La Vie En Rose from Dutch Courage

It doesn’t get any prettier than this cocktail designed by Dutch Courage owner Brendan Dorr. “I wanted to create a cocktail that represented Dutch Courage as a gin cocktail bar, and what’s better than a martini?” says Dorr. “I took the classic martini recipe and put a oral spin on it.”

INGREDIENTS
2 ounces Glendalough Rose Gin
.75 ounce Dolin Dry Vermouth
.25 ounce Tattersall Creme de Fleur 1 dash Peychaud’s Bitters
1 dash Rose Water

DIRECTIONS
1. Stir all ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with lemon peel and surround with dried rose petals.
Serves 1.

Pretty in Pink: A pink-hued cocktail is perfect for your Valentine. The color represents compassion, nurturing, and love. It also signifies unconditional love and understanding. It’s feminine, intimate, and for any romantic occasion, but especially Valentine’s Day.

Raw Oysters with Beet Horseradish from Dylan’s Oyster Cellar

“Our favorite way to eat oysters is dressed simply with prepared horseradish and lemon,” says Dylan Salmon, co-owner of Dylan’s Oyster Cellar. “For Valentine’s Day, we thought that adding beets for a pop of deep red to the gray color of horseradish would put a sweet, earthy, and colorful twist on an otherwise drab but spicy condiment.”

INGREDIENTS
Fresh horseradish root, at least 4 inches, peeled and cut into small cubes
15-ounce can cooked beets, drained
4 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh-shucked oysters (pick up available at Dylan’s, of course.)

DIRECTIONS
1. Add horseradish chunks a little bit at a time into the feeding tube of your food processor.
2. Pulse several times, scraping down the sides if needed.
3. Add drained beets and pulse a few more times.
4. Add vinegar, sugar, and salt and process for 30 more seconds or so, until you get a nice finely textured consistency.

NOTE: Horseradish sauce will keep in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for three days, but it will lose heat over time. If you like it hot and zingy, eat it within a few hours after you prepare it.

WARNING: Do not breathe in too closely to freshly grated horseradish, as it is blindingly hot. Also, start with a tiny bit when you first taste to ensure you can stand the heat.

To freshly shucked, raw oysters, add 1⁄4 teaspoon of the beet horseradish and a dollop of salmon roe for color, texture, and ocean flavor. Finish by garnishing with a fresh grating of lemon zest.
Makes 2 cups. 

Chocolate Truffles with Powdered Strawberries from Cosima

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like chocolate truffles. Though chocolate has long been believed to be an aphrodisiac—the emperor Montezuma was said to have consumed the cocoa bean in massive amounts to fuel his romantic trysts—science says otherwise. If chocolate has any effect on the libido, it’s likely more psychological than physiological.

That said, this recipe from Cosima exectuive chef Anthony Franklin is sure to make your loved ones feel cherished. “I prefer to make these with my special someone in the early afternoon,” says Franklin, “and enjoy these endorphin-releasing treats for dessert with a scoop of ice cream. Nothing is more convivial than waking up on Valentine’s Day and playing with chocolate.”

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces of pure chocolate
2⁄3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry powder
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Place chocolate in heat-resistant mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Heat heavy cream until it begins to simmer.
3. Once simmered, add butter and sea salt.
4. Pour hot liquid in the bowl of pure chocolate and allow cream to soften chocolate.
5. Add vanilla extract and mix ingredients until you achieve a smooth consistency.
6. Wrap bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.
7. Scoop out desired size of set truffle mix (a tablespoon works well), then roll into a ball.
8. Roll truffles into powered strawberry or desired toppings.
Serves 20-24. 

Fudgy Walnut Cookies from Citron

So many cookie recipes contain gluten, so this dense and delicious recipe for fudgy walnut cookies—by way of Citron’s pastry chef Carlie King—is a particular treat. “My inspiration for this recipe was really just a good chocolate snack everyone without a nut allergy could enjoy,” says King. “This is a great gluten-free cookie that everyone, including gluten eaters, really likes.”

INGREDIENTS
4 1⁄4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 1⁄8 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped
Pinch of salt
1 cup egg whites, pasteurized

DIRECTIONS
1. Sift confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder into a large bowl.
2. Mix cocoa powder mixture with walnuts and salt.
3. Pour in egg whites while mixing. (You can mix by hand or at a low speed with a mixer.)
4. Mix until just combined. (Do not over mix.)
5. Scoop dough with a 2-ounce cookie scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment.
6. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for five minutes.
7. Turn and bake for an additonal five minutes.

COMING SOON

The Charmery: Baltimore’s own quirky ice cream shop has already made its mark on the Northern Baltimore neighborhoods—serving scoops at its Hampden flagship, Towson storefront, and massive Medfield production factory inside Union Collective. And now, it’s spreading the love south. The Baltimore Business Journal broke the news this week that husband-and-wife owners David and Laura Alima plan to open a fourth location at 46 E. Cross Street in Federal Hill in the coming months. “The factory only works if it has something to feed,” David said of The Charmery’s expansion, in our profile of the couple last year. Unlike the other shops, the small storefront across from Cross Street Market will feature a walk-up window concept. Signature flavors will include locally inspired favorites like Old Bay Caramel, Maryland Mud, Lemon Stick, and Tell Tale Chocolate.

OPEN

Coelum Cafe, Bar, and Market: This new dining destination in Canton—whose name translates to “sky” or “heaven” in Latin—is fittingly decorated with feather details and lots of lush greenery. Industry veterans Corey Laub and Ryan Thacker opened the restaurant earlier this week in the former home of Gitan Bistro Cru in Canton. The menu pairs batched cocktails and natural wines with seasonal dishes like summer squash risotto, fried green tomatoes, and duck confit. Coelum (pronounced coy-loom) will also offer a retail market stocked with local products like Open Seas Coffee and cupcakes from Slam Bakes.

Ono Poke: Nothing beats a refreshing poke bowl during the dog days of summer. Ono Poke officially opened inside the newly renovated Cross Street Market in Federal Hill last week, offering the authentic Hawaiian delicacy of raw fish topped with sweet and spicy sauces and vegetables. If you still haven’t gotten a chance to check out the upgrades at the market, stop in to try one of Ono’s signature bowls including the “Smooth N Spicy” (ahi tuna, creamy spicy aioli, avocado, cucumber, jalapeno, habanero masago) or the “Lomi Lomi” with salmon and citrus shoyu vinaigrette. Other vendors on deck to open in July include Annoula’s Kitchen, Sobeachy Haitian Cuisine, and a stall slinging Royal Farms chicken.

NEWS

The Bluebird Cocktail Room Turns Two: It’s been two years since Hampden’s literary-themed cocktail haven officially joined the scene. On Sunday, July 7, the bar is celebrating its big birthday accordingly with raffles, discounted drinks, and new menu items. Starting at 12 p.m., Bluebird’s downstairs pub will be offering happy hour specials and half-off its signature Old Fashioneds during brunch. Make your way upstairs when the Cocktail Room opens at 5 p.m. to sample summer sips (new drinks include the watermelon molasses-infused “Waxen Fruit Impends” and vodka-based “Goddess Strikes #2”) and enter into a raffle to win a private cocktail class. Throughout the day, the team will be donating $1 from every cocktail purchased to the nearby Hampden Family Center.

Citron Wins Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator: The wine program at this Pikesville fine-dining den got some national recognition this week when it was listed among the winners of Wine Spectator’s annual Restaurant Awards. Citron was given the Award of Excellence for its well-curated wine list, which features more than 1,700 regional bottles. The restaurant joins the ranks of other previous Baltimore winners including Magdalena, Tagliata, and The Prime Rib.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

TO 7/6: South American Showdown at Bar Vasquez
Speaking of wine, Bar Vasquez in Harbor East is hosting a head-to-head showdown menu as a way to introduce diners to some of South America’s most impressive varieties. The $55 four-course menu features six wine pairings (two for each savory course) ranging from a Mendoza malbec to a classic cabernet franc. Dishes to look out for will include crispy zucchini with caper herb aioli, lobster and corn cakes, wood-grilled Hudson Valley duck breast, and a traditional tres leches cake.

7/6: Independence Weekend Block Party at Fat Tiger
The Fourth of July fireworks will likely all have fizzled out by this weekend, but the bar team behind Fat Tiger and El Tigre at Broadway Market is keeping the party going with this block party from 1-10 p.m. on Saturday. Head to the market’s patio to enjoy an all-American menu of pulled pork, chorizo, beer-can chicken, baked beans, mac and cheese, and jalapeño cornbread paired with icy cocktails made with Baltimore Spirits’ Company gin and amaro.

7/6: Fried Chicken and Champagne at Chez Hugo
It might seem odd, but fried chicken and champagne remains one of the most underrated culinary combinations. For the second year in a row, Chez Hugo is celebrating National Fried Chicken Day by frying up breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings and drizzling them in espelette honey. A la carte sides will include buttermilk biscuits, charred kale, barbecue baked beans, and caviar. Specifically for the occasion, bar manager Maximo Guerra has hand-selected four champagne options by the glass, as well as many specialty bubbles by the bottle.

Time was, if you wanted to eat well, fine dining was the most obvious option. But as casual spots—and even bars—serving foie gras, lobster tails, and P’tit Basque have started to elevate the scene, that rule no longer applies. Yes, fine dining has been on the wane for years, but reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated. That’s because it isn’t just about the food. It’s about deep wine lists, impeccable lighting, tasteful artwork, and the feeling that a respite from the world—at least for a few hours—is, in fact, possible.

Veteran caterer Charles Levine hits many of these high notes at Citron in Pikesville. For the past 30 years, Levine has worked the wedding, bar mitzvah, and special events circuit. But despite his long and storied career (including feeding the likes of Mick Jagger, Oprah Winfrey, and Ronald Reagan), he felt the need to switch gears and open his first brick-and-mortar eatery.

Perched over a picturesque body of water, Citron, which means “lemon” in French, is a thing of beauty, a cream dream with tasteful touches of charcoal and beige (as imagined by Jay Jenkins of Jenkins Baer Associates), and significant modern artwork gracing the walls (by local artists such as Tammra Sigler and David Brown). And it is set to be one of the most spectacular alfresco dining destinations in Baltimore County.

Ever since its opening in early November, throngs of Levine’s catering customers—as well as new patrons—have been pouring into the dressy dining rooms. On a recent Saturday night, we were among them.

As if on cue, our black-tied server arrived immediately to hand us our menus featuring New American (albeit sometimes faintly generic) crowd pleasers: steak, chicken, and fish dishes, as well as soup, salad, and seafood starters, some of which are augmented by French twists such as an occasional accent of beurre blanc or bordelaise. That said, it was a good thing we were midway through our first round of drinks before we opened the luxe linen books—their golden lettering seemed a portent of what was to come. A vegetarian pasta dish starts at $26, and then prices quickly climb to the mid-$30 range (crab cakes, scallops) and up to $56 for a beef short rib.

To kick off our meal, we started with a so-called “contemporary Caesar salad.” The shredded lettuce could have benefitted from a whirl in the salad spinner, and it had very little of the advertised creamy citrus garlic dressing, which was bland, possibly because it was watered down by the wet greens. (Note to the kitchen: Don’t mess with a classic.)

---

TUNA TARTARE
Asian-inspired sushi-grade tuna bathed in a lime vinaigrette and served with chili-pepper chips is the one to order on a menu of mostly Continental plates.

---

More successful was a skillet of mammoth mussels served simply with olive oil, sea salt, and a squeeze of citrus. The tender bivalves were prettily presented in a dish that was inset on a metal tower with a bowl below for discarding shells, and the portion was easily large enough to make a meal. One of my three dining companions was similarly pleased with her seasonal greens, a sweet/bitter medley of endive, watercress, spinach, dried blueberries, apple, and pecan brittle in a light Champagne dressing.

With the exception of a deeply disappointing grilled chicken and cavatappi dish (it’s never a good feeling when you’re certain you could have done it better at home using the same box of pasta), the entrees are where the menu really shines. Duck lovers will delight in the Hudson Valley duck served two ways: a pan-seared breast and a crisp confit leg. Both preparations were paired with a savory side of tangy tamarind mashed sweet potatoes and a tart, poached, cherry reduction sauce that offset the richness of the meat.

Citron is a thing of beauty, a cream dream with tasteful touches of charcoal.

Also zero in on the fish dishes. The grilled Atlantic swordfish was a juicy white hunk of fish ably supported by a zippy tomato-olive compote and flanked by sautéed spinach and a harissa-laced white bean mash that resembled potatoes. And the herb-seared Chilean sea bass, served with a bed of wild mushroom risotto, was fantastically flavorful and filling (not to mention prettily plated).

On another night, we ate in the upscale bar area, a dark, den-like space—the yin to the dining room’s yang—with the same offerings, in addition to a more reasonably priced designated bar menu. On this visit, the stars of the meal were the chicken wings—slick with a deeply delicious black-garlic-sesame sauce—and a superb burger comprised of sirloin, short rib, and brisket and featuring house-cured maple Cajun bacon. Service on both of our visits was top-notch, caring, and perfectly paced.

Despite the uneven moments, a pro like Levine will no doubt work out the kinks. And who knows? Maybe fine dining is, in fact, making a comeback.