RESTAURANTS

5 Quick Tips To Navigate Restaurant Week In Any City

categories: RESTAURANTS

TipsImage

Restaurant Week originated in New York City in 1992.  It was thought up as a way to reach customers who wouldn’t normally visit restaurants in their city. Restaurant Week offers a prix-fix menu for a two-course lunch and/or three-course dinner. Fast forward 20 years later and many cities and states have kept the concept of Restaurant Week alive.

For us foodies, it’s like a bi-annual Christmas. Depending on where you live it could be a tri-annual Christmas. I live in Baltimore City and we host a Restaurant Week twice a year, but Baltimore County also hosts Restaurant Week events.  For me that means I can also drive 30 minutes to Baltimore County and participate in their Restaurant Week.

Because I have attended so many restaurant week events, I have a system and a way I like to plan my visits.  It can be a bit overwhelming if you’ve never participated in Restaurant Week.  If you’d like to take full advantage of the event, follow my five quick tips to navigate Restaurant Week.

1. Research

Research

The Restaurant Week organizing committee always releases a list of participating restaurants in your city. The list usually comes out one week before Restaurant Week begins. Most lists are very detailed with information such as:

  • Restaurant name
  • Location
  • Phone Number
  • Cuisine Type
  • Lunch, Brunch and Dinner menu items
  • Parking Information
  • Neighborhoods
  • Online Reservation Information

The aforementioned details are very helpful for your planning process. If you plan on visiting several restaurants you can map it out.  If you have a taste for seafood, you can filter and sort through only the seafood restaurants. If you want to grab a quick lunch near your job, you can search by neighborhood and view the lunch menu and once you get there you’ll already know what to order.

2. Read –  After you’ve researched and narrowed down the restaurants you would like to visit, take the time to read about them.  There are various online platforms that give restaurant reviews – Zagat, Trip Advisor and Yelp, just to name a few.  Read as many reviews as you can. There is nothing worst than visiting a restaurant and it’s not a good experience. Such a waste of time and money.

3. Reserve 

Reservation

Don’t forget to make a dinner reservation.   The same way you are researching and reading in anticipation for Restaurant Week, so is everyone else.  Or they may not be researching or reading because they already know their favorite restaurant is on the list. Restaurant Week always has great attendance because it’s the perfect time opportunity for a group activity or date night.  Everyone loves a reasonably priced meal at a fancy restaurant. Some cities extend their Restaurant Week for a few days after the week because there was such a great turnout with high demand.  So please  make a reservation because it will be crowded especially during dinner. OpenTable  is a great reservation website to use.

4. Rally

Rally

My personal favorite of the list because I like to rally my friends together or separately to join me on my restaurant tour. I sometimes like to eat alone, but during Restaurant Week I like to eat in the company of others because my taste odds are better.  I can order one dish, my friend can other another and someone else can order another…this way everyone can taste the different dishes that restaurant has to offer.  Also there will be no confusion when the bill comes because the price is already preset and each person pays the same…unless of course cocktails are ordered.

5. Rest –  So many choices, so little time.  Restaurant Week can be overwhelming because I always want to visit every restaurant. Maybe you want to do lunch today, dinner tomorrow, lunch the next day, brunch on Saturday…whatever you decide, make sure you get some rest.  A three-course dinner is a lot of food, take time to enjoy it and enjoy the experience before you move on to the next restaurant. Don’t go overboard and remember there will be another Restaurant Week in the future and you will have the opportunity to visit the places you missed.

Visit FindRestaurantWeeks.com for a full list of participating restaurant cities and states.

Please leave a comment below if you have any other tips or if you found these tips helpful.

Happy Eating!

Contemporary Japanese Flair at Azumi in Harbor East

categories: RESTAURANTS

The word “Azumi” means “Safe Residence” in Japanese.  I recently visited Azumi (725 Aliceanna St), the Japanese fine dining restaurant at the Four Seasons in Harbor East Baltimore,  and it’s safe to say this restaurant is here to stay.

Azumi

Outdoor seating, breathtaking harbor views, bright colors and a DJ booth are all things you will remember when visiting Azumi.  It was recently named one of “Baltimore’s 15 Most Beautiful Restaurants” by The Baltimore Sun. Think of Azumi as a fancy pants Ra Sushi.

There is an open-seating lounge area when you walk into the restaurant. Behind the lounge area is a long bar against the wall that seats about 10-12 people and the other half of the restaurant is for table seated dining.

AzumiHappyHour

I visited with my best friend during Happy Hour and we ordered four items from the Happy Hour menu and one from the appetizer menu.

Azumi2
Clockwise From Top: Pork Spare Ribs, Edamame, Rock Shrimp Tempura (Not on the Happy Hour Menu) Spicy Tuna Roll and Salmon avocado Roll.

I especially liked the Pork Spare Ribs, they were sweet and sticky.  But the serving size was too small, it left me wanting more.  But of course that’s what you get for Happy Hour prices. The sushi rolls were also fresh and delicious.

But the real star of the show was my dessert! It was an artisan dessert.  It was so pretty I forgot to ask for the name.  It was a cold custard drizzled with caramel sauce accompanied by a peanut brittle slice, thin-sliced chocolate bar, fruit, and edible flowers.  It also had a few pieces of Japanese Guava Candy. Pretty fancy huh?!!

Azumi1

As you can see from the Happy Hour menu above, the prices are reasonable.  Azumi would be a nice place to visit for a birthday celebration or to impress someone during a business meeting.  Speaking with the bartender he told me that the place gets a good crowd on the nights when they have a DJ.  I would love to visit during the Summer on a Saturday night when the DJ is there, I think it would be a cool party scene.

 

Rooftop Brunch at The Black Olive Restaurant

categories: RESTAURANTS

The first time I visited The Black Olive Restaurant (803 S. Caroline Street) was for an invite only champagne sip and tasting. I remember being excited because the location had a rooftop patio making it one of a few locations in Baltimore City. The Black Olive Restaurant is a rooftop restaurant above the Inn at Black Olive Hotel.  Located in Baltimore’s Harbor East district, the hotel website boasts that it’s the only eco-organic hotel in Maryland.

At the champagne event, I only drank champagne and did not order food from the restaurant.  On my second visit, I was invited to a birthday brunch and I was very excited to try the food because my best friend and her husband visited for dinner and they told me  the food was delicious.   The Black Olive Restaurant specializes in authentic organic Greek cuisine. Beforehand I looked over their website to see what the brunch menu had to offer, but I was surprised to find the website didn’t list a brunch menu, just lunch and dinner.  I did notice that the restaurant received many accolades and awards for their food and wine.

When I arrived on a Sunday for brunch, the restaurant and patio view were beautiful.  Sheer white curtains hanging from the ceiling mixed well with the warm breeze blowing through the patio doors.  The brunch menu presented to me had about six entree options.  There was not a bottomless mimosa option, but my friend managed to negotiate with the manager and worked out a deal for our party of 12.

InnatBlackOlive

I ordered the Crabmeat, Spinach and Cheese Omelet accompanied by potatoes and fruit.  My friend ordered the French Toast, scrambled eggs and sausage.

InnatBlackOlive2

I must say that I was not pleased with the meal. I was expecting so much more from the rave reviews I’d gotten from my friends and with the obvious accolades and awards the restaurant received.

My omelet was bland and the eggs were rubbery.  My potatoes tasted like they were from a frozen pre-made batch. My friend’s French Toast was actually pretty good, light and flavorful.  The wait staff and the owner/manager were very friendly and attentive, they kept the mimosas coming.

I really want to give The Black Olive Restaurant another chance.  I plan on visiting again during lunch or dinner hours and I will update with a new post.

Have you had breakfast at The Black Olive Restaurant?  What did you think about it?

Bacon and Beer Night at Bad Decisions Bar

categories: EVENTS, RESTAURANTS

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.

Bacon
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

categories: RESTAURANTS

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.

WTF1

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.

WTF2

WTF

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.

WTF5

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.

WTF6

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

WTF4

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!

WTF3

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/

 

Bar Liquorice

categories: RESTAURANTS

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 and Licorice, I was curious to see what the “licorice” element was.

bl5

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.

bl2
Main Bar Area
bl10
Rear Lounge Area
bl9
Rear 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.

bl4
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.

bl

bl6
The “El Jefe” – Cherry Bourbon and Espresso Infused BBQ Pulled Pork, Tavern Ham, Pickles, Swiss Cheese, Dijon Mustard, Red Chili Aioli
bl3
Nutella 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.

%d bloggers like this: