Recent stories by Rob Kasper

12:09 PM EDT, May 15, 2012

Beer, baseball and Baltimore

This is a tale about Baltimore beer barons, the owner of the Washington Senators, a silver bullet, and how the Orioles got to Baltimore. Now, with the O's generating a buzz as they fight for first place in the American League East and prepare to meet the Washington Nationals for a weekend series in D.C., it seems like a good time to spin it.

2:25 PM EDT, April 21, 2011

Restaurant review: Beer complements food at Red Brick Station

The words "beer food" bring to mind items like pretzels, peanuts and pizza. But at Red Brick Station in White Marsh the term means mussels steamed in ale, fish dipped in a beery batter and meat marinated in stout. Here, the beer is often in the food.

April 7, 2011

Restaurant review: Koco's, the quintessential neighborhood pub

Sociologists looking for the quintessential neighborhood pub would be smart to park themselves at Koco's.

2:34 PM EDT, April 14, 2011

Restaurant review: Cafe Hon is hard not to like

I know that not so long ago some folks were up in arms over Cafe Hon owner Denise Whiting's efforts to trademark the "h" word." Yet there was no malice in my heart when I went there recently for supper. I just wanted a good meal, and I got one.

1:58 PM EST, March 3, 2011

Restaurant review: Ho-hum Italian fare at Mamma's Cucina

I try to be a positive person, to search out the best in each situation. Mamma's Cucina, a Hampden restaurant that serves Italian fare, makes that a challenge. Nothing there is remarkably bad, but neither is it exceptional. It is mostly in the middle.

10:50 AM EST, January 12, 2011

Restaurant review: Lively burgers and crabs at Dead End Saloon

Despite its name, there is nothing dire about the Dead End Saloon in Fells Point. In fact, it is quite a lively spot, even on a weeknight.

5:33 PM EST, February 16, 2011

Restaurant review: Chops serves family fare in lively setting

Sitting in Phoenix's Jacksonville Manor Shopping Center between a Safeway and a Rite Aid, on the site of the old Henry's Bistro, Chops Restaurant and Lounge was ablaze with white lights. The inside was bright as well — and busy. On a recent Friday night, my wife and I snagged the last table for two.

4:31 PM EST, December 29, 2010

Restaurant review: Charmington's is a pleasant place to fill up

Sometimes all you want is some steaming soup, a hearty sandwich and an honest cup of coffee. At such times, Charmington's in Remington is just the spot.

2:18 PM EST, December 16, 2010

Restaurant review: Red Parrot spices up suburbia

The Red Parrot Asian Bistro in Hanover — the community in Anne Arundel County, not Pennsylvania — has good food in a bland setting.

5:33 PM EST, February 3, 2011

Restaurant review: No shining stars at Hollywood Burger Bistro

Hamburgers, like movie stars, are sometimes cast in new roles. There is a lot of that going on at Hollywood Burger Bistro in Canton.

6:56 PM EST, November 18, 2010

Restaurant review: Solid food and beer at Alewife

If you are having trouble generating fond feelings toward bankers — say you hold them responsible for the nation's financial meltdown and the subsequent mortgage mess — you should visit Alewife, a tavern in downtown Baltimore that once was a bank.

December 2, 2010

Restaurant review: Abundant, flavorful fare at Samos

Samos doesn't take reservations, doesn't take credit cards and doesn't have a liquor license. Yet it does have plenty of customers. What pulls people into this small, family-run operation is the food.

3:05 PM EST, January 20, 2011

Restaurant review: Romano's has old-school setting and food

You could film a 1960s movie in the dining room at Romano's, a family-style restaurant in Glen Burnie.

November 23, 2010

Restaurant review: High energy, average fare at Kona Grill

Kona Grill is a high-energy place.

12:50 PM EDT, November 4, 2010

Restaurant review: Humdrum Irish fare at The Twisted Harp

The dining room walls of the Twisted Harp are emerald green. Gorgeous crystal chandeliers glisten. Dishes arrive flavored with sauces made with Irish whiskey. You could almost forget you were in a Nottingham shopping center.

November 11, 2010

Great food, slow service at Yellow Dog Tavern

Like a lot of taverns in the Baltimore area, the Yellow Dog Tavern in Canton has a lively first floor dominated by the bar and a quieter second floor filled with tables and chairs.

11:33 PM EDT, October 13, 2010

Restaurant Review: CR Lounge offers delicious down-home cooking

The past is always with us in Baltimore.

10:46 PM EDT, October 27, 2010

Restaurant review: Savory Tex-Mex fare at El Hidalgo

Meeting and eating a new food can be exciting. The other night at El Hidalgo, a Tex-Mex restaurant in an Elkridge shopping center, I was introduced to tlacoyos.

11:51 PM EDT, September 29, 2010

Restaurant review: Dionysus has pleasing fare at familiar address

Baltimore likes to bring new life to old buildings. That has happened at Dionysus.

October 7, 2010

Johnny Rad's: Skateboard dudes can cook

I am fond of skateboarders. One of my sons used to be one. When our young skater used to slip away from home, my wife and I knew chances were good that he was either at "the statue" in front of the Lyric Opera House or at "the bowl" in Lansdowne, working on his tricks.

March 31, 2010

Cookbook helps you find the good stuff

Ask Lucie L. Snodgrass what she would recommend for Easter dinner and she does not simply say lamb. Instead, she says, "some of Edwin's lamb." She is referring to what would be an extremely local main dish, a lamb raised by her Harford County neighbor and cookbook collaborator, Edwin Remsberg.