More Artscape food: One take on the newest options

Josef’s Country Inn in Fallston served $6 flatbread pizza at its booth in the food court across the street from The Charles movie theater.

Their pizza was my favorite option by far. The whole-wheat crust meshed with the fresh basil, scallions, portabella mushrooms, vine-ripe tomatoes, and feta, mozzarella, and cheddar cheeses. It was definitely a worthy effort from the first time Artscape vendors.

The only complaint was that the bottom of the crust was slightly burned, but the rest of the ingredients made up for the hiccup.

I was also a fan of the healthy food concept of the stand. They offered Vitamin Water, iced green tea, and water. No sodas here. It was a refreshing change that worked -- especially in the scorching sun.

I decided to head next door and jump off the BMI (body mass index) deep end and eat a mac and cheese hotdog at Stuggy’s, a restaurant based in Fells Point.

I expected a foot-long kosher dog, on a potato roll, topped with macaroni and cheese. What I got was a foot-long kosher dog, on a potato roll, topped with macaroni and cheese, old bay and hot sauce. It didn’t wow me, but it did put me in a food coma.

After hoofing it down to the Target Family Art Park near the Meyerhoff, I was ready for my final tasting of the day -- the mythical-sounding fish dog from United Franks of America, a Fairfax, Va.-based vendor that was at Artscape for the first time.

The beer-battered cod-filet is shaped into a foot-long hot dog and served atop a fresh hoagie roll. Top it with a orange-hued, sweet and spicy tartar sauce called "Boom Boom Sauce," and I was ready to chow down. Unfortunately, the mound of bread dominated the sandwich. The fish was greasy and not very flavorful. The saving grace was the unusual sauce, which added a little kick to the glorified fish sandwich. It sells for $6. It’s a nice alternative if you don’t want meat. But be prepared to overdose on carbs if you try it.