Eight Courses of Splendor

When we were dating, there was no way to possibly know that Hubby and I were so perfectly made for one another. How, at sixteen, could I have known that he would never complain about going shopping with me? How, at sixteen, would I have been able to foresee that I would never have to be one of those wives who ‘mothers’ her husband by dressing him, feeding him, and babying him? How, at sixteen, would I have known that he would have practically the same taste buds as me? That he would love late night trips to Starbucks and be willing to be a guinea pig for a wide variety of flavors at our dinner table day in and day out?

I’m pretty lucky.

He reaches for the extraordinary and refuses to live life going through the motions. It should have been little to no surprise to me that he made reservations for a restaurant hidden away downtown, marked only by a small sign on the door, mixed amongst others on the street corners that scream with open windows and bright lights.

From our relaxing view of Central Park, by subway it was a 40-minute shuffle through the bitter cold to get to Degustation. A cold gust forcing our heads down could have caused us to miss it. Then again, isn’t that the way with a lot of places in New York that are hidden beneath the glitz and glamour of highly erected buildings and signs that demand attention?

Degustation is ‘Iberian, French, and American influenced cuisine…local market inspired’. Small plates are the focus of the menu. The best part though is that it is an open kitchen. The head chef, Nicholas Licata, is cooking right in front of you, and in the case of Hubby and myself literally directly in front of us.

This experience has made me learn to respect the small plate menu. The idea of a small plate used to sound completely absurd to me. Why on earth would I want a small plate of something delicious? But with small plates, you get the opportunity to try several different things at once, hopefully, without overindulging. They are usually pricey, but the quality of what you are receiving is far superior to many larger plates served elsewhere.

For Valentine’s Day, Degustation had an eight-course tasting menu. I think Hubby had a hunch that it was the only thing they were serving that night, but I had no clue. I started looking at the menu in front of us and thought, ‘ Hmmm, I suppose there is something on here that I can order…” Then I started to take in my surroundings more and I realized that no, I wouldn’t be ordering anything. I would be eating everything.

When this realization set in, I started to panic a little. There were items on the menu that I would never in my life have had any desire to try, let alone to pay to try. I tried to reason that I was being silly, panicking over food, but considering that half of the words on the menu I needed to inconspicuously use Google to clarify left me wondering how when this was all over I could possibly convince Hubby he had made a good choice for our Valentine’s Day meal.

Let me help you better understand the point of confusion I was facing. Here was the tasting menu set out next to our place settings:

Oyster “Taco”

Focaccia Toast

Warm Lardo, Red Onion Jam

Burrata

Chinese Oregano, Nasturtium, Puffed Wild Rice

Scallop

Thai Red Curry, Finger Lime, Shiso

“Green Eggs & Lamb”

Poached Egg, Lamb Belly, Smoked Maple

Squid Ink Spaghetti

Soffrito, Bottarga, Blue Prawn, Chorizo Crumb

Beef

Sunchokes, Parsnip, Chestnuts

Cheese, Candied Walnut, Churned Seashore Honey

Spanish Torrija & Cajeta

Knowing the price of the meal and also that we had champagne back at our hotel room, we chose not to order wine, though the restaurant’s wine list has been hand selected by the chef to pair with the plate assortment.

The couples on either side of us were already into their third and fourth courses, so we had the experience of not only watching the eight different courses being prepared again and again before we ate them, but of also watching the expressions of others around us as they experienced the taste.

If you read my most recentpost, you’ll understand this. After we sat down and had taken in the menu, the room, and the methodical cooking going on before us, Hubby leaned over to me and said, “No taking pictures here.”

Naturally, I thought.

But then, the desire to take a picture continued to build up inside of me. He was right, of course. This was precisely the kind of place that taking a picture of your food and/or of the chef is completely and horrifically tacky.

But then I found a reason.

The menu is on their website, right? I asked him, assuming that he had looked over the eight-courses which, like it or not, we were about to behold.

Yeah, actually, ummm….

That was enough for me. I nonchalantly snapped a few pictures of the menu so I would remember every single thing (for you, for me) and then couldn’t resist a few more.

However, I did not take a single shot of my food. And for that, you should be proud of me.*

*Go to Degustation’s website to see a few pictures of food off their regular menu.

Now, onto the food…

First Course: Oyster ‘Taco’

Before this, I had never eaten an oyster before.

I was terrified.

Oysters = Slimy. Chewy. Yucky. This was the preconceived idea I had and I was basically ready to take a bite of my ‘taco’ and then pass the rest over to Hubby. Then I watched as the oysters were dumped from a pot of hot oil to drain. Fried oysters? That’s something I think I can get behind.

Apprehensively, I took my first bite. The shell was tiny, about the size of a biscuit. A white spread, the oyster and some greens were piled on top of one another.

My gut instinct told me to pass it on to Hubby after I ate my first bite, but my mouth wouldn’t let my hands give this new found delight away.

Second Course: Focaccia Toast: Warm Lardo, Red Onion Jam

Here is where I got a little antsy. I grabbed my phone and hid it under the table as I frantically Googled “Lardo”. That little ‘o’ on the end made me question if it was related to lard, or something far more unusual and complicated.

Lardo, dear readers, in down right, straight up, holding no punches, Layman’s terms is pig fat.

After spreading the red onion jam (mind blowing!) and a few other fancy frills on top of the focaccia toast, the chef then laid a piece of lardo on top and used a kitchen torch to crisp it.

It was still a little chewy in spots, and difficult to cut, but it gave an amazing flavor to the toast. If you are someone who likes your bacon on the less crispy side (like Hubby) you will love lardo. Me, I could have eaten an entire loaf of bread with the red onion jam only.

Third Course: Burrata: Chinese Oregano, Nasturtium, Puffed Wild Rice

This course was one of my favorites. A lot of Italians crave mini mozzarella balls or mozzarella and tomato drizzled with balsamic. Though I desperately want to, I haven’t shared that sentiment. There are some times that I love the flavor of the cold mozzarella, and other times that it makes me cringe. This course made me realize that it is most likely the quality of the cheese.

In other words, I’m a snob.

But we pretty much knew that from my stance on leftovers.

Burrata, which yes, I needed to Google, is a cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outside is all mozzarella while the inside is softer due to the combination of mozzarella and cream. It was topped with a little oil, Chinese oregano, nasturtium (a kind of watercress), and puffed wild rice.

This cheese was the best cheese I have ever eaten in my life. Hubby wanted more puffed wild rice. While the rice and greens were a nice addition to the cheese, this was a cheese I could have eaten by the handful. It was incredibly smooth and creamy, but not only that—there was a flavor that I have yet to taste in ordinary grocery store mozzarella.

Fourth Course: Scallop: Thai Red Curry, Finger Lime, Shiso

I wanted desperately to request for my scallop without the curry. I knew it was going to be too spicy for me and that it would affect my scallop in a negative way.

The scallops used were jumbo scallops. I could have probably eaten five or six of them had this not been an eight-course dinner. They were cooked to perfection, served with a curry sauce drizzle, a little greenery, and a side of sliced finger limes.

Of the entire dinner, the finger limes were possibly the most fascinating thing I experienced. Finger limes look like limes that have been shrunk down to the size of an almond. They were given to us sliced in half and we were told to squeeze them over our scallops to help cut the spicy flavor. Instead of juice squeezing out, little bubbles that I can only liken to caviar in size and presence came out. These bubbles burst with a citrus flavor when bit into.

Though originally a fruit of Australia, the finger limes we enjoyed were grown in California.

Fifth Course: “Green Eggs & Lamb”: Poached Egg, Lamb Belly, Smoked Maple

This course intrigued me the most, mainly because even after watching the chef prepare it again and again for other guests, I still had no clue which element was the lamb belly. What we were given was a poached egg drizzled with a green and brown sauce topped with what I originally thought was some kind of bread crumble. When I ate it, I realized that what I thought was a bread crumble was really a sort of corned beef hash of lamb belly.

Hubby, being a big fan of corned beef hash, loved this course. The lamb belly was a little too tough for me. I felt that for such a tiny item I was chewing it an awful lot—of course, perhaps I was eating it wrong. This is always a possibility!

I was more interested in the poached egg. I have never poached an egg before and found it mesmerizing to watch as the chef’s assistant cracked the eggs (they were poached in the shell) and would gently rock them out of their shell and into a bowl. I think poaching eggs will be in my near future. I better dedicate a good dozen to this venture.

Sixth Course: Squid Ink Spaghetti: Soffrito, Bottarga, Blue Prawn, Chorizo Crumb

A few weeks ago, I was in an Italian market in Princeton and saw fresh squid ink spaghetti. On first look, I thought it might be interesting to make something with squid ink spaghetti. Then, as I further considered why the spaghetti was black and the fact that it was SQUID INK I decided then and there that I would never, ever attempt to make a meal with squid ink spaghetti.

By this point, the chef had proven himself to be able to not only convince me to eat anything, but also that he could make just about everything tasty and delicious. Despite the stance made weeks ago in Princeton, I knew I was going to have to eat this spaghetti.

Using a tweezer like utensil, the chef twisted each serving off a pan and onto the plate. I know that all the other elements listed were put on top of the spaghetti, because I watched the chef do it at least a dozen times, but I honestly don’t even remember eating them—I was so focused on the spaghetti. It tasted like any other spaghetti, except with an obvious homemade quality to it. Though it definitely pulled me out of my comfort zone to eat (I ate the entire serving!) I more than likely wouldn’t order it again. Not because I disliked it, but more so because there were so many other courses I enjoyed more.

Seventh Course: Beef: Sunchokes, Parsnip, Chestnuts

Such as the seventh course. Going into this course I knew one thing: I like beef. I figured, worst case scenario, I could avoid all the other elements of this dish and hone in on the meat.

The meat was the best meat of my life. I know I’m really playing up this meal, but in all honesty, I have never had a more tender or flavorful piece of beef. Ever. From a distance, it looked rarer than my preference, but as I ate it I knew that the chef was a complete genius.

The beef, however, was not what made this my favorite course. I sliced into my sunchoke thinking that I would give it a taste, and then if I didn’t like it no one would fault me for pushing the vegetable to the side. The texture reminded me of a potato, and the flavor was better than the best red potatoes I have ever enjoyed. It had a subtly sweet flavor to it, the outside was lightly crisped and I portioned it out so that it was the last bite I took of this course.

Though my gut says, go buy some sunchokes and cook those bad boys up, my heart says that only Degustation should ever serve me sunchokes again.

 Eighth Course: Cheese, Candied Walnut, Churned Seashore Honey

I absolutely love candied walnuts. I love them alone, I love them on salads, I love them with dessert. Naturally, I had never heard of churned seashore honey before, but I had the privilege of watching as the chef used two plastic spoons to ease each serving out of the jar, and then attempt to get the entire serving onto the plate artistically, rather than leaving a confusing blob on the plate.

This quickly became another favorite course of mine. As someone who isn’t a fan of honey flavor alone, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Consider churned seashore honey to be ordinary honey’s rebelliously cool older brother. It was so sweet and creamy, I could have eaten the entire jar. Until I got home and discovered that it costs about $30 a jar. Looks like this portion control thing  is important not just for your belly, but for your wallet too!

Dessert: Spanish Torrija & Cajeta

Wikipedia informed me that torrija is a typical dessert of lent or Holy Week in Spain. After eating it, I’m ready to convert! (Just kidding, mom.) Think French toast…but a French toast so rich and creamy that you need to have it for dessert just for your peace of mind. Especially when it is made with cajeta, which is essentially Mexican caramel.

This dining experience opened my eyes to a new way of eating. Not only was I over the moon with my Hubby and his dare-to-be-different mentality, but I was already planning the next time we could share in such a delectably enlightening thrill of a dining experience. If you ever have the option of participating in a chef’s tasting menu, put all your inhibitions aside and go for it! You won’t be disappointed.

Valentine Foodie Adventures in NYC

I may have admitted this before, but I am going to do so again. I hate taking pictures of my food when I’m at a restaurant. Aside from the fact that just about everyone and their momma does it these days, to me, it makes a person seem so, I don’t know, touristy? Odd? Out of place? I mean, since when did documenting every single thing we eat become a necessity of life? At what point would I ever say to myself, I desperately need to look at a picture of last week’s dinner to get through this day,???

Then I remember that I have a food blog. That I am going to be describing these foods to those of you who endure my writings. This makes me desperately want a picture to help your mind relate to my words.

The problem I then face is that there is no way in heaven or hell I would pull out my DSLR camera at a nice restaurant. That is beyond crazy, beyond touristy. The only alternative is to try to nonchalantly snap shots with my phone, with the flash off, naturally.*

*With the flash on, you run the risk of being that person who interrupts everyone with their continual bright lights, because of course, one picture is never enough. And second, when in dark restaurants the flash seems to only make the picture worse, rather than better.

That said, endure with me if you will, the quality of some of the below pictures and the best attempt I can give at describing what all in all was an absolutely divine foodie weekend.

We got into the city around 7 pm, which if you know Hubby’s work schedule is pretty much miraculous. Knowing my need to have Italian food at least once during the weekend, he made reservations at Tony’s Di Napoli in Times Square. Tony’s is family style, which is great for a large party but with two people it means more than likely there will be leftovers.

Of course, that could also be because we ordered two different items, both which feed 2-3 people. We got Chicken Parmesan because that is an absolute must. The cheese on the chicken was perfection and the chicken was pounded and coated beautifully. Wanting a pasta to go with it, we ordered the meatballs and spaghetti. It was the same price as the baked ziti and we figured we were already getting cheese on the chicken parm so we might as well order pasta that comes with more meat! The meatballs were traditional Italian, meaning Hubby still likes mine more. I’ve come to find that most meatballs lean too hard on the dry side. I use parmesan in mine and they are always moist throughout. The sauce was sweet, and the pasta, of course, was wonderful.

We scooped up some coffees from our favorite coffee place, Caffe Bene on our way back to our hotel. It pretty much served as something to keep us from freezing over. For dessert, we enjoyed a chocolate mousse cake I bought ahead of time at Trader Joe’s with champagne Hubby surprised me with for Valentine’s Day.

Picking what bagel place to go to for breakfast was a task. For starters, there are dozens upon dozens of bagel places in New York. And, as Santa points out in the movie Elf about NYC pizza places, they all claim to be the best. The one that kept coming up in our Google searches was Absolute Bagels. The name sounded all wrong to me. The best bagel place in NYC can’t possibly have such an obvious name, I thought. Yet they had so many great reviews, and were at the top of many top ten lists, that Hubby was convinced we should give them a try.

Of course, they weren’t anywhere near our hotel. During our Saturday, we went as far uptown as 107^th (Breakfast) and as far downtown as 5^th (dinner), possibly the furthest amount of Manhattan we have ever covered in one day.

The line was to the door, which is always a good sign. The seating area was packed. The only issue we ran into was that when it came time to order we realized it was cash only and had to run out and find an ATM.

Good times.

When we returned, the line was shorter and the eating area started to clear out. Hubby ordered a bacon, egg, and cheese on a poppy seed bagel. I was toying with the idea of ordering a bagel with lox and cream cheese, but went with my classic order: an egg bagel with plain cream cheese. I figured I wouldn’t be able to truly compare it to New Jersey bagels if I ordered anything different.

The bagel size was average. I’ve been spoiled with ridiculously huge bagels at my local bagel shop. I’m not sure I could have eaten anything larger though. The bagel had a nice chew to it. Of all the bagels I have tasted in New Jersey, they all have toughness to them that require what I can only define as a tear-away-bite. These bagels were so soft that no such motion was necessary. The most surprising element was the flavor throughout the bagel. It was unlike any I have ever experienced, but in a deliciously wonderful way. It was a subtle sweetness that made the bagel even more enjoyable. I imagine it was some sort of addictive substance.

Other than making sure you bring cash, also make sure you get your coffee somewhere else. They made mine way too sweet and I ended up tossing it on our way out.

Of course, we immediately looked up local coffee shops and found our way over to Columbia University where a tiny shop called ‘Joe’ is hidden. There I had the best cappuccino of my life, no lie. Though you expect cappuccino to have a slight bitterness to it, this one also had a natural sweetness throughout that I thoroughly enjoyed.

We chose Mimi’s Pizza and Restaurant on the Upper East Side for our pizza experience. Using our Food Network app, we discovered that Bobby Flay worked there as a delivery boy and still claims they have the best pizza.

I wanted to try the Sicilian, but Hubby convinced me that in order to get the true pizza feel we had to go with a traditional plain cheese pizza. The cheese was incredible. There was a lot, so if you don’t like cheese, well, I can’t imagine that you like pizza very much either. The sauce was sweet, I would have wanted a little more, but it went well with the cheese, which, again, was amazing. The crust was crisp, which always is my preference, but there was something about the flavor that kept me from loving it.

Overall, for a first true NYC pizza experience, I’d say they were the perfect introduction. Chances are though, as with most restaurants in NYC, we won’t go there again. There are too many other options out there to give something that we weren’t completely head over heels over another try.

While we were uptown for breakfast, Hubby discovered The Hungarian Pastry Shop.

Unknown fact: I am Hungarian. I often highlight my Italian heritage, but the truth of the matter is that I am actually more Hungarian than anything else. So it was cute when Hubby suggested visiting a Hungarian pastry shop right by where we had just enjoyed our bagels. It was hidden away, with no bells and whistles calling visitors from off the street. Only a simple “Hungarian Pastry Shop” over hang.

Inside it was difficult to know what to order because there was so much to choose from: cookies, pastries, and more! We ordered a cheese bread, another cheese pastry, and baklava. The cheese bread was devoured as we walked from Subway stops. It brought to mind the cheese bread of a local diner near my home, but a thousand times better. The amount of cheese inside was what I dream about when I eat cheese bread, but not often when I get. We saved our other pastries for breakfast the next morning. They were good, but we plan to go back again for a cinnamon roll and a cheese puff that we heard someone ordering as we were on our way out.

On Sunday when we left the city, we stopped at White Manna Hamburgers in Hackensack, NJ. This tiny burger joint was covered by Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. We both ordered a double cheese burger with onions, fries, and shakes. The griddle is in the center of the eating area which seats no more than 20 people. The burgers are small, reminding us of White Castle burgers, only fresh. The burger chef smacks down what I’m guessing were 1/8 pounds of meat with a spatula, piles the onions on, then flips it over and keeps smacking the meat with the spatula.

As we waited for our food we watched as many ‘regulars’ came in and ordered 4 to 8 burgers to go. Though they were tiny, and delicious, I don’t think I could have eaten more than one burger. The fries were fried to perfect crispiness, but the shakes were extremely watery, so much that I questioned the amount of ice cream actually used.

We spent the day shopping at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets and on our way home ate at a restaurant near Hubby’s work.

RoosterSpin is a Korean wine bar and eatery in Westfield, NJ. If you have never been to Westfield, take a drive and visit on a warm Saturday afternoon. Cute shops and restaurants line the streets and make me wish we could afford the obnoxious price of rent.

We ordered their double fried chicken wings, a snow corn roll, and a spicy tuna roll.

The spicy soy sauce on the wings gave them a peppery bite, but the crispy skin was what kept me grabbing more. I think it was the best skin I have ever tasted on fried chicken.

The snow corn roll was tempura shrimp with mango, avocado, and crabmeat inside. Corn, black tobiko, and mayo sauce covered the outside of the roll. It was warm, it was sweet, it was the most delicious and unique bit of sushi I have ever experienced.

The spicy tuna roll was pretty basic with spicy tuna, crab meat, massago, cucumber, crisp Korean yam, and potato. It was a little too spicy for me (can you sense a pattern with my taste buds here?) but all the other flavors made me push past the spice.

Almost all of their desserts involved some sort of chocolate mousse, considering Hubby’s love of mousse it was impossible to resist. I ordered the Oreo mousse cake. What I loved was the variety of flavor in the layers. It wasn’t just an overpowering chocolate on chocolate mousse cake. White chocolate mousse layered with chocolate mousse and a cakey crust really made this cake stand out.

I’m sure by this point, if you read my otherpost; you are wondering where I hid away my 8-course Valentine’s Day dinner. Though all the meals of our Valentine’s foodie weekend were mind blowing, this dinner demands a post devoted entirely to the unique experience offered.

Look for it soon. 

Baltimore Eats: Part One: The Dinners

I'm not sure if it was the sea air, the bubble of Valentine's Day excitement, or the thrill to simply be away together from home, but Hubby and I came to Baltimore ready to eat.

Rather than take you on a day by day view of our eats, I'm going to break it into the two main categories that matter: Dinners and Desserts.

Though we were only in Baltimore long enough to technically have two dinners, our lunches were truly the quality level (and price!) of dinner food.  

We enjoyed our first meal in our room.  The restaurant at our hotel, the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court, was "Explorers".  Their tag line is: International comfort food with a Baltimore twist.  We started with BBQ Jumbo Sea Scallops because Hubby is a sucker for whenever I say, "Ooo, this looks yummy....but I really want this too."  Ladies, you know you do this too.

At least, I hope you do.

We have ordered breaded scallops once before and the breading completely overpowered the scallops leaving them dry and lacking of any naturally delicious flavors.  That was not the case here.  While the Panko breading was thin and crispy, the mandarin orange sauce was what really made this dish delightful.  It soaked perfectly into the breading and added a subtle sweetness to the dish.

Now you'll have to forgive me.  I told myself over and over again as I ate my scallops that I needed to take a picture of the entrees before we began to devour them.

My tummy got the better of me and you're left with the below pictures.

Hubby and I decided to share our meals because that is how we roll sometimes.  If you can find a man who will go splitsies on meals, I say grab him while the grabbing is good.  Two for one meals for the rest of your life?  It's pretty awesome.

We ordered the Braised Lamb Shank and I have to admit that as I'm writing this my mouth is salivating rethinking the goodness of this meal.*  The lamb fell off the bone which is always a good sign.  I probably could have just eaten the lamb and the jus and been set for the night.

*This could also be due to the fact that it is 8:40 pm as I write this and I've yet to have dinner yet. 

Did you happen to notice those little orange balls?  As in the pan fried sweet potato gnocchi balls?  Sweet potatoes can be hit or miss for me.  It all depends on how they are prepared.  I like sweet potato pie, I don't prefer sweet potato fries.  

This sweet potato gnocchi was incredible.  I would never had thought to pair it with something like braised lamb shank, but--wow!   

We were clearly in a meaty mood because we also ordered a 12 ounce Rib Eye Steak.  This was really Hubby's pick.  I had been eyeballing the Herb Roasted Chicken with Wild Mushroom Risotto, but he vetoed it and went with the steak.  For a steak, it was just alright.  It was a little too chewy, but was still flavorful and juicy.  The Sharp White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes made the steak worth our while.  It's pretty difficult to ruin mashed potatoes, but this place did everything more than right to them. 

Don't hate me forever, but this was the only dinner I pictured.  I still have major issues with taking pictures of my food in public.  Sometimes, I have no shame.  There are some meals that I know will be legendary, therefore requiring a picture.  Other times, I remember what I've heard about how some restaurants and chefs feel about such things as people taking pictures of their food rather than just sitting down and enjoying the meal.

Here are the other dinners we had and where we had them.

I think the best way to describe them is through a mini Orange Strainer rating system.  So here goes.  

Ratings and categories are as follows:

• Time in restaurant: 1= way too long, 5= average, but I was getting fidgety, 10= so short it was scary
• Restaurant atmosphere: 1= boring, 5= nothing to write home about, 10= this is the mood I want in my kitchen/dining room
• Taste of food: 1= I paid for this?, 5= I can cook just as good, 10= my mouth is still tingling from the deliciousness
• Price: 1= cheaper than eating at McDonalds, 5= average for eating out, 10= for that price I'll make it myself!
• Leftovers?: Were there any?  This could be a good or a bad thing.
• Down the Drain or Keep it in the Strainer?: To visit again or not to visit again?

Restaurant #1: Phillips Seafood

What we ate: 

Appetizer: Crab Cake Minis with homemade tartar sauce

Hubby: Ultimate Crab Cake

Me: Sweet Basil Pesto Penne with Chicken*

*I know, I know.  I'm at a seafood restaurant, one that even has the word seafood in its name, and I order Italian.  In my defense, I didn't want a big meal and I knew I'd be eating seafood for dinner.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  

• Time in restaurant: 5,  For the lunch hour, it seemed that the service moved slow.  However, we did get a complimentary chocolate covered strawberry.  It was frozen in the center, but beggars can't be choosers.
• Restaurant atmosphere: 10,  The dining area was open, with a view of the kitchen.  I got to sit on a cozy seat, so I was happy.
• Taste of food: 6,  I knew I shouldn't expect too much with my meal, because obviously seafood is their specialty.  The crab cake minis were typical to crab cake standards.  Hubby's ultimate crab cake consisted of pieces of jumbo lump crab meat topped with Panko bread crumbs.  Very different from the typical crab cake, but different in a good way.
• Leftovers?  Hubby ate all of his, I had more than half my food left.  It wasn't worth trying to save, especially considering I knew I wouldn't eat it.
• Price: 10
• Down the Drain or Keep it in the Strainer?  Down the Drain.  There weren't enough pluses about Phillips that would make me want to visit it again.  The main deterrent was the cost for the quality. 

Restaurant #2: Rusty Scupper

What we ate:

Hubby: Filet Mignon

Me: Chesapeake Chicken

• Time in restaurant: 10, It was obvious that most couples had saved Saturday night for their special dinner.  The restaurant was packed with couples, yet we didn't have a wait at all.  We were seated immediately, served within ten minutes of placing our order and finished and out of the restaurant within 40 minutes.  Though we didn't feel rushed, the quick pace was rather confusing.
• Restaurant atmosphere: 10, Most of the restaurant is window, looking out into the harbor.  There was live entertainment which, to me, is always a plus.
• Taste of food: 10, My chicken was delicious, yet the menu described Chicken Chesapeake as being stuffed with crab.  However, my chicken was just topped with jumbo lump crab.  Still delicious, just not matching to the description.
• Price: 5
• Leftovers? No leftovers! 
• Down the Drain or Keep it in the Strainer?  Keep it in the Strainer!  Though Hubby was a little sad they didn't have any steamed crabs to offer, I thought the food was well worth the price.

Restaurant #3: Costas Inn

What we ate:

Hubby: Scallops

Me: Salmon St. Michael

I chose this restaurant after our meal at the Rusty Scupper when I realized just how badly Hubby wanted to have steamed crab, specifically blue crab, during our trip to Baltimore.  It was a major let down when he asked our waitress and first, she had no clue if they had any crab, and then the other waitress she asked bluntly answered that they did not have any.  We put together that this was due to the snow storm that had occurred just days before our trip.

• Time in restaurant: 5
• Restaurant atmosphere: 1, The restaurant was a huge room with a diner feel.  The waitresses did not seem up to the quality of the owners.  They poorly communicated with tables (our neighboring table was getting up in a huff) and forgot portions of our meal (I didn't realize I was missing my rice pilaf until I was halfway through my salmon).
• Taste of food: 5, I was in love with my salmon, however, Hubby told me that anyone could make salmon taste that delicious considering it was sitting in lemon butter.  He may have been speaking out of annoyance from the lack of crab, but I also did note that I didn't enjoy his scallops as much as my salmon.
• Price: 6, For lunch, it was pricey.  For dinner, it was typical.
• Leftovers? No leftovers!  
• Down the Drain or Keep it in the Strainer? Keep it in the Strainer!