Brio Tuscan Grille's Seafood Celebration

Though Mr Minx and I have written about Brio Tuscan Grille at least twice, we had never actually eaten there. Oh, we had both been in the space itself many times in the past; it used to be a Friendly's back in the day, before even Harborplace came to be. Needless to say, the place has changed quite a bit. Gone are the banana splits and clam boats--they have been replaced by chops and pasta, a few steps up on the culinary ladder.

Brio is currently offering a special Seafood Celebration menu, so when the restaurant invited us in to have a taste, we were happy to comply.

The prices are right and the portions are huge at this spacious restaurant facing Baltimore's Inner Harbor. (Your local outpost of Brio will offer similarly localized views.) To get to our window table, we walked past the large bar area, scaled to handle happy hour crowds. From our seats, we noted that the ample sidewalk area--much of which is in evening shade--will be perfect for al fresco dining in the upcoming warmer weather.

We started off our meal with three cocktails, variations on a theme, each containing a blackberry infused vodka and black raspberry liquor. The Blackberry Infused Cosmo also contained pineapple infused vodka, lime juice, and basil simple syrup, which made for a refreshing and not-too-sweet drink. The Blackberry Cooler had the basil simple syrup, but also pineapple and lime juices. My favorite was the Blackberry Fizz, which included Moscato and citrus juices. It will be a great summertime sipper with some light snacks.

Then the food started coming. Did I mention that the portions were generous? Huge, even? A plate of calamari with a mustardy aioli and marinara came first. There were also bits of breaded pepperoncini in there, so some bites were fairly spicy. I honestly prefer a lighter breading on my calamari, but this stuff was so fresh and well-cooked, I didn't mind the extra coating.

The Strawberry Balsamic Salmon Salad arrived next. It wasn't on our special menu, so it was unexpected, however, I am glad we got it. A small mountain of baby spinach, strawberries, grapes, bleu cheese crumbles, and spicy pecans dressed in an herb vinaigrette would have been a fine dish on its own, but it was also topped with a small slab of salmon. Keep in mind that Mr Minx and I have been doing Whole30 off and on since the fall, so we've eaten a lot of salmon recently, all of it grossly overcooked. I approached the salmon on this salad with caution, but was pleased to find it was perfect. The outside was lightly crisp, and the inside was super tender and moist. The best restaurant salmon I've had in a good long time. Considering the relative thinness of the filet, cooking it this well took some skill. I'd be happy to eat this salad again, for sure.

When the entrees arrived--three of them!--we were happy to see there was more of that salmon, this time in the Grilled Salmon Fresca, a dish of grilled asparagus, sweet potatoes, spinach, red peppers, feta, and tomatoes, drizzled with a balsamic reduction and a pesto vinaigrette. We also received the Lobster & Shrimp ravioli in a spicy black pepper cream sauce with spinach, roasted grape tomatoes, and a pile of shrimp. Lastly, the Shrimp Mediterranean involved spicy grilled shrimp over a bed of orzo pasta with farro, broccoli florets, asparagus, tomatoes, and spinach, topped with crumbled feta and pesto vinaigrette.

I'm happy to report that the dishes labeled "spicy" were indeed so. The black pepper sauce on the ravioli especially. It was quite rich and hearty, and tasted almost meaty, though the chef assured me that there was no meat stock in it.

We had to doggie bag most of the entrees to eat for lunch later in the week (bonus!) so we could fit dessert. A shared slice of the day's seasonal cheesecake, a rich caramel mascarpone affair, was a nice sweet finish.

Mr Minx and I rarely eat in the Inner Harbor area, though we'd be happy to add Brio to our dining rotation. There's plenty of (expensive) parking in nearby garages, but folks who work downtown have easy access to the restaurant. I think a future happy hour visit will be in order.

* All food items mentioned in this post have been provided to Minxeats by Brio Tuscan Grill However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. 
Amazon links earn me $! Please buy! 



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Spotlight On - Encantada

Not sure if anyone knows, but I've been writing a restaurant column for the City Walker App Blog. The purpose of the app itself is to give visitors a local's-eye-view of a city, so they are able to experience it in the same way residents do--on foot. (Not that anyone actually walks anywhere anymore.) The blog offers a bit more detail; I have endeavored to take users on a stroll through the city while pointing out restaurants along the way. In addition to the walking posts, I have been writing others that put certain favorite restaurants of mine in a spotlight. I thought I could share those here with you.
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Baltimore is not known for its vegan restaurants. That’s not to say it’s not a vegan-friendly city; there are a handful of notable places that serve vegan cuisine. Some are completely vegan. And several of them are even planning a Vegan Restaurant Week from August 18th - 26th (check out https://www.mdveganeats.com for more info). I’m not vegan, or even vegetarian, but have always felt that a well-rounded food scene is beneficial for the city’s residents and visitors alike. Plus I understand that the high level of meat consumption in the US is not doing anybody any favors, physically on an individual level and climate-wise on a global scale.

Encantada, in the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) is a restaurant that pleases both vegans and consumers of animal products alike. But first, let’s talk a little bit about AVAM. If you haven’t been there, you must go. Seriously. It’s the most interesting, fun, mind-boggling, amazing art museum in the city (and we have two pretty fabulous museums in the Walters and the Baltimore Museum of Art). The term “visionary,” when applied to art, refers to works created by persons with no formal art training who are guided solely by their own inner voice. These folks may or may not march to the beat of a different drum in their public lives, but whatever it is that influences their work, it doesn’t follow the constraints of “learned” forms of art like went-to-art-school art or even the traditions of folk art. Think 25-foot-long ship models made entirely of toothpicks, or complex masks created from knitted and crocheted yarn. Amazing stuff. I consider AVAM to be in the top five places to visit in Baltimore (the others being the National Aquarium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Walters Art Museum, and Fells Point).

Now, on to the restaurant. The word “encantada” means “charmed, enchanted, bewitched,” which seems appropriate for a restaurant located in such a delightful museum. Apropos of its setting, the decor at Encantada is, shall we say, eclectic. Furniture and fabrics are purposely mismatched, walls may sport royal blue and black vertical stripes, or black and white diagonal ones. Art from the museum is hung here and there, adding still more color to the elegant cacophony of the restaurant’s interior. The menu is much more focused. The food at Encantada is grounded in the restaurant’s partnerships with local farmers, watermen, and ranchers to provide the freshest seasonal meat and produce. The animal proteins used by the restaurant have been raised humanely without GMOs, and while that still might not please PETA, it makes us carnivores feel a bit less guilty about indulging in meat. Vegetarians and vegans will be happy, however, that vegetables and grains play far more important roles at Encantada than at many other restaurants where they may be relegated to mere “side dishes.”

One can enjoy Encantada’s vegetable-forward menu at brunch, lunch, dinner, and happy hour. Conveniently, brunch is offered both Saturday and Sunday, with $15 bottomless bloody marys, mimosas, and beers from Evolution, a craft brewery based in Salisbury on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Vegan options include a bbq tofu benedict with avocado, crispy kale, and grilled tomato, and a spicy “chicken” sandwich made with seitan. Actual chicken is fried and coated in harissa honey and served with french toast in another dish that’s a riff on the now-popular chicken and waffles, and a burger with a runny egg is available, too.

The dinner menu is divided up into small and large plates, but it’s probably easiest to think of them as apps and entrees. On the current menu, all of the small plates are vegetarian or vegan apart from the “N’awlins BBQ Shrimp,” which of course is not.

One of the more popular vegan small plates, available for brunch, lunch, and dinner, is the Nashville cauliflower, made with Tennessee-style hot sauce and served with vegan ranch dressing and bread-and-butter pickles. It shows that whatever chicken can do, cauliflower can also do (and possibly do it better). The deviled turnips are another popular dish; it’s been on the menu from day one. They’re actually a play on deviled eggs--small white turnips standing in for the egg white, a filling of chickpea mash, and a dusting of smoked paprika. Cute and tasty, but egg-like in appearance only.

Entrees include more meaty selections, things like NY sirloin and duck breast, some fish options too. But even carnivores will enjoy the pasta with mushroom bolognese, its depth of flavor due to the umami-rich mushrooms. On a recent visit during Restaurant Week, we tried a housemade trofie (a hand-rolled twisted pasta) with pesto, peas, and optional guanciale (cured pork jowl or cheek) that was simply outstanding. You can’t go wrong with ordering a side of heirloom carrots, either; though the preparation is always slightly different, they are usually topped with toasted hazelnuts, which really make the dish.

Finally, don’t pass up on cocktails before, during, or after your meal. The Cheshire Cat is a particularly refreshing gin-and-cucumber beverage with a touch of lemongrass, mint, and lime, with a fun blue ice cube that gradually turns the drink purple as it melts. I also like “It’s About Fig & Thyme” and “Berryland Smash,” both tasty concoctions that are worth trying.

Encantada
800 Key Highway
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-752-1000
Encantadabaltimore.com



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Bookmakers Cocktail Club

Though I had a cocktail at Bookmakers Cocktail Club earlier in the year, neither Mr Minx nor I had eaten there before recently. Bookmakers was participating in the annual Dining Out for Life campaign to benefit Moveable Feast, so we decided to give the place a try and support one of our favorite local organizations at the same time.

"Cocktail" is in the name, so we had to start off with a couple. I had the Blind Melon, made with St George green chile vodka, ancho reyes, fresh lime, watermelon, and Thai basil. It was fine. Maybe a little weak. Far more savory than I thought it would be. Mr Minx had the Grayson, with Bulleit rye, yuzu, ginger beer, Velvet Falernum, 1821 Japanese chili-lime bitters, and toasted cinnamon. So many ingredients! Much stronger than mine, with a pronounced bourbon flavor.

Our waitress seemed very happy to be there for DOFL and eagerly gave us both food and drink recomendations. We started off with the pork belly and a Caesar salad.

BOURBON GLAZED PORK BELLY

old grand-dad bourbon, cucumber salad

The serving of pork belly was pretty generous, and while the textures were great - soft fat, crispy top, tender meat - it was cold. Well, not cold exactly. Parts were room-temperature. When I asked our waitress about it, she said it was supposed to be that way. A little odd, but it tasted great, so ok. The cucumber salad was actually a mess of really tangy pickles that cut the fat of the pork nicely.

CAESAR SALAD

lemon confit, brioche croutons, white anchovies, parmesan crisp

I had a pretty damn classic Caesar. The platonic ideal, IMHO. Lemony, vaguely fishy, with light croutons and a lovely bit of crispy parm on top.

8OZ DRY-AGED ROSEDA CHEESEBURGER

american cheese, smoked tomato & onion, red leaf lettuce, chef's sauce

Making a decision on an entree was difficult. Well, for me anyway. I went with the cheeseburger, intrigued that there are only so many of them available per night. It was impossible to eat as-is, since the rather firm bun had broken on the bottom so everything just sloshed out. I had added a fried egg, which would have made it too messy to pick up and eat anyway as it was too tall to bite. I knife-and-forked it, leaving much of the bun behind. Please, chefs, just use squishy buns for burgers. There's no need for brioche or any other type of bread (unless it's toasted rye, as in a patty melt) to touch a burger. It makes it difficult to eat and, if too big and cottony, muffles the flavors of all the goodies inside. Especially when the flavors of the components are as good as the ones on this sandwich. Loved the smoked tomato and onion, and the chef's sauce.

LAMB SHOULDER RAGU

pappardelle, mint, sorrel, snap peas, green beans, goat cheese

Mr Minx had pasta, because that's his thing. I thought the pappardelle was a little tough, but he snarfled up that dish right quick. Lamb and mint really is a lovely combination in a pasta sauce, reminding me a bit of the famous mint love letters dish we ate at Mario Batali's Babbo (and I also attempted to recreate at home).

We wanted to run up the tab a bit to get the maximum amount of money for Moveable Feast (Bookmaker's was contributing 25% of the proceeds) so we also got a side dish of brussels sprouts, served with sweet and chewy candied bacon and parm. We eat a LOT of brussels sprouts (can't really avoid them these days, can you?) and these were among the best we've had. No pic, as the restaurant was dark and they were dark and the bowl was dark so the photos I took were even worse than the ones included here.

We also ordered a couple more cocktails. Mr Minx had the Thyme Collins. He's not a gin lover, but he wanted to see how much he hated the stuff if it was mixed up with thyme, lemon, and soda. It still tasted like gin, but it wasn't a turn-off. (For me, it's tonic that's the deal-breaker.) And I had what I'm going to declare as my favorite new drink - the Federale, made with Tapatio blanco tequila, Becherovka, cinnamon, fresh lemon, grapefruit, and mint. It was like the most sophisticated non-margarita margarita ever. I could have downed 3 or 4 (they are small) but that would have been dangerous.

We don't normally order dessert (at least not every time we go out) but for the sake of more money to charity, we ordered the baked mini donuts to share. Three each mini chocolate glazed and powdered sugar donuts were served with a little cup of coffee-flavored cream for dipping. I got the concept, but felt the donuts were dry (although the chocolate glaze was boss) and the cream was too liquidy.

In any case, despite minor quibbles, we really enjoyed the meal. Service was terrific, drinks were good, and so was the food. We got in and out just before it started to get really loud (one of the benefits of eating early - we can have a conversation without shouting with the rest of the shouting yahoos) which helped make it a good experience.

Bookmakers Cocktail Club
31 E. Cross Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
443.438.4039



Posted on Minxeats.com.

July 4th at Wit & Wisdom

Wit & Wisdom is having a blow-out part for the Fourth of July!

There will be foodie-worthy cuisine provided by Wit & Wisdom chef Zack Mills and guest chef Tim Dyson from Bluegrass Tavern, plus desserts by executive pastry chef Dyan Ng. Eats include modern twists on nostalgic staples like Chesapeake fried chicken, pit beef sandwiches topped with tiger sauce and caramelized onions, and bratwurst drizzled with beer mustard and sauerkraut. Seafood lovers are in for an ultra-fresh treat with the chef’s specialty oyster-shucking station, an ode to the local flavors of the Chesapeake Bay. Sides include grilled corn on the cob, Mom’s potato salad, and classic mac ‘n cheese. For beer, cocktail and wine connoisseurs alike, Wit & Wisdom has partnered with local brewer, Union Craft Brewing, and will be serving signature cocktails by lead bartender Aaron Joseph and wine handpicked by sommelier Julie Dalton.

Live entertainment will also be on hand. The Rio Quartet will serenade the party with its contemporary vocals from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. There’s no need to book a babysitter; kids will be delighted to join the fun with an on-site snowball machine, face painting and other activities. The night will end with a bang as the Baltimore fireworks show lights up the panoramic views of the historic Inner Harbor.

Tickets include one featured beverage which includes guest’s choice of wine, beer or a specialty cocktail. At the event, guests are encouraged to use the hashtags #WitontheWater and #WW4thofJuly.

Wit & Wisdom
Four Seasons Hotel
200 International Drive
Baltimore, MD 21202

Friday, July 4, 2014
6:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.

Casual dress
$75 per person (plus tax and gratuity)
$35 for kids 12 and under (plus tax and gratuity)

For more event details and to book tickets visit, http://www.missiontix.com/page/searchResults/?venue=Wit%20and%20Wisdom.


Posted on Minxeats.com.

Aggio Popup at Artifact Coffee

Bryan Voltaggio, owner of Volt and Family Meal in Frederick, Range in DC, and Aggio, an Italian restaurant within Range, is opening a second outpost of Aggio in Power Plant Live! here in Baltimore sometime early this summer. To introduce the restaurant to locals, Spike Gjerde hosted a two-night Aggio pop-up at Artifact Coffee. We managed to snag a table for the first seating on the first night.

First appearances are important, and Aggio hit all the right notes there with a generous bread plate that included ethereal grissini and heartier foccacia. They were served with two dips, one an intensely salty whipped goat ricotta with lemon and olive oil, and an unusual whipped mortadella. At this point, we were pretty happy campers and looking forward to the rest of the meal.

The first of four courses were equally successful. I chose the chioggia beets. Voltaggio likes to play with textures, and in this dish, the naturally sweet beets were presented in both chunks and paper thin slices. I didn't really taste the charred rosemary component of the dish, but really enjoyed the fishiness of the tonnato sauce (made with tuna) and the bottarga (an Italian salted fish roe). It was an inspired combination.

Chioggia beets, tonnato sauce, charred rosemary, pine nuts, bottarga, arugula

Mr Minx's impeccably fresh raw tuna served with orange was also a nice combination of flavors. And because the house lights dimmed dramatically a little while earlier, Mr Minx wasn't sure what he had on his fork at any given time. He enjoyed the little game of "is it orange, or is it tuna?"

Tuna, pistachio, castelvetrano olive, blood orange sugo, citrus pith, radish

For the second course, Mr Minx chose the asparagus and I had the shrimp and polenta.

Asparagus, fava and pea ragu, wild herbs, smoked pecorino, almond

The asparagus was a big disappointment. While the stalks were nicely cooked and juicy/tender, the only flavor in the dish came from the smoked pecorino. It was perhaps a bit too subtle.

Prawns, polenta from buckwheat and yellow corn, sauce fra diavolo

Also too subtle was the prawn dish, a homely festival of brown. I felt it was bland and uninteresting and lacking the promised heat and flavor of the fra diavolo. Clearly the Washington Post's Tom Sietsema, who gave Aggio three stars, was served a different dish. "The seafood choices include a raft of grilled prawns adrift in a dark orange froth of shellfish stock, tomato paste and red chili flakes. 'Too pretty to eat' comes to mind. Ignore the thought and dive in. Beneath the tender seafood is soothing buckwheat polenta."

On to the pasta course, which was much more successful. We passed on the spinach pasta with crab and buttered popcorn to try the whole wheat lumache with lamb ragu and the spaghetti alla chitarra with meatballs.

Lamb ragu, whole wheat lumache, oak smoked pecorino, mustard leaf pesto

The ragu was rich and delicious, with a hearty lamb-gamy flavor. A perfect dish to cozy up with on a cold winter's night.

Meatballs braised in ragu pomodoro, chittara, basil, parmesan

I am not Italian, so I like my pasta drenched in sauce (IMHO, the reason to eat the pasta in the first place). Voltaggio's spaghetti alla chittara was cooked properly al dente and was coated with a rich tomato sauce. The terrific meatballs were fluffy and soft, and according to Sietsema, are made with a portion of mortadella. In other words, they were full of baloney.... 

Dessert was hit or miss. Mr Minx had the cookie plate, featuring lemony "taralli" and chocolate biscotti. Despite the incorrect nomenclature (taralli are crunchy ring shaped crackers, and these were pillowy soft cakelets, more madeleine than cookie), Mr Minx enjoyed both. The "taralli" were especially tasty.

Cookie plate, Meyer lemon taralli, chocolate almond pistachio biscotti

My pistachio and olive plate tasted of neither. The kumquats were the star, as far as I'm concerned, sweetly bitter and bursting with citrus flavor. I wanted the sorbet to be more tangy, and the soft cake to taste like...something. But Voltaggio's textural contrasts are always fun and almost made up for the lack of pistachio.

Pistachio in olives, olive oil cake, pistachio cream, cara cara orange sorbet, crispy pomegranate, kumquats

We're eager to visit Aggio in its eventual destination downtown, realizing that part of the inconsistency of this meal may have been due to the tiny kitchen space at Artifact. It will be interesting to see how well the restaurant does in Power Plant Live!, which is still the Brokerage in my mind (a lame place, even when it was popular).

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Maryland Bacon Festival

The inaugural Maryland Bacon Festival will be held on Saturday, Aprill 26th, from 12pm - 10pm at Rash Field in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. (A bacon festival at Rash Field? Shouldn't the name be changed to "Rasher" Field for the occasion?)

This extraordinary culinary adventure will be all the fun of a bacon-themed block party mixed with a full scale festival experience. Join us as over 30 of the area's top restaurants and food trucks, several of the area's top bands, and thousands of the area's top food lovers gather to celebrate an american tradition - BACON. This event will feature both bacon sampling and full sized bacon cuisine, bacon confectionary delights, bacon eating contests, bacon cooking demonstrations, live music from some of the area's top bands (who also love bacon), a bacon themed children's zone, bacon cooking competitions, full service bars with beer, liquor, wine and bacon themed cocktails, a vendor village featuring various non-food bacon themed vendors and much more.

Sounds like fun, no?

Tickets can be purchased at http://MarylandBaconFestival.com. Keep up with the bacon-y news via Facebook (https://facebook.com/mdbaconfest/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/americalovesbacon).



Posted on Minxeats.com.

J. Paul's Summer Menu

J. Paul's restaurant in Harborplace is welcoming the impending summer by adding several new items to their menu. We were invited in for a taste, and remembering how we enjoyed our last dinner there, we jumped at the chance to try some of the new goodies.

I feel bad that we don't get down to the Inner Harbor area more often. As longtime county residents, we find city driving to be a bit of a pain, especially in the business district (if one can call it that). But, on the occasions we persevere, grit our teeth, and venture downtown, we find ourselves well-rewarded for the effort.

This particular evening was clear and temperate, so we chose to eat on J. Paul's patio, (as did every other diner in the place). We started things off with two of their new cocktails, the "Oriole Magic" and the "Paul Red Handed."

Left: Oriole Magic - Bacardi Rum, banana liqueur, orange, pineapple, and lime juices with a sugar rim
Right: Paul Red Handed - muddled strawberries, Absolut Citron, fresh lemon, elderflower, Champagne

The Oriole Magic sounded interesting, but I let Mr Minx order that one because I had my eye on the PRH. I struck gold with a light and sweet easy-drinkin' kind of beverage strongly flavored with strawberry. It was one of those dangerous concoctions that begs for guzzling, but sipping is definitely in order. The Oriole Magic was much less-strong and, um, sorta weird. I always expect anything with banana liqueur to taste like that peanut-shaped marshmallow candy, circus peanuts, and it almost did. Not that that would have been a good thing, mind you. We just thought the drink's elements didn't blend well, and the bartender didn't help things by salting the rim instead of sugaring it. Oh well....

Philly Rolls: caramelized onion, rib eye, cheddar cheese and cherry pepper cheese sauce

The appetizers were far more successful. We originally wanted to share the new shellfish bucket of various bivalves and crab with lemon butter, but after we were told the restaurant was out of clams, we switched gears and tried two separate apps. Mr Minx's Philly Rolls - egg rolls stuffed with what one might normally find in a cheesesteak sandwich, served with a pool of house-made "cheez whiz" -  were really tasty. The fried shell was actually an improvement on the usual sub roll (hey, we're not from Philly). Just be warned that this appetizer is fairly heavy and filling, so you might want to share if you plan to have an entrée as well.

Crab cake, Boursin-stuffed fried local tomato, corn relish, arugula and cherry pepper remoulade

Several people - from the restaurant's PR ladies to the servers - mentioned that the new crab cake appetizer was a favorite, and as a crab cake fanatic I had to try it. While the cake had too much shredded meat for my taste, it played well as a soft textural counterpoint to the super-crisp slice of tomato that shared its crunchy coating with a schmear of garlicky and herby Boursin cheese. The peppery arugula and dollop of spicy remoulade added to the lively flavors on the plate.

Grilled salmon, lemon mashed potatoes, spinach, key lime butter sauce finished with tomato and avocado

There are several new sandwiches, salads, and entrées on the menu, including a sushi-grade seared tuna salad, an 8oz New York strip sammie, and Chicken Milanese, all of which sounded tempting. We settled on the grilled salmon and the Buffalo chicken wrap.

Mr Minx's salmon was simply grilled, a bit crusty on the outside, and topped with a light-tasting butter sauce and vegetables. Very nice, but the best thing on the plate was the mashed potatoes, which were unusually flavored with lemon juice and zest. I wouldn't necessarily put citrus on mash, but it worked really well and I plan to try it at home.

My Buffalo chicken wrap came with a choice of cucumber salad, cole slaw, or fries, and remembering the tasty slaw that Mr Minx had with his fish and chips last time, that was my choice. Cilantro should be an ingredient in all slaws, IMHO, and it was as good as I remembered. The wrap was good, too. Crispy fried-and-hot-sauced chicken strips shared the tortilla with chunks of celery, feta, tomato, and lettuce, a hot wing experience wrapped into a tidy little package.

It's clear that the chef at J. Paul's cares as much about his food's appearance as its flavor. How much more attractive than a plain white tortilla is that spinach one?

Buffalo chicken tenders, spinach tortilla, celery, feta, tomato, romaine, cilantro aioli

Stuffed to the gills (I doggie-bagged half my sandwich) we ordered dessert anyway. There were three selections that night - the flourless chocolate torte that we had sampled on our other visit, no-bake cheesecake, and creme brulée. Stereotypically for us, Mr went for the chocolate, and I went for the cream.

Flourless chocolate torte, raspberry sauce and berries

The torte is really too decadently sweet and fudgey to be served in a slice that large, but the very tart berry sauce helped a bit. A great dessert for sharing.

Three cremes brulée: plain, chocolate chip, berry

My full stomach was dismayed to see that I was receiving not one, not two, but three ramekins of creme brulée. I really didn't have room for one, but when I discovered there were three flavors, I ate more than a few bites of each. My favorite was the berry, which had a welcome lightness and fruity acidity. Most importantly, I appreciated that the creme was cold. This dessert should properly be refrigerated after brulée-ing, so the creme is cold and the hot sugar forms a hard, crackable, layer on top. Recipes that instruct one to "serve immediately" are wrong, wrong, wrong because that gives the molten sugar an opportunity to melt down into the custard, ruining the effect.

:::stepping off soapbox:::

Anyhoo...if you find yourself hungry in the Inner Harbor and don't relish the idea of eating at Bubba Gump's or Cheesecake Factory, we can recommend J. Paul's. We like the food and the service. We like half price bottles of wine on Wednesday and half price raw bar after 5pm on Thursday, too.

J Paul's
301 Light St
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 659-1889
j-pauls.com


Posted on Minxeats.com.

J Paul's

When I initially received an invitation to a media dinner at J Paul's restaurant in Harborplace, I was amused. "That's still around?" I thought. I'm always surprised that anything is in Harborplace anymore, especially after Phillips jumped ship last year. Back in the day, in the early 80s, my family was at Harborplace all the time. We lived in Fells Point, so it was a quick trip in the car, or a long walk if we were feeling energetic, to get there. We ate very frequently at Bamboo House (a precursor to Joey Chiu's Greenspring Inn) and later, in the 90s, Paolo's was a favorite. But they're both gone, and so is almost everything else in those big glass pavilions. Bubba Gump's has moved into the spot where Phillips ruled for 30 years, and H&M occupies a great deal of the Light Street building, including Paolo's old digs. There's a Hooter's in there, and the Fudgery is still around after all these years, but Harborplace is probably even disappointing to the tourists these days. Which brings me back to my surprise at a media dinner at J Paul's.

The restaurant has been in the Light Street pavilion since 1997. (The original Georgetown restaurant has been chugging along since 1983. Somehow, DC has been kinder to establishments in the Capital Restaurant Concepts group - Paolo's is still open there, whereas Baltimore has lost both outposts.) Fifteen years and a major renovation later, they just wanted to remind Baltimore that they're still around. And they're worth a try. Honestly - we enjoyed our meal, and were sad that the restaurant was so empty.

We started our meal off with a couple of Blue Point oysters, which were supremely fresh, meaty, and delicious with a dab of lemon juice and sprinkle of mignonette. It might seem odd to eat only one oyster, but neither of us are fans of raw bivalves. However, our server was persuasive, and later, after we commended her on her recommendation, she suggested we try more on a Thursday, when the restaurant offers half price raw bar items from 5pm until closing. Not a bad idea.

Next were bowls of Maryland crab soup and chili. I'm always skeptical about restaurant chili, which is usually a flavorless melange of ground beef and kidney beans. J Paul's is made with short rib as well as ground beef, and the shreds of meat are the predominant texture. The bowl of red was well-spiced without being hot, and it was almost as good as my home made. Color me impressed. The Maryland crab was also quite good, with a spicy tomato broth that did not have the typical Old Bay flavors. A nice change. And bonus for me - no lima beans!

For our entrees, we tried the crab cakes and the fish and chips. Mr Minx's cod was so delicately beer-battered as to seem like tempura, and the fish inside was moist and flaky. Even better was the fresh-tasting, very crisp, cilantro-spiked cole slaw, which had the perfect amount of sweetness.

My crab cakes seemed small for the price ($26) but they were very tightly packed. I'm a bit of a crab cake snob, and would say these were merely ok. However, I was impressed by the cakes' accompaniments, which seemed somewhat unconventional, as far as crab cake sides are concerned: perfectly cooked asparagus topped with a sundried tomato tapenade, rice pilaf, and a cherry pepper remoulade that had a real kick.

For dessert, we had a rich peanut butter pie served with a pool of very good, obviously house-made chocolate sauce, and a fudgelike slice of flourless chocolate cake with more of that chocolate sauce. Thumbs up for both. Especially the chocolate sauce.

We washed down our meals with a crisp J Pauls amber ale, and a J Paul's mojito, which is a mojito in name only. Rather than rum and mint, cherry-flavored Jim Beam Red Stag is muddled with basil, with added brown sugar, simple syrup, and lime. A bit too sweet, but interesting.

So...

If I happen to find myself hungry at the Inner Harbor, J Paul's has definitely made itself a dining option. We need to check out the Thursday raw bar special, and the weeknight happy hour nibbles (filet mignon slider, vegetable tempura, shrimp corn dogs, deviled eggs) are tempting, too.

J Paul's
301 Light St
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 659-1889
j-pauls.com



Posted on Minxeats.com.

The Rusty Scupper

The venerable Rusty Scupper, a fixture at the Inner Harbor since 1982, will be 30 this year. To celebrate the momentous occasion, we were invited to partake in a sampling of their menu classics; I must say I was happy for the opportunity to eat there again. I hadn't set foot in the Scupper since 1998, on a date that would have been forgettable except for one thing: it was then I had my first taste of raw oyster.

Let's just say that part was a bit too memorable.

When I was younger, my family dined at the Scupper every once in a while, since we all loved seafood and the view was the best around. And now that everything at the Inner Harbor has been so built up, the view is even better. I dare say the only better view is probably seen from Tom Clancy's apartment in the Ritz Carlton next door.

View of Harbor East from our table.

The interior of the restaurant is a lot more elegant than I remember. There are still timbers on the high ceiling, which makes me feel like I'm dining in an ark, but there are also crisp white tablecloths and live piano music in the background. Our recent dinner there would have been quite romantic, except for two things: 1) I was there with my Dad; 2) inelegantly-dressed tourists. Shorts and white table cloths do not match.

Food-wise, we were pretty happy. We got to choose selections from a four-course prix fixe menu. We started off with a shared appetizer of coconut fried shrimp that came with a spicy Chinese-style dipping sauce. Dad loved it, and I thought it was pretty good, too. Then came my favorite course of the evening - soup and salad. I had the chopped salad, which had a generous portion of bacon and a slightly sweet herb vinaigrette. It's the kind of salad that I can consume in large quantities and be very content. Dad's cream of crab soup was lovely - a warm ivory concoction flavored with sherry, containing lumps of crabmeat. One of the best cream of crabs I have eaten in years. So many of them these days are just flavorless wallpaper paste, you know?

For our entrées, Dad had the 7oz filet mignon. It was cooked to well (Dad had requested medium-well) but as the steak was so thin, it was probably hard to cook it anything other than medium-rare or well-done. Doesn't matter - it was fork tender and very nicely seasoned, with a nice grilled flavor. I had to try the crab cakes, which were small but meaty, broiled and topped with a mustard butter. I am a bit of a crab cake snob these days, but I rate the Scupper's crab cakes as being firmly in the top-middle of the pack. Both entrées came with chunky mashed potatoes and perfectly cooked green beans with thin slices of carrot.

For dessert - my second favorite course of the evening - Dad had the upside-down apple pie, which was buttery and fantastic. I had the sweet potato cheesecake, which had a lush, dense texture and combined the best of both sweet potato pie and cheesecake. It was quite evil.

Service was professional, yet friendly. Our waitress seemed always to be right there whenever we needed her, but never in the way. We had a good time at the Rusty Scupper, loved the view, and look forward to going again in the future.

Rusty Scupper
402 Key Hwy
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 727-3678
selectrestaurants.com/rusty

Posted on Minxeats.com.