Maryland Diners: Bonnie's at the Red Byrd, Keedysville Maryland

So this one's a little bit of a culinary curveball (baseball season has started!).  I was driving to visit Antietam Battlefield when I spotted this place just outside of Sharpsburg.  I decided I would heartily nosh there after my battlefield visit.  It was good, but weird, as have been most of my Maryland diner visits so far!

Maryland Diners: Kountry Kitchen, Thurmont Maryland

So, I'm noticing a few things as I continue to review Maryland Diners.  (As a reminder, I once reviewed every diner in Whatcom County, Washington.)  Eggs Benedict, my go-to choice for seeing if a kitchen can handle simple but significant orders, are not nearly as popular here in Maryland as they were back in Bellingham.  So my second go-to, the club sandwich (the exhibitionist of sandwiches) has often become my choice since I moved back east a few years ago.  Second, Maryland diners don't play music.  Or at least the ones I've visited don't.  Seems a shame, really.  Anyhow, let's see how things went at the Kountry Kitchen!

Maryland Diners: Hub City Diner, Hagerstown Maryland

About 30 minutes west of Frederick is its young cousin, Hagerstown.  And here we are at the Hub City Diner!

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I liked it, but it's funky.  Both funky-good and funky-off putting.  But for sheer value it's not bad.  The clientele definitely veers to the elderly, and it's hard not to notice the three-story hospice right next door.  But how's the food?

Crabs, Hon

A crab feast with my sister, brother in law, and nephew.  Not cheap, but very delicious.  A nice way to end the summer.

Bread and Pets

I had a nice Thanksgiving dinner with my sister and brother-in-law.  I made bread from scratch, which is something I used to do quite often but stopped for a while.  It doesn't take much time or effort, just a bit of commitment and clean-up.

I also did my Christmas shopping, online of course.  I bought myself a new computer since I'm still running Windows 10 and that'll be unsupported next October.  With the Trump Tariffs coming it seemed like a good idea.

And that's one of my sister's puppers, Rollo.

It's cold in Maryland!

Beef'n Buns'n Paradise!

 

I drove past this place many a time (east side of Frederick) and finally stopped in.  It's a weird location, and you don't really appreciate the beach shack vibe until you pull into the parking lot (only outdoor seating).  I got, of course, the club sandwich and it was pretty good.

Well, there's a glaring problem here.  A club with no chips or fries simply doesn't provide a sufficient level of starch goodness.  It's my fault really, because I could have ordered fries for just a few more bucks.

O.K., still a little sad but improvisation nevertheless.  What I really liked about this sandwich were the tomatoes -- juicy and fat and definitely in season.  Everything else was nicely put together.

Everybody else waiting in the takeouts line got milkshakes, so I need to go back and try one of those.  But I'm looking forward to it!  And yes, that's the real name.

Vietnamese

 

Chicken curry noodles at Pho An Loi in Frederick, Maryland. Spice level was perfect for me!

Maryland Diners: Mountain View Diner, Frederick Maryland

One thing I'll always miss about living in Bellingham was the abundance of diners in and around the area.  Hell, I reviewed every single one of them!  For whatever reason diner culture isn't nearly as strong here in lovely Frederick, Maryland, but I am going to do my best to cover what's available.

Behold!  The Mountain View Diner!  1300 W Patrick Street, Frederick!

It was a snowy Saturday, and I got there right after the lunch rush started to die down.  The staff were exhausted, and I don't blame them.  And rather than my traditional Eggs Benny, I was hankering for something different -- my other diner go-to, the club sandwich. The club sandwich being among other things, the Exhibitionist of All Sandwiches.

And it was delicious!  Let's break down this little slice of 50's rock and roll nostalgia!

Fell's Point, Hon

Spent a day in lovely Baltimore in Fell's Point.  With a new job in place, I guess I'm back in Maryland for now.

The Various Diners of Whatcom County -- 24/24 Reviews, Including the Best!

No beating around the Hollandaise -- Mount Bakery has the best Eggs Benedict in Whatcom County.  The secret?  They make their own bread.

It's done -- I've reviewed all 24 diners in and across Whatcom County.  (Quick listing here.)  And with the exception of two corporate monstrosities (they rhyme with LIBLOP  and JENNY'S) I had a ton of quality dining experiences.  And frankly, even the weaker spots were never too terrible -- we all have bad days.  I think at the very least what I got out of this project was simply getting into remoter parts of Whatcom County that I might never have seen otherwise.

Here are the three best diners in Whatcom County:

1)  Mount Bakery (with three locations, I went to the one in Fairhaven)

2)  Old Town Cafe (admittedly, I'm a bit sentimental about this place but objectively, everything they put out on the table is very, very good)

3)  Marlin's Cafe (one thing I learned -- while food quality is most important, atmosphere is impossible to separate completely, EBs only on weekend)

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 24: Al's Downtown Diner

2012 Main Street, Ferndale, WA

Where we headed today, Mr. Tummy?  Well, it's lovely Ferndale and the small, unassuming Al's Diner.

Cozy but also surprisingly on the new side in terms of decor, the place was packed -- the best sign there is for a quality restaurant.

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 23: Marlin's Cafe (Inside Nelson's Market)

 

512 Potter Street, Bellingham, WA

Let's head to the York neighborhood east of downtown, and a place that's inside a larger Market, but as far as I can tell most people come here for breakfast.  It's Marlin's Cafe!  And it's well worth the detour!

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 22: Horseshoe Cafe

113 East Holly St, Bellingham, WA

Let's head to the heart of Bellingham for breakfast today, at the Horseshoe!  And let's be honest -- you might be turned off by the homeless guys encamped along the sidewalk but I'd suggest going on in.  They seem to have an agreement on not harassing customers.

So maybe not the best way to start one of my diner reviews?

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 21: Acme Diner

2045 Valley Highway, Acme, WA

Well now, how about a place I've never even seen before?  In a part of the county I've never even been to before?  It's not like there's much else there, other than a post office!  Welcome to the delightful Acme Diner!

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 20: Skylark's Hidden Cafe

1308 11th St, Bellingham, WA

Back to fancy, fancy Fairhaven!  It's a new year, and with the post-holiday blues hanging over me I headed here for my beloved dose of Eggs Benny.  I'd been wanting to try this place for a while, and was very pleased with how it turned out.  It's more of a restaurant than a diner, and a nice one at that, but definitely worth a visit.  Let's get down to our breakfast business!

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 19: Avenue Bread

2301 James St, Bellingham, WA (one of three locations)

Not dead!  However, there have been some changes over the past few months.  My Dad is fine, but we've moved him into managed care.  My part-time work continues at the animal shelter.  And my thirst for delicious breakfast food in friendly environments remains unquenched!

Here we are at lovely Avenue Bread, which is a Bellingham mini-chain.  So yet another place that makes their own EB muffins!  Approved!

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 18: Cafe 544

 

302 E Main St, Everson, WA

I found this place by accident.  I knew Everson had at least one diner, but I'd driven past this building a few times before realizing what it actually was -- a restaurant that serves breakfast!

I guess you could call it minimal, but certainly not mediocre!

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 17: Mount Bakery (Fairhaven)

 

1217 Harris Avenue, Bellingham, WA (Fairhaven Location)

Well, let's head over to Fairhaven where the fancy people live!  And let's see what delightful things they get to eat for breakfast!  Bennies, of course!  The best ones, apparently!  That gauntlet has been thrown!

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 16: Old Town Cafe

316 W Holly Street, Bellingham, WA

Full disclosure: my very thrifty father was has never been one for eating out in restaurants.  For years he maintained a beautiful vegetable garden, and one of the joys of visiting him was getting to eat fresh green beans and salads and squash.  (He never did figure out how to get tomatoes to grow regularly here, with all the rain, alas.)  But Old Town Cafe is a spot we'd usually visit once on my summer visits.  So what I'm trying to say is -- even my frugal father, my prudent Pop, thinks this place is worth your time and money.  Let's head south of downtown and try!

An old menu?  I think so!  Let's head on in!  (Am I the only person who would have ordered the fried young beef liver 70 years ago?  Maybe!)

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 15: The Birch Door Cafe

 

4192 Meridian St, Bellingham, Washington

Let's head back into town, on the north side right off of The Guide -- The Birch Door Cafe!  Seasonal fruit, mimosa menu, huge Bavarian ceilings, and no shortage of patchouli wafting in the wake of the waiters and waitresses!