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Woodberry Kitchen, Chef Spike Gjerdje's Farm-To-Table Gem in Clipper Mill, Clipper Park Road


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Digressing for a moment, we sort of did once, but little of it survived urban renewal. For instance, the Heurich brewery was leveled in the 1960s to make room for the Kennedy Center, and the Papermill kept little but the smokestack in its 1980s transformation into condos.

One exception that leaps to mind is the original Hollerith tabulator factory (ca 1896) in Georgetown, one of the four birthplaces of IBM. Its downstairs is now the Sea Catch restaurant.

I was aiming more for a sense of nostalgia than historical accuracy.

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...

And I’m counting, too. The days until I return. Hopefully, a short recitation.

Exactly three years after my inaugural visit, we lucked into finding ourselves near Woodberry Kitchen around 5PM on a Saturday. A remarkable experience, as this is a profoundly remarkable venue.

But you lucky Baltimore people already knew that :-)

Noticeable Upgrades Since Last Time

* The bathrooms! Along with major remodeling enhancements, I noticed a bold shrub of rosemary adjacent to the sink, nature's ultimate air freshener. Washable hand towels are now part of the scene, and the odd lobby smell has completely left the building.

* The bottles! Three years ago, there was no such display. But this time, a massive cabinet of neatly organized, clearly labeled preserved goods graced the left side of the lobby, featuring everything from pickled purslane to jalapenos and fish peppers to the makings of future sorbets. When you visit, take a moment to check it out. It's impressive and inspiring, but easy to miss if you are bee-lining to the restaurant.

* The beverages! Speaking of Bee Line (honey gin, apple brandy, lavender vermouth, preserved apricot, $12), that was worth ordering, but the best winter cocktail of my life was also on it's way. Orchard Crossroads ($12), an unusually refreshing melange of apple, spiced pumpkin molasses, tart verjus, and a whisper hint of absinthe. Not a food-friendly beverage, not at all, but an ideal aperitif and a must-have for anyone seeking a late autumn stroll down an apple orchard lane with an anise field breeze drifting in from the North. Bracing, complex, provocative, and delightful. As others have noted, Woodberry Kitchen's cocktail program features house-made Just About Everything™, including bitters, fruit syrups, ginger beer, liquors, and anything else you could possibly find in a drinkable masterpiece.

* The fire! Two cast iron chimineas appeared out front, to help valets ward off a chill. The pleasing pop of self-contained fire offers a warming scene with a subtle connection to tireless combustion seared into history by yesterday's foundry workers.

* More fire! Real candles, not the wimpy battery-powered flameless frauds, added even more charm to the restaurant's epic ambiance. Of special note are the live flames behind smartly designed bottles of microdistillery spirits at the bar. Live Flames + High Proof Alcohol in Thick Glass = No Real Danger, but a lot of fun talking about said danger.

Other Observations

We sat at the bar serviced by bartenders who were knowledgeable, friendly, and fantastically deft with their ongoing alchemy. We were struck by the awesome teamwork between the bar staff, wait staff, bus service staff, kitchen staff, and hosts. The supportive tone of helpful and professional radiates into every one of their interactions, directly translating to a better customer experience.

Future patrons take note: if you don't have reservations, sit at the bar closest to the wood-burning oven. From this vantage point, we had an entertaining view of plates leaving the kitchen and of adjacent prep stations, and no one encroached on our space. However, the patrons at all other bar seats were eventually crowded and jostled by other people waiting for their tables. And they are probably all busy nights, this place is righteously hopping.

Orders included Oyster Stew ($12), Mason Dixon oysters (herb butter and fish pepper hot sauce; $14), Bull Roast Oysters (short rib, sour cream, pickled ramp, watercress $14), Radish Plate ($4), Shrimp Roasted Over Coals ($15), Pork Fat Fries ($6), and the Peanut Chew for dessert ($8). The Oyster Stew is a must have, not too filling for a starter course, delicate enough to deliver exceptional flavor and palate-awakening brine. It was not mentioned on the ingredient list, but unctuous bits of smoked pork took this stew to a new level of heady deliciousness. Both roasted oyster varieties honored the bivalve, neither one dominated with too many flavors or weighty ingredients. The Bull Roast was the clear winner of the two for our palates, a fascinating balance and the perfect bite. The fries were OK, deftly seasoned but not remarkable, and served with too little ketchup. The shrimp, joy of joy, were served head-on and peeled, charcoal-roasted to perfection and shockingly well-paired with frisee lettuce, roasted broccoli, and Worcestershire sauce. I was highly skeptical of Worcestershire as being anything but a dominant smokey salt lick, but this house-made rendition worked out artfully and harmoniously. The Peanut Chew was the right choice for any fan of the prolific legume or toffee flavors. A separately ordered Amaretto Sour ($12) was beautifully presented in a frothy column with lemon peel garnish, but neither nutty nor sour, the one miss of the evening. The frantically escalating pace of the dinner and bar activities could have been the root cause of an otherwise worthy beverage.

Major kudos to the host staff who did not judge our attire. Returning from an athletic event, we were self-consciously dressed in decidedly sporty gear, but encountered not so much as a blink of dismissal or raised eyebrows from the host and bartending staff. And thanks to the hosts for the cheery well-wishing on the way out, a smile-inducing conclusion to a memory-forged evening.

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I hadn't been to Woodberry Kitchen in forever, so on a chilly Saturday afternoon with nothing so terribly important to do, I decided to head up to Baltimore. I called for a reservation, but they were full, so I figured I'd try my hand at the bar.

 

Arriving at Woodberry Kitchen for the first time is a magnificent experience - there's almost nothing quite like it in terms of location and setting. The only thing I can think of is Leopold Kafe & Konditorei, but that doesn't capture it in the least. Hopefully, after reading this post, you'll want to go see for yourselves.

 

 

Avast, the bar was full, but at the host stand, they said they could seat me outdoors. Well, great! This is where I wanted to sit anyway. The difference between dining inside and outside at Woodberry kitchen is the difference between dining at a noisy gastropub with great food, and dining at a Michelin one-star restaurant in the French countryside. Outside, you really *do* feel like you're in some family-owned, Michelin-starred restaurant in a small French town.

 

 

Spike Gjerdge walks-the-walk of farm-to-table as much as anyone I know, including Ziebold, Armstrong, and King. Going in the earliest part of September is perfect because you reap the benefits of late-summer and early-autumn produce, all in one visit. Aside from the chill in the air (and I hadn't brought a coat or a sweater), this was shaping up to be just about perfect.

 

 

If you sit outside, you'll be near the grill station, where several cooks work with military efficiency, calling out and expediting orders as the smoke bellows upward. It's the type of thing that's fascinating to watch, but also off to the side, so it's not at all intrusive if you don't want to pay attention to it. I urge people to sit outside here if the weather is nice.

 

I knew I'd try plenty of produce, so I wanted a bottle of rosé. They had two French rosés priced at $34 each, neither of which I'd tried before.

 

 

"May I have whichever one of these two is lighter?" I asked my pleasant server.

 

 

"Lighter in body?" she replied.

 

 

"Lighter in color," I said.

 

 

She brought the 2012 Domaine Gaillard Touraine-Mesland (a designated sub-appelation within Touraine in the Loire Valley), and it was just as I wanted: light in color, and dry as a bone. This wine has the added benefit of being biodynamic (a step up, both in viticultural stringency, and also in "woo-woo-ness," from organic). Biodynamic wines are pretty out there, but I almost always love them.

 

 

Woodbery Kitchen offers anyone who's eating a nice bread basket with good bread, and high-quality, creamy, salted butter. I started my meal with an appetizer portion of Ocean City Swordfish Belly ($16) with ground cherry salsa, pickled fish pepper, and scarlet frills; and a salad of Young Carrots and Their Tops ($9) with Hakurei turnips, rocket, shallot, and ewe's-cream tarragon dressing. 

 

 

"Can we bring these out as they're ready?" my server asked.

 

 

"Sure," I said, thinking that the salad would arrive before the (grilled) swordfish; the exact opposite was the case - the swordfish belly arrived a good ten minutes before the salad did. 

 

 

One reason I ordered the swordfish belly is that I rarely see such a thing (how many times have you seen swordfish belly on a menu?), and that Woodberry Kitchen was offering 3-4 swordfish preps on this evening which almost surely meant they were getting a large portion of fish that they butchered in-house. This is always, always, always a good sign, and if you take away only one thing from this post, remember that multiple preps (usually) = fresh delivery and in-house butchering. Theoretically, it could also mean "an aging item that they want to get rid of," but I cannot think of a single instance in which I've been disappointed by this ordering strategy, certainly not at a restaurant as quality-conscious as Woodberry Kitchen.

 

 

The swordfish arrived within just a few minutes, hot off the grill, and rare, nearly raw, in the middle - tataki-like, except in cubes, not strips. Served in a ramekin, this was so good that I couldn't believe more restaurants aren't serving it - the gentlemen working the grill station have superior grilling skills. The three sides added something, but were mostly ornamental: the star of this Christmas tree was the tree itself, the cubes of swordfish belly, perfectly seasoned (which probably means just a shake of salt).

 

 

I love carrot tops, and wish more restaurants didn't discard them, and this salad was superb, the other ingredients playing much more than just a supporting role. Everything was integrated, and the dressing was there when you needed it, and not there when you didn't (it was presented in something of a dollop-pool format). This was a farmer's market bounty on a plate, with every bite as lovingly devoured as it was assembled.

 

 

Imagine both of these dishes with a good, dry rosé, and you'll see why I was asking myself, "Where can this meal possibly go from here? Nowhere but down."

 

 

For my second (and final) course, I got another duo of small plates: Liberty Delight Beef Tartare ($16) with red onion, scaper [sic?] mayonnaise, parsley, rocket [anything worth doing is worth overdoing], egg yolk, and potato chips; and the one dish that intrigued me the most: Grilled Nectarine ($8) with honey, rosemary, and sea salt.

 

 

The nectarine arrived first, and my goodness, if this isn't a death-row dish, I don't know what is. One nectarine, quartered, briefly wood-grilled, drizzled with rosemary-infused honey, and finished with a touch of sea salt. Like with a ripe tomato, or an orchid, it is a precarious responsibility trying to improve upon nature's finest offerings, but this light-handed treatment actually improved the nectarine. Perfection.

 

 

In my Baltimore Dining Guide, I have chosen not to rank restaurants in Italic, for the simple, painful reason that I cannot possibly have the expertise to fairly do so with all restaurants in contention; rating a restaurant in Bold, however, is such a rare occurrence, and such a high bar for a restaurant to achieve that I would feel quite comfortable in doing so, regardless of whether the restaurant is in my backyard, or in Paris.

 

 

I walked out of this nearly perfect meal not knowing what to do. Should I rank Woodberry Kitchen in bold? How could I not, after what I had just experienced?

 

 

So I decided to come back again, with the ranking being theirs to lose.

 

 

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Late on a Sunday afternoon, a friend and I found ourselves at a packed Woodberry Kitchen, with no seats available outside, and a 45-minute wait. We put our names in, and stole the last two empty seats at the bar for some pre-meal festivities.

 

 

I didn't remember that Woodberry Kitchen was long-listed (1 of 25 candidates) for the 2013 James Beard award for "Outstanding Bar Program" in the United States, but let me tell you: based on the five cocktails we had on this evening, it absolutely deserved to be there. These were some of the most creative, balanced, nuanced cocktails I have ever experienced, and were worth every penny of the $12 they cost.

 

 

A Pedantic Word - Vermont raw honey gin, yellow watermelon juice, red delicious cider, house made fennel k'vass, and caramelized watermelon

 

 

Carmelita - Reposado tequila, mezcal, sweet corn, lime, and jalapeí±o

 

 

Cellar Door - House-spiked rum, Reid's suffolk grapes, Artiface cold brew, verjus, and lime bitters

 

 

Union Swizzle - Gold & Overproof rums, house sour, kiwi berries, candied ground cherries, and crushed ice

 

 

Fat Boxer - New York state rye and corn whiskey, peach pit caramel, heavy cream, barrel-aged bitters, and Pumpkin Stout

 

 

All of these cocktails surpassed any expectations I could have possibly put on this restaurant, and even the absolutely crazy Fat Boxer - which is one of the most bizarre concoctions I've ever tasted - was in complete harmony. With every drink, you had the choice of being able to identify any individual ingredient, or turning your mind off and enjoying the flavors meshing together as a unified whole.

 

 

Hungry, we also got a couple of snacks to tide us over during the wait, and since we ordered food, also got to enjoy Woodberry's fine bread basket and outstanding butter.

 

 

Roasted Eggplant Dip ($4) made with Charlottetown feta, thyme, and whole wheat crackers was pleasant, interesting, and close to being very good. Deviled Eggs ($4) with chipped ham and fish pepper were right up my alley - three halves, perfectly seasoned for my palate. The third half, presented to a party of two, can make or break a friendship.

 

 

Based on this bar experience, we were both throwing around superlatives, and my opinion of Woodberry Kitchen soared higher still. We took a seat outside, this time around the chill being gone from the air.

 

 

This being my friend's first time at Woodberry, I saw no reason not to stick with the tried-and-true 2012 Domaine Gaillard Touraine-Mesland rosé that I vetted last time around, and it was once again a good choice with this cuisine. (You will not regret ordering this wine if you come here - it's pleasant to sip on its own, but also enhances, without dominating, the food.)

 

 

Summer Bean Salad ($11) with green, roma, and flageolet beans, fennel, shallot, and "Skyline" dressing was a victim of the dressing. I'm not sure what Skyline dressing is - perhaps it's a line of cheese - but I am sure that it dominated the delicacy of the beans. I wish I had something more informed to say other than a feta-like taste was just too much amp for this extremely acoustic dish.

 

 

It was a bit late in the season to order the Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho ($7), but it was still clear these were farmer's market-quality tomatoes. Unfortunately, this was a bland dish that needed salt badly (and got it), and not surprisingly, was a rustic presentation - perhaps a defining moment in the meal, it was here where I realized that I'd like to see a touch more "cooking" instead of relying *so* heavily on quality of ingredients.

 

 

The one repeat dish was the Liberty Delight Beef Tartare ($12), and I was surprised to see the presentation had changed, but only because of one ingredient. On this visit, Woodberry Kitchen was featuring full-sour pickles as a snack, and they incorporated these pickles (instead of capers) into the Tartare. It worked fine, and like before, the quality of the egg was impeckable (sorry) - the difference being that on my last visit, this was arguably my least favorite dish; on this visit, it may have been my most favorite dish, despite it being pretty much the same thing.

 

 

My dining companion was expecting a more elaborate preparation of the Swordfish & Pork Skirts ($12) with tomatillo, jalapeí±o, pickled onions, (hold the) cilantro, squash blossoms, and garlic oil, but I knew based on the swordfish belly I had last time that it would be basic, grilled chunks, the pieces of pork skirt just about the same size as the pieces of swordfish. The belly I had last time was less cooked and more oily; these were meatier and drier, with every ingredient other than the two meats seemingly an afterthought - it could have just as easily been a leaf of kale, for example, instead of a squash blossom. This dish was also underseasoned, but its primary sin was that it was a bit overcooked and thus dry.

 

 

For dessert, Concord Grape Pie ($12) with Concord grape ice cream because, well, when have you *ever* seen Concord grape pie before? The pie itself was quite good - the crust was world-class - although i couldn't identify the grapes as Concord because there just wasn't enough penetration of flavor. Likewise, the ice cream could have been blueberry-vanilla and I wouldn't have tasted the difference. This was a dessert that looked interesting on paper, but (crust aside) fell a bit short on the plate.

 

 

If you haven't figured this out by now, I had assumed going into the meal that this visit was a formality, and that Woodberry Kitchen would be raised to Bold in the Dining Guide - the ranking was theirs to lose, and unfortunately, despite the incredible cocktails, they lost it. However, I can say with great confidence that Woodberry Kitchen is my favorite restaurant in Baltimore, and one of the very best restaurants in the Baltimore-Washington area. It is truly great, even though it fell something short of superlative, and is worthy of a special trip from DC to experience. I'm a bit worried about the future quality of Woodberry Kitchen given the 5,000-square-foot Shoo-Fly about to open from Spike Gjerdje, but that's a bridge we'll just have to cross when we come to it. I feel privileged and delighted to have experienced the bounty of this wonderful restaurant during the change of seasons.

 

 

---

 

 

Note also that both Richard Gorelick from The Baltimore Sun and Tom Sietsema from The Washington Post have reviewed Woodberry Kitchen within the past week. Between the three of us, there is much more agreement than disagreement.

 

 

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This post cost me $500, 8 hours, and untold mental energy, not even considering what it cost me to get to the point where I was able to write it. Does anyone care? :(

Don, your post has made a difference to me. I had only been to WK once before, for Sunday brunch almost 2 years ago. Normally, I don't like to judge a restaurant's merit based solely on brunch, but this place had been so hyped that it was impossible not to feel disappointed by our experience there. I left underwhelmed and hadn't really wanted to make the trip back to Baltimore to give it another go. After reading your review, I'm motivated to return for dinner and think it might be the perfect venue to celebrate my husband's birthday next month.

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I care! Despite the fact that I said in my April 2012 post that I'll be back....I still haven't. And I don't know when I will get back, seeing as I live within blocks of Bluegrass Tavern and still haven't been there either. My dining habits have been pretty poorly conditioned lately, and that's no fault of my own. It's an easy place to cut out when you're budgeting to save money.

Don, your post has made a difference to me. I had only been to WK once before, for Sunday brunch almost 2 years ago. Normally, I don't like to judge a restaurant's merit based solely on brunch, but this place had been so hyped that it was impossible not to feel disappointed by our experience there. I left underwhelmed and hadn't really wanted to make the trip back to Baltimore to give it another go. After reading your review, I'm motivated to return for dinner and think it might be the perfect venue to celebrate my husband's birthday next month.

I've found this to happen a decent amount with Woodberry - people cling too much on the hype and expect the greatest meal ever. I don't know who to blame for that (the psychology (sociology?) of overhyping could be a whole thread by itself), but it's a problem and you don't know if you'll have an experience like Don's first or his second. It's the nature of the joint. But for what you get, it's an excellent bang for your buck. Your post might be the perfect idea - Sunday brunch sounds like the perfect opportunity for me to make a return.

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This post cost me $500, 8 hours, and untold mental energy, not even considering what it cost me to get to the point where I was able to write it. Does anyone care? :(

When I first met Spike Gjerde, he and his brother Charlie owned the eponymous Spike & Charlie's, across from the Meyerhoff. He was a very talented, ambitious, energetic and generous Chef; always willing to help out a competing restauranteur when purveyors or random happenstance conspired to sink your night. "spike, it's Brian. Any chance I can borrow two sides of salmon?"

"Sure. Whole or cleaned and fileted?" would be the response. After a long day exploring the city with a date (in shorts and a T-shirt) and in need of a good meal, who did I call? Spike. And I'd show up and be seated in the best table in the house. Spike & Charlie's suffered because of the ebb and flow of theater business (more like a tsuanami when Meyerhoff was open) and perhaps the brothers expansion (Joy America Cafe, Atlantic, and maybe another restaurant that I have forgotten).

Regardless of those restaurants ultimate closings, Spike was a huge talent. Vineyard Brands used to hold a week-long Wine and Food Festival at the Cap Juluca in Anguilla. I remember Danny Haas would bring in winemakers from across the globe, anchored by Jean Pierre and Francois Perrin of Chateau Beaucastel, and pair them with invited Michelin starred and JB award winning chefs for individual dinners. And Spike Gjerde was routinely one of the chefs, because, despite the relative anonymity in which he toiled, Danny knew Spike was great.

Over the last 3 years the ONE restaurant in the area I have been sad not to have tried has been WK. I am always so delighted to see the accolades heaped upon Spike and his team, because I know they deserve it. So Don, if at anytime you want to head back up to B'more just to be super-duper sure, it'll be just the excuse for me to dine there the first time. And I will drive.

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So Don, if at anytime you want to head back up to B'more just to be super-duper sure, it'll be just the excuse for me to dine there the first time. And I will drive.

I care! 

Don, your post has made a difference to me.

[Thanks for the pep-talk, everyone. I was exhausted when I wrote what I did, and was feeling particularly needy. Your responses are just what I needed to hear. :wub: Restaurant reviews are so draining for me because I'm just not a natural writer, but as long as I know a few people are getting something out of them, it's worth it; it's the dead silence that makes me second-guess myself.]

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This post cost me $500, 8 hours, and untold mental energy, not even considering what it cost me to get to the point where I was able to write it. Does anyone care? :(

We went up to Baltimore a few weeks ago, at the end of September, for the O's last game against Boston. While having nothing whatsoever against the O's, we were there to root for Boston, who lost.

With the game at 1 or 1:30 (can't recall), I realized it'd work out perfectly to hit Woodberry for brunch beforehand.  Had been there several times (posts upthread) but always dinner.  Couldn't get a rez with a few weeks' lead time so planned the departure from DC to arrive at open.  We actually arrived 15 or so minutes before open so started with coffee at Artisan up the block (also owned by WK and one of the very best coffee shops in Baltimore).

It has now been too long for me to remember enough to report on what we had that morning before baseball under a perfectly calm and sunny sky.  But we scored a table in the bar area, had a great waiter and loved everything we had.  Exactly what I'd imagined a WK brunch might be like.

As for Don's post, wow!  I too care.  And, I loved reading it.

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Don,

I had a great meal at WK a few weeks ago - my first experience there. It was a server/chef curated impromptu tasting. They even allowed half portions of a lot of things. Standouts for me included raw oysters; swordfish served over a summer succotash; and a grilled tomato, fresh mozz served alongside grilled bread and rapini pesto. It was a meal that really set the standard for the rest of my trip, which later became a disaster due to some virus that I picked up along the way.

I would be devastated if I went back and had a less than satisfactory meal.

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Great brunch for my wife's birthday on Saturday. Our 10-month old was well-accommodated (and well-behaved), with a nice high-chair, crayons, and safe-to-eat (though not tasty) play dough. The service was great, and clearly respectful of the fact that we had an infant with us.

The food was great and perfect for the season; kielbasa with yams and cabbage, and a great hash (my wife had it, so I don't know the details). The bakery items--a chocolate donut and a sour cream coffee cake--were so well-made. Desserts--hot milk cake for my wife, and peanut butter fluff ice cream for me--were a nice way to finish.

We try to get to Woodberry a few times a year, but with the new addition this is the first time we've been there in 2014, and we can't wait to go back.

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Hi Everyone.

I am finally going to Woodberry Kitchen for the first time this Thursday night. I don't usually get up to Baltimore but am having surgery at Hopkins the next day (which means no drinks, bummer).

Any advice on must haves? I am especially looking for meat or shellfish dishes.

Thanks

Deb

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Hi Everyone.

I am finally going to Woodberry Kitchen for the first time this Thursday night. I don't usually get up to Baltimore but am having surgery at Hopkins the next day (which means no drinks, bummer).

Any advice on must haves? I am especially looking for meat or shellfish dishes.

Thanks

Deb

Seasonal produce, at least one thing from the outside grill, and a mocktail from the bar before dinner - if it's nice weather, sit outdoors (but it does get cold there). If there's one thing listed on the menu multiple times, in multiple presentations, get the one that sounds most irresistible. One of my greatest food items of 2013 was simple, grilled nectarines drizzled with local honey. Scroll up - my review is there, somewhere.

Good luck with your surgery. :):(

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Wishing you and your sister all the best at the end of this week.  I second Don's tips.  My +1 and I have gone several times over the last couple of years, and honestly, all of our dishes and drinks have been in one of two categories: "this is really good" and "this is really stellar."  Enjoy!!

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Be sure to check tomorrow to be sure they're open and it's safe. I'm on WK's mailing list and try sent notice yesterday that they'd be closed due to all the turmoil in Baltimore. They're north of downtown closer to where the violence started Monday with employees living nearby. Some of their staff actually brought the breads baked for dinner service to the peaceful protests which I thought very cool.

Hopefully it should be calm tomorrow with the next event a police accounting that may not happen as expected on Friday. Be safe.

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Taking the kids to the Baltimore zoo was my excuse to check out WK for the first time.  The brunch menu, which has a wide and fairly interesting selection, was enough for me to make the trek.

Let's start with the so-so.  The quiche was nothing special.  I don't even know why I ordered the quiche.  It was a kids stuffer except they didn't like it either.

Lamb Chilaquiles - topped with a huge mound of scrambled egg that no one wanted to eat (I tried it, it was good for scrambled egg, but still it's scrambled egg).  The lamb was soft and flavorful.  Too bad there weren't many chips in this so-called chilaquiles dish.  Unfortunately the kids only wanted to eat the chips.

Soft shell crab Buffalo style.  Luckily, the Buffalo sauce was only on the plate, and not particularly spicy.  It was delicious.

Baked clams - had to get 2 orders (bacon, bread crumbs, herbs).

Doughnut - dense but the kids still loved it.

Overall, a super brunch option except it's an hour away.

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My second visit to Woodberry Kitchen was disappointing. The drinks were fantastic and the service was great, but someone in the kitchen was seriously over-salting nearly every dish we tried. 

My first meal there, everything was spot-on, including the deviled eggs, crab pot and oven-baked clams. This time, the deviled eggs were again sublime, but all of the other dishes fell short. The biggest disappointment was the raw beef. It was so salty that I couldn't finish it. The beef was served with homemade chips that were fabulous alone, but difficult to eat with the extremely salty meat. The smoked trout was better, but also over salted. The saltiness in this dish competed with an overly sweet mustard sauce, overwhelming the delicate flavor of the trout.

The cast-iron chicken and biscuit, which sounded fantastic when the server described it, was poorly seasoned as well. The biscuit was great, with melted honey butter inside, but the chicken (cooked in a cast-iron skilled--not fried) was salty and texturally unappealing.

I love this place, and I hope the kitchen was just having an off-night. Based on the wonderful food I enjoyed the first time I visited (earlier this summer), I will certainly try it again. 

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