Cold drinks on a summer night

James and I enjoyed drinks at three different hot spots in and around Fells Point last night: Rye, Bond Street Social and Fleet Street Kitchen. This was our first visit to Rye and Fleet Street Kitchen.

I don't usually imbibe in cocktails, but I thought I'd give one a try at Rye. James' drink is on the left, mine on the right. A long slice of cucumber is in my drink (I love cucumbers, though that isn't why I ordered the cocktail).

At $10 a piece, they certainly weren't cheap and are on par with other establishments, but not something we typically order when we go out. Both were unique, delicious and Rye's bartenders clearly know what they're doing.
Rye's atmosphere is also notable. The bar isn't big - read cozy - and fills up quickly.

Next was Bond Street Social. We both had my favorite beer (and I'm not a big beer drinker) - a cold glass of Allagash White. This beer (from Portland, Maine) is refreshing, light and has citrus notes, all of which make it perfect.

Our last stop was Fleet Street Kitchen. The atmosphere was a strange mix of modern and medieval. The atmosphere seemed to be competing with itself. The bar itself is sleek - made of marble with a soft light glowing underneath it.
I had a glass of sauvignon blanc and James enjoyed a Saison from Stillwater, a local beer (from Westminster). Like Allagash White, the Saison was also light and easy to drink. This beer is definitely worth another try.

Woodberry Kitchen, meet your match

James and I recently traveled to New England and in our travels we enjoyed a fantastic meal at Hen of the Wood, a fabulous farm-to-table restaurant in Waterbury, VT. We love Woodberry Kitchen here in Baltimore, so we were eager to try this (as it turns out very similar) restaurant. We were not disappointed. 

The ambiance at Hen of the Wood is cozy, with exposed brick and stone. A dozen or so tealights were tucked into nooks on the stone wall and there was also an incredible waterfall behind the tiny restaurant. Lovely!

I neglected to take photos, but I'll do my best to describe what we ate.

We began our meal with Hen of the Wood's homemade bread (soft and very fresh), then split an appetizer of duck sausage with polenta and a duck egg (served in a tiny cast iron pot), which was excellent. We each ordered one of the specials on the night's menu - slow cooked duck with homemade dumplings. A knife was not needed to cut the already tiny pieces of mouth-watering duck and the dumplings were small and out-of-this-world. They simply melted in your mouth.

For dessert, we split the beat cake with pecan ice cream. The presentation was notable and the cake was nice a traditional slice of cake, rather a circle of cake. 

If we lived closer - i.e. not 500+ miles away - we'd be there more often!

Tasty winter dishes

For James' birthday, we went to Salt and had a fantastic dinner. We have never been disappointed by our dishes - and the service is always superb.

James enjoyed the rabbit pasta (currently on the menu) and I had the ragu (no longer listed on the menu). Both dishes just melted in our mouths. The flavors were incredible. Need I say more?

Ragu (top) and rabbit pasta (below)

Need I say more?

New year, a little late

I am very behind in my new year's resolution to update my blog on a regular basis!

Since my last post, this runner has taken up yoga (namaste) and cooking. Life is good. I have stuck to my goal of cooking more in the new year, which has been fun - and relaxing.

I have been using the Smitten Kitchen cookbook and enjoying the tasteful creations inside. Yum.

One of the first things that I made from the cookbook was the broccoli slaw (pg. 72), which I paired with pork tenderloin. I have made it nearly a half dozen times since. The dish is well received and I expect it to be even more delicious (if that's possible) come summer.

Next, I made maya's sweet and sour holiday brisket and roasted fingerling and carrot coins (pg. 183 - see below), which was out of this world. It's pretty easy, just requires a few hours to cook (unless you use the crock-pot).

And the final result!

James and I had friends over for dinner one cold, January night and I made gnocchi in tomato broth (pg.177). I didn't realize how time intensive making her gnocchi recipe was (albeit delicious) until I had already started. The gnocchi did not turn out as beautiful as hers did in the photo, but it was still delicious. Next time, I will either find a less complicated gnocchi recipe or simply buy already made gnocchi and just make the awesome broth to go with it.

More to come!