Clementine

After practice on Friday, I made my way out with the fam to Clementine in Hamilton on Harford Road. I had been there one time before within their first month of opening and had been underwhelmed. With all the glowing endorsements as of late, I thought I would give it another shot. We got there on the earlier side for dinner, so there was no wait, plus we had made reservations. My sister had the toughest time making a decision, mostly because every entree was a bit out of her comfort zone; each dish containing some sort of obscure ingredient and/or technique that confused instead of intrigued. I paid no mind to the foreign words and just ordered with my gut.

First course for my dad and I was a mixed green salad with artichoke hearts, anchovies and "jamon" (just say ham in the menu- jeez!) The dressing was refreshing and the meaty ingredients really complimented eachother well. Clementine boasts their own Charchuterie where the cure their own meat; hence the delicate and quite flavorful ham.

My sis went for the traditional mac n cheese. She was not enthused with the tomato chunks and scallion accents. I thought it looked pretty but didn't add much in terms of flavor. Wish the cheese would make its way all the way through the layers of noodles... seems to be a perpetual problem as I encountered this last time. Still good but more cheese is always a plus.

I was very happy with my stuffed peppers entree. I honestly could have just had one pepper but I am not one to take home left overs so I ate both anyway. Peppers were stuffed with hearty rice and beans and smothered with cheese. Yum! The sauces added some moisture and tangy flavors. Really well balanced veggie dish.
My dad got a fish dish that sounded really good in the detailed menu description. It must have been good because he barely stopped to speak during consumption :) I didn't snag a bite but trust his word.

We had to rush but made time for a quick dessert, sorry no picture. All desserts are made in house; we decided on the coconut cake with some sort of 7 minute icing or something? The waitstaff kept emphasizing this one baking point but I don't remember the significance. Either way, the cake was fluffy and icing with coconut shavings was pure decadence. Will go for the brownie with bourbon creme next time. J'adore FOOOOOD!