Daytripping: Dining at Indian Ocean, Sea King Seafood Market and Crab House, and touring the Peale Museum
In the spring a young man’s fancy turns to what, food of course. What were you thinking? With that in mind, I have put gas in the car and turned it on.
The first stop is a new Indian restaurant in Cockeysville, Indian Ocean. It opened in early February and it is garnering good reviews, even from people who don’t care for Indian food. Too spicy many say, but hey folks, tell the waiter no or very little spice.
It’s open 7 days, and an early favorite seems to be the daily lunch buffet and a wide selection of Indian food. By the way, while I’m thinking about it, you don’t have to know anything about Indian food to enjoy the restaurant. All servers are experts in that cuisine. Just ask questions. Indian Ocean provides catering, delivery, and carry-out and plenty of parking right in front. It’s BYOB with no corkage charge.
The restaurant is well lit, with plenty of space between tables, (how many restaurants don’t have that), the owner/chef (Raju) has won a gold medal in cooking in Dubai, vegan menu and reservations are accepted. I loved the non-alcoholic mango drink, the tandoori chicken, saag paneer, avocado salad, basmati rice, and the soan papdi for dessert.
indianoceanmd@gmail.com…443-281-8028
Raju has 2 other locations: Taj Palace in Owings Mills and Bombay Nights in Perry Hall.
Okay, let’s head south to Ellicott City and visit Sea King Seafood Market and Crab House, 3417 Plumtree Drive. Open 7 days with weekly and daily specials, outdoor seating, new owners, Happy Hour 4-8 Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday (nightly in spring & summer), two-dollar crabs while supplies last Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 4 -8 and a party room.
Yes, there is seating in the rear dining room, but when you enter by the front door you’re in the seafood market. It’s there you have your choice of all kinds of seafood. It opens at 11 a.m. daily. Some of the specials include $1.00 oysters on the half shell on Tuesdays; Wednesday $1.00 wings; Thursday $2.00 off all BBQ platters and Friday $2.00 off all fried fish platters. Also available are soups, salads, sandwiches, raw bar, and desserts….www.seaking.com…410-465-9663
Okay, now let’s learn a thing or two. For that we’re going to the Peale Museum, 225 Holliday Street (almost directly across the street from city hall). Open Thursday to Sunday, Peale building tour $5.00, self-guided tours available ($5.00 donation suggested), parking lots nearby, became a National Landmark in 1965, renovated in 1978 and 1981, imagined by Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860), designed by Robert Clay Long, Sr. It was the first building in Baltimore to have gas lighting. In 1914 a campaign was waged to raise $4 million for restoration. It was completed in 1922. Its history includes housing the Bureau of Water Supply (1887-1916), serving as the city hall (1830-1835), home of the Male and Female Colored School (1878-1887) and it was one of the first grammar schools, and the first high school for African American students in Baltimore.
Worth a visit…667-222-1814….info@thepeale.org
And there you have it. Fodder for the body and mind. Thanks for going along.
Eddie Applefeld is a Baltimore native and a graduate of Towson University. He has been in the broadcasting profession for over 30 years. Currently he is the Promotions Director of WCBM radio. Before that, he was part of the Rouse & Company show on WQSR, host of a cable TV show called Dining Out and adjunct instructor at Towson.
His past accomplishments include being named a finalist in Baltimore Tourism’s Employee of the Year Program and winner of Toastmaster’s Speaker of the Year contest. He was also twice a heartthrob for the American Heart Association’s gala fund raiser.