Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Party On, Dudes!

As I mentioned in my last post, Mel and I were preparing for a fun spring celebration in honor of Mel's recent accomplishments.  Needless to say we went all out, spent a ton of money and cooked up a furious storm.

On Thursday we went to the supermarket and filled up my rickety old grandma shopping cart until the wheels were about to fall off.  On Saturday, we woke up early and went over to McCarren's farmers market for some fresh produce, but had to make a few stops along the way for items not yet in season.

In the end, my kitchen was filled with vegetables, fruit and a ton of groceries - enough for an army!!

Mama Maria arrived at 2pm with the rest of the ingredients to host a wonderful party.  We started cooking right away and made a fabulous team.

The work was split up, I took over entrees while Mel and Mom worked on desserts.

pulled chicken slow cookingI started by preparing the pulled chicken, which was easy by watching the gorgeous Murray's Chicken I bought, putting it in my crock pot with chopped onion and half of a bottle of Jim Beam BBQ sauce, which was the only one I could find at Key Food w/out corn syrup.


I let it cook on low for 4 - 5 hours, until the meat was super tender and pulled away easily with a fork.  I had to remove the chicken from the pot and drain some of the liquid.  Then added more BBQ sauce.  It came out great!

sweet and sour meatball sauce
Next, I worked on the Sweet and Sour Meatballs, which had far more ingredients but was just as easy.

I threw everything into the oldest crock pot in the world (seriously, its older than me I think) and prepared the meatballs. 

My mom helped me roll some of the meatballs while we were browning them up to lock-in their juiciness.

Mama Maria making bite sized meatballs
Here's Mama Maria getting her hands dirty, yet she managed to look so cute while doing it!  I love my mom!


The meatballs had diced onions and garlic as well as salt and pepper.  We also rolled them small to ensure everyone at the party had a taste. Once they were browned, we popped them into the crock pot to slow cook for a few hours.

Note: don't stir the meatballs once they start cooking.  You want to let the fat rise to the top, which you then skim off before serving.


browning meatballssweet and sour meatballs

Simmering beans in rosemary and onions
Next I worked on the white bean puree with sun-dried tomatoes.  This was a really easy dish to prepare, and the only adjustment I made was using sun-dried tomatoes that weren't out of a jar.  I could only fine dry ones, but they worked just fine for me!

White bean puree with sun-dried tomatoesI soaked my dried beans overnight  to ensure they would be ready to cook on Saturday morning.  Make sure you add A LOT of water when you're soaking means over night.  I definitely didn't add enough, so I had to cook my beans a little extra than what was indicated in the recipe, but I had plenty of time to spare before the party started.

I didn't follow the exact recipe in terms of measuring out the ingredients, but I did taste along the way to make sure it was coming out delicious.

I was a bit reserved with the rosemary since I didn't want it to overpower the dish.  It added a lovely flavor that only refined palates at the party picked up on.  Everyone LOVED this dish.

white bean dip


I totally forgot to take photos of the final product, so all I really have to show what it looks like is to the right, which is a pretty crappy photo.

I used a hand blender to puree the mixture, which worked like a charm.  I did not add any salt since the sun-dried tomatoes were already so salty.

It came out SO GOOD!  Everyone raved about this at the party. 

Chopped veggies for roasting

Roasted Veggie Orzo
I wanted to ensure vegetarians had plenty to eat at the party, so I also made a roasted vegetable orzo, which I've made before.

It's a pretty easy pasta salad dish in which I roast a plethora of veggies and add it to orzo with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley and salt/pepper to taste.

I used yellow squash, zucchini, red pepper, eggplant, green peppers and cherry tomatoes which were roasted in the oven with just a splash of olive oil and salt/pepper.

This took about 40 minutes, but I was careful to check on them every 10 minutes (after the first 25) to ensure they didn't dry out.

Then I added the veggies to the cooked, drained orzo and added the oil and vinegar little by little to ensure it coated everything well and was tasty.  I made too much and have been eating this for days now, but its a healthy lunch!

The main course


Here's what the main meal looked like, which I enjoyed thoroughly!  Everyone ate up the pulled-chicken sliders and most of the meatballs.  Hope everyone enjoyed my food as much as I did making it :)

Besides the dishes noted above, we also served some other appetizers...

Hungry yet?Mel bought a ton of cheese from the Bedford Cheese Shop and my dad got some more from Fairway.  I don't eat cheese, but apparently it was very good.

We had tons of fresh veggies from the farmers market and local produce markets in our area.  We also bought a ton of melon, honeydew and cantaloupe, which was on sale (woohoo!).

The bread, which we used for the cheese and the bean dip, was from the farmers market.  It was fantastic bread and I'll be sure to get some more the next time I'm there.

I even got flowers at the farmers market to make the table pretty... which is was thanks to all the lovely guests who also brought flowers to the party. 

lots of food
The other dish I made, which I don't really have photos of except for this small one at the right, was a Avocado and White Bean Salsa.



It wasn't difficult to make, although avocados cost a fortune these days.  The cheapest I could find in my area was $1.99 per avocado, thank goodness they were perfectly ripe.

It wasn't the best salsa I've had, but I love all the fresh ingredients.  I would have been better off making guacamole, which I rock at. 


Nibbling on some cheese
Meanwhile, Mel and my mom were working really hard on getting the desserts prepared for the party.  Although there were definitely some breaks taken in between cookies baking in the oven... as you can see here when Mel was "testing" the cheese.

The first thing she got to was preparing her famous vegan peanut butter pie.  Since its a no-bake pie, its important to get it in the freezer as soon as possible so that its not a mushy mess by the time everyone is ready to eat it.

Vegan Peanut Butter filling for pie
I do believe the pie contains toffutti cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter and cool whip, although I think she used "real whip" which has real dairy or some sort. 

You blend and place in two pie crusts and freeze until its pretty solid.  It's AMAZING and people who try it swear its the greatest vegan treat they've ever had.  Even I was shocked at how good it was. 
Cakes coolingf



Mel mixing up some homemade frosting

Mel also made a cake just for fun.  She got a box of vanilla cake with the sprinkles, I think its called "funfetti" but I could be wrong.  She could have easily made one from scratch, but apparently this was easier and funny.  

She did, however, make her own frosting, which was to die for.  It took a lot of effort whipping the frosting to make it fluffy, but it did come out fantastic.




I don't know what goes into the frosting since I was busy making the other food.  I heard a lot of blending going on behind me and noticed plenty of "tasty" to make sure its perfect. 

I have to say, I've never seen frosting so fluffy in all my life.  It was incredible and not too sweet either. 
Mel frosting her cake 



Mel was very careful when placing the frosting in between the two cakes.  She wanted it just right. 




Giant cookie?






I thought the cakes looked like a giant cookie.  Don't you just want to take a big bite out of it?  It would have been the greatest cookie of them all...

Mama Maria and Mel showing off their cake
 Here is the finished product, looking amazing!! 

They were so pleased with the way it came out.  I'm fortunate to have one little slice left i my fridge right now, waiting to be eaten.  Is there anything better than left over cake?

Mel also made lemon cookies, which were out of this world good.  I had a few before the party to hold me over.  We ate the ends, to ensure that only the most perfect cookies made it out to the guests. (or at least that was the thinking behind eating so many cookies)

Adam and I relaxing with some tasty food
Here's the table set up, and don't the flowers look pretty!  Adam and I enjoyed nibbling at everything throughout the party.  Apparently cooking for 6.5 hours means I burned off over 1,000 calories, so I was entitled to eating all I could eat, which I assure you I most certainly did.

Also, I'm totally rocking a fun tank top from Dalaga, one of the greatest clothing stores ever.  In case you were wondering...

The Greatest Neighbor ever!

Here's my neighbor and fabulous blogger *Bitchcakes* enjoying some of the food.  She's a vegan, so I had her in mind when I made a few of the items. 

I'm always very careful when cooking for others, since I know what its like going to a party not being able to eat ANYTHING.  It totally sucks. 

So when I cook for a large group, I ask what everyone's dietary preferences are, if anyone has an allergy and ask for recommendations. 

There was plenty for everyone, regardless of their diet.  The only thing I made sure to ask was if anyone had a peanut allergy - and yes, I do have friends with this terrible allergy and have to be careful about what I prepare.  No one at this party had this allergy, which is why we served the peanut butter pie.

Pretty desserts

The dessert table looking gorgeous.  Those are the lemon cookies on the left.  The pie on the top left side is an apple pie and the crumbly one is a mixed berry pie, both bought at fairway.  We didn't have the time or resources to make our own fruit pies, but Fairway has awesome and cheap pies that you can pretend are your own. 


Dessert Galore


Cutting the peanut butter pie for everyone.  The mixed berry pie was also a HUGE hit.


Lots of desserts


My mom also made her famous chocolate mousse for dessert.  She makes it from scratch with dark chocolate.  Everyone was so cute at the party and kept calling this pudding, except its WAY better than pudding and there isn't any milk in it.


Overall the party was a great success!  Everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed the food.  I know that's not what makes a party, but that really all I had control over.
This party is metal!
Me and the Lovely Bitchcakes













Special thanks to *Bitchcakes* for being a great neighbor, fabulous friend and fantastic photographer.


Also, Adam thinks dessert is metal... I guess because it is metal! Woohoo!


Mel looked like she was having a grand ol' time, which is really all that matters to me.

Love you Mel!  I had a great time hosting your party.  Your friends are lovely and I'd totally throw you another party, just not so soon.  I'm tired from cooking! :)

Thank you everyone for making it out.  I hope you had a lovely time.  Thank you again for making Mel's day so special.  Its so reassuring to know Mel has such supportive, amazing friends!

Mama Maria enjoying the fruits of her hard labor
Extra special thank you to Mama Maria for her hard work in making this party a huge success.  She worked throughout the entire party while I was taking breaks and enjoying everything.  I don't know where she found the energy to clean up everything afterwards. 

Now this is a REAL Wonder Woman!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Party Preparation

WOULD YOU TRUST US WITH YOUR FOOD?!?!
I'm going to be hosting a small party on Saturday with Mel, which I couldn't be more excited about!!  I love parties, especially when they have good food. So hosting my own party means I get full control of what's being served.  Plus I get to make things I don't normally cook.

I don't want to go crazy, since the last time I hosted a party, which was my housewarming with Adam, I went a little overboard spending about $350 and there was a ton of wasted food.  
The idea of running out of food is terrible, but I would rather run out than have a ton of leftovers that end up in the garbage. 

We're going to have a bit of a "Picnic" theme since I want to make pulled-chicken sliders, which are SUPER easy and fun to serve.





So here's what I had in mind based on what's healthy, easy to serve and eat and the ingredients are affordable.

  • Pulled-Chicken Sliders
    • I'm going to use my crockpot to make this, so I can keep it warm and people can serve themselves.
    • Ingredients: 
      • Organic chicken breast
      • BBQ sauce - going to seek out one w/out corn syrup
      • Rolls - hoping the potato rolls are affordable since they're so tasty!
      • Cole slaw - which people can place on top or eat on the side
  • Bruchette with Sauteed Greens
    • This had great review on epicurious and sounded super easy to make. Plus this a healthy dish that vegetarians can enjoy. 
    • Ingredients:
      • Extra Virgin Olive Oil - which I already have!
      • Garlic - super cheap
      • Greens - either swiss chard, spinach or beet tops.  Going to the farmers market near McCarren Park on Saturday to see what looks best.
  • White Bean Puree with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
    • Another healthy dish that sounded delicious.  This will take a bit more time since it requires the beans to soak overnight, but it shouldn't be too difficult.  I can also make this 2 days in advance, leaving me more time to work on other dishes Saturday.
    • Ingredients: 
      • Dried Great Northern Beans - super cheap!
      • Onions - already have these.
      • Fresh Rosemary - which I can use for other dishes or just for decoration at the party.  
      • Oil-packed sun dried tomatoes - this might be expensive, but I'm sure its worth the splurge, as its super tasty!  I can use it on salads or sandwiches if I don't use it all at the party.
      • Shallots - another cheap and useful item
      • Lemons - always have these in the house, such a useful fruit!
      • Fresh Parsley - can use this for salsa or other dishes.
      • Pita, or some other starch chip to get the dip in your mouth!
  • Avocado and White Bean Salsa
    • What is a party without some salsa?!  Plus, tortilla chips are on sale at one of the supermarkets near me.
    • Ingredients:
      • Small white beans - super easy and cheap to get
      • Avocado - which is also on sale, or I wouldn't have bothered with this dish
      • Red onion - going to use this for another dish
      • Limes - another item that's necessary for any fiesta!
      • Extra-virgin olive oil - definitely have this
  • Roasted Veggie Orzo
    • I've been making a pasta salad for a few years now that I came up with using a variety of recipes.  It's fast, easy, tasty and healthy
    • Ingredients:
      • Any market fresh veggies such as tomatoes, squash, zucchini, eggplant, onions, carrots, etc.
      • Orzo (duh!)
      • Lemon juice
      • Extra-virgin olive oil
      • Balsamic Vinegar - something I always have on hand in my kitchen, I prefer white for this recipe
      • Spices, whatever I have on hand
  • Roasted Kale Chips
    • This recipe sounds awesome and super easy to make.  It's also something I've been meaning to make, a healthier alternative to potato chips.
    • Ingredients:
      • Kale
      • Olive Oil
    • I know, it's an extensive ingredient's list, not sure how I'll manage ;)
  • Meatballs
    • Not sure if I'm going to make this or not.  I love meatballs at parties, and they're so easy to eat with toothpicks, but I might now depending on how many red-meat-eaters are attending.  I found this recipe for Sweet and Sour Meatballs that sounded promising and easy to make. 
I also want to serve a fruit salad or slices of melon, depending on what's available at the farmers market or looks good at the super market.  It would also be nice to have a veggie platter with cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots, peppers and anything else that looks fresh and tasty.

Do you like my moustache?
As for desserts - that's pretty much Mel's department.  We're getting our mom to make her famous chocolate mouse, which is OUT OF THIS WORLD!  OMG you would die if you ate this, I do every time. 

Mel is awesome with desserts.  She makes this ridiculously good vegan peanut butter pie.  Perhaps even a banana pudding pie.  (typing this is making me hungry)

Yes this girl right here --------------------------------------->
She is amazinc and I <3 her

So that sounds like plenty of food for a party, right?  Then I just need to get tasty beverages, disposable plates and cups and lots of paper napkins/towels, cause we all know a mess is bound to happen.

I'm hoping to get more of my shopping done on Saturday at the farmers market.  I'm a fan of fresh, affordable and local foods!  I'll be following up later this week to let you all know how its coming along. 

Monday, May 2, 2011

From Crab to Cupcakes

Wow what a weekend - hopefully everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.

I ate lots of things I shouldn't have eaten, of course, but it was so worth it! So let's get to it...

Although this wasn't exactly the weekend, I did have dinner last week with an old friend of mine, Gary, so I'm going to include it anyway.  And there's nothing you can do about it, so there! :)

A+ Thai

We were hungry and in the area, so this was our choice for dinner on a random weekday night.  I'm not all that familiar with good dinner spots in Midtown East, but I've enjoyed a number of good lunches here.  We were seated right away and the food came out quickly, which was a plus since we were starving!!

Spicy Crispy Duck Salad
We started with the Spicy Crispy Duck Salad, which was really good!  It definitely had a nice kick to it, and the duck was cooked perfectly.  It wasn't the largest portion and a bit pricy for such a small salad, but it was worth getting again, to share.

Gary was thrilled with how good this was and totally psyched for his dinner.  I was salivating for mine, which is a good thing it came out relatively quickly.
Chicken Pad Thai
Spicy Basil UdonGary went the safe route and ordered the Chicken Pad Thai.  I actually do the same when I'm trying a new Thai place.  If they don't have decent pad thai, then I pretty much write off the place entirely.

It's like going to a BBQ joint and getting the ribs, if they aren't good what is the point?! Luckily for Gary, their pad thai was spot on and he eat is in about 2 minutes.  He was a hungry man!  I definitely took a taste and was almost a little jealous I didn't go the safe route too.

I wanted some excitement in my life, so I ventured down the spicy basil udon road.  It was great, but almost a little too spicy.  I love me some spice, don't get me wrong, but because I was so hungry and my belly so empty, I could actually feel the burn in my gut.  It was weird, but I ate away hungrily.

I've been on a vegetarian kick, so this was the tofu with veggie version, which I highly recommend.  It was definitely flavorful (so it wasn't all heat) and the veggies were cooked perfectly.  Would recommend this for anyone looking for a good kick in the mouf.  :)

So A+ Thai is kind of A+ in my book.  Fast, fresh and really affordable.  Their lunch specials are great with an appetizer and entree for $10!

Pop Clothing Shop Spring Celebration!

I'm a HUGE fan of this store, and recommend anyone looking for adorable and well-made ladies clothing, shoes and accessories to check it out.  I'm in here about once a week since they're constantly adding new items to their inventory.  They add things daily, so essentially you can live in a tent outside and still be excited every time you went shopping.  LOVE IT!

Lovely Desserts at Pop Clothing ShopAnyhoo, they were having a fun event after work on Friday and I dragged my lovely coworker, Chiara, there to inspect the good.  They happened to have the most lovely desserts in their cute backyard.

Turns out one my friends, Shannon, is the most fantastic baker and went all out making 150 cupcakes for the event.  Have you ever seen a more beautiful set up?!


Cupcakes at Pop Clothing ShopThey also had some nice white wine and Prosecco, which is just what I needed after a long work week.

If you look closely, those mini cupcakes (not the tiniest, but the second tiniest) actually have little baby birds on top made out of frosting.

Shannon only bakes vegan desserts - could I get any luckier!?!

It was truly amazing and they tasted better than they looked.

The event was awesome and hope they have another one soon.

Adam (yes he tagged along and not just for the cupcakes, he's a nice boyfriend), Chiara and I were hungry so we went over to Fiore for some supper.  We didn't want to go nuts since we were planning on having a few drinks with Shannon and Breonna (who works at Pop, yet another reason this store rocks) after they were done with the event.

Fiore

I absolutely adore Fiore.  If you go before 8pm, you can usually score a table without waiting, and everyone about this place makes me swoon.

First off, the decor is so cute.  Exposed brick, very homey with little antique touches here and there.  They also have a lovely back outdoor area when the weather is nicer.

Then there's the staff, who are exceptional.  And of course, the food is fantastic.  However, my photos are terrible (sorry) due to the fact that its dimly lit and I have no flash on my phone's camera... so I apologize in advance for how crappy they look, but I assure you the food looks amazing and tastes even better. 

Gnocchi with Wild Mushroom and Leek Ragu
Chiara and I wanted to share a pasta dish, but were torn between the Gnocchi di Patate ai Funghi e Porri (Potato gnocchi with wild mushrooms and leek ragout) and the Fettuccine con Ragu di Carne (Fettuccine with Fresh tomato and meat ragout sauce).  When we asked the waiter what he thought was the best choice, he recommended we get a half portion of each. 

Needless to say we squealed with delight (which he thought was funny) and enjoyed both dishes. 
Linguine with Meat Ragu

Mixed Green Salad
Obviously the top image is the gnocchi, which was fluffy and really savory.  The ragout was so tasty with an earthiness to it.  

The Fettuccine complimented the gnocchi well since it had a totally different flavor.  You could taste the fresh tomatoes and the meat didn't overwhelm the sweet and tart flavor of the sauce.  It was really very good.  I would order either again.

Adam wanted to be healthy and had already eaten dinner, so he went with the Assorted fresh greens with balsamic.  It was a huge portion, enough for all of us to share.  He was still eating his salad when we were done scarfing down our pasta. ::oink oink::

While we were eating, our waiter came over and gave us a side of Sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic and oil.  Turns out the kitchen "accidentally" made this, so he gave it to us on the house.  It was delicious (sorry no photo, hands full w/ eating at the time) and we loved Fiore all the more for giving us free food.  It's really an affordable restaurant, with their most expensive dish costing about $17.00.  Most are between $11 and $15.  I also recommend their Slow cooked lamb shank with mashed potato and the Fedelini ai Frutti di Mare (Fresh tomato sauce with assorted seafood) which is amazing.  
Piano Player at Manhattan Inn
On Saturday, I enjoyed brunch with Mel (lil' sis) at Manhattan Inn and just wanted to show everyone how cute it is in there.

Brunch was delicious, of course, and we enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere.  Again, we ordered the steak and eggs with a side of the greatest hash brown ever.

If you're waiting 18 years for a table at 5 Leaves, do yourself a favor and check this place out instead.  I know the "scene" there is hypnotizing, but being seated right away, serenaded and fed organic food is far better than any "scene" I assure you.

Later on, Adam and I took how his mother for her birthday.  She was in town for the 5 Borough Bike Tour and it was the perfect opportunity to eat somewhere nice in celebration of both the birthday and the tour.  She wanted something light, so we opted for fish (both the food and the name of the restaurant, coincidentally).

Fish Restaurant

This was SO worth the wait, and there is almost always a wait to get in.  We were rather early, getting there about 6:30pm, so the wait was only about 30 - 40 minutes.  The four of us, which included Adam, his mom Barbara and her friend Chris and I, were seated at a nice table near the back.  Our waitress came over, took drink orders and announced the specials.  Even without the specials, their menu is impressive with a plethora of fancy fish and raw bar options.  I had no idea what I was going to get, until the waitress mentioned a softshell crab entree on special that night. SCORE!  This is by far one of my most favorite foods in the whole world.

Fish Market Soup
King Crab Legs
I started out with their Fish Market Soup, which is spicy tomatoey goodness with shrimp and white fish.  Fish soups usually have cream or dairy products, so this was a special treat for me.  Although it was pricy at $8 per bowl, it was really good.  I could have just eaten this with some of their amazing biscuits and been good.

We also ordered a half-pound of steamed Alaskan King Crab legs for the table.  I tried to take a photo of the dish, but everyone went crazy for the legs.  So what is pictured here is what was left after everyone grabbed a leg.  It was a nice portion to share with 4 people.  I can't image what the entree is like, which has over a pound of crab legs.

These were really amazing crab legs.  They were sweet and succulent, with no need for the butter.  Just a little spritz of lemon and I was all set.  I practically licked my plate clean.  Adam can't stop talking about how good these were.  He's determined to go back and order the entree (to share, or so he claims).



Softshell CrabBy the time my meal came out, I was already a little full, so I knew I wouldn't finish my dinner.  However, I was shocked to discover that the portion was ridiculously generous.  They gave me three large, juicy, perfectly pan-fried softshell crabs.  They were too delicious.

Even the sides were amazing!  The green beans were made to order and seasoned and cooked perfectly.  We kept raving about how good they were since everyone at our table got them.  Barbara shared mine and
Adam's. The mashed potatoes were great - fluffy and creamy with not too much butter, just enough to cleanse the palette between bites of mouth-watering crab.  It was a really special treat since they're only in season for a few weeks every year.  These big boys were the largest softshell crabs I've ever seen, let alone eaten.  If you have a chance, go there asap to try these.  They also offer a appetizer variation of this dish.


Wild Caught Stripped BassAdam and Chris ordered the other special, simply grilled wild caught stripped bass.  Had the softshell crab not been offered, I might have gone this route.  Stripped bass is fantastic and I had a feeling it would be particularly good here.

It really was just about the freshest fish you could get in NYC.  It was a nice sized filet that was cooked to perfection.  It didn't need much of anything to taste delicious.  Just a little salt, pepper and you're good to go.

Wild Caught Stripped BassAdam ate each bite carefully to fully appreciate how good this fish really was.  It came with this salsa verde, which was tasty, but the fish was just so good on its own - no need to spicy it up with some fancy sauce. Good fish can hold its own and this was definitely good.

Pot O' Bass
There was little left after Adam and Chris were done.  I did manage to get a bite from Adam and would recommend their fish.  Definitely far healthier than my fried crab, alas.


Barbara went for one of the regular menu items, Pot o' Bass - which was a nice piece of bass cooked in a cast iron pot with white wine, potatoes, tomatoes and onions.  It looked and smelled delicious.  I wasn't able to try it, but Adam said it was really good, full of flavor with lots of tender fish.  It came with big piece of bread to soak up all that tasty broth. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it was really appealing in person. 

It was a glorious dinner that left with heartburn that could have killed an elephant, but it was so worth it.  Adam and I will definitely be back as soon as we can afford it.

Yup, this place is pretty pricy, with our special dishes costing $28 each.  Adam was a real gentleman and paid for the whole thing regardless of our cries to accept our cash to compensate the hefty bill.  What can I say, he's a keeper! So consider this a place to go for a special dinner or if you're really in the mood for unbelievable fish/seafood.  They're famous for their all-you-can-eat Maryland crab lunch special (which apparently runs out quickly, so go early) and their Oyster/PBR special for $8.  Either way, its a great place that's worth the wait and the hefty price tag.