Alchemy in Hampden - Restaurant review for Baltimore spot

I went here for lunch the other day. I was excited to try it because the menu looked great. The ambiance looked very swanky and cute.

Click here to visit their web site.

When the food came, my friend and I were both excited.

She got a salad with carmelized avocado, which neither of us had heard of before....

I have to say, the presentation was cool and she said it was very tasty.

Now, we get to the bad part. I'm a picky eater and asked for my caesar salad with no anchovies or dressing. It came with two huge anchovies and it truly made the lettuce and entire salad taste very fishy.
I could have lived with the mistake if they would have been quick to fix it. But the waiter literally looked at my like I was crazy when I asked for just a bowl of lettuce and cheese to replace the fishy lettuce. He was so rude, and pissed, and threw all kinds of attitude my way! I couldn't believe it. I think he stood there a good 3 minutes while I just said, if you wouldn't mind. He walked away furious and said "I'll see what I can do..." Really? about getting a bowl of lettuce after you messed up my order?
If it were tomatoes or something I could easily pick out I would have, but it truly ruined the flavor of my lunch.  I give customer service a 0 out of 10.

 I have to give props where props are due. The shrimp were tasty and cooked well, with a peppery flavor. Maybe I just got a bad waiter and should try it again sometime, but with so many other restaurants in Hampden I'd rather frequent the other places that I enjoy, like Common Ground, Grano, or Cafe Hon.

1011 West 36th Street

Baltimore, MD, 21211
410-366-1163

Hours

Tue-Thu: 11:30am - 3:30pm 5:00pm - 9:00pm Fri: 11:30am - 3:30pm 5:00pm - 10:00pm Sat: 11:30am - 4:00pm 4:00pm - 10:00pm Sun: 11:00am - 3:00pm 4:00pm - 9:00pm

I can't wait for this! 200 Anniversary of Star Spangled Banner/Blue Angels!

http://starspangledbaltimore.com/star-spangled-sailabration/

Sailabration Schedule:

(subject to change)

Wednesday, June 13		All Day		Ships Arrive
Flag Day
Thursday, June 14		11 a.m. – 6 p. m.		Ships Open to the Public (1 – 5 p.m. at N. Locust Point) Land-side Festivities
		6:30 p.m.		Welcome ceremony
Friday, June 15		11 a.m. – 6 p.m.		Ships Open to the Public (1 – 5 p.m. at N. Locust Point) Land-side Festivities
Saturday, June 16		10 a.m. – 4 p .m.		Star-Spangled Flag House Flag Day Celebration
		11 a.m. – 6 p.m.		Ships Open to the Public (1 -5 p.m. at N. Locust Point) Land-side Festivities
		11 a.m. – 4 p.m.		Blue Angels Air Show
Sunday, June 17		11 a.m. – 6 p.m.		Ships Open to the Public (1 – 5 p.m. at N. Locust Point) Land-side Festivities
		11 a.m. – 4 p.m.		Blue Angels Air Show
Bicentennial of the Declaration of War
Monday, June 18		11 a.m. – 6 p.m.		Ships Open to the Public (1 -5 p.m. at N. Locust Point) Land-side Festivities
		TBD		Declaration of War Anniversary Event
Tuesday, June 19		TBD		Parade of Sail Departure

Woodberry Kitchen, My Favorite Restaurant in Baltimore, maybe the world

As their web site will tell you, Woodberry Kitchen features the seasonal best from local growers and emphasizes organic meats and sustainable agriculture.

http://www.woodberrykitchen.com/

I love everything about this restaurant. The valet parking, the customer service (waiters, waitresses and bartenders are always friendly.)  The casual vibe. The warm surroundings and toasty atmosphere. The amazing drinks. The fresh taste of everything in little touches like the butter, to herbs on your plate. The desserts and breadbasket alone are worth coming for....I always say next time I'm not ordering an entree so I can just focus on bread and desserts.  But then the entrees are the best part too!

So, this is my favorite drink. It is called Kramer after Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld. It is usually not on the menu, you have to know to ask for it. It is DELICIOUS.

This was some kind of meat plate my boyfriend ordered. He loved it.

OK, this could be the best corn bread I've ever had in my life. I ordered it extra, as if the multiple servings from the bread basket weren't enough. They have different breads every time I go which makes it very fun!

This may not look appetizing because I'm a plane Jane and ordered it without the sauce, but this pork chop was one of the best 3 I've had in my lifetime! The fries, are always amazing. I never met a french fry I didn't like though.....

This again, does not show how amazing the chicken and biscuit tastes. The chicken is probably the best I've ever eat. So moist and yet with the crispiest most delicious skin I've ever had.  I usually get this every time.
I was trying to be adventurous which is why I opted for the pork chop.

Now for dessert. We couldn't decide between several, so our waiter was so sweet and brought us samples of two on a plate. This apple cider sorbet was so incredible. My kids would have LOVED it. The chocolate bulb or whatever it was called, was really fun to eat and so tasty.  Our favorite dessert is CMP - which we have driven to woodberry and ordered at the bar just to get.  It's chocolate marshmallow and peanuts and is so delicious.

My 7 year old asked me Mom, is there anything you DON'T like about your favorite restaurant? I replied the only thing is that sometimes you can't get a table and have to reserve way in advance. Otherwise, I can't think of one negative for this place. I highly recommend it, with a thousand stars.

Chazz Palminteri's new Italian Restaurant in Harbor East

Last night I met some old coworkers of mine from Johns Hopkins out at the new restaurant in Harbor East, Chazz.  It was a soft opening so not all food was available, in fact I can't even find a web site for it yet, but here's an article from the Baltimore Sun.

I was a bit surprised to find out that valet parking was $9 without tip, but it was convenient on a Friday night rush hour with bumper to bumper cars on Aliceanna.  When I walked in, I loved the ambiance. Being Italian myself, I felt right at home. A really cool little place with a cheese and italian meats bar similar to what you see at Cinghiale.

We were told to show up early if we wanted a table for 10 and we did. We were seated and our waitress was very nice. We were brought delectable italian bread, warm and delicious although some were disappointed there was no olive oil or butter, I thought it was fine and didn't need any of that.

It was a bit pricey (my red wine was $12/glass) but here an entire pizza was about the same price....maybe they need to work on the pricing a bit. The only negative I had was the salad. A friend and I split the grilled caesar and asked for no anchovies and dressing on the side.

The salad came with the dressing on the side but huge anchovies on the top. My friends said it started to slip off the plate and the waiter used his bare hand to touch our lettuce and cheese and flick it back on the plate. They took the salad back and brought back what seemed to be the same salad with the anchovies flicked off. You could taste their very strong flavor. The salad was slimy and I just couldn't eat it.

OK now for the pizza. I'm a pizza enthusiast and could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. I thought the crust was delicious and I enjoyed it very much. Some at my table thought it could have used more sauce and cheese. They were probably right. But still very yummy.

Other friends said the fluke was so-so, the shrimp parm delicious, and the panini very good (pics below).

I would go back to this place for a date night, a work dinner, or a quiet night out with friends, but not with the kids I don't think....Bagby pizza and Bop are just blocks away and more kid-friendly. This place was playing mafia movies that Chazz was in during our dinner - probably not the best for having little kiddos there.

I would definitely go back for an adult night out, however, and give it a try once they have had their official grand opening and give them a few more weeks to perfect their service and food. I had the pleasure of eating with some fellow Baltimore Bloggers - check out their blog too! Baltimore is Awesome.

Oh, I almost forgot the desserts. The desserts were a big hit. These tiny doughnuts were amazing. I didn't eat the ice cream because it was coffee flavored and I'm not a fan, but everyone at the table who tasted it said it was delicious!