Silver Spring is NOT okay.

In fact it sucks.

Vaccaro's Overload

Vaccaro's
222 Albemarle Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

With my big move looming, it was imperative that I make it to Vaccaro's for their Monday night All You Can Eat dessert and coffee special. I have seen this advertised for the last four years I have been in Baltimore and have been aching to experience the sheer gluttony first hand. I finally made the effort yesterday, and met up with Britta for an after dinner binge fest.

The special is only available Monday's from 6-9. It can sometimes be extremely busy so opt to get there early. I had planned on doing my weekly Monday run with the Fed Hill group at 6:30 so I cut the run slightly short and made it to Vaccaro's by 7:15 or so. Nothing like a decent run before a gorge fest. The website features the special at $12.95 but pricing has gone up to $15.50 which seems like a lot but ends up being worth it if you make sure to drink and eat enough, which I certainly did.

I started with a decent portion of traditional Tiramisu (as opposed to the amaretto option) and a double espresso. So yummy. The lady fingers were moist and flavorful.

Tiramisu dish COMPLETE.

Round 2 consisted of the Vaccaro's Sampler; vanilla and chocolate cannolis, almond cookie, pignoli cookie, butter ball, and cream puffs. I wasn't as impressed with this assortment as I was with the Tiramisu. Maybe that's because I was sickly full after the Tiramisu but still pressed on.

Sampler attempt fell short as I left a decent portion of the cream puffs and cookies. I tried my best though :)

Britta also went for the All You Can Eat but was a little more conservative with her selections. She definitely got her moneys worth by ordering to Vaccaro's style cappucinos and the Death by Chocolate cannoli cake with chocolate gelato. It was absolutely enormous and unfortunately, even with the two of us chipping away, we could not conquer this behometh dish.

All in all, definitely worth it for a special occasion. Make sure to skip dinner so you have more room but keep in mind you will be staying up pretty late due to sugar and caffiene overload. Yikes!

Coming and Going

Mt. Vernon park and washington monument will be replaced with...
Downtown Takoma Park and the landmarks of my youth...

To all of my loyal blog readers, I am posting to inform you that as "okay" Baltimore has been over the last 3 and a half years, it is time for me to say goodbye. I have accepted a new position that will require me to relocate to the metropolitan area (DC/NOVA) and I must leave my Mt. Vernon sanctuary to brave the streets of the nation's capitol. This has been a bitter sweet decision for me because, although I am SUPER STOKED about my new position, I will dearly miss all that I have come to call home here in Baltimore. Of course, I am more than comfortable with my soon to be new digs since I grew up in the Takoma Park/Silver Spring area. So in essence, this will be a bit of a homecoming...more so because I will actually be living at home. Yeah, really cool, I know. This is a temporary stop gap for me to save money and get acclimated before I find an affordable place with a cool new roomie :)

Some of the things that come to mind that I will miss...

Zeke's coffee at the JFX Farmer's market on Sunday mornings...

Iggie's pizza as often as possible...

night caps at midtown yacht club and Sunday morning brunch buffets...

wednesday night runs with the Iggie's running club...

team thats what she said and Ryan's awesome ability to rally all of Baltimore's runners...

my 5 mile stadium run through Camden Yards and Ravens Stadium...

morning runs with McVets no matter how cold and how tired I might have been...

trips to canton dog park with the pups and my boyfriend...

working with such amazing and positive people at Friends...

my tremendously fantastic Friends School XC team...

being able to walk everywhere...

being able to run everywhere...

I will miss everything. Baltimore and my life here has been way better than okay...

I don't think this necessarily means I will cease blogging...nor do I have plans to rename the blog. I will continue to critique and comment on events, restaurants and general happenings that I stumble upon wherever they may be. I only hope to be as influenced and affected by my new/old environment. Until then...

Ciao Baltimore.

Autumn Cravings

Farmer's Market Butternut Squash Soup with yellow zucchini, caramelized onions, and a garnish of toasted pine nuts, sour cream, and turkey bacon.

So, this seriously was the most simple and rewarding dish I have EVER made. Here's the quick breakdown of my make-shift recipe-

1 Butternut Squash- peeled and cubed

1 other squash, etc- I happened to have a zucchini or two, that seemed to work fine (cubed)

**Next time, I would love to add chic peas. Great texture and would add lots of depth**

1 red onion- half sliced and added to broth, other half to be sauteed with brown sugar and butter

4-5 slices of turkey bacon- to be cooked with the onions as they caramelize

1 package of vegetable broth

some pine nuts, or something to add extra crunch...

dollop of sour cream

oh yeah, some nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper for the simmering broth and veggies

1) Add cubed squash, zucchini, onions and seasonings to vegetable broth in pot of sorts. Let simmer on low for as long as needed for contents to soften.

2) Simultaneously, caramelize onions in skillet. As they sauté in butter and brown sugar, add bacon strips to skillet.

3) Once veggies in pot are soft, start MASHING. No need to puree or emulsify anything, just take any old kitchen utensil and smush those veggies until the soup thickens and becomes smoother.

4) I am not a fan of perfectly smooth soups, reminds me too much of a juice from concentrate or something. I like to leave a bit of texture in the soup, so I stop mashing once I am satisfied with the consistency.

5) Add bacon and caramelized onions to bowl once prepped. Dollop of sour cream and pine nuts added for garnish.

Enjoy!

Pumpkins Galore

Stopped by Harbor East with Ross in the poopy weather for a free burger at Elevation Burger and a matinee of Where the Wild Things Are at Landmark. Stumbled upon some Halloween festivities which included live music by a local favorite, The Crawdaddies, face painting, scarecrows on stilts, and a couple of middle aged witches. Very kid-friendly, which meant I enjoyed myself. Here are some pretty pumpkins I spotted.

Bmore Run Fest/Burger Binge

What do you follow up with after taking part in the largest Running event in Baltimore? Eat! A lot! Well, that's what I did. This past weekend was the Baltimore Running Festival, a gigantic event that brings a ton of publicity and tourism to our city that is "okay"... The fest consists of a full marathon, half marathon, team relay and 5K. For the third year, I have participated in the team coed relay and for two straight years we have been victorious! It is so much fun and makes eating as much as I do not feel quite as bad.

After sticking around at the finish line area for a bit, my fellow relay mate and some friends needed some post-race nourishment. To my surprise and excitement, it was settled we would rendez-vous after showering, at Abbey Burger Bistro in Fed Hill. I had been craving a beer and a burger The Abbey seemed to be a solid choice...seeing as they specialized in burgers...and beer.

They were packed, lots of other race participants, most of which didn't have the luxury of going home and showering. The staff was very accomodating and even tolerated us huddling by a smaller table near their entry way until a larger table opened up. Drink specials were available; a couple lagers at $2 and $3, not bad.

What enticed me most on the menu was the Build a Burger option available. Similar to my experiences at the Counter in California; a form is provided on a clipboard (part of the kitsch factor) and categories are broken out with check boxes next to the available options for your sandwich concoction. You can customize your burger all the way down to the type of aioli sauce! The options weren't too overwhelming and my eyes went straight to the desired items. Pretzel bun, turkey burger, avocado, homemade mustard with whole mustard seeds, fresh lettuce and tomato and my favorite-the dill yogurt sauce (sounds weird but super yummy for homemade chip dipping- served on the side as requested). The burger was tender and just the right size. I really liked it. The presentation was cute with the traditional toothpick and olive, and the accompanying chips were prepared nice and crispy even amongst the burger juice.

A friend had ordered the "Waffle nachos" from the appetizer menu and didn't realize that it was going to be served with waffle fries instead of nachos. Uhhh...duh. Her bad. None of us got to try this loveliness but I figured I'd still snap a shot before it was sent back. I definitely would have housed it.

Abbey Burger Bistro
1041 Marshall Street, Fed Hill

St Paul Food Mart

Who knew you could find traditional Indian food ingredients at your local food mart?

Mere blocks from our humble abode in Mt Vernon, Ross and I have stumbled upon a quick-stop that stocks not only the best Ben and Jerry's selection in downtown Baltimore- I'm talking all the newest flavors, marzipan madness and all the oldies too- but also a sundry of Indian food ingredients! I've never prepared Indian fare but I certainly eat it and if I were to ever cook Indian food, perhaps I would consider purchasing my ingredients here. Pretty authentic stuff. I couldn't tell you exactly what they were selling...beans and grains of some sort? Also pictured, Bakar Khani? Maybe I'll investigate more...

St Paul Food Mart is located just up St Paul near Read St and the Spotlight Theatre. Good stuff.

Random Thought

Halloween inspired dinner...

Bratwurst sauteed in Pumpkin beer with mashed sweet potatoes and sauerkraut.

Someone make this.

Happy Halloween.

Crafts, Food, & Sugarloaf!

Sugarloaf Craft Festival

Oct 2-4

Maryland State Fairgrounds

The Crafty season is upon us. What does that mean exactly? When I think of Fall, I think of making crafts in my living room with my mom. Carving pumpkins? Glitter, glue sticks and pipe cleaners? Maybe that's just me...

Sugarloaf Craft Festival is this weekend in Timonium. I doubt there will be the same kiddy type crafts that I dabbled with in my youth...since it is a juried craft fair, but creative art, food and fun will be abundant!

Comment on this post if you would like free tix :)

DC Dining - Farm to Table

Founding Farmers
1924 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 822-8783

Finally made it out to the District for brunch with Saki prior to her departure :(

She had been raving about the flavorful cuisine at Founding Farmers since our trip to Woodberry Kitchen for dinner together a couple weeks earlier. Both restaurants boast locally sourced vendors for just about everything; just check the menus for farm locations. Founding Farmer's takes environmental stewardship a step further in gaining LEED gold certification for their restaurant space. And what a lovely space it is! Situated right downtown at the bottom of what appears to be an office building, is an open dining room and bar full of crafty wood tables and wrought iron light fixtures, large windows from floor to ceiling let in more than enough light. We were initially seated in a corner two-top but opted to be swapped to the family style table next to the bar. Much better vantage point for people watching.

So the menu was gargantuous and slightly overwhelming, especially when our waiter brought out the lunch menu too. I dived right into the brunch cocktails. Saki had a spicy bloody mary and I went for some sort of libation with Absinthe... Yikes! Well they brought me the wrong drink which ended up being okay cause he let us sample it regardless. Oh and it was goooood. If only I had taken notes so I could tell you what it was! Nava? Something sweet with a warm brandy after bite.


Moving on. Saki new off the bat that we had to start with the skillet corn bread; an item found on the lunch menu but worked perfectly with our brunch. Ugh...so good. We cut it into slices after smothering the crispy top with butter and honey. Bread was light and moist and ridiculously addictive.

Our brunch selections do look beautiful. But...honestly? They were a little lackluster. I figured an Eggs Benedict would be a solid choice. It being such a traditional selection I envisioned the local spinach, tomatoes, creamy hollandaise sauce and homemade english muffins would catapult the dish into a new stratusphere but instead the veggies were mealy, the sauce bland, BUT the muffins were impeccable...full of buttery goodness and sopped up the egg remains nicely. My side of grits were eh. I almost didn't even clear my plate! But, then I did cause I have never NOT cleared my plate. But, I definitely thought about it this time.

Saki's spherical delight (don't you love how they poach the eggs?) was an interpretation of a skillet "hash" with cornbeef, grilled potatoes and two poached eggs. Turns out if you select the eggs poached instead of scrambled, the hash ends up pretty dry. The poached eggs didn't provide nearly enough moisture once mixed in. Perhaps with the scrambled option, the dish would have been more composed or casserole-like. At least that's what we were expecting.

Although the two brunch entrees may have not been what we were expecting, the experience more than made up for it. The service was stellar, the ambiance was creative and inviting and the prices weren't outlandish. Saki has gone back several times for lunch, dinner and drinks and has had no complaints. I definitely plan on making a second visit...the burger and shortribs are calling my name.

PS- Definitely a close call to Woodberry Kitchen. Nothing beats Woodberry's outdoor seating, rustic decor and decadent dishes...Founding Farmer's will play second fiddle until I have a chance to go back and sample more.

Back to Baltimore!

The Magic of Wegmans

fruit tarts galore

olive bar

Wegmans

122 Shawan Road

Hunt Valley, MD 21030

Anyone that ever said they hate grocery shopping obviously have never been to a Wegmans. I finally made time for my first Wegmans adventure this past weekend out in Hunt Valley as I happened to be in the area for a 5K race in the McCormick business district.

This place is indescribable. I have had plenty of conversations about how awe inspiring the Wegmans experience can be but I couldn't grasp the magnitude until this first shopping trip. I plan on making an extra effort to travel the 20 minutes out to Hunt Valley at least once a month to explore the awesomeness of Wegmans. Be sure to give yourself at least 2 solid hours of shopping. Make sure you bring recipes for ridiculously exotic dishes you never thought you would be able to find the ingredients for; especially all at one location because you will find them here.

The international food section was phenomenal; from the japanese seaweed rolls and pocky candy to the Goya wall of goodness. The Health Foods section is like a mini Trader Joes within the Wegmans Temple of Food. A sundry of Paul Newman snacks, bulk food, and gluten-free options. The list goes on. Best of all, the bakery stole my heart. As I waltzed down the floury aisles, I found freshly baked rosemary rolls, olive loafs and multigrain flatbreads. The pastries appeared to rival any local patisserie; I didn't try them but they were beautifully done. Unreal. AND the employees were all so pleasant. From the cashier to the customer service rep that helped me find my cell phone I left in the bread aisle. Can't wait to buy more groceries!

Coldspring Brunch

After a lazy Sunday morning at the pool, I decided to hit up brunch. The initial thought was to sample Woodberry Kitchen's new brunch menu in Clipper Mill but after showing up 15 minutes before the close of brunch (2PM), we were told that no more "walk-in's" were to be taken as the food selection was running low. Who makes reservations for a brunch? Come on. Now I know their brunch ends at 2 so I won't make that mistake again, if I even go again. Strike two on Woodberry. First dining experience was lackluster so this did not bode well. So...off to the brunch fail-safe; Miss Shirley's in Roland Park. We were not disappointed. Observe.

SICK Monkey bread. This "appetizer" or ridiculous dessert was unreal. Pecans, cinnamon, bananas, even a decadent chocolate sauce for dipping seated within the monkey bread itself.

After a couple rest breaks, we were able to not only make a dent but obliterate the monkey mayhem.
The indulgence continued with the "Get Your Grits On" dish; jerk shrimp, fried green tomatoes- a Miss Shirley's specialty- and savory grits with a bacon and roasted corn emulsion. The shrimp were enormous and well seasoned. I could have gone for more grits and less fried green tomatoes; although the texture of the fried tomatoes were a welcome addition.

Jen had an omelette. It looked good.

I'm glad Woodberry gave us the boot because we definitely would not have had this kind of home-cooked, playful cuisine at Woodberry. Never let down by Miss Shirley's :)

On to my next food adventure, wherever that may be...

OH! I still have yet to post about my Restaurant Week selection from two weeks ago...ended up going to the Wine Market with Saki. Pictures and "review" of sorts will be posted when I decide to upload images from my camera.

Dinner is always better after you go to the grocery store...and when balancing atop my balcony railing. I'm sure there is a better spot for impromptu food photography but this will have to do.

Chicken Kielbasa sausage with sauteed peppers, onions and mushrooms with an avocado spread.
Side of creole flavored rice and beans.
Side of wilted garlic spinach, cabbage and beets.
Old bay pickle garnish.
Chimay...

I am still full.

Pomodori del mercato

Mi piace estate...

Restaurant Week?

So I am trying to choose a restaurant from the Baltimore Restaurant Week list that will offer the most bang for my buck. Saki is coming for another Wednesday excursion in Baltimore and would like a hip and bustling locale with substantial course options. I typically like to choose restaurants that are normally out of my price range, so the couple I am contemplating thus far for her visit address her expectations and my penny pincher ways...who am I kidding- I am such a splurger.

Here is a run down of the Restaurant Week options I am considering... my course selections are in l'orange :)
*Worth noting- three of my potential selections are Charleston Group Restaurants. They must be doing something right!*

Option 1: Cinghiale (Italian)
Located in Harbor East, has both Enoteca for more casual wine bar feel; Osteria for a white tablecloth, elegant dinner. Been there before, Osteria is a little too fancy for me. Restaurant week course options are minimal...

First Course Options:
Squash Soup- Caprino "Crostini", Basil, Lemon
Local Heirloom Tomato Salad-Fresh Basil, Sportoletti Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Second Course Options:
Garganelli All'Uovo Pasta- Gulf Shrimp, Local Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes
Braised Lamb Leg- Roasted Local Sweet Peppers, Smoked Garlic Sauce

Third Course Options:
Vanilla Panna Cotta- Local Peaches, Amaretti
Local Stone Fruits- Zabaglione, Pound Cake

Option 2: Pazo (Tapas)
Right on outskirts of Harbor East, elaborate Tapas Restaurant with Italian/Spanish/Meditteranian influence-lavish interior, normally very busy.

Pa Amb Tomaquet-toasted country bread, tomato & jamon
Ceviche-tuna, scallops, & shrimp marinated in citrus juices with crispy tortillas
Mixed Olives-five varieties with herbs
Arugula Salad with local summer fruit & sherry vinaigrette
Empanadas with salsa verde
Samfaina-traditional Catalan braise of summer vegetables
Grilled Shrimp with salmoriglio sauce
*I guess you get ALL of these (to share)

Choice of one per guest:
Wood Grilled Strip Steak Smoked potatoes & romescu
Grilled Tuna Summer vegetables & lemon oil
Malloreddus alla Norma house made pasta with eggplant, tomato, garlic & pecorino

Choice of one per guest:
Pazo Chocolate Cupcakes white chocolate mousse & salted caramel
Crema Catalana traditional custard scented with lemon & cinnamon

At least there is a lot of diversity? I like the spectrum of tapas and simple "entree" tapas options. Ambience will always make up for any menu shortcomings; almost.

Option 3: Salt Tavern (New American)
Patterson Park/Butchers Hill area. "Innovative renditions of classic American dishes"- reminds me of Bicycle for some reason...

First Course Options:
House Salad-Fresh mixed greens, marinated tomatoes, kalamata olives, red wine vinaigrette and shaved parmesan regginano
Boston Bibb Lettuce and Watermelon Salad-Extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, balsamic reduction
Eastern Shore Corn and Shrimp Chowder-Applewood bacon, fresh thyme
Corvina Ceviche-Ginger, lime, cilantro, aji amarillo, red onion, cusco corn, sweet potatoes
Crispy Hoisin DuckSpring Roll-Spicy chinese, mustard dipping sauce
Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels-Tomato, basil, roasted garlicSpicy Pork
Manchego Cheese Empanada-Jalapeno jelly, black bean sauce

Second Course Options:
Oven Roasted Salmon-Wilted baby spinach, crab and tomato butter
Grilled Giant Prawns-Roasted chickpeas, lemon, olive oil, garlic brioche
Grilled White Fish Tostados-Cabbage, red onion, avocado, grilled orange, cilantro, queso fresco
Spicy Peanut Braised Pork Shank-Udon noodle stir-fry
Grilled Lamb Sirloin-Curried carrot fritter, watercress and bean salad, feta vinaigrette
Fresh Pasta with Corn, Asparagus and Chiles-Sweet corn butter, fresh thyme, shaved pecorino romano
Grilled Skirt Steak-Plantain, grilled red onions, chimichurri sauce

Third Course Options:
Goat Cheese Donuts-Lavendar honey, vanilla sea salt, coffee ice cream
Fresh Berries-Lemoncello whipped cream on a sweet croissantChocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich-Fresh Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Cookie

Option 4: Louisana Restaurant (French/Creole)
Fells Point. Upscale southern, creole style french cuisine.

First Course Options:
Mixed Field Greens Salad-tossed in a light lemon basil vinaigrette with hearts of palm, roasted Holland red peppers, and crisp parmesan
Red Wine Poached Pears and Candy Walnuts-tossed with mixed field greens, crumble blue cheese and blue cheese vinaigrette
Louisiana crab bisque-garnisheed with jumbo lump crab
Fried Green Tomato's-layered with jumbo lump crab and topped with a citrus chive buerre blanc

Second Course Options:
Blackened Salmon with potato croquette, house vegetable and crayfish buerre blanc
Blackened Jumbo Shrimp and Grits with corn emulsion and vegetables
Slow Cooked Duck Confit with sweet potato, house vegetable and a dried cherry sauce
Grilled Black Angus New York Strip Steak Accompanied with herb potato puree, house vegetables and red wine demiglace
Pan Seared Sea Bass With potato croquette, house vegetable and crayfish buerre blanc (Additional $5.00)
Grilled Black Angus Filet Mignon with herb potato puree, house vegetable and red wine demiglace (Additional $5.00)

Third Course Options:
Apple Beignet
Bread Pudding Chocolate Mousse

Featuring the entire Restaurant Week menu is getting excessive. These are my TOP 4 picks. Some additional considerations include The Wine Market and B- Bolton Hill...

Their special prix fixe menus can be found here.

I need insight people! Reservations must be made tonight for tomorrow's din din.

No Leftovers

First Thursday Dinner for Breakfast! Yum...Everything turned out delightful. Quiche was a BREEZE and the left over farmer's market spicy lamb sausage did just the trick and went well with the horseradish cheddar. Sweet cinnamon pancakes with rich and sugary berry compote with lots of maple syrup.

Jen made mimosas; thanks Jen!


Enjoy!

First Thursday's West Mt Vernon Park

"First Thursday's in the Park " presented by WTMD is tomorrow afternoon. I plan on actually making it out to the park this time...

Bonnaroo performer, Evan Watson headlines alongside local group, Ms. Sarah and the Help.

I have concocted a Baltimore brunch themed menu for the big evening...don't worry, photos will be taken to document food and festivities.

Gardens Bloom

The Lower School has organized a community garden right here on campus! How coooool.

All the hard work this spring looks like it will certainly pay off. Can't wait to see those tomato plants reach the tops of those trellis'. I think there was talk of the produce from this garden supplying some of the needs of the new dining hall? How very sustainable of them.

Owl Beer

Spotted this owl beer at Well's Liquor last night in Towson. Anybody ever tried this? It appears to be japanese. Either way, I am in love with the logo.

Owls make great beer spokesmen.

After some interweb perusal, I found that Gracie at Design Sponge - one of my top 5 favorite blogs - scooped me on these darling beers a mere 3 years ago. So what? I'm a little late to the party; but that's cause I'm in Baltimore...what are you gonna do :)

Belvedere Square Market

Ugh. This place is HEAVEN. I have been in Baltimore for nearly 7 years now and never have I ever set foot in the Market side of Belvedere Square. Why did no one spend more time raving about this place?! Belvedere Square is a collection of restaurants and boutiques, tucked away near the corner of Northern Pkwy and York Rd. So I have spend multiple Sunday mornings "in the square" at Ryan's Daughter for their brunch; but never in the actual Market. Little did I know what I was missing :)

Look at this lunch. This is why I eat. Neopol Smoked Salmon Salad with Ceriello Grilled Vegetables on a bed of greens for lunch! I couldn't decide on a single dish from just one seller so I chose some sauteed veggies from the prepared foods case at Ceriello (sorta expensive- $9/lb) and then opted for a half portion smoked salmon salad from Neopol. A harmonious blend of flavors and was actually very filling. I can't even fathom finishing the full portion of this. The smoked salmon salad may seem like a foreign concept but it works, seriously. The salmon is smoked on premise and then mixed with a light amount of mayo, herbs and some standard seasonings to make for a delicious salad. The texture was not off putting as one might find mushy fish to be.

Looking forward to my next lunch break at the Market. But next time, I will be sure to leave room for dessert from one of the other neighborly vendors.

Here's a short list of the Market sellers in case anyone's interested. I hope to sample something from each at some point before...I leave Baltimore?

Atwater's
Excellent artisan baked goods, soups and sandwiches...expensive but worth it.

Bon Bon's
Ice cream and sweet treats.

Ceriello Fine Foods
Italian grocery with a fabulous prepared foods selection...fresh mozz and homemade bottled sauces for sale!

Earth's Essence
Don't know...didn't stop by but I'm sure it's good.

Farmstead Cheese
Fromagerie, associated with Atwater's. J'adore fromage!

Grand Cru
Darling wine bar. Very low key and unpretentious looking.

Ikan Seafood & Sushi
Everybody needs a sushi joint.

Market Bakery
More Atwater's affiliates...specialty bakery with gourmet tea & coffee.

Planet Produce
Fresh produce I presume.

Neopol Savory Smokery
I dream about their cheese spreads; the presentation is beyond adorable. (see below)