Where Elvis Lives and the Colts, Natty Boh, Unitas and the O's Reign Supreme

Nacho Mama's, is a funky little place on Canton Square that is riddled with an eclectic collection of all things Baltimore: Unitas & the Colts, Elvis, Natty Boh Beer and more. The building is littered with paraphernalia of things that made Baltimore and Maryland great like pictures and news clippings of the 1958 Colts, the '83 Orioles World Series, iconic pieces from the National Bohemian ad campaigns and a little bit of Elvis. You'll even see a Coastal Highway street sign that was 'borrowed' from Ocean City, MD.  So assuming you are one of the few folks in the region to have visited Nacho Mama's, sit back and enjoy your nachos and margaritas and try not to be surprised that they are served in a hubcap, we're just getting started.

Nacho Mama's gets filled up...FAST. So either be early or be patient or both.  You can usually get your seat of choice for lunch if your in the door by noon.  However if you are coming in for happy hour or dinner see the hostess.  Midweek or late night (the kitchen is open until 12a) it makes no difference.  This place is always busy and for a reason.  the food is fantastic and the folks are fun to chat with also.

There are house rules which are printed on every menu, that you will enjoy reading for yourself,  but keep in mind, they are enforced.  As far as what to order goes...you just can't go wrong here. I cannot ever recall having a bad meal here in the almost 20 years I have eaten at Mama's. The menu is simple and broken down into "THINGS"; Fajita Things, Dinner Things, Quesadila Things and a bunch of other "Things". But do pay attention to the spicy warning. Spicy here does NOT mean mild. But the Cajun Burrito with sausage and shrimp etouffee, the shrimp and chorizo burrito and the and the corn & crab quesadilla are assured winners in my book.

If you like a funky place in its own time warp with a sense of humor, Nacho Mama's is the place for you.  Trust me, you will have a great time and a great meal.  One warning, the portions are BIG, so show up with an appetite.

Have a great day everyone and as always, Eat Like A Local! 

A Tatse of Heaven From A Local Hoagie Shop

Much like cheese steaks, I've been eating Italian hoagies since I have had two teeth. After trying more hoagies than I can count all over the country I still think The Little Hut Sandwich Shop on Chester Pike in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania about 20 minutes outside of Philly has the best.
 

Now I must say, as I think about it, I have never, to this day ordered anything at the Little Hut aside from the Italian hoagie, with good reason...they are amazingly delicious!  The Italian hoagies here at Little Hut are hand crafted works of art. The bread is from Bruno's bakery, crusty on the outside and chewy inside. The meats are sliced so thin they only have one side and they are layered and rolled with the lettuce, onions & pickles inside. I prefer mine with hot relish and potato chips on the roll. These hoagies are so good in fact, that I have gone so far as to have a half dozen of these shipped as far away as North Branch, Minnesota for lunch.

I was born and lived in Ridley Park and raised on Little Hut hoagies. They are so much a part of my family culture that there are unspeakable penalties in my family for those that travel anywhere near Philadelphia and do not return with at least a hoagie for each member of the family.
 

Places like Little Hut are the reason I do this.  So many people are too quick to go to a McDonald's or Olive Garden because it is what they know and it's familiar.  But if you take a chance now and again and veer of the beaten path to try something new and different you will occasionally find a hidden gem like Little Hut.  Now a word of warning; Little hut to most is hidden in plain sight.  If you take the Route 420 Essington exit off of I-95 and make the left on to Chester Pike it is only about a half mile down on the right.  Problem is it sneaks up on you and there is only enough space in the parking lot to pull in and jam on the breaks.  There are no tables to dine in, this is solely a carry-out joint but please do yourself a favor and stop by if your in the area and "Eat Like A Local", I can assure you you'll be glad you did.
And for the record, Little Hut is, "Jeff Approved".

Say it Ain't So, Johnny?

After 91 years the last remaining Polock Johnny's is closing its doors for the last time on Saturday, December 15th.  
 
For the locals that know the impact that this iconic Mecca of Polish sausages & lemonade  has had on Baltimore over the past century, I share your pain, it even exceeds the heartburn from the No. 1 with sauce & onions.   

The closing is coming as a result of the landlords decision to expand the property and not renew the lease to Polock Johnny's.  Though there are plans to reopen in a new location, which has yet to be determined, it will not have the same aged character of this landmark. The tin plated back wall, the hand painted mirror and the random animated characters painted on the exterior walls cannot be properly relocated to another spot.  These are items which simply evolved over decades and generations of business at the same location and they will become little more than a fond memory to those of us who where blessed to have enjoyed this little hidden gem over the years.  For those unfamiliar; you have now idea what you have missed in the simplistic pleasures of a No. 1 with sauce & onions and a lemonade.

I may be getting sentimental here, but I remember scraping together pocket change as a kid and riding my bike to the nearest Polock Johnny's, at the time located on Liberty Road to order a No. 1 with sauce & onions and a lemonade.  I do hope to see the rebirth of Polock Johnny's somewhere in the west Baltimore area and pray it doesn't go the way of Little Hut Hamburgers and Jack's of Lombard Street.

Goodbye, old friend.  You will be missed.

One of the Best Sandwiches Ever Created

I was glancing over a few of my previous posts today to realize i had yet to write about what is one of the best sandwiches I have ever had the joy of devouring so here it goes.

Back in January 2011 I had to travel to Puerto Rico for a friends funeral. For those if you who haven't yet had the pleasure of visiting the gateway to the Caribbean I highly recommend doing so.

I already had learned years ago that those from Puerto Rico are fiercely proud of ttheir culture ad history and all they have to offer, and rightfully so. I challenge anyone to find a people more friendly, welcoming and engaging than those I met on the island of Puerto Rico. I did have an advantage however in that I was traveling and staying with natives of this island jewel and not just playing tourist.

My friends father was intent in ensuring I saw anything and everything I wished while there, so I asked if we could grab a bite at El Churry, a chow wagon that sets up at Isla Verde & Calle Jupiter in the Carolina area of San Juan a few minutes walk from the beach. The truck itself usually arrives around 6p and opens for business close to 7p with a dozen or so customers sitting at the handful of picnic tables set up on the asphalt lot ready and waiting to place orders. From what I could tell, there is a steady stream of customers throughout the night until they close shop around 3 or 4 in the morning.

The signature sandwich at El Churry is the MIXTO. This is a combination of grilled skirt steak and chicken which is marinaded for two days with a secret house salad along with potato sticks in a sweet pita style bread do yourself a favor and spend the extra dollar for the bacon.

The first bite takes you to a virtual food shambala as an explosion of unbelievable flavored entertain your taste buds. He rest is just sheer joy. As matter of fact this sandwich is so delectably delicious that when you finding you are all at once sad that it is gone and happy that all you need do is go order another. Gluttonous, yes but worth it.

I was so take. With the MIXTO that I would willingly spend the $600 round trip airfare to get to San Juan jut to dine on the MIXTO at El Churry again. The simple fact that Piñones Beach is a short walk away is a bonus. As you've probably already figured, the MIXTO and El Churry both get my "Jeff Approved" rating.



As always my friends, Eat Like A Local!

How This Came to Be

The other night I was at a lodge meeting and met with with the developer of the Awesome Local Eats app who just happens to also be a brother of the lodge.  As we chatted someone at the table asked me, "how did you come up with this."  A simple question but one I realize now I hadn't really addressed yet.

Simply put I hated my job.  A little over 3 years ago I was working as a billing agent in a call center and I absolutely HATED my job.  I was new to owning an I phone and figured there had to be a way to make a buck on the app market.  I had knocked around a few ideas but nothing ever seemed to be worth the effort to  following through with.  So I placed the concept of making my millions in the app world on the back burner and went about being yelled at for a living for another year or so.

I started thinking that there had to be a way, someway to combine my love of traveling, great food and talking to people and eventually I came up with what is now Awesome Local Eats.  I approached an acquaintance who I knew was doing app development to see if he was interested.  Though he was he declined due to work and family commitments and asked if he could pass this on to a mutual friend to review.  I agreed and 2 weeks later I received an email from Gerald which was followed by a phone call were the idea was knocked around a bit.  now, after 9 months of development, evaluation, overhaul and countless emails and phone calls we have an app.

It is still in its infancy and is a far cry from being a blockbuster in app sales but I hope to change that in the near future.  With any luck I will be able to turn this into my full time job and spend my days travelling to cities and small towns meeting people over a great meal at a local restaurant that only the locals know.

Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

Have a great day and as always...Eat Like A Local!



P.S.  you may follow this link www.facebook.com/Awesomelocaleats to "LIKE" our page on facebook and follow us on Twitter ast @EatLikeALocal.

The app is now available on both the Apple App Store and Android Market.

The Foodgasmic Breakfast

Last night I was blessed with a surprise visit from my Goddaughter, Alex.  It seemed like 2 or 3 years since I had last seen her even though is was as recent as last Thanksgiving.

We sat at the end of the dock at the marina for hours chatting and catching up on each others' lives as we watched the meteor shower.  As we chatted Alex managed to remind me that I still had not taken her to the Blue Moon Cafe in the Fells Point area of Baltimore ,MD for her first tasting of Capt'n Crunch French Toast...which of course I was happy to oblige. 

After heading back to the house at almost 3a to catch a few hours of sleep we were up at 8a and quickly prepared for our visit to the Blue Moon.  It seemed that the stars had aligned in our favor.  As we arrived there was nobody waiting outside to be seated and two seats at the counter were empty and awaiting us.  I speak from the experience of many visits that this is indeed a rarity.  The Blue Moon is a small building with just the right amount of charm.  Though little more than a minor inconvenience, it speaks volumes of the establishment and its fare when you consider that it is most common to be waiting outside for upwards of an hour for a table in all kinds of weather as you chat with those like yourself who savor the thought of dishes such as the Sweet Baby Jesus, Capt'n Crunch French toast or Chesapeake Eggs Benedict.  

Though my favorite dish at the Moon is in fact the Sweet Baby Jesus I erred to the side of caution being that is was Alex's first time here and we split an order of the Breakfast Country Burritos (burritos with hash browns, eggs and cheese covered in a country sausage gravy) as well as the signature Capt'n Crunch French toast.  She agreed as so many of my friends do that I have brought here for this dish, "it is freakin' phenomenal!"  Personally I classify it as "Foodgasmic", I think it is a bit more descriptive of the sweet addictive flavors.  Either way, there is not a bad dish on the menu.

When you go be prepared to wait up to an hour to get a table.  Don't be discouraged it will be well worth your time.  The people outside are often repeat customers and friendly folks happy to offer a suggestion or say hello.  If you are lucky, Tara will be working and if she is ask for her as your server.  She is a joy to talk to and always ready with a quick witted response...tell her that I sent you.  Lastly, if you haven't been to the Blue Moon Cafe before, order either the Sweet Baby Jesus; which is a plate of hash browns, diced tomatoes, two eggs (I recommend over easy), pepper jack cheese topped with hollandaise sauce and old bay seasoning) this is my personal favorite.  The other option is the signature Capt'n Crunch French toast.  If you are there with a friend, order both and split them.

The Blue Moon is open 7a-3p Monday -Thursday and 24 hours from 7a Friday to late Sunday and is BYOB, so bring enough to share and start a party...trust me it wont be the first time.

Have a great day everyone and as always...Eat Like A Local!

The Best Pizza I've Ever Eaten Was In...Minneapolis?

So here it is the end of June and I had planned a trip to Minneapolis for a graduation party.  The only thing left to do was figure out what to do until my ride arrived in Minneapolis to pick me up and go to North Branch which is about an hours drive north.  My answer?  Go to Pizzeria Lola and try what I was told is one of the best pizzas anywhere!

It took me about an hour on the Minnapolis public transit to finally get to Lola's but it was well worth the ride.   As you walk in you will quickly realize that this is not your typical corner pizza joint.  Aside from the dark woods and upscale appearance you can't help but be awed by the huge wood fired copper oven sitting in the middle of the establishment.  That and the crowds waiting inside as well as outside on the patio for a table immediately gives some credibility to the raves and hype of the pizza here.  If you arrive in the early evening or thereafter expect every bit of a 30-45 minute wait for a table or you can chance it at the bar which is first come, first served.  And that is exactly what I did.  I like the bar since your more apt to meet people and learn of the area over a meal and a glass of beer or wine then from the guy sitting at the next table over.

The crust here is regular in the thickness but has a great taste.  The ingredients however are what really shine here.  Most everything on the menu is either house made like the fennel sausage, house cured bacon, red sauce and the soft serve ice cream with olive oil and sea salt; or it is from a local organic farm.  After some tough deliberations I decided on the Korean BBQ pizza.  A great dough topped with Grass Run Farm beef short ribs, mozzarella, scallions, arugula, sesame and soy-chili vinaigrette.  The flavors on this pie ran the whole gamut from spicy to sweet and is what I classified as, "Outrageously Delicious"!  I can't talk this one up enough other than saying if you are in or near Minneapolis, go to Lola's for dinner and order this pie.  If your not, well then get to Minneapolis and go to Lola's and order this pie.  Yes, it really is "THAT GOOD".

Now just to make sure that this wasn't a fluke I decided to order another pizza as it was looking like I had at least another hour to kill.  This time I ordered the Sweet Italian pie with house red sauce, house-made fennel sausage, mozzarella, provolone, red onion and Peppadew.  The night was really going in my favor.  Again we had a winner that was knocking it out of the park.  I couldn't finish the pie alone so I shared it with one of the couples at the bar with me.  i noticed that both the customers and the staff were most socailbe here so be ready to dine, drink and meet complete strangers while doing so.  In addition to the the wood fired copper oven and the fantastic food that is cooked inside its bohemeth belly, the upscale & funky atmosphere there is one more component to this puzzle.  The people working here are fantastic and they all seem to genuinely enjoy what they are doing.  from the hostess at the door to the bartender and kitchen staff they all were happy and enjoying themselves as they jumped from answering a question to making the orders sent in to them to socializing a bit with the costumers.  They were all having a fun and that shows through every time and I cannot speak highly enough of those I spoke to on Friday night.  When you go to Lola's ask for Marissa or Marisa at the bar.  Two different ladies but both were awesome!



As I've said in previous posts, there are differnt classes of pizza but Pizzeria Lola is in a class all by itself and gets my "Jeff Approved" stamp!

Enjoy and "Eat Like A Local"!