Baltimore City Restaurant Week is back! As I stated in a previous post this is like another Christmas for me 🙂 With over 100 participating restaurants offering two-course lunch for $15/$20 and three-course dinner for $25/$35 , I’m convinced there is something for everyone to love. For the first year, some of the restaurants will also feature brunch, vegan and gluten-free options.
For more info on the participating Baltimore City Restaurants visit here.
Not to be outdone by Baltimore [City] Restaurant Week, Baltimore County’s Restaurant week is already in full swing. It began Jan 15th and ends Jan 30th. Maybe you’ve always wanted to visit the restaurant that you drive by everyday on your way to work or maybe you want to try that restaurant your friend is always talking about, well now is the perfect time to sample three courses of deliciousness while sticking to your budget and not breaking the bank. Baltimore County features over 55 restaurants offering two-course lunch and three-course dinner for $15-$35. For more info on the participating Baltimore County Restaurants visit here.
Both restaurant lists can be overwhelming, make sure to read my previous post on how to prepare for Restaurant Week.
Which restaurants would you like to visit? Do you have a Restaurant Week wish list? List them in the comments below.
**UPDATE** Creme Restaurant & Lounge has been renamed “Warehouse 518”.
Being the self-proclaimed “Foodie” that I am, I make it a point to never miss an opportunity to participate in Baltimore Restaurant Week. Some time ago I visited Crème Restaurant & Lounge (518 N. Charles St) in downtown Mount Vernon.
The newly opened restaurant is located in the same building that housed the previous Ixia Restaurant. From what I am told, not much has changed with the décor of the space; brightly colored walls in shades of yellow, blue, and red are accented with gold trim. The color combination sounds like an odd mix but it actually works well together in the space. I must admit, I visited Crème previously for brunch and sampled their Chicken & Waffles and Shrimp & Grits so I already knew what delicious caliber of food to expect.
The Restaurant Week three-course menu at Crème featured a full array of what the restaurant has to offer. Strategically I ordered the caesar salad as my appetizer because (a) I like caesar salad and (b) two of my friends ordered the shrimp risotto and I knew I would taste theirs…way to get my sample on! The shrimp risotto was true to taste and texture. The consistency of the rice was tender and blended well with the flavors of parmesan cheese. It was accompanied with two perfectly placed shrimp skewers that added a little spice to the dish.
Rissoto
For my entrees selection I ordered the “Meat and Potatoes” a boneless beef short rib with sautéed spinach and sweet potatoes au gratin and this dish did not disappoint! Our server told us that the chef marinates the short rib for over eight hours giving it the tender and flavorful combination that the regular patrons have come to love. I found it to be everything he described and more. The potatoes side dish was a casserole-like mix of au gratin and sweet potatoes that I found pleasantly surprising because I was wondering how they were going to mix the two. My only suggestion and slight disappointment about that the au gratin is that I wish the portion size was bigger because it was about the size of a post- it-note. I don’t know, call me greedy but I like lots of potatoes with my meat. It definitely left me wanting more.
My dessert choice was a no-brainer thanks to a pre-scan of the menu the day before, I ordering the “Not Ya Momma’s Banana Pudding”. The pudding was served layered over a cinnamon pie crust in a small martini glass. The pudding was tasty and nothing out of the ordinary. The real star of the night was the coconut cake which was a warm slice of pound cake with vanilla icing and coconut shavings. The dessert was phenomenal and so delicious that my friends couldn’t stop talking about it all night or the next day.
