A Tale of Two Fishies (and Chips)

Last weekend I had the pleasure of eating two very different types of fish and chips, one pretty haute and one pretty hearty.

For the first one, I found myself in Fells Point, ready for a weekend of rooting for those Ravens, hons (RAVENS IN THE SUPER BOWL W000000000T!).  My original intention was to head to my favorite Irish soccer bar Sláinte, where I knew they had a fascinating blueberry "Ravens" cheesecake.  But I got sidewinded first as I passed by Bond Street Social, whose warmth and large, inviting bar drew my attention.  Bond Street Social has an interesting selection of draft beers, including some of my favorites (Dogfishes and Heavy Seases), not to mention the cocktails, sangrías and wines.  I ordered myself a 90 Minute and considered ordering some food.  The stomach won over and I pored over the menu. The menu of somewhat pricey food.  Pricey food that I knew would likely be in sorta small haute cuisine portions.  After much deliberation, I settled on the Social Fish and Chips ($18!!!) which consisted of four tender large fish nuggets in crispy, delicious batter, each nestled on top of an "Old Bay tater tot" (that's the chip), with lovely crispy globs of "salt and vinegar slaw" between them.  The food overall was lovely in flavor, texture and presentation.  That said, while I am not the kind of person who demands big portions, I was kind of hungry when it was all done.  So know that you are paying for a delicious, high quality and smallish portion of fish and tater tots.

I needed some of that Sláinte cheesecake.  It went fast, especially with that Loose Cannon to wash it down.

The next day I headed to Arundel Mills, and after a day of shopping for some clothes and window shopping for kitchen items, I stopped in the DuClaw for a little lunch and a little beer.  I mean little in only the most cursory way, as the Venom and Chips ($14) I ordered - named for the Venom light amber ale they have on tap - was so massive that the couple seated at the bar table next to me had to comment on its size.  They probably saw my buggy eyes when I got it.  I paired that with their extra hoppy Serum Double IPA.

But back to the fish: two humongous pieces of cod in tempura batter, extra crispy and crunchy - so much so that it easily slid off the hot, slippery cod.  This wasn't such a problem since the breading was a meal in itself.  And these fries were actual fries - not bad, but seriously playing second fiddle to that fish.  Likewise, this was paired with a sweet and tasty cole slaw, though again it's the fish that stood out.  They also brought out some Old Bay per my request.

I did not leave hungry.

While I would eat each again, which of the two would I seek out first?  I have to confess it is DuClaw's.  The crunchiness of the fillet won me over, despite all else.  I will have to order this again, with a Serum Double IPA.

Tidbits: Boys of Summer Edition

Ah, summer.  Filthy, shameful summer.  Seriously though, whether you work in some sort of educational profession or not, you usually feel down about it coming to an end.  And while this one was probably one of the hottest I can recall, fraught with more Grand Prix construction, it was not without its high points food wise.

Chiapparelli's, Little Italy, Baltimore

I headed here for Restaurant Week (yes, I really am taking that long to write this), and Chiapparelli's, a place my family had gone several times before, was one of the few places that did a prix fixe dinner for only $20 instead of $30.  True, with beer, tax and tip (yes I drank beer with Italian food, okay?  Sue me.  And it wasn't even Peroni) it came closer to $35 but imagine what it would have been otherwise.  I had a lovely salad and a minestrone soup that made me love minestrone again.  I had grown tired of it, but Chiapparelli's was a nice change.  The main course was the hearty, luscious shrimp nicola that I could just sit there and eat again and again if I had no bottom to my stomach.  A cannolo for dessert topped off a fine, relatively iinexpensive (before drinks, tax and tip) gut-busting Italian meal.

Toss, North Baltimore

I went with friends Eric & Alan for pizza at Toss, a newly opened upscale BYOB pizza place on York Road.  Long story short: cheap but good pizza and salad.  Each of us spent about $10 - 15.  The Greek salad is more than enough to fill you up before you get the pizza, which had a nice crispy crust underneath all that melted cheese.  We got the Toss Special, covered in mozzarella, ham, Italian sausage, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers - hoo, Lawdy, is it hot in here?

Sláinte Pub, Fells Point, Baltimore

I've written about Sláinte a few times, and visited many, but I do have to give a shout out about the Irish bibimbap.  You read that right.  It's a Celtic take on the Korean classic, swapping out Korean style beef for Irish corned beef.  Try it.  It's good.

Aladdin Kabob, Mt. Vernon, Baltimore

This is one of those places you constantly pass by and never bother to go into because it's neatly tucked away where you cannot find it.  Next to Mari Luna and across from the Meyerhoff, Aladdin Kabob (their sign is "Aladdin Kabob" but their website is spelled "Alladin Kabob", so please note) is a quite unassuming and, unfortunately, pretty sparsely populated Pakistani restaurant.  At least it was when I went in on the Friday night of Artscape weekend.  I didn't really see much of Artscape myself, but I did feel this place pulling men, and I left absolutely stuffed and with leftovers!  Better yet, I was stuffed with food that was delicious: samosas, their wonderful chapli kabob for only $7, not to mention the free bread (the biggest naan I have ever seen) and a chickpea side dish.  Your dollar will go a long way here.

Mission Inn, Riverside, CA

I didn't write anything about my recent trip to SoCal, but I have to note the beautiful, historic Mission Inn in Riverside.  I note it for a few reasons: it is on the California Register of Historic Places, it's absolutely gorgeous both inside and out - done in an eye-popping Mission style (hence the name), and in all the years I've lived in and (since moving back home) re-visited the Inland Empire - 15 years I've known about this place - I've never been in.  All that changed this month, as I decided to treat myself to a lunch that I knew was going to be a little pricier than I'm used to spending.

If you go to the Mission Inn to eat, note that there are several restaurants inside, including: Las Campanas (a Mexican restaurant), Bella Trattoria (an Italian restaurant), 54° at Duane's (a super upscale wine bar), the Presidential Lounge (ten US presidents have passed through the Mission Inn, including Ronald Reagan who honeymooned here with Nancy; this cocktail bar and lounge gives a nod to all of them), Duane's Prime Steaks & Seafood (steak, seafood, pricey), and Casey's Cupcakes, featured on that cupcake challenge TV show (Casey was a winner!)

I went for the Mission Inn Restaurant itself, and was pleasantly surprised when the waitress told me about their lunch buffet.  Surprised not only that such a nice place would have a buffet in the first place, but that it was all of $18 (less than I would have otherwise spent), with a nice selection (quality wise, and to some extent quantity, too).  When I was there, they served up (among other things) Korean short ribs, chicken, fish, and everything was delicious.  Usually chicken and fish can and should be avoided with aplomb at these buffets, but the Mission Inn knows better than that.  You get your money's worth.  And please get some of the dessert as well.  Their bread pudding is was the single best thing I ate the whole time I was out there.

Food Magic: The Gathering (Number Four)

Amidst all the Bawlmer Beer Week festivities, don't forget that tonight is the fourth Food Truck Gathering around 5.  This time the location is Fells Point.  I admit: I was scratching my head the first time I heard this.  One rarely can find parking on an uneventful day in that part of town.  But the organizers swear that the 901 S. Wolfe Street location will have ample parking.  Check out the BmoreFoodTrucks website (linked above) for more information about who's going to be there.

Obrycki's is closing, hon*

Yes, Obrycki's is closing its doors (as reported by the Sun's Richard Gorelick):

Obrycki's will open again in March. But when the crab season concludes in November, the family's Fells Point restaurant will close for good, according to Robert M. "Rob" Cernak, who operates the business with two sisters. Cernak said the family decided to close "for quality of life" reasons. The Cernaks expect to open a smaller crab house soon at the planned slots parlor near Arundel Mills mall.

As you just read, fortunately they are opening a smaller place at the Arundel Mills slots parlor (couldn't have done that without Anne Arundel County voters). Still, 2011 is the year to enjoy a Baltimore tradition one last time. I remember people in grad school in Riverside, California, who mail-ordered Obrycki's crabs across the continent. Yes, it is a sad day. God speed to the Cernak family.

* Apologies to Café Hon

Sláinte Pub and the Amazing Last Minute Goal

Unless you live in a cave, you've probably heard by now about the dramatic US victory over Algeria in Wednesday's World Cup match. Thanks to Landon Donovan (I used to live in his hometown of Redlands, California, mind you), who scored the game's only goal in the 91st minute of play, the US Men's National Team went from being sent home to being the winners of our Group. Now we advance with England, while Algeria and Slovenia head home. Go USA!

I decided to watch today's match at Sláinte Pub (pronounced SLAWN-chuh in the South, or SLAN-chuh in the North) in Fells this morning, with a lot of men and women who decided to take a sick day today (the malady: World-Cup-itis). To do this, I had to get up pretty early. The hoopla started at 9:30, but unless you got there around 8:30 you were not going to find a seat. Not only did I find a seat but I found one at the bar (okay, somebody else's seat, but he was outside and let me use his seat until I finished eating) in plain view of their biggest TV. Sláinte's motto is "Where soccer is religion." It certainly feels like a tempe to the Beautiful Game: three floors were showing today's games - the bottom two floors had the US-Algeria game, and the top floor had the riveting game between England and Slovenia. Football scarves abound all over the pub. Perhaps they may show other sports here when something soccer-related isn't on, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

In addition to three Diet Cokes and two beautiful pints of Guinness, each with a fat and shaggy head of foam like I have rarely seen, I went ahead and ordered myself some breakfast. Sláinte's regulars swear this is THE place for a good breakfast. Most of these breakfasts are in the $9 to $13 price range, including a mixture of American and Irish breakfast favorites. Some of the more intriguing menu items include the the not-quite-Mexican-or-Italian ranchero fritatta ($15) and the imposing traditional Irish breakfast ($12) of bangers, rashers, scrambled eggs, beans and toast, etc (I may need to order this for Sunday morning's England game - yes, I'm already considering returning). They have more traditionally American offerings as well, including blueberry pancakes ($8) and vanilla French toast ($8.50).


My breakfast was the Boxtie (BOX-tee), a mishmash of Irish-style potato pancakes (like a few large hash brown patties) interspersed with egg, Irish bangers and rashers (sausage and bacon) and topped with what is described as a "Guinness-infused cheddar". The Boxtie is served with sliced potatoes, onions and green peppers, and a slice of melon with a strawberry. This is a pretty imposing breakfast in itself, and it took me a while to slog through it. My favorite part of this meal was the Boxtie itself - the potato pancakes were slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, and not at all mushy. The flavors melded well with the bangers and rashers. I'm not sure how I feel about the Guinness cheddar. There could have been more of it, because I really didn't get too much of a taste. But overall it's a dish I would suggest you at least try. Perhaps you should try it when the US plays (I think they're playing) Ghana on Saturday afternoon? Or when England next plays on Sunday morning. I mean, Sláinte isn't a church, but again, you are getting their brand of religion! And it's easy to go into a higher state of consciousness when your team scores the game winning goal that keeps you in the whole dang tournament just before the game ends. It is amazing and exhilarating.


Again, GO USA!!!

Shucker's of Fells Point

Just a quick Chrismahanukwanzaa post. My first of various holiday parties was tonight. My co-workers and I met at Shucker's, a bar by the Harbor, in beautiful Fells Point. Now, I generally like my coworkers so the experience was fun, though I was the first to leave. I noticed a buffet that, at $26 a person (pre-paid - I think they overcharged us), was kinda skimpy. There were wonderful mini-crab cakes - YUM! - and buffalo wings - um, yum - and spanikopita - YUM!. Plus, there were three types of salads - yum - and ham and cheese wraps - um? Another private party on the other side of the bar had a bigger spread - in fact, the same spread we had last year.

And Guinness is $5.50 a pint! More than I've found anywhere outside of the Maryland Irish Festival.

But Shucker's is still prime real estate, well-located and with beautifully-decorated boats around the place. And as I walked in a brass band in Dickensian clothing was playing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." Lovely place for a party, but they could've given us a more varied selection of food.

La Cazuela

I am not well-versed on South American cuisine - I know potatoes, ceviche, quinoa and little else. So one recent Saturday night I headed down to Baltimore's Fell's Point to try La Cazuela, which serves the only Ecuadoran food I can find in the city.

The restaurant was unassuming and sparsely decorated. I did wait a minute to get seated, but the waitress was gracious when she saw me. She gave me a menu and I started looking over it. I thought the potato would be more prominently featured on the menu. Instead, the menu offered a variety of dishes with chicken, pork, tripe, beef and lots and lots of seafood. Yes, there was a healthy sampling of ceviche (fresh seafood marinated in pure citrus juice - such as lemon or lime; the acid "cooks" the seafood chemically, making it safe to eat). Also featured prominently were mabny dishes with plantain, yuca, avocado, rice and (yes, after all) potatoes.

I wanted to order the ceviche, but my mind turned to things that are more difficult to find in Baltimore. When the waitress returned, I ordered the seco de chivo - the goat stew. I have eaten goat before. To me, goat tastes somewhat like lamb, but with a more subtle flavor. It's like buffalo and beef - buffalo tastes, to me, like beef, but with a more subtle flavor. This nanny goat stew came with rice, plantain and avocato, and is only available on the weekends. At $12 it was not unreasonable. I also ordered an Inka Cola, a Peruvian soft drink I am familiar with, that has a bubble-gum kind of taste. They were out, and I don't think the waitress understood me when I asked for Diet Coke, because she offered me a gaseosa called Fioravanti. This turned out to be a raspberry cola. I'm glad she brought it out because I liked it! I wouldn't have ordered it if I had known what it was.

Before my goat stew came out, I was brought some "plantain fries" (my name for them) - plantain cut up like French fries, served with a mayonnaise dipping sauce. Yum-O, as Rachael Ray might say.

Next I got my goat (sounds odd, no?). As every goat dish I have been served before, it had bones - lots of bones. But goat bones are big, and all you have to do is gnaw off the meat. This meat was only a little tough. Served with it was a yellow rice pilaf with pieces of plantain and avocado. These were a nice complement to the goat, though I was expecting more of a stew than what I got, which was more like goat in a thin gravy. But still good.

For dessert, I had the tres leches. I was picturing a tres leches cake. But duh, it was a delicious flan. Very good!

With the price for the stew at $12, plus the bottle of soda at $2.50 and the flan at $4.50, the total price with tax and tip came out to about $23.50. Not a bad deal.

One final note about La Cazuela: for the brave, and definitely not for the animal rights activist willing to be a little culturally relavite, you might try the cuy azado con papas. It's only by special order, and costs $40! Why? Because I guess it's not easy to find this ingredient in the meat market - because it is actually guinea pig! This delicacy is not uncommon for indigenous peoples in the Andes to eat. We just funneled our guinea pigs into the "pet" category instead.

Maybe I'll try it if I can scrounge up 40 bucks.