Bob Ganoosh's First Bad Review - Double T Diner

Friday night the Bob Ganoosh team decided to get out and enjoy the nice weather by hanging out at Shawn's parents' community beach in Severna Park, with some wine and stogies. Sometime between midnight and 1AM we decided we needed a late night snack, so off we went to Double T Diner in Pasadena. Now let's remember, almost everyone (all except the designated driver) had been drinking, so our standards were not very high. All we needed was some cheap food in the middle of the night. And that is pretty much Double T's purpose in life. That, and being a venue for Sheila Dixon's business meetings.** So we knew what to expect.

However, this visit to Double T, as usual, did not even meet our already-diminished standards for late-night dining. To start on a positive note, the service was fine - better than average for a diner, I would say. My glass never reached the bottom before being offered a refill. That is a power move by any server, in my opinion. However, as soon as food arrived at the table, it all went south!

A few of our entrees came with a cup of soup to start with. Shawn got the New England Clam Chowder (which was actually Manhattan Clam Chowder). The other 2 ordered Cream of something, but the restaurant was fresh out of that so they were given Chicken Noodle. The chicken noodle was basically chicken broth, a little bit of chicken, and tons of macaroni... but whatever, Chicken Noodle can only be so bad. The Clam Chowder, however, is a different story. I'm not sure what was in it or specifically how it tasted, but to quote Shawn: "this tastes like shit!" He specifically asked that I quote him on that.

The entrees were mediocre. I got some kind of breakfast platter which I found to be pretty good (can't really go wrong with eggs and pancakes), but I was not a fan of the hashbrowns. All of the sandwiches ordered were acceptable, but nothing particularly special, even for the price (which is not all that low for a diner).

So our verdict - if you're hungry in the middle of the night, go to Denny's! Last time I was there with my parents (a few months ago) we were surprisingly pleased with everything, and it was a lot cheaper! The service we received Friday night was better than one would ever received at a Denny's, but then again I think it was better than what is usually offered at Double T. All in all, the only reason to eat at Double T is for straight-up convenience.

There are several locations, but I will not waste my time looking up the addresses of somewhere I do NOT recommend.

** The Bob Ganoosh team has no opinion, and does not intend to imply any opinion, as to the innocence or guilt of any persons as it relates to any pending indictments. So Sheila, please don't sue us!

WTF??? This Food is Good!

NOTE: Please see the update to this article published 8/1/2011.

Today's post is long overdue, as it is of one of our favorite eateries and watering holes in Fell's Point - The Waterfront Hotel. Represented throughout the area by its ovular "WTF" stickers, the Waterfront is a restaurant/bar located in an historic rowhouse on Thames Street, right across from the old recreational pier. The building, built in the 1770's as a hotel for sailors and such (hence the restaurant's name), is one of the oldest buildings in Baltimore.

We originally started hanging out at their bar back in college (like 3 years ago or so). It was a little bit different back then - they have been making the place a little higher-scale over the past few years, although it was a pretty decent place to begin with. You may recognize the first-floor bar - it was where the bar scenes in Homicide: Life on the Streets were filmed. Their "pub grub" was always a little on the pricy side, since their menu is a little higher-scale, so we never really tried much of that. Although, the bucket of Old Bay Fries (if they still have it) is to die for.

For the dinner scene, the Waterfront has a quaint little 2nd-floor dining room, with windows that look out on the goings-on of Thames Street. The dining room is not large, and thus not promising for large party accomodations; however, usually when we go there (during the week) the dining room is mostly empty. The ambiance is calm and quiet, and a nice place to go for a relaxing meal.

All of the food we have had there is enjoyable. Admittedly though, the prices are toward the higher end of what we like to pay for a casual meal ($15-25). So, we would recommend going during the week, during most of which they offer dinner specials from 6-10PM. These include the "12 for 12" Tuesdays - 12 items (normal priced around $20) are discounted to $12; and the Wednesday Steak Night, where they offer a nice steak, dressed one of several different ways with mashed potatoes and veggies, for $15.

Last night, we took advantage of the "12 for 12" special. Shawn tried the Lobseter Ravioli and I had the Fettucine dinner. The Lobster Ravioli was served under some kind of red sauce, which had a little bit of a tangy kick to it (not too much though). I believe there were peppers in the sauce too. Shawn loved it. The Fettucine included breaded chicken, stuffed with prociutto ham, laid across a plate of fettucine tossed in a mustardy cream sauce. The mustard sauce was different - not what I had expected - but overall it was tasty and very unique (as well as filling).

Shawn and I each got a salad too, which we thought was included but apparently was not. But the salad was very nice, wish a wide assortment of crisp leaves and such. If you like lots of dressing though, you might want to ask for extra on the side.

In short, the Bob Ganoosh team would like to officially give its seal of approval to an establishment that we have been fans of throughout the last few years. We deem this to be a great place for a nice quiet dinner, as long as you're not looking for dirt cheap. And if you're trying to avoid crowds, don't go on a Friday or Saturday night, as the bar crowd tends to be heavy at those times (obviously).

WTF - our only major suggestion: BRING BACK THE BUFFALO CHICKEN WRAP!!! It was our favorite!

The Waterfront Hotel

1710 Thames Street

Baltimore, MD 21231

410-537-5055

http://www.waterfronthotel.us/

MORE REVIEWS COMING SOON

Loyal Bob Ganoosh Readers:

We apologize for the lack of postings lately - the Bob Ganoosh team has been involved with a lot of different stuff lately. In any case, we have some ideas for some new exciting posts, which you can expect to see in the next week or so. So, please stay tuned!