Over the weekend Beyonce released her visual album and documentary on HBO entitled “Lemonade”. The internet and social media were abuzz with comments and opinions. As for me I was enjoying my Lemosa and taking it all in. What’s a Lemosa? I had the pleasure of tasting this cocktail last week at Flavor Restaurant and Lounge. And I liked it so much that I recreated it over the weekend.
Ingredients:
Citrus Vodka
Simple Syrup
Lemon Juice
Champagne
Instructions:
Pour vodka, simple syrup and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker
Shake well
Pour into champagne flute and top with champagne
*Can also be served with sugar rim
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The EMPORIYUM is one of the most anticipated foodie events to hit Baltimore City. The event is held in Baltimore, MD and Washington D.C. It’s an all-you-can-sample food and beverage marketplace with the option to buy your favorite items. Ninety-Five vendors including restaurants, food and beverage companies from across the East Coast were at the EMPORIYUM. This was the third year for the event but it was my first time attending and I was satisfied because I got to sampled to my heart’s content. Here are a few of my favorites I sampled…
Barbacoa Taco from Bar Clavel – 225 W 23rd St, Baltimore, MD 21211Lobster Roll from Luke’s LobsterDumplings from Pinch Gourmet Chinese Dumplings – 520 Park Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202Hot Chocolate Shots from Max Brenner’s Chocolate BarDon’t mind if I Do!Specialty Cocktails from the bar area
Home made Pop Tarts from Iron Rooster
Delicious Donuts from The Corner Pantry – 6080 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21212
YUM is right! Everything I sampled was yummy! Get your tickets early next year because I guarantee it will be a sold out event.
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I don’t like to gamble but I do visit the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore occasionally to check out the bar and live music scene and grab a pizza after hours. I have noticed that when I’m there, it doesn’t matter the time or day there is always a crowd at Ruby 8 Noodles and Sushi. I got to thinking… if there is always a crowd the food has to be great so I decided to check it out for myself.
I went there with a friend on a Thursday after work. We were both starving and everything on the menu sounded so appealing that we decided to eat a small feast. The manager Lisa was very friendly and knowledgeable about all the items on the menu. She helped us select the perfect combination of dishes to satisfy our taste buds.
Szechuan Shrimp with PeppersVeggie Pad Thai NoodlesStir Fried Green Beans with Chicken
That food looks so good, it makes me want to go back again and again and again! First let me say that everything was fresh. The shrimp were huge and mixed with the peppers it’s a light dish with lots of flavor. The Veggie Pad Thai Noodles entree is perfect for those who don’t eat meat but want a hearty meal with lots of flavor. The noodles were light and airy and the best noodles I’ve tasted in a long time. My favorite entree was the Stir Fried Green Beans with Chicken. The chicken was tender and the green beans were crispy and fresh. All dishes are the perfect portion for sharing.
As if we didn’t have enough goodness from Ruby 8 Noodles and Sushi…we decided to try the sushi.
Top to Bottom: VIP California Roll, Ruby 8 Roll, Horseshoe Roll
Ruby 8 Noodles and Sushi is definitely the best place in Baltimore to eat sushi. This sushi was amazing, the best I’ve ever tasted. My favorite was the Horseshoe Roll (bottom right in photo) with softshell crab and avocado. I think I ate the entire roll myself.
Ruby 8 Noodles and Sushi is opening a second location in McHenry Row on May 12! For those of you who don’t want to deal with the casino crowd, McHenry Row will be a great alternative.
Have you been to Ruby 8 Noodles and Sushi? What was your favorite dish or sushi roll?
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If you haven’t already heard, Baltimore is the next booming city for craft cocktails and cocktail enthusiasts. Last week, the city hosted the 2nd Annual Baltimore Cocktail Week and this week we are hosting The Bar Institute educational conference.
I was invited to attend two events during Baltimore Cocktail week and the energy at these events were electric! The mission of Baltimore Cocktail Week is to “focus on the cultivation and enhancement of the hospitality industry in Baltimore City and surrounding areas through innovative cocktail programs, comprehensive educational forums and consumer enrichment events.” There were a total of six events held at different restaurants in the city. Eleven other restaurants also created signature drinks for Baltimore Cocktail Week and with each cocktail purchase a $1.00 donation was made to a charitable organization.
The first event I attended was the “Baltimore’s Lovely Ladies Bartending Competition” at Pen & Quill Restaurant presented by Tullamore DEW Whiskey. Twelve female bartenders created one-of-a-kind cocktails and guests judged the creations and crowned a winner. Each guest was greeted with a welcome cocktail “The Drambuie Winner’s Cup” and given a score card and drink ticket at the door. The score cards were numbered 1-12 to match with the twelve bartenders, your card number identified your bartender and cocktail. I was given a card with the number one (1) and I was able to sample a cocktail made by Molly McNaulty of the Cultured bar in Mt. Vernon Marketplace.
Molly mixing her cocktail
Molly named her cocktail “Believe In Magic” and she said it was inspired by the Baltimore Orioles Opening Day. She wanted to make an orange and black cocktail and also a cocktail that anyone can enjoy in the morning. For her cocktail she made the bottom layer with carrot juice, whiskey, tonic, lime and maple syrup and the top layer with Mezcal, balsamic and beet juice. The ingredients may not sound like they mix well together, but don’t be fooled this cocktail was a hit! Sweet and slightly tangy after I drank it I immediately wanted another.
“Believe In Magic” Cocktail
The second event I attended was a social media master class taught by Chelsea Gregoire of Drinkable Genius. Chelsea is a bartender at Pen & Quill and she has 10 years of experience in the restaurant and bar industry. I first met Chelsea when I went to an event with a friend she made the tastiest cocktail using Old Grand-Dad whiskey and mead. Chelsea spent her Wednesday morning with 20+ attendees sharing her photography and social media tips and tricks of the trade. Guests enjoyed delicious Bloody Mary cocktails and coffee. Over the last few days, I’ve applied a few of her tips and it has increased my social media engagement. Thanks Chelsea!
I love these food and beverage events in Baltimore. If you know of any others send them my way.
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Fireball Whiskey seems to be the new favorite shot to order at the bar. If you haven’t tried fireball, it’s a cinnamon flavored whiskey that tastes to me like Big Red chewing gum. It’s a little too strong for me and I personally like to mix my Fireball Whiskey with an Angry Orchard apple cider and I call it an “Angry Ball”. Recently, I received a package of Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer in three delicious flavors. Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer is a cross between a cider and a beer with a kick of ginger. I liked the Spiced Orange flavor so much I decided to add it to Fireball and it made a pleasantly smooth shot. I call it the “Orange Fireball”. If you like the taste of Fireball Whiskey but don’t like the sting, add a little ginger beer to calm the cinnamon.
Have you tried Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer? What did you think? Comment Below.
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Last week, I had the honor of attending the 5th annual Taste of Pikesville event at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel. This was my first time attending the event and I was pretty impressed. For starters I didn’t know there was such a variety of restaurants in the Pikesville area. We sampled cuisines such as Indian, Mexican, Uzbek, American, Peruvian, Italian, Island and Japanese. There was also a raffle giving away gift cards for some of the Pikesville merchants. In addition to the 40 + food vendors, there were also liquor vendors serving wine, margaritas, tequila and vodka.
My top three favorites from the event were…
Shrimp Salad from North OaksHerb Cajun Salmon from Island QuizineSeafood Tortellini from Simply Elegant Catering
I guess you can say I liked all the seafood options. Each guest was given a blue plastic chip to place in the box at the table of their overall favorite. My chip went to Island Quizine and they won! There were also 11 guest judges that voted on other categories and after all was said and done the winners were…
People’s Choice
Winner: Island Quizine
Runner Up: For the Love of Food
Best Taste
1st place: FutureCare
2nd place: Pikes Cinema Bar and Grill
3rd place: North Oaks
Most Creative
1st place: Gourmet Again
2nd place: Eleven Courses
3rd place: North Oaks
1st place: Silk Road
2nd place: Mr. Chan Asian Bistro
3rd place tie: Eleven Courses, The Perfect Gourmet, KoDee Cakes, Miski Peruvian Charbroiled Chicken
Best Beverage
1st place: Great Shoals
2nd place: Southern Tequila
3rd place: Mezcal Mexican Restaurant & Bar
In addition to my favorites, I sampled maaaaaaany of the other food and beverage options.
The Taste Of Pikesville was an all-you-can-sample event so you know I left there stuffed and satisfied.
Have you eaten at any of the restaurants above? What was your favorite? Leave a comment below and let me know.
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