My Favorite Baltimore Bars: The Wharf Rat

Before the Holidays Deana and I drove from Burb to Baltimore to do a little last minute Xmas shopping when an impromptu trip to The Wharf Rat had me thinking it was time I resurrect the "My Favorite Baltimore Bars" series after such a long sabbatical.

For a variety of reasons December isn't my favorite time of year and I couldn't wait until my winter vacation began. This year the weight of the season was feeling particularly heavy and so on the first of what ended up being twelve days of freedom I decided I was going to blow off a little steam via alcohol induced bliss while we picked out a few last minute Xmas gifts at the Bavarian Christmas Village. For those of you that missed out on the Village this year be sure to seek it out next year. It was filled with tons of awesome one of kind of items that I know made at least two grandmothers happy.

Anyway, before we got down to the Village we decided to make our first visit to World of Beer for lunch (a future post altogether) since it was on our way. We only meant to have a bite to eat and a beer, but with their beer menu and my winter vacation excitement fermenting over we decided to stick around for quite a few more (Brewers Art Bird House Cask, Karlovacko, New Belgium Wild2, and Southern Tier Krampus). Needless to say, despite Krampus's best effort I was full of the Christmas Spirit by the time we made our way to the Village and after picking out a few gifts I was in no mood to let the revelry come to a premature end. We decided to head over to Fells Point, but I was hoping to avoid being clustered in a massive crowd after dealing with a plethora of bipeds at the Harbor. My only other ask of the next imbibing destination was the offering of good beer. The first  place I could think of that met my criteria was The Wharf Rat and so to South Ann Street we went.

Pick a reason why someone might love a bar and this place has it. 

Beer Selection - I don't recall how many taps they have exactly, but I know they offer around 10-15 different beers on tap plus an additional 3 or 4 on cask. In the past year or so I've become a big fan of cask ale and this is probably my favorite place to grab a pint right now. On this particular day, Yards ESA was going down especially easy. And the Sly Fox Chester County Bitter made me feel a little less so.

Food - I can't say that I've sampled all of their menu, but I can definitely vouch for their pizza. Each time I've ordered a pie, I've been more than impressed with the quality of pizza coming out of such a tiny kitchen. In fact, the kitchen is literally right behind the bar. One second your bartender might be facing you pouring a beer and the next they could be turned around rolling out dough for your pizza. Fresh pizza made from scratch right before you while you're downing a delicious pint is something I think we can all get behind. 

Ambiance - Just as important to a bar as the food and beer is the ambiance. You want to feel relaxed when you're there and The Wharf Rat provides a great environment in which to relax. I know it's often said that such and such place feels like home, but this place really nails down the home away from home vibe. The inside is wall to wall warmly lit wood and brick and the stairs that can be found along the back wall had me wishing that they were steps up to my very own loft so that I could visit them again as soon as my batteries were recharged.

Bartenders and Friendly Patrons - This is the real reason I love The Wharf Rat as much as I do. It's one of the few places where you can have a good conversation with strangers. The Bartenders are friendly and full of personality and I can't remember laughing harder than I did talking nonsense with the stranger next to me. He started off by informing me that my beard had him "mad envious" and after trading beard care strategies (FYI, I don't have one) he had me cracking up discussing the finer moments of Kenny Powers and Eastbound and Down and his semi luddite ways. Very rarely are you going to have an amusing conversation about someone just discovering HDMI cables and their apprehension to play any video game post Tiger Woods 2008, but at The Wharf Rat that's the kind of conversations you'll find yourself in. 

I walked in that day full of the stresses of December but by the end of my unexpected trip to a simple little bar my soul had been rejuvenated and made whole again thanks in large part to the people and drinks of The Wharf Rat. It's a bar that I know I'll visit again and again and one you should put on your must visit list the next time you're in Fells Point.

  

Kali's Mezze

A little while back my Aunt was in Baltimore for a work seminar. As far as family is concerned, I pretty much live on an island out here in Baltimore so it's always nice to see a familiar face. I wasn't aware she was in town until she was actually in town, but when I found out I knew I wanted to meet up with her for dinner. But, because I didn't know she was in town until the last minute I didn't have a chance to think about where I wanted to take her, but I knew it had to be somewhere in Fells Point. The view, restaurants, and cobblestone streets can't be matched as far as I'm concerned. While we were walking the streets trying to decide on a good place to eat I remembered a restaurant from the pre-blog era that I always really liked. The restaurant was Kali's Mezze and it turned out to be a great place to visit.

Kali's is a Mediterranean Tapas restaurant. The small dishes served one after the other were a perfect choice to satisfy the three of us and provided a great topic for conversation. It also allowed me to be slightly more adventurous about what I was ordering because I knew if I wasn't a huge fan that something else delicious was going to be on the table shortly thereafter. And really, it's just plain fun to share food and be able to compare and contrast with a few other people. 

The one dish we are all excited for was the chilled beet salad. I love the earthiness and texture of beets. They were paired with mandarin oranges, a little feta cheese, and a simple vinaigrette. This dish burst with big bright flavors from all of the citrus and vinegar components, but it was cut very nicely by the creamy feta.

We followed up the beet salad with Shark Fritters. This is where the small plates allowed me to get a little adventurous. I would almost never order seafood for an entire dinner simply because it's so hit or miss with me. In this case, the shark was a hit that I probably wouldn't have gotten to know had it not been served tapas style. For those like me who are a bit leery of the seafood unknown, shark isn't "fishy" at all. You can tell it's fish, but the flavor is very mild and the texture is that of a thicker fish. 

Braised beef was next in line. Some time during the past two years I've become a huge fan of meat cooked over long periods of time. I love how tender and deep the flavors become and Kali's were exactly what I expected. The meat was tender and the sauce added that extra level of savory I've come to love so much. The only issue I had was the fact that only 3 pieces were served. It worked out well for us, but if you visit with a bigger party it may not have been enough for everybody so keep that in mind when ordering. 

Last in line, but certainly first in my heart is the dish I always associate with Kali's -- Goat Cheese Stuffed Roasted Peppers. Man, I love those things. The peppers are stuffed with the aforementioned goat cheese and a mix of mushrooms and herbs. So tender. So good. Such a great bite. Not everyone is a fan of roasted peppers, but if you are this is probably my favorite dish in which they play the starring role.

Of course, we didn't stop there. These are just a few of the highlights from our meal that night. The consensus was that the beer salad was the runaway winner of the evening, but the Roasted Peppers score high points with me due to their consistency at getting the job done year in and year out. Kali's Mezze is a great place to visit with a few friends. The food is excellent and the tapas thing is a great way to get conversation flowing. Give them a visit on your next group night out. 

Price: It can be cheap or expensive depending on how many plates your order.
Recommendation: A great place for group outings.
What to Order: Beet Salad and Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers

Dogwatch Tavern

Once again Groupon has helped introduce me to another great restaurant/bar in the Dogwatch Tavern. I'm not sure if they are a new bar (couldn't find anything on their website), but when I originally looked them up on Urbanspoon they were nowhere to be found. If anyone from Dogwatch reads this, you can thank yours truly for getting you added to the site with a free beer. Just kidding......but not really!

We were down there for the O's opening day and by the time the game was over we were quite hungry. Dogwatch came through in a big way. We knew a couple sandwiches wasn't going to be enough to fill us up so we decided to go with what we thought were Honey Mustard wings. They were delicious. I remember both Deana and I thinking at the time that they didn't taste like honey mustard, but we were thrilled with them either way. To us, all we could taste was honey and old bay seasoning. After studying their menu a little more in preperation of writing this post, I'm pretty sure they screwed up our order and gave what is clearly labeled honey/old bay wings on their site and not honey mustard afterall. Best restaurant screw up of all time! The taste was so unique that it has me and Deana dying to go back for round two. Also key to the wing experience was their homemade blue cheese dressing. I'm a fiend for blue cheese and this was as good as it gets. The salty blue cheese was awesome up against the sweet honey.

After indulging in the celestial culinary achievement known as honey/old bay wings it was time for our sandwiches. I decided to go with a cheesesteak while Deana went with a grilled chicken sandwich. Of the two, Deana came out the winner. The chicken sandwich is marinated chicken breast topped with red onion, roasted red peppers, provolone, arugula and lemon-thyme mayo served on toasted Rosemary Foccacia. To put it succinctly....juicy and delicious.

My cheesesteak was okay. It wasn't great. It wasn't terrible. It was kind of dry, but the wings and Deana's chicken sandwich gave me more than enough taste bud pleasure to convince me that I'll be visiting this place again.

Besides the food, this just seemed like a cool place to be. I noticed they were having a contest to win the right to put your name on the back of a bar stool if you could make it to the Dogwatch Tavern 30 days in a row. If you walk into the bar and someone is in your seat you are well within your right to boot them out. That's AWESOME.....and so is Dogwatch Tavern!

Price: Everyday Pub Prices
Recommendation: Next time you're in Fells, this is the place to be.
What to order: Honey/Old Bay Wings and a Chicken sandwich.

My Favorite Baltimore Bars: The Dead End Saloon

Way back when I started this blog (like 3 months ago) I wrote that I wanted to talk about restaurants, food, bars, and beer. So far, I feel like I've done a pretty good job talking about the various restaurants I've visited, but the beer and bar talk has been seriously lacking. Let me apologize by offering up the first installment of what I'm uncreatively calling "My Favorite Baltimore Bars".
I don't plan on ranking them because bars can become ones favorite for a million different reasons. It just seems silly (and a little obnoxious) to try and put together a list claiming one is better than the other, hence the word "favorite" and not "best" in this little series I've just created.

One of my favorite bars in the Baltimore area that I've come across thus far is none other than The Dead End Saloon in Fells Point. I'm not sure how well known this place is but every time I've ever been there it very much feels like a locals bar. Located on Fell Street just a hop, skip, and jump away from the main action of Fells Point, The Dead End Saloon is a real gem. You're not going to find the bar 3 rows deep with people holding money over your shoulder trying to get the bartenders attention. At The Dead End Saloon you'll find older gentleman sitting down with a beer trying to digest a few pages of whatever novel they're currently reading. If there's a heaven I hope it's something like that because I'd be remiss to name many other things more relaxing than a good drink and a good book.

Anyone who has ever been to Fells Point knows what I'm talking about when I say that the type of atmosphere I'm describing at Dead End is the complete opposite of almost every other bar in that area. Most other bars are filled with loud, drunk, crowded, youngish (absolutely nothing wrong with any of that) customers. Every once in awhile it's nice to step outside of that environment and into something else. There is always a nice crowd there but it's not so busy that the bartenders can't interact with you. I actually like when the bartender does something more than just hand me a glass of beer. If I have a question about how a certain beer tastes I don't want to feel like I'm burdening them and preventing them from moving on to the next customer.

They aren't Max's in that they they don't carry 50 (or whatever the number is) beers on tap, but they have nice dozen or so to choose from. If you want to stay true to your Baltimore roots and down a Natty Boh, you can do that. But if you're looking for something a little more upscale you have that option as well.

So there you have it. If you ever find yourself in Fells Point looking for something a little different from the typical loud and in your face atmosphere give The Dead End Saloon a shot. It's a winner.

Weekend Fun: Max's Taphouse Rare and Obscure Event

For those of you who enjoy tasting a wide variety of beers there is a great event taking place this weekend at Max's Taphouse known as the Rare and Obscure Event.
I attended the event last year and had a really good time going through the list and tasting things almost nobody else can get their hands on. There are some beers there that will truly expand your palate. I'll never forget tasting Cantillion Rose De Gambrinus and being in shock that a beer could be so sour. In the moment I thought it was the worst beer I'd ever laid my mouth on. However, it helped stretch my palate to places that were previously unknown and opened the door to beers I previously wouldn't have considered or enjoyed. Sound weird? Well, you'll have to trust me.

But don't let that fool you. There are a lot of delicous, totally drinkable beers to be had.  If you click through to their website (linked above) you can see the list of beers they'll be serving. Right now, it's a pretty impressive total of around 40 beers.

I'll be there. Will you?

Darbar

Darbar is the perfect example why I love Groupon so much. I've long wanted to try Indian food, but because I was so unfamiliar with the cuisine I never knew where or what to try. Give me a deal for 50% off my bill like I found through Groupon and you now have an official Indian food convert.

Before we get into the food, let's get into what you should order to wash all the delicious food down with. Beer. But not just any beer....Kingfisher. It's a little bit on the expensive side (Or a lotta bit! I think I paid $12 for a bottle), but it was worth every penny. It's such a smooth well balanced beer, I'd imagine even the most picky beer drinker would be happy with this one.

The one Indian dish I knew I wanted to try was the nan. For those that don't know, nan is a bread cooked inside a clay pot. Really, it reminds me of grilled pita bread with a unique flavor I couldn't quite put my finger on. It's simple, but delicious.

When it came to the main course, neither Deana or myself really knew what we wanted to order as newbies to the Indian food scene. She went with the Chicken Malai which is chicken marinated in cream cheese, garlic, ginger, and coriander. I decided on the Tandoori Mix Grill so that I could get a feel for a few things in one hit. The Mix Grill included Chicken Tikka, Lamb Seekh Kebab, Tandoori Shrimp, Boti Kabab, and Tandoori Chicken.

Tandoori Mix Grill

 For some reason, I was expecting the flavor of Indian food to be akin to a Lady Gaga outfit....in your face and unrelenting. But it was the polar opposite. At least in regards to the dishes we tried, the flavors were very subtle. All of the flavors were there, but no one jumped out at you more than the other. It didn't matter if you were eating chicken, lamb, or shrimp the protein was always the star of the show despite the big flavors they were prepared with. The grill flavor they were able to impart on the Tandoori Mix Grill was some of the best grilled food I've ever had. And I wouldn't be doing you guys justice if I didn't mention how juicy the Chicken Malai was.

Darbar might have been the first Indian restaurant I've visited, but it made a great impression. If you're someone like me who was always curious about Indian cuisine, this is a great place to get familiar with everything. The art on the walls is very beautiful, the servers are attentive, and you will probably even get to have a small conversation with the owner (I always appreciate when they visit) to go along with all of the great food.

Price: Upper End of Average (on average around $17)
Recommendation: Great place to try Indian Food for the first or fortieth time.
What to order: Tandoori Mix Grill and Nan.