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.

Greek Folk Festival

Don't forget to check out St. Nicholas's annual Greek Folk Festival this weekend on Ponca Street. There will be a good deal of delicious food I'm sure with such favorites as gyros, moussaka, dolmathes, grilled octopus, baklava, and of course leg of lamb!

Talara

I recently ventured over to Talara, a new Nuevo Latino restaurant you may have noticed that opened in Harbor East on President Street. I wasn't sure what to expect because I don't know many good Nuevo Latino restaurants in Baltimore and I was worried that the self-described "South Beach" atmosphere might mean the owners want to place more of an emphasis on the bar than the food. I was however pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the food. The restaurant was crowded, but I only waited for 15 minutes without reservations. I got a drink at one of the two bars and was seated at a large window-side table.
The mojitos were a little adverturous with flavors like pomegranite and key lime. I had the pomegranite, which was a little on the sweet side, but the drink had fresh mint and was relatively good overall.
The food however was even better. I went with a group of friends and we all split four tapas. We had a lime and jalepeno flavored shrimp ceviche (ceviche seems to be the restaurant's specialty), which was good and an asian style ahi tuna ceviche, which was amazing. The tuna ceviche was very well flavored and was almost sushi-like, but nonetheless noticably ceviche.
We split a seafood paella, which was very well seasoned and contained some of the best Spanish rice I've ever had. We had a pulled pork and manchengo sandwich that was delicious! The pork was well cooked and perfectly accented by the cheese and bread. We also had a tender pork shank that could have used a little more seasoning, although it was deliciously juicy nonetheless. All of the seafood we had was very fresh and it seemed like there was an emphasis on truly high caliber preparation.
We skipped dessert, only because we wanted to walk down the street and get some bubble tea at Teavolve. The atmosphere is fun and lively and the service could not have been any better. I highly recommend this new and creative restaurant!!
On the upside, Talara brings a new, inventive food concept to Baltimore and it does it well; on the downside the music is a little loud and it can be difficult to hear.

EatBar

I went to an amazing restaurant in Arlington, VA while hanging out with a friend in the DC area on Saturday. The restaurant is called EatBar and has a true neighborhood feel. The "bar"puts an emphasis on the food it prepares (thus the name), and yet also maintains a strong wine, beer, and cocktail menu. In fact, EatBar has over 70 wines by the glass (many under 10 dollars) and a selection of cocktails created in house.
I dined with two other guests and we decided to start by splitting a cheese/charcuterie plate that ended up being a delicious way to begin an amazing dining experience. The plate contained an interesting goat's milk cheese (we picked 3 cheeses off a list on the menu) that contained lavender. The lavender was a little over-powering, but it offered an interesting flavor compliment to the soft, mild, and creamy goat's milk cheese.
The restaurant has a number of small plates and also offers some entrees as well. We chose to get several small plates to split and also got a sandwich that sounded interesting. We had excellently prepared charred octopus. The octopus was perfectly cooked and was firm and flavored on the outside and soft on the inside - not chewy. We also had a rabbit pate. The pate had a very un-pate like flavor, but the whole grain spicy mustard and carrot salad served with it complimented the pate well. The Reuben sandwich we ordered was truly amazing!! Best of all, when the bill came, the damage was not bad! I highly recommend this eatery/bar to anyone in the Arlington area wanting a cheap, chic, and truly exceptional restaurant. Great food and the service was very good as well!!
On the upside, the restaurant is well priced and cozy and on the downside, I hear the desserts leave more to be wanted.