Restaurant reviews
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13.5% Wine Bar 
food rating out of 
13.5% Wine Bar adds to Hampden scene
By Elizabeth Large
When Wayne Laing was planning to open a wine bar in Hampden, he wanted it to be more of a cafe than some wine bars are. It was an ambitious undertaking, given that the kitchen equipment of the new 13.5% Wine Bar consists of a panini grill, two convection ovens and a slicer. Wine and beer are still more important here than food, of course. Laing is the former owner of the nearby Wine Underground, and his new space on The Avenue is a retail shop as well as a place to get a glass of vino. All the wines on the 20-foot-high retail wall include an $8 corkage fee. If you buy a bottle to take away, the fee is deducted from the price. It seems a roundabout way of doing things, but I sort of get why, if your primary focus is on the people who drink it there. The international list includes more than 30 wines by the glass and 200 by the bottle. From the moment it opened, 13.5% has been a hit. When we went, the place was packed, and people were waiting outside for tables. We sat instead at the bar to wait, which gave me a chance to see the fancy equipment that keeps opened bottles of wine fresh. It looks like a refrigerated case for 12 bottles; pumped-in inert gas keeps the wine from oxidizing. The bottles that receive this special handling, the bartender told us, were the ones that were most expensive by the glass. The open bottles of cheaper wines are gone before the evening ends. ... (Read the entire review)
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food rating out of 13.5% Wine Bar adds to Hampden scene
By Elizabeth Large
When Wayne Laing was planning to open a wine bar in Hampden, he wanted it to be more of a cafe than some wine bars are. It was an ambitious undertaking, given that the kitchen equipment of the new 13.5% Wine Bar consists of a panini grill, two convection ovens and a slicer. Wine and beer are still more important here than food, of course. Laing is the former owner of the nearby Wine Underground, and his new space on The Avenue is a retail shop as well as a place to get a glass of vino. All the wines on the 20-foot-high retail wall include an $8 corkage fee. If you buy a bottle to take away, the fee is deducted from the price. It seems a roundabout way of doing things, but I sort of get why, if your primary focus is on the people who drink it there. The international list includes more than 30 wines by the glass and 200 by the bottle. From the moment it opened, 13.5% has been a hit. When we went, the place was packed, and people were waiting outside for tables. We sat instead at the bar to wait, which gave me a chance to see the fancy equipment that keeps opened bottles of wine fresh. It looks like a refrigerated case for 12 bottles; pumped-in inert gas keeps the wine from oxidizing. The bottles that receive this special handling, the bartender told us, were the ones that were most expensive by the glass. The open bottles of cheaper wines are gone before the evening ends. ... (Read the entire review)
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More information Contact: 410-889-1064 135winebar.com Location: Hampden Cuisine: wine, small plates  |
Abacrombie 
food rating out of
New ownership means fresh start for Abacrombie
By Elizabeth Large
Baltimoreans who love good food had reason to worry about Abacrombie. Until previous owner/chef Sonny Sweetman left for greener pastures, it was one of our premier restaurants. ... (Read the entire review)
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food rating out of New ownership means fresh start for Abacrombie
By Elizabeth Large
Baltimoreans who love good food had reason to worry about Abacrombie. Until previous owner/chef Sonny Sweetman left for greener pastures, it was one of our premier restaurants. ... (Read the entire review)
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More information Contact: www.abacrombie.net/ Location: Mount Vernon Cuisine: American, Seafood, European |
Abbey Burger Bistro food rating out of
Try a specialty burger or build your own at Abbey
By Elizabeth Large
In an earlier column, I facetiously dubbed 2008 the Year of the Burger. ... (Read the entire review)
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food rating out of Try a specialty burger or build your own at Abbey
By Elizabeth Large
In an earlier column, I facetiously dubbed 2008 the Year of the Burger. ... (Read the entire review)
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More information Contact: Location: Federal Hill Cuisine: American, Burgers |
Alizee 
food rating out of
Alizee offers American food with French accents
By Elizabeth Large
How much good service matters to you when you've got great food might determine how you feel about the new Alizee. It's a restaurant that has successfully reinvented itself after a recent change of owners, a change of chefs and a change of basic concept. But I'm not sure the management realizes yet that with a change for the better come more customers, and with more customers comes a need for more servers. Certainly the staff was overwhelmed the night we ate there. On a weeknight, the dining room was almost full because of a hotel package tour. I got the feeling everyone was waiting tables, even a spare bartender. On the plus side, there was no attitude or crankiness. The servers remained good-natured even though they were working their backsides off. The manager pitched in and bused tables. Waiters helped other waiters. But at a restaurant where you're likely to spend $50 a person, you might want things to be running more smoothly. I know I do. Maybe this was a one-time occurrence. But my advice is to give management more time to get things into proper working order before you go. If you have such long waits that you start to get irritated, it's hard to enjoy your meal, no matter how good it is. On to happier things, namely the food. The new chef, Christian deLutis, best known for his work at the Wine Market, has created an American menu for fall that has both traditional French accents and trendy ingredients and techniques. ... (Read the entire review)
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food rating out of Alizee offers American food with French accents
By Elizabeth Large
How much good service matters to you when you've got great food might determine how you feel about the new Alizee. It's a restaurant that has successfully reinvented itself after a recent change of owners, a change of chefs and a change of basic concept. But I'm not sure the management realizes yet that with a change for the better come more customers, and with more customers comes a need for more servers. Certainly the staff was overwhelmed the night we ate there. On a weeknight, the dining room was almost full because of a hotel package tour. I got the feeling everyone was waiting tables, even a spare bartender. On the plus side, there was no attitude or crankiness. The servers remained good-natured even though they were working their backsides off. The manager pitched in and bused tables. Waiters helped other waiters. But at a restaurant where you're likely to spend $50 a person, you might want things to be running more smoothly. I know I do. Maybe this was a one-time occurrence. But my advice is to give management more time to get things into proper working order before you go. If you have such long waits that you start to get irritated, it's hard to enjoy your meal, no matter how good it is. On to happier things, namely the food. The new chef, Christian deLutis, best known for his work at the Wine Market, has created an American menu for fall that has both traditional French accents and trendy ingredients and techniques. ... (Read the entire review)
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More information Contact: 443-449-6200 Location: Baltimore Cuisine: American |
Alizee food rating out of
Alizee gives bistro food an Asian accent
By Richard Gorelick
Alizee, by my count, is the fourth restaurant to move into the space in the Colonnade once known as the Polo Grill. Probably we came to review it too soon. Some promising amenities, such as a wine cellar with a communal tasting table, haven't materialized yet, and there are still both functional and cosmetic touches to be applied. On the other hand, there's nothing introductory about the prices. ... (Read the entire review)
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food rating out of Alizee gives bistro food an Asian accent
By Richard Gorelick
Alizee, by my count, is the fourth restaurant to move into the space in the Colonnade once known as the Polo Grill. Probably we came to review it too soon. Some promising amenities, such as a wine cellar with a communal tasting table, haven't materialized yet, and there are still both functional and cosmetic touches to be applied. On the other hand, there's nothing introductory about the prices. ... (Read the entire review)
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More information Contact: 443-449-6200 www.alizeebaltimore.com Location: Baltimore Cuisine: Eclectic, Sushi |
Annabel Lee Tavern 
food rating out of
Dining for $25 or less: Annabel Lee Tavern
By Karen Nitkin
The Annabel Lee Tavern in Highlandtown is designed as a whimsical shrine to Edgar Allan Poe and, by extension, a shout-out to Baltimore itself. ... (Read the entire review)
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food rating out of Dining for $25 or less: Annabel Lee Tavern
By Karen Nitkin
The Annabel Lee Tavern in Highlandtown is designed as a whimsical shrine to Edgar Allan Poe and, by extension, a shout-out to Baltimore itself. ... (Read the entire review)
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More information Contact: www.annabelleetavern.com/ Location: Highlandtown Cuisine: American, Sandwiches, Seafood |
Azul 17 food rating out of
Azul 17: Authentic Mexican dishes, plus a $100 margarita
By Elizabeth Large
Howard County has other places where you can get Mexican food, but a $100 margarita? I don't think so. Azul 17, Columbia's new Mexican restaurant and tequila lounge, offers more than 100 tequilas and 17 signature margaritas. It doesn't give those margaritas away, but none of them costs over $17. However, those who are feeling flush can order one of two other margaritas, which are assembled tableside: the Ultimate Margarita made with Tequila Patron Platinum for $40 or the Rockefeller Margarita made with Tequila Don Julio Real for $100. But if you want to watch something being prepared tableside, I suggest Azul's guacamole for two. It will cost you $90.50 less. Azul's guacamole is made with a dead-ripe avocado, chopped onion, fresh lime, cilantro, serrano chile and chopped fresh and sun-dried tomatoes. Next time, I'd ask the server to hold the sun-dried tomatoes because the occasional chewy bits seemed out of place. Other than that, though, it was very good. ... (Read the entire review)
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food rating out of Azul 17: Authentic Mexican dishes, plus a $100 margarita
By Elizabeth Large
Howard County has other places where you can get Mexican food, but a $100 margarita? I don't think so. Azul 17, Columbia's new Mexican restaurant and tequila lounge, offers more than 100 tequilas and 17 signature margaritas. It doesn't give those margaritas away, but none of them costs over $17. However, those who are feeling flush can order one of two other margaritas, which are assembled tableside: the Ultimate Margarita made with Tequila Patron Platinum for $40 or the Rockefeller Margarita made with Tequila Don Julio Real for $100. But if you want to watch something being prepared tableside, I suggest Azul's guacamole for two. It will cost you $90.50 less. Azul's guacamole is made with a dead-ripe avocado, chopped onion, fresh lime, cilantro, serrano chile and chopped fresh and sun-dried tomatoes. Next time, I'd ask the server to hold the sun-dried tomatoes because the occasional chewy bits seemed out of place. Other than that, though, it was very good. ... (Read the entire review)
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More information Contact: 410-309-9717 Location: Columbia Cuisine: Mexican |
B&O American Brasserie food rating out of
B&O American Brasserie: Vibe's great, but food's a little uneven
By Elizabeth Large
Think of it as Woodberry Kitchen, the Inner Harbor Edition. Of course, no restaurant wants to be known as a clone of another restaurant, and this one isn't; but the new B&O American Brasserie ought to take the comparison as a compliment. Woodberry Kitchen is one of our few success stories in the past couple of years. The B&O American Brasserie is the restaurant adjacent to the Hotel Monaco Baltimore. It's a handsome, contemporary space on two levels, with a mezzanine overlooking the bar and exhibition kitchen. The interior - at once comfortable, urbane and stylish - works beautifully with the building's Beaux Arts architecture. It's the ultimate in recycling. Speaking of which, the brasserie has a mission statement of sorts on its Web site. It's "committed to sustainable and socially responsible practices." ... (Read the entire review)
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food rating out of B&O American Brasserie: Vibe's great, but food's a little uneven
By Elizabeth Large
Think of it as Woodberry Kitchen, the Inner Harbor Edition. Of course, no restaurant wants to be known as a clone of another restaurant, and this one isn't; but the new B&O American Brasserie ought to take the comparison as a compliment. Woodberry Kitchen is one of our few success stories in the past couple of years. The B&O American Brasserie is the restaurant adjacent to the Hotel Monaco Baltimore. It's a handsome, contemporary space on two levels, with a mezzanine overlooking the bar and exhibition kitchen. The interior - at once comfortable, urbane and stylish - works beautifully with the building's Beaux Arts architecture. It's the ultimate in recycling. Speaking of which, the brasserie has a mission statement of sorts on its Web site. It's "committed to sustainable and socially responsible practices." ... (Read the entire review)
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More information Contact: 443-692-6172 BandORestaurant.com Location: Inner Harbor Cuisine: seafood, American |
B10 South food rating out of
B10 South serves up Southern fare
By Richard Gorelick
B10 South turned out to be an ace bistro, attached to a really popular (at least this month) big nightclub named LuX. It's not easy to pull off a nightclub/restaurant combo - there's always the danger of one dragging down or overwhelming the other, and this Calvert Street address has seen more than its share of comings and goings. Things might work out better here, for several reasons. One is that there's a real effort to keep the restaurant and nightclub operations separate, both physically - B10 South is on the bottom level, LuX is above it - and thematically. Another is that B10 South's dining room and bar are pretty swell-looking nightspots in their own right - they have the sleekly contemporary good looks of the recently departed Ixia, minus the theatrics. Think shimmering beaded curtains, recessed candlelit niches and cobalt-blue details. And think big. But the best reason is that the menu and the preparations are engaging and impressive. I don't know how much of chef Danielle Kposowa's menu is a holdover from a previous kitchen, but we liked what she and her crew were sending out for our dinner. The restaurant calls Kposowa's menu "Southern American Fusion," and that's close enough. ... (Read the entire review)
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food rating out of B10 South serves up Southern fare
By Richard Gorelick
B10 South turned out to be an ace bistro, attached to a really popular (at least this month) big nightclub named LuX. It's not easy to pull off a nightclub/restaurant combo - there's always the danger of one dragging down or overwhelming the other, and this Calvert Street address has seen more than its share of comings and goings. Things might work out better here, for several reasons. One is that there's a real effort to keep the restaurant and nightclub operations separate, both physically - B10 South is on the bottom level, LuX is above it - and thematically. Another is that B10 South's dining room and bar are pretty swell-looking nightspots in their own right - they have the sleekly contemporary good looks of the recently departed Ixia, minus the theatrics. Think shimmering beaded curtains, recessed candlelit niches and cobalt-blue details. And think big. But the best reason is that the menu and the preparations are engaging and impressive. I don't know how much of chef Danielle Kposowa's menu is a holdover from a previous kitchen, but we liked what she and her crew were sending out for our dinner. The restaurant calls Kposowa's menu "Southern American Fusion," and that's close enough. ... (Read the entire review)
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More information Contact: 410-528-8994 Location: Baltimore Cuisine: bistro, Southern, American |
Baltimore Pho food rating out of
Baltimore Pho lights up Hollins Market area
By Elizabeth Large
In the evening, Baltimore Pho is a bright oasis in the deserted Hollins Market area. ... (Read the entire review)
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food rating out of Baltimore Pho lights up Hollins Market area
By Elizabeth Large
In the evening, Baltimore Pho is a bright oasis in the deserted Hollins Market area. ... (Read the entire review)
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More information Contact: www.baltimorepho.com/ Location: Baltimore Cuisine: Asian, Thai, Vietnamese |
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