MissCindy

I've also heard that Arthur Bryant's is not what it once was but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the place on my one visit to KC, about 10 years ago now. It has a fantastic dive ambience. I'm not a BBQ aficionado, though, so I know nothing. After a few days of eating BBQ in KC, I do recall going through a short lived "let's have salad and steamed vegetables for dinner" phase.

My last trip there I enjoyed Pilar in Napa and Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena. Cindy's, in particular, has a very laid back, welcoming vibe.

I have not been there and at times it is good to remind myself that I have not been to EVERY restaurant in Baltimore. My Magic 8-Ball is telling me that you will find the food to be acceptable but not in the least inspiring and at that price point, it should be. Inflated prices and overblown décor are the dynamic duo that have kept me away. I'd much rather spend my $$$$ at Charleston. But, do report back.

I think it’s great that Joe H. is now a member of dr. His posts are always thoughtful and are often entertaining. I don’t necessarily agree with everything he writes (sorry, but I’ll never think DC is as beautiful as Paris, for Gawd’s sake) but who the hell cares? I met Joe a few years ago at a CH dinner he organized at Laboratorio and I appreciated the way he clearly enjoyed bringing people together from far and wide to experience what he will happily tell you is one of the best Italian restaurants in the U.S., and possibly on Planet Earth. Anyone who loves food and loves sharing it as much as he does just can’t be all bad. He’s bright, articulate, well traveled and always ready to contribute his thoughts and opinions about food. Isn’t that what this type of forum is really all about? I’m looking forward to his first dr post.

Tony Foreman is hot. Couldn't help but notice as husband, special dinner companion (sdc) and I walked into the newly renovated Charleston. He greeted us wearing an oh so stylish dark blue pinstriped suit with a silver and white striped tie. He managed to sport this look without appearing to be a pimp, definitely not something that everyone and anyone could pull off. We told Tony we were a little early for our 8PM reservation. Good, he replied, this will give you the opportunity to enjoy a glass of champagne at the bar. Yep, that was the plan. Charming and dashing, Mr. Foreman is one of those enviable people who is perfectly suited to do what he does. We sat at a table at the end of the bar and ordered a bottle of Bollinger NV Champagne. The bar has large windows facing the street which allow you to watch the arrival of lots of limos and a Rolls Royce or two. We were next to a table of elderly folks having a rather animated discussion about the Ravens. One of the gents was a real styler - decked out in a double breasted cornflower blue linen jacket with white buttons over a white shirt, white slacks and very bright white shoes. Rock on, baby boy. The new interior is nearly unrecognizable. The space is all dark wood, walls bathed in hues of chocolate and banquettes upholstered in apricot. A huge improvement over the old interior, imho, but still a bit conservative for my taste. As we walked through the restaurant to our table, the most significant change in my mind was that much less of the kitchen is visible to the dining room. Happily, we were seated close to the kitchen and sdc had a seat with a good view of the chef at work, much to his delight. The menu has also been revamped. There are six categories - hot, cool, the season, fish & shellfish, birds & game and meats. Three courses are $64, four $78 and five $90. The servings are smallish. It is not an inexpensive evening. Mr. Charming approached our table and made much appreciated wine and food suggestions. We decided it would be wise to follow his advice and ordered a '99 Laurent Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru to be followed by a '97 Bovio Barolo. The amuse was a heavenly light green chilled pea soup with tiny bits of rabbit confit. Gorgeous, smooth and fresh. My first course was gulf shrimp with andouille, tasso and grits. This is one of my favorites at Charleston, something I have a hard time not choosing. Two perfect shrimp (heads off this time)with a small dice of the slightly spicy sausage, salty ham and a small serving of the creamy, hardy grits. Sdc choose a pheasant, rabbit and foie gras terrine with green tomato chutney. The star of the show, however, sat in front of husband. He had what Tony described as the "breakfast of champions," pan seared foie gras with quail eggs and a chicken reduction. As gorgeous as engorged liver can get, it was served with two tiny eggs in a slice of toast. Next up for me was lamb carpaccio. I hadn't planned to order this but was quickly convinced when Tony said that it would make an excellent match with our first wine. Paper thin slices of slightly chilled bright red lamb with deep green mint, light green al dente flageolets and whisps of a shaved hard cheese - romano, I think. Perfect. Sdc enjoyed the crabcake with silver queen corn, avocado and cilantro oil and husband had local beets with gala apple, mache and a small drizzle of a 50 year aged balsamic. Grilled Chesapeake rockfish with heirloom tomatoes, nicoise olives and baby fennel was next. The fish was moist and the tomatoes were at their best. During an evening of stand out dishes, however, I found this one to be the least remarkable. Sdc had pan roasted duck breast with stone fruits. He barely looked up. Husband had pan-seared diver sea scallops with beets, walnuts, and lemon-caper brown butter. My next course was yet another that I hadn't initially planned to order. Earlier in the evening, while talking with the Charming One, we asked what his favorite meat dish was. He told us that his wife's favorite was the braised veal shoulder but his was the pork confit. Hmmm, I love pig but pork confit sounded a bit heavy on a hot summer night. Thankfully, I came to my senses, asked myself 'wtf are you thinking?' and ordered it. The beautiful piece of pork shoulder with hoppin' John and a slice of fried green tomato was the hit of the evening. The fork tender meat was incredibly deep, rich and perfectly salty. It came together nicely with the rice, beans and tomato. Simple ingredients elevated to the sublime. The Charming One later told me that it takes the kitchen eight hours to prepare the pork. Can't say I was astonished by this bit of info, it certainly didn't taste like something you'd throw together at the last minute. Meanwhile, husband had the kobe beef tenderloin with fava beans, fingerlings and red wine reduction. He proclaimed it good but was clearly coveting my pork. Sdc had the chef's favorite, braised veal shoulder and grilled veal sweetbreads with pommes puree and lemon brown butter. He was particularly pleased with the sweetbreads. Too full to go for both cheese and dessert and because desserts are "complimentary," we skipped cheese (and I really hate to skip cheese at Charleston)and went straight to dessert. For husband and I, it was house made ice cream with local peaches, brown sugar and sour cream. For sdc, it was a trio of creme brulee, vanilla, raspberry and espresso. We chatted, finished our wine and sdc had an espresso. It was a truly fabulous feast marred only by a very loud mouthed woman seated near us, talking to literally anyone who would listen about a variety of excessively dull topics. And, her husband had shorts on, natch. Together they were remarkably offensive to both the eyes and ears. We collectively gave thanks that we weren't seated within talking distance. Charleston is undoubtedly Baltimore's best restaurant and would be among top restaurants almost anywhere, imho. Thankfully, Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf know what too few restaurateurs do - Baltimoreans will open their wallets for excellence.

Wow. I feel kind of bad that the Brewer's Art thread started out with such a brutal experience. But, I'm not the one who served someone a steaming pile of shit for dinner so I suppose there's nothing for me to feel bad about. Except that I do consistently recommend the place. Most restaurants, even ones that I consider to be favorites, have strengths and weaknesses, of course. And, as most people do with friends and loved ones, I try to focus on what they do best and forgive the rest. Here's my very personal guide to what the Brewer's Art does best. First, their beers just plain kick ass. Good beer is essential for life and I am truly grateful that I am closeby. Nothing takes the edge off like chillin' with an ozzy in that gorgeous old townhouse. As an aside, for those interested in world of high finance, the house once belonged to Alex Brown. Second, a plate of perfect fries is not to be overlooked. You can try but it will be difficult to pass them up. While you are enjoying your beer, the smell of rosemary and garlic will drive you nearly insane as waiters and bartenders serve everyone else around you. I am weak, so I usually wind up with fries. After fries and beer, my mood will be good. It will be about that time that I usually start to think that I should eat some vegetables. I will have a look at the menus, both the bar and dining room. MrMissCindy and I usually share a salad or two - they tend to do those very well. This spring, our favorite was the roasted asparagus with morels and a honey dressing. It didn't wear out its welcome. Sometimes beer, fries and salads are perfect for us. Sometimes we opt for sandwiches, MrMissCindy likes the burger. And, sometimes a pizza, depending on the toppings. Occasionally, we order off the big boy menu. It changes frequently and is seasonal. Most recently I enjoyed the seared rockfish over yellow tomato and cucumber gazpacho. The fish was moist and the skin was crispy. A little too much of the gazpacho was in the bowl but I felt it was a minor quibble. MrMissCindy had grilled tuna with black eyed pea and silver queen corn succotash. He wasn't as happy as I was, mostly because the cream in the succotash made the entire dish feel a bit heavy on a hot day. There have been times when I was unhappy with my food, never to the extent described in the original post, however. (Not that I am doubting it, mind you.) Most recently, I sent back a seafood gumbo that really was very crappy. There wasn't a whole lot right about it. Overall, though, my experiences there have been more good than bad. I think our last visit was prior to the change in the kitchen. I hope they regain their usual level of occasional inconsistency sometime soon. While tolerance of cigarette smoke is highly subjective, during the week, I find it is usually pleasant to eat in the bar without getting too smoky. All bets are off on weekends. The middle room between the bar and the dining room is non-smoking. We rarely venture into the dining room. It feels kind of dull to me. Reports of slow service are not unusual. But, besides all that, I just really like the bar. The bartenders are friendly and there's more buzz.

At that price point, Pazo is the best game in town, imho, but here are a few alternatives that I would consider. The Brewer’s Art remains one of my favorite places in town. I haven’t actually sat down at a table in the dining room there in a long time so I can’t really comment on the more formal (but still casual) dining experience there. But, I eat and drink there frequently, normally in the bar. We order from the lite fare as well as the dining room menu and are usually pleased. There are occasional failures. If you drink enough of their fabulous house brewed beers, however, it really won’t matter. I also like Henninger’s. Casual tavern that turns out straight forward food. I love the fried oysters in a pernod cream sauce appetizer and the tuna with coriander and pepper entree. The place is quintessentially Baltimore. Homemade desserts. I don’t know what side of town your folks are on, but the Chameleon Café is a nice, neighborhood place off the beaten path on Harford Road. They are closing sometime soon for remodeling, so a call is in order. If you go, don’t miss the house made charcuterie. If it ever cools off a bit, the Ambassador Dining Room serves above average Indian food and features the city’s prettiest outdoor dining. And, the dining room inside is pretty as well, in a Tudor-ish kind of way. And, there is always Petit Louis in Roland Park. As for the Helmand, I haven’t been in quite a while so I can’t give you a recent report. But, I still think of it as reliable. I have heard rumblings that service there is swift to the point of feeling rushed but it has always been somewhat snappy.

This is similar but not quite like what I grew up with in the Baltimore suburbs. I'm specifically curious about the vinegar. What's that for? Do people dip crab meat into vinegar?! Is it a Southern Maryland thing? Unless I've lost it, which is always possible, I don't recall ever seeing vinegar served with crabs. Another difference is that the crabs looked very mildly spiced. I'm used to seeing them covered with Old Bay half an inch thick. The photo of those nekkid bottom feeders reminds me of the time I ate crabs with the parents of a friend from Ontario. They kept a bucket of water on the table and rinsed off each crab prior to eating it. Ooh, too spicy, ya know. In any case, perhaps Baltimore crab feasts and Southern Maryland crab feasts have stylistic differences. Interesting.

Not that anyone gives a crap, but Soigne was not, as Kliman put it, a “sushi restaurant.” I can’t decide if the fact that Merkado blows makes me feel better or worse about the closing of Soigne. When I heard Soigne was closing because the landlord “bought out” the lease and Edward Kim took a job running the kitchen of a new restaurant in DC, I thought “well, he’s a talented and ambitious guy. DC is a better restaurant town than Baltimore and he’s moving on.” Fine, I understand that and I accept it, begrudgingly. I bet Chef Kim was making a decent living with Soigne. It was the anti-Merkado: a romantic, elegant room with marble topped tables in a small rowhouse where Chef Kim presided over a tiny kitchen that turned out thoughtful, creative and delicious food served by a professional waitstaff. Soigne had devoted customers, myself included. I think it is safe to say that my initial thoughts were off base, as they so often are. If Chef Kim didn’t close Soigne to establish a reputation in a better restaurant town, my next best guess is that he did it for money. That’s fine, too. I’ve left jobs to make more money. But, a lovely restaurant is closed and a talented chef is serving industrial grade slop in a kitchen filled with immigrants working their asses off for a pittance. Whatever.

The great Gettier pronunciation quandary was the source of much angst. Do you pronounce it as he does and look like the prole that I so often do or do you pronounce it “correctly” which isn’t actually how he pronounces it? Life can be complicated.

I've heard of it and been to it. And, funny enough, I was just thinking of making reservations for a dinner with my parents, who are recent transplants to the middle of nowhere, for an upcoming birthday. We went for dinner several summers ago, mostly because we really liked Michael Gettier's restaurant in Baltimore, M. Gettier. The good news is that it is an enjoyable evening, starting with hors d'oeuvres in and around what is a pretty building with pretty grounds. You move on to the smokehouse for dinner. The smokehouse, not surprisingly, smells of smoke. I must confess that by the end of the evening, I found it slightly nauseating. And, Gettier's food, while somewhat similar, just isn't the same (she whined) as it was when he had his tiny place in Fells Point. It is still good in very straight forward, pretty traditional kind of way but it seems heavier (which makes it too heavy for me). And, overall, the entire experience feels more conservative. All that said, I'm planning to go back, I think it will be a perfect place to celebrate my mom's bd.

I know what you're sayin' BUT I was hungry in the midst of a looong road trip recently. Stopped at one of those convenience store/gas station places that had a few "food" options inside, one of which was a McDonald's. I couldn't quite bring myself to go for the fruit and walnut salad--I really hate apples that aren't crisp--so I decided on a "parfait." Yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and some pathetic "granola" to sprinkle on top. At that moment, I felt truly grateful to all those fat fucks who've sued McDonald's. That's the only reason I was able to find something to eat that wouldn't give me a tummy ache and get back on the road. Tort reform, who needs it?

Yep, Charleston does have wine lockers, Robert Parker has one. Sadly, the world’s most influential wine critic (arguably, at least) and his kind are a just a bit out of my league I must confess. And, I do know that the hooked in wine crowd has dinners and restaurants allow them to bring their own. When people mention that Baltimore restaurants allow corkage, however, I immediately imagine a parallel universe where the unwashed masses are bringing their hooch to restaurants all over town and somehow I managed to miss the secret handshake. I suppose I've got to get my fantasy life in check.

Yea, I am aware that under certain special circumstances and if you are hooked up with right people sometimes restaurants will allow it. I was inquiring more for the prole set.

Hey mr food - which restaurants allow it in Baltimore? Just curious...if my interpretation of the MD Code is correct, it is a violation of their liquor license so I don't ask. But, if some restaurants are willing, I'd certainly like to be in the know.

To answer your question, it’s been a few years since I’ve been to Jaleo so I don’t feel that I am really in a position to compare and contrast the two. But, I do think the food compares favorably with Zaytinya. Desserts are better at Zaytinya, service is better at Pazo. My favorite dishes at Pazo are: Slow cooked lamb over pureed potatoes with a lemon wedge. Often this dish is absolutely perfect. Once the lamb was a bit dry – it is slow cooked after all, but that didn’t stop me from wolfing it down. Bronzini with olive oil, lemon and dill over a slice of fried potato—a grown up version of fish and chips. Sometimes they serve a different fish with this preparation but I always love it. Also one of my husband’s favs, we debate getting two so that we can each have our own. Possibly too good to share. Pappardelle with pork and veal ragu and shaved pecorino. Really fantastic, as I mentioned in a previous post, I actually prefer this to the black pepper pappardelle with wild boar ragu that I recently enjoyed at Babbo. Spinach with garlic and pine nuts. Chorizo and potatoes. Braised rabbit. Fougasse - the whole wheat bread. The cheeses – skip dessert and select a few cheeses. Or just tell your waiter about your likes and dislikes and let them prepare a plate for you. The food is simple, earthy and delicious. Occasionally there is a miss but more often not. The wine list is a bargain. For the quality of the food and the experience, Pazo is very reasonably priced. I’m going back tomorrow night. If I have anything to add, I will.

I doubt that you will find any in Baltimore, or all of Maryland, for that matter. It is a violation of a Maryland liquor license to allow alcohol to be consumed on the premises that wasn't bought from the license holder, at least that is my understanding.

Recently, I enjoyed dinner at the bar at Babbo. I was about half way through my black pepper pappardelle with wild boar ragu when I thought hmm...what's missing from this dish? And, suddenly it occurred to me that I prefer the pappardelle with pork and veal ragu at Pazo. Don't take this to be a broader statement than it is. But, when Pazo is on, it's on.

From the Police Blotter, Monday’s Baltimore Sun. Assault: After complaining about champagne being spilled on his clothing early Friday at Melba's Place in the 3100 block of Greenmount Ave., a 42-year-old man was given an apology - but later was struck on the back of the head with the empty bottle by the man who had opened it. The victim was treated at a hospital for a head laceration.

I've never been to the DC outpost, but I do love having drinks at the bar of the original Prime Rib in Baltimore. Lots of black, leopard print carpeting and a piano player. Older men out with younger women, everyone dressed up. A good place to eavesdrop. A large glass container of pineapple infused vodka sits on the end of the bar. A glass of it will provide you with plenty of buzz.

I really enjoyed a tuna burger and espresso shake at Taylor's Refresher last year. And, the advice to go on a different day than the FL is wise. Funny enough, a friend of mine grew up in St. Helena (he's 64 now) and was shocked to learn that Taylor's Refresher still exists and they now serve food that is edible.

Reading about this place is making me crazier than I already am. I loved Soigne and I still CANNOT believe that Edward Kim left to serve nachos. WTF?! It is so wrong on so many levels.