Evolution Beer Brunch

The Nickel Taphouse (1604 Kelly Ave.), located in the Mt. Washington neighborhood, was the host of an Evolution Craft Beer brunch. The event focused on locally crafted beers paired with some brunch favorites.

Evolution Craft Brewing Co. calls Salisbury, Md. home. The brewing company was started by two brothers, John and Tom. Tom had a passion for craft beer while John had a passion for food. Evolution has a series of craft beers featured at many restaurants and liquor stores throughout Maryland.

The Nickel Taphouse was featuring a series of Evolution craft brews. My favorite off the list was the Evolution Primal ($6), a slightly hoppy pale ale. Another popular brew was the Evolution Lot #6 ($7.50) a double IPA with an alcohol percentage of 8.5%.

The beer tap list. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Now, by no means do I consider myself a beer expert but I must say these tap brews were great. I was weary at first ordering a beer before 12 p.m. on a Saturday, but pairing these beers with some locally sourced oysters on the half shell was the perfect start to a Saturday brunch.

Half dozen oysters with a Evolution Rebel. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The brunch food itself was great. All items were served a la carte off of the brunch menu. I started off with a dozen oysters on the half shell (market price). Eggs Benedict are my go-to when it comes to brunch. Every benedict is different or unique depending on the restaurant. Nickel Taphouse’s Eggs Benedict ($13) was perfect, with perfect poached eggs, pork roll, grilled tomatoes and a velvety hollandaise sauce.

Eggs Benedict. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Also ordered at the table were the Huevos Enchiladas ($11), an egg burrito with green and red salsas on top. The Crispy Challah French Toast ($10) looked amazing with a lemon cream cheese filling, definitely big enough to share!

The brunch was great and the seafood fresh and tasty. Evolution beer paired perfectly with the brunch offerings. Make your way to Nickel Taphouse for some great food and an extensive tap beer list.

Hope you all enjoy.
Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

Edited by Jared Kurlander

Brunching Around Baltimore

Brunch has been a growing fad in the Baltimore area over the past year. Whether you are looking for buffet style or a-la-carte, Baltimore restaurants offer their spins on brunch options. I have compiled my list of the top five restaurants, in no particular order, serving brunch in Baltimore. Hopefully you will see some of your favorites on the list. Enjoy!

• Woodberry Kitchen (2010 Clipper Park Road) – Spike Gjerde’s flagship farm-to-table restaurant. If you’ve had dinner here, the brunch is just as good. With everything from creative breakfast sandwiches to eggs benedict and original concoctions. Make sure to splurge a little and have a cocktail made with locally sourced liquor and homemade inclusions. Brunch is offered on both Saturdays and Sundays. Reservations can be made through OpenTable.
• B&O American Brasserie (2 North Charles St.) – Chef Michael Ransom lets his passion for fresh food and local seafood shine through in his brunch menu. Offered Saturdays and Sundays until 2:30 p.m., this brunch features all of your favorites with a twist. B&O also offers $15 bottomless flavored mimosas during brunch. Reservations can be made through OpenTable.
• Blue Moon Café (1621 Aliceanna St.) – This eclectic restaurant offers breakfast specials all day Saturday and Sunday. Open 24 hours on the weekends, this Fells Point favorite has some fantastic brunch offerings. Known for their spin on classic dishes and huge portions, Blue Moon was even featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” for their breakfast options. Reservations are not offered.
• The Food Market (1017 W. 36th) – One of my favorite brunch restaurants in Baltimore. Offered Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 3 p.m., chef Chad Gauss just has fun with this brunch menu. The menu offers several different seafood inspired benedicts, omelets and specialty items. Reservations can be made through OpenTable.
• Wit and Wisdom (200 International Drive) – An absolutely beautiful and exquisite brunch buffet offered by executive chef Zack Mills. Only offered on Sundays till 2 p.m., this buffet offers everything you could want for brunch. With interactive cooking stations, the brunch is quite the spectacle. Reservations can be made through OpenTable.

Bread Pudding from the brunch buffet at Wit & Wisdom.

Other notable brunch restaurants include: Johnny’s Downstairs, Little Havana, Miss Shirley’s, The Nickel Taphouse, Slainte Irish Pub and Restaurant, Spoons Café and Cunningham’s.

Chilaquiles from Johnny’s Downstairs.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Pancakes from Miss Shirley’s Cafe. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Though this list is not exhaustive, these are some of my favorite brunch restaurants in Baltimore. With the weather getting nicer, ask about outside seating. Nothing beats a great breakfast, a few good drinks and a table outside in the warm Baltimore sun.

Hope you enjoy! Until next time, I wish you GoodEats!

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Pete’s Grille (3130 Greenmount Ave)

Tucked away off of York Road is where the next GoodEats location lives. Pete’s Grille is a 28-seat counter serving up huge portions for a fraction of the cost. For over 50 years now, Pete’s Grille has served up breakfast and lunch to hungry diners. Open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. daily, this restaurant is worth waking up early for.

The restaurant is small and with only 28 seats available, on weekends you should expect a wait. Once seated and greeted, making the decision between breakfast or lunch takes effect. Pete’s is known for their fluffy pancakes topped with blueberries or chocolate chips. They are also known for their huge hand-patted burgers.

Lucky for you all, I was able to enjoy both breakfast and lunch. For breakfast I highly recommend the blueberry pancakes. Huge, fluffy pancakes topped with blueberry compote. The blueberries aren’t overly sweet and compliment the pancakes perfectly. The omelets are massive as well, topped with whatever you like, and the home fries served with the eggs are fantastic. They are perfectly seasoned and crispy.

Western omelette and blueberry pancakes. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

As for lunch, you have to go with a burger. Whether you like just a plain burger or something a little fancier, the patty, hand packed and grilled to your liking, made it delicious no matter what toppings you choose. I went with the patty melt topped with caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island on rye bread. It’s a great version of an American classic. Make sure to also take a look at the daily specials; a lot of them are delicious for not a lot of coin.

Pete’s Grille famous patty melt. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with Pete’s Grille. Pete’s provides big portions, big flavors and does so at a reasonable price. Remember, they are only open until 1 p.m. on Sundays (only breakfast served on Sundays) and 1:15 p.m. every other day. Also, Pete’s only accepts cash so make sure to stop by the ATM before heading down York road. 

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

– Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Wit & Wisdom Interactive Brunch

The Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore is known for their lavish rooms, amenities and beautiful restaurants. One of the restaurants featured in the Four Seasons Baltimore is Wit & Wisdom: An absolutely stunning restaurant with beautiful views of the waterfront paired with whimsical and creative dishes created by executive chef Zach Mills.

The restaurant recently revamped their brunch, unveiling their brand new, interactive brunch concept. Offered every Sunday, brunch including live music and action stations.

On Sunday, Dec. 14 I took a drive downtown to try this new interactive brunch.

I have had the pleasure of enjoying dinner before at Wit & Wisdom so I had some idea of what was in store. The truth of the matter was once I walked in and saw the brunch spread I was in total disbelief. Every food one could imagine being included was present plus many others. The lavish buffet style spread was intimidating at first.

Since there was way too much food for me to touch on in just one post, I thought I’d do something a little different and list my top 10 dishes I had that morning. You may be thinking ten different dishes is quite the morning brunch, but just think when I was enjoying all this food it was to better educate you all. The list is in no particular order.

1.) Pancakes – These weren’t your typical pancakes. They were huge and so light and fluffy. Peanut Butter, jelly, whipped cream, butter and syrup were served alongside.

 

The fluffiest and biggest pancakes. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

2.) Raw Bar – Beautifully shucked oysters and shrimp. Such a nice addition to brunch.

 

3.) Charcuterie – House smoked and cured meats served with crostini (crunchy bread).

 

Some of the fresh fish and charcuterie. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

4.) Carving Station – Featured last Sunday was a beautiful roasted salmon and teres major such a tender piece of meat.

Carving Station featuring salmon and beef. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

 

5.) Sausage Gravy and Biscuits – A spicy white gravy full of huge chunks of sausage served with flaky and buttery biscuits.

 

6.) Omelet Station – Pick your favorite toppings and choice of eggs and watch the magic happen.

 

7.) Mac n’ Cheese – So creamy and so tasty. Served in a huge cast iron skillet with crispy breadcrumbs on top.

 

Mac n’ Cheese. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

8.) Bread Pudding – Delicately prepared with a lush caramel sauce. So yummy.

 

Bread Pudding. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

9.) Artisan Pastries – There were too many amazing pastries not to feature them. The almond and chocolate croissants were flaky and decadent.

Artisan Pastries made in house. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

10.) The Service – When you go to the four seasons you expect fantastic service. From the moment I stepped into the restaurant until the time I left the service was impeccable. Everyone from the chefs to the waitress to the hostesses was extremely polite.

 

Make a reservation at OpenTable or call 410-223-1456.

 

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander

Jack Binion’s Steak Sunday Brunch (Horseshoe Casino)

With the growing interest in brunch across the Baltimore area, Jack Binion’s Steak is the newest restaurant to implement brunch. Jack Binion’s Steak is Horseshoe Casino’s premier restaurant. Known for their premium cuts of meat and lavish décor, this steakhouse is taking a pleasant upscale twist on brunch.

Dec. 7 was their unveiling and I was there to take in this decadent feast. This was my first time at Jack Binion’s. The décor was refined and classy with a massive dining room and a bar situated close to the entrance of the restaurant.

The table setting for brunch. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Our table started with cocktails (not included in the brunch price), French-pressed coffee and an assortment of juices before delving into the buffet. Once drinks were served we went up to enjoy the food. They featured scrambled eggs, cheesy hash browns, country grits, crispy bacon, sausage links, house-made breakfast pastries, seasonal sliced fruits and an omelet station. Lunch items were also being served. Featured was a delicious smoked country ham carving station, grilled chicken with wild mushrooms and seared salmon with a cream and tarragon sauce.

The omelette station. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Roasted Salmon part of the lunch options. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The food was excellent. After sampling all the dishes I was thoroughly impressed, satisfied and very, very full. My favorites had to be the country ham, the omelet station and the house-made breakfast pastries. You have to try the Danishes.

Seasonal fruit display. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

House made pastries. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The highlight of the brunch had to be the live jazz music being played throughout brunch hours. The music was a pleasant undertone to the meal.

The jazz area with live music. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Jack Binion’s brunch is running every Sunday through December from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. and on New Years Day. The brunch buffet is $37 for non-rewards members and $35 for total rewards members. For reservations call 443-931-4386 48 hours in advance or visit JackBinionsBmore.com. You can also make a reservation through OpenTable.

I hope you all are able to make it out to Horseshoe Casino and Jack Binion’s for their jazz brunch.

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

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Edited by Jared Kurlander.

Breakfast: It’s What’s on the Menu

Welcome back everyone! I hope your first week of classes weren’t too bad. This week I am going to try something a little different.

Breakfast is huge here at Towson. We are lucky enough to have Towson Hot Bagels just a short five-minute drive from campus. Nothing against THB – I love it – but this week I want to introduce you all to a couple of other less mainstream breakfast places in the area.

First, I have to highlight Miss Shirley’s, located just 10 minutes away off of Cold Spring Lane. Now, many of you know about Shirley’s, but for some reason so many of you choose to not take advantage of this breakfast haven. The wait time on weekends can run you up a wall, but it’s worth every minute. Shirley’s takes a spin on classics by giving them a gourmet twist. The chicken and waffles served with jalapeno butter is outstanding, or try one of the fresh French toast, Belgian waffle, or pancake specials all smothered with fresh and exciting toppings (like berry sauce, chocolate chips, etc.). Miss Shirley’s is a little bit on the expensive side with entrees in the mid-teen dollar range. It is definitely worth the price, though.

It’s only necessary that I also talk about another bagel restaurant. Bagel Works has two locations, both off of York Road (1701 York Rd. & 11209 York Rd.). Fresh bagels, huge omelets, and plump tuna salad highlight the menu. The bacon, egg and cheese is my go-to and it does not disappoint one bit. The wait time is usually minimal, if any, and the prices are extremely reasonable.

The third and last breakfast place I need to introduce you all to is Greg’s Bagels, located in the hip and trendy Belvedere Square Market, a short distance off of York Road. If you are going to Greg’s you have to get either lox (smoked salmon) or the tuna/chicken salad served on a bagel. The smoked salmon is what I consider Greg’s highlight, featuring about a dozen different types. The bagels are huge and made daily. Not only are you paying for a great bagel, but also the experience. Greg is quite the character. Please remember to bring cash, as he doesn’t accept anything but cold hard cash and Rolex watches (store policy).

I hope you all enjoy these other breakfast restaurants. As I said before, by no means am I dissing THB. I just want you all to enjoy something a little different for breakfast.
Cant get enough GoodEats? Please follow me on Instagram and Twitter @GoodEatsMD.

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

Bacon, Egg and Cheese on an Everything Bagel from Bagel Works

Chicken & Waffles from Miss Shirley’s Cafe

Edited by Jared Kurlander.

The Breakfast Shoppe (552 Richie Highway)

For my next review, I had to refer to my friends over at Zagat for a suggestion. It was a Saturday morning and my mom and I were looking for a great breakfast place we haven’t been to before. After a short couple of minutes researching, I found The Breakfast Shoppe located in Severna Park. Yes, this isn’t in Baltimore per se, but the extra drive is worth every mile. The breakfast is the bomb! My family loved it so much we actually have now gone two weeks in a row (all of you wonderful people following GoodEatsMD on Instagram can attest to that).

The restaurant is located in a strip mall on the far end next to Ledo’s Pizza. The Breakfast Shoppe is only open from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily, so make sure you get there early. With a smaller, powerhouse restaurant that all the locals enjoy, you have to expect a wait, and The Breakfast Shoppe is no different. The wait usually goes by quickly and before you know it, you are enjoying some delicious breakfast favorites.

If you are a coffee drinker that likes fresh brewed coffer, this is your kind of place. Don’t shy away from the fresh squeezed orange juice either.

Let’s not kid anyone though, you are here for the food. So, without further ado, some of my recommendations are the eggs benedict, the pancakes, and the Backpacker’s Pie.

Eggs Benedict, for all you who don’t know, includes a type of bread on the bottom (usually English muffin) topped with either ham or bacon, a poached egg (a boiled cracked egg) and crowned with Hollandaise sauce (egg yolk based sauce). The Breakfast Shoppe has an unbelievable rendition. They actually offer a few different types of eggs benedict. My favorite features smoked salmon.

Next, the pancakes are heavenly – perfectly fluffy and airy. You get huge round pancakes topped with a pad of butter and a ramekin of smooth maple syrup.

The final menu item I want you all to give a try is the Backpacker’s Pie. It sounds a little funky at first glance but it was amazing. The pie includes: eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, peppers, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli and cheddar jack cheese served in a cast iron skillet. It’s a whole mish-mosh of ingredients cooked together and is truly delicious. Take my advice and top it with a couple good shakes of hot sauce and you are set!

Lastly, I have to give a shout-out to the home fries. They are amazing. Nothing is better than perfectly crispy and peppery potatoes that have been slowly cooking all morning. They are amazing and are the perfect side dish.

The Breakfast Shoppe is a true hidden gem that needs to be exploited.

Entrees range from about $8 up $14 depending on what you chose.

Don’t forget to check out my Twitter and Instagram handles at @GoodEatsMD!

The Traditional Eggs Benedict

The Backpacker’s Pie

Edited by Jared Kurlander.