Jimmy's Famous Seafood

It had been years and years since we had gone to Jimmy's Famous Seafood, so when my brother's company had their holiday party there, I was happy to attend.

Jimmy's menu is expansive, including all manner of starters including flatbreads, classics like crab dip and oysters Rockefeller, and even sushi. There are loads of seafood entrees, plus steaks, and good number of pasta dishes, too. What to order, what to order?

The four of us tried coconut shrimp, the fried crabby mac, fried calamari, and the baked crab imperial sushi roll.

Dad didn't share his coconut shrimp, so I'm going to assume they were good. The fried crabby mac came in ball form - four enormous ones on a puddle of "ecstasy" sauce. The mac was creamy and had a decent amount of crab, and the outsides were crisp enough to contain the molten goodness. It was definitely an app to share.

I was less-impressed with the crab imperial roll. Chunks of salmon were hidden within the rice and nori wrapper, and they seemed a bit overcooked.

The calamari, however, was pretty good, with a generous amount of tentacles. It's getting so it's hard to find *bad* calamari in this town anymore, which of course is a very good thing.

Three of us ended up with crab cakes. I ordered the duo of what the menu describes as "Baltimore's Best Crab Cakes" and "twin 8oz multiple award winning masterpieces." Every person in the area has a different idea of what constitutes "Baltimore's Best" crab cake, and I'm sure some think Jimmy's should get that title. I'm not one of them, but I'll admit that Jimmy's are tasty. Bonus points for offering them fried as well as broiled. I couldn't even finish one of them and happily took the remainder of my plate home in a doggy bag.

Points also for actually broiling their non-fried crab cakes until they have some color. I've had broiled crab cakes that didn't even appear cooked. It doesn't look at all appealing, and I don't understand why any place would do that.

The broiled cakes (in a 5 oz portion) came with Mr Minx's (and Minx Bro's) steak and cake dinner, alongside a 12 oz NY strip. The meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked to medium; leftovers were great on top of a salad the next day.

Dad had the bbq ribs, which came plated in a mound of individual, glossy, sticky, riblets. Despite saying he wasn't particularly hungry after the appetizer round, he couldn't stop eating them. "I'll just have one more," he said at least twice before giving up and taking the rest to go.

We can't pass up brussels sprouts, especially when they're served with bacon. Jimmy's had good flavor, but the texture was odd. They seemed to have been boiled at some point, rendering them a bit mushy in the middles. Cutting them in half and simply frying them would have been the way to go - would rather have a crunchy half-raw sprout than an overcooked one any day.

I also tried a steamed crab that one of the other party-goers had ordered. The seasoning mix was spot-on for my tastebuds: not too salty, not too hot, yet noticeable. Definitely have to keep Jimmy's in mind for future crab feasts.

We were very full after consuming so much food and passed on dessert. Jimmy's offers the usual over-rich suspects like cheesecake and creme brulee, but I would have liked to try the Smith Island cake if I had some room.

Jimmy's was definitely not perfect, but one can see why they've been around for so many years now. There's something to please pretty much everyone (except, perhaps, vegetarians).

Jimmy's Famous Seafood
6526 Holabird Ave
Baltimore, MD 21224
(410) 633-4040
jimmysfamousseafood.com



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Broadway Diner Revisited

When the Broadway Diner opened in the early 2000s, I was cautiously optimistic. There was a dearth of good restaurants in the Dundalk area, limiting our dining options whenever Minx and I would visit my mother and brother. A diner would provide a place where everyone could get something regardless of what they had an appetite for, the portions would be big, and the prices reasonable. The only question was, would the food taste good? Well, we were happy to find that the food exceeded our expectations and, over the years, we have enjoyed many a meal there.

I have fond memories of eating at the Broadway Diner, most of them football related. I recall watching Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers win a divisional playoff game against the Seahawks in a raging snowstorm while eating prime rib, for example. And for some reason, we were always at the diner when the first round of the NFL draft was going on. I watched the Baltimore Ravens draft the likes of Haloti Ngata, Ben Grubbs, Joe Flacco, and Michael Oher while enjoying meat loaf, cheeseburgers, and roast chicken. The Minx even reviewed the diner way back in 2008.

Sadly, since my mother can not get around easily anymore, we haven't been to the diner in a few years. Then the other day, we were heading to Essex and decided to stop hop off I-95 at the Eastern Avenue exit to grab some dinner. At first. we were assaulted with the plethora of Guy Fieri pictures on the wall (he filmed a segment of Diners, Dipshits, and Douchebags there a few years ago), so we averted our eyes and followed the host to our table. Broadway has all the familiar chrome and glass decor one associates with a modern diner trying to make you feel like you are in the past. Despite the artifice, the place has always had an air of genuine warmth. The wait staff is friendly and there are always regulars chatting at the counter. It just feels comfortable there.

After being away for some time, we felt some trepidation that the food may not be what it was. The Minx was not all that hungry, but chose to splurge on the broiled crab cake platter. Just as I have a fixation with meat loaf, Minx has to try every crab cake in town. Broadway's crab cakes were pretty top notch. The large and meaty cakes, which looked to have been formed with an ice cream scoop, were nicely broiled to an actual brown (unlike the albino broiled cakes served in many other restaurants). There was both minimal breading and binder holding together the moderately-sized lumps of crab, making for a somewhat firm cake. The flavor was herbacious in bites, and crab-spiced in others, which was a bit unusual, but the flavor of the seafood manged to shine through. The picky Minx felt these were top-notch cakes. Offering both tartar sauce and cocktail sauce was a nice touch.

Broiled Crab Cakes

Since I was going to be speaking with people later that evening, I searched the menu for something that would not generate bad breath. The Chicken Diana looked to fit the bill with chunks of tender chicken breast, asparagus, broccoli, and a blanket of melted Swiss cheese over angel hair pasta. Mild and creamy with a healthy portion of pasta, it was rich and comforting while offering enough green vegetables (a shame the asparagus was a bit bland and overcooked) to make me feel like I was eating healthily. The huge portion almost required a doggy bag, but I polished off the plate.

Chicken Diana - Chicken breast, asparagus, broccoli,
and swiss cheese sauce over angel hair pasta

We didn't have time for dessert, but we knew from past experience that they were also quite good. It was reassuring to find that one of our favorite diners had not lost any of its appeal after all these years. We hope to make some more memories soon.

Broadway Diner
6501 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21224
410-631-5666

Posted on Minxeats.com.