Desert Cafe, 1605-7 Sulgrave Ave., (410) 367-5808. If you have to open a new restaurant in this economy, this is the way to go: Make it affordable, make it ethnic, and offer lots of chocolate. The Desert Cafe is my favorite place in Baltimore for Middle Eastern food, although the selection isn't large. I like getting my stuffed grape leaves with pomegranate seeds and my spinach pie with yogurt sauce. This is also a place where you can get elaborate desserts -- concoctions like cappuccino mousse cake and New York cheesecake. But my favorite is made by the owners, a pistachio-filled baklava. $ -- inexpensive. (Last reviewed 11/92.)
Cafe Nordstrom, Nordstrom, Towson Town Center, (410) 296-2111. If you're expecting imaginative, elegant little cafe lunches at the area's newest upscale department store, you'll be disappointed. It's a pretty straightforward menu: The list of sandwiches and salads is extensive, and there are pizzas, hamburgers, hot dogs and a pasta of the day as well. But !B breakfast is served any time, kids are well taken care of, and Nordstrom tries hard to keep prices under $5. Recommendations: the meatloaf sandwich and grilled mixed vegetables. And be sure to visit the espresso bar downstairs. $ --
inexpensive. (Last reviewed 11/92.)
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