RESTAURANTS

TellTale Restaurant at Delta Marriott Baltimore

categories: RESTAURANTS

Delta Marriott Baltimore is one of the newest hotels in Downtown Baltimore. Originally an office building built in 1904, the newly renovated hotel kept some of the original features like the painted original brick in the hallways but also added new features such as a restaurant and bar on the first level. Keeping with Baltimore’s favorite theme of Edgar Allan Poe, the restaurant was named “TellTale” after his famous short story. The hotel also has colorful purple and pink Ravens on the carpet, also a nod to Poe’s famous poem and our beloved Baltimore football team. The restaurant served dinner only when it opened January 2017. The hours were recently changed and the kitchen is now open 11 am – 11 pm, the bar is open until 1:00 am and they’ve added happy hour on Monday and Thursday 5-7pm. I was invited to join other Baltimore food bloggers in sampling a few items from the new menu.

During my visit, I sampled two of their handcrafted cocktails – “Three Roses” and the “Dream Within a Dream”.  Both were great but lately I’ve had a fondness for Sagamore Rye, therefore, the “Dream Within a Dream” edged out the other cocktail as my favorite of the two.

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Dream Within A Dream

The small plate servings were endless. They were coming to our table one after another and I appreciated that.  I also liked the variety of items on the small plate menu.

Avocado Caprese Toast
Avacado, Mango and Crab Stack

 

Pulled Pork Tacos
Steak Crostini
Garlic Parmesan Wings
Meatballs

 

Strawberry Bruschetta

 

Watermelon and Feta Stack

Here’s a quick rundown of my thoughts on the small plate items…

Avocado Caprese Toast – Thick toast, fresh avocado, very filling
Avocado, Mango and Crab Stack – Crabmeat was sweet, this dish is perfect if you’re looking for something light to eat
Pulled Pork Tacos – Pulled pork marinated in BBQ sauce with a spicy kick, coleslaw was fresh and delicious
Steak Crostini – One of my favs of the night, the steak is marinated in Coca-Cola giving it a hint of sweetness, the steak was tender
Garlic Parmesan Wings – Great flavor, could give iBar Baltimore a little competition
Meatballs – Hearty, flavorful, can be eaten alone as a meal
Strawberry Bruschetta – Sweet and Savory, very delicious, I almost feel like it should be on the dessert menu
Watermelon and Feta Stack – Tasty mix of sweet watermelon and bitter feta cheese, it’s like eating a salad with watermelon

Our Entree of Salmon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Risotto was perfect. A simple dish with simple ingredients that hit all the right taste points.  I especially liked the goat cheese risotto, It was my favorite of the night. I’ve never quite had that taste combination but it was amazing…makes me want to try and make it at home, or I’ll just keep going back to TellTale to order it.

If you’re ever in the neighborhood, be sure to visit and tell them Arli’s Appetite sent you!

And always follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …  

  

Friday night brunch at Home Maid

categories: RESTAURANTS

Home Maid is a quaint brunch-only restaurant on Key Highway in the Federal Hill neighborhood.  The restaurant was originally located in Towson, but relocated to its current location in the Spring of 2016.  The location is only open Friday-Sunday and brunch/breakfast is served all day.  I visited on a Friday night for a private D’usse event hosted by Events 4 Good People.  Stepping into the restaurant was like stepping into my grandmother’s kitchen. There’s cute chicken patterned wallpaper, family-style photos in gold and silver frames and wooden chairs painted white. The restaurant has about 11 tables that seat four and a high-top bar area. Because it was a private event, the menu that night was limited and there was one server.

My friend and I decided that we would each order one dish and share with each other. I ordered the Blackened Salmon and Shrimp with Creamy Grits and my friend ordered the French Toast and Bacon.

In almost every instance that I eat salmon, it’s smothered in a tasty sauce but in this instance the dry rub salmon exceeded my expectations. It was prepared Cajun-style with a spicy rub and flavorful herbs. The cut was tender and juicy on the inside which let me know that the chef knew his way around the kitchen! The grits were thick and creamy almost the consistency of mashed potatoes and accompanied with the house sauce created a match made in heaven. The French Toast had a sweet caramel flavor with a crunchy outside texture served with whipped cream, fried plantains and sea salt.  If you notice on the photo the bacon didn’t come out with the French Toast, we had to ask for it again and it came out about 10 minutes later.

Besides the mishap with the bacon, Home Maid was a pleasant brunch experience.  It’s a little pricey though, the French Toast was $18.00 and the Salmon and Grits was $22.00.  In my opinion, Home Maid is the perfect place to brunch with family.

And always follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …  

  

 

 

The Best Lunch Ever Pop-Up with The Local Fry and Ekiben

categories: RESTAURANTS

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I’ve wanted to check out Ekiben‘s sweet buns forever!  I know that sounds a little weird but, I’ve seen Instagram photos of their sandwiches with white fluffy sweet buns and I had to try it.  On Monday, a friend invited me to “The Best Lunch Ever” pop-up collaboration with Ekiben and The Local Fry.  The event was held at the Ekiben location (1622 Eastern Ave) and featured customer favorites from both restaurants.

The event was from 11:00am-3:30pm and I arrived around 2:15pm.  There  seemed to be a good turnout because the place was full with customers who were waiting for their food. The cashier was friendly and explained the menu items in detail.  I decided to order “The Original” which is two Thai chicken meatballs with coconut peppercorn sauce and slaw.  Let me tell you how that sandwich was everything I imagined and more!

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“The Original” – Thai Chicken Meatball Sandwich with Peppercorn Coconut Sauce

The meatballs were freshly made with chopped onion and green peppers inside and they were cooked to a medium well consistency – not too hard or over cooked.  The bun was soft with a little hint of sweetness.  I also ordered plain fries from The Local Fry with a side of the peppercorn sauce.

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My friend ordered the Korean fried chicken wings with gochujang sauce and of course I had to taste one.  The sauce is a savory, traditional Korean condiment and had a sweet and spicy flavor, truly awesome sauce.

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Korean fried chicken wings with gochujang sauce

I think “The Original” will be my new favorite sandwich! I also want to visit The Local Fry and taste their gourmet and unique french fry options.  What is your favorite fry from The Local Fry?

And always follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …  

  

Brunch at Gryphon DC – Come for the food and stay for the fun

categories: RESTAURANTS

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A while back I attended the #STEAKANDEGGSSUNDAYS brunch at The Gryphon DC and I must say I didn’t expect to have such a good time! In addition to the brunch that runs from 11:30am-4:00pm, there is also a day party from 4-9pm.  Needless to say I spent my entire Sunday there.

I went with a few friends and we started off with the bottomless mimosas of course and we all ordered something different, so I was able to sample a few menu items.

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Steak & Eggs
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Shrimp & Grits
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French Toast

My favorite brunch item was the French Toast – four thick challah bread half slices drizzled with berry compote, bourbon sauce, maple syrup and fresh fruit. It was AMAZING!  The Shrimp and Grits was very delicious. The grits were thick and the shrimp were large, but they only serve it with three shrimp and I wanted more.

After many mimosas we ordered hookah and stayed for the day party. This day party was hype, like a legit nightlife party.  The place was packed and the music was great!  Steak and Eggs Sunday at The Gryphon DC is definitely the move if you’re planning a full Sunday Funday

And always follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …  

  

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar

categories: Happy Hour, RESTAURANTS

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The happy hour is from 4-7pm daily at the bar and bar-area seating only. We visited on a Friday around 5:30pm and happy hour was well under way.  All the seats were filled around the bar so we stood around for a bit and stalked a few tables. Once we were seated, we went right in and immediately ordered cocktails.  The Mojitos, Margaritas and Sangria are only $5.00 and they were delicious. The drinks were strong and flavorful exactly what I’d expect from a cocktail bar. Sometimes inexpensive happy hour drinks are watered down, but these were not.  We ordered a second round of drinks a Mojito and Margarita again but this time we switched so whoever got the mojito the first time got the margarita the second time and vice versa.

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Mojito and Strawberry Margarita
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Shrimp Guacamole served with Fried Plantain and various chips

 

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Blackened Fish Tacos (Top) and Yucca Fries (Bottom)
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Blackened Fish Tacos
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El Cubano Sandwich

The El Cubano sandwich was huge, larger than we expected and enough for two people to share.  The Yucca fries were interesting, I’ve never had yucca before it’s like a potato but flaky and it was also filling. It came with three dipping sauces which is always fun and adds flavor variety.  The Fish tacos were light and included coleslaw and pickled onions. We kept the selections light because afterwards we’d planned on going to another location in Annapolis, maybe another bar/restaurant.  We asked our waiter for suggestions on local places to visit and he was very helpful, he stood at the table and talked to us for about five minutes and wrote down a few locations on a napkin.

We mentioned that it was my friend’s birthday (because I wanted that free dessert) and he “surprised” us with a slice of Coconut Caramel Flan with coconut custard and caramel sauce.

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Coconut Caramel Flan

And finally, what’s a rum bar without rum? We both ordered a rum flight from an extensive rum menu.  We ordered the “Aged” rum flight, this one jumped out at us because we both like El Dorado Rum and decided to give the other two rums a try.

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Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar also has a late night happy hour Sunday-Thursday and the restaurant is located in Annapolis Towne Center and features free valet parking… sweet!  I would definitely visit again for happy hour, but this time I’d get there a little earlier.

Always follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …  

  

Breakfast at The Corner Pantry

categories: RESTAURANTS

I read somewhere that The Corner Pantry  , just north of the Mt. Washington neighborhood had the best eggs.  I am a person who loves eggs and can’t eat breakfast without them so naturally I had to check it out for myself.

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Literally tucked on the corner of a quant shopping center on Falls Road is a cute brown brick restaurant with a stripped awning.  I found a parking spot directly in front of the café and immediately noticed the rustic green tables used for outdoor seating and the sidewalk chalkboard used to display the daily specials.  Inside the café there are about six tables and two long window ledge tables with hightop chairs and the kitchen area has an open window concept.

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Freshly made pastries sit behind a glass enclosed window and the self-serve cold counter includes yogurt, fruit and nuts.  The friendly cashier advised me to take my time looking over the menu after I told her I was a newbie to The Corner Pantry.  I did mention to her that I wanted to try the eggs and she suggested the bacon, egg and cheddar sandwich with house-made bacon and biscuit.

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The food arrived fast and as you can see picture perfect. The bacon was thick and with a little spice and the eggs were fluffy and cheesy.  I was a little hesitant about eating only the sandwich and contemplated ordering something else on the side because I didn’t think it would be  enough but I was wrong.  The sandwich was big and stuffed with egg and bacon, I was so full that I couldn’t finish the entire biscuit.  I also ordered a cappuccino and it was tasty, but I wish it was hotter, I understand they don’t want to serve it extremely hot for fear it might burn someone, but my drink was almost room temperature.  I would definitely check out The Corner Pantry again just for this delicious egg sandwich.  Have you been to The Corner Pantry?  What is your favorite dish to order?

And always follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …  

  

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