Calamari

Raw or steamed, squid has little appeal to us. But bread and fry it, and we're big fans. We ordered fried calamari from four area restaurants. Here's what turned up. Mezze 1606 Thames St., Baltimore -- 410-563-7600 Hours --5 p.m.-11 p.m. daily Restaurant's estimate --10-15 minutes Ready in --11 minutes Presentation beat out substance with this order, $9.40. With pecorino cheese, garlic sauce, chopped tomatoes and lettuce, it looked the prettiest. But there was only about half as much calamari as in the other orders.

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. The kitchen, supervised by chef and owner Nicholas Georgalas, dishes up zesty Greek fare in portions that would feed an All-American football player. The dozen or so tables split between two dining rooms, one offering a view of the open kitchen, are usually full — occupied by priests, workmen, staff members from nearby Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and extended families.

Angela B. Calamari grew up in a cold-water flat in a tough neighborhood in Brooklyn, N. Y., and started her career as a social worker.So when the Ellicott City teacher began to work with a Baltimore City church's social service outreach center two years ago, she knew twoimportant things.She knew the problems of poverty in the city and she knew not to go in as Lady Bountiful tossing coins from her carriage to the poor."One of the things I think is particularly characteristic of Angela is that outgoing personality.

I'm biased. I make no pretense to the contrary. Maisy's, 313 N. Charles St., is my favorite go-to lunch stop within reasonable walking distance from my downtown Baltimore office. The menu has never disappointed in quality and care. There've been days when I thought the service a bit relaxed, but then they've never seemed busy enough to get the staff adrenal glands really pumping. Nevertheless, much as I love Maisy's, it's not the very first place I'd send someone who's in a hurry. With that in mind, I deliberately put the screws to Maisy's to see how they'd fare in a luncheon time trial.

Portalli's is a pretty lovable Italian restaurant in the Ellicott City location where Jordan's Steakhouse was. I like very much that the folks who opened it have stated their intentions clearly on the restaurant's Web page: "The goal was to create a restaurant that has as much appeal for families looking for a night on the town as it does for the most critical foodies, and the end result is a restaurant everybody can enjoy." Even better, I like that they had a plan in the first place. Do they achieve that goal at every moment and with every dish?

It has been Mobtown and Crabtown and Charm City. And, for a while, Baltimore was Nickel City. This was early in the 20th century, when a nickel actually bought something: a sandwich, a beer, a taxi dance or a trolley ride. When the buffalo nickel was introduced in 1913, Baltimoreans used more of them than anyone else in the country.This history lesson comes courtesy of the new Nickel City Grill in Harborplace. The owner and chef are Sunbelters, but their place pays tribute to our town's history; the deco design, which uses lots of dark wood and features sleek booths that resemble railroad dining cars, recalls Baltimore's former reputation as an industrial and transportation center, and the menu updates the region's famed seafood, chicken and ribs.

Chicagoans have eaten oceans of squid since the growth in popularity of fried calamari. And who can blame us, because the lightly breaded calamari are delicious - whether dipped in a zesty tomato sauce or garlicky aioli or on their own. But I'll wager that only a few of us have eaten squid prepared in other ways, whether sauteed, grilled, braised or stuffed and baked. It's too bad; squid are delicious and beloved in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. They're also rich in protein and low in saturated fat. Don't let squeamishness put you off from trying a squid recipe.

Unlike the heavy Italian food -- pasta, veal and peppers, calamari -- that is served on stage in Tom Dulack's "Breaking Legs," this comedy, which opened last night at the Mechanic Theatre, is definitely light fare.As directed by John Tillinger, its chief delight comes from the obvious pleasure the cast takes in performing this slight, but tightly staged, script. Indeed, at times it's delicioso to see Vincent Gardenia, Joseph Mascolo and Vince Viverito throw their weight around as big-time operators in a small town.

Aegean, 4901 Eastern Ave., (410) 633-0100. Major credit cards accepted. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesdays to Sundays. No-smoking area: yes. Prices: appetizers, $3.95- $15.95; entrees, $7.95-$19.95. ***One of my guests ordered calamari at the Aegean. From the name and the location (where the Mediterranean used to be), he had been expecting a Greek restaurant, and he always orders calamari at Greek restaurants. Never mind that a specialty of the house is rack of lamb en croute. Never mind that you can get a New York strip forestiere here, or veal piccata Romana.

THE importance of truly good fried calamari, like they serve at Fazzini's Italian Kitchen in Cockeysville, never should be underestimated. Here's a classic example of why. A friend once was up for a very big job at New York's Daily News. The interview rolled over into lunch in an Italian restaurant, and calamari was ordered. The friend had never had calamari before but did not want to advertise this for fear of appearing too unworldly to work in New York. So, he plunged in and managed to retrieve the rubberiest example of fried squid ever prepared.

Portalli's is a pretty lovable Italian restaurant in the Ellicott City location where Jordan's Steakhouse was. I like very much that the folks who opened it have stated their intentions clearly on the restaurant's Web page: "The goal was to create a restaurant that has as much appeal for families looking for a night on the town as it does for the most critical foodies, and the end result is a restaurant everybody can enjoy." Even better, I like that they had a plan in the first place. Do they achieve that goal at every moment and with every dish?

Some restaurants, you feel, will succeed simply because of the force of the owner's personality. In the case of Umi Sake, the new sushi restaurant in Cockeysville where Pacific Rim used to be, I imagine people will go just because the owner, Lisa Lee, is such a positive presence in the dining room. Lee used to own Johnny's Sushi in Timonium, named after her brother the chef. She sold the place and had a baby. Three years later when Pacific Rim in Cockeysville closed, the landlord called her to see if she'd be interested in being a restaurateur again.

Fins on the Square takes over the old Rick's Cafe Americain space on Canton Square from Granite Bar and Grille, which tried to make it with a (tired) industrial theme, a concept that lasted less than two years. Fins, under the same ownership, is going with a beach club theme - it looks like a Jimmy Buffett concert exploded in there. It's just as random, but seems like a much better fit for the neighborhood. There was a lively happy-hour crowd at the bar when we visited on a weeknight, and Fins was feeling less like a fourth-choice-on-the-square place than Granite ever did. The airy interior space is evenly divided between the entrance-side bar and the dining room, and on a recent late-summer evening, the large front windows on both sides were open to the breeze.

Raw or steamed, squid has little appeal to us. But bread and fry it, and we're big fans. We ordered fried calamari from four area restaurants. Here's what turned up. Mezze 1606 Thames St., Baltimore -- 410-563-7600 Hours --5 p.m.-11 p.m. daily Restaurant's estimate --10-15 minutes Ready in --11 minutes Presentation beat out substance with this order, $9.40. With pecorino cheese, garlic sauce, chopped tomatoes and lettuce, it looked the prettiest. But there was only about half as much calamari as in the other orders.

Chicagoans have eaten oceans of squid since the growth in popularity of fried calamari. And who can blame us, because the lightly breaded calamari are delicious - whether dipped in a zesty tomato sauce or garlicky aioli or on their own. But I'll wager that only a few of us have eaten squid prepared in other ways, whether sauteed, grilled, braised or stuffed and baked. It's too bad; squid are delicious and beloved in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. They're also rich in protein and low in saturated fat. Don't let squeamishness put you off from trying a squid recipe.

If you've ever been charmed by some of the names of the streets in the Columbia/Laurel area, you're sure to be smitten with that Maryland community's latest eatery. That's because the name - Fire Rock Grill - is actually borrowed from one of those streets. According to restaurant manager Greg Sanders, the owners of the restaurant were neighbors on Laurel's Fire Rock Road. Sanders says Nish Patel and Vahn Ennis talked for years about opening a restaurant together. This week, that fantasy becomes reality.

Even if you're unfamiliar with Thai cuisine, you'll have no problem with the menu at Thai Classic. It's full of color photos of the most popular appetizers and entrees.Owner Surachai Vongvighat thought that would be helpful to customers when he opened the restaurant two years ago in a small strip shopping center in Eldersburg.The storefront restaurant is done in peach with dark green trim. The tablecloths are also dark green. There are framed photos of Thai royalty on the walls and a single fresh rose on each table.

It's almost inconceivable that an upscale steakhouse would close in this day and age -- they are usually so popular -- but McCafferty's did. Now a restaurant has opened in its place that I would say is even more of a sure thing: a moderately priced Italian trattoria. Of course, I was wrong before. The space has been completely renovated, with warm Mediterranean colors and a much more casual feel. Buono isn't stylish, but it is comfortable. The tables are well-spaced so you don't feel crowded even when the restaurant is full, and the wall-to-wall carpeting helps keep the noise level down.

It's almost inconceivable that an upscale steakhouse would close in this day and age -- they are usually so popular -- but McCafferty's did. Now a restaurant has opened in its place that I would say is even more of a sure thing: a moderately priced Italian trattoria. Of course, I was wrong before. The space has been completely renovated, with warm Mediterranean colors and a much more casual feel. Buono isn't stylish, but it is comfortable. The tables are well-spaced so you don't feel crowded even when the restaurant is full, and the wall-to-wall carpeting helps keep the noise level down.

Samos Restaurant in East Baltimore has been taking good care of folks for many years. Doctors from the nearby Bayview medical campus, beat cops, Greek-speaking locals and regulars who come from miles away all have discovered this unassuming eatery. There's no great mystery behind its success. Samos uses fresh ingredients and tried-and-true recipes, and offers good service. Situated a block off Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown, Samos used to have a hole-in-the-wall feel - one room with a handful of tables.