New Book, Old Places and Friends (old and new)!

A few weeks ago in early May 2013, the third DDD book was published, entitled "Diners, Drive-ins ,and Dives; The Funky Finds in Flavortown".  I took it on my trip to Texas and got the first signatures during that trip.  As I looked through the book, there are many places featured that I have been to and have the signatures for those places, but I would love to get signatures in the new book as well.  I know that I won't be able to do that for most of them but there are two places featured in Baltimore so I decided to make the short trip to get the book signed at hose locations.

I had some plans for the weekend in the area so I made a few day trip of it and called a friend to see if she wanted to meet and go to one of the local Baltimore DDD locales.  Tammy is a high school friend of mine and she and her mother and daughter met me at one of my favorite DDD places in the Baltimore area, place known for it's Crab dishes, especially their Crab Cakes.  We met for lunch on a hot May afternoon at the "Stoney Creek Inn".

I have written several times in this blog about Stoney Creek Inn.  They serve, in my opinion, the best Crab meat meals!  Crab is my favorite seafood meal, I prefer it over Lobster and when it is done right it is awesome.  They have a saying at Stoney Creek, "It's a Crab Cake not a Bread Cake!".  All four of us chose the Crab Cake Sandwich as our main meal.  Tammy's mom chose the Crab Soup, this cream based soup was very, very thick and had crab meat in every spoonful.  I tried it and it was awesome, I used a fork to try it, that's how thick it was.  All four of us shared a Crab Toast, a sub roll opened up and topped with crab meat, cheese and Old Bay seasoning, then toasted.  Very tasty!  The Crab Cake Sandwich is something that I eat plain and usually eat the roll separately, I don't want anything to take away from the crab. 

My Crab Cake Sandwich lunch

The sandwich came with Stoney Creeks, homemade Old Bay Potato Chips.  They should really just call it a Crab Sandwich, because there is little to no cake in it, and it is so delicious!  On their episode when Guy tasted the Cake, he said to  Bill, the Stoney Creek owner and chef, "Hold Me!".  I highly recommend this place, it is just off the Baltimore Beltway at the last exit before the toll to the Francis Scott Key Bridge and near the Under Armour Factory Store.  I had a great meal with a good friend, I said goodbye to  Tammy and she headed back home.

The next place I wanted to get to was a place that I had been to several years ago and to be hones really didn't think too much of it, but since it was in the book I wanted to give it another chance.  The "Broadway Diner" is in northern Baltimore and is a classic Jersey-style diner, lots of silver stainless steel, a huge menu, and run by a very Greek family! 

The Broadway Diner in Baltimore

This visit was going to be so much better than my first visit.  they staff was friendly right as I entered the place.  I was seated at a small booth near the kitchen entrance.  As is usual at a diner, the menu is huge, probably 8 pages filled with items and breakfast, lunch and dinners are always available at the Open 24 Hours, Broadway Diner.  I spent about 5 minutes perusing the menu and decided to they the Shrimp and Rice Creole dinner special that came with soup or salad and I chose the Crab Soup, which was a tomato based broth , loaded with crab and vegetables.

Cup of Maryland Crab Soup

As I waited for  y meal, I saw a gentleman come out of the kitchen and sit at a booth just a few ahead of me and I recognized him as the owner and chef of the Broadway Diner, George Kavourakis, affectionately nick named by Guy as "Uncle George".  On the episode he and Guy had a great time together and I think it was probably the first and maybe only time during the show that Guy asked for the crew to reshow a cooking procedure in slo-motion.  I knew that I had to get him to sign my book!  I got my meal and it was a huge portion!  The plate didn't look large but it was large and plentiful. 

My Shrimp Creole Dinner

Many places that have this have mostly rice and vegetables  and few shrimp, not in this case.  The shrimp were big and plentiful!  It was delicious and had a small creole spice bite.  While I was enjoying the meal, Uncle George came over and signed my book.  We talked all about the filming and his time with Guy, he had nothing but great tings to say about it.  I told him that I had been there a few years back and that my meal had been "Gouliscious" and that made him laugh.  On the episode George made Hungarian Goulash for Guy and after tasting it, Guy told him it was "Gouliscious"!.  Uncle George laughed and said he liked that, so I figured I had to work it in to the conversation!  It was a great meal and I was very full and satisfied.  As I was leaving I was able to get a photo with Uncle George and as Guy said watch out because Uncle George "would be driving the bus to the Flavortown!"

Uncle George and I with the DDD book

My last stop on the "signature tour" would be morning stop at a small diner in the city of Baltimore on Boston Street near the 'Little Italy" section of the city.  On the DDD episode Guy had a great time with the husband and wife owners of "Sip and Bite" diner.  The diner is owned by Tony and Sophia Vasiliades.  During the episode Guy dubbed them the "Greek Lucy and Ricky" of the diner industry.  I got to meet with Sophia in January when I made my first visit there and was hoping to gt her to sign the book, I didn't really get the chance to meet Tony as it was a very busy morning rush on that visit.  I got there on this visit about 830a on a Saturday morning and it was busy but not packed as it was on my first visit.  I got a small booth and since the Sip and Bite is a 24 hour operation their entire menu is always available and as I am not a big breakfast fan I decided to try to Gyro platter.  The service there is very friendly and as I waited I noticed that alot of the patrons knew all of the staff, I may have been the only one there they didn't know, but it in now way affected the service or friendliness that I got!  I was looking around as I waited to see if either Tony or Sophia was there.

Sip and Bite on Boston Street in Baltimore

My Gyro Platter called "The Zeus"

I received my meal which was called the Zeus Platter and it was a big Lamb Gyro platter.  It was great!  While I was eating Tony arrived and greeted many of the regulars and it made me think that I was in the Baltimore version of "Cheers".  As I went up to pay, Tony noticed my book and and I told him about what I do and he seemed very moved that I took the time to come and he gladly signed my book and took a photo with me.  He told me that Sophia was at home as she had recently given birth t their daughter.  I hope only the best for Tony and Sophia.

Tony and I at Sip and Bite

I left feeling full and happy that there are such great folks out there making their customers feel so welcome.  In the photo I took with Tony I am wearing a shirt I got on my visit to the Rainbow Drive-In in Honolulu.  I enjoyed my visit with Jim at the Rainbow and I think that they are almost like sister places.  I decided to send the photo to the Rainbow and put it on their Facebook site with the caption, "Aloha from Baltimore"!

It was a great short visit and I can tell you that these three places are places I will visit again.