Gunther & Co Sneak Peek

Mr Minx and I were invited to a sneak peek of the new Gunther & Co. restaurant in Brewer's Hill the other night. We left quite excited about the restaurant's potential and feel it will become a sure-fire hit for owner Nancy Hart and chef Jerry Trice.

A glance at the outside of what was once the boiler room of Gunther Brewing Company doesn't even begin to hint at how cavernous and attractive the restaurant is on the inside. Brick everywhere, a huge open kitchen with bar seating, and a living wall of plants--which functions both as decoration and an air-cleansing device--are main features. A rustically lovely private dining room on the mezzanine level, with views of the dining room below, would be a fab place for a birthday party or rehearsal dinner, or a simple gathering of friends. The front bar area, too, with its large windows and creative cocktail menu, should be a popular spot for both neighborhood folks and visitors like us who hail from the far reaches of Towson and beyond.

While we didn't get to have a sit-down meal this time around, we were treated to selections from various of Gunther & Co.'s menus. They'll be offering weekend brunch, weekday lunch, dinner Monday through Saturday, and a special Sunday supper. There's also a selection of items available from open to close that includes more snacky things like oysters and cheese, plus salads and a burger.

We started off with two kinds of oysters, giant Pemaquids from Maine, and more petite Wild Ass Ponies from Assateague Island. "Meet the Beet-Alls," featuring beet liquor, rhubarb bitters, and the artichoke liquor called Cynar, was just one of bartender Shaun Stewart's inventive cocktails on offer. We went on to sample the dumplings, delicious pockets of shrimp and lemongrass with a finely cut kaffir lime garnish and a ponzu soy dipper, and crunchy garlic toasts topped with a flavorful beef tartare garnished with egg yolk and radish. While it won't be served in exactly the same way we received it, the tartare will be on the apps menu (and is well worth trying!) There were also crisp-crusted little biscuits filled with pork and mango chutney and fabulous tea-smoked duck breast served with grilled oyster mushrooms and an orange-ginger sauce. A flatbread cooked in a wood-fired pizza oven and topped with smoked salmon, capers, chopped hard boiled egg, and arugula was an example of Gunther & Co.'s flatbread of the day.

For dessert, we tasted pastry chef Aja Cage's light buttermilk panna cotta with citrus and granola, and an ultra rich chocolate pavé with scoops of smooth butter pecan ice cream on the side. I'm slightly disappointed we didn't get to taste the vegan carrot cake with matcha glaze, but we'll just have to go back and get a full-sized serving of that goodness.

Gunther & Co., shortly to become Baltimore's favorite restaurant, opens this Friday, May 20th. The bar opens at 4pm, and dinner service starts at 5.



Gunther & Co.
3650 Toone Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
http://eatatgunther.com

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Valentine's Round-Up

We're staying in for Valentine's Day, but for those of you who want to spend the evening out on the town, consider one of these restaurants for your romantical feast. Open Table links take you directly to the restaurant's page on that site.

The French Kitchen
@ the Lord Baltimore Hotel
20 W Baltimore St
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 539-8400

Enjoy a special V-day menu on the 12th and 13th as well as the 14th (or all three days!) For $55 pp, diners can enjoy three courses, including such tasty morsels as shrimp bisque with citrus creme fraiche and brioche croutons, lobster imperial, duck Chesapeake, and pot de creme au chocolate for two (pour deux). You can add a glass of wine for $10, two glasses for $15. Reserve your spot via Open Table.

The hotel is also offering a romance package they're calling "A Royal Affair, Truly!" for $179 per night (Feb 12-15). It includes complimentary valet parking, champagne with keepsake flutes, and a $50 restaurant credit, as well as a room for two. Hotel reservations can be made online at www.lordbaltimorehotel.com.

B&O American Brasserie
@ the Kimpton Hotel
2 N Charles St
Baltimore, MD 21201
(443) 692-6172

One can also have three delectable courses at the B&O. For $69 pp, choose from droolworthy dishes like oxtail agnolotti, Wagyu ribeye, and a pina colada sundae, flambeed tableside. $30 more will get you a wine pairing. Menu available from 2/12 - 2/14
Reservations via Open Table.

Prime Rib
@ Maryland Live! Casino
7002 Arundel Mills Circle #7777
Hanover, MD 21076

Their "Lover's Feast" includes an 8-oz Angus beef filet topped with blackened tuna, foie gras, and Beluga caviar, served with an 8-oz lobster tail. $150 pp, $250 per couple. Offered from 5:30pm - 10:30pm on Feb 14. Champagne (including Dom Perignon) and sparkling wines are half price. Reservations via Open Table.

Waterfront Kitchen
1417 Thames Street
Baltimore, MD 21231
410-864-0215

Executive chef Chris Amendola has created a three-course prix fixe menu for $65 pp, (wine pairing + $45) that includes winners like oysters on the half-shell with pickle mignonette (which we can attest to being very delicious), pan roasted rock fish (ditto), and decadent chocolate truffle cake. The special menu is available 2/12 - 2/14.
Reservations via Open Table.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

The Corner Pantry

Chef Neill Howell won the Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament in 2013, when he was working at Bond Street Social. I managed to snag the restaurant for a slot in our cookbook, Baltimore Chef's Table, but chef Howell had other plans. When he left Bond Street Social to open his own place, I transferred his info to a sidebar. Sadly, that sidebar was cut by our ruthless editor (along with a bunch of other stuff). Yes, Neill, I am apologizing again.

Turns out, change is good. Although he's not in the book, he is cooking up a storm at the Corner Pantry, a Balto-British cafe in Lake Falls Village. Recently, Mr Minx and I were invited to a media dinner hosted by chef Howell and his wife, Emily.

The Corner Pantry is located in the spot that used to house Banksy's. Gone are the faux-Burberry wall decorations; they've been replaced by fresh white subway tile and a large stainless counter atop which sit the day's wares. The first thing one notices is the pastries made by pastry chef, Julie Sutula: scones; crumpets; pop tarts; cookies, muffins; biscuits; and even Cornish pasties (a meat pie). Next to that is the cold counter, which holds the day's selection of salads and proteins. For $10.99 a pound, customers can load up on goodies like salmon, kimchi soba noodle salad, rice and cauliflower salad, etc., to eat there or to take home. A variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches are also available, plus a few other dishes from the kitchen.

A selection of menus

We were served items from both the cafe and the catering menu. It was quite a lovely spread, and I'm betting chef Neill and Emily do a bang-up job with catering. The crab and corn fritter, which we were served as a passed app, was delightful. Scrummy, as they say across the pond.

Biscuits with tomato bacon jam

On the table were plates of Sutula's moist biscuits, which were hard to stop eating with a dollop of Chef Neill's tomato bacon jam.

Ploughman's Board

We started dinner in earnest with the Ploughman's board. Typically, a ploughman's lunch includes bread, cheese, and a thick brown vinegary chutney-like stuff called Branston pickle. After having a particularly constipating one in England in the 80s, simply hearing the word "ploughman," saddens me. But the ploughman's at Corner Pantry is a delight of tangy, toasty, and meaty elements. We were served tender ham hock, some toasted raisin spelt bread, a dollop of goat's cheese, a wee Scotch quail egg, and a bowl of piccalilli relish.

Kimchi soba noodle salad

The main course was served family style and included the restaurant's popular kimchi soba noodle salad. We're big fans of soba, our noodle of choice for cold salads. Chef Neill's was spicy and garlicky and so good we came back for more a couple days later.

Lamb Kofte with buttermilk tahini

Another dish off the catering menu is lamb kofte lollipops, which were served with a buttermilk tahini dressing. The kofte, elongated meatballs of Middle Eastern origin, were moist and redolent of cumin. (We also snagged a couple more of these when we came back for a repeat visit on the weekend.)

Roasted peach salad

The roasted peach salad included local peaches and Big City farms greens (which are also available for purchase in the grab-and-go case at the back of the restaurant) along with red onions--a delicious combination of ingredients for a simple tossed salad.

Roasted rockfish

We also tasted rockfish, simply roasted and served with lemon. This is something that would typically be a featured protein on the cold counter, like the roasted salmon that was available recently. Simple but very good. There was also a side dish of lemony rainbow chard (not pictured) that I could not stop eating.

Donut hole on passion fruit butterscotch and tiramisu

Dessert, of course, was also served. There was a lovely little tiramisu served in a mason jar, and a donut hole with passion fruit butterscotch. Say yes to passion fruit butterscotch! It was fab. Donuts are a Saturday special at the Corner Pantry, and if you're lucky, that donut hole/butterscotch combo will be featured. (Check their Facebook page for Donut Saturday announcements.)

We also took home a selection of the Corner Pantry's baked goods, all of which were uniformly delicious and made a fine breakfast the next morning.

Just a couple days later, I decided I didn't want to cook dinner. We don't live far from the Corner Pantry, so we popped in for some carry-out, which included roast salmon, kimchi soba salad, kofte, and a crab cake, which was one of the week's kitchen specials. And I must say...it was very special.

Crab cake and salad with homemade tartar sauce

Made with Maryland crab meat, this baby was almost all meat. I didn't notice any filler at all, and the seasoning had a lovely lemon flavor. Chef Neill may be from the UK, but it seems that his soul is firmly in Baltimore. I highly recommend this crab cake, so be sure to give it a try if it's available!

We recommend everything at the Corner Pantry, actually, and are happy that we finally had a chance to get there. We hope to become regulars. :)

For more info on menus, catering, etc., check out the Corner Pantry Web site:
http://www.corner-pantry.com/



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Fall Menu at J. Paul's

I love when restaurants change their menus seasonally, not only to reflect available produce, but also to include heartier dishes when the weather turns cold. At J. Paul's, Chef Jason Dyke does just that. The new fall menu for 2013 includes a rib-sticking Virginia beef chili that combines ground beef with smoked short ribs topped with cheese and sour cream. There are also baked oysters topped with bacon, smoked gouda, scallions, and garlic butter...

...and chicken Marsala, with fettuccini, goat cheese, mushrooms, and asparagus.

There are also two salmon dishes on the fall menu; one is a salad with dried fruits and hazelnuts, and the other is grilled with a honey bbq glaze.

J. Paul's also has a new Ravens-inspired cocktail on the menu, the Ravens Nation, comprising Bacardi Razz rum, black raspberry liqueur, cranberry juice, lime, a splash of soda, and served with a sugar rim.

J. Paul's will also be part of Downtown Partnership's Maryland Crab and Oyster Celebration. From October 25th-November 3rd, J, Paul’s will be offering a special menu that highlights crab and oysters from Maryland including the yummy crab cake appetizer: a Maryland jumbo lump crab cake over a boursin-stuffed fried local tomato with corn relish and cherry pepper remoulade. There will also be a fried oyster po' boy, local fried oysters in an amoroso roll with lettuce, tomato, red onion and tarragon mayonnaise; and a crab cake salad with mixed field greens, tomato, onion, corn, red and green bell peppers and cucumber tossed in peppercorn ranch topped with a Maryland jumbo lump crab cake. For more information on the event: http://dinedowntownbaltimore.com/.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Choice Bites 8.16.2011

Want to try an Obama Pizza? You can get one...in Paris, at Pink Flamingo (warning: one of the most annoying Web sites EVAR). The Obama is topped with bacon and pineapple chutney. You can also get a Ghandi-inspired pie topped with saag paneer and baba ganoush.

Love this article on turning gas station snacks into haute road trip fare!

Here's a fun distraction - help the New York Public Library transcribe their menu collection! I've worked on French, English, and German menus so far.

Has everyone heard about Foodsherpa yet? It's a company sorta like Groupon, LivingSocial, etc., but instead of offering daily discount coupons for restaurants and other services, they offer a new and interesting food product. I've so far purchased a jar of walnut preserves (mentioned today in an earlier post), but have been tempted by other goodies like saffron pasta, gingerbread pasta, and hot ginger caramel sauce.

The Chesapeake Crab and Beer Festival will be held on August 20 at the National Harbor Waterfront. For more details, click here.

Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio makes an appearance in the Smurfs Movie. Of course, unless you have kids, you're not going to shell out good money to see it, so here's a clip.

And...the 3rd food truck event known as "The Gathering" has been scheduled for Friday, September 2nd from 5-10pm. Location TBA.

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.

New Fall Menu at B&O American Brasserie

I got an e-mail about the new Fall menu at B&O and some of the offerings sound so good, I think another visit to the restaurant should be in my not-too-distant future.

What sounds most enticing? Some of the new starters, like the Spice Cured Hamachi with peppadew chili puree, freekah (parched green wheat) salad, blood orange, and micro shiso, and the Foie Gras & Oxtail Terrine with duck rillette, cranberry marmalade and toasted brioche. Also this season’s Market Flatbread with celery root, braised kale, egg, and truffle cheese. And this new cocktail caught my eye as well: Axel Grease Beer with 42 Below Manuka Honey Vodka, Youngs Double Chocolate Stout Syrup, Chambord, Angostura Bitters, Gunniess.

Check out the full menu here.

Also, From October 1 to World AIDS Day on December 1, B&O is helping guests feel good about having a cocktail or two with the launch of “Cocktails for a Cure,” to support the fight against HIV/AIDS. Each time a guest purchases any of three hand-crafted Red Ribbon Cocktails, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will donate $1 to Chase Brexton Health Services.

ETA - more news from B&O: B&O American Brasserie is pleased to announce that they have won the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and Nation’s Restaurant News 2010 SPIRIT Award for their commitment to their workforce and a strong understanding of how their staff impacts the organization’s overall success.

Menu Misspellings

I hate seeing misspelled words on menus. Most of the time it's chilpote instead of chipotle, or some variant of "mescaline" for "mesclun." If the misspelling is egregious enough, it might prevent me from dining in a particular establishment (if care wasn't taken when printing the menu - an important part of a restaurant - then how much care was taken in choosing the chef? the ingredients?)

While browsing Open Table for NY restaurant ideas, I came across Butter, the restaurant of Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, host of the Cooking Loft and judge on both Iron Chef America and Chopped, all on the Food Network. Schmancy Web site, and a couple of amusing typos.

What are you favorite menu typos? Those in Chinese restaurants are usually pretty entertaining. The carry-out menu at Szechuan House has a description that reads "meat sauteed born fried crispy eatable." It took me a while to realize (not until I had eaten a similar dish elsewhere) that "born" should be "bone."