Warm days call for tropical cocktails and Pen & Quill in Station North, Baltimore has the best Tiki Tuesday in town. Possibly the only Tiki Tuesday in town, at least the only one I’ve come across, offers a variety of tropical themed cocktails complete with fresh ingredients and fruit garnishes.
I’ve been to Pen & Quill a handful of times, but I can specifically remember two times I visited on a Tuesday. The first time was on a whim and I liked the cocktails so much that I went back on another Tuesday.
“Zombie” Cocktail at Pen & Quill
My favorite tiki cocktail at Pen & Quil is the “Zombie”. It’s not your typical tropical drink, it’s sweet but strong. So strong that the menu has a warning “a limit of two per customer is necessary lest it carry you away to the other side”. What a warning! My kind of drink. The “Zombie” includes a blend of three rums, fresh juices and marachino liquor.
Tiki Tuesday Cocktails at Pen & Quill
They also offer classic cocktails such as the Mai Tai or Pina Colada (rum, coconut, pineapple and lime.) They even have a local themed cocktail “Baltimore Grog” that includes a blend of three rums, grapefruit, lime and honey syrup. There are nine cocktails total on the Tiki Tuesday menu, they are $10.00 each and all except one includes rum. The other ingredients and juices are made fresh by the Pen & Quill bar staff.
We also ordered Deviled Eggs and Fried Oyster Steam Buns from the Happy Hour menu.
If you are looking for a tropical getaway on random Tuesday evening, visit Pen & Quill (1710 N. Charles Street) or use the ingredients mentioned above and make your own tropical drinks at home.
And always follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …
Last month I attended the “Strangers with Style Meet and Mix” at Six Point Studios in Baltimore, MD. The event featured a specialty cocktail mixed with mead from local meadery Charm City Meadworks. In case you are not familiar with mead, it’s a fermented wine made from honey and water.
Photo from the Charm City Meadworks Facebook
Charm City Meadworks makes four mead flavors, Original, Rosemary, Cinnamon and Sweet Blossom. Some people like to drink mead straight, but it is a sweet wine and it’s often paired with opposite flavors to balance the taste. Charm City Meadworks also makes an assortment of beers in flavors such as Wildflower, Elderberry and Basil Lemongrass. They also have seasonal flavors “Pumpkin” for Fall and “Retire by the Fire” for Winter. I’m not much of a beer person and I tend to stick with sweet beers and ciders. I did sample the beer, I forget which flavor, but it was a satisfying alternative to my usual cider.
For this event the signature cocktail was “Granddads with Style” and the mead of choice was cinnamon. It’s funny because when I was a bartender the only time I served Old Granddad Whiskey was to older men or granddads and now I’m excited to see the younger generation embracing it… everything old is new again.
The “Old Granddad” Cocktail
This cocktail was a perfect mix of sweet with a little cinnamon spice. I could taste the cinnamon mead flavor notes and the apple cider gave it a seasonal crisp taste. It’s very easy to make and is a good addition to your Fall/Winter cocktail list.
Ingredients:
1 oz Old Granddad Bourbon Whiskey
1 oz. Charm City Meadworks Cinnamon Mead
1/2 oz Apple Cider
Splash of Peach Schnapps or Peach Syrup
Instructions:
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
Shake well
Pour mix serve over ice
Garnish with a cinnamon spice apple slice
Charm City Meadworks is available for purchase at local Maryland/Washington DC farmers markets, liquor stores and wine distributors. The cost varies ranging from $10.00 – $13.00 depending on your purchase. Charm City Meadworks also hosts tap tastings on Friday Evenings and Saturday Afternoons at their local meadery in Baltimore. For a list of purchase locations, events and additional information, please visit their website at http://charmcitymeadworks.com/
There is no shortage of quaint corner bars in Baltimore. Every bar has a certain aesthetic or theme that makes it different from the next. The name Bar Liquorice (801 Fort Ave.) first caught my attention when a friend mentioned she was in the Riverside neighborhood and suggested we meet there for drinks. With an obvious play on the words Liquor andLicorice, I was curious to see what the “licorice” element was.
Bar Liquorice is situated on a corner block in walking distance of the Southside Marketplace Center. Walking into the bar my first impression was the space is very intimate. It’s not large and probably not the best place to bring a party of more than eight, but it’s perfect for a date night or drinks with a few friends. I actually met a couple there who were on their first date. There is seating for about 11 or 12 at the bar and there is a sectioned room toward the back with more seating for about eight people. The walls and ceilings are painted a beautiful graige (gray and beige) color to accent the silver, white and powder blue furnishings. There is a large TV behind the bar and a fireplace in the rear lounge area.
Main Bar AreaRear Lounge AreaRear Lounge Area
Speaking of added touch, the bar is stocked with clear jars filled with red and black licorice. They also soak red licorice wheels in liquor and use them as cocktail garnishes. The bar offers a variety of cocktails specials every day of the week. Their motto is “every hour is happy hour” and drink specials all night from open to close. They also have a cute popcorn machine that pops a fresh batch to order for every customer, at no charge. It’s so good that every time I go there I eat at least three small bowls of popcorn. They pop it in their own special blend of olive oil, sea salt, rosemary and garlic.
White Cranberry Martini
The menu includes cheese plates, a salad option and artisan pressed panini sandwiches. All sandwiches are served with Cool Ranch Doritos and a pickle. The Nutella Bread Pudding is to die for! It’s very sweet and satisfying.
The “El Jefe” – Cherry Bourbon and Espresso Infused BBQ Pulled Pork, Tavern Ham, Pickles, Swiss Cheese, Dijon Mustard, Red Chili AioliNutella Bread Pudding
Voted “Best New Bar in 2014” by Baltimore City Paper, Bar Liquorice should definitely be on your radar of places to visit. Be sure to like them on Facebook and visit their page for daily food and drink specials.
I remember long ago driving to Boston Street with my friends for weekend day drinking and night clubbing, but now memories of my youth in Canton have been replaced with commercial businesses and restaurants. One restaurant in particular I love to visit at least once a month is LaTolteca (2324 Boston Street). LaTolteca is an authentic mexican restaurant chain in Maryland. They have other locations in Belair, Cockeysville, Salisbury and Hagerstown. I’d never heard of the restaurant until I was driving down Boston Street one day and noticed their newest location in Canton.
The most important amenity I love about LaTolteca is they offer free valet on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Trying to find a parking space on Boston Street is hell, so they get a gold star for that! When you walk in the restaurant, immediately you feel like you are in another place. The furniture is crafted after colorful pieces of artwork. The table tops and chairs are adorned with 3D brightly colored lacquered art. There are about six booths that run along the Boston Street perimeter. Each booth is positioned under a window, so patrons can open or close the window if they choose.
The bar runs along the opposite wall of the restaurant and is lined with bar stools. There are also high top tables situated in the middle of the restaurant. LaTolteca has two levels, though I haven’t been upstairs I know they use that area for private parties and they’ve just started Salsa dancing upstairs on Friday nights. I was sad when Talara closed in Harbor East, because they had one of the best salsa parties but it’s good to know of another one.
The cocktail menu includes a variety of margarita and tequila specials. They offer eight different margaritas that range from sweet to spicy – strong and stronger. They also have three different pre-made frozen margaritas ready to serve from the frozen drink dispenser. They also have bottled beers, beers on tap and Mexican beers such as Dos Equis.
Every customer is given warm chips and dip when they sit down. They give you two dipping sauces, one is salsa and the other is a creamy white dip that I later found out was Queso Blanco Dip (White Cheese Dip). The queso dip is amazing! I always end up getting a second serving.
Now this may sound crazy, but I’ve been to LaTolteca about six times and I always get the same exact thing. The menu is very extensive, every Mexican dish you can think of they serve at LaTolteca. The first time I browsed the menu, the seafood fajitas caught my attention and they were so good that I’ve never really wanted anything else. The “Del Mar Fajitas” include shrimp, crab meat and scallops cooked with onions, tomatoes and bell peppers with a tilapia fillet on top. Served with rice, beans, guacamole, lettuce, sour cream and tortillas on the side.
Del Mar Fajitas
My friends are more adventurous than me and they’ve sampled quite a few of the other entrees such as the Hawaiian Fajitas made with grilled chicken, shrimp and charizzo mixed with grilled pineapple, onions and tomatoes inside half a pineapple with melted cheese on top. Served with Spanish rice, fried beans and guacamole salad.
Hawaiian Fajitas
All entrees range in cost from $15.00-$30.00 depending on the ingredients and serving size.
My next visit will be on Friday and I plan to eat, drink and visit the upper level for Salsa dancing. Maybe I’ll wear my emoji girl red dress – 💃🏾
For more information on LaTolteca, visit their website at http://latoltecamd.com.
Last week I visited Wit & Wisdom Restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel (200 International Drive). I’m always amazed at the lobby flower display because it’s always beautiful and different every time I visit. They’ve already completed their Christmas decorations with not one, but three beautiful Christmas trees.
Cocktails by the Fire at Wit & Wisdom
But my real love for Wit & Wisdom will always be their cocktails. The bar uses fresh ingredients in every cocktail. They take time to muddle, stir and strain each libation and add fresh garnish to the glass. Last winter when I visited I ordered the Espresso Martini and my friend ordered the Hot Buttered Rum.
Espresso Martini and Hot Buttered Rum
These cocktails are perfect for those cold winter nights (or days). Even though Wit and Wisdom is already in the holiday spirit with their Christmas decorations, they did not have a special Winter Cocktail Menu or daily winter cocktails available yet. Technically the official start of Winter is Dec 22., so I was a little early. The Espresso Martini can be made anytime, but the Hot Buttered Rum is made seasonally.
Hot Buttered Rum Recipe
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 ounces dark rum
3/4 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
Combine butter, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl and mix about 2 minutes.
Combine the spiced butter mix with Rum and pour into glasses. Pour 3/4 cup boiling water over each glass and stir. Top with whipped cream (optional)
Wit and Wisdom “Lemon Drop Martini”
If you happen to visit Wit & Wisdom check out their specialty cocktail menu, you won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to see what winter cocktails they will include on this season’s menu.
I was introduced to India cuisine about four years ago. My first taste of Indian was Chicken Tikka Masala and I’ve loved it since that moment. If I really think about it, that was the perfect introduction because that dish encompassed the essence of Indian cuisine, a balance of sweet and spicy. India cuisine in my opinion is like soul food because it’s hearty and filling, but unlike soul food it’s a bit expensive. A serving of chicken tikka masala can run you $15.00 and that includes the rice, chicken and masala sauce but doesn’t always include the cost of the naan bread.
My best friend lives in downtown Baltimore and she took me to Lumbini (322 N. Charles Street) for lunch and to my surprise it was buffet style! All of my favorites, all I can eat for the reasonable price of $12.99.
This Gold glass is EVERYTHING! Love It!
Have you been to Lumbini? What’s your favorite Indian dish? If you like like Lumbini or Indian Cuisine, check out my review of Darbar in Fells Point, Baltimore.
