This review is a little old, as I went a couple of months ago but I think most of what I wrote down will still be relevant. One thing I have to say is that if you ever want to go to Woodberry, it’s REALLY important to make a reservation. That place is ridiculously crowded all the time so it helps to have a set time to go. Also, don’t expect to sit immediately even if you had made a reservation- this place is just WAY too popular for that. In fact, when I went there they were taping a segment for Ace of Cakes so I got to see Duff Goldman and his crew (which was kind of surreal for a Food Network junkie such as myself).
We ordered the popcorn for $1 to start, mainly because Dan loves it. The tiny kernels are perfectly salted, and they were a nice distraction as I waited for my food.
For a “real” appetizer, we tried their flatbreads. I remembered that I loved one of them the last time we had come. We got the smoked chicken, spinach, cheddar and local honey flatbread for $12. This was amazing. This was DEFINITELY enough for a meal and a half. The smoked part of the chicken really stood out and made the flatbread something different. It also helped that the honey wasn’t overbearingly sweet but intense just the same. The spinach and cheddar were a nice addition, but take a back seat to the chewiness of the bread and tang of the honey.
I was probably full at this point, but I couldn’t wait for my Stout Braised Short Ribs served with toasted faro, mushrooms and spiced rutabaga ($24). This meal was delicious, I’m not going to lie, but the ribs were a bit too burnt on the outside if you asked me. However, the meat was really tender and wonderfully spiced, though not overly saucy which allowed me to taste the meat that much more. The faro reminded me of wild rice and the rutabaga looked liked butternut squash but tastes hard and crunch almost like a radish bred with a carrot. Overall though, those took a back seat to the meat.
Dan ordered the Roseda (yay!) ribeye with sweet potatoes ($31). For that price I was expecting unicorns to fly out of the meat (I don’t go out to fancy restaurants often), and the meat was very juicy and flavorful. I just couldn’t stop thinking that I wanted to taste something different for that price though. The sweet potato fries were presented really well- in a cone, but they weren’t soft and mushy. Dan really liked his meal.
My mum got the Rainbow Trout which came with mushrooms, spinach, roasted potatoes , caper aioli and lemon ($19). My mum absolutely loved this meal and polished it off with a zeal that made me happy. The fish itself was great and not too “fishy” although it looked fishy enough because the entire fish was on the plate- beady eyes and all. I would never have been happy with that, but my mum wasn’t phased in the slightest.
By this time, I was beyond satiated—but I couldn’t NOT get dessert! Not at Woodberry Kitchen! I decided to go for the praised ice cream which is $6 for 3 scoops. I chose the Beet Cardamom, Vanilla and Brown Sugar. The Beet Cardamom was light pink in hue and had a delightful mix of both flavors- neither of them overpowering the other. Although it was definitely an unusual flavor, I really loved them together—they were definitely MILES better than the Olive Oil ice cream I had tried at Woodberry the last time (GROSS). The Vanilla was my all time favorite. It’s so creamy and fragrant- just a wonderful soothing ice cream, nothing pretentious, just perfect. The Brown Sugar reminded me a bit of Dulce de Leche and since it’s important for me to rank things, this was my least favorite but that’s not saying much.
Dan chose the get the Braeburn Apple Pie with vanilla ice cream, caramel and cinnamon. OH man! How does Dan ALWAYS know which desserts to choose. The crust was great, as well as the topping. The apples were cooked perfectly and not doused in sugar.
Overall, we had a wonderful time. The food was really pretty amazing, and the building itself is such a treat to be in. The one thing about this place that annoys me is that they really try to pack people into the space- so tables can be VERY close together. It’s also a very loud place with lots of people at the bar (which surprises me).
I feel like this is one of those places that you just have to try if you live in Baltimore. Give it a few years and it’s definitely going to become a Baltimore Institution.
Woodberry Kitchen
2010 Clipper Park Rd
Baltimore, MD 21211
410) 464-8000
Mon-Thu,Sun 5pm-10pm; Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm
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2 comments:
I used to buy microwave popcorn all the time. My daughter can eat this stuff for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was spending about $15 a month on popcorn alone. A friend of mine asked me why I did not cook my popcorn on the stovetop. To be honest, I liked the simplicity of being able to pop a bag into the microwave and having it ready in less than two minutes.
I'm with VisitBaltimore and we just did a video with Spike Gjerde from Woodberry Kitchen. In the video he talks about the location of the restaurant along with its menu and fresh produce! Check it out at http://bit.ly/amqaDj
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