I haven’t had coffee in forty years but last week I tasted an Iced Latte Mocha Swirl from Dunkin Donuts. My first and only cup of coffee up until this past week was back in the college days. It was more a cup of cream and sugar with a hint of coffee.
What have been your choices for restaurant week? Are you going back to the same restaurants or trying new ones? Have you had good experiences at a restaurant and gone back? What can the city do to improve upon this promotion?
My personal frustration is that the menus are not up on the website for a good number of the places, hence I just don’t go there. I find some restaurants offer you a limited selection that really doesn’t define what they normally offer that they can't be reaping the rewards.
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Where are you dining for Baltimore Restaurant Week?
I don’t normally do this, but I’m pasting the entire press release on the new B & O American Brasserie that is opening on Friday, July 30th. I’m in the middle of 4 projects and just don’t have time to put my own spin on this. Hopefully the news and details will placate you. Enjoy, I’m back to work at the real money earning jobs not that I don't love you all.
The Polka Dot Bake Shop has created a deeeelicious, thin cracker made from sweet potatoes. I like thin, thin crust pizza so it wasn’t a surprise that I really liked their crispy thin crackers . Out of the numerous food products at the Fancy Food Show, they caught my eye and my taste buds.
Sushi is a painstaking art form, an edible one, yet an art form. Before the sushi craze hit, sushi chefs trained 10 years to perfect their skills. With the demand being so high, the training is only about 2 years. This past week the media was invited to Ra Sushi for a Sushi rolling class, I don’t know what 30 minutes makes us but sushi rolling fools but we had a great time.
You know me, have Flip camera will travel and such is the case with this story. I was one of 16 food professionals and journalist at an exclusive dinner prepared for us at Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia*. News had already come out in Baltimore that Chef deLutis was taking over the top toque position of alizee bistro. Since we were dining together, I was inspired to have a personal interview with him and his partners in culinary crime.
Earlier in the week I posted my story about the arcade type claw game that has the prize, if you can catch it, a live lobster. I expressed my opinion about torturing these crustaceans before eating them, a reversed waterboarding as I called it.
We all know the Mario Batali, celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television personality – distinctive with his red haired pony tail, shorts and orange clogs. He is taking on a movie roll that should be easy for him, playing a restaurant owner – I wouldn’t call that a stretch. Owner in Babbo, Del Posto, Lupa and other multiple restaurants, Batali should have this part down pat.
Aldo’s Ristorante in Little Italy is kicking off their summertime stimulus pre fixe dinner that is available every night of the week including Saturday. If you haven’t been to Aldo’s yet, you should go just to see the luxurious surroundings. 
Think back to the boardwalk, your childhood and those arcade games with the claw to pick up stuffed animals, watches and other slocky toys. Got the picture? Now picture the same machine with live lobsters, using the big metal claw to capture your crustacean du jour.
I’m not usually Johnny on the Spot about going to new restaurants but this was one of those exceptions and I’m glad I did. Last Thursday night at an event, my friend Debbie Z said she was going to check out Blue Hill Tavern, a client of hers. The man-about-town, the style maven and food connoisseur, Brian Michael Lawrence editor of Style Magazine went the same evening sending an e-mail the next day to other foodie friends “Just tried the new Blue Hill Tavern in Brewer's Hill/Canton - awesome food, most beautiful new restaurant in Baltimore.”
Who in their right mind would snort wasabi powder, the green horseradish powder that is used to make the spicy hot accoutrement to sushi? At a radio station, a morning radio team I’m guessing had someone stupid enough to do this
All I need as a title to this story is to say Julia Child. The icon of the culinary world is more to the forefront today with the upcoming movie about her culinary awakening and the young lady who prepared the 500 plus recipes from the Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year. The movie Julie and Julia is premiering August 7th, a date not that far from the anniversary of Julia’s birthday and her death. 
A chef’s table dinner, gourmet-to-go, fine wines, baked goods, to-go sandwiches, beverages and prepackaged food items can be found in Owings Mills at Park Heights Avenue near Walnut Avenue. Mr. Charles Market is not your typical country store and few have a chef of this caliber creating weekly multi-course dinners, a chef’s table.
What a shock it was to see that the Suburban House Restaurant on Reisterstown Road in Pikesville caught fire last night. From what I can gather there was extensive smoke damage. The restaurant says they will re-open.
In Great Britain they have built a racing car that runs on chocolate. The car is designed to be green, built with sustainable and recyclable materials. The car can’t actually race because they can’t get the speed up beyond 160 miles per hour and formula 3 cars are not allowed to use biofuels.
Tripping the light fantastic (the web) has turned up two humorous items to be shared with you. While managing my videos, I clicked on Evian’s street-wise dancing babies. Just uploaded to the web five days ago it has already hit the two million mark in views.
Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon in Bangkok, Thailand is hosting an international conference focusing on global issues. Local chef, Anthony Marini, of the AMI Group, has been invited to speak at the Green-Trends in Foods, Crafts, Fashion & Textiles Conference.
Chef Jeff McInnis is more than his boyish good looks, he can really cook. Proof of that was his cooking demonstration for the Fernando Pensato Gourmet Food line at the International Fancy Food Show this week. It isn’t easy being squished in a 10 x 12 booth, doing a live cooking demonstration when three quarters of passersbys want the free eats.
Are you looking for gluten-free dessert options with mass appeal for this 4th of July- look no further, this recipe is compliments of the Exotic Car Examiner, Kae Davis. Featuring her favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, it might come as a surprise that these cookie treats are absolutely friendly to all tummies and taste buds equally -- and can be eaten by those with Celiac disease.
Here is your opportunity to take a virtual tour on the Summer International Food Show that was held the beginning of this week in New York City. Foods from around the world as well national are spotlighted, sampled and promoted. As an experienced attendee taster, I tend to stick with the savory items, not the sweets.
Sorry for the delay on getting you this post. I was working from the MAC Store at 5th Avenue and Central Park at 1 a.m. I wasn't up to the cut and paste. So here were some quick notes for the International Fancy Food Show.
