Ravens at Patriots, Saturday Jan. 10, 4:30 p.m., Gillette Stadium, CBS

Those who automatically assume that New England has the edge in the coaching matchup this weekend might want to reconsider.

Bill Belichick, the Patriots’ Annapolis-reared, perpetually scowling legend of a coach, has a 19-9 career postseason record. John Harbaugh, the man who’ll be standing across the field from him on Saturday, has a higher playoff winning percentage—and manages to smile once in a while.

If not for an almost-catch (followed by a missed short field goal), John Harbaugh would be batting 1.000 against Belichick when it counts (unfortunately, that dropped TD and missed chippie in 2012 did in fact count, so he’s 2-1 in the playoffs against The Hooded One).

Whether you’re heading up to Massachusetts for the game, going to a bar in Baltimore, or watching at home, food and drink will play a pivotal role in your game-day experience. This promises to be a classic Saturday on all fronts.

What to Eat: New England has a rich culinary tradition that centers on shellfish. Clam chowder or oyster stew (with bacon!) are winter classics. A New England clambakeA New England clambake is the best way to enjoy the largest variety of seafood, although it’s usually prepared in the summer outside. While there are stovetop clambake recipes, they seemed a bit ambitious for me, so I’ll be making Boston baked beans, a great accompaniment to almost any dish.

• 2 cups navy beans (soak them in cold water overnight)
• ½ pound of bacon
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons of molasses
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
• ½ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon of Worcester sauce
• ¼ cup of brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion. In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.

What to Drink: Many credit Samuel Adams for America’s craft beer renaissance. The Boston Brewing Company started producing beer in 1984 and now is one of the country’s largest breweries. Its Winter Lager, White Christmas, and Chocolate Bock are reliable cold-weather favorites. Also Boston based, Harpoon Brewery makes one of the most drinkable IPAs on the market. At 5.9 percent APV, it’s a well-balanced beer with the right amount of hops.

If You Go: Foxborough, home to Gillette Stadium, is actually a not-much-to-it suburb about a half hour southwest of Boston. If you do head north, stay in Boston, one of America’s culturally richest cities.

Normally I’d advise against blindly flocking to the requisite tourist sites, but in Beantown, they’re worth it. If the weather’s nice(ish), a stroll along the Freedom Trail or in Boston Common is a must. Stop for a drink at the
Bull and Finch Pub, better known to the TV-viewing world as Cheers.

Eastern Standard is a handsome restaurant with a large bar on Commonwealth Avenue near Fenway Park, an area that is crowded with large chain bars. It has a substantial cocktail menu and solid food.

If you’re in town for a few days, the
Russell House Tavern just across the river in Cambridge’s Harvard Square serves classics like lobster sliders and crispy fried Cape Cod oysters. FuGaKyu, located just outside the city in Brookline, has more than just a clever name. It claims to be the largest Japanese restaurant in New England, and definitely serves some of the best sushi in town.

Browns at Ravens, Sunday Dec. 28, 1:00 p.m., M&T Bank Stadium, CBS

After four months, 15 games, and countless consumed calories and adult beverages, both the Ravens’ regular season and this column are coming to an end. Whether or not they continue into January is the question, and Baltimore can begin to answer it by beating the Browns. The Ravens also need some help from Kansas City, which must beat San Diego (the Chiefs are 2 1/2 point favorites). Sunday won’t lack drama—or good food and drink.

What to Eat: When I was in Cleveland last month, I spent some time roaming through the West Side Market. It has fewer prepared food vendors than our Cross Street or Lexington markets, but far, far more sausage for sale. Polish, Italian, Slovenian, Hungarian—if you’re in the market for eastern European sausage, the West Side Market has you covered. In Baltimore, Binkert’s in Rosedale is a treasure trove of German sausage. It sells some of the best bratwurst around (rumor has it that the German Embassy in Washington is a customer), and I’ll be using some of it to make this bratwurst stew-type dish. (Note: the market is closed on Sundays, so stop in on Saturday.)

• 3 pounds uncooked bratwurst
• 3 pounds small red potatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 pound baby carrots
• 1 large red onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 2 jars (4-1/2 ounces each) whole mushrooms, drained
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
For each of two foil packets, arrange a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 17 by 15 inches) on a flat surface. Cut brats into thirds. Divide the brats, potatoes, carrots, onion and mushrooms evenly between the two double-layer foil pieces. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with soup mix, soy sauce and pepper. Bring edges of foil together; crimp to seal, forming two large packets. Seal tightly; turn to coat. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 23-28 minutes on each side or until vegetables are tender and sausage is no longer pink.

What to Drink: Great Lakes Brewing Company has been making some of the best craft beer in the country since 1988. I visited the brewery in the Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood (not the most creative name) and came away even more impressed by its numerous offerings. You can’t buy Great Lakes in Maryland, but you can get it in Virginia and D.C., and I have to say, the Christmas Ale is worth the drive. Brewed with honey, ginger, and cinnamon, it’s spicy but eminently drinkable. It’s seasonal, but the Eliot Ness Amber Lager, Dortmunder Gold Lager, Burning River Pale Ale, and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter are brewed year round. They’re all excellent.

If you can’t get your hands on any of them, I’d suggest a nice German beer to go with your brats. Total Wine stocks more than 100, including Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier, Hofbrau, and Warsteiner Premium Dunkel.

Ravens at Texans, Sunday Dec. 21, 1:00 p.m., NRG Stadium, CBS

Baltimore heads to the Lone Star State this week to play a reeling Houston team in the season’s penultimate regular season game. The Texans lost their starting quarterback for the season in a loss at Indianapolis last week, so they’ll be playing a backup against the Ravens. They are, however, mathematically still alive for a playoff spot. I’m a bit surprised that Baltimore is only a 4½-point favorite. I plan on betting on the Ravens, devouring a boatload of barbecue, and watching what offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak has in store for the team that fired him as its head coach after last season.

What to Eat: Texas loves its barbecue, and down there beef is the favored meat. Of course, true barbecue is smoked, which is notoriously tough to do at home without the right equipment. I found this recipe for Texas oven-roasted beef brisket that’s a worthy non-smoked substitute.

• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 bay leaf, crushed
• 4 pounds beef brisket, trimmed
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make a dry rub by combining chili powder, salt, garlic and onion powders, black pepper, sugar, dry mustard, and bay leaf. Season the raw brisket on both sides with the rub. Place in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for one hour. Add beef stock and enough water to yield about a half inch of liquid in the roasting pan. Lower oven to 300 degrees, cover pan tightly and continue cooking for three hours, or until fork-tender. Trim the fat and slice meat thinly across the grain. Top with juice from the pan.

As I wrote about in the fall, Baltimore is an up and coming barbecue city. Big Bad Wolf (5713 Harford Rd.) serves beef ribs, as does Midtown BBQ and Brew (15 E. Centre St.). Blue Pit BBQ (1601 Union Ave.) has been open since the summer, but just started serving a full menu, which includes Zeke’s-coffee-rubbed brisket, which I can’t wait to try.

What to Drink: One of the country’s most beloved beers comes from a little town of 2,069 residents about two hours west of Houston. Shiner Bock is a dark lager brewed with roasted barely malt and German specialty hops. It was originally a seasonal beer, but its popularity convinced the company to begin producing it year round in 1973.

If You Go: Houston is a sprawling metropolis of more than 2 million citizens, making it the country’s fourth-most populous city. Spread over nearly 600 square miles, it’s not the most walkable of cities. No matter how you get there, definitely check out the Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Texas’ oldest craft brewery offers tours on Saturdays between noon and 2 p.m., and its beer hall is a great place to sample Fancy Lawnmower, a German-style Kölsch.

In a city full of great barbecue restaurants, Gatlin’s stands out. If you make the pilgrimage, be prepared for lines out the door and some of the best ribs you’ve ever had.

Jaguars at Ravens, Sunday Dec. 14, 1:00 p.m., M&T Bank Stadium, CBS

The Jacksonville Jaguars may be the most nondescript city/franchise combination in the NFL. Quick—name the most talented player on the Jags. Now think about some of the city’s famous landmarks. Its famous native sons? You get the idea. One thing I can tell you definitively is that no one in the NFL possesses a better mustache or boat than Jags owner Shad Khan.

The Jags and their hometown don’t generally get a lot of attention outside of north Florida, but that won’t matter when the Ravens play the AFC South’s cellar dweller. Baltimore is a big favorite (14 points) against one of only three teams in the league without a win on the road this season. Still, with only three games left and the playoff picture uncomfortably crowded, the Ravens can’t afford to overlook anyone, no matter how insignificant they might be.

What to Eat: Jacksonville isn’t known for any one food item or cuisine. It’s hardly New Orleans. How do I know this? The Florida Times-Union’s food editor said so in the lead of a story he wrote on the subject in the days before the city hosted Super Bowl XXXIX in 2004. Buried at the bottom of the article is a mention of the one Jacksonville original—a Lubi sandwich. You can only get an authentic one at one of the three Lubi’s locations in Jacksonville, but I’m going to attempt to create one in my kitchen:

• Lean ground sirloin
• Kraft American Cheese
• Onions
• A sub roll.

Directions:
Load the cooked sirloin onto the sub roll, top with cheese and onions (peppers can be added as well), and steam. This is the key step. Lubi’s are steamed, which can make them messy to eat. Most people use a knife and fork. (I know what I’ll be eating isn’t a true Lubi sandwich, but it sounds gooey and delicious, doesn’t it?)

If you’re heading out, a plate of alligator bites at Abbey Burger Bistro in Federal Hill is sufficiently Floridian. They’re battered and fried, and served with a spicy honey mustard sauce.

What to Drink: Stick with me here. Each year one of college football’s most cleverly-nicknamed games is staged in Jacksonville, where Florida meets Georgia in “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” This season the Gators upset the Bulldogs. Eight days later, the Jags played the Dallas Cowboys in London. Since it’s scheduled to play one game there each year through 2016, Jacksonville is unofficially England’s NFL team. Thus, on Sunday I’ll be drinking British Bulldogs:

• 1 ounce butterscotch schnapps
• 1 oz coffee liqueur
• 1 oz vodka
• 2-3 oz half cream

Directions:
Measure one-ounce shots of the butterscotch schnapps, coffee liqueur, and vodka into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Stir in the half and half to top off drink. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Chargers at Ravens, Sunday Nov. 30, 1:00 p.m., M&T Bank Stadium, CBS

Monday felt positively San Diegan here. The temperature topped 70, the sun shined brightly, and the Ravens did their part to preserve the beautiful day by beating the Saints in New Orleans. By Wednesday, the weather turned downright nasty, which hopefully will be the case when the Chargers come to town Sunday for a critical game between 7-4 teams. If you’ve never been to San Diego, imagine a place where it’s always sunny and you don’t need a thermometer that goes above 90 or under 50. Weather-wise, it’s paradise, which is why the Chargers often struggle in cold-weather locales late in the season. This year they’re 2-3 on the road.

What to Eat: California’s second-largest city (by population) is known for its fish tacos, which are as popular on bar and restaurant menus there as crab cakes are in Baltimore. Unfortunately for tacos de pescado lovers here (and crab cake aficionados there, for that matter), the dish seems to fizzle on the opposite coast. There are a few places around town that offer their take, including Captain Larry’s in Locust Point, Little Havana in Federal Hill, and Riptide by the Bay and Papi’s Tacos in Fells Point, all of which use mahi mahi. Holy Frijoles in Hampden favors beer battered cod. For my money, the best fish taco in Baltimore can be found at Tortilleria Sinaloa in Fells, which uses tilapia with an Old Bay butter sauce. The difference maker is its fresh tortillas, which you can buy and use to make your own version.

Speaking of which, this is the intriguing recipe I’ll be using to make tuna, goat cheese, and spinach tacos on Sunday.

• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 ounces room-temperature goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 1/2 pounds (1/2-inch-thick) tuna steaks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 4 tortillas

Directions:
Combine sour cream and goat cheese in a bowl, stirring until blended. Set aside.

Sprinkle tuna steaks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add tuna, and cook two minutes per side. Remove from skillet, and set aside.

Add tomatoes to skillet, and remove from heat. Cook tomatoes with residual heat for one minute, stirring constantly. Add spinach; stir one minute or until slightly wilted. Remove from skillet.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Slice tuna across the grain into 1/4-inch strips. Place strips on half of each tortilla. Top with spinach and tomatoes, and drizzle with goat cheese mixture.

What to Drink: Like many cities, San Diego has undergone a craft-beer revolution in recent years. The best to migrate east, in my opinion, is Stone Brewing Co. (located in nearby Escondido), which brews the tremendous (and tremendously hoppy) Stone IPA. Mixed 12-packs, the devilish Ruination IPA (8.2 percent ABV), and other varieties are available at Total Wine in Towson and other liquor stores in the area.

If you’re thinking cocktail, look no further than this one, inspired by the man who delivered the most memorable line in the history of local news The Ultimate Ron Burgundy Scotchy Scotch Scotch Cocktail, created by Nate Howell, head bartender at Cusp Dining & Drinks in La Jolla, just outside of San Diego:

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 oz. Scotch (Howell uses Famous Grouse)
• ½ oz. fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz. fresh grapefruit juice
• 2 dashes peach bitters
• 2 dashes angostura bitters
• 1 orange or lemon peel, for garnish

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat brown sugar and one cup water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a shaker with ice, combine the Scotch, lemon and grapefruit juices, half-ounce of brown sugar simple syrup, and bitters. Shake vigorously and strain into a short glass with large ice. Garnish with an orange peel.

Ravens at Saints, Monday Nov. 24, 8:30 p.m., Mercedes-Benz Superdome, ESPN

By the time Monday Night Football kicks off, 15 days will have elapsed since the Ravens last suited up. So you can bet the players—and certainly the fans—will indeed be ready for some football. Baltimore returns to the city of its last title triumph for a game that could affect each team’s hopes of getting to this year’s Super Bowl. Remarkably, the Saints are tied for first place in the woeful NFC South division with a 4-6 record. But they still have Drew Brees, one of the league’s outstanding quarterbacks, and a rabid fan base that will be lubed up and ready to explode. I have a feeling that will describe a lot of Ravens fans watching in Baltimore as well.

What to Eat: Stop into Sláinte in Fells Point for a big ol’ bowl of seafood gumbo (recently featured, and rightly so, on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives), or pick up a bucket of spicy fried chicken (and dirty rice) from Adam Jones’ beloved Popeye’s. (Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema consistently lists it among his guilty pleasures.) If you don’t want to leave the house or even “cook,” grab a box of McCormick-owned Zatarain’s jambalaya mix, some smoked sausage and de-shelled oysters, chop up an onion and a bell pepper, and dump it all into a pot of boiling water. Reduce the burner to low, cover, and 30 minutes later douse with hot sauce. I guarantee it’s the easiest (only?) Cajun meal you’ve ever made.

What to Drink: Abita has been brewing excellent beers 30 miles north of New Orleans for nearly three decades. Its Jockamo IPA, Purple Haze, and Turbodog (a dark brown ale) are staples throughout the city and can be found in many liquor stores in Baltimore. I’ll be having Restoration Pale Ale, sales of which has raised more than $550,000 for hurricane relief. Brewed with pale, caramel, and carapils malts, it has a “rich body, mild bitterness, and a snappy citrus hop flavor and aroma.”

The Sazerac Company has been producing spirits in New Orleans for nearly a century. The Sazerac cocktail has been a favorite in the Big Easy for even longer. Here’s how to make one at home.

• 1 cube sugar
• 1 1/2 ounces (35ml) Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon
• 1/4 ounce Herbsaint
• 3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• Lemon peel

Directions:
Pack an Old-Fashioned glass with ice. In a second Old-Fashioned glass place the sugar cube and add the Peychaud’s Bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube. Add the whiskey to the second glass containing the Peychaud’s Bitters and sugar. Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with the Herbsaint, then discard the remaining Herbsaint. Empty the whiskey/bitters/sugar mixture from the second glass into the first glass and garnish with lemon peel.

If You Go: Please, please wander off Bourbon Street. With plenty of chain restaurants and bars, crappy strip clubs, and drunken revelers who think they’re in the “real” New Orleans, most of Bourbon Street is not unlike Harborplace and The Block rolled into one. There are exceptions of course (the venerable restaurant Galatoire’s, blues bar The Funky Pirate, and touristy-but-still-worth-at-least-one-trip Pat O’Brien’s and Lafitte Blacksmith Shop Bar being a few), but would you want an out-of-towner to judge Baltimore based on a trip to Hooters or the Hard Rock?

The soul of this beautiful and other-worldly city lies in the narrow brick-lined streets of the greater French Quarter, in the music clubs that line Frenchmen Street (The Spotted Cat is always hoppin’), in the nouveau restaurants of the Warehouse District (Donald Link’s Cochon executes Cajun cooking brilliantly), and in the magnificent mansions of the Garden District.

For every must-hit like beignets at Café du Monde, mix in a trip to a place like Miss Mae’s (an Uptown dive bar near the legendary music club Tipitina’s). The best way to enjoy New Orleans, however, is to have no plan at all. Stroll through the city at a leisurely pace (if you’re in the quarter you can even sip an adult beverage so long as it’s in a plastic cup), stopping into a restaurant that lures you with the smell of boiling shrimp, or a bar from which the sweet wail of a saxophone proves irresistible.

The Ravens have reached their bye week with a record of 6-4, which perhaps unjustly—but definitely unambiguously—has them tied for last place in the AFC North. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, this is the latest in the season that every team in one division has been at least two games over .500.

But in the NFL, circumstances can change quickly: if the other three teams in the division lose this week, the Ravens will find themselves tied for first place. Regardless of what happens, Baltimore has some work to do if it’s going to make it to Arizona for Super Bowl XLIX. (That’s 49 for the Roman numerically-challenged.)

With six games left in the regular season, let’s take a moment to review the highlights, lowlights, and consider the future.

We’re No. 11!

Both Baltimore’s offense and its defense are ranked 11th (out of 32 teams) in the NFL. QB Joe Flacco’s best game came on Oct. 12, when he threw five touchdown passes in a little over a quarter in a rout of hapless Tampa Bay. The defense has been inconsistent, especially in the secondary. Case in point: It held Pittsburgh to six points in Week 2, but surrendered 43 points to those same Steelers on Nov. 2.

A two-point win over Cleveland and two close losses to Cincinnati shows how razor thin the margin is between making the playoffs or playing golf after the regular season ends.

Best Served Cold
Revenge. New wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. swore he’d exact it on his former team, and when the Carolina Panthers came to town on Sept. 28, he made good on his promise. Smith caught seven passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the Ravens’ win.

Running back Justin Forsett has been another welcome addition. An obscure Jacksonville Jaguar (aren’t they all?) last season, when he rushed for a total of 31 yards, he was thrust into a starting role following Ray Rice’s suspension and subsequent release. He’s responded in a big way, racking up 721 yards already. Mark Dec. 14 on your calendar; I’m sure Forsett has. That’s when the Jaguars visit Baltimore.

Steel Rollercoaster
Pittsburgh remains the Ravens’ archrival, and the two games between the two were, as always, quite memorable. When the Steelers visited M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 11, the Ravens were reeling. Not only had they lost their opener to the Bengals, the Ray Rice situation had exploded onto the national consciousness the Monday after. In the midst of the firestorm the team rallied to a 26-6 victory in which Flacco threw two touchdown passes.

About two months later, the script was flipped when the Ravens travelled to Heinz Field for a nationally televised Sunday night game. After jumping out to a 7-0 lead, Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger threw six touchdown passes in the Steelers’ 43-23 rout. The loss prompted the Ravens to make wholesale changes in their secondary.

John Harbaugh Speaks—Were We Supposed to Listen?
When Baltimore prepared to play Tennessee a few days after Roethlisberger shredded their defense, the coach jokingly said of Titans QB Zach Mettenberger, “He’s No. 7 and his last name ends in ‘berger,’ so there’s a similarity there with a guy we just played.” Not quite. The Ravens held the Titans and their rookie quarterback to seven points in a 21-7 win.

After that Tennessee victory, the Steelers were on Harbaugh’s mind yet again. “That team beat us last week…then they went and
got their ass kicked this week,” he told his team in the locker room. CBS’s cameras captured the speech and broadcast his comments, much to the entire organization’s ire. The network quickly apologized.

Looking Ahead
The three teams (Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh) that have beat the Ravens own a winning percentage of .607 (17-10-1). The six Baltimore has defeated are 21-30-1 (a .403 winning percentage). At .600 percent, the Ravens are right in the middle.

Baltimore’s six remaining opponents own a record of 25-30 (.454), which bodes well for their chances the rest of the way. Its biggest more challenging test may be a Monday night trip to New Orleans on Nov. 24 to play the Saints, who are always tough at the Superdome. Playoff fates, and perhaps even the division title, could be decided on the final Sunday of the season, when the Cleveland Browns come to town.

Bookmakers in Vegas have the Ravens listed as 40-1 to win the Super Bowl. Twelve teams have better odds, including the favored Denver Broncos at 7-2.

Titans at Ravens, Sunday Nov. 9, 1 p.m., M&T Bank Stadium, CBS

The Tennessee Titans are one of the NFL’s four alliterative teams, and also one of the 32-team league’s four worst. At 2-6, the tiny Titans are just the type of sacrificial lamb the suddenly struggling Ravens need to feast on to turn their fortunes around. I could tell you how Tennessee’s opponents have outscored them by 65 points (by comparison, the Ravens have outscored theirs by 66), or how the Titans have won just one game on the road. I could tell you how they’re ranked 27th in offense and 23rd in defense, or how Vegas oddsmakers think so little of them that they’ve installed Baltimore as a huge, 10-point favorite. But really, all you need to know is this: Three weeks ago the Titans lost to the Washington Redskins. That tells the whole story.

What to Eat: The Titans are based in Nashville, a rapidly-growing vibrant city of musical and increasingly culinary acclaim. Seventy-five miles south of the country music capital sits Lynchburg, home to the Jack Daniel’s distillery. Mind-bogglingly, the town is located in a dry county, meaning the whiskey is not available for consumption at stores or restaurants there. Luckily, it is here.

I’ll be using it to make Oven BBQ Tennessee Pork Tenderloin:

• ¼ cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin

Directions:
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine all ingredients except the pork tenderloin in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until slightly thickened, about five minutes. Place the tenderloin on a foil-lined baking or roasting pan. Brush with the sauce. Roast for about 30 minutes until the internal temperature is 150 degrees. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest about 10 minutes before slicing. Makes six servings.

Nashville’s Monell’s fries some seriously delicious chicken in its legendary skillets. While I generally prefer to consume my fried chicken behind drawn blinds in the privacy of my own home, I make an exception for the Cardinal Tavern (901 S. Clinton St.), which serves some of the best golden, crispy chicken I’ve found in Baltimore. It also has a nice whiskey selection and some big TVs to watch the game.

What to Drink: There is seemingly no limit to the number of ways one can self-administer a Jack Daniel’s-induced hangover. I will be choosing Tennessee Tea as my delivery method.

Combine two ounces of Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, one ounce of triple sec, one ounce of sweet and sour mix, and an ounce or so of Coke. Pour into a rocks glass filled with ice, garnish with a lemon or lime if you so wish, and enjoy.

Ravens at Steelers, Sunday Nov. 2, 8:30 p.m., Heinz Field, NBC

When these two teams played back in Week 2, I swallowed hard and wrote that it was “as close to a must-win situation as I’ll ever declare in September.” The Ravens won, so although this matchup is important, it’s not a must-win. Let’s call it a would-be-damn-comforting-to-win. Pittsburgh opened as 1 1/2 point favorites.

I always chuckle when I hear Ravens fans declare their hatred not only for the Steelers (understandable), but for the entire city of Pittsburgh (less so). The Steel City is not unlike Baltimore in its working-class roots, love for its sports teams, proximity to water (rivers vs. harbor), and occasionally less-than-sterling national reputation. I’m a fan of the place, its people, and its culture—just not its football team.

What to Eat: One of Pittsburgh’s signature dishes is the chipped chopped ham barbecue sandwich. Originally made in 1933 at Isaly’s, a local family chain of dairy/convenience stores, you can now buy the packaged deli meat at certain Walmarts here in Maryland. (Really you can use any ham, just make sure it’s shaved razor thin.)

Place the meat in a skillet and cook over medium heat until it breaks into small pieces. Add some ketchup (Heinz, of course) and barbecue sauce to the skillet, then simply pile as much of the concoction onto a bread of your choice (most people seem to use a standard hamburger bun or Kaiser roll).

What to Drink: This being the conclusion of Halloween week (by the way, when did Halloween become an entire week/month/season?), a black and gold martini seems particularly appropriate for Sunday. First, add a few drops of blue, red, and green food coloring to a bottle of vodka. Shake the bottle well and the booze should darken. Pour two ounces into a shaker, add one ounce of Goldschlager Cinnamon Schnapps, shake well and pour into a cocktail glass.

If You Go: Much like Baltimore, Pittsburgh is a city of neighborhoods. The Strip District is filled with bars and restaurants, the original location of the famous/notorious Primati Bros. (46 18th St.) among them. (There’s also a location inside Heinz Field.) People seem to get very worked up about this place. Opinions vary from the “putting fries and cole slaw on the sandwich is the kind of revolutionary thinking that made America great” to “it makes the sandwich a soggy, gross mess.” I fall somewhere in the middle. My Primanti Bros. sandwiches have been tasty, but I have to say, I find the concept a bit gimmicky. Regardless, if you’ve never been, you need to decide for yourself.

In the Oakland, near the University of Pittsburgh, the Original Hot Dog Shop (3901 Forbes Ave.) is an institution. A greasy spoon popular with students, drunk people (they’re not always one and the same) and everyone in between, it’s known for huge portions, cheap prices, and some of the best cheese dogs and cheese fries around.

Downtown, Braddock’s Pittsburgh Brasserie (107 6th St.) in the Renaissance Hotel features a deep lineup of bourbons, mixes some of the city’s best cocktails, and serves local-inspired dishes like braised short rib pierogies and grilled Strip District kielbasa.

Wherever you go and whatever you eat, wash it down with an ice cold Iron City, the Natty Boh of the ‘burgh. (I say that both as a compliment and a, well, have one and you’ll understand.)

Ravens at Bengals, Sunday Oct. 26, 1 p.m., Paul Brown Stadium, CBS

The Ravens can apply a sleeper hold (if not quite a death grip) to the AFC North on Sunday with a win in Cincinnati, which for the geographically unacquainted, is located stunningly close to Kentucky (when I traveled there in college we stayed in Covington, KY, just across the Ohio River from the Queen City). Thirty or so towns stake claim to the nickname “Queen City,” but Cincinnati is probably the best known. According to the Cincinnati Museum Center, the name is derived from the city’s former status as the “the Queen of the West.” At 0-2-1 in their last three games, the Bengals are heading south. They need a win desperately, which is part of the reason oddsmakers have made them 1 1/2-point favorites.

What to Eat: When the Bengals came to Baltimore last month I passed along a Cincinnati-style chili recipe that I made and can confirm is delicious. I still have black beans from that Sunday (I decided not to deviate from the recipe), which I plan to use this weekend when I make this vegetarian chili from Epicurious.com.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped red bell peppers (about 2 medium)
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
• 1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Sour cream
• Grated Monterey Jack cheese
• Chopped green onions

Directions: Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté for about 10 minutes until onions soften. Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne; stir two minutes. Mix in beans, 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid, and tomato sauce. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For a Saturday warmup, head to Duda’s Tavern, an often-overlooked Fells Point neighborhood bar at the corner of Bond and Thames streets. Although it’s closed on Sundays, it serves tasty chili in a variety of ways, including on the Raven Manic, a 12-ounce grilled burger topped with homemade chili, cheddar cheese, and jalapeños.

What to Drink: The Cincinnati Cocktail is a half-beer, half-soda water concoction that would strike most people as insane to make. But if David Wondrich, the all-knowing cocktail correspondent for Esquire (and fan of Fells Point’s Rye), says it’s refreshing, then it’s refreshing. Use a pint glass, split your two liquids equally, and enjoy.

If You Go: Cincinnati has deep German roots, which means its residents revel in drinking great German-style beer. The Moerlein Lager House (115 Joe Nuxhall Way) pours its signature Christian Moerlein Over-The-Rhine Ale along with another dozen or so brews made by the Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. at a riverfront restaurant that’s close to the football stadium.

BrewCity Gastropub (2062 Riverside Dr.) features local craft beer and serves New Orleans-inspired dishes like po’ boys and muffalettas from the kitchen of chef Michael Shields, who worked under Emeril Lagasse.

If you’re feeling nostalgic for Maryland, hit O’Malley’s in the Alley (25 Ogden Place) downtown. It’s Cincinnati’s second-oldest bar, trailing only Arnold’s (210 E. 8th St.), which was established in 1861.

Falcons at Ravens, Sunday Oct. 19, 1 p.m., M&T Bank Stadium, Fox

Has Joe Flacco stopped throwing touchdown passes yet? If so, it likely won’t be long until he starts again. Atlanta comes limping into town this week with a 2-4 record and a defense with an aptitude for folding. The Falcons are giving up an average of 277 yards passing per game, fourth worst in the NFL, and they’re surrendering 28.3 points per game, third worst in the league. They’re 0-3 on the road, which makes the Ravens a solid bet even as 7-point favorites.

What to Eat: I spent part of last weekend in suburban Atlanta hanging out with more than one native Georgian. When I asked what special food is associated with “Hotlanta,” their faces looked as dumbfounded as the Buccaneers’ defenders did last week. Soul food seems to be the city’s signature, so for lunch I’m heading to the appropriately named Georgia Soul Food (102 E. 25th St.) for some fried catfish, candied yams, collard greens, and peach cobbler.

But before that, a trip to the venerable
Miss Shirley’s Cafe (513 W. Cold Spring Lane and 750 E. Pratt St.) seems to be in order. Does it get more southern than Dixie cornbread squares, southern fried deviled eggs, chicken ‘n waffles, or the southern fried slammer sandwich, an artery-busting combination of fried green tomato, applewood-smoked bacon, smashed avocado, cheddar cheese and fried egg on pumpernickel?

If you’re staying in, this
Savannah-style crab soup recipe seems like the perfect marriage of Georgia and Maryland. (It even has Old Bay!)

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups clam juice
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
• 1/3 cup dry sherry

Directions:
Place flour in a cast-iron skillet; cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until brown, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add carrot and the next five ingredients (carrot through garlic), and sauté five minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add Old Bay seasoning, salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and bay leaf; cook for one minute. Sprinkle the browned flour over vegetable mixture, and cook one minute, stirring frequently. Stir in clam juice, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until mixture is slightly thick, stirring frequently.

Stir in the milk and half-and-half; cook four minutes. Stir in crabmeat and sherry; cook five minutes or until the soup is thoroughly heated. Discard bay leaf before serving.

What to Drink: Georgia, of course, is known as the Peach State, and folks down south are now using that juicy fruit to make beer. RJ Rockers is a brewery out of Spartanburg, SC, but its Son of a Peach is an unfiltered American wheat ale that’s Georgian at its core. It’s available at Total Wine in Laurel.

I was drawn to this
peach margarita recipe because of the site it’s on, ABeautifulMess.com. That’s often how I feel after drinking a few margaritas.

• 1/2 cup peach puree
• 1 lime
• 1.5 ounces tequila
• 1/5 ounce of triple sec
• 1 tablespoon simple syrup
• Sea salt and a peach slice to garnish

Directions: Skin and puree two white peaches. This should yield enough peach puree. Combine the puree, lime juice, tequila, triple sec, and simple syrup. Stir to combine. Rim your glass by placing the rim in a shallow amount of water and then dipping it into coarse sea salt. Add ice and pour the mixed drink over ice. Garnish with a peach slice.

Ravens at Buccaneers, Sunday Oct. 12, 1:00 p.m., Raymond James Stadium, CBS

As a former resident of Tampa, allow me to clear something up: there’s no such city as Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay is, like our Chesapeake, a big body of water forming an indentation of the shoreline, larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf. It’s also a term used to describe the entire region, which includes the cities of Clearwater and St. Petersburg.

Tampa conjures fond memories for Ravens fans. It was at Raymond James Stadium in the lightning capital of the country (or is it?) that Baltimore beat the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV (Jermaine Lewis might still be running). But the team that usually occupies RayJa? No one would call the Bad News Bucs super. During its inaugural season in 1976, Tampa Bay failed to win a single game. How much better are they now? Not much. The Buccaneers struggled to a 4-12 record last year, and this season they’ve managed just one win of their five games.

What to Eat: The Cuban sandwich, a delicious layering of ham, roast pork, salami, swiss cheese, mustard, and pickle on Cuban bread, is Tampa’s official sandwich (take that Miami). It’s hard to find one in Baltimore. Little Havana on Key Highway has a serviceable version, but for a truly authentic taste you’ll need to drive about a half hour south to the fabulous Cuba de Ayer in Burtonsville (15446 Old Columbia Pike).

If that’s too far, make your own. This is how Chef Gerardo Gonzales of Tapas Adela and Anastasia in Fells Point honors the Cuban sandwich tradition: “Use thin-sliced smoked ham and sliced roasted pork, swiss and provolone cheeses on ciabatta bread. Add sliced pickles and a healthy portion of both mojo (see below) and mustard, then warm it in a Panini press or on the grill until the cheese begins to ooze out.”

Mojo recipe:

• 1 cup olive oil
• ¾ cup and two tablespoons of fresh lime juice
• ¾ cup of orange juice
• ½ cup of chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon of grated orange peel
• 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
• 2½ teaspoons of ground cumin
• 1½ teaspoons of salt
• 1½ teaspoons of pepper.

What to Drink: Gasparilla is an annual parade and Mardi Gras-like celebration of debauchery that takes place each winter in Tampa. People dress up like pirates, elbow one another out of the way to catch beads thrown from floats, and drink copious amounts of alcohol. Pandora’s Punch packs that requisite alcohol, and it actually tastes good. (Recipe from the Tampa Bay Times.)

Ingredients:

• chablis or chardonnay
• vodka
• lemon-lime soda
• pineapple juice
• club soda
• pineapple, lemon and lime garnishes

Fill a tall glass with ice. Fill halfway with white wine, one shot of vodka, a splash of lemon-lime soda, and a splash of pineapple juice. Garnish with a lime wedge or a pineapple wedge.

If You Go: Raymond James Stadium is located on the outskirts of Tampa on a Route 40-like stretch of road jammed with chain restaurants and strip clubs. If a mediocre steak from Outback and a lap dance at Mons Venus is your thing, then hey, more power to you. If not, head to Columbia Restaurant (2117 E. 7th Ave.) in the Ybor City neighborhood. I can’t validate its claim as Florida’s oldest restaurant, but I can assure you that it serves a delicious Cuban sandwich in a delightful old-school environment. The main stretch of Seventh Avenue is crowded with bars, restaurants, shops, and boutique cigar houses that sell hand rolled sticks. Downtown, Hattricks (107 South Franklin St.) is a sports bar housed in a three-story brick building that dates back to 1907. TVs and sports memorabilia are everywhere. The Hub (719 N. Franklin St.) pours the stiffest drink you’ll ever have.

The community of Davis Island is located in Hillsborough Bay. It’s an eclectic mix of middle class houses and mansions (including Derek Jeter’s, dubbed “St. Jetersburg”), and its cute little main stretch reminds me of a more laid back Canton Square. Yeoman’s Road Pub (236 E. Davis Blvd.) has a huge selection of international beers and microbrews, and often great live music.

Panthers at Ravens, Sunday Sept. 28, 1:00 p.m., M&T Bank Stadium, Fox

Former Panther great Steve Smith, who pulled in the key catch from Joe Flacco in the thrilling win against Cleveland, doesn’t lack in the self-confidence department. “When I line up, I think there’s no better option than myself,” he said after the Browns game. In Week 1 against the Bengals, Smith already had this game against Carolina circled on his calendar. “Hey, if you [expletive] think I can’t play, you’re gonna find out in Week 4, [another expletive]!” he yelled into a TV camera on the sideline after catching a touchdown pass. Well then. Can’t wait to see what he has in store for his former team (and the cameras) on Sunday.

What to Eat: North Carolina is barbecue country, and down south, barbecue equals hog. There are various ways to smoke pig parts at home without a smoker (the easiest being to use a charcoal grill), but truth be told, replicating the process without the right equipment is a hassle, and the results are usually underwhelming. Luckily, Baltimore is undergoing a barbecue renaissance of sorts, and as I wrote about recently, there are several great spots around town to pick up a tender rack of ribs or pulled pork sandwich.

You know about heavyweights like Andy Nelson’s in Cockeysville (11007 York Rd.) and Big Bad Wolf (5713 Harford Rd.), but there are a few other options I didn’t get to discuss in that story that fit Sunday’s bill as well. In Federal Hill, HarborQue (1125 S. Charles St.) offers up “Carolina ‘Que with a Baltimore view.” Its pulled pork sandwich is marinated in an eastern North Carolina sauce of apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and peppers.

The Pig & Rooster Smokehouse in Canton (3242 Foster Ave.) is a newcomer to the scene. It opened this summer, and with some big TVs behind the bar and drink specials it usually posts on its Facebook page, it’s a solid spot to go watch the game. Its small menu includes the intriguing Italian smoked pork sandwich, topped with prosciutto, spinach, roasted red peppers, pesto aioli, and mozzarella.

What to Drink: From the tiny town of Madison, NC, comes Catdaddy Moonshine, an un-aged 80-proof spirit made from corn. It’s available for $23.99 at Total Wine in Towson, and you can use it to make a number of cocktails, including a Smoke Mountain Rickey (recipe from The New Old Bar by Steve McDonagh):

• 2 ounces Catdaddy Moonshine
• 1/2 ounce cranberry juice
• 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
• club soda

Pour Catdaddy, cranberry juice, and lime juice into a tall Collins glass filled with ice. Top with about 4 ounces of soda and serve garnished with a lime wedge.

If you’re heading out for the game, Myth and Moonshine in Canton (2300 Boston St.) has a full menu of flavored and unflavored moonshines, as well as numerous cocktails that use the beverage. Most appropriate for this week’s opponent is the Black and Blue (the Panthers colors), made using blackberry, blueberry, and cherry moonshines and Sprite. The bar has several Ravens game specials, including $10 pulled pork sliders and $2 Natty Boh cans.

In our new column “Pregame Platter,” senior contributing writer Mike Unger selects the best food and drink options coinciding with that week’s opponent.

Bengals at Ravens, Sunday Sept. 7, 1 p.m., M&T Bank Stadium, CBS

After a month of seemingly interminable preseason games (preseason football is like going on a date with a person you know you’ll never get lucky with—you can bring your A-game, but in the end, what’s the point?) the Ravens get to do it for real Sunday against the NFL’s most hideously outfitted franchise.

What to Eat: Cincinnati is known, of course, for its cinnamon-based chili. I got this recipe from my friend Pinkerton, a longtime Fells Pointer originally from the Cincinnati area. It’s the real deal.

Ingredients: 

• 1 quart water 
• 2 pounds ground beef 
• 2 medium onions finely chopped
• 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3-4 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tsp unsweetened coco powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 4 garlic cloves crushed (or 1 tbsp chopped garlic from jar)
• 2 tbsp vinegar 
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions: Add ground beef to water in large pot. Stir until beef separated into a fine texture. Boil slowly for 30 minutes. Add other ingredients and stir to blend. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about three hours until desired consistency is reached.

If making anything beyond toast exceeds your mental and physical capabilities on a Sunday (believe me, I understand), pick up a steak chili pie from Dangerously Delicious in Canton. It’s filled with steak, onions, tomatoes, kidney beans and “all the right spices,” and it’s well, dangerously delicious. Call 410-522-PIES to order one 24 hours in advance.

What to Drink: The Queen City has a number of microbrews that I’ll discuss when the Ravens travel to Cincy at the end of October, but unfortunately, none of them are available here. (My rule of thumb on tracking down beer is to call Total Wine in Laurel or The Wine Source in Hampden. If they don’t carry it, I quit looking.) Porters and stouts pair well with chili, so I’ll be going with our own Heavy Seas Peg Leg Imperial Stout, which, at eight percent, packs a punch.