Immediately in love. The turn-of-the-century feel, industrial chairs, distressed tables, rustic decor, canning jars and firewood... not to mention the wood-burning oven right in the center of things. :) I thought it was just for flatbread, but I was happily mistaken. Everything right down to the uniforms was perfect; guys wear jeans and plaid shirts while ladies wear cute patchwork-style skirts and adorable aprons (no one is wearing the same thing). I swear these people stepped right out of an Anthropologie ad. The napkins were a checked, farmhouse-style cloth! AHHH love! Anyway, the super-trendy can annoy me if not carried through in every detail, so I was charmed but skeptical (Cindy Wolfe, anyone?).
They nailed it.
Menu: Down-home but creative. They offer "snacks" for small plates: popcorn, deviled eggs, bean dip, and warm-skillet cornbread (to name a few). Great salads to choose from (including roasted beet, I regret not ordering one!) as well as hot soups and small plates, plenty of seafood. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, they have a raw bar downstairs, as well as a bar on the side of the dining room and a barista's corner. But I digress... They have a nice selection of entrees, from seafood to beef to poultry, and it's refreshing to see the combination of homestyle ingredients - no fussy fusion food here, just quality, flavorful dishes. They had a long list of specials. One of my favorite things about this place is the inclusion of their farms on the menu. All of their sources are listed, and they're all local. Love it.
Service: Amazing. We waited for nothing and were given wonderful recommendations.
Starters: This is going to sound ridiculous, but the different styles of hearty breads we were served might've been one of my favorite parts. Even the butter was outrageously good. We also had a cast-iron crab imperial (Chesapeake crab, of course!) served piping hot with mini toasts. To my delight, it was almost all crab - the imperial was very, very light, and the flavor shouted "crab"! instead of "overwhelming cream." Off to a REALLY good start.
Libations: Cocktail menu is to die for. Seriously. Filled with a plethora of pre-prohibition-era drinks, the creativity is endless. Had a Manhattan that was, without question, the best one I've ever had (locally-sourced small-batch Bourbon), a Blackberry-Patch Fizz (rum, blackberry liquor, dash of orange bitters, and coffee-pecan bitters?!?! WHAT?). It was amazing. Beautiful frothy top, too. :) The beer and wine selection were both locally sourced as well. The Chardonnay was excellent. Even the water jars were primitive! She left an antique bottle of both sparkling and tap water at the table for us to pour. It's the little things.
Dinner: Here's where it gets outrageous.
Torn between the braised beef and the rib eye, Tad went with the rib eye upon the recommendation of our waitress. He's usually very wary of such a marbled cut, but when done right, he loves it. And... he loved it. The fat had melted (save for a few corner pieces) and he was crazy about the flavor. In fact, we both took a bite of our entrees and had to chuckle at the same time because of the goodness :) Tad's not a steak sauce person, but they served his steak with a tiny jar of some kind of heavenly sauce that REALLY brought out the flavor. It was very garlic-y and you could definitely taste the Worcestershire. He enjoyed his au gratin potatoes as well.
My "supper" dish was a half-chicken (de-boned), fire-roasted, served with the pan sauce and a flaky biscuit (slow-cooked carrots as well). I also ordered the mashed sweet potatoes. How is it possible to wood-fire a chicken, crisp the skin just so, and leave the meat that juicy/tender/mouth-watering? The pan sauce was amazinggg, and the biscuit was perfect. Chicken and biscuits is one of my all-time favorites, and theirs takes the ribbon. Perfect with the sweet potatoes.
Dessert: We ordered apple pie, despite me not being a fan of apple pie (just because dinner was so "Americana" that I couldn't pass it up). Tad loved it (served with caramel and vanilla ice cream), and I thoroughly enjoyed the crust, but there were too many apples for my taste. Great flavor, though. And the chef wrote "Happy Valentine's Day" in caramel. <3
One more thing: Portions. When you're dropping $200 for dinner, the irony is that you grow to expect tiny portions. Not here. Everything was generously portioned, to our surprise.
I can't say enough about this place. This is by FAR the best restaurant in Baltimore. Sure, Capital Grille is fantastic if you want a good "steakhouse" - but it's impressive that Woodberry can offer such a killer steak without steak as a specialty. Sure, I've never been to the Charleston - but there's something about this place that I promise you would show the Charleston up. Their commitment to sustainability already makes them ten times cooler than anyone else (their take-home boxes and bags are made from 100% recycled material and are biodegradable).
Two words:
Go there.
Website: http://www.woodberrykitchen.com/
Can't wait to try their Sunday brunch. :)
