eruby

A new Costco will open in October in Owings Mills, MD.

I am looking forward to the $1.50 hot dog & soda combo, as the BJ's Warehouse nearby (along with all locations) dropped the food court for a Dunkin Donuts outpost.

I don't get to D. C.,  often, but will surely stock up on booze at their location. I have had the Kirkland 18 y o Highland Single Malt, and it is excellent.

I am a big fan of Pioneer Pit Beef. I love how they give you a sample slice of what you order so you know it's the correct doneness.

The little shack and one or two picnic tables make for a great experience. They truly are not interested in ambiance, only excellent pit beef.

My only small complaint is that if you get off on Security Blvd, there's no easy way back to 70 West. You have to take Rolling Road to Rt 40. But it's a small price to pay for some of the best pit beef around.

There's an "Irish pub" downtown, across from Johanssens, if I remember correctly. We've eaten there a couple of times - the fish and chips were among the best I've had locally. Can't speak to the other items on the menu.

We've had the fish and chips, corned beef and cabbage, and the huge appetizer plate of steamed shrimp (easily a dozen two-bite shrimp). Tuesday thru Friday they have happy hour 3-7, when the very reasonably priced shrimp got from $12.50 to $6.50 and the 1/2 pound Blarney burger (w/ cheese and bacon and a side of waffle fries) is a steal for $4.50, with $3 and $4 pints of various Irish brews. They may have added Saturday as well.

http://www.olordansirishpub.com/

Had an excellent meal back on Friday, Jan 29th. Not overly crowded as it was cold and getting colder with a snow forcast.

After being seated, we were brought a plate with two small pieces of bread, though it was no trouble to get a few more pieces of the excellent bread. We started with the grilled prawns entree as an app, choosing this over the 'deviled' eggs and the always great scallops. The prawns were flat-out excellent.

For entrees, we had the special cowboy steak on the bone, and the hangar steak. Both cooked perfectly as ordered and served with the large sides of mashed potatos and spinach.

The only small dissapointment was the Key Lime Pie. While it was very good, the waiter said it was now made in house. I really loved the pie I had way back when at both the Viginia and Silver Spring locations. The crust was the best I have ever had. While the house made crust in Silver Spring was good, it just wasn't as good as the old crust. Yes, yes, a VERY minor complaint.

As always, Ray's strives to provide excellent food at very fair prices and didn't miss the mark.

To me, Pioneer Pit Beef in Woodlawn offers the perfect pit beef sandwich -- the smoke, the beef, the slight char, the horseradish.

This is a simple thing. The Pioneer is a shack on Rolling Road just north of Rte 40. Inside, there is just room to line up for a sandwich. Order beef, ham or turkey. Take the "tasting" slice to be sure that you're picking right from "rare, medium or well-done?" Ask for fries or cole slaw. Step outside.

But you step outside with an absolutely delicious sandwich. I go for medium meat with horseradish and maybe some onion. In the crowd, people lather up with mayo, BBQ sauce and "tiger sauce" (mayo and horseradish combined), but I can't condone the practice. I don't want to cover up the meat -- the beef flavor of a tough cut, grilled and then sliced so thin that you bite through like filet.

Pioneer is one of my absolute favorite foods. Simple. But done so perfectly that it makes me want to skip pit beef that is just okay. (Boogs?) Ironically, I stumbled on Pioneer long before I started HowChow. I literally drove past this stand on the side of the highway when I was following Google directions to the Salvation Army. When I tried to find it again, I failed -- until I realized that the City Paper's "best pit beef" sounded like the stand by the highway.

Pioneer Pit Beef is just north of the H Mart in Catonsville. You can stop for a sandwich, then shop for groceries. Pioneer has no phone. They only take cash, but the sandwich is a bargain at $5.50. I understand that they're open from lunchtime until early evening Monday through Saturday.

If you need a Howard County joint, the best one that I have tried is Uncle Grube's off Rte 1 in Elkridge. A new place Oakey's Grill just opened on Frederick Road in Ellicott City.

Other than that, my favorite Pit beef place of all, and when they give you a slice to taste, rare IS rare. Definitely worth the trip.

Is Thrasher's in Ocean City now providing ketchup? A friend was told by a co-worker they had ketchup at Thrasher's, but I find this hard to believe.

They may have been at the Rehobeth location, but either way, I'd be surprised if any location has begun serving ketchup.

Well, they already have the sign up for the one in "Columbia". It's a few doors down from the Trader Joe's

Fatburger Columbia

6630H Marie Curie Drive

Gateway Overlook Shopping Center

Elkridge, MD 21075

P: 410-312-3100

You should try the Weenie-Beenie's North Carolina barbecue sandwich. It's a very respectable facsimile of eastern NC barbecue (complete with little packets of Texas Pete hot sauce, which is actually made in Winston-Salem).

... Also, I believe that Ray's The Classics is deep-fried, not pan-fried.

Cheers,
Rocks.

When I was there, the menu listed it as pan-fried (which it was) and it was excellent. Order the chicken AND another entree and have a great lunch the next day.

Thanks,

Eric

I didn't see the irony the Colorado Kitchen rulebook either. Must have spent too much time watching this at an impressionable age.

Eric

Excellent snack over the weekend of small cod, single chips and a fried snicker bar. Will have to get back again for a batter sausage and/or burgher. Sarson's Malt vinegar is bonus over the usual Heinz.

Thank you,

Eric

... Even a kick-ass burger would be great...

Eric

As slarochelle noted, you must pay attention to the restrictions. I bought a $25 certificate for $4 (60% off promo) and when we went, I asked the server what restrictions applied and what we had to do. At meals end, the server returned with the bill & certificate and said the manager told him we couldn't use it because of what we ordered.

The manager came over and I stated that we had asked the server repeatedly about all restrictions and were told both entrees were okay. The manager said one was a 'special' and thus excluded. I said we hadn't just orderd 2 entrees only but apps, drinks and a dessert, and even suggested the manager simply charge the extra $3 the entree would have usually cost (some special ) but he said no and refused the certificate. We paid full price and left.

I called restaurant.com and they voided the certificate and emailed a new one for a different restaurant, which I later used with no problem.

I recommend restaurant.com (and the on-line transaction is as safe as any), just scrutinize the restrictions and double check when you get to the restaurant so there are no post-prandial surprises.

Eric

It seems the link upthread for the coconut cake touted by Joe H is no longer available. The link below has the recipe (#3) and I can agree, having had the cake in NoLa, that it IS the best piece of cake I have ever eaten.

Thanks,

Eric

http://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m1122M04.htm#3

I've been looking all over for some halal or kosher pork, and I can't find it anywhere.

Eric

The prison ribs comment was a joke, but since you seem to be incapable of realizing this let me also explain this:

1) Yes in some prisons in the south they do serve ribs. This is generally only on prison farms where they raise hogs, like Mississippi State Penitentiary (formally known as Parchman), Angola in Louisiana, and Darrington in Texas.

2) This is reserved for special occasions, and for special prisoners, generally those who have not been in any trouble in the past year.

3) Since they do not have access to smokers, they boil the hell out of the ribs and use the cheapest sauce possible to cover them. Kind of like Ribsters.

I have not had ribs in prison, and the one meal I had during a class sponsored trip in college was vile, but I spent the better part of that semester studying food in prison. And the BBQ sauce at Darrington is supposed to be pretty good, but they have the grandson of a Dallas area pit master doing time there and working as a cook, his name is Benny Wade Clewis.

Is there anything else you would like to know?

And I agree Ribsters has horrible ribs.

Eric

I don't think Hooter's is any worse than the Heart Attack Grill (though I've never been to the Heart attack Grill). Back when I played rugby, not only did Hooters doante prize money to a tournament, but also allowed us to check off how many of the 30 some-odd pitchers of beer per each keg we bought had been consumed. At the end of the post game party, they actually let us carry obver the remaining pitchers (THAT stopped after a few months ).

They do indeed have a good scheme going and I'm sure most waitresses there make good money. They did when I was treasurer of the rugby club.

Thanks,

Eric

http://www.heartattackgrill.com/

I found this thread too late I guess

Is there a waiting in line list now?

There may be quite a few who could go next week but presumed since hillvalley didn't post about it, it can't be done.

Thanks very much,

Eric

There was until a few years ago a pretty good place to get Philly-style cheesesteaks in Oxon Hill. It was a small family operation called Lileons, but the proprietor became too ill to continue running it. He was from Delaware and used to drive up the Phila. on a regular basis to get his food. I guess I'm a little late with that information

As MC Horoscope noted, South Street is just a block or so up Rt 1 toward Riverdale on the former 'Vous side of Rt 1. There used to be a Sonoco gas station there. Easy walking distance from Marathon.

Thanks,

Eric

I'll agree with Daniel & HM's posts. The rolls make the sandwich at South Street and the Amoroso's are better than anything in the D.C. area. Service was painfully slow, but if you've never been to Philly where they crank 'em out asap, it might not seem that bad.

Also stopepd at Marathon Deli for the first time in years and the gyro was as good as I remembered.

Thanks,

Eric