Santé A – Taste of Baltimore is back to bring culinary favorites and fun in support of the National Kidney Foundation. This is my third year judging the competition and I couldn’t be more excited. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit one of the participating restaurants, GDL Italian Cuisine at Horseshoe Baltimore. I went to have dinner and check out a few menu items.
I’ve been to GDL before so this time I decided to try a few things that I haven’t had. I went with two friends and we enjoyed ordering different menu items to share.
We started out with the two salads on the menu – Kale Caesar Salad and the Arugula Salad. We loved them both but the Kale Caesar was different in a great way, a change from the regular romaine lettuce. We also ordered the Italian BBQ Shrimp, which is a fairly new menu item and they were an interesting take on shrimp, I’ve never had them that way but I would suggest everyone order them.
The Meatball Trio and the Bacon Wrapped Dates I’ve had before but couldn’t help ordering again because they are a favorite. The dates have a sweet and salty flavor and paired with the gorgonzola cheese dip, it’s heaven!
I almost didn’t order the Mezzi Rigatoni because It doesn’t have any meat in it and I’m a meat and pasta kind of girl. But my friend had it before and she said it was amazing so we ordered it and I’m glad we did. It was a hearty pasta dish with delicious flavors and it’s very filling, perfect for Meatless Monday. The Chicken Piccata was my personal favorite, maybe because I’ve been a fan or white pasta sauce lately. I loved the lemon in the white wine sauce paired with capers and herbs. The Tuscan Ribeye was cooked perfectly and drizzled in salmoriglio, we couldn’t have asked for a better steak. And I had to order the Creamy Corn as a side because I was intrigued by the spicy sausage and it was a winner.
aAnd for dessert, we ordered the Zeppole and the Cookie Duo. The zeppola could easily become a guilty pleasure because they are so light and dense that you can lose track of how many you eat. I can’t say enough great things about the cookie duo! The lemon ricotta is something everyone must try at least once, it’s that good.
I can’t wait to see what GDL Italian and other restaurants have prepared for Santé A – Taste of Baltimore. Get your tickets today.
