Eat Special Issue
Belvedere Square
Tim Hill
Café Zen
A GUIDE TO THE ICONS
$ = Inexpensive; “entrees” barely crack $10.
$$ = Entrees in the $10-$20 range, other than a few specials or the crab cakes.
$$$ Entrees $20 and up.
BYOB = The restaurant has no liquor license but allows you to bring your own booze. You may have heard of this.
P = On-site parking, i.e. a dedicated lot or garage.
T = Valet parking (for most places, this is weekends-only).
Out = Outdoor dining in season. Note: It could be a lovely deck, but it may be just a couple of tables on the sidewalk.
10pm = Serves food after 10 p.m. Many local restaurants will serve until 11 p.m. on weekends, but spots bearing this icon go further somehow.
B = Breakfast.
L = Lunch.
D = Dinner.
Br = Brunch on weekends.
Vg = Specializes in vegetarian/vegan friendliness. Almost all restaurants these days offer vegetarian options, and when asked by someone compiling a dining guide, many restaurants say that they can accommodate vegans on request, but this icon indicates vegetarian/vegan friendliness as a primary mission.
Rsv = Reservations are suggested, particularly for weekend dining.
Del = Delivery to a limited area, though many restaurants that don’t do phone-order delivery use web-based services such as carryout.com.
Published: March 2, 2011
ATWATER’S
Belvedere Square Market 529 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 323-2396 (and various other locations); atwaters.biz
$ P Out L D
It sells home-style breads and tasty sandwiches at its multiple locations (and the cream puffs at the Belvedere Square bakery are to die for), but nothing beats the sheer variety and high quality of the soups.
CAFÉ ZEN
438 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 532-0022
$$ L D
Not your usual American-Chinese too-sweet glop. Fresh aromatics and lighter preparations please. Gow bahs, stews served over crisped rice, are terrific, as is the sweetish garlic spinach.
CRUSH
510 E. Belvedere Ave, (443) 278-9001, crush-restaurant.com
$$ P Out L D Br
Casual fine dining? Crush’s menu allows for a variety of options, from small plates to traditional entrees to sandwiches.
RYAN’S DAUGHTER
Belvedere Square, 600 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 464-1000, rdirishpub.com
$$ P Out 10pm L D Br
Sprawling Irish bar/restaurant manages to accommodate families and youthful imbibers. What’s to eat? A corned beef sandwich, lamb stew, a shepherd’s pie in puff pastry, and killer fish and chips.
ZEN WEST
5916 York Road, (410) 323-3368, zen-west.com
$$ L D Br
Straightforward Tex-Mex food served up amid a roadside America theme for a sports-watching, college-attending bar crowd.
NEOPOL
Belvedere Square Market, 529 E. Belvedere Ave., (410) 433-7700, neopolsmokery.com
$$ P Out L D
Neopol serves smoked gourmet everything. Its sandwiches and savory cheese pies are well worth a nosh, as are its various smoked meats, but don’t miss its brunch.
To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.
Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.
