I came in (about 8 PM). The waitress immediately came to seat me, and handed me a menu.

Nam Kang offers more than just Korean cuisine. It also has several Japanese menu items (including several types of sushi) and a few Chinese items, too. But easily half the menu was dedicated to Korean cuisine. Surprising me was the notable lack of kim chi, which is eaten at every Korean meal. It then dawned on me that, maybe, the kim chi was brought out automatically (and therefore on-the-house). That was indeed the case.

I perused the drink menu. Lots of wines, but only plum and white are available by the glass. If I came with somebody else, I might be tempted to fork over $30 for a bottle of ginseng wine (Interesting!). But tonight, I'd rather not get arrested for DUI. Double for the soju, Korea's famous liquor (I've heard it tastes like a slightly sweet vodka). One bottle - and it only comes by the bottle - costs $12.95, and is equal to 7 shots. So again, no DUI for me tonight, so I passed. I ended up getting a glass of plum wine, which was tangier than that which I got at Minato. But it was still sweet. AND a little stronger than I had expected. I also ordered a fairly weak green tea, and got some water.

Before my main dish - the hae mool dol bop - came seven small bowls of kim chi, including one of the pickled cabbage that most Americans identify as kim chi (if we can identify it at all), and it tasted as good as any I have had.

The six other bowls reminded me that kim chi is more than just pickled cabbage. It's also:

• firm tofu slices, which were in a mild, slightly sweet chili sauce (yummy)
  
• cubed rice cakes with chili and scallions on top, in a less mild sauce (also yummy)
  
• a relatively sweet, firm but still creamy lump of mashed potatoes with what I think were two pieces of some unidentifiable vegetable inside (not just surprising that I was eating mashed potatoes at a Korean restaurant, without even asking for them, both strange and tasty)
  
• green beans, slightly marinated (not so exciting, but okay, yum)
  
• slightly pickled bean sprouts (didn't do so much for me, so no yum)
  
• dried baby anchovies, with a dried jalapeño flake, in very little sauce (I'll discuss that at the end of this post)

Then came the hae mool dol bop. This is in the same family as the bibimbap I had at Suzie's Soba the other week. Some differences: Fewer veggies, and instead of beef there were lots of pieces of seafood. It was also much spicier than that other bibimbap, and was missing the egg. Oh, and the kim chi was in the bowls, not in the dish itself. It was hot, seafoody and delicious. One other difference that must be mentioned: any dol bop (short for dolsot bibimbap) is that it comes out in a hot stone pot. By the time you reach the rice at the bottom of the stone pot, it's all hard and cooked onto the inside of the stone pot, which is just really cool. There was also free soup that came with it! Lots of free stuff with your entrée, that's for sure!

The price was not as much as I often pay for dinner these days. Cost of the green tea, glass of plum wine and the hae mool dol bop was about $20 before tip. And that didn't include the complimentary small glass of sweet rice drink, which is a little too sweet for me.

But one final word about Nam Kang: I woke up with a stomachache this morning, and not the kind you get from overeating. Mind you, my system is more sensitive than most, what with the Crohn's and all. Almost 12 hours after I awoke, it is still there. I've been cursing the place ever since, but I doubt it as everything. I think it was probably the dried baby anchovies, but it could've been anything seafood-related (as hot as it was, heat doesn't always affect me that way, but it could be that, too). Whatever. Next time (yes, there will be a next time) I'll just get the beef, maybe the bulgogi (beef barbecue). And I will avoid the dried baby anchovies.