Towson [cheap] Treats

festive for the holidays.

kmackiewicz — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:32:55 +0000

A favorite cheap treat of mine is Pasta Mista right off of York road for their amazing pizza and wide variety of different types you can choose from. With the holidays approaching the inside is decorated for christmas, and the small little pizzaria is just adorable. This is the perfect place to grab a quick, affordable, and delicious dinner while enjoying the festive spirit they capture with decorations you can see from the street just driving by. The holidays put a smile on anyone’s face, and my lunch stop there was the highlight of my day.

Above all, if you’re not a pizza junky, but you appreciate Italian, their lasagna, stuffed shells, manicotti, and baked ziti are also all delicious. I’ve tried just about everything on the menu and yet to be let down. Pasta Mista is by far, the best affordable legit Italian food I’ve come across in Towson! Check out what Pasta Mista is up to!!

thank god its friday.

kmackiewicz — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:22:57 +0000

Sure everyone’s been to a friday’s, no excitement there. But I recently discovered strawberry mojitos to be my favorite at the Friday’s in Towson by the mall. Something about their blend makes for a perfect sweet treat along with a meal. Their appetizers are delicious and affordable as well. I have to note that the interior of the Towson Friday’s is a little more engaging than any TGIF’s I’ve been to back home in Jersey. The set up has a more inviting atmosphere and the staff is really friendly. I love to go mid-week during happy hour and play photohunt with friends, for an affordable & enjoyable lunch.

On a negative note, I went recently for a sit-down dinner and ordered a sirloin. I was craving one sooo bad and when it came out, alongside a measly lump of mashed potatoes it was dry and tasteless. I think I’ll stick to apps & drinks for this Towson hot spot.

another fav.

kmackiewicz — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:07:37 +0000

Another great spot in Towson to hit up for something delicious and affordable is the widely popular Panera. Off York and Putty Hill this one’s sure to be convenient. The array of soups are to good to choose just one from. French onion in a sour dough bread bowl, or Broccoli Cheddar with a chicken ceasar salad. Panera is also one of few places to eat that offers seasonal items. I’m dying for the tomato & mozzarella salad to come back they had all summer!

A great place for gorup projects as well! I worked on a large portion of my Advertising Campaign project huddled in a Panera booth with laptops plugged in and all. It’s a relaxing, casual break from the stuffy library. Check it out, if by some crazy chance, you live under a rock and have not yet!!!

hangover cure.

kmackiewicz — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:05:09 +0000

Towson Hot Bagels, popularly known as THB, is the small, friendly little bakery/deli with fresh coffee, bagels, and awesome breakfast sandwiches. This is the place to go in Towson when you need some grub and hydration. As a Jersey resident, I found my first THB visit to be quite amusing. Pork roll, as anyone else from the Garden State would know, is an obsession. Porkroll & cheese sandwiches in the A.M. are a way of life. So I stroll into THB and order my pork roll & cheese, only to recieve a weird look from the cashier as if I just spoke Greek to them.

I learned very quickly as a newcomer to the state of Maryland my freshman year of college that, in MD, it’s ‘tailored ham’, NOT porkroll. I find this amusing to this day, and worse, my dad will laugh at me everytime I slip up and say tailored ham back home!!

Title discrepencies aside, THB is the cheap, quick, replenisher of choice after a night out on the Towson town.

a little bitta chip.

kmackiewicz — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 22:00:05 +0000

Every tuesday my girlfriends and I get lunch after class and more times than not its at Chipotle. Cheap. Quick. & delicious. I usually get a burrito bowl which is a mouth watering combination of whatever you want!! The assembly line staff puts all the fresh ingredients together right before you eyes!

The one thing I do hate about Chipotle is that there’s never anywhere to sit!. During warm seasons you often get booted outside to the patio which is fine on a nice sunny day, but once winter kicks in…no bueno!

I recommend Chipotle to anyone whol oves Mexican and is on-the-go, and under a $10 buck budget for lunch! =)

Bahamarita. nuff’ said.

kmackiewicz — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:14:19 +0000

My boyfriend came to visit this weekend and so I wanted to take him somewhere fun for dinner. He’d already experienced Towson’s Bill Bateman’s bistro and Red Robin, so we decidded to kick it up a notch a spend a couple extra bucks. I took him to Bahama Breeze right up by the circle on York Road. The island/Carribbean themed restaurant is like heaven to me. First off, the decor and atmosphere from the second you walk in, is my ideal dining experience. It feels as though you are on vacation and just going out to eat at your resort.

( Sidenote- Over the summer, I painted two lifesize palm trees in my bedroom of my apartment, in order to complete the beach them I have. Simply put- I’m obsessed with anything beach themed/decorated. If Bahama Breeze were cheaper, I’d eat there once a week. )

Back to the restaurant, we grabbed a seat at the bar and started browsing the extensive list of crazy cocktails they have to offer. A girlfriend recommended I order the bahamarita, so I have it a shot. The drink came out in a pretty margarita glass garnished with orange and lime slices. A small shot of cactus shnapps was attached to the glass to add in about halfway through, or take by itself, i opted to just pour it in. The margarita was not just any margarita, the fruity combination going on was like an explosion of yumminess in my mouth. I took one sip and immediately texted my friend to say wow, you weren’t kidding.The drink consists of Cuervo gold tequila mixed with real kiwi, strawberry, and mango ices. Yummmmmmy =)

Moving onto our entree’s- again - if the menu was cheaper we would have gotten an appetizer. College kids gotta’ tight budget! Instead, we went ahead and ordered dinner, which took me probably close to twenty minutes to order because everything on the menu is so different from typical restaurants. I couldn’t make up my mind!! Every item had words I’d never heard of, seasonings, sauces, etc. that went along with the island theme. Finally, I chose the Chicken Santiago dish. A seasoned chicken breast in a red pepper sauce that came out a vibrant tangerine color. Sauteed peppers and onions were in the mix, and a root called ‘yuca’ was along side the chicken. This root reminded me of tater tots, except softer. Tasted like potatoes to me! All in all, a delicious, classier dining experience. My crappy car even got to experience valet for the first time. All of this, under 50 bucks!! Even with a pricier menu, it turned out to be a fairly cheap treat. I can’t wait to go again!

a towson landmark.

kmackiewicz — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:49:07 +0000

The Rec room and Rechter theatre have been around for years! Providing live shows, good food and drinks, and a place to relax with friends- it’s a perfect place to stop for a quick bite. The theatre side is a great place to catch live shows and has been providing Towson with entertainment for decades.

The bar section is split in two sections. One half is a huge room with pool tables, the other is tables, a dance area, and the bar. The must-have item on the menu is the Old bay wings. Rec room is known for its hearty wings, with enough meat on the bone to fill you for just eight bucks a dozen! If you’re willing to spend a couple more bucks, I tried the peel and eat shrimp smothered in ol’bay….DELICIOUS. Sure, my hands reaked of old bay and shrimp for the day, even after washing them several times, but it was well worth it.

The Rec room is a laid back, casual atmosphere and a great place to grab a few drinks and good food with friends. Check it out!!

they don’t call it happy hour for nothing.

kmackiewicz — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:25:04 +0000

Two for one drinks (this includes martinis, margaritas, jager bombs – you name it) and 1/2 price appetizers- All walking distance from class, since Bill Bateman’s is literally on Towson University campus. Got a couple hours between class and it’s not worth losing your parking spot? Well if it’s between 4-7 any weekday, Bateman’s is the underrated cheap treat of Towson perfect for grabbing a bite or a three-course meal if you feel so inclined. The wraps are the best, like the steak or chicken fajita wraps or the chicken chesepeake wrap, or the chicken parm! The crab pretzel and crab dip are two staple items you don’t go to Bateman’s without getting. And let’s not forget the wings!! bourbon, teriyaki, buffale, ol’ bay. It’s safe to say I’m a Bateman’s professional. The meals are yummy yet reasonably priced. The atmosphere is laid back and best of all, happy hour between classes helps take the sting of senior year stress away, without losing my parking spot!! Bateman’s gets an A+ from me.

spice up your life.

kmackiewicz — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:00:34 +0000

Down York Road, (a little further than Uncle Wiggly’s from my last post) is an underrated Asian diner. Pei Wei is owned by popular parent company P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and was a pleasant surprise. For a quick meal around ten bucks it was totally worth it. I had maybe heard of this place once or twice but never actually gone to experience it. The inside design is sleek Asian style that adds to the experience. Customers order at the register and wait for their food to be brought to them. It takes a formal restaurant and cuts out the expense as well as the time consumption. I ordered the dan-dan noodles which had a little kick but were deliciousssss =)

The menu items have symbols indicating how spict they are. Anything with what appears to be a little dancing figure next to the item is spicy. I’m usually a wuss but took a shot with this item and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also loved the mandarin orange iced-tea they had that I’ve never seen anywhere else. Pei Wei is in my opinion, underrated. This place was a nice change from where I usually grab lunch or dinner!

“the big bird”

kmackiewicz — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:31:33 +0000

So I had a lunch date planned with a friend I hadn’t seen in awhile. I needed something quick and affordable, close and convenient. somewhere we could meet up in the midst of both our busy days and catch up. She suggested Uncle Wiggly’s, and small icecream and sandwich deli i had never heard of. Not knowing what to expect from the menu, I browsed the fun, quirky names given to the sandwiches and various item menus. The cashier suggested I order “The Big Bird”. This sandwich consisted of a grilled chicken breast on a roll with tomato lettuce and mayo, served with a fresh pickle and choice of any homemade side. I went with the potato salad and was pleasantly surprised. You watch the sandwich freshly made in front of you and the small deli has a real homey feel with a wall’s worth of collage arranged pictures of employees, their families. It had a relaxed welcoming atmoshpere and the staff was very friendly.

I give this Towson cheap treat spot an excellent review. Close, just down York Road towards Loyola. Affordable, fresh and healthy, tasty, overall just want I want in a quick bite!!!

check out Uncle Wiggly’s!!!