The Rumor Mill Photos

Baked Brie and Bacon Marmalade

Yellow Beets

Crab Dumplings

Duck & Cherries

Shrimp & Potatoes

Cilantro Beef

Honey Miso Scallops

Ginger Panna Cotta

Grilled Peach Cake

The Rumor Mill Review

The Rumor Mill

8069 Tiber Alley
Ellicott City, MD 20143

410-461-0041

http://www.therumormillrestaurant.com

If you enjoy old, historic charm, you will enjoy a trip to The Rumor Mill Fusion Bar and Restaurant.  Ladies be sure to wear your flats.  To reach this restaurant one must first navigate the cobble stone alley that is as old as the city itself.  The restaurant is housed in a delightfully restored mill.  Once inside, guests enjoy a warm, quaint setting.  The dining area is small and personal with shades of brown, orange and tan to warm the décor.  Exposed brick, glass and a half wall of chalk board add character and visual interest.  Adorable white and brown tear drop lighting adds an artistic flair.  There is a small bar with bottles of colorful concoctions. Their specialty is their house-infused vodkas mixed with juices and fresh fruit purees, offered in such flavors as apple, blood orange, pear, pomegranate, raspberry, strawberry or white peach.

The wait staff is knowledgeable and for the most part friendly.  They allow you to eat at a rather leisurely pace.  The chef on the other hand is one of the most gracious and personable chefs we have met in a long time.  Chef and Owner Matthew Milani came out, sat at our table, introduced his self and chatted about the restaurant and the menu.  He invited us to stop by again soon and stick our head in the kitchen to say,“Hi.”  It was clear that he loves his job and takes pride in his restaurant.

The food at The Rumor Mill is best described as down-home, global fusion.  The foundations of most dishes are traditional southern.  However, Chef Milani adds many global twists and turns.  The menu is tapas style, so you can venture out and sample many different items.  We give the chef high scores for creativity and adventure, however execution left us wanting on some dishes.  Most of his dishes are rich due to the shear amount of oil he uses.  Many of the oils are infused and have a delightful taste, but there is too much of it.  Most of his meats are cooked well but lack proper seasoning.  Desserts on the other hand are some of the best we have ever had.  All in all, The Rumor Mill’s food is a bit of a toss-up.

This is a good place to try if you are on a romantic date because you can take a walk through the old historic district before or after diner, or a good place to meet and hang out with friends.  Parking is a chore because there is no valet and parking spaces are limited in this old historic town.  Overall we give The Rumor Mill ♪♪♪. 

Baked Brie and Bacon Marmalade

The chef warmed a delicious round of brie and topped it with sweet and savory bacon marmalade (FYI- you could choose to top it with peach compote instead).  The combination of the creamy richness from the cheese and the sweet savory-ness of the marmalade were heavenly.  The addition of chives gave a little earthiness and flare.  This dish was amazing! Please note that this dish is listed as a dessert though it serves wonderfully as an appetizer.

Yellow Beets

The beets were nicely roasted, which made them sweet and delicious.  The blue cheese was a perfect addition to the dish because it added a little saltiness. The blue cheese was presented as if it had been squeezed through an icing gun, shaped into small florets, and though it started out sort of stiff, it eventually melted nicely into the rest of the dish.  The herb vinaigrette was fascinating because it tasted like grass; it was not awful, just peculiar. Overall, it was quite nice if a bit different from any preparation of beets we have had before.

Cilantro Beef

This is where the drenching began.  TOO MUCH OIL!  The delicate and tender slices of beef became lost in all the oil and balsamic vinegar.  We can’t even tell you what the beef tasted like because it was drowned out.  Strangely enough the accompanying cucumbers had quite an intense flavor.  They stood up well to the oil and balsamic bath while the poor beef lost that battle.  (TAPS playing quietly in the background…)

Duck & Cherries

The chef cooked the duck, Sous-Vide style (in a bag, boiled low and slow for a very long time).  It was super tender and delicious.  There was a slight gaminess that was delightful.  The cherries were both sweet and tart which worked perfectly in this dish.  The sweetness did not overpower the duck but rather complimented it.  Our only suggestion for the chef is to sear the duck breast just a tad bit after the sous-vide process to give the delicious skin a nice crisp finish. 

Crab Dumpling

The dumpling dough was way too heavy.  The dish was reminiscent of a French style pastry, much too intense for a delicate crab flavor.   The Dijon was also too strong for the crab and the goat cheese was too tart.  The dipping sauce was too salty. Here we were feeling a little bit like Goldilocks…everything being just a little too much. 

Honey Miso Scallops

This dish was both a hit and a miss.  The miss were the scallops.  They were over-done and rubbery. It may have had something to do with the quality of the product, and if this is so, I hope they get a new supplier, quick, fast, in a hurry.  Even if this WAS the case however, they lacked the much desired char that makes scallops wonderful.  To make a perfect scallop you need two things; a good sear and a sprinkle of sea salt.  These scallops lacked both.  The hit was the creamy wasabi cucumber salad.  Ohhhhhhh… My goodness was that salad amazing!  It was sweet, tart and spicy all at the same time.  Absolutely delicious!

Shrimp & Potatoes

This dish was a bit disjointed.  The sausage and potatoes were quite good.  We would recommend just serving those alone.  The spiciness of the sausage was delightful and complimented the perfectly cooked medley of white, red and sweet potatoes nicely.  Unfortunately, the shrimp just lay there limp and uninvolved in the dish.  They lacked the expected deep, oceany flavor and did nothing for the dish. 

Grilled Peach Cake

This dessert screamed summer time.  A moist, hot cake topped with a grilled peach half and homemade vanilla ice cream, and served with homemade caramel sauce on the side to top it with, was enough to make you want to hurt somebody!  It was so unbelievably good!  It was truly something you could see a grandma somewhere deep down south making. 

Ginger Panna Cotta

We love our panna cotta. And though not all panna cotta is created equal, this turned out to be one of our favorites.  Amazingly, it was made with coconut milk, making it super-rich and creamy, and agar-agar, an Asian substitute for gelatin made from a south-east Asian seaweed.  The ginger flavor was subtle and not too overpowering.  There was a slight crunch for all the vanilla beans used in the dish.  The chef then had the nerve to add candies blackberries and ginger to the dish.  How he candied a fresh berry we don’t know, but it’s possible and it’s delicious. Bravo on both the concept and the execution of THIS dish!

Bluegrass Tavern Photos

Black Eyed Pea and Peanut Soup

Antelope Carpaccio

Gnocchi with Smoked Sasuage

Smoked Fried Chicken

Peanut Butter Bomb

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Bluegrass Tavern Review

1500 S Hanover Street

 Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 244-5101

http://www.bluegrasstavern.com/

Bluegrass Tavern is a quaint restaurant at the corner of Hanover and Front Street in Federal Hill.  We noticed when it popped up a few years ago and wanted to check it out, until we saw the menu.  When the restaurant first opened, the menu seemed boring and blah.  Something must have happened over the years because their dinner menu is brand new and well worth the trip.  The food at Bluegrass Tavern is hard to explain; it can be best described as American Southern with a “Foo Foo-She She” twist.  This chef takes some surprising and unexpected turns with his dishes.  For example, peanut butter and bacon ice cream…insanity right? 

The décor is simple.  Shades of blue adorn the walls.  The chairs and tables are a basic wood.  There is some charm in knowing that the restaurant is a converted Baltimore row home.  There is seating on the first floor, upstairs and outside.  There is a large bar located on each level of the restaurant.  The staff is very knowledgeable of the menu and laid back.  They are attentive but also give you plenty of time to leisurely enjoy your dining experience. 

Bluegrass is a great restaurant to walk to, if you live in the neighborhood.  It would also be good for date night or after work with some friends.  This restaurant appeals to both foodies and folks that just want a good down home meal.   The prices are moderate; expect to spend about $50 for a three course meal.  There is Valet parking which is great since the restaurant is located in a busy neighborhood.   Overall we give Bluegrass Tavern ♪♪♪. 

Black Eyed Pea and Peanut Soup with Bacon

This soup was a fascinating twist on southern style black eyed peas.  This dish was wonderfully smoky and flavorful thanks to the bacon.  The peanuts were used in such a way that they made the soup creamy and rich.  The chef infused Indian flavors in this dish to make it complex and next level.  The carrots added a slight sweetness that perfectly complimented the dish.  And do you know the chef had the guts to serve this soup at room temperature?  It was a genius move.  This soup was delicious. 

Antelope Carpaccio

This dish was a miss.  The Antelope itself had a nice earthy flavor with a subtle gaminess to it.  However the texture was a soggy, sloppy mess.  It was too moist.  The chef added a fig compote that was too heavy and not at all a good match to the antelope.  He also used way too much of the compote.

Smoked Fried Chicken

Ok…This dish was the show stopper.  Imagine 3 hefty pieces of de-boned chicken breast smoked, seasoned to perfection and deep fried.  The chicken was so tender, moist and spicy.  The smokiness was so heavy and yummy, even leaving a floral note hovering on your pallet, we guess from the wood it was smoked using.  The three potato salad was also divine.  It had a slight sweetness alongside a mustardy flavor and finished with a wonderful relish accent. 

Gnocchi with Smoked Sausage

Two words…Hated it!  The only good thing about this dish was the smoky sausage.  The rest was a disaster.  The gnocchi was heavy and doughy.  The veggies were lonely and sad.  There was no sauce used to tie all the ingredients together and very little spice to create mystery and intrigue.  This dish was disappointing.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

This dessert was pretty good.  The cheesecake was light and fluffy.  For any of you that have had Melissa’s candy yams, that is the exact flavor of the cheesecake.  We said that this dessert was like eating candied air. 

Peanut Butter Bomb

This dish is rightfully named because it will blow you away.  This chef took peanut butter ice cream and added chunks of fried bacon.  Yes, that’s right, fried bacon in your ice cream.  We can admit that it sounds crazy, but we promise you it is one of the best combinations you will ever eat.  It is sweet and salty all at that same time.  The bacon adds this unexpected but welcomed smokiness to the dessert.  The ice cream sits on a graham cracker crust that we believe has some rendered bacon fat in it.  There is a delicious toasted marshmallow also on the plate.  You just have to stop by and try this dessert.