Chipotle, Everywhere USA

I feel kind of ridiculous writing about Chipotle, but it has come to the point where I must. I tend to have very short-lived obsessions. I go crazy about something for a good two weeks, and then all of a sudden I couldn’t care less.

Right now my obsessions are: Adam Lambert and Greek Yogurt. I don’t want either of these obsessions to end, but alas I know they will. However, one obsession that has been constant since college is my love for Chipotle. I love it. I love their rice, I love their guacamole, but most importantly I love love love their Barbacoa- or spicy shredded beef.

Here is my ideal Chipotle meal: a burrito bowl with rice, black beans, barbacoa, salsa, sour cream, cheese, lettuce and guac.

HAPPINESS IN A BOWL.

Thought I would share.

P.F.Chang's, Towson

I went to P.F.Chang’s the other day for lunch and was happily surprised that they offer a couple of their dinner entrees as lunch bowls, and therefore for a cheaper price. The bowls also come with a bowl of soup (egg drop or sweet and sour) and white or brown rice. I ordered the egg drop soup which was pleasant and tasty (there’s not really much you can say about a soup that is essentially broth) and for my entree I chose the Moo Goo Gai Pan lunch $8.95. Moo Goo Gai Pan comes with chicken and shrimp and miscellaneous vegetables in a light sauce. I chose to get it with the brown rice and it turned out to be an excellent and apparently a healthy (or healthier than everything else) choice! The portion size is large, especially considering this was for lunch and I had enough to take home for another 2 meals (apparently this may not be normal though).

Dan chose the Sesame chicken for about $7.95 and his meal was also a huge portion. The sesame chicken is like any Chinese store- but here it wasn’t as fried as I’ve had before and that makes me feel a bit better.

Overall, I was happy with the food and I liked that a big chain offered me lunch options that are actually worth it. I also liked that it didn’t take long at all for my food to come out.

One thing I didn’t like, however, was their coffee! It cost $2.25 and it was terrible! I tasted a bit of hazelnut, and that turns me off. Plain coffees should never be flavored, and for $2.25, well let’s be honest- I yearned for a cup of sweet DD instead!

P.F.Chang's China Bistro
825 Dulaney Valley Rd, Towson
410) 372-5250

Bahama Breeze, Towson

I went to Bahama Breeze the other night with a bit of a sulk because for some reason I remember not liking the food that much. I think the décor is super cute although it does feel strange to celebrate being in the tropics when you are 2 seconds away from a big mall. But anyway, I wasn’t excited until I got there and actually had their food. I was very very happy! We ordered the vine-ripened tomato and basil flatbread for an appetizer (for 5 people) and it was a great amount for all of us to try a couple of square pieces. The flatbread itself was delicious, I mean, you can’t go wrong with cheese + tomato + basil, and you can’t go wrong with anything resembling a pizza. Yum!

For my entrée I ordered the salmon pan-seared with a creamy mango butter sauce. Oh this was good. The salmon was incredibly flaky, but crispy on the outside, which I LOVE. I chose the island rice on the side (yummy, but not really anything island-y, but I loved it regardless) and some haricots-verts. I literally cleaned my plate. The salmon was yum!

For dessert I shared the key lime pie, which at first glance looked like a lemon meringue pie since it came with meringue on the top. I have never seen it served that way, but I liked that little touch a lot. Meringue doesn’t have a strong flavor, so it didn’t add or detract from the overall pie. The lime part was creamy and incredibly tangy, but matched well with the delicious crust that must have been baked with a thousand sticks of butter it was so good.

Overall, I was so happy with my dinner here and would happily come again if asked!

Bahama Breeze
100 E. Joppa Road
Towson, MD 21286
Phone: (410) 821-7090
Fax: (410) 821-7093

Dunkin Donuts, Everywhere USA

I know. Another random post, but I’m a follower of Elizabeth Large’s blog from the Baltimore Sun, and a couple of her recent posts were about coffee. Interestingly enough, many people proclaimed DD to have the best coffee- mostly because of their consistency. Now, I’m a fan of their delicious sweet treats, but quite unbelievably I’ve never tried their coffee. So on Saturday I went there, trained my eyes to focus on coffee and only on coffee (and not on that delicious Boston Cream donut I saw gazing up at me with delight) and asked for a small coffee with cream and sugar. Well, it was quite lovely! Sooo super lovely! It’s a mild coffee, which is great for me, and the amount of cream and sugar made it into something of a treat! For people that want to do it themselves, there is obviously that capability, but I liked that they would just do it for me. The DD coffee is a much better option for those that want to wean themselves off of flavored coffees, but aren’t ready to go all the way! Usually at Starbuck’s or Cosi’s, for example, their house coffees are much too strong for the casual drinker. Now there is another option!
Next up…..I’ve heard good things about McDonald’s coffee…..do I even dare?

Sofi's Crepes, Baltimore City

(Taken from Wikipedia)

I was SO excited to find out they opened a second Sofi's Crepes location in the Women's Industrial Exchange building (along with my other favorite, Dogwood Deli). It's always a welcome change when I can eat something other than a sandwich for lunch. Sofi's Crepes are a great homage to the perfect Parisian Crepe, and trust me, Dan and I ate a ton of these when we were there. They make the crepes to order, so they don't pull out pre-made crepes and then heat them up with the toppings- very important to me! They also have a large list of savory and sweet crepes, so I am very eager to try each and every one. But I must warn you- if you are like me and your eyes are bigger than your stomach, I am telling you right now that there is no possible way you can eat both a savory and a sweet crepe in one sitting. Trust me. I tried.

I ordered the Crepe Florentine for $8. This included fresh spinach, mushrooms, gruyere cheese, sunflower seeds and a Cilantro Parmesan sauce. To be honest, I don't remember tasting any sauce, since the cheese is so strong in flavor, but the whole crepe was incredible. It's a great sort of comfort food choice. I also purchase the $5 Nutty Banana that comes with nutella and bananas. Oh I was so sad I couldn't eat this immediately. It felt all warm and gooey, but alas I had to save it for the next day and unfortunately it wasn't as delicious as right off the grill.

Overall, I am delighted with Sofi's Crepes. I would love to go back again and again and try all their selections!

Sofi's Crepes
333 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-727-5737

MAIN LOCATION:
1723 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-5801
410-727-7732

Mr Souvlaki, Cockeysville

OK I know this is totally random. I mean, this is the hot dog cart outside of Home Depot. But I need to review this place because I’ve gone there about 4 times in the past three weeks! This place is DELICIOUS AND CHEAP. If you’re like me and have to go to Home Depot at least twice a day to pick up home supplies, then this is the best place to stop for a quick bite. I’ve had their all-beef hot dog before which is great (and around $2.50 I think), but now my favorite is their Gyro. This takes a little longer for them to prepare, but for $4.75, it’s worth it. The tzatziki sauce is tangy and cucumber-y and the meat is grilled to perfection. Oh I love stopping by there for a quick bite!

Mr. Souvlaki
(Outside of Home Depot)
125 Industry Lane, Cockeysville MD 21030

Sorry

I have been very negligent! Dan and I have just purchased our first home, and most of my time has been dedicated to that. I HAVE been eating out a lot- so I will try and include as many entries as I can from memory! Luckily, I am not known for details in my reviews, just "yums" and "gross," so this will be very easy for me to do!

Howard County Restaurant Week Feb 23rd-March 8th

Just an FYI that Howard County is having their own Restaurant Week right now from Feb 23rd-March 8th.

Here is the website: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/HCT/HCT_Restaurant_Week.htm

And information from the website is as follows:

Get in on the Best Deals in Dining Out!
Howard County’s Winter Restaurant Weeks Features NEW Prixe Fix Menus From $10.09 To $40.09 - Savor The Savings!

Enjoy the warm hospitality and delicious creativity of Howard County’s finest chefs during Howard County’s Winter Restaurant Weeks February 23 to March 8, 2009. Participating restaurants will offer prixe fix menus from $10.09 to $40.09 (beverages, tax, gratuity not included;promotions and menus vary).

Enjoy this amazing opportunity to visit your favorite spot or sample something new as you discover the unique dining options close to home!

Visit our list of participating restaurants and make your reservations now – and don’t forget to pick up a Frequent Diners Passport Card. Have it validated at each restaurant you visit during Restaurant Weeks and enter to win a $100 dining gift certificate from the Restaurant Association of Maryland. (Visit at least 6 restaurants to be eligible, and return the card to the Howard County Tourism Welcome Center: 8267 Main St., Ellicott City, MD 21043.)

Questions/ Comments?
Visit our blog visithowardcounty.typepad.com

Participating Restaurants:

* AIDA BISTRO WINE BAR
* ALEXANDRA'S at Turf Valley Resort
* BELMONT MANOR
* BISTRO BLANC
* CACAO LANE
* CAFE de PARIS
* COPELAND'S
* CRAB SHANTY
* DIAMONDBACK TAVERN
* DONNAS CAFE
* ELKRIDGE FURNACE INN
* GREYSTONE GRILL
* JORDAN'S STEAKHOUSE
* THE KING'S CONTRIVANCE
* THE MELTING POT
* MORGAN'S GRILLE at the Hilton Columbia
* OZ CHOPHOUSE
* RAMS HEAD TAVERN at Savage Mill
* RANAZUL
* THE RUMOR MILL
* STAINED GLASS PUB
* TERSIGUEL'S FRENCH COUNTRY RESTAURANT
* TOBY'S DINNER THEATRE in Columbia
* VICTORIA GASTRO PUB

Personally, I've always wanted to try Aida Bistro Wine Bar and Cafe de Paris.

The Dogwood Cafe located in The Woman's Industrial Exchange

UPDATE: THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED :(

I have found a new lunch spot heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Dogwood Cafe, brother to The Dogwood Deli and The Dogwood in Hampden.

This place is FAN-freaking-tastic. It's a small cafeteria in the Woman's Industrial Exchange building, but it still manages to be charming. The food is not only local, but it is outstanding. I ate a delicious sandwich made with a pumpkin butter spread, apple, brie and farm-raised chicken. Can a sandwich be a gateway to heaven? I think this one can. I LOVED the pumpkin butter, which is a little less sweeter than apple butter and which paired perfectly with the brie and apple.

Oh, and then I also had a pumpkin cookie with brown butter icing- oh so yummy!!!!!!

There were soooo many good looking treats at this place, and I can't wait to go back and try them all, especially the Mango Curry Chicken Sandwich with a slice of carrot cake to top it all off!

All in all, my sandwich and cookie came to about $8.60 which is a normal price for the downtown area. So excited to go back!!!!



333 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410) 685-4388

The Natural Market, Timonium

You know what's worse than being cheated out of your money? Watching it happen in progress.

I went to The Natural Market, which is located in the random strip mall in front of the Fairgrounds, just to check it out. I am convinced that it can't be doing too well in its current location, but surprisingly there were a decent amount of people shopping in this tiny store. I went to the Juice and Deli bar because I LOVE smoothies, and wanted to see what amazingness they could concoct for me. I have high hopes for a place called The Natural Market.

Well I was pissed. I ordered the banana smoothie for $4.50 (16 0z) and it was just some bottle of organic juice from their shelf and some banana. That's it. Seriously. Most smoothie places at least TRY and add stuff to their smoothies to make the customer feel good about their purchase, but not this place. The smoothie itself was OK, I mean it was just juice and bananas.

EDIT: I am excited that this place got mentioned in Baltimore Magazine. Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to judge! I would be happy to go back and try one of their salads.

The Natural Market
2149 York Rd.
Timonium, MD 21093
410-560-3133
www.thenaturalmkt.com