Tidbits: Early July Edition

A few things I've been eating lately:

* I have been playing a lot of soccer lately - both pickup and league, and my shins hurt like hell (note to self: find something to make these shinguards more, er, comfortable to wear while running around for one or two hours). Last night after one such pickup game down in DC (where I did pretty well, considering my lack of experience), I headed to Adams Morgan for a quick beer and bite before making the long slog home. I ended up at the cozy L'Enfant Cafe & Bar where I ordered a delicious savory crepe of salmon & boursin cheese ($13). It was a bargain, though the refreshing cherry beer I ordered, normally served with ice, clocked in at $10! That kind of took me by surprise (note to self: ask how much the damn beer costs).

* Whenever I eat Indian, I often gravitate to one or two recipes that are tried and true favorites: chicken tikka masala, saag gosht (lamb with spinach), murgh makhani (butter chicken), etc. At Mughal Garden the other night I settled on something somewhat different: their lamb methi ($14), which is lamb in a fenugreek sauce (hence the methi, which is fenugreek). It's not a taste I can easily describe, because I don't have a reference point. It's a very mellow dish, a lovely one with a lot of sauce you can soak up with much of your garlic naan. I recommend it.

* I haven't been to Rocket 2 Venus lately. I did go last week, and could not get over how quickly I was seated... and how my waiter just completely forgot about me (very irritated about that). Fortunately after about ten minutes of tapping my fingers and checking my email, a waiter did come by to find out if I was being helped (nope), and my service was quite fast after that. R2V is a place with such an eclectic menu that you can spend a good long while trying to figure out what to order - maybe that was a plus for waiting while people seated after me ended up ordering first. After all the classic American, Southern, Western, Chesapeake, Cajun and Korean offerings, I ordered the bulgogi plate with fried rice ball, mashed potatoes & kimchi ($13). It was a very satisfying experience, with the soft bulgogi, kimchi and potatoes providing a flavorful contrast against each other. Plus, my food came out much faster than I had anticipated.

* Alas, all the area Super Fresh stores are now history, excepting for the one downtown on N. Charles Street. Some of them are already slated to become something else (like the one in Hampden, for example). The rest are just sitting around, twiddling their thumbs. I hope a Harris Teeter or something moves into the one on Putty Hill.

* I realized the other day: sometimes you want a nice, hearty breakfast of pancakes, sausage, bacon, etc., just like Mom used to make. And other times, all you want is a bowl of kimchi flavored noodles (second kimchi reference in this post, by the way).

* Find out in a few weeks what happened to this little guy that I got at the Maine Avenue Fish Market in Washington, DC, for all of $7 a pound:


* Soda update: I have been sticking to about 2 cans a day. With Dad in the hospital and the occasional late long drive back from DC I have allowed myself a little more of the stuff. But on the contrary, I have also found myself just normally drinking less. It's been a long time since I have ordered it in the restaurant, preferring beer, tea or water (I did order a soda at Lou's City Bar after a game the other day, to give me a shot of caffeine - which worked). But overall I have been going through a good bit less of it lately.

* And finally: I know he is moving out soon (er, being forced out by our landlord), but could my idiot neighbor please stop putting all his crap out by the side of the road for the trash and recycling people to just leave there!?!? It's bad enough he used to go through my recycling bin for cans, and the only reason he doesn't seem to do this anymore is because I have started putting it in a place where he is too lazy to look.

Ouch, did I just let all that pour out? Maybe I should smack him with one of my shinguards?

The Great Food Truck Thing

In case you missed it, Dan Rodricks had a whole episode last week on his Midday Show on WYPR on the whole food truck phenomenon. Among others, he talked to Heather Shouse, author of Food Trucks: Dispatches and Recipes from the Best Kitchens on Wheels. Shouse goes all over the country to examine local food trucks and the local adaptations to them. For example, Portland, Oregon, has a whole section of town devoted just to food trucks! Rodricks also interviewed several local food truck entrepreneurs, including the good people who bring us the food trucks from Gypsy Queen Café, Iced Gems Baking, Creperie Breizh, and Kooper's Chowhound, as well as the former owner of Juana Burrito who now runs the food truck consulting business Mobile Food Products. The food truck trend is starting to really rocket here, as it has in DC too - surprisingly since DC has such arcane laws that regulate food trucks in such a way that they may not park unless they have a queue of people waiting for them (I found this out a few weeks ago on the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU). It's a trend I hope we see continue to flourish in Baltimore in the future.

Rehoboth Beach... in Haiku

It's been a week since my visit to fabulously hot Rehoboth Beach - and a good long while since I posted anything in poetry format. So to help cope with the heat, a little silliness in haiku format.

My stay started at
The Rehoboth Guest House - a
Charming place to stay.

Dogfish Head Brew Pub

Dinner was Dogfish
Head Brewpub, one of my main
Reasons to go down.

So many beers, all
Mem'rable. But enough to
Cloud my brain a tad.

I must recommend
Their five dollar sampler of
Five beers with your meal.

With that I got the
Fried squid - crunchy, nice, although
Not too flavorful.

Alongside, their In-
dulgence burger (just nine bucks),
Piled with lots of stuff:

Cheddar, bacon, and
A fried onion ring - I asked
For it to be rare.

Flavorful, juicy,
A bit messy (duh) - quite good.
Get it if you can.

Walked to Double L,
One of the rare gay bars that
Has Guinness on tap.

What a cute couple,
Standing on the Boardwalk on
Drizzly Thursday morn.

The Bake Shoppe

Stopped by the Bake Shoppe
On Rehoboth Av for a
Croissant and a chat.

Crusty, happy guy
Who grew up in Baltimore
Told me about two

Women who baked pies
In his 'hood in South B'more
Back when he was young.

Baywatch: Delaware!

Lifeguards training in the sand.
Yum. I stared a bit.

And of course, I get
On the beach and it drizzles.
I still got sunburned :\

In contrast: what the
Trendy woman wore here a
Hundred years ago.

Also checked out an
Exhibit on Rehoboth's
Archaeology.

Leave it to me to
Go to the beach, and end up
In a museum.

Seafood Shack

For a post-beach lunch,
I stopped at the Seafood Shack
On Baltimore Av

With my Dos Equis,
Got a po'boy which was a
Three seafood sampler:

A mini-crabcake,
Three oysters, and two shrimps - for
all of thirteen bucks.

Po'boy did the job,
In a friendly setting not
Far from the Boardwalk.

Visit at night for
Music from lesbian and
Straight female singers!

Dogfish Head Brew Pub Part Two

On back to Dogfish,
For their down-scale brew pub tour
Free at 4:30

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays,
and Thursdays. No free samples
Like in Milton though.

Showed me their vodkas,
Including an intriguing
Peanut Butter one.

I had to try this.
A shot for five bucks tastes JUST
like peanut butter.

Finbar's Pub and Grill

However, dinner
Was at Finbar's - the locals'
Favorite for dinner.

The service, at first,
Was lacking. But I was helped
Eventually.

With a thick Guinness,
I got a big fish and chips
For seventeen bucks:

A humongous piece
Of Irish ale-battered cod
With a rémoulade.

The fish was tender,
And the batter not soggy.
Locals must love it!

While fries are often
A throwaway, these chips were
A nice complement.

Finbar's, by the way,
Is easy to find: Dogfish
Brew Pub is next door.

Blue Moon

Bookending dinner,
A visit to the Blue Moon,
So close to my room.

Dinner is pricey.
So I only went for their
Happy Hour at first.

After dinner, I
Returned to meet up with friends,
Watch karaoke.

Had yet more Dogfish:
Two (or three) Shelter Pale Ales,
But Happy Hour-priced.

And please check out the
Entertaining Pamala
Stanley at Blue Moon!

Late? Karaoke
With Mona Lotts (just don't sing
Off-key like some guys)

Finally found the
Fabled gay end of the beach
(and much eye candy...)

So nice to see gays
With their kids, even some straights,
Gay couples and groups.

If you're looking, it's
13 minute walk from there
To Rehoboth Av.

Hobo's Restaurant and Bar

For my send-off lunch,
Hobo's offered one very
Eye-popping option:

The place looks like they
Took Artscape and made it in-
to a restaurant.

My lunch: a combo
Quesadilla of blue crab
Mixed with melted brie.

For nine bucks, it is
Melted with arugula
And artichokes, too.

You would not think to
Mix crab and brie, but my God
What a great combo!

Topped with rémoulade
and red bell peppers, which made
The meal quite complete.

Of course, I had to
Stop at Dolle's for car'mel corn -
A six dollar tub.

And Candy Kitchen:
For a pound of fudge to take
Back for family.

Did I mention the
Eye-candy? I did. Just had
To revisit it.

No haiku verse here: this speaks for itself.

Baltimore Restaurant Week: Red Maple

I was not sure if I'd be able to do Restaurant Week this year, time and money wise, but I did manage to get around to it. So I asked my friend Eric if he and his better half would like to go to Red Maple. I wanted to try it out since the chef - Jill Snyder - is now locally famous. Fortunately for us (and her?) there was no ostrich egg on the menu. What was on the menu, however, was a mixed bag.

We got there for our 8:00 reservation, and got quickly seated - the only thing that happened quickly that night. I figured there were just a lot of orders. Eric, not impressed with that excuse, brought up a good point: they only have to worry about a few dishes. You see, Red Maple cut down its typical menu for Restaurant Week, only offering five selections for its first (appetizer) of three courses, five more for its entrée course, and four or five more for its dessert course. That's about 15 different things that the kitchen has to worry about putting on the tables of hungry patrons.

Red Maple is certainly not lacking in stylishness. It caters to a youngish, hip sort of crowd. As we brought up later in the evening, Red Maple is less of a restaurant than a lounge that serves food. It has not only a nice wine list, but a diverse selection of cocktails, all of which were a bit more than I wanted to pay (I just got a Sierra Nevada for $4, while Eric and Alan got a nice bottle of white wine).

The menu looked quite promising. For each of three courses, you could choose one of a variety of small plates, each of which was just large enough to share a little of everything amongst the three of us.


For our first course, we each ordered different appetizers: I got a tom kha kai sort of soup with lemongrass, coconut milk and chicken that was the best of anything on the table. The other guys ordered some okay egg rolls and some dumplings that were a bit on the bland side.


Our second course was the main one, with slightly more substantial portions than I would have expected on a small plate. That's not a complaint, mind you. This time, Alan's scallops were the tastiest thing amongst the three of us. I did like my seared and crusted tuna with wasabi pea mash, but the scallops were better. Eric, on the other hand, was thoroughly dissatisfied with his jerk chicken satay, which was very dry (to put it mildly).


For the final course, we had a selection of desserts. Both Alan and I ordered the double chocolate creme brulee. I loved this stuff, which came with some dots of whipped cream and a few blueberries on top. But it really didn't seem like creme brulee. It was more like a rich chocolate mousse with a crispy creme brulee top, but I liked it. Eric's apple tart was the best thing he had that evening, and really was the only thing he liked. Of course, the worst thing about the evening was the wait. From the time we were seated to the time we got our first course, almost a full hour had passed. As I alluded to before, the waitress said there were two big parties that came in and ordered just before us. Still, with such a limited selection of choices on the menu, one wonders if it should have taken that long, and just how long it would've taken for the food to come out had it been a regular night with the full menu!

Eric's not having much luck with my choices of restaurant.

As for my own assessment: I liked what I had. Perhaps it wasn't really worth $30, but I would eat it again. As for Red Maple: I probably won't be going back. The food is okay, and the desserts were lovely, but it really doesn't have that restaurant vibe. But at least there were no exotic eggs on the menu!

UPDATE (1/27/09) - Minx just let me know that Jill is no longer with Red Maple. She's "workin' the line" at Sotto Sopra. Is that a demotion? Regardless, our food at Red Maple the other night clearly can not be blamed on Chef Jill!

Last Call at the Zodiac

What would you serve as your final meal? Well last night I found out what the Zodiac's answer was when I made it out there for one last time, before it closes tonight. That's right - tonight. If you want to experience the fun, eclectic, wizardly ambiance (and the risk of being shoved down the stairs by a ghost) one last time, go tonight, August 9, 2008. If you read this after that then, obviously, you've missed your chance.

The atmosphere didn't seem too melancholy, a little surprising but maybe it's just being hidden well. The dinner I had was pretty much outstanding, a nice note to remember my last meal there.

Appetizer: Pork Chop with Rice Pilaf ($8)


After the obligatory Guinness ($4), I decided to start with something I hadn't had before. I usually avoid the appetizer, or just order it and nothing else. With my last chance to try it I splurged, and went for the pork chop, medium rare, with rice. The rice was moist but not wet, and of course hot. The pork chop had such a nice, slightly salty flavor that I could've been satisfied with eating a few of these all night.


Entrée: Cheeseburger with Fries ($11)

For my entrée I went with a favorite, the hamburger, with smoked mozzarella cheese ($2 extra), and shoestring fries that sure tasted fresh cut. The burger, rare as I ordered it, was juicy and the cheese added a nice flavor to it. Even better, the lettuce and tomato that came on top weren't soggy at all, and didn't detract from the burger as it does with many other burgers I eat. I'll miss this burger.

Dessert: Peach Cobbler ($7)


The one downside to my meal was my peach cobbler, whose crust was rock hard. I literally had to bang into it with my spoon just to crack it open, and of course it capsized. The crust underneath was soft at least. Plus, it had some tasty peach wedges and two dollops of vanilla ice cream (I could've also gotten the vegan rice cream). I ordered it with a chocolate martini ($8) - a combo of vanilla vodka, chocolate liqueur, white crème de cacao, and cream. It didn't taste too chocolatey, but my main concern was that I'd be too drunk to drive home, but I didn't even feel buzzed. So it was a weak martini, but I was fine with that. Part of that could be all that I ate, but I'm just fine with not getting sloshed.

And that's it. Total bill before tax and tip was $38. Afterwards was about $46. That's as much as I am going to pay for any meal in the near future. You can easily spend half - or twice - that much, but only through tonight. So don't lose the chance to go to Zodiac - tonight (Saturday, August 9, 2008) is it.

Other photos:

The car irritated me at first, but it's not a bad photo.

What is this guy going to do with all his time now?

Above the bar floats a nekkid man...

But only today.

But how will the ghost react?

I just read this depressing news on Kit (Mango and Ginger)'s website (via Elizabeth Large). One of my favorite restaurants in Station North is closing up shop: the stars are aligned against Zodiac, as well as sister restaurant Northwoods in Annapolis. Looks like I have to make a pilgrimage before they close this Saturday. I think I'll go this Friday. In memoriam, here's a link to an old post about the Zodiac. It looks like the resident ghost Frenchie is going to be pretty lonely until there's a new occupant.

Rocket to Venus

Before I start, I want to tell my smarty pants friend Eric: yep, I finally got around to writing about dinner Thursday night. and yes, I still stand by my original assessment of it. Oh, and thanks again for the grub :)

Now then, we went on Thursday to Rocket to Venus. I'd never heard of this place before, and it's only about a year old so I may not have had the chance. I remarked to him that the place looks like Diner meets Doctor Who, all in gray.

A little bit about the service: it's pretty attentive. I've been to somewhat more expensive places than this where the service is about as good. And of course, the food is cheaper here.

Eric started off with a nice white wine while I got a Guinness, as usual. We perused the menu and I noticed something that he had mentioned to me before: the menu here is, well, eclectic. It's very difficult to describe otherwise. What we ordered is a pretty good cross section of what R2V offers (apart from the sides, a choice of quinoa, grits, buttermilk biscuits or spicy French fries). We ordered to excess, shared everything, and could hardly finish it:

• fried pickles ($3) - not the standard pickle slices, but three whole spears of pickles with a dipping sauce. And piping hot.
• House of Venus salad ($6) - a big salad of red leaf lettuce, watercress, craisins and a yummy vinaigrette.
• pierogies ($5) - little Polish empanadas (the best way to describe 'em if you're not familiar) with onion, red pepper and Gouda.
• cornmeal-fried oysters ($8) - self-explanatory, with a beurre blanc sauce.
• tempura shrimp on a ball of sesame and black sesame-encrusted sushi rice (a special, not sure what it cost) - the rice was tastier than I thought it would be, what with two types of sesame seeds on the outside. It had dollops of chili, wasabi and some type of sauce (hoisin sauce?), arranged artistically on the plate.
  
• "wimpies" ($7) - four 2-oz burgers with gummy, not-so-worthy fries (these fries were the only downside to our otherwise delicious meal)
  

Eric was treating me (again, thanks, man), so I have little clue what the cost of the meal was. I do know, however, that we each got one more drink and no dessert - because we were, again, very stuffed. Goodness this was a good place to eat! I am too much looking forward to my next visit.

Nasu Blanca (Baltimore Restaurant Week)

Yes guys, I am writing about it just like you said I would :)

Nasu Blanca has to be one of the best places I have eaten in a long time. Two friends and I went last night and found that out. It's a little - okay, more than a little - out of my price range for me to become a regular customer, but they are hoping to make it more often. Hell, so am I. I just might have to wait for the next Restaurant Week, though.

The place was packed last night, and our server, in kistchy pearls and a fun black dress, noted that it has been like this all week. And they all had three entrées and three appetizers from which to choose (and the same dessert; see the menu for yourself). Because there were three of us, we were in the unique position of being able to sample everything, by each of us ordering a different appetizer and entrée. They also had a special outside of the BRW menu: tempura-battered squash blossoms. Sounds scrumptious, but I'll try it next time.

Our waitress/sommelieuse noted that, for an extra $15, we could get wine pairings for each course, in the form of red/white wine or sake. The guys opted for the wine pairings. I stuck with with cheaper option, so I have no clue what wines were drunk or how they paired with the food. Instead, I just stuck with a tall, cool glass of Sapporo for $5. Nice, crisp and clean beer that Sapporo is.

We each tried every appetizer. They went as follows:

• Japanese eggplant in den miso sauce - Out of all the appetizers, this is the one I liked the most. Very sweet and dense. And I hate eggplant. Hate it. So this was something.
  
• Prince Edward mussels in a sofrito-sherry broth - This was my appetizer. We all loved these. It's difficult to do mussels poorly. Good thing they didn't! And they came with crusty toasted bread to sop the broth up with.
  
• Mixed greens with katafi and ginger dressing - It was good, though I am usually not wow'd by salads. Not this one either. But I liked the addition of the katafi (or kataifi - shredded phyllo, or the rich Greek dessert of the same name that's made of the stuff). In this salad, however, the katafi was not at all sweetened. Instead, it added a nice crunch.

As good as all that was, the entrées were in a different league altogether:

• Paella valenciana with chorizo, chicken, mussels and saffron rice - Tasty if at first mushy paella. But my friends liked the texture. I don't know why it seemed a little mushy to me. Not to them. I got over that quickly. It was some tasty rice, to be honest, and not that mushy as I got into it. I guess that sounds a little confused. Let me rephrase: Yes, I would indeed recommend it to you if you went there.
• Panko-crusted walu with sweet potato slices and butter ponzu sauce - I have never eaten walu, which is a firm and flavorful fish. Very tasty. It looked small but was very filling. The sauce and sweet potatoes were also wonderful. Even the throw-away greens on top and underneath were delicious. Normally, this dish costs $28! So this was an excellent deal. This was my entrée, by the way, though we all had our ways with each.
  
• Strip steak with pimenton dusted fingerling potatoes, cabrales butter and tempranillo wine reduction - This was my favorite entrée - in fact, my favorite of everything I ate during Restaurant Week, even the steak at Petit Louis (which is a close second). My friend ordered it medium rare. He says you can tell a great deal about the quality of a restaurant by how they prepare your steak. If you ask for it medium rare, it needs to come out medium rare. It did here. Blissful steak.

We all had the same dessert, a white chocolate banana bread pudding with caramel and toasted walnuts strewn artfully across our gleaming white, square dishes, and all with a small dollop of cream on top. Tasty dessert, very rich, though it runs a close second to Petit Louis' mousse. It's still delicious. I could eat it all day.

All throughout this dinner we had such attentive service. The entrées came out immediately after the appetizers were done. And the waitress, wanting to make sure that my friends had their respective wines before each dish came out, hurried out their wines before each course came out. That is some good service.

The grand total before tip came to $145. This included our three prix fixe menus ($30 each), the wine pairings ($15 each), the Sapporo ($5) and two basil julep cocktails (you do the math). They included basil and shiso, the Japanese leafy herb which you usually find on any plate of sashimi. It tastes sort of peppery.

Nasu Blanca, in short, was the perfect way to end my Restaurant Week (yes, it's over for me; I have a trip to save for, y'know). It also has to be one of the best dining experiences I have had in a long time. Do go if you have the money. Save up first, but go, at some point go!

Zodiac Redux

Man, those folks at the Zodiac across from the Everyman Theatre sure can be fast when they know you need to go somewhere! It took about 5 minutes to get seated and served, but once I talking to my waitress, and let her know I had a show to catch (Notes on a Scandal, at the Charles), I got in and out in 45 minutes. And I ordered the standard burger, which is suppsed to take a while. The burger came out to me with a heap of fries in about 15 minutes. That and a pint of Guinness for all of about $13.60 before tip, and I was in my movie just as the previews started. Sweet! (Sorry for using such a clichéd word, I just let the spirit move me.)

Zodiac

So busy I am this week! No time to write anything, but oh there was stuff to write about! I went to see a movie at the Charles this Friday past - Marie Antoinette, a fun and fascinating film - and diverted myself from the eve-crowded Tapas Teatro (about which I have written) to another popular spot across the street. This restaurant, Zodiac, is attached to the Club Charles, and has a mix of standard dishes with interesting, sometimes vegan twists. No vegan am I, but they have lots of interesting things to satisfy the carnivore who steps in. Once I had a barbecue duck sandwich. Very fatty (as duck usually is), kind of small (even for me) and not something I'd order again.

The Zodiac, and the Club Charles next door, are also supposed to be haunted! Both ghosts, of course, have a direct tie to their establishments. The Club Charles' ghost, "Frenchie," was an old man from France who was a waiter until 1979, who died of alcoholism. Apparently, they like the new people to find out about him on their own. The ghost at the Zodiac is supposed to be sinister, unlike Frenchie. The City Paper lays out the story:

When Joy Martin opened the Zodiac Restaurant next-door to the Frenchie-infested Club Charles about four years ago, she quickly discovered that her latest venture appeared haunted as well. Many employees have reported seeing a man in an old-style white linen suit sitting at Table 3, sometimes accompanied by a small white dog. Waiters have even turned around to get the man a menu, only to find the table empty when they return. McLane-Cook saw him there herself, "sitting with a drink in one hand, a cigarette in the other."

But if Frenchie's spirit seems friendly, the opposite is true of the Zodiac's linen-clad visitor. His vibe is sinister, some even say evil. Employees report that they often feel like they're being watched, and sometimes find themselves spontaneously overcome with a sense of dread. Many fears center on a flight of rickety stairs that leads to a cluttered third-floor storage room; many workers are afraid to go up there. When the local group the Ghost Hunters of Baltimore visited the Zodiac, one of them said an unseen hand tried to push her across the room and out the door. People also claim to have heard a mysterious voice at the restaurant saying, "Get out!" And not just at closing time.

Recently, Martin got a clue as to who the Zodiac's sourpuss spirit might be. She spoke with an elderly local resident who said that, during Prohibition, the restaurant was a speakeasy run by a man named McKim. He is said to have hanged himself in the basement when his wife left him.

"Maybe [McKim] was really murdered," McLane-Cook speculates. "Maybe he's trying to tell us something." (Article by Tom Chalkley, Charles Cohen and Brenen Jensen)

I don't know which one is Table 3, but I don't want to sit there.

Back to food. The night I went there most recently - missing Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica (the people at Sci Fi would be sad) - I got seated relatively quickly, but waited a while for service. That's not good for a movie crowd, but I did let the maitre d' know that I needed to be out at a set time, and she did make sure my food got to me in enough time for that to happen. So what am I comlaining about then!?

This time I ordered something a bit less "odd" to the American palate - a hamburger. Yes, easy and safe (not like their make-your-own-pizza dish - I got fontina cheese, mushrooms and anchovies on mine when I ordered it once). But this time I was just in the mood for a burger. I did get creative with the toppings, as they offered a choice of cheeses, including mozzerella, both plain and smoked. I've never even had mozzerella on a burger, so I had to try that. I also got raw onions (the only ones they offered; next time I will ask for fried). Accompanied with fries, it is a filling meal. It was also pretty tasty. Who would have thought - mozzerrella on a burger! Yum.

With that I ordered two Guinnesses, on tap, for about $3.50 each. Because the burger was only $11, I wound up paying only $18 for my dinner, before tax and tip. Do leave a tip, or who knows if you will take the next tumble down the stairs!