04
Sep 08After a bad day…
A while back, I read a New York Times article that said, in part,
In Los Angeles and New York City, Korean barbecue has become an urbanite comfort food on a level with dim sum and falafel.
Having never lived in either place, I can’t tell you if that’s true, but it did get me thinking on comfort food in general. As a Korean adoptee raised in the Midwest, I ended up with a pretty weird hodgepodge of favorite foods, so your tastes will probably overlap with something on this list. And if you’re in Baltimore, double-bonus: I’m including my favorite places in the city.
Mac and cheese. I’m pretty sure everyone had this at some point in their life, and that point was one of the highs. At home, I usually put a little Tabasco in it. Delicious. Additionally, if anyone has any strong feelings on the best crab variant, I’m all ears.
- Sobo Cafe, 6 W. Cross St. A little baked bit of heaven with tomatoes.
- Mama’s on the Half Shell, 2901 O’Donnell St. A little greasy, but delicious goopy cheese and toasty breadcrumbs push it over the top. (These are both sides/appetizers, not full entrees)
Greek. Gyro and souvlaki are some of the tastiest meat-sticks around.
- Samos, 600 Oldham St. This is one of those “secret” places that everyone seems to know about. Good food, slow service, BYOB and cash only.
Pizza. What is so hard about making a good pizza? We even have a (very) Little Italy, but the number of decent pies in this town can be counted on one hand. Or maybe I’m missing a bunch of super-delicious places.
- Iggies, Mount Vernon. I’m tired of looking up locations, so now you get neighborhoods. Unusual combinations of high-quality toppings on razor-thin pizzas.
- Zella’s, sort-of-west Bmore. I’ve never been, but The Girlfriend and her sister both swear it’s excellent.
- Matthew’s, Highlandtown. Deep dish personal-size pizzas with an almost otherworldly crust, delivered in between paper plates. If you want it to go, they’ll wrap them up in butcher paper.
Indian. Samosas and chutney make a bad day okay, and chicken tikka masala remains impossible to hate (No, it’s not really Indian per se, but it’s delicious).
- Akbar/Mughal Garden, Mt. Vernon. These two restaurants are pretty interchangeable (and about a half-block from each other). Akbar has a better atmosphere, while Mughal Garden offers carry-out and delivery.
Falafel. I love falafel. It’s just that simple. But I have yet to find any in Bmore.
Korean. I haven’t actually tried any Korean restaurants around here, but I’ve heard good things about both Niwana and Nam King, so those are on my list.
Let me know if I missed your favorites.
Tagged: food, restaurants
September 5th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Ha! I have been trying to find a good falafel in Bmore too! I forgot the name of the restaurant, but I spotted one on the same street as Tsunami (about a block away) that might have them. We’ll have to check it out!
September 5th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Also, will somebody PLEASE tell me where I can find some good Mexican food in Baltimore? (Nacho Mamas does not count, and though Argos has a cool courtyard, their food kinda sucks.)