When we walked in the first time, it was a cool fall night, but warm enough for people to be seated outside on the terrace of the former steel mill-turned-restaurant. The singular lightbulbs were dangling over a swarm of people sitting with their husbands, wives, girlfriends and boyfriends as they seemed at peace with what life had brought to them in this tiny Baltimore town.
We opened the heavy, wooden door to enter into the warm glow of the high-ceiling restaurant. Woodberry Kitchen was created from an old steel mill in a town that had once collapsed after the recession in the 80's, but was now being revived by a new audience of starving artists and young townies looking for a chic place to live without the price tag.
Our waitress sat us down in the corner booth, which gave us the opportunity to view the entire space at a unique angle. The upstairs of Woodberry wraps around the perimeter of the restaurant's ceiling-high stone walls. The music that softly reverberated throughout the space was a classy mix of Norah Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae-esque tunes to keep the atmosphere vibrant, but relaxed.
FROM FARM TO TABLE:
Woodberry is known for its dedication to LOCAL cuisine. Much like Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA (where the "local food movement" began with the help of Chef Alice Waters), Woodberry doesn't over-do their dishes and maintains the simplicity while garnishing only to enhance the natural flavors that are unique to local, organic produce.
Our first trip was an other-worldly experience of soft flatbreads and zucchini dip, with a monk fish entree for myself, and rockfish for Salman. The monk fish was lay like fallen dominos across the plate, with a moist piece of fried sweet bread holding it up at the end. The fish fell apart as soon as it hit my lips and just melted in my mouth immediately.
For dessert, we couldn't help but order something for each of us, since the menu doesn't really afford dessert-lovers to just choose one. Salman ordered a small blackberry pie with a double crust, while I took the advice of several online reviewers and chose the Market Sundae. The pie was a sweet, tarte experience of sugary crust with a moist berry center. The sundae was...well...beyond words. I've never had basil ice cream, but Woodberry pairs it with a sweet peach sorbet and a sugary tea cake, garnished with fruit and a dark rasberry sauce.
Now, for an entry-level employee at the School of Public Health and a full-time med school applicant, money is not easy to come by. However, for some unknown reason, we manage to scrounge up as much as we can each month and out do ourselves...and this was thoroughly worth every cent. But was it worth going back a second time?....
