Wine Market Bistro - Baltimore Maryland

Baltimore Maryland, so many great restaurants to try yet so little time. However, we were able to try The Wine Bistro. From the incredible food to the superb service, it was an all around wonderful experience. What makes this bistro unique is that they also have a wine shop. There is about 900 bottles of wine to select from and you can even purchase a bottle to take to your table. Not to mention customers get a 10% discount. Well, enough about the wine. We were first served a Roasted tomato sauce with olive oil and bread which was to die for.

On this Thursday evening they were having a special, 3 courses for $33. When I see something like this I always go for it especially when the server says the portions are exactly the same as the normal menu. For an appetizer I chose the Shrimp and Pork Dumplings with a Sweet Jalapeno Emulsion. Flavorful filling, with a crisp outer layer and the Jalapeno Emulsion reminded me of a cucumber gazpacho sauce.

For an Entrée I received the Braised Lamb with Sweetbread Nuggets, Spring Peas, Pea Tendrils, Horseradish and Orange Gremolata. The Lamb tasted as though it was cooked for hours just falling apart with my fork and I had no idea what to expect with the sweetbread nuggets but come to find out it was fried Lamb, tasted just like fried chicken, it was in perfect harmony with the braised lamb. Next my Mother tried the Herb Roasted Murray’s Farm Half Chicken with a Corn Flan, Poached Medjool Dates, Chorizo Puree and Garden Vegetables. Sounds heavenly doesn’t it? The skin was perfectly browned and crispy and the chicken was juicy and savory. Lastly as an entrée, Jorge decided on the 14oz Ribeye. Cooked to perfection, garnished with pickled red onions and  accompanied by a Rasberry Reduction sauce as well as a Horseradish Sauce. What more could you ask for? Our son Jayden enjoyed his Truffeled White Cheddar Mac and Cheese very much. He said it was rich and flavorful. :)

 One of my all time favorite desserts is s’mores, so when I saw this on the desert menu I had to try it. A creamy dollop of marshmallow torched to make that smoky flavor atop a warm luscious brownie with bits of crunchy graham cracker and a side of chocolate ice cream made the perfect ending to the perfect meal.

Talara - Baltimore Maryland

In the Baltimore Inner Harbor you’ll find Talara which is a Nuevo Latino Bistro. During the week there are special events, Monday night is salsa night they give free lessons at 9pm and after 9:30 its open dancing, Tuesday is half off wine bottles, Wednesday discounts on ceviche and Thursday is ladies night which includes half priced specialty cocktails .

There Ceviche menu changes daily and how it works is you choose your fish and choose the way you would like it prepared, for instance what we ordered was the Asian Tartar with Hirmasa (Yellow Tail) and the Fire and Ice with Ahi Tuna. The tartar was seasoned with soy sauce, scallions, sesame oil and capers, served on sushi rice and nori rolls with white truffle oil, wasabi mayonnaise, tobiko caviar and fried lotus root. As soon as I tasted this I couldn’t believe how heavenly it was, undoubtedly my most admired dish of the evening.

The Fire and Ice was just that, Ahi Tuna with habanero peppers, topped with a cool homemade prickly pear granite. Granite is a semi frozen dessert made from sugar water and various flavorings in this case Pear, it is similar to Italian ice. It was flavorsome but I felt the granite to be to tangy for my liking.

The Ropa Vieja and the Carne Asada were aromatic, flavorful and quite juicy. The Ropa Vieja is house Braised Beef Brisket, finished with Sofrito butter sauce, and served over Coconut Rice and Beans with Fried Plantains.

We tried the Chorizo Flatbread which had Red Peppadew, Basil, Manchego Cheese and of course Chorizo. It was great, the chorizo tasted as if it was house made which I wouldn’t doubt. Last but certainly not least is the Cuban Sushi Roll, Salmon, Calabaza, Jicama and Avocado rolled inside out, Spicy Tuna,Siracha Mayo, Ponzu sauce and Malanga Straws. Fish was exceptionally fresh and the flavors were incredible. Next time I want sushi I will be going to Talara.

The server recommended the blood orange margarita, fruity drinks are not my typical choice but in this case I enjoyed it!

Mo's Seafood - Baltimore Maryland

You know those days where you just don’t want to make dinner? Well this past Sunday was one of them so we decided to venture out to Baltimore and finally try Mo’s Seafood. Last summer we walked past Mo’s on Fisherman’s Wharf heading to have a father’s day dinner in little Italy and it caught our eyes. After doing some research I came to find that Mo’s is known for their crab cakes. Crab is obviously a famous food out here in Maryland so I was excited to try crab crab and more crab. We of course started off with a dozen oysters because I’m obsessed. They were Blue Point, big, and delicious. Today they were having a special where you were able to try Mo’s Famous Jumbo Crab cakes, Lump Crab Au Gratin, Fresh Lump Imperial Crab and one Soft Shell Crab. I mean everything was delicious the crab cakes I would have to say were my favorite. Thick tasty chunks of crab meat and most crab cakes I’ve tasted have a lot more breading, not in this case. The Crab Au Gratin was made with a delicate cream sauce and parmesan cheese and the Imperial Crab was made with their special imperial sauce it was a little heavy but delicious. Last but not least was the soft shell crab, it was lightly breaded and sautéed in butter it was so good you could just eat the entire thing, and I did. There was a lot more items I wanted to try on the menu so in Arnold’s words…..I’ll be back.