Samos Restaurant in Baltimore's Greek Town

On our way to see a Japanese band named Envy in Baltimore, my boyfriend and I stopped by a Greek place recommended by a friend.  We both love Mediterranean flavors, so we had to try out Samos after my friend raved about the food.  http://www.samosrestaurant.com/menu.htm

I didn't even know that Baltimore had a Greek Town, but judging by the lines of people waiting for a table at 6 pm on a Saturday, this is a popular spot.  It is cash-only, but there is an ATM near the restrooms.

Trio of Homemade Greek Spreads $9.75

Olive tapenade, roasted red pepper hummus, Melitzanosalata (roasted eggplant with garlic, lemon and olive oil).  My favorite was the eggplant but my better half loved the hummus. 

 Hot pita wedges.  So good with all of the spreads.

 Small Greek Salad $6.50.  (There's a large size, but this was perfect to share.)

The famous salad dressing comes on the side in a bottle.

Spanikopita $5.75

The flaky phyllo dough encased a nice mixture of spinach and feta cheese. 

Gyro Pita Wrap with everything $5.50.

***

Samos is closed Sundays, has carryout and is BYOB.  They do not take reservations, and they do become busy, but the Greek food is worth the wait.

My Favorite Sandwiches

I love sandwiches. What's not to love? They're portable and versatile meals in your hand that require minimal clean-up. The following is a very subjective list of my favorites and where to find them.

"The Milano" at the Italian Store (big fan of the Philly and Roma too). http://www.italianstore.com/subs.html Worth the trip over the river into Virginia and the long wait in line. You can order ahead to pick up if anxiously grasping a deli ticket stub and waiting for your number to be called is not your thing. Also, you're silly if you don't order the large on a soft roll with everything. While you're waiting, check out their wines, refrigerated pastas and other Italian sundries.

Greek Deli gyro http://www.greekdelidc.com/. You will know you've found the hole-in-the-wall office-drone lunchtime take-out spot when you see the long line of people waiting to hear Kostas shout out "Next!" Know what you want to order, march up to the front and speak loudly. The Greek meatballs special looks delicious, but the gyro is my go-to.
A fairly new contender now that I no longer eat meat is the veggie wrap at Whitlows on Wilson http://www.whitlows.com/. Not a fan of their caesar dressing (too tangy) but good when you ask for their balsamic vinaigrette dressing instead. You have to order the side of onion rings, they're fantastic. Whitlows also has a wonderfully greasy turkey Reuben and good burgers.

Hank's Oyster Bar's fried oyster po'boy. http://www.hanksdc.com/ I love Hank's. Excellent selection of raw oysters. I also enjoyed their oyster po'boy. Perfectly fried oysters mounded on a buttery sandwich roll. The coleslaw accompaniment was ok, although a little watery.

Kinkead's bar menu shrimp po'boy http://www.kinkead.com/. Spicy and tangy remoulade sauce with three fried jumbo shrimp, lettuce, tomato and jalapeno slices on a grilled, buttery baguette. It's a bit fancier, but satisfying.

Perfection on a roll. Lobster roll in Boston. I've tried the lobster rolls at Hank's and Tackle Box... neither satisfied my craving. I have high hopes for the Red Hook lobster pound food truck http://foodtruckfiesta.com/red-hook-lobster-pound-food-truck/, but no desire to wait 45 minutes to two hours in line for a lobster roll. Until their line becomes shorter or they open up a brick and mortar shop, I'll make my own with steamed lobsters from Cannon's Fish Market http://www.cannonsfishmarket.com/.

***

Honorable mentions:

Cafe Tu-o-Tu Caprese Melt http://www.cafetuotu.com/ They have a great selection of salads and wraps as well.

Crabcake sandwich with a lump crabcake from Chris' Marketplace http://www.chrismarketplace.com/ You can order backfin or lump crabcakes online or visit Chris at an area farmers' market where you'll find him frying up delicious samples. His gazpacho is also terrific. He's at the Dupont market on Sundays, White House and Penn Quarter on Thursdays and Falls Church on Saturdays.