.: Moved :.

> i've merged this blog with my regular food/craft blog. it's easier. trust me. Read More......

.: The Wine Market :.

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during a recent jaunt into the southwest side of baltimore, nuria and i made a stop to a wine market i'd never even heard of before. tucked away next to a gym and behind the neighborhood blockbuster, The Wine Market has an assuming appearance to it. the main entrance leads into their smallish store but then opens in the back to a spacious and bright dining area. most of the tables were already taken, the bar had people mingling and it was only 6pm. i wanted to eat outside, which had a few tables in the courtyard with a view of the salon and gym goers.

the waiter didn't provide us with much information so we were left with our own devices. i wanted to try the fried green tomatoes and charcuterie plate which had chicken liver pâté, french pork sausage, housemade bresaola, pickled crimini mushrooms, sauterne infused pear marmalade. i am a huge fan of pâté, it reminds me of my grandfather. the bresaola reminded me of prosciutto, only harder and dryer. i was not impressed with the fried green tomatoes, something about the cornmeal put me off. it was layered thickly, masking the tartness of the tomatoes.



For the main course, nuria chose the steak frites, which she loved. she says the steak came out juicy and tender, cooked right at rare. she is a huge fan of pototoes, but doesn't indulge much. i went with the mediterranean “lamb burger” which really is gyro. i enjoyed it alot, even tho i technically only had about 1/4 of it. it was BIG! made for a great next day lunch. i think next time i'll try for the roasted chicken or lamb. because there will definately be a next time.



i did get dessert and coffee. the only thing they had that i was interested in was the tart. i'm still unsure if the crust is from scratch (and it is, i must get the recipe) i didn't love the raspberry filling but i didn't hate it either.



naturally, being a wine market, we each had a glass of wine. i had the bex riesling, while Nuria went with a spanish red.

price wise, it bit expensive for a simple week night meal but i'm not complaining. it's not often that i can enjoy a night like that.

The Wine Market
921 E Fort Ave # 135
Baltimore, MD 21230-5135
(410) 244-6166

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.: Mekong Delta in Baltimore City :.

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i can't begin to say just how excited i was when Mekong Delta opened a few months ago. my cousin Mao told me about it. it's definitely closer to home, better than that abysmal Baltimore Pho (which i will not link to because they suck ass) and most importantly, it reminds me of home. as in, my mom's home. nevermind Pho #1, which has been declining in points with me lately, this place has the simple un-pretentious feel of a beloved aunt/uncle's house, with cheesy vietnamese music blaring in the back and the heady smokey smell hovering over the kitchen stove -- because the kitchen is in the same room as the dining area. the restaurant is a converted floor of a row house, narrow and long. i imagined the couple (the wife does the cooking and the husband is the waiter and greeter) lived on the top floor. and i was RIGHT! their little son scampers in sometimes, coming in thru the backstair door. how completely quaint.



when Nuria and i showed up on a Wednesday at 6pm, we were the only patrons. there were maybe 8 tables of two. small much? by the time we left at 7:30, the owner had to turn away like five people. it was packed. service was a bit on the slower side, having just one cook does that. but the owner was so pleasant and really, we were in no rush. i noticed one table had ordered a bowl of hu tieu and it was actually served with the proper clear noodles (unlike some establishments that serve it with banh pho...) the menu had the basics: various versions of goi cuon, pho, hu thieu, grilled meat and rice. essentially, stuff my mom would make on a random day. LOVE IT.

we started off with a goi cuon because they were out of cha gio. it was good, but then again, how does one eff up a summer roll? i chose the bánh xèo while Nuria went with the bun thit nuong cha gio. my bánh xèo came out much thicker than i liked, plus, it was filled to the brim with bean sprouts. And, rather than pork and squid, it had chicken, which honestly, i thought was odd. It served with just one leaf of lettuce. i like to roll my bánh xèo in lettuce with some herbs and dip in the fish sauce. nuria liked her dish a lot.



i have since been back, with jason and my aunt and uncle where in the city for a day. as always, the service was pleasant, the restaurant filled up rather quickly for a random week night and jason actually liked it too. i'll still hit up Pho #1 but Mekong Delta will be my go-to place in the city. now, i wonder if i can convinced them to make banh mi...

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.: Toro Salao in Old San Juan :.

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for our 2nd day in PR, jason and i walked the 3 miles to old san juan. it would've cost us $20 to take a cab! but the walk there made it worth it. and it worked up an appetite.

there are many little restaurants in old san juan. we wanted something outdoor. i don't know if we were looking for a hole in the wall or something fancy, we just walked. we came upon Toro Salao. i liked it because it had a very big outdoor seating area and it was close to the water. jason and i had decided to basically walk around, and when a restaurant struck our fancy, we would either stop for a drink or a plate. we ordered their lamb chops with couscous. jason washed his down with a corona and i tried the sangria.

the lamb was grilled to perfection, medium rare, tender and juicy. jason loved it. i preferred the couscous, it was almost like risotto.

it was a lovely place to stop. our waiter didn't speak english but i noticed a few american servers. the plate was $24 but i'd say it was well worth it.

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Restaurante Escambrón

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when jason and i arrived in Puerto Rico, we noticed right away that it wasn't sweteringly hot. it was windy. very windy. but the sun was out and not a cloud in the sky. we had been apprehensive about the weather, the meteorologists had forcasted storms and showers. that first night for dinner, we took a stroll by the water and happened upon Restaurante Escambrón. it was recommended by the hotel we were staying at so we went for it.

the first thing we ordered were pina coladas, that came out strong but completely refreshing:

i ordered a crumbled sausage wrapped in chicken boob topped with a tomato and pepper sauce, with a side of rice and sauteed veggies. the chicken was a little dry but the sausage was delish. my fave was a the veggies tho, they were doused in a butter garlic sauce.

jason went with a chicken and tomato concoction, topped with a white cheese, also sided with veggies and rice. he compared it to a chicken parmesan.

we were too full for dessert. i can't recall the exact price, it was probably around $15-20/plate. for the most part, most things in PR is expensive.

but the view? it was well worth it:

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