Macaroni Grill

I love this place, but let me tell you why.  First off.. I am not a corporate restaurant diner, that being said, I now have to explain why I love the Macaroni Grill. and it's all for the wrong reasons.. loving something that's bad for you, that's what I mean. 

I frequent the Macaroni Gill in Lutherville-Timonium, the one on Deereco Road and Padonia.  I go there after work at the restaurant, usually I am tired, hungry and I NEED  a glass of  wine or two. I sit at the bar.

Macaroni Grill has a great Happy Hour. Here's how it works.. from 5pm-7pm and from 9pm till close (which is 10pm on weekdays, and 11pm on weekends) they have some specials.. There are a few menu options which are 5 bucks.. that's all well and good, but I usually eat other stuff, BUT,  the big winner for me is the WINE!  For 3 bucks you get a good size glass of their house Chianti. It is usually served in a tumbler style glass, but the bartender, Steve, knows I like mine in a wine glass.  For starters I usually say yes to the bread.  It's so good, and it's so bad for you.. and I always eat too much of it.  They give you some extra-virgin olive oil and salt and pepper so it's just yummy. 

Lately I've been ordering the  Pesto Spaghetti. You have to say light on the sauce otherwise it's just swimming in pesto.  The dish is served with rosemary ham, peas, ricotta salata (not sure what that is) and some crispy prosciutto (which they forgot last time).   I am addicted to this pasta. Again, bad because it is sooo fattening, but even worse, cause it's usually after 9 when I am eating it.. hence the size 14 jeans.

Otherwise, if I don't get the pasta I like the Shrimp, Cannellini Bean & Avocado Crostini.  They have a really good Artichoke appetizer as well, but it isn't listed on the menu.. They bake a half of an artichoke and season it with I don't know what.. and it is so good.. I'm pretty sure there is some butter in there somewhere.

I'm not crazy about the Spicy Ricotta Meatballs or the the Goat Cheese Peppadew Peppers, but that's only because they are mediocre, and you know how I feel about that.

Anyway... there you have it, my opinion of the Macaroni Grill. Say hi to Steve for me.

Eldersburg, Really?

Hey Hon... Let's go on up 'ere to Eldersburg for dinner, what do you say??  Eldersburg, really?? Uh-Huh.. that's what I'm talking about... THE COUNTY CORK WINE PUB!!!!! If you are coming from the south it is definitely worth the trip, even if you have to take that curvey Lions Mill Road to get there.

First off.. the wine.. They usually have sort of wine special.. We were there on a Thursday and there were a couple of bottles on the menu offered at $24.00 but we chose a Shiraz from the wine list which was also $24.00.  A really nice fruit forward, full bodied wine..

We knew from a previous visit to order the Grilled Cesear Salad. When I tell you fantastic, I mean it.. Grilled lightly, served with Polenta Croutons, a homemade dressing and a couple of anchovies on the plate.. We shared this salad, perfect for two.

We ordered both of our meals from the Special Menu. Jim had the Hanger Steak Braciola which was rolled around Broccoli Rabe, Sun-Dried Tomato Local Goat Cheese Ricotta. It was served with mashed potato tossed with bacon and a bleu cheese compound butter. I only had a quick bite, it was okay.. but needed salt, and the bleu cheese was a little overpowering.

My meal was wonderful.  I had (pictured above) Pan Seared Duck Breast (medium rare) with Corned Beef Hash, Haricot Verts and an Aged Balsamic Drizzle.  The duck was so tender and delicious, and the hash was terrific.  I mean this guy can cook.  We even got a hello visit from the sous chef, Connor.
I wrapped up part of my meal so I could have a taste of the Cherry Glen Goat Cheese, which I prefer to be served a bit more at room temperature, but Kudos to the pub for serving local cheeses.

My advice to you... Make the Trip!!!

The Dizz 300 W. 30th St. Hampden area of Baltimore, MD

Friday, March 23, 2012   (around 5:30pm)

The Dizz... located in the Hampden-Remington area. Very close to Hopkins campus so a lot of the crowd, I imagine comes from there. The Dizz has some cool outside seating, a bar area, a few more tables on a split level and then an upstairs with more tables.  We reserved a table because we had tried to eat here a couple of weeks ago (on a Tuesday) and it was packed..  Wish I had taken a picture of the menu, which has a good sized hand written insert of the numerous daily specials. Jim and I sat at our table upstairs and overheard  that there was a happy hour with .50 cents off drafts so I ordered a Miller Lite and he had the Sam Seasonal Alpine Spring.
I wanted to have some pasta cause I usually run on Saturday mornings.
 I noticed on the menu that they did serve pasta but only with a creamy Alfredo sauce.  I asked the waitress if I could have some pasta with the Steamed mussels, clams and shrimp dish that they offered for $15.95.  She came back from the kitchen and said that for $2.00 more I could have the dish over the pasta.  So nice. Anyway I had a small house salad with blue cheesing dressing first. The salad was really fresh with mescalin greens, cucumber, carrots, and tomatoes, and it was bigger than small.

Our dinners arrived and mine looked huge with all the seafood piled on top of the pasta.. Very generous portion of mussels, clams and shrimp. Jim had a blackened tuna filet over salad which was abundant with salad and what looked like a good 6 oz piece of tuna.  Everything was really good and the prices are very fair.  P.S.  I took a piece of lemon meringue pie home after overhearing (again) the list of deserts.  I expect the Dizz is a neighborhood gem, and I will definitely be back.

Aureole- 135 W. 42nd Street, NYC

What a place!! Absolutely Beautiful inside.   We so lucked out because we went here on a Sunday night!! And guess what? They have a Sunday Supper menu for $49.00.. and it gets better!! It includes UNLIMITED wine. Yes, your eyes are not playing tricks.  They pour as needed, as consumed.  The menu was terrific, First course was a Seasonal Bean Salad which included Salsa Verde, Fava Beans, and Frisee.  Salad was wonderful and the flavor of the Salsa Verde was fantastic.  Main Course: Beef Bourguignon!! Fettuccine, Royal Trumpet Mushrooms, Mustard Greens.  I loved the presentation, everything was placed item by item in the bowl (see photo).  The beef was like butter. So tender, so medium rare. Delicious. Desert.. Gorgeous.. sorry I didn't take a photo.

It was a Banana Split.. Aureole style.. Caramelized Banana, Peanut Butter Ice Cream, and Chocolate Sorbet.. The desert wasn't huge and it didn't need to be because the Beef Bourguignon was a perfect portion.
The Wine.. oh yes.. the Wine... There were two choices, we of course, had both. We began with the white.. a Zierfandler from Austria.. a nice crisp wine.. a little like a Gewurztraminer but not as sweet, not at all. And the red.. a Mencia, which is a Spanish full bodied medium fruit wine.  If you are in NYC, try to get to Aureole on a Sunday night, it's got to be the best deal in town!

Jeanne & Gaston.. 212 W. 14th St. NYC





Jeanne & Gaston... what a neat place, and only 3 months old.  My friend Jennifer and I happened on it this past Saturday while looking for a light lunch.  Lucky for us we found just what we were looking for.. minus the 3 glasses of wine I had, which I shouldn't have (I was running a Half-Marathon the next day)  So anyway.. on to the food and wine.  I had a wonderful Nicoise Salad with all the trimmings. The tuna filet was cooked about medium rare.. I had asked for rare.. but whatever.. it was succulent and delicious.  Loved the accompaniments... haricot verts, potatoes, anchovies, cucumber, egg, olives, and mixed greens.  The price was $17.. very fair for this well portioned Brunch item.. The wine.. well.. I love wines from the Southwest region of France and they had a Jurancon Sec which I had with my salad.. Intense yet subtle jasmines and honeysuckle.  For desert I ordered the cheese plate, which I was not highly impressed.. The cheeses were average.. brie, goat, Roquefort, and a cheddar type. Unfortunately they were too cold, although the Roquefort was the best of the bunch.  With the cheese I drank a Grenache.. bold but too heavy.  I must mention Sebastian our waiter.. Not french (actually half Japanese, half Philippine) .. but so pleasant and quite fun to chat with.  Jennifer had a sorbet for desert which was beautifully presented. Loved the meringue on the top and bottom.  So glad we stopped in and found Sebastian at Jeanne & Gaston!!

City Cafe- Eager Street Baltimore, MD

Here's the thing.. City Cafe is good. Very Good. The food is very good, the service is very good. It's just I went to NYC for three days right after dining there.. so that raises the bar. 

I started at the bar (surprise, surprise).  I had a Stoli martini straight up, a little bit dirty, with olives and onions.  Happy hour apps at the bar are half price so I ordered the Chick Pea Hummus with Edamame and Avocado. Served with baguette for 5 bucks this was an excellent choice.  When I asked if I could buy extra bread for the app the bartender was very nice and said I could HAVE it.. I like that cause it really irks me when restaurants nickel and dime you for stupid stuff.  The scene at the bar was pretty cool. Lots of regulars schmoozing. Fun, casual atmosphere..
Now for Dinner..  my friend Fran met me around 6pm and we headed upstairs for our table.  Our server  Danny (a girl) was extra nice and very efficient.  We shared a Caesar salad which the kitchen split for us without us asking. Liked that.  I had a Kurabuta Pork Chop, which was very good.. My mistake of ordering it medium when Danny had said she suggested Medium Rare.. It's just that I work at a restaurant, Christopher Daniel, and our medium is slightly pink when we serve the same chop.. so I was afraid it would be rarer than that.. either way.. the chop here was good, although I should have gone medium rare.  It came with some sort of hash browns, which were ok, but nothing special..  I had a Layer Cake Cabernet with my dinner and that was a great fit.  Fran ordered her Ahi Tuna medium well and the waitress was very kind about letting her substitute the accompanying vegetables for other choices.

Not a cheap place by any means but not terrible either.. The salad was very reasonable at 6 or 7 dollars. My chop was 26 and my wine was 11 a glass.  And then.. we were off to the theatre to see Addams Family!!

Loco Hombre - Roland Avenue, Baltimore

I'm a little embarrassed that we ate here mainly because its so passe.. but if nothing else.. the food was good.   The Cesar salad was tasty and a generous portion.. also I think it was only 7 bucks, but one thing that irked me was the $2.00 additional charge for anchovies. Really? Anchovies? I know they aren't using high end expensive anchovies at Loco Hombre. please.

 You can sit in the Loco Hombre side or the Alonso side of the restaurant.  If you arent familiar with these establishments allow me to give you a bit of history.  Back in the day, when I was in high school, Alonsos was the place to go for a burger.  I used to go with my parents and they would let me drink beer. Loved it.!  When Classic Caterers took over they moved the pre-existing Loco Hombre in the space adjacent to Alonsos.  Loco Hombre was the it place for Mexican in the 90's.. Don't know what happened but its not IT anymore.

 I had the humongous Alonso burger with blue cheese and sauteed mushrooms and they used portabellas. I ate half the burger and alot of the fries.  Jim had a chicken fajita with all the trimmings. It sizzled when served and the sides were fresh and tasty.  Not much ambiance anymore in this "has been" establishment, but like I said, the food holds its own.  Service was friendly and accommodating but nothing outrageous.