12/27/2012

Kommie Pig and Smokers BBQ


Hi, everyone! Sorry I haven't posted. I've been caught up in school work and haven't had the time to post. But, I'm back! So, let's get started! 

I first went to a food truck named Kommie Pig, which serves lots of BBQ. There were many items on there, like the hot dog, an American Stacker, and smoked chicken. I had a 1/4 rack, with some fries and a Mountain Dew. It took a while for the food to come, and some people who were after us got theirs before us! But finally, my food was ready.

The ribs were delicious! They were very BBQy, and were very juicy. The fries were also pretty good, especially since they had vinegar on them. It was really big, and I wasn't able to finish it all.

I would give this food truck ***** stars for food. I'm not giving Kommie Pig a kid friendly rating because since it goes to and from places, it doesn't need a kid friendly rating.

Next, I went to Smokers in Finksburg. When I got there, it was really late, and they were going to close soon, so we had to eat quickly. On the menu, there were items like a Pit Pork Sandwich, a Caesar Salad, and Cream of Crab soup. They also had a kid's menu, which consisted of a hot dog, chicken tenders, and grilled cheese. I had a Pit Beef Sandwich. While we were waiting, we watched football on TV. It didn't take long for our food to come, though. 

The Pit Beef Sandwich was delicious!It was juicy, cheesy, and, when I put on some BBQ sauce, BBQy. I give this place ***** stars for food and **** 1/2 stars for kid friendliness. The reason why I gave 4 1/2 stars is because that they only had 3 items on the kids menu.

Well, those were my reviews. I hope you all had a merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year! Well, that's all. Bye!


Smokers Barbeque on Urbanspoon

11/20/2012

The NEW Mt. Washington Tavern


I was invited to a very special event for the Mt. Washington Tavern. It was the grand opening of the new Mt. Washington Tavern! I was so excited when I heard that they had built a second tavern on the exact same site that it burned down and had the grilled cheese competition that I judged! They even used some of the walls that didn't crumble! 

When I got there, they were giving a tour for the other guests, and they showed us the improvements that they did to it. They had a bar on the 1st floor,  and even saved the old shuffle board! On the second floor they had 2 rooms for the older, richer couples, a cocktail bar, and lots of horse racing stuff, like a 5 ft x 10 ft  replica of Pimlico's the Old Hilltop. They also have a new SkyBar and elevator. 

The items on the menu that I could try were Mini Crab Cakes, Beef Carpaccinio Flatbread, and Rare Seared Ahi Tuna. I had some pieces of Saltimbocca, a couple of Bacon wrapped Scallops, a few pieces of cheese from the cheese platter, and a bar made Cherry Coke! The bar made Cherry Coke was awesome! It had all the textures and fizziness of a regular soda, but without all the packaged and artificial taste. The Scallops were pretty good, too. The scallops had a seafood taste, not that strong, yet it's strong enough that you can taste it. That and the bacon made a great combination. Yet, of course, my brother disagreed. "I didn't really like the texture of it," Owen said.  The Saltimbocca was delicious! It was cheesy, and had lot's of meat flavor. My brother quotes "I really liked this because the cheese was cheesy, the ham was juicy, and the chicken had lots of taste." The cheese platter was also really good. They had different types of cheese, and all of them had the qualities of cheese, creaminess and a different flavor.

I give **** stars for food and **** stars for kid friendly. I give 4 stars for kid friendliness because they had a shuffleboard, Television's, and some kid friendly items. I think that this place will be a even bigger hit than last time, and I hope that they have another grilled cheese competition so I can judge it again! Well, that's all. Bye! 


Mount Washington Tavern on Urbanspoon

11/05/2012

Gordon Biersch & Mobbies

I was invited to a place called Gordon Biersch in Baltimore for a special event. The event was an opening preview in that they were trying to see how people would like their food and how they could change the way they cooked things before they opened.

When I got there, they were very busy, but we had already reserved our seats, so we didn't need to wait too long. When I got seated, I saw that they had lots of TV's all over the place. I saw on their menu they had items like New York Strip & Grilled Shrimp, Steak Frites, and Beer Battered Fish & Chips. They also had a kid's menu, which had Macaroni & Cheese, Pizza, and Pasta.

They didn't have everything on their menu for the event but I got BBQ Chicken Pizza from the regular menu, my brother got the Cheese Pizza from the kid's menu, and my sister got the Macaroni & Cheese from the kid's menu. While we waited, we got some Garlic Fries, which were a twist on Garlic Bread, my mom and dad got to try some of their home made beers, and my sister, brother, and I got homemade root beer. The root beer tasted out of this world!

My BBQ Chicken Pizza wasn't actually as good as I thought it would be. It had so much BBQ sauce, it was actually pretty spicy. Though my brother thought differently. Owen quotes" my Pizza was really good." And for dessert, everyone got a brownie sundae to split.

I give them **** stars for kid friendliness and *** stars for food. I really hope to come here again, since this wasn't their complete menu.

Also Adventures of a Koodie was nominated again this year as Best Food Blog for the Baltimore Sun contest - The Mobbies! Please vote everyday through November 9 at 5pm. Don't forget to send those votes! Last year I got in 4th place. Click here to vote! Well, that's all. Bye!


Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant on Urbanspoon

10/08/2012

Rumor Mill

I went to the Rumor Mill restaurant in Ellicott City. What is really cool about the Rumor Mill is that the chef is Matthew Milani, who competed in the Grilled Cheese competition which I was judge at, and his grilled cheese was one of my favorites!

When I came in, it wasn't really crowded, since it was only 5:30 pm. I realized first that they had a upstairs dining room as well as a bar on the first floor.

When we got seated, I saw lots of maps and plaques of magazine articles on the wall. They also had oddly shaped glasses, which was really cool.

When I saw the menu, they had small plates like the Tomato Tower, Mushroom Tart, and Seared Tuna, and on their Shared plates part they had items like  Fries and Fusion Ketchup, Tuna Tartare, and Crab Dip. They also had some desserts like Chocolate Raspberry Flourless Cake, Bread Pudding with Ice Cream, and Amaretto White Chocolate Creme Brulee. But what I didn't see was the grilled cheese which they served at the contest and a kids menu. That was because their menu changes a lot, so some of these items may not be there when you go.

I ordered Ribs, which I shared with my dad and my brother, my mom and sister had a Potato & Spinach Salad, and everyone shared a platter of Brie with Peach Marmalade and Sweet Potato Fries.

While we waited, we talked with our waiter, drank our water, and read the plaques. The chef's wife came and talked to us and I think she remembered who I was from the Grilled Cheese competition. But when our food came, though, it was beyond amazing!

The fries had a cinnomany taste, which made it stand out, the ribs had BBQ sauce that made it pop out, and the Brie with Marmalade was the best brie I've ever had! We also ordered mini burgers and they were awesome! They were juicy, and they were cooked medium rare!

Before we had the dessert course, the chef came back from the wedding across the street and asked us if we wanted to sample some white chocolate mousse. It was very creamy and tasted just like white chocolate! I think they should put it on the menu.

For dessert, we got the Ice Cream Trio and Banana Wontons. They were delicious! The Banana Wontons also had chocolate on top, which made it even better! The ice creams for that day were basil, mint chocolate chip, and Butterfinger. We also got Chocolate Marshmallow as a bonus to try, and all of them were fantastic! The Basil was very savory, and the rest were very sweet, especially the Chocolate Marshmallow! But my favorite was mint chocolate chip, of course! And all of them had actual ingredients, like the basil had real basil and the mint chocolate chip had real mint in it!

 I give ***** stars for food and *** stars for kid friendly. The reason why I gave 3 stars for kid friendliness was because the people there were very nice. Also, there were some kid friendly food items, like ribs, fish and chips, and salad, since some kids like salad. Though I rated it 3 stars for kid friendliness, it still is a place for teens and grown-ups.

 I really hope I come there again, especially so I can try their other desserts. Well, that's all. Bye!


Rumor Mill on Urbanspoon

9/30/2012

The Mallow Bar

I went to a place called The Mallow Bar, a place where they make very big, sticky, and delicious Rice Crispy Treats.

When I got there, I saw that it was a very small restaurant, with about 4-5 tables. But even though the place was small, the flavors and varietys of Mallow Bar are huge! They have bars like a chocolate dipped bar, a Crunch Bar, which is a Rice Krispy Treat with M&M's and popcorn mixed in, and a Trail Bar, which has dried cranberries and toasted pumkin seeds in it. They also sold caramels and something called Softies, were they different have flavored marshmallows like Coffe and Vanila Bean. One more thing they sold was muffins and cupcakes, in lots of flavors, and they change everyday. And the best part was that all their marshmallows were home made!

I had a Caramello, which is a Rice Krispy Treat dipped in caramel, and a Cherry Cheesecake Softie. They were delicious! The Caramello was really sweet and caramelly, and the Softie tasted just like if you were biting in to a real cherry cheesecake! And, as I said earlier, both were really sticky and gooey! I also tried a bite of my brother's Mallow Bar, which was chocolate dipped. It was delicious! It was really chocolaty, and it was my favorite, dark chocolate!

I give ***** stars for food and ***** stars for kid friendliness. The reason why I give 5 stars for kid friendliness because Marshmallows and cupcakes kids love, especially since their sweet.

I really hope I go again some day, mostly so I can try their muffins and cupcakes. Well, that's all. Bye!



The Mallow Bar on Urbanspoon

9/02/2012

Corner Bakery Cafe and Thanks

I went to a place called the Corner Bakery Cafe, which is new, for my sister's, Olivia, birthday.

When I first saw it outside, I saw they had a place were you could sit outside. And when I saw it from inside, I also saw they had some pretty cool pictures on the walls. I also saw they also had a display case with a lot of their bakery items, like Cheese Cake Brownies, Monster Cookies, and Whoopie Pies.

When we got seated and looked at the menu, I saw they also had lots of items, like a Club Panini on Sourdough, Moms Sandwich Combo, The Trio Salad, and Farmer's Scrambler, which is one of the items you can get on the breakfast menu. They also had a kids menu, which had items like PB&J, Kid's Ravioli, and the Kids Combo. I got Broccoli and Cheese Soup in a large bread bowl with some Italian Bread.

I did the activity's on the kids menu while we waited, and our food came closely after I was done with it. My soup and bread were delicious! The soup was cheesy, it was at the right temperature, and the bread was very easy to pull apart. After I ate the soup and almost all the bread and bread bowl, I decided to get a brownie. It was amazing! It was very chocolaty, moist, and very, very, sugary.

I give ***** stars for kid friendliness and ***** stars for food. Also, I heard that they have a thing from September 1-23 where if you donate a dollar for the No Kid Hungry Campaign, you can get a free Whoopie Pie or Cookie for your next visit, and if you give a five dollar donation, then you could get a book of coupons.

I also want to thank you for seeing, following, and commenting on Adventures Of A Koodie. Thanks to your participation, I now have over 100,000 page views(and counting) and 200 followers. Once again, thank you for your participation, and I will keep reviewing so you can get up to date on new and old, fancy and common, dirty or clean restaurants. Well, that's all. Bye!    


8/19/2012

McFaul's Ironhorse Tavern

I went to a new place called McFaul's Ironhorse Tavern in Parkville. McFaul's used to be another restaurant were my dad used to work at, and hearing that it was turning into another restaurant made me want to go there.

When I got my first look at the place, it looked pretty much the same when I drove past it before, but then I realized that there were lots of lights and music on the balcony (which, honestly, I've never noticed before). When I got in, I saw that it looked very fancy for a place with an outdoor bar. When we got seated, I saw they also had TVs in just about every part of the restaurant, but ours was turned off.

On the menu they had items like Fish of the Day, Shepard Pie, and McFaul's Crab Cake Sandwich. They also had a kids menu, which had items like Hot Dog, Fish and Chips, and a Burger. I got a Pork BBQ Sandwich, since I love them, my mom got Salmon BLT, and my dad got a Cheeseburger, since some of the rest of the items were expensive. While we waited for the food to come, I drew on the mat and the table, since you can draw on it, and got to see the balcony.

When our food came, I saw that my sandwich came with a side of coleslaw, but since I don't like coleslaw, I gave it to my mom instead. My Pork BBQ Sandwich tasted delicious! It was juicy, moist, and had lots of BBQ sauce on it, since it came on the side and I got to put it on. It also came with homemade potato chips, which were good. They were crunchy, and had Old Bay on them, but weren't very salty, like I like them. We were going to have their Black Bottom Cheesecake, but the waitress told us that the kitchen closed at 9:30!

I give McFaul's  *** 1/2 stars for food and *** 1/2 stars for kid friendliness. The reason I gave 3 1/2 stars for both is because the kids menu was very expensive and they didn't tell us that the kitchen closed or when it closed. I really wish I could have tried their Black Bottom Cheesecake. Well, that's all. Bye!   

    

McFaul's IronHorse Tavern  on Urbanspoon

8/15/2012

Mooyah

I went to a place called Mooyah during my adventure in Virginia, which reminded me of a Five Guys or Z'Burger. The place was pretty hidden, since they had their sign out in front of another restaurant, but eventually we found it. When I got in, I saw TV's, pictures of cows, and a humungous chalkboard inside.

To order, you had to fill out a piece of paper that they gave you by coloring in the circles next to the items that you wanted to order. Some of the items on the menu were a Mooyah Burger, Little Mooyah Burger, and French Fries. The kids menu consisted of a Little Mooburger, Hot Dog, Grilled Cheese, and Chicken Strips. They also had lots of shakes, like a Caramel Shake, a Mint Chocolate Chip Shake, a M&M's shake, and even a Butterfinger Shake!

I ordered a Little Mooyah Burger with American Cheese and Bacon, a Snicker's Shake and a side of some Mooyah Fries. While I waited, I watched TV. My shake came first and it tasted awesome! It had real Snicker's pieces in it, it was really creamy, and it was chocolaty! I also tried my brother's Mint Chocolate Chip, but they forgot the chocolate, so they had to take it back and remake it.

My Little Mooyah Burger was delicious! The bacon was crunchy, the cheese was cheesy, and the burger tasted juicy. The fries, though, were just okay. The weren't very salty like I like them, and they were pretty plain.

I give **** stars for kid friendly and ***1/2 stars for food. Before I left, I put "The Koodie Was Here" with a smiley faced person wearing glasses, and to finish it of, I wrote "MOOYAH!" below it. Also, I heard that they maybe opening up another Mooyah place up in Washington D.C, so all you folks in or near Washington D.C should go because I think it is delicious! Well, that's all. Bye, and Mooyah!  

8/09/2012

Rigoletto Italian Bakery & Cafe

I went to a place called Rigoletto Italian Bakery & Cafe during my Virginia vacation. The reason why I went was because it was on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, and I wanted to try it out. When I got in, I saw pictures of Italy on the walls there. I also saw pictures of Guy Fieri. One more thing I found was their desserts in a glass case, and they looked delicious!

They had items on the menu like their Insalata Greca Salad, their Panini's like the Chicken Sophia Panini, and their homemade soups. They also had dinner specials and a kids menu, which had Kids Spaghetti, Tenders & Chips, Formaggio Panini, and Nutella Panini.

My brother and I decided to share what Guy Fieri had, their special Stuffed Meatballs W/ Spaghetti. As we were waiting for our dinner, we had some Calamari. It was fantastic! It was crunchy, and the sauce that came with it went great with the Calamari.

Shortly after that, our food came. The meatball was very juicy, cheesy, and meaty, and the spaghetti and tomato sauce went perfectly with each other.

Later, I looked at their desserts. They had things like a Romeo and Juliet Cake Roll, Pignoli Cookies, and Cannolis, and you could get chocolate dipped or with chocolate chip filing, or both. I had something called Michelangelo, which was a chocolate cake dipped in chocolate with a raspberry filling in the middle. It was delicious! It was super chocolaty, and the raspberry filling went great with the cake.

I give ***** stars for kid friendly, and ***** stars for food. The reason why I gave 5 stars for kid friendliness was because that even though they had no entertainment, they were so quick you didn't need it. If I do get to come here again, I would get a Cannoli for my dessert. Well, that's all. Bye!



Rigoletto Italian Bakery & Cafe on Urbanspoon

8/06/2012

Lost in the 50's Diner

My dad took me to Lost in the 50's Diner after we went to the plumbing store for a snack. When I walked in, I noticed that it wasn't very crowded, yet it was a pretty cool diner. You get to see how they make their fries and cook their burgers at the counter. They also had a TV, which had the Olympics on when we were there.

They have things like Burgers, Turkey Club and BLT Sandwiches, and breakfast all day, including French Toast and Cheesy Eggs. They also had a kids menu, which had items like Grilled Cheese, Chicken Tenders, and PB&J.

My dad, brother, Owen, and I shared Bacon and Cheese Fries. For our drink, Owen and I got chocolate root beer floats. It was delicious! It was super chocolaty, and they also gave you A&W root beer in a can with the float, in case you run out of root beer. When we got the fries, they too were delicious. They make the cheese sauce homemade and the bacon was all chopped up into little pieces mixed in with the fries.

I give ***** stars for food and ***** stars for kid friendly. I'm probably going to go back there for either dinner or breakfast, and I can't wait until then! Well, that's all. Bye!


Lost in the 50's Diner on Urbanspoon

8/04/2012

Featured on The Daily Meal

I am included as one of 10 famous kid critics and cooks by The Daily Meal. Here is the link: 

"10 Most Famous Kid Critics and Cooks"
thedailymeal.com/10-most-famous…

Here is what it says about me:

Eli Knauer
Two years ago, Eli Knauer created his blog, "Adventures of a Koodie," as a first step to fulfilling his ambition of becoming a food writer. Today, 11-year-old Knauer has written more than 100 reviews, from chain restaurants such as Texas Roadhouse to chef Bryan Voltaggio’s Family Meal.

Using an impressive vocabulary, Knauer reviews the food, as well as the kid-friendly atmosphere of each restaurant. In order to receive all five stars in a rating, a restaurant would have to ensure a child’s entertainment, providing items such as televisions showing kid-friendly programming.


Read more: http://www.thedailymeal.com/10-most-famous-kid-critics-and-cooks-slideshow#ixzz22ctbPIHk

8/03/2012

Cheddar's

Another restaurant that I visited with my grandma was a place called Cheddar's. It's a chain restaurant that just opened in Pennsylvania. When I got there, the first 2 things I noticed about it was that they had a very big, unusual looking fan in one of the rooms, and that they had a big fish tank that was in the middle of 2 rooms.

It took a while for us to get seated, since they were so crowded. When I looked at the menu they had a lot of items, such as their Fish Taco, Shepard Pie, World Class Chicken Sandwich, Crispy Chicken Salad, and Pasta. They also had a kid's menu with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Breast w/ Veggies, and a Junior Burger.

I wanted to get the Grown-up Grilled Cheese, which had slow roasted beef and four slices of cheddar and American cheese with grilled bread. But, my mom ordered me the Monte Dogs from the kids menu, which was like a regular corn dog, only it had a special batter, served with fries. My brother had the Chicken Tenders from the kid's menu, and my grandma had the Tortilla Soup with a salad. My sister got a Grilled Cheese Sandwich with edamame, my dad got Chicken and Waffles, and my mom got Chicken Tenders.

As we waited, we had some Onion Rings, which were delicious! They were probably the best onion rings I've ever had! After that, though, there wasn't much to do. It took a long time to get our food, but that was only because they were very crowded. Though when our food came, the only one who didn't have something was my grandma. They forgot to bring her Tortilla Soup and her salad should have come earlier or at the same time as our food.

My Monte Dogs were really good. The batter was delicious, but the hot dog tasted like a hot dog you would normally get from packaged corn dogs. After I finished, my grandma and papap got me the chocolate cake to split with my brother, Owen, and my sister, Olivia. It was so big and it tasted fabulous! It was super chocolaty, and the cake kind of tasted like a hot lava cake.

I give **** stars for food and ** 1/2 stars for kid friendly. I would love to go there again, especially since my mom ordered the wrong thing. Well, that's all. Bye!


Cheddar's Casual Café on Urbanspoon

8/02/2012

Sons of Sicily Pizzeria and Grill

I went to a place called Sons of Sicily Pizzeria and Grill in Pennsylvania with my Grandma and Papap. When I got there, I noticed that they had a Television with the Olympic try outs on. I also noticed that they had candy machines where you put in either 25 or 50 cents in and out comes either a piece of candy or a prize. On the menu they had items like their Fish Sub, Chef Salad, Italian Sub, and BBQ Chicken Pizza. They also had a kids menu, which has items like their Slice of Cheese Pizza, Fish Sandwich w/ French Fries, and Spaghetti w/ Meatballs.

My Papap and I both had a small Ham, Salami, Sauce, and Cheese Stromboli, while my Grandma, Owen, and Olivia had a Cheese Pizza. While we waited, we had Mozzarella Sticks as a appetizer. They were delicious! The cheese was really gooey and cheesy, and the batter around it went perfectly with the Mozzarella.

When I got my Stromboli, it was  HUGE, even though I ordered a small. The small Stromboli was 1ft long! The Stromboli was fantastic! The cheese was gooey, the ham and salami were really juicy, and the sauce that came with it fit perfectly with the it. I give ***** stars for kid friendly and ***** stars for food. Well, that's all. Bye!


8/01/2012

Jim Mack's Ice Cream

My grandma asked me if I could do some reviews about some restaurants around her area in Pennsylvania, which I agreed to do. The first place I went to was a place called Jim Mack's Ice Cream. It's not just a restaurant, but a miniature golf course and a petting zoo, all in one! They also had a bounce house, a basketball court, and even a arcade!

On the menu they had things like Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, and Grilled Cheese. My brother and I shared 2 Hot Dogs (we both ate one) while my sister, Olivia, had a Grilled Cheese. While we were waiting, we decided to play in the bounce house, which was lots of fun. Though when our number was called, we had to rush out to get our food.

The Hot Dog was delicious! It was juicy, cooked just right, and the bun was perfect. After that, I got to try their famous Thick Chocolate Malt Shake. It was amazing! It was chocolaty, very thick, creamy, and cold.

After we ate, we got to see and feed a real live bear! I also got to see llamas, ducks, a rabbit, and even these fluffy chickens on the golf course! The putting greens on their golf course were very interesting, including their Well one, their Ferris Wheel one, and even a Loop one!

I give ***** stars for kid friendly and ***** stars for food. I would love to go to this place again, and hopefully I will! Well, that's all. Bye!


Jim Mack's Ice Cream on Urbanspoon

7/11/2012

Family Meal

I went to a place called Family Meal because it had just opened and I wanted to try it out. Bryan Voltaggio from the TV show Top Chef owns it.

From the outside it was a black building that looked just like a car dealership. It took a while to get in because it was packed and we didn't have a reservation, but finally we got in. The inside looked very fancy, but there wasn't very many decorations. There was also a bar for adults and you could see inside the kitchen.


When I looked at the menu, there wasn't many items on the menu. My dad got the fried chicken and they did have a kids menu, which had only 5 items on it. Since my sister, Olivia, wasn't getting a kids meal, I could get something off it, so I got the Fish'n'Chips. My brother, Owen, got Spaghetti and Meatballs and the other items were a Cheeseburger, Steak Burger, and Grilled Cheese. 


My mom gave me and my brother and sister paper and pens while we were waiting for our food. I took notes while Owen and Olivia drew, since there wasn't any other entertainment. It took a really long time for our food to come. My Fish was O.K, but I thought it was bland, since my mom ordered it without tarter sauce. Then my mom offered some of her Chicken Pot Pie Nuggets, and they were fantastic! It felt like I was actually biting into a moist, juicy Chicken Pot Pie! That made up for the Fish. The fries were O.K. and would have been better if they were salty. 


I give **** stars for food and **** stars for kid friendly. I also have some advice for Family Meal. In order to get a great kid friendly rating, you need to have lots of entertainment. An easy way to start out is to have a coloring page with the kids menu on it, with your very own theme. Well, that's all. Bye!






Family Meal on Urbanspoon

6/26/2012

Silver Spring Mining Co.

I went to Silver Spring Mining Co. for Father's Day with my family. When I got there, I saw that their name fit them very well, because the restaurant looked like a saloon from wild west movies, only not dusty and dirty and more electronics. At our table, I saw that they had TVs everywhere, which meant great entertainment. I also saw they had a activity sheet on their kid's menu, and they had a lot of choices, like Henrietta's Hamburger, Chet's Chicken Breast, Nancy's Nachos, and Gabby's Grilled Cheese. On the adult menu they had items like their Crab Pretzel on the appetizer menu, their Crab Cake Sandwich, and sour beef and dumplings, which my dad got.

I got Slim's 6oz. Sirloin Steak, which I asked to be medium rare. Then I realized how expensive it was for an item on the kid's menu. The sirloin steak that I got cost 8.99! I also realized that on the activity sheet, if you drew a picture on it and you gave it to your waiter/waitress, you could get a coupon for $3.00 off any item on the Little Miner's Menu but that is for the next visit.

It took a long while, and I'm sad to say that it wasn't worth it. First of all, they got my side item wrong. I asked for White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, but instead they gave me french fries. They also brought out macaroni and cheese for my brother, but he ordered grilled cheese, so we had to wait for them to bring out the right thing. Second, my steak was overcooked. It was not very juicy and it was also very bland.

I give * star for food and ** stars for kid friendliness. I wouldn't want to go there again, unless I got the Crab Pretzel, since I've heard they're delicious. But, they do have 11 items on the kid's menu. Well, that's all. Bye!



Silver Spring Mining on Urbanspoon

6/15/2012

Chick-fil-A Dessert Tasting with Adventures in Baltimore Restaurants

My aunt Sarah took me to try some new desserts at Chick-fil-A. She was invited by Jessica Lemmo at Adventures in Baltimore Restaurants. Here is the review on the Adventures in Baltimore Restaurants blog including what I had to say about the desserts:

“I thought it was delicious! The chocolate chunk cookie was chocolaty, the brownie was fudgy and very rich, the mini sundae was creamy, and the cookie and brownie sundae were like a mixture of the things that I have described up top. I am happy they have more desserts because I used to only get the ice dream ice cream and now there is more to choose from. Well, that's all. Bye!”



6/11/2012

Joe's Crab Shack

We went to Joe's Crab Shack for Mother's Day dinner. When I got there, I realized two things: they had a boat playground outside and inside they had giant sharks hanging up. We had to wait for a table, so my mom took Owen and I to their playground, which was tons of fun! When we came inside, I noticed another thing: they had a gift shop. 


When we got seated, I saw they had utensils in a bucket on the table. When I looked at the menu, I saw lot's of things on it like The Get Stuffed Snapper, Crawfish Half & Half, and, of course, Buckets of Crab! They also had a kids menu, that consisted of things like fish sticks, grilled shrimp, and hotdog. Though what caught my eye was the New England Clam Chowder, so I ordered that. 


While we waited, we saw that every hour or so they have the people who work at the shack dance in front of the dinners, which was entertaining and really fun to watch, while I did the activities on the kid's menu. It took a really long time to get the food out, but it was worth the wait! The Clam Chowder was excellent! It was creamy, kind of chewy, and, with the oyster crackers, crunchy! I also had some of my dad's snow crab, which was fantastic! It was chewy, not to spicy, and had a good amount of seafood flavor.


I give ***** stars for food and ***** stars for kid friendly. I would love to go back there so I can get my own bucket of snow crabs. They were really good, and for the soup, too, since I thought it was delicious. Well, that's all. Bye!





Joe's Crab Shack on Urbanspoon

6/04/2012

Mission BBQ

I went to a place called Mission BBQ for dinner. When I first looked outside, I saw they had a Mission BBQ Military Vehicle in the parking lot, which was AWESOME! Though when I got inside, it was a total different theme. Inside, it looked like the inside of a wild west saloon, only with TVs and a soda fountain.

When I looked at the menu, I saw they had a Brisket Sandwich, Spare Ribs, and Baby-B-Back Ribs. They also had Chicken, Sausage, and Turkey. The kids menu had Jr Ribs, a Slider, and a Kid Mac & Cheese. Sides were Green Beans & Bacon (I should have gotten that since I love bacon), Creamed Corn (which my mom got), and Fresh Cut Fries. I got the Jr Ribs, since I love ribs, with fries.

When I got to our table (I ordered first because you order your meal before you go sit), I could see the TVs clearly, but I also saw something else. They had a lot of different BBQ sauces, but the one I was interested in was the Mission BBQ Sauce, which I tried after I got my ribs. Speaking of waiting, it took a very short time for our food to come. When I got my ribs and put the BBQ sauce on, it tasted delicious! The ribs were juicy, and with the BBQ sauce, it was zesty and spicy as well! But the BBQ sauce was too powerful, and eliminated most of the flavor from the ribs. I give **** stars for food and **** 1/2 stars for kid friendly. The reason I give 4 1/2 stars instead of 5 stars is because it is more of an adult type of theme restaurant. Well, that's all. Bye!


Mission BBQ on Urbanspoon

5/30/2012

Heinz's Bakery and Baugher's

I went to Westminster with my family to visit my mom at work at McDaniel College. My dad, my brother, my sister, and me walked around the town and stopped at a place called Heinz's Bakery for breakfast. They had lots of doughnuts, bread, and cake, all home made! I had a Chocolate Boston Creme Doughnut while my brother got a Chocolate Twist Doughnut. The creme was great, and the chocolate on top was outstanding! It was super chocolatey, and made the doughnut stand out!  I give ***** stars for food for Heinz's Bakery. The reason I didn't put kid friendly was because a bakery doesn't need to be kid friendly since they already sell doughnuts and cake, which kids love.

After that, we explored the town some more, saw a baseball game at McDaniel College and went to Baugher's. When we got there, I saw that they had a petting zoo, a orchard where you can pick fresh fruit, and a playground. When I got the menu, I saw that all the ingredients for their foods were fresh. They had a lot of choices, such as the Hot Turkey Sandwich w/ gravy and french fries and their snack attack (chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and corn fritters). They also had a kid's menu that you have to ask for separate. I got a roast beef sandwich w/gravy and corn fritters as a side. It was delicious! The corn fritters had real corn in them, was sweet, and the corn was fried inside dough. The roast beef was juicy, tender, and awesome! The gravy also helped bring a flavor that also made it juicy. For Baugher's, I give ***** stars for food and **** stars for kid friendly. Well, that's all. Bye!



Heinz Bakery on Urbanspoon Baugher's Country Restaurant on Urbanspoon

5/08/2012

R&R Taqueria

Hi! Sorry I haven't posted in awhile.

Anyways, I went to a place called R&R Taqueria in White Marsh Mall. I went there because Guy Fieri went to the other one at Washington Blvd., and I thought that this one would be the same. When I got there, it wasn't that crowded, so we took a seat in the food court and looked at the menu.

There were many items like the Alambres, which is green peppers, onions, bacon and ham with with cheese on top, their Huevos, which is basically fried eggs served upon fried corn tortillas tomato-chili sauce or Salsa Verde, and the Pollo A La Parilla, which is blackened chicken platter, grilled chicken, Mexican Rice, Re-fried beans, Tortillas, and Pico De Gallo.

But among all these wonderful foods, it didn't have a kid's menu. So, I got a Make-Your-Own Quesadilla with beef tongue and cheese. If your wondering what is beef tongue, it's exactly like what it says: the tongue of a cow. I know it may sound disgusting to you, but it's actually pretty good.

Even though I got what I wanted, my dad wasn't so lucky. He tried to get 2 things, that they were both out of, before settling on a taco. My mom had the Huaraches. She wasn't a fan.

My Quesadilla was delicious! The beef was moist and juicy, and the cheese was cheesy and gooey. I give *** stars for food and ** stars for kid friendly. I give 2 stars for kid friendly because adding to no kid's menu, the only place to sit was in the food court in the mall. Even though I didn't really like this place, my dad thinks we got a surge of bad luck, so we may go another time. Well, that's all. Bye!


R&R Taqueria (White Marsh Mall Food Court) on Urbanspoon

3/30/2012

Empty Bowls

I went to a fund-raiser called Empty Bowls last Saturday, where you got to try different soups from different kinds of restaurants, and the money that you paid goes to homeless kids in places called shelters and other programs for the poor. Some of the programs are Beans & Bread, Youth Place, and Foodshare.

When we got there, I found that it was very crowded with people. It took us a long time to find a empty table! While my brother, sister, and mom went to the kids activities, me and my dad checked out the soups. They had a lot of restaurants there, like Gertrude's with their Cuban-style Black Bean Soup, Dogwood Cafe with their Maryland  Crab, and Mr.Rain's Fun House with their Potato Leek. We went to 3 soup places, including Nacho Mama's, but they were all out. I was also pretty depressed when I found this out because I heard that Nacho Mama's Roasted Jalapeno & Corn Chowder was delicious, and I really wanted to try it. 


My first soup that I got was Donna's Cross Key tomato bisque. It was delicious! It had a really smokey flavor, and a crunchy flavor as well. Shortly after I got the soup, the rest of the family came back from the activities, and my mom wanted some soup. That's how I was introduced to my second soup, New Potato with Smoked Gouda. We were waiting in line for the tomato bisque, for I had persuaded my mom to try it that I saw that Crush had more of their soup out, and I went over to get some. It was fantastic! It was really creamy because of the Gouda cheese. 


They also had a table with food for kids though they were all out of their macaroni & cheese. So instead I got some chocolate pudding. There was also another stand giving out cookies and drinks. I got a chocolate cookie and some lemonade. My dad had gotten me some Irish Stew from Ale Mary's. It was pretty good, but I didn't eat much of it, though, for I was nearly full.


I then went to the children's activities so I could make a pretty neat spoon craft with chocolates and make spoon people. I gave both to the shelter people for kids who don't have toys. Before we left, though, we each got a bowl to take home. I got a display bowl with a hand crafted dragon on the side.

I give **** stars for food and **** stars for kid friendly. Even though it was crowded there and soup kept running out, they had lots of entertainment, like a magic show and children's activities. Well, that's all. Bye!





3/11/2012

Egyptian Pizza Cafe

I went to a place called Egyptian Pizza Cafe in Belvedere Square for dinner on Saturday night. When I got there, I saw that it was small and crowded, but the decoration was very unique! It made you feel like you were in a actual Egyptian temple! Though I wasn't going to stay because we had it ordered from home and went to pick it up.

When I had looked at the menu, they had soups like Seafood Chowder, salads like Cleopatra's Dream, and sandwiches like the B.B.Q. chicken. They also had a lot of pizza choices, like the Manhattan cheese pizza, the California vegetarian, and the Al Pacino seafood. They also had a kids menu, which consisted of items like a Small Cheese Pizza, Linguini, and Chicken Fingers.

I had a small 8th Wonder, a meat pizza, which consisted of mozzarella cheese, chicken breast, marinated potatoes, pesto sauce, goat cheese, and roasted red pepper and my mom and dad both shared a Indian Pizza with Pita Bread and Baba Ganush.

As I was in the restaurant, I saw that the waitress accidentally got a man's order wrong. When we got home with the food, it was cold from the long drive home. After my mom heated it up, I had my first bite. It was delicious! Some people would maybe think it would be horrible because of having potatoes on a pizza, but it was actually pretty good . The peppers gave off a sweet taste, the chicken was juicy, and the goat cheese was creamy. I also tried some Baba Ganush and Pita Bread, and it wasn't that bad.

I give **** stars for food and **** stars for kid-friendly because they had a kid's menu with a few choices. The small was big enough that I had leftover pizza for lunch. I would recommend coming here, but if you want it to be a very nice trip, I would come on a not so crowded day and make sure you say your order clearly so that they don't get it wrong. Well, that's all. Bye!  


Egyptian Pizza on Urbanspoon

3/03/2012

Freez King

I went to a place called Freez King in Fredrick, MD. When I got there, I realized it was a very small restaurant, with only benches on the outside. And when I went in, the room space was really small.

On the menu was a Build-A-Burger, other burgers, and some yummy hotdogs. Some of the toppings were dill pickle chips, which were free, thick cut bacon, which was 99 cents, and aged cheddar, which was $1.19. They also had salads and sides. They also had sweets, which is soft serve and premium hand dipped ice cream, like The Split, F-Bombs, and The Brown Cow( a root beer float).

I got a hotdog with bacon and cheese sauce, and for dessert, a Black Cow(my brother had the same thing). We also ordered a side of french fries. It took a long time for our food to come, and when it got there the appearance wasn't pretty. It was delicious, but messy. My hotdog was juicy and cheesy, and the bacon was crunchy. The french fries were also good. They were crunchy and very salty. And the Black Cow, which was root bear, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate syrup, was fantastic! It was chocolatey and refreshed me. I give ***** stars for food and ** stars for kid friendly. The reason why I did only 2 stars for kid friendly was because there was no kids menu, they were slow, and you had to eat outside. I would definitely go here again because the food was really good. Well, that's all. Bye!   



Freez-king on Urbanspoon

2/29/2012

Lenny's Deli

I went to Lenny's Deli at Owings Mills for dinner one night with my mom, Owen, and Olivia. When we got there, it was very near to another place I've reviewed, Sofi's Crepes. When I got there, it looked like it was very plain on decoration, but they did have a TV for entertainment.

When I sat at my seat, I looked up at the big menu board they have. It had things on it like the Egg Special for breakfast since they serve breakfast all day, the Turkey Breast Sandwich, and the Chicken BBQ. They also had a Kid's Menu, which consisted of items like the Grilled Cheese and Hot Dog. I was going to get the Pancake Special, but my mom insisted on me getting there Corned Beef Sandwich, since they're famous for their Corned Beef. I also had some American Cheese on it, too. My brother got the Hot Dog, my sister the Grilled Cheese, and my Mom the Potato Latkes.

It took a really long time for our food to come out, and I was starved when it got there. But, my Corned Beef was delicious! It tasted like what my dad makes, which is also delicious.(You can find out more about how my dad's cooking in my Chicken Corn Quesadilla With Cumin Cream post) After I ate, we looked at the pastries they had. If I would've gotten dessert there, I would ever have their cookies or the Frozen Yogurt. I give *** stars for kid friendly and **** stars for food. Well, that's all. Bye!


Lenny's Delicatessen on Urbanspoon

2/07/2012

Mamma Lucia's

I went to Mamma Lucia's, which is close to my house, on Friday night for dinner. When we got there, there were many people. It took a while to get a seat, and took even longer to order. Though I was entertained by the TV's they have. We had decided to get a Large Cheese Pizza, but we could've gotten other pizza's like the Meat Lovers Pizza, The White Pizza, or, even better, the Broccoli White Pizza. They also had a kid's menu, which had things like Macaroni & Cheese, Spaghetti & Meatballs, and a Slice Of Cheese Pizza. They also had other things like Baked Ziti, Shrimp Scampi, and Chicken Baltimore.

After my mom ordered, we got our drinks. Then I realized they didn't have kid's sized cups. Actually, they only had one size, which was medium. It took a long time for our food, but I feasted on Mozzarella Sticks, which you have to order. They were fantastic! They were cheesy, and the bread was baked perfectly. The only problem, though, was that there weren't that many and they were small.

When our food came, it looked delicious! Though, since it was steaming hot, we had to wait a few more minutes before we could take a bite out of it. Though when I did, I thought it was terrific! It was cheesy, though the cheese did fall off the pizza. I loved it! I give ***1/2 stars for kid friendly and ****1/2 stars for food. Well, that's all. Bye!




Mamma Lucia's Da Fausto on Urbanspoon

2/04/2012

Jason's Deli

Guess what? I went to Jason's Deli with Richard Gorelick, the food writer for The Baltimore Sun, in Timonium, Maryland! We went there since it was said to be a very kid friendly place by Parent's Magazine.

When I got there, and after I sat down, I immediately searched for a kids menu, which there was. There were a lot of things on the kids menu. Some of the choices were Cheese Pizza, a Turkey & Cheese sandwich, and a Kid's Baked Potato. 

Though instead of getting something off of the kids menu, I decided to get a meataballa sub as a half slim and a bowl of broccoli and cheese soup off the regular menu. Even though they had a lot of choices on the kids menu, none of them surprised me. Plus, even though they said that it is a deli, there weren't very many sandwiches on the kids menu.

Some of the choices on the regular menu were salads, sandwiches, subs, pasta, and paninis and wraps. They also had soups like Tomato Basil, Organic Vegetable, and a Soup Of The Day for every day of the week. My brother got buttered bow tie noodles, even though it wasn't technically on the kids menu and my sister got a PB&J from the kids menu. Richard got a Reuben THE Great, my mom got a chicken salad wrap sandwich, and my dad got a special sandwich.

After we ordered, we got our drinks and sat down. About five minutes later, our food came, which was really quick. My meataballa sub was okay, but wasn't the best sub I've ever had. There was a lot of bread and the meataballs were falling out of the meataballa sub. The broccoli and cheese soup was the best I ever had! It was really cheesey, and there was a lot of broccoli in there too, which can help keep a healthy diet.

After dinner we got dessert. There were desserts like cookies, dessert bars, brownies, and strawberry shortcake. But I decided to get the free ice cream bar, which is in Jason's Deli. On some desserts you can even get the ice cream on the dessert. The ice cream was really great, but the sad thing was that it had only three flavors, chocolate, vanilla, and swirl. You also had 2 choices, a cup or a cone. I got a swirl in a cone. It was delicious! It was really creamy and cold, plus it had the right amount of chocolate and vanilla.

Before I left, I saw that they had lollipops and mints in bowls on the way out, though I didn't take one. I give **** stars for food and **** stars for kid friendly. The reason why I think 4 stars for kid friendly is because even though they're fast, there's no entertainment around. As far as being the best restaurant in America, I think they could do better by putting more deli sandwiches on the kids menu.

And thanks Richard Gorelick for coming with me to Jason's Deli! Well, that's all. Bye!    

Jason's Deli on Urbanspoon

1/19/2012

S&J Crab Ranch In Towson

I went to a place called S&J Crab Ranch in Towson,MD. When I got there, a waitress immediately seated us and left so we could look at the menu. They had lots of items on it, such as the Crab Ranch Burger, Baby Back Ribs, and Free Range Chicken. They also had kids meal items such as Fried Shrimp, Grilled Cheese, and Mac n' Cheese.

Since they had ribs and this was such a grown up restaurant, I decided not to get a item on the kids menu. Instead, I got a half rack of Baby Back Ribs. My dad also chose my sides which was sweet potato fries and macaroni and cheese. They also had other sides like Salad, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Coleslaw. We also got an appetizer, which was Onion Rings. They were pretty good. They were crunchy, and were the best onion rings I've ever had. It was a very short while before our food came, and when I saw the ribs, I couldn't wait to try it. The ribs were awesome! They were messy, juicy, and had BBQ sauce on it(because I asked for it). They also fell off easily, though they didn't have much meat between the bones. The sweet potato fries were also very good. They were both salty and sweet. I didn't try the mac n' cheese because I gave it to my sister, Olivia.

I give **** stars for food and *** stars for kid friendly. The reason I give 3 stars for kid friendly is because they didn't have any coloring pages, just papers ripped from a coloring book, and we had to ask for crayons. Well, that's all. Bye!


S & J Crab Ranch on Urbanspoon

1/15/2012

New Sonic in Rosedale

I went to a new Sonic in Rosedale for dinner one night. When we got there, it wasn't that crowded with cars. Since this was a Sonic, we parked and waited to order.

Once my mom explained the items, I decided what I wanted.Some of the items on the kids meal are the hot dog, grilled cheese, and the Jr.burger. I wanted the kids chicken tenders with a side of tater tots and a lemon-berry real fruit slushie, which was the exact same thing my brother got. My sister got a corn dog with tater tots and a lemon-berry real fruit slushie, and my mom got a chicken sandwich with a diet cherry limeade.

It took a really long time for our food to come, and it wasn't really worth it. Though there was a guy with roller skates that served our food, which is both different and cool. The chicken tenders were chewy and crunchy, but weren't juicy, though the tater tots were delicious! Plus, the slush had real lemons in it(that probably explains why it's called a real fruit slushie), which makes it a little more healthier than most slushies.

I give **** stars for food and ***** stars for kid friendly. the reason I give 5 stars for kid friendliness because they had 5 things on the menu, which is more than I usually see on kids menu's. Also, the kids meals come with a toy, and you don't have to get the appetizers and drink that I got. You can also get apples and french fries as a appetizer and other slushies, coke, sprite, and Dr.Pepper. Well, that's all. Bye!


Sonic Drive-In on Urbanspoon