Dining Out

by Celeste H. Breitenbach
news@timesheraldnews.com

When touring the Pennsylvania Dutch Country of Lancaster County, just about any place provides good eating that is friendly to the pocketbook.

We lunched at the Kling House Restaurant. In Kitchen Kettle Village, 10 miles east of Lancaster on Rt. 340 in Intercourse, Pa., it is a charming old farmhouse.
Dating back to stagecoach days, it has been in the owner’s family since her father, Victor Kling, brought his bride to live there

by Celeste H. Breitenbach
news@timesheraldnews.com

With a taste for something Oriental, we headed for Chopstix Gourmet Sushi Bar, in the Honeygo Village Center at 5002 Honeygo Center Dr., Perry Hall and found ourselves in a very attractive room accented by vases filled with pussy willows and passion flowers.

Settled into a comfortable booth, we looked over the menu of Chinese and Japanese selections of Soups, Salads, Appetizers; Chicken, Beef, Pork, Seafood and Vegetable Dishes; Chef’s Favorites, Noodles, Chow Mein

by Celeste H. Breitenbach
news@timesheraldnews.com

Since several readers asked if we’ve ever gone to Friendly Farm, we decided last Monday to drive out to the Upperco restaurant at 17434 Foreston Rd.

Heading north on I-83, we took the Mt. Carmel Road exit and after a pleasant scenic drive west about five miles to Foreston Road, we took a right and soon found ourselves overlooking the pretty ponds of Friendly Farm.

Orders are placed and paid for at the cashier

By Celeste H. Breitenbach
news@timesheraldnews.com

The menu at Cheeburger Cheeburger, 5007 Honeygo Center Dr. in the Honeygo Village Center, Perry Hall, advises “There are no hamburgers on our menu. However, our cooks have been known to fix a Cheeburger without the cheese, if that’s really what you want. No cheese, no extra charge.”

So, of course, I decided “no cheese” on my “beginner burger” - The Classic ($4.99) 5.5 oz. smallest of the five burger sizes. My friend stepped

By Celeste H. Breitenbach
news@timesheraldnews.com

“You’ve dined at the rest, now taste the Best” boasts Michael’s Cafe, Raw Bar and Grill at 2119 York Rd. just across from the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

We decided to give it a try on a recent Thursday and were led to a cozy window table in a room with walls the color of adobe in a New Mexican landscape at sunset.

The menu lists: Appetizers, Steamer/Raw Bar, Homemade Soups, Fresh

By Lynn Williams
maindish@baltimoreguide.com

Big Bad Wolf’s House of Barbeque gained a certain amount of notoriety when it opened a few years ago.

Why? Because The Sun’s Elizabeth Large, not an overly easy-to-please critic, gave it a four-star review. Some members of the foodie community were outraged that a humble Harford Road barbecue joint would garner the sort of acclaim usually reserved for haute venues like Charleston and Hampton’s.

The Wolf’s fans, on the other hand, cheered. After

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

Hightopps Backstage Grille is the latest reincarnation of the eatery just north of the Maryland State Fairgrounds at 2306 York Rd. in Timonium.

Relocated from Thames Street in Fells Point where I remember enjoying the waterfront scenery from its rooftop dining garden, Hightopps dining room now has a musical decor to match its motto “Rockin Food with Star Service.”

The Thursday evening we were there, most patrons headed for the adjoining bar area and sunken bistro

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

Although fairly new on the local scene, the Manhattan Grill, at 5009 Honeygo Center Dr. in Perry Hall, is establishing itself as a place for fine dining in a casually pleasant atmosphere.

A decor of shades of brown, low lights, soft slow jazz piped in over the sound system all add up to a perfect setting for mood adjustment after a harried day. Even nicer, the bar on the other side of the main dining room

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

Well established on the Parkville area scene at 8811 Waltham Woods Rd., Milano’s offers a varied menu at purse-friendly prices.

Shown to a comfortable booth in the crowded dining room, we looked over: Menu Starters, Soups, Salads, Greek Specialties, Combination Platters, Seafood, Pasta, Oven Baked, Chicken and Meat Entrees, Hot Platters, Submarines, Pizza, Sandwiches, Side Orders and Desserts. But we by-passed all those offerings and opted instead for that Thursday’s Specials.

Since it was a chilly

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

We probably could not have picked a worse day to select the Overlea Diner, 6652 Belair Rd. just south of Northern Pkwy., for a restaurant review.
Being used as a film site, the local eatery was topsy turvy with wires, floodlights, microphones and more wires. The entire front room was filled with filming personnel, etc., etc., etc.
But the serving people were taking it all in stride. With an apology for any inconvenience, our

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

The Original Crack Pot Seafood Restaurant, 8102 Loch Raven Blvd. at Taylor Avenue, has been around for a long time and has always enjoyed a reputation of good food at reasonable prices. We found this to be true during our visit last week.

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

Trying the new Early Bird Specials offered Monday thru Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Tully’s, 7934 Belair Rd., proved to be a great idea.

The specials will change every week but include choice of soup of the day or side salad, entree, beverage and dessert all for $10.95.

This week’s soup was a sort of Irish Stew, according to our server Mona. We both chose, instead, the side salad.

The week’s entrees were Meatloaf

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

The Peppermill Restaurant, 1301 York Rd. just north of the Beltway, has been around for a long time and enjoys a reputation of serving good food at moderate prices.

When we arrived there about 5:30 p.m. last week (just before the long line formed), we found that the dining room filled up quickly and most of the diners seemed to be regulars.

The room is a pleasant place with prints of old Maryland landmarks decorating the

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

Hurdy Gerty’s Classic Raw Bar & Grill could be any little seafood shack in a seashore area but it’s located at 8742 Belair Rd. in the Perry Hall Crossing Shopping Center just north of Silver Spring Road.
We stopped in for dinner the other night and were lucky to find an empty table; they soon were all filled. The place formerly was the Classic Bagel & Deli. Recently it has undergone a transformation and is

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

Sometimes it’s pleasant to take a break from formal sit-down dining and just nosh, grazing here and there wherever we find something we might like to try.
That’s what we did this week when we wandered over to Hunt Valley Mall off Shawan Rd. and found ourselves at Wegman’s Market Cafe.
First we walked around looking at all the offerings — pizza, pasta, crab cakes, a variety of soups and salads, chili, an Oriental

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

Had heard that the Great American Restaurant & Carry Out, recently relocated (from across Joppa Rd.) and expanded at 4117 E. Joppa Rd. just west of Belair Rd. next to the Mini Golf Course, had good food at good prices.
What an understatement that was!
Because it is just around the corner from the Times-Herald office, we decided to have dinner there when I dropped off last week’s column at the beginning of our

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

You don’t have to wait for St. Patrick’s Day for a taste of Ireland. Beating the crowds for an early start on the day for the wearin’ of the green, we headed out to An Poitin Stil at 2323 York Rd.
Named for the strong poitin (put-cheen) home brewed in illegal stills by the Irish from their abundant potato harvests farther back than anyone can remember, the Timonium eatery — outside and in — is

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

New to the orbit of local eateries, Silver Moon Diner, at 9605 Pulaski Hwy. on the southeast corner of Middle River Rd., serves up heavenly meals in an atmosphere that creates a cozy corner of the universe.
To reach our booth in the shiny chrome and mirrored room, we walked over a rug strewn with half moons and stars. Above, a half moon glittered with lights.
The menu offers the vast array of choices

By Celeste H. Breitenbach
The Jesse Wong Kitchen in Hunt Valley Mall is not your run-of-the-mill ordinary Oriental restaurant. It has a supper club ambience with tiered seating overlooking a sushi bar backed by its glassed-in kitchen giving it an almost dinner theatre feel. Shaded oil lamps cast a soft glow on the linen-clothed tables. Off to the side, a pianist adds his special touch from 6 p.m. until closing.
Asian Fusion would best describe the blend of

By Celeste H. Breitenbach

Baldwin’s building, at 525 Pulaski Hwy. between Joppatowne and Edgewood, looks brand new. But don’t let the facade fool you. The Seafood restaurant and lounge has been around since 1981.
We visited for the first time on a recent Tuesday at a reader’s suggestion. We will return.
Past the front bar area are two large dining rooms set with white linen cloths. These are quickly removed for those ordering steamed crabs.
The menu