Winter Restaurant Week – Baltimore Magazine

Where to Dine for Winter Restaurant Week

Lauren Cohen — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 13:38:00 +0000

Nearly 100 dining destinations scattered across the city are perfecting their menus for Baltimore City Winter Restaurant Week, which returns in its 13th year January 12-21. With featured spots offering everything from burgers to bronzini—plus more vegan and vegetarian options than ever before—the annual prix-fixe promotion certainly boasts plenty to choose from.

“I thought originally that it was only for fancy places,” says Annabel Lee Tavern owner Kurt X. Bragunier, who is participating in Restaurant Week for the first time this season. “But I’ve learned over time that little places like mine are good candidates, too. So I figured I’d give it a shot.”

Bragunier’s ode to Edgar Allan Poe on the corner of South Clinton Street closed briefly last summer due to financial struggles. Luckily, two local investors swooped in to save the bar soon after. Now that the tavern is back on its feet, Bragunier says that he’s looking forward to really showing the community what it has to offer.

“We wanted to gear the menu toward people who haven’t been here,” he says, mentioning the restaurant’s “tried and true” dishes including its crab cakes, crispy Brussels sprouts, and duck-fat fries. “I feel really strongly about our food—it’s just all about getting people in here to try it.”

Annabel Lee is among many of the must-try spots that are participating in the 10-day deal, which offers fixed menus priced between $12-25 for a two-course lunch, and $20-35 for a three-course dinner. In an effort to help break down all of the options, we’ve put together list of recommendations for the best spots to visit—whether you’re interested in a luxurious lunch, vegetarian dishes, beer pairings, or dining near a cozy fireplace.

Best bargain: The Prime Rib
With its white linen tablecloths, leather chairs, and famous leopard-print carpet, this Midtown supper club is bursting with old-school charm. And while its entrees could typically set you back anywhere from $26-69, the swanky steakhouse is offering a three-course prix-fixe menu including all of the classics for $35 during Restaurant Week. Choose from a house salad or warm bowl of tomato soup to start, followed by main courses like filet mignon, chopped sirloin, a center-cut pork chop, imperial crab, or the namesake special cut of prime rib. End the evening on a sweet note with traditional crème brûlee, key lime pie, or chocolate mousse. 1101 N. Calvert St., $35, 410-539-1804

Beer pairings: Heavy Seas Alehouse
There are plenty of spots to sip worldly wines, but if you’re more of a beer person, Heavy Seas Alehouse has got you covered. Each of the menu’s three courses will be accompanied by 10-oz. pours of Heavy Seas favorites including the Vienna-style Cutlass lager, Peg Leg imperial stout, and the brand new Americannon pale ale. Fittingly, the menu also features beer-infused specials including beer-battered crab dip, an alehouse burger marinated in Heavy Seas’ Powder Monkey pale ale, Golden Ale mousse, and a Tropicannon bread pudding with beer-infused cream sauce. 1300 Bank St., $35, 410-522-0850

Brunch spot: Minnow
This South Baltimore spot, which has been generating buzz with its smoked cocktails and trendy black-bun burgers, is going all out for Restaurant Week. In addition to the prix-fixe dinner menu (think dishes like crispy tofu, braised beef short ribs, and a chocolate-almond tart), the spot is also offering a three-course brunch. Dig in to dishes like French toast with spiced apple compote, crispy fried chicken on a blue corn waffle, sautéed shrimp omelets, and a Snow White cake with a vanilla-swiss buttercream. 2 E. Wells St., $22-35, 443-759-6537

Luxurious lunch: Johnny’s
Ditch the sad desk lunch and head to this Roland Park favorite for a three-course meal that starts off with either butternut squash soup with sage brown butter, or a classic Caesar salad. Then choose from options like a beer-braised short rib sandwich, chicken BLT hoagie, or a grilled shrimp kale salad with beets, goat cheese, and Marcona almonds. You can’t go wrong with ginger molasses, mocha chocolate chip, or gluten-free peanut butter cookies for dessert. 4800 Roland Ave., $20-35, 410-773-0777

Newbie: Rye Street Tavern
If you have been meaning to swing by chef Andrew Carmellini’s new tavern next to the Sagamore Spirit Distillery campus in Port Covington, Restaurant Week is an ideal opportunity. Take in the waterfront views while indulging in options like black bean soup with lime crema, cornmeal-crusted catfish with Carolina gold rice, the chef’s famous fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits and whiskey pickles, and banana pudding for dessert. 225 E. Cromwell St., $20-35, 443-662-8000, weekends excluded.

Most romantic: Annabel Lee Tavern
Nothing says amour like the melancholic-romantic style of Edgar Allan Poe. This beloved corner destination devoted to the master of macabre is an ideal date-night spot, with its dim lighting, merlot-colored walls, sculpted ravens, and vintage paintings. Glance over the handwritten menu to find dishes like chicken tortilla soup, a charred romaine and tomato salad, and comfort-food entrees like meatloaf with Applewood-bacon gravy and a mango vegetable curry served over couscous. Plus, you can make it a cheap date, since the prix-fixe menu only costs $28. 601 S. Clinton St., $28, 410-522-2929, weekends excluded.

Vegetarian offerings: Myth & Moonshine
Sip Moonshine cocktails out of a Mason jar while enjoying the farmers’ market-inspired fare at this Canton hangout. Chef Kevin Cauthorne’s three-course dinner menu features many meatless options including French onion soup, a fried goat cheese medallion in a crimson tomato sauce, and white wine-marinated eggplant fried in Cajun flour with a side of sautéed spinach and zucchini. The dessert menu also bolsters the ultra-local focus, featuring Dangerously Delicious Berger cookie pie and cheesecake from Sasscer’s Bakery in Canton. 2300 Boston St., $25-35, 410-777-5502

Best fireplace: Regi’s Bistro
Retreat from the frigid temperatures by snagging a table near the antique marble fireplace at this Federal Hill mainstay. The seasonal specialties on Regi’s Restaurant Week menu only add to the cozy vibe—with lunch options like a Bangkok chicken noodle bowl or steak quesadilla, or dinner dishes including Chilean sea bass, veal osso bucco, New York strip steak, and flourless chocolate cake. 1002 Light St., $15-34, 410-539-7344

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City and County Winter Restaurant Week Preview

Lauren Cohen — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 16:30:00 +0000

[Update,
1/26/16: Due to the blizzard conditions that prevented diners from
venturing out during opening weekend of Baltimore Restaurant Week, more
than 60 city establishments—including Liv2Eat, The Food Market, Sotto
Sopra, Wine Market Bistro, and Verde—have pledged to extend their
special menu offers through Feb. 7. In addition, more than half of the
participating county restaurants will be extending their Baltimore
County Restaurant Week deals through Feb. 6.]

The holidays might be over and done with, but the most wonderful time of the year for foodies is just beginning. This month, more than 150 restaurants throughout the city and county will be offering dining deals in conjunction with Winter Restaurant Week—the annual 15-day promotion that offer diners prix-fixe pricing for lunch and dinner service.

BALTIMORE COUNTY:

Spots participating in Baltimore County Restaurant Week—including the likes of Café Troia, Linwoods, The Milton Inn, and Tark’s Grill—will offer special brunch, lunch, and dinner menus for $15-35 from January 15-30.

“We’ve found that it definitely brings in some new faces,” says Ted Bauer, owner of longtime Cockeysville fixture The Oregon Grille. “We want people to have a good sampling. The real benefit of Restaurant Week is having new customers experience everything.”

The Oregon Grille’s lunch menu will feature caprese sandwiches, shrimp tacos, and smoked mozzarella ravioli, while its dinner entrees will range from corn meal-encrusted wild blue catfish to prosciutto-wrapped chicken with roasted tomato pesto and fried Asiago polenta.

Larry Leonardi, general manager of Reisterstown’s Ristorante Firenze, also hopes to see new customers come through his door. Specifically, he hopes that Restaurant Week will be instrumental in amping up Firenze’s lunch crowd, as it did this past summer.

“It works for all of us,” Leonardi says. “It gives us a chance to try out new dishes that aren’t normally on our regular menu, and it also motivates customers to try new places.”

Firenze, which has been open just over a year, will offer a menu highlighting hearty seasonal dishes like Italian wedding soup, house made rigatoni with roasted garlic alfredo sauce, and grilled pork chops with roasted pepper pesto and cauliflower mash.

BALTIMORE CITY:

If you’re looking to hit some city hotspots this month as well, Baltimore City Restaurant Week overlaps with the county’s promotion. Eateries participating in Baltimore City Restaurant Week, which returns January 22-31, will offer two-course lunch and brunch menus for $15-20 and three-course dinner menus for $25-30.

While newbies such as Argosy Cafe and Alma Cocina Latina are participating in Winter Restaurant Week for the first time this year, city staples like The Food Market are gearing up for another special week of flavorful fare.

Chad Gauss, executive chef and co-owner of the Hampden hangout, will be whipping up a South American-inspired feast in honor of the occasion, with dinner dishes ranging from Brazilian black bean soup and smoked trout nachos to Waygu steak tacos and spicy grilled shrimp with pineapple and quinoa. Additionally, in keeping with the theme of the menu, the bar will highlight festive tiki drinks and sangrias throughout the week.

“This is a concept I’ve been looking to try for a long time,” says Gauss, who makes a point of switching up the theme of his Restaurant Week menu each year. “It all feels ‘Spanglish’ to me—like a Baltimore kid meets everywhere from Mexico to South America.”

Gauss explains that the featured Restaurant Week menu will serve as a test-run for a pop-up that he’s calling “La Food Marketa,” which could be featured at the restaurant more often this year if the flavors catch on with customers. He also mentions that one of the main perks of Restaurant Week is promoting the local dining scene as a whole.

“I just want to be a player on the team,” he says. “There’s no better feeling than a busy restaurant, and it’s great because you don’t have to go all-in for certain places that you’re skeptical about and feel like you’re overinvesting.”

Just over in Meadow Mill, Ben Lefenfeld, executive chef and co-owner of La Cuchara, is excited for his restaurant to participate for the first time.

Among the Basque-inspired bites to look out for on La Cuchara’s special dinner menu are txorizo sausage with charred cabbage and onion croquettes, and flank steak with capers, smoked potatoes, and horseradish aioli.

“It’s been something we’ve wanted to be a part of from the beginning, but we had only been open for three months before Summer Restaurant Week last year, so we weren’t quite ready yet,” Lefenfeld says. “People have their favorites that they dine at once a month but this gives them a reason to take a chance on a new place.”

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