Friday, November 8, 2013

Sotto Sopra



Written by Leann Pettit
Sotto Sopra, in downtown Baltimore, had a menu we couldn’t resist, and then couldn’t make a decision on. We made reservations for dinner on a weekend night, and the restaurant was only taking reservations on that Saturday night. They also offer special opera nights throughout the year, which has a special menu.
We ordered the pork osso buco and the Sacchetti di Zucca con Salsiccia, a pumpkin filled pasta. The pasta was plate licking good - sweet and savory with the pumpkin filled pasta and a cream sauce with crumbled sausage. The sauce was so good that I used some of the focaccia bread to soak up the sauce after finishing the dish. The osso buco, made from pork instead of veal, was fall of the bone tender, and, while served with a knife, we never needed it. It had that deep, meaty, savory flavor that a dish like this can only get from long, slow cooking periods. It was a huge portion, perfect for sharing, or for a very hungry diner. The osso buco is served with mushroom risotto, however, we asked for a different risotto and the kitchen made a parmesan and vegetable risotto for us. The new risotto was the perfect compliment to the pork to cut some of that rich pork with a lighter dish that was creamy and buttery. We also ordered the tiramisu for dessert. The slice of cake was absolutely heavenly, creamy and fluffy and the lady fingers were soaked to the point they just melted in your mouth. The perfect end to a delicious meal.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Mr. Rain's Fun House




Written by Leann Pettit
On the third floor of the American Visionaries Museum, just outside of the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, is Mr. Rain’s Fun House, a restaurant that is as unique as the museum it is located in. We made reservations at Mr. Rain’s for brunch the afternoon we were enjoying the museum, however, diners are welcomed to the restaurant even if you are checking out the museum.

Saturdays and Sundays, Mr. Rain’s Fun House serves brunch until 4 p.m. 

We ordered the Bibb and Apple Salad and the Chorizo Burger (with the salsa rojo on the side). The salad was a perfect brunch size and perfect for a light lunch. Served with bibb lettuce, baked apples, walnuts, and dressed with a creamy thyme dressing, and there was a caramel dressing on the side of the plate, which complimented the salad very well. The apples were cooked perfectly and were seasoned very lightly with cinnamon.

The Chorizo Burger was huge, a nice sized burger made from chorizo sausage, so it also had a natural spice to it. The burger is topped with a fried egg, which really brought a creaminess to the meaty, spicy burger. We ordered the rojo salsa on the side, as our waiter suggested it might be a little on the spicier side. The sauce was spicy, but not over the top. Had a nice mellow, smoky flavor with an after burn that lit up the back of your throat. It definitely complimented the burger.

The burgers are also served with house cut fries, which are fried crispy and then seasoned and are irresistibly addictive.

Instead of bread, the restaurant serves homemade, warm, pretzel bites and are served with a spicy mustard. The pretzel bites are warm and this amazing comfort food is so much better than warm bread, and the mustard is grainy with just a hint of spice, the perfect compliment to the warm, buttery pretzel bites.

Monday, November 4, 2013

SpringHill Suites BWI Airport by Marriott






Written by Matt Rosenfeld
The SpringHill Suites BWI Airport by Marriott is a pretty decent hotel for a weekend trip to Baltimore.  The pricing is significantly less than the Downtown/Inner Harbor hotels, especially when you consider the free parking at this hotel. (However, we found it wasn't difficult to find parking downtown in Baltimore within a block or two or our destination, the biggest obstacle was the 1 or 2 hour parking limits on some blocks, especially near the Inner Harbor area.)  It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to drive into the center of Baltimore City or the Inner Harbor area, so this is a prime location for a cheaper hotel for most visitors to this city.

The hotel itself has a friendly staff for those we encountered.  The breakfast is also plentiful (and free).  It contains the usual continental items, plus a waffle maker, cold cuts, sausage or bacon, etc.  The pool area is nice and is overseen by a lifeguard.  We made use of the hot tub and it was quiet and peaceful there.

A complaint we had is when we first checked in, the first room we were given had a musty smell and the couch had a large stain on it, however, our room was changed a without problem.  However, the housekeeping during our stay proved a little lacking.  I definitely noticed stains on the shower curtain in the new room and markings on the walls and mirror.  While not a big deal, it does show that the housekeeping staff should be re-trained to identify these issues and fix them immediately instead of letting guests notice them.

Address: 899 Elkridge Landing Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090
Wifi: Free
Parking: Free
Restaurant: No
Bar/Lounge: No
Smoking: Non-smoking
Hidden Fees: None
Breakfast: Free
In-room safe: No