The Orioles Dugout Club

A few days ago before my trip to the beach, I mentioned that my nephew Evan was the newest member of the Orioles Dugout Club.  The Dugout Club is a really good deal to get your kid to the games at a relatively cheap price.  When your kid becomes a new member, he/she gets vouchers to 10 selected Dugout Club games throughout the season, a drawstring bag, a hat, a wristband and a badge for $20.  Of course the parent or guardian taking him to a game will have to buy a ticket but that will only cost you $6 for an upper reserve seat or $15 for LF lower box.   At each game, the dugout club member will also get a different promotional item.  Not a bad deal huh? 

Unfortunately Evan was not able to go to the first event of the season this past Saturday but at least he will get to go to the final 9 events. Really I don't make enough time for the little guy so this is a good way to spend some time and root on our 14-8 Orioles.  In case you don't follow baseball, the O's are in first place.  Yup!

Happy Belated Birthday to Evan - Oriole Dugout Club Member

A happy belated 6th birthday to my nephew Evan.  I know I was uncharacteristically late but apparently my technical savvy matches my 80-something year old grandfather.  Who would have thought all you needed to do was click attach and the picture would upload?  Your birthday gift is on the way.   The gift I got is one that every child should get; a membership in the Oriole Dugout Club.  I will write more about the Dugout Club sometime later today.  Happy birthday buddy, love you!

Samos - #1 in the Rotation

If there’s one restaurant that I can’t do without in Baltimore, it’s Samos.   Samos has served many different purposes for me over the years.    When I was a kid, my grandmother would send me up the street to get a gyro or souvlaki with western fries like other mothers would take their kids to McDonalds for a happy meal.   I didn’t eat a gyro from another restaurant until I was much older but most but at the time; I was brand loyal and would have refused the competition. 

As I grew out of childhood, my willingness to try new foods expanded as quickly as my body.   This does not mean that I stopped eating gyro and western fries, it meant that I would eat additional food like one of the homemade soups, a salad, or maybe some calamari to go along with everything else.   What I started to find out is that even the non-Greek items on the menu were really delicious.  

My 20’s brought about a new realization, Samos is really good for a hangover.   Again I go back to the soups.  I’m telling you the soups are ridiculous.  The avgolemono (lemon and orzo) soup is better than my mom’s.  I really hope she doesn’t read this but Stacie gets this soup on our regular visits.  I would get the soup, a meatball sub, and wash it all down with an Arnold Palmer. 

I also realized around this time that Samos was great for a date night.   Most of the women I dated were not Greek and were clueless about the culture.   What better place than Samos to introduce them to proper Greek food.  You can order large plates to share and Samos is BYOB so you could take in a couple bottles of wine for me and my date. 

Samos has satisfied my business clients, colleagues, friends and family events over the years and they will continue to do so for one simple reason.  With the exception of the increases size of the restaurant and the crowds, Samos ALWAYS serves an excellent, home-made  product.   I know when I go to Samos I’m getting a great meal even if I have to wait.  

If you want to avoid a wait, I’d go between 2 and 5pm any day but Sunday when it is closed.    The only complaint I have about Samos is they don’t take credit cards or reservations.  Oh well, no place is perfect.

Taz and the Blue Moon Cafe

Being the oldest of my generation has its perks.   One of those is having a gang of younger siblings and cousins spread out over Baltimore.   Almost all of my kin are hard working and I’ve been lucky that many have held service industry jobs.   I can thank my cousins for feeding me, clothing me, inebriating me, caffinating me and protecting my dumb ass over the years.  But this past weekend I got some news that has forced me to re-evaluate my life.  My cousin Taz, F.K.A. Tasia, is now working at Blue Moon Café in Fells Point.  

Prior to this news, I had a love/hate relationship with Blue Moon.   It has the best breakfast in all of Baltimore but people wait hours to jam into the tiny spot to get breakfast.  Back in the day, my buddy and I would leave the bars a half an hour early to beat the drunks who would rush the place at 2am.   From what I’m told the weekend bar crowd is just as large and rowdy as back in the day but I gave up 2am monster omelets and Captain Crunch French Toast.  

These days I’m only a morning breakfast guy who refuses to wait with the rest of the ham and eggers for hours on end just to get the greatest breakfast in the city.  I get hangry (angry + hungry) pretty easily so waiting 2 hours for food is impossibility.  There are plenty of good breakfast spots in Fells Point where you don’t have to wait.

But now Taz works at Blue Moon where all I have to do is give her some notice and I will magically avoid the wait.  No longer will I wait for homemade biscuits and jam.  No longer will I wait for Captain Crunch French Toast or the Meaty Omelet. 

I know one day I will be forced back in with the mob.   Hopefully my cousin decides to hold on to that job as long as possible or Blue Moon decides to expand because I have no patience.

Stacie Hate Counter and Apologies

I know it's been a few days since I put up a blog and I'm sure that the 4 of you that read this blog are truly disappointed but the Orthodox Easter holiday and a week long work travel schedule starved my loyal readers.  But have no fear!  My triumphant return will ensue tomorrow with a new blog.

In the meantime, it's come to my attention that my fiancee Stacie has yet to read my blog.  The Hate my Fiancee counter retroactively stands at 17!

You Can Never Go Back - Thursday Nights

In another lifetime, going out on a Thursday night was a foregone conclusion. I preferred Thursdays and Sundays over Friday and Saturdays.  Simple logic: Thursdays were the true beginnings of the weekend and Sunday was, and still is, Sunday Funday.  Now Thursday shenanigans are the exception not the rule.

Last night was a going away party for Mike Marra.  Mike will be taking his talents back to the beaches of North Jersey.  No doubt he will be missed but now I've got a free pad to crash at when I get up that way.   So we went to JD's on Canton Square.  JD's is affectionately known as Just Dudes because it is a solid sports bar with a great beer selection, good food, but always lacking on women.  I didn't really know anyone so I bailed pretty quickly.  Playoff hockey is awesome but not next to a table of 3 Rangers fans who had to make sure their underdog voice was heard at every moment.

I left and made a fatal mistake.  Try to relive the past.  It never works.  Ever.  I decided to meet up with my boys Randy, Dave, and Jim at Red House Tavern on Essex St.  RHT was formerly known as Cardwell's Tavern and Dave's father was the owner.  Thursday nights were done correct back in the day.  Not on this night.  The stars aligned perfectly to combine members of the Kickball League of Baltimore and Karaoke night.  Karaoke is never a good idea unless you are wasted.  Simple truth.  Most members of the Kickball League are gimps and tonight was no exception.  For about an hour I was serenaded by a bunch of slappys who had never been laid or played too many roll playing games to build social skills except with those of their kind.

Unknowingly this was some kind of competition because the grand finale pitted a drunk, hooded,   Eminem-looking dude we will call Corky versus my boy Dave.  Corky fired away first with a loathsome version of Gangsters Paradise by Coolio during which his literacy was obviously being tested.   Dave fired back with a pretty spot on version of Bust A Move by Young MC.  Dave wins with ease and claims his two free Boh pitchers.  Best part is Corky is dumbfounded by the result.  He's legit angry and pouts on the side.   Sorry Corky, your attempt at 8-mile fell 7.9 miles short.

We left a little before midnight and went to Bartenders on Boston Street.   It was the usual but I'm happy to say the pizza has made a major improvement over the last couple of visits.

All in all, this Thursday night fell way short of yesteryear.  I solemnly promise myself I will never go back to Red House Tavern and I will not listen to Karaoke unless I'm blacked out..  I will get back to Bartenders for more pizza. 

Nichiban - Simple Solid Sushi

I've been going to Nichiban on Charles Street in Federal Hill for close to a decade.  As part of my Rotation, I normally go for sushi and the super laid back atmosphere.  That's not to say the rest of his Japanese inspired menu isn't worth trying because the food is really good.  It's just that  I know the fish is fresh and you get the most for your money. 

I'd say 90% of the time I get the Chirashi, a bowl of assorted sashimi over rice.  It comes with a bowl of soup and a salad for $15.  Done.  If you are drinking, have Sue make you a drink.  Woman has a heavy hand for someone who doesn't drink.  Believe me, I've left there crooked because of her pour on several occasions.

If you have room for desert, the owner, Sonny, will bring you out his mom's bread pudding.  Highly recommended.  Now if you've had his mom's cooking, its no surprise.  Woman knows what's up when it comes to bread pudding.

The other things about Nichiban that is unlike the rest of the sushi joints in the city is that you always hear jazz playing over the speakers and it's never completely slammed.   Most of the time it's just a bunch of locals and regulars.  The place is a gem.

The Rotation

Everyone has their favorite places to eat on the regular.  Most of the places that I frequent tend to share the same characteristics.   Obviously the food is good and the price is right.  In Baltimore, most of the places I go have a relatively long standing tradition and a friendly staff.   Most of the time, these establishments are relatively small in size.  In all cases, the restaurant will not be associated with the Inner Harbor.

In honor to the recent pitching performances of the Orioles starting rotation, I'm going to refer to my regularly frequented spots as The Rotation.  Like the Orioles rotation, I will limit my number of establishments to five.   In no order, here's the rotation by name, cuisine and area of Baltimore:

• Samos:  Greek Cuisine located in Greektown
• Nichiban:  Sushi and assorted Japanese cuisine located in Federal Hill
• One Eyed Mikes:  American cuisine located in Fells Point
• Nacho Mama's:  Mexican located in Canton
• Blue Moon Cafe:  Breakfast located in Fells Point

Over the next few days I will give you my thoughts on each place, what to get, and when to go.  For places like Samos, Nacho Mama's and Blue Moon,  when to go is more important than what to get.  These places get mobbed on the weekends because that's familiar with the area knows about them.  The good thing about these places is that the food is consistent and when you come home from work on a Tuesday night, you know you are getting exactly what you paid for.

Mmmmmm, Donuts.

On very rare occasions I get a chance to re-live my youth from a food perspective.  Many of the Highlandtown/Brewer's Hill delicacies are gone and replaced with bi-lingual establishments selling enchiladas.  The only food spots still left on the west side of the underpass are Matthew's Pizza, Eickenkranz German restaurant, and Hoehn's Bakery.

Luckily Hoehn's Bakery on the 400 block of Conkling Street has not change a bit since I was a kid and probably not from when it first opened in 1927..  My mom would walk me up the Avenue every Saturday to get donuts and I can still say that Hoehn's makes the best honey dipped donuts in the city.  They might not have the variety of a Dunkin Donuts but who the hell wants a purple Joe Flacco donuts anyway.  The honey dipped donuts are so good that I don't bother with the other simple flavors.  I've already polished off 2 donuts today and I'm about to go for the trifecta.

Opening Day in Review

The O's are in first place!  No doubt that the season will end this way.  Get your playoff tickets now!

Opening Day 2012 was the best opener I can remember.  I've been to every Opening Day but one in my memory and the weather, crowd and result couldn't have been better. 

My festivities started just before 10am with a Jack and diet at Sliders.  A wise man once said:  "You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning."  To my surprise, Sliders already had a decent size crowd and neighboring Pickles Pub had a larger crowd.  Sliders is my home bar before the game and I will stand by my home bar but what the hell was it doing serving Hamm's beer in place of Natty Boh?  Apparently Hamm's is a Miller product and Miller paid a little extra to have exclusive Miller products for Opening Day at Sliders and neighboring Frank and Nik's restaurant.  Hamm's beer makes Coors Light taste like an IPA because Hamm's beer is god awful.  A colleague of mine have a side bet where the winner gets a case of Natty Boh.  We joke that the loser would keep that case in the sun for months before giving it to the winner.  I would drink a warm Boh over Hamm's any day.  Since I got the Hamm's for free, I took two sips, dumped it, and got my second Jack and coke.

I left Sliders for about an to go to a buddy's house party for an hour.  When I came back around noon, the bars were slammed.  That ended my day at Sliders and Pickles and I went back to the house party across the street from the yard.  After another hour or so, we came back and decided to go to Frank and Nik's.  Frank and Nik's was also jammed but we managed to pry a spot out where my cousin was tending bar.  I like Frank and Nik's for opening day because the crowd not unbearable and they pour a proper drink.  Frank and Nik's is also the only bar that has good albeit expensive food. 

After a solid 5hr pregame, my fiancee and Amy made it into the Stadium sometime after the first inning.  I started by checking out the scene at the home plate bar on the club level.  Surprisingly the bar was dead but at least one of the same terrible bartenders was there.  I immediately left and we got some food.  I have nothing good to report about the food on the club level.  It wasn't even worth wasting space or time writing about it.

Still the food selections have changed as I mentioned in a previous blog.  They opened a Geno's burger and chicken stand just below the centerfield bar.   Former O's catcher Rick Dempsey opened up a bar/restaurant on Eutaw street on the first floor of the Warehouse.  I look forward to trying all of these but my goal was to check out the new bar in centerfield.

 If you have a chance to get to Oriole Park, there's no doubt that the best new addition to the stadium is the center field deck.  Apparently I was not the only one who felt the same way because there was a long line to get up to the deck.  When we got upstairs I questioned whether the Fire Marshall had a limit on the people allowed on the deck because there was room for another 200 people.  Despite the wait, the new perch is easily the best thing that has happened to Oriole Park since it has opened.  The sight lines are incredible and there's a full bar to support the new spot.

When I went to order my first drink, I realized why there were limiting the people on the deck.  The bartenders, specifically Hugh the bartender.  I watched for 15 good minutes as I waited for a drink at a bar that was not that packed.  There was no sense of urgency from the four working behind the bar and it's not like they were serving anything more than beer really.  After the 15th minute, I called out Hugh in a not so friendly manner and he actually came over and served me immediately.  That's when I realized that none of the bartenders at Oriole Park are real bartenders.  A real bartender would have made me wait for another 15 minutes for my disrespect.  The only real bartender left at the stadium is a guy named Lumpy and I'm not sure he even works there anymore. 

By the time the 7th inning came around I left to find that no one had left the bars.  Still slammed.  Either no one went to the game or no one could find tickets.  That crowd proves without a doubt that Opening Day is a social event more than it is about baseball.

Orioles Opening Day! - Boh's before O's

I can't sleep due to sheer anticipation.  Opening Day for a true Orioles fan like me is a national holiday.  Sure thousands of self proclaimed fans come out with their one black and orange garment and proclaim themselves fans for a day.  But let's face it, 95% of the people who attend Opening go for the social event.   This year the stars have aligned and Opening Day falls on not just any Friday, but Good Friday.  A good portion of the city won't be working to take part in what's sure to be one of the biggest opening days in quite some time.  Trust me, no one can find a ticket. 

To me Opening Day is more important than Christmas.  In one way, Opening Day is similar to Christmas in that a World Series victory for the O's seems as believable as Santa Clause and a bunch of reindeer landing on my roof.   But for the optimist,  it's the dawn of a 24-hour hope that this year the O's will actually break .500.  That's a sad statement for a franchise that once had a winning tradition.  These days, even the average fan would like the franchise to break the 10+ year losing streak.  I refuse to count the years because it just depresses me.

To get over that depression, I intend to rekindle the most Baltimore of traditions of drinking a few Boh's before O's.   Natty Boh's, short for National Bohemian beer, is the local brew of choice if you like cheap beer and a hangover.  An acquired taste, Natty Boh's are more than just a beer, its a cultural icon in Charm City.  If you don't believe me, look towards Southeast Baltimore and look for Mister Boh logo winking at you in the skyline on any evening.

So where does one drink a Natty Boh on Opening day?  If you are smart, nowhere near the Stadium.  The crowds are ridiculous, especially at Sliders and Pickles located across the street from The Yard.  Most bars jack up the prices for one day to take advantage of crowds that won't be matched the rest of the season unless the O's go to the playoffs.  Insert Joke.

But if you feel the need to wallow in the sea of humanity, I'd recommend a stop in the Pratt Street Ale house. They have a live band and the crowds are not as bad.  Camden Pub is another spot slightly off the beaten path that might not be as crowded although I heard the Baltimore Sports and Social Club, BSSC, will be ruining a perfectly good spot.  Otherwise, I would go to Federal Hill and hit up the local watering holes before the game.

Most of the bars around the stadium, sans Frank and Nik's, don't have good food.  So, if your hungry eat before hand or stop and one of the food stands surrounding the stadium.  One little gem that I must mention is the little Asian lady that sells peanuts in front of Sliders.  The peanuts are awesome and you can take snacks into the game.  It will save you money in the long run and the peanuts are light years better than what they serve in the stadium.

Once in the game, open your wallet.  Everything is expensive and that shouldn't be a surprise.  Luckily the food and beverage selections have been upgraded over the past couple of years.  The bar along the 3rd base line on the lower level has the best beer selection and there are food options galore.  Honestly the food selection has changed so much that I don't know what they are serving anymore.  Pollock Johnny's and Stuggy's, new for 2012,  are on my list of places to check out.  If you are in the club level, the bar behind home plate is a show.  If you like to be surrounded by a bunch of tools who enjoy waiting for the worst bartenders to do their job then by all means, enjoy yourself.   That said, the people watching at this bar is second to none.

I intend to plant myself somewhere along Eutaw Street in hopes of grabbing a spot above the right field scoreboard or on the center field perch.  Go O's! A win and we are in first place!

Crab Cakes and Bullet Holes - Captain Larry's

I'm sure there are plenty of bars with bullet holes in its ceilings throughout Baltimore.  With the exception of Captain Larry's (CL's) on Fort Avenue in Federal Hill, I doubt you will find another bar in the harbor area with six bullet holes in its ceiling.  When I first went to CL's a while back, I had heard the story about the bullet holes in the ceiling but I was about 12 drinks in and I couldn't remember the story.  I asked the food runner and he informed me that sometime back in the 80's at around 4am, a bunch of city cops were loaded when one of the officer's shot a bullet into the ceiling.  He challenged his buddies to shoot another bullet in its same hole.  Five offers tried and five failed.  Little did they know that then owner, Captain Larry, lived above the bar.  Larry, who was in the bathroom at the time, dove into his tub to duck for cover.   Good thing he did because at least one of those bullets hit the tub and settled under the tub.    


It's been years since that test of skill and manhood and while the bullet holes remain, Captain Larry has since set sail for Florida if I recall the story correctly.  So what about the crabcake?  Finding the best crab cake in Bmore is like trying to find the best Po Boys in New Orleans or cheese steaks in Philadelphia. Opinions vary and consensus is impossible.   Many feel that the best crabcake can be found at G&M Restaurant out towards the airport.  The uneducated tourist will say Phillips is the best.  I can tell you that CL's crab cake is not the best but it is pretty solid.  Stacie and I started out with a monster soft pretzel served with a spicy brown mustard.  I have been know to repeatedly punish soft pretzels over the year and CL's has one of the best.  We  split the crab cake platter with a side of mac and cheese and a Caesar salad.  Now I have been to CL's on a few occasions and the crab cake was not nearly as good as in the past.  There was still plenty of lump crab and limited filler but the crab cake was not seasoned that well and the cook left it in the broiler too long.   The mac and cheese was cut square out of a pan similar like a lasagna.   I'd compare the Caesar salad to an accountant.  Boring but did its job. 

The beer selection was small but decent.  I had the Lagunitas IPA.  I could have had 6 but stuck with one. 

Now I normally would not mention anything about decor or ambiance especially when the marine theme fits CL's so well.  CL's is the last place where a showcase of art should occur but that's exactly what was going on at CL's this Wednesday night.   What made this even worse is the featured "artist" sold the manager a bill of goods.  I can walk down to the daycare at Tide Point and get a more aesthetically pleasing result.  There was also two pieces where the "artist" glued petrie dishes filled with bacteria to a frame and wanted to sell it for $250.  Nothing like petrie dishes full of bacteria to expand your appetite.

So the fundamental question I ask myself is "Would I go back?"  Yes, on a Wednesday Night.  Wednesday is Crab Cake night and the platter was $19.95 for two huge crab cakes and a side.  A no brainer really.  Otherwise I 'd go back for the pretzel!

First Post

First Post!  Hmmm.  Well I can say that I have no idea how to write, work this blog, or where to start. 

So what the hell do you do if you come to Baltimore?  What does Baltimore do well?  In the words of Mike Marra, soon to be former Department of the Army employee, "Baltimore does food and booze".  He's right!  Baltimore has a rich nightlife to go with an equally rich history.  If you want to know about history, go to another blog.  But I hope this blog will offer a fun and insightful view on Baltimore for those people who might not know Baltimore all that well. 

I started this blog at the suggestion (continued pestering) of my coworkers at the Department of the Army, Doug Bailly and Scott Steele.  I'm surely not the Baltimore Ambassador that they claim I am, but I'd like to consider myself as someone who has stumbled through Baltimore and learned something on the way. 

I'm going to end this first blog with a note to those people who moved from New Jersey in the recently completed BRAC.  Stop whining about the lack of Jersey-style pizza in Maryland.  You live in Harford County.  Come to Baltimore.  I'm sure you will find the pizza and everything else is done better in Baltimore versus Aberdeen.