BBT #5: The Food Market

Hot off the presses, Corrina's review -

The Food Market was sublime. That was the best meal I've had in a long time. My order was fried chicken and biscuits which is a somewhat traditional dish but there was nothing boring about this meal. A beautiful presentation with three different sauces that created an explosion of flavor in your mouth-the kind of flavor you wake up in the middle of the night craving.



The atmosphere was urban chic without snobby or aloof service, it was a bit pricey but worth every cent. Everything from the fresh squeezed orange juice to the dirt pudding dessert was divine. I'd recommend this to any and every one looking for a unique and decadent dining experience.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Stop 5

Shout out to my sister, Amy, for recommending this one (http://www.thefoodmarketbaltimore.com/)...funny we never agree on movies but I completely trust her on 'local finds'! The Food Market in Hamden (hon) is thankfully open for brunch on Fridays, which fit nicely with my work commitments last week...Corrina also appreciated the extra sleep having been out late for Jay Z the night before. Kid's got the life.

Well...onto my review. From the street, the place blends right in with the existing Hamden store fronts and feels like its always been there.




The menu is presented as munchies, brunchies, and lunchies. Cheesy I guess, but we'll just call it a cute touch. Each menu had a hand drawn picture on the bottom, looked like the work of a crayola marker. Not sure how this tied into the ecclectic sophistication kinda feel of the place, but the dessert menu (yes we got dessert!) also had that same youthful charm, arriving on a little bitty clipboard.



Before I go on about how ridiculous that dirt cup was, let me tell you the service was just right, friendly at the door and just enough attention at the table. We got there around 11 and there was plenty of room in the spacious, open dining area.

I ordered the steak and egg tacos, because I know when to listen to my older, wiser sister. They were fantastic. And might I add perfectly portioned! The steak was cooked as it should be, pink not bloody, and the crispy onions on top added a delightfully subtle crunch.



I was tickled with the presentation of the fries, which were crinkle cut and lightly salted in a brown paper bag...a nice accompaniment to the tacos but I didn't waste too much space on em.

Corrina ordered the dirt cup for dessert and mama wasn't gonna argue. I will let her tell you about it though as I only had room for a few spoonfuls of its sinfulness. To end, I'll say we enjoyed our experience at the Market, we'll definitely go back, and recommend it to all you all as well!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:The Food Market

Stop 4 - The Maryland Zoo

Here's what Mama thought of Breakfast with the Giraffes!

It's been a long time since I took this kid to the zoo and I think it made us both a little nostalgic. One thing I really enjoyed was breaking out the big girl camera for some fun shots, like this one - the giraffes were peering over at us while we ate.

Speaking of the food, we went in expecting this wouldn't be about the food and we were right. The giraffe house was primed for our visit though, with decorated tables around the room and a buffet that faced us as we walked in. It was what you'd expect to see in a buffet for a hotel's complimentary breakfast with little to no options (like there was syrup for the pancakes but no butter).

I could go on about the drawbacks, like a shortage of bottled water and some confusion getting from the tram to the giraffe house; but, the weather was gorgeous, staff was friendly, the giraffes were charming, plus it allowed us to see the zoo before the crowds arrived. We headed out around 12:30 after Corrina had a camel ride, we saw the elephants, lions, penguins, and even met up with a few cousins for a bit!

Corrina taking her turn to feed the oldest giraffe at the zoo, Caesar - don't ask me how old because I already don't remember!

Like many things in life, the experience is somewhat a matter of perspective. I couldn't say the $65 per person was too much to spend because it was quality time with the teen and what I see as a donation to our zoo. Here are the rest of my photos...

 

 

Until next time, thanks for reading!

BBT #4: The Zoo!

Corrina's comments on Breakfast with the Animals!

 Letting a giraffe eat out of your hand is quite the experience. Worth the $65? Maybe not quite, especially when there's a feeding station on the premises where you can have a similar experience for under $5. The food was...well it was food, but it was less than stellar. The main perk of this breakfast was eating right next to the giraffe exhibit. I had an awesome time and I would definitely recommend this for families with older kids (9 and up), not so much for the young ones because as I saw, many of them had no clue what was going on. It was definitely a fun time but I'm not so sure it was worth the pricey ticket.

Stop #3

Ro Mama's Review:

So we hit this little spot (http://www.jackandzachfood.com/) about a week ago, then life got busy and we are just getting around to blogging about it. Corrina played in her final AAU basketball tournament, we toured Kent State University, and returned to a crab feast with her team. All a reminder to me how fast this life goes and how grateful I am to steal a few mornings from Corrina's summer.

 

Well, this place is literally a cozy counter dishing up breakfast under the simplest of terms - small menu, minimalist service, real hippie vibe. It is located behind the Women's Industrial Exchange (a gem all it's own), and accessible from the side door of that building. We were there on a Tuesday morning and were joined by just a few others at the counter. This is definitely not the spot for a large group, though that is of course part of its charm!

 

 

My breakfast was two things for sure: 1. FRESH; 2. SATISFYING. It was arguably simplistic.  We are breakfast eaters 'round here and the meal was something I'd make for us at home on the weekends, only with far better ingredients. The breakfast potatoes that accompanied my sandwich were hearty, well seasoned, and roasted with lemon wedges.

The place itself had a calming affect on me; if we had reason to be in that area more often, I'd eat there all the time. The counter seating reminded me of Knapps Dairy Bar in Rochester, MI (http://redknapps.net/) where I had a brief career in high school, very 1950s (the place is 1950s, not my career in high school as I am not that old people).  Jack and Zach's really is just one counter (with a cool red top) that wraps around the room, and the chefs themselves bring you your perfectly prepared meal. The only hiccup we had, and continue to have, is trying to remember if its called Jack & Zach's or Zach & Jack's. Either way, we do recommend a visit, it felt like we'd discovered a hidden gem with this one!

Corrina and I were scheming to introduce a 5-point 'flapjack' scale, but have yet to crack that code on blogger.com. For now, we'll just stick with giving you our feedback on these places. This week, we should have some tall tales to tell after our biggest breakfast adventure yet - I know - I'm leaving you hanging on the edge of your seats!

Thanks for reading!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Jack and Zach's

BBT #3: Jack and Zach's

Corrina's commentary:

 The price is right, the portion is right. Zach and Jacks, located beneath the women's industrial exchange downtown is by far one of the cutest places I've ever eaten in. An L shaped bar that only seats 12, the restaurant has a very bright cozy atmosphere that is reminiscent of relaxing Sunday mornings at home. The menu, split into two sides-one for lunch and one for breakfast- was very simple and very reasonably priced. All of the ingredients come from local farms and they even had a list posted on the wall of the farmers they buy each ingredient from. Not only were all of their products organic but they even made many of their products (including butter and sausage) right there in house. My egg sandwich was delicious and the portions were just right. I had a wonderful dining experience at Zach and Jacks and I highly recommend it.

Stop 2: The Blue Moon Cafe

And the teenager’s take –

Blue Moon Café is THE breakfast joint in Baltimore. Although we set out to try less heard of places we couldn’t stay away for long. It will be hard for every restaurant following not to pale in comparison. The food is delicious, served in generous portions; the service is quick, friendly, and always at the ready with fresh coffee.  The atmosphere is on point with the eclectic neighborhood of Fells Point. They do everything from omelets to cinnamon buns flawlessly and so far they have never disappointed me. They certainly set the bar high for breakfast in Baltimore!

Stay tuned for next week's find and to check out our new 5-point flapjack scale!