Flashback - Baltimore Restaurant Week: Vīn (originally published 7/27/08)

A few years ago, Towson's Vīn Restaurant closed down for renovations.  It's a shame that it never re-opened, I think, at least from my one Baltimore Restaurant Week experience there - gasp - four years ago!  A glimpse of Restaurant Weeks that will never be again.

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Baltimore Restaurant Week: Vīn (originally published 7/27/08)

Restaurant Week is upon us, and I started it off last night with a few friends as we went to Vīn. I had never been, and neither will you if you don't go this week - once Restaurant Week is done, they're shutting the place down for renovations for the next few months, as Towson begins work on that new traffic circle. So if you want a taste of what you'll be missing, and at $30.08 a pop (before tax, tip and drinks, of course), get to Vīn sometime this week.

My buddies Alan & Eric were quite impressed with the deal on wine: many of their bottles sell for half price this week. They ordered a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Charles Krug Winery, which normally costs about $60 but they got it for $30! Plus, they liked this wine. No, I am not usually a red wine person, but I had a little of it and I did like it.

Our wine. I only had a wee bit of it.

As with most Restaurant Week menus, the one at Vīn gave us a few choices for dinner (they don't offer a Restaurant Week lunch menu so you will need to get there in the evening):

• Appetizer: either the "Vīn Salad" of baby greens, endive, toasted walnuts, red grapes, apple vinaigrette, or the PEI Mussels in a lemongrass, ginger and coconut milk broth (my choice);
• Entrée: either Hangar Steak with grilled asparagus, "cheesy mash" and bleu butter; or the Tea-brined half chicken with roasted red bliss potatoes, baby zucchini and "natural jus" (my choice);
• Dessert: either a Whipped Chocolate Ganache with candied orange peel or; the Peach Cobbler with Butter Pecan Ice Cream (my choice)

After our complementary pita strips with garlic hummus, I got the Prince Edward Island mussels. It's like the mussels were sitting in a tom kha kai sauce. This was a tasty dish, with a good helping of mussels - about 20 or so. The mussels were tender and the broth, which is something I've never tasted with mussels, went beautifully with them. Those who ordered the salad liked it as well.

My chicken was big enough that I had to take half of it home. The flavor was difficult to place. I'd love to know what kind of tea this was braised in. It had an almost caramel-y, even chamomile-like flavor, though that may not at all be the tea they used for this chicken. Anyway, it was a delicious chicken. I'm so rarely sold on chicken because it's so easy to mess up. It's always cooked to be either dry or flavorless (usually both) wherever I eat it. So I just don't order it. Here it was cooked tender and juicy, with a fascinating flavor, echoed by the potatoes. The dark meat was even more tender than the white. Okay, that's like saying, "Wow, ice cream is cold!" but the difference doesn't usually jump out at me, because - again - most chicken I eat out is usually dry and/or flavorless, so the dark usually ends up stringy and greasy while the white just ends up crumbly and nasty. Not this chicken, that's for sure.

Everyone else got the hanger steak, a popular cut in other parts of the world but absolutely not so here. It's not the most tender part of the steer, and Americans usually prefer our steak to be as tender as possible. One of us couldn't finish his and since he's on a low cholesterol diet (he splurged, alright?), he just chunked half of his hanger steak onto my plate. Pretty tasty, though they all thought it needed just a little salt.

Vīn tried to make up for the larger size of our entrées by giving us microscopic desserts. Still, I'm not disappointed, because Americans eat way too large portions anyway, and who wants to follow up 20 mussels and half a chicken with a TGI Friday's-sized portion of peach cobbler? Okay, I know a few people who would, but I don't. So while the portion size was a little funny (funny ha-ha, not funny odd), it wasn't disappointing. The cobbler itself, though, could've used more of a crust. I know: not easy to fit any crus in that itty bitty teacup. There were some good slivers of peach in there, but only one little crumb of cobbler crust that I found. The miniblob of butter pecan ice cream on top was tasty.

My total cost was $36 after tip - wait, guys, I didn't give you money for tax! Oh well, I'll give it to them the next time I see them. The grand total for the four of us, before tip: $160, for four Restaurant Week prix fixe menus, one bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and six cups of coffee at $2 each (each of them had two, I had none). Again, a good deal for a usually much more expensive restaurant. But get over there this week if you want any of it any time soon: not only is Vīn closing for renovations next Sunday but Chef Chris Paternotte is leaving to pursue other ventures. So the menu is changing, too. Experience it before it's gone for the summer.

The restaurant isn't usually this pale - I just didn't use a flash.

Wha-wha-WHAT?

The lunch hush...

The Brass Elephant is no more. I didn't even know about this until I read a Tweet from the City Paper yesterday. Had I known that Restaurant Week would be the last time it was open, I would have stopped by one final time, not only visiting it one final time but also keeping intact my streak of restaurants closed after visiting them during summer Restaurant Week. My sister and I stopped in for dessert once. We got some crème brûlée in their gorgeous lounge upstairs. It was a nice way to finish off an evening. The Brass Elephant was a lovely restaurant, but I guess lovely doesn't always cut it in a recession. Damn shame.

Last Call at the Zodiac

What would you serve as your final meal? Well last night I found out what the Zodiac's answer was when I made it out there for one last time, before it closes tonight. That's right - tonight. If you want to experience the fun, eclectic, wizardly ambiance (and the risk of being shoved down the stairs by a ghost) one last time, go tonight, August 9, 2008. If you read this after that then, obviously, you've missed your chance.

The atmosphere didn't seem too melancholy, a little surprising but maybe it's just being hidden well. The dinner I had was pretty much outstanding, a nice note to remember my last meal there.

Appetizer: Pork Chop with Rice Pilaf ($8)


After the obligatory Guinness ($4), I decided to start with something I hadn't had before. I usually avoid the appetizer, or just order it and nothing else. With my last chance to try it I splurged, and went for the pork chop, medium rare, with rice. The rice was moist but not wet, and of course hot. The pork chop had such a nice, slightly salty flavor that I could've been satisfied with eating a few of these all night.


Entrée: Cheeseburger with Fries ($11)

For my entrée I went with a favorite, the hamburger, with smoked mozzarella cheese ($2 extra), and shoestring fries that sure tasted fresh cut. The burger, rare as I ordered it, was juicy and the cheese added a nice flavor to it. Even better, the lettuce and tomato that came on top weren't soggy at all, and didn't detract from the burger as it does with many other burgers I eat. I'll miss this burger.

Dessert: Peach Cobbler ($7)


The one downside to my meal was my peach cobbler, whose crust was rock hard. I literally had to bang into it with my spoon just to crack it open, and of course it capsized. The crust underneath was soft at least. Plus, it had some tasty peach wedges and two dollops of vanilla ice cream (I could've also gotten the vegan rice cream). I ordered it with a chocolate martini ($8) - a combo of vanilla vodka, chocolate liqueur, white crème de cacao, and cream. It didn't taste too chocolatey, but my main concern was that I'd be too drunk to drive home, but I didn't even feel buzzed. So it was a weak martini, but I was fine with that. Part of that could be all that I ate, but I'm just fine with not getting sloshed.

And that's it. Total bill before tax and tip was $38. Afterwards was about $46. That's as much as I am going to pay for any meal in the near future. You can easily spend half - or twice - that much, but only through tonight. So don't lose the chance to go to Zodiac - tonight (Saturday, August 9, 2008) is it.

Other photos:

The car irritated me at first, but it's not a bad photo.

What is this guy going to do with all his time now?

Above the bar floats a nekkid man...

But only today.

But how will the ghost react?

I just read this depressing news on Kit (Mango and Ginger)'s website (via Elizabeth Large). One of my favorite restaurants in Station North is closing up shop: the stars are aligned against Zodiac, as well as sister restaurant Northwoods in Annapolis. Looks like I have to make a pilgrimage before they close this Saturday. I think I'll go this Friday. In memoriam, here's a link to an old post about the Zodiac. It looks like the resident ghost Frenchie is going to be pretty lonely until there's a new occupant.

Bennigoing's, Bennigoing's, Bennigone

My sister was the first one to call me about this as I took a nice, long walk from my apartment to Towson University (just a 45 minute walk). The exchange went something like

"Did you know Bennigan's is closing?"

"Ohhhh..."

Okay, I haven't eaten there in a few years, but it's one of those places that just sticks in your memory. I've had pre-movie dinners, post-shopping lunches, get-togethers with friends I've lost touch with. And yet, when I hear about Bennigan's filing for bankruptcy I'm not terribly phased by it.

Apparently, Bennigan's webmaster isn't terribly phased by it either since their website still up as normal. Much more upset is Time magazine blogger Matt Selman (of Nerd World), who even wrote a poem to expess his profound sorrow. A small excerpt:

A tragic tale, an epic loss
This final Chapter, Eleven
Pray to a spicy, Buffalo cross
There's a Bennigan's in Heaven

Of course, if you want heart-attack-inducing food from a fake Irish restaurant, I'm not sure where you can find it now.

UPDATE: I just found out that Steak & Ale, where I have never eaten, is also shuttering its restaurants. Looks like they are - they were - owned by the same corporation.

Nasu Blanca (Baltimore Restaurant Week)

Yes guys, I am writing about it just like you said I would :)

Nasu Blanca has to be one of the best places I have eaten in a long time. Two friends and I went last night and found that out. It's a little - okay, more than a little - out of my price range for me to become a regular customer, but they are hoping to make it more often. Hell, so am I. I just might have to wait for the next Restaurant Week, though.

The place was packed last night, and our server, in kistchy pearls and a fun black dress, noted that it has been like this all week. And they all had three entrées and three appetizers from which to choose (and the same dessert; see the menu for yourself). Because there were three of us, we were in the unique position of being able to sample everything, by each of us ordering a different appetizer and entrée. They also had a special outside of the BRW menu: tempura-battered squash blossoms. Sounds scrumptious, but I'll try it next time.

Our waitress/sommelieuse noted that, for an extra $15, we could get wine pairings for each course, in the form of red/white wine or sake. The guys opted for the wine pairings. I stuck with with cheaper option, so I have no clue what wines were drunk or how they paired with the food. Instead, I just stuck with a tall, cool glass of Sapporo for $5. Nice, crisp and clean beer that Sapporo is.

We each tried every appetizer. They went as follows:

• Japanese eggplant in den miso sauce - Out of all the appetizers, this is the one I liked the most. Very sweet and dense. And I hate eggplant. Hate it. So this was something.
  
• Prince Edward mussels in a sofrito-sherry broth - This was my appetizer. We all loved these. It's difficult to do mussels poorly. Good thing they didn't! And they came with crusty toasted bread to sop the broth up with.
  
• Mixed greens with katafi and ginger dressing - It was good, though I am usually not wow'd by salads. Not this one either. But I liked the addition of the katafi (or kataifi - shredded phyllo, or the rich Greek dessert of the same name that's made of the stuff). In this salad, however, the katafi was not at all sweetened. Instead, it added a nice crunch.

As good as all that was, the entrées were in a different league altogether:

• Paella valenciana with chorizo, chicken, mussels and saffron rice - Tasty if at first mushy paella. But my friends liked the texture. I don't know why it seemed a little mushy to me. Not to them. I got over that quickly. It was some tasty rice, to be honest, and not that mushy as I got into it. I guess that sounds a little confused. Let me rephrase: Yes, I would indeed recommend it to you if you went there.
• Panko-crusted walu with sweet potato slices and butter ponzu sauce - I have never eaten walu, which is a firm and flavorful fish. Very tasty. It looked small but was very filling. The sauce and sweet potatoes were also wonderful. Even the throw-away greens on top and underneath were delicious. Normally, this dish costs $28! So this was an excellent deal. This was my entrée, by the way, though we all had our ways with each.
  
• Strip steak with pimenton dusted fingerling potatoes, cabrales butter and tempranillo wine reduction - This was my favorite entrée - in fact, my favorite of everything I ate during Restaurant Week, even the steak at Petit Louis (which is a close second). My friend ordered it medium rare. He says you can tell a great deal about the quality of a restaurant by how they prepare your steak. If you ask for it medium rare, it needs to come out medium rare. It did here. Blissful steak.

We all had the same dessert, a white chocolate banana bread pudding with caramel and toasted walnuts strewn artfully across our gleaming white, square dishes, and all with a small dollop of cream on top. Tasty dessert, very rich, though it runs a close second to Petit Louis' mousse. It's still delicious. I could eat it all day.

All throughout this dinner we had such attentive service. The entrées came out immediately after the appetizers were done. And the waitress, wanting to make sure that my friends had their respective wines before each dish came out, hurried out their wines before each course came out. That is some good service.

The grand total before tip came to $145. This included our three prix fixe menus ($30 each), the wine pairings ($15 each), the Sapporo ($5) and two basil julep cocktails (you do the math). They included basil and shiso, the Japanese leafy herb which you usually find on any plate of sashimi. It tastes sort of peppery.

Nasu Blanca, in short, was the perfect way to end my Restaurant Week (yes, it's over for me; I have a trip to save for, y'know). It also has to be one of the best dining experiences I have had in a long time. Do go if you have the money. Save up first, but go, at some point go!