Italian Dessert

I'm totally and utterly in love with Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop. The gelato (try the snickers flavor) is great and I've never had a baked good that I didn't like. The cannolis are my favorite. This was my first time at the Little Italy location, I usually go to the one in Canton and I take my goodies to go. This time I was on a date so we dined-in. (Side note: parking is atrocious so plan accordingly.) The quality and taste of the product is excellent at both locations, but the service is slow because there's only one waitress even on a busy Saturday night. 

I ordered apple strudel, which wasn't particularly sweet on its own (I didn't mind because I don't really have a sweet tooth) but was sprinkled with cinnamon, drizzled with caramel sauce, and topped with whipped cream. Yum! I also ordered my usual cookies and cannolis to-go. Perfect ending to my night!

Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week 2014: Steakhouse

I went to Sullivan's Steakhouse for lunch during restaurant week. The space is very large with a generous bar and dinning room. The kitchen is semi-open and wall of windows make it bright. I had a reservation but probably didn't need it. 

I ordered the Maryland crab soup and NY strip. The soup was good in terms of flavor but could have used some more crab. The steak would have been perfect if I had ordered it medium-well or well done, but I didn't so it was overcooked. It reminded me of a plated dinner at a conference or wedding. A mediocre steak with pretty good potatoes and sauce. My friend has invited me to happy hour here many times and I may go but I don't think I want to try for lunch or dinner again.

Melting Pot

My sister and I came here the day before Thanksgiving. It was her treat "for a foodie like me" as she put it. I had never been to this location or any other in the franchise. To be honest I wasn't completely sure about the concept. Anyway, I'm so glad that I finally made it. This was the best dining experience I had in a long while. The food was fantastic, but the service was even better! Our waitress was attentive, knowledgeable, and a down right sweetheart. 

We ordered the spinach and artichoke fondue for our first course. It was just as good if not better than the dip I usually make at home, which is has never been the case at any other restaurant I've been to. Next was the salad course. Lettuce is lettuce.

We chose the court bouillon for our main course. I got The Classic, so I could sample a variety of things and my sister got the French Quarter. My entree came with Angus sirloin, Memphis-style BBQ pork medallion, Pacific white shrimp, herb-crusted all-natural breast of chicken, and teriyaki-marinated sirloin. It also comes with vegetables and red potatoes. It sounds like a lot of food and it was! It also includes six delicious sauces/condiments. The green goddess sauce made with sour cream, cream cheese, and herbs was so good I plan to recreate it at home. The curry yogurt sauce was light and refreshing. 

We ended the meal with the Flaming Turtle fondue which is swirled with caramel, sprinkled with candied pecans, and flambeed with 151! I'm not the biggest chocolate fan but it was to die for. We dipped banana (we asked for more), strawberries, rice krispy treats, brownies, blondies, marshmallows, and pound cake until we thought we'd burst.

At the end of the night we left a hefty tip, gave to St. Jude's, and waddled out stuffed and happy. I cannot wait to go back. We received a gift card for giving so, soon and very soon!

Burgers: Burger Bros.

Came here for lunch a couple weeks ago based on proximity to work and other reviews. The burgers are fresh made like most places (that aren't fast food) and I've come to expect that. I am no burger connoisseur, but the burger was good. I've had better and I've had much worse. It's comparable to Five Guys, which is down the street. The burger patty itself is larger (thicker), but the toppings are just as fresh and delicious. I will say that I AM a potato connoisseur, especially french fries and these have nothing on Five Guys, Kooper's, or even GrrChe food truck. I can't say that I am a fan yet, but I will go back.

Alexander's Tavern

Alexander's Tavern is so cute and cozy. There's a lively bar on one side and a quaint dining room on the other. My date and I got a little table in the window. The waitress was very attentive and sweet.

I'll start this by saying if you don't order anything else get TOTS. As much as I love potatoes I am not a fan of tots at all. My date and I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Tots and BBQ Sweet Potato Tots; both were fantastic! I could have used a little more spice in the buffalo sauce but the flavor was great. The combination of the sweet potato with tangy BBQ sauce and savory pulled pork was to die for. I want to replicate it at home! Even though I was completely satisfied after the tots I ordered the Maryland burger. It was cooked as I requested and the crab dip on top was delicious! I can't wait to go back. They have happy hour right? Because tots and beer sounds like the perfect combo after a long day of work.

Reading Terminal Market

I wish I lived in Philly just to go to Reading Terminal Market regularly! Baltimore has 6 public markets and though I've only been to 3 of them, I'm going to overgeneralize and say this one is better than them ALL (debate is welcome lol)! There's so much to taste and see you need at least a couple weeks daily visits to try it all. I love that there's ample seating to enjoy the goodies you buy.

This was my first visit! I got breakfast from the Dutch Eating Place and baked goods from the adjacent bakery. Everything was delicious from the fresh churned butter on my french toast to the thick cut turkey bacon. I took home wheat and oatmeal bagels, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, and crumb cake for less than $10! I love the Amish!

I'm with my fellow yelpers, if you're in Philly and don't stop here you're totally missing out. I CANNOT wait to go back!

Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week 2014: SoBo Café

I went to SoBo Cafe for restaurant week a few weeks back. I had a reservation but was late due to traffic. When I arrived I was informed that my table was reserved for someone else soon after mine but I could sit at the bar for a more leisurely meal. I chose the bar.

The atmosphere is extremely welcoming. I felt as if I had visited a friends home for a dinner party. My coat was taken at the door and hung on hooks near the entry. The restaurant is two renovated rowhouses so it was fitting. 

I ordered mac n cheese for an appetizer. It was pretty good; creamy and flavorful. It was a venture from the traditional southern baked mac n cheese because it had tomatoes, but I was pleasantly surprised and I'd definitely order it again. For my entree I chose the Korean chicken fried steak with kimchi collard greens. I LOVE Korean food and it was the PERFECT fusion of Asian and southern comfort food. I wish they would package up and sell the kimchi. It was amazing! Everything kimchi should be: crisp, refreshing, spicy, and sweet. Dessert was parsnip cake with a caramel sauce. I love a good root vegetable so I was pleased.

All in all great experience, so go try it! If I didn't live across town I'd be a regular for sure!

Ngam New York

This tiny space, equipped with a tiny head chef, packs a big punch! The entry way is small bu the space opens up towards the back. They've shoved as many tables as they could in the open area so make reservations! I made the mistake of not making reservation, but the staff was SOOOO accommodating to my friends and me, who had never been. 

Everything sounded good on the menu but I must admit I ordered based on what I saw at the table next to ours. We got the Surf n' Turf for an appetizer. With grilled calamari, shrimp, beef, and the most delicious Thai sausage wrapped in bacon, we were in heaven. I mean seriously you can wrap a shoe in bacon, dip it in Thai chili sauce and I'd probably eat it lol! 

For the entree I went for the classic Pad Thai 'cause, let's face it, if a place can't handle the basics, the rest of the menu probably wouldn't be worth a try. I ordered it extra spicy and it came out perfect; not too saucy or dry and the perfect balance of spice, acidity, and sweetness. I can't wait to go back!

P.S. We got free drinks by checking in on Yelp!

The Cowfish

The concept of this place is pretty brilliant! Burger bar, sushi bar, full bar? Don't mind if I do. You can take all of your friends to this place, even the ones that say, "I don't like sushi. I'm not eating raw fish," yet they've never tried a California roll. Someone mentioned on Yelp that the menu is pretty big. I agree its kind of outrageously large and that usually means lesser quality and a slower kitchen. I appreciate a restaurant that does a small menu phenomenally.

It took about 15 minutes (3 stops by the waitress) and finally her recommendation before I placed my order. I ordered the original cowfish bento box with a Philly roll, slider, sweet potato fries, edamame, and cucumber salad. The sweet potato fries were delicious and the cucumber salad is literally (the original definition, not the new ridiculous one) the best I've had at any sushi bar. Everything else was pretty basic and the service was pretty slow. They messed up my sister's order. My friend and I were nearly done eating by the time she got her meal. The manager brought it out and comp'ed it.

We ordered dessert too! A tower of lemon pound cake, ice cream, whipped cream, and berries. It was amazing. The three of us couldn't finish it! After dessert we waited for our check. We were chatting, but after 30 minutes or more we had to ASK for our check. The atmosphere was nice and maybe I'll try going at a less busy time before I make a final ruling on the service. I'll be back.

Feast Food Tour: Local Flavors of NoDa

While in Charlotte Labor Day weekend my sister and I went on a food tour. We toured the neighborhood known as North Davidson. It was a little different from the one I went on in Chicago. We covered a smaller area and had less food (I was still hungry after this tour), but more beverage and just as much history and culture. 

We met at Revolution Ale House where we had pizza and tried craft beers on tap. We were able to tour the kitchen and talk to chef. The pizza was thin crust and absolutely delicious. It is named for the neighborhood, NoDa, and has pulled pork and a balsamic sauce drizzled across the top that plays well with the pork and cheese flavors. They serve a wide selection of local and craft beers. 

Revolution Ale House

The second stop on our tour was The Bodega. This place is pretty secluded. If you don't know the neighborhood you'd probably never find it. Its a small convenient store with beer, wine, and other random goodies like yellow stone ground grits (yes I bought some). It has a deli counter and you can create your own sandwich. The owners are pretty cool people too! Look it up and stop in!

Heist Brewery

Heist Pizza

Heist Brewery seemed like a really cool place. Its a brewery turned restaurant. They make all the beer right there in the restaurant where you can also sit and enjoy artfully prepared foods. The pizza was an incredibly thin crust, crisped to perfection. We had one with duck, a veggie one with eggplant, and one with bacon, tomato, and green onion that tasted like a BLT. All were very good, even the duck which I usually don't eat because of the texture (too fatty). 

Heist is the brain child of a former scientist turned craft beer maker and his friend the chef and caterer. The owner (scientist) was very friendly and we were able to have a nice conversation. I wish we could have stayed longer. I can't wait to go back!

Salud

The next stop we met a man, his wife, and their toddler at Salud. They have a wide selection of local and craft beers. I tried a watermelon and jalapeno that they had on tap. Unfortunately, I tried the watermelon after the jalapeno so I couldn't really enjoy it, but the jalapeno was great. 

FuManChu Cupcakes

In the same space we met a tattooed older gentleman serving up cupcakes made with Guinness. All of his cupcakes are made with booze and definitely unique. You won't get a plain vanilla, chocolate, or red velvet cupcake with this guy. 

The second to last stop was Smelly Cat Cafe. I'm not a coffee drinker, but it's such a cute place. The decor is nice and there's actually plenty of small tables for lingering despite the small space. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable about the products and the beans are all roasted in house. While others in my food tour tried the Colombian coffee, I tried mango iced tea. They also had really delicious no bake treats! Stop in!

Smelly Cat Cafe

The last stop was Dolce Vita, a wine bar, where we tasted multiple wines. A few whites, a couple reds. I was also able to try a South African wine, which I can best describe as exotic. It tasted like safari. In a way that a spiced wassail tastes like the holidays. The flavor was so different from all the other wines I have tasted. I loved it!

Hatch Sandwich Bar

This was my first stop on my North Carolina foodie adventure; thanks to my fellow yelpers! The menu is not huge, but I had a hard time deciding because everything sounded so good. I finally settled on the Pastrami sub because it was all the things I'd never put on my pastrami! I like pastrami simple: tender juicy meat, mustard, pickles and hot peppers.

Hatch makes theirs with spicy mayo, cheese, and tomato; all of which are taboo in my mind. It was delicious! Not overstuffed with pastrami and kind of like a grilled cheese on crack lol. The meat was sliced to order even at the lunch time rush, the cheese was gooey and the bread was warm and crusty. I would never try to replicate it at home but I'd order it over and over again from here! Next time I'd like to try the broccoli and cheese or one of he pulled pork options.

Hickory Square

Fried Green Tomatoes with Pimento Cheese

Steak and Eggs with Hashbrown Casserole

Josh's on the Square is a neighborhood gem! My sister and I had brunch here Sunday. They offer a 3 course meal for $13 and bottomless mimosas for $8. I chose the fried green tomatoes, steak and eggs, and wild berry cheesecake, while my sister had a Cesar salad, shrimp and grits, and banana pudding. 

The fried green tomatoes were topped with pimento cheese which I usually don't care for (forgive me southern people lol) but it was good. The tomatoes were very fresh. Unfortunately, the steak wasn't cooked the way I requested but it was so tender and well seasoned I didn't mind. The eggs were fresh, not egg substitute or cracked into a large bucket and ladled out. The entree came with hash brown casserole that was ok but I've had better. The cheesecake was phenomenal. I wanted to take home the whole thing! It was house-made not the frozen, boxed kind that most restaurants serve.

My sister was nice enough to let me try her grits. I'm pretty sure they were yellow stone ground grits (the best kind). I was pleasantly surprised with the tomato based sauce; it was a different take on a southern classic! If ever in HIckory, NC . . . 

Wild Berry Cheesecake

Sweet Frog

So I'm a Yogurtland fiend!!! I love the flavor options; I love the fact that the flavor options change and I love the selection of toppings. For a while I've been on a quest to find delicious, well priced frozen yogurt comparable to the reigning king, Yogurtland. My sister took me to Sweet Frog.

"This place is super cute!" That's the first thing I thought when I walked inside. If I had a daughter this could be her room. They have a good variety of flavors and the price is great! I tried the raspberry-pomegranate, I loved the tartness; the key lime pie, which was too sour; and the warm macadamia nut cookie, which tasted so authentic. It was swirled with country vanilla, a perfect combo. 

I found one in Baltimore too, I'm stoked!

Baltimore Summer Restaurant Week 2013: Mother's Federal Hill Grille

Great restaurant week menu . . . This past Thursday was my first time at Mother's. I hear people talk about it all the time, usually burgers, beer and sports, but the food was delicious. 

I ordered calamari as a starter. It was tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. The sauce was good too. The crabcake was perfectly cooked and had the largest pieces of crab I've ever seen in a cake; I mean they barely bother with filler, I'm surprised it held together! I carb loaded with mashed potatoes topped with loaded butter and chipotle Mac n cheese. The potatoes were scratch made and the mac had a wonderful kick to it. Dessert was bread pudding; not my favorite on any day but I tried it anyway. It was just ok. City Café's is worlds better. 

Overall, surprisingly great experience and I can't wait to go back and try one of those 20 burgers and wings.