Baltimore

Cosi Debuts New Summer Menu

categories: RESTAURANTS

There’s a Cosi restaurant within five blocks of my apartment aaaand five blocks from my job and I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know it was there.   I’ve been to Cosi once and it was the D.C. location so I was excited when I received an invitation to check out the new summer lunch menu at Cosi in Baltimore City.

I arrived at the Downtown Baltimore location around 1:00 pm on a Tuesday.  I was surprised to find parking on Charles Street because I thought there would be a lunch crowd and I wouldn’t find parking.  This Cosi location shares a space with other offices and I think most of their customers come from the surrounding office buildings.  One glance at the menu and the first thing I noticed was the Blueberry Smash Lemonade. It’s handcrafted lemonade with muddled blueberries, fresh mint and lime slice – much needed on a hot summer day.

The other summer menu items include a Chicken Bruschetta Sandwich, Summer Spinach Salad and a Honolulu Bowl.  I decided to order the salad and sandwich combo, so that I could try them both. The salad included baby spinach topped with diced tomato, chopped red onion, hard-boiled egg, and crumbled bacon; served with sherry shallot vinaigrette. I really liked the red onions and flavor of the vinaigrette.  The sandwich is made with homemade bruschetta, slow-roasted chicken and fresh mozzarella drizzled with balsamic glaze on signature flatbread. The flatbread was amazing, the manager told me that they make it fresh in-house every morning.  The flatbread made me want to visit during breakfast and taste their fresh baked breakfast goods. I also had their signature brownie for dessert.

The summer menu is available in-store, online or catering from participating DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) locations.  #getcosi

Be sure to follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …  

@ArlisAppetite on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Nomtastic Foods lists the Best Brunches in Baltimore

categories: Brunch, RESTAURANTS

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.

Be sure to follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …  

@ArlisAppetite on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Brunch at Topside Baltimore in Hotel Revival

categories: Brunch, RESTAURANTS

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.

 

 

 

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 …  

  

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 …  

  

The Dizz Does Not Disappoint

categories: RESTAURANTS

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The Dizz  located at 300 W. 30th Street,  is a happening Hampden staple Hon! No matter when I visit this place it’s always bustling with people and food is consistently coming out of the kitchen. The Dizz is two-levels and I’ve noticed they reserve the upper level for larger parties.  I especially love when I visit and the front and side patio areas are decorated with colorful plants and umbrellas or festive holiday decorations. Recently, I visited with a friend for a quick bite to eat during lunch and The Dizz did not disappoint.

The menu is extensive, they offer appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, platters, pizza, sandwiches, wraps, daily specials and much more. My friend and I decided on sandwiches because that seemed like the lighter mid-day option.  Boy were we wrong… in a good way. The sandwiches were huge! All sandwiches come with a heaping side of fries, you have a choice of curly fries, regular fries or sweet potato fries.   I ordered the Blackened Salmon BLT.  I asked the server to add avocado slices, because avocado makes everything better.  When she brought my sandwich out she said “Wow, it looks delicious with the avocado!”

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Blackened Salmon BLT with curly fries
Look at the size of that salmon!
Look at the size of that salmon!

The salmon was so big that is couldn’t fit on my average-sized kaiser roll…I love it when I get more food than expected.  This was a massive piece of salmon.  The salmon was perfectly tender and seasoned well. The roll was fresh and so was the tomato and avocado.

My friend ordered the Roast Beef Sandwich on Rye melted provolone.  He commented that the roast beef was moist and he especially liked the dijon horseradish mustard that came on the sandwich.

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Roast Beef on Rye with Melted Provolone

As I said, I’ve been to The Dizz many times before and another one of my favorites is the Cornmeal Encrusted Cajun Catfish.  This catfish is delicious.  The cornmeal on the outside is crispy and the fish is moist and juicy.  I’ve gotten this more times than I can remember.

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Cornmeal Encrusted Cajun Catfish

Have you visited The Dizz?  I would love to know your favorite meal to order.  Please comment below.

Be sure to follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on Instagram.com/Arlisappetite and twitter.com/ArliBaby.

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