One World Cafe

Last weekend I ventured into the world of the unknown. I went with a friend of mine to the well-known Baltimore vegetarian restaurant One World Cafe. I have always enjoyed tofu and vegetarian dishes, so I had high hopes of enjoying One World Cafe.
Upon entering One World, I was immediately struck by the colorful walls and modern appearance. The front of the space is used as a coffeehouse. There is a counter where patrons can order coffees, sweets, and small entrees. The coffeehouse takes up a large amount of space and is very much the focus of the eatery. Beyond the coffee bar however is a sit-down portion of One World that is more akin to a traditional restaurant. The restaurant has seating for about 50 patrons and is contained in one large, square room. The space is colorful and cute. The atmosphere is relaxed and quaint. The atmosphere is a little trendy, but certainly still casual.
I order a Thai tempeh stir fry dish that was amazing. The texture of the tempeh was more meat-like than tofu. It almost has a texture as though it's got pieces of ground nuts in it, although it is very much made from soy like tofu. The dish had more of an Indian curry taste than a Thai vegetable stir fry, but the flavors were delicious nonetheless. The vegetables and tempeh were exceptionally well prepared and the dish was full of flavors. I had the feeling I was eating something with numerous ingredients, of which I could only make out a certain few. The iced tea was nothing special and the restaurant does serve alcohol. The desserts are fabulous and I have a special place in my heart for the red velvet cake, although I admit to having a special place in my heart for almost any red velvet cake.

FestAfrica

Fest Africa was this weekend in Patterson Park. I forewent the $5 required for admission to see what the festival was about. There were several craft boths, a performance stage, and some food vendors. There was a limited number of authentically African food vendors, but one booth did stick out in my mind. Lady D's Cafe of Waverly had several authentic Nigerian dishes for sale, of which I chose the asaro (yam porridge) with chicken. The spices in the dish were delicious and I am now considering the trek up to Waverly to try out the home-style west African restaurant.

Pork Cheeseburgers with Adobo

I saw this recipe for pork cheeseburgers on gourmet.com and thought it sounded interesting. I gave it a try and found the food to be delicious. Having pork in a burger provides a new and interesting flavor to the traditional hamburger buns. The mild flavors of the muenster and avocado don't over power the flavors of the pork. The adobo sauce provides a spicy accent that complements the other flavors in the burger as well. Although I might suggest using a combination of BBQ, spicy peppers, mayo, and vinegar to make a sauce that will stay on the burger better and be a little less complex to make. The recipe is fast and easy, as it took me only about 20 minutes to make.

http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/06/chipotle-pork-cheeseburgers

Blue Hill Tavern

I decided to try the Blue Hill Tavern the other night because it looked really different and exciting for Baltimore. For one, the space is impressively large; the restaurant spans two floors and each floor is much larger than the typical Baltimore rowhouse. The atmosphere is very sleek and the layout is designed using elements of minimalism. I was very excited by photos I saw of the restaurant on-line and was not disappointed when I walked through the door. The space in Blue Hill Tavern was impressive and innovative.
The food however was a different story. Before I discuss my disappointment with the food, I will say that the meats I enjoy were excellently prepared. Nonetheless, there was some disappointment after I received my dishes from what was a well-described and delicious looking menu. I decided to start with fried oysters Rockefeller. I love oysters Rockefeller and thought the dish looked intriguing. The oysters were deliciously hot, fresh, and well cooked. I also had a salmon sandwich for dinner, which was perfected cooked.
Despite the excellent preparation of the meats however, the flavoring in all of the dishes however was surprisingly bland.The oysters Rockefeller I had as an appetizer did not resemble any oysters Rockefeller I have ever had prior. The oysters were fried in cornmeal, which was creative, and sounded delicious, but actually very bland. The oysters were accompanied next to spoonfuls of spinach which was wilted, bland, and somehow managed to look sad and helpless on the plate, which I have never said about spinach before. There was also an odd tasteless sauce drizzled on top of the oysters that I had hoped would provide some flavor to the dish, but the sauce disappointed nonetheless.
The salmon sandwich I had was also relatively tasteless. There was another odd tasteless sauce on the sandwich (described on the menu as aioli), along with lettuce and other relatively tasteless vegetables, all of which surprisingly exuded almost no flavor. Even some salt could have brought out the natural flavors of the salmon and would have been a welcome addition. I did end up salting my food, which helped, but the disappointment had already set in. Perhaps the fact that the menus described the dishes well and made the cuisine sound new and exciting actually caused me to be even more disappointed than I would have been if the menu had described the food the way it came out to the table. Nonetheless, the meal left something to be wanted, particularly at the price the restaurant was charging.
All in all, I was very impressed with the atmosphere of the restaurant and the preparation of the meats, but felt that a salt shaker and some inventive seasoning to accompany the food and menu descriptions is desperately needed. The menu was a little small and lacked a plethora of options, so I'm hoping that the chef is simply trying some things out and will perfect the menu with time. I would certainly be willing to give Blue Hill another chance ... oh and they have a really cool looking bar!
On the upside, the atmosphere is lively, modern, and stylish; ont he downside, the food lacks a great deal of flavor.

Aqua Terra

I went to an unassuming little restaurant on Main Street in Annapolis called Aqua Terra. I have heard good things about the place, but the restaurant is not as flashy or crowded as some of the other (and numerous) restaurants on Main Street in Annapolis and thus it's never come to me to try it out. When I'm dining in Annapolis I usually end up at one of my favorite two or three places or else I try someplace that looks adventuresome and exciting. Nonetheless, while passing by in the afternoon, I was in the mood for something small and light and I decided to stop in for a quick lunch.
With respect to the atmosphere, there isn't a lot to say. The restaurant is small, has a modern and clean decor, and offers a nice place for an intimate meal. The location is great, right off Main Street, and the restaurant has a couple of tables for outside seating, where I decided to sit on a warm summer's day.
The cuisine leans towards asian fusion with respect to several dishes , but there are American and European options as well. The menu consists mostly of small plates, sushi, sandwiches, and pizza, although there are several entrees as well. I wasn't terribly hungry and decided to go with a small plate. I opted for Aqua Terra's Korean BBQ, which was not too bad. The meat was a little tough and the sauce was a little sweeter than I usually like Korean BBQ. It was nonetheless nice to see Korean BBQ on the menu, but I'm not sure I would order the dish again. I would however go back and try something new. The restaurant offered several creative dishes and appeared to have relatively healthy, light cuisine. Some of the restaurant's other dishes were intriguing, such as the tempura battered asparagus, seared tuna with cajun spices, and thai crispy whole fish. My friend who accompanied me opted to try one of Aqua Terra's sandwiches: Havarti and turkey a.ka. the Norwegian. She said the sandwich was just okay; she said that it was "fresh, but lacking any pizazz." Although Aqua Terra wouldn't be the first place I would recommend a friend visiting from out of town to try in Annapolis, it's worth a light lunch or dinner if you get the chance to check it out.
On the upside, the menu is inventive and the location is easy to get to when in downtown Annapolis; on the downside, the creatively described dishes weren't terribly well prepared.

If you are in Rehoboth this summer, I highly recommend Cloud 9. The restaurant has a colorful and cheerful atmosphere exuding from its cute downtown storefront. This restaurant blends the casual warmth of the laid back beach town with the creativity and sophistication of fine dining. The menu is inventive and playful and the service is efficient and friendly.

Joss Cafe and Sushi Bar

The new Joss Cafe and Sushi Bar in Baltimore is a very attractive sushi restaurant that is more modern and trendy than the restaurant's original location in Annapolis. Many of us know Joss for its fabulously fresh fish in its Main Street Annapolis sushi joint. The Baltimore location won't disappoint those familiar with the original.
With respect to the atmosphere, the restaurant has a beautiful waved bamboo ceiling and comfortable and spacious seating in the bar area. The brick walls are decorated with minimalistic simplicity and the historic rowhouse entrance is quaint and chic. Joss Cafe in Baltimore exhibits a more modern and trendy vibe than the quirky, unfanciful, sushi restaurant in Annapolis.
Now for the really good news. The sushi is every bit as delicious as that which can be found in the Annapolis location. I had a spicy tuna roll, perfectly fried shrimp tempura roll, and deliciously unique spicy scallop roll. The spicy sauces on the two spicy rolls (particularly on the spicy scallop roll) were uniquely created by the restaurant and thus offered something you cannot get at other sushi restaurants. The spiciness in the rolls did not over-power the deliciously fresh seafood. All the rolls used unique, fresh ingredients to accent some very traditional rolls. The sushi had original flavor combinations and managed to nonetheless pay homage to the simple and original taste of the rolls.
On the upside, the sushi is fresh and delicious; on the downside, the restaurant is not terribly lively and is still trying to get a steady crowd of patrons.