A colleague here at The Sun spotted this on Aldo’s menu for Baltimore Restaurant Week, which runs Aug. 13 to 22.
"Due to the high volume of guests served during Restaurant Week, we respectfully request, in consideration of other guests, that you please limit your seating time to 1 hour 30 minutes."
If nothing else, I guess that note says something about the popularity of Restaurant Week.
I asked Aldo's Sergio Vitale about the policy.
"We've never had to enforce that policy (and, frankly, I would feel uncomfortable doing so), but it's a gentle reminder to guests that Restaurant Week tends to be very busy -- particularly on the weekends," he said. "We still follow our standard policy of not overbooking, etc, but it's a balancing act with so much demand.
"Weeknights are really the best time to experience restaurant week -- it's generally a much more relaxed pace and there is usually availability."
If you'd like to see Aldo's restaurant week menu, see below. I was interested to see that it includes the edible weed of the moment, purslane.
YOUR SELECTION OF FIRST COURSE
Tower of Flash-Fried Local Eggplant, Parmigiana-Style
Sashimi-Grade Saku Tuna Loin Carpaccio: Thinly-Sliced Center-Cut Tuna Loin, Spicy Sriracha Aioli, diced Red Onions, Jalapeño & Coriander (served chilled & raw)
Crespelle Gratinee: Spinach & Ricotta-filled Crepe, Besciamella Sauce, Parmigiano-Herb Crust Calabrese-Style Panzanella
Italian Summer Salad: Local Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Tender Purslane Greens, & Sweet Bermuda Onions Over Crusty Bread with Sweet Basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Italian White Wine Vinegar
YOUR SELECTION OF SECOND COURSE
Tagliata di Manzo: Seared Dry Aged Certified Angus Bistro Cut Steak A scattering of Rosemary Fleur de Sel (Sea Salt) and Sant'Agata D.O.P. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Mosto) Arugula Greens, Rosemary-Garlic Frites & Truffled Aioli
Pan-Seared Monkfish, Cannellini Beans, Goathorn Pepper Tapenade
Stuffed Cavendish Quail (Springfield, Vermont) Polenta, Mild Fennel Sausage and Dried Cherry Stuffing, Yukon Gold Rösti
Chef's Preparation Whole Wheat Pasta and Local Farmer's Market Vegetables
YOUR SELECTION OF DESSERT
Buttermilk Panna Cotta: Rich Italian Vanilla Custard, Mixed Berry Coulis, Fresh Berries
Fiji Apple Tart: Served Warm with Tahitian Vanilla Gelato
AVAILABLE AT $35.10 PER PERSON (Exclusive of Beverages, Tax and Gratuity)
Sun photo by Elizabeth Malby