Bluestone, Timonium

The Epic Seafood Club

Dan loves seafood, so he chose Bluestone, a County restaurant known for seafood, to celebrate his birthday recently.  Bluestone is quite lovely inside.  It's also pretty crowded with a ton of suburban locals looking to go somewhere
a) really nice
b) that's not too far away
c) with good food
d) and not a chain.
Bluestone fits that description to a T.
This is also the type of place where you will see people both dressed to the nines as well as jeans and sneakers (myself).

All Dan wanted was a Seafood Club: Crabcake + Shrimp Salad + Bacon + Sore Mouth from opening too wide.  His seafood club cost $17....that's hefty for a sandwich, but he loved it and declared that it's his favorite sandwich ever!!!!

I decided to get a crab cake sandwich for $14, and merely just discarded the bun (yuck, I hate wasting!) and found that Bluestone's crab cake, which was a very nice size considering I ordered the sandwich, was excellent.  Plus the GIANT asparagus were great as well, though I do hate when restaurants serve vegetables with a ton of oil considering I chose that side instead of fries to be healthy.

When I came here before, I tried one of their seafood entrees, and I remember being blown away by the meal.  What I also love is that they have a dessert chef as well, so all the desserts are made in-house.  Yum!  Their creme brulee is FANTASTIC.

Overall, this place has great food, I am pretty lucky that it's so close to me!  If you're a city-dweller and find yourself in Timonium (perhaps to visit Baltimore Coffee & Tea, which is literally right across the street) and feel like having a great (though a tad pricey) meal - you will not be disappointed with Bluestone!

Free Iced Coffee at Dunkin Donuts, TODAY!

Just stopped by my Dunkin Donuts and got myself a free small 16 oz iced coffee today (May 11th!).  They are available until 10pm today

Mine is deeeeelish :O)  Thanks DD!

And don't forget, Starbuck's is still having their Frappuccino happy hour until May 16th - half off any kind of frappuccino from 3-5pm

Green Leaf Restaurant, Hunt Valley

Green Leaf, an Asian (including Thai and Japanese specialties) BYOB restaurant in Hunt Valley, was such a nice little place to go to dinner one night.  It's intimate, yet large enough to be comfortable, and full with regulars on a Friday night (always a good sign!) How do I know they were regulars?  Well, judging from their location, in the corner of a shopping center away from the main Town Center, it's not going to capture many visitors to the area, which is a shame.

We ordered 2 appetizers: the steamed shrimp shumai ($4.95) and the crispy wontons ($4.95), filled with crab and cream cheese. Both were yummy, and a pleasant starter to the meal.  I would probably get the shumai again, but that's because I loooooooooooove shumai.

I ordered a salmon avocado roll  ($5.50) and the yellowtail roll ($5.50), which I thoroughly enjoyed. Also pictured is my mango iced tea, which contained real mango pulp, though no taste of tea.  It was lovely and refreshing (and made up for the fact that I didn't know it was BYOB!)

Dan ordered the Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken ($11.95) and though it wasn't as crispy as usual, he still thoroughly enjoyed the sweetness of the sauce.  Besides, we both agreed that less crispy is better than overly crispy.  The portion of rice was a tad too small, but you can order more.

My friend ordered the chicken dish pictured above (I think it was the Japanese Pan Noodles,$14.95, my bad...I completely forgot!!!!)  The nest of noodles was a lovely presentation, but not so delightful to eat, though the actual chicken + veggies were good by themselves. 



Overall, this place is a nice BYOB Asian restaurant in the Hunt Valley area, with plenty of health options (in fact, they have a whole section of their menu devoted to healthy options called Green Leaf Spa Cuisine) and very attentive and friendly staff. However, is it worth it driving from the city to the 'burbs....not really, but if you're in the area, it's definitely worth seeking out. 

Friday Morning Haiku - Special Mama Edition

Mama, I love you

Thanks for being so awesome

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!!

When I was little, my sister and I would bring our mum breakfast in bed and make homemade cards.  Now it's more about spending as much time together as possible!  In fact, I've officially made it Mother's Day weekend since I am so happy that my mama is in town for Mother's Day!!!!!  We are going to Lancaster on Saturday and then on Sunday, Dan and I are having a Mother's Day BBQ!!!!  I am super lucky because not only do I have a fabulous mama, but an incredible mother-in-law as well!  

To all you mother's out there - have a wonderful day :)

Anyone have big plans for Mother's Day?  Any certain traditions you like to do?  

Yesterday's Dinner is Today's Lunch

I can't wait for dinner leftovers for lunch.  Yesterday I used the Trader Joe's Punjab Spinach Sauce, added a block of extra-firm tofu (cut up into small blocks) and served it over Basmati rice.  It's a tomato based sauce with spinach (obviously).

Excellent!


Image from here.

Kirbie's, Downtown

When I first started my new job, my coworkers repeatedly told me that Kirbie's was one of the best places to get lunch in the immediate area (near the hospital).  I noticed people going there for breakfast and lunch, and I knew after months of working here that it was high time I made my way over.

One of my colleagues raved about their grilled chicken salad wrap, so when I went in intending to order it, I was happy to see that it was on special!  I got it with some Utz chips and a pickle for a little under $6.  Great deal!  I asked for the dressing on the side and I chose the spinach wrap (no extra charge) instead of regular.  The verdict:  Good stuff!  The grilled chicken was still warm and well seasoned (with a ton of thyme, I think), and I loved the cheese and fresh romaine lettuce.  I really preferred the dressing on the side, because I found myself not really needing any since the chicken was so moist and flavorful.  I was very happy with my lunch, and I can see why a lot of people come here!

The menu is huge, so even though I will definitely be going back, I may not get the same thing - just so I can try other items.  A friend of mine said their fries are incredible - I'm almost too nervous to find out just in case I would want to get them all the time!!!!!


Have you gone here?  Any suggestions for me???

May 7-16th, 3-5PM: Half Price Frappuccinos at Starbucks!

Between May 7th and 16th, Starbucks is offering their Frappuccinos for half off during the "happy hours" of 3-5PM.

I'm pretty sure every single Starbucks is going to be PACKED at that time once word gets out!  Even I may pop on over to try one of these (I don't remember if I ever have tried one!  Which one should I get first!?!?!?!?!).

Frappuccinos remind me of Zoolander when the hot but stupid models go crazy over their ORANGE MOCHA FRAPPUCCINOS.

http://www.frappuccino.com/happy-hour

Groupon: Blue Hill Tavern

I feel like most people by now know about Groupon, but just in case you don't, it's a website that offers discounts EVERYDAY for various activities or restaurants within your region, including the Baltimore Area.  Sometimes they offer gift certificates to restaurants, sometimes to yoga studios or art classes, or even laser hair surgery. 

Today you can buy a $30 gift certificate for $15 towards Blue Hill Tavern in Brewers Hill.  The coupon is valid for an entire year, is valid for dinner only, does not include tax/tip, and can only be used for one table.

I've never been to Blue Hill Tavern, but I've heard great things about it.  Here are the items that are calling my name:

APPETIZERS

• Fried Guacamole ($9) - Tortilla crusted, salsa fresca (fried guacamole sounds fun and unique!)
• Artisan Cheese Plate ($12) - Served with honey comb and crackers

ENTREES (actually, nearly all of the entrees appeal to me...wow)

• Short Ribs ($23) - 48 hour sous vide boneless short rib, roasted red skin potatoes, baby carrots, green sauce
• Tavern Burger ($12) - Kobe beef, brioche, aged cheddar, Duroc bacon, fried onion, spicy ketchup
• Rack of Lamb ($28) - Almond goat cheese crusted, spice fregola (I'm thinking they mean fregola pasta?), roasted garlic jus

SIDES (If I were to get the Burger)

• French Fries ($4)
• Haricots Verts ($6) - Really?  The healthy choice is $2 more expensive than french fries?  Jamie Oliver would NOT approve.

DESSERTS (not sure if this is included in the gift certificate...but still)

• Lemon Pudding ($8) - Katafi nest (fancy presentation, but it better not take away from the size of my pudding), ginger fig compote (YUM I LOVE figs)

Blue Hill Tavern
938 S Conkling Street
Baltimore, MD 21224

Have you gone to Blue Hill Tavern?  What would you recommend? 

Mamas' Deserve Free Coffee!

Baltimore Coffee and Tea is offering mum's a free medium drink of their choice on Sunday!

They are also running an essay contest to find Maryland's Best Mom!  The winner's mum will receive FREE COFFEE FOR A YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!   What a lucky mum!!!!!  You can enter the contest on their Facebook page!


Check out my past reviews of Baltimore Coffee and Tea here and here

Anns, Downtown

I love finding new places to eat, of course, so when I came across this tiny and cute sandwich shop on Lexington Street called Anns, I was so excited I stopped right in for lunch. I decided to order the tuna salad sandwich, but at 12:15pm they had already run out (!) so I got the chicken salad instead. The sandwich came with Utz chips and a can of soda for $5.83. A pretty great deal, so I walked back to work with a smile on my face.

When I opened up the sandwich, I immediately noticed the salad was a shade of yellow, so I assumed it was a curried chicken salad. It was not. It was yellow from mustard. Too much mustard. Yuck! In addition to that, the chicken itself had been overly cooked, the bread seemed stale, and I couldn't tell what the mystery ingredient in the salad was. Egg? Pickles? The fact that I couldn't tell, kinda weirds me out. And the actual taste of the chicken salad was nothing I've ever had before, and that's not a good thing.

This was just so incredibly disappointing, especially because I was so certain in my heart I would love this place because of its "cute factor."

I hate judging a place so harshly, especially from only trying one thing on the menu....so IF I were to go again, I would probably get something a little less complicated. I think the prices are good - especially sandwiches come with chips and a soda for the same price another deli may charge for JUST a sandwich. For breakfast they have sandwiches that come with either a cup of coffee or orange juice for around $4. Seeing as though you can't really mess up an egg and cheese bagel, this may be a good option if you're in the area.

Anyone ever been here?  It's been around for 3 years, though it doesn't seem that way as there is no website or printed menu....

p.s. Is this area really Downtown, or is it West Baltimore?  It's right by Lexington Market and the University of Maryland Hospital.