Tag Archives: Federal Hill

Shoyou Sushi (1504 Light Street)

I use quite a few different resources when looking into my next restaurant to review. The Internet, Food Network, social media and The Sun are my go-to’s. Every so often I’ll get a recommendation that I have to go to a particular restaurant. Even more rare is when I receive multiple recommendations from different people for one specific spot. When that happens, I have no other option but to check it out.

This was exactly the case with my newest GoodEats venture. I was recommended by two of my friends to go try Shoyou Sushi

in Federal Hill. If it weren’t for these recommendations I would have never discovered this hidden gem.

Situated right on Light Street, Shoyou Sushi is tiny, so keep an eye out for it. Once inside you realize how little the sushi house is with only four tables and a couple seats at the sushi bar.

The owner, Bruce Li, is half the reason my friends had recommended the restaurant. He has a personality as vibrant and interesting as the specialty sushi rolls he constructs. Native to South Korea, Li gained his sushi skills in the Asian nation.

Crispy Calamari. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Crispy Calamari. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The sushi is what brought us through the door and did not disappoint. I highly recommend picking one of the specialty rolls; they are all unique and perfectly balanced. I had to go with the Japanese Burrito, which is a wrapped up roll with shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, crab and avocado, served with a spicy dipping sauce. This was unlike anything I have ever had before and trust me I’ve had my fare share of sushi.

Japanese Burrito. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student

Japanese Burrito. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student

The Shoyou Style Baked Lobster Roll was another interesting roll. Imagine a California Roll topped with baked lobster meat. The heavy hitter and personally recommended was The Oriole Park. The roll was quite the mouthful with crab, avocado, asparagus, cream cheese, spicy tuna and crunch unagi on top for texture.

Hot Night Baby Roll. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Hot Night Baby Roll. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Putting together some unique rolls, a unique owner and a funky little sushi restaurant equals some GoodEats in my book.

 

Next time you’re in Federal Hill, give Shoyou Sushi and Bruce Li a visit.

 

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

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Charm City Wing Wars

On Nov. 16, Mother’s Bar and Grille hosted their fourth annual Charm City Wing Wars at their Federal Hill location. Ten entered Mothers that morning and only one came out victorious. The nearly sellout crowd unanimously voted for the wings made by Alexander’s Tavern.

I think it’s only right to start off talking about the winner. Alexander’s Tavern featured a buffalo, lemon pepper and honey Old Bay wing. My personal favorite of the three was the Lemon Pepper. These wings were perfectly acidic and spicy yet didn’t over power the chicken.

The event's winners, Alexanders Tavern. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The event’s winners, Alexanders Tavern. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Behind Alexander’s Tavern, in second place, was Blue Agave and in third place, Delia Foleys Pub. Blue Agave had a Habanero BBQ wing served with a chipotle ranch. The wing was crispy and full of flavor. Delia Foleys Pub also had some righteous wings. The pub had a wing they called Orioles Magic. A crispy wing smothered in a sweet and spicy concoction. They were delicious.

Blue Agave. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Blue Agave. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Delia Foley's Pub. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Delia Foley’s Pub. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

These three rounded out both my top three and the judges top picks.

Other favorites of mine were Ten Ten Bistro and C&R Pub. Ten Ten Bistro had an Asian-spiced wing served with pickled cucumbers and carrots. The wing had a garlic, spicy flavor. Ten Ten definitely had the most gourmet wing, featuring some really nice flavors. C&R Pub had in my mind the most underrated wing. They dry rubbed their wings, which is risky because sometimes the flavors are either too subtle or too overpowering, but neither was the case. C&R Pub’s Redneck Rub complimented the wing beautifully.

Ten Ten Bistro. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Ten Ten Bistro. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

C&R Pub. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

C&R Pub. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Other entrees included Score, Sweet Caroline’s, Don’t Know Tavern and Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards.

Sweet Caroline. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Sweet Caroline. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Score's. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Score’s. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Baltimore Inner Harbor Marriott. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Baltimore Inner Harbor Marriott. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Don't Know Tavern. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Don’t Know Tavern. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The event was, above all, a great time. Football, wings and drink specials? I don’t think there is a better trifecta. If you weren’t able to make it Sunday, make it a point to go to Federal Hill and get some wings. They definitely have some hidden gems.

 

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

 

 

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander

Sobo Café (6 W. Cross Street)

Federal Hill is known for their neighborhood restaurants flooded up and down the streets.

Any type of cuisine can be found here, from grilled cheese, seafood, pizza and everything else. With so many restaurants at your disposal the same question always pops up. How good can the food actually be? I know this may surprise you all but for the most part the restaurants of Federal Hill are all genuinely delicious.

Enough about the area, the main reason for this edition of GoodEats is to highlight a wonderful Cafe I had the pleasure of enjoying this past weekend.

Sobo Café located right in the heart of Federal Hill is the next stop on the GoodEatsMD tour. So, I ask you all to sit back and enjoy because this place was a real treat.

Nestled right off of Cross Street, the café is a block away from the iconic Cross Street Market. I was in search of a great lunch and Sobo Café was exactly that. The restaurant is small and lived up to that café feel; with a bar right as you walked in and a few tables spread around the rest of the café.

Being 2 p.m. on a Friday, the café was nearly empty. Don’t let that fool you, during dinner shifts and brunch the restaurant fills up quickly, so make sure to make a reservation by calling 410-752-1518 or through the OpenTable App.

The lunch menu, served weekdays from 11:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m., was simple. It was broken down into spreads, salad & soups, non-sandwich, and sandwich.

My friend and I started off with three spreads served with crostini and vegetables ($15). Our choices were House Smoked Salmon with goat cheese and fresh herbs, rosemary hummus with a preserved lemon oil and spicy feta with roasted garlic and jalapeno. The spreads were a perfect way to get the meal started. The platter included crostini (crunch pieces of bread), sliced carrots and cucumbers and my favorite of the plate, the pickled vegetables, which were such a nice addition. The spreads were also served by themselves or as a combination of all four.

The three spread starter. Dips, from left to right: Hummus, Smoked Salmon and Feta. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The three spread starter. Dips, from left to right: Hummus, Smoked Salmon and Feta. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

For lunch I had to go with the SoBo Burger ($12). It caught my eye since the minute I sat down and I couldn’t be swayed. The burger started with Creekstone Farms Angus beef topped with applewood smoked bacon, roasted tomatoes, lettuce, cheddar, a house mayo and all on a house made roll. Try and say that three times fast. The burger was amazing. The burger was juicy and tender.

The Sobo Burger served with a house salad. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The Sobo Burger served with a house salad. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

My friend went with the French Dip ($11). Tender roast beef, caramelized onions and provolone cheese stacked this sandwich high. Our waitress made the decision harder by recommending the Bacon Flatbread ($9) accompanied by dates, goat cheese, onions and sage garlic spread. Also, the Mac-n-Cheese ($9) topped with cheddar cheese and tomatoes.

The French Dip served with pasta salad. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The French Dip served with pasta salad. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The food was delicious, the ambiance was fun and relaxing and the service was fantastic. So next time you’re in the area, make sure to give Sobo Café a try.

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

Edited by Jared Kurlander.



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Ryleigh’s Oyster House (22 Padonia Road)

Before I begin reviewing the next restaurant on the list of GoodEats, I’d like to thank all of you. I’ve now been operating GoodEatsMD for almost 10 months and the support has been unbelievable. Without all of your help, I wouldn’t be where I am now. So, this post is dedicated to all of you, my fans. Without further adieu here is my newest recommendation.

Ryleigh’s Oyster House, the fresh seafood house in Federal Hill, has now opened a second restaurant in Hunt Valley. Located off of Padonia Road (accessed by York Road), this favorite restaurant of mine has a beautiful new home. The restaurant is chic and very modern. The interior is highlighted by a huge dining room with a focal point around the massive oyster-shucking bar. Patrons sit around the bar and watch the action. The restaurant also includes a full-service bar inside and one outside, as well as a huge outdoor dining area.

The inside dining room of Ryleigh's including a look at the outside dining. Photo by yelp.com

The inside dining room of Ryleigh’s including a look at the outside dining. Photo by yelp.com

The menu is focused around seafood, starting with the specials, which lists the daily local oysters available on the half shell. Ryleigh’s compiles a hefty list of local oysters, somewhere around a dozen different types ranging in brininess, texture and size. I went with the Hollywood Oysters, a local, sweeter oyster from St. Mary’s County, served with all the fixings (hot sauce, vinegar, cocktail sauce and horseradish).

Half Dozen of the Hollywood Oysters served with all the fixings. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Half Dozen of the Hollywood Oysters served with all the fixings. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

A Hollywood Oyster up close and personal. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

A Hollywood Oyster up close and personal. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The appetizer list was extensive, featuring some bar favorites and seafood classics. I went with the crab dip ($13). A hot and cheesy dip served in a cast-iron dish accompanied with crunchy bread perfect for dipping. The dip was all lump crab. The waitress also suggested the crab pretzels ($11), warm crab dip served on soft pretzels.

Cast-iron Crab Dip. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Cast-iron Crab Dip. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The entrees and sandwiches carried a similar theme, providing several seafood options. The first thing that caught my eye was the fish tacos ($14): three huge tacos served with a chipotle sauce and pico de gallo. The fish was fresh and flavorful. The fish and chips ($15) made with Atlantic cod and hand cut fries was also suggested. My friend, also a Marylander, holds crab cakes true to his heart. He went with the crab cake sandwich ($15), served with lump Maryland Blue Crab and a homemade slaw. The sandwich was huge and featured a plump crab cake.

The Crab Cake Sandwich served with a tangy Tartar Sauce. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

The Crab Cake Sandwich served with a tangy Tartar Sauce. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Ryleigh’s Oyster House had some great food. Whether you are in the Hunt Valley area or downtown by Federal Hill and are in need of some great Maryland seafood, give Ryleigh’s a try.

Fish Tacos served with house made Pico de Gallo. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

Fish Tacos served with house made Pico de Gallo. Photo by Taylor Seidel/TU Student.

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Until next time. I wish you GoodEats.

 

 

Edited by Jared Kurlander.