Shrimp and Grits

12
Sep
2018

Brunch at Magdalena Restaurant in the Ivy Hotel

categories: Brunch

That’s me checking out the Bourbon selection at the bar

The beautiful Magdalena Restaurant inside the equally beautiful Ivy Hotel, is now offering Sunday brunch. I recently went there with a few blogger friends to check out the new menu. The brunch is a prix fixe menu that costs $39.00 per person and includes non-alcoholic beverages such as coffee, tea and juice. As an added bonus, it also includes menu items for everyone at the table such as, Smoked Salmon, Assorted Breakfast Pastries and Greek Yogurt Parfait – I think that’s a damn good deal for $40.00.

The smoked salmon was phenomenal! It was topped with caper relish and chopped hard-boiled eggs. The assorted pastries were fresh and the yogurt parfait was delicious. I loved having three options as my starter before the brunch entrée.

I ordered the Duck Confit & Cheddar Waffle and it was served with Sautéed Plums and Cherry Compound Butter. I love how they added a cheddar waffle, making my entrée savory and not too sweet. As you can see, the cut of duck was pretty big, so big I almost didn’t finish it. I didn’t taste any of the other entrees pictured above but everyone else said they loved their brunch. I was eyeing that Glazed Maryland Crab Omelet so I’ll definitely be back for that.

The Blogger Brunch Crew pictured here with Chef Catina Smith

One of the private dining rooms at the hotel/restaurant.

Other brunch options included but not pictured were Country Ham Eggs Benedict, Roasted Vegetable, Basil & Pecorino Quiche and a Classic Croque Madame. We didn’t order cocktails but they are available to order at the regular price. This is definitely a nice brunch option if you’re looking for something in Mount Vernon, Baltimore or Downtown Baltimore. Just think, during the spring/summer months you can sit out in the courtyard and take photos in your Sunday’s best.

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

@ArlisAppetite on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

21
Mar
2017

Friday night brunch at Home Maid

categories: RESTAURANTS

Home Maid is a quaint brunch-only restaurant on Key Highway in the Federal Hill neighborhood. The restaurant was originally located in Towson, but relocated to its current location in the Spring of 2016. The location is only open Friday-Sunday and brunch/breakfast is served all day. I visited on a Friday night for a private D’usse event hosted by Events 4 Good People. Stepping into the restaurant was like stepping into my grandmother’s kitchen. There’s cute chicken patterned wallpaper, family-style photos in gold and silver frames and wooden chairs painted white. The restaurant has about 11 tables that seat four and a high-top bar area. Because it was a private event, the menu that night was limited and there was one server.

My friend and I decided that we would each order one dish and share with each other. I ordered the Blackened Salmon and Shrimp with Creamy Grits and my friend ordered the French Toast and Bacon.

In almost every instance that I eat salmon, it’s smothered in a tasty sauce but in this instance the dry rub salmon exceeded my expectations. It was prepared Cajun-style with a spicy rub and flavorful herbs. The cut was tender and juicy on the inside which let me know that the chef knew his way around the kitchen! The grits were thick and creamy almost the consistency of mashed potatoes and accompanied with the house sauce created a match made in heaven. The French Toast had a sweet caramel flavor with a crunchy outside texture served with whipped cream, fried plantains and sea salt. If you notice on the photo the bacon didn’t come out with the French Toast, we had to ask for it again and it came out about 10 minutes later.

Besides the mishap with the bacon, Home Maid was a pleasant brunch experience. It’s a little pricey though, the French Toast was $18.00 and the Salmon and Grits was $22.00. In my opinion, Home Maid is the perfect place to brunch with family.

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

19
Jan
2016

Turns out I do like Green Eggs

categories: RESTAURANTS

During my recent three-day holiday weekend I traveled with a friend to Philadelphia. On several occasions my friend mentioned Green Eggs Cafe (212 S. 13th Street), a breakfast and lunch restaurant in Philadelphia. He spoke about how delicious the food was, so naturally I was curious to check it out and see what the hype was about.

We arrived in Philadelphia around noon and went straight to Green Eggs. We walked up to the restaurant and there were about 15 people waiting outside. A few people were huddled around the two outdoor heating lamps and others were drinking the complementary coffee from the canister on the outdoor table. The hostess sitting outside told us there would be a 30-45 minute wait for a table of two. As we were standing outside waiting for our table, I noticed a steady stream of people leaving the restaurant and a steady stream of people walking up to put their name on the waiting list. If people are willing to wait outside in the cold for 30 minutes this must be a good sign that the restaurant is worth the wait.

After about 30 minutes our name was called and we were escorted inside the restaurant. The tables were arranged in three long rows with seven tables in each row and the kitchen was located in the rear of the restaurant. We were seated at a two-seat table in the middle row. We were greeted by a friendly waitress who gave us the menu and asked for our drink order. We watched as heaping plates of food came out left and right. The waffle, french toast and pancake portions were huge, so we decided to each order an entree and split a french toast.

The Creme Brulee French Toast was served in four half slices of challah bread. Topped with a vanilla bean custard and berry compote, fresh berries atop a creamy sweet sauce topped with fruit, powdered sugar and whipped cream. We didn’t need much syrup because the custard sauce was warm and sweet, it gave just the right amount of flavor to act as a syrup.

I ordered the “Kitchen Sink” which was eggs scrambled with sausage crumbles, potatoes, Gruyere cheese, peppers & onions,topped with a homemade biscuit and country style pork sausage gravy served in a cast-iron skillet. The eggs were light and fluffy and they were not stingy on the cheese. The potatoes and sausage gravy were seasoned well.

GE1 — Pork Bacon Creole Shrimp and Grits

My friend ordered the Pork Bacon Creole Shrimp and Grits. This too was served in a skillet with two eggs your style, shrimp cooked in a spicy bacon-creole sauce, served on top of cheesy grits. The shrimp preparation really made the dish pop, this was my first time eating shrimp cooked in a bacon sauce and it was very good.

The portions were so large (that’s my kind of restaurant) I was only able to eat half of my skillet and I took the remaining french toast and skillet home in a takeout box. The staff were friendly and checked on us numerous times to make sure our food and service were perfect. The restaurant was fast and efficient. I can see why people were willing to wait outside for 30 minutes because the food and experience was great!

Have you ever visited Green Eggs Cafe? What was your favorite dish?

12
Apr
2014

Oyin Handmade Launch at Hilton Hotel Baltimore

categories: EVENTS

Two weeks ago I braved the freezing rain to attend the Target launch party for Oyin Handmade natural hair care products. The event was held at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Baltimore. Like most hotels, the Hilton has a banquet space and catering team on site and it’s frequently used for hosting events. This was my first time attending a catered event at the Hilton and I was pleasantly surprised at the menu and set-up.

These super cute salad skewers were the first thing I saw as I approached the food display. I’ve never seen a better way to display just the perfect amount of salad.

The shrimp and grits display was another first for me. Though the display looks cute and the size appropriate, it wasn’t a practical choice. I personally like warm and creamy grits and with this presentation the grits were a little cold because they’d been sitting on the display table for a while.