Full blown food whore

And it all began.  Thought that might catch your attention.  When was that defining moment when I went from a picky eater to a full blown food whore?  The defining moment was when I was a wee child, and I mean wee. Both my sister and I looked liked we came from a 3^rd world country; tiny and skinny.
My mother decided that others saw us as underfed and undernourished. Coming from a Jewish household, that was never the case but it was her Jewish mother guilt. Now that you understand my mother’s state of mind, here was her remedy to fatten us up.

Read the full story HERE

Thanksgiving dinner in a box - But Dara you know how to cook

Thanksgiving at my house has a lot of testosterone; my husband, my brother-in-law and my father-in-law.  The numbers have dwindled over the years and my attempt in the past at a “Martha Stewart” Thanksgiving with handmade napkin rings, multiple sides, homemade pies and whole roasted turkey just weren’t appreciated. The preference was canned cranberries versus home-made. No dark meat just white meat from the turkey.  In recent years I did brine the turkey breast just for me, I knew it was moister, better tasting but alas, the boys didn’t notice the difference.

It was going to be even simpler this year, turkey breast, Stove Top stuffing, canned sauerkraut, canned cranberries, mashed potatoes, gravy not even a green vegetable.  I was chatting with my friend Jeannie Siegel, a very talented cook, who misses the leftovers because she does Thanksgiving dinner at a friend’s home

Continue reading and watch the video: Thanksgiving dinner in a box – but Dara you know how to cook!

Michael Mina’s Wit & Wisdom Tavern in the Four Seasons Hotel debuts in Baltimore

The only thing missing were the klieg lights for the official grand opening party of Wit & Wisdom, A Tavern by Michael Mina (@witwisdomtavern) and LAMILL Coffee both located in the new Four Seasons hotel (@FSBaltimore).  As we drove to the entrance there were close to a dozen valets waiting to take your car.  After checking in the Four Season’s general manager, Julien Carralero was introduced to us and welcomed us personally.  The restaurant opens officially on Monday, November 14th.

Food, chefs, guests - where does one go first? 

I can’t say enough about the look of Wit & Wisdom, warm tones, cushy seating, two fireplaces and chefs with culinary pedigrees that plan to shake things up in Baltimore.  Mina (@chefmichaelmina), who has created his own restaurant empire, is in the league of other great restaurateurs the likes of Drew Nieporent and Danny Meyer. Bourbon Steak is his signature steakhouse with the closest being in Washington DC.

Read the full story, check out the photo slide show and Michael Mina video HERE 

Bombora Restaurant.Bar.Lounge - a fresh breath on Ocean City Boardwalk

All you can eat buffets, burgers, pizza, prime rib specials and the early bird lobster special for $16.99 never quite ring my bell when I am at the shore – always a culinary disappointment.  Nor do I think restaurants on the Ocean City boardwalk worth a second of my time considering until now.  The well known  Phillips restaurant family has offered up one of the original flagship restaurant for change to Chef Arturo Paz.  The restaurant no longer called Phillips, but now carries the moniker of Bombora combines Chef Paz’s Latin background and ties in bright Asian flavors with a menu that offers small plates through a fully rounded entrée portion. There is still a salute to those items “Phillips” on the menu that guests have come to expect.

Check out the slide show and continue reading Bombora Restaurant.Bar.Lounge – a fresh breath on Ocean City Boardwalk

Maisy’s is the neighborhood restaurant and bar worth the drive

Just a quick walk from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor or cultural center, Maisy’s is the neighborhood restaurant and bar you wish was close to where you live. Located on Charles Street, Maisy’s warmth, hospitality and really good food draws both locals and visitors with their seasonal and locally sourced offerings for lunch, dinner or late night rendezvous. Pull up a bar stool, grab a table or plop down on the couch and enjoy the early bird or late night happy hours, watch games on the flat screens, share a brick oven pizza or choose a selection of Chef Cyrus Keefer’s delicious creations to fill your cravings.

Read the full review  and watch the slide show  Maisy's is the neighborhood restaurant and bar worth the drive

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

The Rowhouse Grille - Federal Hill's culinary secret

Honestly, really honestly – it takes a lot to make my tastebuds stand to attention. Jaded, yes – been there, done that from New York dining at Daniel’s to the humble hot dog off a cart.  A recent media dinner at The Rowhouse Grille caught me by surprise when the first two dishes we shared seemed to be in contention for my OMG dish of the year.

The evening kicked off with The Rowhouse Grille special that evening, Tom Yum mussels in a lemongrass, coconut, lime, shallot and garlic broth.  I am partial to Vietnamese flavors I must admit although everyone at the table was gaga over the Tom Yum mussels and they disappeared too quickly.

Read the full story:  HERE

Crab Bash 2011 and you are invited

The 2nd annual Crab Bash is on, the crab mallet has been swung and regional chefs duke it out to walk away with the Crab Bash Champion treasure chest.  Last year’s winner, chef Dave Newman of Brewer’s Art will be there defending his title against:

o      B&O American Brasserie’s Thomas Dunklin
o      Maisy’s Cyrus Keefer
o      Atwood Café’s Derek Simcik (Chicago, IL)
o      Riptide By the Bay’s Meredith & Roger Rippel
o      Ryleigh’s Oyster Bar’s Shawn McClure
o      Square 1682’s Guillermo Tellez (Philadelphia, PA)*
o      Domaso’s Paul Healey (Arlington, VA)*
o      Chris Becker formerly of  The Wine Market /now Bagby Restaurant Group
o      Jackson 20/The Grille’s Dennis Marron (Alexandria, VA)
*returning for a rematch.

You’re invited!

Continue reading  Crab Bash 2011 and you are invited

Tulsi - Worth the trip to New York City for Summer Restaurant Week

With New York City’s Summer Restaurant Week ready to kick off July 11th and running through July 24th the time is opportune for us travelers from Baltimore to enjoy the Big Apple’s restaurants.

Tulsi Restaurant, midtown on the far east side of Manhattan, is that ideal blend of all that is delicious and exciting about Indian food.  The chef, Hemant Mathur, is one of the leading tandoori chefs in the country.  As co-executive chef at Dévi with Survir Saran

Continue reading and view snaps:  Tulsi - Worth the trip to New York City for Summer Restaurant Week

Launch party tonight for McCormick & Schmick’s newly renovated patio

If you don’t have plans than get yourself over to the launch tonight of McCormick & Schmick’s newly renovated patio at Pier 5-Eastern Avenue.  I checked the weather for you, low 80’s – no rain, so go! Party and a great view of the Harbor.  Go reach out to your tweeps and get your midweek tweet-up going  for the launch party

Whether by train or plane (tourist) or Baltimoreans by car, light rail, subway, the circulator or water taxi (Stop #5) you want to enjoy happy hour, lunch, dinner or steamed crabs.Continue reading and see slide show Launch party tonight for McCormick & Schmick’s newly renovated patio

In and out $18 three plate summer lunch special at The Capital Grille

Let me just start off with two words, lobster roll.  The lobster roll is one of three of the main course plate offering with The Capital Grille’s summer lunch special available Monday through Fridays from 11:30 to 3 p.m.  The three plate summer lunch plates  specials offers three options in soup/salad, sandwiches and sides for a mere $18

Value versus dollar winner - $18

For the downtown worker who is so tired of the everyday humdrum, poor quality, over priced lunches this is a refreshing change – top end, quality choices with the promise of having you in and out in forty five minutes.  
 

Check out the slide show and continue reading  In and out $18 three plate summer lunch at The Capital Grille.

Take a look at The Dizz at GrandView - photo slide show

This is a follow up to my earlier story about the The Dizz opening up in Hampden, called The Dizz at Grandview. They have taken over the rooftop location of The GrandView Restaurant at St Mary’s Roland View Towers at 3838 Roland Avenue, a senior high rise building. The Dizz at GrandView opened last night so the husband was antsy to go check it out. The husband is a Medfield boy, the neighborhood just north of Hampden. When I met him he made it perfectly clear he was from Medfield not Hampden.

Check out the slide show and the scoop on the just opened restaurant:
http://www.examiner.com/dining-in-baltimore/take-a-look-at-the-dizz-at-grandview-photo-slide-show

Going to the shore? Eat like a pig and drink like a fish – slide show

Last’s years vacation at the shore had us try The Pig & Fish in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, it was happenstance. We were spending one of our typical days in Rehoboth, walking Rehoboth Avenue and something about the name The Pig & Fish was enticing, the look fresh and clean and the menu with choices way beyond the typical shore fare; crab cakes, ribs and pizza.

With the house sitter scheduled, we are soon heading off to the shore for our annual vacation from the Baltimore doldrums. One of the things I don’t look forward to is the food. Honestly, I find most of the restaurants at the shore...

Read the full story and see slide show HERE

Who made a cameo appearance at Cameo Appearance

Huh, that is what I said, "who made a cameo appearance at Cameo Appearance." Read who showed at this party.

Larry Schwartz, Vice President of Off-Premise Catering of Cameo Catering (formerly Cameo Caters) threw a lovely party at Gore Dean in Mt. Washington Mill to launch their new division, Cameo Appearance, focusing on stylish in-home parties.

Read the full story:

Guess who made a cameo appearance at Cameo Appearance

Killing time in the kitchen - a look at my night with Emeril

A number of you, all three of you, who follow my posts here, on Twitter and Facebook know that I work as a kitchen slave for a chef friend on and off. Today she is off and pretty much had everything ready but set up and salad prep that I finished fairly quickly.

It is 9:30 a.m. and I really don’t have a thing to do until around 11:45 to prep for lunch service. So I don’t know if it is lucky me or lucky you as I ramble on about my culinary things of late. Read the full story: Killing time in the kitchen - a look at my night with Emeril

Baltimore’s Berger cookies to our best burger – Charm City Food Tours

It’s tough working on the weekend although genuinely inspired by Charm City Food Tours to write. The new local endeavor being spearheaded by one of the city’s most prominent food personalities, Celeste Corsaro, is sizzling like a soft shell crab in a hot cast iron pan.

There are city tours and then there are local restaurants, now put them together for an enlightening, fulfilling and filling 3 to 3 1/2 hour tour of Fells Point The walking tour could be the Broadway Market’s perogi to a shot of Grand Marnier at One Eyed Mikes. Charm City Food Tours engages the participants with the history of Fells Point, what is best about Baltimore and its cuisine.

Read the full story and watch the slide show: Baltimore’s Berger cookies to our best burger – Charm City Food Tours

The spatula has been thrown – three food bloggers go sauté pan to sauté pan in cooking contest

For three Baltimore area food bloggers who have been talking the talk it is time to walk the walk in the bacon cooking contest this coming Saturday at Great Grapes being held on June 12th at 1 p.m at Oregon Ridge Park. Your own Dining Examiner (aka Dining Dish) will be emcee of this challenge. Judging will be done by Jessica Kartalija, WJZ Eyewitness News Team, Bernadette Woods, WJZ Meteorologist and Hugh Sisson, Founder/President Heavy Seas Beer & Clipper City Brewery.

Get the full story on the contest and foodblogtestants: The spatula has been thrown – three food bloggers go sauté pan to sauté pan in cooking contest

Baltimore chefs represent at the White House for Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools program

For chefs and school food programs it was a monumental day at the White House Friday when over 500 chefs from 37 states came to hear the 1st lady rally the culinary troops for her Chefs Move to Schools campaign.

While waiting in line to access the White House this writer spied chefs from Baltimore who have been staunch supporters of teaching children about food. Read the FULL STORY, WATCH THE VIDEO AND SLIDE SHOW: Baltimore chefs represent at the White House for Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools program

An evening with the Consul General of Italy in Baltimore -64th Anniversary of the Republic of Italy

Bona sera was the greeting, a kiss on both cheeks as Dr. Francesco Luigi Legaluppi, the Consul General of Italy in Baltimore greeted his guest for the celebration of the 64th Anniversary of the Republic of Italy. On this warm hot night, not even the Lutherville wooded area at the Cloisters could come up with a breeze for the black tie optional dressed guests.

Read who attended, check out the snaps: An evening with the Consul General of Italy in Baltimore -64th Anniversary of the Republic of Italy

Lovely lingering lunch at Langermann’s – great addition to the Baltimore restaurant scene

I’m unable to resist the alliteration but a lovely lingering lunch is what was enjoyed with local gal pal promoter for Langermann’s, Merritt Dworkin. Langermann’s, a recent addition to the Baltimore restaurant scene has revamped the old Kiss Café into a modern venue with an open kitchen format, linen covered tables and a sleek stylized bar. The high ceiling industrial space allows for a 2nd floor dining space – great for private parties.

Read the whole review: Lovely lingering lunch at Langermann’s – great addition to the Baltimore restaurant scene

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