Cypriana

When Cypriana was downtown, sprinkled here and there in office buildings and in the University of Maryland hospital, they specialized in things like kebabs and salads. I loved their Greek salad, the typical inauthentic pile of lettuce with cucumbers and tomatoes, topped with a generous amount of feta cheese and a cup of creamy tarragon dressing on the side. The dressing really made it.

A few years back, they closed their fast casual restaurants and opened a full-service place in the Broadview apartments, former home to the venerable French restaurant Jeannier's, among others. I'm not sure why we put off going for so long, but this spring we finally paid Cypriana a visit. It was a pleasant evening, so we asked to sit on the patio, which may or may not have been a good idea. The restaurant's patio is divided into two areas, one more loungy, and the other for dining. After we were seated, we noticed a lot of musical tables and chairs being played by a trio of people who were apparently hosting a graduation party. They never seemed particularly satisfied with the number of tables pushed together or the chairs arranged around them, and the whole thing got uncomfortably close to where we were seated. As in, perhaps one of us would get smacked with a heavy metal table or chair. Fortunately, seating arrangements were resolved before I felt we had to move out of the way.

But then the kids happened.

There must have been a large party inside, one with many small children. Many small children who decided to run around outside on the patio. A patio that is actually a large balcony. Had any of those children been curious enough to climb the short wall to see what was on the other side of the balcony (a drop into a courtyard), there may have been a tragedy. One parent was outside briefly, sitting on a chair and playing with his phone while the children ran in and out of not only the dining room entrance, but also the ramp into the kitchen entrance. Bad enough they caused a ruckus on the lounge section of the patio, but they also decided to run around in the increasingly more crowded dining section, hiding behind tables and running around servers with full trays of food.

And nobody said a word to anyone.

I'm not sure why half a dozen kindergartners were allowed to run around largely unsupervised in a restaurant. I don't understand why parents cannot parent their children.

Anyway...Cypriana is lucky that neither of us got belted by a chair or had food spilled on us by a waiter who had to avoid rugrats. And the food was good.

We mostly stuck with mezzedes, small plates. We tried the spinach and feta flatbread, which was crispy and melty and nicely cheesy.

Also the beef- and lamb-stuffed grape leaves. They were much larger than normal grape leaves, and really very nice, with flavorful filling and tender leaves. They were supposed to come with a yogurt sauce that our waiter forgot, promised to bring, but never did. I suppose they didn't need it.

The sesame roasted feta was drizzled with honey and served with fresh hot pita. I love baked cheese, and could have eaten a few more slabs of this stuff.

We also had the "Mousaka of Cypress," a small and unphotogenic ramekin with layers of eggplant, zucchini, potato, and a beef and lamb mixture, covered in a dreamy bechamel. It was quite possibly the best moussaka I have ever had.

We tried one entree dish of tender grilled octopus served with a cucumber salad (called tabouli on the menu) and some red quinoa, which brought nothing to the plate. The octopus itself was very nice. I tried dipping it in the container of what appeared to be plain, unseasoned, red wine vinegar, and felt that it was fine on its own.

We couldn't pass on dessert, especially when pistachio sea salt baklava was on offer. Made as individual pieces rather than in a large pan, it made for a much neater serving, though it was a bit difficult to cut into bite-sized pieces. The flavor was very good though.

The menu lists the chocolate rose cake as "layers of dark chocolate cake with rich Belgian chocolate and edible roses with a semi-sweet fudge icing." I figured the "edible roses" were made of frosting, but no, there was a definite rose flavor to the cake, and pulverized rose petal dust garnished the plate. I never would pair chocolate with rose, and while it worked here, I still probably won't pair those two strong flavors. The cake was otherwise moist and quite good.

I have mixed feelings about Cypriana. While by and large the food we had was good, the service was meh (still waiting on that yogurt sauce!) and the rugrat disturbance was pretty inexcusable. I can perhaps understand that management might not have wanted to upset their customers by asking them to mind their own brats (Really? I actually do not understand it at all.) but why sacrifice the enjoyment of the other diners?

Cypriana
105 W 39th Street
Baltimore, MD 21210

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Dining in New York, June 2019 - Part 2

I usually plan meals in advance of a trip to NY, except if I'm meeting someone there for dinner.  I trust a resident of the city to do a better job of choosing a place than I might. But I did plan my own Monday breakfast at Pondicheri. This modern Indian restaurant not far from my hotel has several interesting options for a morning repast, including stuffed South Indian dosas, omelettes and sandwiches, coconut pancakes, and masala fried chicken. I was originally going to get the keema (a minced lamb dish) and eggs, but when I realized there would be a chance of smelling like fried lamb all day, I opted instead for the saag and egg on sourdough toast.

The toast was thickly cut and topped with a generous portion of spicy creamy spinach and a just barely set sunny side up egg. It was messy and delicious. (Move over, avo toast!) The kale and cucumber salad on the side was equally tasty, but I was picking kale out of my teeth for hours afterward....

Though I was in town to attend the Fancy Food Show, I like to take a break from walking through the many aisles of specialty foods and do a bit of non-food shopping. My primary goal was to buy some dancing shoes. Mr Minx and I recently started ballroom lessons, and I have found my various non-slip-soled shoes to be an impediment to proper spins on the dance floor.

After breakfast I strolled over to a shop on Madison Street that had a small collection and nothing for my problem feet. I then hiked over to 8th Ave to Worldtone Dance. (The blocks between 7th and 8th Avenues must be the longest blocks in the city. So. Much. Walking.) Worldtone's selection was another thing entirely. The photo below shows less than half the shoes they carry for women, and they not only had shoes with some arch support, but also ones that had cushioned insoles. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a pair that had both AND low heels, so I settled for the heels and the comfort--I can add arch supports. The staff there was quite helpful and seemed happy to bring out piles of shoes for me to try on. They were also good at answering questions and instructing me on how to fasten the curious buckles that come on dance shoes.

After a bit more shopping, I hit up Bergdorf's for some perfume-sniffing and got a lovely makeover from David at Estee Lauder, my dining companion of the previous evening. He can make even me look good.

Later on, my roommate Dara and I met her high school chum Michael for dinner. He had chosen Cafe Fiorello, a New York institution situated across the street from Lincoln Center. Dara and I shared a chilled octopus salad while Michael enjoyed items from the vegetable antipasti bar.

I wasn't supposed to eat pasta, allegedly being on Whole30, but Cafe Fiorello is a bit spendy. The only things I could afford were pasta-based, so I sprung for the carbonara. Topped with a whole poached egg and a generous quantity of guanciale lardons, it was a worthwhile splurge.

Dara was craving eclairs, and Epicerie Boulud next door had them. Since I had already blown the diet (the day before...lol), I had a yuzu tart. It was very much a lemon meringue pie, with yuzu, and a crust that was a bit difficult to puncture with a plastic fork. However, I managed to soldier on!

Pondicheri
15 W 27th St
New York, NY 10001

Worldtone Dance
580 8th Ave
New York, NY 10018

Cafe Fiorello
1900 Broadway
New York, NY 10023

Epicerie Boulud
1900 Broadway
New York, New York 10023


* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

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Dining Out at By the Docks

Last spring, The Minx and I were invited to the newly renovated By The Docks to check out the new decor and menu. While we thoroughly enjoyed everything during our last visit, they are not resting on their laurels; we were recently invited back to try some of their new menu offerings.

One of the changes is a wine program coordinated with Lanterna Distributors, Inc., a family-owned company that sources quality wines from around the world. On this evening, I chose the Pinot Patch Pinot Noir, a smooth-bodied wine with a subtle smokiness. I don't pretend to be a wine expert, but I found that it went well with even the various seafood dishes we tasted.

We started with octopus served with a Greek salad of diced tomato, cucumber, and peppers, Greek yogurt, and toasted pita points. By The Docks takes great care to tenderize and properly cook the octopus so that the result is tender and meaty. Eaten all together, it's a Mediterranean delight! The octopus isn't on the menu yet, but it will be starting in January.

We also had a plate of the crabby nachos which would be an excellent accompaniment to a glass or three of wine or any other spirit. The crispy tortillas are smothered in creamy crab dip and cheese, providing both crunch and a lusciously smooth bite.

We could have stopped there, but we couldn't resist their housemade onion rings. The crunchy coating is not too heavy or greasy, providing a light crunch with the tender, sweet onion inside. Again, great snack to enjoy with adult beverages.

It's difficult to choose an entree at By the Docks, because everyone wants to eat one of their enormous crab cakes. However, some folks in our group tried different items so we could sample more of the menu. (Most of us went for the crab cake though!) The jambalaya was a mildly spicy blend of sauteed chicken and shrimp, Andouille sausage, peppers, onions, and mushrooms served over a bed of seasoned rice. Sort of a Greek interpretation of the Cajun/Creole dish.

I was one who chose the crab cake, which this evening was paired with lamb chops. My three lamb chops were perfectly medium rare, tender and well-seasoned. The dish was served with asparagus and a baked potato stuffed with cheese and bacon. I didn't think I could, but I polished off the entire entree. It was just too good to stop eating!

The Minx ordered the stuffed shrimp. Typically, I think of stuffed shrimp as jumbo shrimp butterflied and "stuffed" (really topped) with crab imperial. By The Docks takes a slightly different approach, essentially encasing the shrimps in a smaller version of their crab cake. Frankly, I'm all for this variation as it's like getting three crab cakes with a shrimp prize in each one.

The Surf and Turf was the classic broiled lobster tail and a 10 ounce filet mignon combo (although the steak looked much larger). The meat was nicely seared on the outside and juicy and pink on the inside; the lobster was perfectly broiled. Drawn butter on the side, of course!

All the desserts at By The Docks are provided by their sister business, Yia Yia's Bakery, the same bakery where we get our holiday pies every year. Last time we were at By The Docks, we tried their baklava cheesecake and Smith Island Cake. We were eager to have them again, but we also got a chance to sample their delicious strawberry cheesecake. The cheesecake is always just the right texture: not too dense but not too soft, either. The Smith Island Cake is one of the best I've ever had.

Last time we visited, I was so happy to see that By The Docks had returned to its former glory. This time, I was even more happy to find that they continue to enhance their already excellent food and service.

By The Docks
3321 Eastern Blvd.
Middle River, Maryland 21220
(410) 686-1188

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La Cuchara

It took us a while to get to La Cuchara. I can't explain exactly why, it just did. And now that we've gone, we want to go back again and again (and we have, several times).

La Cuchara features cuisine inspired by the Basque people living in northern France and southern Spain. Not French food, and not Spanish food (although maybe a bit closer to the latter), Basque food is its own thing. And why don't we have more of it in our area? Beats me. In any case, it's just the kind of stuff I like to eat - lots of small plates, lots of wine, terrific bread.

The menu changes constantly, so what you see here is pretty much guaranteed not to be available when you go. Sorry about that. The photos are mostly to show that the food is as gorgeous as it is delicious, like the Charred Octopus, Sweet Corn, Refrito de Chorizo shown above. The octopus had a nice charred flavor, tender, with a pleasant chew, and corn kernels added a nice pop of texture. There were also some of the succulents known as sea beans (or salicornia, or sea asparagus) on the plate to add a saline crunch. And see how gorgeous?

The poached oysters on a raft of pumpernickel toast (I adore their pumpernickel bread) in a sea of bright red tomato sofrito were perfect. The shellfish just barely cooked and still quite tender. We've also had two very different spins on the now ubiquitous kale salad, one massaged with a pistachio vinaigrette and served with sweet corn and cucumber, the other with bacon and bleu cheese.

We like to sit at the bar, even when it's not Happy Hour. Happy Hour is ridiculous. Pintxos, or small one or two bite dishes, which normally cost a huge $2 are half price, as are all the "primeros," or appetizer-sized plates. The spread of pintxos above cost a whopping $7 at Happy Hour and included sardines, smoked oysters with celery root puree, a jamon croquette, half an amazing veal tongue sandwich, a gilda (anchovy/olive/pepper skewer), charred cabbage Salvitxada, and marinated eggplant.

A gilda.

Here's a closeup of that lamb tongue bocadillo. It was like the most tender pastrami ever. Insane at $2 ($1 at HH!)

Another bocadillo, this one made with meltingly tender pork.

Here are some fried oysters with artichoke veloute. Mr Minx thought they were the most perfect fried oysters he's ever eaten.

We also tried some patatas bravas, a pretty typical tapas dish.

We also sampled some brunch items, like the crispy chicken torta with preserved lemon mayo. You'll never want a tiny fast food biscuit with a chicken nugget in it ever again once you taste these.

The only thing we haven't experienced at La Cuchara is an entree. I'm sure they're delicious, but they are not as budget-friendly as everything else on the menu. In any case, the older I get, the less-interested I am in entree-sized portions of anything. Suffice it to say that we've loved everything we've eaten at La Cuchara and regret not getting there sooner.

La Cuchara
3600 Clipper Mill Rd
Baltimore, MD 21211
(443) 708-3838



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Hersh's - More than Pizza

After our very first trip to Hersh's, Mr Minx declared it to be his pizza holy grail. We had heard many terrific things about their pies, which turned out to be completely true. The crusts are perfect and the toppings creative and flavorful; the staff was lovely as well, which only makes things better.

But Hersh's is so much more than pizza, as we learned at a recent media event. On our prior visits to the south Baltimore restaurant, we had tasted some of their non-pizza offerings, but still ordered pizza, too. I mean, how could we not? As it turns out, one can have a fabulous meal there without eating anything that comes on a crust.

Among the things we tried that evening were a lusciously tender octopus dish with fried potatoes and 'nduja, broccolini served in a prosciutto broth with chopped marcona almonds, and this lovely "greens so hearty" salad.

There were also these super hot, double fried, chicken wings doused in a sauce of Calabrian peppers with a cooling yogurt drizzle....

...this crispy lamb breast with chevre polenta and lemony arugula....

...and a plate of house-made tagliolini with gulf shrimp, garlic, butter, more of those Calabrian chiles, and lemon/focaccia crumbs.

Of course there was pizza, the Fumo e Fuoco (front) with smoked mozz and fried eggplant, and the Kale and Pistachio topped with fontina, two of my favorite pies.

Everything was amazing. Everything. Good enough to cause me to lament the fact that Hersh's is a decent haul from our house in Towson, so we don't eat there as often as we'd like. If we lived in the neighborhood, we'd be there at least once a week, I'm sure.

It's clear they pay a lot of attention to detail at Hersh's, from the hand-made pasta to the layers of textures and flavors on every dish. Knowing this, we're definitely going to start ordering vegetable and pasta dishes on future visits. But we're never going to stop ordering the pizza, too.

Hersh's
1843 Light St.
Baltimore, MD 21230
(443) 438-4948

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!



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La Food Marketa

I'm a big fan of Hampden's The Food Market. Chef Chad Gauss' food is inventive, and many of the options are of the small plates variety. I find that in so many restaurants I am more attracted to the appetizers than to the entrees, so this is right up my culinary alley. When we heard Chef Gauss was opening up a Mexican-influenced eatery called La Food Marketa in the culinary wasteland known as Baltimore County, we got excited. And even more excited when we were invited to a media dinner to sample a nice portion of executive chef John Bedingfield's menu.

We started off with adult beverages. There's wine and beer, specialty cocktails, fancy margaritas, and several versions on a sangria theme. I went for the grapefruit sangria (sparkling wine, grapefruit, honey dew, watermelon) while Mr Minx opted for the Spanish sangria (tempranillo, orange juice, pineapple, orange, pear), both of which made us happy.

We then received a parade of small plates from the "chiquita" and "pequeno" sections of the menu.

There was the "Bandito Box," which included salsa, queso, salsa verde, pico de gallo, and chips, and the Fish Taco Dip (smoked trout, dill sour cream, guac, pico, chili spices)...

...a duck confit stuffed pupusa (spicy cabbage, radish, cilantro)...

...charred octopus (churasco onions, chorizo chimichurri)...

...something called the "Sunken Crab Burrito," (melted cheese, mexican shrimp gravy)...

...and Street Corn (cotijo cheese, taco spice, tortilla, chili lime mayo). We enjoyed them all. The fish taco dip was a riff on a fish taco, of course, but also of that pot luck favorite, Seven Layer Dip. I wished we were sitting closer to the bowl of queso, but maybe distance was a good thing, otherwise I'd have eaten it all with the thin and crispy tortilla chips. Loved the charred flavor of the octopus, and that the pupusa was filled with a bounty of shredded duck. I didn't find the burrito to be particularly crabby, but all that soft tortilla and cheese action was beguiling.

We could have filled up on apps, but we got entrees, too. Mr Minx chose the duck breast with roasted mushrooms, asparagus, yucca spaetzle, and acai demi. He raved about the spaetzle, but the duck was a bit on the too rare side. Still, a very tasty combination of flavors on that plate.

I had the scallops, which were accompanied by cumin-basted carrots, avocado, pecans, "smooth potatoes" and something akin to cornbread that the menu called "sweet corn tamalitos." While I felt the potatoes and cornbread were one starch too many, I couldn't fault the sweet and tender scallops. The carrots made me happy as well. And avocado. And pecans. Yum.

Then there was dessert - chocolate tres leches cake, a pina colada bread pudding, sorbetto with torched marshmallow, and something called a "crazy banana milkshake" that involved cornflakes and pop corn. We had eaten so much other stuff we couldn't afford more than a token bite of the sweet stuff. I did sneak several tastes of the blood orange sorbetto though, and enjoyed it very much.

La Food Marketa has only been open for a month or so, but from our first visit, we can see it's definitely headed in the right direction. Here's to many happy future excursions to a fine new addition to Baltimore County's small collection of locally-owned, non-chain, restaurants.

La Food Marketa
Quarry Lake at Greenspring
2620 Quarry Lake Drive
Baltimore, MD 21209
410.415.0606



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Points South Latin Kitchen

When we went to Points South Latin Kitchen last winter for a media tasting, we didn't get any decent pictures to post. We've been looking for an opportunity to go back, order a large meal, and get plenty of nice photos, so we figured the Dining Out for Life event might be the best time to do it. Points South was donating 25% of that evening's receipts to Moveable Feast, a charity that delivers meals to people living with AIDS/HIV, cancer, or other life-threatening illnesses. We brought along Minxbro and Minxdad to help us drive up the bill as high as possible for a good cause.

Since the weather was mild, we took an outside table and enjoyed the hustle bustle on Thames Street while we shared a pitcher of red sangria. Since so many of the small plate items sounded intriguing, we decided to try five, the first being the shrimp ceviche. Bright and refreshing, the shrimp were dressed with salad spread across a bed of avocado.

We had eaten the carimanolas, or yucca croquettes, at the media tasting and wanted to have them again. Lightly crisp on the outside and creamy smooth on the inside, the croquettes have the added bonus of a beef filling. It's almost like a mini shepherd's pie with the yucca standing in for potatoes, but yucca has its own flavor and texture. An avocado crema is provided for dipping, adding a nice touch of tang and richness.

Since we tend to order calamari everywhere we go, we thought we'd shake things up a bit and get the grilled octopus. The octopus was amazingly tender and the accompaniment of romesco, olives, and chili-dusted jicama made for a pleasant salad dressed in smoky achiote oil.

The pork belly had a crackling crust on the fat layer and unctuously tender meat, exactly the way pork belly should be served. In this case, I don't recall having any pork belly that was quite this good.

Minxdad has long insisted that he does not like lamb, but since the rest of us do, we decided to order the Denver lamb ribs while he was distracted with people watching. Smothered in a honey chipotle barbeque sauce and complimented with garlic chips, scallions, and creamy mojo, Minxdad gobbled down every bite of his rib and declared that he would've eaten the bone if he could. Only then did we reveal to him the true nature of the protein. He offered a sheepish shrug.

Duck confit was the special that day and, given how much we all love duck, we ordered it. The confit leg was meltingly soft, with a crisp skin, exactly as it should be. It was accompanied by a bit of medium rare duck breast, which was also tender and flavorful.The creamy potatoes and roasted root vegetables and squash made for a filling entree that hinted of the coming fall season.

We finished with the beef short ribs braised in bittersweet chocolate sauce. Fork tender and infused with the spicy chocolate flavor, the ribs were my favorite dish of the evening. I could've devoured the whole dish on my own, but I'm sure I would've had a fight on my hands had I tried.

As the late summer sun disappeared behind the buildings, we felt quite full and satisfied. Not only did we have a great meal, but we were supporting a great cause. We have to make sure we don't wait another nine months to return.

Points South Latin Kitchen
1640 Thames St.
Baltimore, MD 21231
Phone: (443) 563-2018



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