Simple Italian Food Done Right

This past Wednesday night found me craving a GOOD Italian cold cut hoagie.  Now having been born in Philadelphia and raised with the knowledge of what qualifies as a proper Italian cold cut left me with to very unappealing alternatives.  Either drive the 100 miles to Philadelphia or simply go without.  Neither option was acceptable at the time so I sat for a few moments to ponder how I would resolve this dilemma that had presented itself.  Eventually I remembered having stumbled across a small place in Baltimore's Little Italy neighborhood two years prior.  So I took a 15 minute bus ride and strolled another 5 blocks south into Little Italy and there it was...Isabella's Brick Oven.

Isabella's is actually more like a page from our past.  It is quite small (tiny may actually be a more accurate description) but serves multiple purposes simultaneously.  It is part deli, part market and part restaurant all shoehorned into a storefront on the northeast corner of S High & Stiles Streets.  There are only three tables inside along with the deli counter and a refrigerated display case that showcases the delectable treats for sale such as caprese, stuffed peppers, sauteed mushrooms and my favorite, marinated eggplant...I love me some marinated eggplant! Isabella's also has a full menu to choose from including hot and cold sandwiches and pizza that is baked in a brick oven.

I ordered the Italian cold cut (no surprise here) which is a masterpiece of prosciutto di parma, mortadella, proscuittini, capicollo, romaine lettuce, fresh tomatoes and an olive oil & red wine vinegar dressing.  Along with some marinated eggplant and caprese my mission was accomplished.

I have no reservation about giving the nod to Isabella's for having the best Italian cold cut in Baltimore.  I'll even go so far as to say it is the best I've found south of Philly.  Personally I think it will be some time before the title(s) are seriously challenged.  High praise indeed but I feel it is justified.

Places like Isabella's are both a joy and rarity at the same time.  They somehow foster and retain a sense of neighborhood and community within their walls and they exist to be experienced.  People stop in to chat, strangers talk to each other and say hello just for the sake of saying hello.  Though carryout is available and more often than not opted for due to our hectic schedules, dine in if you have the time.  Order your meal and a few sides and grab a table.  Take your time, enjoy your meal and those you are with.  Talk, listen and dine instead of eating.  Take the time to say hello to those around you.  Trust me, you will be glad you did.

Mangia, Mangia!

All Hot Dogs are Not Created Equal

Well yesterday I found myself free of obligations, so I decided to spend the day doing what I like to do best...explore the water front and search out new places to eat.  I was wandering around the Fells Point neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland and came upon Stuggy's Hot Dogs.  Stuggy's has been here about 2 years now and even with the recommendation of a colleague of mine, I somehow still hadn't made my way down here just yet...my mistake.

Now in all honesty, as a rule I am hesitant to spend more than a couple of dollars on a hot dog, let alone $6.99.  So I stood back and read over the menu as well as the poster explaining how the founders purposely created their supply chain from local farms and essentially created their own hot dogs to meet their standards.  "Hmmm?", I said.  "Locally owned and supplied?  This is a philosophy I can support".  Well, that along with realizing that I wasn't going to be able to make a call on this place without giving them an honest try.  So I decided to try the Mac Crab Dog, but alas, they were out of crab meat.  So we went to plan "B" and ordered the "Wild Thing"; bison sausage cured with maple syrup, blue cheese and diced raw onions.  This was surprisingly good!  Generally when we think of hot dogs it is a mentality of , 'a hot dog, is a hot dog, is a hot dog'.  Throw that thinking out the window when you enter Stuggy's.  The food is fresh, tasty and filling.  A word of caution here...with the exception of just a plain hot dog, if it isn't on the list of ingredients, don't add or subtract anything!  Yeah, you may like mustard on your dogs, but trust me, there is a reason deli mustard isn't on the Cuban Dog just like relish isn't on the Late Night.  It doesn't work!  There has been enough trial and error to find the right balance of flavors on these specialty dogs so enjoy them as they are intended. 

Probably by no surprise, the vast majority of their business is carry out but they do have a small counter by the window that will fit 3 or 4 people if you want to hang out and dine.  Just be prepared to "get to know your neighbor".  The entire interior of Stuggy's is maybe 5'x10' and they stay open late Thursday-Saturday until 3a, most assuredly to capitalize on the crowds as they leave one of the many local bars.

The manager, Ashley is fun to chat with while she catches her breath between answering the phone, ringing up an order and working the grill and she does it all with a smile and a laugh.   If your in the area or wandering around Fells Point for one of the many festivals during the summertime.  Do yourself a favor and stop in and try one of the many specialty dogs on Stuggy's menu.   Trust me, you'll like the food here.   As a matter of fact, I liked it so much I went back today and ordered the Crab Mac.

Carolina BBQ, South Baltimore Style

So this past Saturday with nothing other to do than enjoy a beautiful sunny day in Baltimore, I decided to keep with the barbeque theme and try some Carolina barbeque, Baltimore style.

I headed down to Harbor Que, which appears to be a relatively unknown spot in the Locust Point neighborhood of south Baltimore.  I will admit that I was a bit unsure about my chances of getting something great here.  The place has apparently been there a few years and the only reason I had heard of them was by way of a BBQ party.  Nothing about Harbor Que jumps out at you and say "WOW", but I decided to give them a try, and I can't say I was disappointed.  I ordered the pulled pork barbeque sandwich with sides of corn bread and cole slaw and a sweet tea.  I will say that the sides were rather unimpressive, not bad but just nothing great about them.  As far as the pulled pork barbeque goes...we were at complete opposite ends of the spectrum.  What first grabs your attention is the sheer size of the sandwich, it is huge!  Every bit of  a two fister and it was fantastic.   I was a bit surprised to not see a vinegar based sauce as an option, but once I tried the sweet sauce for this sandwich that became a not issue.  The pork was most definitely cooked in the "low and slow" fashion.  I say this because it was so unbelievably moist and tasty.

I was hoping to try a brisket but did not see that as an option on the menu.  This wasn't a great suprise since I do know that some establishments specialize in either beef or pork barbeque but not necessarily both.  Well, I happened to mention this to Miss Stella, the nice lady at the register and it turns out they do cook brisket, you simply need to come in on Thursday.  So it seems I have a follow up visit in my near future, not a bad thing as far as I can see.  Now for the record I think the pork barbeque was fantastic but my curiosity had gotten the better of me prior to leaving so asked Miss Stella if I could try a sampling of their pit beef.  As it turns out, the pit beef is pretty damn good, too!  But that is for another day and post.

If you have the taste for some barbeque, head down to 1421 Lawrence Street and grab a bite at Harbor Que.  I haven't tried the chicken or the brisket yet but if they are anything like the pulled pork or the pit beef you won't be disappointed.