Fells Point

Brunch at Duck Duck Goose

I’ll admit it, sometimes I like to visit restaurants because of the décor.   It’s initially why I wanted to visit Duck Duck Goose in Fells Point, Baltimore.  I saw a photo online of their colorful wallpaper and I wanted to check out the space for myself.  I’d actually been in the space when it was the prior restaurant 8 Meatball and I wanted to see what renovations they’d done to the place.   I visited on a Sunday for brunch with three other foodie friends.

Duck Duck Goose Baltimore is a small plates French brassiere that opened in Summer 2018.  This visit was my first and I didn’t know what to expect, I just knew I wanted some soft French scrambled eggs.

Nutella French Toast
Shrimp and Grits
Poached Eggs on Toast
Roasted Eggs and Piperade
Steak and Eggs

We started off with a shared Nutella French Toast and let me tell you this was heaven.  It’s large enough to share and so delicious that it leaves you wanting more. I ordered the Steak and Eggs and asked them to add caramelized onions and blue cheese. They actually have a brunch sandwich that comes that way but I didn’t want the bread.  I loved the eggs, they were exactly what I was craving.  Shrimp and Grits aren’t what you’d typically find at a French restaurant but the shrimp were huge and the grits were thick and it was seasoned pretty well. I think they were going for the New Orleans French influence and did a great job.

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Banana Jameson

For my cocktail, I ordered the Banana Jameson which is Jameson Whiskey and Banana Liqueur, it’s one of the restaurants specialty cocktails.  They also offer $20 bottomless mimosas during brunch.

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

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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 …  

  

Meatballs Galore at 8 Meatball in Fells Point

As if the Fells Point restaurant scene wasn’t cool enough, the newly opened meatball restaurant just made it a little cooler.  Last night I visited 8 Meatball (814 S. Broadway St) with fellow food blogger Rachel from Like The Tea Eats  and we had a ball…or two (pun intended). 8 Meatball recently opened on February 21st so I didn’t know what to expect because it’s only been open for 1 1/2 weeks but I’ve heard only great reviews.

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We arrived around 5:30 pm and it wasn’t crowded for a Wednesday evening, there were about five people sitting at a table and three people sitting at the bar.  The restaurant has about seven tables in the main dining room and more in a rear dining area and about 10 high-top bar stools around the bar. We were greeted by a friendly hostess and seated immediately.   Our waitress promptly delivered the food and drink menus and informed us about the specials.  I was so excited to visit this restaurant that I totally forgot the option of Happy Hour.  They do have wine and beer specials on the happy hour menu as well as food items.

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The menu is simple with numbers, graphics and step-by-step instructions…this I like.  8 Meatball offers five meatballs: classic, chicken, spicy pork, veggie and the daily special.  They offer six sauces: classic tomato, parmesan cream, pesto, spicy pork, mushroom gravy and the daily special sauce. You can have it three ways: bowl of balls, meatball sub or a slider and of course you can add pasta or one of the other four starches they offer. I’m a classic girl so I ordered the spicy pork meatballs with the spicy pork meat sauce in a bowl of spaghetti.

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

The spaghetti and meatballs serving was a generous amount, I had enough to take home for leftovers. There were five spicy meatballs in my bowl in addition to the spicy meat sauce…plenty of meat and topped with parmesan cheese.  It wasn’t super spicy, but had a spicy kick.

I also wanted to try one of the sliders and they were on special for $2.00 each on the happy hour menu, so I ordered the Spicy Lamb special meatball slider with the Tzatziki sauce. The slider was a hearty size and delicious.  The bread was soft and the combination of the lamb and tzatziki was great!

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Spicy Lamb Slider

I figured I’d get a salad just to balance out the carbs so I settled on a seasonal salad that included mixed greens, green apple slices, beets, pecans, tomato and goat cheese.

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Seasonal Salad

Rachel ordered the Creamy Cheesy Polenta and three sliders with different sauces: Spicy Lamb with Tzatziki Sauce, Chicken Meatball with Pesto and the Classic Meatball with Mushroom Gravy sauce.

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Creamy Cheesy Polenta
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Left to Right: Classic Meatball w/ Mushroom Gravy sauce, Chicken Meatball with Pesto and Spicy Lamb with Tzatziki Sauce

I tasted the Polenta and it was definitely creamy and cheesy. I think that was the first time I’ve eaten polenta and it was a cross between rice, mac & cheese and mashed potatoes. You have to look over on Rachel’s Blog to read what she thought about her sliders and her experience at 8 Meatball.

Have you visited 8 Meatball? What was your favorite meatball/sauce combination?

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

Brunch at Barcocina

Brunch is hands down my favorite meal of the day. If you invite me to brunch, chances are I’ll say “Yes” every single time.  I especially love restaurant menus that experiment with flavors and cultures from around the world. Recently I visited Barcocina (1629 Thames Street, Fells Point), a Mexican-inspired restaurant with a unique food sharing concept.

On this particular Sunday, my best friend and I decided to sit outside and enjoy the weather. Barcocina is in a prime location in Fells Point. It’s on the water with views of the harbor, tourists and all the weekend aquatic activities.  Looking over the menu I noticed the different options for the Mexican-inspired items. There were six guacamole options, three salsa options and eight taco options. Some were very unique because I would never think to mix the ingredients.  There was an “Eggs and Bacon” guacamole, and a “Reuben” taco that caught my eye, but I had a taste for the traditional American breakfast items.  The traditional breakfast items also had a Mexican-inspired flair We ordered the Breakfast Quesadillas, Huevos Rancheros, Butternut Squash Enchiladas and the Maple Pancake Sliders.

Breakfast Quesadillas
Breakfast Quesadillas
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Huevos Rancheros
Maple Sausage Pancake Sliders

 

Butternut Squash Enchilada

 

The breakfast quesadillas were delicious.  They were made with smoked cheddar eggs and crumbled pepper bacon and topped with sweet corn salsa and a sour cream drizzle.  The huevos rancheros was good, my best friend liked them but my only suggestion would be to add more of the citrus sour cream. My favorite were the Maple Sausage Pancake Sliders, it was prepared like a McDonald’s McGriddle but better. The Butternut Squash Enchilada was flavorful with fresh ingredients.   We also ordered Jalapeno Skillet Cornbread and the Skillet Potatoes.

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The cornbread was excellent!!! That was the first time I’d tasted spicy cornbread.  I’m used to my cornbread being savory and sweet, but I liked the spicy kick.  We devoured that skillet and wished it was a little larger because we both wanted more.

Barcocina’s Brunch also offers $10.00 Bottomless Mimosas and $12.00 Bottomless Bloody Maria’s or Bloody Mary’s. If you are looking for a chill outdoor or indoor dining experience, visit Barcocina…you won’t be disappointed.

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

  

 

 

Bacon and Beer Night at Bad Decisions Bar

In honor of Bacon Day, a holiday/food that I love dearly, I’m reminiscing of that one time I visited Bad Decisions Bar for their monthly Bacon and Beer Night. Bad Decisions Bar (1928 Fleet Street) is located in Fells Point, Baltimore.  I always drive by the bar on my way to Canton and I’ve always chuckled at the name but never stopped to go inside.  On this particular day, Fat Tuesday 2015 to be exact, a friend invited me to go with her and check out the bacon specials.

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Clockwise from top left: Beef and Bacon Grits, Bacon Sazerac and Bacon King Cake

Honestly I thought it would be a normal happy hour menu with maybe two or three choices, but this menu was made specifically for a bacon fest event.  There were three appetizer options, four cocktail options, two dessert options and five entree options that all included bacon. When my friend and I went to the bar to order the patrons sitting at the bar were very friendly and they schooled us on the evening’s selections. I was surprised to find out that a few dishes were already sold out…note to self, next time get there early.  I decided to order the beef and bacon grits which were very tasty, but a bit soupy.  It would have been better if they branded as a beef and bacon stew.  My dessert the Bacon King Cake was awesome!  It was freshly made with the sweet icing and the bacon bits gave it a salty kick.

Bad Decisions Bar recently celebrated their 50th Bacon and Beer Night.  I’m happy to see they are still going strong. I have to visit again in the near future because I hear they change the menu each time.  For more information on dates for Bacon and Beer Night, visit their website at http://makeabaddecision.com/

What is your favorite bacon dish?

 

Brunch Review: Waterfront Hotel

Fells Point is definitely one of my favorite neighborhoods to enjoy a great Sunday brunch. Last Sunday I visited Waterfront Hotel (1710 Thames Street, Baltimore MD).  With a name like Waterfront Hotel, you would think it was a hotel, but it isn’t.  It was once a private residence in the 1700’s and a hotel at one point in the 1800’s.

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I’ve been to Waterfront Hotel before but only for happy hour and dinner.  I remember them having a different food special for each day of the week, I like variety and that shows commitment.

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I arrived early at 10:30 am and the restaurant wasn’t open yet.  The staff was arranging the outdoor seating and bustling about inside taking care of daily preparations.  I parked outside and waited for 30 minutes with the other patrons that had arrived early. Once inside my friend and I were greeted promptly by a friendly waitress that took our drink orders and brought out a fresh batch of bottomless mimosas.

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The bottomless menu consists of bottomless mimosas, bloodies, screwdrivers or Natty Boh and the cost is $10.00 per person.

The brunch menu has many options – omelettes, benedicts, sandwiches, salads, bar snacks, entrees and breakfast sides. When in doubt I tend to go for an omelette.  My omelette of choice was the Mexican Omelette -$13.00 (house-made chorizo, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and chipotle salsa). It’s served with toast,  tots or grits, bacon or sausage.  I ordered the tots and sausage option, chorizo and sausage links…double meat, I love it! What I loved most about my omelette was the size, it was fat and full like an omelette should be.

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My friend ordered a breakfast bowl with and over easy egg, potatoes, peppers, onions and crabmeat – $14.00.

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We also had a taste for something sweet, so we ordered the Stuffed French Toast -$12.00 (cinnamon cream cheese, warm maple berry compote, with a choice of sausage or bacon). My friend doesn’t eat pork or red meat, so we ordered bacon for me 🙂  More Meat!

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The French Toast wasn’t actually stuffed with the cinnamon cream cheese, it was spread between the two slices.  It was yummy and different because I was expecting it to be stuffed inside the toast slices.

Brunch at Waterfront Hotel begins at 11:00 am, make sure you get there early to get a seat because the place fills up quickly. When we left around 2:30 pm and it was standing room only, some patrons were standing in the front area eating their food.

Waterfront Hotel also hosts live music on the upper level. All live shows start at 10:00 pm and there is never a cover charge.  For more information on events of the menu please visit http://www.waterfronthotel.us/

 

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