Taste of Baltimore: Slainte Irish Pub and Restaurant, Fells Point

Although Slainte (pronounced Slawn-Cheh) Irish Pub and Restaurant has been around for more than five years, it's recently had a menu overhaul in an effort to make the place more like a gastropub, thanks to the hiring of Chef Bill Crouse. I was so happy to receive an invitation to taste the new menu! I didn't really know what to expect, but I assumed traditional Irish fare, however it was so much more than that. By the end of the meal I was completely blown away by each item I tried. I love when my expectations are surpassed!

APPETIZERS

Mushroom Gnudi (Gnocchi) $9 - Mushroom gnocchi fried golden and served with brown butter and sage. These are not like your typical potato gnocchi - it tasted more like a deep fried ball of mushroom risotto. Doesn't that sound good!? They are so incredibly creamy and cheesy. To all those mushroom haters - you can hardly tell they are in this dish, don't let it deter you from trying this. OMG I want five million more of these within my reach.

Ploughman's Platter $14 - Smoked fish, cheeses, charcuterie, homemade relish and spread served with toasted bread. Love the presentation of the board and the variety. This would be a good appetizer for a group to share. On the plate were some artichokes, smoked trout, tomato aspic, pate, blue cheese, apples, olives and salami.

Spiced Cornflour Calamari $9 - The calamari is served with beet chips and smoked pepper aioli. If you love calamari you will love these. They are large in size and the breading doesn't overwhelm the meat. The aioli is a really nice change from the usual marinara sauce and the crispy beet chips are a colorful addition.

Sauteed Mussels $9 - P.E.I mussels with tomatoes, basil and garlic in a white wine butter. What a large serving of mussels for $9! I love the savory flavoring - it's definitely an appetizer you can eat a lot of without feeling too full (trust me hahaha).

ENTREES

Fish 'N' Chips $16 - Two portions of Heavy Seas classic lager battered cod, potato wedges and Slainte slaw, served with vinegar on the side. The cod was flaky and moist inside the wonderful breading and the chips had a good amount of crisp to them. The coleslaw was freshly made, was light on the mayo and included lots of pickles and pickle juice. Probably one of the best coleslaws I've ever had! This meal made me nostalgic!

Guiness Sunday Roast $18 - Irish pot roast braised in Guinness, served with boiled potatoes and carrots. Straight up comfort food. I hardly noticed a beer flavor, to be honest, I just noticed how much I loved the pot roast and the potatoes and carrots. The meat was succulent, the sauce was nice and savory and the vegetables were perfectly boiled. What more can you ask for?

Gilled Duroc Porkloin $16 - Porkloin served with herb spaetzel and pink peppercorn goat cheese sauce. Wow. I loved this. The spaetzel reminded me of tiny pieces of waffle fries and I couldn't stop eating them (have you noticed a theme in my review so far? hahahah). The creamy goat cheese dressing is not as overpowering as you would think while the pork itself was light and wonderfully flavored. What an excellent, EXCELLENT dish.

DESSERTS

Guinness Breadpudding $8 - Breadpudding served with a warm caramel sauce. The pudding was light and fluffy, which is never what I am expecting when I order bread pudding. Our dessert was not served with a warm caramel sauce, but a raspberry sauce instead. I think the caramel sauce would be a much better addition.

Zeppole (actually an Italian dessert Chef Bill brought over from his times spent in Sotto Sopra). What we have here are deep-fried dough balls (DOUGHNUTS) sprinkled with powder sugar, and served with a cup of chocolate ganache for dipping. The balls weren't too sweet, so the warm chocolate was it's perfect accompaniment. WOW. My tummy was so full at this point in the meal, but I destroyed this plate because my brain would simply not allow me to stop. PURE PERFECTION. GET THIS NOW. SERIOUSLY. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY EXCUSES FROM YOU. Unfortunately, this is not on the menu currently (AAAAAAAAAAH!), but hopefully they will still offer this every time you go!

All in all, I think this new menu is incredible. Of course I will order my Zeppole every time I come here, but I also can't wait to try their Dubliner Cheddar Mac and Cheese which is topped with braised pork shoulder ($13), or their Shepherd's Pie ($12). You can come here and have a great time watching a football (soccer) game with your mates, and at the same time have a delicious dinner with your significant other. Either way, Slainte is Baltimore's gastropub - go to Fells Point and give it a try!