Hi Friends!
Kenny and I just spent the last few days in Baltimore celebrating our 1 year anniversary!
With a visit to the inner harbor, a Phillies vs Orioles baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, lots of food and beverage experiences in Fells Point and a trip to the Baltimore National Aquarium, we were able to fit A LOT in to two days in Baltimore. We have gotten really good at having lots of fun in a short amount of time. :)
Kenny and I just spent the last few days in Baltimore celebrating our 1 year anniversary!
With a visit to the inner harbor, a Phillies vs Orioles baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, lots of food and beverage experiences in Fells Point and a trip to the Baltimore National Aquarium, we were able to fit A LOT in to two days in Baltimore. We have gotten really good at having lots of fun in a short amount of time. :)
One of my dreams, and now a dream of Kenny's as well, is to travel for food! I LOVE the Food Network and Cooking Channel shows that travel around the country and show us food lovers where to get the most amazing food. My favorite shows include: Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Food Networks The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Cooking Channels Unique Eats and Unique Sweets and Eat Street. From mom and pop shops, to gourmet restaurants, these famous tv chefs know ALL of the best spots. So, since Kenny and I were going on a trip to another state, we decided to check out some of the locations I have been drooling over for the last however many years.
In just two days we were able to make it to FOUR different venues that were all featured on Diner's Drive-Ins and Dives! I'm telling ya, after checking out this show, you will want to go to all of the restaurants as well!
So, the first place we went to was Chaps Pit Beef We found this place on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Check out the episode here! I am obsessed with the idea of going to places after I watch the episode on TV! It is such a fun experience to be somewhere where a food tv idol has been! So here is some info. Chaps Pit Beef grills all of their turkey, ham, pit beef, corned beef, roast beef, sausage, and other delicious meats on a huge rectangular hot coal grill in their kitchen! I have never heard of, seen or been to a restaurant or kitchen like this before. Literally, imagine a charcoal grill, but in the shape of a huge rectangle! Like the size of a dining room table! So cool! That is where they get the name, "Pit Beef" it's literally a pit of charcoal. Here is what we ordered! Chaps Special Sandwich/52 Submarine- Pit beef, ham, corned beef and cheddar on a sub roll. Guy Fieri and Duff Goldman, on the Triple D episode, suggested just adding some slices of white raw onion and horseradish, letting the meat speak for itself. This was unbelievable! And the choice to add just the basics, was just right. No ketchup needed here! Bull Dog Sandwich- Pit beef, sausage and cheddar on a sub roll. Again, let the juicy and tender meat speak for itself. Freaking awesome! |
Second stop, Dangerously Delicious pies
Okay, so I am normally not a pie lover. It just really has never been my thing. I am more of an ice cream enthusiast. But when I watched this episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate- Guilty Pleasures Edition and they featured their Baltimore Bomb Pie Kenny and I were like, "NO my god!, we have to go!" So, that's what we did! :) This pie was very VERY good! It was unlike any pie I have ever had. So very different from the dry, fall apart pie you get from the grocery store. This, I believe from the unique and hard to find, "chess base" of this pie, this is discussed and described in the episode linked above! Super interesting! It really had more of the consistency of a bread pudding! So yummy and so luscious. The whole rest of our trip I just kept saying, "I want more pie." |
Second Day, Third Stop: BLUE MOON CAFE
This cozy little hole in the wall cafe is nothing like I expected. Super cool decor, rockin staff and more imporantly, outrageously creative and delicious meals. We went for breakfast and this is what we ordered!
They are known for their Captain Crunch French Toast, so obviously that is what we ordered...first ;) The second breakfast we ordered was the special, their Sweet Baby Jesus...crispy hashbrowns, jumbo lump crab meat, topped with two eggs cooked your way (we did over easy ;) ) cheddar cheese, old bay and smothered in hollandaise...I know...Didn't speak and literally almost cried while eating the eggs benny..
This cozy little hole in the wall cafe is nothing like I expected. Super cool decor, rockin staff and more imporantly, outrageously creative and delicious meals. We went for breakfast and this is what we ordered!
They are known for their Captain Crunch French Toast, so obviously that is what we ordered...first ;) The second breakfast we ordered was the special, their Sweet Baby Jesus...crispy hashbrowns, jumbo lump crab meat, topped with two eggs cooked your way (we did over easy ;) ) cheddar cheese, old bay and smothered in hollandaise...I know...Didn't speak and literally almost cried while eating the eggs benny..
Check out both here and see how Blue Moon Cafe is doing after their big debut on Triple D!
Fourth Stop: BOP Brick Oven Pizza
On this episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives locals RAVED about BOP's mac and cheese pizza! When we found out BOP is in Fells Point, and we were going to be in Fells Point...we decided with no doubt that BOP was going to be one of our stops. I'm not kidding when I say THIS WAS THE BEST PIE I HAVE EVER HAD! Kenny and I ordered 14 inches of delicious pizza with half ultimate veggie lovers and half cheesesteak. Clearly to split ;) I'll let you guess who chose what toppings. :) |
What aided the most to this particular food experience was BOP's pizza crust. So unbelievably soft and pillowy and yet sturdy and crunchy from the corn meal added to the bottom. Such a supportive crust to both our abundance of topping and our decision to over indulge in the best. pizza. ever!
The ultimate veggie lover pizza was COVERED in asparagus, peppers, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, eggplant, zuchinni, potatoes (YES! I KNOW!), tomatoes, black olives and freshly sliced garlic. Freaking delicious. I mean if you are gonna eat veggies, it should be on the top of this heavenly crust and their perfect marinara sauce. With the just right amount of sweetness the sauce allowed for the beauty of all of the, may I say even, unique veggies to shine! This pizza was life changing. I wanted to order another pizza so we could bring it home and freeze it. I need this pizza again asap. I'm not lying kids, best pizza pie I have ever had!
The staff was amazing too. We actually got to meet Mike, who was featured on the episode of Triple D, here it is again ;), and he was so kind and so stoked to hear about how stoked we were to try his pizza! He really appreciated our passion and of course for any small mom and pop shop our business. We made sure to let him know that we appreciated his dedication to food and to his shop and we thanked him for sharing his yummy talent with his fans!
The ultimate veggie lover pizza was COVERED in asparagus, peppers, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, eggplant, zuchinni, potatoes (YES! I KNOW!), tomatoes, black olives and freshly sliced garlic. Freaking delicious. I mean if you are gonna eat veggies, it should be on the top of this heavenly crust and their perfect marinara sauce. With the just right amount of sweetness the sauce allowed for the beauty of all of the, may I say even, unique veggies to shine! This pizza was life changing. I wanted to order another pizza so we could bring it home and freeze it. I need this pizza again asap. I'm not lying kids, best pizza pie I have ever had!
The staff was amazing too. We actually got to meet Mike, who was featured on the episode of Triple D, here it is again ;), and he was so kind and so stoked to hear about how stoked we were to try his pizza! He really appreciated our passion and of course for any small mom and pop shop our business. We made sure to let him know that we appreciated his dedication to food and to his shop and we thanked him for sharing his yummy talent with his fans!
Eating for me is not just to fuel, or in this case treat, myself and my body. It is to actually appreciate every single ingredient, every cooking technique, every ounce of passion that has been put into a dish. When I eat good food, I make sure to taste it. Taste the time, effort and love. Taste each and every single ingredient. To taste why a chef adds corn meal to the bottom of a pizza crust. Or to taste the creaminess of the homemade hollandaise that the chef did not allow to break. To taste the uniqueness of an egg based pie that somehow becomes this ooey and gooey, almost lava cake like texture. And to taste the smoky flavors that are penetrated by the pit and that absolutely compliment and enhance the flavors of each grilled meat.
That is what makes what I call, a food experience.
Doing it all, for the love of food :) <3
-MD
That is what makes what I call, a food experience.
Doing it all, for the love of food :) <3
-MD