Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Jun 2018 (Colorado Springs - Woodmen)

First visit: Oct 1994 (Colorado Springs - Woodmen)

Perhaps the first place the RJG remembers going where beer was a primary focus. They were offering around the world beer "tours" going back to our first visit. This was a hangout for the RJG's peers and coworkers, and we were here often in 1994 and early '95 (and specifically this location). After moving to Denver, Old Chicago was quickly forgotten. It wasn't until 2011 and a road trip up through Nebraska did the restaurant once again enter our lexicon. We had noticed they had just opened in the Fort Worth area, just as we were leaving. Typical. But we're back here, and the RJG loves their Italian food - staples like baked spaghetti and meatballs - and yes they have of course kept up with the latest trends in craft beer. Unfortunately Mrs. RJG is the party pooper, claiming the place looks and smells old (well it is old...), and so she was nonplussed about the food. It appears we won't be able to go as often as preferred. Pity that. Maybe we'll try a newer location then. Need to sell that...

10//94; 7/7/10; 5/15/11; 6/7/18; 12/16/18 (new entry)

Colorado Springs, Colorado; Aurora, Colorado; Kearney, Nebraska; Fort Worth, Texas 

Red Star Bar & Grill ~ Baltimore, Maryland

Latest visit: Mar 2018

First visit: Jul 2017

Fells Point certainly does not have a shortage of restaurants with a full bar and a creative selection of craft beers. Add Red Star to your list to try. In addition, Red Star offers up a more quaint side-street location than the usual Navy-Sailors-Gone-Wild sections of town as found on Lancaster or Thames Streets, for example. We really like their burgers and sandwiches and really haven't ventured further. Our dining group seemed to enjoy their more creative dinner offerings. We don't go here often, but that's only because we are in Baltimore infrequently and there's so many great options to behold. But Red Star is in the mix and deservedly so.

7/25/17; 3/1/18; 12/16/18 (new entry)

Lebanese Taverna ~ Baltimore, Maryland

Latest visit: Jul 2018

First visit: Mar 2017

High end, corporate lunch-dinner Middle Eastern option in Harbor East. Similar to Cava, but a bit more well heeled. The food is very good, though inconsistent. Seems to be popular with the RJG running work crowd, and even though we settle in on "very good", we've had better Lebanese / Middle Eastern food in our day. Tucked into a quiet street along the harbor, sitting outside on a nice day is a delight. And despite the provenance, they do offer alcoholic beverages. Not sure any restaurant could survive without that in Baltimore anyway...

3/20/17; 7/26/18; 12/16/18 (new entry)

DuClaw Brewing ~ Baltimore, Maryland ***CLOSED***

Latest visit: Jul 2018

First visit: Dec 2016

Nestled right by the TSA pre-check line of the Southwest Airlines gates, DuClaw is an oasis from the chaos. Go deep in and get a quiet dark table, and enjoy the locally made beer from Baltimore. Meanwhile the food is solid, offering up the protein needed to survive the airport experience (along with the beer assistance). Probably the best of the craft beer restaurants at BWI, but I do wish they were inside the gates, so we could enjoy them without worrying about schedule. Though this would be the ideal place for a quick airport meeting, if local and not traveling yourself. Lately the RJG has been flying out a bit earlier, so we haven't imbibed at DuClaw in a while.

See the Bier Reise tab above for all the DuClaw beers we tried while in Baltimore.

Update: The BWI location is closed. That was there only food establishment. The brewery, however, is still going strong.

12/21/21

Blue Dog BBQ ~ Baltimore, Maryland ***CLOSED***

First visit: Oct 2018

Blue Dog takes over the much missed Heavy Seas tavern. Wisely they left the ambiance exactly the same. The meats were a bit on the tough side, but the flavors were good, and the sides as well. The beer selection was a bit tamer than expected, and was hoping for a bit more "local rotation" than we got. Given that Dinosaur BBQ has also exited stage left, we are rooting for Blue Dog, so we'll be sure to visit again. Hoping some of the flaws were new-place-kinks to work out.

Italian Disco ~ Baltimore, Maryland

First visit: Nov 2018

Taking over the much missed Bagby Pizza location, Italian Disco brings forth a sleek contemporary bar setting. Italian food is solid, and the beer selection is very good, though stifled a bit. Seems to have caught on with the dinner crowd, and gets quite lively into the evening - though we miss the more lunch oriented Bagby. All the same, a place we plan on returning to again.

12/15/18 (new entry)

Snake Hill Sausage Grill & Tavern ~ Baltimore, Maryland

First visit: Dec 2018

Great place to try a variety of locally made sausages (platters, sandwiches, etc...), along with a healthy selection of local craft beers. Comfortable digs, and nice bar setup with sports on TV. We'll be back.

12/15/18 (new entry)

Harbor East Delicatessen & Pizzeria ~ Baltimore, Maryland

Latest visit: Dec 2018

First visit: Nov 2016

Solid option for overstuffed hot / cold sandwiches and pizzas. One of the few quick service restaurants in the area. Counter service. There's a few tables to sit or you can take it to go, which is what most folks seem to do.

11/16/16; 12/15/18 (new entry)

My Thai ~ Baltimore, Maryland

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 they rotated at least one local beer frequently. When I ordered my fave kad pa grow (or however they spell it), and asked for it Thai style with ground chicken and a fried egg, and they said no problem, I knew I had a regular dinner place! But it wasn’t so…

One evening a couple of months later, I show up, and the taps are shut. Sure, I can get big cans of Asahi or Sapporo, but that’s not what I want. In the meantime, some of my coworkers have taken a shine to My Thai as well. And though it has served as a happy hour watering hole (it’s not bad for that really!), we’ve moved it to a sober-as-a-judge lunch place. So its legacy is secured. In general, I dine with a co-worker we’ll call The Sword (unfortunately my good friend Totero was let go back in March – and he’s back at Software Company Everyone’s Heard Of – there’s a name old RJG readers will remember!). And lunch is every bit as good as dinner. At first I laid off the more extreme heat, given I was new to the company and didn’t want to “take any chances”. But now I go all in with Thai Hot. And it’s really about perfect. It’s not killer, but it’s not wimpy either. Loads of fresh basil too. And for some reason, the taps remain shut. They keep promising to turn them back on, but it’s been well over a year now. When they do, I’ll have to make a decision if it remains lunch or we go back to dinner.

The following applies to their old location on Central: My Thai, especially in the winter, feels like it’s on the edge of civilization. And it kind of is. The area it sits in is very noirish. The gates of Little Italy are only one block away to the west, but the hardcore ghetto is only a few blocks north itself. And every once in a while a stray panhandler will wander in asking for money. And the bartender chases them out with a stick (seriously). Don’t let that scare you. I’ve never once felt threatened physically (anywhere near there in fact). Honestly, I think it’s just one of the coolest parts of town. It’s definitely not touristy. This is Regular Joe territory.

11/14/16; 8/14/18 (new entry); 12/13/18

James Joyce Pub ~ Baltimore, Maryland *** CLOSED ***

Location: President @ Fleet (Harbor East)

Last visit: Dec 2018

First visit: Nov 2016

The closest restaurant to my usual hotel is the James Joyce Pub, which naturally enough is modeled after a traditional Irish pub. I will always associate this place with yet another “former employee”, who I will christen as The Pakistani President, because he indeed looks, acts, and talks like a leader of a populous country. He was my peer when starting, and we had many a night here at James Joyce solving my current company’s problems. We had succeeded too, until inexplicably he was let go by the “Invisible SVP” last summer. Ugh. But the good news is we’re looking to bringing him back, and rolling up into my organization no less, so we can go about fixing the company’s woes again. Or just go eating and drinking at the James Joyce Pub… Of course, given the location, James Joyce Pub is no bargain. Because of that, I never have ventured here on my own – though it’s a good option if ever the weather is so bad to not be able to walk 500 feet. But I’ve found myself here on a vendor’s dime on occasion. So what of the food? Excellent really. Burgers, seafood, crab cakes, etc… all very good. Beer selection is somewhat limited, though of course Guinness and the lot are de rigeur. The atmosphere is lively, often loud, and exactly what you would expect from an inner city Irish pub. Bring your company credit card though.

2/18