Grand Central Oyster Bar

In October I went to the famous Grand Central Oyster Bar for their Oyster Frenzy event. The one day event featured live music, oyster shucking competitions and a special menu.

I had previously only tried the New England Clam Chowder so was keen to finally compare it to the New York style. The tomato based NY chowder provided a stronger clam taste where as the New England chowder had a much creamier consistent taste.  I am still not sure which one I prefer as they are actually quite different in taste even though they are both clam chowders.

For oysters I tried both the oyster anchovy and oyster casino. Both were amazing and would love to try again. 

Australian Abroad- No Reservations: Baltimore and the Rust Belt

I have long been a fan of Anthony Bourdain’s tv show No Reservation and the subsequent Layover show on the Travel Channel. It has always taken to me to great restaurants in New York  and the North Eastern United States.

During my trip to Baltimore I went to two of the restaurants featured in the Rust Belt episode.  The first stop was in Downtown at Mo’s Crab and Pasta Factory. Here I ordered the Maryland crab soup and the clam’s casino. I had never tried a clam’s casino and absolutely loved it. The mix between the salty seafood and creamy cheese was wonderful. 

The next stop was out in the suburbs of Baltimore to the Lake Trout restaurant. This restaurant features traditional Southern cooking so I went straight for the fried chicken wings with a side of  mac and cheese and collard greens. It was really nice and one of the better Southern meals I had tried.

Australian Abroad and Baltimore

In September I took a day trip down to Baltimore, the capital of Maryland. The city is situated on a natural harbour of the Patapsco River, which flows into Chesapeake Bay. I started my journey in their Little Italy area. From there it is a short 5 minute walk to the harbour. Downtown Baltimore is all situated around the harbour so it is an easy walk between the key tourist areas. Close to the harbour in downtown Baltimore are the stadiums for the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens. From there I caught a subway out to the suburbs to Rogers Station in Woodmere. The city has faced troubles since the economic downturn and it was easy to see that compared with the inner city. I would have loved to stay longer to see a baseball or football game as the fans for both teams are very passionate. 

Australian Abroad Day Trip - New Brunswick

Once again through Megabus I was able to get a $2.50 round trip bus ticket to New Brunswick in New Jersey. New Brunswick is the home of New Jersey's State University, Rutgers University. It is very much a college town with lots of Frat houses and school buildings. I walked over to see their football stadium, High Point Solutions Stadium, which was surprisingly open when I was there. The University was opened in 1776 and has many of its original buildings still standing. The weather was amazing while I was there and I would definitely recommend it as a day trip from NYC. 

Australian Abroad vs Food: New Brunswick

On my day trip to New Brunswick, New Jersey I went to two restaurants featured on Man Vs Food. The first was the RU Hungry grease truck. RU stands for Rutgers University. I ordered the Fat Darrell, which was created by a student at the university. It is fried chicken strips, fried mozzarella sticks, fries, lettuce and tomato with marinara sauce on a roll. It was insanely delicious and one of the best rolls I have ever eaten.

The second restaurant was Stuff Yer Face. This restaurant is where the famous chef Mario Batali got his start. In his honour I ordered the Batali Bolo which is Batali's son's favourite. It is essentially a lasagna in a Stromboli with ricotta and mozzarella cheese with tomato sauce. 

National Museum for Crime and Punishment

Around the corner from the American Art Museum is the National Museum for Crime and Punishment. The museum holds a wide variety of artifacts from America's crime history including Bonnie and Clyde's car and John Wayne Gacy's clothing. Tickets are $21.95 plus tax. I am not sure it was really worth it compared to the other free museums in Washington DC that are actually better. I would probably pass unless I was really interested in crime.