I have always been blessed with the meals I’ve been provided. From a young age my mother was always in the kitchen cooking up something good. Coming from a primarily European background, my mother made sure all my plates were diverse, from chicken dishes, to pasta, meatloaf, different soups, sandwiches, steak, and the list goes on for miles. My mother is an extremely gifted cook, and I was always the first to finish my plate, and of course the first one to grab seconds.
Being that my palate has experienced many diverse tastes and dishes, I am sort of a self-proclaimed food connoisseur. I am always ready to try new dishes thrown my way, so it was pretty obvious that I should try and make something out of my always expanding love for all things food.
My plan is pretty simple. I’m going to take a few trips around the Towson and Baltimore area, based both on recommendation, as well as pure instinct (driving aimlessly around until I see a place that catches my eye.. or nose) to try some of the big menu items. After this I want to provide my own reviews and recommendations to try and assist you in your endeavors to find that great next meal.
Going beyond the food and reviews, I also plan on arranging to sit down with the owners or employees at these various establishments. I want to get a real sense of what they are all about, and how their ideals and dreams are translated onto it’s customers plates and eventually into their stomachs (not really where I would want my dreams to end up, but hey, I’m not judging anyone). I think it would be nice to get in touch with who these people are and why they do what they do. This is why I intend to stray away from big names restaurants that everyone knows, and more importantly avoiding franchises altogether. I want to shine a light on the everyday people who were told they could cook a mean something or other, and decided to go for it and make a living out of it. These people are my personal heroes, not only because they are genuinely nice people just living their lives, but they also cook the food that keeps me alive, as well as in the gym 5 times a week to keep myself from having to roll to my classes.
Over the next few weeks I plan on visiting as many of these places that I can, and grabbing as many interviews and pictures with the people I meet and interact with, so that you can get a full understanding of what these people are all about, so that you may decide to go out and try their food for yourself.
A David and Goliath Story: Chain vs. Mom and Pop Style
Some of my favorite places to eat are chain restaurants. If I’m looking for a quick burger or greasy meal 5 Guys Burgers and Fries is always my go to. If I’m feeling Mexican food, as every college students would answer, I’d go to Chipotle. Chinese food? Pei Wei is always delicious and very reasonably priced.
Now it sounds like I may be playing favorites. Of course people are going to support the chain places. They’re reliable, usually fairly cheap, and sometimes it’s simply habit to go there. However, chain places are unable to recreate many things a hole in the wall food place can. If you go to a restaurant that’s owned by an individual, and sometimes even a family, you know you’re going to get quality. They are always able to make your food exceptionally well, and you know it’s got the personal touch of the owner in every bite.
Mom and Pop style places are where you want to go to feel like you’re getting that home cooking you used to get at family gatherings and dinners. People who own their own restaurants more often than not have put so much work into the establishment. This means they are going to go that extra mile to make sure you get a great meal, as well as a great experience. They don’t have the already built up credibility that many of the chains do, and they have to rely largely on word of mouth to spread awareness for their business. Every customer will always matter deeply to the owners; you support their livelihood every time you choose to dine at one.
Scouting out potential locations to dine at: How to find your next meal
Many of the best places to eat are hidden. Family owned restaurants and eateries are usually always tucked away in some second-rate-looking strip mall between an electronics store and a laundromat. Being hidden away deters business, because it’s pretty hard to eat somewhere you can’t see. Although paying attention to the road and traffic around you is obviously priority number one, it can’t hurt to try and look a little harder next time you make your morning commute. Look in areas you may have previously just blown off.
One of the most commonly found eating establishments within strip malls is a pizzeria. There is so much range for someone who owns a pizza place. Most, if not all pizza places, are not limited to pizza, and feature many other Italian items like subs and pastas, so even if you’re not in love with pizza (what are you doing with your life?), it can’t hurt to check one out and see what else they may have to offer.
Let your stomach be your guide. Just because you’ve never tried a certain type of food doesn’t mean you should stray away from a new place. You never know what they may have to peak your interest. I tried Indian food recently, which I just never got around to having, and it was delicious. Having only recently gotten really into eating very hot and spicy foods, the Tandoori chicken was phenomenal and I recommend it to spice and chicken lovers everywhere.
Marc Sugalski 