The Dining Dish blog is Dara Bunjon's take on anything food, both national and in her hometown of Baltimore. Warning: this food blog can be harmful to your waistline.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Baltimore's Grand Prix Dining Specials


Restaurants are celebrating the first Grand Prix auto races to be held in Baltimore.  The dining deals are there to be enjoyed by visitors and locals.  The Baltimore Sun’s Richard Gorelick posted a column last week about Grand Prix dining deals listing the likes of Morton’s, B & O Brasserie, CafĂ© Hon, Lebanese Taverna and more. Check out his story and more links HERE

Sunday, August 28, 2011

An invitation to eat - Larry's 1332 - it's all about the food

Larry Schwartz is living his dream and we, the consumer, reap the rewards.  Larry, who while going to law school worked at the old Sid Mandel’s on Liberty Road got bitten by the food bug.  Practicing law went by the wayside and Larry went tableside. Thirty five years later, after a stellar career in fine catering and event management both in Maryland and New York, Larry has opened his first restaurant, Larry’s 1332 in the small little village of Arbutus less than five minutes of the Baltimore Beltway (695).

A number of you who might have known the location as The Lunchbox Lady at 1332 Sulphur Spring Road.  It has been transformed with Larry’s innate sense of style and panache to Larry's 1332

Continue reading and watch the slide show:An invitation to eat – Larry’s 1332 – it’s all about the food

What's for lunch Chazz?

Hoping you all managed through Hurricane Irene and that damage and inconvenience is minimal.  Many people were stuck at home last night and this morning, social media seemed to be the gathering ground.  So what news comes from the hours on Facebook?

Chazz – A Bronx Original in Harbor East has announced they will start serving lunch

Continue reading on Examiner.com What’s for lunch Chazz?

Friday, August 26, 2011

Hurricane Irene - food safety in a power outage

Fingers are crossed that we won’t have to worry about Hurricane Irene and power outages BUT when Baltimore Gas and Electric voice mails everyone to be prepared for outages you have to pause and think.

Juliet Bodinetz-Rich’s job is food safety for restaurants, her company Bilingual Hospitality Training Solutions  teaches the states required food safety training for restaurant staffing.  Juliet remembered being left without electricity for a whole week after Hurricane Isabel.  Her local fire department was available with dry ice during the power outage.

Get the full story at Hurricane Irene - food safety in a power outage

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The matzo ball restaurant review theory

Food and how it tastes like many things is subjective. How do you judge that a dish is good, bad or lackluster? I have my own theory; it is the matzo ball restaurant review theory. 

The foods we grew up eating tend to be our guideline, i.e. – soft, fluffy matzo balls or solid, chewy, heavy matzo balls. I'm a fluffy matzo ball kind of gal. My mother would just die when her matzo balls weren't light as air. If I go into a restaurant that serves chicken matzo ball soup and the matzo balls are heavy as lead - to me, the soup is a disappointment but if you grew up on the heavy dense balls, it is a good.

So what did that food reviewer grow up eating: was it a hard or soft matzo ball, was their meat served rare or well done, or was mom heavy handed with salt or used little or no seasoning at all? Where have these people dined? Is their experience with Italian food Carrabba's Italian Grill, their local Little Italy, Mario Batali’s Babbo Restaurant in New York or dining at a trattoria in Tuscany? 

Which reviewers’ voice do you trust?

With so many sites inviting everyone’s opinion on restaurants, whose voice or taste do you trust? There are many food bloggers that really know food and some who are limited in their food experience.  Do they know how to cook, do they understand the nuances of a dish or is mango something foreign to them?

I highly suggest reading many of the reviewer’s restaurant reviews; especially from restaurants where you have dined and see if your feelings are on par with theirs. If you seem to be at the opposite end of the spectrum of what they have said, then it is a pretty good shot you'll like places they don't and vice versa. If everyone dishes a place, there is nothing subjective about that.

Restaurant reviews are a guide and whether you like a place or not could be because your mom, grandmother or dad made it the same way or different.   

Dining Dish is curious as to your experiences with restaurant reviews - have any let you down, were some dead on - do share.

Tags;  #tidal, reviews, Italian, restaurants

Monday, August 22, 2011

Today is eat a peach day – throw them on your grill

Here is a simple and delicious recipe for grilled peaches with arugula, prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese courtesy of Chef Riccardo Bosio of Sotto Sopra Italian Restaurant in Baltimore.

Chef Bosio quipped ” Okay, so I'm not cut out to be an Iron Chef but I thought you would like this cooking video-the recipe is simple and perfect for summer.

Read the complete post and watch the cooking video: Today is eat a peach day

Friday, August 19, 2011

New restaurant in Pikesville – Elements Restaurant and Bar

Who knew it was there?  Not I, not until this morning when I received my Chewpon notice today to get a $30 Chewpon for just $15.  Where in Pikesville you ask?  Elements Restaurant and Bar id located on Reisterstown Road just south of the Baltimore Beltways in Pomona Square Shopping Center in the rear behind where the NEW Suburban House is and where Si Salsa was. 

Read the full story: New restaurant in Pikesville

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Would you PLEASE vote for Dining Dish

If over the past six years that I’ve been writing the Dining Dish Blog you have enjoyed any of my posts, if I brought a smile to your face, directed you to a great meal, gave you breaking news on a new restaurant  or helped you cook would you take the 30 seconds or less to vote for my blog.


It is Baltimore’s Most Valuable Blogger Awards for 2011 and Dining Dish blog is nominated in the Dining and Entertaining category. 

Here is the link to VOTEhttp://baltimore.blogger.cbslocal.com/most-valuable-blogger/blog/512-dining-dish/   Click on the vote button next to it...really simple. It takes so little time and you DON’T have to register at the website. You can vote daily up through September 9th.


After much deliberation and careful consideration of many nominees, CBS Baltimore has narrowed the field of Finalists down for this year’s MVB. Voting for finalists is open now through September 9th. Let your voice be heard – vote now!

If you really, really love me, you’ll tweet this and share it on Facebook. I write about food, restaurants, chefs, cooking, dining because it is a true passion.  Food brings people, families, races, nations together.  May your table always be full.

Best regards and sincere gratitude

Dara Bunjon
(aka Dining Dish)

New restaurant and bar open in Canton - The Americana

I just received the press release on the new restaurant in Canton, the Americana.  The release is well written and says everything you should know.  I usually like to put my own spin on stories but today I'm just going to let the owner Alex van Breukelen's press release tell the story.
THE AMERICANA, Canton’s newest restaurant and bar is excited to announce its Grand Opening Celebration taking place on Saturday, August 27th.  The event will commence at 10:00 am; featuring a brunch menu with bottomless Bloody Marys and Mimosas. The celebration will continue throughout the day with special highlights including giveaways, ½ price drinks and food specials, and promotions hosted by both Pinnacle Vodka and Miller Lite.

Continue reading New restaurant and bar open in Canton - The Americiana

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Food curious children have their own magazine – Ingredient

If you have children ages 6 to 12 years of age that are food curious, want to cook and learn about food than Ingredient Magazine is designed just for them.  Ingredient encourages children, with adult supervision to build their cooking skills through practice, using a selection of recipes both simple and moderately advanced.

Maryland Science Center uncorks Sight & Smell Wine Tasting

Are you wine curious?  If so, you might want to consider Science Uncorked at the Maryland Science Center at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Thursday, September 8th .  Wine expert Sharon Charny will take you through two very vital parts of the wine tasting experience, the look of the wine – Sight and the aroma – The Smell.

Monday, August 15, 2011

The movie The Help's food stylist Martha Foose shares from behind the scenes

Photo courtesy of  Martha Foose - Food Stylist Martha Foose and Family
The Help, written by Kathryn Stockett is number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for a record 25 weeks is back at number one. The just released film version of The Help debut week brought in over 25 million dollars. The interest in this story of life in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960’s from a perspective of the privileged and their help, the maids will definitely be an Academy Award contender, especially for the acting. A well written screenplay and impressive ensemble cast drives the story home of lives in the south in the 1960’s.

Integral to the storyline in The Help is the food of the south from pies to cakes, peanut brittle to deviled eggs – food is a key to the storytelling.  Another great storyteller of southern life is Martha Foose. Foose, an award-winning Southern cookbook author of Screen Doors and Sweet Tea and her most recent cookbook A Southerly Course, was one of the key food stylist’s for The Help.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Saval sent two kids to investigate what’s inside a regular hot dog

Saval Foods, a name I see when I drive the Capital Beltway on my drive home on the inner loop between Connecticut Avenue and route 29 on a road marker is seen more often at your favorite deli counter. What started with a quality corned beef in 1932 grew to the Saval deli line.  I love their beef brisket, no one does it better.

Monday, August 08, 2011

Launch party for Copper Kitchen catering at Silo Point wows!

Executive Chef Kevin Miller, formerly of the closed Ixia Restaurant, is the main talent behind Copper Kitchen catering.  Chef comes to the table not only a talented chef, but he has  a degree in pastry and a food stylist extraordinaire.  Miller partnered with Jennifer DeVos of Widespread Concierge Services expanding their services  with catering and event planning  which grew by leaps and bounds and deserved a name more befitting Kevin’s talents, hence – Copper Kitchen catering.

Chef Miller has a great understanding of both the taste and the visual of food.  We eat with our eyes as much as our other senses.  The launch party at Silo Point had such a visual wow factor, especially the two story centerpiece table, the food presentation and of course the view from the penthouse at Silo Point

Continue reading, watch video and enjoy slide show:   Launch party for Copper Kitchen catering at Silo Point wows!

Saturday, August 06, 2011

Italian oasis in Cockeysville strip mall – Vito’s CafĂ©

Chef Luca Pesci serving Branzino tableside
There are all kinds of Italian restaurants; Italian American, Italian, Northern Italian, Southern Italian, Tuscan, Sicilian, Sardinian etc. Vito’s CafĂ© in Baltimore’s Cockeysville suburb offers a mixed Italian selection of Italian American, Southern Italian and Northern Italian dishes, a broad canvas of tastes and flavors.

Vito’s Chef Luca Pesci is part of the small band of Italian chefs that came to Baltimore in the past 10 plus years when Baltimore restaurateurs could easily help the young chefs to immigrate. Chef Pesci was part of the group of young chefs the likes of Fabio Mura –Cardedu, Sardinia, Davide Rossi-Milan, Gianfranco Fracassetti –Sedrina,Bergamo.

Continue reading and check out the slideshow HERE

Vito's Cafe on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

George Martin’s Grillfire Restaurant at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve opens

The new luxury Hotel at Arundel Preserve is home to George Martin’s Grillfire Restaurant. The restaurant is easy to find off the new Arundel Mills Boulevard exit on the Baltimore Washington Parkway (295) just south of Route 100.  Grillfire Arundel fills the needs for the hotel guests offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks.  Local businesses can tap into the private dining room for meetings and catering services. Neighborhood residents will enjoy their carryout as well as happy hour deals.

Owner of the five New York Grillfire restaurants,George Korten shared that the Grillfire Arundel is the first Grillfire Restaurant built from the ground up and is their flagship restaurant.  The New York Grillfire restaurants were all remodels of previously owned restaurants.  Grillfire Arundel at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve offers up warm, neutral tones with natural products of stone, brick and polished mahogany.

Continue reading and view the slide show George Martin’s Grillfire Restaurant at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve opens

Grillfire Arundel on Urbanspoon

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