Happy Hour

Mini Picnic

Summer is winding down and one way I’m trying to enjoy these last days of warm weather is with a mini outdoor picnic.

I visited a friend after work and we decided to make ourselves a  picnic meal with random food she had in her apartment and enjoy it on the patio. We ate Edamame, Amish Potato Salad, Mixed Salad Greens and shredded cheddar cheese topped with bacon ranch salad dressing.   I normally just add salt to my edamame, but she introduced me to balsamic vinegar and salt… probably not the healthiest, but delicious

She also has a liquor store on her street and we purchased a bottle of wine to wash enjoy with our meal. Nothing fancy, just a quick outdoor picnic.

What’s your favorite meal to eat outside?

Ladies Night at Davidus Cigars

Smoking cigars have a history of being a masculine hobby.  Even though I love the smell of cigar smoke, I don’t fancy myself a cigar smoker.  I do have a female friend that smokes cigars and I’ve visited Davidus Cigars (1300 Bank Street) with her on more than one occasion.  We ran into the owner at another event and he invited us to their monthly “Ladies Night” Happy Hour.

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Davidus Cigars is located in Harbor East, Baltimore next to Heavy Seas Alehouse.  Davidus and Heavy Seas actually share an outdoor space that they’ve turned into an outdoor cigar lounge and beer garden.  In the outdoor space you can enjoy a cigar and order food and drink from Heavy Seas Alehouse.

Once inside, it’s very cozy. All business in the front with large cigar storage, scales and other paraphernalia.  The back area is a lounge with leather seating and two large televisions.

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There were about 20 men already there when we (myself and two other women) arrived and about four women.   During the time I was there I would say there were about 13 women total that trickled in throughout the night.  A few of them were friendly and offered to help us when we were ready to pick out a cigar.

Luckily on “Ladies Night” we eat free.  Davidus Cigars ordered  yummy appetizers from Heavy Seas Alehouse.  My friends and I ordered a growler of beer from Heavy Seas to wash the food down.

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I don’t think I’ve ever eaten from Heavy Seas Alehouse before so this was an exciting first.  The appetizers included tater tots topped with crab dip, fried pickles, sausage sliders, and wings.  The crab dip was prepared well, delicious and at the right consistency.  I’m not sure the exact flavor of the wings but they were sticky and sweet with a hint of spice.. very tasty.

Overall it was a low-key event and something ladies should check out if you are interested in cigars. Ladies Night is held every first Wednesday of the month.

What is your favorite cigar?  I would love to hear your suggestions.

 

 

The Sushi Place

** UPDATE** This restaurant location has closed. Thanks for the memories.

Every since Townhouse put an end to my “Taco Tuesday” weekly specials (sad face),  I’ve been looking for a place to go for a good Tuesday night happy hour… and I think I’ve found it. Tuesday night I visited The Sushi Place (7 E. Lexington St) in downtown Baltimore for their 1/2 price Sushi Tuesday specials.  The Sushi Place has other locations in Baltimore, but the one on Lexington Street is their newest location and has been there for about two months.

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I must admit Tuesday was not my first visit to The Sushi Place.  I’d gone there for the first time on Friday night around 11:00 pm, just in time to order before the kitchen and bar closes at midnight.  I ordered a Raven’s Sangria and naturally I expected it to be purple, but it wasn’t, nonetheless it was delicious.  Because of time constraints I didn’t have much time to look over the menu, and I ordered the Spicy Tuna Poppers because they were the first thing I’d glanced over that looked interested.

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The Spicy Tuna Poppers were out of this world!  Cooked Tuna mixed with cream cheese stuffed into a half jalapeno pepper,  tempura fried, and topped with a tri-color sauce…more about the sauces later.  I wasn’t sure if I was hungry or if they were really that good, but my second visit on Tuesday confirmed they were really that good.

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In addition to ordering the Spicy Tuna Poppers again, I also ordered the “Feeling Crabby,” which is spicy crab and mozzarella on a quarter cut avocado drizzled with wasabi mayo.  The ingredients sound great together and they were, but the execution could have been better.  The spicy crab and cheese mix wasn’t warm, it was room temperature, and I think it should have been warmer especially on top of the avocado.

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I also ordered fried Chicken Gyoza, which can be ordered steamed or fried.   Gyoza is a fancy name for dumpling or pot sticker.  And I ordered Edamame, not much to be said about it as all Edamame taste the same, but my bartender suggested I get the spicy rub on top in addition to the salt and it did give it a different kick.  It’s funny how I went on 1/2 price sushi night, but didn’t order any authentic sushi *shrugs* oh well …maybe next time.   The Sushi Place uses a three sauces with their food – Ginger Sauce, Eel Sauce, and Wasabi Mayo.  Together these sauces create a signature or house sauce that can probably be put on anything and make it taste great.

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Bushido Roll

What I like most about The Sushi Place is the chill vibe.  The lighting is dim, the furniture is black  and they also play music throughout the restaurant, a good selection of hits…think Chris Brown or Usher station on Pandora.

Tuesday nights also offer Happy Hour drink specials to go along with the 1/2 price sushi.

Talara: Saturday Night Happy Hour

** UPDATE** This restaurant location closed on Feb 7, 2015.  Thanks for the memories. 

The typical Saturday night is usually reserved for dinner and dancing while Monday-Friday evenings are reserved for Happy Hour.   It’s very rare to find a Happy Hour on a Saturday night,  but Talara Baltimore offers a pretty impressive hybrid of both.

If you’re not familiar with Talara it’s a South American themed restaurant located in Harbor East Baltimore.  The menu features sushi, seafood, and tapas with a fresh latin flair.  They also offer Salsa lessons on Monday nights.  The signature cocktails there are the Mojito, Sangria, and Caipirinha,  and they are $5.00  each during happy hour.

Talara Cocktails

The Mango Mojito is my favorite cocktail at Talara, mainly because it’s made with fresh mango and mint.

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Salmon Asian Tartare

On my recent visit I ordered the Salmon Asian Tartare and the Blackened Chicken Tostada.  The tartare is a sushi tapa served with a sweet aioli sauce and topped with caviar.

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Blackened Chicken Tostada

The tostadas were somewhat of a fancy nacho covered in cheese, chicken, and salsa.  The tostadas I liked  because the chip was not soggy under all the toppings and even though you only get five chips, it was pretty filling to me.  Just like the cocktails during happy hour, the tapas are also $5.00 each

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Pulled Chicken Tacos

Talara on a Saturday night is the place to go if you want a chill, under the radar atmosphere to have a few drinks and eats with friends.

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