September 21, 2010

Hamilton Tavern - Small Bar, Big Burgers

September 21, 2010 1
I plan to do a full write up in the near future, but not yet as I haven't sampled enough of the menu to give a fair write up.  However, I will let everyone know that Megan and I went to the Hamilton Tavern yesterday evening to grab a quick burger, and we unanimously agreed that it was among the best burgers we have ever consumed. 

Very thick, perfect doneness, and topped with horseraddish chedder, they left our palates and our stomachs satisfied.  And to top it off, last night (Monday) was their burger night - a buger, (heavily seasoned) homemade fries, and a draft (microbrew) beer for about $13.  Great deal!

The space is tight though, so finding a table can sometimes be tough.

But I encourage you to check it out, and keep your eye out for the official review, coming soon.

The Hamilton Tavern
5517 Harford Road
Baltimore, MD 21214
(410) 426-1930

Hamilton Tavern on Urbanspoon

September 17, 2010

The Woodberry Kitchen - Farm-to-Table meets Fine Dining

September 17, 2010 0
Located in the heart of north Baltimore’s hot new Clipper Mill community in a stylishly renovated former mill building, the Woodberry Kitchen has maintains itself as one of Baltimore’s hottest (relatively) new restaurants. Sadly I can’t remember exactly when this swanky farm-to-table restaurant originally opened – I feel like it’s been there about two years – but I will not forget each of the delicious meals I’ve enjoyed there.

If you’re in my income bracket, the Woodberry Kitchen might serve best as a special occasion venue, with its prices in the $25-$50 per plate range; but I have also known many to make a weekly trip to their bar for a burger and a beer. The place is a perfect date restaurant, with its charming and intimate dining room that accentuates the historic character of the historical structure. And your date will also be impressed by your progressive and eco-friendly dining decision – the Kitchen’s farm-to-table concept ensures that all of its products were naturally and locally grown or raised.

Admittedly, the entire Bob Ganoosh team has not made an official trip out to Woodberry Kitchen, so I cannot write about a specific visit; but I have been there enough times that I believe I have a pretty well-rounded impression of the place. My first visit to the Kitchen involved grabbing a quick burger with some folks from my community. After all, their burger is relatively inexpensive ($13), and one usually can’t go wrong with such a decision. Little did I know that I was ordering one of the best burgers I would consume in my 26 years as a food fanatic. The beef was top quality, filled with flavor, and incomparably juicy. And they give you about a half-pound of it, too! And even though the burger alone could fill me up, it is generously accompanied by the Kitchen’s homemade fries – which are as good as any other homemade fries, but I certainly had no complaints.

Later visits allowed me to try a sample of their menu items and specials (both of which change regularly based on what’s in season). One of my favorites involved a rib eye steak (which was a special of that evening and I believe was about $30), accompanied by sides of cheddar potatoes gratin and roasted zucchini and squash. The fresh cut potatoes were dressed in delicious homemade-tasting cheddar cheese, and the zucchini and squash were roasted and seasoned to perfection, with the seasoning complementing the flavorful veggies, not overpowering them.

In addition to its unique top-notch dinner entrees, the Kitchen also has a nice variety of snacks, cheeses, and small plates including popcorn grown in Lancaster County, PA. It is also important to note that no fountain sodas are served here, but rather, they serve bottled sodas made with natural sugar cane. And let me tell you, Pepsi Throwback has nothing on this stuff!

One last thing to note is that when you do decide to check it out for yourself – plan ahead! It is very difficult to get a table without a reservation. Even when we (2 of us) visited on a Tuesday night this past spring, the only table available was in the bar section. It worked for us, but was a little cramped for a special occasion dinner.

The Woodberry Kitchen is located in the new Clipper Mill development in the Woodberry neighborhood, down the hill from Hampden and walking distance from the Woodberry Light Rail stop. Check it out, and let us know what you think!

The Woodberry Kitchen
2010 Clipper Park Road, # 126
Baltimore, MD 21211
410-464-8000
http://www.woodberrykitchen.com/

5-Star Rating
Food: ****1/2
Service: ***1/2
Ambiance: ****
Price: $$$$ ($35-$50)

Woodberry Kitchen on Urbanspoon

September 14, 2010

La Palapa Grill - Best Mexican Food in Howard County

September 14, 2010 3



Wait – am I reading this right? Bog Ganoosh’s Baltimore Restaurant Reviews is giving props to Howard County establishment? What gives!? Well, we here at Bob Ganoosh like to give credit where credit is due, and this time the credit is due far beyond the city limits.

From downtown, one can take the scenic Frederick Road – once the only road from Baltimore to the West –on a narrow winding path through Baltimore County and into the quaint village of downtown Ellicott City. Ellicott City’s downtown is a hilly historical mill town, with a level of charm and character that is pleasantly uncharacteristic of Howard County, known mostly for its strip malls and cul-de-sacs. And Main Street has everything you would expect of an old mill village – antique shops, boutiques, and an awesome Mexican joint.

Ok, so maybe the Mexican restaurant doesn’t exactly fit into the theme of the town, but it is said restaurant that we at Bob Ganoosh are so excited about! And that restaurant is La Palapa Grill.

La Palapa is well known amongst the college crowd for its heavy-handed bar staff (the area does not have a particularly hopping night life, but is the only area with decent bars that is accessible from UMBC via taxi). But Shawn and I learned this past Friday that the joint serves up some respectable entrees as well. While sitting on their outdoor deck being serenaded by a guitar-yielding duo, we each debated fiercely between their unique dinner entrees and their renditions of the classics; we both chose the latter. Shawn chose the California burrito, a large burrito generously stuffed with beef, chicken, and a conglomerate of other flavorful ingredients. Not only was the burrito huge, but it was packed with flavor. For those familiar with the famous El Andariego near Olney, the best way we could describe this dish is to take the “Twins Burritos” from El Andariego and stuff them into one burrito. A power move, indeed.

I was swayed by the Texas Chimi, a beef and chicken burrito, fried and covered in a chili con queso sauce. And as long as you like cheese, I can promise you will love this dish. The con queso was plentiful, and the meat was well seasoned – the chimi had just the right amount of kick. Both dishes were adorned plentifully with refried beans and rice. I also threw in an a la carte beef taco in a soft shell, which was pretty much what I expected. But it was stuff so full that I had trouble keeping it all in one piece.

Our only disappointment was the lack of “corn cakes” in the kitchen – you know, that scoop of corn stuff that they used to give you at ChiChi’s. And I think they still give it out at Chevy’s. Shawn and I could live on that stuff. Also, the parking situation is rough – the city has a free municipal lot but even that was completely full – but that is a bit outside of the scope of their control.

Overall though, there is no way we could give this place anything less than 4 stars. Along with their excellent food and heavily-poured drinks (we confirmed this to be accurate), the service was prompt, and the drinks were unusually quick for table service. We never went thirsty.

So if you’re looking for some quality Mexican food and one hell of a margarita, just take a drive down old Frederick Road.

La Palapa Grill
8307 Main Street
Ellicott City, MD 21043
410-465-0070
http://www.lapalapagrill.com

5-Star Rating
Food: ****
Service: ***
Ambiance: ***1/2
Price: $$$ ($20-35)

La Palapa Grill and Cantina on Urbanspoon
 
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