Kitchen of India

Last week I was set on trying out the Kooper's Chowhound Burger Wagon - who claim the best burgers in Baltimore (of course, I'll be the judge of that) - as it stationed itself in Hampden. About 12:30 I parked, walked, then got back in the car and drove around in the rain looking for this burger wagon, to no avail (perhaps the Chowhounders were sick, as "tweets" over the weekend seem to suggest).

So with no hope of burgers, I headed around town to finish other errands. Said errands took me out to Essex, and on the way back I avoided an accident and hit Joppa Road. It had dawned on me that an Indian restaurant I even missed during my Beltway Snacking series had been sitting on Joppa Road, beckoning to me from the Beltway.

Why does the phrase "COMMMMME to Butthead" rattle around in my brain right now? Oh well...

Kitchen of India is, maybe, one of the last Indian restaurants in the area that I hadn't gotten around to trying out. So with time and a hankering for South Asian cooking, I pulled into the parking lot. The $7.95 price tag didn't hurt either.

After ordering a water, I set to the buffet, a slightly smaller than average one. But most of the standards were there, with varying, though generally better than not, results:

• The onion relish and tamarind & coriander chutneys were good, and complemented the food well. I stuffed a lot of the onion relish into the naan bread that the waitress delivered to me about five minutes into the meal.
• Oh, the naan was soft and warm.
• The basmati rice and pulao did not feel like they had been sitting around all day, which shows that they're paying attention to their product.
  
• The generic chicken curry was not terribly spicy, and the chicken was particularly dry - odd since the chicken curry was in a sauce. It was extremely forgettable.
  
• In contrast, the chicken tikka masala was one of the better ones I've had at a buffet, in a nice, slightly buttery masala sauce. And I don't know what happened but this chicken was as moist and tender as the chicken in that curry was dry and stringy.
• Likewise, the tandoori chicken, a must-try, was much better than most I have eaten. Typically you will find buffets filled with somewhat bland tandoori chicken that tastes underseasoned and feels overcooked. This is why I rarely even bother with tandoori chicken when I eat at Indian buffets. But the tandoori chicken here was quite good, with a nice tangy, smoky flavor, a tasty spice blend and a tender and moist texture. Has my faith in tandoori chicken been restored?
• The kheer rice pudding was more liquidy than most I have had - and they usually are liquidy. Not a favorite.

Overall, despite the lack in variety, Kitchen of India offered some good standard dishes, particularly their tandoori chicken. Just save yourself the trouble and don't bother with the chicken curry. There are better things to eat there.

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

Exit 31B - MD-147 North (Harford Road, to Carney)

I never have noticed this before, but it seems as if there are just more steamed crab houses, shops and shacks on the east side of the Beltway than the west (which makes sense, since the west side is a little farther from the Bay). Every exit I get off of at this point seems to have at least one very prominent restaurant or seafood place selling steamed crabs. Parkville and Carney are certainly no exception, with Don's, Conrad's, Jerry D's, Crabby Cousins, Pete's and off this exit, The Barn Crabhouse and Saloon (map). This one is a large family-style crab house and bar (the best kind of crab house). Happy hour starts early, at 11, and goes to 7 PM. As of this writing (May), they are serving crabs! Their website says Carney but Google places them in Parkville. Now, I could eat crabs until I turn, well, blue. (Sorry, I really could not help myself with that one.) But since I don't have tons of money or time to spend on Callinectes sapidus right now - it's more of a special occasion thing for me - I had to go looking for other options.

Among the others I found along Harford Road, on the way to Joppa, were the more sit-downish looking Bowman Restaurant & Pub (map), which is apparently as old as I am. Every section of the county has its own "special place" that's been around for decades, and this is Parkville's. Or Carney's. To be honest, I'm not sure what part of town I'm in. It's like Lansdowne-Arbutus-Baltimore Highlands. All the locals know them as Lansdowne, Arbutus and Baltimore Highlands, but the post office lumps them all together into one big Halethorpe category. Is it the same in this area, which gets tagged as Parkville, Carney and even Fullerton?

New Jersey-based Pats Pizza Family Restaurant (map) is somewhat firmly in the "Parkville" camp. Pats is a sizeable regional chain with 54 locations in the greater Mid-Atlantic area. That includes nine in northeastern Maryland and the Eastern Shore. Among those is the Harford Road franchise, which like the others (I assume) sells not just pizzas and strombolis, but buffalo wings, turkey burgers, steaks and both wraps and "rustic" sandwiches. I'm not exactly sure what this last category entails, but I will have to investigate.

Passing by the library, the Wendy's (now part of the Arbyverse) and the Forthuber's Florist, I headed into the Mars shopping center. Apart from the supermarket are the China Delight (map) and Hikari Sushi. China Delight was recommended to me by the cashier at Mars, who said that their sesame chicken is okay, and that it's a popular place for Mars employees to eat. And it just dawned on me why - it's probably the closest place to eat. They serve the standard greasy-wok fare, but also sell a variety of other dishes, including Peking Duck, and various Japanese and Southeast Asian dishes. Included are a variety of sushi and rolls, and a selection of Thai dishes. I can try those later. As for Hikari, I have to question the logic of any place, Chinese or otherwise, selling sushi and rolls when there is an actual Japanese restaurant next door (to mix it up, they also serve Korean barbecue). That'd be since China Delight has the exact same mailing address as Hikari Sushi (hence, no map). Are they one and the same, owned and operated by the same people? Beats me, but I am curious. (UPDATE - Now I know why - the two are two different suites in the larger complex at address 9613 Harford Road. Again, duh on me.)

On the cashier's recommendation, I ordered the orange chicken ($4.50 for the lunch special, one of many that are less than $5, with your choice of steamed or fried rice, and soup or egg roll). Getting it home fifteen minutes later (and nuking it because I get ill every single time I eat room temperature fried rice), I have to say it's pretty standard. That is, it's not bad, but not earth-shattering. The orange was strong and the chicken tangy, though a little fatty, as all processed chicken used in Chinese cooking tends to be. The rice is also good but again, not earth-shattering. The one thing that did stand out was the egg roll, simply for its pretty good flavor but not-so-great, hard-as-a-shell exterior. Order the soup if you head to China Delight. I'd get it again, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Again, I can get two meals out of one!

Places I visited:

China Delight (Chinese / Thai / sushi) - 9613 Harford Road, Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 661-3388

• Would I eat there again? Yes.
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Well, no
  

Other places to check out:

The Barn Crabhouse and Saloon (crabs / bar) - 9257 Harford Road, Carney, MD, 21234; Phone: (410) 882-6182

The Bowman Restaurant & Pub (American / seafood / pub) - 9306 Harford Road, Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 665-8600

Hikari Sushi (Japanese / sushi / Korean) - 9613 Harford Road, Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 882-5554

Pat's Pizzeria Family Restaurant (pizza / Italian / American - with 54 locations from New Jersey to Maryland and nine locations in our own state) - 9400 Harford Road, Parkville, MD 21234; Phone:(410) 663-3393

Exit 30A - MD-41 South (Perring Pkwy)

I almost gave up on this exit. I had some real trouble finding any food close by to Perring Parkway and Putty Hill. I wasn't going to give up on this post altogether, but I was planning to lump 30A and B together. After all, I know there is food in the other direction near the K-Mart and the Home Depot. Lucky for me I passed by Taylor Avenue, down which there were some good choices for lunch.

After all my car repairs, and probably computer repairs after that, I wanted as cheap a lunch as I could find. Most of the places here are in a cheap-eats sort of budget:

• Maria's Pizzeria (map) is closest to the intersection. It is fairly difficult to miss and will be the next stop when I am out this way.
  
• Hale's Seafood (map) - Dealin' in crabs, urshturs, and the like since 1953. Really nothing else to say here.
  
• Casa Mia's (map), whose lasagna and New York-style pizza definitely have their fans.
• Hill's Deli and Catering (map). That's all I know about it so far.
  

The nicest (and probably most expensive) restaurant down this road is local stand-by Pappas (map), who specializes in crabcakes and American cuisine. At the same address is the Western House, which appears to be your standard restaurant-bar

If you drive far enough, you will pass by the Moreland Memorial Cemetery, whose entrance looks like something out of the Enchanted Forest.

I finally stopped next door to Hale's Seafood, at Godfrey's (map), a small and simple place selling burgers (many varieties, none more than $4 with fries and small fountain drink), fifteen different varieties of wings (10 for about $7, and 30 about $17 and a quarter), ribs ($8 for 1/2 lb.), subs (glorious subs ranging from $3.50 to $6) and sno-balls (didn't catch the price - but it is indeed that time of year). There isn't anywhere to sit inside. It's pretty much a counter with a bench for waiting.

One thing Godfrey seems to excel in is their variety of burgers - twenty by my count. A few examples:

• The "Big G" (their priciest, at $4.25) - has everything but the kitchen sink, apparently: "LTM" (lettuce, tomato, mushrooms - or was it mayo?), ketchup, raw onions, jack cheese, mushrooms and bacon. This ain't health food, people.
  
• The Loyola ($3.75) - three cheeses, Swiss, Cheddar and Provolone. Mmmmmm.
  
• The Morgan State ($3.50) - Cajun spice, and that's about it.
  
• The Hawaiian ($3.95) - includes teriyaki sauce, Canadian bacon and pineapple.
  
• The Mexican ($3.95) - Monterey Jack, chili and jalapeños. Again, yum.
  

The one I got was the Coppin State Burger, topped with almost as much as the "Big G": Thousand Island dressing, onions, pickles, Cajun spice and cheese (your choice). It came with curly fries (Arby's style; you can also get fries and Boardwalk Fries) and a small fountain drink - I got Diet Pepsi, though they also offer root beer and birch beer. Grand total: $5. Nice price.

I knew it might not taste as well after 15 minutes in the car, so I had to eat some before I drove off. The burger was tasty and moist, and the toppings went nicely together. I hate to say that the Cajun spices got totally drowned out by everything else. I only remembered that it was supposed to be in there after looking back over the menu. By the time I got it home, the burger was still tasty, though a little less so after the drive back home. The fries were crispier and more flavorful than most I've had from take-out places, even though they lost their crispness on the way home. All in all, it was pretty good. Not the best burger I have had, but I'd get it again.

The burger on my coffee table. Okay, I couldn't wait. I was hungry, dammit!

Other photos:

Yes, this is a cemetery. Why does it make me want to go visit the Three Little Pigs?

Places I visited:

Godfrey's (burgers / subs / wings) -1803 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 668-7421

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Probably not for the burger, though I would at least try a few more varieties first.
  

Places to look up later:

Casa Mia's (pizza / Italian) - 1717 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 882-2400

Hale's Seafood (seafood) -1801 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 665-4000

Hill's Deli and Catering (deli) -1748 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 665-9966

Maria's Pizzeria (pizza / Italian) - 1812 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 668-2926

Pappas Restaurant (American / seafood) and Western House (bar / liquor) - 1725 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD. Phone: 410-661-4357

Exits 29A & B: Cromwell Bridge Road and MD-524 South (Loch Raven Blvd)

$423 for new brake pads and a new set of calibers. And $50 for car rental fees. AND $20 more for a 1/3 tank of gas!

It was this mindset that I took with me in my zippy new, gas-guzzling "economy" car - a 2008 Chrysler Sebring from Enterprise - with less than 1,000 miles on it. The car I own and drive - and have just four more payments on before it's all mine - is a 2002 Ford Escort with over 128,000 miles on it. It's no longer a nice one, though one mechanic told me he'd love to have a hundred Ford Escorts.

But lunch still waited, and I was gonna do this anyway, so.

First I headed off the Beltway to Cromwell Bridge Road. I had that pit beef truck - at the bottom of the hill, around the intersection of Cromwell Bridge and Gleneagle (map) - in mind that I saw on my confusing excursion off of Exit 28. But I passed it up, since I had no cash on hand and kind of doubted that the pit beef folks would take a debit card. Oh well. I have to come back for it then.

After wandering up the hill, I found no food. A veterinary ER, a natural store, etc., but nothing to eat. So after a few other turns I finally went the other way, in the direction of Exit 29B, Loch Raven Blvd and that road-that-won't-let-you-escape, Joppa Road. Now I’m not ignoring the fabulous Bel-Loc Diner, a place I’ve written about before. But since I’m writing about places I haven’t written about before, you’ll hear nothing more about them. Just remember they have a pretty good hamburger, more satisfying than most area diners I’ve been to (Towson Diner – okay, Double T Diner – pass).

So here I found a few other places I need to go back to, past the huge and comprehensive Beltway Fine Wines & Spirits (map - I've mentioned it before but never really talked about it) most of which are on Joppa. A non-exhaustive list (that is, I left some out), amid the various Subways, McDonald'ses and Hooterses:

*Pastore's Italian Delly (map) - yes, delly - with Italian meats and cheeses, sandwiches, subs and a whole other mess of Italian products that will likely necessitate my visiting the place soon.

*Casey's Bar and Restaurant (map), which has karaoke, live music and its very own MySpace page (Casey's is 23 years old, a Libra, and straight. It currently has no children but hopes to someday.)

In addition are a few places to get a good dose of crabs - crab cakes, steamed crabs, soft crabs - etcetera. These are all pretty difficult to miss.

* Orchard Landing (map), touting itself as the finest seafood and steaks in the area. They got crabcakes, hon.

* Conrad's Crabs & Seafood Market (map), selling what else? Crabs and seafood. This will be the next one I visit when I'm in the area.

And then there was Don's Crabs (map; their "www.donscrabs.com" website is down, but check out this review from Life in Baltimore). With three locations, Don’s has been around for about 30 years, as it proudly states on its takeout menus. It is prime crab steamin’ territory, with a large area that looks sort of like the shower in a locker room, but with numbered chest-high spigots on the wall (at least fourteen). When I got there the guys behind the counter were getting ready to steam a bushel in a large metal cylindrical, er, steaming thing. (What is that called again? A steamer, right? They’re not gonna revoke my Maryland citizenship, right? Right?) On my side of the counter is a big, chair-and-table-free central are surrounded by cases of frozen and fresh seafood. Behind one freezer door lie frozen softs and quarts of delicious crab soup. I pondered a soft shell crab sandwich, but as usual I was bewildered and baffled by all the choices available to me.

Don’s sells both raw and prepared seafood, and apparently at the same prices. The menu offers up many cheap sandwiches and lunch offerings under $10, though if you’re not careful it can easily go double that. Among Don’s offerings, many available as sandwiches and entrées

• 4 and 6 oz crab cakes, less lump or backfin and more special, which I like in its own right, no too much filling, and fried (prices start around $6 for the 4 oz.)
• padded oysters – individually fried, $1.89 each
• soft shell crab sandwiches – at the market price. The day I went a soft shell crab went for $4.50 frozen (out of season, of course)
• steamed crabs, at the market price. They are not cheap anymore.
• fish galore! Flounder, catfish, lake trout (prices vary - cheaper for a sandwich, about $7 to $8 each)
• plenty of sides, including hush puppies, onion rings, fries
• they sell both Old Bay – in all sizes – and their own seasoning mix

Since I wanted to try as much as possible, I ordered a combo ($13): one 4 oz crab cake, flounder and clam strips, with two of a limited selection of sides (others are extra). My sides were small fries and cole slaw, but I wanted hush puppies, for which I had to shell out an extra $2.50 (for six). Grand total after tax: about $17! This had turned into no small lunch, but I would later find that this meal would take several days to finish (it’s Sunday as I write this, and I am getting my third meal out of this combo lunch).

The grub - and no it's not a very good picture.

Some thoughts on the grub:

• I liked the flavor and texture of the crab cake, small as it was. Even though I usually get mine broiled (it’s a little healthier in my mind than a fried one), I prefer the fried ones when I want to splurge on calories (which is rare). Again, I’m fine with special meat. Heck, sometimes I am even more in the mood for it instead of lump or backfin.
• They gave me four or five fried flounder filets, which were totally bone-free. Still they were kind of bland, and upon reheating, a little tough on the ends.
• Same with the clams – a little bland, though more flavorful than the flounder, and a little tough when reheated.
• As with most places, I found the fries to be forgettable, Maybe I should just stop ordering fries.
• The hush puppies tasted great, though they were a little doughy inside. Reheating them seems to solve that problem, if you reheat the whole plate on high for a minute.
• Don’s seems to adhere to the “little finely puréed bits of cabbage and carrots” school of cole slaw thought. It has its merits, and the flavor is nice. Still crunchy after a few days.

I’d like to stop by and try their steamed crabs at some point, though after spending so much lately on car repairs, and then almost $20 more on lunch (I should’ve gotten something smaller – something I have to do for Exit 30), I will have to put that off for now. I must mention that their service was very helpful and friendly, especially to the little old lady who came in looking for another crab place. It took her a good while to get in and out of her car. She didn't leave empty-handed, mind you; she did buy something at Don's.

UPDATE: Mark wrote me about a few good places, which you can read about in the comments section. But there was one I forgot about but I did visit a while back. The Orchard Market & Café (map) is a pretty tasty, BYOB Persian restaurant. The prices seemed pretty reasonable. I went there on a date a few months back and meant to write about it, but I just kind of forgot (too much happening, guess it got lost in the shuffle). So just to mention it: Orchard Market - tasty Persian food.

Other photos:

Orchard Landing is pretty difficult to miss. Just look for the big purple letters and the Gardiner's Furniture marquis (unless you're coming from Towson, in which case you wil have missed it if you pass Gardiner's)

Places I visited:

Beltway Fine Wines & Spirits (market - beer / wine / liquor) - 8727 Loch Raven Blvd., Towson, MD 21286; Phone: (410) 668-8884

• Would I shop there again? Probably
• Would I go out my way to shop there again? Probably not, since I live near a few good places already
  

Don's Crabs (crabs / seafood) - 1764 E. Joppa Rd., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 661-1232

• Would I eat there again? Probably, at least to try the crabs
  
• Would I go out my way to eat there again? Maybe

Orchard Market (Persian / Iranian) - 8815 Orchard Tree Lane, Towson, MD 21286; Phone: (410) 339-7700

• Would I eat there again? Yes, I just haven't gotten around to it
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Yeah, I think so
  

Places to look up later:

Casey's Bar & Restaurant (bars and pubs) -1742 E. Joppa Rd., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: 410-665-9683

Conrad's Crabs & Seafood Market (crabs / seafood) - 1720 E. Joppa Rd., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 882-1515

Orchard Landing (American / Maryland / seafood) - 1528 E. Joppa Rd., Towson, MD 21286; Phone: (410) 823-5050

Pastore's Italian Delly (Italian / deli) - 8646 Loch Raven Boulevard, Towson, MD 21286; Phone: (410) 825-5316 and -5317

Pit beef truck (pit beef) - near the intersection of Cromwell Bridge Road and Gleneagles Court

Bel-Loc Diner

I haven't been eating out much lately, which is good because I should be saving the money for other things. But I was up by Joppa Road today and passed by the locally famous Bel-Loc Diner (that's Bel as in Bel Air and Loc as in Loch Raven). I almost drove by, but decided to see how it compared to the Double T Diner, where I recently had a memorably below-average lunch.

Bel-Loc Diner is located at the intersection of Joppa Rd and Loch Raven Blvd, and has a staid and sedate diner decor - they're not trying to live up to some exotic "diner mystique" - they're just a diner. I got there for lunch, and had the benefit of having not just a pleasant waitress but also more than enough cash on hand to order one of their lunch specials - i got the burger with fries and a drink and soup, for all of $7.50 after tax (I thought that price of $7.14 was strange - I guess it's so they can charge an easy to remember seven and a half bucks after tax). I took it home, had a chat with my neighbor and wound up eating it half an hour after I got it.

Hot or warm, it was still one of the best burgers I have had in a long while. Double T's doesn't even get into the same ball park; theirs tasted like it was thawed out before cooking. Bel-Loc's tasted like it was actually made fresh. Damn good, I'd say. Double that for the fries - as rock hard as half of TT's fries was, and soggy as the other half was, these fries had a wonderfully normal texture. Maybe they weren't the best fries I have ever had, but they were the best diner fries I've had in a while. They also gave me a little tub of mayo, which I hardly touched (mayo and fries? Bleh). And I was amazed with the soup, which also tasted fresh. Actual pieces of chicken meat torn off the bone instead of processed and fatty cubes of "chicken" in the soup.

I liked this lunch, I must admit.

UPDATE: Mark writes that the Bel stands for "Beltway" - I wondered why it would be named after Bel Air. Now it makes sense if it wasn't. Thanks!