Located near the NYU campus, McSorley’s opened in 1854 as an all-male establishment.  It wasn’t until a few decades ago that they even began to allow women in.

Last spring break I when to New York with my friend and my father suggested that we check out this bar because it’s such a unique experience.

We walked into this packed bar, and yes, it’s packed every night of the week, and went to the bar to grab a beer.  They only have two types, light and dark, both brewed by them.  You get two smaller mugs for $5 and then it’s up to you to find a place to sit.

That night we ended up joining two Irish men who were in town for a philanthropic event.  We spent the evening singing Irish drinking songs, laughing, and sharing experiences.

Speaking of experiences, one of the people that you will definitely experience on your quest to McSorley’s is the barkeep that brings around the mugs of beer.  He seems perpetually sorrowful, and will never nicely put the mugs on your table, but rather will slam them down for pure effect.  He can carry six mugs in each hand, all of them full of beer.  Best of all is, he keeps track of tabs on this tiny memo pad that he keeps in his breast pocket and writes down little tick marks for each set of two beers you order.

While I was there that evening, my father told me that I had to get the cheese and cracker platter.  I order this inexpensive platter and I get a stack of saltine crackers, some Irish hard cheese, plain white sliced onions, and on each table is spicy mustard.  Sounds simple and bland enough, but the combination of these items with their ale is pure heaven.

To me, I cannot think of a better evening, McSorley’s Old Ale House, light beer, a cheese platter, and good friends.

My friend Chelsea with one of the dear old Irishmen we met.

Well, much to my chagrin, and though I had the knowledge, there isn’t any sesame chicken, no egg rolls, or fortune cookies. When we arrived our tour guide told us that she didn’t love typically Chinese food at restaurants because it was much too oily for her, and boy was she right.

There is something wrong when you order something as simple as sauted bok choy and you get leaves dripping with oil.  due to this, we ended up largely eating rice, noodles, and fresh fruits and veggies.

Dumplings in China, however, are different.  Deliciously made with a variety of fillings they are fresh and have that family love that can only come when a dish is one that is passed down from generation to generation.  Also, the variety of dipping sauces make the dumpling full of scallion and soy tastiness.

Some of the best meals that we had in China were at my cousin’s restaurants.  Not to bias, but I am a lover of Thai food and Tuk Tuk, one of my cousin’s wife’s establishments, was unbelievable.  I had simple Pad Thai and it was fresh,  delicately sauced, and the portion was generous.

When in China, do as the Chinese but expect that you may not love it.

Throughout my summer in Baltimore I have been on the quest for good and authentic Mexican food with no avail.  It may seem shocking, but the Midwest actually has excellent Mexican food, so I have high standards.

I was going to D.C. for the day with friends and was speaking to my boss on the phone, who used to live in D.C.  and she suggested that I hit up Lauriol Plaza in D.C. for good Mexican.

So after a day in the hot sun, my friends and I decided it would be a great and completely logical idea to walk two miles to get to this establishment.  Well, suffice it to say we were starving by time we got there and when we walked in the foyer was jammed packed with people.

When we got up to the hostess stand we found out that we had around a 20-30 minute wait but they told us to feel free to get something at the bar.  We obviously opted for margaritas and what’s great there is that they have multiple frozen flavors and swirl them for you so that you get delicious fruitiness.

We mixed strawberry and mango, and with a full pitcher (about 5-6) drinks it’s a pretty good deal.  While you’re also standing waiting for your table they give you homemade chips and salsa which are both outstanding.  I personally think that every Mexican restaurant should be required to give you homemade tortilla chips, just sayin’

They ended up seating us much faster than we had been told.  We get the vegetable quesadilla as an appetizer.  Which my friends didn’t love because of the different vegetables inside.  We had expected a quesadilla with maybe some black olives and onions but rather got zucchini and broccoli.  I personally thought it was delicious, but just know that when you order this dish, you may get a variety of veggies.

For my entree, naturally I ordered nachos.  There’s came with each mini tortilla round covered in toppings, rather than a pile of chips with the toppings in the middle.  I’m not sure that I would order these again, only because I like to distribute the toppings myself, which I did end up doing with some of the chips in the basket on the table.  Otherwise, they were delicious.  The food was very fresh and it was clear that nothing came out of a package.

Overall, I would suggest this restaurant to anyone.  The food was delicious, the service fast, and the drinks supremely refreshing.  It’s not very pricey and there food exceeds the price tags.

Let me give you a little history on chicken and waffles. At Wells Supper Club in Harlem, after-bar patrons came in wanting the filling breakfast food, but also loving that deep friend goodnes, so they put them together and made chicken and waffles.

Having lived in Harlem for a brief stint, I have come to love the dish. I mean, what could be bad? You get the deep fried. buttermilk chicken, with that crisp and salty outer skin. Then you pair it with sweet waffles that are doughy and rich.

When in NYC this weekend I told my friend that we needed to have chicken and waffles. I was not able to remember the place that I frequented while living in Harlem, so I hit the food blogs and looked for an alternative location.

We ended up going to Melba’s which I’ll tell you, the chicken and waffles may be a little alternative but it doesn’t matter.

Melba’s was on the Food Network for their chicken and waffles, and boy, does the Food Network have good taste.

Their chicken is light and moist, with a crisp outer skin that doesn’t overpower the chicken but is the perfect accompaniment. To go with this are eggnog waffles, which the idea of revolted me. I hate eggnog, so why would I like these waffles?! It turns out that what the eggnog does is add a custard consistency to the waffles, making them sweeter and almost creamy, so that they melt in your mouth.

This was paired with strawberry butter and the traditional maple syrup. All four of these items in your mouth allows for every taste bud to be hit. I hate to say this because it’s such a cliche, but it was a flavor explosion.

We also got a side of mac and cheese which was delicious and I would completely got back and order the chicken and waffles with a side of mac and cheese no questions asked.

The one thing I would not go back and order were the desserts. I shared a piece of red velvet cake, and while it was good, it just didn’t measure up to the main part of the meal, and I would rather leave with the flavors of chicken and waffles in my mouth than red velvet cake.

On Sundays, they have a $25 all-you-can-eat-and-drink buffet.  IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE!!  Here’s the caveat for all of you that are thinking in partaking in the awesomeness, the majority of the food is Indian, so if you don’t like Indian food, don’t do it.

There was a table that stretching the length of the indoor restaurant lined with platters and platters of food, including a little of American fare.  They also had another smaller buffet table with champagne, sangria, vodka, gin, and different blenders.  May I suggest taking the Indian favorite, Mango Lassi, and mixing it with a little champagne or white sangria.

If you go and it’s at all nice out, try and sit outside.  They have these stellar patio chairs that you just want to sit and take a nap in.  Also, their garden is gorgeous, so if you can get the view take it.

Now while $25 can be a little steep for brunch, I highly suggest it, it’s worth every penny.  Also, if you don’t take my word for it, my roommate is Indian and has told me that the Ambassador’s food is some of the best Indian in town, with only her mother’s being a fierce competitor.  I’ve had her mother’s and that’s pretty damn good too

This festival also included traditional Maryland fare.  From Smith Island cake (the Maryland state dessert) to a more recent addition, Nepalese food.

In general, festivals are a great way to taste local foods from great restaurants in the area for a low price tag.  Typically these food stands will be owned by a well-established restaurant in the city and at these festivals they will offer a more limited menu with slightly smaller portions for an inexpensive price.

I used our Folklife Festival not only as a opportunity to take some awesome pictures of delicious food, but I also used part of my day sampling the different fare from restaurants in Maryland.  Now while I didn’t get the chance, or have the stomach to eat all of the foods that I have pictured below, I did get to see what are some of the typical Maryland foods, like snowballs, and see what they taste light without paying a lot or going to a fancy sit-down place to do it.

The mac and cheese is a great example of this.  Made by The Canton Castle, a famous Baltimore jazz club, is known also for their delicious soul food.   I LOVE soul food and will have some whenever I can get my hands on it!  This was no exception.  Even though it was almost 100 degrees outside and the concept of eating hot mac and cheese wouldn’t appeal to most, I definitely took advantage.  For less than $5 (the actual amount was $2-3), I got almost a pint of delicious homemade mac and cheese.  My belly was quite happy.

Something I learned through this festival is that when moving to a new city, take advantage of free festivals like this so that you can get a REAL feel for what the city and even state is like.  I was able to learn about Baltimore and Maryland both through their cultural arts and through the food, and boy, was it a delicious experience.

Looking for somewhere with good food and even better drink specials, we contacted another friend of ours who is almost as big of a foodie as me  He suggested Little Havana in the Federal Hill district of Baltimore City.  With $10 margarita pitchers we figured, what could be bad?

Boy, even if the margs were pricey, it would have been worth it to go just for the food.  I ordered blackened mahi mahi sliders (on the menu they’re called “reefers”) and they came with a side of sweet potato fries.

The fish was fresh and excellently seasoned.  It was not too well, but rather perfectly flaky.  On the sandwich came: fat-free sundried tomato mayo, which I don’t think there was enough of because I could barely taste it, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a slice of melted cheddar cheese.  I enjoyed the blend of the crunch of the lettuce with the juice in the fish and the tomato and pickles.  My major complaint about the sandwich other than the mayo was the bread.  It was on ciabatta rolls, which were very think and almost overpowered the sandwich.

When I ate my second slider for lunch the next day I took off some of the bread giving my palette the chance to immerse myself in all of the flavors.

For $10, plus the price of margaritas, is really a good deal for dinner so I definitely suggest that you make your way down to Little Havana and get some Cuban fare!

Their pizza is great!  I actually ended up going there later that weekend and order the flag pizza, a pizza that’s a third traditional cheese, a third white pizza, and a third pesto pizza (the Italian flag, duh).  The crust was thin and crispy, but not too well done.  Also, it wasn’t round but rather in squares, the Midwest way to eat pizza and my personal favorite pizza shape.

Not only is the food delicious, but they are also huge supporters of the arts, making going to their establishment even more worthwhile.  They often have musical groups performing in restaurant, they have a stage area specifically for those occasions.  They also support the arts organizations in the area by subsidizing food for them, including opening night receptions like the one I went to at Single Carrot theatre.

It’s nice to know that in these Arts and Entertainment districts that can be found throughout Maryland businesses that work for profit, like Joe Squared, support those who are not-for-profit, like Single Carrot.  It gives me a little more hope for the arts, and for delicious food!

Last week my roommate casually mentioned the delicious breakfast food (we share a love of all things breakfast-y) at PaperMoon Diner.  Upon stating it location and how it’s known for its strange decor I made the connection that this was the establishment that I had been passing everyday.

We decided to eat breakfast there this past weekend and boy was I thrilled with the food!!  The prices aren’t bad–about $10 per entree.  What really makes this place though is the decor.

You may end up finding a wagon tacked up upside down on the ceiling over your head.  You may particularly like your greeting from the sliced mannequin with tiny G. I. Joes as a headdress (you need to see it to believe it!)

I ordered the breakfast quesadilla.  Eggs, veggies, cheese, and bacon (different types for your choosing), in a flour tortilla, served with guacamole and salsa.  For $9 I was over-stuffed after eating 1/2!  This was delicious and worth every penny!  I completely understand now why it had been featured on Food Network a few years back!!!

Being a lover of Thai food, but not really of the unoriginality of this title, I decided to go to this restaurant, and boy, am I glad I did!  The curry was UNBELIEVABLE!!!

If you’re not a curry fan, I can probably say that you won’t like Thai food.  If you like those sorts of spices though and happen to be passing through Baltimore, I would definitely suggest making your way over to this restaurant.

In the Greenmount/Charles Village area of Baltimore, their prices are decent (about $12 an entree).  My food easily lasted me more than more meal, I just made some more rice at home and I then I definitely felt like I got my money’s worth.

What my friends and I did I would suggest to anyone that goes there in a group.  We each ordered a different entree (2 curries and 1 stir fry) and we each got to have some of each one.  Then whichever one we ordered we got to take home at the end of the night.

Overall, the service was good, the prices were average, and the food was AMAZING!!!  I would definitely suggest to anyone and everyone coming through Baltimore.