Mama's on the Half Shell - Canton, Baltimore

Hey Everyone! The FI (still getting used to writing that) and I met up with college friends for a relaxing weekend lunch. They took us to a popular seafood spot - Mama's on the Half Shell in Baltimore. Thankfully there was zero line when we arrived because we passed one going out the door as we were leaving. It is in the city, so parking can be found on the street.

The place is pretty small, thus creating the line of waiting patrons. It is two levels of dark, colonial looking decor which looks like 'Baltimore seafood place'. Not sure what that means, but it fits! The vibe is casual, but airing on the nicer side.

Our friends ordered a 1/2 pound of Steamed Jumbo Shrimp with chipotle lime cocktail sauce, drawn butter and bread ($9.99). The shrimp were big, and delicious eaten with the sauteed onions. The cocktail sauce didn't taste like it had chipotle lime in it, but was still good.

I was craving Cream of Crab, so I ordered the closest thing on the menu. The Seafood Chowder ($6.99) had shrimp, scallops, clams and applewood smoked bacon in a heavy cream base. It was so good and satisfying. It was quite heavy so if I didn't want to stuff myself (which is never), then I could just eat this as my lunch.

Our friends high recommended this ginormous sandwich! What you see below is only HALF. The Seafood Club ($14.50) comes with a 3 oz crab cake, shrimp salad, lettuce, tomato, mayo, smoked applewood bacon and swiss cheese. You also have the option of fried oysters instead of the crab cake. The shrimp salad had big chunks of shrimp, the bacon was flavorful and you can't go wrong with a crab cake in Baltimore. It's hard to eat because it's so tall, so I took it apart and ended up getting rid of an extra slice of bread in order to fill up on the good stuff.

After our meal we stopped by the famous Vaccaro's to pick up some Italian desserts for the road! A little on the pricey side, and not as sweet as typical desserts.

The service was quick and nice. They sliced the sandwiches for us and I have no complaints. We didn't get a chance to try any raw oysters as their name suggests, but next time!

2901 O'Donnell St
Baltimore, MD 21224
www.mamasmd.com

Joung Kak - Baltimore, MD

Cold, rainy nights are remedied with delicious Korean food. Rarely am I ever in Baltimore, but the bf and I were visiting his sister, so she took us to Joung Kak in the Charles North area. There are a few metered spots in front.

Sorry guys, we were so focused on the food, I didn't take any pictures of the interior! I will say, it's kinda run down. Lots of wood, and random missing tiles, hair dryers...

They did give a wide variety of ban chan, which we liked.

This was the 1st time I've seen a charcoal tabletop grill, which I might add, was a huge fire hazard during our meal. The metal grate wasn't ever changed throughout the night and the char stuck to it caught on fire. Thankfully the bf's sister saved the day, otherwise it could have been bad.

The seafood pajoon (pancake) for $15ish was so crispy and flavorful, I loved it! This picture doesn't show how large it was, but it was huge.

This is one of the complimentary hot pots we received. Pictured was the egg-souffle-thingy (?) and the other was a pork-based soup.

We shared a BBQ combo that had bulgogi (beef), pork and chicken for $55ish.

There was a ton of meat for 3 people!

OMG they gave out Korean Yogurt Drink! I love these little tart drinks. I haven't seen them served at the end of a meal before.

The service was super lacking. We weren't checked on at all, so we were thirsty and almost caught the table on fire. They were nice though, and there were a lot of free items. I found the meat to be mediocre, but the bf and his sister liked it. The pajoon was my favorite part of the meal, and would be the only reason why I'd come back.

18 W 20th St
Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 837-5231

Woodberry Kitchen - Baltimore, MD

My college friend lives in the Baltimore area and invited us to celebrate her birthday at the farm-to-table American restaurant Woodberry Kitchen. Almost everything is made from scratch in-house. All of their ingredients are seasonal and local. This place is off the beaten path, so don't get too confused when you're GPS is taking you somewhere odd. They offer free valet and a free parking lot right past the restaurant.

Customers can enjoy their outdoor seating at communal tables during warmer months. It's adorable. The space glows at night with the help of Christmas lights.

The interior has two floors. The top floor is very small but overlooks the main dining room. There is also a side room on the main floor. I love the exposed brick, wood and "urban country" feel.

Getting a reservation was HARD for a regular dining hour even 2 weeks in advance, so the 4 of us ate at the bar.

They served us 2 kinds of bread and butter while we waited.

Their specialty cocktail list is pretty long and they offer an amazing variety of alcohol. All of the beer and wine are either local or organic. They offer many varieties of bourbon and other liquors made in the US. I ordered the 'American Pie (Apple brandy, Reid's apple cider, ginger, brown sugar, warm spices)' for $12. Hands down this was the BEST cocktail I've ever had in my life. The ingredients melded together so beautifully. You could taste every single ingredient individually, it wasn't weak, and finished very smoothly.

Time for food! Please know that their menu is constantly changing based on the ingredients they have at the moment. They also run out of items often because of that same reason. Their menu offers small plates and entrees. The birthday girl ordered the 'Springfield Chicken 'n Biscuit (kale, young carrots, roasted garlic pan sauce)' for $23. She said the chicken was moist and flavorful. The kale was a hit at the table, and the biscuit tasted of rosemary.

The birthday girl's BFF ordered the 'Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder (fingerling potatoes, buttered turnips, farm egg, pork gravy)' for $22. She said the pork was very tender and even took her leftovers home because it was so good.

My cousin ordered 2 small plates as her meal. 'Marvesta Sizzling Shrimp (romesco, onion, lemon)' for $14. She ordered it after the lady next to her was eating it. She said it was really good, but a bit expensive for a small plate. Behind the shrimp was her 2nd small plate of 'Salt Baked Beauregard Sweet Potatoes (maple butter)' for $8. Those were so good! I took a few. They are really tiny and soft. The salty and sweet caramelization was delicious.

I ordered the 'Anson Mills Sweet Corn Polenta (stewed tomatoes & eggplant, okra)' for $18. This dish had every kind of ingredient that I love. The corn polenta (boiled cornmeal) was soft with a nice exterior, and the flavors from the stewed veggies were comforting and warm, and the okra was roasted to perfection.

Um, did I mention how much I loved that dish?

For dessert our server recommended the oddest sounding one on the menu. 'Corn brulee with chocolate cake and red hot ice cream'. This was insanely good. The brulee was sweetened with corn, the ice cream gave it a nice spice and the chocolate gave the dish some texture. Mmmmm...

We loved the night SO MUCH, so we reserved another birthday dinner there for 2 weeks later. So I'm going to quickly run through this experience. They ran out of my 'American Pie' drink, but was recommended the 'Headless Horseman,' which also had warm flavors and bourbon.

The dishes showcased fall veggies like squash, potatoes, zucchini, etc. Our table ordered the pork shoulder, chicken & biscuit, the steak and woodoven rockfish. We had such a hard time deciding on the dessert, but gave us the pumpkin roll to try on the house.

For my aunt's birthday dessert, the oddest sounding one on the menu was recommended to us again! 'Apple Cheddar Strudel with Sour Cream Ice Cream'. It was so good! The Cheddar gave the dessert a mild salty flavor to contrast the sweet apples and strudel. The sour cream ice cream was amazing! Tasted slightly tart, but was very creamy. We actually ordered a 2nd plate and a whole other side of the ice cream.

I can't tell you how much I love this place. To top off the amazing food, the service is probably the best I've had. The staff is very knowledgeable of the menu and how the food is made. They are very patient and warm. The first time we went there, our friend got lost and the manager was on the phone with her and eventually said he'd go out and meet her so she could follow his car since he was leaving to get a keg anyway. Unheard of! The menu is constantly changing, which is a good and bad thing. I love the concept of seasonal dishes. I like trying new things, but the only sad part is you might have loved something one time, but it might not be there the next time. Prices are higher, with entress in the mid-20's. I can't wait until I bring the bf here!

2010 Clipper Park Rd
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 464-8000
www.woodberrykitchen.com