Snacking around the Beltway - Final Assessment

I've been very busy these last few months, so the grand plans I had for tying up all the loose ends from the Beltway Snacking series that I started way back in May of 2007 have just gotten away from me. In a way, I guess that's good, since it's given me time to reflect on it a bit more.

A few numbers:

Total duration of project (calculated by Time and Date.com: from May 22, 2007 to September 29, 2008 = 497 days (including the end date). That's 1 year, 4 months and 8 days, or 71 weeks. This doesn't count any posts that sum up the project afterwards.

Total number of Beltway Snacking posts (counting this one): 58

Total number of exits (counting A's, B's and C's): 63

Total calories consumed: priceless

Number of restaurants, markets, carry-outs and other sites visited, passed by or recommended to me by commenters (not counting ones I had written about previously) - 350

Number of those sites that I actually stopped in and visited - 102

Number of counties visited: 5 (Anne Arundel, Howard, Harford, Baltimore and Baltimore City)

Number of miles traveled: approximately 267.2 miles (or 427.52 km), according to Google Maps. This would take approximately 10 hours and 20 minutes to drive in one straight shot, without stopping (ironically, you avoid the Beltway to make this shortest possible time)

Total amount spent for food: Who the hell knows?

Total amount spent on gas: I dread the thought...

Though label-wise you can search by Exits 1 - 10, 11 - 20, 21 - 30, 31 - 40 or 41 - 44, I've divided the Beltway up here into six sections (maps created from Google Maps)...


Highlights of the "Glen Burnie" section of the Beltway (south, Exits 1 through 8A) -

Best eating in the south part of the Beltway - Two places jump out at me: El Salto I (Brooklyn, Exit 3A) has some of the most comforting Mexican food in the Baltimore area (its twin in Parkville offers pretty much the same). Pho Miss Saigon (Glen Burnie, Exit 3B) - The place is lovely. I loved dragging my sister here. She loved the cilantro in the pho. She wasn't too crazy about all the jalapeño slices.

Worst eating -The Hong Kong Restaurant (Glen Burnie, Exit 4) - The only good thing about this place is that a filling meal regularly costs under $5, perfect in this recession. But it almost made me sick, so there's that...

Most forgettable eating - The Rose Restaurant (North Linthicum, Exit 6A) - I've had more exciting food when I was laid up in the hospital on a diet of strained cream of chicken soup and Jell-O. And tastier, too. At least they're nice people. Maybe their conventions are more interesting?

One place I would've mentioned had I not previously posted about it - G&M's, of course. And the Little Grove Restaurant, despite its fairly average carry-out lunch buffet and salad bar, has wonderful spanakopita pies (both in Linthicum, Exit 8). Perchi's Peruvian Rotisserie (Glen Burnie, Exit 3B) also fits here.

One place I really need to get back to but haven't - Of those places I haven't yet visited, Stoney Creek Inn (Pasadena, Exit 1) - It looks like an inviting place, and I always love crabs. It's also beautifully located. Of those I did visit, Dotson's Barbeque (Glen Burnie, Exit 2) is one place I just have to get back to.

One place I really need to get back to, and have - Again with the Pho Miss Saigon (Glen Burnie, Exit 3B).

One place I'm kinda glad I passed - The Crab Depot (Brooklyn, Exit 3A), which had its fair share of flies and kinda smelled like poo.


Highlights of the "Catonsville" section of the Beltway (southwest, Exits 9 through 16B) -

Best eating in the southwest part of the Beltway - Taneytown Deli (Catonsville, Exit 13), which recently moved into the former Pinocchio's location. Five kinds of Reubens - that's all I'm sayin'. The Golden Gate Chinese Restaurant (Arbutus, Exit 12B) is also a constant favorite for their General Tso's and orange chicken. They're also one of the first Mom & Pop Chinese places to offer dim sum in the area (and they're one of the only ones whose food is edible).

Worst eating - The Grace Café (Arbutus, Exit 12A), just a hop, skip and a jump from the Golden Gate. The quintessential example of what Chinese carry-out should not be, but usually is.

Most forgettable eating - Caton House (Violetville, Exit 11A), which I visited for lunch just before the citywide smoking ban, so everything tasted like a bar. Which makes sense, since it is a bar. That's followed closely by Mr. G's Fast Lane Hamburgers (Gwynn Oak, Exit 15A), and the sorriest excuse for a diner hamburger at the otherwise legendary Double-T Diner (Catonsville, Exit 15B). All three? Meh.

One place I would've mentioned had I not previously posted about it - Indian Delight (Catonsville, Exit 13), which was my very first introduction to Indian food over 10 years ago. The service is sometimes slow but the food is usually quite good. They recently started charging for their buffet by the pound, which makes more sense for them if you think about it.

One place I really need to get back to but haven't - A few, actually. The Washington Blvd. pit beef truck (Lansdowne, Exit 10) is highest on my list. It's so close to much of my family and yet I never get around there. Another pit beef truck opened up a few years ago in Arbutus on East Drive (also Exit 10). Pho 1 (Catonsville, Exit 15A) is also slowly but surely nagging at me to come to it (again, hap tip to Dara).

One place I really need to get back to, and have - SugarBaker Cakes (Catonsville, Exit 13), which recently started selling Smith Island Cake slices on a regular basis. Then there's Polock Johnny's (Morrell Park, Exit 11A) - granted, I haven't gotten back in a while, so that's a priority.

One place I'm kinda glad I passed - Charm City Liquor & Deli (Lansdowne, Exit 9), which I never wrote about. Former co-workers warned me against their sandwiches. I haven't bothered to test their advice yet.


Highlights of the "Pikesville" section of the Beltway (northwest, Exits 17 through 22) -

Best eating in the northwest part of the Beltway - A three-way tie: Mari Luna Mexican Grill has homey Mexican food in a colorful atmosphere, plus they also have a smattering of Salvadoran offerings - like their tasty pupusas. And though it may be unassuming, Sion's Bakery makes one of the best chocolate-top cookies I have ever eaten (both in Pikesville, Exit 20). The IndiClub (Woodlawn, Exit 17) also has some flavorful offerings and a nice selection of South Asian and pan-Indian dishes, including my first-ever taste of idli. Just watch for the occasional irritating child or three bolting around the restaurant.

Worst eating - Lake Trout (Woodlawn, Exit 17) has the boniest fish I've ever eaten out, hands down. Plus a Yankee cornbread that really qualifies as a dessert item instead.

Most forgettable eating - One commenter (hat tip: Jazz) scolded me that I dissed the Big Cheese (Owings Mills, Exit 19), letting me know I should've ordered a sub and asked them to toast the roll. If I go back again I will do that. But in my defense (and, really, the Big Cheese's), it's not so much their cooking that was the problem, as it is the cooking of pretty much any pizza and sub shop. They were just the unfortunate example.

One place I really need to get back to but haven't - I have heard lovely things about Symone's Soul Food Café (Randallstown, Exit 18A), but I just haven't gotten back to the area yet to stop in. And for one of the few truly West African restaurants in the area, Peju's Kitchen Restaurant and Lounge (Woodlawn, Exit 17) is apparently a goodie, serving some of the only suya in the area. As for places I did not write about, commenters let me know about a few places I missed in Owings Mills (Exit 19): Rachel let me know about the Flying Avocado, and "Anonymous" pointed me in the direction of Morty's Chicken (at Snyder's Deli).

One place I really need to get back to, and have - Shaheen (Woodlawn, Exit 17)'s proprietors are from Queens, and serve some tasty halal goat, lamb, chicken, fish and vegetarian dishes. Their buffet is by the pound. Don't miss the sweets case by the front door, but watch out because you'll spend more than you want to.

One place I'm kinda glad I passed - The New York Fried Chicken on Liberty Road (Gwynn Oak, Exit 18B). I dunno, maybe I'm wrong but it doesn't sound all that interesting. Seemed kind of fast food-ish.


Highlights of the "Towson" section of the Beltway (north, Exits 23A through 30B)

Best eating in the north part of the Beltway - I was pleasantly surprised at the abundance of delicious and filling food I found at the Kabab Stop (Mount Washington, Exit 23A). For $14, you easily get twice the amount of food. I also have fond memories of the gigantic stromboli I got at Mamma Lucia's at Perring Plaza (Parkville, Exit 30B). Also, an advisory: if you order the one-pound burger at Alonso's (Roland Park, Exit 25), make sure you take most of it home. I ate half of it there, on an empty stomach, and still felt like I overate.

Worst eating - I really didn't have many bad food experiences in this part of the Beltway. So I guess I'll have to fall back on that old stand-by, the local food court at the mall. And despite the improvements they've been doing, Towsontown Center's food court (Towson, Exit 27) has some pretty lackluster eating choices. Sadly, it's still fairly standard mall food, so in comparison to other malls it's not so bad. I feel bad singling Towsontown's food court, since it's such an easy target anyway.

Most forgettable eating - If you want memorable decor, drinks or music, Hightopps Backstage Grille (Timonium, Exit 24) will maybe fit the bill. If you want memorable food, just look elsewhere.

One place I would've mentioned had I not previously posted about it - This area is one of my most well-traveled, so I've written about several of the places around here long before I got to them on the Beltway. Chiyo Sushi and Sushi Hana (both in Mount Washington, Exit 23A) are two of the better sushi joints in the area - who knew there'd be so many just in this one neighborhood? Not to be outdone, Towson has an abundance of sushi joints, all of which are pretty good. The Kyodai Rotating Sushi Bar (Towson, Exit 27) is perhaps the most authentic, with its conveyor belt of color-coded plates to tell you exactly what is cheaper than what. Outside of the sushi world, the Bel-Loc Diner (Parkville, Exit 29B) restores my faith in diners with tasty food at cheap prices.

One place I really need to get back to but haven't - I went on a date to the Orchard Market & Café (Parkville, Exit 29B). They were BYOB at the time, but had some delicious Persian food. As for places I haven't even visited or mentioned, another Persian place, the Parsa Kabob (Cockeysville, Exit 24), is one place I just never got to at all. It's on my list the next time I'm in the neighborhood.

One place I really need to get back to, and have - Maybe all those ex-pat New Yorkers are on to something about Pasta Mista's pizza (Towson, Exit 27). I haven't eaten pizza in New York (more than a few hot dogs but no pizza), but if they're all correct that it's this good then maybe I am missing something. The Mandarin Taste (Anneslie, Exit 25) is much closer to my apartment than to the Beltway. In fact, it's a good half hour walk from my place. But it's a good place to eat while your car is getting fitted for new tires at the Firestone. By the way, don't go to Firestone. They charge too damn much. For everything.

One place I'm kinda glad I passed - The Mount Washington Pizza, Subs and Indian Cuisine (Mount Washington, Exit 23A) is one of a growing phenomenon in Baltimore: the pizza-sub-and-curry shop. This one had fairly overpriced Indian food, and fairly average-priced everything else. Most of the pizza-sub-and-curry joints charge a lot more for their Indian offerings, I'm afraid. (NOTE: The review I linked to gives the place 4 out of 5 stars, so maybe I'm wrong? Who knows...)


Highlights of the "Essex" section of the Beltway (northeast, Exits 31A through 38B)

Best eating in the northeast part of the Beltway - Fractured Prune (Parkville, Exit 31A, and various other locations), hands down. Granted, I frequent the locations that are closer to me, so I haven't gotten back to this particular location since. But I am ruined for any other type of donut now, even Krispy Kremes. And I could never even think of touching a Dunkin' Donut again. Also remember the Broadway Diner (Highlandtown, Exit 33A) - there's gotta be a reason why the male Rachael Ray Guy Fieri made his way there: wonderful diner food. You have to go the other direction on I-95 to get to the Venetian Palace Restaurant (Edgewood, Exit 33B), to which I traveled almost 20 miles from home at $4 a gallon gas for what I found to be a delicious fried oyster sandwich. And if you get round to Midori (Overlea, Exit 32A), stick to the Chinese half of their menu, which is quite good.

Worst eating - Why am I never eating at the Fisherman's Wharf (Nottingham, Exit 32B) again? One. hour. wait. for. a. fucking. fish. sandwich.

Most forgettable eating - Uncle Eddie's (Essex, Exit 38B), which had pleasant service and a pretty decent minestrone soup, but awful, awful haddock. Leave a nice tip for the waitress.

One place I would've mentioned had I not previously posted about it - CCBC Essex's cafeteria (Essex, Exit 34), but not because it's any good. Hey, I dogged on CCBC Catonsville's and Dundalk's food offerings. How did I forget to do the same for the Essex campus? I will say, though, their food - lackluster though it is - is slightly better than at the other two campuses.

One place I really need to get back to but haven't - Everyone keeps telling me how great Pizza John's (Essex, Exit 36) is, but I simply never get around there enough. I have been to the Fiesta Mexicana Mexican Fast Food (Rosedale, Exit 34), but have had no time to return. Same for the Mount Everest Nepalese and Indian buffet (Rosedale, Exit 32B), who recently celebrated their first anniversary. A little pricier than I'd like but tasty nonetheless.

One place I really need to get back to, and have - Geresbeck's, for their chocolate top cookies and other pretty good baked goods. People rave about the smearcase, which I have yet to try. Also the Original Fish & Chips, which also has some delicious hush puppies (both in Middle River, Exit 36).

One place I'm kinda glad I passed - Lin's Chinese Buffet (White Marsh, Exit 31C) in White Marsh Mall. Again, mall food is an easy target. But such a massive buffet really should have more people in the seats than just the employees.


Highlights of the "Dundalk" section of the Beltway (southeast, Exits 39 through 44)

Best eating in the southeast part of the Beltway - A few good eats here include: Weenie World (Dundalk, Exit 39), for which I have traveled well out of my way just for their wide and baffling variety of hot dogs; Bada Bing Bada Beef (Dundalk, Exit 43), with some of the best pit beef I have had recently; and Salty Dog's Crab House (Dundalk, Exit 41), for their $1 per crab every Tuesday in the fall. They're good crabs, too.

Worst eating - I didn't have much in the way of bad eating experiences in this area - perhaps by this time I had become more discriminating in where I would stop. I can tell you the least appetizing thing I did eat. It was that cup of Western fries at Micky's (Sparrows Point, Exit 42). But that was all I ate, so really it's not a very accurate read. Maybe their other stuff is good, though.

Most forgettable eating - Nothing terribly forgettable in this part of the Beltway either. I did like Maria's Pizzeria and Carry-Out (Sparrows Point, Exit 42) for its hot dog, though its pizza was kind of, I dunno, eh. But Maria's is a hard fit into this category. Really, it is the "default choice if I have to choose something for this category" choice. Though Squire's (Dundalk, Exit 44) puny lasagna, which cost too much for its portion and was only as good as any lasagna, is in the running for the "most overrated" award.

One place I really need to get back to but haven't - When I got to Merritt Blvd, I really wanted to stop in the Boulevard Diner (Dundalk, Exit 39), but with so many diners under my belt recently I just wanted something non-diner-ish. I'll get around there sooner or later.

One place I really need to get back to, and have - As noted before, Salty Dog's (Dundalk, Exit 41) and Weenie World (Dundalk, Exit 39).

One place I passed without even realizing it - That would have to be the Hard Yacht Café (Dundalk, Exit 43). Maybe it's more easily accessible by boat, but it's a bitch to get to by car.

One place I'm kinda glad I passed - Many of the half-closed businesses along North Point Road made me wonder if they were even open anymore. Papa Leone's Spaghetti House and the North Point Diner (both Dundalk, Exit 40) are notable in this regard.


Thinking about my Beltway Snacking experiment, I can say it has taught me a few important things, as I noticed around Broening Pkwy (Exit 44):

1) Both food wise and neighborhood wise, there is so much more worth exploring in Baltimore than just downtown. Don't get me wrong: Mount Vernon, Fed Hill, Fells and the Harbor are great places for dining and (in some of those places) living. But so are Glen Burnie, Catonsville, Dundalk and Parkville - and it probably still sounds strange for y'all in these areas. Same for such exotic locales as Arbutus, Middle River, Pikesville and Sparrows Point.

2) Look hard enough and you will find some cheap food, and some good food. You will find crap, too, don't get me wrong. But you have to keep looking until you find something you like.

3) There are a lot of crab shacks, a whole lot of Chinese restaurants, and a whole lot of pizza-and-sub shops around the Beltway.

4) Finally, as the tourist in me wants to scream, play the tourist in your own home town. Before I lived in Cali (and I have officially been back in Charm City for five whole years now), I never bothered to visit any of these places. I was a Southwest Baltimore County boy with only a vague notion of exactly where Essex was, and I had never even heard of Nottingham. It took my relocating out west to really start exploring Baltimore on the occasional visit back. Don't do that - explore it now! It's not like you have the money to travel these days (er, um, recession). I sure as hell don't. So don't wait until you only visit once or twice a year to really get to know your home town. This is advice not just for Bawlamorons but for everyone from New York to New Mexico, from Augusta, Maine, to Augusta, Georgia, and all over the planet. Wherever "home" is, get to know it and love it. If I can take only one thing away from my Beltway Snackin' project, it is that point. Again: get to know "home" and love it. There is much more than you may realize.

And that's it! The Beltway Snackin' experiment is officially over! But if you want to see all the photos I took on my journeys around the Beltway, go to Flickr. The set is "Snacking around the Beltway" if you want to see all 752 photos. (UPDATE - I deleted some repeats, so now it's about 740 or so.)

Listen to this post as an MP3.

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

Return to Exit 1: Cookie's City Line Diner

Before you start scratching your head, let me get right out there that I am not going all the way around the Beltway again. What I am doing is revisiting the place that became my inspiration for driving around to look for out of the way places to eat.

Cookie's City Line Diner (map) is only open Monday through Saturday, and only for breakfast and lunch. When I first started my Beltway Snacking series in May of 2007, I did some initial reconnaissance to see just what was off the very first exit off 695. It was a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon, and I was hungry. After passing by a none-too-promising gas station - thinking "Is this the type of place I'll be writing about - gas stations?" - I had hoped to find something a bit more promising after that. Lo and behold, the clean, crisp, kitschy Cookie's City Line Diner. But there was nobody there! So I came by the next weekend - this time, Saturday afternoon. It must've been, like, 3 PM, because they had just closed an hour earlier, as I was to find out well over a year later. Frustrated, I realized that food was not to be found within a mile of the Beltway, prompting me to drive further and further into Curtis Bay and Severna Park. Had Cookie's been open that day, this Beltway Snacking series might have taken a totally different turn. I might've only visited places within a minute or two of the Beltway, thus keeping me from finding much of anything off of many exits.

It was about 16 months later that I finally got back to Cookie's. I mean, no need to rush when you've got another 43 exits to go to, right? (Again, 60 counting A's, B's and C's.) It was still just as clean, just as crisp and just as kitschy as it had looked from my car window. Even better, though, it was not just as closed as I had remembered: Cookie's was open for lunch.

To see Cookie's from the inside is one helluva trip. A humongous Betty Boop greets you at the door, graced by several smaller Booplets all around her (these must have been her conscience). Interesting objects dangled from almost every foot of the ceiling, from little-old lady ornaments to, um - actually the little-old lady ornaments are the only ones I can distinctly remember. But there sure were a lot of these things! And it seemed as if every table was different. And every chair, for that matter.

I only had to wait for about five minutes - or maybe it was longer, but it didn't seem so. I was too busy admiring the big round tabletop covered in Orioles baseball cards that were shellacked in place. Maybe the life-sized little old lady doll was also staring at the same thing. Or not.

Hey, haven't I seen her on a witty series of irritable, irritating old lady greeting cards?

The menu is typical diner food, and I treated myself to lunch and dessert all at once. I ordered a burger with my choice of toppings (fried onions and provolone cheese), and fries (about $7 if I remember correctly). With that I ordered a nice slab of lemon meringue pie (about $4). Total after tax was about $12.

Cookie's burger

As I pulled out of the parking lot, I started reaching into the bag for some French fries. They were really good, among the best I have had from a diner in ages. Cookie's fries were almost like normal fry-shaped Western fries. I almost put the entire bag in the back seat to keep myself from nibbling on them all the way home.

Both the meat and the cheese of the burger tasted great, and stood up well to reheating, which I had to do once I got it home. What can I say? It was a pretty good burger. It wasn't the biggest I have ever had, but there is something to be said for portion control. The roll was thick but not too thick. All in all it was a burger I would eat again. Maybe next time I'll actually sit down in one of the many tables to eat it fresh on the spot.

As for the pie: it was a typically good pie. I hadn't had lemon meringue pie in a while so this was a nice dessert. I wanted to save some of it but I ended up eating it all. Ah well, portion control out the window.

Places I visited -

Cookie's City Line Diner (diner / American) - 6407 Ft. Smallwood Road, Curtis Bay, MD 21226; Phone: (410) 354-3004

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