The Breakfast Shoppe (552 Richie Highway)

For my next review, I had to refer to my friends over at Zagat for a suggestion. It was a Saturday morning and my mom and I were looking for a great breakfast place we haven’t been to before. After a short couple of minutes researching, I found The Breakfast Shoppe located in Severna Park. Yes, this isn’t in Baltimore per se, but the extra drive is worth every mile. The breakfast is the bomb! My family loved it so much we actually have now gone two weeks in a row (all of you wonderful people following GoodEatsMD on Instagram can attest to that).

The restaurant is located in a strip mall on the far end next to Ledo’s Pizza. The Breakfast Shoppe is only open from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily, so make sure you get there early. With a smaller, powerhouse restaurant that all the locals enjoy, you have to expect a wait, and The Breakfast Shoppe is no different. The wait usually goes by quickly and before you know it, you are enjoying some delicious breakfast favorites.

If you are a coffee drinker that likes fresh brewed coffer, this is your kind of place. Don’t shy away from the fresh squeezed orange juice either.

Let’s not kid anyone though, you are here for the food. So, without further ado, some of my recommendations are the eggs benedict, the pancakes, and the Backpacker’s Pie.

Eggs Benedict, for all you who don’t know, includes a type of bread on the bottom (usually English muffin) topped with either ham or bacon, a poached egg (a boiled cracked egg) and crowned with Hollandaise sauce (egg yolk based sauce). The Breakfast Shoppe has an unbelievable rendition. They actually offer a few different types of eggs benedict. My favorite features smoked salmon.

Next, the pancakes are heavenly – perfectly fluffy and airy. You get huge round pancakes topped with a pad of butter and a ramekin of smooth maple syrup.

The final menu item I want you all to give a try is the Backpacker’s Pie. It sounds a little funky at first glance but it was amazing. The pie includes: eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, peppers, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli and cheddar jack cheese served in a cast iron skillet. It’s a whole mish-mosh of ingredients cooked together and is truly delicious. Take my advice and top it with a couple good shakes of hot sauce and you are set!

Lastly, I have to give a shout-out to the home fries. They are amazing. Nothing is better than perfectly crispy and peppery potatoes that have been slowly cooking all morning. They are amazing and are the perfect side dish.

The Breakfast Shoppe is a true hidden gem that needs to be exploited.

Entrees range from about $8 up $14 depending on what you chose.

Don’t forget to check out my Twitter and Instagram handles at @GoodEatsMD!

The Traditional Eggs Benedict

The Backpacker’s Pie

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Stone Mill Bakery (10751 Falls Road)

An absolute favorite restaurant of mine is the next journey on GoodEats. This Baltimore favorite, located in Green Spring Station, is named, Stone Mill Bakery. Stone Mill Bakery is known for their locally sourced ingredients and fresh products. They strive to use organic, additive free, naturally raised ingredients whenever possible.

Stone Mill Bakery is located inside of Green Spring Station right as you enter the front doors on the right-hand side. The smells and aromas as you enter the restaurant are heavenly. Fresh made bread perfumes the entire place. Once you have reviewed the menu, you approach the cashier to place an order. Please do not disregard the papers floating around detailing the day’s specials, they always have tasty items you should consider. Additionally, take a look at the freshly baked goodies around the register. There is usually at least one treat that catches your eye.

The soups are righteous. The salads are amazing. The sandwiches and wraps are to die for. Whatever you choose will be made exceptionally well. Some of my favorites are the Tuna Melt Sandwich served with homemade chips, the Cobb Salad with fresh roasted turkey and ham, and the Adobo Chicken Wrap featuring spicy house made chicken. The proof is in the taste. You can tell that each item is made fresh with local products. The bite in the bread and flavor truly sets Stone Mill Bakery apart from its competitors.

With growing support and interest, they have expanded the dining area to handle more hungry guests. The increase in demand does slow down the delivery of food. You have to bear with the wait before you can chomp down on some beautifully prepared dishes.

The menu items are a little on the expensive side, ranging from $10 to $16 depending on the choice of salad or sandwich. The price and wait may be on the high end for a bakery, but that is all irrelevant when you taste the food.

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

Can’t get enough GoodEats? Follow us on twitter @GoodEatsMD!

Adobo Chicken Salad

Adobo Chicken Wrap

Tuna Melt Sandwich

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Spice & Dice (1220 E. Joppa Rd)

The next GoodEats spot is a restaurant I stumbled upon via the Zagat website. For all you who don’t know, Zagat is a rating system for restaurants in the Baltimore area and others, that highlights the best attributes. This restaurant I had the pleasure of indulging in scored exceptionally high in all areas (décor, food, service, etc.). So, without further adieu, the restaurant you all are hopefully as interested in as I was: Spice & Dice. This powerhouse is located in a strip mall right off of East Joppa Road.

The restaurant’s décor is just as playful and interesting as the food. Colorful tables and chairs fill the entirety of the dining room. Once seated, you’re greeted by a staff member as eager and excited for you to enjoy this cuisine as you are. A few recommendations and suggestions later, I felt like I had an understanding of the menu.

Spice & Dice prides itself on serving authentic and home cooked Thai meals from family recipes. I’m pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed.

For an appetizer, a friend and I chose to split the Chicken Satay: warm pieces of grilled chicken served on a skewer with a delightful peanut dipping sauce. The waitress also suggested the calamari and the lemongrass soup.

The hard part was choosing a main course from all of the selections. After another suggestion from my waitress, I went with the Cashew Chicken with Pineapple. Let me tell you, it was unbelievable. Think of a delicious lightly fried piece of chicken with a tangy sauce and chunks of pineapples, and cashews to round it out. Out of this world! My friend decided to go with the traditional Pad Thai, which are rice noodles fried in a wok with eggs, scallions, bean sprouts and topped with peanuts. The dish was a true taste of Thai food with a nice Spice & Dice twist.

The food and service were exceptional, and topping it all off was how reasonable the prices were for the huge portions. The main courses ranged from $11 to $18 depending on your choice of meat.

I would go out of my way to enjoy this restaurant. Lucky enough for all of my friends here at Towson University, it is just a short five-minute drive from the campus. Please enjoy everyone!

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

 

Cashew Chicken with Pineapple

Chicken Satay served with a peanut sauce and cucumber salad

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

R&R Taqueria

The next stop on the list of GoodEats is quite the exceptional one. R & R Taqueria is the name, and it’s hands down the Holy Grail for authentic Mexican food lovers. The restaurants original location is off of Washington Boulevard in Elkridge, MD., but recently they expanded to a second location off of Perry Hall Blvd. This was the one I had the pleasure to enjoy.

I have to start this recommendation off by talking about the décor and staff. Located in a beautiful strip mall, the restaurants red an

d green fluorescent sign is hard to miss. Once you open the door, a heavenly aroma fills your nose along with a pleasant greeting from one of the employees. The first thing that catches your eye is the awards scattered on the walls from every big name critic in the area.

The menu is extensive, including both tasty breakfast items with a Mexican flare and a long list of lunch/dinner items. I was directed towards the highlighted items on the menu, which Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives host Guy Fieri indulged in during his visit. There were quite a few highlighted items, but I chose the Carne en Pasilla and Tacos al Pastor. Once my order was placed, I watched the staff start preparing my meal with fresh and house-made ingredients.

After a short ten minute wait my order was finally ready and it looked as good as it smelled. After the first bite of the Carne en Pasilla, I was a changed man. It was perfect, a true symphony of flavors. The meat tasted like it had been slow cooking for hours. I enjoyed each bite as much as the last. The complexity of flavors put my taste buds into a whirlwind.

Secondly, I enjoyed the Tacos al Pastor. I was speechless. It was amazing, with an unbelievable complex combination of flavors and spices all wrapped up into a homemade tortilla.

The whole menu looked so appetizing. The best part about the restaurant is how affordable all of the menu items are. R & R Taqueria was a family-run restaurant exceeded all expectations!

Please give this restaurant a try. It was truly incredible.

Until next time.  I wish you GoodEats!

Barbacoa Taco

R&R Tacos Enchilados

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Pizza John’s (113 Back River Neck Road)

Recently, a friend and I were in the Essex area running errands, when I remembered a restaurant recommended to me not to long ago. Pizza John’s was that restaurants name and it was my next restaurant on GoodEats.

Located just a few minutes from Eastern Avenue, it’ll be tough to miss the gigantic pizza-man structure located in front of the restaurant. This Italian restaurant powerhouse has been family owned since 1966.

Once inside the recently expanded golden restaurant, you approach one of the several registers on the counter to place an order. Everything on the menu is fresh and most of the menu is made in house.

Atop the list of food to try has to be one of their homemade pizzas. You start with fresh dough topped with homemade sauce and fresh grated cheese, along with your choice of any of the ten extra pizza toppings. I recommend trying the sausage pizza with butcher-cut ground nuggets of deliciousness.

Another menu item worth a try is the Italian cheesesteak, which blends a fresh, crunchy submarine roll with ground butcher grade beef and your cheese of choice. This was quite the enjoyable cheesesteak.

A landmark of Baltimore and a favorite of the Essex community, this is a fantastic Italian restaurant.

Please Enjoy!

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats

Cheese steak sub on house made sub roll.

Homemade cheese pizza topped with ground sausage.

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Tamber’s Restaurant (3327 St. Paul Street)

Are you in the mood for traditional Indian food or classic American cuisine? Well, I have the restaurant for you.  If you answered yes, or you’re just looking for some amazing food, then check out Tambers Restaurant in Charles Village.  Nestled off of St. Paul Street in downtown Baltimore, this fifties inspired diner-esque restaurant has been satisfying people since 1991.  The only restaurant in Baltimore that serves both Indian cuisine and western classics, you are sure to find something appetizing.

Tambers is highlighted by authentic Indian classics done the right way.  Their chicken tikka masala with perfectly blended chunks of chicken and a silky aromatic masala sauce competes with some of the best I’ve ever had.  For you adventurous types, I suggest any of the Tandoori dishes.  These meats are marinated in aromatic spices and cooked in a traditional clay oven, trapping all of the juices inside.  Whichever Indian delicacy you choose, please (I beg you) get a side of naan bread.  This soft, yet crunchy flatbread is the perfect vessel for mopping up the delectable sauces.

I know there are some of you not up to the idea of trying Indian food. Lucky for you, Tambers has an extensive American menu.  The menu features all different types of subs, sandwiches, burgers, salads, and countless other American favorites.  I highly recommend the chicken or lamb gyro; a perfectly warm pita with thick strips of juicy meat, topped with a creamy tzatziki sauce and a combination of tomato and red onion.  The meatball sub and cheesesteak were both enormous and looked unbelievable.

Whatever you are in the mood for is sure to be delicious.  Be adventurous and try something different, you will be pleasantly surprised!

 

Until next time.  I wish you GoodEats!

Chicken Gyro with tzatziki sauce, red onion and tomato

Chicken Tikka Masala

 

 

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Bread and Circuses Bistro (401 Delaware Avenue)

Among the list of GoodEats, comes the quaint bistro tucked away in uptown Towson.  Bread and Circuses Bistro is located off of Delaware Avenue easily accessible from York Road.  Known for their contemporary American cuisine and 1920s-esque décor, this is a restaurant to definitely try.

This quirkily designed restaurant has a full-service bar accompanied by a slender table filled dining room.  Each table is placed close together with white tablecloths and a candle to light the dim dining room.  Plastered on the walls are modern and historic paintings highlighting Baltimore, illuminated by the array of Christmas lights dangling from the ceiling.

The menu is extensive and constantly changes throughout the day.  Bread and Circuses offers three different menus for brunch, lunch and dinner.  In addition, to the regular menu be sure to check out the daily specials whipped up daily by the head chef.

I highly recommend one of the salads all made with fresh ingredients and topped with your choice of protein.  Any of the sandwiches are beautifully crafted and create a perfect balance for you to indulge in.  Ultimately, whatever your fancy, you are more than likely going to love your choice.

The décor, food and extremely pleasant staff is a recipe for success.  Bread and Circuses was definitely a GoodEat.

Until next time.  I wish you GoodEats!

A warm dip featuring: crab, shrimp, scallops, tomato, corn and cheese. Accompanied by warm pita and veggies.

Steamed mussels in a garlic and white wine sauce.

Edited by Jared Kurlander. 

Chaps Charcoal Restaurant (5801 Pulaski Hwy)

Hopefully by now you have all tried or at least thought of going to one of my recommended GoodEats. If you haven’t, I have the perfect restaurant for you all to give a try: Chaps Charcoal Restaurant. This shack of a restaurant is a dream come true for those who adore barbecue food. Located right off of Pulaski Highway in Baltimore, you have to keep your eyes open or you’ll miss this food paradise.

Once your car is in park, you are overwhelmed with this beautiful symphony of smells. You open the door to small shack which comprises this award winning restaurant and are immediately met by a line of people all waiting for that same glorious smoked food.  As you wait in line, you are overwhelmed by the countless pictures of celebrities enjoying Chap placed throughout the restaurant.

The menu is long and extensive, full of flavorful combinations. Everything on the menu is sure to take you to flavor town. My recommendation is to go with any of the combination sandwiches, more meat for you to enjoy! The subs with the original names are sure to leave you wanting more. Don’t hesitate to order any of the classic barbecue sides, which are all made in house.

Finally, you get up to line and are greeted by someone from the one of the friendliest staffs I’ve come across. You place your order, but all thats going through your mind is the heavenly sights and smells.

Your number is called and you’re one step closer to this masterpiece. But be sure not to forget to get a healthy amount of homemade barbecue sauce and Tiger Sauce (a creamy horseradish sauce), both incredible. The only thing left to do is find an empty table and start feasting. The tastes and flavors are an explosion in your mouth.

If this isn’t enough to get you out of your homes and driving right to Chaps, than the countless awards and food celebrity reviews should put you over the edge. The City Paper has been raving about Chaps since 1991. Guy Fieri of The Food Networks Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and Adam Richman of Travel Channel have both included Chaps in their hit television shows.

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

The Richwich (named after Adam Richman) including corned beef, beef, turkey, and sausage.

The Raven including beef, corned beef, and turkey.

Edited by Jared Kurlander

The Dizz (300 W. 30th Street)

This quirky dive bar was my next stop on my list of GoodEats.  Located right off of 30th street in Baltimore, this restaurant will keep you wanting more.  The word quirky is defined as “an unexpected turn or twist.”  Trust me The Dizz is definitely unexpected.  When you walk in, all you can notice is the wide array of photos, ranging from historic Baltimore pictures, to Baltimore sports team and past celebrities. Then come the Christmas lights headlining the dim dining room, always on no matter the season.  All that comprises this dive is a few tables on the bottom floor, a few additional upstairs and a long straight lined bar in the front of the restaurant.

Though the restaurant is small, the food does not disappoint, highlighted by their famous burgers. The first thing that catches your eye on the appetizer list has to be the mac n’ cheese bites (deep fried balls of gooey mac n cheese) and the crab pretzel (exactly what it sounds like, a soft-pretzel topped with cheesy homemade crab dip).    The next thing I have to talk about was has to be the other sandwiches on the menu.  Recommended was the French Dip Sandwich (roast beef with melted provolone and served with house made au jus). All of the salads won’t disappoint

Next, it’s only right to mention the undeniably outrageously good list of burgers.  They are all hand packed and served on a huge sesame bun with lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo. There are a slew of different types of burgers to choose from.  Lets see…. To start off, I would have to recommend the Chesapeake Burger, which comes with crab dip and cheddar cheese, or the Brandied Pepper Burger with pepper rub, bacon and provolone cheese. Recommended to myself and acclaimed as the most decadent is the Italian burger with fresh mozzarella, dressing, and roasted red peppers. Whatever your fancy, all of The DIzz’s burgers are sure to make the next bite better than the last.

Please enjoy.  This restaurant is the epitome of GoodEats.  Once you’ve enjoyed The Dizz, you’ll be soon back!

Until next time.  I wish you GoodEats!

Black and Bleu Burger – blackening spices, bacon, and bleu cheese

Chesapeake Burger – crab dip and cheddar cheese.

Charcoal Deli (22 Church Lane)

The next undiscovered restaurant on the list of GoodEats is Charcoal Deli.  This barbecue hot spot is located right off of York Road past Cranbrook Road.  A simple shack and renovated pool house is all that comprises this amazing restaurant.

As you wait on the open porch for your food to be made, all you can think about is the unbelievable barbecue being prepared. The food is nicely wrapped in tin foil as to seal in all the juices, then you proceed to take your food to either one of the outside benches or to the renovated pool house.

The food is highlighted by the award-winning pit beef, dubbed “Baltimore’s Best”, served in “regular” and “colossal” sizes. The pit turkey and pit ham are also to die for.  Charcoal Deli also features a wide array of barbecue favorites including burgers, barbecue chicken and pork baby back ribs.

If you aren’t feeling a sandwich or something listed previously, then I have to recommend the wings.  They are absolutely amazing.  They are hand smoked and then finished on the grill. The wings are served in a variety of sauces including spicy buffalo, cajun and my absolute favorite, the Old Bay wings.  Also, all of the sides are made fresh in house.  The hand cut fries are on a completely different level, both crispy and salty. They are unbelievable.

Please enjoy. Charcoal Deli does barbecue justice!

Until next time.  I wish you GoodEats!

Pit turkey served on a huge kaiser roll.

Old Bay wings served with Bleu Cheese dressing.

Baltimore’s Best pit beef