Zack's Hotdogs

While exploring our new neighborhood in White Marsh (and making a side trip to Ulta and Omaha Steaks) we stumbled into a hot dog joint.

This is a tiny place tucked into the strip of White Marsh town center and offers a wide variety of hot dog goodness. The biggest bonus for this place however was the condiments table. BACON IS A CONDIMENT.

The dogs were fantastic. Dave got his usual regular with relish and mustard (and BACON) and I got a chili cheese (death for Crohn's ugh, I was so sick but it was kinda worth it) and the dogs were FAB.

Dave also got some mac and cheese for a side, which was kinda gross I'm sorry to say. It was goopy, thick and tasteless.

The staff working was incredibly friendly and the dogs were fresh and hot and very good. This place is a good pit stop for a long day of shopping. (it's also near a cold stone, so dessert isn't far away...nomnomnom)

Overall, 3 noms!

Martha and Mary's

Armed with another Groupon, we set out from Towson (did you know that AMC theaters has $5 movies if you get moving before noon? How awesome is that?) to hit up Martha and Mary's Bistro.

Pulling into the parking lot we saw a newly built restaurant complete with umbrella-ed outdoor seating. There were quite a few customers enjoying the fabulous weather outdoors munching away happily on fries, salads and sandwiches. Hopeful, we walked in.

To a disaster.

The huge LCD tv screens meant for their menu was frozen, locked on breakfast at 1:30 in the afternoon. Kids were screaming and stampeding about. The tables were jam-packed with families and we stood there hopelessly looking for any sort of lunch related menu. Finally we spotted a stack up by the cash register. We spent a few minutes looking over an expansive menu (they have everything from fried clams to pizza and sandwiches, soups, salads and tons of delicious looking desserts). Then we stepped up to the register to order.

After about 10 minutes of standing there one of the teenagers came up to take our order. Presenting her with two Groupons, we needed to divide our check. We placed our order and she asked for assistance from the manager on inputting everything to allow us the use of both Groupons. She was pleasant and friendly the whole time. We paid, she stood there. We asked for cups, she gave them to us. We got our drinks and I pointed out the obvious problem of "How will they know what food is ours and how will we know what food is ours?" So we asked, she handed us a table marker with "66" on it and the manager quipped "You're number one!". We immediately took sanctuary outside, away from all the tiny people.

Once we were in a calmer, quieter environment we started to remark on the place. It was clean (plus) the food looked really good (plus plus) the staff was friendly (plus plus plus). We also noticed that this place was in total chaos. I have to ask, how long has Martha and Mary's been open? It appeared they were on day 2 and the staff was in total disarray (also completely staffed by what appeared to be 14 year-olds except for the manager and some cooks). It did not appear that anyone really knew what they were supposed to be doing, and then add to that that the place was packed. Really packed. (In fact, we waited until after we ate and it had thinned out a little to take the pictures)

Despite all of this, our food came out very quickly and was hot and delicious. The menu is simple so you won't find elegant elaborate meals here, but it's all really good. It's inexpensive (which is probably the appeal to all of those families we saw) and it's fun. Decorated in bright colors and kid friendly-chalk menu, you can see the appeal to people with kids.

My cheeseburger sliders were wonderful. Topped with american cheese, grilled onions, pickles and ketchup and mustard on a toasted bun, the flavors went really well together. Dave got the Chicken Caesar wrap and an order of fried clams with fries. The clams were fabulous (not chewy but tender and crispy) and his wrap was excellent. Crisp lettuce, juicy chicken and tangy dressing.

I do recommend trying this place out. The menu is really good, the food is good, the staff is nice. However, go at a time where you won't be interfering with family lunch time. Like, 2:30 -4 in the afternoon. Or any day where school is happening and the kids will be there. Unless you have kids, then by all means go at any time and enjoy.

3 Noms

Dave's 2 Cents:

Infested with children, this place is. Did I step into Chuck E. Cheese by accident? Nope, no pool of plastic balls. Were the patrons annoying? yes. Was the front of the house staffed by just-turned teenagers? YES. Is the food good though? Hells Yes!

After selling over 1000++ groupons a few weeks ago, I am sure this place has been inundated with new customers and swarms of penny pinchers. With that being said, this is the only negative. The food was Fast, hot, delicious. I got a Fried Clam appetizer, piping hot, not chewy at all (chewy=freezer burn). I also ordered a Chicken Caeser wrap, which was very nicely seasoned, and not too much dressing.

All in all, this place really is great. We will be retuning again for Breakfast. Evidently this place has signature breakfast pizzas that bring people from all over. NOM NOM!!!

Stewart's Rootbeer

We are reviewing this place for these reasons:

• This old-time drive in type place is incredibly hard to find
• It's been owned by the same family for 60 years
• the same guy has been working there for over 40 years
• it's only open during the summer
• they has root beerz on tap!!!

Dave loves several things: me, dogs, Halo, naps and most importantly: hot dogs and root beer. In that order. When we drove by this place one day and saw it was open we nearly drove through the cement highway divider to get in there. Dave was so excited. They pour their root beer (or cream ale) into frosted mugs and everything is made fresh, by hand in the kitchen.

And everything is delicious. Dave devoured several corn dogs, while I face-planted into a double cheeseburger hot mess. It was heaven. The burger fell apart in my hands leaving me with mayo covered mitts and a clown-style smile of mustard and ketchup.

We highly recommend, nay, COMMAND you visit this place when they open next spring. Say hi to the friendly staff, sit back and enjoy several frosty mugs of rootbeer then raid the fridge on your way out and take home a few 4 packs of Stewarts fine beverages. Honestly, a must.

5 NOMS!

Dave's 2 Cents:

Many years ago, before I-95 came along, Route 40 used to be a booming highway. As you exit downtown Baltimore and drive East on 40, you can just imagine how grand a roadway this area was. Hotel shells line the street, which were once booming with people, after all this was the only way to Delaware and Atlantic City before 95 came along.

Out from the rubble though, stands a classic gem that has stood the test of time. Stewart's root beer. Once a prevalent franchise spread up and down the east coast, this is the last Stewart's store front in Maryland. As a matter of fact, it's the last of its kind in the Mid- Atlantic. If you want to travel inland, the Midwest has a few in northern Ohio, and the next closest one is in Camden County, New Jersey. I know that spot well, as i spent the first 10 years of my life right down the road from the "Drive in" version of Stewart's in West NJ.

The only 2 things that could make this place perfect is: 1. being open all year, and 2. being a true drive in (parking your car outside and a girl on skates rolls up to your car and takes your order).

When you walk into this place, you can just get hit with a huge feeling of nostalgia. Whether your 30, 40, 50 or 60 years old, there is a good chance you've been to a place like this during your childhood.

As you order from the front counter, you can watch through the doors, your food getting freshly made and another person reaching into the deep freeze to grab your mugs for your root beer. The root beer and diet are on tap, and the other 4-5 flavors are vended through the normal fast food dispensers.

There are also pallets of bottled flavors for you to take home with you, in all the flavors. They even allow you to mix and match flavors whether you buy a 4 pack or a crate of 6- 4packs. You can even get root beer 1 gallon barrels, filled with your favorite flavor!!!

If this diner has touched your childhood like it has mine, you definitely need to share the experience with friends and your own children. This place is worth the drive, you truly need to visit.

Bill Bateman's Bistro

We were intrigued by the claim that Bill Bateman's Bistro had the "best wings in town". Dave and I both love some really good wings. It reminds us of Trivia Night in Florida when we'd hang out with his friends and eat pile after pile of various flavored wings while playing a ridiculous trivia game.

We tried out the White Marsh location (Gold Ring). We were greeted warmly and seated quickly. We ordered our beverages (I started off with a Cherry Bomb type thing, it was cherry bacardi, pineapple and cranberry juices and man oh man was it delicious), then started deciding on our meals.

We started off with an order of mozzarella sticks. It's definitely a passion of both of ours. I've loved mozzarella sticks ever since one almost killed me as a child. I swallowed a piece and started to choke on the giant string of cheese, frantically attempting to pull it out of my throat but the cheese just kept stretching. My mom, naturally, flipped out and I was banned from mozz sticks until adulthood.

So we ordered the mozz sticks and nearly a half an hour later they showed up. Room temp, cold enough that the cheese wasn't dangerously stretchy. In fact, it was like eating a cheese stick wrapped in breading. The sauce was piping hot, so you could make a case that it evened out.

A little while later our entrees showed up. Dave opted to try these famous wings of theirs so he ordered one plate of 20 wings teriyaki flavor and one plate of 10 wings bourbon flavored. Here, they don't let you mix flavors and they offer their wings in plates of ten. So you can't get a plate of 20 and split the flavors. If you order 20, you need to order them all the same. Which we both hated. When you're a "wing place" you need some flexibility.

Now, I've eaten my fair share of wings. I was really optimistic by the friendly comfortable atmosphere, the claim of "best wings in town" the delicious sounding flavors listed, and the personal message from Bill Bateman on the back of his menu telling us that they use only the best, freshest produce and meat around.

Dave's wings did not reflect any of those claims. It was all crispy tough skin and bland seasoning. There was hardly any meat on them at all. They were tiny and chewy.

I went for the seafood platter that had a lobster cake, fried shrimp, fried fish, coleslaw and fries. This being a seafood area of the country, I'm always curious to taste a new place's take on seafood. When my plate arrived the first thing I noticed was the golf-ball sized burnt lobster cake. The whole top was torched black. I started sampling everything. The fries were lukewarm and rubbery, the lobster cake was burnt and salty, the fish was cold and rubbery, the shrimp was actually pretty good, but not fresh (it was definitely frozen at some point) and the cocktail sauce to go with it was mostly horseradish so I had to "ketchup" it down a bit, and then the coleslaw was warm. Five bites in and I was done.

Our waitress came to check on us and asked if I needed a box. I declined and she asked if it was good and I said no. She asked what wasn't good and I said "Everything". She immediately jumped to help. She offered a conversation with a manager which at first I refused then changed my mind. I read an article recently encouraging people to complain when something is terribly wrong at a restaurant. Most people don't, and then business drops off because most people would just rather not come back than complain about something. So I decided to inform the manager that there was a problem and what the problem was.

She listened with intent, and then offered us some compensation which was wonderful. We didn't mentioned Dave's chicken, just focusing on my dinner. The waitress was incredibly sweet and kept apologizing.

My recommendation is if you decide to patron this establishment, stick to alcohol. Their alcoholic drinks are marvelous. Skip the food.

1 nom.

Dave's 2 Cents:

I almost called Groupon and demanded my money back. How dare they promote themselves as the "best wings in town", what town? where? Baltimore?! hell F%#$ no!

I would have had a better experience if i dipped my leather wallet in BBQ sauce and tried to eat that.

I can't wrap my mind around the fact that they force you to only take 1 flavor per order, wither its 10-20 or 50. 1 sauce only. If you want 20, with 2 sauces, you have to order 2x 10 pieces, which rings up another $4-5.

Bill, If you advertise yourself as the best, #1 your food better live up to the name, and #2 offer some customer service and give us wiggle room.

Unless however your meat comes off a truck in frozen bags that includes the toss sauce, hmmm.

Folks, do not go here for wings. Your better off buying a frozen bag @ Sam's club and microwaving it for 30 mins.

G&A Restaurant

G & A Restaurant
3802 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21224
(410) 276-9422
http://www.gandarestaurant.com/
Mon - Sat: 7 am - 7 pm ~ Sun: Closed
BEST HOTDOGS IN BALTIMORE

This came to us by way of the suggestion box once it was learned that Dave loves hotdogs. LOVES hotdogs. Apparently this place is said to have the best hotdogs around.

Apparently that is correct. They also have the best everythingwetasted around.

This place has been around since 1927 and has remained family owned the entire time. You walk into to this narrow little, easy to miss place and you're greeted by a friendly staff. Once seated, we began to pour over the laminated menus (ah, true diner style) that never leave the booths. We ordered a couple of cokes, and got down to business with the food.

I ordered a G&A club which came with turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo on three crispy toasted slices of white bread with a side of coleslaw. Dave ordered two dogs, mustard and relish, and a slider platter which had three cheeseburger sliders with ketchup and mustard and pickle and a side of fries.

The sliders hit the table first and we dug in. Holy delicious. You can tell right away these were made FRESH mere minutes before we started shoving them into our mouths. The bun was soft and the fries were fresh cut. We got a side of gravy for dippin' (something Dave was skeptical about but being from one of the fattest states in this great U.S. of A. I knew was delicious and after some coaxing from myself and our waitress he agreed to try it). I am happy to report that the gravy was salty, gooey and perfect. The combo of fry and gravy was unbelievable. Dave is now a convert.

So, now for the club sandwich. I went with an easy dish I suppose, but it looked good. It's really really hard to mess up a club sandwich. This one was great. The bread toasty and perfect (except for the one burnt slice but it was hardly noticeable and I only took note of it when the club fell apart in my hands and I saw it, then had a good laugh). The coleslaw was also pretty good, definitely carrying that "homey" taste with it.

Dave LOVED the dogs. He loved them. The look on his face when he bit into them was priceless. It was like he'd never tasted a hotdog before.

Now, I will say that this diner isn't pretty, but it's clean, and it's well broken in and that is exactly how diners should be. It's been standing for about 90 years so it has stood the test of time.

The owner himself, Andy was working the register, cooking, greeting people which was amazing to see. He took so much pride in this place you could just feel it. Our waitress apologized several times and thanked us for being "patient", even though the wait for the food was under 15 minutes and everything was so incredibly good we would have waited longer for it.

This place TOTALLY gets 5 noms. The food was amazing, the service was amazing, and we were completely and totally happy with the entire experience.

Dave's 2cents:

So as you heard, after a reader saw my bad review of Stuggys, he/she suggested G&A. When I google mapped it, I wasn't impressed with the area, the southeast area past Patterson Park, aka Little Havana.

But as I have been told MANY TIMES, if I want to live in Baltimore I got to get over these bad areas.

Walking into this place was nostalgic. I grew up in West NJ, with a diner names Geets, and my wife in Michigan named Tony's. We both sat down and looked around and felt like we were home.

The customer service was outstanding, from the BOSS, Andy greeting us at the door, to the waitress making sure we were ok every few minutes.

The food was heavenly. Yes the sliders were good, but the hotdogs were perfect. (I realize that I cannot tell you about this without you pervs giggling because I sound phallic, so here it goes...)

The hotdog's crisp skin just pops as you bit into it, as the warm hotdog innards explode in your mouth. Leaving its eater with closed eyes and a wide smile. nommmmmmmmm

ok, seriously. stop giggling.

Chaps Pit Beef

http://www.chapspitbeef.com/

5801 Pulaski Highway
Baltimore, MD 21205-3046

(410) 483-2379





BEST BBQ IN BALTIMORE

Featured on the Food Network & Travel Channel

It was about time we officially reviewed Chap's for the blog. We've been here plenty of times and are well aware of how good it is, but now it's time to share with everyone else.

If you're a Baltimore resident and you have not gone here yet, I ask, why? Sure, it's in the parking lot of a strip club, of course it looks like a homeless person's shanty and yes it is in a rather...colorful part of town, but that is what makes so damn good. That, and barbecue.

We stopped here before grocery shopping yesterday (which we hadn't done in over a month which is why we've been using so many Groupons and reviewing so many places, we had NO FOOD in our house) because to grocery shop on an empty tummy is to ask the gods for a $600 grocery bill.

When Dave suggested that we stop there first, my first response was "Ok, but you can't order your special burger". Dave usually gets a Double D burger which is a 1/2 lb burger topped with about 1/2 lb of ham, then cheese, then mayo, mustard or whatever else you desire. Since these patties are 1/2 lb, and since they are about 4 inches thick, they take about 30-40 minutes to cook, and they cook theirs well done.

Dave likes his meat just a tad pink in the middle (except for chicken, natch) so they have to special make his pattie which takes a half hour, which was time we didn't have. This forced him to order something new. He ended up with the chicken breast sandwich with lettuce and bbq sauce on a kaiser roll. I got the fish platter (four chunks of fried cod, fries, tartar sauce, and coleslaw) and a bigass root beer.

My fish was awesome. It was so fresh it neither smelled nor tasted of fish. It was just crispy, flaky and good. All of their fried foods are cooked in peanut oil, so the fries are similar to what you get at 5 guys, except when they give you a side of fries, they give you about a pound of fries. We didn't even make a dent in the pile by the time we were done eating. The fries are soft, brown, and delicious. I also liked the coleslaw which is different for me because I'm really picky when it comes to my 'slaws. It's seasoned properly, not overdone whatsoever and provides a cool subtlety to the dish that works really well with everything.

Dave's sandwich was wonderful. The chicken was tender and juicy, the sauce sweet and tangy and the roll it all rested upon was soft and fluffy.

This place is great for a few reasons: the food is always good, the staff is always nice, it's cheap, and you will never leave hungry.

Dave didn't even have to order a side for his sandwich because we knew the fries coming with my platter would be plentiful and we were right. This is one of the places that is a Must Visit, which is why it's rated in our Best of the Best category. 5 Noms all the way.

Dave's 2cents:

There's not a lot I can say about this place that isn't positive. Great food, Ok prices, big portions. Customer service is always a delight, the lady handing out the order window will always give you an ear. As a matter of fact, this guy in the picture wouldn't stop yappin'.

Jenn and I have come here on our own dozens of times, and we will keep returning.

Even though it's not close to downtown at all, and you have to drive through sketchy areas to get to it (unless you pay a tunnel toll and go 95 to 695 and get off @ Pulaski). This is a true Baltimore treasure.

If you Love BBQ Pit Beef and want a taste of Baltimore, your neglecting yourself if you don't go here. Done and Done.

Silver Moon II

This place came to us via the suggestion page from one of our fabulous readers and it being so close to our house, we ran right over there to check it out. Now, I will warn you right off, my emotions are interfering with my ability to properly review this place and so, we will be revisiting it at a later date when I am less emotional.

Here's some background. I'm originally from Mid-Michigan and back home we have a diner chain called Tony's (not to be confused with that brand who makes frozen pizzas and such) where the food is huge, insanely cheap, bad for you, and delicious. One of their specialties is the Hot Turkey Sandwich, which is something I must eat whenever I visit my hometown. Theirs is made with a thick slice of Italian white bread, huge pile of instant potatoes, generous portion of chunks of turkey breast, and then all smothered with yellowish poultry gravy.

Since moving away from Michigan in 2006, I've always kept an eye out for things that are "like home", like this turkey sandwich. When we first visited Baltimore when we were still living in Florida, my husband and I found a diner called TT's that has a sandwich that comes pretty close to what I'm looking for, however I think they use real potatoes which alters the flavor just enough to act as a band-aid when I get homesick, but doesn't quite satisfy the hunger.

I've been especially homesick recently having just been diagnosed with a digestive disorder which is likely to alter my eating lifestyle for the rest of my life and has caused two family members of mine to require surgery. I'm still pretty much like a little kid when I get sick, I just want to lay on my parents couch and eat this sandwich. Dave's been doing a great job taking care of me and taking me to all of my doctor's appointments but that little kid in me still wants my mom, and therefore, home.

So we headed to Silver Moon II and on their menu is a Hot Turkey Sandwich and I got really excited and hopeful. They definitely had that short order diner thing going on, and once we learned they don't use deli turkey they use real turkey I ordered it. Dave got the Blackened Chicken Sandwich and then we learned they are a cash only restaurant. Fail.

I sat down at one of the tables and Dave headed out to find an ATM. I snapped a few pictures and waited for him to come back. He finally did, we paid the bill and waited about another 10 minutes for the food to be done. I was watching them box it up and then, to my horror, helplessly watched as my Hot Turkey Sandwich, my personal Holy Grail was smothered in BROWN GRAVY. The big Styrofoam box was slid sideways into the bag and Dave's sandwich placed on top and we were set to go. Dave picked up the bag and we headed back to the car where he set the bag on my lap causing gravy and potato to explode onto me. He'd tipped it right side up, causing my box to be sitting on its side. The box not being airtight started to leak gravy and potato all over me. Devastation deepens.

It was going to be a couple hours before we could eat as we were taking the foster kittens to get their booster shots in Reisterstown. Dave let me have a bite of his sandwich and I must say, it was pretty tasty. It was a little spicy so I could only have a tiny bite, but it was quite good. Good enough to leave a sauce splatter on my face. I didn't eat my dinner.

Two days later it is lunchtime on Friday and I'm staring a bowl of brown gravy covered turkey sandwich. I had expressed my emotional reaction to the whole gravy thing to Dave, knowing how childish and petty I sound when I say it, but he understood. I'm sick, I wanted a piece of home and I didn't get it. So I had what I did get for lunch today.

I will say, despite it not being what I'd hoped for, it's still pretty good. I think it would be better if it had the right gravy on it. The turkey used is deli turkey but it's good deli turkey and not lunch meat style turkey. The bread is good ole American white sandwich bread (two slices) and the potatoes are instant, just like I like them. I did not dislike this sandwich, and Dave's sandwich was really good. The next time we go I'm going to order one of their specialties like the seafood salad or something like that so that I can give this place a proper review.

I will say the restaurant is clean, the staff is friendly and your food comes fast. You get nice, generous portions and it's really inexpensive. It's definitely worth a go. We'll be heading back there in a couple weeks, once things settle down.

Dave's 2cents:

So by now, if you've been following us, you can tell I suffer from what I've coined, Food Rage. Which is just me getting so pissed at servers, that I am no longer hungry.

I had high hopes for this place. When I entered I was greeted within moments, when I asked what was good, food selections were suggested to me, and I was happy.

Until they said cash only. I checked my cellphone to make sure it wasn't 1999, and I asked where the closest ATM was. Seeing as I am SURE this question gets asked 100x a day, I was SURE she had an answer. What I got was, "I think its like 2 blocks, somewhere that way."

I left my wife there so the food we ordered would actually get cooked, I went on a hunt. After 15 minutes searching for an ATM, I just went to one that I KNEW in Little Italy, and returned.

Now I'm a little bit angry. Food's still cooking, and I wait. Once finished I was handed a bag and we left.

Once in the car, and as you read above, the box exploded, I then found out from my wife they don't have forks!

What carryout place doesn't provide utensils!?!?

As my wife said, we're dealing with some stuff right now, the food was good enough to give them a 2nd chance. Lets hope they don't blow it this time, and I remember to have cash on me.