Revisiting the Beltway: One Last Trip around 695 (for the blog, that is)

As you may know, I finished the State-by-State project I've been posting up here every Sunday morning for the last few years.  For my final Sunday post, I have decided to revisit a previous project one last time: my Snacking around the Beltway series.  Due to crazy gas prices (which haven't really abated) and a total lack of time - in part exacerbated by said new project that lasted the last couple of years - I stepped away from it after examining every few exits around the Glen Burnie section of the Beltway (more or less Exits 1 - 8).

For this post, I summarize a few key spots I have visited throughout the rest of the Beltway.  Yes, I'm squeezing Exits 9 through 44 into one longish post.  This is, I admit, an inadequate way to finish it up, but it is better than nothing.

As I did in my January 18, 2009, Final Assessment post of the original series, I will again divide the Beltway up into six sections:

• the "Glen Burnie" section of the Beltway (south, Exits 1 through 8A) - I've already explored this one in more detail, so I'm not really coming back to it in this post.
• the "Catonsville" section (southwest, Exits 9 through 16B)
• the "Pikesville" section (northwest, Exits 17 through 22)
• the "Towson" section (north, Exits 23A through 30B)
• the "Essex" section (northeast, Exits 31A through 38B)
• and the "Dundalk" section (southeast, Exits 39 through 44)

This will not be a sweeping assessment of eats around the Beltway - I am exploring one, maybe two at the most, restaurants in each aforementioned section.  But these few restaurants hopefully do show the diversity of old and new eats off the Beltway, and will encourage you to further explore for ones I left off on your own.

The Glen Burnie Section (south, Exits 1 through 8A)

As I said, I have a few posts about Beltway eats in Anne Arundel County.  I will refer you to those, with one caveat: the Afghan place across the street from the Glen Burnie MVA is now a Hip Hop Chicken (map here).  I haven't visited it yet.

The "Catonsville" section (southwest, Exits 9 through 16B)

It's kind of silly to say I've "revisited" this part of the Beltway.  This is where I grew up: Lansdowne, which was home for my first 20-odd years, and Arbutus, Catonsville and such, where I got to (and still go to) frequently.  That said, I haven't really visited the newish eating establishments here lately: the new Middle Eastern place in Arbutus (Punjab Kabab & Sweets, map here), the frozen yogurt place along Maiden Choice (And what is up with this new fro yo trend?  Seriously, I don't get it), and the new Lansdowne Station shopping center, home to a Boardwalk Fries, an Italian place (Three Brothers of Lansdowne, the only Baltimore location of sixteen across the state; map here) and, notably, a new Chinese/American/sushi buffet.  That last part - sushi buffet - should send shivers down anyone's spine.

The place in question is the Teppanyaki Grill Supreme Buffet (map here) off Exit 10, near the Office Depot.  My mother told me that she took my sister here a few months ago and thought it would be a nice place to go get a sit-down meal.  Not nice as in "dressy" nice, but nice as in "Oh, you don't see us so often, it would be nice to spend some more time with you, and your sister liked this place" (full disclosure: my youngest sister, in her 30's, has autism, and it's not easy to find places that she likes beyond a set few places, so for her to like any place with Chinese food is in itself amazing to my family).

The place isn't my idea of "inviting": despite the many tables and booths, it seems quite crowded.  The mostly dimly lit interior doesn't help on that score.  Certainly though, the people there seemed to enjoy themselves, particularly the children's birthday party in the separate (and loud) meeting room next to the dessert buffet.

The Teppanyaki Grill has a bevy of the stuff you'd expect to find at a Chinese/Japanese buffet: various fried "Chinese" things, some maki rolls on ice which seemed freshly made at least (with massive amounts of wasabi sitting next to them), a section of "American things" just in case your stubborn Uncle Floyd won't eat "Asian" stuff, and large salad and dessert bars in case you are ever-so-slightly tempted to eat something healthy.

Yum.

For the price, however, this can't really be beat: all-you-can-eat for all of $7.19 plus tax ($10.39 for dinner instead of lunch; kids eat for less and very young kids eat for even less).  That said, it is a buffet, and as massive buffets go it is pretty average.  You may be thinking "Well what did you expect?" In a word: this.  I expected what I got, so I wasn't exactly disappointed.  But all the same, I don't usually enjoy this sort of thing, so I probably won't head back.  It didn't make me sick - that was a plus.

Thank God, that had me worried for a second.

The "Pikesville" section (northwest, Exits 17 through 22)

So much to choose from, so little time... And money...

Unfortunately I don't get around to Pikesville much these days.  The last time I visited was to hit up the Seven Mile Kosher Supermarket off Exit 20 (map here) for some matzah meal a year or so ago.  A few years before that, I was a panelist at the Great Tastes food show, as one of many panelists discussing food blogging in Baltimore.  I had mentioned that I was hopeful that Baltimore would see an increase in the number of West African restaurants in the area, since Charm City is fortunate to have a relatively large and increasing Nigerian-American (and overall West African) community.  Afterwards,  somebody suggested to me that I try out Peju's Kitchen and Lounge off Exit 17 in Woodlawn (map here).  I hadn't gotten the chance until recently, when I finally made the trip for take out one night.  Actually, it ended up being the very last restaurant I will have visited for this blog.  I mean, I don't exactly do these in order here.

Peju's with its large black awning occupies the large corner in the Security Plaza strip mall across from Woodlawn High School.  The plaza also features a South Asian clothing store and several halal buffets and groceries, plus a store-front Islamic center, a driving school, a handful of store-front churches and a halal Chinese restaurant (I've heard of kosher Chinese places, but a halal one is new to me, and certainly fills a niche needing to be filled).  The slightly rusty (not rustic) exterior of the whole building complex belies the gorgeous warm amber interior of Peju's, which serves not just West African specialties like jollof rice (of course), fufu and puff-puff (the West African answer to the donut.  Mmmm, donut), but various Caribbean specialties.  The warmly-lit bar and lounge area open onto the main seating area in the interior.  In other words, this ain't Teppanyaki Grill Supreme Buffet (see above).

Since I was out running errands and had to get home, I opted for take-out.  Though my eyes alighted on Caribbean specialties like jerk chicken and curry vegetable dishes ($10 each, more if during dinner), I eventually opted for the more Nigerian jollof rice with beef (also $10, also more if during dinner).  The jollof rice was certainly better than my one attempt to make it a few years ago, and I loved the thick tangy, slightly spicy tomato sauce that went with it. The two slightly tough pieces of beef I got had a nice flavor, but clearly they were a side if anything: the star of this meal was the big, heaping mound of soft, tangy jollof rice.  A few sweet fried plantain pieces finish off this meal. I will have to go back for more.

The "Towson" section (north, Exits 23A through 30B)

While I hardly get to Pikesville or Woodlawn, I often pass through Towson since I live so close by.  The problem here is that I never get a chance to stop anywhere.  The downtown Towson area has seen a few new places pop up over the last few years even as places like Towson Commons have shut down.  Yes, many old favorites like Kyodai, Kathmandu and Strappazza (just to name a few) are all still in that downtown area.  One that has been around for a while but I haven't had the chance to visit until not long ago was the Towson Hot Bagels (map here), recently voted Best Bagel in Baltimore.  Is this the influx of New Jersey and New York kids at the University making this assessment?  Seriously though, it's an efficient set up.  It has to be, since there are so many of these college kids in there!  The bagels are indeed good: chewy and filling and lovely.  I got an everything with cream cheese the one time I went there with some friends from out of town.

A few storefronts have seen some changes across the street from the library on York Road (map here: they're all close by): the Indo-Chinese place is now straight up Indian (India Cuisine), and I still haven't gotten to the Chinese place next door (The Orient Restaurant) or the 7 West Bistro Grille around the corner, all conveniently nestled not too far from Exits 26 and 27.  One place I have gotten to is the Phò Dat Thành (map here), the phò place near the Melting Pot, and one of three in the Baltimore area (with locations in Laurel and Columbia).  This once was a "pan-Asian" restaurant serving Chinese, Japanese and Thai food.  It finally settled on Vietnamese.  While they have various stir fry options available, you will probably want to go for the phò: a good, large standard bowl of phò at not a very steep price.

The "Essex" section (northeast, Exits 31A through 38B)

Sadly, I don't get around to this part of the Beltway that often anymore either.  I really should just stop between Exits 38B and 39 off North Point Blvd at the Prima Foods (map here).  This is Baltimore's premier stop for all your Greek ingredient needs, including their barrels of olives that you scoop yourself.  Closer to Route 7 and CCBC Essex lies places I have yet to get to, notably the Pizza Rustica (map here) at the intersection of crazy and crashy, er, Rossville Blvd and Pulaski Hwy near Exit 35 (seriously, why is that intersection so accident-prone?).

Ever since I last visited for the Beltway Snacking project a few years ago, I knew that Baltimore's favorite pit beef joint - and apparently the über-annoying Guy Fieri's - was in this area.  It did not dawn on me just how much closer Chaps Pit Beef (map here) is to 895 than the Beltway, so much so technically it shouldn't really be in this post.  But screw it, it's only a few miles away from Exit 35, so it's going in anyway.


For the few Bawlamorons who haven't been to this place - I admit, I was one of them until I went for this post - and for those outside the city who still aren't quite sure what "pit beef" really is, Chaps is not all big and flashing, and is even kind of easy to miss if you're not paying attention.  Plus, there isn't a large parking lot.  It is one of those places that stays small and puts out a quality product.  Okay, a lot of quality products: it's not just pit beef but various types of barbecue.  The menu is as complicated as any BBQ joint I've seen in this or other parts of the country.  But I went specifically for the pit beef sandwich, medium rare (about $6).  The meat is smoky, soft and juicy, and yes, you must bite down to get the slices of pit beef off the sandwich (but hey, that's pit beef for you).  Don't forget the many toppings along the window: horseradish, tiger sauce (horseradish mayonnaise), hots and a pickle chip belong on any pit beef sandwich.  I can't imagine eating pit beef without horseradish.  I just don't want to.

Isn't it better to imagine a nice juicy pit beef sandwich slathered with a big ol' blob of horseradish instead?

The "Dundalk" section (southeast, Exits 39 through 44)

Since family, work and friends are all in other parts of the area, I almost never get to Dundalk anymore.  And like with the Rosedale / Hamilton area it is easy to find pit beef in Dundalk.  Even easier since Merritt Blvd lost the wondrous Weenie World, one of my favorite hot dog places around the Beltway.  In its place is the Bullpen (map here), with the tagline "You can't beat our meat" (errrrrmm...).  Like Chaps and the nearby Bada Bing Bada Beef (which I did get to last time), this is also a pit beef and BBQ joint, and I will have to try it out next time I'm back down that way.

As with my much-delayed visits to Peju's and Chaps, I did finally get to the Boulevard Diner (map here).  Guy Fieri also stopped by here (my God, how many of these places has Guy Fieri infected with his presence anyway!?) for his DD&D show.  The Boulevard is your quintessential diner - nothing much different about that, except for the massive illustration of Ray Lewis (W0000000000T!!!!!) in the entryway.  Inside, it's no-nonsense but friendly and quick service.  And it has all the diner classics: the Mediterranean stuff, the burgers, the meatloaf, the desserts, and the all-day breakfasts.  I hadn't eaten lunch that day but was in the mood for pancakes - not many, but pancakes all the same.

I have my fat group, my carb group and my sugar group!

I got the short stack of two massive pancakes ($5) with two sausage patties (an extra $2).  I can't think of much else to say: they were typically tasty diner pancakes. The sausage was a little gristly but nothing I haven't enjoyed eating before.  And of course, I bathed the whole thing in butter and syrup, as you are supposed to do with diner pancakes.  Yum.

Post-Script

Had I decided to continue the blog - and had gas prices fallen again - I might have liked to get around the Beltway again.  I'm not sure I would've had the time, though: the one thing I remembered while doing the research for this post was how much time it took the first time around. So revisiting these various joints around 695 is just something I will have to leave to others.  Every exit has something worth eating (and probably something that is best left alone).  Search it out, folks.  I may not be writing about it, but I will certainly be searching for it nonetheless.

Places I visited

Boulevard Diner (diner) - 1660 Merritt Blvd, Dundalk, MD 21222; Phone: (410) 285-8660

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Yes, why not?

Chaps Pit Beef (pit beef & BBQ) - 5801 Pulaski Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21205; Phone: (410) 483-2379

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Yes, and I'd have to

Peju's Restaurant and Lounge (Nigerian / West African / Caribbean) - 1724 Woodlawn Drive, Wodlawn, MD 21207; Phone: (410) 277-9779

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Sure, especially since it's the only Nigerian restaurant in the area.

Phò Dat Thành (Vietnamese) - 510 York Rd, Towson, MD 21204; Phone: (410) 296-9118

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

Prima Foods (market / Greek) - 51 Kane St  Baltimore, MD 21224; Phone: (410) 633-5500

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

Teppanyaki Grill Supreme Buffet (buffet / Chinese / Japanese / American) - 3551 Washington Blvd, Lansdowne, MD 21227; Phone: (410) 242-5887

• Would I eat there again? Probably not
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Um, no

Towson Hot Bagels (bagels / breakfast) - 16 Allegheny Ave, Towson, MD, 21204, with locations in Timonium and Canton

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

Places to visit later (though I must leave others to write about them)

The Bullpen (pit beef & BBQ) - 1099 Merritt Blvd, Dundalk, MD 21222; Phone: (410) 288-3529

Hip Hop Fish & Chicken (fried chicken / fast food) - 6604 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061, with various other locations in the area; Phone: (410) 766-1515

India Cuisine (Indian) - 321 York Rd, Towson, MD 21204; Phone: (410) 583-7770

The Orient Restaurant (Chinese / Japanese) - 319 York Road, Towson, MD 21204, with locations in Bel Air and Perry Hall; Phone: (410) 296-9000

Pizza Rustica (pizza / Italian) - 8805 Pulaski Highway, Rosedale, MD 21237; Phone: (410) 682-8640

Punjab Kabab & Sweets (Pakistani / Indian) - 5313 East Dr, Arbutus, MD 21227; Phone: (410) 737-7773

Seven Mile Supermarket (kosher / Jewish) - 201 Reisterstown Rd,  Pikesville, MD 21208; Phone: (410) 653-2000

7 West Bistro Grille (American / bar) - 7 W Chesapeake Ave, Towson, MD 21204; Phone: (410) 337-9378

Three Brothers of Lansdowne (pizza / Italian) - 3611 Washington Blvd, Lansdowne, MD 21227, with sixteen locations statewide; Phone: (410) 536-1080

Lunch at Yia Yia's of Essex

I did not realize tht Yia Yia's Bakery on Philadelphia Road had a sandwich special. I usually just go over to the cookie counter. But for $5 you can get a sandwich of the day. Today was Hot Italian, with several Boar's Head meats and some cheeses, warm, on ciabatta bread made at the bakery. Instead of eating in the bright dining room, with the special eating area sectioned off and backed with a mural of Greek pillars, I went ahead and got it as take-out. Along with this came some chocolate meringues (25 cents each). The sandwich was filling, with juicy cold (er, hot) cuts and slightly melted cheeses. All this came with a tangy spread on top and a pickle to finish it off. I just wish they had removed the hard string of skin from one of the cold cuts, but apart from that it was a cheap sandwich I would get again.

Beltway Snacking Redux I: Places I Missed

I haven't spent much time reflecting on my massive schlep around I-695. Okay, I have. I just haven't written much about it since I finished it up last month. But I never really gave it the closure it merits. So over the next few weeks, time and internet access permitting, I'll be writing up a few postscripts and appendices to my Snackin' around the Beltway blog post series.

In this first one, I give props to a few places that I missed on the first go round. If it seems a little heavy on the west side restaurants, it's not an accident. I noticed somewhere around Essex that by the time I had gotten some practice in this Beltway Snacking thing, I had come to be quite thorough in documenting those places I stopped at, and those places I just passed by. I didn't get that thorough at least until the mid-20's off the Beltway. So yes, you will see more stuff in and around Glen Burnie and Catonsville than you will around Towson, Essex and Dundalk. Perhaps those places most familiar to me are the ones I bothered to explore the least!

The following are in alphabetical order.

1. Cajun Blu Restaurant (Exit 7B) - I pretty much gave up on finding anything off of the BW Parkway. Had I headed into the city and stopped in Cherry Hill, I might've come across the Cajun Blu Restaurant (map). I've found no reviews for this Cajun/creole place. But hey, there was something you could only access from 295 after all!

2. How'd I miss all those places in Glen Burnie? (Exit 3B) - There were exits that I analyzed the heck out of, and exits of which I barely scratched the surface. My excursion into Glen Burnie wasn't the most thorough one. While I slurped on pho at Pho Miss Saigon I passed by more than a few places, particularly Maria D's Sub Shop right next door (map), and the Thai-Gour Café (map) right across from it (Perchi's? I've mentioned it before. Good chicken). When you're driving around Crain Highway, make sure you stop in Martitha's Mexican & Salvadoran Restaurant (map) which is almost invisible online, the Seaside Restaurant & Crabhouse (map) and the Greenhouse Grill (map). Yes, I missed a few other places. I can't mention everything, sadly.

3. Ice Cream Cottage (Exits 10 & 12A) - I've been here before. I think my sister and mother took my niece and younger sister here for an ice cream after buying their Christmas tree last year. It's easy to miss this little Ice Cream Cottage (map) across from Arbutus' fire house and next to the Arbutus Town Hall / Tackle Shop (just kidding - the closest tackle shop is in Lansdowne). Also nearby, Mike's Pizza (map) at the corner of East & Linden. I have been passing by it for years and years, since I was a child, and I still have never ventured in. Now's as good a time as any to change that.

4. Italian delis on the northeast side of town (Exits 31A & 32B) - There sure are molti, molti Italian delis near the northeastern part of the Beltway. Pastore's has not gone unmentioned. But commenters have had to bring others to my attention (the Italian 37 1/2 % of my ancestors are spinning in their graves - Mi dispiace!). And yet I still have to make it out to Mastellone's Italian Deli (map) in Parkville, not too far up Harford Road (soooo close - hat tip to Baltimore Diary). A few miles away is the northeastern branch of Route 1, which takes you into Harford County. Next time I'm around there I need to make a pit stop around Canella's (map) in Perry Hall, whose Italian Hoagie is highly recommended by commenter Chodite.

5. JAD's Caddyshack (Exit 36) - Had Exit 37 ever been completed, perhaps it would've emptied out near here. A few places in and around the Back River Neck/Middleborough part of Essex are worth mentioning, though the one I had the chance to visit is JAD's (map). I had a very good Reuben here for their lunch rush once. They also carry everything from steamed crabs and shrimp to their 10 ounce "Colossal Crab Cake". I've been told that the nearby Pizza John's (map) - not in any way affiliated with Papa John's Pizza - is a favorite with the locals.

6. Kitchen of India Restaurant (Exits 30A & B) - I thought I knew where all the Indian restaurants were. Of course, I thought wrong. Kitchen of India (map) has gotten good visitor reviews, which is enough incentive to visit for me! It's right on Joppa Road in Parkville, near all the big Perring Parkway plazas, so it's easy to miss amid the car dealerships and big box stores.

7. Moxley's (Exits 25, 26 and 27A) - I don't know why I haven't stopped in for ice cream at Moxley's (map) before. Most online users like the place. Moxley's has been around for years, though I rarely buy ice cream out. Maybe this is an excuse to buy some this time. They also sell ice cream cakes.

8. Oh the stuff I missed on Frederick Road! (Exit 13) - It amazes me just how many places slipped me by when I was busy stuffing my face in Catonsville with that delicious cake from Sugarbaker's and that awesome Reuben from Taneytown Deli. Just a floor up from Sam's Bagels is Little Phoenix (map), where I realized one evening that Chinese takeout is MUCH cheaper for lunch than for dinner. Little Phoenix is okay, but I'll have to go back for lunch to see how their lunch is. Further up Frederick Road, among others I hate to leave out, are the Jennings Café (map), Ships Café & Pub (map) and Matthew's 1600 (map). This last place has a popular brunch and regular holiday-themed happy hours (there's a Halloween one coming up soon). Continue west along towards Historic Ellicott City and you reach the Candlelight Inn (map) at the intersection of Rolling and Frederick Roads. A few people were surprised that I had not visited before. It's a lovely yet pricey place, good for your anniversary I would imagine. One place I could not help but miss didn't even exist when I reviewed Exit 13 - the newly opened El Nayar Mexican Restaurant (map) is in the spot where the old Pinocchio's used to be.

9. Peju's Kitchen Restaurant and Lounge (Exit 17) - Peju's (map) is a Nigerian restaurant in Woodlawn that I didn't even know about until someone at the Great Tastes Show in February recommended it to me. I still haven't stopped in yet, but since it's one of a very few West African restaurants in the area, it merits a visit soon.

10. pit beef truck, near Washington Boulevard and Lansdowne Road (Exits 9, 10) - When one thinks of Baltimore's cuisine, several things come immediately to mind. Sadly, pit beef is not one of those things, which is a shame since it's pretty good. But think about it: the pit beef stands and restaurants are everywhere, man! Sure, they're not as ubiquitous as the crabhouses, but I rarely drive a mile in or around this city without stumbling across a hot, steaming pile of pit beef. As native son Steve Raichlen puts it, it really is Baltimore's version of BBQ. One of the first that I had ever encountered is right in Lansdowne, now across from the mega Walmart that just opened up. If I remember correctly, this pit beef stand was reviewed in the City Paper a few years ago. It used to be on Route 1. Now it's up a few car lengths on Robert A Young Way, easily visible from Washington Blvd (map).

11. Scittino's Italian Market (Exit 14) - Not all the Italian delis are in the northeast. Had I driven past the godawful Hunan Joy far enough, I might have found Scittino's (map). It's not like I've never been here, but it's been a while. On the order of years. As I remember it, Scittino's was a small but pretty well stocked Italian deli. I think this merits a revisit. Also nearby is the Caton Tavern (map).

12. Sea King (Exit 15A) - You know, it would be an exercise in futility to list every crab and seafood joint in the Baltimore area. The Sea King Seafood Market (map) is Catonsville's resident crab shack, almost directly across from St. Agnes Church.

13. United Crab and Seafood (Exit 18B) - I pretty much wrote off everything along Liberty Road between the Beltway and Northern Parkway. All I found was a New York Chicken. No excuse here for passing the United Crab & Seafood (map) by! An African market is somewhere across the street.

This is just a smattering of what I missed when I was coasting around the Beltway. Have I missed anything? Please post it in the comments below. But make sure I really have missed it by checking the Beltway Snacking exit posts on the right (or left if I've changed the format of this blog at some point in the future). I eagerly await y'all's input!

Places I failed to write about, whether I have since visited them or not -

Cajun Blu Restaurant (Cajun / creole) - 1810 Cherry Hill Road, Baltimore, MD 21230; Phone: (410) 347-2266

Candlelight Inn (American) - 1835 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD 21228; Phone: (410) 788-6076‎

Canella's Italian deli (Italian / deli) - 9944 Harford Road, Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 661-3089

Caton Tavern & Restaurant (American) - 1705 Edmondson Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228; Phone: (410) 747-6437

El Nayar Mexican Restaurant (Mexican, with another location in Elkridge) - 801 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD 21228; Phone: (410) 788-8198

Greenhouse Grill (American) - 6914 Ritchie Hwy Glen Burnie, MD 21061 Phone: (410) 787-9880

Ice Cream Cottage (ice cream) - 1348 Stevens Avenue, Arbutus, MD 21227; Phone: (410) 247-3620

JAD's Caddyshack (crabs / seafood / American) - 137 Back River Neck Road, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 686-2816

Jennings Café (American) - 808 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD 21228; Phone: (410) 744-3824

Kitchen of India (Indian) - 1842 East Joppa Road, Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 663 6880

Lansdowne pit beef stand (pit beef) - near the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Robert A Young Way, Lansdowne, MD 21227

Little Phoenix (Chinese) - 730 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD 21228; Phone: (410) 788-8687

Maria D's Sub Shop (Italian / pizza & subs) - 111 Crain Highway North # 2, Glen Burnie, MD 21061; Phone: (410) 766-9850‎

Martitha's Mexican & Salvadoran Restaurant (Mexican / Salvadoran - also in Annapolis) - 602 Crain Highway North, Glen Burnie, MD 20161

Mastellone's Deli & Wine Shop (Italian / deli / wine) - 7212 Harford Road, Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 444-5433

Matthews 1600 (pub / American) - 1600 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD 21228; Phone: (410) 788-2500

Mike's Pizza of Arbutus (pizza) - 1306 Linden Avenue, Arbutus, MD 21227; Phone: (410) 242-2515

Moxley's (ice cream) - 25 Allegheny Avenue, Towson, MD 21204; Phone: (410) 825-2544

Peju's Kitchen Restaurant & Lounge (Nigerian / West African / Caribbean) - 1724 Woodlawn Drive, Woodlawn, MD 21244; Phone: (410) 277-9779

Pizza John's‎ (pizza / Italian) - 113 Back River Neck Road, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 687-7733‎

Scittino's Italian Market (Italian / deli) - 1701 Edmondson Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228; Phone: (410) 788-2369

Sea King Crab House (crabs, with another location in Ellicott City) - 5230 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville, MD 21229; Phone: (410) 747-5858

Seaside Restaurant & Crabhouse (American / crabs / seafood) - 224 North Crain Highway, Glen Burnie, MD USA 21061; Phone: (410) 760-2200

Ships Cafe & Pub Incorporated (pub / American) - 828 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD 21228; Phone: (410) 744-1838

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

United Crab and Seafood (crabs / seafood) - 6010 Liberty Road, Gwynn Oak, MD 21207; Phone: (410) 298-1100

Exits 38A & B: MD-150 (Eastern Blvd)

The first exit after the MD-702 off-shoot takes you not to the mythical Exit 37 (who knows where that would have taken you) right back to Eastern Blvd. The inner loop divides this 38th exit into two, the outer loop does not, but they all take you to the same place - so I'm just doing them together. And if I had driven too far in either direction, I would have wound up at locations I have previously hit up (qv Exits 33A and 36).

Exit 38A: East Point

Until you get to Hopkins and the Broadway Diner, there are relatively slim pickins going this direction. This exit's main attraction is the new and improved Eastpoint Mall (map). I didn't head in - pretty much fast food. This doesn't count the Golden Corral, which closed down - not a rarity among businesses in this area, sadly. Now the only food you can see driving by Eastpoint Mall is the Checkers. Yes, this Mobile, Alabama-based chain is a big chain, and yes it is fast food. I never realized they are, according to Wikipedia, the largest double-drive-thru fast food chain in America. That's a pretty unique distinction, no? Their sings are starting to bear a striking resemblance to the ones at Hardee's, now a subsidiary of California's evil Carl's Jr. Hell, even Hardee's and Carl's carbon-copy websites clog your arteries!

If you're really hankerin' for a buffet, too bad. But there is a Cactus Willie's (map) across the street, which serves many of the same types of foods you'd find at a buffet. It's one of five in existence.

Fleeing Easpoint Mall, you could turn up MD-151 to North Point Blvd. I stuck with 150 and headed a bit further west, towards the city and Oak Lawn Cemetery. In case you were wondering, this isn't the same cemetery you can see off of I-95 just out of the tunnel. You've seen it. It's the one that slopes down a steep hill and looks like it's about to fall onto the freeway but never quite does. I think it's Mount Carmel.

A few of the offerings I found between Eastpoint and Oak Lawn Cemetery and the city/county line:

• Zetto Subs & Pizza (map) - This is a smallish pizza and subs place across the street from Eastpoint Mall. I didn't get the chance to stop in here. It's one of the few places other than McDonald's in this stretch of Eastern Blvd.
• Oh look! Another Mo's Seafood Restaurant (map)!
  
• Greek Village Carry-Out (map) - Greektown's influence reaches as far as the county with this place. They're all on vacation until mid-August, so I'll have to wait before I can go there.
  

Exit 38B: Back River and Essex

The lack of options off 38A is made up for when you go the other way, as your options really open up past the Back River. Even before that is the Blue Fins Seafood Restaurant (map), which is really difficult to photograph while driving by. I passed by this riverside seafood restaurant a few times (once around the dinner hour, once around lunch time), and each time it looked like there were a few cars. Hopefully I will get a chance to check it out at some point. I might not, though, since it's up for public auction. Let's wait and see.

Far more options lie on the other side of the river, where Eastern Avenue magically transforms into Eastern Boulevard. Among the ones I saw on the way:

• Safa Pizza and La Nueva Esperansa Grocery (map). I put them together because they have the exact same address. This caused me some confusion at first - is one open while the other is closed? Nope - they're just in the same building. I should have stopped by La Nueva Esparansa since I needed to pick up one or two things, but I'll have to go back. Safa is a small local chain with three locations around the southern side of the Beltway, including ones in Glen Burnie, Dundalk and here in Essex. One reviewer liked the pizza at the Dundalk location. Nobody seems to have reviewed the one in Essex.
• The Smokehouse Barb-B-Que (map) hasn't even opened yet. I think they'll be selling barbecue. Coincidentally, it's scheduled to open on the day after this post goes up - August 4.
  
• Man Hing (map), with just about the most colorful and fun sign of any Chinese restaurant I have seen, well, anywhere in Baltimore. I didn't stop in but if the owners are putting as much care into their food as they do in their signage, then maybe it'll be one of the better Chinese restaurants in Baltimore County. I haven't found anything negative about it yet.
  
• So many crabs! At least three locations in the stretch of a few blocks. Since the bank account doesn't afford a sit-down crabfeast at this time, I didn't stop in. But with so many around there is just no excuse to not go back and visit at least one.
  
• One place, CC's Crabs and Catering (map), is in a big, square yellow building and does catering as well as eat-in. Plus, CC's is also a bar and grill-type establishment, with nightly happy hours, almost nightly Ladies' Nights, and the occasional karaoke contest and entertainer. Their happy hour extends not just to their drinks, but to their crabs, crab cakes and pit beef sammiches as well.
  
• Across the street is better-known Mr. Bill's Terrace Inn (map). Mr. Bill's is next to Man Hing, and advertises its crabs prominently on its sign. They sorta have to. The Sun's Liz Large visited a few years ago. The food and the atmosphere were both good, though the service was closer to fair than to fine. Since it gets touristy around this time of year, now may not be such a good time to visit. When you do, based on reviews like these and these, you'll probably like it.
• A few doors down from Bill's is Crabland (map), "Home of the Big Dozen", which is next to, and certainly affiliated with, the "Home of the Big Bushel", Fruitland (same map). They also share a parking lot and the world's largest crab basket. Karen Lee Ryan includes both Crabland and Fruit near the northern terminus of her College Park-to-Baltimore "Road Trip" for the Washington Post.
  

I didn't stop in Crabland, but I did pop into Fruitland for a minute. They do sell fresh, raw, local seafood (local meaning Chesapeake, though much of it is from Maryland). And they do sell lots of produce. I wanted to snap a photo or two before I bought anything but the folks there give you almost immediate service (and it's embarrassing to explain that you just want to take a picture of the place before you go shopping). It was strange, actually: it was as if I wasn't allowed to browse the produce (most if not all of it is locally grown - again mostly Maryland). A few things I learned here: peaches are now in season in Maryland, and the guy who helped me said he picked the corn he was selling that morning. Whether or not, I bought six ears for $2.75, a bit less than at most farmers' markets. I also got me six soft-shell crabs for $10 (larger ones went for 3 or 4 for $10).

Mmmm. Soft crabs and corn.

I stopped in two restaurants over the course of as many days. My first visit was to Uncle Eddie's (map). They caught my eye because not only were they the same yellow color as CC's (lighter shade - looks a lot better than the older color), but because I had an Uncle Eddie when I was a very young child. But he died in the mid-70's so my memories of him are, at best, vague.

Uncle Eddie's is a family restaurant-type establishment, with that familiar family restaurant smell, only a bit darker and dingier. Price-wise, the offerings at Uncle Eddie's are about mid-range. If you want a full-course meal, expect to pay about $20. That's what I did. I wanted to go for one of their nightly specials, but one dish that Uncle Eddie's touts as a mainstay for the past 60 years is its pan fried haddock ($15). I thought it'd be good to try a signature dish and I spent the few extra dollars for it. With it came a complementary soup (I went for the Manhattan clam chowder) and my choice of two vegetables. I chose corn - a safe bet - and fried sweet potatoes. Not sweet potato fries, not sweet potato hash and not mashed sweet potatoes. These were just chunks of sweet potato, fried, probably in butter, maybe with a little brown sugar. I couldn't tell. I also got free bread with my meal. I'm not sure if Uncle Eddie's believes in portion control or not.

One note about the service: it is pretty friendly. They seem to have a rapport with the patrons here (makes sense in a 60-year-old establishment). My waitress constantly asked if the food was alright and if there was anything wrong. I like that kind of concern.

The Manhattan clam chowder. I never got a good shot of my entrée.

But while the service was good, the food was pretty mixed. Here's what I liked and what I didn't like:

• The Manhattan clam chowder - which is red, not white - was still the creamiest I had ever had. I liked it, and only had one chewy-beyond-belief clam. I'd eat this again. Same with the fried sweet potatoes, which were delicious once cooled down.
• Sadly, I didn't care for the haddock. I really wanted to like this, but with every bite one thought kept running through my mind: "This has been a popular dish for six decades?" Maybe I just caught them on an off-night (since there are a few good user reviews floating around about this place): I got a pound or so of fish, which was dense, heavy, a little dry and not flavorful at all. The most disappointing part was the breading - if the breading is crispy and tasty I can forgive the rest, but while it wasn't greasy at all, it also was not crispy or, again, flavorful. The texture was literally as if they warmed up a brown paper bag, wrapped the haddock in the bag, and then gave it to me. And there were some hard bits on the breading that weren't very good. The corn was pretty bad - I hardly touched it.

With tax and tip - you tip for service, not for how the food tastes - I paid about $19.

A bit better was what I got the next day at the Essex Diner (map). It's easy to miss if you're racing down Eastern Blvd (which you shouldn't be doing in the first place), but driving at a normal pace you'll find this diner on your right just after you cross eastbound on the Back River bridge. It must be relatively new, as just three year-old photos of this building show the Casa Luna Pizzeria Restaurant.

If Uncle Eddie's is dark and dingy, the Essex Diner is brighter and more colorful. Essex Diner is not a shiny, flashy diner like the ones I have visited recently. It's actually more of a beige color. And it's pretty small and cozy, with photos of staff, friends and family all up and down the doorway into the kitchen. This does not detract from the soaps playing on the two TV's at either end of the restaurant.

The menu is not small, and has all the typical offerings of your standard Baltimore diner: the pastas, the subs, the burgers, the platters, the Greek selections, the Italian selections, the breakfasts, and the refrigerated case of pies and cakes (well, cake slices at least). I wanted a regular burger but instead opted for a plate of sliders (3 for $5.50) and some gravy fries (about $2.50). With tax I paid about $8.50.

Sliders and gravy fries. Jerry O'Connell not included.

I should've eaten there because they would probably have been moister right out of the kitchen, instead of sitting in a styrofoam container for a half an hour car ride (oh, and I went to Fruitland before I got home). So I understand why the sliders, tiny things that they are, were as dry as they were. Plus, it was easy to lose all that meat underneath the massive pile of fried onions and chopped-up pickles on top of each slider (they used dinner rolls for the buns - good idea). There were about as many onions on this slider as I would've put on a regular-sized burger. I'm not knocking the flavor. They were tasty. The fries were filling - very filling. I liked the flavor, but the gravy was really the only thing making me like them. I love 'em gravy fries.

Other photos:

They're coming to get you, Bar-ba-ra...

Eastern Avenue, looking east towards Eastern Boulevard (and Essex)

Jus' speedin' bah de Back Rivver, Mis'r Po-leece Man, hon. Ah didn't wanna fall in. 'Oniss!

Welcome to yer Essex Wunnerlaaaand!

That's a big bushel!

Places I visited:

Essex Diner (diner) - 15 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 238-1400

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

Fruitland (market - local produce) - 106 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 574-9866

• Would I shop there again? Sure
• Would I go out of my way to shop there again? Probably for the seafood, but maybe not the produce - local farmers' markets have much the same stuff without me using as much gas to get to it.
  

Uncle Eddie's (American / family restaurant) - 424 1/2 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 686-1321

• Would I eat there again? It depends on what I ordered
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? No
  

Places to look up later:

Blue Fins Seafood Restaurant (crabs / seafood) - 8247 Eastern Avenue, Essex, MD 21224; Phone: (410) 282-5050

CC's Crabs and Catering (crabs / American) - 409 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 780-2626

Crabland (crabs) - 120 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 687-6260

Cactus Willie's (American - one of five locations in Maryland and Pennsylvania) - 7940 Eastern Avenue, Essex, MD 21224; Phone: (410) 282-8268

Greek Village Carry-Out (Greek) - 7308 Eastern Avenue, Essex, MD 21224; Phone: (410) 282-1700

La Nueva Esperansa Grocery (market - Latin American) - 437 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 686-1000

Man Hing (Chinese) - 204 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 687-2010

Mo's Seafood Restaurant (seafood / crabs) - 7600 Eastern Avenue, Essex, MD 21224; Phone: (410) 288-2424

Mr. Bill's Terrace Inn (crabs) - 200 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 687-5996

Safa Pizza (pizza) - 437 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 682-3806

Smokehouse Barb-B-Que (map) - 210 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221; Phone: (410) 686-7888

Zetto Subs & Pizza (pizza and subs) - 7842 Eastern Avenue, Essex, MD 21224; Phone: (410) 288-2833




for Essex Diner



for Uncle Eddie's