What's Up?

You may have noticed that I haven't updated this blog much lately. There simply isn't much to report on the dining front.

If you follow my other blog than you know that my husband recently had a "wake-up call" after receiving bloodwork results during a routine physical. Yes, the joys of bloodwork are routine once you hit that 40 mark (sorry Jim). The results were pretty terrible.

Jim processed this information and the sad reality of the fact that chicken wings and Italian cold cuts were indeed not man's best friend, and he decided to be proactive about his health. Why resign yourself to a life long of medication when you can first try to do something about it? And that is what he did.

So, here we are, two months later. His cholesterol has dropped over 100 points (yes, really!), he has lost 20 lbs. (yes, really!), his blood pressure is the best that it's been in a decade (yes, really!), and he's sticking with a regular diet/exercise routine.

Needless to say this radical departure in eating habits has left us eating at home more often. I used to strive to hit 2 or 3 new restaurants per week so that I could blog about it; but now the desire to support my husband (which can only help my own need to be healthier) is more important than food blogging.

So, my friends, thanks for being a reader... and happy healthy chow'ing to all.

Lebanese Taverna

I've been quick to "eat out" and slow to "post about" lately. My Mom friends and I -- WAIT, scratch that - My intelligent, sexy and independent minded gals pals and I went out for a much needed reprieve from daily house life a few Fridays ago to the Lebanese Taverna in Harbor East. If you haven't been to Harbor East lately then your residence could quite possibly be under a rock. This area between the Harbor and Fells Point is booming with vibrancy that includes new retail shops, great hotels, and plenty of restaurants to choose from. Lebanese Taverna is a chain, so perhaps you're familiar, but this is the first opening in the Baltimore area.

Location: 719 S. President Street, just past the roundabout. Valet parking is available but if you don't mind a walk you can park for free two or three blocks east of the restaurant.

Decor: I kind of felt like I was dining in D.C. when I stepped inside the restaurant. The space is airy, mod, and gentrified. Think Morton's Steak House meets Roy's, minus the tablecloths. The restaurant seems to attract a diverse crowd, including young and old. We arrived to a mostly empty restaurant around 7:30 and then left a nearly full restaurant around 9:45. Clearly the bar and dining area come to life in the after hours.

Food: We started with the Baba Ghannouge, which seemed smallish in portion for the price. It was good, although no where near as good as my favorite in town at the Ambassador. I like a smidge more lemon and garlic in my ghannouge than LT offered. For dinner I had the Samake Harra (second picture above), which is a fresh whole fish broiled with cilantro, tomatoes, onions, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil, served with a medley of vegetables. I'm not sure how to describe it other than to say that it was "a'ight." Our server seemed genuinely surprised that I was ordering this, I'm not sure why. The fish was fish, it wasn't bursting with freshness or scrumptious in flavor. I did eat the whole thing though, it was a nice light dish, not drowning in oil or seasonings. It was pretty much just fish.. if that makes any sense. For dessert my friend and I intended to split the cheesecake. At first bite we both couldn't stand it. It was intolerably floral in taste - as though someone had dumped perfume in the mix. It was just... bad... so we returned it. The rest of the table enjoyed the other dessert though (forgive me, I can't remember what it was, but it had ice cream and that was delicious :) Overall we agreed that it was "o.k.", but more than that, the company of friends was fantastic.

Service: The service was adequate enough. The waitress was attentive, cleared glasses that weren't being used, and did not charge us for the dessert that we returned.

Kid Considerations: This is a tricky one. The restaurant is close enough to the tourist trap Harbor area and local hotels that I think you can get away with kids here, although I would certainly dine early. I didn't ask about high chairs, but there were plenty of generic enough items on the menu, including a kids section, that indicate that the Lebanese Taverna welcomes children. My suspicion is that other patrons might give you a glare if you request a high chair after 8pm.

Bathroom: I've never seen a bathroom like this before, ever. The entrance to the bathroom is veiled by a heavy metallic bead curtain (sort of like the one that "I Dream of Jeanie" had to use to get through to her circular couch inside of her genie lamp). Once you pass through the curtain you'll notice that the bathroom is mostly unisex. There are six bathroom rooms (meaning floor to ceiling doors, not stalls); one on each end is labeled Women and Men, the remaining in the middle are not labeled. Each stall room has its own commode, sink and mirror. Oh, and mouthwash. There is also a general sink area in the stall lobby portion of the bathroom. The bathroom was interesting enough, but I wasn't crazy about it. I prefer to separate the sexes when it comes to restrooms and I wasn't crazy about wrestling the heavy bead curtain (that messed up my hair) at the bathroom's entrance.

Aftermath: No problems here.

Overall: The meal was nice. I'm not dying to call my friend of 20 years and insist that she dine with me there, but I would return to Lebanese Taverna if I were in the area. The place has a cool, mature, upscale vibe and you kinda feel trendy for eating there; if that feeling interests you than perhaps it will be enough to overlook some of the "misses" in your meal.

Hamilton Tavern

My husband and I finally got around to checking out this latest and greatest buzz worthy place in the heart of Hamilton. Normally I would have low expectations about a restaurant's revamp on the not-so-lively Hamilton strip, but given the well received addition of Clementine one block south and the knowledge that one of the Brewers Art partners had taken over, I felt encouraged and excited that this would be a worthwhile experience. And it was, but not so much for the crumb-grabbing crowd (i.e. kids). It will be hard to pull off my "8 Elements" checklist with this one because this is not a kid friendly restaurant. I'm not sure it's even a big kid friendly restaurant. Here's what I found:

Location: 5517 Harford Road, in the heart of Hamilton. Street parking is available and there is a parking lot behind the strip center.

Decor: Think Brewers Art basement meets sunshine and high ceilings. You will notice that the tavern boasts the same simple pub vibe that Brewers Art basement has but in a more refined way. Seating in this corner restaurant consists of nearly two dozen seats at the bar on the left and a long pew-style bench with assorted tables and chairs on the right. There is also a small step-up dining area at the rear of the restaurant. My not-exact seat count put table seating at about 35 patrons plus 20 or so bar stools. In other words, the place is cozy (read: small) so get there early if you want to sit. We dined on a Wednesday night at 5:30 PM, by 6:30 it was standing room at the bar and a line forming for tables.

Food: You won't spend an hour perusing the menu here. The menu is thoughtful, succinct, and short. My understanding is that it changes based on the availability of local ingredients. I ended up ordering the steamed shrimp with hush puppies and the roasted root vegetable plate; my husband ordered the steamed clams and the smoked tuna salad. The steamed shrimp, served with onions and hush puppies, were delicious. They were of adequate size and the cocktail sauce was exceptionally good - especially if you like yours with a horseradish kick. The accompanying hush puppies (two large ones) were tasteful... as far as hush puppies go... and not in the least bit greasy. I even asked my husband if he thought they were baked. Jim's steamed clams were served in a thoughtful bath of white wine, garlic, smoked tomatoes and a side of butter and bread. They were delicious, rich with a smoky flavor. The sauce that they were in was crisp clean and fresh. There was absolutely no oily reflection or "heavy" taste that you often find with flavored mussels and clams.

I was torn between the veggie burger and the roasted root vegetables. The server told me that the burger was "huge". I wasn't in the mood for "huge" so I went with the vegetables, which were a combo of parsnips, carrots, rutabega, and butternut squash. The blend was tossed with bleu cheese and toasted walnuts. This was utterly delicious. I'm tempted to get 10 to-go plates and serve it with Turkey on Thanksgiving. This dish kept the theme of "crisp clean and fresh" going too; as with the hush puppies and steamed clams there was no heavy oil or butter taste, it was quite enjoyable. My husband ordered the smoked tuna salad, which consisted of golden beets, fennel and celery root over mixed greens and dressed with lemon thyme vinaigrette. At first impression I was disappointed that it wasn't a hunk of fish displayed atop the greens, rather it was chopped pieces spread throughout. We quickly got over that when we realized that the amount of fish in the salad was quite satisfying. The touch of fennel in the greens was an excellent compliment to the smoky flavor of the tuna.

Service: The service was prompt but not rushed. The waiter was knowledgeable about the menu (I grilled him on a few options before I settled on my final choices) and he was courteous and efficient throughout our meal.

Kid Considerations: Absolutely none. We talked with our server briefly about this. He said that the tavern doesn't have a single high chair, he further went on to say, "there really isn't anything on the menu that is typical kid food either." And he was right. I wouldn't bring my 5 year old here, let alone my 13 month old. In fact, I'm not sure that I'd bring a 14 year old here. It just has a grown up vibe, and I can appreciate that.

Bathroom: I really liked the bathroom. It was dainty and feminine without being frilly. It is a single cell bathroom (an odd made-up term that I use in my head, I trust that you know what I mean) painted in a girly ivory white color. The fixtures are new and very clean. And how goofy is this... I noticed that the water pressure was really exceptional :) Anyhoo, the wallpaper consists of pages from various great novels - a nice touch.

Aftermath: The meal was great. You don't feel stuffed afterwards, just satisfied.

Overall: We'll definitely return to this place when we can get out of the house without either child. It's a cozy place with a lively warm vibe. My only ding was the lack of a happy hour. I expect to pay full price for drinks in a large upscale restaurant on a Wednesday at 5; but in the early evening on a weeknight at the tavern in Hamilton I'd like to get my glass of wine for a bit less than $7.

Starbucks Thinks Healthy

As it turns out, Americans want to be healthy - and luckily Starbucks is trying to accommodate us. In early September Starbucks launched a new line of breakfast foods that are healthy, guilt-free and satisfying. I've had the pleasure of trying each of them. Oh how tough it was to drag myself to Starbucks to accomplish this goal, but somehow I managed. Here is a list of the new offerings, followed by the Starbucks description and concluded with my personal take:

Perfect Oatmeal - Each order can be customized with three different toppings; a portioned 50-calorie pack of brown sugar, 100-calorie pack of dried fruit and 100-calorie pack of a nut medley, and contains 140 to 390 calories depending on topping selections, up to 7 grams of fiber and 1.5 servings of whole grains – half of your daily needs.

I liked the oatmeal, the serving size is smallish, but packing something with dried fruit and nuts really makes a difference in satisfying your hunger throughout the morning. I feel like it's pricey ($1.75), given that I can buy a big cylinder of the stuff for $2, but when you remember that pricey and Starbucks pretty much go hand in hand you get over it.

Power Protein Plate - a hearty combination of a cage-free hard-boiled egg, 100% whole wheat bagel, peanut butter, cheese, and fresh fruit. At 330 calories, this wholesome breakfast or snack has 16 grams of protein (about one-third of your daily needs) and 5 grams of fiber.

This plate has everything I love. It's really a convenient choice if you're "on the go." Especially with kids, it's hard to spoon oatmeal and steer, but you can easily split a bagel, fruit and an egg with the kids. Again, it's not cheap, but we got over that with the oatmeal right?

Berry Stella - This product was one of the first healthy choices available, launched in July of this year. A 100% whole grain breakfast pastry that delivers a hearty blend of fiber, whole grains, real fruit and more than 200 mg of Omega-3s at 280 calories.

I like the Berry Stella, it's a good choice when you really want that oversized muffin on espresso chip brownie that you know you shouldn't have. It will satisfy your sweet tooth, but unlike the protein plate and the oatmeal you likely will not feel as though you've had a "meal." It's just not satisfying in that sense, perhaps it's the lack of protein. Also, it's very crumbly, if you give one to the kids expect to have it strewn throughout your carseat for the next several days.

Apple Bran Muffin -Made with whole wheat flour, oats and wheat bran, and baked with real apples, tart cherries and honey, this muffin is a perfect option with 7 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein, Omega-3s and 330 calories.

I liked the muffin o.k., but the berry stella is better in my opinion. The muffin had an overly sweet taste to it, perhaps it was the honey? I'm not sure, but I'm not crazy about sweet sweet stuff, and this muffin is my least favorite of the new offerings.

Multi-grain Roll -served with a choice of savory almond butter and strawberry preserves. Made with seven different seeds and grains, and sweetened with honey, the roll boasts 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, at 280 calories. The almond butter spread is pre-portioned to a 100-calorie pack, while the strawberry preserves contains 40 calories.

I had this roll with the almond butter option. It was good, but like the berry stella, not quite "a meal." Again, if you want sweet without the guilt go for this roll, if you want something to hold you over until lunch go with the oatmeal or protein plate.

Chewy Fruit & Nut Bar - Full of whole, nourishing ingredients including oats, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and honey, the Chewy Fruit & Nut Bar contains heart-healthy Omega-3s and 250 calories, 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

This is the only one that I haven't tried. Frankly I didn't know about it until I read the press release related to this blog. Will have to check it out.

I'd be remiss to not mention the two new Vivannos being offered, banana chocolate and orange mango banana. I am addicted to these things, if I get one at 2pm it holds me over until dinner - and for those of you in Weight Watchers land it is 5 pts, and worth every blasted one.

From the Starbucks Press Release: Introducing Vivanno™ Nourishing Blends, a line of blended beverages developed with a strong nutritional goal in mind. The Orange Mango Banana and Banana Chocolate flavored beverages provide at least one serving of fruit, 16 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fiber and contain 270 calories or less and no artificial colors, artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup (nutrition based on 16 fluid ounces).

In summary, Starbucks is still a worthy stop in the morning, or anytime really. The green siren still has me in her clutches and with this new line of good for you grub I don't see myself parting ways with her anytime soon.

Grind On Cafe

We decided to check out Harford Road's newest coffee (and stuff) place in the late afternoon on Sunday. Grind On suffers from the same parking dilemma that Red Canoe suffers from, but it isn't a deal breaker. We parked at the top of the Pep Boys lot and squeezed through the narrow edge of the fence to the cafe's entrance. Around 2:30 pm the cafe was surprisingly buzzing with customers; a bit more than half of the tables were occupied. I felt that I would like the place from the moment I stepped inside.

Location: 4607 Harford Road in Lauraville. The cafe was formerly a short lived antique/consignment shop. The intimate yet airy space really lends itself well to its new function as a cafe.

Decor: The Cafe has wonderful full panel windows that brighten the already brightly yellow painted seating area. The seating area includes a kids corner (I just love that this concept is spreading, how very cool!) complete with small bins of toys, a child sized couch, a play rug, and books. The rest of the area seats about 20 patrons with a mix of round tables and long square tables. The order counter is in the rear of the restaurant, and it includes a refrigerated desserts and pastries case, an ice cream freezer, an espresso station and a 'make your own sandwich' station. A charming chandalier is the centerpiece lighting of the cafe and the walls throughout highlight the paintings of local artists.

Food: The menu is simple. Grind On offers coffee (our beloved local favorite "Zeke's Coffe", the menu includes espresso drinks), organic sandwiches, ice cream (Sylvan Beach), desserts and pastries, and bagels. The coffee is fantastic, but not inexpensive. This was my first visit, my hope is that the coffee is consistently fantastic (unlike Its local competitor Red Canoe -- in which the quality can really be hit or miss). I ordered a large house brew and my husband ordered a large Americano, which he declared to be "Every bit as good as Starbucks." We decided to order a sandwich, which is "make your own" style. The quaint chalkboard lists meat ingredients, toppings, and bread choices. We went with a turkey and swiss, topped with red peppers, cucumbers, spinach and avocado, on multi-grain bread. All organic (which you mostly notice by the price rather than the taste). The sandwich is served with pretzels and pickles. I will say, the sandwich was fanflippintastic. My son had the locally loved sylvan beach chocolate chip cherry ice cream cone. He raved about it (although I'm sure that I could buy him the cheapest version of generic Napoleon and he would rave about that too). To confirm his fanfare I decided that it only made sense to sample this frozen wonderfulness - and yes, it was all that. Our bill for the two drinks, ice cream and sandwich came to $15.00. Not the cheapest game in town, but not worthy of an eye flinch either.

Service: Friendly, fast, and eager to please. The ordering system is counter style, you place your order at the register. If you're not eating in then you pay at the time of your order. If you are eating there then your order will be served to you and you will pay at the end of the meal. Every now and then the gal behind the counter would come around and ask 'is everything o.k.?' I viewed her more as a thoughtful cashier/sandwich maker than a waitress.

Kid Considerations: Very kid friendly. This place could really catch on with the stay-at-home Mom crowd. The kid corner is just so thoughtful for those of us with kids. I wonder if it will be well received by the laptop mongers that want to go there and space out on wi-fi all day. There are also boosters, high chairs and good menu options (given the context of a small cafe) for the kids.

Bathroom: I forgot to check it out! So unlike me, obviously the coffee hadn't kicked in yet.

Aftermath: Not a problem.

Overall: I can see myself visiting this cafe weekly. The coffee was really good, comparable to Starbucks and better than the local contender Red Canoe. I like the "make your own sandwich" concept and I like that it's kid friendly... obviously. My only ding is that the coffee and espresso drinks are actually more expensive than Starbucks... evidently that is possible. For instance, a tall cappuccino at Starbucks runs just under $3 and at The Grind it is $3.25. For the sake of supporting local business I am willing to overlook this. Grind on? Heck yeah!

Editor's Note: I neglected to take my camera so I had to settle for this random Zeke's coffee shot.

Ale Mary's

My husband and I have been frequenting this on-the-fringe-of Fells Point pub for years now. In the past, pre-second baby, we dined out (childless) on Friday nights - thanks to a babysitting Grammy. Now that we have two children we often tote the youngest, our 13 month old daughter, to various restaurants. It has been interesting dining in our usual mainstays with a babe, and figuring out what works and what doesn't work. Thankfully this pub works. You are about to find out why.

Location:

Ale Mary's is a corner row home pub located on the corner of Washington St. and Fleet St., just east of Fells Point and west of Canton.

Decor:

The resturant owners have painstakingly made efforts to stick with their theme -- a sacreligious play on words. Ale Mary's is decked out in abstract religious art, wood trim that seems appropriate enough for a confessional booth, various decorative chalices, and rustic wooden tables and chairs. This is a row home pub, so space is limited. The bar area seats about twenty and the dining area seats about 30. There is also outside seating in the form of cast iron tables with four chairs each.

Food:

Over the past three years we have sampled most of the menu, and we always take advantage of a daily special if it's in line with our taste. I will admit that recently it seems as though the kitchen has hit a glitch (why oh why change the wing recipe?!? Bring smokey back!) Nonetheless this place is still on my recommend list. There are certain dishes that are always reliable. They include: steamed shrimp, the well-sized house salad, Mary's Gumbo (voted best in Fells Point, 2006), *usually* the grilled buffalo wings, chicken cheese steak, the various pizzas (don't be afraid to ask for toppings that aren't listed - they usually can, and are willing to, accomodate), and most dinner specials.

There are a couple of things that we aren't crazy about on the menu, such as the Ruben dip. It is very rich with cream cheese, and simply too filling. After you eat this you'll wonder if you just swallowed a mortar brick. They offer an ahi tuna sandwhich, and also ahi tuna as a garden salad topper. It's not ahi tuna in the pure sense though, it's a bit more cooked than an ahi tuna diehard would like.

The beer menu is extensive and the house chardonnay is good. Every so often they have private beer tasting parties served with small plates. If you can attend one of these, please do. On the two ocassions that we did the food was splendid and the beer was excellent (of course.)

It's interesting to note that this place does not have a deep fryer. You will never be served greasy fried food here, it's impossible. Even their trademark side dish, tater tots (nice tots!), are baked, not fried. As are the grilled chicken wings, although we do wish that they'd return to their original smokier wings recipe instead of the current too-tobasco'ey wings recipe.

Service:

The service here is prompt, friendly, and efficient. You don't leave feeling like the waitress is your best friend, but you certainly don't feel ignored or forgotten either. The owners are often around, and they make an effort to get to know their patrons somewhat. What I especially appreciate about Ale Mary's is that they are willing to please, and aim to fulfill an offbeat requests. On more than one occasion I have asked for them to add broccoli to my garden salad, or to bring a slice of cheddar cheese out for the baby, or to make a shrimp and bacon pizza despite it not being on the menu, and usually they are happy to oblige.

Kid Considerations:

Yes: High chairs, solid noise level

No: Kids menu, changing tables, sink stool, boosters

Other: The menu is basic enough that any child could find something agreeable on it, such as pizza, tater tots, or sandwiches. The owners and staff love babies, and although you may get a glare from a patron that doesn't like the company of an infant whilst trying to get his buzz on, you'll never sense that your children are an imposition to those who actually work there.

Bathroom:

Surprsingly nice! There is a no touch hand towel dispensner, quality liquid soap, and pub appropriate wall hangings. Nice lighting accents, a charming tile floor, and shiny fixtures. The bathroom is always clean and well tended to.

Aftermath:

Never a problem here... unless you OD on the spicy buffalo wings.

Overall Impression:

We've been going back for years and we will continue to do so. It's always wise to check out the daily specials -- the ingredients are fresh and the entrees can be innovative.

The Orient

We have long been fans of The Orient in Towson as our mainstay for sushi dinners. We've sampled quite a bit of sushi in this town, but we always seem to come back to The Orient. Why? Perhaps it's their child friendly environment, or maybe the non-pretentious tone of the dining room? Or perhaps the reasonable prices? I guess it could be all of the above... read on to learn more.

Location:

The Orient is located in the heart of Towson, just south of the Chesapeake Avenue and York Road intersection; 319 York Road.

Decor:

The decor is pretty outdated. It's kinda like arriving at an ocean condo that hasn't' been updated by the owners since the early 80's. They could stand to rip up the carpet, put in hardwood floors, and update their table dressings, but this isn't a deal breaker in my opinion. Especially since a bunch of people bring their messy kids in to smear up the place anyway.

Food:

We have a standard order here. It includes miso soup, seaweed salad, edamames, and a few specialty rolls and a few sushi pieces. We're never disappointed. The miso soup isn't the best, but at less than $2 it's perfectly acceptable. The edamames are such an enticing food for kids; I highly recommend that if you are dining with children and edamames are on the menu, order them. Think about it, it's practically an activity. Ben loves these things. Sometimes he mixes the beans in his miso soup and touts his "recipe", it's all good for kid-mind-occupancy... which is always a challenge while dining. The sushi here is good. My husband lived in Manhattan for several years and ate a whole lotta sushi, as a young married couple we lived in Southern California for several years and, again, ate a whole lotta sushi. We both concur that The Orient passes the test. Again, it won't be the best that you ever had, but you won't compromise freshness and size either. My five year old loves the stuff too, and lucky for us the friendly waitress always provides kiddie chopsticks.

Service:

The staff is top notch with kids here. You might even feel like they linger at your table talking to your children for too long. That's o.k., it all makes for an easy and stress-free environment.

Kid Considerations:

There is no specific kids menu, but I suspect that you could easily find an appetizer that would satisfy your child. Also, if you order from the standard chinese food menu be aware that the serving portions are HUGE. I mean, really big. You can certainly feed a child off of your plate, and possibly another adult. There are high chairs and booster for the dining room, as well as a low sink for the bathroom.

Bathroom:

The bathroom is about what the dining decor is (think condo that hasn't been updated). The good news is that you have to travel nearly the entirety of the building to get there, so it's a nice diversion of time when you're waiting for the food to arrive.

Aftermath:

We've eaten here several times and have never had a problem.

Overall:

As I said earlier, this is a mainstay of ours. We always enjoy the ambiance, the service and sushi. Generally our bill for three eaters comes to $50'ish. A bonus of this outing is its proximity to the Towson Library. Usually our dinner at The Orient ends in a trip to the library -- which the kids always love.