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

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)

The Speakeasy Saloon - Shhh! Let's Keep it a Secret!

The Bob Ganoosh team received a tip Friday night, from Shawn's lovely mother (who going forward will be referred to as Mama Ganoosh), that the food at the Speakeasy Saloon in Canton was "fabulous." So of course, we had to check it out for ourselves. Despite what turned out to be a torrential downpour, team Bob Ganoosh initiated its investigation, so you wouldn't have to.

We arrived at the restaurant around 7:30 on Friday night, when the bar crowd was starting to show up and the dinner crowd remained strong. We were greeted immediately by a very attentive lady - the owner, we suspect - and seated at a table outside (per our request).

A review of the menu revealed a Mediterranean theme, including a variety of tapas plates and familiar Italian-themed dishes; however, one could also choose from an eclectic mix of seafood and steak selections. Shortly later our server arrived and presented the evening's specials, at which point the menu seemed to double: there were about 3 appetizer specials and 5 entree specials, which were made up of various combinations of seafood and steak. All sounded wonderful, and were priced at around $25 (which for a Filet stuffed with crab meat, for example, is very reasonable).

Shawn ordered one of the special appetizers - the Caprese Salad ($8) - which consisted of generous slices of homemade mozzarella cheese served atop ripe tomato slices and topped with a balsamic vinegar glaze. The mozzarella was very creamy and melted in your mouth as you ate it. I think Shawn and I were both in agreement that this Caprese was only second to the stuff served at DiPasquale's. Meanwhile, I started my meal with a cup of French Onion Soup ($4.95) - as the self-proclaimed expert on French Onion Soup, I had to it out! The soup was served as French Onion typically is, with a slice of baguette concealed in the soup by a blanket of melted cheese (in this case, it seemed to be provolone). The soup was very good, but tasted more strongly of onion and less of beef base, which differs from some with have a more flavorful broth. So, make sure you really like onion if you order the soup.

Onward to our entrees: Shawn sampled one of their classic Italian dishes - Chicken Parmesan served atop Penne Pasta ($11.95), while I sampled one of their more unique dishes - Chicken Phoenix ($11.95). The Chicken Parmesan, consisting of a sweetly-breaded chicken breast topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella, was moist and flavorful, a superb rendition of a dish that many order merely because "you can't go wrong." And, the penne was abundant. The Chicken Phoenix yielded one of the most unique flavors either of us had ever tasted on a chicken. This dish consisted of the sweetly-breaded chicken breast, and was topped with a "silky honey-jalapeno sauce" (as the menu describes it). Now, I was going on a whim when I ordered this, and I had no idea how spicy it would be, nor did I have any idea what honey and jalapeno tasted like together. Well, this sauce has to be one of the most unique flavors we have tasted - it was not spicy at all, but rather had a sweet creamy flavor that complimented the sweet chicken breast perfectly. The dish had me talking about it all night.

As for the service, it was spot-on. Even during the ensuing chaos that occurred when the rain arrived and the outdoor-diners began to panic, the servers managed to relocate people inside promptly and open up a retractable awning to maintain some of the outdoor seating. All in all, Team Ganoosh was abundantly impressed with the entire experience!

As for the restaurants ability to handle a large group, it's tough to say. Though there were ample tables available, none of them looked large enough to handle a large crowd, although we were not privy to seeing the size of the upstairs dining area. So if you have a party greater than 4-6, I would recommend calling ahead.

So, like a speakeasy from the Prohibition days, we should probably keep this wonderful spot a secret... but then again, that's definitely not the Bob Ganoosh way!

The Speakeasy Saloon
2480 O'Donnell Street (Canton Square)
Baltimore, MD 21224
410-276-2977
http://www.speakeasysaloon.com/

The Brewer's Art - A Review Long Overdue!

This week is Baltimore Restaurant Week, and the Bob Ganoosh team decided to partake by conducting a review that no legitimate restaurant review blog could be without - The Brewer's Art!

Located in eclectic and trendy Mt. Vernon/Midtown, The Brewer's Art is just as eclectic as the community in which it resides. The upstairs dining room is somewhat formal and quaint, the type of venue to which you'd take the folks out; while the basement bar has the dark grungy-yet-trendy ambiance you'd expect in Baltimore. We started our evening off downstairs, because despite being the middle of the week, we could not get a reservation until 8:30 (I guess it is Restaurant Week!).

For those who don't know, The Brewer's Art is a brew house that serves a selection of its own Microbrews right out of the basement bar. Their regular beer selection consists of about 8 (I'm guestimating) brews, and pretty much covers all ends of the beer spectrum. The most popular is their Resurrection Ale, which is a favorite around time and I believe has won a "Best of Baltimore" award.

Prior to last night, many of us had tried their beers, or at least the Resurrection (it is served at at least one other bar in Baltimore), but we were all virgins to their food. Now, they serve pretty decent pub grub downstairs, but we learned quickly that the real good stuff is served in the upstairs dining room. Taking advantage of the Restaurant Week menu, we all went with the Steak Frites - some medium and some medium rare - and either the Caesar Salad or the Tortilla Soup. The soup was a tomato-based soup with adequate spice, but not too much to make it unenjoyable; the salads were large, generously dressed, and topped with some spicy cheese wafer that we were not able to identify.

But lets get to the most important part - the steaks! The steaks, New York Strips that I'm guessing were about 12 oz, were cooked to the perfect temperature and topped with a sweet demi-glace sauce. It was served upon a bed of flavorful garlic fries, and with a side of a sweet buttery sauce for dipping. Being a bit of a steak snob, I must say that for an establishment not known as a steakhouse per se, these were some of the best steaks I have ever encountered. They were large, juicy, and cooked perfectly to our specifications.

After we conquered our wonderful steaks, we were provided (as part of the Restaurant Week special) with a small dessert, consisting of a rich chocolate tart and a small cheesecake tart topped with blackberries. Can't really go wrong there.

Being Restaurant Week, all of this came out to $30.09. This was particularly a good deal because their regular menu prices, for an entree, are not much less than that. Though I wouldn't put this in the "fine dining" price range, it is definitely pricier than just a casual dinner out (at least for someone as frugal as myself). The prices for the entrees range from $19 to about $30, and the appetizers were around $8. If everything they serve is as good as the Steak Frites, well worth it!

So, here's the Bob Ganoosh summary:

Is The Brewer's Art worth all of the hype it gets? 5 full stomachs and 10 thumbs up say YES!

Is is a good place for a large party? Sure, but definitely make a reservation! This is not the place to go spontaneously, if you plan of having dinner.

Is this a good place to take a date? Most definitely! This is definitely a great place to take a beautiful date or a guest from out of town (interesting side note - they are walking distance from Penn Station).

So take a trip out to Mt. Vernon, get yourself a great steak, and check out the sisters of the Resurrection!

The Brewer's Art

1106 N. Charles Street

Baltimore, MD

410-547-6925

http://www.thebrewersart.com/

WTF??? This Food is Good!

NOTE: Please see the update to this article published 8/1/2011.

Today's post is long overdue, as it is of one of our favorite eateries and watering holes in Fell's Point - The Waterfront Hotel. Represented throughout the area by its ovular "WTF" stickers, the Waterfront is a restaurant/bar located in an historic rowhouse on Thames Street, right across from the old recreational pier. The building, built in the 1770's as a hotel for sailors and such (hence the restaurant's name), is one of the oldest buildings in Baltimore.

We originally started hanging out at their bar back in college (like 3 years ago or so). It was a little bit different back then - they have been making the place a little higher-scale over the past few years, although it was a pretty decent place to begin with. You may recognize the first-floor bar - it was where the bar scenes in Homicide: Life on the Streets were filmed. Their "pub grub" was always a little on the pricy side, since their menu is a little higher-scale, so we never really tried much of that. Although, the bucket of Old Bay Fries (if they still have it) is to die for.

For the dinner scene, the Waterfront has a quaint little 2nd-floor dining room, with windows that look out on the goings-on of Thames Street. The dining room is not large, and thus not promising for large party accomodations; however, usually when we go there (during the week) the dining room is mostly empty. The ambiance is calm and quiet, and a nice place to go for a relaxing meal.

All of the food we have had there is enjoyable. Admittedly though, the prices are toward the higher end of what we like to pay for a casual meal ($15-25). So, we would recommend going during the week, during most of which they offer dinner specials from 6-10PM. These include the "12 for 12" Tuesdays - 12 items (normal priced around $20) are discounted to $12; and the Wednesday Steak Night, where they offer a nice steak, dressed one of several different ways with mashed potatoes and veggies, for $15.

Last night, we took advantage of the "12 for 12" special. Shawn tried the Lobseter Ravioli and I had the Fettucine dinner. The Lobster Ravioli was served under some kind of red sauce, which had a little bit of a tangy kick to it (not too much though). I believe there were peppers in the sauce too. Shawn loved it. The Fettucine included breaded chicken, stuffed with prociutto ham, laid across a plate of fettucine tossed in a mustardy cream sauce. The mustard sauce was different - not what I had expected - but overall it was tasty and very unique (as well as filling).

Shawn and I each got a salad too, which we thought was included but apparently was not. But the salad was very nice, wish a wide assortment of crisp leaves and such. If you like lots of dressing though, you might want to ask for extra on the side.

In short, the Bob Ganoosh team would like to officially give its seal of approval to an establishment that we have been fans of throughout the last few years. We deem this to be a great place for a nice quiet dinner, as long as you're not looking for dirt cheap. And if you're trying to avoid crowds, don't go on a Friday or Saturday night, as the bar crowd tends to be heavy at those times (obviously).

WTF - our only major suggestion: BRING BACK THE BUFFALO CHICKEN WRAP!!! It was our favorite!

The Waterfront Hotel

1710 Thames Street

Baltimore, MD 21231

410-537-5055

http://www.waterfronthotel.us/