Regular Joe's Guide

Latest visit: Dec 2018 First visit: Nov 2016 They've recently moved a few blocks east. We have not been to this location. As my regular readers know, one of the favorite food types for the RJG is Thai. So I was quite worried that there was only one in the vicinity of my work area (Harbor East). And when I asked my friend/coworker/peer who recruited me in the first place (we’ll call him Totero from our days working in Racine, Wisconsin in the late 90s), about Thai restaurants in the area, he wasn’t encouraging. What about My Thai I asked? “It’s OK I guess”. Ugh. Since it was the only Thai option, and it was my first week on the job - on a very cold November evening - I wandered over for dinner. “OK I guess”? What? It was great! I dragged him over for my second visit. “Well, I didn’t get the right dish it appears” . Hmmm-mmm. So on that first visit, I perched myself up to the bar, and unbelievably they had a few local taps. Wow – the perfect combo! And the bartender assured me th...

Latest visit: Sep 2019 First visit: Feb 2018 And here's the ULTIMATE Regular Joe's Guide kinda place. If there was ever a restaurant that defines the ethos of the Regular Joe’s Guide, it’s Joe Benny’s. Are you kidding me? It’s as if the restaurant was opened with a dogged determination to adhere to the commandments of the RJG. It’s a tiny sliver of a place nestled deep inside Little Italy. A “one row” kind of restaurant, where there’s a few bar stools, and then a handful of small tables. I can’t even imagine getting in here on the weekend, but for an early workweek evening, it’s quite pleasant. Start off with a reasonably priced glass of wine, and don’t hesitate to order a flatbread (Focaccia in the vernacular). This is – by far – the best flatbread pizza I’d ever had. Of course I had the Italian sausage, all locally made of course. The pizza sauce and hot melty creamy Burrata mozzarella cheese is to die for (get "The Sharini"). And then I was teased later by the m...

Latest visit: May 2018 First visit: Jan 2017 Admit it, this has the coolest name a Baltimore bar could possibly ever have. It’s your typical Fells Point type of place, with a sliver of a bar in the front, with a bigger room that opens up in the back. So if you like the boisterous crowds with loud chatter and laughter, stay up front. If you’d like to have a quiet conversation, head back. One-Eyed Mike’s is famous for their Bottle Club. Basically you can buy a bottle of Grand Marnier, and they place it safely within the bar. Anytime you come back in, simply ask for your bottle, and you’re ready to roll! Once again, it must be mentioned, this is not only a drinking establishment, and the food is quite accomplished. They have quite a selection of options, ranging from usual pub food appetizers, to Italian and American standards, onto fine dining cuisine. The beer list is solid on crafts, though they only rotate one, which is kind of a bummer. All in all, though, way worth visiting if...

Latest visit: Feb 2018 (Harbor East) First visit: Dec 2016 (Harbor East) Nando's (in America) are mostly in the DC / Baltimore area or Chicago. Have you ever thought about what Portuguese chicken tastes like? Well of course you have. But you never had that answer… until now. Nando’s is a chain based in Johannesburg, South Africa (?!) that specializes in marinated and slow roasted chicken. And it’s just as mouthwatering as it sounds. We come here often for lunch (next to Cava Mezze, so close to our digs), and usually get a quarter chicken (white, dark, or mixed).  The rice is fantastic as are their dressings for the salads. You order up at the counter, and they bring you the food. Or you can take it to-go. They also have one of those fancy 5 billion combination soda machines if interested. One of the few excellent “fast” options we have in this part of Baltimore. 12/2/16; 6/3/17; 2/28/18; 8/14/18 (new entry)

Latest visit: Sep 2019 First visit: Mar 2017 Before the RJG had discovered Max’s Taphouse (the first two tries, both on Sunday, I was shutout of getting a barstool), Hudson Street Stackhouse was my go-to Baltimore joint for trying new beers. But since it is in Canton, it’s a good hoof by foot away, thus limiting it to Sunday late afternoons (I suppose I could take Uber, but that takes the fun out of trying more local places). From a beer perspective, Hudson Street is ground zero if you’re a big fan of Belgians. The RJG is decidedly not, but they do offer, of course, IPA’s, stouts, and other more “normal” beers as well. From a “local neighborhood joint” perspective, Hudson Street is hard to beat. Most patrons are locals from the Canton neighborhood, and they’re proud of it. You get “Baltimore pride” when you’re here, and it’s highly likely you’ll be engaged in a friendly dialog. I find myself rooting for the Orioles, even though I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life. For me, the allure...

Latest visit: Feb 2018 (Harbor East) First visit: Nov 2016 (Harbor East) Now what says the Regular Joe’s Guide like a salad place, eh? Huh??? Yea yea, I know, but the Sweetgreen chain is different.  The RJG has always frowned on places like Sweet Tomatoes, where it’s one big salad bar, and most people end up eating 10 times the calories than they would have had they just indulged in a double cheeseburger with fries. It just sounds healthy, but by the time they’re done loading it up with ranch dressing, tons of cheese, bacon, and whatever else they can find that isn’t good for you – then you still need to be wheeled out of there. We Americans can’t help it. All-you-can-eat buffets are a magnet for our appetites, and we all feel an obligation to “break even” with the restaurant, and load up as many times as possible. Sweetgreen is none of that. In fact, it’s basically a Chipotle for salads. That is to say, it’s assembly line styled. Pick your lettuce, then protein, then “other...

Latest visit: Sep 2019 (Baltimore) First visit: Nov 2016 (Baltimore) The Baltimore Harbor East location, where the review below comes from, is now closed. They now only exists in Rockville and Olney, Maryland near DC. --- The ubiquitous Cava Mezze (which we call Cava, but different from that chain). The official happy hour hangout of my current company. It’s another Harbor East joint, and is very convenient to where we work. For the RJG though, I prefer to come here for lunch, as the Mediterranean food is a cut above the rest. Their gyro and souvlaki lunch plates / sandwiches are superb, and the appetizers are not to be missed – including a spicy cheese popper that is so very enticing. Not to say that their beer list is wimpy, as they feature a nice selection of local Maryland crafts. But there’s not much rotation within that selection, maybe 2 at most. So after a few visits, I’m forced to repetition (not always a bad thing mind you…). But the bar area is open, and it’s comfortable ...

Latest visit: Jan 2018 First visit: Sep 2017 The RJG works and stays right around the corner from Baltimore’s Little Italy. Talk about a kid in the candy store right? Well surprisingly no. I haven’t dined much here, even though in past trips to Baltimore I made a beeline here, usually to Chiapperelli’s (mid 2000s mainly). Many years ago, when the RJG had a steady gig in New York City (summer of 1998), I also stayed right around the corner from Little Italy. What I discovered in trying many of the restaurants there over the course of 4 months was a “lot of the same”. There were exceptions of course. That, and the fact that Italian food can be heavy, I just didn’t want to start rebuilding my gut that I spent years chiseling off through exercise. All of this to say – I worry too much. Amicci’s is exactly what I was looking for. Reasonable portions, reasonable prices, and superb food! As is the RJG custom when dining alone, I grab a spot at the bar, order a drink (in this case a g...

Latest visit: Sep 2019 First visit: Jun 2017 And now we have the RJG’s favorite place to go in Baltimore! It’s not my favorite restaurant per se, but I can state with certainty that this is the best beer bar I’ve been to – ever. They have something like 102 taps – that are constantly rotated! My goodness, I cannot possibly keep up. This is the only place I go to where I’m guaranteed I’ll get to try new beers from somewhere. Generally I don’t venture past Maryland, but if I go there enough, I generally have to explore elsewhere. So I look for states nearby. I’m lucky to go beyond Pennsylvania and Virginia. 3 beers is usually my maximum, though I’ve had 4 at any one setting. Remember all I have to do is stumble back to the hotel... So great – the drinking is second to none, what about the food? To be honest, when I first came to Max’s, I wasn’t even sure they had food! I thought it might just be a bar. Most folks that are there – are there to drink, laugh, and bond. And getting a bar...

Latest visit: Apr 2019 First visit: Sep 2017 Clark Burger is the answer to a question I had when I started at my current job. Where can I just get a hamburger? I mean we don’t even have Burger King or Wendy’s around where I work. Not that I want that, but it makes for an interesting data point. Then came Clark Burger in the summer, and the problem was solved. According to a former co-worker (a lot of “former” co-workers I’m afraid to say), who I’ll call the Z Stare, he informed me that the location they inhabited always goes out of business. Well maybe Clark Burger has solved that puzzle too. I sure hope so! If I were to guess what the location was once upon a time, I’d guess it were an auto garage of some sort. But great expense has been allocated to make it feel like a modern industrial restaurant. And maybe they found some extra grease for their grill… So what is a Clark Burger anyway? They are a self-styled “Canadian Styled” Burger. OK, what is that then? Well, basically th...