Category Archives: American

Johnny Rad’s Pizzeria Tavern (2108 Eastern Ave.)

The next stop on the journey of GoodEats features a Baltimore favorite and a favorite of celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Johnny Rad’s Pizzeria Tavern made its national debut on Food Network’s hit television show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” last November. Since the debut, the restaurant has been buzzing with patrons wanting to have a slice of its famous Neapolitan style thin-crust pizza, which was exactly what brought me through the doors last Friday.

Located in the Upper Fells Point neighborhood off Eastern Avenue, Johnny Rad’s is a little corner pizzeria. Get here early on the weekends; parking can be quite a hassle. We had to drive around for a few minutes before finding an open spot on the road. Once inside, the restaurant lived up to all expectations from the show. The restaurant is just “cool.” Skateboards plastered all over the walls, a few retro pinball machines and a busy bar right when you walk in.

The menu is as cool and hip as the décor. Obviously, right when we were seated, our eyes went to the pizza section, trying to pinpoint the one Guy Fieri was scarfing down.

Before we ordered our pizza, we wanted to get started with something off the “bar fare” section of the menu. The risotto balls ($8) are what Fieri sampled and were instantly suggested to us. We wanted to try something a little different, however, and decided to order the fried edamame ($4), a simple twist on a staple of Japanese cuisine. The edamame were great, crunchy and perfectly salted.

Each pizza has two options, either a 12 or 16-inch pie. Go with the bigger one, you’ll want more. We went with the Trainwreck ($11/$16), a thin crust pizza topped with tomato sauce, mushrooms, baby spinach, black olives, olive oil, fresh mozzarella and sea salt (that was a mouthful to say). The pizza was fantastic and featured such crunchy crust with bubbly cheese and delicious toppings. Our waitress also suggested the pesto vitello ($10/$15) served with pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. If none of the premade pizza suggestions interest you, you can always create your own pizza with as many veggies, meats, cheeses and vegan meats as you’d like.

The menu also featured huge salads and mouth-watering sandwiches. The cheesesteak ($9) and Dogtown Special ($8) looked the best. The Dogtown Special was two quarter-pound all-beef hotdogs served on a pretzel bun.

Johnny Rad’s was fantastic, a cool restaurant, with helpful staff and amazing food. Where could you go wrong? It even has vegetarian and vegan alternatives.

I hope you all enjoy Johnny Rad’s as much as I did. Until next time, I wish you GoodEats!

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Pete’s Grille (3130 Greenmount Ave)

Tucked away off of York Road is where the next GoodEats location lives. Pete’s Grille is a 28-seat counter serving up huge portions for a fraction of the cost. For over 50 years now, Pete’s Grille has served up breakfast and lunch to hungry diners. Open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. daily, this restaurant is worth waking up early for.

The restaurant is small and with only 28 seats available, on weekends you should expect a wait. Once seated and greeted, making the decision between breakfast or lunch takes effect. Pete’s is known for their fluffy pancakes topped with blueberries or chocolate chips. They are also known for their huge hand-patted burgers.

Lucky for you all, I was able to enjoy both breakfast and lunch. For breakfast I highly recommend the blueberry pancakes. Huge, fluffy pancakes topped with blueberry compote. The blueberries aren’t overly sweet and compliment the pancakes perfectly. The omelets are massive as well, topped with whatever you like, and the home fries served with the eggs are fantastic. They are perfectly seasoned and crispy.

Western omelette and blueberry pancakes. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Western omelette and blueberry pancakes. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

As for lunch, you have to go with a burger. Whether you like just a plain burger or something a little fancier, the patty, hand packed and grilled to your liking, made it delicious no matter what toppings you choose. I went with the patty melt topped with caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island on rye bread. It’s a great version of an American classic. Make sure to also take a look at the daily specials; a lot of them are delicious for not a lot of coin.

Pete's Grille famous patty melt. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Pete’s Grille famous patty melt. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with Pete’s Grille. Pete’s provides big portions, big flavors and does so at a reasonable price. Remember, they are only open until 1 p.m. on Sundays (only breakfast served on Sundays) and 1:15 p.m. every other day. Also, Pete’s only accepts cash so make sure to stop by the ATM before heading down York road. 

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

– Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Parts & Labor (2600 N. Howard Street)

Woodberry Kitchen’s Spike and Amy Gjerde have struck gold again with their whole animal butchery shop Parts & Labor. Keeping with their locally sustained philosophy, Parts & Labor sources whole animals to break down in their in-house butchery. The restaurant’s menu changes daily depending on what meats are available.

The restaurant itself was very cozy and intimate. Huge communal tables fill the majority of the restaurant, allowing guests to sit together and enjoy one another’s company. The only downfall of an open communal style restaurant is the noise, as the restaurant got loud during parts of the dinner. One side of the restaurant has booths and the other side includes a beautiful bar and my favorite part, the open kitchen. The kitchen isn’t what you would imagine. At Parts & Labor the majority of the cooking is done on an open flame. The grilling of the meats, the sautéing of vegetables and preparation of side dishes are also done on the open flame. The cooking method made the food and experience that much better.

The daily beer flight offered by Parts & Labor. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The daily beer flight offered by Parts & Labor. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The menu itself was broken down into “snacks” or appetizers, salads, dry-aged butcher’s cuts, varieties, sausages and sides. The menu was extensive to say the least. With a binge meat-eating mentality we got started with the house made charcuterie (hand smoked and cured meats). Featured that night were several different cuts of beef, pork and wild boar.

The hardest part came when choosing what cut of meat to get for my main course. With all the different types of meats, it was hard narrowing down my decision. Among my top choices were the 6oz Skirt Steak ($19) cooked to medium, Cast Iron Chicken ($18) with boneless breast and chicken thigh and Sour Beef Short Ribs ($26). The short ribs are what I ultimately went with and was extremely impressed. The entrée was served with Spätzle (a German pasta side dish) and root vegetables.

The skirt steak served on a garlic herb sauce. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The skirt steak served on a garlic herb sauce. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Sour short rib. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Sour short rib. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Our party, staying with the communal theme, decided to split most dishes. We also ordered the house spicy sausage ($9) served with strong grainy mustard, grilled pork belly served with house coleslaw. The food was amazing, both flavorful and filling. By far my favorite selection was the sausage which was perfectly cooked and extremely flavorful.

Daily spicy sausage. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Daily spicy sausage. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The food, drinks and ambiance of Parts & Labor made for a fun and enjoyable night out. I was thoroughly impressed. For those of you who are looking for a great piece of meat look no further.

I highly recommend making a reservation; Parts & Labor is not even a year old.

 

Hope you enjoy.

 

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander. 

B&O American Brasserie

I found the next restaurant on my list of GoodEats nestled in the Hotel Monaco of Baltimore. B&O American Brasserie is cleverly named after the prior owners of the building: The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Headquarters.

With a clever chef and a supporting staff, B&O Brasserie has been moving up in the Baltimore restaurant scene.

Executive Chef Michael Ransom, originally from Chicago, takes his spin on the restaurant’s coastal-influenced menu. Chef Ransom is relatively new to Baltimore. He just recently moved from San Francisco.

Chef Ransom rolled out his new seasonal menu in the middle of October, featuring about 30 different menu items. The menu highlights fresh seafood, creative brick oven flatbread combinations and beautiful cuts of meat. Chef Ransom says he was inspired by how food has evolved over the years.

The restaurant currently serves breakfast five days a week, lunch daily, dinner daily, brunch on the weekends and a happy hour menu during the weekdays.

The lunch menu. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The lunch menu. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

I had to try B&O for myself, so I took a trip downtown Thursday for lunch. The restaurant offers valet parking (only $5 with validation), which is so convenient not having to deal with busy Charles Street. Once inside, the architecture did all the talking. The restaurant just felt historic but with nice contemporary and modern notes.

For lunch, I started with Cheddar Fondue ($11) off of the “Starters” menu. The dish was huge, definitely enough to share. The starter included a smoky cheese fondue with a hoppy taste (Chef used Lefthand Milk Stout) and handfuls of homemade kettle-style potato chips.

Cheddar Fondue. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Cheddar Fondue. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Also off of the same menu, I tried the PEI Mussels ($12). These were amazing. PEI, an acronym for Prince Edward Island, a Canadian province, is where the restaurant sources these mollusks. The mussels were served with huge sausage balls, a chili-yuzu butter and Allagash White Ale. The broth was comforting and spicy at the same time. It was definitely a favorite of the meal.

PEI Mussels. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

PEI Mussels. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

For my main dish, I had the choice of brick oven flatbread, salads, or sandwiches. With recommendation from the chef, I went with the Pressed Cubano ($15). The sandwich was huge. I couldn’t believe it was a lunch portion and served with a side (hand-cut fries, potato salad, or mixed greens). The sandwich had spicy braised pork, shaved ham, sweet pickles, Swiss cheese and spicy mustard. Napkins are a must for this sandwich.

Pressed Cubano served with mixed greens. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Pressed Cubano served with mixed greens. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

A Cheeseburger ($15) with a bacon jam, Maryland Crab Cake Sandwich ($19) and a braised pit beef sandwich ($13) were also featured on the lunch menu.

I’ll have to go back and see a dinner service, but I was thoroughly impressed during my visit.

Hope you all have a chance to make it out to the brasserie.

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Fleet Street Kitchen

There are a few restaurants in Baltimore that always top my list when people ask for recommendations. These restaurants are typically very modern with absolutely incredible food. They really capture the Baltimore dining scene. One of these restaurants near the top of that list is Fleet Street Kitchen, a favorite of mine since the first time I went there to eat. I am amazed at the beautiful plates, the modern décor and the all around knowledgeable and friendly staff.

On Dec. 9, I had the pleasure of being invited back to Fleet Street Kitchen to welcome in their new executive chef, Michael Correll. Correll was already working for the Bagby Restaurant Group for their Towson location, Cunninghams. Chef Correll put together a tasting menu featuring some of the freshest and most exquisite pairings.

The tasting menu and table setting. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The tasting menu and table setting. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The evening began with a Fluke Crudo, a thinly sliced piece of raw white fish served with poppy seed, caviar and buttermilk. At first I was nervous eating the raw fish, but the caviar and buttermilk sauce complimented the tender pieces of fish so nicely.

Fluke Crudo. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Fluke Crudo. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Next was one of my favorite courses: the house made Pumpkin Agnolotti. A very tender ravioli esque noodle stuffed with pumpkin and served with brown butter, sage, a tart preserved meyer lemon and black winter truffles. It has always been a dream of mine to sample black truffles and they definitely lived up to all the hype. They perfectly complimented the dish and added a nutty taste.

Pumpkin Agnolotti. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Pumpkin Agnolotti. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The third course served was a beautiful piece of Halibut. The firm filet was served with glazed baby carrots, kale and this decadent hazelnut butter. The hazelnut butter stole the show; I wanted to spread this butter on bread. It was nutty and just perfectly balanced the dish.

Roasted Halibut. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Roasted Halibut. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Meat came next on the tasting menu. A rare piece of Beef Strip Loin served on a bed of potato gnocchi, black trumpet mushroom, broccoli and peanuts. The loin was cooked beautifully and paired so perfectly with the tender gnocchi.

Beef Strip Loin. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Beef Strip Loin. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Feeling ten pounds heavier and with four courses completed, we moved to dessert. Prepared for us was a beautifully plated Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with the first of the season blood orange gelée. One dessert wasn’t enough. A Honeycrisp Apple Napoleon was also brought out. Almond pecan granola and a tart granny smith apple sorbet paired perfectly with the sweet crème of the Napoleon. It was an absolutely perfect way to finish this meal.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

A huge kudos to Chef Correll and his staff. His technique and creativity will be a perfect fit for Fleet Street Kitchen.

 

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Sobo Café (6 W. Cross Street)

Federal Hill is known for their neighborhood restaurants flooded up and down the streets.

Any type of cuisine can be found here, from grilled cheese, seafood, pizza and everything else. With so many restaurants at your disposal the same question always pops up. How good can the food actually be? I know this may surprise you all but for the most part the restaurants of Federal Hill are all genuinely delicious.

Enough about the area, the main reason for this edition of GoodEats is to highlight a wonderful Cafe I had the pleasure of enjoying this past weekend.

Sobo Café located right in the heart of Federal Hill is the next stop on the GoodEatsMD tour. So, I ask you all to sit back and enjoy because this place was a real treat.

Nestled right off of Cross Street, the café is a block away from the iconic Cross Street Market. I was in search of a great lunch and Sobo Café was exactly that. The restaurant is small and lived up to that café feel; with a bar right as you walked in and a few tables spread around the rest of the café.

Being 2 p.m. on a Friday, the café was nearly empty. Don’t let that fool you, during dinner shifts and brunch the restaurant fills up quickly, so make sure to make a reservation by calling 410-752-1518 or through the OpenTable App.

The lunch menu, served weekdays from 11:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m., was simple. It was broken down into spreads, salad & soups, non-sandwich, and sandwich.

My friend and I started off with three spreads served with crostini and vegetables ($15). Our choices were House Smoked Salmon with goat cheese and fresh herbs, rosemary hummus with a preserved lemon oil and spicy feta with roasted garlic and jalapeno. The spreads were a perfect way to get the meal started. The platter included crostini (crunch pieces of bread), sliced carrots and cucumbers and my favorite of the plate, the pickled vegetables, which were such a nice addition. The spreads were also served by themselves or as a combination of all four.

The three spread starter. Dips, from left to right: Hummus, Smoked Salmon and Feta. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The three spread starter. Dips, from left to right: Hummus, Smoked Salmon and Feta. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

For lunch I had to go with the SoBo Burger ($12). It caught my eye since the minute I sat down and I couldn’t be swayed. The burger started with Creekstone Farms Angus beef topped with applewood smoked bacon, roasted tomatoes, lettuce, cheddar, a house mayo and all on a house made roll. Try and say that three times fast. The burger was amazing. The burger was juicy and tender.

The Sobo Burger served with a house salad. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The Sobo Burger served with a house salad. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

My friend went with the French Dip ($11). Tender roast beef, caramelized onions and provolone cheese stacked this sandwich high. Our waitress made the decision harder by recommending the Bacon Flatbread ($9) accompanied by dates, goat cheese, onions and sage garlic spread. Also, the Mac-n-Cheese ($9) topped with cheddar cheese and tomatoes.

The French Dip served with pasta salad. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The French Dip served with pasta salad. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The food was delicious, the ambiance was fun and relaxing and the service was fantastic. So next time you’re in the area, make sure to give Sobo Café a try.

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

Edited by Jared Kurlander.



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Blue Hill Tavern (938 South Conkling Street)

This weekend I was in search of a fancier restaurant in Baltimore. Before a decision could be made, the restaurant had to meet a few criteria: a cool/chic décor, an interesting menu and not a chain restaurant. With these three factors in mind and some help from Baltimore Magazines 50 Best Restaurants, I chose Blue Hill Tavern.

Nestled in the heart of Canton, Baltimore Blue Hill Tavern illuminates the night sky with a bluish tint. The restaurant is beautiful. A central host stand is situated right in front of the doors with tables around it and a bar to the immediate right. The tavern is two floors with more elegant table settings upstairs and another bar at the back of the second floor. The dimly lit dining room and beautiful paintings strategically placed around the restaurant set the setting for a delicious meal.

The Blue Hill Tavern. Photo by City Paper.

The Blue Hill Tavern. Photo by City Paper.

The thing that always amazes me about nicer restaurants is the knowledge and all-around service of the front-of-house staff. The extremely helpful and polite waiter to the constant attention from the bus boys made the experience all that much more enjoyable.

Now, to the second criteria: the menu. The menu was beautiful, broken down into appetizers, salads, brick oven pizzas, mains and extras. I was overwhelmed with the appetizers. They all looked to die for. I was recommended to get either the Mussels (which are a daily special and were a Mediterranean rendition with feta, olives and roasted red peppers) or the Rabbit Empanadas ($12). Being the adventurous foodie that I am, I went with the empanadas. I mean, how many times in your lifetime are you going to be able to eat rabbit? After a few deep breaths and a couple pictures of the beautifully prepared appetizer, I dug in. The rabbit was tender as can be and had a kind of smoky flavor from the red wine braising process. It was definitely a great way to start off the meal.

Rabbit Empanadas. Photo by Taylor Seidel/ TU Student.

Rabbit Empanadas. Photo by Taylor Seidel/ TU Student.

With such a refined and seasonal menu, choosing a main entrée always presents an issue for me. You know that all of the selections are going to be delicious. I always like to try something different, so I narrowed it down to Half Duck Two Way ($24), whole Bronzino ($28) and the Seared Salmon ($25). My waiter guided me towards the duck and I could not be happier with the decision. The duck was prepared as both a seared breast and a confit leg and thigh (confit refers to cooking the meat in its own fat). The confit was some of the most succulent and juicy meat I have ever had. The duck was served with a crispy polenta cake, braised kale and a tart blueberry demi glaze. We also got the Surf and Turf ($27), which was a beautiful petit filet mignon paired with an all-lump crabmeat crab cake.

Duck Two Ways. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student

Duck Two Ways. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student

The food was delicious. The executive chef is a genius, pairing different flavors together to form beautiful dishes. Blue Hill Tavern exceeded all expectations.

Enjoy everyone! And above all, if you go out to enjoy a meal, be adventurous and try something different. I promise you, especially at a nicer restaurant, the pairings may be off but they always result in GoodEats.

 

Make sure to follow GoodEatsMD on both Twitter and Instagram.

 

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

 

 

 

-Edited by Jared Kurlander

Cunningham’s (1 Olympic Place)

This past Thursday, a few friends and I decided to try a nicer restaurant for one of our friend’s birthday. The choice was easy: Cunningham’s. Cunningham’s is relatively new to the Towson area and adds a more upscale feel to the community.

Located right off of York Road accessible from the roundabout, the restaurant is easily spotted from the street. The restaurant is beautiful, with a huge dining room and an open kitchen giving the diner a sneak peak at the magic. Cunningham’s menu is full of farm favorites, featuring menu items picked at the peak of their flavor, freshness and nutritional content.

The menu is broken down into four different main sections: table, appetizers, entrees and sides. Our waiter suggested the housemade charcuterie ($15), which features fresh cured meats and cheeses served to share. The Steak Tartare ($12) was unanimously decided by the table. The dish featured a tartare with chimichuri, quail egg and burgundy truffle, served with a few kettle chips to bring it all together. It was exquisite. Our table also tried the Pork Belly and Shrimp Dumplings (light dumplings with a salsa verde dipping sauce) ($9). These were by far the best starter. I also highly recommend taking a look at the flatbreads, they are huge and plenty to share. We went with a Housemade Chorizo ($12), featuring pickled shallots, grilled scallions and mozzarella.

Choosing a main course at a fancier restaurant is always tough. Cunningham’s entrée menu was refined and all looked delicious. The big decision was meat or fish. I personally like to try something a little different so the decision was between the Pan Roasted Halibut ($27) and Pan Seared Rockfish ($27). With some help from our server I went with the rockfish, which had a tomato, zucchini and squash puree served beneath it. The fish was tender, yet still had a perfectly crispy and seared skin. One of my friends treated himself to the 16oz Creekstone Farm Strip Steak ($42). It was a masterpiece, with huge strips of perfectly juicy meat fanned across a plate. Going a different route, my other friend tried the 14 oz. Pork Chop ($28) and was pleasantly surprised by the flavorful meat.

Pan Seared Rockfish. Photo by Taylor Seidel/ TU Student.

Pan Seared Rockfish. Photo by Taylor Seidel/ TU Student.

Cunningham’s also features a café/bakery around back, which serves breakfast sandwiches and breads, along with lunches. They also feature a full assortment of coffee and espresso drinks. The café is only open until 5 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. on weekends.

Cunningham’s also features a Sunday brunch prix fixe menu for $30 a person. Additionally, they feature a weekly happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, a half-price wine night on Tuesdays and Neighborhood Night on Sundays that has 20 percent off entrees and bottles of wine.

Whatever your reason for visiting Cunningham’s it’s sure to include some incredible food and fantastic service.

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

My friends and I enjoying Cunningham's. Photo by Taylor Seidel/ TU Student.

My friends and I enjoying Cunningham’s. Photo by Taylor Seidel/ TU Student.

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Papermoon Diner (227 W. 29th Street)

It was a lazy Saturday morning and my roommate and I were looking for somewhere a little different to go eat. I was in the mood for diner fare and didn’t want one of the usual suspects. After some short research, I came across my next GoodEat, Papermoon Diner, in Remington. The website reads, “Comfort food meets a Baltimore twist.” This was all I needed to get into my car and drive the short 15-minute car ride from campus.

I’m going to be honest, the restaurant is funky. The décor is eclectic. Once you open the door to the restaurant you are greeted by a huge collection of Pez dispensers. The dining room brought more surprises. The corner of the room housed dozens of mannequins and baby dolls caged in by the framework. Despite the very strange décor, the food and service was perfect.

The menu was huge and everything on it was screaming my name. I had to narrow it down to breakfast or I would have been looking at the menu for hours. Our waiter pointed out some of his favorites and then the decision was ours. We started off with Charlotte’s Web ($8.95): hand cut French fries drizzled with hearty gravy, Romano cheese and two runny eggs. They were delicious.

Deciding on my main entrée was a difficult decision. Our waiter had suggested the Eggs Benedict, Banana Foster French Toast ($12) and the Vanilla Custard French Toast ($12.5). I went with the Eggs Benedict ($11), which is served with your choice of ham, tomato, spinach, avocado, smoked salmon, or crabmeat. A toasted English muffin topped with poached eggs, avocado, and rich hollandaise sauce made this a scrumptious rendition of a classic. My friend went with the Vanilla Custard French Toast. The plate itself was a spectacle, with pinwheels of colors spewing from the French toast epicenter. The French toast was made with a homemade vanilla curd, blueberry syrup, and fresh blueberries. The dish was so good we were tempted to lick the plate.

Vanilla Custard French Toast. Photo by Taylor Seidel/ TU Student

Vanilla Custard French Toast. Photo by Taylor Seidel/ TU Student

The food, décor and outstanding service made Papermoon Diner a new favorite of mine. Welcome the unconventional décor and you’ll be rewarded with delicious food.

 

Avocado Eggs Benedict. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Avocado Eggs Benedict. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

 

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats.

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Michael’s Cafe (2119 York Road)

Being a newly turned 21-year-old college student, happy hour is something to look forward to. The problem is, Towson University doesn’t have a close-by bar that has great food and great drink specials. Well ladies and gentleman, I am pleased to announce that Michael’s Café is your answer. Having enjoyed this restaurant three separate times, it is safe to say it deserves a spot on my list of GoodEats.

A short 10-minute drive down York Road from campus is what separates you from delicious house prepared menu items. As said before, I am a big fan of happy hour (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.); a restaurant puts together a great menu for discounted prices, what’s not to like about that? Michael’s is no different. They strategically break up their happy hour menu into three different price ranges ($6, $7, and $8). Not only are they cheap, but they also are filling and just plain good.

The happy hour menu includes all different types of food selections. I highly recommend the crab nachos ($8), topped with huge lumps of crabmeat and melted cheese. Also, the Jalapeno Shrimp Ceviche ($8), a perfect blend of acidic and spicy notes. Lastly, I have to highlight the Pulled Pork Tacos ($7), which are just as big in size as they are in flavor.

Now, here is the kicker: Michael’s also has unbelievable lunch and dinner entrees, and brunch (you have to try it once). A few of my now all-time favorites are the Shrimp, Tomato, and Feta Salad ($13.50). The chef stacks the three ingredients, topping it all with light vinaigrette, which is extremely light and refreshing. The Chicken Marsala ($16) is fantastic, sautéed with mushrooms and a tangy marsala sauce. Lastly, being a raw bar, you have to give some credit to the delicious oysters on a half shell ($2 each). The seafood is native to the areas around Maryland and they are deliciously fresh.

If the happy hour and regular menu don’t get you running to your cars to come to Michael’s, then the near-perfect ambiance of a beautiful dining room or enclosed patio/bar should. The food and décor combine for a pleasant dining experience. Please also check out their daily specials. They are amazing!

Hope you all enjoy!

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

This has been an amazing 7 months, thanks for all the support!

Shrimp, Tomato and Feta Salad

Shrimp, Tomato and Feta Salad

Crab Nachos

Crab Nachos

Edited by Jared Kurlander.