Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen & Bar – Baltimore Magazine

Review: Guy Fieri’s Restaurant Kitchen & Bar

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 08:30:00 +0000

Guy Fieri seems to have a thing for Baltimore these days. In the past few years, the star of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has featured many of Charm City’s most endearing joints on his show. So it wasn’t surprising when the peroxide-blond celebrity chef decided to try his luck with his own outlet at Horseshoe Casino.

In this day and age of gluten-free groupies and passionate paleos, Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen & Bar is the perfect place to eat with abandon. As you make your way past the penny slots, don’t expect anything close to high-caliber cuisine (that’s not Guy’s goal, anyway), but do expect to have a good time. One advisory: come hungry—even the most medaled food Olympian will have trouble cleaning the plates here.

As we studied the menu, we asked our waiter for calorie-conscious suggestions. “Nothing healthy here,” he told us. And so, we pressed on.

First up: an order of General’s Wings ($13), deep-fried lollipop wings served with a house-made sauce. Sweet and spicy, with a kick of heat, the wings were, by far, the tastiest things to arrive at the table. We also sampled a too-creamy Maryland crab dip ($14), which didn’t deliver on the promised crab.

Neck-craning from nearby tables ensued as the mile-high Mac-n-Cheese Bacon Burger ($16), a griddle-pressed burger loaded with oodles of noodles, bacon, and fried onions on a brioche bun, arrived at our table. (As I bit into the burger and wiped my mouth with Fieri’s signature skull-and-crossbones–themed napkin, I asked myself, “Is this my suicide or a sandwich?”) Though the burger was touted as having won a Burger Bash contest in 2013, the patty was overly greasy and the other ingredients overwhelmed an otherwise satisfying mac-and-cheese.

To get in some greens, we ordered the Guy-Talian Deli Salad ($15) including Italian meats and mozzarella balls, ringed by a thick “crown” of prosciutto. The salad was drenched in dressing, though we did enjoy the addition of some seemingly rogue roasted cherry tomatoes. (Clearly, something healthy slipped past Fieri’s TSA agent in the kitchen!)

As we piled leftovers into several to-go containers (a hand truck would have been more fitting), we couldn’t resist requesting a slab of New York-style cheesecake ($12)—the size of Manhattan, really—slathered in hot fudge and pierced with pretzels, pretzel brittle, and potato chips. As the saying goes, if you’re gonna go down, go down swinging.

›› Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen & Bar: 1525 Russell St., 443-931-4387. Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily; appetizers: $11-16; sandwiches: $15-18; entrees: $19-27; desserts: $10-12.

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Our Picks for National Cheeseburger Day

Jane Marion — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 09:02:00 +0000

Beef all you want this week. In honor of National Cheeseburger Day on Sept. 18, we’ve put together a list of our favorite spots to find the beef.

Mt. Washington Tavern: In honor of this special day, Mt. Washington Tavern has expanded its menu and offers a burger and a brew for $12. 5700 Newbury St., 410-367-6903.

Abbey Burger Bistro: Choose from a roster of great patties, including Harry’s Bistro Burger with applewood bacon, a sunny-side up egg, and cheddar cheese on an English muffin. 1041 Marshall St., (443) 453-9698

Z-Burger: They had us at “free toppings.” Better yet, say the secret word (“cheezburger”) and get one free cheeseburger (one per person) on the big day. 1814 Honeygo Blvd., Whitemarsh, 410-931-3180.

Bobby’s Burger Palace: Celebrity chef Bobby Flay knows his way around a burger. We’re partial to the L.A. burger with avocado relish, watercress, cheddar cheese, and tomato. 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, 443-661-4147.

Burger Bros.: Enjoy one of the many fresh ground Angus, charbroiled boutique burgers at this Towson burger hotspot. We recommend the classic cheeseburger. Most toppings are free. 14 Allegheny Ave., Towson, 410-321-1880.

The Capital Grille: Grab a signature chopped sirloin cheeseburger with smoked bacon and sweet onions at this award-winning steakhouse. 500 East Pratt St., 443-703-4064.

Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen & Bar: For the ultimate indulgence, head to Horseshoe Casino for the Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives, for the bacon mac-n-cheese burger, a beef patty topped with macaroni and cheese, bacon, and fried onions. And just in case you don’t want to take our word for it, the burger won the Burger Bash 2013. 1525 Russell St., 443-931-4200.

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Gamble On a Great Meal At Horseshoe

Jane Marion — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:52:00 +0000

Even if you don’t want to play at any of the gaming tables at the new Horseshoe Casino, you might want to take a table at one of the many restaurants inside the $442 million adult entertainment complex opening on Aug. 26.

“This will be as much a food destination as it is a gaming destination,” says Horseshoe Baltimore vice president and assistant general manager Alex Dixon, who gave us a sneak-preview tour today. “We wanted to strike the right balance between gaming and hospitality.”

So get ready to put your money where your mouth is.

Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen & Bar is one of the casino’s three celebrity chef-driven restaurants. Diet be damned and indulge in Old Bay wings, a massive mac-n-cheese bacon burger, or the Guy-Talian Deli salad laden with imported Italian meats and cheeses.

Celebrity chefs Aarón Sánchez and John Besh will also join the culinary roster with upmarket Mexican cuisine at Johnny Sánchez. Menu items will include sophisticated south-of-the-border fare such as lobster-and-mango ceviche, cactus salad, blue-crab corn elote, and braised goat stew with warm tortillas. The space also includes a swank private room for tequila tasting.

Although the Horseshoe is counting on drawing tourists, there’s plenty for the locals, too.

Hometown celebrity baker Duff “Ace of Cakes” Goldman, owner of Charm City Cakes, will supply his creative confections at Jack Binion’s Steak House. Furthering the local angle, Horseshoe has a unique food court/grab-and-go area that invokes a farmer’s marketplace, featuring Baltimore-based businesses such as Lenny’s Deli, Tark’s Grill, and Heavy Seas Alehouse. (Can you say, “Bye-bye buffet?”)

Explains Dixon, “We are paying homage to the history of farmer’s markets in Baltimore. Some of these spots are also an homage to folks in the county.”

Equally refreshing, there’s no big-chain coffeehouse in sight. Baltimore-based The Mallow Bar will serve their signature crunchy rice cereal treats as well as a full roster of coffee drinks. (We’re told casino honchos found The Mallow Bar while scouring the Baltimore Farmers’ Market.)

“This could have been a Starbucks,” points out Dixon, “but we thought it would be unique to have something from the local market.”

Restaurant reservations will soon be available on Open Table.

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That Guy

Jane Marion — Thu, 15 May 2014 20:25:00 +0000

Yet another celebrity chef is coming to town. It was announced on Thursday that Guy Fieri will open Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen & Bar in the $442-million Horseshoe Casino along Russell Street on Baltimore’s south side.

“I’ve been to Baltimore many times—it’s an amazing city filled with fun-loving people who appreciate great food,” Fieri said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to bringing this exciting new restaurant concept to Horseshoe Baltimore and to making more friends in Charm City as we serve up a fantastic menu in an environment where people can feel free to have a great time.”

The restaurant, slated to open in 2014, will include an outdoor dining area, and the cooking space—employing metal, tile, and wood elements—will resemble Fieri’s home kitchen. Also look for the chef’s legendary tattoos to be worked into the space’s design.

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