The big mirror behind the bar declares…” Eat Well….Drink Well” and well, that’s what we came here for…well, that and the Wallis Boys…who make music and entertain the folks. Our foray to the Grist Mill on a Friday evening was a pleasant experience and we recommend it for all.

Back when it was the Island Inn we ventured forth and nearly got the hell beat out of us. Since then, Mike Andrews and Erik Lidums, took on the old gal and renovated the entire joint, save the beer box directly under the big mirror.

Rustic early American décor lends the visitor a chance to feel comfy, not crowded with a fine dining room, elegant bar and good service. Best of all is the chef, Mike, who puts forth some mighty fancy and delicious entrees.

Tonight I had the seared medallions of pork tenderloin, drizzled with whole grain mustard sauce, served with sautéed baby bok choy and champagne cheddar whipped potatoes….yep…never thought I’d chow down on this kind of fare…especially at the Island Inn…but I digress…it’s the Grist Mill and times have changed.

For an appetizer we both enjoyed the soups…Guy had the oyster stew which he lapped up like a spaniel in heat…me, well I savored the baked potato soup with green onion, bacon and cheddar…and it blew me away. The soups alone are enough to merit a visit to the Mill….and best of all; they are all home-made by Mike’s mom, Wanda Andrews. Take a moment and think about that…no disrespect to other eateries, but for a class establishment like this having Mom in the kitchen is a plus.

Guy had a taste for the seafood tonight and settled in for the Oysters carpaccio on the half shell topped with tangy onion relish, shredded parmesan, and balsamic reduction. Dinner was savored, conversation pleasant, and we were living well.

Wafting through the dining area the tunes of the Wallis Boys eased the crowd into a gentle kind of atmosphere suited for a genteel Friday evening out to dine. The Grist Mill and the Wallis Boys complement each other and I see nothing but good in that. Young children would venture over to where the boys were playing to get a look and there were smiles all around. Families in the dining room with well-behaved children means a lot to adults dining out once in a while, with the times being hard and all.

Younger folk at the spacious bar, closer to the music and a handy barkeep name of Bob…Bob sold cars for 15 years, and got his pink slip recently so he went back to days of tending bar. He actually helped open the Grist Mill after extensive renovations and was on hand to serve the libations.

The Wallis Boys welcome anyone who would like to step up to the mike and sing…and sure enough this lady comes up and sings a rather good version of “Angel From Montgomery” to the delight of everyone, especially her husband sitting 8 stools down. The Boys are definitely ‘user friendly’.

Follows a ‘special request’ for the band for a gray bearded gent sitting by himself in the dining room…”Pancho and Lefty”…the whole place is enveloped with fine vittles and melodies.

Enthusiastic applause keeps the sound level happy and vibrant.

We came for the food, and got a bargain in quality and price. Dwight James, the maitre de of the place tended our every need and of those guests coming in throughout the evening. After all, this was a ‘First Friday’ in Havre de Grace and yet the crowd here was better than we had expected.

Alert waitresses without attitude or diversions other than the clientele are rare in some eateries today, but here, they can’t do enough for us. Our waitress, Brooke, supplies extra napkins and kept our every need foremost in her mind.

My soup, baked potato soup…$4 per cup…$6 bowl

Seared Medallions of Pork, $16

Guy’s soup, Oyster stew…not sure of the price, but he wore a smile on the last sup.

Oysters carpaccio…$10

Being the gourmets we are, bottled water with the meal, no dessert, and a chilly vodka and cranberry at the bar afterwards.

Oh, in the Men’s Room, behind the ‘throne’ was a copy of the Warren Commission Report” on the J.F.K. Assassination….Dwight later was advised and duly removed the book from the privy. I wondered who would have the time to read or even browse that tome of lies.

Mike, co-owner and chef, graduated from the Culinary School in Baltimore, and worked at Linwood’s and later at Woody’s in North East.

The Stillwell’s rate The Grist Mill as follows:

Price $$$ Food, Parking and Atmosphere 4 stars out of 5

We highly recommend a visit there…it’s just a half hour ride from Bel Air…and puts some of the places there to shame.

But then last night happened…

What the hell was that? My train of thought while watching that gastro-disaster unfold on the television was not on the different techniques and ingredients being used, but how can I possibly pick a top 3.

Last night was a three course meal: an appitizer, entree, and dessert. I’ll play along, and pick one one from each to comprise my top and bottom three for the week. Remember, the criteria is simply what this blogger would choose to eat.

The Top 3:

Chilled Sweet Corn Soup with Mint and Chili Oil - Not big on cold soup, but I dig the ingredients.

Southern Chicken and Sides - Call be boring, whatever. I would order this off of any menu. Jeff is 2 for 2 in my top 3.

Rustic Apple Pie tart - To be honest, it was the only desert that looked edible to me, so it wins by default.

The Bottom 3:

Grilled Avocado and Stone Fruit Salad - Grilled avocado. I repeat, grilled avocado. Baltimore chef disappointment #1 for the week.

Ostrich Egg Quiche - You know what would be cool? Lets use this big-ass egg in a quiche for no good reason, and not play on the fact that its a big-ass egg. Baltimore chef disappointment #2, and she’s gone.

Avacado Mousse with Chocolate Wontons - Enough with the avocado! Don’t grill it, and please, please, please don’t make it into a dessert. You are not an Iron Chef.

So I decided to highlight the top and bottom three dishes from the elimination challenges based one one simple criteria. What would I chose to eat? I am, by no means, a food critic, and have probably not even tasted half the stuff on the contestants plate. Still, I love food.

So here are last nights top and bottom three elimination plates, in no particular order, chosen by me and not the judges, with pics:

Bottom 3

Radhika: Jerk rubbed halibut with ginger beer cocktail - Looks like an overseasoned piece of fish on top of a bocaburger.

Jamie: Pan roasted sea bass and eggplant puree with wile arugula salad - The salad looks ok, but the fish looks bland and is on top of what must be baby food.

Carla: Smoked trout and salmon cakes with sour cream and caviar over potato latkes - How Carla knew that the movie Wall-E would be coming out this week when this episode was taped, I’ll never know. Stare at this dish for a while and you will swear the cavier blinks at you.

Top 3:

Jeff: Cuban coffee seared tenderloin, smoked plantain with black beans and rice - Yeah it was incomplete and doesn’t look very good on the plate, but I can dig the flavors he was going for.

Jill: Jerk seasoned scallops with plantain fritters and three sauces - Have to go with the local girl, right? This looks and sounds like something I would order off a menu. I understand it.

Eugene: Dry rub lamb with basmati sweet rice, tzatziki with tandoori glaze - I usually like my meats a touch more done that this, but this looks like it would have awesome flavors throughout the meat and rice.

* If you want to read live blogged posts, be sure to check out NYMag’s Grub Street blog, and more locally, Baltimore Snacker’s Top Chef coverage.

According to Health.com America’s top 10 Healthiest Grocery Stores are…

1. Whole Foods – 279 stores in 38 states and Washington, D.C.
2. Safeway – 1,700-plus stores nationwide
3. Harris Teeter – 176 stores in the Southeast
4. Trader Joe’s – 300-plus stores in 23 states and Washington, D.C.
5. Hannaford – 165-plus stores in the Northeast
6. Albertsons – 529 stores in the West
7. Food Lion – 1,300 stores in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic
8. Publix Super Markets – 952 stores in the Southeast
9. Pathmark – 141 stores in the Mid-Atlantic
10. SuperTarget – 239 stores in 21 states, primarily Texas and Florida

I would have definitely picked Whole Foods to be in the top 5 but the more traditional, affordable grocers that are so close to our neighborhoods surprised me. The six prominent health experts picked the winners out of the nations largest chains based on the freshest and healthiest foods, and which ones offer the best tools to help shoppers make smart at are leading the way to healthier food shopping choices.

I am very shocked that Ralph’s Grocers is not on there. They are in the West and remind me of Wegman’s.

BILL BATEMAN’S
2021 Pulaski Highway
Havre de Grace 410-939-7667

We started out with Jimmy’s favorite everywhere we visit, that offers them…the famed ‘crab pretzel’…well, they must have used an atomizer to spray the crab on this pretzel…at $9.99 skimpy describes it.

Jimmy tackled a dozen b-b-qued wings…mild…and they were great at $8.49…thus if we’d skipped the ‘vaguely crab pretzel’ and got two orders of wings we would have been ahead. He made the wings his ‘main course’ and said they were up to his usually high standards.

I ordered grilled chicken breast platter with lemon pepper, and raspberry tea. Usually I discard the roll, just eat the breast, since I’m trying to lose 50 pounds, and every little ‘bite’ helps. Thank God I like chicken and prefer it cooked well, but not too dry…and this was cooked properly.

Bateman’s is a sportsy bar, nicely decorated and not too noisy. For a Friday at 3 p.m. the place was not that busy, which usually means faster service but that was not the case. Mike, the manager, pointed out that ‘juicy, signature Bateman’s wings are a top seller.” Jimmy concurred…’the wings are on the money.’

A couple middle-aged ladies rolled in and sat at the bar with us…regulars they each ordered up drinks and the laughter began…the barkeep, Tracey, knew exactly what they wanted and dispatched the booze swiftly and chatted up a bit with them.

Chef Specials included Chicken salad…Steak and Cake…and Steak Sliders. Some other ‘starters’ included nachos and spinach dip, peel and eat shrimp and other crab dips. Kids’ meals are also offered.

The place is clean, neat, new and spacious, with plenty of parking which is a blessing if you’ve ever been to Looney’s

This particular Friday, a couple of Raven personnel were coming for “Happy Hour” but we didn’t stick around.

Our meal total before tip was $34.13. Food-$$$ Value-$$

If you want to take the kids out for a bite, and live in the area, you might enjoy Bill Bateman’s of Havre de Grace.

These clever names appeared on a luscious pint of Keyes Creamery Ice Cream and are some of the sumptuous offerings you might want to consider checking out. Or if you are a classic, the vanilla and chocolate flavors certainly can’t be beat.

Made fresh daily, this ice cream bounces out of Aberdeen and is an unbelievable treat.

Now I am no ice cream aficionado, in fact, I don’t even consider myself an ice cream person. My sweet tooth craves peanut butter and/or chocolate with any combo of the two being a dessert jackpot. But when I stopped at Richardson’s Farms recently after working up a sweat at Dundee Creek kayaking to pick up some local fruit and veggies, namely corn (oops, forgot that) I saw the white tubs in the freezer. That it was local and home-made I was all over it. I thought I’d get Neil and Cal a treat, vanilla for Neil and Goose Feathers for Cal. At $5.39 a pint, OH.MY.GOD, it was worth every penny.

This ice cream is made from fresh cows’ milk- Bonds and Clemens free (or should I say allegedly). It is like a party for your taste buds, it is smooth and rich- no saccharine-like imposter here- just straight up silk. You’ve got to taste it to believe it. Keyes Creamery produces scintillating flavors that will cap off a perfect evening by the fire in Harford County and beyond. Sans fire too!
Don’t take my word for it. Now Neil, my husband, he is an ice cream person. His fave, pre-Keyes (P.K.) was Breyers, french vanilla bean. Whatev! I’m not allowed to buy that anymore. What was his reaction to Keyes?

“I think it’s awesome. Cuz it taste so good, it’s smooth and creamy and has excellent flavor.”

After speaking with Kelly Keyes recently, whose husband is responsible for this delectable delight, this cool confection is delivered to many local markets in addition to Richardson’s. You’ve got to check it out! By the way, I’m not sure how much of the Goose Feathers there were for anyone besides me. Sorry Cal.

And I’m not even an ice cream person.

Today’s visit…Red Robin

Billed as “America’s Gourmet Burgers and Fries” Red Robin is open 7 days a week…11-10 Sunday-Thursday, 11-11 Friday,Saturday.

Rumors of a Checkers coming across Baltimore Pike, from Harford Mall may be cooling down, since Five Guys and Fries, Zack’s and now Red Robin are cornering the hot-dog-hamburger market. Of course Mickey Dee’s across Route 24 will no doubt be unperturbed by the burger explosion.

Big bucks were spent renovating the space after Willy left town. The interior of Red Robin is spacious, fresh, friendly, comfortable and well lit and decorated without going overboard. In a word, it’s ‘neat’.

Our waiter, Jason, informed us there are no steaks, but loads of all the other fare of any 4-star restaurant, and a full service bar, for the non tea-totters visiting.

Starting our with a somewhat overwhelming spinach and artichoke dip with flatbreads on the side, and a tower of the best onion rings we’ve ever tasted.

I had the Santa Fe burger at $9.79 with fresh guacamole. Jimmy had the Whiskey River Bar-B-Que burger, on a bed of crispy onion straws. Both were cooked to perfection, medium rare.

Jimmy did the usual Diet Pepsi and I tried a raspberry tea that was great.

Jason’s service was lightning fast, accurate and non-pestering.

Ever since the days of Reuben’s and Comes’ White Star and The Harvey House…the area in and around Bel Air has been a burger eating’ crowd….With Cheeburger Cheeburger opening several years ago most of us thought that was it for a good burger in all sizes large enough to kill a gorilla.

Today though the burger is reaching gourmet status, but not necessarily in terms of price and taste.

Actually it was the onion rings that topped our tasted buds for the visit to Red Robin…

For Price, our tab came to $42.66 before tip…so two burgers, two appetizers and two beverages (with endless fries) was pricey…$$$

Parking, atmosphere, location, service rated 4 STARS out of 5.

We skipped the ‘free deserts’ because we were filled after our meal.

Jimmy felt the $5 burger at Five Guys is more tasty at half the price.

Dollar for dollar he preferred Five Guys overall for a burger and beverage. He felt the fries at Robin were flaccid at best. I agreed.

It’s a nice place to try, catering to at least four generations from what we could tell…and if you want to take more time for downing a burger, it’s definitely worth a visit. If you’re in a real hurry, well you always have Mickey Dee’s…in between, so far the best burger for the bucks is Five Guys.

First thought: Is this Top Chef or a Tom Colicchio look-alike contest?

Second Thought: Let’s go Jill! Jill Snyder resides in Baltimore and is the executive chef at Red Maple in Mount Vernon.

Below are all the critical health inspection violations for Harford County in August, 2008. We are focusing on the restaurants and eating establishments, so we are conveniently leaving the convenience and grocery stores off of our list.

Aberdeen Eagle Diner
527 S. Philadelphia Blvd.
Aberdeen, MD 21001
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Ball Park Restaurant
3420 Conowingo Road
Street, MD 21154
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration.

Bill Bateman’s - HdG
2021 H Pulaski Highway
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Bill Bateman’s Express
3101 Emmorton Road, Suite A-6
Abingdon, MD 21009
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Bliss Wine and Coffee Bar
1402 Handlir Drive
Bel Air, MD 21015
Violation: Food must be properly cooled. Food must be held at proper temperature.

Bull on the Beach
2306 Churchville Road
Bel Air, MD 21015
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature. Food must be adequately cooked and reheated.

Bulle Rock (Snack Shack)
320 Blenheim Lane
Hvre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be properly cooled.

Charcoal Grill Edgewood
1401 B Pulaski Highway
Edgewood, MD 21040
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Charley’s Grilled Subs
1709 Edgewood Road
Edgewood, MD 21040
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

China Haste
2464 Churchville Road
Bel Air, MD 21015
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration.

China Kitchen
1020 Pulaski Highway
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration. Food must be held at proper temperature.

Coakley’s Pub
406 St. John Street
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Dairy Queen
1510 Conowingo Road
Bel Air, MD 21014
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Duck’s Family Restaurant
1531 Pulaski Highway
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be properly cooled. Food must be held at proper temperature.

Fallston Seafood Restaurant
2108 Fallston Road
Fallston, MD 21047
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature. Food must be adequately cooked and reheated.

Fortunatos Brothers of Woodbridge
1401 Pulaski Highway
Edgewood, MD 21040
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration. Food must be properly cooled.

Friendly’s - Edgewood
1407 Pulaski Highway
Edgewood, MD 21040
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Gene’s Bar & Restaurant, Inc.
1368 W. Jarrettsville Road
Forest Hill, MD 21050
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Giovanni’s Restaurant
2101 Pulaski Highway
Edgewood, MD 21040
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Havre de Grace Food Mart/Season’s Pizza
866 Otsego Street
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration.

Italian Sensations - Fallston
2316 Bel Air Road
Fallston, MD 21047
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

King’s Chinese Food, Inc. II
1020 B Beards Hill Road
Aberdeen, MD 21001
Violation: Food must be properly cooled.

Lighthouse Diner Restaurant
913 Pulaski Highway
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

MacGregor’s
331 St. John Street
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Mama Maria’s
300 Edgewood Road
Edgewood, MD 21040
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

McDonald’s #18290
404 Constant Friendship Blvd
Abingdon, MD 21009
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration. Food must be held at proper temperature.

Moore’s Pizza & Subs, Inc.
756 #2 Town Center Drive
Joppa, MD 21085
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

New Ideal Diner
104 S. Phila. Blvd.
Aberdeen, MD 21001
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration.

Nonnie’s Brick Oven
801 Otsego Street
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration. Food must be held at proper temperature.

Open Door Café
528 Baltimore Pike
Bel Air, MD 21014
Violation: Food must be adequately cooked and reheated.

Outback Steakhouse
615 Bel Air Road
Bel Air, MD 21014
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Pat’s Pizzeria Havre de Grace
1201 Revolution Street
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Pizza Hut #714
1009 Edgewood Road, Edgewood
Edgewood, MD 21040
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Promenade Grille, The
352 Commerce Street
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Season’s Pizza
1401 A Conowingo Road
Bel Air, MD 21014
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

Silver Spring Mining Company
705 Belair Road
Bel Air, MD 21014
Violation: Food must be held at proper temperature.

St. John Gourmet
209 North Washington Street
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration. Food must be held at proper temperature.

The Shed
2723 Pulaski Highway
Edgewood, MD 21040
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration. Food must be properly cooled. Food must be held at proper temperature.

Waffle House - Edgewood
1806 Edgewood Road
Edgewood, MD 21040
Violation: Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration. Food must be properly cooled. Food must be held at proper temperature.

The wine starts with a blackberry and boysenberry flavoring and finishes with a french vanilla tinge. Not usually a fan of creamy flavors derived from oak barrel aging, I was surprised with my level of satisfaction with the finish. I guess there will always be exceptions to the rule, and this bottle of wine surely is it.

Besides a big beautiful cab flavor, Educated Guess has something else going for it: all the grapes used were organically grown. This is a big plus for someone like myself, someone who is trying to become increasingly more aware of what you put in your body. From Napa Valley, there is no guess about whether or not this represents California cabs in a good light. I would say it’s one of the best.

If you’re a cab lover like me, head over to Wine World in Abingdon and pick up a bottle. The owner, Elizabeth, swears this wine goes great with steak and I could see where it would. Can’t wait to get my second bottle, so hurry up and get your first.