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Cantler's Riverside Inn (Maryland, USA)
by Hishyeness ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BACK ON THE CRAB ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A recent trip to the USA for a three day conference near our corporate headquarters presented an eagerly anticipated opportunity to indulge in some shameless nostalgia. I spent most of my formative years and early adult life in New York and at various other cities up and ... down the Eastern seaboard, most notably Boston and Washington DC. It was the proximity of our offices to the latter that had me particularly excited, as the agenda promised a trip to Maryland's state capital, Annapolis, home of the US Naval Academy and, perhaps more importantly for me, Jimmy Cantler's Riverside Inn, a local institution rightly famed for its Maryland Blue Crab, freshly hauled in from the waters of the Chesapeake. Crabbing is an experience that first timers will either love or hate. The concept is as simple as it is rustic. You get a bushel of freshly steamed crab, seasoned with a local spice called "Old Bay" (a heady mix of several ingredients including mustard, paprika, bay leaf, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, and ginger) a mallet for cracking the shell and not much else other than cold beer and fries. My first experience of crabbing was over 20 years ago in a dock-side establishment in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, so I was very much looking forward to more of the same. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ECHOES OF DELIVERANCE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Getting to Cantler's is as much of an experience as eating there. Having spent an hour or so walking the picturesque streets of downtown Annapolis and trying the local beer, we boarded a mini-bus, which took us on Route 450 across the Severn River (quite a bit smaller than its namesake in Wales) onto the 648 for a little while, before turning down Forest Beach Road. At this point, I could hear faint strains of "Duelling Banjos" take hold in my overactive imagination as we travelled down a single lane road that offered a wide variety of scary looking accommodation, interspersed with some lush looking houses. Before long, we pitched up at Cantler's on Mill Creek and clambered out of the bus. The trip took no more than 15 minutes, and given its location, you really need a car or taxi (or boat, should you be so lucky!) to get there. Cantler's is a family run business that has been around since 1974. It's eponymous owner worked as a waterman on Chesapeake Bay. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GREAT ATMOSPHERE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First impressions confirmed my expectations. We passed through a small porch impressively decorated with both local and national awards and acknowledgements, into a cosy dining-room lined with bench-like tables covered simply with plain thin cardboard table cloths. The restaurant has an outside area right on the creek, but given the size of our party and the forecasts of rain, our organiser opted for prudence and booked us an area inside. In the event, it didn't rain. The restaurant has an obvious nautical theme, and its wood interior and low ceilings give it a real faux-shack feel. The area to the left of the door is dominated by a large bar (which serves food and snacks at bar side stools) and the constantly swinging door in and out of the kitchens. There is a natural bustle and busy-ness to the place that just adds to the atmosphere. Service was immediate and attentive, with several young ladies in Cantler's T-shirts (yours for only $17.95 in a variety of fashionable colors!) making the rounds on our tables - there were eighteen of us - to explain the system. We had signed up for one of their "Feast" packages, which included the aforesaid crabs, generous helpings of steamed shrimp (prawns to us Europeans), giant, olympic-sized onion rings, lashings of French fries and tubs of coleslaw, along with buckets of canned beer on ice, including the unlikely-sounding Yeungling's, which put me in mind of an Oriental Jedi Padawan learner, but is in fact, the oldest continuously operating brewery in the US, operating up the road in Pottsville, Pennsylvania (and anglicised from the German name "Jüngling"). This was all to be polished off by a selection of home-made deserts. A swift crab-cracking tutorial followed before service commenced and we were left to our own devices. Incidentally, those in the party not partial to seafood or alcohol were offered suitable alternatives, so everyone was more than adequately catered for. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HARD WORK FOR SCANT REWARD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You soon realise that you'll most likely never have to work harder when you've paid to eat. Maryland Blues are around five to seven inches across and getting into them requires a bit of muscle and graft. That said, there is something oddly primeval and satisfying in taking a large wooden mallet to a crustacean, and you kind of get into the flow of things. What they don't tell you is that you'll end up making an almighty mess, so make sure you don't arrive in your Sunday best. My sense of vanity and propriety disappeared after five minutes when I saw my boss elbow deep in crab remains hacking away with real purpose. The crabs themselves, once you get into them, are perfectly cooked and seasoned, so that dipping them in the little pots of drawn butter provided almost seemed like sacrilege. Given the crustaceans are the main event, its easy to forget the sides. The onion rings were delicious - real, giant rings of onion covered in a delicate and flavourful batter that didn't overwhelm them. Even the standard French fries were a cut above the ordinary. Only desert was a teeny bit of a let-down, with the archetypical local version of death by chocolate being wheeled out, and proving a little too rich and sickly sweet after three or four forkfuls. I finished the meal with both my belly and my inner Neanderthal thoroughly satisfied, and even succumbed to the subtle marketing by snapping up a dark green T-shirt to mark the occasion. There is a display of the "merchandising" in a glass cabinet between the toilets, which, incidentally, were quite small and cramped for a restaurant the size of Cantler's, and as such, not particularly clean. ~~~~~~~~~ THE DAMAGE ~~~~~~~~~ As I was on a corporate junket, I didn't get a peek at the bill, but if you go a la carte starters go for around $10, sandwiches around $12, and mains from around $20. Soft drink refills are free, and as mentioned before, they also do a limited menu of steaks, ribs and chicken for "land lovers". This being the US, tipping is expected, with 18% added for service to groups of ten or more (we easily qualified). If you're planning on going, their web site (www.cantlers.com) is a must visit, providing directions, booking details, opening times, recipes and several how-to guides on buying, preparing and eating crab. Parking on-site is limited, so car-pooling is suggested, and if you're lucky enough to be going by boat, there is free mooring for patrons. They are open seven days a week, and will not take bookings during their busy season, so its first come first served. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A CRACKING EXPERIENCE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So is Cantler's worth the diversion? Absolutely. Its reputation as a local institution had me worried as in my travel experience, you either end up with a overrated tourist trap, or, if you're really lucky, a place that's worth every accolade and moniker attributed to it. I'm happy to report that Jimmy Cantler's fine establishment is very much the latter. Sure, your hands will be stinking of crab and you'll be sweating out Old Bay for a few days, but it's well worth the experience - and that's what it is really - a social experience that's perfect for a fun night out or as a work jolly, provided no one is too fussy to join in. Highly recommended ~~~~~~ DETAILS ~~~~~~ Jimmy Cantler's Riverside Inn 458 Forest Beach Road Annapolis, Maryland 21401 Phone: 410-757-1311 http://www.cantlers.com © Hishyeness 2011 Read the complete review |
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Veni Vidi Vici (Atlanta, USA)
by koshkha I wasn't impressed when I learned I had to go to Atlanta for the week of my birthday but my colleague who invited me (that's invite in the 'can't say no' sense of the word) promised me a nice dinner in the evening of my big day. Luckily it wasn't the day I was dragged to a Brazilian barbecue restaurant where waiters waived sticks of meat ... under my fishitarian nose causing some distress. I was told the restaurant 'Veni Vidi Vici' was 'a bit special'. I should have been suspicious - 'a bit special' is the phrase we used to describe our squirrel-murdering-stay-away-for-a-fortnight pussy cat. The organizer of the meeting I'd gone to is Italian and a real foodie and apparently this place was his choice. Reviews I found online suggested it was spectacularly good and very highly regarded. Knowing how great Italian food can be in Italy, I went with an open mind to see what the US-version would be like. The restaurant is on 14th street in downtown Atlanta. This was the only time I went into the city so I didn't get any sense of what the area was like or what was nearby. We drove through pouring rain, parked up in the car park next door and headed into the restaurant taking a route through the car park to avoid getting too wet. My first impression was that the restaurant is very big and doesn't look particularly Italian. That's not necessarily a bad thing; my local Italian has a mural of gondoliers painted (very badly) on one wall and fishing nets draped all over the place so 'not very Italian' isn't necessarily negative. We left our coats in the cloakroom area and were led to a large table in a quiet area of the room. We passed tables with strange foodie things suspended above them and I was surprised to find a couple of TV screens around the outside of the restaurant showing sports channels. This wasn't a 'sports' bar so I thought these were very out of place. It's a fancy restaurant - surely diners can go an hour or two without watching TV. As a large group we'd been asked to order from a set menu. Checking on the website the menu we had was very similar to their current private dining dinner menu. For me as someone who doesn't eat meat it wasn't very inspiring and if they didn't change the menu often, I would become very bored very quickly by the lack of choice. Water and wine were brought to the table. My puzzlement about whether ANYONE in Atlanta ever drinks white wine continued and I had to fight to avoid the red and get a glass of white. It's possible that the red obsession was down to the personal preferences of the guy who arranged the dinner but I didn't think I was out of order to want something difference - it's not like I asked them to bring me a freshly squeezed celery and beetroot juice or something really weird, but I did feel like I was swimming against the flow. Several plates of anti-pasti were brought to the table along with some bread. I can't claim I was very excited since the selection was very meaty. We were given a choice of two salads - a mixed green salad with mixed greens, zucchini, olives, basil and mint with a balsamic dressing and shaved parmesan or a Caesar salad. Not great if you don't like parmesan! (luckily I do). I went for the mixed salad and I'll have to admit it was very good but not the liveliest of starters. Main course choices included a vegetarian pasta, five meat dishes and one salmon dish. I'd had fish earlier in the day and didn't want it a second time but the pasta did seem like a poor alternative to all the deliciously cooked meats. Somehow four-cheese pasta doesn't seem like a fair substitute for the meat dishes and if I'd been paying for myself, I'd have been really miffed. For the meat eaters there was a mixed 'rotisserie meats' dish with ravioli, braised beef with polenta, veal with mushrooms and pasta, grilled lamb chops with an eggplant stew or chicken with roasted potatoes and various veg. Almost every meat dish came with an interesting starch-based dish (polenta, roast potatoes, risotto etc) and fascinating vegetables. I'd have happily taken a meal made up of the sides that went with those dishes. You can imagine my bowl of dull beige pasta seemed like a poor substitute. Come on restaurateurs, we don't eat meat - that doesn't mean we want to get fobbed off with cheap food and no side dishes. We want a substitute for meat - not a substitute for imagination. My pasta was nice, cooked well texturally but there's only so much excitement to be found in a cheese sauce whether it contains four cheeses or four hundred. My dining companions were all more than pleased with their dishes but I did sit there feeling a bit sad and sorry for myself. I rationalized that it was my birthday, my food was boring and I really deserved a good pudding. I wasn't all that hungry - I think my stomach shuts down when it's not impressed or excited by the food - but I did decide to have a pudding. The choices were tiramisu, something called crostata di nocciole which was a nut crusted chocolate somethingorother or some strange dish based on pecan butter cookies with whipped cream and fruit. I asked for the nutty chocolate dish. As I sat waiting for my pudding everyone else's arrived and then they brought me my plate with not one but two puddings and with Happy Birthday written round the outside of the plate in sauce. It was an incredibly nice thing for the restaurant to do and I tried my hardest but it was just too much to get through. Coffees were taken, drinks were drained and it was time to go. Keeping in mind the great reputation of Veni Vidi Vici I have to say I found it disappointing. Admittedly the menu we were on was only around $50 a head and it's probably much nicer if you go a la carte, but I'd have rather been in my local with it's cheesy gondolier mural where the food is much more impressive than at Veni Vidi Vici. It's just not good enough in today's eating environment to short change vegetarians the way this restaurant did. We're not puritanical pleasure-deniers just because we choose not to eat meat so please, give us more choice and give us all the nice little complicated mixes of sauces and vegetables and side dishes that you give everyone else. Read the complete review |
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In-N-Out Burger Restaurant (Los Angeles, USA)
by saintsman2010 If you are ever on the West Coast of the United States, you have to try In n Out Burger. Their fresh ingredients, friendly service, and unique menu offer a dining experience not quite like any other. On the surface, this restaurant is like a typical burger joint from the 1950s. This is certainly the image that they have succeeded in ... portraying with their simple menu, small dining rooms, and fast and quick drive-thru option. However, only the loyalest of customers know about things like the 4x4 burger, animal fries, and a protein-style burger. There is always something new to be found in the simplicity of the restaurant. Try as you might to replicate the food with the same ingredients, it just won't taste the same. The secret sauce is unmatched. Although the ingredients seems so simple, no one has been able to come up with a similar or better tasting sauce. It is my favorite burger joint in southern California and with several locations across the West Coast, you are sure to find one within one-third of a mile from a freeway or highway (this is one of their rules for choosing a new location). In N Out is a great, family-friendly option, for lunch, dinner, or a late night snack (most locations are open until 1 am on weekends). If you don't believe me, the proof is in the food. Try it yourself, and see if you aren't captivated by the magic of the Double-Double. Read the complete review |
North America Restaurant International |
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Chinese. 843 Grant Ave San Francisco, CA 94108 Tel: (415) 981-1602 |
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Thai. 807 Ellis St San Francisco, CA 94109. Tel: (415) 567-2828 |
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Thai.2217 Market St San Francisco, CA 94114 Tel: (415) 626-7226 |
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Italian. 523 Broadway San Francisco, CA 94133. Tel: (415) 433-4343 |
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Italian. 659 Columbus Ave San Francisco, CA 94133 Tel: (415) 392-7544 |
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Mexican. 4019 Judah St San Francisco, CA 94122 Tel: (415) 564-0662 |
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American , Irish. Johnny Foley's Cellar San Francisco, CA 94102 Tel: (415) 954-0777 |
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American. 1701 Octavia Street San Francisco, CA 94109 Tel: (415) 922-6733 |
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American. 133 Beale St San Francisco, CA 94105 Tel: (415) 543-1961 |
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1 review Restaurant International / 2985 Silver Star Rd Orlando, FL 32808. Tel: 407-297-9016 |
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