Arli’s Appetite is a contributor to Nomtastic Foods “Best Brunches in Baltimore” post. Below is my blurb on GDL Italian by Giada in Horseshoe Casino. Check out the other mentions here.
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Maryland is hosting its third annual Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week February 8-17, 2019. With 35 participating restaurants, (28 restaurants are in
Baltimore City) this is the largest Vegan Restaurant Week in the country. This year, the organizers are asking that restaurant goers vote on their favorite vegan menu item and post photos with the hastags #MyBmore #VeganRestaurantWeek #MDVeganEats #MDvRW.
I was invited to preview the Vegan Restaurant Week options at Golden West Café in Hampden, Baltimore. I’m not a vegan but I like to eat so I was excited to attend a vegan food event with other vegans and non-vegan foodies. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the menu options, not that I thought I wouldn’t like them, I just didn’t know what to expect.
My favorite were the Oyster Po Boy and the Fish Tacos…guess I’m a seafood girl at heart. LOL! For more information and a full list of participating restaurants, visit https://www.mdveganeats.com/
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Last week, I was invited to the media preview of the new Alexander Brown Restaurant (135 East Baltimore Street) in Downtown Baltimore. The renovated bank building on the corner of Baltimore and Calvert Street was the oldest investment bank in the country built in 1901. It also has the oldest flushing indoor toilet in the United States, but of course it’s non-functional and tucked away behind a locked door… but a fun fact nonetheless. This building has bones, it survived the Great Baltimore Fire in 1904 and continued to operate as a bank until 2016.
The newly renovated 150-seat restaurant opens its doors on Monday, February 4th and will offer lunch, dinner and brunch service. Guests can also sit at the bar and the bar/lounge area and order food from an abbreviated bar menu.
Let me know what you think of the new restaurant. Leave your comments below.
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I’ve lived in Maryland my entire life and I’ve never been to Severna Park, Maryland. That all changed when I was invited to visit the newly renovated Café Mezzanotte. As you know, I will travel for food and Severn Park wasn’t that far of a drive. I went on a Sunday and it took just over 35 minutes. I was invited to check out the renovated restaurant. Just a few weeks before, it closed for renovations and reopened in September with a new look and over 20 new menu items.
I didn’t know what changes to expect because I’d never visited the location before the renovations but pulling up to the restaurant I admired the sleek black finishes and large white lettering on the building. My foodie friend and I walked inside and we were greeted by a friendly hostess who sat us in the front area of the restaurant. Our reservation was for 6:00 pm and there was only two other tables occupied in the restaurant. Our server Matt was very personable and knew the menu up and down, he came over to introduce himself and take our drink orders. I ordered an Old Fashioned and my friend ordered a Lemon Drop Martini. The bar area is in a separate part of the restaurant. Patrons can enter the bar through a separate entrance and eat and drink without being with the other dinner guests in the restaurant area.
We started with three appetizers and honestly it was hard to choose because they had a great selection. The Oysters Rockefeller were broiled to perfection and topped with crispy bacon. The Lamb Meatballs were very tender and flavorful, I especially liked the crispy onion straws and pomegranate seeds because they added another level of flavor. The Octopus was served with a roasted eggplant and tomato salad and I loved that pairing because I’m always looking for easy and interesting foods to cook at home.
For our entrees we both ordered the Filet Mignon, I ordered the option stuffed with Gorgonzola Cheese and my friend ordered the prosciutto wrapped option. The steak was amazing, not anything to complain about here. We were also in the mood for pasta so we ordered a favorite, the Linguine Vongole.
For dessert we ordered the cheesecake and the crème brulee. Please excuse the dark dessert photo, as the meal progressed more people were seated in our section and it was hard for us to use our artificial lighting. I’d like to note that many of the menu ingredients are source from local and organic farms and this definitely adds to the fresh flavor profile. I enjoyed each of my menu items and I’d definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone that asks. If you’re ever in the Severna Park area, please check this place out.
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Revival Hotel’s rooftop bar has one of the best panoramic views of the city. I’ve been to Topside a few times but recently I went there to check out their new brunch menu items.
Brunch is from 10:30am – 2:30pm and I had a Sunday 11:30am reservation. When I arrived the friendly hostess sat me near a window for the perfect view of the Washington Monument and the perfect perch for my Mimosa. Topside offers a $15 bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary option with the purchase of a brunch entrée. There weren’t that many people there when I arrived but the tables started to fill up around 12:30. There are eight brunch menu options and an extra five sides or add-on options. My friend and I ordered one entrée each, an additional side and we split another entrée.
I ordered the Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy that came with two eggs any style. The gravy was made with goat from Prosperity Acres Farm. My friend ordered the Green Chorizo Chilaquiles and that came with fried eggs. We wanted to order something sweet also, so we ordered a Dutch Baby. It was my first time tasting one and I’m glad we ordered it. I’ve seen them on a few menus but never knew how delicious they were. They are a cross between a pancake and the light custard taste of Crème Brûlée. And we also ordered the bacon and Topside Potatoes. The potatoes were wedges were a nice size and fried up crispy and golden brown.
Of course I had to order the Old Fashioned to finish off my brunch because Topside makes one of my Top 3 Old Fashioneds in Baltimore City.
As always, follow my eating adventures at @ArlisAppetite on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
I love the summer months, especially the weekends when I can take a road trip adventure. Last Saturday, I went on a wine tasting adventure with another foodie friend and we visited two Maryland wineries about an hour outside of the city. Our first stop was Black Ankle Winery & Vineyard in Mt. Airy, MD. Driving up to the property was breathtaking – just to see the clear blue skies, the rolling hills filled with grape vines and the beautiful rustic tasting room with lots of outdoor seating…what a sight to behold. My friend and I got on the road around 11:30 am, stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and arrived at Black Ankle around 1:00 pm., we timed this perfectly because the first tour began at 1:30 pm. The tasting room wasn’t full yet, there were about six people there at the tasting stations sampling wine. My friend and I tried two wines and decided on which one we would buy later after the tour. There were only four of us on the tour which I liked because we had more time to talk to each other and ask more questions. We toured the grounds and learned about the planting process, harvesting, pressing, fermentation and aging. My favorite was to see the grapes up close and personal growing on the vine. I also liked how organized this vineyard was, they labeled each row of vines with the type of wine to be created and everything was neat and tidy inside the building press and store the wine.
The tour was over in about an hour but it didn’t feel that long because our tour guide kept the conversation going and the tour moving smoothly to each designated area. He was very knowledgeable about the wine making process… as he should be. After the tour was over we went into the tasting room and looked around a bit for a bite to eat. This winery doesn’t have a large food selection, they offer pre-packed cheese and meat trays that are stored in a large fridge compartment… it’s basically a self serve option. Also, although the wine was delicious, it was a bit pricey for a glass. The lowest price I believe was $11 for a glass of wine and I ordered a Rose’ which was $15 a glass – I sipped and savored every drop. And let me just say, I enjoy wine but I’m not a wine snob. I know the good stuff is pricey so bear with me while I build my palate for the best wine.
After we grabbed our glass of wine we went out side on the patio/grass area to find a seat to enjoy it. The tasting room has seating areas on both sides. One side was heavily populated with people who were in large groups. This is a perfect trip for a birthday party or bachelorette weekend. We sat on the less populated side and enjoyed the breeze and the view. This winery is family friendly as I noticed a lot of families having picnics and playing in grass. I also noticed a number of people brought their own food (mental note for next time, food is allowed) and purchased wine inside.
Once we finished our wine we were off to our next stop, Old Westminster Winery just 20 minutes up the road. Pulling up to this winery I noticed it was much smaller but equally beautiful. There were lots of people sitting outside enjoying their afternoon, talking and listening to music coming from the speakers.
We arrived around 4:00 and there was a sign posted outside that the winery was closing at 5:00 for a wedding. We quickly went in and looked over the menu because we needed food and more wine. I noticed a Well Crafted Pizza truck parked outside but our server told us that was for the wedding…womp womp. We decided to order the large cheese board which included a some meat and a baguette. Because I had Rose’ at the first location, I ordered it again. We went outside and grabbed a seat and our cheese board came out within 10 minutes.
Because we took a tour at the first winery and because we were on limited time due to the 5:00 pm wedding, we decided to just eat our cheese board and drink our wine. It was a nice cheese board indeed – it included three cheese slabs and a soft goat cheese, butter, preserves, meat and a baguette… perfect for two people. We also sat in the “Adults Only” section which I loved! I don’t have anything against kids but I would prefer that they aren’t screaming, running around or horse playing when I’m drinking. We left around 5:00 and headed back to Baltimore, just in time to beat the rain.
If you’re looking for a something to do on the weekend, definitely consider visiting one or both wineries. It was a great day trip just outside of the city. Also check out my previous post about Vino 301 a great company that specializes in wine and brewery tours.
As always, follow my eating adventures at @ArlisAppetite on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.