Lunch at Johnny Rad’s (Baltimore, MD)

I originally intended to post this article three or four weeks ago. Then, I started working at Nordstrom during the day and hostessing at night, and my free time has become a cycle of eating, sleeping, and watching TV shows that don’t require my brain to follow along. Finally I just sat down and demanded that I churn this one out. Not only do I enjoy blogging and want to keep up with it despite my hectic schedule, I am also keen on any post that allows me to share my experiences in Baltimore with everyone. Of course, with all of the media attention on Baltimore, I debated holding off on this for a while longer, but this blog has never had a significant political charge, and I think that this is separate from all of that. As a person who grew up in a privileged household, there’s so much about what’s going on that I can’t understand, so I am not going to even dive into the issue today.

On a more positive note, I’ll begin with a simple fact: a majority of the friendships I have involve me being the third wheel. This isn’t even a new development. In high school, I hung out with a friend of mine and her boyfriend all the time. We’d go ice skating together and the boy would graciously take me around the rink once or twice after I literally flapped my way around a few times solo. We made sushi together on Valentine’s Day. They picked me up once on a snowy afternoon to go to lunch. I was basically in a relationship without having to make out with anyone.

Now, I’m the third wheel to my cousin and her fiancé. Luckily, they know that my interests involve food, drink, and comic books, so they placate me every time I’m over with dinner somewhere and a viewing of Guardians of the Galaxy. I bring the beer and my sparkling personality in order to make sure I’m contributing something to this relationship as well. On the mornings after I crash at their place, one bar we frequent is Johnny Rad’s, a nearby spot that brings to life the idea of the hipster-casual sports bar for those who enjoy skateboarding.

I don’t quite fit into the aforementioned category, but I am willing to dine anywhere that provides me with a savory thin-crust pizza. At this point, I’ve eaten at Johnny Rad’s a couple of times and have learned that a good beer should always be ordered over a charmless, awkward cocktail and that pizza is the prime reason to step into this spot. The substantial options for pizza would take anyone a while to get through, but one that should not be passed over is the Trainwreck. I was immediately drawn to this when I saw that a few of the toppings were spinach, black olives, and olive oil. Then, I was wholly won over by the time I noticed that the others were mushrooms and mozzarella. This was a filling, bright option perfect for someone like me who entertains the thought that pizza is healthy.

Less appealing, though still good, was the Sei Cheese with mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, asiago, and romano cheese. Maybe Cinque Cheese would have been better, or even an extra brush of tomato sauce; there needed to be some small tweak to cut down on the mass of saltiness that was heaped onto that pie. This was the clunky cousin of the tamed chaos of my first choice. However, it did not dissuade me from returning, and I will probably be back in the next month or so to test out the remaining plethora of pizzas on the menu.

After a long night of drinking beer or wine, Johnny Rad’s is the perfect pick-me-up. For those who just want to inhale some solid food and wipe away the pain from the night before, this is the unrefined place to walk into. It’s a laid-back dive bar where the hipster bartenders appear as if they’ve never been enthusiastic about anything ever, but I kind of love it all and I always look forward to going back.

Advertisement