Technology & MSG

I went to Victoria Gastro Pub for lunch today with some coworkers. While a tad too fancy for my day-to-day tastes, I liked it. The food was flavorful and filling. Servers dressed in black, providing excellent table service.
After eating at Hot Doug’s in Chicago, I was ready to try a Bucket of the Duck Fat [...]

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Second Chance Saloon is a nice little neighborhood joint, tucked back in the folds of Columbia. They’ve got live music, decent prices, specials, and best of all a kitchen that delivers.
For the most-part, the photographs speak for themselves.

Second Chance Nachos, consisting of “tortilla chips piled high and topped with seasoned beef, cheddar jack cheese, jalapenos, [...]

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Corky’s Smoke Shack opened last week, probably to the worst weather Maryland has seen in a decade. That normally wouldn’t matter, except that the Shack is located outside. But even that doesn’t seem to matter. According to the owners, there’s been a steady stream of customers since opening day. Even on an overcast Thursday afternoon, [...]

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I finally made it out to Coal Fire this week, a pizzeria where “charred to perfection” is their motto. Sure enough, they live up to it; their coal-fired oven produces a very thin crust with a crisp bottom and a charred top. It’s enjoyable but I didn’t notice any change in flavor. Should I have? [...]

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No thanks to the search engines, it’s clear that I use the word “behold” frequently. So this time, I won’t.
Here it is, then.

In the midst of sampling spicy Chinese takeout, I saw that China Express had a Bourbon Chicken on the menu. Being a fan of bourbon and chicken individually, I figured I’d give it [...]

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I had heard about House of India before. Good things, mostly. The word of mouth sort. I had read a favorabe review by a blogger whose tastes tend to resonate with mine. According to their web site, Shyam Prakash — the chef there — even had the privilege of cooking spicy lamb vindaloo for President [...]

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A group of my friends were in town for Thanksgiving, so we all went out to dinner at Pad Thai last night. The restaurant is located on West Street in Annapolis, just across the street from Stan & Joe’s Saloon and a brief walk from Rams Head Tavern. Warm and inviting, Pad Thai is filled [...]

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You’ll find fresh appetizers, good food and decent service at Los Portales, across Aviation Boulevard from the BWI airfield. I would eat there again, but only if I were in the area. If I were catching a movie at Hoyt’s or taking someone to/from the airport. The margaritas — supposedly the best in the area [...]

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Last night I saw The Diary of Anne Frank as performed by The Pikesville Players. It’s a two act play based on “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” recently re-adapted by Wendy Kesselman. Set in the hidden rooms of an Amsterdam office building between July 1942 and February of 1944, this adaptation depicts [...]

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After playing host to a truck driving school for a few months, the former Utopia club is now home to Bank Shot Bar & Grill. Make no mistake, it’s a pool hall that happens to contain a bar and a grill. Weekends and tournament nights the place is packed the rafters. You’ll find the parking [...]

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So The Men Who Stare at Goats has its moments, but not enough. Sadly, it is a case where the trailer holds most of the good stuff.
Clooney is a face actor. One of those guys who can bring intensity and disbelief at the same time. Like a lot his past movies — Burn After Reading, [...]

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It just occurred to me that I’ve seen a lot of movies lately.
I really enjoyed Zombieland. Funny, violent, and quirky, with a spectacular cameo. It was just as someone described it to me: “It’s definitely a zombie movie, but different than anything I could have expected.” I almost went to see it again this past [...]

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After reading an online review of Hot Doug’s, I knew I had to go there. Billed as “The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium,” I craved hot dogs for more than three weeks before my trip to Chicago (no thanks to Jon for that aspect). I’m back, having experienced Hot Doug’s in person. In short, [...]

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Pho. Pronounced “fu” as in fu__… yes, that’s correct. Vietnamese noodles and beef in broth. The ingredients can vary, but that’s the essence. It’s simple and tasty soup.
Pho 89 — based solely on its bland exterior — had the potential to be another strip mall gem that I would enjoy. Located on the south side [...]

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Knowing full well that most Chinese takeout is Americanized and unauthentic, still I like it. The value of any takeout joint is in their MSG-laden lunch specials. I was perusing through a menu one Sunday afternoon and having difficulty deciding what to order. Since most menus lack sufficient descriptions and very few places take photographs [...]

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