The Charm City Food Tour – The Dogwood

Susan says…

Located in the art-rich northwestern Baltimore neighborhood of Hampden, The Dogwood’s décor and creative menu are right at home.   Executive Chef Galen Sampson and Maitre’d Bridget Sampson, a husband-wife team, began with a take-out business.  Their use of sustainable foods combined with an admirable social mission has made them a local favorite.  Their mission:  to provide training and employment to folks overcoming addiction, incarceration, homelessness and/or underemployment.

Altruistic notions aside, how’s the food? 

The Charm City Food Tour – Best Fries of My Life

Susan says…

I am a confessed French fry junkie.  I know they make my butt bigger but I can’t stay away from them for long.  Pregnancy afforded me an excuse to consume pounds of fries under the guise:  “the baby wanted them”.  You know the age-old hypothetical question: “If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have only one food, what would it be?”  My answer would be French fries.

The Charm City Food Tour – Pazo

Image from their website

Susan says…

Tapas is a wonderful concept for someone like me.  Someone who likes to try lots of different dishes but doesn’t have the financing or the room in my waistline to order everything that looks tasty.  Someone who will take food right off other dining companions’ plates.  Someone who has trouble making up their mind about what to order.  I sure hope the tapas concept hasn’t jumped the shark.  Knowing that the place turns nightclubesque in the late evening, I had considered Pazo for after dinner drinks but upgraded it to “dinner” status after reviewing the menu.  Lots of small plates featuring seafood with a Mediterranean influence. 

I was told by a local that Pazo is the place to go if you want to “see and be seen”.  Well I don’t know about you, but I wanted to do both!  One issue was the negative attention I would likely receive if I carried my Canon Rebel into the restaurant.  You see, it didn’t quite fit into my hot pink clutch.  Hell, my iPhone only fit in there if I slanted it at just the right angle.  So, reader beware: blurry iPhone pictures ahead. 

The Charm City Food Tour – Ambassador Dining Room

NOTE:  This is the first in my series of reviews from Baltimore, Maryland.

Susan says…

I had some big decisions to make about where I would eat on this trip since I had only a few days to get as much Baltimore as possible.   The words “Royal Indian Cuisine” grabbed my attention and “lunch buffet” acted as a lighthouse leading this ship safely to shore.  Buffets are attractive for two reasons:   1) A buffet allows me to taste a large assortment of dishes instead of being forced to choose one or two items from the menu and 2) I can sample the aforementioned large assortment of dishes for a lower price than the cost of the chicken tikka masala alone!  Actually three reasons:  3) I can eat as much as my little tummy desires.

The Charm City Food Tour

Susan says…

In the coming weeks, I will be posting a series of reviews from my recent visit to Baltimore, Maryland.    

My tour began on a Thursday evening with a visit to The Dogwood in Hampden and then out for a drink at Brewer’s Art.  Friday saw lunch at The Ambassador Dining Room, wine tasting at Boordy and DeJon vineyards, dinner at Pazo, a special snack at the Capitol Grille (which most certainly deserves its own blog post) and drinks with friends at Tapas Teatro and Club Charles.  Volunteering and sightseeing on Saturday was fueled by lunch at Red Star in Fell’s Point and concluded with dinner at Woodberry Kitchen.  Mr. Rain’s Fun House served my brunch on Sunday and after being caught in a surprise summer rainstorm at the Inner Harbor that afternoon, I ended the day with dinner at Mi Viejo Pueblito. 

I ate about all a gal could possibly eat in those three and a half days.  Whew!  What a great trip.  I came home with a few bottles of Maryland wine, 300+ photographs, and some extra pounds. 

Do you know why they call it “Charm City”, by the way?  Visitors found the neighborhoods and friendly residents…well, charming. 

I agree.