b Bistro in Bolton Hill: Review (1.30.2009)

b Bistro is nestled in the Bolton Hill area of Baltimore which I feel is a hidden gem. The homes are huge, beautiful, and classy and I would live in any of them.

We arrived right at 8pm for our reservation and were told it would be a few minutes while one of the tables finished up. The place was packed. The one downside is that it is tight quarters - there wasn't anywhere for us to stand, but the host told us to come towards the back where we could stand by the wall of wine bottles, overlooking the kitchen.

The host immediately took our coats and then offered us a drink. He handed us a wine list and also went over the wines available by the glass, explaining the flavors in each one. We chose a Chianti-type red and our glasses were poured in stemless glasses (my fav). We had the best time checking out all the dishes coming out of the kitchen.
We ended up having to wait about 20 mins for our table, but the host informed us that the wine was on him since we had such a long wait. :)

Once we were seated, I realized that we were very close to the other two tables on either side of us and was nervous about taking pictures of each dish. I apologize in advance for some of the blurry photos...I was trying to be quick.

Our server brought over a ciabatta type bread with a cute little olive oil container. The olive oil was so buttery and delicious that Kevin asked what type they use. The server went and asked the chef, who wrote the name down on a piece of paper for us. Antica Italia. She said we may be able to find it at this great italian market nearby.

She went on to tell us that Trinacria was an amazing Italian market/deli. We had never heard of it!! I think we may be heading there this weekend.

Sorry for my long-windedness. I just get really excited about this kind of stuff.

Let's talk about the food!

I decided on the Roasted Beet Salad w/ Toasted Walnuts, Chevre and Mache as my First Course. It was the perfect combination of flavors and I didn't want the plate to end.

Kevin went with the Fried OystersCaper Aioli, Arugula and Fennel Salad. (He had already started to dig in.)I love raw oysters, but have never been a big fan of them fried. My mind has changed. The bite I had was incredible.

Since I went lighter on the appetizer, I decided to go all out on the Second Course. Gnocchi w/ Shrimp: Potato Dumplings with Jumbo Shrimp, Zucchini & Saffron Cream. These were the best gnocchi I have ever tasted. SO light and fluffy - they literally melted in my mouth.

Kevin chose the Slow Roasted Lamb Ragout over Fettuccine. He loved it and I thought it was very flavorful.
My dessert was the star of this show. Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Gianduja, Crispy Feulletine, Blood Orange Gelee and Banana Custard. The bottom layer was the Crispy Feulletine, which was chocolaty crispy crepes. I think this layer MADE the dish.Oh man - I was stuffed, but still managed to finish every bite of this.

Kevin ordered the b Bread Pudding which was good, but not his favorite of all-time. I took a bite, but don't remember what it tasted like because I was still mesmerized by my dessert.
I truly believe that every restaurant out there could learn a few things about service from the people working at b Bistro. I was seriously impressed.

At one point during our meal, Kevin said that this could be the best restaurant he has EVER been too. Now that is a big statement, but I think I am in agreement. Service, Food, Atmosphere - it was all impeccable in my book.

I would highly recommend a trip to this restaurant for anyone in the area or visiting. Baltimore Restaurant Week was extended for another week (through Feb 8th), so get in there for a 3 course meal at a great price!

Food coma was in full effect last night and I am really looking forward to my run tonight to burn some of my big dinner off. Key Run Workout #2 this week calls for 6 miles. (2 miles easy, 3 miles short-tempo, 1 mile easy)

Unfortunately, the Superbowl Trail Race I was planning to do this Sunday has been cancelled. The trails are not going to be in good shape after all the ice we had recently. The good news is that my dad has already planned a replacement 10 miler out on country roads near their house.

Hope everyone has a great weekend planned!

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Foodie Help Needed (1.28.2009)

Last night I managed to run 5 miles on the treadmill. My legs were sore from the squats and lunges on Monday night, so the fact that I even made it to the gym is a miracle.

• Warm-up: 10 mins
• 4 x 800 interval pick-ups, with 90 second rest intervals
• Cool down: 20 mins

For the intervals, I would increase my speed by 1. So, if my comfort/normal speed is 6.0 - I would push it to 7.0 for 1/2 mile. I was supposed to do 6 intervals, but my legs were so tired and I couldn't push-it any further.


I came home and made a simple, but filling dinner. Broccoli and Tofu.


After pressing the tofu to remove the excess liquid, I baked them for 20 mins at 400 degrees. Flipping once. I used the Soy Vay Teriyaki sauce again and they turned out delish.
I never thought I would EVER say that I really like tofu. I am actually starting to crave it. WEIRD.



I sauteed broccoli with a little butter, garlic, and pepper. I drizzled lemon juice on before eating. yum.
A little later, I decided I wanted some popcorn. I popped a 100 calorie bag of kettle corn. The bag felt like it had nothing to it when I was putting it in the microwave, but it popped a ton.
This morning, I woke up to ICE and lots of it. I wish I could say that I am typing this from home, but my boss sent an email last night that she wasn't going to be authorizing working from home unless the building was closed. Our building never closes. So if I wanted to stay home - I would have to take the day off. UGH.


I decided to wait for the ice the melt and roads to be cleaned up before coming into work. Oscar got a long, slippery walk in the park. He fell a few times and I couldn't help but laugh - poor guy. He loves this weather though, so snow/ice angels were in full effect.


I took my time getting to work. I stopped by my local coffee shop and got my new favorite morning drink - Green Tea Latte w/ Honey.


Basically, they take a green tea bag and steep it in a little water. Then, they add steamed skim milk and a squirt or two of honey. yum.


Good thing I had my tea because I was in my car for about 20 minutes waiting for the ice to melt on my front wind shield. I found another way to take care of the ice on my windows. (Obviously I don't have an ice scrapper.)

As I rolled down the windows, the ice stayed put, so I would punch it out. It was fun.

Ok, so I need your foodie help.

This week is Restaurant week in Baltimore. You get to choose 3 courses from a special menu for a fixed price. Kevin and I have reservations at b, a Bolton Hill Bistro for dinner tomorrow night which we chose because they had a ton of choices. But now, looking at the menu - I am completely overwhelmed!

Here are the options:

First Course (Choice of one)

• Soup: Cannellini Bean with Lardons~
• Warm Crotin de Chavignol with Arugula, Fennel, Candied Pecans and Apple Cider Dressing~
• Panzanella Salad of Rustic Italian Bread, Marinated Tomatoes, Capers, Red Onion tossed w/ Aged Balsamic & EVOO~
• Pumpkin Stuffed Ravioliwith Pancetta and Sage Brown Butter~
• Rhode Island Calamari sautéed in House Tomato Sauce over Grilled Polenta~
• Roasted Beet Salad w/ Toasted Walnuts, Chevre and Mache~
• Fried OystersCaper Aioli, Arugula and Fennel Salad~

Second Course (Choice of one)

• Slow Roasted Lamb Ragout over Fettuccine~
• "b" House Ravioli: Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Ravioli tossed in brown Sage Butter & Parmesan Cheese topped w/ Basil, Tomato & House Marinara~
• Gnocchi w/ Shrimp: Potato Dumplings with Jumbo Shrimp, Zucchini & Saffron Cream~
• Pan Seared Arctic Char with Butternut Squash Risotto and Crispy Hen of the Woods Mushrooms~
• Grilled Japanese Sea Bass with Saffron Aioli, Sautéed Spinach and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes~
• Grilled Branzini over Cremini Mushrooms, Arugula & Parmesan Salad finished w/ Lemon Infused Olive Oil~
• Duck Confit with Cannellini Bean Ragout, Gremolata, and Veal Reduction~
• Grilled Leg of Lamb Steak with Nebbiolo Demi Glaze, Sautéed Kale and Pancetta, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes~
• Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Green Peppercorn Cream Sauce, Asiago Mashed Potatoes and Caramelized Wild Mushrooms~

Third Course (Choice of one)

• b Bread Pudding
• Crème Brulee with homemade Cookies
• Pot De Crème with Homemade Cookies
• Lemon Sabayon Tart, Burnt Meringue and Raspberry Preserves
• Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Gianduja, Crispy Feulletine, Blood Orange Gelee and Banana Custard
• Caramelized Banana Tart, Almond Cream, Golden Raisin Caramel and toasted Cardamom Ice Cream
• Ice Cream Plate:Fresh Made Profiteroles served with any of our House made Ice Creams and Salted Caramel (Ice Cream Flavors: vanilla, nutella, mocha, panna cotta, olive oil, amaretto, pistachio, bacio, fragola)

Can you see why this is SO hard?! Everything sounds INCREDIBLE...and I don't even know what half the things actually are. ;)

Please let me know what you would choose, so hopefully it will help me decide!!

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