Bar Review: Aloha Tokyo!

S.O. and I went to a new bar/restaurant down the street here in the LP called Aloha Tokyo.
In it's previous incarnation the location used to be a bar called the French Quarter. I've lived in this part of town for over 5 years and never set foot in the old place...
Aloha Tokyo is a VERY small bar in the first floor of an end-of-row row home in Locust Point.
Do NOT expect to go to this place with more than your Significant Other. The TOTAL seating in this place barely reaches 30. Comfortably the place can seat 28. There are 10 seats at the bar - chairs are large wicker high-tops with round backs. Comfy yes - but you could probably fit 5 more chairs at the bar if different style chairs were used. The bar is on the inside wall. Along the outside wall are 6 2-person booths and an exit door to the alley. (which was open when we were there b/c the bar was a little stuffy - but it was nice b/c of the breeze and it just started to rain so it was nice and cool.)
There is also 1 large table at the front of the bar near the main door that can sit 6 - 8 depending...
The music was a little odd. It was definitely some Hawaiian/Japanese fusion type if thing, but it was most certainly the "smooth jazz" version.... it was tolerable, but could have been a little more up-beat. The decor was.... there was a lot to look at. We sat at the bar and there were a lot of little knicky-knack type of things all over the back wall - sumo wrestlers, funky sake jugs, little miniature people... - a lot to look at. There were 4 flat screens behind the bar and one of those picture screens that looks like a TV but is really just one "moving" picture. The picture looked like Bora Bora. - I totally want to go there for our honeymoon....
When we got there there around 7:30 on Friday there were only 4 - 5 people in the place. We sat at the bar and got menus. We started with a round of Miller Lites while we looked at the menu (i know...)
Fried dumplings, soup, noodle dishes, skewered meat, and sushi were on the menu. It seemed to be a pretty limited menu but for such a small place I wasn't surprised. We started with the fried shrimp dumplings and then got the skewer platter and some sushi - tuna roll and California roll. B/c the skewer platter was taking a while to prepare (no explanation really) we also were served a bowl of miso soup.
The dumplings were great! I usually preferred steamed, but the fried shrimp were great. Nice and crispy and you could taste the shrimp filling.
The miso soup was good - again, not a big fan of scallions, but there was just the right amount in the soup - along with some seaweed i think...
The California roll was standard (i forgot to ask for no roe - and it was caked in the stuff) - but it was still good. (i'm just scared - the first time i had roe i broke out in hives...) the roll was fine, but the pieces were actually a little to big for me to eat in one bite so it was a little difficult for me to eat.
The tuna roll was good as well. Simple with no roe. SPICY. I don't know if it was the wasabi - i only but a little dab - or if it was the spicy tuna, but these were bite-size and good - spicy.
The skewer platter was pretty good too. The chicken was great with a little soy/bbq sauce. The beef wrapped in bacon needed help. there were only 3 pieces of it and i had two, but S.O. said his piece of bacon was not cooked all the way through. Mine was the same, but (ewe gross) i didn't have a problem with it (and no upset stomachs the next day so it was all good...).
By this time we were pretty full and S.O. had had two beers and i had one. We decided to stick around (the place was filling up and there was pretty good people "watching" - b/c we were at the bar we couldn't really see who was behind us, but we could hear them and that was entertaining...)
We got the sake menu and decided on a $14 bottle. They serve theirs chilled. The decanter was really cool with this little blue bubble in the middle for the ice cubes. Add one little hole and it could have been a tobacco pipe.
The sake was awesome! I've never really liked it b/c it thought it was too strong but this stuff was SMOOOTH and a little fruity. We finished the bottle and then decided it was time to go. We got the check - $57 - i think a reasonable about and headed home.
Of course at this point it is POURING down rain. Oh well. We walked the 6 blocks, changed clothes, and watched a movie.
Life Aquatic with Steve Zisso - another story....
anyways, all in all, i totally want to go back... next time maybe do it a little cheaper....
also - follow-up: no hangover from the sake. Sweet....

Baltimore Restaurant Week - Bar Review

So, this past week was baltimore restaurant week... i made reservations for D and I at Pazza Luna. I know, I know. We should have eaten somewhere that we have never been before but the point was really just so we wouldn't have to cook dinner last night. - This past weekend was really busy, so i thought i was doing us a favor...
anyways, so we ate a pazza luna - their restaurant week menu left a little to be desired. D was a little irritated b/c initially he didn't see anything he wanted on the menu. I went with the intention to get the vegitarian lasagna but they were all out.
I ended up getting the asparagus salad and the risotto with chicken and romaine?! The asparagus salad was a small bed of greens with 5 little asparagus spears and a half peach grilled and stuffed with gorgonzola cheese. The pear with gorgonzola was awesome! the asparagus was a little wimpy.
The risotto with chicken and romaine was creamy and had a hint of lemon. The romaine didn't really add any flavor but definately added texture which was helpful.
For dessert I had the tiramasu. It was tasty - flavorful - but too much. i was sooo full i couldn't finish it.
I have heard that some restaurants in Baltimore are extending their restaurant week menu. I might make another reservation for another location....
Also - this week is Washington, DC restaurant week.

Restaurant Review: Pazza Luna

So, D and i didn't feel like cooking anything for dinner (really i just didn't want pizza for dinner) so we decided to eat out - so we walked down the street to Pazza Luna.


First impressions: decor is very nice, much better than before (all Sopranos memoriabilia is gone) but still has the same layout as far as where the tables are and the bar location.


We sat ourselves at the bar and waited a good 3 minutes before the bartender removed the dirty glasses and the check that belonged to the people who were there before us.

He must have said sorry like 3 times in the first 30 seconds after acknowledging our presence. I don't need your sorrys. i need you to just get your shit together and don't let it happen again.

So we placed our drink order and received our menus. Again - a good 10 minutes before we were told the specials by the bartender - who again said sorry "we are understaffed" - well, i don't care about your staffing issues - especially since the bar area isn't even packed and it looks like the host working the door is also a waiter and pours drinks...

so.. we got the specials and before he could leave us again we placed our order - we weren't trying to wait another 20 minutes before putting in our order.

first - before the food - i started out with a glass of pino noir which was lovely. very good - and a heavy pour. D had his usual burbon and ginger.

I went with the specials the whole way. For my app i got the salmon app which was thinly sliced salmon rolled onto a bed of mesclun greens with a lemon vinegrette and two large grilled prawns. VERY tasty. and actually quite filling.

D's app was a lamb raviolli. looked good.

for my entree I got a dish that was bascially mini lasagna noodles made with spinach mixed with lump crab in a VERY light cream and tomato sauce. WONDERFUL!

D's entree was veal thinly sliced with veggies. said it was tasty but i didn't try any.

for our dessert we were so full but wanted to try something, so we split the creme brulee. Mistake. Don't do it. The top was nice and crispy, but the rest was watery. They still need to work on this one.

Overall I would give the food an A- and the service a B+. We will definately go back again, but will probably get less food now that we know what's pretty good.

Worst Fish and Chips Ever

So, last Friday some friends wanted to meet up for drinks at this Irish bar down the street, J. Patrick's. We had been there before, but only for beers. First thing, while they do have a good beer selection, they are kinda pricey, and like all good bars in baltimore, they only take cash.

So BF and I decided to go early and get food before our friends showed up. I got the "fish and chips" with cole slaw and BF got the Shepard's Pie. Our fist thought of "there's no way they can mess these dishes up" was immediately disproven when our food came out.

My "fish" was literally a flat fish-stick. fish-stick. - And the fries tasted like they had been in the frier all day long. Both tasted nasty - i could only have a few bites.

So i was looking forward to my cole slaw when the woman in the kitchen comes out and tells me they are out. Crap! So i got the "green" salad.

What this woman brought out to me had nothing green in it what-so-ever. It was the core of a head of iceberg with some diced tomatoes.

Shepard's Pie was no better really. BF sort of suffered through it.

So... moral of the story: only eat fish and chips at Maggie Moores across the street from the Hippodrome. No more food at J. Patricks.

PS: the funniest part about this whole thing was that while we were being grossed out by our food this guy next to us (a frat-boy federal hill type) called his buddy to come to the bar and meet up with him b/c the "food was sooo good." Dude was eating mussels and mozzarella sticks...