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Orchard Market & Cafe
The Orchard Market & Café features Persian cuisine and occupies a store front in a small commercial area hidden far back off of Joppa Rd in Towson (and is confusingly close to the defunct Hersh’s Orchard Inn).  There’s a small foyer across the front while inside there’s a very pleasant dining room with 18 tables (mostly for two) with glass tops covering colorful striped table cloths. The moss green painted walls are bedecked with Persian carpets, reproductions of Persian sculpture, photos of modern Iran and original art. The small dining room has a diverse crowd ranging in age from mid-20’s to mid-70’s. ...Continue

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Portalli’s (Visited April 24th, 2010)
Portalli’s opened in December, 2009 in the heart of historic Ellicott City taking over the space where Jordan’s had closed 6 months prior in financial disarray.   The structure and color scheme of the prior restaurant has been retained while the Jordan’s Victorian furniture, decorations and vinyl table cloths have been replaced by contemporary black leather chairs, white linens and paintings of Tuscany. ...Continue

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Unashamedly Proud
A few weeks ago, I had dinner with three friends in a small, basically straight restaurant just outside of Towson (but then, with exception of a very few ones downtown, what restaurants in greater Baltimore aren’t basically straight?). ...Continue

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Eichenkranz
Eichenkranz (German for “Oak Wreath”) was the name of a German immigrant social club and singing society founded back in 1894 that disappeared 50+ years ago. The restaurant bearing its name occupies the club house that the club built in 1939 and you’ll find its signature oak wreaths on the doors to the dining room as well as on the menu which commemorates the club. ...Continue

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Grace Garden (Visited March 27th, 2010)
Glowing reviews in the Sun (a top “10”), CityPaper (a “Best of 2009”) and Washington Post praising the food at Grace Garden in Odenton motivated a bunch of friends to give it a try. Just outside the gates of Fort Meade, we found a non-descript Chinese restaurant in a 40+ year old small strip of stores. ...Continue