Ciroc Vodka’s latest marketing train recently made a stop in Baltimore. Not a train in the literal sense but figuratively Ciroc is always on a roll and full steam ahead when it comes to marketing their brand and new products. Ciroc has hosted brunch across the country to promote their products. Last Saturday, Ciroc partnered with The Baltimore Sun to host a local brunch at The Elephant restaurant in Mount Vernon, Baltimore. Some of you may remember when The Elephant was a nightclub in Baltimore for a short time, that was my first time in the space. The short-lived nightclub is now a beautiful restaurant with multiple rooms and levels, each with a different look but an elegant, cohesive theme. The brunch was held on the first level in the front dining room. The room was decorated with pink walls, marble fireplaces, chandeliers and gilded trim mirrors – all feminine elements that I loved!
Once inside we were directed to the back bar area to grab our welcome cocktail “The Charles”. A delicious, light cocktail complete with edible flower ice cubes. After grabbing our welcome cocktails, guests started to fill in the dining room and select seats, once seated we were given a bowl of small cinnamon French Toast Bites with cinnamon butter. The French Toast bites were perfectly seasoned with cinnamon, fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. I think the bites are a great idea for an intimate brunch party at home.
Our second cocktail was the “924 Breeze,” made with Ciroc, pineapple juice, cranberry juice and lime. The name is a twist on the traditional “Bay Breeze” cocktail that features the same ingredients and the “924” is the address of the restaurant 924 Charles Street. The second brunch course was a Belgian Blueberry Waffle with Thyme Maple Syrup topped with a Lamb Chop. The blueberries in the waffle were fresh, no frozen waffles here and that pork chop – delicious and grilled to perfection…I wanted another one.
The final cocktail was the “Heatwave,” made with Mango Ciroc, Habanero Simple Syrup, Mango Puree and Lime. With a name like that, you already know it was spicy but in a good way. The final brunch course was The Elephant Eggs Benedict made with a Potato Latke, Duck Bacon, Spinach and Hollandaise. I do love a runny egg and it’s always a great idea when I can eat vegetables with my brunch food.
After all courses were served, the Ciroc liquor representative introduced us to the newest flavor Ciroc French Vanilla and the servers passed out samples to everyone.
Guests were also asked which cocktail was our favorite because the winning cocktail would be featured on The Elephant’s drink menu for the next month. Overall the food was delicious, but I would have liked larger portions especially to help balance all that liquor we were drinking…I’m sure the portions were made petite for the brunch only.
If you are ever looking for a restaurant with great food and ambiance, The Elephant is the place! Have you been to The Elephant? Tell me about it.
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