Seriously Baltimore, restaurant week recap!

Ok, Ok, I know it's been a while but I had to eat out every night last week for Restaurant week so that I could mention a few good places to take you friends, family and dates!

First was Sascha's 527 on Charles St. I am quite embarrassed that I have never been to Sascha's http://www.saschas.com/ before! I have used their catering company a dozen times and ordered "Sascha's Silver Sac's" for business lunch another 2 dozen times, but I have never ventured up Charles St. to step in and taste the UNBELIEVABLE tastes that make Sascha's a total must do! I went with Mom and Dad, which is great cuz dad pays. We had fried green tomato's with crab and remoulade sauce, filet with a demi glaze garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus and the best Napoleon for dessert (and I don't eat sweets)! Fantastic food, a beautiful restaurant and great service (even for a busy night!) The bartender could have used a little help but I won't hold that against them. I plan to go back very soon!

Next up was Pazzo in Locust Point, newly reopened and still beautiful with new touches. We had fantastic bread and olive oil (I don't eat bread), amazing crab salad, my peach with Roquefort salad with a little too different for me but was interesting. I had the chicken and asparagus lemon risotto with lettuce. I'll admit, I didn't like the lettuce in the Risotto (Heather did you like it?) but the lemon risotto was amazing! I believe that the chocolate mousse was the tables favorite but they also make a damn good Tiramisu! Check it out... http://www.pazzaluna.us/.

Finally, The Spice Company in Roland Park. I was turned off by the lack of valet, and the parking garage, the bad date (another time) and the clueless server, the tourists, and the tacky hostess, the pushy bartender, and the dirty wine glass, and the warm wine....but the FOOD WAS AMAZING and so was the ambiance. Don't get me wrong, I liked the Spice Company, I mean I really liked it but I'm in the business I've been the hostess, bartender, server and even the valet once I think. The new space is gorgeous, (turn down the lights a little though) very elegant and just cozy and comfortable. The dining room with the cozy chairs and the banquettes are fantastic, I even like the little living room in the middle (without tacky tourists and with lower lighting). Ok, the food, the stuffed mussels - Yum Yum Yum! I don't eat pork but the rest was amazing, different and oh so good. I will go back for that! The grilled tuna with a tomato relish and pest sauce was too die for. I could have licked the pesto sauce off the plate it was the absolute best I have ever had. I will go back.

Ok, so more about the bad date another time.....

Seriously Baltimore, it's called a fire code for a reason!

Ok, so I've been meaning to write about this for a week and I'm not quite sure that I even should but I was so bothered by this event that I have to say something. Remember in college when we could hang in a small bar or nightclub all night and not be bothered by the fact that you can't lift both arms at the same time because there are so many people in the place. Well, let's just say I've outgrown that. Last week I was in Federal Hill. Yes, I know that I am and East Side girl not a West Side girl, but I ventured out of my comfort zone and probably won't do it again any time soon. We (about 10 friends or so) gathered at a local place around 9pm and chatted and hung out with no problems. 2 hours later, the dinner tables were gone, there was an attempt at some dancing and then the place was full. You could move, but it was still full.

So we figured we would try something else and we moved down the street "big mistake, big, huge!" The next place had many entrances and no one monitoring the number of people in or out. People, it's called a fire code for a reason. Does anyone not remember that tragedy in Rhode Island a few years back check it out at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire.

It really isn't my idea of a good time to be in a bar that has so many people in it you can't get out! Thankfully we moved on after cowering in a corner by the kitchen for 20mn or so. When we hit the next place I said to a Baltimore City Cop (that was at the door of this bars) that the previous bar was well over capacity and his response was "yea those drunks, we really can't do anything about it! This is what the neighborhood wants" Seriously, I would think that the Baltimore City Fire Department is currently under such serious scrutiny that a little thing like 100 to 150 people over capacity on a Saturday night in a bar in Federal Hill would be something to pay attention to! Don't just think fire think gun shot (have ya paid attention to the murder rate in this town lately?)
Check this out http://essentials.baltimoresun.com/micro_sun/homicides/

So, ladies and gentlemen find a quite place to have a conversation with your friends, where you can dance a little, where you can lift both arms, and where you can get out of in case of a fire!