Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week 2013: The Dogwood Restaurant

Restaurant week is always a great time to try something you've never tried before. My first excursion for restaurant week: The Dogwood Restaurant in Hampden. The food is sustainable and delectable. The Dogwood strives to use locally grown organic food for their eclectic American eatery. It's a warm atmosphere with great vibes. You can feel the wonderful spirit of the place as soon as you walk in. "The Dogwood’s social mission is to transform lives one plate at a time by providing training opportunity and paid employment to individuals who are transitioning from addiction, incarceration, homelessness, and/or underemployment." 

I tried the Baltimore Crap Soup and the Mango Chicken Salad Sandwich. Both fresh and equally delicious. The sandwich was served on sunflower seed bread with mango and curry spiced chicken salad and baby spinach; an unusual, yet perfect combination. 

A place that good for stomach, good for your wallet, and good for your soul? Don't mind if I do and you should too!

     

Herb & Soul

Groupon helped me find a wonderful little place in northeast Baltimore; Parkville to be exact. The concept is similar to the staple of Baltimore: the carry out. They're all over the place; sometimes two on one block serving Chinese, pizza, sandwiches, and the notorious chicken box. The twist is that Herb & Soul strives to bring fresh, sustainable meats and produce. If you cant beat em, join em right? They boast Maryland farmed, cage free chicken and eggs, grass fed beef, pork and lamb, and Maryland grown veggies. My wonderful little groupon included an appetizer, two entrees, and dessert for two. I was able to try a lot of items from their small but diverse menu. I had:

Appetizer: Chicken and Waffles

The chicken was seasoned perfectly. It was juicy and still crispy even though I got it delivered. The waffle had a wonderful sweet potato flavor and it's served with a homemade maple syrup that is to die for.

Entrées: Catfish and Pork Loin

The catfish was fresh, perfectly crisp, and not greasy at all but the cornmeal completely lacked seasoning. The macaroni and cheese was ooey, gooey, and delicious. I'm pretty sure it had nutmeg which is the "secret" to any great baked Mac and cheese. The Liberian collard greens were tender and well seasoned but entirely too sweet for my taste.

The pork loin was tender and juicy but again lacked seasoning. I could have eaten an entire pot of the green beans and I'm not the biggest green bean fan. The candied yams were tender but not sweet enough for me.

Dessert: Cranberry Cupcake

The flavor was good and it was topped with a tart frosting but the cake itself was very dry.

Overall: Good, fresh, local food. I'm going back to try their Indian fry bread taco! And if all else fails get the chicken and waffles!