Topside Baltimore, a popular nightlife location in the Mount Vernon, Baltimore district, is now open for breakfast and lunch. Today, I had the opportunity to check out their new weekday breakfast menu. I’ve been to Topside for weekend brunch a few times, so I decided to order a few items that I haven’t had. I decided on the Chorizo Breakfast Burrito, Grilled French Toast and the Stonefruit-Tomato Tartine. When the food came out to my table, I could see the food styling influence of the new Executive Chef Scott Hines. I had brunch at B&O when he was there and the food was beautiful and delicious. I especially liked the thick bread loaf french toast because I’ve never seen it served like this anywhere else in Baltimore. The tartine featured a perfect balance of salty ricotta cheese spread on multigrain bread topped with sweet ripe peaches, I may go back and order that with just a cup of coffee.
After breakfast, I took a peek at the lunch menu and if features a few items that caught my eye. I can’t wait to go back for lunch.
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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.
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.
Enjoying my French Vanilla sample
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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I’ve been hearing a buzz about Dooby’s (802 N. Charles St) Noodle Bowls for some time now and this week I visited the Mt. Vernon, Baltimore restaurant on a mission to finally try one of the famous bowls.
I went there during the lunch rush hour and as expected it was pretty busy. Dooby’s is a coffee shop/restaurant with high-top tables in the main dining area and window and wall high-top seating. There is an upper-level dining area with standard, more formal tables. Menus are placed at the door and once you order at the counter, you take a number, have a seat and a staff member brings your food.
Dooby’s has a “build-a-bowl” style ordering system. First you pick the base (rice, noodle, salad or wrap) and then you pick the protein (chicken, steak, meatballs, salmon, veggie or tofu). I decided on the Korean BBQ Steak over Sir Fry Noodles.
Korean BBQ Steak Noddle Bowl
I must say it was an excellent choice! The steak was seasoned well and thinly sliced and it was a very hearty portion, I had steak in every bite. There was plenty of noodles and broccoli in the bowl also, it was so large I almost didn’t finish it all.
Roasted Chicken Lettuce Wrap with Sweet Soy Ginger Sauce
My best friend ordered the Roasted Chicken Lettuce Wrap with Brown Rice and Sweet Soy Ginger Sauce . The Ginger Sauce was delicious, I kept sneaking pieces of her chicken and dipping it in the sauce… I think I even dipped my steak in it. The Lettuce Wrap was a perfect light lunch entree.
We also ordered a small appetizer to share.
Pan-fried Chesapeake Dumplings with crab, shrimp, scallops and aioli
The seafood dumplings were great! So much flavor in two bites. I could taste each seafood ingredient separately and they fit well together. I was mad I didn’t order my own serving.
If you are in the mood for a hearty filling meal, definitely order one of the noodle bowls. I have to try their freshly home-brewed coffee on my next visit.
Be sure to follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on Instagram.com/Arlisappetite and twitter.com/ArliBaby.
