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"!

The Best Cheese Steak in Philly is...

Well, its a matter of opinion and an issue that has been debated for generations and will never be resolved.

Last Saturday I ventured up to my hometown of Philadelphia with a few friends to take in some of the sights and enjoy a few cheese steaks.  We started our day in Reading Terminal Market and ordered steaks at Carmen's Famous Italian Hoagies & Cheese Steaks.  Now cheese steaks are to those of Philadelphia like pizza is to those of the five Burroughs.  You can get your fix almost every other block and everyone has their favorite.  That said, I have been eating cheese steaks and hoagies since I had two teeth and folks I gotta say this is the best cheese steak I've ever had the pleasure of pairing up with grilled onions and provolone cheese.  The rolls, which almost always make or break the sandwich were soft and chewy but the flavor of the meat is what really stood out here.  I don't know if it was the seasoning on the grill or if the meat was marinated but whatever they are doing at Carmen's, IT WORKS!  Up until Saturday I would say that my favorite cheese steak was a small dive on the 300 block of South Street and a friend of mine swears the best steak isn't in Philly at all but actually in Atlantic City.  And in great part that is what is so wonderful about doing this.  I travel to cities with friends and even occasionally make a few new ones when I arrive at my destination, we sit down and enjoy good food and a drink as we talk and laugh.  From time to time I find places like Carmen's that completely change your opinion of just how good something can be and raises the bar to a whole new level.

If you have never been to Philadelphia, it is an experience to be had, especially if you love history as I do.  But if you really want to take in a local delicacy done right, stop Buy Carmen's at the Reading Terminal Market.  You'll find plenty to snack on while you are there in addition to your steak so pace yourself.

Enjoy and as always...Eat Like A Local!

My Search for Truly Great Pizza in Charm City, Part I

Living in Baltimore has a few drawbacks:  the public transportation sucks, Peter Angelos still owns the Orioles and you just can't find truly GREAT pizza here.

I have been on an, "on again, off again, on again" search here in Baltimore for truly great pizza.  I'm not entirely sure I haven't set my standards too high, but that will be determined with an upcoming trip to Chicago in early July and a trip to NYC later this year to see just how great pizza can be.  But seeing how Baltimore has never been known for its pizza, we need to establish a baseline from a few places that created the standard.  For the record, I'm not a fan of thick crust, so I've eliminated them from the search by default.  What we do have here is a trio of establishments that are worthy of note but before we get ahead of ourselves we will be covering Joe Squared (I ate at the original location in the Station North neighborhood of Baltimore City in this post.

Joe Squared at one point was rated best pizza in the state of Maryland.  A great honor yes, but given that this is not a land known for its pizza, I was still a bit skeptical.  So back in March I called up my  friend Dahjn who is from of all places, Brooklyn.  The benchmark by which all other pizzas are judged.  We took a ride to Joe Squared and decided to order the BBQ chicken pizza.  I was a bit unsure how BBQ chicken, corn, avocado and spinach would work together but it did and in fine fashion.  My friends comments were very much what I expected, "The pie was good, very good but just wasn't a Brooklyn pizza".   My take was a bit different, and in part because I don't have the experience with pizza from NYC like I do cheese steaks from Philly.  The crust was just this side of what is now called "ultra thin" and just shy of crispy.  The flavors of the combined ingredients worked surprisingly well together and they were fresh, which makes all the difference.  I also was surprised by the white sauce, which was quite good.  I thought the pie was fantastic, though heavy on the gourmet side.  And that may be an issue when comparing pizzas.  When making a fair comparison of anything we want to compare apples to apples, not apples to cumquats.  In my mind anyway there are three basic classes of pizza; Classic Italian, Street Corner and Gourmet Pizza.  This was definitely in the gourmet class.

I have reason to believe that I will be back at Joe Squared and that you will enjoy your visit as well.  If not for the great pie and cocktails they have live music every night.



Enjoy and Eat Like A Local!

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.