While we bloggers can seem like slightly amorphous beings, out there in the ether, we’re people too.  We recycle just like you, we forget to clean our bathtubs just like you, we even eat, and we eat often.  Some of us are better at choosing exciting places for meals then others, and none more so then Evan, the mastermind behind the incredible City That Breeds. If you aren’t familiar with Evan, then here are some important fun facts:

-He knows, I’m pretty sure, every single bar or dive south of North Ave, and possibly a handful above it.
-He pointed me to the only gluten-free pizza I’ve been able to find in this city (Brick Oven Pizza, if you’re curious.)
-Every year, he organizes the wildly successful Cosby Sweater Bar Crawl to raise money for BARCS.
-He runs one of the funniest blogs in the city, with an equally wonderful Twitter feed.

Whenever I have a basic question about anything in this city, Evan’s one of my go-tos.  ’Tis the season for holiday visitors, and I knew he’d have wonderful suggestions for where to take anyone from your folks to your old college roommate.

Home cook assessment: Do you consider Durkee onions and Campbell’s mushroom soup legitimate ingredients or cheating?
Well considering one of them is the crucial ingredient in green bean casserole and the other is a crucial ingredient in this awesome chicken bake that I like to make (don’t judge me) I consider them to be legit ingredients. Look if you want to make freeze dried onion flavored strings on your own time, more power to you but I’m a busy man! Read More →

Fresh faced and well-spoken, Meghan McGuire is exactly how you would picture today’s young professional woman – a sort of modern-day Mary Richards (points if you know who that is…hint: she can turn the world on with a smile). The 28-year old Fells Point resident is an associate at Camden Partners, a private equity firm downtown.  Busy as a bee, she spends her free time working toward her MBA, spending time with her boyfriend and juggling an active social life.

All this means she eats out…a lot. Her stomping grounds are the neighborhoods surrounding the harbor and her tastes reflect her hometown girl roots.

Her answers were fresh and fun and in them I found a couple places I am dying to try. How great does a “build your own grilled cheese” sound? Thanks for that one Meghan! Read More →

When you get to know Rebecca it is easy to see where all that passion for her hometown comes from. Her Baltimore roots run deep. The mother of two and Bryn Mawr and Western alum is a fourth-generation Baltimorean (her father is acclaimed attorney Billy Murphy) with a rich family tradition, a tradition where food took center stage. “My grandmother would ‘bring it’ for family dinners every Sunday,” she says. So it’s no surprise that when Rebecca talks about her restaurant picks, her focus is simple: good food and good people.

Read More →

Remember Bunny, Charlotte’s first mother-in-law, on “Sex and the City”? Okay, now picture her more likable, with a wicked sense of humor and you would have my mother-in-law, Mary Charlotte Parr. She is a single gal, somewhere in her sixth decade, living on a horse farm in Glyndon. Based on those facts, you might assume that she doesn’t get out much. You would be wrong. Very wrong. Mary Charlotte’s social life is more active than anyone I know: parties, dinners, lectures, movies, parties and some more parties. Her schedule exhausts and inspires me in almost equal parts.

Want to know how the senior set from horse country rolls these days? Mary Charlotte answers with her usual wit and charm. No wonder she is always on the guest list!

Home cook assessment:  Do you consider Durkee onions and Campbell’s mushroom soup legitimate ingredients or cheating?

Legitimate! Growing up our cook Alberta used both. If it was good enough for Alberta its good enough for me.

Saturday night with your favorite friends: Where do you book? What do you order?  

Well let’s take tonight. I am going to Barrett’s at the Hunt Valley Mall for a pre-movie dinner. Table 22. All my friends go there.

Where would you take fun friends in from New York?

Oregon Grille or Tark’s.

How about for a celebratory dinner?

I do those privately.

Where is your go-to place with your family? 

Harryman House bar if we are in the mood to go casual. The Greenspring Valley Hunt Club or the Elkridge Club for a fancier affair.

Any drive-ins, diners and dives? 

I don’t know if it’s a dive but I loved the Roland Park Deli. The Field’s (of Pikesville) luncheon counter is also a favorite.

What new restaurant are you dying to try?

None on my list right now.

Where do you grocery shop and why?

Regularly? Santoni’s. Mars for staples. I also stop into Graul’s, Ruxton only!

Is there a food item that you regularly go out of your way to buy?

In the summer months I buy my produce at Misty Valley Farms.

What Baltimore restaurant has the best vibe?

Wherever I’m out I make my own with the people I invite.

Okay, we gotta do it. Best crab cake?

Linwoods, and on the topic of crab, their crab cobb is divine.

Anything on your wish list for the Baltimore food scene?

I can’t wait for Ted (Restaurateur Teddy Bauer) to reopen The Valley Inn.

It feels like yesterday Ashley Behrens, a fresh-scrubbed Towson University sophomore at the time, started babysitting for my daughter. Today, Ashley is all grown up and a busy teacher, living in Federal Hill and spending time with her boyfriend. Catching up with her reminded me of my own halcyon days: no kids, no mortgage, no problems. As she described her many nights out on the town, I wanted to know her young, urban perspective on the Baltimore food scene.

Now, if you see a breathless housewife, drink in hand, on the dance floor at Ryleigh’s, you’ll know why. Ah, to be 25 again!

Home cook assessment:  Do you consider Durkee Onions and Campbell’s Mushroom Soup legitimate ingredients or cheating?

Yes, definitely cheating. When I cook, I stick to fresh ingredients.

Saturday night with the boyfriend: Where do you book? What do you order?  

Vino Rosina in Harbor East. The scallops and escargot are beyond. Mezze in Fells Point. Can you ever go wrong ordering a ton of tapas?

Where would you take fun friends in from New York?

Thames Street Oyster House or Mamas on the Half Shell, both authentic seafood experiences for out-of-towners.

How about for a special dinner?

Charleston has amazing food and an ever-changing menu, fit for special occasions. I also love the farm-to-table philosophy and cozy atmosphere at Woodberry Kitchen.

Where is your go-to place for drinks? Why?

Ryleigh’s Oyster Bar in Federal Hill for the variety of freshly squeezed crushes and the dance floor. Ropewalk Tavern (also in Federal Hill) if it’s a beer drinking night. Oh, and Bond Street Social (in Fells Point) is the new spot for happy hour. I go there, too.

Any drive-ins, diners and dives?

Broadway Diner in Highlandtown and Jimmy’s in Fells Point are my diners. As far as dives, Cats Eye Pub in Fells has great live music or Walt’s Inn (in Canton) for a late night karaoke session.

What new restaurant are you dying to try?

Wit and Wisdom at the Four Seasons.  Brunch and happy hour were great there so I assume dinner will be nothing less.

Where do you grocery shop and why?

Harris Teeter downtown or Wegmans (in Hunt Valley) on my way home from work.

Is there a food item that you regularly go out of your way to buy?

I am very thankful Towson Hot Bagel expanded downtown to save me from a long drive for fresh bagel sandwiches on the weekends. They’re that good.

What Baltimore restaurant has the best vibe?

I like Blue Hill Tavern in Canton or Pazo in Harbor East. Good food, cool atmosphere, and delicious cocktails.

OK, we gotta do it. Best crab cake?

Mamas On The Half Shell or Rusty Scupper.

Anything on your wish list for the Baltimore food scene?

An authentic pizzeria on the south side of town.

Martin Knott — business owner, political guru and father of four — is one of those guys who seems to know everyone and everything in Baltimore. He is funny, very funny. Vince Vaughn-caliber funny. Based on those qualities alone he was on my short list to interview. What I didn’t know? He’s super passionate about food. I love the way his hippie tendencies (he is currently guest lecturing on “Dylan and The Dead” at McDonogh School) came through in his surprising answers.

I can’t wait to try his off-the-beaten path suggestions. Maybe I’ll ask him to join me. It’s bound to be more fun that way!

Home cook assessment:  Do you consider Durkee Onions and Campbell’s Mushroom Soup legitimate ingredients or cheating? 

Totally legitimate. We all have to eat and we want it to taste good. How you get there is up to the individual and it turns out that stuff tastes good.

Saturday night with the wife: Where do you book? What do you order?   

We are at the Ambassador. Binda and Kehar are the best hosts in Baltimore. They always put us in front of the fireplace. It’s all so good, but we usually go with the eggplant appetizer followed by the lamb vindaloo for me and the chicken tikka masala for Allison. Oh, and the vegetable samosas are seriously great too.

Where would you take fun friends in from New York?

I would want them to get a true sense of the city and for that I say Peter’s Inn (in Fells Point). It’s just so Baltimore. The atmosphere feels totally authentic. You can get a Natty Boh at the bar. They have a million great restaurants in New York but they don’t have Baltimore.

How about for a celebratory dinner?

I’m going with the Prime Rib.

Where is your go-to place with the kids?

Italian Garden’s, Red Robin and lately the Green Turtle in Hunt Valley. They love it because they can go over to Dick’s afterwards and buy our 500th basketball.

Any drive-ins, diners and dives?

The New Wyman Park Restaurant has a great breakfast and lunch. Jong Kak is a Korean barbeque spot downtown that is my go-to for a late night stop off. It’s ridiculously good.

What new restaurant are you dying to try?

I hear the Towson Tavern is good.

Where do you grocery shop and why?

I shop at Eddie’s just to make Dennis Graul mad. Just kidding. I shop at Graul’s. My whole family has gone there for years and I love recent renovations. We are also a huge farmer’s market family. In the summer months we hit the 32nd Street Farmer’s market every weekend.

Is there a food item that you regularly go out of your way to buy?

Can’t get enough kale these days. We bake kale chips in the morning and eat them all day.

What Baltimore restaurant has the best vibe?

For me? The Curb Shoppe in Mt. Washington. You literally feel like you are in a bar from college. The owner cooks up great bar food and there is an outstanding jukebox that has inspired great dance parties. We have started to befriend the regulars who are so nice. It’s the perfect place to start or end an evening out.

OK, we gotta do it. Best crab cake?

Hands down Faidley’s. Everyone knows that and if you don’t you haven’t tried them. Faidley’s.

Anything on your wish list for the Baltimore food scene?

I would love more ethnic places. African, Middle Eastern, Asian. I love discovering new flavors.

Guilford resident Beth Smith is one of those people who I constantly pester for restaurant recommendations. She is not easily beguiled by flashy decor or trendy menus, it’s always about the the food. I have never had a bad meal following her advice. Beth’s foodiness is evident in her kitchen too. As a mother to three girls she is always cooking something that is simple, well-executed and delicious. (And she’s my sister-in-law.)

Home cook assessment:  Do you consider Durkee Onions and Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup legitimate ingredients or cheating?

Totally cheating . . . never, never, never.

Saturday night with the husband: Where do you book? What do you order?  

Petite Louis. I get a salad and make my husband order the frites. I eat most of them but it doesn’t count because I didn’t order them .

Where would you take fun friends down from New York?

Demi (basement level of Crush, in Belvedere Square). I like the idea of a lot of small plates because the appetizers are usually my favorite part of any meal.

How about for a celebratory dinner?

Wherever the new place is that I am dying to try.

Where is your go-to place with the kids?

Sushi Hana.

Any drive-ins, diners and dives that you hit?

My husband used to take the girls to breakfast at Paper Moon but there was always a very long wait, so they have switched to the New Wyman Park Restaurant (on 25th Street in Charles Village). Oh, and Joe Squared. Unbelievable pizza!

What new restaurant are you dying to try?

I am DYING to try Volt in Fredrick. It is the guy from “Top Chef” Bryan Voltaggio’s restaurant. Unfortunately, it’s an impossible reservation.

Where do you grocery shop and why?

Whole Foods for quality and Eddie’s for convenience.

Is there a food item that you regularly go out of your way to buy?

Is it bad to say wine?

What Baltimore restaurant has the best vibe?

Woodberry Kitchen. I love that wood stack.

OK, we gotta do it: best crab cake?

Friendly Farms carry out in Upperco, no filler, great for dinner parties.

Anything on your wish list for the Baltimore food scene?

There is a restaurant in the Palisades area of D.C. called “Black Salt.” I would love to see it replicated in Baltimore. The front of the house is a scrupulously clean fish market and amazing restaurant in the back. For a town that is all about seafood we are lacking a great fish market.