Flashback Friday - Ray Lewis' Full Moon Bar-B-Que

This restaurant is closed, thankfully. Not sure how it stayed open as long as it did.

--Kathy

This post was originally published on December 3, 2008.
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Ray Lewis' Full Moon Bar-B-Que

Every year, my closest buddies and I like to celebrate our near-holidays birthdays together. This year we chose to do so on November 30th. That was a Sunday, and no Sunday is complete without a Ravens game, so we headed to Ray Lewis' tax shelter restaurant in Canton for some ribs and Joe Flacco on the tube. Let me just say that Ray's isn't a place to go to for food.

We knew we were going to be there most of the afternoon, so we paced ourselves. Our waitress was fine with that because 1) we were pretty much the only customers for a while; 2) we promised her a big tip. First we started off with the BBQ nachos, a messy pile of commercial chips oozing that nasty day-glo orange plastic stuff that passes for nacho "cheese" at ballparks but shouldn't be allowed in an actual restaurant, plus chunks of chicken, not-so-finely-shredded lettuce, bbq sauce, plus a tiny bit of salsa and sour cream on top. The chicken was nicely tender, but the rest of the mess was disappointing, and the chips got soggy in seconds. Next we tried the riblets, which were tender, but they had that "cooked three days ago and reheated" flavor, and the sauce lacked character other than sweetness. Finally, one friend and I shared a burger, which was passable but greasy, and I'm not sure it was formed in-house. The other two ladies in our group had salads and seemed to enjoy them.

By halftime, groups of well-dressed people showed up to have their post-church Sunday dinner. A couple platters of fried catfish with sides of mac and cheese and greens went by, looking almost tasty. And one certainly could not fault the generosity of the portions. But alas, we went for more snacky-type foods and perhaps that was our downfall. Maybe next time. Not that there will be a next time. :)

The best thing about the place is that every booth not near the bar has its own small flat-screen tv, which allows for plenty of close-up gawking at handsome football players. Those near the bar had to watch the game on giant screens that had a terrible yellow tint, making them seem perhaps a little too close to the bathrooms....

Our waitress ended her shift in the game's final moments, so we made sure to take care of our tab with her. She informed the person that was taking over her section we would be staying a while and perhaps ordering more drinks or dessert. Alas, we were left for dead. Even after collaring the replacement server and telling her we did expect service, she waited at least 15 minutes before coming to us, at which point we were in our coats and at the door.

Yeah, probably won't be a "next time."

Go Ravens!

Ray Lewis' Full Moon Bar-B-Que on Urbanspoon



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Upcoming Events at Liv2Eat

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Fall Menu at J. Paul's

I love when restaurants change their menus seasonally, not only to reflect available produce, but also to include heartier dishes when the weather turns cold. At J. Paul's, Chef Jason Dyke does just that. The new fall menu for 2013 includes a rib-sticking Virginia beef chili that combines ground beef with smoked short ribs topped with cheese and sour cream. There are also baked oysters topped with bacon, smoked gouda, scallions, and garlic butter...

...and chicken Marsala, with fettuccini, goat cheese, mushrooms, and asparagus.

There are also two salmon dishes on the fall menu; one is a salad with dried fruits and hazelnuts, and the other is grilled with a honey bbq glaze.

J. Paul's also has a new Ravens-inspired cocktail on the menu, the Ravens Nation, comprising Bacardi Razz rum, black raspberry liqueur, cranberry juice, lime, a splash of soda, and served with a sugar rim.

J. Paul's will also be part of Downtown Partnership's Maryland Crab and Oyster Celebration. From October 25th-November 3rd, J, Paul’s will be offering a special menu that highlights crab and oysters from Maryland including the yummy crab cake appetizer: a Maryland jumbo lump crab cake over a boursin-stuffed fried local tomato with corn relish and cherry pepper remoulade. There will also be a fried oyster po' boy, local fried oysters in an amoroso roll with lettuce, tomato, red onion and tarragon mayonnaise; and a crab cake salad with mixed field greens, tomato, onion, corn, red and green bell peppers and cucumber tossed in peppercorn ranch topped with a Maryland jumbo lump crab cake. For more information on the event: http://dinedowntownbaltimore.com/.



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Paint the Kitchen Purple and Black

The Super Bowl is just around the corner and happy Baltimoreans who are watching the big game at home will no doubt be looking for ways to create purple and black food for the occasion. Well, maybe not so much black food...but definitely purple! There aren't all that many naturally purple foods - potatoes, cooked blueberries, some varieties of carrot and asparagus come to mind. Not exactly easy produce to find in late January/early February.

Mr Minx requested that we have slider-sized cheeseburgers to eat during the game. I figured I'd make some red onion relish and pretend it was purple, but then I realized I could dye the onions with food coloring. I could probably also make purple ketchup and mayo that way, too. Maybe black ketchup? Maybe not.

McCormick makes neon colored food dyes in both blue and purple, which can be mixed together to achieve that perfect Ravens purple. (The color is actually violet; purple has more red in it.) And they're excited about the Super Bowl, too, as they've put up recipes for purple and black treats on their Web site. I think the purple cupcakes with purple and black swirled frosting are perfect (I wish we were entertaining for the occasion!) And definitely purple beer. As much as I like beer already, I think that purple beer looks more flavorful somehow.

What are your plans for Super Bowl snacks? Will you attempt to make purple and/or black food? I'll post my concoctions after the game.

GO RAVENS!

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Special Super Bowl Dinner at B&O Brasserie

B&O Brasserie's chef Thomas Dunklin hails from New Orleans, site of the upcoming Ravens/49ers Harbowl, so he's put together a menu of New Orleans meets Baltimore yummies to celebrate.

From Friday, Feb 1 through Sunday, Feb 3, diners can choose from a five-course Super Bowl special menu, as well as the usual a la carte selections AND Restaurant Week.

For a ridiculously reasonable $50 per person, diners get the following five courses plus a local beer.

Warshore Oyster Roast

With garlic, paprika, butter

Crawfish "Boil"

Coddies, creole mustard, green tomato jam

Boudin Stuffed Flounder

Served with baked baby artichokes, meyer lemon butter

Ribeye Deckel Cut

With a "tiger sauce" crab crust and served with potato purée, house made Worcestershire

Fig and Goat Cheese King Cake

Sounds good, no?

Go Ravens!

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Bill Bateman's Bistro

Before I talk about the restaurant itself, I have a funny story to tell you. Ok, maybe it's not so funny, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

Back in the late 90s, a friend was visiting from Texas. We ended up at the Reisterstown branch of Bill Bateman's Bistro, which happened to be a hang-out for Baltimore Ravens players. As we sat and chatted at the bar, we noticed a rather attractive guy sitting on the opposite side from us. We were both affianced, but thought there would be no harm in buying him a drink, so we called over the bartender and told him to pour Mr Cute whatever he wanted. A few moments later, the bartender returned with the message that Mr Cute had refused our drink. Looking back across the bar, we noticed that he was trying hard not to make eye contact with us, and eventually he got up and left. We felt slighted. It's not like we were ugly or unappealing or anything. Sheesh.

A woman standing near the bar addressed us: "Don't feel bad, girls. That was Ravens quarterback Jim Harbaugh, a good friend of mine. He's a very strict Christian and married, so he didn't feel right accepting a drink from strange women." And she went on some more about how good and Christian and righteous he was. That's just swell, but even as a novice football fan, I was pretty sure that Mr Cute was not Jim Harbaugh. Definitely younger, definitely better-looking.

Quite the resemblance. They both appear
to be human males.
Harbaugh looks like a Republican.

Eventually, my friend and I tired of the bar. On the way out, a mountain of a man--obviously a Raven--looked at us sympathetically and said, "Kyle can be a real jerk sometimes." Kyle? Kyle who? At home, a quick consultation of teh Innernets revealed that the only Raven of that name was punter Kyle Richardson. Who apparently was a jerk.

I still can't help but sneer every week when we watch him on Purple Passion, with his co-host, Keef Mills (aka Hatchethead).

Anyhoo...on to the food.

The Bateman's on York Road is usually packed with college students during the school year, but it was pretty quiet early on a Tuesday evening in January. We started off with a small 5-piece order of Bateman's original wings and were happy to find them as good as ever. The wings are well-cooked and still somewhat crispy even with a light coating of vinegary (but not hot) hot sauce.

After a ridiculously long wait - about 25 minutes - in a near-empty restaurant (our waitress must have been having a quickie in the walk-in) our entrées arrived.

Mr Minx wisely chose one of Bateman's several burger options: the Ultimate, with hickory chipotle BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, mushrooms, jack cheese, lettuce and tomato. The Angus beef patty was cooked a bit more than the requested medium, but it was still nice and juicy, with a pleasant grilled flavor. The accompanying fries were standard food-service shoestrings, neither here nor there.

I branched out and decided to try the crabcake. It's Maryland, and Bill Bateman is a local, so I figured it couldn't be bad. Well, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, either. There was a lot of (not Maryland, not blue) crab, but there was also a goodly amount of breading, which tasted a bit stale. I also thought there was a bit too much seasoning, and overall the cake could have spent more time under the broiler. I don't understand why restaurants think light brown crabcakes look appealing, because they don't. My chosen sides - the boring fries and some slightly funky cole slaw - didn't lend any more excitement to my plate.

When dining at Bill Bateman's, stick to the wings.

Bill Bateman's Bistro
7800 York Rd
Baltimore, MD 21204
(410) 296-2737


Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.

Ray at Chazz

Body by Chazz.

So apparently Ray Lewis, Jarret Johnson, and Haloti Ngata were at Chazz: A Bronx Original last night. For the stalkers among you, it was reported that Ray-Ray ordered the calamari fritti, the tricolore salad, and pan-seared salmon. Jarret had the chicken parm, and Haloti the fusilloni Caprese.

Chazz Palminteri was notified immediately and he told the restaurant manager to personally thank Ray and Company for their patronage and tell him he is the "greatest middle linebacker from sideline to sideline that ever lived."

Nice for a Giants' fan to acknowledge the truth that way.

Pic credit: Men's Fitness

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.

Ravens Virtual Food Drive

As the Ravens and their fans celebrate an exciting season, the Maryland Food Bank is offering yet another reason to join the winning team.

“The Baltimore Ravens are once again helping to end hunger in Maryland,” said Deborah Flateman, CEO of the Maryland Food Bank. “Not only are they hosting a food drive at their Nov. 20 game, they’re also sponsoring an online (or virtual) food drive that offers healthy food choices at great prices. Additionally, each Ravens food drive donor who donates $10 worth of food or more will be entered into a raffle with the chance to win two tickets to see the Ravens play the Colts in December. We can’t think of a better win for purple fans who are also champions for the hungry.”

A partial list at some of the food items donors can provide include

• Twenty-four, 15 oz. cans of green beans for $11.16
• Twenty-four, five oz. cans of tuna packed in water for $29.65
• Twenty-four, 15 oz. cans of carrots for $8.75
• Twenty-four, four oz. cans of peaches for $8.00
• Twenty-four, 15 oz. cans of whole white potatoes for $10.95

A recent study found that more than 460,000 Marylanders are food-insecure or hungry. Forty-five percent of them do not qualify for any type of federal food assistance programs because their incomes are deemed “too high.”

“The Maryland Food Bank recognizes that even though Maryland is wealthy compared to other states, the cost of living is high and, more people are hungry than ever before. Even though we provided more than 18 million meals last year— the hunger gap continues to widen. We have more work to do and we need your help,” said Flateman.

The Ravens Virtual Food Drive may be found at www.mdfoodbank.org/ravens. The drive ends Monday, Nov. 21 at which time a winner of the raffle will be chosen.

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.

Jonathan Ogden Cabernet Sauvignon

At first I thought Ogden had left the Ravens to become a producer of fine wines, then I realized the only thing he has to do with the product is his name and image on the label.

Support the Jonathan Ogden Foundation for student athletes by buying his wine here. Except, of course, if you're in Maryland, cuz the direct shipment of alcoholic beverages from outside the state to consumers in Maryland is a felony.