The Wharf Rat – Baltimore Magazine

Review: Bunny’s, Buckets & Bubbles Offers Fun Food in Fells Point

Jane Marion — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 13:11:45 +0000

Sandlin toasts to her new eatery. —Photography by Justin Tsucalas

From the minute you enter the space, it’s hard not to succumb to the eclectic charms of Bunny’s, Buckets & Bubbles, with its pale pink walls and Lawrence Welk-worthy bubble chandeliers. There are also, as the name implies, bunnies, lots of bunnies that seem to, well, multiply throughout the space—from the bunny artwork on the walls to the bunny drawer pulls behind the U-shaped bar, and even Playboy bunnies in a bathroom. In other words, it’s a far cry from its earlier incarnation as Fells Point rustic watering hole The Wharf Rat.

Co-owner-chef Jesse Sandlin (a Top Chef alum) has always had a knack for opening cute concepts, from her elevated bar, The Dive, in Canton to her quirky neighborhood bar, Sally O’s, in Highlandtown. But if the place was nothing more than a clever conceit, it wouldn’t work.

Since its summer opening, it can be tough to score a seat, not only because everyone loves a little alliteration, but because the food is so damn delicious. It helps that beverage supervisor Jake Tarr, late of the Bluebird Cocktail Room and Sally O’s, offers an inventive list of cocktails as well as a lovely inventory of “bubbles” (Champagne), making this place the whole package.

Bunny's co-owner Jesse Sandlin takes a break.

Bunny decor.

There are many ways to approach the menu here. As with most of Sandlin’s spots, the emphasis is on rich and decadent, calories-be-damned Southern flavors. You can make a meal out of small snacks and starters, a substantial sandwich, or one of the eight or so elevated entrees.

Across several visits, we enjoyed an order of the smoky trout dip with chervil and roe served with our favorite Ritz crackers, whose buttery sweetness tempers the flavor of the fish, then moved on to a deviled egg sampler, three egg halves, each one crowned with a different topping—lump crab, mustard seed, pimento cheese, and crispy chicken skin. The eggs were tasty, though the toppings were on the skimpy side, making it difficult to discern the difference among them. The pickled vegetable plate, which arrives in a glass jar, is an assortment of tangy pickled peppers, carrots, and radishes and looks like something out of Peter Cottontail’s garden, though the portion was just big enough for a small rabbit.

The delectable pimento dip (known as the “pâté of the South” or “cowboy caviar”)—a mixture of shredded cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and pimentos, plus a shower of scallions—fits right in with the theme of the menu. Even the Caesar salad, a riff on a kale salad, has a Southern accent here. This version features chopped collard greens as a base, tossed with pickled red onions, boiled peanuts, and cornbread croutons all doused with a classic but kicky Caesar dressing that balances the slight bitterness of the greens and shows off Sandlin’s ability to put a new spin on traditional dishes.

Unsurprisingly, fried chicken gets top billing here—and for good reason. Sandlin’s version is twice dredged in rice flour and fried in canola oil, making it gluten-free. It comes in orders of two or four pieces or a bucket (eight pieces), accompanied by pickle slices, biscuits, and a variety of sauces. (Spring for the honey butter for an additional dollar to complete the feast.)

A bucket of fried chicken, plus dips.

Flaky biscuits.

On our visit, we dug into a breast and a thigh served on a blue tray with blue and white checked wax paper. (Again, the thigh was on the small side—best to fork over an additional $4 for two breasts.) We savored the copper-colored crust that flaked off the chicken in shards, revealing well-seasoned meat. It’s also served with a housemade sauce of your choosing. (The miso-hot-honey sauce was a winner.)

And while the high-low combination of Champagne and a bucket of fried chicken might seem like strange bedfellows, once you try it, you’ll really like it. The marriage of grease from the chicken and acidity from the Champagne makes the perfect pairing. Sparkling wines, which are also offered, work well, too.

THE MARRIAGE OF GREASE FROM THE CHICKEN AND ACIDITY FROM THE CHAMPAGNE MAKES THE PERFECT PAIRING.

We also loved Sandlin’s trademark smashburger—two four-ounce patties topped with lettuce, cheese, pickles, and a proprietary sauce on a sesame seed bun. It’s engineered for maximum impact, as all the ingredients meld together into one terrific and wonderfully messy sandwich.

While the bar food is great, make no mistake, the kitchen is just as nimble with more upscale, chef-driven entrees. On one visit, my dining companion declared the Baltimore crab rice, a heaping portion of Carolina Gold rice middlins tossed with jumbo lump crab, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes, his favorite dish. The fat rice middlins gave the dish an almost polenta-like texture. On our second visit, an intensely flavorful shrimp and grits—five fat prawns resting in a pool of bacon-flecked velvety grits—was an outstanding interpretation of the Low Country favorite.

As she’s proven with past projects, Sandlin is a master of reinvention, coming up with quirky, original concepts and dishes that are both unique to her brand and feel oh-so-Baltimore. With Buckets, Bunny’s & Bubbles, she’s pulled yet another rabbit out of her hat.

BUNNY’S, BUCKETS & BUBBLES: 801 S. Ann St., 443-708-3861. HOURS: Kitchen: Sun.-Thurs. 4-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 4-11 p.m. Bar: Sun.-Mon. 4 p.m.-midnight. PRICES: Salads, snacks, starters: $4-24; entrees: $24-48; desserts: $10. AMBIANCE: Barnyard chic.

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Weekend Lineup: Feb. 8-10

Lydia Woolever — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 11:20:00 +0000

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City, Super Bowl weekend.

EAT

Feb. 6: Chili Cook-Off at The Wharf Rat

The Wharf Rat, 801 S. Ann St. 1-4 p.m. $5-10. 410-276-8304. thewharfrat.com.

This past Tuesday, our country’s psychic groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, announced that there would be a short winter this year. And ever since, we’ve decided to take it as an excuse to chow down on all the warm, winter food we want before it’s once again time for the strawberries, salads, and salt-rimmed margaritas of spring and summer. This weekend, the cozy corner Fells Point pub that is Wharf Rat has you covered with its third annual chili cook-off, sponsored by Philadelphia’s Yards Brewing Company. Put on your judge’s hat, indulge in dozens of crafts and drafts, and get your gut ready for the Super Bowl with a handful of homemade chilis. Your waistline stretch will be for a good cause, with proceeds benefiting BARCS.

DRINK

Feb. 7: Jailbreak Brewing Company’s Puppy Bowl Party

Jailbreak Brewing Company, 9445 Washington Blvd. N., Laurel. 2-5 p.m. Free. 443-345-9699. jailbreakbrewing.com.

Move
over Panthers and Broncos. This Super Bowl weekend, as in all Super Bowl
weekends, it’s all about the puppies. After you indulge in crocks of chili for
canine care in Fells Point, head down to Jailbreak Brewing Company in Laurel.
At the neighborhood brewery, join Operation Paws for Homes, a great local
animal advocacy group, to celebrate Puppy Bowl XII (with ambassador and former
Raven Torrey Smith), with a screening of the show, hangout sessions with actual
adoptable dogs, and ice-cold drafts of craft brews like Rymein’ & Stealin’ ale and Scoville
Jalapeno IPA. Best
of all, you can BYOD—aka bring your own dog—with a contest for best owner and
dog football fan.

SEE

Feb. 6: The Baltimore Jewelry Center’s Ornamenta

Area 405, 405 E. Oliver St. 7-10 p.m. $45-350. 410-528-1968. area405.com.

It
feels a little dated to say that Station North is having a resurgence these
days, as it’s been a long time coming with the bustling scene on Charles,
handful of art galleries, and addition of startups like the Station North Tool Library. But the surge continues,
thanks to the recent renovations of historic neighborhood buildings like Motor House and Centre Theater. Inside the latter, the
brand-new Baltimore Jewelry Center has set up shop and now cordially
invites you to its inaugural benefit party, Ornamenta. Adorn yourself in creative cocktail wear,
explore an exhibition of student work, partake in a silent auction, sample sips
from the open bar, and snack on biscuits from the beloved Blacksauce Kitchen.
Proceeds benefit the Baltimore Jewelry Center, which, in its own way, benefits
the entire neighborhood.

HEAR

Feb. 6: Dope Body, Wume, Wing Dam, & Frenemies at The Ottobar

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $10. 410-662-0069. theottobar.com.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: If The Clash and Rancid had a love child, it would be Dope Body. At times hard-core heavy metal, at others ’90s garage grunge—but mostly pure punk rock—the band’s sound is always raw, rough-and-tumble, and mosh-pit ready, full of clashing hi-hats, thunderous drums, plugging bass, shredding guitar, and Andrew Laumann’s distinctive vocals. It calls out to the brooding teen inside us all, and this weekend, they perform at the Ottobar with other awesome locals acts like experimental electronic duo Wume, fuzzy alt-rockers Wing Dam (who we’re itching to hear some new music from), and Oxes’ drummer Chris Freeland’s solo project, Frenemies. It’s a solid lineup of serious homegrown talent for your Saturday night.

DO

Feb. 7: Chinese New Year Celebration at The Walters

The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. 12-3 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. thewalters.org.

If you already slacked off on your New Year’s resolutions (don’t worry—we’re with you), this weekend is your chance to start anew. Skip the Super Bowl snack binge and instead immerse yourself in another culture and celebrate the Chinese New Year. 2016 is the Year of the Monkey, who is said to be playful, curious, and creative, so spend your Sunday at the local art museum in Mt. Vernon with hands-on activities (build your own headdresses), traditional Chinese performances (two showings from the Baltimore Chinese School), and colorful dance routines (the Yong Hang Lion Dance Troupe of Johns Hopkins, apparently for good luck).

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Oliver Brewing Company to Open New Brewery in Clifton Park

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 11:56:00 +0000

Long before the recent influx of craft brewers in town, there was Oliver Ales. Founded in 1993 by Bill Oliver and brewed out of the then-Wharf Rat (now Pratt Street Ale House), the company has always been known for its English-style ales. When Oliver was ready to move on in 2008, Justin Dvorkin and his partners bought the brewing facility and have been expanding ever since.

The latest venture is a 12,000-square-foot brewing facility in Clifton Park, which will be the new headquarters of Oliver Brewing Company, which is also launching a complete rebrand to coincide with the opening in June.

“The brewing equipment at Pratt Street Ale House was never designed to meet this kind of demand,” Dvorkin says, citing Oliver’s other projects, The Ale House in Columbia and Park Tavern in Severna Park. “We’re at the point where it’s difficult to supply our own restaurants. So we’re in a constant state of catching up.”

To meet this increasing demand, Dvorkin and his partners purchased an old ice storage facility on Shannon Drive in Clifton Park, which has the capacity for 10,000 barrels and will allow Oliver to double its operation. Eventually, Oliver will stop brewing at Pratt Street Ale House.

“We’re also building out a really nice tasting room,” Dvorkin says. “Plus the facility has a large parking lot area for future festivals and events.”

The brewery is also unveiling a complete rebrand, which has been in the works for a while, with a new logo featuring an English-style lion, more fitting for their product.

Oliver is hoping to brew a test batch in the new facility mid-May and open up to the public sometime in June. The company is also going to produce a series of collaboration beers with original Oliver brewers, who have since moved onto places like Devils Backbone in Lexington, VA, and District Chophouse in D.C. Dvorkin says it’s a way to pay homage to Oliver’s history.

“This is a new leaf, a new expansion, but it was important for us to keep it in Baltimore,” he says. “We still want to be identified as the brand who has been here for a long time, but this is a new chapter in the story.”

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Snow Day Food and Drink Specials

Jess Mayhugh — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 12:00:00 +0000

While some of us are stuck in traffic or glued to our desks for the day, there are plenty of other (read: better) ways to enjoy Baltimore’s first snow of the season. Here we’ve complied some food and drink specials to warm up anyone’s day.

Mahaffey’s Pub: No strangers to snow, the Denver-based Great Divide Brewing Company will have some of its beer featured at Mahaffey’s Pub in Canton. Starting at 3 p.m., guests can sip on Yeti, an espresso oak aged imperial stout while also enjoying Mahaffey’s steak night and giveaways that begin at 6 p.m. 2706 Dillon St., 410-276-9899.

Brewer’s Cask: The Federal Hill beer bar opened a few hours early, at noon today, and is offering three craft beers for $8. Customers can choose from 20 specialty craft beers on tap and also get a half-price burger (which is a new weekly special). 1236 Light St., 410-273-9377.

Sláinte Irish Pub: This Fells Point pub (now with a full three floors of enjoyment) is serving breakfast with $10 bottomless Bloody Marys and mimosas. There will also be $6.50 Irish cheesesteaks and $3.50 S.I.P. pints (Sláinte’s house beer made by Oliver Brewing). Sports fans can FA Cup and NHL games live all day. 1700 Thames St., 410-563-6600.

Blue Pit BBQ: Starting just yesterday, Blue Pit BBQ in Woodberry is now serving lunch from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The menu includes items like a bratwurst sandwich on a pretzel roll, chopped brisket, Chesapeake pickleback slaw, and four-cheese mac. If that doesn’t keep you warm enough, the restaurant’s whiskey bar will also be open during lunch. 1601 Union Ave., 443-948-5590.

Hamilton Bakery: If you want to go a bit more wholesome, Hamilton Bakery will be offering a free large cup of coffee with a purchase of any pastry. And not just any coffee, but Zeke’s custom Hamilton Bakery Blend. 5414 Harford Rd., 410-254-0797.

The Wharf Rat: If it’s a huge fireplace you want to curl up next to, The Wharf Rat is your best bet. The bar is running its three half-pints for $8 special today, and the spot’s huge, open hearth will be roaring in the back bar. 801 S. Ann St., 410-276-8304.

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