{Travel Tuesday} Victoria Gastro Pub in Maryland

After driving many hours from NYC to Maryland (to visit our newborn nephew), my husband suggested we have dinner at Victoria Gastro Pub.  It was one of the best places in the area for craft beers, so of course he had to check it out!  And for non-beer drinker me, he convinced me to dine here with entree options like Lobster Grilled Cheese and Duck Poutine.  Good beer and warm, comforting food - yes, it was a good night! 

So many craft beers....so little time! After going through the binder full of options including many local brews and an exhaustive bottle list, my husband tried the dark roasted Lucky 7 Porter from Delaware's Evolution Craft Brewing and the smooth Oliver's Bishop's Breakfast Oatmeal Stout from Baltimore's Pratt Street Ales. 

Chicken Liver Pate ($7):  Rich and decadent, this tasty (and not overly salty) pate was served with a sweet apricot and cherry chutney and warm challah toast (artfully arranged like a game of Jenga!).

Duck Poutine ($8):  As a good Canadian gal, I'll seek out poutine wherever I travel.  Though this plate of duck fat fries (like the ones we last enjoyed in Chicago at Hot Doug's), duck confit, duck gravy, and melted gruyere cheese was not a poutine (which is fries, gravy, and cheese curds), it was a comforting guilty pleasure.

Kobe Burger with Gruyere ($13): Beyond being a juicy burger, where else can you get a Wagyu (Kobe) burger made with meat from Snake River Farms (the same place The French Laundry has sourced its meats) for only $13?  The burger came with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, mushrooms, house pickles, lettuce, tomato, aioli, and smoked paprika fries on the side.  With its juices running after our first bite, this burger was almost a "5-Napkin Burger".

Lobster Grilled Cheese ($16):  Brie fondue and big chunks of Maine lobster - what could be better?  This hot grilled sandwich was a winning combination, especially partnered with homemade jalapeno potato chips.  Though we both still prefer lightly dressed lobster rolls, this sandwich was a nice twist on the classic grilled cheese.

Victoria Gastro Pub was a worthwhile stop on our road trip.  It also hosts beer and wine pairing dinners.  Victoria Gastro Pub is located at 8201 Snowden River Parkway in Columbia, MD.

Cheap Eats on the road (DC/Maryland): Korean food cart and BBQ

Because it is only a few hours away from NYC (and a cheap bus ride away), Washington D.C. makes for a quick weekend get-away.  We've gone there before enjoying the city's high-end, cheap eats, and drink places.  Though we did not have much time to sight-see (between business meetings and visiting our newborn nephew), we did manage to check out a couple of cheap eats.  Join us as we rush to find the Korean food cart in Washington D.C. and then take a road trip out to Chaps Pit Beef in Baltimore, MD.

I took the Bolt Bus out from NYC to meet up with my hubby (who was in D.C. on business).  During the ride, I used the free WiFi to search for places to eat for cheap.  I came across the Korean food cart - it was only a few blocks away from the bus drop-off spot and was opened 'til 2pm...giving me plenty of time to make it there (or so I thought).  With my bus running late (due to traffic) and my stomach rumbling (due to hunger), I was anxious about missing the cart (and then being stuck with room service).

When the bus finally got in by 1:45pm, I ran straight to the food cart (and soon realizing that DC blocks are a lot longer than NYC blocks!)  Upon seeing the bright yellow cart being packed up, I rushed and breathlessly asked for an order of Bulgogi Bibimbap.  Luckily Andy, my friendly server, had some food left over from the lunch rush.

Unfortunately, they ran out of egg (love the fried egg with bibimbap!), but I was still happy to try their Bulgogi (spicy beef) Bibimbap ($7).  The dish itself was large and substantial (I later shared it with my hubby).  Though it was not the best bibimbap I've ever eaten, it was nice to enjoy a dish full of vegetables and nicely seasoned (not that spicy) beef for only $7.  In an area filled with chain sandwich and coffee shops, I'm glad I had this option for lunch. 

And on the next day, my hubby took me to a completely unromantic, slightly seedy area for a couple of fantastic sandwiches.  After all, if Chaps Pit Beef was good enough for Anthony Bourdain and Guy Fieri, it's definitely good enough for us.  We were lucky to beat the lunchtime crowd and ordered our meal with relative ease.

The classic Pit Beef ($6) was an easy choice.  The beef was tender and moist (it helped that we ordered it rare) - definitely not plain deli meat.  We tried some of the sandwich with the sauce and vinegar, but thought it wasn't necessary at all.  The sandwich itself was so flavorful.  Though it may not look pretty, this sandwich was definitely worth the trip.

The gigantic Raven ($7.30) had roast beef, turkey, and corned beef.  It was a lot of meat that needed some sauce.  Though we preferred the other sandwich, we could see how others with large appetites and meat cravings would like this huge sandwich.

The Bulgogi Korean Food Cart is located at 1400 L Street on the SE Corner of L and 14th Streets (between N 14th St & N Vermont Ave) in Washington, D.C.

Chaps Pit Beef is located at 5801 Pulaski Hwy in Baltimore, MD.

Clipper City Brewing Company

Producing beer since December 1995, Clipper City Brewing Company has become a beloved business in Baltimore. We were eager to tour the facilities during our recent trip to Maryland. On select Saturdays of each month, Clipper City runs 2 tours for only $5 (which includes a souvenir glass plus 5 generous beer tastings).

We got there a few minutes early and sampled a couple of beers prior to the tour.

Left: Small Craft Warning Uber Pils (7% ABV): A hoppy, dry easy drinking pilsner. With 7% ABV, this pils more on the stronger side.

Right: Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale (7.25% ABV): Our favourite of the Heavy Seas lineup and one that is more readily available, this is a hoppy, big IPA. You can't go wrong choosing this beer.

The Clipper City bottling line...

Further down the line...

The fermenting tanks

Red Sky at Night (7.5% ABV): A drinkable Belgian saison-style beer. This is a tasty beer with good hops and a yeasty spiciness.

The Big DIPA (10.6% ABV): A rich, earthy and hoppy Imperial India Pale Ale that we have seen on tap at a few bars in the New York area. While at the brewery, the staff mentioned this would be available in 22oz 'Bomber' bottles.

We also tried the special Clipper City MarzHon and Oxford Organic Raspberry Wheat Beer (fermented with real raspberries). Although the Heavy Seas Peg Leg Stout was not available for tasting at the time, we picked up a six pack to go. These are great additions to the Clipper City and specialty Heavy Seas lines.

Clipper City Brewing Company is located at 4615 Hollins Ferry Rd., Baltimore, Md.

The Brewer's Art

We always like to check out local microbreweries while we are on the road. While in Baltimore, we went to The Brewer's Art, a bar and restaurant housed in an old mansion. The bar was packed when we entered for dinner.

While the bar area was bright and contemporary, the dining room was dark (it was hard to read our menus) and old-fashioned.

The Brewer's Art brews its own beer and offers about half a dozen of them on the menu. We could see these beer tanks at the back of the dining room.

Beacon Ale ($4.50, 4.8% ABV): This was definitely a session-style pale ale. It was easy to drink, balanced, and below 5% ABV.

Sluggo ($4.50, 3.8% ABV): Dry and hoppy with a faint touch of sweetness, this was a good summer beer.

Grilled Calamari Ajo Blanco with Gremolata ($8): This was a good light starter. The tangy gremolata sauce went well with the grilled calamari (which at times was a little chewy, but for the most part was properly prepared).

Spiced Duck Turnovers ($7): with dried cherries, pumpkin seeds, and mole rojo. This was our favorite appetizer. The phyllo pastry was nice and flaky. The duck was tasty and the accompaniments were flavorful.

Roasted Pork Belly ($9): with black pepper buttermilk biscuit, fig-spring onion soubise, and strawberry relish. This was a rich starter that was salty and tasty. Though we thought it was slightly overcooked (though others at our table thought it was perfectly cooked), we did enjoy all of the flavors on the plate.

Saison des Mysteres ($4.50, 4.5% ABV): We thought it was light for a farmhouse beer. It did have some nice aromatics in a session-beer style.

Ozzy ($4.50, 7.25% ABV): This was our favorite beer as it was dry with rich flavors.

Grilled Lamb Loin ($28): This came with crispy fingerling potatoes, braised escarole, and green olive tapenade. The escarole was perfectly cooked, with the lamb prepared a little more well done than we had ordered.

Coriander Crusted Tuna and Sugarcane Shrimp ($26): This came with green papaya salad and macadamia nut curry. The tuna was prepared just the way we like it and the shrimp was fun (like a lollipop). The sweet shrimp was nicely balanced with the tart green papaya salad. The macadamia nut curry actually was not spicy and (thankfully) very subtle.

Resurrection-Brined Pork Chop ($24): This came with a black pepper and rhubarb compote, crispy polenta, and wilted spinach. The pork chop was wonderful! It was cut very thick and perfectly cooked (not overdone).

The Brewer's Art is located at 1106 N. Charles St. in Baltmore, MD.

Crab Cakes in Maryland - Where else?

Since we were in Maryland, we just had to have crab cakes. In the Baltimore area, we had to go to G & M Restaurant & Lounge. We each got the double platter (2 crab cakes with 2 sides for $23.95 for lunch).

Each crab cake is meaty and full of real crab. One crab cake would definitely have been more than enough!

Coleslaw - This was good as it was not too creamy.

Creamed Spinach - Too rich and creamy for us.

Potato Salad - This mustard-based salad was light and creamy.

Vegetable of the Day - Steamed Cauliflower. Crunchy and not too soggy.

French Fries - nice and crispy.

These were by far the largest crab cakes we've ever had! We would definitely come here again.
G & M Restaurant & Lounge is located at 804 Hammonds Ferry Road.

Charm City Cakes - Meeting Chef Duff!

While we were in Baltimore, we had to stop by Charm City Cakes to take a photo of the shop. We love watching Ace of Cakes of The Food Network. The cakes are works of art and the artists seem fun and laid-back, but dedicated to their craft.

Even though we knew we could not go inside (it's by appointment only and a minimum $1000 per cake), we wanted see where all the baking magic happens.

So we were surprised and excited to see Chef Duff himself in front of the bakery. We chatted with him for a few minutes. He was really friendly and easygoing - just one of the guys you could easily bond with over beers.

We also talked to him about his band and his beautiful car (that he bought for only $2000 and then spent countless hours getting it fixed up).

Charm City Cakes is located at 2936 Remington Ave (at W 30th St).

Vaccaro's - Italian dessert in Baltimore

When in Baltimore, the locals suggested we walk around Little Italy and indulge our sweet tooth at Vaccaro's.

Vaccaro's is a local dessert restaurant that serves cakes, cookies, gelato, and so much more. There are usually long lines, but we were able to bypass the crowd on a recent Friday evening (around 9 pm).

Italian cookies, Napoleons, biscotti...so many choices!

We decided to sit down for some gelato and then get some cookies to take home with us.

A small gelato ($5.40) of Italian Cookies & Cream and Baci (Chocolate Hazelnut) with sliced almonds on top. Yes, this was the small size that we struggled to share! It was decadent, with chunks of cookies and hazelnuts in it. The gelato seemed more creamy, like ice cream versus gelato we have enjoyed in Italy. To us, the Baci was much more flavourful than the Cookies & Cream.

Small gelato ($5.40) of Amaretto and Tiramisu. Both flavors tasted like you would expect - sweet like the amaretto liqueur and rich like liqueur-soaked ladyfingers, respectively. Again, the gelato style was on the creamier side.

We opted to wait in line to get these cookies to go (takeout is much cheaper than sit-down). We chose pignoli cookies (almond flour cookies with pine nuts) and some almond cookies (almond paste with sliced almonds). Because we love almond paste, we preferred the almond cookies. They were soft in texture and flavorful in taste.

Chocolate and Vanilla Napoleon: The puff pastry layers are flaky and the custard-like filling is silky.

Though it's not a place for which we would venture out of our way, but if you're in the neighborhood, it's worth a visit. Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop is located at 222 Albemarle St (at Stiles St) in Baltimore.